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Click here to subscribeChina, famille rose porseleinen vaas, modern, gedecoreerd met go-spelers onder bamboe in een doorlopende tuin, met kalligrafie h. 18 cm Provenance: Particuliere collectie Chinees en Japans porselein uit het bezit van een Nederlands verzamelaarsechtpaar [1] China, famille rose porcelain vase, modern, decorated with scholars playing go underneath bamboo in a continuous garden, with calligraphy (condition: in good overall condition)
China, twee famille rose porseleinen vazen, 20e eeuw, een rechthoekig en gedecoreerd met paviljoens in een landschap en kalligrafie, de ander cilindrisch en beschilderd met pioenen, met apocrief Qianlong merk h. 12,5-14,3 cm [2] China, two famille rose porcelain vases, 20th century, one rectangular and decorated with pavilions in a landscape and calligraphy, the other of cylindrical shape and painted with peony, with apocryphal Qianlong mark (condition: in good overall condition)
Jane Gray ARCA, FMGP (b.1931)A collection of personal library reference books relating to stained glass including 'The Stained Glass of Coventry Cathedral'; 'Medieval and Renaissance Stained Glass' by Paul Williamson; 'Margaret Rope of Shrewsbury' by Arthur Rope and other works including 'The Designs of William De Morgan', 'Contemporary Calligraphy' and 'Basic Heraldry'. (qty)Jane Gray ARCA, FMGP (b.1931). Studied at the Kingston School of Art, Surrey and later worked as an assistant to the Head of Stained Glass, Lawrence Stanley Lee, at the Royal College of Art. Noted early work includes under Lee during his tenure as Chief Designer of the ten stained glass windows for the new Coventry Cathedral. This six-year-long design project culminated in their final installation in 1962 after the cathedral’s consecration. Other commissions quickly followed, including windows for St. Peter’s Church in Cumbria, St Bernadette’s and St Margaret’s at Uxbridge and many private commissions for clients. Thirty years ago, Jane moved to a cottage in Shropshire and took advantage of the additional space to set up a new workshop in Shrawardine. It was during this time that Gray created the St. Winefride and St. Benedict windows on display in the Shrewsbury Abbey, coupled with numerous other local commissions such the east window at St. Peter’s on Monkmoor Road, a memorial window in the Fitz church and a 50th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings window in St. Mary’s, Chirk.
A group of four large Chinese soapstone seals, 19th/20th century, the first with horned mythical beats and cubs finial, the base with narrative panels beside calligraphy extracts, the face reading 'seal of Smith' (史密夫印 shi mi fu yin), 16.5cm high, a square seal with dragon finial, face uncarved, 16cm high, a square seal with standing Budai finial, face uncarved, 16cm high, and a smaller oval seal with tiger and cub finial, the face with a three character mark in seal script (4)十九/二十世紀 印章一組四件All with nibbling to edges and fissures/inclusions to stone.
An assortment of 19th century and later curios to include a collection of wax seals, a turned wood intaglio stamp, a J. Hudson whistle stamped 1916, a mid century compass, an inlaid fruit knife, a Nymph Eziboss stamp press, calligraphy pens, a boxed case of The Georgian Sealing Set, a series of pewter common tokens with stamps The Free Church of Scotland 1843, F.S. 1765, Peterculter 1786 and more.
A SET OF JAPANESE PORCELAIN PLATES Decorated with a central medallion of calligraphy on a red ground and gilded scalloped rim, together with five hexagonal shaped plates with alternating panels of foliage 15.5cm diameter Condition: For a condition report or further images please email hello@hotlotz.com at least 48 hours prior to the closing date of the auction. This is an auction of preowned and antique items. Many items are of an age or nature which precludes their being in perfect condition and you should expect general wear and tear commensurate with age and use. We strongly advise you to examine items before you bid. Condition reports are provided as a goodwill gesture and are our general assessment of damage and restoration. Whilst care is taken in their drafting, they are for guidance only. We will not be held responsible for oversights concerning damage or restoration.
A CHINESE LACQUER THREE TIERED WEDDING BASKET Octagonal in form, each tier decorated with panels of gilded foliage and female and male figures pursuing various pastimes, with a rattan and calligraphy decorated handle 61cm high Condition: For a condition report or further images please email hello@hotlotz.com at least 48 hours prior to the closing date of the auction. This is an auction of preowned and antique items. Many items are of an age or nature which precludes their being in perfect condition and you should expect general wear and tear commensurate with age and use. We strongly advise you to examine items before you bid. Condition reports are provided as a goodwill gesture and are our general assessment of damage and restoration. Whilst care is taken in their drafting, they are for guidance only. We will not be held responsible for oversights concerning damage or restoration.
A CHINESE FOUR FOLD SCREEN The panels decorated in high relief, depicting immortals, cranes, koi fish, bamboo and calligraphy (some splits to the wood) 183cm x 50cm (each panel) Condition: For a condition report or further images please email hello@hotlotz.com at least 48 hours prior to the closing date of the auction. This is an auction of preowned and antique items. Many items are of an age or nature which precludes their being in perfect condition and you should expect general wear and tear commensurate with age and use. We strongly advise you to examine items before you bid. Condition reports are provided as a goodwill gesture and are our general assessment of damage and restoration. Whilst care is taken in their drafting, they are for guidance only. We will not be held responsible for oversights concerning damage or restoration.
A LARGE CHINESE INK CALLIGRAPHY PANEL With inscription and two seals to the left hand margin 62cm x 119cm Condition: For a condition report or further images please email hello@hotlotz.com at least 48 hours prior to the closing date of the auction. This is an auction of preowned and antique items. Many items are of an age or nature which precludes their being in perfect condition and you should expect general wear and tear commensurate with age and use. We strongly advise you to examine items before you bid. Condition reports are provided as a goodwill gesture and are our general assessment of damage and restoration. Whilst care is taken in their drafting, they are for guidance only. We will not be held responsible for oversights concerning damage or restoration.
A Chinese calligraphy,20th century, of a poem 'Reply to Li Shuyi' by Chairman Mao, with the signature of Qigong (1912-2005) with two artist's seals of 'Qigong' and 'Fu Guang Lüe Ying Lou', ink on paper,61 x 245cmCondition ReportCreasing and cockling throughout. Tears in various locations and with tapes to the back. Foxing and staining marks.
A Chinese calligraphy couplet, 20th century, in running script, with a dedication, signature and two artist's seals of Yu Youren (1879-1964), ink on paper,360 x 72cm (2)Condition ReportCreasing and cockling throughout. Tears in various locations, signs of repair with tapes to the back. Foxing, staining, dirt and mold marks. In poor condition.
A Chinese calligraphy,20th century, reads 'Bo Ai' (Philanthropy) in regular script, inscribed with dedication, the signature and two artist's seals of Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), ink on paper,96.5 x 172cmCondition ReportCreasing, cockling and folding marks throughout. Foxing and staining. Small tears in various locations.
A Chinese calligraphy couplet, 20th century, of a quote from Sun Yat-sen, with the signature and an artist's seal of Du Yuming (1904-1981), ink on paper,225 x 55cm (2)Condition ReportSmall tears to edges. Top and bottom of both cut off.Cockling and creasing.One with a large tear to bottom section.The other with lower left corner missing.
A Chinese calligraphy, 20th century, of the script from the Lotus Sutra in regular script, with the signature of Qigong (1912-2005) and with three artist's seals of ‘Changqing', 'Yuanbai' and 'Qi Gong zhi Yin', ink on paper,124.5 x 326.5cmCondition ReportCreasing and cockling, small tear to edges. A large tear to the right side.Minor foxing and dirt marks.
A Chinese gouache painting,20th century, painted with a mountainous landscape, inscribed with dedication, signature and an artist's seal of Huang Binhong (1865-1955), ink and colour on paper,136 x 88cm, accompanied bya calligraphy couplet, in seal script, 179 x 33cm (3)Condition ReportIn poor condition, very fragile.Tears and holes in various locations, tapes to the back, the painting with lower left corner missing. Foxing and staining marks. Creasing and cockling.
MAMLUK REVIVAL COPPER AND SILVER INLAID BRASS CASKET EGYPT OR SYRIA, 20TH CENTURY of rectangular form with a hinged sloping top lid and a front hinged lid, all sides profusely decorated with calligraphic roundels, cartouches with split palmettes and knotted calligraphy designs, all on a reserve of zig zag motifs, the sloping shoulders of the top lid decorated with a band of kufic calligraphy with leafy vines, border divisions comprising narrow bands of repeat leafy vines, the upper lid decorated on the inside with a large lobed calligraphic cartouche surrounded by trefoil motifs containing split palmettes, the interior revealing a wooden tray with nine compartments, the front cover lid decorated with elongated kufic calligraphy and further calligraphic cartouches on the inside and once opened revealing a set of seven drawers and a central arched cupboard, all decorated with split palmettes and zig zag motifsDimensions:54cm wide x 49.4cm high x 38.3cm deep
TWO WOODBLOCK PRINTS FROM THE MUSTARD SEED GARDEN PAINTING MANUAL QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY 清 《芥子園畫傳》木刻版畫（兩幅） ink and colours on paper, both depicting peonies, unframed Dimensions:27.4cm x 32.6cm; 27.5cm x 32cmProvenance:Provenance: Private English collection; formerly acquired from Galerie Zacke, 1994.Each verso with partially inscribed respective labels: 'GALERIE ZACKE alte Kunst aus Asien WIEN 1994 / Nr. 216' & 'GALERIE ZACKE alte Kunst aus Asien WIEN 1994 / Nr. 418'Note: Note: The political stability and economic prosperity in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) brought wealth, literacy, and social mobility to China's burgeoning urban population. Cities such as Nanjing and Suzhou became centres for the educated elite and wealthy merchants who fostered an avid consumption of culturally sophisticated goods, including finely printed material. In the early seventeenth century, the technique for high-quality printing in graded colours had been perfected. Some often without the use of ink outlines, enabled printers to create images that closely resembled paintings executed with a brush. This quest for technical refinement significantly impacted and inspired the development of colour printing in Japan.The two prints presented in this lot are leaves from The Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual, first compiled by Wang Gai, and published in 1679AD. The manual aimed to showcase the ‘scholarly’ painting to the townsmen of Jiangsu, Nanjing. This work is recognised by many scholars as a preeminent painting handbook. Due to its success and popularity among the literati, The Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual has been reprinted in China, Japan and Korea. Not only were classical painting compositions translated into the print medium, but contemporary artists also contributed painterly designs that served as both inspiring models and actual painting manuals.Both two prints in this lot depict peonies, the images are complemented with poems in fine calligraphy and with seals by the artist who designed them. The print with two seals is from the fourth volume of the manual. Compare the two seals in a related example, which also depicts peony sprays, dated to the Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, 1701AD, is in the British Museum, museum no. 1982,1011,0.1; The other related print with a comparable seal, dated similarly as the above, ca. 1700, is also in the British Museum, museum no. 1982,1011,0.19
AN IMPORTANT AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE IMPERIAL TIANQI AND QIANGJIN LACQUER RECTANGULAR TABLE, PINGTOU'ANChongzhen incised eight-character mark, cyclically dated to the Gengchen year, corresponding to 1640 and of the periodThe large table intricately incised and coloured in varying shades of red, green and burnt amber shading to black, all picked out with traces of gold filling the incisions, the long rectangular top with a pair of confronted sinuous five-clawed dragons riding the heavens above crashing waves, contesting a treasure vase supported on a cluster of cruciform clouds, issuing precious jewels, 'Auspicious Emblems' and Wan symbols fluctuating above a pair of flaming pearls amidst vaporous clouds, all on a dense diaper ground, the curving edge, apron, spandrels and double stretchers with further clusters of cruciform clouds, the straight legs with floral scrolls. 