An extremely rare junyao lavender blue glazed teabowl with cover, Northern Song Dynasty (AD960-1127). Estimate HKD200,000 - 280,000 (TWD810,000 - 1,134,000) (USD25,800 - 36,100). Photo courtesy Ravenel.

The entire teabowl is covered with lavender blue glaze of a particularly bright color, and comes with a snugly fitting cover. The round foot has a finish of protective glaze typically seen in top-grade Junyao ware. At the rims of the bowl and cover, the opaque glaze is slightly thinner, revealing the ocher body underneath. Around the outer side of the round foot the glaze is thicker, because the opaque finish was allowed to run and form tears. This is typical for the Northern and Southern Song, an attempt to recreate the texture and appeal of jade. The bowl's design is simple and elegant, and there are no decorative designs of any kind. Its appeal rests entirely on the color and luster of the celadon glaze, and its understated beauty and refinement are expressive of the aesthetic ideals of the Song literati class.

PROVENANCE: Old Private Hong Kong Collection

Ravenel Spring Auction 2015 Hong Kong. Literati Sublimation - Oriental Arts for the Chinese Scholars. Tuesday, June 2, 2015, 3:30 PM. Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel Boardroom, Mezzanine Floor, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong