A RARE MARBLED 'JIAO TAI' GLOBULAR JAR, NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY China, 960-1127. Finely potted, the body formed of two hemispherical sections, each made from striated dark brown and cream-colored clays, altogether raised on a thick cream-glazed foot and surmounted by a short cream-glazed neck, covered overall in a translucent ivory-colored glaze.

Provenance: From a private estate in the United Kingdom.
Condition: Excellent condition with old wear, minor weathering, traces of use, shallow surface scratches, some firing flaws, including a small firing crack to the base. Old inventory label with faded inscription to base.

Weight: 403.9 g
Dimensions: Height 10.4 cm, Width 10.7 cm

Expert's Note: The marbled effect on the present lot was produced by kneading together clays of white and brown color. This technique is known in China as jiao tai (mixed body). In this exquisite little jar the mixed clay body was additionally coated by a layer of transparent ivory glaze. Different names, such as 'wood grain pattern', 'pheasant's wing pattern' or 'feather pattern' are given to the resulting effect, depending on how exactly the clays were mixed. The technique was initially developed in the Tang dynasty, when marbled wares were produced in the kilns of Gongxian. After centuries of trial and error it eventually became possible to produce small vases and jars with the highly desired 'wood grain pattern' by merging two hemispherical sections. The pinnacle of production was reached during the Northern Song dynasty, thereafter it slowly declined.

Literature comparison: A related marbled jar is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, page 208, no. 188.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 23 September 2020, lot 706
Price: USD 63,000 or approx. EUR 65,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare marbled jar, Northern Song dynasty
Expert remark: Note the identical jiao tai (mixed body) technique and colors as well as the related form and size (9.8 cm)


北宋罕見絞胎罐
中國, 960-1127。罐小口，豐肩，鼓腹，平足。罐身由上下兩個半球形組合，以褐、白兩色泥料揉絞出花紋。罐身至足部施透明象牙色釉。

來源：英國私人收藏
品相：品相極好，有風化、磨損，表面有一些細小的劃痕、燒製裂紋，底部有細小裂紋。底足有舊時收藏標籤。

重量：403.9 克
尺寸：高10.4 厘米, 寬10.7 厘米

專家注釋：本拍品的大理石紋效果是是利用二种不同色调的胎土料，分别制成坯泥，根据纹理构图需要進行剪切拼合，這種手法被稱爲 “絞胎” 。這個小罐子表面施透明象牙色釉。器物显现各种出不同花纹图案，如木理纹與羽状纹，是中國唐代創造的一種胎裝飾產品，經過幾個世紀的反複試驗，最終可以通過合併兩個半球形來製作出精美的“木理紋”小花瓶和罐子。北宋時期生產達到頂峰，此後逐漸衰落。

文獻比較：一件相似的大理石紋罐， 見北京故宮博物館編，《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集·兩宋瓷器》（上卷），香港，1996年，頁208，編號188。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2020年9月23日，lot 706
價格：USD 63,000（相當於今日EUR 65,500）
描述：北宋絞胎罐
專家評論：比較相同的絞胎技術和顏色，以及相似的形制和尺寸(9.8 厘米)