A FINE 'DINGYAO' MEIPING VASE NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY, 10TH/ 11TH CENTURY

the well-proportioned ovoid body finely potted, tapering from a bulging shoulder to a narrow base with low footring, surmounted by a slender neck with thin everted rim with raised lip, the near-white body covered with a smooth, tactile ivory-coloured glaze



in Japanese padded purple silk cloth, ribbon-tied paulownia-wood box and cover, ribbon-tied varnished-wood outer box and cover, and brown cotton furoshiki with inscribed wooden tag






 

Mayuyama & Co. Ltd, Tokyo.

Chūgoku Sō Gen bijutsu ten/Chinese Arts of the Sung and Yuan Periods, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1961, cat. no. 225.

Chūgoku ko tōji. Tō Sō meiji ten [Ancient Chinese ceramics: Exhibition of important Tang and Song ceramics], Shirokiya Department Store, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, 1964, cat. no. 136.

Chūgoku tōji meihō Ten Series [Important treasures of Chinese ceramics series], Gotoh Art Museum, Tokyo, 1966, cat. no. 26

Sō Gen no bijutsu [The art of Song and Yuan], Osaka Municipal Art Museum, Osaka, 1978, cat. no. 1-87.

Teiyō hakuji/White Porcelain of Ding Yao, Nezu Art Museum, Tokyo, 1983, cat. no. 108.

Tōji hyakusen ten [Exhibition of one hundred selected ceramics], Tokyo Art Youth Club, Tokyo, CHECK DATE, cat. no. 2.

 

Ryūsen Shūhō/Mayuyama, Seventy Years, Tokyo, 1976, vol. I, pl. 384.

Sō Gen no bijutsu [The art of the Song and Yuan], Tokyo, 1980, pl. 116.

 

 

This rare meiping is in very good condition with the exception of glaze firing imperfections including minor glaze pulls, pin-head sized impurities, a slight mottled beige-coloured discolouration to the glaze over approximately 2/3 of the body and very minor and light glaze scratches.
"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."

This serene, well-proportioned shape with its distinctive grooved rim as its only decorative feature is a masterpiece of ceramic design. The simplicity that focuses attention on the proportions and quality of the glaze is remarkably 'modern' in concept. 'Dingyao' vases of any type are extremely rare and the few that exist tend to be of a later type, with incised designs. The present vase would seem to be one of the rare early Song examples from the 'Ding' kilns in Quyang, Ding county, Hebei province.

 

A very similar, slightly larger, 'Dingyao' meiping, excavated in Jiangyin, Jiangsu, in the south of China, is illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji [Complete series on Chinese ceramics], Shanghai, 1999-2000, vol. 7, pl. 49, where it is also stated that this type is rarely seen. A related brown 'Dingyao' meiping of somewhat different proportions, excavated from a Northern Song tomb at Zhenjiang, also in Jiangsu province, is published ibid., pl. 55.