Provenance:Property from a Pennsylvania estate.Note:Bowls of this type were made in large quantities in the Fujian province, yet from literature it is known that the very best quality Jian tea bowls were carefully selected as tribute from Fujian to the court. Jian teabowls were renowned for their unique suitability for tea drinking their dark glaze contrast the colour and foam of tea. The thickness of the glaze helped keep the beverage warm and protected the hands of the drinker against scalding.See similar bowls of this type, including one from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 204. For a similar example at auction, see Sotheby's sale in their New York rooms on 16th March, 2016, lot 224.