A magnificent superbly carved large Ding bowl, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

31 janvier 2020

A magnificent superbly carved large Ding bowl, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

Lot 3220. A magnificent superbly carved large Ding bowl, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 11 in. (27.8 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 9,000,000 - HKD 15,000,000. Price realised HKD 25,880,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2014

The deep bowl is well potted with rounded sides rising from a bevelled foot encircling the slightly recessed base to a gently everted metal-bound rim. The exterior is freely carved with two sprays of daylilies borne on a leafy vine to the lower body, subtly defining the sides into six lobes. The interior is carved with five lotus blooms borne on fine stems growing curled leaves to the sides. The bowl is covered overall with an even ivory-white glaze, box.

Provenance: Acquired in Japan circa 1990s.

Note: Ding bowls of this large size and form are very rare. A closely related example carved with three fish swimming amidst waterweeds, measuring 26.7 cm. diam., was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3212. The exterior of the 'fish' bowl is similarly decorated on the exterior with freely carved daylillies, although with the application of an additional combed detail design. The closest example of the present bowl of this decorative design and of a flat base is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1996, p. 63, no. 55 (24.5 cm. diam.).

Although the elongated petals of the flowers on the present bowl appear to be similar those often accepted as daylillies, the broad unfurled leaf with serrated edges would probably suggest that these are lotus flowers. A comparable carved design is found on the interior of a waisted dish, dating Northern Song to Jin period, published in Decorated Porcelains of Dingzhou, White Ding Wares from the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, pp. 88-89, pl. II-42, illustrated with a line drawing. Two other related examples of these large bowls potted with high sides, both without foot rings, are illustrated, ibid., p. 136, fig. II-85 and p. 137, fig. II-86. Both these cited bowls are 12.5 cm. high whilst the present bowl is 13 cm. high.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 26 November 2014