Emmanuel Christofides, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics

The war had recently ended. I was a little over sixteen when I left Alexandria for the University of Edinburgh. At the beginning I found the change difficult, in terms of climate and the then prevailing food shortages, but I persevered and came to love Scotland. On my occasional return there since, I find that the quality of life can hardly be matched anywhere else.

During the university holidays I would visit London and spend countless hours at the British Museum, the V&A and the National Gallery, discovering a new world of beauty. My fever for collecting had already started and on limited means I acquired some Meissen figures and a beautiful Chinese jade marriage bowl.

Trips back to Alexandria were mainly long sea voyages or flying in a Dakota, refuelling in Paris, Nice, Rome, Malta and Tripoli. I now realize what great good fortune it was to grow up in Alexandria, a city that was then the gateway between the Orient and the Occident. It was a multicultural community buzzing with life that provided a backdrop for all facets of the arts.

Long summer holidays spent in Italy, France and Britain helped my artistic education. I was fascinated by Greek sculpture of the early and classical eras, as well as that of the Renaissance period. Other interests were Medieval and Impressionist painting, and early ceramics and textiles.

South-east of Alexandria in Cairo the early mosques are jewels of Islamic architecture and inspired in me a great attraction to that period of civilization. The Islamic Museum in Cairo became my second home and it was admiring the Medieval Islamic wares of Egypt, Persia and the Middle East there that started my courtship with ceramics.

The great period for their ceramics is from the ninth to the thirteenth century, and it was only a short step for me to start looking at Chinese ceramics of that period, some of which had survived in Egypt for centuries. One of my earliest acquisitions was the early Longquan jar and cover with human masks on the five spouts.Ever since, I was passionately fascinated by the mainly simple shapes, the colours, the unctuous glazes and crackle of these wares, and by the mastery of the craftsmen of those great times.

During visits to London and Paris I had the opportunity to visit collections and handle objects, mostly from the Tang and Song periods, and since then I have remained fascinated by these dynasties. The perfection of form of the Song ceramics, and their colours and glazes had a profound effect on me, making me want to hold them and even caress them. The Percival David Collection in London, in particular, was an eye-opener for me - a very important collection assembled during the initial days of Western interest in early Chinese art. The earliest collections had been assembled in Japan, but it wasn’t until the end of the nineteenth century that the West began to take an interest. London, Stockholm, New York, Paris and Geneva all had important collections, which included that of George Eumorfopoulos, Sir Percival David, Carl Kempe, Alfred and Ivy Clark, Alfred Baur, King Gustav Vl of Sweden, Oscar Raphael, Harry Oppenheim, Lord Cunliffe, Mrs. Seligman, Mrs. Walter Sedgwick and several others.

These collections ended up in museums or dispersed among auctions and galleries. In those early years after the war, London dominated the trade, led by Spink & Son, Bluett & Sons, John Sparks and later Eskenazi and Priestley & Ferraro. Elsewhere the list of celebrities included Yamanaka of Tokyo, C.T. Loo in Paris and J.J. Lally in New York. 

I was particularly attracted to the sophisticated colours and unctuous glazes of the Jun and Longquan kilns. Any description is powerless to transmit the pure magic of their colour, crackle, texture and shape. The refinement of form and decoration of the Ding wares, both carved and moulded, set them apart, while their predecessors, the Xing wares of the Tang and Five Dynasties periods commend themselves for their thick and superb white glazes. 

Later, I discovered the inimitable beauty of Ru, Guan and Ge imperial wares. Also I discovered the early Yaozhou wares, with their superb deep carved decoration under a light-green glaze, and the ice-blue glazed qingbai wares admirable for their thin translucent body. 

One of my early acquisitions came from the Pagoda of C.T. Loo in Paris. It was a Jun bowl with a purple splash (lot 11), which when being inspected by a customs officer on the way to London, he commented: “You paid all that money for this?” 

I shall not forget a magnificent, large Jun splashed dish in Spink's corner window which escaped me. Spink's was then headed by Mr Adrian Maynard and the Spink family, and the atmosphere was very congenial; the treasures kept coming, so it became my favourite haunt.

Later, Michael Gillingham became head of the Chinese department,; assisted by Roger Keverne and Jacqueline Simcox and over the years I came to know the many experts in the various departments there, including Richard Barker, Paul Champkins, Ben Janssens, Titus Kendall, Francesca Galloway, Simon Ray, Antonia Tozer and Virginia Sykes-Wright. More emphasis was laid on furniture and works of art. I acquired from them the Ming lacquer and mother-of-pearl kang table, and it was also through them at a New York auction that I acquired the very rare huanghuali meditation stool and from another auction the huanghuali square table.

At the time, good Tang sculpture was fetching high prices, being so rare. I acquired from them the unglazed horse and rider with game and a dog on the saddle, a rarity at the time. Later, it featured as a frontispiece of a catalogue and on all the tickets to a Chinese exhibition in Athens. I was shown an extraordinary sancai seated lady holding a bird on one hand, which attracted queues at the Grosvenor House Fair. It cost me a record price for that period. Later, excavations caused a drop in prices and I reluctantly parted with it to a Japanese collector who later sold it at auction, ending up with Eskenazi who finally sold it to an American museum.

In those days several great collections were being dispersed and I acquired from the George de Menasce Collection the “green Jun” bowl (lot 5) and a little russet-splashed bowl. From the Alfred and Ivy Clark Collection came the superb Jun teabowl, which was widely exhibited and the carved qingbai bowl.

Other acquisitions dispersed through Spink's included the superb Yaozhou wave-pattern dish (lot 17), the Sui white cup (lot 21), the Longquan mallet vase (lot 9), the beautiful Longquan kinuta bowl (lot 25) and the rare Han dynasty bronze bixie-shaped waterpot.

Also from Spink's came the blue Tang jar and cover, acquired later from Jonathan Tucker and Antonia Tozer, two former Spink's executives.

It was a sad day when this centuries-old emporium was bought by Christie’s; one of the last events was a dinner party in the Oriental  gallery which I attended. Many of the employees started their owngalleries and, on the whole, have been very successful.

Another traditional English dealer was Bluett & Sons of Davies Street, with excellent connections among English collectors. They usually held their selling exhibitions in the basement of their premises. The business started in 1884 and officially closed in 1992. The Tang kundika was acquired from them, but only with the aid of an intermediary from Spink's - sent because they refused to negotiate, and I refused to surrender.

Another respected dealer was John Sparks. Headed by Peter Vaughn, they were the par-excellence specialists in decorative Chinese objects of refined taste, but also occasionally had access to early ceramics. At a later stage, the company was managed by Michael Gillingham, known to the trade as “the Bishop’, who had moved from Spink's in the 1970s. From them came the Jun pan dish. When the business closed down, Michael Gillingham dealt on his own, and it is from him that I own the brown ribbed meiping, which is admirable for its modernity.

Giuseppe Eskenazi with premises in Foxglove House on Piccadilly, had boundless energy, business acumen, and a sharp eye for rarity and quality. He ultimately dominated the trade. He was closely assisted by Philip Constantinidi, and eventually the whole family was deeply involved. At the beginning, his forte was Tang ceramics, especially horses and equestrian sculptures, but the Song section was very strong, as well as the Yuan and Ming porcelain and furniture. Most of the objects acquired from him were during his Foxglove House years. I was always fascinated by the beautiful lines of early Chinese furniture, and on one of my visits, I discovered a pair of horseshoe huanghuali armchairs and a superb altar table of huanghuali, matching in colour. In ceramics, I chose a big moulded Ding dish of Sackler provenance (lot 12), a superb carved Yaozhou dish (lot 1), a rare foliate Ding dish of brown lacquer hue (lot 18), and a large tripod Jun censer (lot 26). The Longquan dragon jar and cover (lot 13) from a Sotheby’s auction bears an Eskenazi label.

In the more recent past, a former Spink's employee named Mikiko Miyazaki-Robinson brought me some excellent Song pieces, amongst them the octagonal Longquan crackled dish of bluish-green glaze (lot 27). As she was leaving for Japan, she divulged her source which was David Priestley, who specialised in Song ceramics. Our common interest built a bond of friendship, and for me, a source of knowledge. He would always pick the rare object, and during exhibitions, it was always a race against the major dealers. Several superb pieces in the collection emanate from his gallery. Amongst my favourites are the early deeply carved Ding jar (lot 20), the Cizhou sgraffiato meiping (lot 28), a Ding carved bowl, a small white Tang ewer with a lion handle, the marbled Song pan, the Jian bowl with reddish golden streaks, and the wonderful early Yaozhou deeply carved jar, exhibited at the OCS exhibition in 2009. David was finally instrumental in the creation of this catalogue, contributing the literary content.

There were several other dealers in London who traded in early ceramics, but I did not have the opportunity to acquire anything from them. The other source of supply has been the auction houses whose importance has grown, and due to Chinese preference for buying at auction have become dominant in this particular field. From Sotheby’s comes the white spittoon from the Carl Kempe collection (lot 4), the Longquan celadon dragon jar and cover (lot 13), the two-splashed Jun bowl (lot 15), the persimmon shallow bowl, the qingbai cong (lot 6)and the small tripod Jun censer (lot 2).

The masters whose achievements we so much admire are anonymous. They are the unsung craftsmen of the Song era, yet their ability was extraordinary. An example is my latest addition to the collection, a Jianyao teabowl. When I first held it I could not let it go, so powerful was the chemistry. It was love at first sight. Here, by perfectly controlling the temperature of the kiln, the iron-oxide in the dark brown glaze has produced a cascade of silvery streaks, bringing out a bluish radiance. The unknown master had turned a humble Jian teabowl into a work of art.

My collection has been built first by instinct based on an artistic background and upbringing and later on from knowledge acquired from an extensive library and exhaustive visits to museums, galleries and auctions. I was also lucky to have advice from people with deep knowledge of the subject. I was personally involved with every piece I acquired, knowing that I would have to live with it. There were of course many objects I would have loved to own but I could not afford, but this is always the case with every collector. Over my long life I have immensely enjoyed the study and growth of the collection while revelling in and reflecting on its beauty. I was very lucky to have taken an early interest in Song ceramics, a great period of Chinese achievement and perfectionism, probably the most important in Chinese ceramic history. The collection has been a source of immense pleasure which I try to share. It has kept my spirits up through rough and sunny periods. It gives me great pleasure to handle and admire each piece in the collection, on my own or even better in the company of friends. In fact each piece is an old friend, and it is to them that I devote the title of my catalogue: “A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics”.

