Page 62 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art November, 2018 Hong Kong.

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AN INSCRIBED MOULDED WHITE-GLAZED 宋 白釉印雙蝶紋四方花口盤
SQUARE DISH 「官」字
SONG DYNASTY

decorated on the interior with two butterflies, the everted sides
with raised ridges, covered overall save for the flat base in an
ivory-tinged glaze, the base incised with a guan (official) mark
9.6 cm, 3¾ in.
HK$ 100,000-150,000
US$ 12,800-19,200

Although square dishes of such form are known in various
moulded designs, examples inscribed with the guan (official)
mark directly pointing to an imperial patronage are extremely
rare.
The present dish is inspired by Ding prototypes created in the
late Tang to Five Dynasties period. A fragment of a closely
related square dish excavated from the Ding kiln site, Quyang
county, also decorated with a pair of confronted butterflies,
is illustrated in Selection of Ding Ware: the Palace Museum’s
Collection and Archaeological Excavation, Beijing, 2012, no.
20. The characteristic rendering of the moulded design with a
white slip, is created in imitation of repoussé decoration found
on contemporaneous metalwork of similar shape.
Similar examples of the same form inscribed with the guan
mark rarely appear in the market, see a pair dated to Five
dynasties-early Northern Song dynasty, sold at Christie’s Hong Mark
Kong, 30th May 2018, lot 2925.
60 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比