China, 12^th-13^th century. Finely potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short foot, covered overall with an opaque glaze of milky blue suffused with a pale crackle, thinning to mushroom at the rim, pooling elegantly around the body, and stopping unevenly just above the unglazed foot.

Provenance: Mokubaku Auction Tokyo, Fall 2020, lot 71. A private collection in Japan, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice from Mokubaku Auction Tokyo, confirming the dating above and stating a purchase price of JPY 1,519,980 or approx. EUR 10,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing flaws including slight discoloration from overfiring to the rim, small open bubbles, minor glaze recesses, and kiln residue on the foot.

Weight: 784 g
Dimensions: Diameter 23.6 cm

With a fitted silk-lined box. (2)

The lustrous sky-blue glaze of this bowl is traditionally considered to be the most desirable color for monochrome Jun wares. One of the ‘Five Classic Wares’ (wu da yao) of the Song dynasty, Jun ware was much admired over the centuries by both Chinese and Western connoisseurs for the beautiful depth and intensity of its glaze, which varies from a thick opaque sky-blue to brilliant mauves and lavenders.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 3118
Price: HKD 1,000,000 or approx. EUR 136,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large Jun sky-blue glazed bowl, Northern Song-Jin dynasty, 12th-13th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and glaze, which is similarly thinning to mushroom at the rim, pooling around the body, and stopping just above the short unglazed foot. Note the related size (21.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 15 May 2012, lot 399
Price: GBP 39,650 or approx. EUR 73,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large Jun-ware bowl, Song dynasty, 12^th/13^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and glaze, which is similarly thinning to mushroom at the rim, pooling around the body, and stopping just above the short unglazed foot. Note the closely related size (23 cm).