AN UNUSUAL RUSSET AND BLACK GLAZED ‘INSCRIBED’ BOWL, SONG DYNASTY, PROBABLY YAOZHOU KILNS
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve

External expert note: A possible correction: It's a nice and interesting bowl, but probably not from Yaozhou, or Song, or even Chinese. In fact, it's almost certainly Vietnamese, 14th-15th century. These bowls, with a similar foliate, everted rim and usually five spur marks or a stacking ring, were produced in several different glazes, bright green, olive celadon, cream, white, but your russet and black glaze is the best and rarest. You'll see several examples if you look at Vietnamese Ceramics (p.278) by Sullivan and Guy, or at Philippe Truong"s The Elephant and the Lotus (120-1) and in Dragons and Lotus Blossom (144-5) by Stevenson, Wood and Truong. The original influence almost certainly came from Fujian. Ian McLachlan

China, 960–1234. Well-crafted pottery with deep, rounded sides resting on a short, circular foot rising to a slightly outward-curving rim with distinctive round notches. Overall, it is covered with a black glaze through which rust-brown tones shimmer; the fine structure inside the bowl creates a pattern highlighted by areas where the light-colored body shows through. In places, this interior pattern suggests forms that recall abstracted Chinese characters. The glaze falls short of the foot, revealing the buff-colored body.

Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired on 17 February 1972 in Paris, according to the Myers ledger, and in the collection for 54 years.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear and firing irregularities, including fritting, distinct spur marks and glaze recesses, light surface scratches, a hairline crack of 6 cm, and a small touchup to the glaze at the rim.

Weight: 296 g
Dimensions: Height 6 cm, Diameter 16.5 cm

The striking pattern on this bowl is created by layers of russet to deep dark glaze, which, together with the distinctive notched rim, make it a rare and compelling piece. Its characteristic form, known as zhan, and its lustrous glaze reflect the influence of Jian wares produced in Fujian province. By the Northern Song period, tea wares from Jianyang were highly prized by tea connoisseurs, scholars, and even the imperial court, and they in turn inspired ceramic manufactories throughout both northern and southern China.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 October 2001, lot 75
Price: USD 10,575 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare Yaozhou black and russet-glazed bowl, Northern Song dynasty, 11th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling, and notched rim, and coloration. Note the different glaze and smaller size (12.1 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2014, lot 726
Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 16,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A russet-glazed Yaozhou bowl, Northern Song dynasty, 11th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling, and notched rim. Note the different glaze and smaller size (11.9 cm).