81.9cm (32 2/8in) high x 189.5cm (74 1/2in) wide x 47.5cm (18 1/2in) deep.Footnotes:明崇禎，一六四〇年 填漆戧金龍紋平頭案「大明崇禎庚辰年製」楷書刻款Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 19 March 2013, lot 491來源：蘇富比紐約，2013年3月19日，拍品491Impressive in size and lavishly decorated with polychrome qiangjin and tianqi lacquer designs, the present table displays a remarkable degree of labour, which together with the presence of five-clawed dragons conveying an extraordinary sense of dynamism and power, demonstrates it was made for use in the Imperial Court.It is extremely rare to find lacquer pieces with a Chongzhen reign mark and of the period. The present lot is even rarer not just for the Imperial reign mark, but the unusual combination of two imposing five-clawed dragons with Buddhist symbols. A similar depiction of dragons displaying a spotted mane, combined with elaborate Buddhist iconography such as on the present example, is on a Chongzhen-marked qiangjin lacquer Luohan bed luohanchuang 羅漢床 decorated with clouds and dragons, in the Qing Court Collection, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Shanghai, 2002, pl.8. A further rare example of Chongzhen-marked furniture pieces is an Imperial tianqi and qiangjin lacquer incense stand, illustrated by Lee Yu-kuan, Oriental Lacquer Art, Tokyo, 1972, p.323; and another tianqi and qiangjin lacquer incense stand, similarly inscribed and dated as the one mentioned above, formerly in the Kaisendo Museum, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3227. Each of these pieces is a rare extant example of the lavish Imperial setting during the late Ming period.Polychrome lacquer became popular in the late Ming dynasty, either brush painted or gold-engraved and coloured in the more onerous qianjin and tianqi technique as displayed on the present table. The qiangjin (incised lines filled with gold) technique was developed as early as the Warring Sates period. The history of tianqi however, a subtype of the caiqi technique of colour lacquering, can be traced back to as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. When combined together, the gold lines and polychrome lacquer created a rather colourful and dazzling effect. A number of furniture pieces such as tables, stools, incense stands were made during the Jiajing and Wanli periods, testifying to the Court's great interest in lacquered furniture at this time. The Ming dynasty is regarded as the zenith of Chinese furniture making. One of its main achievements was the craftsman's thorough understanding of the natural strength and weaknesses of all types of wood. Complex joinery was used to piece furniture together without the use of glue or nails. As seen from the present table, the elegant form belies its strength, complexity and tenon structure which has allowed it to survive for over four centuries. Furniture from this period closely followed earlier prototypes manufactured from as early as the Song period and forms did not change significantly for hundreds of years; see Wang Shixiang, 'Development of Furniture Design and Construction from the Song and the Ming', Chinese Furniture. Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, p.42.Recessed-leg tables were historically referred to as 'character one' tables (yi zi zhuo shi), as the single horizontal stroke of the Chinese character for the numeral 'one' (yi 一) resembles their linear form. This design appears to have derived from standard wood building construction employed from as early as the Han dynasty. This particular design with side stretchers is known from as early as the Song dynasty (960-1279), when tables with bridle and tenon joints, a continuous apron with small spandrels, and double stretchers at the sides were produced. See for instance, the two recessed-leg tables depicted in 'Country Boys Playing in Class', a painting attributed to the Song period, illustrated by Wang Shixiang, 'Development of Furniture Design and Construction from the Song to the Ming', Chinese Furniture: Selected Articles from Orientations 1984-1999, Hong Kong, 1999, p.55, pl.35. Because of their light and simple form, recessed-leg tables could be easily moved from one location to another. They were usually placed against the wall in the main hall of the family compound where important visitors were received and family ceremonies took place; hence these tables became representative of their owner's status and level of refinement and functioned as surfaces on which to display cherished antiquities, artefacts, scroll paintings, to practice calligraphy and painting, and even play the qin; see S.Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, pp.224-238.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * TP* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.TP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE PAIR OF 'PRUNUS' TIANQI LACQUER STOOLS17th/18th centuryThe distinctive top shaped as a prunus flower, one finely decorated with a pair of cranes in a lotus pond, the other with a phoenix and magpies perched amidst flowering shrubs of chrysanthemums and peonies, both incised designs on a leiwen ground and all incised with black outlines, the straight edges with continuous lotus scrolls above the recessed waist decorated with reticulated ruyi designs decorated with further lotus, the shaped apron and curving legs similarly decorated and set into the base stretchers of matching shapes. Each 50.5cm (19 5/8in) high. (2).Footnotes:十七/十八世紀 填漆梅花式花鳥紋香幾一對Provenance: Alice Boney (1901-1988), New York來源：古董商Alice Boney（1901-1988), 紐約Alice Boney was a renowned Chinese-art dealer based in New York City. In 1924 she married Jan Kleykamp and after their honeymoon tour of European cities they returned to New York with a large shipment of Tang dynasty sculptures and opened the Jan Kleykamp Gallery, the first gallery in the city to sell Chinese art. After her divorce, she made a significant name for herself in America in the burgeoning field of Chinese art appreciation and collecting, despite competing in a male-dominated business with C.T. Loo and C.F. Yau. Recognised as a preeminent authority on Chinese art, Boney earned the moniker 'Doyenne of Oriental Art Dealers.' Her clients included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Freer Gallery of Art, Mrs. William H. Morris, and President Herbert Hoover. Boney moved to Japan in 1958, where she remained for the next sixteen years. She returned to New York in 1974 and continued to deal from her Park Avenue apartment until her death in 1988.Ubiquitous in Chinese painting, poetry, ornament, and in nature, the flowering plum, the inspiration for the present lot, is uncontested as China's favourite blossom. Over the centuries it has acquired a wealth of meaningful associations, not only foretelling the welcome coming of spring but also identified with understated elegance, the fragility and transience of female beauty, and the solitary enjoyment of nature by the noble recluse, detached from worldly pursuits. The famous Song dynasty scholar Su Dongpo (1037-1101) wrote in one poem that: 'The flowering plums' bones are of jade and snow, and their souls of ice', as the plum blossom was endowed with the Confucian virtues of resilience and perseverance for blossoming in deep winter.Stands and stools such as the present pair served a variety of purposes, as contemporaneous paintings and woodblock prints illustrate. They were usually positioned in the centre of a shrine or in a room and often supported incense burners. Incense was not just used during the performance of religious rituals as it often accompanied flower appreciation and tea drinking, demonstrating the essential role incense played as part of literati aesthetics and lifestyle. Incense also purified and concentrated the mind, producing that exaltation necessary for both playing and appreciating music. Lu Yu, a Southern Song scholar, often described the pleasure of reading while burning incense, a luxury he enjoyed despite an otherwise simple lifestyle due to his modest salary as a government official. 