A MELON-SHAPED, WHITE-GLAZED CERAMIC JARLET China, Northern Song dynasty, 11th-12th century. The lobed body raised on a short ring foot and with a thick-lipped neck applied with two lug handles, covered with a creamy white glaze, the underside left unglazed revealing the buff. Condition: Excellent condition with old wear and minor firing flaws. Provenance: Fai Kei Ferros Velhos, Macao, 1998. Dr. de Jong is a Dutch art historian and has been privately collecting Chinese art over decades. He has authored hundreds of articles and several books on Dutch fine and decorative arts spanning from the Middle Ages to the modern era. In 2013, he published an extensive study of Chinese riding gear in "Dragon & Horse, Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond". Between 1976 and 2009 he worked for numerous museums across the Netherlands and was the director of the European Ceramic Work Center in Den Bosch. Weight: 229 g Dimensions: Height 9.5 cm Literature comparison: Compare to a similar jarlet in R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyingtang Collection, London 1994, Vol. 1, no. 328, p. 190 [C.30 doc. a].