Song Dynasty Monochromes
Four Song dynasty monochromes for sale from the Qingjingtang Collection, Lisbon, Portugal.
I first came into contact with the collector of the Qingjingtang Collection during my years at Sotheby’s London and I was fortunate enough to see the exhibition of a large part of the collection that was held at the Macau Scientific and Cultural Centre in Lisbon in 2014.
When seeing the collection for the first time, I was struck by the consistently high quality of the exhibits across the various Song dynasty kilns of Yaozhou, Ding, Jun, Qingbai, Cizhou and Longquan. The pieces really conveyed a sense of the restrained aesthetic that was an essential element in the manufacture of ceramics during the Song dynasty. Here the emphasis was placed on their basic form and single colour glazes. Surface decoration was created primarily by carving (as one can see in the Ding dish below) or by placing pieces over pre-worked moulds.
This aesthetic has resonated into the 20th century and has influenced a number of studio potters such as Shoji Hamada (1894-1978) and Bernard Leach (1887-1979).
There was an accompanying catalogue to the exhibition entitled Peace and Quietude – Song Ceramics From The Qingjingtang Collection, which was written by the renowned scholar and museum curator – Robert D Mowry.
The pair of Yaozhou bowls on offer are from that exhibition and the other pieces are from the reserve collection which is still in storage at the Macau Centre in Lisbon.
It is a pleasure to offer these pieces on behalf of this discerning collector and I look forward to being in contact with clients to discuss them further.
Please note:
- Videos and detailed condition reports of all the pieces are available on request.
- Pieces are being sold by on behalf of a client by private treaty.
- All offers will be dealt with on a first come first served basis.
- Shipping and insurance is not included in the sale price.
