Lot 139. The Leshantang Collection. A finely incised Dingyao 'chilong' dish, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 20.6 cm. Lot Sold 4,318,000 HKD (Estimate 500,000 - 700,000 HKD). © Sotheby's 2024 

with shallow sides flaring at an angle from a short foot, the interior crisply incised with a coiling chilong surrounded by undulating peony sprays, applied overall with an ivory-tinged glaze pooling in characteristic teardrops on the exterior, lobed metal-bound rim.

Provenance: John Sparks Ltd, London.
Sotheby's London, 19th July 1949, lot 27 (£110).
Collection of Mr and Mrs Eugene Bernat.
Sotheby's New York, 7th November 1980, lot 107.

Literature: The Leshantang Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Taipei, 2005, pl. 1.

Exhibited: Chinese Ceramics of the Sung Dynasty (960-1279), Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire, 1959, cat. no. 12.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, on loan.

Note: Featuring a coiling chilong that gracefully curls into a roundel, this ornamental motif represents a well-established design of Dingyao ceramics during the 11th and 12th centuries. This motif is often accompanied by lotus or peony flowers, as seen in the present dish, while at other times, it can also appear as a standalone motif. Towards the 12th century, impressed versions of this design emerged, adding further variety to the repertoire. For examples featuring this motif, see a small group of vessels illustrated in Decorated Porcelains of Dingzhou: White Ding Wares from the Collection of the Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, cat. nos II-65-66, 68-71 and 106.