A PAIR OF FAMILLE VERTE 'FLORAL' DISHESKangxiEach boldly enamelled at the centre with an elaborate basket containing a myriad of blossoms and flower heads, the border reserved with floral panels on a green-seeded band, the reverse with an artemisia leaf within a double circle, marked Ni99I. 22cm (8 1/2in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清康熙 五彩錦地開光花籃圖盤Provenance: Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (with Dresden inventory marks on the underfoot of each reading N 99 and I)Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 2 November 2006A European private collection來源：奧古斯特二世(1670-1733)，薩克森選帝侯和波蘭國王 （盤子底部刻有有德累斯頓庫存編號N 99 和 I）Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2006年11月2日歐洲私人收藏Augustus the Strong (1670-1733) Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, was an avid art collector. King Augustus amassed an extensive collection of Chinese porcelain which was housed in the 'Japanese Palace' in Dresden. See E.Strober, La maladie de porcelaine: East Asian Porcelain from the Collection of Augustus the Strong, Leipzig, 2001, p.10.Compare with a related pair of famille verte dishes, Kangxi, which were sold at Christie's New York, 18 January 2018, lot 67.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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A FINE AND RARE PAIR OF AUBERGINE-GLAZED BOWLSKangxi six-character marks and of the periodEach entirely covered inside and out with a rich dark even glossy glaze of deep purple tone except reserved in the white within the foot. 12.2cm (4 3/4in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清康熙 茄皮紫釉碗一對青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款Provenance: an American private Collection Vermeer (1947-2015) and Griggs (1939-1995), Los AngelesJ. J. Lally & Co., New YorkRalph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 5 May 2017A European private collection來源：美國私人收藏Vermeer (1947-2015) & Griggs (1939-1995)，洛杉磯紐約古董商J. J. Lally & Co.Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2017年5月5日歐洲私人收藏Notable for their glossy deep-purple glaze, the present bowls are elegant examples of monochrome porcelain wares produced during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor. Aubergine glazes were created at Jingdezhen during the Hongzhi reign of the Ming dynasty, however, it was only at a later date that the glaze achieved a more lustrous and brilliant colour, with flashes of blue in the purple. By the Qing dynasty, aubergine glazes were made from black lead powder with stone blue and stone powder.Compare with a pair of similar aubergine-glazed bowls, Kangxi marks and of the period, illustrated in The Splendour of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1992, p.355, no.222; a further pair in The Tsui Museum of Art is illustrated in Chinese Ceramics, IV Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1995, no.16 (one). See also a very similar aubergine-glazed bowl, Kangxi mark and of the period, illustrated in A Millennium of Monochromes from the Great Tang to the High Qing: The Baur and Zhuyuetang Collections, Geneva, 2019, p.250, no.106.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A VERY RARE PALE-GREEN-GLAZED CARVED 'BEEHIVE' WATERPOT, TAIBO ZUNKangxi six-character mark and of the periodThe tall incurving exterior very delicately engraved to leave in slight relief irregular groups of cloud clusters and vapour trails, under a limpid pale translucent glaze firing to a darker tone in the deeper edges of the cloud designs, wood stand. 7.5cm (2 7/8 in) high (2).Footnotes:清康熙 青釉雲紋馬蹄尊青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款Provenance: a European private collection來源：歐洲私人收藏Deceptively understated in design and form, the present waterpot highlights the technical advances made in the Kangxi reign by combining tradition with innovation. The graceful designs of vaporous clouds that appear to billow out from under the elegant celadon glaze display the Kangxi Emperor's admiration for much-celebrated porcelain traditions of the past. In particular, the fine celadon glazes produced at the Longquan kilns during the Song dynasty would have served as sources of inspiration for the present waterpot.The billowing clouds underscore a highly auspicious symbolism related to the emperor's wish for longevity. The word cloud yun (雲) is a homophone for good fortune fuyun (福運), good fortune. In an agricultural society, the rain-bearing clouds would have been perceived as a benevolent omen, for the necessary irrigation of the crops.Compare with two closely related celadon-glazed waterpots, Kangxi marks and period, respectively in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p.147, pl.130, and in the Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum. K'ang-hsi Ware and Yung-cheng Ware, Tokyo, 1980, pl.58; two further celadon-glazed waterpots, Kangxi marks and period, are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by W.B.Honey, Later Chinese Porcelain, London, 1927, pl.7a, from the Gulland Bequest; and in The British Museum, London, illustrated by M.Medley, Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1989, pl.583. A similar celadon-glazed waterpot, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 April 2017, lot 1114.Waterpots of this form are also known covered overall in a white glaze, such as the waterpot in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics, vol.14, Shanghai, 2000, pl.127. This elegant design of billowing clouds was also adapted for the doucai palette under the Yongzheng Emperor; for example, see a pair of waterpots illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1991, pl.112.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A VERY RARE YELLOW-GLAZED CUPYongzheng six-character mark and of the periodDelicately potted with deep rounded sides rising from a small ring foot to a gently flared rim, the interior white, the exterior all under a rich glossy even pale eggyolk-yellow glaze stopping sharply at the out-turned rim, wood stand. 9.4cm (3 3/4in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清雍正 黃釉碗青花「大清雍正年製」楷書款Provenance: a European private collection來源：歐洲私人收藏Compare with a similar pair of yellow-glazed cups, Yongzheng marks and period, in The British Museum, London, illustrated in Ceramic art of the World, vol.15, Japan, 1983, p.203, no.292; another example is illustrated by J.Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol.3, Geneva, 1972, no.A 489. A similar yellow-glazed cup, Yongzheng mark and of the period, was sold at Christie's New York, 16 March 2017, lot 638.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE PEACHBLOOM-GLAZED BRUSHWASHER, TANGLUO XIKangxi six-character mark and of the periodThe compressed globular body covered on the exterior with a glaze of soft rose color suffused with darker speckles, the interior and base white. 11.7cm (4 1/2in) diam.Footnotes:清康熙 豇豆紅筆洗Provenance: Yamanaka & Co., New York (according to the collector's documents)A European private collection來源：山中商會，紐約（據藏家文件）歐洲私人收藏Notable for its understated elegance conveyed by its perfect geometric shape and the sumptuous peachbloom glaze characterised by dark-red flecks, subtly emerging from the attractive peach-pink ground, the present vessel displays the high standards achieved in porcelain production by the Imperial kilns of Jingdezhen.In 1957, Ralph Chait summarised the famed peachbloom glaze found on Kangxi Imperial ware: 'its softly luminous velvety texture and colour tone...likened to 'the colouring of the rind of a peach ripening in the sun''; see R.Chait, 'The Eight Prescribed Peachbloom Shapes Bearing K'ang Hsi Marks', Oriental Art vol.3, no.4, 1957, p.130. The peachbloom glaze was an innovation of the Kangxi period and technically very challenging to produce. The elegant glaze was obtained by coating the vessel with a layer of clear glaze, followed by a layer of copper-oxide-rich pigment, possibly blown onto the underlying glaze using a straw, and then a further layer of clear glaze on top. After being fired in a reducing atmosphere and perhaps finished in an oxidizing atmosphere, the pigment developed a soft mottled red tone with flushes of moss green. The fact that many extant examples of peachbloom-glazed vessels show little sign of use suggests that they may have been appreciated as works of art by the Imperial household or given as Imperial gifts. From the outset, peachbloom wares have also been esteemed by connoisseurs and collectors, due to their aesthetic qualities and the fact that this glaze was applied only to a limited range of 'eight prescribed' vessel types, all apparently specifically designed for scholarly use. These forms include three types of waterpots, a covered seal-paste box and four vases of differing forms. A complete set including all such forms in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World's Great Collections, vol.2, Tokyo, 1982, pl.28.Compare with a similarly-shaped peachboom-glazed washer, Kangxi mark and period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl.19; see also another example illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pl.208. Two similar peachbloom-glazed brushwashers, Kangxi marks and of the period, were sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, respectively on 4 June 2020, lot 532, and 2 October 2018, lot 120; a further peachbloom-glazed brushwasher, Kangxi mark and period, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3488.