Scientific Research Summary Bowl with Relief Lotus and Stamen Decor — Provenance: Official Guan yao Kiln (官窑), Dating: Southern Song – Early Yuan period, 12th–13th century

Object Description

Title: Bowl with Relief Lotus and Stamen Decor
Provenance: Official Guan yao Kiln (官窑)
Dating: Southern Song – Early Yuan period, 12th–13th century
DOI Reference: 10.5281/zenodo.16732160
Scientific Author: Prof. Nona Dronova (Russia)

General Description

A finely potted, shallow, wide-mouthed ceramic bowl of compressed globular form with a flat recessed base and a narrow upright lip. The piece is covered overall with a thick, lustrous turquoise Tianqing glaze (CIELAB h° = 173.6°), evenly applied and displaying a subtle, almost opalescent translucency without visible craquelure under ×10 magnification. The glaze terminates neatly at the unglazed footring, revealing a dense, white, porcelain-like body of high purity.

The interior well features a high-definition relief lotus pattern, executed in the Cheng Ni Wei Fan (澄泥围范) technique, consisting of concentric arcs of raised petal-like segments encircling a central disk of dotted stamen. The relief is sharply defined, with clean edges and a smooth glaze coverage, testifying to meticulous mold-carving and precise firing control.

A narrow golden-rust band (“Jin Kou” effect) encircles the inner rim, providing a warm contrast to the cool glaze tone. This effect is characteristic of certain high-grade Guan yao pieces and results from localized oxidation and iron enrichment during firing.

Technical and Diagnostic Features

• Glaze: Thick, lustrous Tianqing with subtle angle-dependent optical shift (Butter-Honey Optical Shift), producing a warm, amber tint when viewed at a low angle.

• Craquelure: Absent under ×10 magnification.

• Body: White, dense, purified porcelain-like paste, fine-grained and hard-fired.

• Base: Unglazed footring with 32 support point impressions (some doubled) from the saggar firing support, typical of official kiln stacking methods.

• Relief Decoration: Lotus petals and stamen rendered in radial symmetry, sharply defined and evenly glazed.

• Form: Balanced proportions, wide and shallow profile, flattened base for stable placement.

Comparative Analysis

The object closely parallels Guan yao examples in the Palace Museum (Beijing) and collections documented in the Kyoto Ceramics Journal and publications by Ye Zhemin. The distinctive combination of:

1. Pure Tianqing glaze without crackle,

2. Sharp Cheng Ni Wei Fan relief, and

3. Jin Kou rim effect
   is rare and historically significant, indicating elite court production for ceremonial or decorative purposes.

Cultural and Historical Significance

Such bowls were likely produced for imperial use during the Southern Song court at Lin’an (modern Hangzhou), when Guan yao kilns developed refined celadon wares of extraordinary quality. The meticulous craftsmanship and optical qualities embody the Southern Song aesthetic ideals of subtle beauty (youya) and restrained luxury.