Jin Dynasty Cizhou Kiln Flat Ewer with Phoenix Spout, White Ground Brown Painted Wild Geese & Reed Motif

拍品描述

Dimensions：Max Width 16 cm (6.3 in), Overall Height 11.8 cm (4.6 in), 12th–13th Centurycondition & Provenance：The ewer is fully intact without cracks, chips or restorations. The whole white glaze is covered with natural fine crackle, and the brown painted decoration retains deep, primitive color tone. The sculpted phoenix spout, dragon-shaped handle, flat oval body and square foot are all perfectly preserved. The brown decorative borders around the mouth rim and foot remain complete, only faint natural burial patina exists on partial glaze from centuries of aging, no modern wear or repair work. It originally belonged to a collector specializing in ancient northern Chinese porcelain in Hong Kong, then acquired by a veteran private oriental art collector in New York City, New York, USA in 2015, with complete archived provenance records.Description：This flat ceramic ewer with phoenix spout is a remarkable dual-purpose display and daily vessel produced by the famous Cizhou folk kiln during the Jin Dynasty in northern China. Shaped after ancient leather water flasks, the vessel features a three-dimensional phoenix head sculpted as pouring spout with delicate swirling cloud details, paired with a twisted dragon-shaped handle on the opposite side; the phoenix and dragon design forms a balanced, ingenious composition. The entire body is coated with milky white slip covered by clear transparent glaze with soft texture and widespread natural crackle. The front belly is hand-painted with a full wild goose and riverside reed scene in iron brown pigment: two waterfowl swim among dense reeds beside rocky banks, rendered with free, unrefined yet vivid brushwork that fully showcases the freehand folk painting aesthetic of the Jin period. Continuous brown lines frame the mouth rim and square base foot, while the square foot reveals unglazed pale grey clay coated with original ancient burial dirt, a signature base feature of authentic Cizhou wares. While Cizhou painted porcelains are relatively common in antique markets, flat ewers combining phoenix spout, dragon handle and complete reed-and-goose painting are extremely scarce. Merging intricate sculptural craft and underglaze folk painting, this artifact perfectly captures the civilian aesthetic and ceramic mastery of northern China during the Song-Jin transition. This piece survives in exceptional untouched condition, retaining its original painted design, sculpted details and natural glaze patina with no harsh cleaning or restoration. It serves as a valuable benchmark specimen for academic research on northern folk kilns, a coveted collectible for antique porcelain enthusiasts, and an elegant decorative piece for traditional Chinese interior spaces, carrying outstanding academic research merit and strong market appreciation potential for folk ancient ceramics.

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