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A VERY RARE AND LARGE FAMILLE VERTE 'LONGEVITY' EWER AND COVERKangxiElaborately designed and potted as the characters Wu and Jiang, the front and back faces both brightly enamelled with flying cranes, recumbent rabbits and deer playing and leaping on terraces, the tall curling spout and handle with leafy pines and cloud-scrolls, the cover en suite, wood stand. 28cm (11in) high. (3).Footnotes:清康熙 五彩鶴鹿同春萬壽無疆执壺帶蓋Provenance: J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), New York, collection no.E 13The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, 4 October 1996 A European private collectionExhibited, Published and Illustrated: Stephen W. Bushell and William M. Laffan, Catalogue of the Morgan Collection of Chinese Porcelains, New York, 1904, case E, no.13, plate. XXXIX來源：J. Pierpont Morgan(1837-1913)，紐約，收藏編號 E 13The Chinese Porcelain Company，紐約，1996年10月4日歐洲私人收藏展覽著錄：Stephen W. Bushell and William M. Laffan，《Catalogue of the Morgan Collection of Chinese Porcelains》，紐約，1904，櫃E，編號13，圖版編號XXXIXJohn Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), an American financier, banker, and art collector, created General Electric and the U.S. Steel Corporation. Known as 'the Napoleon of Wall Street', he was also a notable collector of books, pictures, gemstones, and Chinese porcelain. Much of his art collection was bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The present ewer may have served as a suitable gift to a commemorate a birthday. Its shape is formed of two characters, Wu jiang, meaning 'Without boundaries.' This rebus recalls the popular phrase Wan shou wu jiang, meaning 'May you have ten thousand longevities without boundary.' The phrase, originally reserved for emperors and empresses, became a common birthday greeting during the Qing dynasty. The red-crowned cranes and yellow-spotted deer decorating the strokes of the characters are also symbolic of longevity. The former were praised since the ancient times for their capacity to fly high and were thus thought of being the vehicles transporting the Immortals through the heavens. Deer were believed to be the only animals that can find the fungus of Immortality and were often depicted standing beside Shoulao, the Star God of Longevity. Compare with a similar ewer, Kangxi, in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.6914.A related famille verte 'Shou' ewer, Kangxi, was sold at Christie's London, 13 May 2011, lot 1136.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE IRON-RUST-GLAZED SMALL BALUSTER VASE, MEIPING18th centuryWell potted, the exterior all under a rust-coloured rich dark mottled glaze firing to a chocolate-brown tone around the slightly-everted flaring neck. 18cm (7in) high.Footnotes:十八世紀 鐵鏽花釉梅瓶Provenance: Emil (1869-1948) and Jenny Baerwald, BerlinPaul Baerwald (1871-1961), New YorkJohn Sparks Ltd., London, 1937Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 9 May 2003A European private collectionPublished, Illustrated and Exhibited: Gesellschaft für Ostasiatische Kunst, Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst, Berlin, 12 January-2 April 1929, no.845, p.314John Sparks, Paul Baerwald Collection of Chinese Porcelain, London, 15 June–3 July 1937, no.128來源：Emil (1869-1948) 和Jenny Baerwald，柏林Paul Baerwald (1871-1961)，紐約倫敦古董商John Sparks Ltd.，1937Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2003年5月9日歐洲私人收藏展覽著錄：東方藝術協會，《Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst》，柏林，1929年1月12日-1929年4月2日，編號845，第314頁John Sparks，'Paul Baerwald收藏的中國瓷器'，倫敦，1937年6月15日-7月3日，編號128Emil Baerwald collected Chinese porcelain and loaned the present vase to the seminal 1929 exhibition in Berlin. At some point in the 1930s the ownership of the vase and other parts of the collection was transferred to his brother Paul. Paul Baerwald was a German-born American philanthropist and banker. He began his banking career with Lazard-Speyer-Ellissen in Frankfurt, then joined Speyer Brothers in London and finally moved to New York to work with Speyer and Company and finally Lazard Frères until his retirement in 1930. He was also a chairman of the executive committee of Fidelity-Phoenix Fire Insurance Co., executive member of the fire Building Corporation, director of the General American Investors Corporation and advisory committee member of the Texas Pacific Land Trust.Baerwald was an avid collector of Chinese porcelain and in 1937, John Sparks in London organised an exhibition on Baerwald's collection and authored a catalogue titled An Exhibition of the Paul Baerwald Collection of Chinese Porcelain: Rare Monochromes, Blue and White, and Other Porcelains of the Sung, Ming and Chʼing Dynasties : June 15th-July 3rd, 1937.Iron-rust glaze (tiexiu hua you 铁锈花釉) was a successful innovation during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor and became popular during the Qianlong period. The major colourants of the glaze are iron and manganese. See P.Y.K.Lam, Shimmering Colours: Monochromes of the Yuan to Qing Periods, Hong Kong, 2005, p.243. As seen in the present lot, the numerous star-like red and brown dots on the dark-brown glaze surface have greatly enriched its vitality. See a similar iron-rust-glazed meiping vase, late 18th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.79.2.806). Another miniature iron-rust-glazed vase, meiping, 18th century, is in the same museum (acc.no.65.86.39). A related iron-rust-glazed vase, illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1999, pl.254, p.278.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A BLUE AND WHITE FIGURE OF GUANDILate Ming DynastySeated on a simple chair, wearing an elaborate blue robe with a large dragon over his stomach beneath an official's belt, a snake and turtle fighting on the front of the shallow oval base. 24.5cm (8 3/4in) high.Footnotes:明晚期 青花關帝坐像Provenance: Anita Gray, Oriental Works of Art, London, 17 June 2000A European private collection來源：倫敦古董商 Anita Gray, Oriental Works of Art，2000年6月17日歐洲私人收藏Guandi, the deified form of Guan Yu, the historical hero living during the late second to early third century AD, acquired great popularity in later times, when his exploits were dramatised in oral tales and novels such as the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', compiled during the Ming dynasty. Guan Yu's support of the Han warlord Liu Bei's quest of continuing the Han state in Shu (present-day Sichuan province) earned him the reputation of an exemplary model of faithfulness and reliance. The God was also worshipped as protector of merchants, and shrines dedicated to him were known as Temples of Literature and Martial Arts, Wenwu miao.A related figure of the God of Literature, Zhenwu, Wanli, is illustrated by A.du Boulay, Christie's Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics, Oxford, 1984, p.140, no.4.Compare with a related figure of Guandi, 17th century or later, which was sold at Christie's London, 4 November 2014, lot 293.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A LARGE AND RARE BLUE AND WHITE DELFT-STYLE TULIP HOLDERKangxiElaborately constructed in the manner of a Dutch Delft original as a five-storey tiered room decoration, the top section as a tapering pyramid, above three tiers each set with four spouts at an angle to hold fresh flowers, the fourth tier as the base of a table with a recumbent bird between each leg, the lowest section as a square plinth painted on the four faces with alternate figures crossing a bridge and rocky clusters of shrubs. 62cm (24 1/2in) high.Footnotes:清康熙 代爾夫特風格青花山水圖花塔Provenance: A Scandinavia private collectionVanderven Oriental Art, 'S-Hertogenbosch, 31 October 2016A European private collection來源：斯堪的納維亞私人收藏斯海爾托亨博斯古董商Vanderven Oriental Art，2016年10月31日歐洲私人收藏The tulip-holder is modelled after a Dutch prototype produced in Delft porcelain by Adriaen Kocx from the De Grieksche A factory, which specialised in these items. The obelisk shape, associated with classical antiquity, is also reminiscent of Chinese pagodas. The Delft prototypes were in turn inspired by Moresque spouted flower holders from the Middle East. The Chinese porcelain versions of this form are very rare and some examples replicated the AK mark of Adriaen Kocx on the base. The tulip flower was introduced in Holland during the late sixteenth century and highly appreciated by connoisseurs and scholars, and then speculators and traders moved in, seizing upon the bulbs with the recklessness of Wall Street bankers chasing collateralised debt obligations. By the early 1630s a madness had gripped Holland and in 1634 one bulb of the Viceroy type sold for 2500 florins (a sheep cost 10 florins). By 1636-1637, the price of a single tulip bulb fetched even larger prices, sometime selling for the price of a house. Compare with a similar blue and white tulip-holder, Kangxi, in the collection of the Groninger Museum, illustrated by D.F.Lunsingh Scheurleer, Chinese Export Porcelain, New York, 1974, no.108. A similar pair of blue and white tulip vases, Kangxi, was sold at Sotheby's New York, 23 January 2020, lot 473. See also another pair which was sold at Christie's London, 30 September 2014, lot 60.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A FINE AND RARE PAIR OF TURQUOISE-ENAMELLED BOWLSYongzheng six-character marks and of the periodEach delicately potted, the exterior of under a slightly lustrous even opaque rich colour stopping crisply at the slightly incurving foot, the interior plain, wood stands. 9.2cm (3 5/8in) diam. (4).Footnotes:清雍正 松石綠釉碗一對青花「大清雍正年製」楷書款Provenance: C.T. Loo & Co., New YorkRobert J. Dunham, ChicagoParke-Bernet Galleries Inc., New York, 1947 Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc., New York, 1-2 November 1956, lot 61A European private collection來源：紐約古董商盧吳公司，紐約Robert J. Dunham，芝加哥Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc.，紐約，1947年Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc.，紐約，1956年11月1-2日，拍品編號61歐洲私人收藏Superbly potted with a hemispherical body coated with a brilliant turquoise glaze, the present pair of bowls are fine examples of the Yongzheng Emperor's passion for unassuming, elegant pieces of highest quality. Both the shape and glaze of the present vessels appear to be innovations of the Yongzheng period, probably attributable to the genius of Tang Ying (1682-1756), superintendent at the Imperial kilns, who experimented with a variety of glaze compositions to make highly tactile and innovative pieces. Monochrome-glazed vessels produced during the Yongzheng reign were typically coated in lemon yellow, coral red, lime-green and rose-pink glazes. Turquoise-glazed examples, however, appeared to be rare and reserved for use by the Court, probably due to the laborious process involved in obtaining turquoise-glazed vessels, which underwent two firings: the first taking place at high temperatures, after the application of transparent and translucent glazes; the second firing, conducted at lower temperatures, was necessary after the application of the turquoise glaze, which matured in this condition. Compare with a similar turquoise-glazed bowl, Yongzheng mark and of the period, in the Baur Collection, Geneva, illustrated by J.Ayers, The Baur Collection Geneva. Chinese Ceramics, Geneva, 1972, vol.3, pl.A478; another similar example in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated by S.G.Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics New York, 1989, pl.257.A similar turquoise-glazed bowl, Yongzheng mark and period, was sold by Sotheby's London, 4 November 2020, lot 10.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A SPINACH-GREEN JADE BOWLJiaqing incised four-character mark, 19th centuryThe very translucent rich dark material with extensive darker and black streaky line inclusions and intense black dots, wood stand. 16cm (6 1/4in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清嘉慶 碧玉碗「嘉慶年製」刻款Provenance: Paul M Peters Fine Art Ltd, Harrogate, 15 June 1997A European private collection來源：英國哈羅蓋特古董商Paul M Peters Fine Art Ltd，1997年6月15日歐洲私人收藏Compare a similar but larger spinach green jade bowl, Qianlong mark and period, illustrated by Zheng Xinmiao, ed., Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum - Jade, Qing Dynasty, vol.10, Beijing, 2010, pl.161.Compare with a related spinach-green jade bowl, 18th/19th century, which was sold at Bonhams London, 7 November 2013, lot 119.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TWO APPLE-GREEN-CRACKLE-GLAZED VESSELS18th centuryBoth with a characteristic deliberate wide brown-stained crackle, the taller with oviform body and tall slightly spreading neck, 14.5cm (5 1/2in) high; and the other with baluster body and short thick spreading neck, 11.5cm (4 1/2in) high. (2).Footnotes:十八世紀 綠釉長頸瓶 及綠釉罐 一組兩件Provenance: Danforth Miller Collection (the high-necked one)Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc., New York, 19 October 1944, lot 144 (the high-necked one)來源：Danforth Miller 舊藏(綠釉長頸瓶)Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc.，紐約，1944年10月19日，拍品編號144 (綠釉長頸瓶)A related apple-green glaze oviform vase, Yongzheng, in the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum: Monochrome porcelain, Shenzhen, 2010, p.251, no.229. Another related apple-green glazed vase, Kangxi, is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.14.40.346). See another similar green-glazed bottle vase, Yongzheng or Qianlong, illustrated by J.Ayers, Chinese Ceramics: The Koger Collection, London, 1985, pp.172-173, no.145.Compare the bottle vase with an apple-green-glazed bottle vase, early 18th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 17 September 2010, lot 1386; compare the jar with a related apple-green-crackle-glazed jar, Kangxi, which was sold at Christie's New York, 19 March 2015, lot 413.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A VERY RARE PEACHBLOOM-GLAZED BRUSHWASHER, TANGLUO XIKangxi six-character mark and of the periodThe exterior under an even pale glaze with two areas naturally firing to a slightly darker tone, the interior of the vessel and within the foot fired white. 11.7cm (4 1/2in) diam.Footnotes:清康熙 豇豆紅釉筆洗青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款Provenance: Yamanaka & Co., New York (according to the collector's documents)A European private collection來源：山中商會，紐約（據藏家文件）歐洲私人收藏The present brushwasher belongs to a group of eight vessels referred to as the Badama, which literally translates as 'The Great Eight Numbers', which were made for the scholar's desk during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor. Characterised by a wide range of tones and variegated effects, the peachbloom glaze was considered one of the most important innovations developed by the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen. Ceramic production at the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen were revived during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, after a period of nearly sixty years of standstill, and the arrival of Zang Yingxuan as supervisor of the kilns in 1681 initiated a new era of high-quality production and technical innovation.The copper red-pigment used in peachbloom glazes was difficult to fire so it was largely abandoned after the reign of the Xuande Emperor. It was re-introduced in the Jingdezhen kilns during the Kangxi reign with a newfound appreciation of the visually pleasant effect the pigment created during the firing, which ranged 'from the deep muted tones of ashes-of-roses and the apple-red to the lighter luminous glowing peach-pink [...]'; see R.Chait, 'The Eight Prescribed Peachbloom Shapes Bearing K'ang His Marks', in Oriental Art, vol.3, no.4, 1957, p.130. The peachbloom glaze was recorded in the 'Notes on the Nanyao' Nanyao Biji, composed during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, as cuihong and cuiqing. The glaze was applied by blowing into a tube the other end of it had been wrapped with gauze and dipped into the red glaze until the biscuit body was entirely covered with red mottles. After firing at high temperatures, green mottles sometimes appeared on a pinkish and red ground.Recent scholarship has however identified a ninth shape making up the 'Prescribed Group', this being a variant of the globular waterpot used at the time. Accordingly, waterpots referred to as 'apple jars' Pingguo zun were modelled with a gently inward curving mouth rim, whilst the 'pomegranate jars' Shiliuzun were characterised by a raised, low, neck, which was similar to a stalk; see, J.Ayers, 'The Peachbloom Wares of the Kangxi Period (1662-1722)', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol.64, 1999-2000, p.49.Similar brushwashers have been widely published and are in numerous public and private collections. See, for example, a peachbloom-glazed brushwasher, Kangxi mark and period, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by S.Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, p.237, no.236. A further brushwasher, Kangxi mark and period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl.123.Compare with a similar peachbloom-glazed brushwasher, Kangxi mark and period, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 21 March 2023, lot 14.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TWO BRONZE 'MOUNTAIN PEAKS' BRUSHRESTSMing DynastyEach crisply cast and darkly patinated, one cast unusually elaborately with three mountain peaks and deeply pierced with holes to simulate natural crevices in the landscape, a dignitary standing on a rocky outcrop in front of the highest peak, 20cm (8in) wide; and the other cast with five peaks, the largest dividing a mythical phoenix perched in front and a qilin at the back, 18cm (7in) wide. (2).Footnotes:明 銅筆山 一組兩件Provenance: a European private collection來源：歐洲私人收藏The present brushrests are fashioned in the form of five peaks, symbolising China's Five Sacred Mountains of Daoism: Taishan in Shangdong Province in the east, Hengshan in Hunan Province in the south, Huashan in Shaanxi Province in the west, Hengshan in Shanxi and Hebei Provinces in the north, and the Songshan in Henan Province, which represents the 'peak of the centre'. Compare with a related bronze brushrest, Ming dynasty, in the Robert H. Clague Collection at the Phoenix Art Museum, illustrated by R.D.Mowry, China's Renaissance in Bronze, the Robert H. Clague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes, Phoenix, AZ, 1993, pp.203-205, no.48. See also a related bronze brushrest shaped as mountain peaks, inlaid with silver wire, Ming dynasty, in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by R.Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, pp.64-65, no.50.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A VERY RARE IMPERIAL 'PEACHBLOOM-TYPE'-GLAZED BOWLYongzheng six-character mark and of the periodUnusually fired on the exterior with an attractive pale oxblood glaze diffusing to a pale translucent tone of white, the interior of the bowl and within the foot entirely plain. 15.5cm (6in) diam.Footnotes:清雍正 紅釉碗青花「大清雍正年製」楷書款Provenance: an American Private Collection, acquired in the early 1900sRalph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 10 May 2016A European Private Collection來源：美國私人收藏，獲得於1900年代早期Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2016年5月10日歐洲私人收藏Vessels dating to the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (r.1725-1735) decorated with a 'peachbloom-type' glaze are quite rare. This glaze is reminiscent of the peachbloom glaze that was first developed in the Kangxi period and reserved for a small group of vessels referred to as the 'Eight Great Numbers' Badama; see a complete set of badama in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated by S.Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, nos.231-238, p.237. The use of copper-red glaze at Jingdezhen was revived by the Kangxi Emperor following the intention to reproduce classic Ming sacrificial red jihong porcelain wares. The French Jesuit missionary Père François d'Entrecolles (b. 1664-1741) mentioned in his writing the details of the copper-red production at Jingdezhen including the sourcing of the copper, the recipes and the high level of technical knowledge acquired by the potters in making these wares; see N.Wood, Chinese Glazes, London, 1999, p.180.Compare with a similar copper-red glazed bowl, Yongzheng mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's New York, 20 September 2013, lot 1364.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TWO RARE FAMILLE ROSE EGGSHELL 'QUAIL' RUBY-BACK DISHESYongzhengThe first deep dish delicately enamelled at the centre with three brown-and-white quails on a terrace of tree peony, beneath a band of turquoise cell-pattern in the well and three fruit and floral panels reserved on a pink cell-pattern border; the other saucer dish with two quails eyeing a succulent butterfly on a floral terrace, within a band of pink floral trellis and a yellow-ground border reserved with six alternate dragon and tree peony panels. 20.5cm (8in) and 20.1cm (7 7/8in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清雍正 粉彩錦地開光「安居樂業」圖薄胎瓷盤一對 Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 25 April 2008, lot 83 (yellow-ground border dish)Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 14 November 2008A European private collectionExhibited: International Asian Art Fair, New York, 2002 (yellow-ground border dish)來源：蘇富比紐約，2008年4月25日，拍品編號83 （黃色盤子）Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2008年11月14日歐洲私人收藏展覽：國際亞洲藝術博覽會，紐約，2002年（黃色盤子）The dishes are notable for their understated elegance, exquisite artistry, and unusual palette combining falangcai and fengcai enamels, the former translating as 'foreign colours', and the latter corresponding to the 'famille rose' palette. The falangcai enamels, introduced from the west, are apparent on the present lot in the brown and ochre enamelling of the quails. A new opaque palette of overglaze colours developed in China around 1720. In this context, a new opaque white greatly increased the shades of colours available to the potters, and a new pink conveyed the overall palette a softer feel. Much admired in China for their courage and fighting spirit, pairs of quail, shuang an, are a homophone for 'peace and prosperity'. Combined with peonies, the birds form the rebus 'Peace, prosperity and wealth', which would have made the dishes an ideal present for a birthday commemoration. Compare with a famille rose eggshell dish decorated with a pair of quails, Yongzheng, in the British Museum, London, illustrated by S.Pierson, Designs as Signs: Decoration and Chinese Ceramics, London, 2001, p.40, no.34.See one similar ruby-back saucer dish, circa 1735, with quail and yellow border, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 25 April 2008, lot 83.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A LONGQUAN CELADON-GLAZED 'PHOENIX-TAIL' VASE, YEN-YENYuan DynastyThe broad body applied with a single long continuous tendril coiling suspending four evenly spaced flower heads, between stiff leaves rising from the foot and horizontal ribs beneath the flaring rim, under a pale translucent even greyish-green glaze. 22cm (8 1/2in) high.Footnotes:元 龍泉窯青釉貼塑纏枝花卉紋鳳尾尊Provenance: Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 20 November 2002A European private collection來源：Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2002年11月20日歐洲私人收藏The present vase is remarkable for its crisp and elegant floral decoration, which emerges under an attractive green glaze which accentuates the harmonious shape. Subtle details, such as the veining of the flowers and leaves, are visible through the glaze.Spreading over Zhejiang Province into the neighbouring province of Fujian, the Longquan kilns were conveniently located to reach the trade ports of Wenzhou and Quanzhou, from where merchandise could be shipped to foreign markets in the Far East, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and even Africa. This advantage was fully exploited in the Yuan and early Ming dynasty and large quantities of wares were made for foreign markets. Longquan celadon-glazed wares with moulded and applied decoration first appeared in the late Southern Song dynasty and were produced in larger quantities during the Yuan dynasty. Compare a larger vase of the same form and decoration as the present lot, dated by inscription to AD 1327, in the Sir Percival David collection, the British Museum, illustrated by M.Medley, Yuan Porcelain and Stoneware, London, 1974, pl.58.Compare with a related but larger Longquan celadon-glazed vase, Yuan dynasty, illustrated by S.Lee and Wai-kam Ho, Chinese Art Under the Mongols: The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), 1968, no.63.A related but larger Longquan celadon-glazed vase, Yuan dynasty, was sold at Christie's New York, 15 May 2017, lot 501.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE YELLOW-GLAZED FLARING BOWLYongzheng six-character mark and of the periodThe interior plain, the exterior under an attractively glossy slightly iridescent lemon-yellow glaze, stopping sharply at the everted rim and lower edge of the in-sloping foot, wood stand. 