A Fine Northern Song or Jin Dynasty Green Jun Ware Dish

11th or 12th Century

A Fine Northern Song or Jin Dynasty Green Jun Ware Dish, Jun Kilns, Henan Province, 11th or 12th Century. This small green Jun dish was in the collection of John Drew (1933-2006) and then the collection of Mr and Mrs Guy Jones, see ‘Provenance’. The shallow Jun dish has a thick even rich lustrous green glaze. The base has been cut deeper than the area outside the foot. The foot curves into the base but is upright to the exterior. The grey stoneware body is only visible in a tiny area where the reddish-brown iron-oxide is worn on the footrim. The glaze is rather well controlled, it has some unevenness, a thick line of glaze which was in the process of dripping has become solidified to the outside. The colours and tones of the glaze follow the direction of gravity on the exterior, but the interior is very well controlled. Jun ware from Northern China has been much admired but little understood, however new research has revealed much about its production. Fired between 1250-1300 C. The glaze is full of `spherules` that diffuse the light. These tiny light scattering droplets of glaze diffuse the light and give Jun ware its soft look. For more information on Chinese glazes see : Chinese Glazes, Their Origins, Chemistry and Recreation (Nigel Wood, A & C Black, London, 1999). For further information see : Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One by Regina Krahl (for details see References).  Jun ware is the last of the ‘Five famous wares of the Song dynasty’.

See Below For More Photographs and Information.

SOLD

Condition
In excellent conditions, very minor wear. Three small burst bubbles to the front and other minor firing faults to the back.
Size
Diameter 12.4 cm (4.9 inches). Depth 3 cm (1.1 inches).
Provenance
Robert McPherson Antiques, John Drew Collection (label, item 187). R & G McPherson Antiques, Mr and Mrs Guy Jones purchased 21st of June 2007, probably from the Olympia Fine Art and Antiques Fair, London (label, item number 1179). The John Drew Collection (1933 - 2006). John Drew was born in 1933 in Tideswell, Derbyshire, where his father was curate. The family moved to Norfolk whilst he was still a baby and his father became the rector of the parish of Intwood and Keswick. He was educated at Sedbergh School and after National Service in the R.A.F. being taught Russian, he went to Queens College, Oxford to read Greats (Classics). He spent nearly all his working life in various African countries as an archivist, moving to a post at Cape Town University in 1978. He remained in Cape Town after his retirement until his death in 2006. He had a great love of the English countryside (but not the climate) and this is shown in many of the pieces he collected. His taste was varied and ranged from Neolithic right through to the 18th Century. When we sent photograph to his home in Cape Town of pieces we thought he might be interested in, he would write long funny well observed letters back, wanting to add many of the items to his growing collection. Over the years we got to know him better and better, and during the last few years it was very rare for him to not want all the pieces we offered him. We knew his taste, even though his taste was so varied. This was in no small part because he had a very good eye and it was a pleasure finding things that interested him, because they were also very interesting to us. He never got to put his collection on display, something he hoped to do while on retirement in England, so it is with a mixture of pleasure and sadness that we offer these pieces from his collection this June. Each piece has a John Drew collection label, so when the collection is split up there will be some lasting record of the love and hard work he put into his two decades of collecting.
Stock number
27344
References
For information about Jun Ware see Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One (Regina Krahl, Azimuth Editions 1994. ISBN 1-8985592-02-0) page 218 to 225.

Photos

Information

John Drew Collection (1933 - 2006).

John Drew was born in 1933 in Tideswell, Derbyshire, where his father was curate. The family moved to Norfolk whilst he was still a baby and his father became the rector of the parish of Intwood and Keswick. He was educated at Sedbergh School and after National Service in the R.A.F. being taught Russian, he went to Queens College, Oxford to read Greats (Classics). He spent nearly all his working life in various African countries as an archivist, moving to a post at Cape Town University in 1978. He remained in Cape Town after his retirement until his death in 2006. He had a great love of the English countryside (but not the climate) and this is shown in many of the pieces he collected. His taste was varied and ranged from Neolithic right through to the 18th Century. When we sent photograph to his home in Cape Town of pieces we thought he might be interested in, he would write long funny well observed letters back, wanting to add many of the items to his growing collection. Over the years we got to know him better and better, and during the last few years it was very rare for him to not want all the pieces we offered him. We knew his taste, even though his taste was so varied. This was in no small part because he had a very good eye and it was a pleasure finding things that interested him, because they were also very interesting to us. He never got to put his collection on display, something he hoped to do while on retirement in England, so it is with a mixture of pleasure and sadness that we offer these pieces from his collection this June. Each piece has a John Drew collection label, so when the collection is split up there will be some lasting record of the love and hard work he put into his two decades of collecting.