* Published in the book ‘A Life in The Company of Song Ceramics’ (2017)

Lot 1. A Yaozhou celadon-glazed carved 'Peony' shallow bowl, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127); 19.8cm diam. (2). Estimate £20,000 - £30,000 (€24,000- €35,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Finely potted with broad gently curving sides rising from a short, slightly spreading foot to an everted rim, deftly carved in the well with a blossoming peony mantled by scrolling foliage, the fine incisions suggesting veins on the petals and leaves, covered in a rich olive-green glaze pooling to a darker tone in the recessed areas, box.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 21 May 1986, lot 38
Eskenazi Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 12 February 1986.

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.42-43, no.15.

Note: Compare with a similar Yaozhou celadon-glazed carved 'peony' bowl with very similar decoration, in the Baur Collection, illustrated by J.Wirgin, Sung Ceramic Designs, Stockholm, 1970, pl.4 k. Another similar bowl with similar decoration, 12th century, is illustrated in Ceramic Art of the World, vol.12, Tokyo, 1977, no.197. Compare also with a similar bowl illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol.I, Tokyo, 1976, nos.346 and 348; and another similar bowl in the Palace Museum, Beijing, in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty I, Hong Kong, 1996, p.141, no.127. See also a similar Yaozhou celadon dish, Jin dynasty, with similar design, illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, pp.216-217, no.90.

See a related Yaozhou celadon-glazed 'Peony' dish, Northern Song dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 12 September 2018, lot 211.

Lot 2. A Junyao tripod incense burner, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234); 6.7cm high. (2). Estimate £18,000 - £24,000 (€21,000- €28,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

The compressed globular body raised on three short legs, the short neck culminating in an everted rim, covered overall with a milky lavender-blue glaze, the feet left unglazed to reveal a buff-coloured stoneware body, box.

Provenance: A private collection
Sotheby's London, 5 December 1995, lot 365
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London.

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.74-75, no.31.

Note: Compare with a similar but slightly larger (11.2cm high) Junyao tripod incense burner, 12th/13th century, illustrated in Ceramic Art of the World, vol.12, Tokyo, 1977, no.63. Another Junyao tripod incense burner, of similar size (7cm high), but with purple splashes, Northern Song dynasty, is illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, pp.120-121, no.42.

See a related small Junyao tripod incense burner (6.5cm wide), Song dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16 October 2024, lot 814.

Lot 3. A Dingyao carved 'lotus-pattern' saucer dish, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234); 11.5cm diam. (2). Estimate £7,000 - £10,000 (€8,200- €12,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

The shallow saucer with tapering sides carved to the flat well with an elegant scrolling lotus, all covered in a creamy ivory-white glaze, the rim with metal mount, box.

Provenance: Paul Champkins, The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 14 June 1997

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.94-95, no.41.

Note: Compare with a similar pair of Dingyao carved floral-pattern dishes, Northern Song dynasty, 11th or 12th century, but without metal rims, illustrated in Bright as Silver White as Snow: Chinese White Ceramics from Late Tang to Yuan Dynasty: Examples from the Kai-Yin Lo Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pp.124-125. See also a related Dingyao dish of this form in the Palace Museum, Taipei, carved with a similar lotus and foliage motif, illustrated in Dingyao baici tezhan tulu, Taipei, 1987, no.113. Compare also with a Dingyao dish of related form, similarly carved with a lotus spray carved to fill the flat interior, illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.1, London, 1994, p.204, no.358, where the author cites a similar carved Dingyao dish discovered in a tomb dated by epitaph to between A.D. 1153 and 1160, illustrated in line drawings in Wenwu, 1988, No.7, p.62, fig.16-5.

See a similar Dingyao carved 'lotus' saucer dish, Northern Song dynasty, which was sold at Bonhams London, 9 November 2017, lot 65.

Lot 4. A white stoneware 'leys' jar, zhadou, Tang Dynasty (618-907); 15.2cm diam. (2). Estimate £20,000 - £30,000 (€24,00- €35,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Robustly potted with a compressed pear-shaped body rising from a short foot to a waisted neck surmounted by a wide flared mouth divided by three shallow ridges and indents on the rim forming petals, covered in a creamy-white ivory glaze, box.

Provenance: Dr Carl Kempe, Ekolsund, collection no.154
Sotheby's London, 14 May 2008, lot 207
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London.

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: National Museum, Sung Keramisk Guldålder, Stockholm, 1949, no.7 (published and exhibited)
Kunstindustrimuseum, Copenhagen, 1950, no.272 (published and exhibited)
Mostra d'Arte Cinese, Venice, 1954, no.368
The Oriental Ceramic Society, The Arts of the T'ang Dynasty, 1955, London, no.212 (published and exhibited)
Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, no.295 (published and illustrated)
Chinese Gold, Silver and Porcelain, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1971, no.76 (an exhibition touring the USA and shown at a further nine museums)
The World's Great Collections: Oriental Ceramics, vol.8, Tokyo, 1982, pl.58 (published and illustrated)
The Museum of Art and Far Eastern Antiquities in Ulricehamn, Chinese Ceramic Treasures: A Selection from the Ulricehamn East Asian Museum, including The Carl Kempe Collection, Ulricehamn, 2002, pl.504 (published and illustrated)
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.124-125, no.56 (published and illustrated)
S.Wong and S.Pierson, eds., Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921-2021, London, 2021, pp.172-173, no.51

Note: Dr Carl Kempe (1884–1967) was a Swedish industrialist, art collector, and a significant figure in the study and appreciation of Chinese art. Renowned for his discerning taste and scholarship, Kempe amassed one of the most comprehensive collections of Chinese ceramics, spanning from the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty. His collection, particularly strong in Song dynasty wares, included rare examples of Jun, Ru, and Cizhou ceramics. A dedicated researcher, he published extensively on Chinese porcelain, helping to advance Western understanding of Chinese art and its historical context. Kempe was a key member of the Oriental Ceramic Society and maintained close relationships with museums, scholars, and other collectors, fostering international dialogue about Chinese art. His collection was exhibited widely, and pieces from it have entered major institutions, further solidifying his legacy as a pivotal figure in the dissemination and appreciation of Chinese ceramics in the West.

Vessels of this type, often referred to as spittoons or zhadou in Chinese, have a form inspired by metalwork prototypes. See, for example, two Tang dynasty silver zhadou illustrated in Tangdai Jinyin Qi, Beijing, 1985, nos.255 and 278, the first excavated at Xi'an, and the second with slightly concave mouth rim found in a tomb in Linan Xian Shiu Qiushi, Zhejiang Province. The shape of the present lot suggests a utilitarian function as a spittoon, but the exceptional quality of the potting and glazing: on a par with the finest contemporary tableware, challenges this interpretation. It is more plausible that these vessels were involved in the intricate rituals of tea or wine preparation and pouring, leading to their designation here as 'leys-jars'. This particular example is masterfully crafted in two sections: the enclosed, jar-like lower body rests on a wide, stable base, while the flaring, five-lobed, shallow bowl-shaped mouth, featuring a central aperture, connects to the lower part via a slender neck. The entire vessel is coated with a luscious creamy-white slip and finished with a clear glaze, showcasing both technical and aesthetic refinement.

Compare with a very similar white-glazed leys jar with petal-shaped mouth, Tang dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Jin and Tang Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1996, p.157, no.144. Compare also with a related white-glazed zhadou, Tang dynasty, in the Shanxi Provincial Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Ceramic Art Unearthed in China, vol.5, Beijing, 2008, p.45, pl.45.

Lot 5. A large 'green Jun' bowl, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234); 20.3cm diam. (2). Estimate £12,000 - £15,000 (€14,000- €18,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

The conical bowl with deep rounded sides rising from a short foot to a lipped rim, covered in a dark olive-green glaze thinning at the rim, falling unevenly above the foot revealing the brown stoneware body, box.

Provenance: Baron George de Menasce OBE (1890-1967)
Spink & Son Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above in 1972.

Published and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society, Sung Dynasty Wares: Chün and Brown Glazes, London, 1952, no.109 (dated as Song dynasty)
Spink & Son Ltd., The George de Menasce Collection (II), London, 1972, no.251 (published and illustrated, dated as Song dynasty)
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.22-23, no.5 (published and illustrated).

Note: Baron George de Menasce OBE (1890–1967) was of Hungarian Jewish descent, his family ennobled after the Congress of Vienna and prominent in Alexandria's banking and Khedival Court circles by the 19th century. Born in Liverpool, where his family had cotton interests, de Menasce lost his mother at six, inheriting her fortune, which fuelled his passion for collecting. An esteemed member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, he built an impressive collection of Chinese porcelain spanning the Song to Qing dynasties. See R.Davids & D.Jellinek, Provenance: Collectors, Dealers & Scholars in the Field of Chinese Ceramics in Britain and America, Oxford, 2011, p.150.

While Jun wares are most celebrated for their striking lavender and blue glazes, green-glazed examples also exist and are evidence of the kiln's experimentation with colour during the Song and Jin dynasties. These green Jun wares, though less common, display the same rich, glossy surface and subtle glaze pooling characteristic of their blue counterparts.

See a similar green Jun bowl, Song dynasty, illustrated by B.Gyllensvard, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, pl.89; which was later sold at Sotheby's London, 5 November 2008, lot 528. Another green Jun bowl, Jin dynasty, 12th/13th century, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is illustrated by R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p.15, fig.6. See also a green Jun bowl, Yuan dynasty, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc.no.1944-20-119a,b). A green Jun dish, Jin dynasty, is illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, pp.134-135, no.49.

Compare with a similar green Jun bowl, Northern Song dynasty, which was sold at Christie's New York, 23 September 2022, lot 952.

Lot 6. A qingbai square archaistic cong, Southern Song/Yuan Dynasty (1127-1368); 15.2cm high. (2). Estimate £7,000 - £10,000 (€8,200- €12,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Modelled in form after a jade prototype, the square section vase moulded with ribs on each facet, supported on a straight circular foot and surmounted by a cylindrical neck with lipped rim, covered in a a translucent sky-blue glaze pooling to darker blue in the recesses, box.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 8 June 1993, lot 20
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London.

