.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Although the Yaozhou kilns are most commonly associated with celadon-glazed wares and black and white wares, a small number of fine persimmon-glazed Yaozhou wares have been preserved. Four were included in the major exhibition of Yaozhou ware at the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka in 1997 and are illustrated in The Masterpieces of Yaozhou Ware, pp. 40-1 and 44, nos. 47-8, 50 and 56. The present bowl is rare in that it had a 'guan' (official) character incised through the glaze on the exterior base of the vessel before firing.
Incised 'guan' characters on the base of vessels is most usually associated with fine 10th century white wares from the northern kilns. However, a very small number of wares from the Yaozhou kilns are known, which also bear this character. The 'guan' character appears, for example, on the base of a bowl fragment dating to the Five Dynasties period, excavated in 1984 at the Huangbaozhen kiln site, Yaozhou city and now in the Yaozhou Ware Museum. See Museum of Oriental Ceramics Osaka, The Masterpieces of Yaozhou Ware, Tokyo, 1997, p. 102, no. 135.
The gold decoration on this bowl is also unusual, and based on the style of the design was most likely applied during the Ming dynasty or later. This enhancement of the piece copies the practice of applying gold and silver to certain special Song dynasty bowls from the Ding kilns in Hebei, and to a very few vessels with fine persimmon glaze from other kilns, such as the rare persimmon-glazed silver and gold-decorated covered bowl from the Manno Museum sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 28 October 2002, lot 513. A small number of Ding ware bowls survive which have gold and/or silver decoration applied to the surface of their glazes, and there are two persimmon-glazed Ding ware bowls with this type of on-glaze decoration in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum. See Museum of Oriental Ceramics Osaka, Song Ceramics, Tokyo, 1999, pp. 72-3, nos. 35 and 36. One (no. 35), like the present bowl, has a design of peonies within a border, but in silver as well as gold.
Incised 'guan' characters on the base of vessels is most usually associated with fine 10th century white wares from the northern kilns. However, a very small number of wares from the Yaozhou kilns are known, which also bear this character. The 'guan' character appears, for example, on the base of a bowl fragment dating to the Five Dynasties period, excavated in 1984 at the Huangbaozhen kiln site, Yaozhou city and now in the Yaozhou Ware Museum. See Museum of Oriental Ceramics Osaka, The Masterpieces of Yaozhou Ware, Tokyo, 1997, p. 102, no. 135.
The gold decoration on this bowl is also unusual, and based on the style of the design was most likely applied during the Ming dynasty or later. This enhancement of the piece copies the practice of applying gold and silver to certain special Song dynasty bowls from the Ding kilns in Hebei, and to a very few vessels with fine persimmon glaze from other kilns, such as the rare persimmon-glazed silver and gold-decorated covered bowl from the Manno Museum sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 28 October 2002, lot 513. A small number of Ding ware bowls survive which have gold and/or silver decoration applied to the surface of their glazes, and there are two persimmon-glazed Ding ware bowls with this type of on-glaze decoration in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum. See Museum of Oriental Ceramics Osaka, Song Ceramics, Tokyo, 1999, pp. 72-3, nos. 35 and 36. One (no. 35), like the present bowl, has a design of peonies within a border, but in silver as well as gold.