 

A Northern Song or Jin Dynasty Jun Ware Dish, Jun Kilns, Henan Province, 11th or 12th Century.

Robert McPherson Antiques - Sold Archive 26671.

From the Collection of Nicholas de la Mare Thompson (1928-2010).

A Northern Song or Jin Dynasty Jun Ware Dish, Jun Kilns, Henan Province, 11th or 12th Century. This Jun dish has a thin upright rim coming from wide flat well, the exterior has a rounder, more sweeping profile. The base has been cut deeper than the area outside the foot. The foot curves in to the base but is upright to the exterior. The grey stoneware body is only visible in a tiny area where the reddish brown iron-oxide is worn on the footrim. The glaze is rather well controlled, it has some unevenness, a thick line of glaze which was in the process of dripping has became solidified to the outside. The colours and tones of the glaze follow the direction of gravity on the exterior but the interior is very well controlled. Jun ware from Northern China has been much admired but little understood, however new research has revealed much about its production. Fired between 1250-1300 C. The glaze is full of `spherules` that diffuse the light. These tiny light scattering droplets of glaze diffuse the light and give Jun ware its soft look. For more information on Chinese glazes see : Chinese Glazes, Their Origins, Chemistry and Recreation (Nigel Wood, A & C Black, London, 1999). For further information see : Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One (Regina Krahl, Azimuth Editions 1994. ISBN 1-8985592-02-0) page 218 to 225. Jun ware is the last of the ‘Five famous wares of the Song dynasty’.See Below For More Photographs and Information. SOLD Condition A bruise to the rim from a crack along the rim and a very small rim crack, see photographs below.. Size Diameter 12 cm (4 3/4 inches) Provenance Knapton and Rasti Asian Art. Robert McPherson Antiques, Nicholas de la Mare Thompson (1928-2010) purchased 25th of April 2005. Stock number 26671
A Northern Song or Jin Dynasty Jun Ware Dish, Jun Kilns, Henan Province, 11th or 12th Century. This Jun dish has a thin upright rim coming from wide flat well, the exterior has a rounder, more sweeping profile. The base has been cut deeper than the area outside the foot. The foot curves in to the base but is upright to the exterior. The grey stoneware body is only visible in a tiny area where the reddish brown iron-oxide is worn on the footrim. The glaze is rather well controlled, it has some unevenness, a thick line of glaze which was in the process of dripping has became solidified to the outside. The colours and tones of the glaze follow the direction of gravity on the exterior but the interior is very well controlled. Jun ware from Northern China has been much admired but little understood, however new research has revealed much about its production. Fired between 1250-1300 C. The glaze is full of `spherules` that diffuse the light. These tiny light scattering droplets of glaze diffuse the light and give Jun ware its soft look. For more information on Chinese glazes see : Chinese Glazes, Their Origins, Chemistry and Recreation (Nigel Wood, A & C Black, London, 1999). For further information see : Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, Volume One (Regina Krahl, Azimuth Editions 1994. ISBN 1-8985592-02-0) page 218 to 225. Jun ware is the last of the ‘Five famous wares of the Song dynasty’.
See Below For More Photographs and Information.

Condition
A bruise to the rim from a crack along the rim and a very small rim crack, see photographs below..
Size
Diameter 12 cm (4 3/4 inches)
Provenance
Knapton and Rasti Asian Art. Robert McPherson Antiques, Nicholas de la Mare Thompson (1928-2010) purchased 25th of April 2005.
Stock number
26671