81 - A Fine Ding-type White-glazed Moulded Floral Dish, Song dynastythe shallow rounded sides rising from a short foot to a gently everted rim, the interior finely moulded in relief with a central medallion with flowering plants and foliage, surrounded by further floral sprays and scrolling motifs, all beneath a translucent ivory-white glaze, the exterior and base plain and similarly glazed, the foot rim left unglazed revealing the clean white body; This dish represents a fine example of Jiexiu ware, distinguished by its crisply moulded decoration and ivory-white glaze. A white-glazed impressed dish of closely comparable form and decorative arrangement was excavated from a Song-dynasty tomb in Kelan, Shanxi province, in November 2023. The excavated example similarly bears a narrow band of impressed cloud motifs around the upper interior and six floral motifs across the well, closely paralleling the decorative scheme of the present dish. Comparable cloud-scroll designs have also been identified on moulds excavated at the Jiexiu kiln site, one of which bears the date corresponding to the eighth year of the Zhenghe reign, Northern Song (1118 AD). Located in present-day Shanxi province, the Jiexiu kiln was an important centre of ceramic production in northern China. Its production is understood to have extended from the Northern Song dynasty through to the Qing dynasty, representing an unusually long tradition of ceramic manufacture in the region. Jiexiu wares are distinguished by their restrained forms, understated elegance and natural, unassuming decorative style. The kiln is particularly noted for its fine white wares, whose technical qualities have attracted comparison with those of Ding ware, one of the celebrated Chinese ceramic traditions of the Song dynasty. Jiexiu ceramics thus occupy a distinctive place in the study of northern Chinese porcelain. D:17.5cm [Good condition] Link of detail photos: https://we.tl/t-Dx8YXYpY9PnhyofO