A rare carved 'qingbai' white glazed jar and cover, guan Yuan Dynasty, 14th century

finely potted with the broad rounded sides deftly carved with a wide lotus scroll, the large flowers borne alternately upright and pendant on the thick encircling stems sprouting trefoil leaves, all set against a combed ground, above a band of lappets enclosing pendant trefoils, a classic scroll around the shoulder, the domed cover carved with further lappets radiating from the knop, applied overall with a clear bluish white qingbai glaze leaving the unglazed foot encircling the slightly countersunk base showing the typical white body

Apart from half of the rim that has been rebuilt and the cover with the knop and flange that has been restored, the overall condition is still quite good. There are a few minor hairline cracks on the rim.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

It is very rare to find a jar and cover of this type which represents the monochrome white version of Jingdezhen blue and white and underglaze-red decorated wares.  A similar jar with incised dragon design but missing its cover, excavated at Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, was included in the exhibition Gems of China's Cultural Relics, Beijing, 1990, cat. no. 175; and a smaller jar, also without cover, recovered from a ship sunk off the Korean coast about 1323, is published in Relics Salvaged from the Seabed off Sinan. Materials I, 1985, col. pl. 70, no. 97. 

Compare also the famous jar and cover in the Yamato Bunkakan, Nara, where the incised phoenix design has been reserved against pale underglaze-red shading; illustrated in To Gen no Bijutsu, 1980, pl. 200.