Page 18 - March 17, 2020 Impotant Chinese Art, Sotheby's, New York

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PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR potters had begun to add painted decoration on dark-glazed
A BLACK-GLAZED RUSSET-PAINTED JAR vessels, both in the form of representational designs and
JIN DYNASTY / YUAN DYNASTY more abstract markings. Painted with simple spots or
strokes that favor elegance over extravagance, these wares
of compressed baluster shape, covered overall with possess a minimalistic beauty that aligned very closely with
brownish-black glaze and boldly painted with russet streaks, the aesthetics of the time.
the footring unglazed revealing the light gray body Compare a taller, more olive-shape vase with a similar
Height 7 in., 17.5 cm pattern, included in the exhibition Chinese Ceramics from
the Prehistoric Period through Ch’ien Lung, Los Angeles
PROVENANCE County Museum, Los Angeles, 1952, cat. no. 207; a jar with
Christie’s New York, 21st September 2004, lot 206. slightly irregular markings, now in the Asian Art Museum,
San Francisco (accession no. B70P15), illustrated in He Li,
It is uncommon to find black-glazed vessels boldly decorated Chinese Ceramics, London, 1996, pl. 311; a baluster vase
with large and evenly arranged brown splashes as can be painted with markings more similar to the present piece sold
seen on the present piece. Dark wares of similar form were in our London rooms, 9th June 2004, lot 163; and a wide-
more often found with painted decoration of birds or plants; mouthed jar more with splashes of various sizes sold in our
those featuring purely abstract brushwork such as this Hong Kong rooms, 11th July 2020, lot 120.
are rare. The russet brushstrokes on this jar not only have
a strong calligraphic quality that would have appealed to
the literati of the time, but also have an abstract element ⊖ $ 150,000-200,000
that gives this vessel a strikingly contemporary feel. With a
smooth and dark surface which reflects light almost like a 金 / 元 黑釉鐵鏽花紋罐
mirror, this glossy black jar is exceptionally impressive.
Kilns in Northern China, especially those in Henan, Hebei, 來源
and Shandong provinces, were particularly active in 紐約佳士得2004年9月21日，編號206
producing black wares. Since around the twelfth century,

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