A superb and rare Ding persimmon-glazed conical bowl, Northern Song Dynasty
Lot 122. Property from a Distinguished Asian Private Collection. A superb and rare Ding persimmon-glazed conical bowl, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127); 13cm diam. Sold for HK$512,000 (Est: $350 000 HKD - $400 000 HKD) © Bonhams 2001-2023
Finely potted with thin sides flaring to the rim, the shallow dish supported on a short tapering foot, covered overall with a smooth persimmon glaze thinning to a moss-green tone on the rim and also covers the base. The foot ring remains unglazed exposing the warm brown clay body with sharply cut markings, box
Provenance: Eskenazi Ltd., London, 2006
The Ten-Views Lingbi Rock Retreat Collection, coll. no. EK298
Note: It is rare to find a Dingyao persimmon-glazed bowl of this outstanding quality. It is believed that Ding wares with persimmon glazes were produced after lacquer prototypes. The similarity in colour and form in the two materials is demonstrated by a persimmon-coloured lacquer tea-bowl stand, excavated from a Song tomb at Heqiao, Jiangsu province and a persimmon-coloured Ding ware teabowl-stand, as illustrated and discussed by R.Krahl, 'Song Lacquer: Model for Imperial Porcelain', Chinese Lacquer from the Jean-Pierre Dubosc Collection and Other, Eskenazi, London, 1991, p.10, figs.3-4.
A Dingyao-type persimmon-glaze bowl was sold in our London rooms, 14 May 2009, lot 71. See also a rare Ding persimmon-glazed bowl sold at Christie's New York, 23 March 2023, lot 865. Compare also an example of a Jin dynasty Ding persimmon-glazed bowl, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2018, lot 2976.
Bonhams. SUBTLE BEAUTY THE AESTHETICS OF SONG DYNASTY, 29 November 2023, Hong Kong, Admiralty