A Fine and Large Barbed Longquan Celadon Dish Yuan Dynasty

sturdily potted on a low circular foot, the centre encircled by sixteen equal bracket foliations below a barbed everted rim of corresponding form, covered evenly overall with an unctuous glaze of pale moss green tone, the unglazed base fired to a bright orange

Honolulu Academy of Arts.
Estate of Fredric Mueller.
Christie's New York, 1st June 1990, lot 168.

The dish is in extraordinarily good condition for a piece of its size, with just tiny frits to the lobes of the rim, and surface wear to the underside of the rim. The interior is near pristine, with just insignificant firing imperfections. The glaze is a marginally darker colour than in the catalogue photo.
"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 dish belongs to a distinct group of spectacularly large dishes produced at the Longquan kilns during the 14th and early 15th centuries, when large quantities of wares were made for the Middle Eastern market. Two closely related dishes, in the Idemitsu Museum of Art, Tokyo, are illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pls. 594 and 595; one of slightly smaller size is included in Mayuyama. Seventy Years, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 519; and a third was sold in our New York rooms, 8th May 1981, lot 253. For carved dishes of this type, see one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition Yuan dai ciqi [Yuan dynasty ceramics], Beijing, 1998, cat. no. 474; another illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, vol. 1, London, 1986, pl. 244; and a third example sold in these rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1519.