A very rare 'Jizhou' vase (meiping) Southern Song Dynasty

of classic meiping form, the rounded shoulders tapering to the slightly splayed foot, surmounted by a short waisted neck with lipped rim, covered overall in a soft brown glaze picked out in a speckled buff tone with two large quatrelobed cartouches formed from ruyi-heads enclosing tight scrolls, divided on each side by a pair of detached florets, with a keyfret scroll encircling the neck below a band of spots to the rim, the foot left unglazed revealing the pale buff ware

Apart from some minor flaking to the glaze on the body and neck, with some light retouched areas, the overall condition is very good. The base has a 1 inch potting flaw. The glaze is characteristically matte. The color is more brown than the charcoal-hued image in the catalogue.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

It is rare to find vases with this style of design, although this type of decoration can also be found on other 'Jizhou' wares, usually bowls. See, for example, a bowl illustrated in R.L. Hobson, The George Eumorfopolos Collection Catalogue of Chinese, Corean and Persian Pottery and Porcelain, vol. 6, London, 1928, pl. XV, no. F77; and another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 113.  Compare also a related 'Jizhou' meiping covered overall with a tixi-style design sold in these rooms, 30th March 2006, lot 33.