Footnotes

五代 耀州窯剔刻牡丹紋罐

Provenance:
Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, London
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 18 October 2005

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited:
Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art, Recent Acquisitions, London, 2005
Oriental Ceramic Society, The World in Monochromes, London, 2009, no.29
D.Priestley and M.Flacks, A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics, London, 2017, pp.120-121, no.54 (published and illustrated)

來源：
倫敦古董商Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art
Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020)，雅典和倫敦，於2005年10月18日從上處獲得

展覽著錄：
Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art，《Recent Acquisitions》，倫敦，2005年
東方陶瓷學會，《The World in Monochromes》，倫敦，2009年，編號29
D.Priestley和M.Flacks，《A Life in the Company of Song Ceramics》，倫敦，2017年，第120-121頁，編號54 （著錄插圖）

The origins of these striking wares, characterised by bold relief carving and refined craftsmanship, remained a mystery for centuries. It was only with the excavation of the Huangpu kilns in Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province, that their source was identified, establishing them as early Yaozhou wares. See for example, a ewer with a similar design as the present lot, excavated from the Five Dynasties stratum of the Huangpu site, illustrated in Wudai Huangpu Yaozhi, Beijing, 1997, pl.29. Before this discovery, Japanese scholar and potter Fujio Koyama had applied the ancient term 'Dongyao' wares to these pieces, meaning 'Eastern Wares', believing them to be products of the Northern Song Imperial kilns mentioned in texts. His interpretation was rooted in historical texts that mentioned this term 'Dongyao' and a desire to classify these remarkable works as Imperial creations.

At a time when archaeological studies of Chinese ceramics were in their infancy and kiln sites for celebrated wares like Ru and Yaozhou had yet to be unearthed, Koyama sought to define Northern Song Imperial ceramics through the Dongyao concept. Among the broader group of Yaozhou celadons, often referred to as 'Northern Celadon', he identified a subset of works with a whitish glaze and posited them as the so-called 'Dongyao' described in ancient records. As excavations progressed, however, these wares were absorbed into the broader category of Yaozhou ceramics. Later, Gakuji Hasebe revisited Koyama's findings, examining a group of celadon bowls with pale whitish glazes, similar shapes, and consistent features. He argued that these Dongyao-type wares, distinct from typical Yaozhou products, pointed to a more diverse production of northern celadons during the Northern Song period.

Further archaeological evidence revealed that only a few examples of these Dongyao-type bowls were found at the Huangpu kiln, identified as a Five Dynasties Yaozhou site, and their production did not continue into the Northern Song period. However, datable tomb excavations uncovered a cohesive group of bowls, sharing common characteristics of size, shape, clay, glaze tone, and foot design, dating from the late 10th to early 11th centuries. This discovery suggests a short-lived but significant chapter in the evolution of Northern Celadon production, reflecting the complexity and innovation of the period.

See a related Yaozhou jar carved with floral design, Northern Song/Jin dynasty, 12th century, from the Eumorfopoulos collection and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p.55, fig.50.

Compare with a related small and rare Yaozhou jar, Five dynasties/Northern Song dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 16 May 2018, lot 69.