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.64-65, no.26

Note: During the Song dynasty, spurred by emerging intellectual movements such as Neo-Confucianism championed by Zhu Xi (1130–1200), the literati class fostered a profound interest in antiquity, reviving the appreciation of ancient bronzes as a cornerstone of their engagement with China's cultural heritage. This renewed interest was deeply intertwined with their scholarly pursuits and the broader resurgence of Confucian ideals, following the diverse foreign influences of Tang China, including Indian Buddhism. For the Song literati, the Confucian principle of studying the past to enrich the present became a guiding ethos. Collecting and studying archaic bronzes emerged as a mark of refined taste, symbolising erudition, moral integrity, and a connection to the esteemed traditions of antiquity. Literati scholars meticulously documented these ancient artefacts in illustrated catalogues such as the Xuanhe Bogu Tu, to preserve and disseminate their knowledge. Their fascination with antiquity influenced other art forms, including ceramics, where potters began emulating the forms and motifs of ancient bronzes, imbuing them with new materials and techniques.

This reverence for antiquity is elegantly reflected in the present lot, a qingbai-glazed cong vessel. The form of the cong, originally associated with Neolithic jade ritual objects and later adopted into bronze vessels, embodies the literati's deep-seated appreciation for historical continuity. The translucent, icy-blue qingbai glaze adds a luminous quality to the piece, transforming an ancient form into a delicate and refined ceramic interpretation. By combining a venerable shape with the technical and aesthetic advancements of Song dynasty ceramic production, this cong vessel stands as a testament to the enduring dialogue between past and present in Chinese art.

See a related qingbai glazed cong vase, Yuan dynasty, in the Chongqing zhongguo Three Gorges Museum, (acc.no.1119). Compare with a related Longquan celadon-glazed cong vase, Song dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, Palace Museum Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pp.108-109, no.97. Another related Longquan celadon-glazed vase in the form of a cong, Yuan dynasty, is illustrated by D.Failla, Food for the Ancestors, Flowers for the Gods, Genoa, 2018, p.185, fig.5.

Lot 7. A qingbai carved lotus-pattern bowl, Nortthern Song Dynasty (1127-1368); 18.3cm diam. (2). Estimate £12,000 - £15,000 (€14,000- €18,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Provenance: Mr Alfred Clark (1873-1950) and Mrs Ivy Clark (1890-1976), collection no.466
Spink & Son Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired circa 1970s

Published and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society, Sung Dynasty Wares: Ting, Ying Ch'ing and Tz'ū Chou, London, 1949, no.168
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.30-31, no.9 (published and illustrated)

Note: Alfred Clark (1873–1950) was a New York-born collector who became a naturalised British subject in 1921 after marrying Ivy née Sanders (1890-1976). A pioneer in sound reproduction and film, he produced the first moving picture films with plot and continuity at the Edison Laboratory in Orange, New Jersey, in 1895. In 1907, he founded the Musée de la Voix in the Archives of the National Opera, Paris. An active member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, Clark served on its Council almost continuously from 1934 to 1948. Together with his wife, he was a generous contributor to the Royal Academy's 1935–36 exhibition. In 1936, they donated a Song dynasty stoneware dish to the British Museum and continued to donate and sell Chinese and Japanese works in the 1970s, solidifying Clark's reputation as a significant patron of Asian art. See R.Davids & D.Jellinek, Provenance: Collectors, Dealers and Scholars: Chinese Ceramics in Britain and America, Oxford, 2011, pp.112-117.

See a related qingbai carved floral pattern bowl, Song dynasty, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, p.199, no.181. Compare with a related qingbai carved peony-pattern bowl, Northern Song dynasty, illustrated in Bright as Silver White as Snow: Chinese Ceramics from Late Tang to Yuan Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1998, pp.164-165, no.40. See also a related qingbai carved floral bowl, Song dynasty, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, p.205, no.187.

See a related qingbai 'lotus' carved bowl, Southern Song dynasty, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 9 October 2014, lot 208.

Lot 8. A Junyao sky-blue glazed dish, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234); 18.4cm diam. (2). Estimate £50,000 - £80,000 (€59,000- €84,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Thickly potted with gently curving sides rising from a short foot to an everted flat rim, covered in a lustrous glaze of milky sky-blue tone thinning to a mushroom-tone on the edges, three spur marks on the base, box.

Provenance: Frank Caro (1904-1980), New York
Professor Peter H. Plesch FRSC (1918-2013)
John Sparks Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 31 January 1977

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.26-27, no.7

Frank Caro (1904–1980) was a prominent figure in the world of Asian art, particularly known for his expertise in Chinese art. He was a longtime business associate of the renowned art dealer C.T. Loo (1880–1957). After Loo's passing, Caro took over the operations of the New York branch, rebranding it as Frank Caro Chinese Art.

Note: Peter Hariolf Plesch (1918-2013) was a Professor of Chemistry at Keele University and a dedicated collector of Chinese art, particularly ceramics and glass. Born in Frankfurt, he moved to the UK in 1933 with his father, Janos Plesch, a close associate of Albert Einstein. Educated at Harrow and Cambridge, Plesch became known for his exceptional collection of Chinese glass. After retiring, he and his wife moved to an Art Deco-influenced house in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where they created a private museum for their Chinese and Korean art. Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Plesch kept thorough records of expert opinions on his collection. See R.Davids & D.Jellinek, Provenance: Collectors, Dealers & Scholars: Chinese Ceramics in Britain & America, Oxford, 2011, pp.361.

This dish, with its shallow and robust profile and broad, flared rim, exemplifies a quintessential shape of Jun ware, a celebrated ceramic tradition from the kilns of Henan Province. See two slightly smaller dishes in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Selection of Jun Ware: the Palace Museum's Collection and Archaeological Excavation, Beijing, 2013, pls.18 and 19. Compare also two dishes in the Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in A Panorama of Ceramics in the Collection of the Palace Museum: Chun Ware, Taipei, 1999, pls.54 and 55; another dish in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl.495; and a dish in the Sir Percival David Collection, the British Museum, London, published in Illustrated Catalogue of Ru, Guan, Jun, Guangdong and Yixing Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1999, pl.A66. Compare also with a similar Junyao dish, Song/Jin dynasty, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p.33, fig.23.

Lot 9. A Longquan celadon-glazed phoenix-handled mallet vase, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279); 15.8cm high. (2). Estimate £25,000 - £40,000 (€29,000- €47,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

The cylindrical body with sloping shoulders surmounted by a slender neck flanked by a pair of handles moulded with phoenix heads, the everted mouth with galleried rim, covered overall with a sea-green glaze ending evenly at the edge of the foot, the recessed base glazed, the foot rim unglazed revealing the grey biscuit body, box.

Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 7 March 1973.

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.24-25, no.6.

Note: The Longquan celadon glaze is renowned for its thick, translucent quality and its rich, jade-like texture. The glaze on this vase exemplifies the sought-after soft bluish-green hue, a colour that potters found exceptionally challenging to perfect but has long captivated connoisseurs. This exquisite glaze type is often referred to by its Japanese name, kinuta, which originally means 'mallet', which derives from mallet-shaped vases, such as the present lot, which were imported into Japan during the Southern Song and Yuan dynasties. Over time, kinuta became synonymous with this highly prized glaze colour.

Interestingly, some scholars propose that the shape of these mallet vases, although reminiscent of a paper mallet, may have originated as glass vessels or bottles from the Islamic West, possibly Persia. Supporting this theory, an Islamic glass bottle vase, probably from Nishapur, North East Iran, was among the treasures found in the tomb of the Princess of Chen, Liao dynasty, dating to no later than 1018 and illustrated in Grand View: Special Exhibition of Ju Ware from the Northern Sung Dynasty, Taipei, 2007, no.25, fig.2. This provides compelling evidence of cultural exchanges between China and the Islamic world during this time.

A very similar Longquan celadon-glazed mallet vase with a pair of phoenix-shaped handles, in the Qing Court Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, p.110, no.98. Another with fish handles is illustrated Ibid, p.110, no.96. Another similar Longquan celadon mallet shaped vase with phoenix handles, Southern Song dynasty, is illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Laiyantang Collection, 2010, pp.116-117, no.49.

Compare with a similar Longquan celadon 'twin-phoenix' mallet vase, Southern Song/Yuan dynasty, which was sold at Christie's New York, 23 March 2023, lot 889.

Lot 10. A Yaozhou 'moon-white'-glazed carved lotus pattern dish, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234); 19.3cm diam. (2). Estimate £18,000 - £24,000 (€21,000- €28,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Sturdily potted with a wide well and recessed 'button' base, the curving sides rising to an everted flat rim, carved in the centre with a lotus medallion, covered in a subtle greenish-white glaze, box.

Provenance: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 27 January 1997

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.88-89, no.38

Note: The elegantly carved flowering lotus on this dish exemplifies the refined Jin dynasty style, which had evolved from the intricate, densely carved, and moulded designs of the Northern Song period. The glaze, covering the dish entirely except for the neatly crafted countersunk foot, is a 'moon-white' (yuebai) type: lighter in tone and more densely bubbled than the Yaozhou glazes of the Song dynasty.

This sophisticated aesthetic, prioritising the harmony of glaze and form over elaborate ornamentation, reflects a broader trend in Chinese ceramics of the time. It parallels developments at the Longquan kilns in Zhejiang Province, which were key competitors in the production of high-quality green wares.

See a related Yaozhou celadon glazed dish with moulded and carved floral decoration, with similarly coloured glaze, Jin dynasty, illustrated in The Museum of East Asian Art Inaugural Exhibition, vol.1, Bath, 1993, p.131, no.86. Compare with a related Yaozhou carved celadon dish with similar lotus pattern, Northern Song or Jin dynasty, illustrated in Marvels of Celadon: The Shang Shan Tang Collection of Yaozhou Wares, Hong Kong, 2019, pp.172-173, no.36. See, also, a bowl of this same light tone, excavated from the Tongchuan, Yaozhou kiln, illustrated in Yaozhou Kiln, Xi'an, 1992, Jin dynasty, where the authors notes that 'moon white' glaze (yuebai you) was a development of the Jin dynasty.

