Page 62 - Song Ceramics From a Distinguished Collection, April 5, 2017 Hong Kong

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A FINELY CARVED QINGBAI ‘FLORAL’ 南宋至元 青白釉劃花纏枝蓮紋帶蓋梅瓶
MEIPING AND COVER
SOUTHERN SONG – YUAN DYNASTY 來源：
家適公司，香港，1990年以前
well potted with an ovoid body rising from a countersunk
base to a broad rounded shoulder and surmounted by a short
tapering neck and lipped mouthrim, the body moulded and
carved with a dense design of luxuriant lotus blooms borne on
undulating stems and wreathed by curling foliage, the cover
with straight sides and a pointed top encircled by carved
swirls, the exterior covered in a clear subtly pale blue-tinged
glaze suffused with a network of crackles
24.7 cm, 9¾ in.

PROVENANCE
Galaxie Company, Hong Kong, prior to 1990.

HK$ 200,000-300,000
US$ 25,800-38,700

Qingbai wares ranged from thin and delicate to more stoutly
potted forms such as the present example. Produced at a
number of kilns in the provinces of Jiangxi, Fujian and Anhui,
qingbai ware, also known as yingqing, refers not to the locales
where the kilns were located but to their appearance. Qing
(green) and bai (white) denote the alluring pale blue-green
tones of the brilliant translucent glaze which so effectively
complemented the white porcelaneous body beneath. The
Southern Song ceramic historian Jiang Qi notes in his treatise
Tao ji [Ceramic Records] that white porcelain produced in
Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province was so refined and pure that
it was known as raoyu (Jade of Rao), the region in which the
Jingdezhen kilns were located. With some kiln modification,
it is probable that these wares served as the foundation for
the blue-and-white porcelain tradition of China from the 14th
century onward. Although the early potters at Jingdezhen may
have modelled their earliest qingbai pieces on Yue ware, by the
Five Dynasties and Northern Song periods they often looked to
Ding ware for aesthetic inspiration. This inspiration is perhaps
evident on the present vase with its swift, confident lines of
carving.

It is rare to find a meiping of this form complete with its
original cover. Another Southern Song to Yuan dynasty qingbai
meiping of this form without a cover, carved with foliate scrolls,
was sold in our New York rooms, 19th/20th March 2013, lot 31.

60 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比