'Listening to the Qin', attributed to Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty, depicts fragrant incense as the elegant companion to the sound of the guqin. Another Sothern Song connoisseur, Zhao Xigu, in his guidebook focusing on the scholar's elegant taste, has a chapter dedicated to the antique zither where he refers to the burning of incense whilst playing music; see S.Handler, The austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Lacquer, Hong Kong, 2001, p.225 and 297.Compare with a related 'prunus' flower tianqi and qiangjin incense stand, Kangxi, but additionally decorated with a dragon, illustrated in Ming Qing gongting jiaju daguan, vol.2, Beijing, 2006, p.637. See also a black lacquer stool and a zitan stool, both 'prunus' form, mid Qing dynasty, which are illustrated in Ming Qing gongting jiaju daguan, vol.1, Beijing, 2006, p.135, nos.116 and 117.The design of flowers and birds on the present lot, seems to be related to woodblock prints of flowers and birds, such as in the Jiezi yuan huazhuan (Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting), circa 1679, and the Shizhuzhai shuhua pu (Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting), printed between 1619 and 1633. The increasing availability of illustrated woodblock printed books helped facilitate their design on lacquer such as the present lot.A related 'prunus' qiangjin and tianqi lacquer stand, Kangxi, was sold at Sotheby's Paris, 6 July 2017, lot 55.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: † TP† VAT at the prevailing rate on Hammer Price and Buyer's Premium.TP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
AN RARE PAIR OF TIANQI 'FLOWER AND BIRD' RECTANGULAR STANDS17th centuryFinely incised and coloured in varying shades of red, green and burnt amber shading to black, the rectangular tops finely incised with a central panel enclosing a ruyi-cartouche depicting a pair of long-tailed birds amidst a shrub of blossoming peonies and chrysanthemums issuing from jagged rocks, surrounded by blooming chrysanthemums and lotus and within a border enclosing further peonies within cartouches reserved on a leiwen ground, the straight edges with scrolling foliage and flower heads, the recessed waist with openwork ruyi designs over a broad, cusped and barbed apron decorated with further flowerheads, all raised on four curling legs terminating in outward curving acanthus feet connected by rectangular stretchers. 70cm (27 1/2in) wide. (2).Footnotes:十七世紀 填漆花鳥紋長方香幾一對Compare the scrolling acanthus feet to those on a qiangjin and tianqi lacquer flower and bird kang table, 17th century, illustrated in The Creation of Natural Immensity and Grandeur: The Yang Ming Shan Fang Collection of Lacquer from Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 2020, pp.134-135, no.40. The shaped aprons are also similar to those found on a lacquer incense stand, Wanli, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (acc.no.M.2004.51).Compare also with a related elm-wood square table with traces of lacquer, 17th/18th century, of similar shape, illustrated by C.Evarts, C.L.Ma Collection: Traditional Chinese Furniture from the Greater Shanxi Region, Hong Kong, 1999, pp.188-189, no.87. See also the related acanthus-leaf feet and the reticulated cartouches on the apron of a huanghuali incense burner stand, Ming dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Imperial Furniture of Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 2007, p.303, no.331.The design of flowers and birds on the present lot, appears to be related to woodblock prints of flowers and birds, such as in the Jiezi yuan huazhuan (Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting), circa 1679, and the Shizhuzhai shuhua pu (Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting), published by Hu Zhengyan (1584-1674) and printed between 1619 and 1633. The increasing availability of illustrated woodblock printed books, including pharmaceutical literature dealing with plants and their medicinal properties helped facilitate their design on lacquer such as the present lot.The flower and bird designs closely compare with the subjects decorating the top of a related qiangjin and tianqi table, Wanli, which was sold at Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 57.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * TP* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.TP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A FINE POLYCHROME LACQUER RECTANGULAR TABLE17th century Finely incised and coloured in varying shades of red, green and burnt amber shading to black, the large rectangular top depicting a central shaped cartouche decorated with a flock of long-tailed birds hovering above a shrub issuing flowering peonies, pomegranates and magnolias, all above a large pitted rock, the straight edges decorated with geometric designs above the recessed waist defined by reticulated narrow panels, all above a cusped, shaped and barbed apron depicting a continuous scroll of blossoming lotus and peonies, the design continuing onto the four curling legs ending in upturned acanthus feet connected by rectangular stretchers. 58cm (22 3/4in) high x 95cm (37 1/2in) wide x 63cm (24 3.4in) deep. Footnotes:十七世紀 填漆花鳥紋帶托泥供桌Compare with a related red lacquer kang table, decorated with clouds, bats and wan symbols, early Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (I), Hong Kong, 2002, p.182, no.155. See also a related small brown kang table, 16th century, with an incised and coloured design of dragons on the top, illustrated by Lee Yu-kuan, Oriental Lacquer Art, New York and Tokyo, 1972, p.321. See also a huanghuali table, of similar shape, Ming dynasty, illustrated by Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture, vol.2, Hong Kong, 1990, p.64, no.B6.The design of flowers and birds on the present lot, appears to be related to woodblock prints of flowers and birds, such as in the Jiezi yuan huazhuan (Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting), circa 1679, and the Shizhuzhai shuhua pu (Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting), published by Hu Zhengyan (1584-1674) and printed between 1619 and 1633. The increasing availability of illustrated woodblock printed books, including pharmaceutical literature dealing with plants and their medicinal properties helped facilitate their design on lacquer such as the present lot.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * TP* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.TP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE BLACK AND GILT-LACQUER DECORATED GUQIN-SHAPED BOX AND COVERLate 16th/early 17th centuryThe box in the form of a Zhong Ni style guqin zither with thirteen mother-of-pearl-inlaid hui or harmonic markers, the cover at the bridge of the musical instrument, the underside with slightly raised goose-feet and peg protectors, the dragon pool sound-box inscribed in gold with a Wanli mark which is possibly of the period, the phoenix pond inscribed with the name of the instrument Yang Qi ('Raising Majesty'), Japanese wood box and cover. 