11th Sep, 2025 11:00
The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers Part 1
2
A WELL-PAINTED AND INCISED CIZHOU ‘PEONY’ JAR, SONG-YUAN DYNASTY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
Sold for €2,080
including Buyer's Premium
Expert’s note: This jar is a fine example of a rare group of Cizhou wares with motifs both painted and incised through layers of black and white slip. Wares of this type are discussed by Yutaka Mino in the catalog to the exhibition Freedom of Clay and Brush through Seven Centuries in Northern China: Tz'u-chou Type Wares, 960-1600 A.D., Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, 1980, p. 198, where he suggests that they originally evolved from sgraffiato wares. He further notes that while painted and incised wares may have originated in the Northern Song period, they became popular only in the Jin, concurrently with the decline of the sgraffiato technique.
China, 960-1368. Heavily potted with a robust ovoid body rising from a short spreading foot to a high rounded shoulder and straight mouth with lipped rim, boldly painted in brownish-black on a white slip under a clear glaze, decorated with a broad band of peony blossoms borne on leafy scrolling stems, framed by line borders below a band of swirling clouds within a sinuous border encircling the shoulder. The slip and glaze stopping irregularly above the foot, revealing the gray ware.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Good condition with old wear, firing irregularities, little fritting to the rim. One side with an old stabilized crack extending from the rim down to the center of the base, previously stapled with three iron rivets which have been subsequently removed. Few small chips and light nicks to the base.
Weight: 1,223 g
Dimensions: Height 14.5 cm, Diameter 17 cm
Literature comparison:
Compare a related larger Cizhou painted and incised jar with a dragon and phoenix, dated to the Yuan dynasty, 31 cm high, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number LI1301.338.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 641
Price: USD 10,000 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A painted ‘Cizhou’ globular jar, Song-Yuan dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, ware, and size (16.2 cm).
Expert’s note: This jar is a fine example of a rare group of Cizhou wares with motifs both painted and incised through layers of black and white slip. Wares of this type are discussed by Yutaka Mino in the catalog to the exhibition Freedom of Clay and Brush through Seven Centuries in Northern China: Tz'u-chou Type Wares, 960-1600 A.D., Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, 1980, p. 198, where he suggests that they originally evolved from sgraffiato wares. He further notes that while painted and incised wares may have originated in the Northern Song period, they became popular only in the Jin, concurrently with the decline of the sgraffiato technique.
China, 960-1368. Heavily potted with a robust ovoid body rising from a short spreading foot to a high rounded shoulder and straight mouth with lipped rim, boldly painted in brownish-black on a white slip under a clear glaze, decorated with a broad band of peony blossoms borne on leafy scrolling stems, framed by line borders below a band of swirling clouds within a sinuous border encircling the shoulder. The slip and glaze stopping irregularly above the foot, revealing the gray ware.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Good condition with old wear, firing irregularities, little fritting to the rim. One side with an old stabilized crack extending from the rim down to the center of the base, previously stapled with three iron rivets which have been subsequently removed. Few small chips and light nicks to the base.
Weight: 1,223 g
Dimensions: Height 14.5 cm, Diameter 17 cm
Literature comparison:
Compare a related larger Cizhou painted and incised jar with a dragon and phoenix, dated to the Yuan dynasty, 31 cm high, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number LI1301.338.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 641
Price: USD 10,000 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A painted ‘Cizhou’ globular jar, Song-Yuan dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, ware, and size (16.2 cm).
Zacke Live Online Bidding
Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.
To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins.
Intended Spend and Bid Limits
When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'.
Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT. For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.
Online Absentee and Telephone Bids
You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website!
Absentee Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Telephone Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form
You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page.
How-To Guides
How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online
中文版本的操作指南
创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍（免平台费）
缺席投标和电话投标
Third-Party Bidding
We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:
- 51 Bid Live
- EpaiLive
- ArtFoxLive
- Invaluable
- LiveAuctioneers
- the-saleroom
- lot-tissimo
- Drouot
Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.
Bidding in Person
You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.
