A CHRYSANTHEMUM-SHAPED DINGYAO MOLDED 'CRANE' DISH, JIN DYNASTY China, 12^th-13^th century. Delicately potted with shallow rounded sides supported on a short tapered foot and rising to an everted raised rim of lobed form. The interior with an impressed design of a crane standing amid grasses, bamboo, and a pierced scholar's rock. The sides molded with scroll designs divided by narrow ribs, the rim with overlapping petal tips. Applied throughout with a fine glaze of elegant ivory tone.

Provenance: From a private collection in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, mostly acquired in New York, Europe, and Hong Kong between the 1940s and 1970s. Thence by descent to the last owner. Old label to base, 'Ting-Yao Dish. 18^th Century. $280.00'. A copy of the anonymized provenance statement signed by the previous owner accompanies this lot.
Condition: Superb condition with only minor old wear and minimal firing irregularities.

Weight: 144.0 g
Dimensions: Diameter 14.9 cm

Molded decoration on Ding wares was adopted in the latter part of the Northern Song dynasty and flourished during the Jin dynasty. The molding technique allowed the Ding potters to adopt more complex and formal designs. The molds used were meticulously crafted and similar to those used to cast decoration on gold and silver works of art. Typically Dingyao molded decoration included chrysanthemum-petal shapes, such as seen on the present lot, flying birds like ducks, fowl and crane, composite leafy floral motifs, dragons and fishes. The decoration with cranes is rare and particularly auspicious, with cranes being a symbol of immortality due to the ancient Chinese belief that cranes live for a thousand years.

Literature comparison:
Compare two closely related dishes with similar rims, illustrated by Tsai Meifen, Decorated Porcelains of Dingzhou: White Ding Wares from the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, p. 201, no. II-136 and p. 204, no. II-139. Compare a closely related dish with similar impressed design of peacocks and rocks, illustrated ibid., p. 203, no. II-138.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 9 October 2014, lot 159
Price: HKD 600,000 or approx. EUR 87,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Rare Dingyao 'Chrysanthemum-Head' Molded Dish
Expert's remark: Compare the crane, bamboo and rock design, as well as the similar form, lobed rim, ivory glaze, and size (14.5 cm).


金代定窯白瓷菊花鶴紋百褶盤
中國，十二至十三世紀。多瓣菊花形，侈口折沿，淺週壁，平底。模製印花成形，器內口唇折沿上印菊瓣紋一週，內底心印假山竹林，内中飾仙鶴一隻。全器施罩牙白色釉，釉色微微帶黃。

來源：美國亞特蘭大私人收藏，其藏品多在上世紀四十至七十年代購於紐約、歐洲以及香港，保存至今。盤底有舊標籤， 'Ting-Yao Dish. 18th Century. $280.00'。隨附一份由前任所有者簽署的匿名出處聲明複本。
品相：品相極好，只有輕微磨損和燒製瑕疵。

重量：144.0 克
尺寸：直徑 14.9 厘米

文獻比較：
比較兩件非常相近的定窯盤，見蔡玫芬主編，《定州花瓷：院藏定窯系白瓷特展》，台北，2014年，頁201，編號II-136 和頁204，編號. II-139。 另一見非常相似的定窯盤，飾有孔雀和石群，見上述同本書，頁203，編號II-138。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港邦翰思, 2014年10月9日, lot 159
價格：HKD 600,000（相當於今日EUR 87,000）
描述：北宋/金 定窯白釉印花龜鶴齊齡圖百褶盤
專家評論：比較相近的仙鶴、假山竹林樣式，相似的外型、盤緣同為多瓣菊花形，施牙白色釉，尺寸差不多 (14.5 厘米)。