23.7cm (9 1/4in) long. (4).Footnotes:十六世紀晚期/十七世紀早期 黑漆琴式香盒「大明萬曆年製」或後加、「仰岐」楷書款或後加The guqin was traditionally seen as one of the four scholarly accomplishments along with calligraphy, painting and chess. Guqin shaped paper weights and wrist-rests for scholarly pursuits are not uncommon, but boxes are more unusual. In his treatise Zhang Wu Zhi ('A Treatise on Superfluous Things'), Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645) supplies a clue to the purpose of this skilfully crafted container. In a section on what he calls book weights, he closes with the comment: 'then there are some which are hollow, in which knives and hole-punchers (sharp pointed instruments for piercing holes in book-binding) are kept.' The present lot may also have been used to keep incense.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 GILT-DECORATED BLACK LACQUER BAMBOO BRUSHPOT, BITONG17th/18th centuryThe bamboo vessel coated in a dark-brown lacquer of dark-chocolate tone and meticulously incised around the exterior with a profusion of plum blossoms issuing from gnarled trunks, bamboo and rocks, with four birds with exquisite plumage with gilt decoration, the grooved mouth rim with floral scrolls, the interior lacquered red, the base lacquered with a marbled faux bois design. 16.4cm (6 1/2in) high.Footnotes:十七/十八世紀 黑漆填金竹刻花鳥紋筆筒The present lot is replete with auspicious symbolism and wordplay. The theme of magpies (xique 喜鵲), a homophone for 'happiness' (xi 喜), on top (shang 上) of prunus branches (meishao 梅梢), which puns with 'eyebrows' (meishao 眉梢) forms a rebus for the blessing, 'May happiness reach up to your eyebrows' (喜上眉梢).The design appears to be related to woodblock prints of flowers and birds, such as the Shizhuzhai shuhua pu (Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting), published by Hu Zhengyan (1584-1674) and printed between 1619 and 1633. The increasing availability of illustrated woodblock printed books, including pharmaceutical literature dealing with plants and their medicinal properties, helped facilitate their introduction as designs on brushpots such as the present lot.The technique of incising in black lacquer can be seen on an unusual incised two-tier black and coloured lacquer cylindrical box and cover, 18th century, also decorated with birds and prunus, illustrated by M.Hughes, An Important Collection of Chinese, Korean and Ryukyuan Lacquer, New York, p.73, no.58.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
AN IMPORTANT AND VERY RARE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL AND GILT-BRONZE CIRCULAR 'CHUN' BOX AND COVERQianlongOf compressed globular form resting on a wide foot, exquisitely decorated in bright enamels on a turquoise ground, the cover with a central medallion enclosing a large Chun character centred by a medallion enclosing Shoulao and his deer below a pine tree, flanked by a pair of writhing five-clawed dragons amidst cloud scrolls and above a large quatrefoil bowl issuing rainbow coloured rays centred by the flaming pearl, Endless Knot and other Auspicious Emblems, encircled by a classic scroll border, the sides of the box and cover with eight lobed cartouches each vividly depicting different scenes with a scholar and boy engaged in various leisurely pursuits in landscape scenes filled with rockwork and lush vegetation including willow, bamboo, pine and paulownia, divided by the Babao, all reserved against floral honeycomb blue and turquoise diaper ground, with a further zigzag band and a border of continuous foliate lingzhi fungus scroll, the heads of Shoulao and the figures delicately modelled in relief as gilt-bronze appliqués, the base decorated with prunus blossoms on a 'cracked-ice' ground. 21.5cm (8 1/2in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 鎏金銅胎掐絲琺瑯「春壽」寶盒Provenance: Sir Michael Oppenheimer (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020) and Lady Helen Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022), and thence by descent來源：Michael Oppenheimer 爵士（三代從男爵，1924-2020年）與Helen Oppenheimer爵士夫人（1926-2022年）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今The collection belonged to Sir Michael and Lady Oppenheimer DD (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020). Sir Michael's maternal grandparents were Sir Robert Grenville Harvey, 2nd Baronet (1856-1931) and Lady Emily Blanche Harvey (1872-1935) of Langley Park, Buckinghamshire. The Chinese art collection can be, at least in part, traced back to Langley Park, Buckinghamshire, home to the Harvey Baronets from 1788 until 1945, as demonstrated in a pre-1945 photograph showing Lot 122, the cloisonné enamel tripod 'elephant' incense burner, Qianlong.Sir Michael Oppenheimer's paternal family was the well-known South African mining family. The baronetcy was created in 1921 for Bernard Oppenheimer, Chairman of the South African Diamond Corporation for setting up diamond sorting factories to employ wounded ex-servicemen after the First World War. The family has been involved with De Beers over many decades. Lady Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022) was a distinguished moral and philosophical theologian, with a particular interest in the ethics pertaining to personal relationships.This remarkable box and cover was previously part of a set likely numbering eight or nine boxes, of which to-date only five similar cloisonné enamel and gilt-bronze 'Chun' boxes and covers with relief gilt-bronze 'face' appliqués, Qianlong, appear to have been published. These include, in addition to the present lot, the two which were sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9 October 2007, lot 1323; one from the T.B. Kitson collection, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 21 February 1961, lot 263, and is now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (museum no.M.73.74a-b); and the fifth, from the Pierre Mercier collection, was published by Poly Art Museum, Beijing, The Exhibition of Chinese Bronze and Cloisonné Enamel Wares from the Pierre Mercier and Overseas Collections, Beijing, 2011, no.52, and was later sold at Poly Beijing, 5 December 2013, lot 7169. See also a pair of closely related but larger cloisonné and champlevé enamel and gilt-bronze Chun boxes and covers, Qianlong, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3653. The design of the God of Longevity, Shoulao, centred within a Chun ('Spring') character, appeared during the Qianlong period also on carved lacquer boxes and covers, known as Chun Shou baohe, 'Precious box of Spring and Longevity'; see one box in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated by R.Zhang, Yangxindian zaobanchu shiliao jilan-dierji Qianlong chao (Historical Materials Relating to the Imperial Workshop in Yangxing Dian: Part II Qianlong), Beijing, 2012, p.136, pl.137, and another similar box, in the Qing Court Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, p.88, pl.61. The design, however, was first introduced during the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty (1522-1566). Compare with a polychrome lacquer carved 'Chun' box, Jiajing, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2006, p.176, no.134; and see also another similar box, illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colours: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p.97, pl.87. The design of Shoulao, his deer, and the depiction of cranes are all symbolic of the wish for long life. The character Chun, Spring, is a metaphor for youth and