This bowl has a conical, slightly rounded body supported by a short, slightly tapered, foot. The interior is freely carved with peonies encircling a central roundel. It is covered with a lustrous translucent bluish-white glaze stopping neatly at the unglazed foot. There is an old ink marking to the unglazed clay on the base.
These bowls were produced both in Jingdezhen and Fujian. The lack of burnmark from a supporting pad could indicate a Fujian origin. Jianning kiln (situated in western Fujian, bordering Jiangxi) fired similar bowls. The kiln is famous for its Qingbai ware, often surpassing Hutian kiln in terms of quality.
Period: Song dynasty (960-1279)
Size: Dia: 16.4 cm Height 6.1 cm
Condition: Excellent condition, light wear and minor scratches, minor firing flaws, no cracks or repairs found under UV-light.
Provenance: From the collection of Johanne Huitfeldt (1932-2023) who was a well-known Norwegian art historian and curator at the Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design. She took a special interest in East Asian Art, and it was due to her that the museum in Oslo got a permanent exhibition of East Asian art and crafts in 1983.
SKU: 77
References: Sherds from similar bowls have been excavated from Jianning kiln in Fujian. Examples are illustrated in The specimens of ancient Chinese kilns in the collection of the Palace Museum - Fujian Volume 1, Feng Xiaoqi, The forbidden city publishing house, 2015, Plates 486-498.
Similar bowls were excavated from Hutian kiln, Jingdezhen. Drawings are illustrated in Hutian Kiln Site in Jingdezhen – Report on excavations from 1988 to 1999, Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Jingdezhen Museum of Civilian Kiln, Cultural Relics Press, 2007. Drawings are illustrated in Volume 1, page 83, 84.
A very similar bowl was sold by Sothebys, New York in 2016.
More info: Qingbai ware
