Celadon Vessel with Incised Decoration, c. 1100–1200 CE. Glazed stoneware (celadon). 24 cm height; 14 cm diameter at widest point.
Lot 003 · Decorative Arts
Celadon Vessel with Incised Decoration
Unknown, Song Dynasty
Year
c. 1100–1200 CE
Medium
Glazed stoneware (celadon)
Dimensions
24 cm height; 14 cm diameter at widest point
Estimate
On request
A vessel of exceptional refinement, the body thrown with great precision and the walls of even thickness throughout. The celadon glaze is of a deep grey-green tone, pooling to a darker shade in the incised channels and thinning to near-transparency over the raised ridges of the shoulder. The decoration — a band of stylised lotus petals above a register of key-fret — is incised with a confidence that suggests a master hand. The foot-rim is unglazed, revealing the fine grey stoneware body beneath. The form relates closely to examples in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing.
Artist
Unknown, Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE) produced some of the most refined ceramics in the history of Chinese art. Celadon wares — named for their characteristic grey-green glaze — were produced at kilns across Zhejiang and Henan provinces and were prized by the imperial court and the literati alike. The incised decoration on this vessel, executed before glazing, reflects the aesthetic of restraint that defined Song taste: the ornament serves the form rather than competing with it. Song ceramics entered European collections from the seventeenth century onwards and remain among the most sought-after objects in the international art market.