13.8cm (5 1/2in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清雍正 黃釉碗青花「大清雍正年製」楷書款Provenance: a European Private Collection來源：歐洲私人收藏The use of yellow-glazed wares was highly restricted in the Qing Court. Wares entirely glazed in yellow were reserved for the Emperor, the Empress Dowager and the Empress. Senior concubines used wares with a yellow glaze on the outside and a transparent glaze on the inside, such as displayed in the present lot. An archival record dated to the 12th day of the 12th month of the 11th year of the Yongzheng reign (1733) records that yellow bowls and cups were classified into three grades and made for use in the tea or dining rooms chafan fang 茶飯房; see Qing Imperial Monochromes: The Zande Lou Collection, Hong Kong, 2005, pp.72-73.Compare with a similar pair of yellow bowls, Yongzheng six-character marks and of the period, illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. II, London, 1994, p.233, no.893. Another similar bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, in the Yale University Art Gallery, is illustrated by G.J.Lee, Selected Far Eastern Art in the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven and London, 1970, no.356.A similar yellow-glazed bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, was sold at Christie's London, 15 May 2012, lot 345.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TWO MIRROR-BLACK-GLAZED DOUBLE-GOURD VASES18th centuryThe larger one brightly gilt on the lower lobe with three large roundels of figures and foliage, the waist with a herringbone band, below a wide band of descending lappets at the small neck, 27cm (3 3/4in) high; and another smaller, under a rich dark glaze, 13cm (5in) high. (2).Footnotes:十八世紀 烏金釉描金蒜頭瓶 及烏金釉葫蘆小瓶 一組兩件 Provenance: Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 2 November 2006 (the garlic-head vase)Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 14 November 2008 (the gourd-shaped vase)A European private collection 來源：Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2006年11月2日（蒜頭瓶）Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2008年11月14日（葫蘆小瓶）歐洲私人收藏Compare the garlic-mouth vase with a related mirror-black-glazed and gilt-decorated bottle vase, 18th century, which was sold at Christie's London, on 10 December 2013, lot 30. Compare the other vase with a related mirror-black-glazed double-gourd vase, 18th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.50.221.40). Compare also with a related small mirror-black-glazed double-gourd vase, Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 11 May 2021, lot 264.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TWO YELLOW-GLAZED VASES18th centuryA pear-shaped vase under a rich slightly dark yellow-caramel glaze moulded with five horizontal ribs around the broad body, wood stand, 12.5cm (5in) high; and an unusual small baluster vase with a large central aperture at the top, possibly a water dropper for the scholar's table, 11cm (4 3/8in) high. (3).Footnotes:十八世紀 黃釉梅瓶 及黃釉弦紋瓶 一組兩件Provenance:Mrs. Samuel T. Peters (1859-1943), New York (ribbed vase)Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc, New York, 15 October 1943, lot 108 (ribbed vase)Hans (1888-1966) and Ludmilla Arnhold (1894-1976) acquired from the above (ribbed vase)(according to collector's index card)Seidel and Son, Berlin (meiping vase)(according to the collector's documents) A European private collection來源：Samuel T. Peters (1859-1943) 夫人，紐約（弦紋瓶）Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc，紐約，1943年10月15日，拍品編號108 （弦紋瓶）Hans (1888-1966)和 Ludmilla Arnhold (1894-1976)伉儷從上處購得（弦紋瓶）（據藏家索引卡）柏林古董商Seidel and Son（黃釉梅瓶）（據藏家檔案）歐洲私人收藏Samuel T. Peters (1854-1921) and his wife Adeline (1859-1943) were known as great collectors and amassed an impressive and large collection of Chinese works of art. In the obituary of Samuel T. Peters, the New York Times noted that Peters' gift of about 400 jades to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 'form a collection probably unsurpassed anywhere.'Compare the meiping-shaped vase with a small turquoise-glazed meiping, Kangxi, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 May 2021, lot 2995; for the other vase, compare the shape with a related white-glazed vase, hu, Kangxi, which was sold at Christie's London, 8 April 2014, lot 14.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A PAIR OF VERTE-IMARI FIGURAL DISHESKangxiBoldly and densely painted in pale blue and enamelled in black, green, and iron-red with a large central basket of blossoming tree peony and pine on a green terrace, within a band reserved with four butterfly cartouches, and a wide border depicting birds and foliage divided by blue panels of iron-red chrysanthemums, the exterior with floral shrubs and the base with N:127I inventory number. 22cm (8 1/2in) diam. (2).Footnotes:十八世紀早期 伊萬里式花鳥紋盤一對 Provenance: Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (with engraved Dresden inventory mark on the base of each dish reading N:127 and I)Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 12 November 2007A European private collection來源：奧古斯特二世(1670-1733)，薩克森選帝侯和波蘭國王 （盤子底部刻有有德累斯頓庫存編號N:127和I）Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2007年11月12日歐洲私人收藏The present examples are based on Japanese Imari plates of the same type and decoration. Due to its popularity, the pattern was copied in China, as well as Europe. Notable European factories that copied the pattern include Meissen (circa 1725), Frankenthal and Warsaw faïence (both circa 1770). For examples of all three, along with a Chinese original, see F.H.Hofmann, Das Porzellan, Berlin, 1932, pls.493-496. These types of dishes were produced in various sizes, a small (22cm diam.) example from the Mottahedeh collection is illustrated by D.Howard and J.Ayers, China for the West, vol,1, 1978, pp.144-145, no.126.The incised numbers on the present pair indicates that these were in the collection of Augustus the Strong (Augustus II), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (1670-1733). An avid art collector, he amassed an extensive collection of porcelain which was housed in the 'Japanese Palace' in Dresden. A larger example (34.4cm diam.), from the Boymans Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, is illustrated by C.J.A.Jörg, Famille Verte, Groningen, 2011, no.47, bearing inventory number N:279. Compare with a pair of related Verte-Imari dishes, Kangxi, which were sold at Christie's Paris, 12 July 2022, lot 720.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A FINE LARGE GREEN-GLAZED INCISED 'PHOENIX TAIL' VASE, YEN-YENYuan DynastyBoldly incised on the lower baluster section with a wide band of four alternating chrysanthemums lotus and peony heads in profile issuing from a long continuous leafy meander and all above a band of stiff leaves, the tall trumpet neck boldly carved with long cicada lappets below the flaring rim. 52cm (20 1/2in) high.Footnotes:元 龍泉窯青釉暗刻纏枝牡丹紋鳳尾尊Provenance: Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 5 May 2017A European private collection來源：Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2017年5月5日歐洲私人收藏Although celadon glazes were perfected during the Southern Song period (1127-1279), it was really during the Yuan dynasty that production increased, with approximately three hundred kilns active in the Longquan area. The rivers in the region facilitated the transport and distribution of the ceramics to other areas. At this time, new shapes and decorative designs were introduced, as well as vessels of larger sizes than before including dishes, vases and jars. Compare with a similar vase decorated with a floral decoration to the bulbous section, Yuan dynasty, illustrated in The Legacy of Genghis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256 – 1353, New York, 2002, no.194.A related celadon-glazed vase, late Yuan/early Ming dynasty, was sold at Christie's New York, 14 September 2017, lot 702.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TWO FAMILLE VERTE TEAPOTS AND COVERSKangxiOne of hexagonal form with high arched handle enamelled on each face on a pale yellow ground with vases and vessels of flowers on stands, the slightly domed cover with a diamond-shaped finial, 16cm (6 1/4in) high; the other with eight lobes each enamelled on a yellow ground with upright green and aubergine leafy shrubs, the domed cover similarly decorated and surmounted by a lotus-bud finial, 15cm (6in) wide. (4).Footnotes:清康熙 素三彩花卉圖壺帶蓋 及素三彩博古圖六方提梁壺帶蓋 一組兩件Provenance: Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (engraved on the base with Dresden Japanese Palace inventory number reading N:44 I) (lobed teapot)A.C.J. Wall Collection, London (lobed teapot)Antique West Ltd., London, June 1998 (lobed teapot)Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 5 November 2018 (hexagonal teapot)A European private collection來源：奧古斯特二世(1670-1733)，薩克森選帝侯和波蘭國王(底部刻德累斯頓編號V:44 I)（素三彩花卉圖壺）A.C.J. Wall舊藏，倫敦（素三彩花卉圖壺）倫敦古董商Antique West Ltd.，1998年6月（素三彩花卉圖壺）Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，2018年11月5日（六方提梁壺）歐洲私人收藏Compare with a related famille verte teapot and cover, Kangxi, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc.no.1955-50-166a). Compare the one of hexagonal form with a similar famille verte teapot and cover, Kangxi, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2018, lot 431.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE IMPERIAL WHITE-GLAZED BOWL WITH CUT-OUT DECORATIONQianlong seal mark and of the periodUnusually and very delicately decorated, carved through the very thin body with an elaborate continuous design comprising seven profile flower heads, each within a continuous scrolling meander, the empty spaces pierced in the body only filled with the almost clear glaze. 13.5cm (5 1/4in) diam.Footnotes:清乾隆 白釉玲瓏瓷纏枝蓮紋碗青花「大清乾隆年製」篆書款Provenance: Garland collection, by reputeA European private collection來源：Garland舊藏（據傳）歐洲私人收藏James Garland (1840-1900) was born in Philadelphia. He was the Vice-President of the First National Bank of New York. He was also a co-founder of the Northern Pacific Railroad and towards the end of his life he moved to London as a partner with J.P. Morgan. He was a serious collector of tapestries, oriental jades and Chinese porcelain. The James A. Garland Collection was one of the largest and most comprehensive in the United States. The collection was on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York until 1902 when the heirs sold it to the Duveen Brothers, who had then sold it to J.P. Morgan. The present lot is notable for its exquisite lace-like decoration, which was made by piercing the body with a delicate openwork design of small perforations that were subsequently filled with a clear glaze. An innovation of the Qianlong period, this decoration is known in the West as 'grains-de-riz' (rice grain), because the tiny perforations resembled small grains of rice.Compare with a related bowl, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong: Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl.147; another in the Palace Museum, Taipei, is published by J.Ayers and S.Masahiko, eds, Ceramic Art of the World, vol.15, Tokyo, 1983, pl.280; one with a more elaborate motif is illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 1994, pl.793, and later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2012, lot 3; a pair from the Alfred F. Pillsbury collection in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, included in the exhibition Chinese Ceramics from the Prehistoric Period through Ch'ien-Lung, Los Angeles, 1952, no.320; another slightly smaller pair in the Zhuyuetang Collection, is illustrated by L.Schwartz-Arenales, eds, Mille ans de Monochromes, Geneva, 2018, p.372, no.197a-b.See also a similar white glazed 'cut-out' decoration bowl and cover, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's New York, 21-22 March 2013, lot 1501. A similar pair of bowls, Qianlong seal marks and of the period, was sold at Sotheby's London, 6 November 2019, lot 7. Another very similar white-glazed 'cut through' lotus bowl, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, was also sold at Bonhams London, 5 November 2020, lot 29.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A GUANYAO-TYPE CRACKLE-GLAZED MALLET-SHAPED VASE17th/18th centuryHeavily potted, the glaze simulating a Song dynasty prototype, the broad oviform body and cylindrical neck with everted rim all under a widely-crackled glaze of pale caramel-brown tone. 16cm (6 1/4in) high.Footnotes:十七/十八世紀 仿官窯長頸瓶Provenance: Samson Collection (probably Henry C. Samson, d.1914, New York)H.A.E. Jaehne, New York A.J. Mercher (active around 1930s-40s), New YorkHans (1888-1966) and Ludmilla Arnhold (1894-1976), on 7 December 1944來源：Samson舊藏 （或為Henry C Samson，1914年去世，紐約）H.A.E. Jaehne，紐約A.J. Mercher （約活躍於1930-40年代），紐約Hans (1888-1966)和 Ludmilla Arnhold (1894-1976)伉儷獲得於1944年12月7日Song dynasty glazes were greatly admired by the Emperors of the Qing dynasty because of their beauty and understated elegance, and the potters at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen sought to reproduce these glazes on contemporary porcelain. The glaze coating the present vase is a reinterpretation of the highly-regarded Guan ware. In addition, the mallet shape is based on Song dynasty prototypes, an example of which is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Taipei, acc.no.K1B017856.Other Song dynasty inspired glazes on mallet-shaped vases were emulated during the eighteenth century. See a Ge-type mallet vase with straight neck, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3201; see also a crackled-glazed mallet vase, Yongzheng, illustrated by B.Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, p.75, no.194.Compare with a related guan-type mallet vase, 18th century, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.1993.386.26. A related guan-type mallet vase, Yongzheng mark and of the period, was sold at Christie's New York, 24 September 2020, lot 855.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A PEACHBLOOM-GLAZED BEEHIVE WATERPOT, TAIBO ZUNKangxi six-character mark and of the periodFinely potted of classic domed taibo zun form, the slightly tapering sides rising to a rounded shoulder and short waisted neck below a lipped mouth-rim, the exterior evenly applied overall save for the rim and base with a sumptuous crimson-red glaze suffused with pink sprinkles imitating the skin of a ripening peach, the body further faintly incised with three roundels enclosing archaistic dragons, the recessed white base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark in three columns. 12cm (4 6/8in) diam.Footnotes:清康熙 豇豆紅釉團龍紋太白尊青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款Provenance: Alexander von Frey, ParisRalph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 20 September 1944Hans (1888-1966) and Ludmilla Arnhold (1894-1976) acquired from the aboveA European private collection來源： Alexander von Frey，巴黎Ralph M. Chait Galleries，紐約，1944年9月20日Hans (1888-1966)和Ludmilla Arnhold (1894-1976)伉儷從上處購得歐洲私人收藏Evenly coated with a lustrous glaze of crushed raspberry tone, ending evenly beneath the lipped rim and thickening around the base, the present waterpot is one of the finest examples of its type.Waterpots shaped as beehives are known as taibo zun after poet Li Taibai of the Tang dynasty, who is often depicted leaning against a large wine jar of a similar form. The shape was also referred to as jizhao zun as it resembled a chicken coop.The attractive peachbloom glaze was notoriously difficult to achieve due to the temperamental nature of the copper pigment and appears to have been only employed on a small number of shapes reserved for use on the scholar's table and created during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor.Copper-red glazes were produced since at least the Ming dynasty, however, they were greatly improved during the Kangxi reign, likely under the supervision of Zang Yingxuan, the Imperial supervisor who was sent to Jingdezhen in 1681 to oversee the rebuilding of the kilns. The fugitive copper-lime pigment, rather difficult to manage, would have been sprayed onto a layer of transparent glaze via a long bamboo tube and then fixed with another coat of clear glaze. A similar peachbloom-glazed waterpot, Kangxi mark and period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p.142, pl.125; three further 'peachbloom'-glazed beehive waterpots, Kangxi marks and period, are illustrated by Wang Qingzheng, Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 206, and M.Medley, Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1989, pl.580, and S.G.Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 234.Two similar peachbloom-glazed beehive waterpots, Kangxi marks and period, were sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2013, lot 1904 and 31 May 2017, lot 3012.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TSUISHU YOZEI XX (1880-1952)A Finely Carved Red-Lacquer Circular Kogo (Box for Incense) Meiji era (1868-1912), 1902The red lacquer carved in deep relief with Rihaku (the Chinese poet Li Bai) accompanied by an attendant in a rocky Chinese landscape, standing beneath a spreading pine and pausing to admire a waterfall, the sides of the lid and box carved with stylised foliage, the inside of the lid and box plain black lacquer, signed on the base Yozei with a kao (cursive monogram); with a wood tomobako storage box inscribed outside Rihaku no zu tsuishu kogo (Carved red lacquer box for incense with a picture of Li Bai), with a collector's signature and seal; dated and signed on the reverse of the lid Mizunoe-tora chushu, Yozei (Yozei, August 1902) and sealed Nijusei Yozei (Yozei XX). 2.1cm x 6.5cm (13/16in x 2½in). (3).Footnotes:Born in Kyoto the second son of Tsuishu Yozei (Yosei), eighteenth master of a craft dynasty specialising in carved red lacquer in Chinese style, Tsuishu Yozei XX, then only sixteen years old, succeeded to the family leadership in 1896 following the premature death of his older brother, Yozei XIX. After studying lacquer, carving, and painting under the leading masters of the day, respectively Shirayama Shosai (1853-1923), Ishikawa Komei (1852-1913), and Satake Eiko (1836-1909), Yozei XX rapidly brought a fresh vision to the art of carved lacquer, as this extraordinarily fine early masterpiece amply demonstrates. He would go on to an illustrious career, showing his work at the Bunten national exhibition and its successors eighteen times from 1927 until 1951, and would surely have been awarded the title of Living National Treasure had he still been living when the honour was introduced in 1955.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
YUASA KAGYO (MORIKAZU, 1875-1952) AND SUZUKI HYOSAKU (1874-1943) A Gold-Lacquer Suzuribako (Box for Writing Utensils) and Cover Showa era (1926-1989), early/mid-20th century Embellished in contrasting tones of gold takamaki-e, hiramaki-e with details executed in kirikane and e-nashiji, the decoration on the inrobuta (flush-fitting) lid with waves crashing against craggy rocks, the spume from the waves speckled here and there with inlaid silver studs, the design extending down the sides, the inside of the lid decorated with stylised seagulls flying in an upward diagonal formation on a sparsely sprinkled hirame and mura-nashiji ground, the inside of the box similarly lacquered with three seagulls, fitted with a removable ita (baseboard) tray containing the suzuri (ink-grinding stone), the gilt-bronze suiteki (water-dropper) in the form of a squat ewer, and two fude (writing brushes) sparsely-sprinkled with hirame , signed inside on the lower left of the ita in gold hiramaki-e Kagyo saku, with an inner wood tomobako storage box and an outer lacquered storage box, inscribed outside the lid of the inner box Ganpa maki-e on suzuribako (Box for writing utensils with maki-e rocks and waves design), signed inside the lid Shissho Hyosaku tsukuru (Made by lacquerer Hyosaku) with a seal Hyosaku for the lacquer and Kagyo with two seals, one reading Yuasa no in for the maki-e. 3.5cm x 17cm x 19cm (1 3/8in x 6 11/16in x 7½in). (11).Footnotes:For another collaboration work between the two artists, in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, where Suzuki Hyosaku applied base lacquer on a set of 12 incense boxes for 12 different lacquer decorators including Yuasa Kagyo, see searchcollection.asianart.org/objects/10017/march-willow?ctx=fa010f578d2dec83212d96c95877c522503893ca&idx=3This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
HAKUIN EKAKU (1685-1768)The Poet Hitomaro Edo period (1615-1868), mid-18th century Kakejiku (hanging scroll), ink on paper in silk mounts, depicting the poet Hitomaro, the image (except the detail of his face) made up of script elements from one of his poems, with another poem to the left (see below); with three seals: one Rinzai Shoshu, two unread; with a fitted wood tomobako storage box inscribed outside Hakuin Osho bokuseki Hitomaru zu (An Ink Painting of Hitomaru by Priest Hakuin) and inscribed inside Higashiyama Sahen daiga (Inscribed by Higashiyama Sahen). Overall: 109cm x 69.6cm (43in x 27 3/8in); image: 32.5cm x 54.5cm (12¾in x 21½in) (2).Footnotes:Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (also Hitomaru, circa 662-709), the most famous Japanese poet of the earliest period, has been depicted in art since the Heian period (794-1185) and his basic posture, seated in court robes and holding a brush, was established in 1118 by a portrait (no longer extant) that has served as the model for all subsequent depictions. Hakuin always painted the poet as amoji-e (picture made of writing) using both Chinese characters and the more flexible Japanese hiragana syllables from one of Hitomaro's most famous poems: Honobono to / Akashi no ura / no asagiri ni / shimagakureyuku / fune o shi zo omou that was memorably translated in 1919 by Arthur Waley whose English version exactly reverses the line-order of the original: My thoughts are with a boat / Which travels island-hid / In the morning-mist / Of the shore of Akashi— / Dim, dim!. The punning poem to the left, also seen in most if not all of Hakuin's Hitomaro paintings, reads: Shobo wa / kaki no moto made / kitaredomo / Akashi to ieba / koko ni hi tomaru, translated by Addiss and Seo (cited below): The destructive fire / reached / Kakinomoto— / but when we called out 'Akashi' / it stopped there. For a discussion of Hakuin's Hitomaro images, see Audrey Yoshiko Seo and Stephen Addiss, The Sound of One Hand: Paintings and Calligraphy by Zen Master Hakuin, Boston, Shambhala Publications, 2010, pp.193-197.Hakuin painted this image many times with only slight variations but there is an especially similar example in the collections of Hanazono University Historical Museum, Kyoto, see iriz.hanazono.ac.jp/k_room/k_room01e2.htmlThe storage box was inscribed by Higashiyama Sahen, better known as Takeda Mokurai (1854-1930), a highly influential Zen master who emphasized, like Hakuin, that Zen enlightenment cannot be rushed and requires years of diligent patience and discipline before the final breakthrough is achieved.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
SAKAI DOITSU (1845-1913) AND AFTER OGATA KORIN (1658-1716)Mount Horai Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th/early 20th centuryTwo outsize kakejiku (hanging scrolls), ink, colours, gold, and gofun (calcified crushed shell gesso) on silk in silk mounts, each with an almost identical view of Mount Horai (the legendary realm of the immortals supposedly located off the coast of China), with cranes, moon, pines, and crashing waves, each with signature at lower left Hokkyo Korin and seals Hoshuku and Korin, one also signed in gold paint to the left of the Korin signature Uge-an Doitsu kore o mosu (Copied by Uge-an Doitsu); with an outer lacquered box containing two fitted wood tomobako storage boxes, one inscribed outside Horai no zu Ogata Korin hitsu ippuku (A Scroll of Horai by Ogata Korin), the reverse with signature Seisei Kiitsu shi, and with a spurious certificate by Sakai Hoshuku attributing one of the scrolls to Ogata Korin, dated spring 1931, the other wood box without inscriptions. Each overall: 216cm x 90.5cm (85in x 35 5/8in); image: 133cm x 71.5cm (52 3/8in x 28 1/8in) (6).Footnotes:The background to this attractive and elaborate forgery—clearly drawing its inspiration from classic mages by Ogata Korin such as the celebrated Waves at Matsushima screen in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston or images in woodblock-printed publications such as Korin hyakuzu (100 Designs by Korin, 1815-1826)—seems to be that someone, perhaps Sakai Dōitsu himself, prepared the 'original' painting and then did a copy in order to make the original seem more authentic. To cap things off, Sakai Hoshuku prepared a spurious certificate in 1931 that perhaps reflects the fragile, even desperate, art market conditions that obtained in Japan especially after the Wall Street crash. Whatever their precise origins, the two scrolls are splendid examples of the second revival of the Rinpa style that took place in the mid-Meiji era.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
SAKAI HOSHUKU (1878-1956)Crow and Persimmon Taisho (1912-1926) or Showa (1926-1989) era, 1920s/1930sKakejiku (hanging scroll), ink and colours on silk in silk mounts, depicting a crow perched on a persimmon branch, a single fruit hanging above its head, signed and sealed Hoshuku; with a fitted wood tomobako storage box inscribed outside Hoshuku no fude Misawa shozo (Brushed by Hoshuku, Misawa Collection), dated inside 21 February 1940. Overall: 205cm x 59.1cm (81in x 23¼in); image: 119cm x 45cm (46¾inx 17¾in) (2).Footnotes:The son of Sakai Doitsu (see lot 191), Hoshuku succeeded to the family art name of Uge-an in 1913, formally becoming the fourth head of an artistic lineage founded by Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1829). This motif, with a crow and one or more persimmons, appears in several works bearing Hoitsu's signature, the great majority of them inauthentic and some of them likely painted by Hoshuku. The present version, with Hoshuku's own signature, gives the time-honoured subject a distinctly Taisho-era flavour.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TWO WOOD NETSUKE OF SHISHI (CHINESE MYTHICAL LIONS)Edo period (1615-1868), late 18th centuryThe first a parent shishi and young seated side by side and facing opposite directions, the parent with its mouth wide open to roar out, unsigned, 3.6cm x 4cm (1 7/16in x 1 9/16in); the second a solitary shishi hunched down and turning left to look behind, its tail flared up, unsigned, 4.3cm x 2.8cm (1 11/16in x 1 1/8in). (2).Footnotes:Provenance:The first: purchased from Mike Dean, January 1986.The second: purchased from Barry Davies Oriental Art, March 1993.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
