A large carved 'yaozhou' 'Musk Mallow' bowl. Northern Song dynasty. Photo Sotheby's

with rounded sides rising to a straight rim thickened with a double ridge on the outside, freely carved on the inside with large blossoms and leaves, all under a lustrous gray-green glaze pooled in the recesses highlighting the incised decoration, the beveled, unglazed foot ring burned brown in the firing. Diameter 8 1/2 in., 21.6 cm. Estimate 15,000-20,000 USD

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 20 Mar 2012 www..sothebys.com