Lot 536. A rare 'Longquan' celadon mallet vase, Song dynasty (960-1279); height 9 1/8 in., 23.2 cm. Estimate 40,000 — 60,000 USD. Lot sold 50,000 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the cylindrical body rising from a shallow base to angled and gently sloping shoulders, sweeping up to a tall gently tapering neck set with a pair of elaborately-shaped winged dragon-fish handles below the wide dished circular lip, the opaque tea-green glaze gathering in a slightly uneven line at the base.

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 31st May 1994, lot 274.

Sotheby's. Harmony of Form, Serenity of Color: A Private Collection of 'Song' Ceramics, New York, 23 march 2011