ATTRIBUTED TO THE FUKUOKA ICHIMONJI SCHOOLA Juyo-ranked Wakizashi (Companion Sword) Kamakura period (1185-1333), circa 1270-80Sugata (configuration): shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, narrow parallel mihaba, small sori, chu-gissakiKitae (forging pattern): itame-hada slightly mixed with mokume-hada, distinct midare-utsuri in the jiHamon (tempering pattern): choji-midare in nioi-deki with some gunome, ashi and yo with gyaku-yakibaBoshi (tip): midare-komi on the omote, sugu on the ura, both sides with ko-maruHorimono (carving): soe-hi on both sidesNakago (tang): o-suriage, kiri-jiri with kiri-yarisume file marks and one holeHabaki (collar): two-piece, goldNagasa (length from tip to beginning of tang): 59.8cm (23 9/16in)Motohaba (width at start of tempered edge): 2.7cm (1 1/16in)Sakihaba (width before tip): 2cm (13/16in)In shirasaya (wood storage scabbard) with two silk brocade storage bagsWith certificate designating this sword as a Juyo token (Important Sword) no.8464 as issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword) on 14 April 1989. (4).Footnotes:Exhibited and Published:Nippon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai European Branch, Selected Fine Japanese Swords from European N.B.T.H.K. Collections, Solingen, Deutsches Klingenmuseum, 2002, pp.128-29.The present lot was included in a pioneering Heritage Science neutron imaging study of Japanese blades, using the Diamond Light Source at Harwell, to establish the age and composition of the blade.Martensite, the hardest state of sword steel, is not represented in nature, but is produced only by the craft of the swordsmith. Its distribution along the ha of this blade validates the antiquity of the sword, and the scientific study indicates that it was used as a weapon in the past. The distribution of martensite along the cutting edge indicates that the blade was subjected to one or more re-shaping and polishing. A copy of the aforementioned study is available on application to the Japanese Department in London.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TSUGUNAOA Juyo-ranked Bitchu-Aoe Wakizashi (Short Sword) Nanbokucho period (1336-1392), circa 1350-60Sugata (configuration): hira-zukuri with mitsu-mune, broad mihaba, sunobi, and shallow soriKitae (forging pattern): itame-hada mixed with mokume-hada and nagare-hada, hada dachi gokoro, chirimen-hada, with fine dense ji-nie, chikei, and utsuri tatsuHamon (tempering pattern): choji-midare with wide upper yakiba, yubashiri, tobiyaki, gyaku-gakari, gyaku-ashi, yo, ko-nie, kinsuji, and sunagashiBoshi (tip): midare-komi and tsukiage with togaru sakitogare, deep kaeri and strong hakikakeNakago (tang): slightly machi-okuri, ha-agari kuri-jiri with o-sujikai yasurime file marks and two holes, signed Bitchu-no-kuni no ju Tsugunao saku, Enbun [...]nen sangatsu hiHabaki (collar): two-piece, goldNagasa (length from tip to beginning of tang): 35.7cm (14 1/16in)Motohaba (width at start of tempered edge): 3cm (1 3/16in)In shirasaya (wood storage scabbard) with sayagaki by Honma Junji (Kunzan, 1904-1991) reading Bitchu-no-kuni Aoe Tsugunao Enbun nenki, hacho isshaku issun hachibu, tsuchinoto-mi shogatsu ni oite Kuga Sanbo, Kunzan shirusu with a kao, with a silk brocade storage bag and a cotton storage bagWith certificate designating this sword as a Juyo token (Important Sword) no.8527 as issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword) on 14 April 1989. (4).Footnotes:Exhibited and Published:Nippon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai European Branch, Selected Fine Japanese Swords from European N.B.T.H.K. Collections, Solingen, Deutsches Klingenmuseum, 2002, pp.166-67.The Juyo citation is unusual in stressing the quality of the deki and hataraki: 'Tsugunao, together with Tsuguyoshi and Moritsugu, is one of the representative Aoe smiths during the Nanbokucho period. This wakizashi is worked with gyaku choji midare which was Tsugunao's most favourite and skilful technique. Nie in the jiba are comparatively strong. The hataraki in the ha above the mono-uchi are especially masterful and the deki is superior.'Tsugunao was an outstanding representative of the later Nanbokucho-period Bitchu-Aoe School. During this period, Aoe smiths tended to produce blades with tight, clear ko-itame-hada, distinct from the chirimen-hada which was associated with earlier Aoe work. The hamon which until now had been confined mostly to saka-choji-midare gradually became more flamboyant and diverse in its expression. A masterful smith, Tsugunao excelled at both straight sugu-ha and spectacular choji-midare temper lines exhibited on the present example. A detailed technical and historical discussion of this important blade is available on application to the Japanese Department in London, including details of comparable swords in Japanese collections, an assessment of the possible function of this particular blade type (its use for the decapitation and display of enemy heads), a consideration of the place of Tsugunao in the broader context of the Aoe School, a history of iron technology in the Kibi region, and an account of the work of the Chu-Aoe smiths during the period of the highest refinement of their art.It is likely that this blade structure which sustains this slender mitsu-mune blade is of solid martensite, which enabled it to undergo repeated polishing over time. For more information regarding martensite with Japanese blades, please refer to the scientific study using neutron imaging mentioned in the preceding lot.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A WOOD NETSUKE OF A RECUMBENT KIRINBy Ikkan (1817-1893), Nagoya, Edo period (1615-1868) or Meiji era (1868-1912), 19th centuryLying with its head raised as it turns to the left, its tail drawn forward with its legs tucked underneath to form a compact composition, flames licking its flanks; signed in an incised oval reserve Ikkan. 3.7cm x 3.2cm (1 9/16in x 1¼in).Footnotes:Similar examples by this artist, one from the Harriet Szechenyi Collection, were sold in these Rooms, 8 November 2011, lot 50, and 4 November 2021, lot 6. Other similar examples are illustrated by George Lazarnick, Netsuke and Inro Artists and How to Read Their Signatures, Honolulu, Reed Publishers, 1982, p.508, and Bernard Hurtig, Masterpieces of Netsuke Art: One Thousand Favourites of Leading Collectors, New York and Tokyo, Weatherhill, 1980, p.45, no.103.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
YANAGAWA NAOMASA (1692-1757)An Important Set of Daisho Mitokoromono Comprising Tsuba (Hand Guards), Fuchi-Gashira (Matched Hilt Collars and Pommels), and Menuki (Matched Hilt Grips) for a Long Sword and a Short Sword Edo period (1615-1868), 18th centuryAll of shakudo nanako, chiselled in relief and inlaid in silver with two tints of gold depicting gambolling shishi (Chinese mythical lions), waterfalls, clouds, rocks, and bamboo, all components signed Yanagawa Naomasa, fitted lacquered wood outer box and wood inner box, the inner box inscribed outside Yanagawa Naomasa saku shishi zu soroikanagu (Set of sword fittings by Yanagawa Naomasa with shishi), the reverse of the lid with an attestation by Sato Kanzan (1907-1978) dated spring 1975, also accompanied by certificate no. 1091 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozonkai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword), dated 1 December 1968, designating this set as Tokubetsu Kicho Kodogu (Especially Precious Sword Mountings). The tsuba 7.8cm x 7.1cm (3 1/8in x 2¾in) and 7.3cm x 6.8cm (2 7/8in x 2 5/8in). (13).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A WOOD NETSUKE OF A RABBIT ON A BOATBy Ryukosai Jugyoku, Edo, Edo period (1615-1868), 19th centuryThe rabbit rowing the boat with an oar in its right front paw, waves licking the sides of the boat, the eyes inlaid in red coral; signed Jugyoku with a kao. 3.8cm x 2.2cm (1½in x 7/8in).Footnotes:Provenance:W. Guest Collection.W. L. Behrens Collection, no.4856.M. T. Hindson Collection.Sold at Sotheby's, London, 25 November 1968, lot 770.Published:Henri L. Joly, Legend in Japanese Art, London, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1967, p.196.Neil K. Davey, Netsuke: A Comprehensive Study Based on the M. T. Hindson Collection, London, Faber & Faber Limited and Sotheby Parke Bernet Publications, 1974, p.118, no.340.The subject of this lot is a reference to Kachi kachi yama, a folktale of a villainous tanuki and a farmer. Tricked by the tanuki to eat a soup made from his murdered wife, the farmer was aided by a friendly rabbit who was challenged by the tanuki to a boat race. The rabbit's boat was made of wood while the tanuki's was made of clay which quickly disintegrated in the lake.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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