Longquan Celadon 'Lotus' Bowl

Zhejiang province, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)

Finely potted, the shallow, curved sides raised upon a short tapering foot, the exterior carved with evenly carved, overlapping lotus petals in relief. Covered overall with a rich, thick blue-green glaze, leaving only the lower portion of the foot-ring unglazed, where the biscuit has fired to a pale color, with Japanese presentation box.

H. 1 7/8 in., D. 6 1/4 in.

Note: Longquan Lotus Dish, Longquan or neighboring kilns, Zhejiang province, Southern Song dynasty, 13th Century. While dishes such as this were produced in the Longquan area in great quantity over a long period of time, they are rarely of such fine quality in terms of craftsmanship, materials and color. As Regina Krahl points out in her description of a closely related lotus dish in the Meiyintang Collection, this high quality was only achieved in the Southern Song period. Krahl refers to similar dishes and a bowl found in a hoard probably buried AD 1236-1242 at Jinyuncun, Nanqiangzhen in Sichuan province, see "Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection" Volume Three (II), (London, Paradou Writing), 2006, p.582, no. 1571.

Note: A similar bowl, of slightly smaller size (5 5/8 in.), sold at Sotheby's December 3-4, 2015, Lot 226. Another related lotus bowl, recovered from a pit in Shaanxi province together with a brazier dated to 1204, is illustrated in the catalogue to the exhibition "Ice and Green Cloud, Traditions of Chinese Celadon, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana University Press, 1986, cat. no. 76a. Another bowl was recovered from a Song dynasty well at Miaojiaqiao near Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, (pl. 76b)

Condition: Excellent condition, with age-appropriate abrasion mostly to the center area of the interior, no chips or cracks.