A BLUE AND WHITE KOSOMETSUKE FOOD BOWL MING DYNASTY, CHONGZHEN PERIOD

of conical form, with steep, faceted sides and supported on a splayed foot, each panel painted with a single ruyi head above a row of overlapping stylized leaves, the foot with a geometric wave band, the interior painted in the well with a camellia blossom on a leafy branch, beneath a chevron border and single line at the rim

Japanese Private Collection.

S. Marchant & Son, Ltd. Ming Porcelain for the Japanese Market, London, 2008, no. 3.

The inner rim with a few areas of fritting, a glaze frit to the exterior rim, and a burst air bubble to the center of the base.
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.

Only two other food bowls of this rare type appear to be recorded; one in the Tokyo National Museum is illustrated in the Heibonsha Series, Toki Zenshu, vol. 15, p. 55, another is illustrated in Masahiko Kawahara, Ko-Sumetsuke Color Section and Monochrome Section, nos. 93-94, pp. 118-119 and nos. 336-367, p. 97. Another footed bowl is illustrated in Julia Curtis, Trade, Taste & Transformation, Jingdezhen Porcelain for Japan 1620-1645, China Institute Gallery, New York, 2006, no. 23.