A rare Cizhou-type "Peony" jar, Probably Northern Song dynasty, 12th century 磁州窯系牡丹罐 或北宋 十二世紀

The bulbous jar raised on tall circular foot, the exterior with five rows of applied ridged "petals", the fine pale beige ceramic body with thick cream-colored slip; the underside with wide and shallow foot ring.

H: 5 1/4 in.

Provenance

Property from a private collection, Chester County, Pennsylvania, acquired at auction in New York City, circa 1963

Literature

For a discussion and illustrations of other examples of this unusual form, see Dr. Yutaka Mino et al, "Freedom of Clay and Brush Through Seven Centuries in Northern China: Tz'u-chou Type Wares, 960-1600 A. D.", Indianapolis, 1980, pp. 38-39, plate 7, where it is described as a "Peony jar", with two examples illustrated from the collections of Dr. Laurence Sickman and Avery Brundage. Compare also the examples in the collections of the British Museum, London, accession #1967,1212.3, and the jar in the Collection of the V & A Museum, London, #FE.32-1985. For additional jars, see the example from the collection of Carl Kempe, sold Sotheby's, London, May 14, 2008, lot 246, and the example from the collection of Stephen Junkunc, III, offered at Christie's, New York, March 18, 2021, lot 854.