Lot 22. A 'Yaozhou' carved 'Peony' tripod censer, Five Dynasties (907-960); 10.5cm., 4 1/8 in. diam. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 GBP. Lot sold 74,400 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's

of slightly compressed globular form with broad short waisted mouth, freely carved and incised around the exterior with a continuous leafy peony scroll, all supported on three short cabriole legs and covered overall in a pale bluish-green glaze.

'Yaozhou' vessels of this unusual form are extremely rare although a very similar example, in the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, is illustrated in Yaozhou Kiln, Xi'an, 1992, p.53.  See also fragments of a 'Yaozhou' jar of related globular body carved with the design of floral scroll, included in Liu Liang-yu,  A Survey of Chinese Ceramics. Sung Wares, Taipei, 1991, p. 97 bottom left.