Lot 11. A Junyao purple-splashed bowl, Jin dynasty (1115-1234); 18 cm diam. Estimate £8,000 - £12,000 (€9,400 - €14,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Sturdily potted with deep conical sides rising from a short tapering foot, covered in a thickly bubbled glaze of lustrous sky-blue tone thinning to a mushroom tone on the rim with a purple splash in the interior, the glaze falling unevenly above the foot revealing the dark-brown body, box.

Provenance: C.T. Loo & Cie, Paris
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 1 February 1971.

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.16-17, no.2.

Note: C.T. Loo (1880–1957), born Lu Qinzhai, was a prominent Chinese art dealer who played a crucial role in introducing Chinese antiquities to Western audiences during the early 20th century. Operating galleries in Paris and New York, he specialised in bronzes, ceramics, and Buddhist sculptures, becoming a key figure for collectors, museums, and scholars seeking authentic Chinese works. His efforts significantly shaped the global appreciation and scholarship of Chinese art and his legacy endures, with numerous pieces from his galleries now housed in major institutions like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the British Museum, London.

Compare also with a similar Junyao bowl, Jin/Yuan dynasty, of similar size (18.5cm diam.) in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p.10, fig.2. See also another related Junyao bowl, 12th/13th century, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc.no.1923-21-429).

See a related Junyao blue-glazed bowl, Song/Jin dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 June 2020, lot 356. 

Lot 12. A large Dingyao moulded garden-pattern dish, Jin dynasty (1115-1234); 31cm diam. Estimate £60,000 - £80,000 (€71,000 - €94,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Finely potted with curving sides rising from a short slightly inward-tapering foot, the interior crisply moulded in the centre with a large taihu rock amidst peonies and leafy foliage, encircled by a key-fret border and wider band of flowering peonies on the cavetto, covered in a creamy ivory-white glaze, the rim bound with metal, box.

Provenance: Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), New York
Christie's New York, 1 December 1994, lot 154
Eskenazi Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 9 June 1995.

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Israel Museum, 3500 Years of Chinese Art: Ceramics from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Jerusalem, 1987 (exhibited)
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.72-73, no.30 (published and illustrated)
S.Wong and S.Pierson, eds., Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921-2021, London, 2021, pp.186-187, no.59.

Note: Arthur M. Sackler (1913–1987) was an influential American art collector and philanthropist, known for his dedication to Chinese art. A successful medical publisher, he amassed a renowned collection of Chinese antiquities, focusing on jades, ceramics, bronzes, and paintings, particularly from the Tang and Song dynasties. Sackler played a crucial role in establishing the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution, which houses one of the world's premier collections of Asian art. Through his philanthropy, he significantly advanced the study and appreciation of Chinese culture, leaving a lasting impact on the art world.

The dish, decorated with a large, central depiction of a rock, is extremely rare and reflects a significant cultural shift in Song dynasty aesthetics, where the literati class developed a profound appreciation for rocks and natural forms imbued with symbolic meaning. So called 'Scholar's rocks', with their gnarled, irregular shapes and evocative textures, became highly prized as objects of contemplation for the literati. These stones became miniature mountains and symbolised the natural world's spontaneous creativity and served as metaphors for the Confucian and Daoist ideals of resilience, purity, and transformation. Their unique forms were seen as embodying the spirit of the mountains and streams, linking them to the literati's favoured themes in painting and poetry.

A pivotal figure in the rise of this predilection to rocks was Mi Fu (1051–1107), a Song dynasty calligrapher, painter, and connoisseur, whose legendary devotion to a particularly remarkable rock has become part of Chinese cultural lore. According to the tale, Mi Fu once encountered a uniquely shaped stone so striking that he bowed to it, referring to it reverently as his 'elder brother'. This act, blending playfulness with reverence, encapsulated the literati's attitude toward these natural forms: a recognition of their inherent beauty and a personification of their artistic and intellectual ideals. Inspired by Mi Fu's example, collecting and displaying scholar's rocks became a widespread practice among the literati, who arranged these stones in gardens, studios, and display shelves to enhance their scholarly environments.

Even emperors shared the obsession for rocks. The artistically obsessed last emperor of the Northern Song dynasty, Huizong (r.1100-1126), commissioned the transportation of an enormous Taihu rock for his Imperial garden in Kaifeng, requiring a specially built canal and immense resources. This extravagant project, undertaken amid rising threats from the Jurchens, symbolised his prioritisation of aesthetics over governance. Ultimately, the rock never reached its destination, as the Jin invasion led to the fall of Kaifeng and Huizong's capture, marking the tragic downfall of his reign — an enduring metaphor for the perils of artistic ambition overshadowing political responsibility.

Ceramic designs such as the present lot, featuring rocks in garden settings surrounded by auspicious plants, such as peonies, were likely influenced by the artistic styles seen in woodblock prints or paintings of the time. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the adoption of moulds also became more widespread, significantly improving the efficiency and production capacity of the Ding kilns.

Compare with a related Dingyao dish with lotus in the central roundel encircled by a peony band, Song dynasty, at the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, p.73, no.64. See also a related Dingyao moulded dish with a lotus pattern, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, illustrated by J.Wirgin, Sung Ceramic Designs, Stockholm, 1970, p.78 b.

Lot 13. A Longquan celadon-glazed 'dragon' jar and cover, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279); 22.4cm high (3). Estimate £20,000 - £30,000 (€23,000 - €35,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

The ovoid body carved around the exterior with overlapping stiff leaves, rising to a rounded shoulder and surmounted by a long cylindrical neck with everted rim, a large dragon with incised stripes coiled around the shoulder, the shallow domed cover surmounted by a hound finial with crossed paws and upright tail, covered overall with a soft olive-green glaze, box. 

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 November 1996, lot 622
Eskenazi Ltd., London
Sotheby's London, 8 November 2006, lot 53
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London

Published and Illustrated: J.Thompson, 'Chinese Celadons', Arts of Asia, Hong Kong, November-December 1993, p.60, fig.1 (left)
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.122-123, no.55

Note: Longquan celadon-glazed 'funerary' jars such as the present lot, would have originally been made in pairs: one bearing the 'Green Dragon of the East' and the other the 'White Tiger of the West'. All the animals and beasts on the jars represented the cardinal directions. A pair in the Sir Percival David Collection in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in Song Ceramics: Objects of Admiration, London, 2003, pl.35. These jars would have been filled with offerings of grain and placed in the tomb at the cardinal directions.

For other related examples of Longquan celadon 'funerary' jars and covers with dragons and tigers, see also R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, pl.85 and p.95. Various other examples are illustrated in Longquan yao qingci, Taipei, 1998, pp.132-138; and Zhongguo Longquan qingci, Hangzhou, 1998, pl.76. Another related Longquan celadon 'dragon' jar and cover, Southern Song dynasty, is illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, pp.150-151, no.57.

Compare with a similar Longquan celadon funerary jar and cover, Southern Song dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 14 May 2008, lot 312. Another related jar and cover, Southern Song dynasty, was sold at Sotheby's New York, 15 September 2015, lot 113. Another similar Longquan celadon 'dragon' jar, Southern Song dynasty, was sold at Christie's New York, 24 September 2021, lot 722.

See also a similar Longquan celadon jar and cover, Southern Song dynasty, which was also illustrated by J.Thompson, 'Chinese Celadons', Arts of Asia, Hong Kong, November-December 1993, p.60, fig.1, and which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 November 1996, lot 616.

Lot 14. A large black-glazed 'oil-spot' bowl, Jin dynasty (1115-1234); 20.5cm diam. (2). Estimate £15,000 - £20,000 (€18,000 - €24,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Robustly potted with deep conical sides rising from a short straight foot to a slightly inward-curving lip, the interior covered with a lustrous dark glaze suffused with star-like silver spots, the exterior with a dark-brown glaze revealing the white stoneware body on the foot ring, box.

Provenance: K.Y. Ng, Hong Kong, 1998
Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 16 June 1999 at The International Ceramics Fair and Seminar, The Park Lane Hotel, Piccadilly, London

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, Catalogue, London, 1998, no.9
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.102-103, no.45 (published and illustrated).

Note: Black-glazed ceramics with circular, silvery markings, such as the present lot, are now commonly referred to in Chinese as you di you ('oil-spot glazes'), a term introduced to China in the 20th century from Japan. In Japan, such Chinese glazes have long been highly esteemed and are known as yuteki temmoku ('oil-spot temmoku'), a name documented as early as the first half of the 15th century. The original term used for these glazes during the Song and Jin dynasties has been lost to history, as contemporary connoisseurs and collectors failed to record it in their writings. It is possible, though not certain, that in the Song dynasty, the term 'partridge feather' may have been applied to a broader range of dark glazes than the russet-splashed types it specifically describes today. For a discussion on this, see R.D.Mowry, Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers: Chinese Brown and Black-Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Cambridge MA, 1996, p.149. See a related black-glazed bowl with oil-spots, Song dynasty, of similar diameter (21cm diam.), illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, p.226, no.204.

See a related but smaller 'oil spot' black-glazed bowl, Northern Song/Jin dynasty, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 4 April 2017, lot 26. Another black-glazed russet 'oil spot' bowl, Jin dynasty was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2022, lot 2840.

Lot 15. A large Junyao purple-splashed bowl, Jin-Yuan dynasty (1115-1368); 21cm diam. (2). Estimate £8,000 - £12,000 (€9,400 - €14,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Sturdily potted with deeply rounded sides rising from a short narrow foot to a lipped rim, covered in a thickly bubbled milky sky-blue glaze thinning to a beige tone on the mouth rim, with purple streaks in the interior, the glaze falling unevenly above the foot ring, box.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 8 June 1993, lot 32
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.60-61, no.24.

Note: A blue-glazed Jun bowl of similar size and shape in a cache discovered in 1963 at Huangzhuang, Yu county, Henan Province and now in the Henan Provincial Museum is illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji (7) Song, shang, Shanghai, 2000, p.184, pl.186. Another similar blue Jun bowl of slightly smaller size is illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume Three (II), London, 2006, p.460, no.1461; and another example, of slightly larger size, is illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol.1, Tokyo, 1976, p.135, no.397.

