Lot 2832. A painted Cizhou polychrome ‘Fish’ bowl, Jin dynasty, 13th Century; 6 3/4 in. (17 cm.) diam. Estimate HK$100,000 - HK$150,000 ($12,964 - $19,445). Price Realized HK$100,000 ($12,964). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The bowl is painted to the interior in red and green overglaze enamels to depict a fish swimming amidst lotus. It is covered overall with a white slip under clear glaze stopping above the foot, exposing the biscuit body which is inscribed with three indecipherable characters in ink, box

Provenance: Sen Shu Tey, Tokyo

Literature: Sen Shu Tey, The Collection of Chinese Art, Tokyo, 2006, p. 73, no. 101

Exhibited: Sen Shu Tey, Special Exhibition ‘Run Through 10 Years’, Tokyo, 2006, Catalogue, no. 101

Notes: First appearing in the late 12th to early 13th century, Cizhou polychrome decoration represents the earliest overglaze enamelling in Chinese ceramic history. This technique entails two firings. On pieces like the present bowl, a milky-white slip was applied to the clay body and a colourless transparent glaze was applied over the top. Lead-fluxed overglaze enamels were applied to the surface of the fired glaze and the vessel was fired a second time at a lower temperature. The Chinese term of Cizhou polychrome wares, honglü cai (red and green colours) is derived from the most popular overglaze colours in the Cizhou palette, green and red. 

Popular decorative themes on Cizhou polychrome bowls include floral patterns and aquatic scenes. A similar ‘fish’ bowl in the collection of Sekido Museum of Art, classified as an Important Art Object, is illustrated in Asahi Shimbun, Song Ceramics, Tokyo, 1999, p. 147, no. 108 (fig.1).  

fig. 1 A painted Cizhou polychrome ‘fish’ bowl, Jin dynasty, Sekido Museum of Art.

Compare a dated example decorated with waterfowl flying amidst lotus and inscribed with the date, first year of the Taihe reign (1201) from the Ataka collection, illustrated in Masterpieces of Old Chinese Ceramics from Ataka Collection, Osaka, 1972, Catalogue, no. 42. Compare also a bowl with mandarin duck pattern in the Tokyo National Museum collection, illustrated in T. Mikami, Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1981, p. 242, no. 273. A more frequently used decorative theme seen on Cizhou polychrome bowls is peony spray, as seen on a bowl illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, op. cit., p. 242, no. 271, and another three Cizhou polychrome bowls in the Ataka collection, illustrated in Masterpieces of Old Chinese Ceramics from Ataka Collection, op. cit., Catalogue, no. 40,41,43. 

Christie's. THE CLASSIC AGE OF CHINESE CERAMICS - THE LINYUSHANREN COLLECTION, PART I, 2 December 2015, Convention Hall.