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Lot Essay
As with other vases of this form, the raised encircling rings at the junction of the shoulder and neck, on the neck and one of the lower rings on the body, disguise luting lines, and give this type of vase one of its Chinese names, xianwenping ('string pattern vase').
The present vase is unusually small for a vase of this type. Taller versions (approximately 31 cm. tall) are illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 33 - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 103; in Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, p. 147, no. 114; and in Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation, rev. ed., 1997, pp. 19 and 30, no. 202. Similar vases, in the range of 27 cm. tall, include two sold at Christie's New York, one from the Falk Collection, 20 September 2001, lot 119, the other 19-20 September 2013, lot 1276.
Vases of this type were much admired in Japan, both for their elegant form and the beauty of their glaze. They were among the cargo of the Sinan wreck, which foundered off the Sinan coast of Korea on its way to Japan in AD 1323. See National Museum of Korea, Sinan Wreck Exhibition, Seoul, 1977, no. 15. One (29.8 cm.) in the Nezu Museum, Tokyo, is illustrated by M. Tregear in Song Ceramics, New York, 1982, p. 172, pl. 232, as well as in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 12, Song, Tokyo, 1977, no. 81. The Nezu vase has been designated by the Japanese authorities as an Important Cultural Property, an indication of the respect with which such pieces are regarded. The present vase, with its section of rim adhered to the neck during firing, also attests to how highly valued vases of this type were, as it was not only saved after firing, but was considered valuable enough to pass into various important collections over the years.
The present vase is unusually small for a vase of this type. Taller versions (approximately 31 cm. tall) are illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 33 - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 103; in Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, p. 147, no. 114; and in Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation, rev. ed., 1997, pp. 19 and 30, no. 202. Similar vases, in the range of 27 cm. tall, include two sold at Christie's New York, one from the Falk Collection, 20 September 2001, lot 119, the other 19-20 September 2013, lot 1276.
Vases of this type were much admired in Japan, both for their elegant form and the beauty of their glaze. They were among the cargo of the Sinan wreck, which foundered off the Sinan coast of Korea on its way to Japan in AD 1323. See National Museum of Korea, Sinan Wreck Exhibition, Seoul, 1977, no. 15. One (29.8 cm.) in the Nezu Museum, Tokyo, is illustrated by M. Tregear in Song Ceramics, New York, 1982, p. 172, pl. 232, as well as in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 12, Song, Tokyo, 1977, no. 81. The Nezu vase has been designated by the Japanese authorities as an Important Cultural Property, an indication of the respect with which such pieces are regarded. The present vase, with its section of rim adhered to the neck during firing, also attests to how highly valued vases of this type were, as it was not only saved after firing, but was considered valuable enough to pass into various important collections over the years.