See also a related purple-splashed bowl, Song dynasty, (22cm diam.), which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1 June 2023, lot 365.

Lot 16. A Junyao light-blue-glazed bowl, Northern Song-Early Jin dynasty (960-1234); 11.4cm diam. (2). Estimate £80,000 - £120,000 (€94,000 - €140,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Finely potted with deep curving sides rising from a short straight foot to a gently everted rim, covered in a light blue glaze suffused with a faint craquelure falling slightly unevenly above the foot rim, box.

Provenance: Mr Alfred Clark (1873-1950) and Mrs Ivy Clark (1890-1976), collection label no.624
Spink & Son Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 22 June 1977

Published and Exhibited: Orangerie des Tuileries, Arts de la Chine Ancienne, Paris, 1937, no.529
Oriental Ceramic Society, Sung Dynasty Wares: Chün and Brown Glazes, London, 1952, no.72
Oriental Ceramic Society, Ju and Kuan Wares: Imperial Wares of the Sung Dynasty, Related Wares and Derivatives of Later Date, London, 1952, no.18
Musée Cernuschi, L' Art de la Chine des Song, Paris, 1956, no.35
Oriental Ceramic Society, The Arts of the Sung Dynasty, London, 1960, no.47
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.28-29, no.8 (published and illustrated)

Note: Alfred Clark (1873–1950) was a New York-born collector who became a naturalised British subject in 1921 after marrying Ivy nee Sanders (1890-1976). A pioneer in sound reproduction and film, he produced the first moving picture films with plot and continuity at the Edison Laboratory in Orange, New Jersey, in 1895. In 1907, he founded the Musée de la Voix in the Archives of the National Opera, Paris. An active member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, Clark served on its Council almost continuously from 1934 to 1948. Together with his wife, he was a generous contributor to the Royal Academy's 1935–36 exhibition. In 1936, they donated a Song-dynasty stoneware dish to the Museum and continued to donate and sell Chinese and Japanese works in the 1970s, solidifying Clark's reputation as a significant patron of Asian art. See R.Davids & D.Jellinek, Provenance: Collectors, Dealers and Scholars: Chinese Ceramics in Britain and America, Oxford, 2011, pp.112-117.

The shape of this bowl is rare, distinguished by its gently everted rim that rises elegantly from a short foot. While Jun wares are celebrated for their opalescent glazes and subtle variations in form, this particular profile deviates from the more commonly seen deep or conical bowls. The delicately flared rim lends an air of refinement and suggests a level of precision in potting that sets it apart from standard utilitarian forms.

Counted among the esteemed 'Five Classic Wares' of the Song dynasty, Jun wares are celebrated for their enchanting predominantly blue glazes. What sets this vivid blue apart is that it was not achieved through the use of pigments but rather through an optical phenomenon: minute glassy particles suspended in the glaze scatter blue light, creating its luminous and mesmerising hue. This innovative glazing technique exemplifies the Song potters' sophisticated understanding of materials and their dedication to subtle yet profound beauty.

Unlike other Song dynasty wares, Jun ceramics utilised a dense yet slightly porous clay body that complemented their simple, robust forms. This material quality allowed artisans to focus on unadorned yet elegant shapes, perfectly demonstrated by this exquisite example. The present lot embodies the tactile allure and refined aesthetics that have captivated scholars and collectors for centuries. Its impressive provenance, further evidenced by the array of collector's labels affixed to it, attests to its enduring appeal and its cherished place in the history of Chinese ceramics.

Compare with a related but larger Junyao bowl, Northern Song dynasty, (20.3cm diam.) of similar form with an everted rim, from the collection of Rolf Cunliffe, 2nd Baron Cunliffe of Headley (1899–1963). It was later sold at Bonhams London, 11 November 2002, lot 26, and illustrated in Collectors, Curators: Connoisseurs: A Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921–2021, London, 2021, p.177, no.54.

Lot 17. A Yaozhou celadon-glazed carved 'wave-pattern' dish, Northern Song-Early Jin dynasty (960-1234); 15.1cm diam. (2). Estimate £30,000 - £50,000 (€35,000 - €59,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Deftly potted with a wide, low well and flat indented rim, with a recessed 'button' base, expertly carved in the well with a flower head, surrounded by a broad band of rolling waves, covered in a lustrous olive-green glaze, pooling to a darker tone in the recesses of the carving, box.

Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 28 July 1988

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.46-47, no.17

Note: An early Yaozhou celadon bowl of comparable form, decorated using the same technique and featuring a closely related pattern on the petal-lobed, flaring sides and broad interior base, is illustrated in Wudai Huangpu yaozhi, Beijing, 1997, pl.45-2. Detailed line drawings of the piece can be found on p.99, fig.54-4.

For further comparison, see another Yaozhou celadon bowl with rounded sides, excavated in 1991 at the Yaozhou kiln site at Huangpu in Tongchuan, Shaanxi. This piece, now in the Yaozhou Ware Museum, is illustrated in The Masterpieces of Yaozhou Ware at The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, 1997, p.101, no.134. Additionally, another Yaozhou celadon bowl with similar decoration, also unearthed in 1991 at the Huangpu kiln site and in the Yaozhou Ware Museum, is illustrated in Zhongguo chutu ciqi quanji, vol.15, Beijing, 2008, p.101, no.101. Compare with a related bowl with lotus design in the centre surrounded by waves, Northern Song/Jin dynasty, illustrated in Marvels of Celadon: The Shang Shan Tang Collection of Yaozhou Wares, Hong Kong, 2019, pp.218-219, no.57.

Lot 18. A Dingyao dark-brown-glazed mallow-shaped dish, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 19.2cm diam. (2). Estimate £40,000 - £60,000 (€47,000 - €70,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Elegantly potted with thin walls and 'bent-waist' rising from a short tapering foot to gently everted rim divided into six lobes resembling a flower, covered in mottled dark-chocolate brown glaze, pooling to a dark aubergine-purple in the recessed areas, thinning to a light caramel on the mouth rim, box.

Provenance: Eskenazi Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 23 November 1998

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.98-99, no.43

Note: The present lot exemplifies a rare and highly prized variation of Dingyao ware, distinguished by its deep brown glaze. This glaze, like that found on a similar dark-brown-glazed Dingyao foliate rim dish in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, p.96, no.87, is a high-fired glaze where iron serves as the primary colouring agent, with ferric and ferrous oxides exceeding 5% in total content. While most Dingyao ceramics are celebrated for their ivory-white glaze, a small number were produced in striking alternative colours, including black, brown, and green.

The Ming dynasty connoisseur Cao Zhao (曹昭), in his seminal text Important Discussions about Assessing Antiques (Gegu yaolun 格古要論), observed that:

有紫定色紫，有黑定色黑如漆，土具白，其價高于白定

Ding ware comes in a purple variation, known as Zi Ding, and a black variation, known as Hei Ding, which is as dark as lacquer. Both have white clay, and their value surpasses that of white Ding ware.

Similarly, the scholar Rose Kerr notes that 'The very best dark-glazed type has a glossy, deep-black glaze that resembles lacquer, while another valued style is known as purple Ding because of its aubergine-brown glaze,' as exemplified in the present piece. See R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p.47.

See a related rare brown-splashed black-glazed Ding bowl of mallow shape, Northern Song dynasty, formerly in the collection of Mr and Mrs Alfred Clark, exhibited in Arts de la Chine Ancienne, Musée de l'Orangerie des Tuileries, Paris, 1937, no.665 (together with Lot 16 in this sale), which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 October 2017, lot 4.

Lot 19. A small Xingyao white-glazed lion-handled ewer, Tang dynasty (618-907); 18cm high (2). Estimate £8,000 - £12,000 (€9,400 - €14,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Elegantly modelled with a slender ovoid body surmounted by a waisted cylindrical neck with lipped rim, applied with a short spout to one side of the shoulder and a lion-shaped handle to the other side of the rim leaping into the interior, all under a creamy-white glaze falling unevenly above the foot to reveal the buff stoneware body, box.

Provenance: Tony Omura, Hong Kong, 1994
Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 9 December 1996

Published, illustrated and Exhibited: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, TEFAF Basel, 1995 (exhibited)
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.80-81, no.34 (published and illustrated).

Note: Compare with a similar Xingyao lion-handled ewer, Tang dynasty, illustrated by B.Gyllensvärd in Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1965, p.100, no.289. Another related white-glazed ewer, 9th century, late Tang dynasty, formerly in the Eumorfopoulos collection, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, of similar form modelled with a similar lion handle, is illustrated by S.Pierson, Chinese Ceramics, London, 2009, p.19, no.18.

See a similar lion-handled Xingyao ewer, 10th century, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 9 November 2018, lot 249.

Lot 20. A Dingyao carved peony-pattern jar, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 10.7cm high (2). Estimate £60,000 - £80,000 (€70,000 - €94,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

The straight tapering sides crisply carved with peonies and finely veined foliage, with sloping shoulder surmounted by a wide cylindrical neck and lipped rim, covered in a clear ivory-coloured glaze pooling around the shoulder and the foot to a yellowish-tone, the base partially glazed with a broad foot rim and incised Guan character, box.

Provenance: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 13 November 2001

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, Kilns & Conquerors. Chinese Ceramics from the 10th to the 14th Century, London, 2001, no.3
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.114-115, no.51 (published and illustrated).

Note: This extraordinary jar is extremely rare, for its rare form and striking deep-relief carving. It was created in a time when Ding kiln artisans were pushing the boundaries of traditional ceramics. Moving away from the plain white-glazed vessels popular since the Tang dynasty, potters began creating more elaborate shapes and intricate decorations to meet the evolving tastes of their clientele. The most renowned example of carved Dingyao is the dragon-spouted kundika from the Jinzhongyuan Temple Pagoda, unearthed in 1969, illustrated by M.Medley, The Chinese Potter, Oxford, 1976, p.107, fig.71.

The Song Court was one of the Ding kilns' most prestigious patrons, and the large, hastily inscribed guan (官 'official') mark on the base of this jar suggests it was crafted for Imperial use. Inspired by the deep-relief carving techniques already employed on Yaozhou and Cizhou wares, the Ding potters embraced this style, adapting it to their own aesthetic. The jar's near-cylindrical shape was likely chosen to emphasise the bold peony blossoms and flowing foliage carved into its surface.

