Lot 735. A rare Junyao deep bowl, Song-Jin dynasty, 12th-13th century; 5½ in. (14 cm.) diam. Estimate $120,000 – $180,000. Price Realized $125,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2014

The bowl has deep, rounded sides that rise from the tapered foot to the slightly incurved mouth rim, and is covered inside and out with an opaque glaze of pale milky blue tone thinning to mushroom color at the rim, Japanese wood box. 

Provenance: Kochukyo, Tokyo, Japan, 1960s.

Note: The glaze on this bowl is exceptionally fine. The color is a clear sky blue, while the texture of the glaze has been well controlled to produce a cloudy opalescence. Control of both temperature and duration of firing was crucial to both the color and texture of Jun glazes, and had to be finely judged by the kiln master.

A Junyao bowl of similar size and also with deep, rounded sides is illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 22 July – 11 September 1994, no. 141. Another bowl of similar size and covered with a glaze of similar pale milky blue tone is illustrated by R. Krahl in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, p. 233, no. 386.

Christie’s. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 18 – 19 September 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza.