LOBED-FLOWER-SHAPED BOWL, Qingbai Ware, a, Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE)

A Song Dynasty lobed-flower bowl of qingbai ware, its surface showing a rust-colored, weathered patina.

A small bowl with a low foot, thin-walled body, and a lobed rim. Diameter 12.2cm, height 4cm. At the center of the interior is a small circular depression commonly found in Song dynasty bowls.

Yingqing ware, also called qingbai ware, is a type of Song-dynasty ceramic in which the white glaze takes on a faint bluish cast. This example is an archaeological find: the glaze has largely flaked away, and oxidized soil adheres to the vessel surface. Traces of pale gray-blue glaze, reddish-brown earth deposits, and the dry white body mingle to give the piece a subdued, rusted patina.

There are areas inside and out where the glaze remains alongside patches of exposed clay, and oxidized clay is still present in the small circular recess at the bowl’s center. While different from the clear glaze tone of an intact Qingbai, it displays the weathering and subsidence characteristic of excavated pieces—qualities that harmonize well with the lobed-flower bowl’s form.

It may be regarded as a water basin for floating flowers or as a vessel to receive small blooms and grasses. When filled with water, the bluish cast of the residual glaze and the reddish‑brown of the iron‑rich clay become more subdued, and an earthy scent rises.

Overall the piece shows glaze loss, accretions of oxidized soil, and surface abrasion. Around the foot there are soil deposits and damage. This is a Song-dynasty yingqing celadon lobed‑flower bowl bearing a russet‑weathered surface.