The earlier excavation of the Jingzhi Temple Pagoda also yielded a range of early Dingyao wares, including several marked on the base with the character 'guan'. These early Ding wares from Jingzhi share several technical features with the present jar. These include a precisely carved groove at the shoulder, defining the transition between planes — similar to the kundika illustrated in Treasures from the Underground Palaces, Tokyo, 1997, no.57; and the pooling of glaze that oxidizes to a yellowish tone, as seen on the box, illustrated in Ibid.,no.66.

See a related celadon glazed jar carved with floral designs, Northern Song dynasty, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by S.G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, p.85, fig.75.

Lot 21. A white ware deep cup, Sui dynasty (581-618); 7.2cm high (2). Estimate £20,000 - £30,000 (€23,000 - €35,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Sturdily potted with deep curving sides tapering outwards slightly, supported on a spreading foot, covered in a translucent ivory glaze falling unevenly above the foot revealing the white biscuit body, box.

Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 27 January 1997

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.84-85, no.36.

Note: Compare with another white-glazed cup, Sui dynasty, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Ceramics, vol.4, Beijing, 2013, p.124, no.78. See also a very similar white-glazed cup, Tang dynasty, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Ceramics, vol.5, Beijing, 2013, p.40, no.222. Another similar white stoneware cup, early Tang dynasty, is illustrated by B.Gyllensvard, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, p.99, no.285.

Compare with a similar but larger (11.8cm diam.) white-glazed cup, Sui dynasty, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2023, lot 2869.

Lot 22. A Yaozhou relief-carved flower-pattern jar, Five dynasties (907-979); 14cm diam.(2). Estimate £60,000 - £80,000 (€70,000 - €94,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

The compressed globular body rising from a short tapering foot to a short slightly everted mouth rim, carved around the exterior with a continuous scene of meandering floral scroll, possibly representing peonies, the leaves with finely incised veins, covered in a subtle mint-green glaze pooling to a darker olive tone in the recesses of the carving, box.

Provenance: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 18 October 2005

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, Recent Acquisitions, London, 2005
Oriental Ceramic Society, The World in Monochromes, London, 2009, no.29
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.120-121, no.54 (published and illustrated)

Note: The origins of these striking wares, characterised by bold relief carving and refined craftsmanship, remained a mystery for centuries. It was only with the excavation of the Huangpu kilns in Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province, that their source was identified, establishing them as early Yaozhou wares. See for example, a ewer with a similar design as the present lot, excavated from the Five Dynasties stratum of the Huangpu site, illustrated in Wudai Huangpu Yaozhi, Beijing, 1997, pl.29. Before this discovery, Japanese scholar and potter Fujio Koyama had applied the ancient term 'Dongyao' wares to these pieces, meaning 'Eastern Wares', believing them to be products of the Northern Song Imperial kilns mentioned in texts. His interpretation was rooted in historical texts that mentioned this term 'Dongyao' and a desire to classify these remarkable works as Imperial creations.

At a time when archaeological studies of Chinese ceramics were in their infancy and kiln sites for celebrated wares like Ru and Yaozhou had yet to be unearthed, Koyama sought to define Northern Song Imperial ceramics through the Dongyao concept. Among the broader group of Yaozhou celadons, often referred to as 'Northern Celadon', he identified a subset of works with a whitish glaze and posited them as the so-called 'Dongyao' described in ancient records. As excavations progressed, however, these wares were absorbed into the broader category of Yaozhou ceramics. Later, Gakuji Hasebe revisited Koyama's findings, examining a group of celadon bowls with pale whitish glazes, similar shapes, and consistent features. He argued that these Dongyao-type wares, distinct from typical Yaozhou products, pointed to a more diverse production of northern celadons during the Northern Song period.

Further archaeological evidence revealed that only a few examples of these Dongyao-type bowls were found at the Huangpu kiln, identified as a Five Dynasties Yaozhou site, and their production did not continue into the Northern Song period. However, datable tomb excavations uncovered a cohesive group of bowls, sharing common characteristics of size, shape, clay, glaze tone, and foot design, dating from the late 10th to early 11th centuries. This discovery suggests a short-lived but significant chapter in the evolution of Northern Celadon production, reflecting the complexity and innovation of the period.

See a related Yaozhou jar carved with floral design, Northern Song/Jin dynasty, 12th century, from the Eumorfopoulos collection and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p.55, fig.50.

Compare with a related small and rare Yaozhou jar, Five dynasties/Northern Song dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 16 May 2018, lot 69.

Lot 23. A small Cizhou sgraffiato black glazed jar, Jin-Yuan dynasty (1115-1368); 14cm diam.(2). Estimate £4,000 - £6,000 (€4,700 - €7,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Of bulbous baluster form, the deep rounded sides finely carved through the layer of lustrous dark-brown glaze with a broad band of bold leafy scroll between single line borders.

Provenance: Mrs Otto (Gertrude) Harriman (1903-1970), and thence by descent
Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 7 November 2012

On loan: Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery, 1989-2012 (label no.HHL189)

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, Recent Acquisitions, London, 2012
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.128-129, no.58 (published and illustrated)

Note: Otto Karl Herrmann (1900–1950) and his wife Gertrude (1903–1970) were German-born entrepreneurs who became key figures in the artificial pearl and jewellery industry. Originally based in Jablonec nad Nisou, a renowned glass and jewellery centre in Bohemia, they fled to London in 1939 following the Nazi occupation of the Sudetenland. In 1941, they founded Pompadour Products Ltd., a wholesale jewellery business, and later established Ulster Pearls Ltd. in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. Their companies gained prominence when they supplied pearls for Queen Elizabeth II's wedding dress in 1947. After Otto's death, Gertrude continued as the designer, expanding exports globally. Following her passing, her cousin Frantisek (Frank) Kafka, a Czech refugee and war veteran, took over, managing the business until its closure in 1983.

This small jar traces its lineage to similarly shaped vessels popular in silver and ceramic ware during the Tang dynasty, Five Dynasties, and Northern Song periods. The sgraffiato technique demonstrates a high level of craftsmanship. In this jar, intricate foliate scrollwork has been incised through the glossy brown-black glaze, exposing the biscuit ground beneath. To heighten the contrast and enhance the design's visual impact, a light-coloured slip was applied to the exposed areas, creating a striking interplay between the dark glaze and the delicate incised patterns. The occasional brown flecks in the background — left unshaved accidentally — indicate that the entire vessel was initially covered in a brown glaze.

A similar Cizhou sgraffiato black-glazed jar, Northern Song dynasty, is illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, pp.314-315, no.139. See also a related small Cizhou sgraffiato black-glazed jar, 13th/14th century, illustrated by R.Mowry, Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers: Chinese Brown and Black-Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Cambridge MA, 1996, pp.188-189, no.67. See also a similar jar illustrated by J.Wirgin, Sung Ceramic Designs, Stockholm, 1970, pl.55 e.

Compare with a similar small Cizhou sgraffiato jar, Song dynasty, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 November 2023, lot 877.

Lot 24. A large Yaozhou celadon-glazed carved 'deer and lingzhi' bowl, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 21.2cm diam.(2). Estimate £20,000 - £30,000 (€23,000 - €35,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Thickly potted, the deep conical sides rising from a short slightly tapering foot to a lipped rim, the exterior with a grooved band beneath, the interior carved with a recumbent spotted deer amidst a dense profusion of foliage, covered in an olive-green glaze pooling to a darker tone in the recesses of the carving, box.

Provenance: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 5 November 2004

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Priestley & Ferraro, Recent Acquisitions, London, 2004, no.10
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.118-119, no.53 (published and illustrated)
S.Wong and S.Pierson, eds., Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921-2021, London, 2021, pp.196-197, no.65

Note: The motif of a recumbent deer or antelope can be traced to Sogdian metalwork. In China, it first appeared briefly in Tang dynasty metalwork before re-emerging during the Song and Jin dynasties, adorning textiles brocaded with gold, metalwork, and ceramics; see J.C.Y.Watt, When Silk was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles, New York, 1997, no.29. Over time, the deer became closely associated with longevity and Daoist traditions, often depicted alongside Immortals such as Shoulao or in enchanted landscapes. Furthermore, the Chinese word for deer (lu 鹿) is a homophone for the word for wealth or official emolument (lu, 禄). This dual meaning makes the deer a symbol of prosperity and success in one's career. On this celadon-glazed bowl, the deer is rendered with remarkable naturalism, featuring a gracefully elongated head with prominent antlers, turned backward toward a rounded body detailed with impressed spotted markings. The fluidly incised lines of the deer harmonise beautifully with the deeply carved foliate background, showcasing the craftman's skilfull execution.

Compare with a similar carved celadon-glazed bowl, Jin dynasty, excavated in 1983 in Chengjiao township, Chengcheng county, Shaanxi Province and now in the Yaozhou Ceramics Kiln Museum, illustrated by Zhuo Zhenxi, Series of China's Ancient Porcelain Kiln Sites: Yaozhou Kiln of China, Beijing, 2014, no.160; and no.159, showing a horned animal gazing at the moon, Jin dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing.

See a related large Yaozhou carved bowl with waves, Jin dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 623.

Lot 25. A Longquan celadon-glazed 'kinuta' bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279); 14.5cm diam.(2). Estimate £80,000 - £120,000 (€94,000 - €140,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Elegantly potted rising from a short, inward-tapering foot to deep rounded sides, covered overall in a subtle bluish-green glaze, thinning to a buff tone on the mouth rim, box.

Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above circa 1970s

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.36-37, no.12

Note: While most celadon wares are characterised by their darker olive-green tones, the present lot stands out with a hue that more closely resembles the soft, pale green of pale white jade. This distinct and luminous glaze has been poetically termed kinuta by the Japanese — a reference to its resemblance to the glaze found on Longquan mallet-shaped vases that first arrived in Japan from Song dynasty China.

