A CIZHOU BLACK-GLAZED POTTERY JAR, SONG DYNASTY
Lot 953 - AK0126

Published and Exhibited:
Ben Janssens Oriental Art, Early Ceramics, London, 1997, cat. no. 7.
Ben Janssens Oriental Art, TEFAF Maastricht, 11-20 March 2016, p. 80-81.

Scientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 10 November 2015, based on sample number P115k38, sets the firing date of the one sample taken between 600 and 1000 years ago, consistent with the dating above. A copy of the report accompanies this lot.

China, Hebei province, 12^th-13^th century. Heavily potted, the ovoid body surmounted by a short neck with a lipped rim, flanked by a pair of finely incised strap handles, covered overall in a thick lustrous black glaze accentuated with russet around the lip, handles, and interior, stopping irregularly around the center of the body, attractively pooling to form thick droplets, and revealing the buff-colored ware.

Provenance: Ben Janssens Oriental Art, London, United Kingdom, 2017. A European private collection, acquired from the above. A copy of the invoice from Ben Janssens, dated 12 September 2017 and confirming the dating above, accompanies the lot. Ben Janssens opened his eponymous gallery in 1996 in London, specializing in early Chinese art. Previously he had been a director at Spink & Son. He also served as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of TEFAF Maastricht.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, light surface scratches, few old chips to the foot, and pottery lines.

Weight: 2 kg
Dimensions: Height 19 cm

This remarkably well-preserved jar exemplifies Cizhou-type stoneware and can be attributed to the Guantai kiln in southern Hebei province. Active since the late Tang dynasty, this kiln was renowned for its diverse ceramic production, including dripping-glaze black wares like the present piece.

Literature comparison:
A near identical black glaze stoneware jar of the same size and shape was excavated from the Guantai kiln, see Nigel Wood, Chinese Glazes- Their Origins, Chemistry and Recreation, A&C Black, London, p. 130, 143.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 15 September 2018, lot 1414
Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 10,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A russet-splashed black glazed jar, Northern Song/Jin dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and glaze with similar pooling and russet splash. Note the size (11.6 cm).