A Chinese Yingqing ewer dating from the Song dynasty. The octagonal, lobed ewer has a tall loop handle and a tall neck, and it is glazed all over with an icy blue glaze. Dimensions are: 6 1/2 inches tall X 5 1/4 inches in diameter, 16.5 cm X 13.3 cm. All measurements are approximate. Condition: One edge of the mouth has chipping, and another edge of the mouth has a hairline. There is glaze chipping to the edges of the ewer throughout, particularly to the handle. A reminder that all lots are sold as-is. We have sought to record the changes in the condition of this piece after its initial manufacture as diligently as possible; however, as stated in our terms, condition reports are statements of opinion and not representations or warranties. Oakridge Auction Gallery bears no responsibility for any error or omission. Provenance: From Mr. Ketcherside in Arkansas. Purchased from a storage unit. Notes: Yingqing wares like this ewer are widely considered an artistic treasure of Chinese ceramics. With its origin in the Song Dynasty, it quickly became one of the most popular and important porcelains made at the imperial Jingdezhen kiln. The whole body is glazed with the light and elegant ice-blue color characteristic of Yingqing ware. This ewer has an uncommon shape with very few similar examples surviving today. It has a long neck rising from a globular body with concave lobes. As a whole, it resembles a sort of octagonal melon with smooth and crisp lines dividing the body into sections. This type of ewer would not have been owned by ordinary aristocrats, but rather those of the highest caliber. Therefore, this vessel has great collection value and is a symbol of modern collectors' high taste.A similar example is housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing under accession number 00106077. 影青是中國陶瓷的藝術珍品。遠在宋代其就是景德鎮的重要瓷器之一。《竹園陶說》載: 近來出土之器甚多，有一種碗碟，質薄而色白，微以定，市肆人呼為影青，以其釉色微帶青色也。執壺最初的造型是由青銅器而來，南北朝早期的青瓷當中，已經完成了這種執壺的造型。其後在唐宋兩代是金銀器中的一種酒具，這從唐宋繪畫上是很容易看到的。直到現在，還有宋代青白瓷的執壺流傳下來。宋代以景德鎮為代表燒制的青白瓷，有較多種樣式的瓜棱壺，其造型為仿金屬器特征。本件作品直口，長頸，圓鼓腹內凹，整體為八角瓜棱形，線條流暢挺括，肩上有扁條形曲柄及短流，下承圈足，全身施釉，釉面輕薄素雅。八角瓜楞造型在當時也是稀少珍貴之物，非普通貴族所能擁有。現留存於世的同時代執壺中，此造型也極為罕見，各國博物館相似器型也少之又少，故此器極具收藏價值，是藏家高品味的象征。A similar ewer was offered by Sotheby's New York on September 17, 2013, as lot 74. 參閱北京故宮博物院館藏，編號新00106077(fig. 1)，遼白釉刻花蓮瓣紋壺；另見參閱蘇富比紐約2013年9月拍賣，編號074，宋/遼白釉執壺。High resolution photos can be found here.