See a celadon porcelain bowl, named Bakōhan, Southern Song dynasty, with similarly coloured glaze, which was a particular favourite of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (r.1449-1473), in the Tokyo National Museum (acc.no.TG-2354). It is interesting to note that the bowl with a similar colour glaze to the present lot was so highly valued by the Shogun, that when it accidentally cracked, the Shogun sent it back to China to exchange it with another of the same quality. However, as celadon wares of such high quality were no longer made in China in the 15th century, they returned the bowl to Japan with the crack simply fastened by a clamp. The bowl's value increased significantly in Japan due to the addition of a large metal clamp, which, with its striking resemblance to a locust, exemplified the beauty of imperfection central to the wabi-sabi aesthetic. This unique feature led to the bowl being named Bakōhan, or 'Large-Locust Clamp', transforming its flaw into a celebrated aspect of its character.

Originally, the term kinuta specifically referred to the mallet-shaped vessels (see also Lot 9 in this sale), named after the kinuta, or paper-beating mallet, which their form was thought to echo. Over time, however, kinuta came to denote a broader category of wares, defined not by shape but by their alluring, jade-like celadon glaze. This shimmering surface, with its subtle translucency and depth, embodies the refinement and artistry that made Longquan celadon so highly prized, both in its time and for centuries afterward.

Compare with a related Longquan celadon-glazed bowl, Song dynasty, of conical shape with rounded sides, illustrated by B.Gyllensvard, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, p.55, no.117. Another related Longquan celadon-glazed bowl, Southern Song dynasty, in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, is illustrated in Longquan of the World: Longquan Celadon and Globalisation, vol.II, Beijing, 2019, pp.55, no.20.

Lot 26. A large Junyao tripod incense burner, Jin dynasty (1115-1234); 14.6cm high (2). Estimate £25,000 - £35,000 (€29,000 - €41,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Sturdily potted, the globular body rising from three short, curving legs to a constricted neck and everted mouth, applied overall save for the feet with a pale sky-blue glaze suffused with faint craquelure, thinning to a mushroom-grey tone on the edge of the rim, Japanese wood box and cover.

Provenance: Eskenazi Ltd., London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 12 February 1986

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.44-45, no.16

Note: While most kilns produced a wide variety of ceramic items, certain kilns became renowned for excelling in specific types of wares. The Jun kilns, for instance, were celebrated for crafting pieces that combined beauty with durability, such as basins, offering dishes, and incense burners such as the present lot. This incense burner, probably filled with fine sand to hold incense sticks, would have been placed on a temple altar or, more precariously, on a nearby stand. This example is particularly striking due to its generous size, harmonious proportions, and exceptional milky-blue glaze, thickly bubbled and applied over the entire surface, leaving only the square-section feet unglazed at the tips.

See a similar large Junyao tripod incense burner, Northern Song dynasty, in the British Museum, illustrated by S.Pierson, Illustrated Catalogue of Ru, Guan, Jun, Guangdong and Yixing wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, 1999, London, p.50, no.95.

Compare also with a related large Junyao incense burner, Song/Yuan dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 2019, lot 414.

Lot 27. A Longquan ecladon-glazed octogonal dish, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279); 15.5cm diam.(2). Estimate £30,000 - £50,000 (€35,000 - €59,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Finely potted rising from a short inward-tapering foot to a 'bent waist' and wide flaring octagonal rim, covered in a thick sea-green glaze suffused with golden crackles throughout save the foot ring revealing the orange biscuit body, box.

Provenance: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Mikiko Miyazaki-Robinson, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 21 February 1996

Published and Illustrated: D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.76-77, no.32

Note: This dish, with its flat, everted, octagonal rim, reflects the refined elegance of Song dynasty design and is thought to be inspired by contemporary silver and gold prototypes. Longquan celadon dishes of this distinctive shape are exceedingly rare, with only a handful documented. A comparable dish (15.8cm wide) is in the Avery Brundage Collection at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, illustrated by M.Tregear, Song Ceramics, New York, 1982, p.138, no.183. A Guan celadon-glazed octagonal dish, Southern Song dynasty, is in the Qing Court Collection, in the Palace Museum, Taipei (acc.no.故瓷013965N000000000). Another example, paired with a small octagonal bowl, is illustrated by J.J. Lally & Co., Chinese Art: The Szekeres Collection, New York, 2019, no.2, where it is compared to a gold octagonal dish and matching bowl from the tomb of the Southern Song official Zhu Xiyan (1135–1200), illustrated in Zhongxing jisheng: Nan Song fengwu guanzhi Beijing, 2015, p.16, pl.10. A parcel-gilt silver counterpart with a matching bowl is also shown in the same publication, p.27, pl.52. A related Longquan celadon-glazed octagonal dish, but with iron-brown splashes, Yuan dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Longquan of the World: Longquan Celadon and Globalisation, vol.II, Beijing, 2019, pp.128-129, no.076.

See a related Longquan Guan-type cup and octagonal dish (15.5cm wide), Song dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29 May 2019, lot 325. Another related Longquan celadon octagonal dish, Southern Song dynasty, was sold at Christie's New York, 25 March 2022, lot 1031.

Lot 28. A Cizhou sgraffiato black and white peony-pattern vase, meiping, Late Northern Song-Early Jin dynasty (960-1234); 14cm diam.(2). Estimate £82,000 - £140,000 (€4,700 - €7,000) © Bonhams 2001-2025

Of elegant baluster shape surmounted by a narrow tapering neck with a lipped rim of creamy-ivory white tone, the exterior carved through the lustrous black-glaze with large flowering peonies, with meticulously incised veins and foliage above a band of upright lappets, box.

Provenance: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 30 April 2003

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, Kilns & Conquerors. Chinese Ceramics from the 10th to the 14th Century, 2001, no.18
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.116-117, no.52 (published and illustrated)

Note: Among the most striking achievements of Song stoneware are the black-and-white Cizhou vessels, masterfully adorned using the sgraffito technique. This particular piece, with its gracefully slender silhouette and dynamic relief designs carved through lustrous black glaze to a radiant white ground, stands out as a particularly vibrant and sophisticated example of this highly refined ceramic tradition. Other vases may feature black-and-white decoration but are entirely covered with a clear glaze. In contrast, the present vase showcases a more advanced technique, with the clear glaze carefully applied solely to the white-slipped areas, preserving the natural gloss of the black glaze untouched.

The present lot is extremely rare, however, another comparable example of this type of meiping with similar decoration is in the Goto Art Museum, Tokyo, illustrated in Ceramic Art of the World, vol.12, Tokyo, 1977, p.125, no.119. See also another similar vase in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, formerly part of the renowned Ataka Collection and, prior to that, the Loo Collection, illustrated by J.Wirgin, Song Ceramic Designs, Stockholm, 1970, pl.50 f.

Other related Cizhou vases engraved with peonies in black glaze, meiping, Northern Song dynasty, can be seen in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (acc.no.OC.6-1937); the Kyoto National Museum (acc.no.GK159); the British Museum, London, illustrated by J.Rawson, Chinese Ornament: The Lotus and the Dragon, London, 1984, fig.62a. See also a vase with peony decoration, Northern Song dynasty, in the Cleveland Museum of Art (acc.no.1948.119). See also a related vase, Northern Song dynasty, illustrated by R.Krahl, ed., China Without Dragons: Rare Pieces from Oriental Ceramic Society Members, London, 2016, no.66. Another is in the Kyoto National Museum, illustrated in Masterworks of the Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto, 2004, no.15. See also a related Cizhou stoneware sgraffiato-decorated vase with peony, Northern Song dynasty, in the Asia Society Galleries, New York, illustrated by G.Eskenazi, A Dealer's Hand: The Chinese Art World Through the Eyes of Giuseppe Eskenazi, London, 2012, p.59.

These vases are traditionally attributed to the Northern Song dynasty, a dating that is likely accurate. However, excavations at the Guantai kilns in Ci County, Hebei Province, have unearthed shards of closely related black-and-white sgraffiato meiping from strata corresponding roughly to the early 12th century. See Guantai Cizhou yaozhi, Beijing, 1997, col.pl.21, fig.2. This period spans the reigns of the Northern Song emperors Huizong and Qinzong, as well as the early years of the Jin dynasty under Emperor Xizong.

The Guantai shards belong to a class of vases with carved black-and-white decoration, similar to the present example. However, they differ in one key respect: the decoration on the Guantai vases is fully covered by a clear glaze, which enhances both the black and white elements. In contrast, the present vase exhibits a more refined technique, with the clear glaze meticulously applied only to the white-slipped areas, allowing the natural gloss of the black glaze to remain undisturbed. Thus, although many black-and-white Cizhou vessels may appear similar at first glance, the sgraffiato technique used to create them varied significantly, and the pieces likely originated from different kilns.

The decoration of peonies is also in keeping with Northern Song dynasty trends of the literati. During the Song dynasty, peonies were celebrated as symbols of prosperity, elegance, and cultural refinement, earning the title 'king of flowers' (hua wang). Their association with wealth and status made them highly sought-after by literati, nobles, and collectors. This admiration is epitomised in Ouyang Xiu's (1007-1072) essay, A Record of the Peonies of Luoyang (Luoyang Mudan Ji), which offers a vivid portrayal of the peony's allure in the famed gardens of Luoyang, a city renowned for its cultivation of the flower. Ouyang Xiu meticulously catalogued different varieties, praised their aesthetic qualities, and reflected on the cultural significance they held in Song society. His work not only highlights the sophisticated horticultural practices of the time but also underscores the broader connection between nature, art, and intellectual pursuits in Song dynasty culture, where the appreciation of flowers like the peony became a marker of taste and erudition.

Compare with a related Cizhou black-glazed sgraffiato peony vase, meiping, Northern Song dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2023, lot 3511.

