A SUPERB 'JIZHOU' 'PRUNUS' MEIPING SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY

with a tapered body rising to round shoulders, a slightly tapered neck and lipped rim, applied overall save the footring with an opaque glaze of dark brown colour, reserved in the biscuit with two prunus branches decorated to opposite sides of the vase

The vase is in very good overall condition. The mouth rim is a little uneven and there are some occasional firing imperfections in the glaze, including pinholes and minute gaps, all typical of the type. There are some light scratches to the surface glaze.
"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 charming meiping is notable for the vibrant rendering of the prunus branches, which are in striking contrast to the dark brown-glazed ground. Wares decorated with this resist technique, achieved through the application of papercuts that were removed to reveal the design after the vessel was immersed in the dark glaze, were probably made at the kilns in Yonghezhen, Ji’an, Jiangxi  province, where similar vessels have been excavated; see three vases illustrated in Jizhou Kiln, Beijing, 2007, pls. 23, 24 and 25.

Similar meiping are held in important museums and private collections worldwide; one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 217; another in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is published in John Ayers, Far Eastern Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1980, pl. 110; and a third in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 115. Further related examples include a vase from the Sir Alan Barlow collection, illustrated in Mary Tregear, Song Ceramics, London, 1982, pl. 261; another sold in our London rooms, 12th December 1989, lot 253; and two vases with a slightly shorter neck published in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 3 (II), London, 2006, pl. 1557.