well potted with steep sides rising from a short straight foot to a rim bordered with a thin concave groove, unctuously covered overall with a lustrous black-brown glaze attractively suffused with iridescent silvery-brown 'oil spots' of varying sizes, the glaze stopping irregularly above the foot, the unglazed section applied with a brown dressing to conceal the pale gray body

The bowl in overall good condition with only very minor expected wear to the surface, including small flake chips to the foot.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A similar bowl from the collection of Hirota Matsushige is published in the Illustrated Catalogues of Tokyo National Museum: Chinese Ceramics I, Tokyo, 1988, pl. 610. Compare also an 'oil spot' shallow bowl attributed to Shanxi in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty, Vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 204. A closely related bowl sold in these rooms, 15th September 2015, lot 8; another sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 4th April 2017, lot 26; and a slightly larger version sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd-3rd June 2016, lot 603.