Dorothy International Spring Auction | Private Collection: Ru Ware Celadon “Xuanwen” Dish-Mouth Vase — A Masterpiece of Song Dynasty Celadon Aesthetics
Form and Decoration: The vase features a dish-shaped mouth, a long slender neck, a rounded body and a foot ring. The neck is decorated with three raised horizontal bands, while several further bands encircle the body. The restrained, upright lines embody the Song dynasty aesthetic ideal of refined simplicity.
The entire vessel is covered in a delicate sky-blue or pale celadon glaze, recalling the celebrated description of “the sky after rain, where the clouds part.” The glaze possesses a soft, jade-like quality with a subtle and understated lustre.
The glazed surface is covered with fine, naturally formed crazing, one of the defining characteristics of Ru ware. The foot employs the distinctive enclosed-foot firing technique, with small “sesame-seed” spur marks visible on the base. The supports reveal the characteristic pale grey, incense-ash-coloured body beneath the glaze, an important feature traditionally associated with the identification of Ru ware.
