Lot 3126. A finely carved black-glazed 'Bird and Flower' vase, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Estimate HKD 600,000 - HKD 800,000 (USD 77,731 - USD 103,642). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The jar is carved through a layer of black glaze to the unglazed buff body to depict three bracket-lobed cartouches, each enclosing a long-tailed bird amidst foliage. The base and interior are glazed, leaving the foot ring unglazed revealing the buff ware. 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm.) high, box

Notes: Black wares with cut-glaze decoration are characteristic products of the kilns in the Shanxi province during Jin to Yuan dynasties. Decorations on these wares often include bands of key frets and stylised floral scrolls and it is very rare to find an example decorated with bird and flowers such as the current vase. A vase of similar form and decoration but lacking the bracket-lobed cartouches is illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu: Liao. Jin. Yuan, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1981, p. 244, no. 281. Another related example decorated with boy and lotus, dated by inscription to the 9th year of the Dade reign (1305) from the British Museum, London is illustrated in ibid, p. 244, no. 282. Recent research in China reveals that truncated meiping of the present type with a narrow mouth encircled by an additional flange on the neck were produced during the Yuan dynasty in Luliang region, Shanxi province, see‘Exploring a Few Questions on Ancient Chinese Black Wares’, Xuanse zhimei: Zhongguo lidai heiyou ciqi zhenping, Shenzhen, 2012, pp. 223-225.

Christie's. Chinese Ceramics From The Yangdetang Collection, 30 November 2016, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall