Cherrei Tian, Sotheby's Chinese ceramics and works of art specialist, said: "Song ceramics, with their elegant and contemporary aesthetic, continue to be highly sought-after amongst collectors. Our forthcoming sale features a group of interesting ceramic objects from the Song Dynasty, led by the extremely rare Jun vase with a foliate rim, which we expect to perform very well. The vase is beautifully proportioned and perfect in size, and these elements, in tandem with its lustrous lavender-blue glaze, make this piece a joy to behold and handle."

The vase is expected to fetch between 500,000 pounds and 700,000 pounds when it goes on sale on May 15.

A Southern Song Dynasty vase with patterns mimicking the markings on a sika deer and a provenance dating back to Sotheby's sale in New York in 1984, is expected to fetch 300,000 pounds at Sotheby's Important Chinese Art sale.