Vessel - Porcelain - EX-Sotheby's

Bowl Carved with Children Admits Floral Design under Qingbai Glaze

Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127)

Diameter 20.6 cm, Height 7.4 cm

Finely potted with a pure white, compact body, the bowl is covered overall with a translucent qingbai glaze of icy brilliance. The interior is delicately carved with lively scenes of children playing admits floral scrolls, framed by meandering foliage around the sides. The carving is fluid and refined, with crisp and layered lines, while the glaze pools to a soft bluish tone within the recesses, enhancing the design’s subtle depth. The neatly cut footrim reveals a fine white body with traces of kiln grit, characteristic of Raozhou-type qingbai ware. Evoking auspicious symbolism and the refined taste of the Song literati, this bowl represents one of the most elegant expressions of early qingbai craftsmanship.

Provenance:
Collection of Royal Athena Galleries, New York;
Sotheby’s London, December 1988;
Acquired from Artemis Fine Arts in 2020.

Reference:
Song Ceramics, The Muwen Tang Collection Series, pp. 270–271, Bowl carved with children admits floral design under Qingbai glaze, Northern Song Dynasty, 20.2 × 7.1 cm.

Condition Report: Very light abrasions and encrustations to basin surfaces, with small chips to foot, otherwise intact and excellent. Wonderful preservation to incised decorations and light blue glaze. Old inventory label beneath foot.