A FINE 'LONGQUAN' CELADON 'LOTUS' BOWL SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY

finely potted, the deep rounded sides rising from a slightly tapered foot, the exterior subtly moulded with overlapping lotus petals, covered overall with a sea-green glaze, save for the unglazed footring revealing the grey stoneware body, Japanese wood box

Heavenly Blue: Southern Song Celadons, Nezu Museum, Tokyo, 2010, cat. no. 32.
Celadon Now: Techniques and Beauty Handed Down from Southern Song to Today, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 2014, cat. no. I-09.

The bowl is in very good overall condition with expected minor surface wear.
"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."

A closely related bowl, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 134; one from the Sir Percival David collection and now in the British Museum, London, included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, Section 7, London, 1997, pl. A211; and another sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th November 2011, lot 3007. Several lotus bowls of this type of various sizes are illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, pls. 539-544, where the author notes that the finest Longquan wares were produced in the Southern Song period and that while this type of bowl was produced in large qualities during the Song and Yuan dynasties, the earlier bowls are distinguished by their clarity of glaze and finely carved petals (see p. 290).