Lot 101. A rare moulded ewer, Tang dynasty (618-906); 22.2cm, 8 3/4 in. Estimate 5,000 — 7,000 GBP. Lot sold 9,375 GBP. © Sotheby's

of ovoid form rising from a short spreading foot to a narrow waisted neck with everted rim, set to one side of the shoulder with a short spout and to the other with a strap handle, divided by a pair of small strap handles, moulded with three leaf-shaped appliques variously depicting birds amidst fruiting vines, flowers and leaves, each splashed in brown and reserved on an ochre ground.

Provenance: A Tokyo Collection, acquired in Japan prior to the 1980s.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 14 May 2014