Page 42 - Sotheby's London Important Chinese Art Nov. 2019

133

A FINE AND RARE PURPLE-SPLASHED ’JUN‘ BOWL This noble bowl belongs to one of the five celebrated
NORTHERN SONG/JIN DYNASTY Song wares and at the same time one of the most daring
creations China’s history. ‘Jun’ ware, with its entrancing
the well potted rounded sides rising to a gently incurved purple-and-blue colour combination, was produced
rim, liberally applied to the interior with a large splash by many different manufactories in Henan, including
transferring from a lavender tone to a rich purplish-red the Juntai kilns in Yuzhou and even at the Ru kilns at
tone, covered overall with a pale-blue glaze suffused with Qingliangsi in Baofeng, probably from the end of the
a matrix of pale crackles thinning to a buff tone at the rim Northern Song period (960-1127) until at least the Ming
and stopping just above the neatly-cut foot dynasty (1368-1644).
Diameter 12.7 cm, 4⅞ in.
Jun ware bowls are represented in world-famous
PROVENANCE collections, such as the British Museum, London, from
Collection of Dr and Mrs Marvin L. Gordon, San Francisco. the collection of Sir Percival David, illustrated in Margaret
J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art, New York, September 2009. Medley, The Chinese Potter, Oxford, 1976, fig. 83, and in
the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Complete
EXHIBITED Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of
J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art, The Gordon Collection: Chinese the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 225. Compare
Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 2009, cat. no. 28. also two bowls in the Baur Collection, Geneva, included
in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, Geneva; Chinese
Purple-splashed ‘Jun’ wares are remarkable for their Ceramics, vol. 1, Geneva, 1968, nos. A31 and A32. Two
splendid colouration, which display a range of blue and bowls from the Edward T. Chow collection, amongst the
lavender tones. The red derives from a copper-rich best extant examples, were sold in our London rooms,
pigment brushed to the blue glaze, which is difficult to 16th December 1980, lots 264 and 265, and again in these
control in the firing and thus particularly unpredictable rooms, the former on 19th May 1987, lot 209, and later in
in its outcome.This chance effect is part of the ware’s the T.T. Tsui collection; the latter on 7th June 2000, lot 93.
attraction, giving each piece with distinct identity, with
individual patterns and tonal variations created as if ‡ £ 100,000-150,000
by nature. Irregular purple splashes had an immense HK$ 980,000-1,470,000 US$ 125,000-188,000
appeal to the literati and nobility of the time, who was
able to appreciate simplicity, modesty and abstraction as 北宋/金 鈞窰藍釉紫斑小盌
opposed to the aristocracy in most regions and periods
who preferred extravagant materials, lavish designs. In this 來源
particular rare example, the undulating purple splashes Marvin L. Gordon 醫生伉儷收藏，三藩市
complemented by subtle highlights of leafy green provide J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art，紐約，2009年9月
an attractive contrast against the bright lavender-blue
glaze underneath, simulating the beauty of abstract 展覽
paintings, enticing one for an intimate inspection of its J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art，《The Gordon Collection:
timelessness and spontaneity. Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art》，紐約，2009年，
編號28

40 Buyers are liable to pay both the hammer price (as estimated above) and the buyer’s premium together with any applicable taxes and Artist’s Resale Right (which will depend on the individual circumstances).
Refer to the Buying at Auction and VAT sections at the back of this catalogue for further information.