A FINE MOLDED DING-TYPE 'PHOENIX' BOWL, NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY
A FINE MOLDED DING-TYPE 'PHOENIX' BOWL, NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
China, 960-1127. Delicately potted with rounded sides rising from a short straight ring foot, the interior finely molded with four phoenixes flying amid leafy and blossoming peony and lotus, encircled by a band of waves, covered overall with a white glaze save for foot revealing the white body.
Provenance: Collection of Hans Henningsen, Copenhagen, Denmark, by 1984. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 42 years.
Hans Henningsen (d. 1999) was a Danish engineer and discerning collector of ancient art, with a particular focus on Egyptian antiquities. From the 1960s onward, Henningsen travelled extensively, visiting museums, dealers, antique shops, and flea markets across continental Europe and Britain. He also made repeated journeys to Egypt at a time when antiquities could still be purchased there legally. Living near Copenhagen's antique district, he was a constant presence among local dealers and became both a friend and mentor to Jorgen Ruben, as well as an early and frequent customer of Ruben's first gallery in Copenhagen. He introduced Ruben to trusted specialists in London and shared with him his deep knowledge of Egyptian art. Henningsen valued quality above all: whether complete, fragmentary, or restored, an object interested him for its artistic merit, craftsmanship, and authenticity.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, firing irregularities including minute glaze recesses, little kiln grit, few minor glaze lines.
Weight: 462 g
Dimensions: Diameter 21 cm
Molded decoration on Ding wares was adopted in the latter part of the Northern Song dynasty. The molding technique allowed the Ding potters to adopt more complex and formal designs. The molds used were meticulously crafted and similar to those used to cast decoration on gold and silver works of art.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9 September 2025, lot 5029
Price: HKD 60,960 or approx.
EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A moulded Ding-type 'phoenix' bowl, Northern Song dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, glaze, decoration, and motif. Note the size (18.5 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 4
Mid-Estimate: GBP 8,000 or approx.
EUR 18,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A ding-type 'lotus pond and phoenix' shallow bowl, Southern Song dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, glaze, decoration, and motif. Note the size (17.8 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
A FINE MOLDED DING-TYPE 'PHOENIX' BOWL, NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
China, 960-1127. Delicately potted with rounded sides rising from a short straight ring foot, the interior finely molded with four phoenixes flying amid leafy and blossoming peony and lotus, encircled by a band of waves, covered overall with a white glaze save for foot revealing the white body.
Provenance: Collection of Hans Henningsen, Copenhagen, Denmark, by 1984. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 42 years.
Hans Henningsen (d. 1999) was a Danish engineer and discerning collector of ancient art, with a particular focus on Egyptian antiquities. From the 1960s onward, Henningsen travelled extensively, visiting museums, dealers, antique shops, and flea markets across continental Europe and Britain. He also made repeated journeys to Egypt at a time when antiquities could still be purchased there legally. Living near Copenhagen's antique district, he was a constant presence among local dealers and became both a friend and mentor to Jorgen Ruben, as well as an early and frequent customer of Ruben's first gallery in Copenhagen. He introduced Ruben to trusted specialists in London and shared with him his deep knowledge of Egyptian art. Henningsen valued quality above all: whether complete, fragmentary, or restored, an object interested him for its artistic merit, craftsmanship, and authenticity.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, firing irregularities including minute glaze recesses, little kiln grit, few minor glaze lines.
Weight: 462 g
Dimensions: Diameter 21 cm
Molded decoration on Ding wares was adopted in the latter part of the Northern Song dynasty. The molding technique allowed the Ding potters to adopt more complex and formal designs. The molds used were meticulously crafted and similar to those used to cast decoration on gold and silver works of art.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9 September 2025, lot 5029
Price: HKD 60,960 or approx.
EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A moulded Ding-type 'phoenix' bowl, Northern Song dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, glaze, decoration, and motif. Note the size (18.5 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 4
Mid-Estimate: GBP 8,000 or approx.
EUR 18,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A ding-type 'lotus pond and phoenix' shallow bowl, Southern Song dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, glaze, decoration, and motif. Note the size (17.8 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
