Lot 9. A rare marbled yuhuchunping, Song-Jin dynasty (960-1234); 28.5cm., 11 1/4 in. Estimate 8,000 — 10,000 GBP. Lot sold 7,200 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's

the elegant pear-shaped body rising from a short spreading foot to a tall flaring neck with everted rim, well-potted from marbled clays of buff and dark brown tone creating an irregular pattern of whorls in imitation of marble, covered overall with a translucent ivory coloured glaze.

Note: Large marbled wares of the Song period, such as the present bottle vase, are extremely rare and more common are small vessels such as bowls and dishes. No other similar example appears to be recorded, although a marbled globular jar, in the Jilin Provincial Museum, is illustrated in Jilin Shen Bowu Guan, Beijing, 1992, pl. 174. 

For the form of this vase see a plain yuhuchun ping illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 7, Shanghai 2000, pl. 216, of very similar size and elegant shape.