fertility. Combined, they impart auspicious wishes to the emperor of long life and eternal youth. The cartouches alternate with the Eight Treasures (Babao), the wish-granting pearl, double lozenges, stone chime, pair of rhinoceros horns, cash, ingot, coral, and ruyi. The box and cover are decorated with eight ruyi-shaped cartouches, each enclosing a figural scene with a sage and attendant within landscape. They each represent a different renowned literatus, who was a scholar, poet or calligrapher, shown in the form of a scholar-official or sage with his attendant and in a scene depicting an attributable feature of anecdotal story unique to the person. They share the characteristic of pursuing a particular devotion, often leading a life of a recluse in preference over civic duties.In the context of the Qing Manchu Court, referencing these highly renowned Han literati on a vessel specially commissioned for the Imperial Court, exemplifies the Manchu emperors' and specifically the Qianlong emperor's intellectual ambitions and endeavours to formulate their image as learned scholars sustaining the values embodied in China's past. The Qianlong emperor wrote thousands of poems, practiced calligraphy and played the qin. He also formed one of the most important collections of art. Therefore the reference to the famous literati, the values they held and their artwork, would have held a special meaning to him. These are on the cover: 1. A scholar and attendant are shown in front of two cranes below a willow tree. Cranes are symbolic of long life. The sage depicted may be Lin Hejing also known as Lin Bu (967-1028 AD), a Northern Song dynasty renowned poet, calligrapher and scholar who lived as a recluse by the West Lake in Hangzhou. Although he was offered prestigious government positions, he refused all civic duties to pursue poetry. He is known to have loved plum blossoms and to raise cranes. It was said that the plum tree was his wife and the cranes his children. 2. A male attendant is offering a goose to a sage seated under bamboo. This scene could be identified as depicting the story of Wang Xizhi catching the goose. Wang Xizhi, regarded as the greatest Chinese calligrapher, was a writer and politician who lived during the Jin dynasty (265–420 AD), and known for his hobby of rearing geese.3. A sag... 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
DONG GAO (1740-1818)Landscapes, 1763Album of eight leaves, three ink on paper, five ink and colour on paper, each leaf inscribed by the artist and signed Dong Gao or Zhelin, each leaf with one or two artist's seals reading Dong Gao and Zhelin, the final leaf dated Qianlong Guiwei (1763). Each leaf, 27.3cm (10 3/4in) x 35.8cm (14 1/8in).Footnotes:董誥 山水 設色紙本 册頁八開Provenance: Bonhams New York, 16 March 2015, lot 8150來源：紐約邦翰斯，2015年3月16日，拍品編號8150Dong Gao 董誥 (1740-1818), courtesy name Yalun (雅倫) and Xijing (西京), style name Zhelin (蔗林), was born in Fuyang, Zhejiang Province, the eldest son of the court painter Dong Bangda (1699-1769). An accomplished scholar from an early age, Dong Gao received his Jinshi degree in 1764 (the 29th year of Qianlong reign), at the young age of 24 sui and a year after this album was painted. He served Emperors Qianlong and Jiaqing for more than four decades and held numerous illustrious posts and supervised the compilation of several Imperial histories and anthologies. The emperors also prized Dong Gao's calligraphy and paintings, many of which were included in the Palace Collection.See a set of four albums of West Lake by Dong Gao, which was sold at Christie's New York, 18 March 2009, lot 344.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
ATTRIBUTED TO QI BAISHI (1864-1957)PumpkinsHanging scroll, ink and colour on paper, inscribed and bearing signature of Baishi Laoren, with two artist's seals Qi Da, Wushier nian Bashiba. 102cm (40 1/4in) long x 33cm (13in) wide.Footnotes:傳齊白石 南瓜與蚱蜢 設色紙本 立軸Provenance: Mrs Hazel Elfwendahl (1923-2018), and thence by descent來源：Hazel Elfwendahl夫人（1923-2018）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今Hazel Elfwendahl (1923-2018) was wife of Bo Elfwendahl (1928-2004) Sweden's Vice Consul with the Royal Swedish Consulate in Hong Kong 1957-1962. During their diplomatic posting to Hong Kong, Mrs Elfwendahl took great interest and acquired during these years a deeper knowledge into Chinese art, and also an opportunity to peruse painting and calligraphy studies for the Chinese Master, Mrs Chow Leung Chen Ying. Mrs Elfwendahl's keen interest established several friendships with Hong Kong art collectors.Qi Baishi (1864-1957) is perhaps the most famous Chinese artist of the 20th century. He is noted for his whimsical, playful, and seemingly simple style of painting. Born to a peasant family from Xiangtan, Hunan, Qi became a carpenter at 14, and learned to paint by himself. When he came across the 'Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting', that sparked his interest to paint. He did not start learning painting and calligraphy until he was 27. After he turned 40, he travelled, visiting various scenic spots in China. After 1917 he settled in Beijing. Qi is known for the freshness and spontaneity that he brought to the familiar genres of birds and flowers, insects and grasses, hermit-scholars and landscapes.Compare with a similar painting of pumpkins and grasshopper, by Qi Baishi, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 8 July 2020, lot 1081.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
FOUR TSUBA (HAND GUARDS)Edo period (1615-1868), 17th to 19th centuryThe first rounded rectangular, shibuichi with chiselled calligraphy and flat inlay of gold, silver, shakudo, and copper, depicting on one side a courtesan reading a letter and on the other the text of the letter, signed Oju Tsuneyuki horu (Carved to special order by Tsuneyuki), Otsuki school, published: Aito, 123 (August 1986); the second oval with irregular hammered-up rim, iron, chiselled and inlaid with gold, silver, and shell, depicting the moon, bamboo, and flowering plum, signed indistinctly Kiju saku; the third mokko (four-lobed), shakudo with gold and copper inlay, depicting shells and waves; the fourth oval with a hammered-up rim, shibuichi with inlay of gold, silver, copper, and shell, depicting passengers on a ferry-boat by a willow, with signature Hosono Sozaemon kore o horu; all with wood storage boxes. The smallest: 6.7cm (2 5/8in) high; the largest: 7.5cm (3in) high. (8).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
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE BLUE AND WHITE '384 SHOU' BRUSHPOT, BITONGKangxi six-character mark and of the periodThe cylindrical vessel rising from a grooved foot ring, painted around the exterior of the straight walls in vibrant tones of cobalt-blue with 384 Shou ('longevity') characters in various calligraphic styles of seal script. 17cm (6 3/4in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙 青花寿字笔筒青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款Provenance: J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art, New York, 10 December 1990Exhibited: Oriental Ceramic Society, China Without Dragons, Rare Pieces from Oriental Ceramic Society Members, London, 2016, no.149Published and Illustrated: Oriental Ceramic Society, China Without Dragons, London, 2018, p.248, no.149 S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.11 (fig.6), 118-121來源：紐約古董商 J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art，1990年12月10日展覽：東方瓷器協會，《China Without Dragons, Rare Pieces from Oriental Ceramic Society Members》，倫敦，2016年，149號錄著：東方瓷器協會，《China Without Dragons, Rare Pieces from Oriental Ceramic Society Members》，倫敦，2016年，149號S.Marsh，《Brushpots: A Collector's View》，香港，2020年，頁11（插圖 6），頁118-121The present brushpot with continuous rows of 384 Shou ('longevity') characters in different forms of seal script, channelled foot ring and Imperial reign mark, is extremely rare. There is a closely related brushpot with Shou characters in underglaze copper-red, Kangxi, but supported on three short feet and with no mark on the base, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, Shanghai, 2000, p.182, no.166, where the authors note that it was made in the late Kangxi period. Another related blue and white brushpot decorated with Shou characters, Chenghua six-character mark, Kangxi, with flat and slightly recessed 'button' base, is in the Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (acc.no.2000.0081). Stylistically, the present brushpot with numerous Shou characters is also related to a large blue and white 'ten thousand Shou character' zun vase, Kangxi, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, Shanghai, 2000, pp.8-9, no.5. Another similar blue and white zun vase with Shou characters, Kangxi, is in the Nanjing Museum, and illustrated in Qing Imperial Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, Hong Kong, 1995, no.12. See also a blue and white baluster vase, Kangxi, decorated with Shou characters in various seal script, illustrated in Qing Shunzhi Kangxi chao qinghuaci, Beijing, 2005, p.436.With regards to the date of the present lot, the channelled foot ring suggests that it was made in the early Kangxi period. The channelled foot ring is a feature that appeared in the Shunzhi reign. A blue and white brushpot with channelled foot, cyclically dated to 1667, serves to demonstrate that by this year, the potters were still producing pieces with an unglazed channel foot ring. Extant pieces bearing cyclical dates show that by 1671, fully developed unglazed channel foot rings were commonly used. This channelled foot ring however, virtually disappeared by the late Kangxi reign; see T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of 17th-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.374. Therefore, it is very likely that the present brushpot was made circa 1670's. Another clue that the present lot could have been made in the 1670's, is the close stylistic relationship between the style of the Shou characters and a dictionary re-published in 1670. The characters on the present brushpot include unusual variants of the Shou character including in so-called 'tadpole' script (kedou wen 蝌蚪文) and 'birds and worms' script (niaochong wen 鳥蟲文). The characters on the brushpot appear to be based on the Jinshi yunfu (金石韻府) or 'Treasury of Ancient Characters on Bronze and Stone', an epigraphic dictionary that combines characters from earlier dictionaries and a wide range of sources. It was originally compiled by the Ming scholar Zhu Yun in 1530, but in 1670 another edition was published, from which the present lot may have been based on. The Kangxi reign ushered in a new age for epigraphy with numerous scholars and Imperially sponsored projects compiling new dictionaries; the largest among these was the 'Kangxi Dictionary' published in 1716, the most authoritative dictionary of Chinese characters from the 18th century until the 20th century. The proliferation of dictionaries reflects the Kangxi emperor's personal concern for Confucian culture and to foster the standardisation of the writing system. This paved the way for the height of the 'searching for evidence' movement (kaozheng 考證) in the Qianlong era: a rigorous new philology that sparked closer scrutiny of stone inscriptions and inscriptions on archaic bronze. The fascination for characters can be seen on a screen with Shou characters, used in the background of a painting of a lady; see 'Twelve Beauties at Leisure Painted for Prince Yinzhen', late Kangxi, illustrated in China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, pp.258-259. Scholars generally accept the large blue and white zun vases with Shou characters mentioned above, were ordered by the Kangxi Emperor for his grandmother, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's (1613-1688) 60th birthday (corresponding to 1673 in the Gregorian calendar). Furthermore, in 1674, the major kilns in Jingdezhen were razed to the ground following the chaos and suppression of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories (1673-1681). The rebuilding of the kilns was not completed until 1684. It therefore seems likely that the present lot was also made for the occasion of an Imperial birthday before 1674. Another opinion, though less likely, is that the present lot was made after 1684, for the occasion of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's 75th birthday (1687, by Chinese count), which would correspond to the period when several vessels were written and signed by Gong Yuzi (攻玉子). Gong Yuzi was apparently active for only a three year period between the 26th and 28th years of the Kangxi reign (1687-1689). According to research by Lu Chenglong, 'Jianwei zhizhu - You xin faxian de yi xiao kuai cipian tan Kangxi qinghua wanshou zun' (Recognising the Whole from one Small Part: New Discoveries from a Kangxi Blue and White Ten Thousand Shou Character Zun Vase) in Gugong bowuyuan yuankan, no.6, 2002, pp.114-123, which shows a blue and white brushpot signed by Yu Gonzi; Lu argues tenuously that Yu Gongzi possibly inscribed the calligraphy for the Shou character zun vases. See a blue and white brushpot with the 'Ode to Red Cliff', Wenzhang shandou mark, signed by Gong Yuzi, illustrated in Qing Shunzhi Kangxi chao qinghua ci, Beijing, 2005, no.213. Another blue and white brushpot signed by Gong Yuzi, decorated with Shou characters, is in a private collection in Beijing an... 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 AND LARGE FAMILLE VERTE 'MAGPIES AND PRUNUS' BRUSHPOT, BITONGKangxiThe cylindrical vessel exquisitely decorated around the exterior with angular blue and green rocks and gnarled branches issuing sprays of red, green and blue prunus with gilt stamens, a magpie rests on one branch with four others in flight, the base with small recessed circular section and maker's mark forming a wan-character in underglaze blue. 18.2cm (7 1/4in) diam.Footnotes:清康熙 素三彩花鳥紋筆筒Provenance: S. Marchant & Son, London, 13 November 2000來源：倫敦古董商 S. Marchant & Son，2000年11月13日Published and Illustrated: S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.230-231錄著：S.Marsh《Brushpots: A Collector's View》，香港，2020年，頁230-231The present lot is laden with auspicious symbolism and wordplay. The theme of magpies (xique 喜鵲), a homophone for 'happiness' (xi 喜), on top (shang 上) of prunus branches (meishao 梅梢), which puns with 'eyebrows' (meishao 眉梢) forms a rebus for the blessing, 'May happiness reach up to your eyebrows' (喜上眉梢).The decoration on the present lot is rare for its gilding, which is a most unusual feature to survive to the present day. The design also appears to be related to woodblock prints of flowers and birds, such as the Shizhuzhai shuhua pu (Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting), published by Hu Zhengyan (1584-1674) and printed between 1619 and 1633. The increasing availability of illustrated woodblock printed books, including pharmaceutical literature dealing with plants and their medicinal properties helped facilitate their design on porcelain. See for example, a blue and white brushpot, cyclically dated to 1638, with similar design of flowers and birds, and its source from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.231.Compare with a related but narrower famille verte brushpot, decorated with flowers and birds, Kangxi, illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains and Contrasting Colours, Shenzhen, 2007, p.97, no.89. Another related famille verte brushpot with lotus and kingfisher and calligraphic inscription, Kangxi, is also illustrated in ibid., no.91.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 collection of jewellery, comprising: a gold chain necklace suspending a trio of pendants set with circular-cut rock crystal, citrine and smoky quartz respectively, accented with brilliant-cut diamonds, Italian maker's mark, stamped 750; a white gold, jadeite and diamond bangle, stamped 18K; a turquoise, garnet, coral and diamond demi-parure in white gold; a cultured pearl pendant on a black rubber cord necklace; a white gold ring of bombé design set with rose-cut rock crystal; a white chalcedony and rock crystal bead bracelet; a silver chain and cultured pearl bracelet and necklace by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co., each signed Peretti, Tiffany & Co.; a large amber pendant; a large blue topaz inscribed with gilded Arabic calligraphy in a gold brooch, stamped 22K and 18K; a filigree 'Hand of Fatima' pendant centring on an enamel and diamond 'Evil Eye', on a cord necklace; three cultured pearl necklaces and two cultured pearl bracelets; three silver bangles by Yves Saint Laurent, each signed Saint Laurent; a pair of silver, peridot and diamond torque bangles; a mesh link bracelet with an Arabic calligraphy slide set with brilliant-cut diamonds; a sapphire and emerald 'HH' initial brooch; a simulant stone bee brooch by Dior, signed Christian Dior; a navette-shaped turquoise, amethyst and diamond pendant; a torque bangle set with rose-cut sapphires and single-cut diamonds; a gilt silver and cord bangle; a simulant diamond ring and a silver and coral sea urchin and starfish motif ring; a diamond pendant on a white gold pendant; a pair of silver bulldog cufflinks by Dunhill, signed Dunhill; a calibré-cut emerald and chain bracelet, one emerald deficient; a green chalcedony and onyx bracelet; an antique pair of citrine and paste earrings; a pair of carved conch shell and cultured pearl stud earrings; a cultured pearl pendant; a rose quartz pendant; an amethyst ring, a turquoise and diamond ring, and an amethyst, turquoise and diamond ring; thirteen pendant necklaces including larimar and diamond pendants; five bracelets; a spectacle-set black diamond chain necklace; a pair of heart-shaped earrings set with rose-cut diamonds; two chain necklaces, a gilt metal necklace, an enamel football pin badge, a Dior velvet and paste choker necklace; a collection of costume jewellery including matching necklace and earrings, a pair of ear clips, a brooch and a pair of simulant pearl earrings; a pair of silver filigree, green chalcedony and cultured pearl earrings; a wire work ring set with brilliant-cut diamonds; and a base metal magnetic bracelet with a green leather strap
A collection of turquoise jewels, comprising: three turquoise and diamond rings, sizes M-N1/2; a ring pavé-set with circular-cut blue gemstones, size M1/2; three pairs of turquoise and diamond earrings, post fittings, longest pair 6.4cm; a pair of gold drop earrings with Arabic calligraphy, suspending turquoise drops, post fittings, length 9.8cm; and a similar circular turquoise pendant to a gold rope twist chain, pendant length 3.6cm, chain length 50cm, chain signed Chopard, stamped 750, pendant unsigned; a turquoise and diamond pendant, length 2.1cm; and a turquoise, sapphire and diamond pendant on a belcher link chain, pendant length 3.1cm, chain length 41cm, chain stamped 750
A collection of jewels including a black diamond demi-parure, comprising: a set of three black diamond bead necklaces, longest length 87cm; and a matching pair of black diamond stud earrings inset with brilliant-cut diamonds, post fittings; a pair of gold and lapis lazuli drop earrings, hook fittings; length 4.8cm each; an onyx medallion pendant centring on a gold shou character, length 5.1cm; a gold and diamond pendant of stylised Arabic calligraphy, to a fine gold chain, pendant length 4.2cm, chain length 47cm; a pair of tubular link white gold necklaces enclosing cubic zirconias, length 42.5cm each; a turquoise and diamond bangle, mounted in gold, inner circumference 16.5cm; a gold bracelet accented with a brilliant-cut diamond heart; an aquamarine and diamond pendant on chain, chain signed Boodles; a synthetic ruby horseshoe pendant; a citrine, prasiolite, smoky quartz and diamond pendant on a phrenite bead necklace, pendant length 6.1cm; a mother of pearl and diamond medallion pendant, length 7.1cm; a mother of pearl and diamond butterfly ring; size O1/2; a pair of cultured pearl and diamond rings; each size Q; a pair of floral stud earrings set with multicoloured sapphires and brilliant-cut diamonds, post fittings, each diameter 1.5cm; a pair of simulated malachite and diamond stud earrings, post fittings, length 1.4cm each; a gold and diamond bracelet, length 18cm; a gold ring; size N; and a yellow sapphire and diamond pendant; pendant length 3.8cm, chain length 37cm, each marked 750
A group of 19th Century Chinese Calligraphy items including a ceramic Water Dropper in the form of two adjoined gourds, 3in, a pottery Brush Water Bowl, the outer brown glaze decorated seeds, 3in diam and a rectangular Horn Box with sliding lid containing a Chop with signature/seal stamp, 2 3/4in
Henry John Sylvester Stannard (1870-1951) - Framed watercolour and print: 'Playing Marbles', watercolour on paper, signed lower left, artist's name, title and medium inscribed on label verso, 70 x 45 cm; together with 'The Gift', print, artist's name and title inscribed on mounting in gilt calligraphy, both mounted, framed and glazed (2)
Group of ten framed works and one frame to include: two Chinese watercolour paintings of birds and flowers, with calligraphy and real seal lower left, 35 x 21 cm; Thatched Cottage Scene with Ducks, watercolour and stumpwork, 58 x 42 cm; abstract pastel on paper, indistinctly signed and dated 1988 lower left; Portrait of a girl (early 20th century), watercolour over photo; Biblical print with gilt detail in moulded frame (19th century); two prints of birds signed 'Marion Barclay' in print; lithograph in diamond-form frame; and others (11)
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