The thin, high-fired body is angular with a flattened rim rising from a high, slightly splayed, foot. It is covered overall with an ivory-white glaze, forming tear drops on the outside body. The thin footring is unglazed revealing the white body. It has been fired on tiny spurs, remains of which can be seen on the inside.
This dish was likely made at the Jiexiu, or possibly Houzhou, kilns in Shanxi Province. Both kilns were renowned for producing fine quality white wares inspired by the celebrated Ding wares of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Jiexiu kilns site is located at Hongshan Town in Jiexiu County in central Shanxi. They started to produce white porcelain in Northern Song dynasty. Houzhou kilns were located near the town of Chencun in southeastern part of the province, and started production in Jin dynasty. Both kilns produced high quality white wares, often small and thinly made. Common shapes include the waisted dish, stem-cup with ribbed foot, and dish with flattened rim.
It appears that the number of spurmarks on this dish is three, which would make a Jiexiu origin likely (excavated Jiexiu ware usually have traces of three spurmarks).
Period: Northern Song - Jin Dynasty (960-1234)
Size: Diameter 12.3 cm, height 3.6 cm
Condition: Wear consistent with age and scratches, some firing impurities and glaze flaws, a few gold lacquer repairs to the rim together with one white repair, one hairline crack also covered with gold lacquer (see pictures).
Provenance: From an Irish private collection
SKU: 124
References: Shards from similar vessels were excavated at the Jiexiu kiln site, including a dish with flattened rim, and they are illustrated in The specimens of ancient Chinese kilns in the collection of the Palace Museum – Shanxi, Gansu and Inner Mongolia Volume, Feng Xiaoqi, The forbidden city publishing house, 2013, plates 162, 163, 164. They are all dated to Song Dynasty. Bowls with similarly shaped foot were also excavated at Houzhou kilns and are illustrated in the same book (plates 214, 215). These are dated to Jin Dynasty.
More info: Northern White Ware
