A RARE JIZHOU STENCIL-DECORATED PEAR-SHAPED VASE, SOUTHERN SONG-YUAN DYNASTY, 13TH-14TH CENTURY

A RARE JIZHOU STENCIL-DECORATED PEAR-SHAPED VASE
SOUTHERN SONG-YUAN DYNASTY, 13TH-14TH CENTURY
The vase is elegantly potted and decorated on either side with a stenciled, stylized flowerhead reserved against a dark brown glaze, and fixed-rings handles are on the shoulder.
8 1/8 in. (21 cm.) high

Pre-Lot Text
Russell Tyson (1867-1963)
Born in Shanghai and raised in Boston, Russell Tyson came to Chicago in 1893 to begin his career in the real estate firm Aldis & Company. Passionate about Chinese and Korean art, he became one of the strongest supporters of The Art Institute of Chicago, serving as a trustee, honorary vice president, and as a member of the Department of Asian Art’s advisory committee. In 1922, he co-founded the Orientals, a group of like-minded patrons of The Art Institute of Chicago who were committed to fostering the museum’s efforts in Asian art.
Tyson grew up surrounded by his family’s collection of Chinese furniture and works of art. In his own collecting, he was captivated first by the beauty of Korean ceramics during his travels to Korea prior to 1920. Subsequently, his tastes expanded to include Chinese textiles and stonewares, as well as Chinese, Japanese and Indian painting. His true devotion, however, was to Chinese ceramics. Tyson’s collection of Chinese ceramics includes some of The Art Institute’s finest pieces in Asian art, such as the painted and gilded pottery figure of an armored guardian, dated to Tang dynasty, late 7th/early 8th century.
The Russell Tyson Gallery, dedicated in 1958, hosts the museum’s permanent exhibition of Tang-dynasty art works.