168 - (R) A WINE JUG, BROWN HENAN GLAZE, 12TH CENTURY, SONG DYNASTY CHINA

(R) A WINE JUG, BROWN HENAN GLAZE, 12TH CENTURY, SONG DYNASTY CHINA Dimensions: Height 19,4 cm Wide 13 cm Depth 15 cm Weight: 887 grams A compact stoneware wine jug of compressed globular form, fitted with a short neck, flared mouth, strap handle and angled pouring spout. Vertical ribs articulate the body beneath a lustrous dark-brown glaze, creating alternating bands of shadow and exposed or thinner-fired clay. The glaze stops above the foot, leaving the coarse buff stoneware body visible at the base. Northern Chinese ceramics of the Song period are admired for precisely this combination of robust utility and visual economy. Henan kilns developed dark-glazed wares whose beauty depends on the interaction between strong profiles, iron-rich glazes and direct decorative techniques such as carving, ribbing and contrasting slips. The jug has an especially satisfying architectural quality: handle, spout and neck form a compact upper structure above the rounded ribbed body. Its restrained palette focuses attention on form and glaze, embodying the direct, tactile character for which Song-period northern stoneware is so highly regarded. For lots marked with (R), a 19% VAT is added to the combined hammer price and commission. This VAT is waived for: - Private buyers outside the EU who officially export the items.- Businesses inside the EU holding a valid VAT number, exporting to their home country. Proper export documentation is required to waive the VAT