A superb black-glazed 'Cizhou' sgraffiato 'peony' 'tulu' vase

Northern Song / Jin dynasty

北宋 / 金 磁州窰黑釉劃牡丹紋小口瓶

the bulbous ovoid body rising from a flat foot and countersunk base to a short constricted neck and lipped rim, freely carved through the top layer of black slip to the ivory-white layer beneath with four large peony blooms borne on a meandering scroll with trefoil leaves against a combed ground, all between wavy overlapping petal-lappets around the shoulder and the foot, applied overall with a transparent glaze stopping neatly around the unglazed foot

Height 9 ? in., 23 cm