PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Hong Kong

Historically, the Longquan kilns were the most important producers of celadon ware, with items from the Song Dynasty enjoying the highest reputation. Not only does Song greenware tend to have the best quality, it also comes in a great variety of designs and finishes, the latter including pastel celadon, plum green, and dongqing (“ilex green”) glaze. This shallow washer has a wide mouth and flat bottom, with curved sides that show a melon-ribbed pattern. The entire vessel is covered in a thick and lustrous celadon glaze, with a lighter color where the body is bulging slightly, and a uniformly deeper hue in the concave parts, particularly of the melon rib design. This shading effect adds an extra touch of elegance and variety. The outer walls and round foot are neatly worked, with the foot’s unglazed underside revealing the reddish-brown tint of the body, a typical feature of Song era Longquan ware.