
Coco Li
Cataloguer / Sale Coordinator, Chinese Works of Art
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Cataloguer / Sale Coordinator, Chinese Works of Art

Senior Specialist

Vice President and Head of Department

Senior Vice President, US Head, Asian Art Group
宋 或為張公巷窯 河南青瓷盤
The discovery and excavation of the Zhanggongxiang kiln site took place between 2000-2004, in the southern part of Ruzhou city, Henan province. The green-glazed shards unearthed within this 1.4 square-mile area share many similarities with vessels from the Northern Song dynasty Ru kiln at Qingliangsi, Baofeng, approximately 18 miles away. Scholars in China and overseas were deeply impressed by the quality of the production, and some were of the opinion that Zhanggongxiang kiln was making 'official ware' for the Northern Song court. Based on archaeological finds, the firing period appeared to fall between late Northern Song to early Yuan dynasty.
As described by Sun Xinmin, "Excavation and Preliminary Study of the Zhanggongxiang Kilnsite in Ruzhou", Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, London, Vol. 69, 2004-05, pp. 11-17, "the glaze of the Zhanggongxiang wares is paler and the surface is smooth and glassy, with only a fragmentary crackle. ... To date no green glazed ceramics from the Zhanggongxiang kiln have been found in the Imperial Palace Collections in Beijing and Taipei; that is in porcelain collections handed down through the generations."
The present lot bears characteristics of the Zhanggongxiang ware: the refined potting and glassy green glaze with orderly spur marks and neatly pared ring foot. The generous size of the dish is also a rare find, making it an excellent study piece for any private or museum collection.
The result of the thermoluminescence testing is consistent with the suggested dating of this lot, Oxford Authentication sample No. P123m13, 21 September 2023.