Lot 2078. A  rare olive-green-glazed pottery flask and cover, Liao dynasty (907-1125); 11 in. (30.5 cm.) high. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 7,000. Price Realized USD 8,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2014. 

The flask is made in imitation of leather water or wine skins, with stiff, seamed edges. A floral medallion is applied to each side, and the top flap is notched and pierced for hanging and applied with two grimacing naked figures facing forward towards the spout, which is fitted with a cover with bud finial above radiating petals. The flask is covered with an olive-green glaze with some silvery iridescence that continues onto the slightly countersunk base, box.

Note: A green-glazed flask of similar Liao date and size, surmounted by two similar figures and decorated with a similar carved, rather than applied floral medallion, found in 1977 in Pingquan county, Hebei province, is illustrated in Quanguo chutu wenwu zhenpinxuan, 1976 - 1984, Wenwu Chubanshe, 1987, pls. 60 and 61. One without the medallions is illustrated in Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, no. 20. See, also, the green-glazed flask with similar naked figures, from the Hardy Collection of Early Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art from the Sze Yuan Tang, sold at Christie's New York, 21 September 1995, lot 100.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 20 - 21 March 2014