Instinct Based on an Artistic Upbringing and Background
Rose Kerr

Mr Christofides considered the great period for ceramics was the ninth to thirteenth centuries, that is to say the end of the Tang dynasty, the Five Dynasties period and the Song dynasty. An attractive example from the end of the Tang dynasty is the white glazed stone leys jar (Lot 4). The bulk of the Christofides collection, however, dates to the Song dynasty, and includes very fine examples of Jun, Yaozhou, Ding, Cizhou, Longquan and qingbai wares, with a handful of earlier whitewares and Xing wares. The predilection for Song ceramics only became fashionable after about 1920. Before that time, collectors concentrated their efforts on Qing dynasty porcelains, familiar from three centuries of imports from China. In truth, connoisseurs in the early twentieth century had a marked bias against Song dynasty wares, as a catalogue published in 1911 demonstrates. It accompanied an exhibition held in November 1908 in Shanghai, under the auspices of the North China branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. In the preface the catalogue refers to the “Primitive or Song period” and describes it in these terms:

The productions of this period are, as might be expected, of very primitive aspect. The pieces that survive are covered with glazes of single colours either of uniform or mottled tint and exhibit either plain or crackled surfaces….Genuine pieces are greatly treasured by native collectors, but are not often seen in foreign collections “Instinct based on an artistic upbringing and background” are the words used by Emmanuel Christofides to explain the inspiration for his formidable collection, in an introductory essay to a catalogue of 2017. He went on to qualify that by adding that study in an extensive library and knowledge gained from exhaustive visits to museums, galleries and auctions was also necessary. This combination reflects what scholars and collectors of ancient times brought to their connoisseurial practices. Literati would employ their innate sense of elegance and refine it through long years of study in carefully curated studies full of books and precious objects. For example, the bureaucrat, artist and critic Li Rihua (1565-1635) wrote about the importance to such men of the library/study. He described the ideal, that was situated where the brook twists and bends towards the hills, was comprised of 2-3 buildings with an upper structure to observe the clouds and mists, had bamboo outside to welcome the fresh wind, and to the south a tall pine tree from which to “hang the bright moon”. If one lived in such surroundings for ten years, one could hope for artistic achievements to match the masters of painting and calligraphy of ancient times. Gentlemen would also gather to study antiquities together, to compose verse and to practice painting and calligraphy. This collective sharing of ideas and study of each others’ antiques honed their ability to discern fine pieces.

A special fondness for Jun ware is evident in the Christofides collection, both plain blue and copper-splashed types. Jun ware has been a major collecting goal for museums and private individuals since the early twentieth century, and supplies of good-quality pieces was not assured. Jun wares are unusual and surprising among early Chinese ceramics. Many Song dynasty ceramics are restrained in colour, while Jun wares with copper splash are extraordinary, gaudy and bright. Both plain and splashed Jun ware stand out because of their unconventional appearance. This unconventionality was a result of Jun ware’s technically complex glazes, which utilised sophisticated technology to produce subtle, variegated results. The wares have relatively coarse, thickly-potted bodies that range in colour from ashy grey to brown, and oxidise reddish in firing. Their glory resides in their glazes which are visually outstanding, ranging in tone from milky blue to brilliant purple. Their colour effects are partly optical, rather in the same manner that the sky appears blue by reason of light being refracted through the atmosphere. Although most Jun was fired in reduction to temperatures in the 1280-1300°C range, its colour was not caused solely by iron pigments fired in reduction like other celadon glazes, but rather by liquid-liquid phase separation that occurred as glazes cooled slowly in the kiln. Plain wares were blue in a colour that was luminous, with white patches and opalescence, which together provided a wide range of subtle tones and textures.

These opal-blue colours were dramatically heightened and emphasised by painting the wares with copper-rich pigments. The copper brushwork was applied to the dry glazes in broad strokes or washes, which then merged with the bluish Jun glazes at full heat to exhibit red and purple splashes. A fine example is the light blue conical bowl with pinkish-red splashes (Lot 15).
 

Another strong element in the collection is Longquan wares, especially those dating to the Southern Song dynasty. The best Longquan kiln sites made some wares from porcelain stone without any additions of stoneware clay, thereby producing pale bluish-glazed celadon wares of outstanding quality that are known as di wares 弟窯 in China and kinuta wares 砧窯 in Japan. A refined example is the bowl with fine bluish kinuta glaze (Lot 25). In general, Longquan glazes bore colours that ranged from duck-egg blue to sea-green. Low levels of titania in the glazes were crucial in its effect on their colours, but overall iron oxide levels, the degrees of reduction that the glazes have received in firing, and degrees of melting also had vital influences. The viscosity of Longquan glazes allowed them to be applied from three to eight times, usually in a series of separate coatings. These successive glaze applications were sometimes fixed by a series of low-temperature firings before the final glaze firing to the full heat of the kilns, which was typically 1,220-1,280oC. High-quality kinuta wares made in imitation of Guan wares in the period c. 1200-1260 were given 3-4 applications of glaze. Glazes could be poured, brushed or even blown onto ceramic bodies. The most practical and straightforward way to coat raw or biscuit-ware with glaze is to dip the pieces into a wellstirred glaze-suspension, brought to the consistency of single cream. The porous ware then soaks up the water and leaves the suspended glaze particles to dry as an even coat on the surface of the object. If the ware is dipped again in the glaze when it is dry to increase the glaze thickness, both glaze-coats will tend to flake away, as the under-coat re-hydrates, expands and loosens its grip on the ware. Re-glazing while the first layer is still slightly damp can be effective, but timing of the dip must be judged exactly, which can be awkward for mass production.
 

Ding wares have always been sought after by collectors, and there are some fine examples in the Christofides collection. The bodies of the Ding porcelain were produced using a secondary kaolin mixed with sedimentary clay, which gave a white, semitranslucent body. An unusual example is the jar with carved peony design in the Christofides collection, its base bearing a guan (official) mark (Lot 20). The predominant potting method was wheel-throwing, with either carved or moulded designs, the latter first employed in the mid eleventh century and employing a single interior mould. The Ding kilns reached their zenith during the Northern Song and Jin periods, Ding wares enjoying high status at court, in wealthy Buddhist monasteries then among the literati, emerging as the most commonly recorded pieces by scholars. Ding kiln wares became well-known for their delicate and elegant shapes, beautiful and bright glazes as well as their smooth and creamy texture. Black and brownglazed Ding ware is an especial category, their refined elegance copying Song dynasty lacquer ware, like the mallow-shaped dish with dark brown glaze (Lot 18).

During the Northern Song dynasty, a number of kilns supplied the court with tribute wares, among them Yaozhou in Shaanxi Province. The Yaozhou kilns were recorded in official records as having supplied tribute wares, over a period of about thirty years, from the Yuanfeng era (1078-1085) to the Chongning era (1102-1106). Northern Song tribute wares are not marked in any way, but must have included the finest pieces with refined bodies, delicate and elaborate decoration, and refined glazes. Yaozhou ceramic bodies are higher in iron oxide than many northern stoneware clays, and one reason for the visual success of the Yaozhou celadon material was some interaction of its ferruginous clay with its celadon glaze. Where Yaozhou glazes were applied very thinly, or where they had thinned in firing, an almost golden hue could appear in the glazes through some superficial re-oxidation of their iron oxide contents. Yaozhou glazes were often applied in two coats, with a single coat supplying a golden-brown effect, while two coats produced fine celadon greens. Single coats of glaze are seen most often inside tall vessels, and under the feet of vessels, where they were probably used for the sake of economy. Where Yaozhou clay bodies were unglazed, warm brown colours tended to develop in the kilns, both at high temperatures and in cooling.
 

In the early Northern Song dynasty a decorative style emerged that combined elaborate and deep carving with fine detail and utilised freehand engraving, carving and combing. The Yaozhou decorators used sharp-pointed and angled tools that left carved lines that were vertical on one side and sloping on the other. This technique can be seen on the relief-carved flower-pattern jar (Lot 22). As Yaozhou celadon glazes appear light where thin, and dark where thick, the glazes heightened the carved designs to fine effect. Many Yaozhou celadon wares appear to have been given low biscuit-firings before glazing. Freehand carving on fine Yaozhou wares gradually became more elaborate, with dense and detailed patterns sometimes covering the entire surface. However such overall carving was time-consuming, and the labour and skill used in carving each piece separately substantial, with the designs easily marred by a slip of hand. Such wares were therefore expensive to manufacture. Yaozhou continued to be made during the Jin dynasty, when a new, socalled “moon white” glaze appeared, that had a pale, waxen cast to the glaze surface. This came about because of the long firing cycles of Yaozhou kilns that induced a faint haze of anorthite crystals in the glaze, which together with the pale layer formed by the crystals between the body and glaze, gave rise to a unique celadon glaze effect.
 

There are a small number of black-glazed and Cizhou wares in the collection, which act as an effective counterfoil to the subtle monochrome wares of Jun, Longquan, Yaozhou and Ding. Cizhou ceramics were popular wares, made for daily use by ordinary people. As such, their makers felt less need to conform to stereotypes, and experimented with a variety of bold decorative styles. The meiping bottle and jar in this collection were coated in black glaze over white slip, and designs were cut through the black to reveal the white, while the glazes were still wet.
 

The marvellous ceramics in the Christofides collection were produced by mass-production methods, employing thousands of unacknowledged workers. As Mr Christofides noted, the “masters” whose achievements we admire so much were anonymous, unsung craftsmen of the Song era whose ability was extraordinary.

Rose Kerr (ed.) and Nigel Wood, Ceramic Technology, Science and Civilisation in China, vol.5, part 12 (Cambridge University Press, 2004)
Rose Kerr, 今之眎昔:宋代燿州窯及青白瓷 Song Through 21st Century Eyes: Yaozhou and Qingbai Ceramics (Meijering Art Books, The Netherlands, 2009)
Rose Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, 2nd Edition, in English and Chinese (CA Publishing, Hong Kong, 2020)
Rose Kerr, Dazzling Official Jun Wares from Museums and Collections around the World (ACC Art Books/CA Publishing, Hong Kong, 2021a)
Rose Kerr, Yaozhou Wares from Museums and Art Institutes Around the World, including Yaozhou Tribute Wares (ACC Art Books, Hong Kong, 2021b)

Rose Kerr, 虚中为用。中国陶瓷的永宣之美 Voids in Clay. The Enduring Beauty of Chinese Ceramics (3MER Publishing, The Netherlands, 2022a)
Rose Kerr, Jade Green and Kingfisher Blue: Longquan Wares from Museums and Art Institutes Around the World (ACC Art Books, Hong Kong, 2022b)
David Priestley and Marcus Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, (London, 2017)
Shelagh Vainker, Chinese Pottery and Porcelain : From Prehistory to the Present (British Museum Press, London, 1991)
James C. Y. Watt, “The Literati Environment” in Chu-Tsing Li, James C.Y. Watt (eds.), The Chinese Scholar’s Studio, Artistic Life in the Late Ming Period (Thames and Hudson, in association with The Asia Society Galleries, 1987), pp.1-13