China, 1115-1234. The low rounded sides rising from a short foot to an everted rim with a finely raised lip. The interior decorated with distinct purple splashes suffused with hues of malachite-green. Overall covered by a thick, sky-blue glaze thinning to mushroom on the raised section of the rims and finely pooling to the underside around the unglazed foot burnt dark brown in the firing.

Provenance: Collection of Sir Mark Heath, thence by descent within the same family. An old collector’s label ‘M. E. Heath Collection’ to base. Sir Mark Evelyn Heath KCVO CMG (1927-2005) was a British diplomat who served as the United Kingdom’s first Ambassador to the Holy See between 1982 and 1985. His appointment represented the resumption of full diplomatic relations between Britain and the Holy See for the first time since Henry VIII’s break with the Catholic Church in 1534. After leaving the Vatican, Sir Mark became Head of Protocol for the Hong Kong Government. During this time he developed a passion for Chinese works of art.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and firing irregularities, such as minimal pitting and some dark spots.

Weight: 531.1 g
Dimensions: Diameter 19.6 cm

With an old Chinese silk box and cover, dating to the mid-1980s or earlier. (2)

Expert’s note: The present dish shows distinct patches of malachite green precipitated among the purple clouds, which has been noted to occur due to high concentration of copper oxide, see Rosemary Scott, Imperial Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, London, 1989, page 39.

Literature comparison: Compare two related Jun dishes, one (18.8 cm diameter) published in A Panorama of Ceramics in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Chun Ware, 2000, p. 148, no. 56; and the other (18.5 cm diameter) illustrated by R. Scott ed., Imperial Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, London, 1989, pl. 15.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related purple-splashed Jun-glazed dish, also dated to the Jin dynasty and with near-identical patches of malachite green within a purple splash, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 28 November 2012, lot 2276, sold for HKD 1,040,000.

金代鈞窯紫斑折沿盤
中國，1115-1234年。侈口，折沿，週壁極淺，平底，淺圈足。全器滿釉支燒，外底留有圓點狀支痕。通體罩施天藍色釉，藍釉泛青，釉面揮灑自如的紫紅色斑紋。釉質均勻，底緣及口部沿邊皆成米黃色。

來源：Mark Heath爵士 私人收藏，在同一家族收藏至今。底部可見老收藏家標籤‘M. E. Heath Collection”。Mark Evelyn Heath KCVO CMG爵士 (1927-2005) 曾是英國外交官，1982 年至 1985 年期間擔任英國首任駐羅馬教廷大使。他的任命標誌著英國與羅馬教廷自亨利八世於 1534 年與天主教會決裂以后首次全面恢復外交關係。離開梵蒂岡後，Mark Heath爵士成為香港政府禮賓司司長。在任期間，他對中國藝術產生了濃厚的興趣。
品相：狀況極好，輕微磨損和燒製不規則，例如小點蝕和一些黑點。

重量：531.1 克
尺寸：直徑 19.6 厘米

配置一個上世紀八十年代或更早的中國蓋盒。 (2)

專家注釋：本盤在紫斑中出現了明顯的孔雀石綠色斑，這是由於高濃度的氧化銅而產生的，參見 Rosemary Scott, Imperial Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, London, 1989, 第39頁。

文獻比較：兩件相近鈞窯盤，一件(直徑18.8 厘米) 見A Panorama of Ceramics in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Chun Ware, 2000, 第148頁，圖56; 另一件 (18.5 厘米 直徑) 見R. Scott ed., Imperial Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, London, 1989, 圖15。

拍賣結果比較：一件相近鈞窯紫斑盤，金代，紫斑内帶著幾乎一樣的綠色沉澱斑，見香港佳士得Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2012年11月28日 lot 2276, 售價HKD 1,040,000。