北宋 耀州窰刻卷葉紋鼓式蓋盒

in the form of a drum, carved around the box with a band of pendent petal lappets and a leafy stem on the cover, the beveled edges on both the box and cover applied with nine detached florets, covered on the exterior and the sides of the interior in a golden celadon glaze, the base unglazed revealing the pale gray body (2)

There is a chip to the inner rim of the cover. The box with two hairline cracks at the rim, one a 'Y' shaped crack extending down to the base, approx 2 1/8 in. (5.5 cm) long, and the other approx 1 in. (2.4 cm)
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.

It is rare to find boxes of this form, and their exact function remains unknown. However, see a slightly smaller box and cover in the Shaanxi Archaeology Institute, referred to as a weiqi box, and published in Zhongguo taoci quanji [Complete series on Chinese Ceramics], Shanghai, 1999-2000, vol. 7, pl. 132. See another related box with different carving, excavated in 1974 from the Juntai kiln site and illustrated in Zhongguo chutu ciqi quanji / Complete Collection of Ceramic Art Unearthed in China, Beijing, 2008, vol. 12, pl. 130; and another of slightly larger size, also with different carving, discovered in Huangbaozhen, Shaanxi Province in 1985, illustrated in The Masterpieces of Yaozhou ware, Osaka, 1997, no. 76.  Another related box and cover in the Meiyintang collection is illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, vol. 1, 1994, no. 422.