Page 150 - Sotheby's Chinese Art and Porcelain Auction New York September 12, 2018

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A RARE AND LARGE ‘CIZHOU’ The term Cizhou tends to be freely used for slip; one of slightly larger size was included
CARVED ‘PEONY’ VASE a wide variety of kilns using slip designs, in the exhibition Charm of Black and White
distributed particularly over Hebei and Henan, Ware: Transition of Cizhou Type Wares, Osaka
NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY
the most important being the Cizhou type site Municipal Museum of Art, Osaka, cat. no. 104;
superbly potted, the gently rounded ovoid body at Guantai in Cixian (Ci county), the region and the other is published in Toji zenshu. So no
tapering to a splayed foot and surmounted by a formerly known as Cizhou, in the southernmost Jishuyo, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1966, pl. 47.
tall trumpet neck and rolled rim, ß uidly carved part of Hebei province. The Guantai kilns were The present vase is more commonly known
around the exterior through the iron-black renowned not only for their wide variety of in a much smaller size and with a simpler
slip to the white-slipped body with a dense decorative styles but also for their masterful foliate peony design; see one in the Victoria
undulating peony scroll, with combed details, yet free manner of execution. The potters and Albert Museum, London, coll. no. C.38-
continuing up the neck and stopping short of wielded their carving knife, and later the brush, 1946; another published in Charm of Black
the rim, framed below by an overlapping lotus- with a spontaneity like that displayed by literati and White Ware: Transition of Cizhou Type
lappet band encircling the foot, all beneath a painters of the time in their ink paintings. The Wares, Osaka, 2002, pl. 36, and included in
clear glaze, the base unglazed revealing the bu# most important styles, which were developed the exhibition The Classical Age of Chinese
stoneware body, two Japanese wood boxes (5) before painted decoration became prevalent, Ceramics: An Exhibition of Song Treasures from
Height 18⅜ in., 46.7 cm were the various sgra" ato designs that make the Linyushanren Collection, Christie’s Hong
decorative use of the contrast between white
The present vase is a masterpiece of carved and black slip, as seen on this impressive vase. Kong, 2012, cat. no. 49; and a third example
Cizhou ware, which derives its beauty from the sold in our London rooms, 9th November 2016,
seemingly nonchalant sgra" ato carving skilfully Although features of this vase, such as the lot 113. The present vase is however particularly
laid out over the majority of the available space, form and carved design, are familiar from unusual for the petals that radiate around the
with no awkward gaps or ungainly clusters, other Cizhou vessels, no other closely related foot, as the foot was more generally left plain
and the impeccable potting which creates example appears to have been published. The black with the petals above it.
its neat proÞ le. The bold and striking light/ closest examples in size and elaborate style of
dark contrasts are captured in the vigorous carving are two green-glazed versions, where $ 150,000-200,000
decoration of a lively peony scroll characteristic the bu# color of the body has been carved ⊿⬳ġġġ䡩ⶆ䩘湹慱⇼丷㝅䈉ᷡ䲳
of the Guantai kilns’ production. and the peony scroll reserved in the white
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148 SOTHEBY’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART