A BLUE AND WHITE 'THREE FRIENDS OF WINTER' BOWLKangxi six-character mark and of the periodWith deeply rounded sides rising from a short straight foot, the central well painted with blossoming prunus, pine and bamboo within a double-circle, all beneath a border of stylised ruyi-heads, the exterior with a continuous scene of birds amidst bamboo, magnolia, peony and rocks, all beneath a band of triangles. 20.3cm (8in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙 青花「歲寒三友」碗青花「大清康熙年制」楷書款Provenance: Thomas Yen collection, Hong Kong, circa 1980sAdrian M.Joseph (d.2010), 20 February 1996來源： Thomas Yen舊藏，香港，約1980年代Adrian M.Joseph（2000年去世），1996年2月20日This present lot depicts a popular design known as the 'Three Friends of Winter', which appears to have originated in the Song dynasty, but became popular on blue and white porcelain since the Yuan dynasty. See for example a blue and white bowl, mid-14th century, illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Museum, vol.2, London, 1986, p.496, fig.571. The 'Three Friends of Winter', represent the perseverance of the scholar gentleman under adversity. Each of the 'Three Friends' possesses a special quality: the pine, staying green during winter is associated with steadfastness, the bamboo, withstanding the cold winds, bending but not breaking, with flexibility, and the prunus, the first to blossom in the snow of winter, is a harbinger of spring and renewal. The ninth-century poet Zhu Qingyu referred to the 'cool beauty, cold fragrance, and spotless purity' in a poem on the prunus blossom which he joined to the noble plants of pine and bamboo, and shared the prunus's ability to withstand the hardships of winter; see M.Bickford, Ink Plum: The Making of a Chinese Scholar-Painting Genre, Cambridge, 1996, p.53.The technique of conveying the texture of furry pine needles issuing from old trunks, the essence of bursting buds on spiky branches and the languorous bending bamboo as painted on the present bowl, may have been inspired or influenced by the painting style of the late Ming dynasty artist Chen Hongshu; for further discussion see J.Hay, Kernels of Energy, Bones of Earth: The Rock in Chinese Art, New York, 1986, p.135.Compare with a related blue and white bowl of similar shape, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, but decorated with peonies in the central well, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, p.78, no.68.See also a related blue and white 'three friends' bowl, Kangxi six-character mark and period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2016, lot 3311.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 FAMILLE VERTE 'KUI XING' BRUSHPOT, BITONGKangxiThe cylindrical vessel with straight sides finely enamelled around the exterior with a continuous scene of Kui Xing holding a brush and a musical chime riding the mythical ao (fish-dragon) amidst crashing waves and rocks, his scarves billowing in the wind, along with a square dou measure, the reverse with a sixteen-character inscription and red and gilt seal reading 'Mu Shiju'. 14cm (5 1/2in) high.Footnotes:清康熙 五彩魁星點斗詩文筆筒「木石居」款Provenance: a Danish private collectionS.Marchant & Son, London, 9 May 2014Published and Illustrated: S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.242-243, fig.PB 96. 來源：丹麥私人收藏倫敦古董商S.Marchant & Son，2014年5月9日展覽著錄：S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第242-243，插圖PB 96Identified by the writing brush held in his raised hand and his iconic 'back-kick' posture, Kui Xing 魁星 ('Chief Star') is a Daoist deity worshipped to obtain academic success. It would therefore, have been extremely auspicious for a scholar to have his items decorated with this figure, to inspire him in his writing and achieve examination success. The ladle or 'dipper' (as Kui Xing is also associated with the North Star) is depicted on the present lot in the form of a square vessel. Kui Xing is often portrayed with a demonic appearance, a hideous face, a horn-like protuberance on his head, and a sinewy body. According to legend, he was once a mortal scholar with outstanding literary skills but was repeatedly failed in the civil service examinations due to his repulsive appearance. Out of frustration and humiliation, Kui Xing threw himself into a river, where he was saved by a mythical monster called an ao. He then ascended to the Big Dipper and became the stellar patron of the literati and the God of Literature. To dream of Kui Xing before an exam was considered very auspicious. The inscription reads:雲路那堪雙著腳，月殿爭看獨點頭。繡園Which could be translated as:The cloud road could not bear people who stand with two feet.People in the Moon Palace rushed to see the only person whose head was touched [by the brush of Kui Xing]. Xiu Yuan Compare with a very similar famille verte brushpot, early 18th century, in the Groninger Museum, Holland, illustrated by J.A.Jorg, Famille Verte Chinese Porcelain in Green Enamels, Lier, 2011, p.89, no.90.See also a related famille verte 'Kui Xing' brushpot, Kangxi, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2018, lot 371.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 SOFT-PASTE WHITE-GLAZED BEEHIVE-SHAPED WATERPOT, TAIBO ZUN KangxiThe domed vessel with orange-peel skin surmounted by a small waisted neck with flaring mouth rim, the sides incised with three roundels containing archaistic chilong, covered in a creamy ivory-white glaze. 12cm (4 3/4 in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙 白釉暗刻團螭紋太白尊Provenance: Professor E.T.Hall C.B.E (1924-2001)Christie's London, 7 June 2004, lot 70來源： E.T.Hall C.B.E (1924-2001)舊藏倫敦佳士得，2004年6月7日，拍品編號70Professor Edward Thomas Hall C.B.E (1924-2001) was a scientist and inventor. Educated at Eton and New College, Oxford, he became a leading expert in the development of archaeometry, radio-carbon dating and research in thermoluminescence techniques. A trustee of the National Gallery and the British Museum, he sat on the Advisory Council of the Science Museum. He was also a hot-air balloon pilot and created his own balloon. He was a regular client at Bluett's and purchased Qing Imperial monochromes. See R.Davids and D.Jellinek, Provenance, Oxford, 2011, pp.211-212. The Taibo zun vessel such as the present lot is typical of the Kangxi reign. Its name derives from the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (701-762), also known as Li Taibo who was notorious for his drinking, and is often depicted leaning against a wine jar of this form. This shape is also referred to as a jizhao zun, as it resembles a chicken coop. Waterpots of this beehive shape are more commonly found with peachbloom glazes. See for example, one peachbloom-glazed waterpot, Kangxi mark and period, in the Percival David Collection, the British Museum, illustrated by R.Scott, Qing Porcelain for the Imperial Court from the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, Singapore and London, 1997, no.60. See a similar soft-paste beehive-shaped waterpot, Kangxi, in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (acc.no.348.1994). See a related white-glazed waterpot, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, is illustrated by J.Ayers, Chinese Ceramics: The Koger Collection, p.167, pl.139, where the glaze is described as 'moon-white' and the medallions are of 'a dragon biting another creature, and a bat'. Another white-glazed beehive waterpot, Kangxi, is illustrated in The Wonders of the Potter's Palette: Qing Ceramics from the Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1984, pp.64-65, no.28.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 DOCUMENTARY BLUE AND WHITE BRUSHPOT, BITONGChongzhen, cyclically dated to the Guiwei year corresponding to 1643 and of the periodThe tall cylindrical vessel painted in vibrant tone of cobalt-blue with a fan-shaped panel containing a landscape with mountains and river, separated by two sections of calligraphy, and a large leaf, all between incised rims on the foot and mouth. 15cm (5 3/4in) high.Footnotes:明崇禎1643年 青花開光山水圖詩文筆筒Provenance: Berwald Oriental Art Ltd., London, 23 April 1999Published and Illustrated: S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.102-103.來源：倫敦古董商Berwald Oriental Art Ltd.，1999年4月23日著錄： S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第102-103頁The inscription on the present lot reads:湖上扁舟能藉我載將詩思去尋僧癸未季孟夏月吉日寫Which may be translated as:I hope to borrow a skiff on the lake and carry my poetic feelings on board, when I visit the monk.Written on an auspicious day of the first half of Summer of the Guiwei year [1643]The poem does not appear to be recorded, but is similar to one written by Ni Qian (1415-1479) in the Siku quanshu, who was sent on a diplomatic mission to Korea in 1450 and exchanged poetry with Korean scholars. The year in which this brushpot was made was a time of unrest and turmoil for the ailing Ming dynasty, which would collapse the following year in 1644. Many scholars and gentry would have indeed dreamt of becoming a monk and living in the mountains away from the troubles of the world. The decoration of the leaf may also have a subtle comment. Other dishes decorated with large leaves ostensibly praise the seasons. One blue and white saucer dish in the Butler collection, decorated with a large leaf however, makes a less subtle political comment:梧桐一叶落，天下尽皆秋Once the first leaf of the wutong tree falls, it is autumn everywhere under heavenThe decoration of leaves therefore, may have been subtle political symbols of the autumn years of the Ming dynasty. See three blue and white dishes, decorated with leaves, Shunzhi/Kangxi, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain p.287, nos.III.3.34-35, and p.392, no.III.4.34.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 SANCAI-GLAZED OPENWORK 'THREE FRIENDS OF WINTER' BRUSHPOT, BITONG KangxiExquisitely moulded in the form of a bamboo grove with gaps between each stem, issuing bamboo leaves and applied with gnarled branches of flowering prunus and pine, glazed green, brown and transparent glazes save the base revealing the biscuit body and an impressed chrysanthemum design. 12cm (4 3/4 in) high.Footnotes:清康熙 素三彩「歲寒三友」筆筒Provenance: Jeffrey P.Stamen, Weston, USA, 28 May 2003Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society, China Without Dragons: Rare Pieces from Oriental Ceramic Society Members, London, 2016, p.68, no.33. S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.222-223.來源：Jeffrey P.Stamen，美國威斯頓，2003年5月28日展覽著錄：東方陶瓷學會，《龍隱：東方陶瓷學會會員稀珍藏品展》，倫敦，2016年，第68頁，編號33S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第222-223頁The 'Three Friends of Winter' stand for the plum blossom, pine tree, and bamboo. These plants all stay green or blossom during the winter in China. As such, they were seen by the scholar-literati as embodying the virtuous qualities of resilience and strength as well as beauty. Although the three plants together were mentioned in a 9th century poem by Zhu Qingyu 朱慶餘 (c.797 -?), the term 'Three Friends of Winter' appeared in the Record of the Five Cloud Plum Cottage (五雲梅舍記), from the Clear Mountain Collection (霽山集) by the Southern Song dynasty scholar Lin Jingxi 林景熙 (1242-1310), and has been pervasive in Chinese art and literature since.A similar brushpot is illustrated by J.P.Stamen, C.Volk, and Ni Yibin, A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, Boston, 2017, p.108; which was later sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2018, lot 352. See also a pair of related turquoise bamboo-stem brushpots mounted as baskets with ormolu handles and stands, Kangxi, illustrated by J.Ayers, Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, vol.2, London, 2016, nos.1438-1439. Another related pair of turquoise-glazed bamboo-stem brushpots, Kangxi, is illustrated by R.Krahl, The Anthony de Rothschild Collection of Chinese Ceramics, vol.2, n.p, 1996, no.262.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 PAIR OF WUCAI 'TANG EMPEROR VISITS THE MOON PALACE' JARS AND COVERS, GUANShunzhiEach of elegant baluster shape, decorated around the exteriors in vibrant enamels with continuous scenes of noble ladies, attendants, musicians and noblemen in palatial settings with balustrades and gnarled pine trees amidst wispy clouds, Chang E carrying a hare, all beneath bands of flowers on the shoulders, the slightly domed cylindrical covers decorated with three boys playing in a rocky fenced garden, the sides with further rocks and floral sprays. 33.5cm (13 1/4in) high. (4).Footnotes:清順治 五彩「唐明皇夜遊月宮圖」蓋罐一對Provenance: Elizabeth Crompton, 1830 (old label)S.Marchant & Son, London, 1 November 2008來源：Elizabeth Crompton，1830年（據老籤）倫敦古董商S.Marchant & Son，2008年11月1日The scenes on the present lot are from the popular drama 'The Tang Emperor Visits the Moon Palace' based on the Tang poem by Bai Juyi (772-846), 'Song of Eternal regret'. The Tang Emperor Minghuang (685-762) was infatuated by his concubine Yang Guifei (719-756), so much so that affairs of state were being neglected leading to the An Lushan rebellion of 755. The Emperor and his concubine were forced to flee the capital, but on the road, the Emperor's own bodyguard, blaming her for the rebellion, forced the Emperor to order her suicide:君王掩面救不得，回看血淚相和流。His Majesty covered his face, for he could not save her. Looking back, he saw a stream of blood and tears mixing togetherThe Emperor grieved for a long time afterwards until a Daoist priest felt pity for the Emperor and decided to use his powers to search for the spirit of Yang Guifei. In the 17th century drama, The Emperor and Concubine are reunited in Chang E's moon palace, underscored in the present lot by the presence of the hare, which pounds the elixir of Immortality on the moon.See a wucai vase, circa 1650-1660, with similar decoration, illustrated by M.Butler et al, Shunzhi Porcelain: Treasures from an Unknown Reign, Alexandria, 2002, p.207. The story is also recounted by J.B.Curtis, Chinese Porcelains of the Seventeenth Century: Landscapes, Scholars' Motifs and Narratives, New York, 1995, p.112. Compare also with a related wucai jar, 1645-1660, illustrated by C.J.A.Jorg, Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: The Ming and Qing Dynasties, London, 1997, p.84, no.75. See also a related pair of wucai jars and covers, 1650-1670, in the Royal Collection Trust (acc.no.RCIN 35286).See also one wucai jar and cover, Shunzhi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 3 November 2022, lot 23.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 BLUE AND WHITE 'ODE TO THE RED CLIFFS' SQUARE VASEJiajing six-character mark, KangxiRobustly potted with four tapering sides surmounted by a waisted cylindrical neck with flaring mouth-rim, the body painted in bold tones of cobalt-blue with two scenes of a boat beside cliffs, the moon reflected in the water, two sides with calligraphy. 54cm (21 1/4in) high. Footnotes:清康熙 青花「赤壁賦」方棒槌瓶青花「大明嘉靖年製」楷書款Provenance: Robert McPherson Ltd., London, 11 July 2006來源： 倫敦古董商Robert McPherson Ltd.，2006年7月11日When the Song dynasty literatus Su Dongpo (1037-1101) was first sent to Huangzhou in exile for opposing reformist policies at court, he passed by the supposed site of the naval battle of the Red Cliffs (208 AD) during the Three Kingdoms period. It was here, purportedly, that that the powerful northern warlord Cao Cao was defeated by Liu Bei, virtuous scion of the Han dynasty, who dreamt of reuniting China but ultimately failed. Su wrote the two poems on the Red Cliffs commemorating the valour and bravery of the historical heroes that fought in the battle long past, while also voicing his own sense of nostalgia, loss and receding into the pages of history. His poems have since entered into the Chinese literary canon and are a continuously popular motif for artists and poets; see R.Egan, Word, Image, and Deed in the Life of Su Shi, Cambridge MA, 1994, pp.221-228.A similar blue and white 'Red Cliff' square vase, Kangxi, is in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares, Hong Kong, 1998, pp.42-43, pl.31; another very similar blue and white vase, is illustrated by J.B.Curtis, Chinese Porcelains of the Seventeenth Century: Landscapes, Scholars' Motifs and Narratives, New York, 1995, p.84, no.26. Compare also with a similar blue and white square vase with landscapes and poems, Kangxi, illustrated in Seventeenth Century Jingdezhen Porcelain from the Shanghai Museum and the Butler Collections: Beauty's Enchantment, Shanghai, 2005, pp.276-277. Another very similar square blue and vase, with the same decoration, Kangxi mark and period, is in the Carnegie Museum of Art (acc.no.73.48.82).Compare with a related blue and white 'Romance of the Western Chamber' square vase, Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 3 November 2022, lot 24.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 DOUCAI PEAR-SHAPED 'KUI XING' VASEShi jin tang zhi four-character mark, ShunzhiFinely potted with pear-shaped body rising from a short foot to wide cylindrical neck, expertly painted and enamelled around the exterior with Kui Xing riding the back of the mythical ao or dragon-fish, his right arm raised holding a brush, the left clasping an ingot, clad in a loincloth and billowing scarves beside the North Star, the reverse with a poetic inscription and seal, all beneath the mouth rim with a band of triangles. 22cm (8 1/2in) high.Footnotes:清順治 鬥彩魁星點斗膽瓶青花「世錦堂製」楷書款Provenance: S.Marchant & Son, London, 23 July 2008Published and Illustrated: S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, p.205.來源：S.Marchant & Son，倫敦，2008年7月23日著錄：S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第205頁The four-character underglaze blue mark which reads: 世錦堂製 which may be translated as: 'Hall of Continuous Prosperity through Generations'. The couplet on the present lot reads: 北極之象，太陰之精。鍾英毓秀，翼我文明。Which may be translated as:The phenomenon of the Pole Star is the essence of the Great Yin, Concentrate the talents, nurture the refined, advance the brilliance of our culture.The references to talent and distinguished cultural environments are entirely in keeping with the decoration of the present vase. Identified by the writing brush held in his raised hand and his iconic 'back-kick' posture, Kui Xing 魁星 ('Chief Star') was a Daoist deity worshipped to obtain academic success. It would therefore, have been extremely auspicious for a scholar to own a vase decorated with him on it to inspire him in his writing and achieve examination success.The Chinese character Kui (魁) is composed of the ideograph for 'demon' (鬼) and the ideograph for 'ladle' (斗). The ladle or 'dipper' (as Kui Xing is also associated with the North Star) is depicted on the present lot in the form of a square vessel. Kui Xing is portrayed with a demonic appearance, a horn-like protuberance on his head, and a sinewy body. According to legend, he was once a mortal scholar with outstanding literary skills but was repeatedly failed in the Civil Service examinations due to his repulsive appearance. Out of frustration and humiliation, Kui Xing threw himself into a river, where he was saved by a mythical monster called an ao. He then ascended to the Big Dipper and became the stellar patron of the literati and the God of Literature.Dreaming of Kui Xing the night before the exams was considered an auspicious sign and the candidate who obtained the highest results, known as the First Scholar (zhuangyuan), would walk first on a staircase decorated with the ao mythical beast. Representations of Kui Xing and ao are thus a symbol of literary success and highest achievement at the Imperial examinations.Compare with a related pair of underglaze blue and polychrome enamel pear-shaped bottle-vases, with the same shi jin tang zhi mark, Shunzhi, but decorated with other Daoist deities, in the Butler Family Collection, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.334.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 AND IMPORTANT INSCRIBED BLUE AND WHITE AND COPPER-RED 'VIRTUOUS OFFICIALS' BRUSHPOT, BITONGKangxi six-character mark and of the periodExpertly potted of cylindrical form with straight sides inscribed around the exterior in kaishu calligraphy with the prose-poem 'The Wise Emperor has Worthy Officials', a seal in underglaze copper-red reading Xi chao chuan gu, 'antique to be handed down from our glorious dynasty', the small recessed base with the mark in underglaze blue. 19.1cm (7 1/2in) diam.Footnotes:清康熙 青花釉裡紅「聖主得賢臣頌」筆筒青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 30 April 1996, lot 457Published and Illustrated: S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.126-127. 來源：香港蘇富比，1996年4月30日，拍品編號457著錄：S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第126-127頁The poem on the present lot is 'The Wise Emperor has Worthy Officials' (聖主得賢臣頌) by the Western Han dynasty poet Wang Bao (王褒, 84-53 BC) for the Han Emperor Xuan (74-48 BC). The Han dynasty under Emperor Xuan prospered economically and militarily to become a regional superpower. Emperor Xuan was considered a diligent and brilliant ruler by historians. Unusually, despite his noble birth as a prince, because his grandfather was framed for witchcraft against Emperor Wu and committed suicide after being forced into a failed uprising, the young Emperor Xuan survived the tumult and lived as a commoner after an amnesty from Emperor Wu in 87 BC. His understanding of life as a commoner made him more sympathetic and humane as a ruler, and he lowered taxes, and employed many capable officials. Wang Bao's prose-poem on the present brushpot, therefore, was not just the usual flattery offered to Royalty, but genuine praise. Some sections can be translated as follows:賢人君子，亦聖王之所以易海內也。是以嘔喻受之，開寬裕之路，以延天下之英俊也。夫竭智附賢者，必建仁策；索人求士者，必樹伯跡... 由此觀之，君人者勤於求賢而逸於得人。Sage and gentlemen are also a sharp tool for a wise emperor to govern the country. Therefore, to accept talented people with an open mind would only aid in the country's best interest. Knowing this truth, you should establish a strategy for recruiting talents. Recruiting talents from all over the country is a necessary procedure for becoming a hegemon... As a king, only by making painstaking visits to talents in advance can he enjoy the long-term peace and stability brought by talents.故世平主聖，俊乂將自至，若堯舜禹湯文武之君，獲稷契皋陶伊尹呂望之臣，明明在朝，穆穆列布，聚精會神，相得益章。When the world is peaceful and the emperor is sage, talented people will show up. Just like 'Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu' and 'Ji, Qi, Gaotao, Yiyin, and Lu Wang', the names of sage emperors and loyal ministers throughout the dynasties are too many to count. There is a diligent king above, and respectful ministers below. They work together and bring out the best in each other.故聖主必待賢臣而弘功業，俊士亦俟明主以顯其德。上下俱欲，懽然交欣，千載一會，論說無疑。Therefore, a wise ruler must rely on the help of virtuous ministers to expand his achievements, and the talents must rely on the appreciation of their wise master to fully unleash his potentials and virtues. Harmony between monarchs and ministers is rare in a thousand years. They trust each other and appreciate each other, like a feather following the wind, like a fish in water, how can it be possible to not let it happen? This harmonious ruling style will surely bring auspiciousness and far-reaching influence to all over the country, benefiting the people with its boundless effect.The Kangxi Emperor clearly thus wanted to link his reign - which began shakily with the Revolt of the Three Feudatories (1673-1681) - with invoking the glorious Han dynasty and the reign of the Emperor Xuan. This is significant because the Han dynasty, which lends its name to the Han Chinese ethnic group, was also a time of stability and prosperity giving rise to Han rhapsodies and grandiloquent prose-poems praising the emperors. The Kangxi Emperor, a Manchu, aware of his perceived 'foreignness', needed to show himself as the custodian of Han culture and civilisation and thus win over scholars and gentry still reluctant to support the Qing dynasty. There were scholars such as Zhang Dai who still looked back longingly to the Ming dynasty as late as 1684. The present lot therefore, with a Han prose-poem, not only exhibits the erudition of the Kangxi Emperor, but his role as custodian of Han civilisation, and his appreciation of Confucian scholars whom he needed to help administer the empire justly. In 1682, during his second pageantry tour to Manchuria, to make offerings to his ancestral tombs, the Kangxi Emperor often stressed his desire to search for talented officials:朕禦極以來，恆念山林藪澤必有隱伏沉淪之士，屢詔徵求，多方甄錄，用期野無遺佚，庶愜愛育人材之意Regarding the concealed and dejected scholars who must be hiding in forested mountains or marshes in the realm. Repeatedly I have issued edicts to recruit them, enlisting their services from all directions, with the intention that no talent will be left unappreciated in the fields.Written after the rebellion of the Three Feudatories (1673-1681) which was the last substantive threat to Manchu Qing rule, the Kangxi Emperor's reiteration of his daily intimacy with 'literature and ink' (俾日親文墨) and appeal to hidden talent in the marshes is a victor's gesture of benevolent reconciliation.See a very similar blue and white and copper-red brushpot, Kangxi, with the same inscription, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, p.207. Another very similar brushpot with the same inscription, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, in the Shanghai Museum, is illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, no.19. Another blue and white and copper-red brushpot with the same inscription, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, is illustrated in A Loan Exhibition of Chinese Art of the Early Periods, Singapore Art Society, British Council Centre, Singapore, 1953, no.94. Another very similar blue and white and copper-red brushpot, with the same inscription, Kangxi mark, was donated by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks (1826-1897) to the British Museum, London (acc.no.Franks.146). Another very similar blue and white and copper red brushpot, with the same poem, Kangxi mark and of the period, is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Ceramics Gallery of the Palace Museum, Taipei, 2009, p.325, no.306. Compare also with a related blue and white brushpot inscribed with a different inscription, Kangxi, dated 1684, in the Art Gallery of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, illustrated in Qing Imperial Porcelain: of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, Hong Kong, 1995, no.14.A similar underglaze blue and copper-red brushpot with the same poem, Kangxi six-character mark and period, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 November 1982, lot 170, and again in the same Rooms, from the collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee, on 3 October 2018, lot 141.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 SUPERB AND LAGRE BLUE AND WHITE 'BIRDS' BRUSHPOT, BITONGShunzhiSturdily potted, the large cylindrical vessel exquisitely painted in vibrant tones of cobalt-blue around the exterior with a continuous scene of three quails on a large rock issuing chrysanthemums and bamboo, together with other birds and butterflies, a pheasant amidst a gnarled rock issuing peonies and orchids, all between incised borders at the foot and mouth. 26.7cm (10 1/2in) high. Footnotes:清順治 青花花鳥紋筆筒Provenance: Christie's London, 11 November 1985, lot 134Anthony du Boulay (1929-2022)Bonhams London, 10 November 2003, lot 18Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: M.Butler et al, Shunzhi Porcelain: Treasures of an Unknown Reign, Alexandra, Virginia, 2002, p.95.The London Asian Art Fair, Porcelain for Emperors, London, 2003, no.27S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.96-97.來源：倫敦佳士得，1985年11月11日，拍品編號134Anthony du Boulay (1929-2022)倫敦邦瀚斯，2003年11月10日，拍品編號18展覽著錄：M.Butler等，《Shunzhi Porcelain: Treasures of an Unknown Reign》，亞歷山大，維吉尼亞州，2002年，第95頁伦敦亚洲艺术博览会，《Porcelain for Emperors》，伦敦，2003年，编号27S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第96-97頁The decoration on the scroll pot is laden with auspicious symbolism. The quail (an 鵪), is a homophone for peace (an 安), while chrysanthemum (ju 菊) is a homophone for 'dwelling' (ju 居), thus together they form a rebus for 'may you dwell in peace'. The quail was also considered an emblem of courage because of its pugnacious character. Furthermore, the golden pheasant decorated the rank badge of officials of the second rank, and was thus known as a symbol of literary ability and high office. The peonies too are known as flowers of 'wealth and honour' (fugui hua 富貴花). It could be that the depiction of numerous birds and phoenix embodies the popular and auspicious design of the 'Hundred Birds Paying Tribute to the Phoenix'. According to Chinese legend, the phoenix is the King of all feathered creatures, appearing only in times of prosperity and peace. Not only was this auspicious for couples, but also for a time of political instability between the Ming and Qing dynasties, as the newly installed Manchu Emperor Shunzhi would have strongly desired political obedience. Or likewise, birds could also be used by secret Ming loyalists to express their loyalty to the toppled Ming dynasty, such as in the paintings of Bada Shanren (1626-1705), whose similarly large-eyed birds expressed anger and sorrow. See Hui-Shu Lee, 'The Fish Leaves of the Anwan Album: Bada Shanren's Journeys to a Landscape of the Past', Ars Orientalis, vol.20, 1990, pp.69-85. Perhaps the quail on the present lot, about to attack an insect, is a comment on the strife at the time.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 CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER 'LANÇA' STEM BOWLQianlong Expertly carved around the steep flaring exterior sides with eight lança letters enclosed within undulating lotus stems issuing stylised blossoms and acanthus leaves, the underside with a frieze of tightly-bound lotus lappets, all raised on a tall spreading stem decorated with a band of half-flowerheads and a raised rib above pendent interlinked tassels issuing from ruyi-heads. 15cm (5 3/4in) diam. Footnotes:清乾隆 剔紅梵文纏枝蓮紋銅裡碗Provenance: Heliot collection, Paris (label)Adrian M.Joseph, 1985來源：巴黎Heliot舊藏（標籤）Adrian M.Joseph，1985年Laurent Heliot (1848-1909) and his son Gaston Heliot (1879-1936) were important dealers in Chinese and Asian art based in Paris, first in 62 rue de Clichy and later 34 rue de Berlin. The present stem cup is inspired by Tibetan butter lamps or chang ming deng. The Qing emperors publicly supported Tibetan Buddhism which brought both political and (to varying extents) personal benefits, by ensuring solidarity with Mongolian and Tibetan allies and providing personal spiritual guidance. The Qianlong Emperor was particularly dedicated to the practice of Tibetan Buddhism and this is reflected in the many decorative arts produced for the Court and as Imperial gifts during his reign. Compare with a similar carved cinnabar lacquer stem cup, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, in the Linden Museum, Stuttgart, illustrated in Im Zeichen Des Drachen von der Schönheit Chinesischer Lacke, Munich, 2006, pl.86. Another cinnabar lacquer stem bowl, Qianlong, is in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Carved Lacquerware in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1985, pl.338.Such cups were also made for the Imperial Court in other materials, such as cloisonné enamel and blue and white as can be seen in Lots 37 and 38 in this sale. See a blue and white example, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, illustrated in Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, Tokyo, 1981, pl.13. For a cloisonné enamel stem cup, Qianlong mark and of the period, see Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 2 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl.280.See a similar cinnabar lacquer stem cup, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 June 2017, lot 662.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 BLUE AND WHITE 'SPRING EVENING BANQUET' BRUSHPOT, BITONGJiajing six-character mark, KangxiThe cylindrical vessel with slightly waisted sides painted around the exterior in vibrant tones of cobalt-blue with a continuous scene of an elegant gathering of scholars, the moon and stars in the sky and the lanterns in the trees indicating it is night, a servant pours wine from an ewer to a scholar at a desk with paper and brushes, another scholar at the same desk pushes a cup towards a seated gentleman, another with cup in hand has let his robes fall to reveal his bare back, all within a balustraded garden setting with gnarled rocks and trees, across the wall more scholars read from books, while one sits on a mat in the centre with a fan, the recessed base with the six-character mark. 18.6cm (7 1/4in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙 青花「春夜宴桃李園」筆筒青花「大明嘉靖年製」楷書款Provenance: Marchant & Son, London, 21 November 1997Professor D.R.Laurence (1922-2019)Marchant & Son, London, 4 November 2010Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: S.Marchant & Son, Selected Chinese Porcelain from the Collection of D.R.Laurence, London, 2010, p.32, no.18.S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, p.136.來源：Marchant & Son Ltd.，1997年11月21日D.R.Laurence教授 (1922-2019年)倫敦古董商Marchant & Son Ltd.，2010年11月4日展覽著錄：S.Marchant & Son，《Selected Chinese Porcelain from the Collection of D.R.Laurence》，倫敦，2010年，第32頁，編號18S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第136頁Desmond R. Laurence (1922-2019) was Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology and Therepeutics at University College London, and co-author of nine editions over 40 years of a highly successful medical textbook. He also compiled Chinese Porcelains: 25 Years of Unscholarly Collection. He first became interested in Asian ceramics in 1947-1948 during his military service in Japan as a medical specialist in the Royal New Zealand Army medical Corps: see R.Davids and D.Jellinek, Provenance, Oxford, 2011, p.289.Congregations of scholarly and cultivated friends, known as 'elegant gatherings' (yaji 雅集) were an important form of social interaction in traditional China. These gatherings were held for various reasons and could be either large or small. The host and guests not only enjoyed fine food and drink, but also took part in other refined activities such as reciting poetry, performing on the guqin, playing weiqi, viewing paintings and calligraphy, and enjoying tea. These parties offered opportunities for inspiration and friendly competition.Numerous elegant gatherings became immortalised in cultural memory and works of art such as the 'Orchid Pavilion Preface' by Wang Xizhi (303-361), 'Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden' (circa 11th century), with guests such as Su Shi (1037-1101) and Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), which probably never happened, but which still fed peoples' imaginations. Gu Ying (1310-1369) held as many as thirty elegant gatherings which became known collectively as the 'Elegant Gathering at Jade Mountain'. The elegant gathering thus sometimes was not necessarily a real one-time historical event, but an imagined gathering of all the great scholars and artists of a particular period. Another such example, often seen on brushpots, is the 'Eighteen Scholars of the Tang Dynasty'. See for example a similar blue and white brushpot, Kangxi, depicting the 'Eighteen Scholars', illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pp.70-71, pl.46.The present lot has a very similar scene to a blue and white brushpot which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 21 April 2023, lot 604. The said brushpot has a poem by Li Bai (701-762), Chunye yan tao liyuan xu 春夜宴桃李園序 (Preface to the Spring Evening Banquet at the Peach and Pear Blossom Garden). It is therefore very likely that the present brushpot is also depicting the Spring Evening Banquet, which is confirmed by the moon and stars decorated on it. The poem was composed around 733, and begins with a rumination on the transience of life while describing Li Bai drinking and composing poems during a spring evening with friends, the fragrance of peach blossoms hanging in the air, and concludes with a drinking punishment for those who fail to compose a poem.See a related blue and white brushpot of slightly waisted cylindrical form but with the same scene, Kangxi, illustrated by Chen Runmin, Gugong bowuyuan cang Qingdai ciqi leixuan, Qing Shunzhi Kangxi chao qinghuaci, vol.1, Beijing, 2004, pl.211.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 BLUE AND WHITE AND COPPER-RED 'HUANSHA JI' SAUCER DISHChenghua six-character mark, KangxiFinely painted with a single lady clad in long flowing robes, the skirt with cloud-pattern in copper-red, her long sleeves and scarves trailing in the air, with high chignon bun above serene face gazing at a calligraphic inscription to the left with leaf and seal reading Mu shi ju, all supported on a channelled foot ring. 35.5cm (14in) diam.Footnotes:清康熙 青花釉裡紅「浣紗記」仕女圖盤青花「大明成化年製」楷書款 及「木石居」款Provenance: Robert McPherson Ltd., London來源：倫敦古董商Robert McPherson Ltd.The inscription reads:香馥馥風開繡裙香馥馥風開繡裙Which may be translated as:Fragrant aroma in the breeze that blows the embroidered skirt;Fragrant aroma in the breeze that blows the embroidered skirtIt is somewhat unusual that a poetic inscription includes a repeated line. Together with the dancing lady, the repeated line acts as a chorus. Indeed, many of those looking at the dish at the time would have known instantly the story and the music associated with the drama from which the lines are taken: Huansha ji (浣紗記) or 'Laundering the Silken Yarn'.Written by Liang Chenyu 梁辰魚 (b.1520), the play narrates the story of the femme fatale Xishi during the Warring States period (475-221 BC). The ancient state of Yue was defeated by Wu. Xishi, a legendary beauty, was laundering silken yarn in a stream, when she was taken to be presented to the victorious King of Wu, Fuchai as a ploy to distract him from affairs of state. The ploy succeeded with the King of Wu killing his best advisor Wu Zixu, for counselling against Xishi. The strength of Wu thus dwindled until Yue rose again and defeated King Fuchai, forcing him to commit suicide.For a related example of a blue and white dish with a lady, Kangxi, see M.Butler, M.Medley and S.Little, Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain from the Butler Family Collection, Alexandria, 1990, p.167, no.113; another related blue and white dish with a lady, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Qing Shunzhi Kangxi Chao Qinghuaci, Beijing, 2005, p.123, no.61. See also a related blue and white dish, Kangxi, illustrated by H.Garner, Oriental Blue and White, London, 1970, p.46, pl.D.Compare with a related blue and white and copper-red dish with a lady and child, Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 3 November 2022, lot 9.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 AND COPPER-RED BRUSHPOT, BITONGKangxiThe tall cylindrical vessel rising from a slightly channelled foot ring, painted around the exterior in cobalt-blue and underglaze red with a continuous scene of mountains with hemp-fibre brush strokes beside water, dotted with pavilions and trees, a man seeing off a boat, all between a border of pine needles beneath the mouth rim, and 'dots' on the foot. 14cm (5 1/2in) high.Footnotes:清康熙 青花釉裡紅山水筆筒Provenance: Adrian M.Joseph (d.2010), 20 February 1996Published and Illustrated: S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.122-123來源：Adrian M. Joseph（2010年去世），1996年2月20日著錄：S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第122-123頁The hemp-fibre brush strokes on the present lot are reminiscent of the so-called 'Master of the Rocks' style, which was in turn inspired by the painting style of Dong Qichang (1555-1636). See a related but larger blue and white brushpot, decorated with a mountain landscape scene between borders in imitation of a Chinese painted handscroll, Kangxi, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.404, fig.III.4.51a,b. A related 'Master of the Rocks' landscape brushpot, with a hatched chevron border at the foot, is illustrated by Chen Runmin, Qing Shunzhi Kangxi Chao Qinghuaci, Beijing, 2005, no.204. It is very unusual to find blue and white brushpots in this style with added highlights of underglaze copper-red, however one example with an unglazed grooved foot, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated by Chen Runmin, ibid., Beijing, 2005, no.222.See a related but larger blue and white and copper-red brushpot, early Kangxi, with similar landscape decoration, which was sold at Bonhams London, 6 November 2014, lot 230.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 AND COPPER-RED 'FLORAL' SAUCER DISHEarly KangxiFinely potted rising from a channelled foot to a slightly everted rim, the cavetto and rim glazed with a lustrous powder-blue enclosing a mallow-shaped panel in the centre enclosing a floral spray with peonies, camellias, and magnolia issuing from gnarled rockwork, the reverse with sprigs of bamboo. 35cm (13 3/4in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙早期 青花釉裡紅花卉紋盤Provenance: Berwald Oriental Art Ltd., London, 20 July 1995來源：倫敦古董商 Berwald Oriental Art Ltd.，1995年7月20日Compare with a similar blue and white and copper-red dish, Kangxi, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc.no.C.6-1942). See also a pair of dishes decorated in underglaze blue and red and powder blue, Kangxi six-character marks and of the period, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping The Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.471. Another related powder blue and underglaze blue dish with a design of flowers in the centre, Kangxi, is illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, p.92, no.62. Another related powder-blue and underglaze blue and copper red dish, Kangxi, from the collection of Ernest Grandidier is in the Musée Guimet, Paris (acc.no.G2478).Compare with two related powder-blue-ground floral dishes, Kangxi, which were illustrated by J.P.Stamen and C.Volk with Yibin Ni, A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, Bruges, 2017, pl.42; which was later sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2018, lot 304.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 AND COPPER-RED 'MASTER OF THE ROCKS' SAUCER DISHEarly KangxiPotted with deep rounded sides rising to a slightly everted rim, supported on a channelled foot, meticulously painted in vibrant tones of cobalt-blue with a rocky cliff on the left leading to a hut and gnarled wutong trees issuing copper-red leaves, the mountain range painted with characteristic 'hemp-fibre' strokes, curling around the lake, interspersed with mist executed with 'dots'. 33cm (13in) diam.Footnotes:清康熙早期 青花釉裡紅山水圖盤Provenance: Berwald Oriental Art Ltd., London來源：倫敦古董商Berwald Oriental Art Ltd.The present dish is decorated with a landscape in the so-called 'Master of the Rocks' style. This style, which seems to have developed towards the mid-17th century in the final years of the Ming dynasty, continued to be popular in the early years of the Kangxi reign, with very few examples being made as late as the turn of the century. The 'Master of the Rocks' style was by no means limited to the brush of a single artist, and appears in a number of versions on porcelains from about 1640 to 1700. It was used on porcelains decorated in underglaze cobalt blue and also those decorated in underglaze blue and copper red, such as the present lot. There are even very rare examples where the style has been combined with famille verte enamels. The style itself is characterised by the use of 'hemp-fibre' strokes to produce rocky landscapes full of movement and drama, often combined with the use of fluid dots to depict scrub and foliage.This development in porcelain painting reflected elements seen in the landscape painting of certain artists working on silk and paper. The use of 'hemp-fibre' brush strokes can be seen in the work of the famous late Ming dynasty literatus Dong Qichang (1555-1636), for example in his hanging scroll 'Autumn Landscape' in the Nü Wa Chai Collection illustrated by J.Cahill, Chinese Painting, Lausanne, n.d., p.150. The dramatic, almost writhing, rock forms as well as the 'hemp-fibre' brush strokes can also be seen in paintings such as 'Returning Home from Gathering Fungus' painted in 1628 by Wang Jianzhang (active 1628-1644), illustrated by S.Little, Chinese Porcelains of the Seventeenth Century: Landscapes, Scholars' Motifs and Narratives, New York, 1995, p.36, fig.2.The influence of such paintings on the porcelain decorators at Jingdezhen was not necessarily direct. This style of painting was not only well-regarded, it also lent itself to translation into woodblock printing, and it is quite possible that it was through this medium that aspects of style, such as 'hemp-fibre' strokes were transmitted to the ceramic artists of Jingdezhen. See for example the 'hemp-fibre' brush stroke mountain landscape in the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting, circa 1679, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.404.For a blue and white brushpot with this 'Master of the Rocks' style landscape dish, Kangxi, see ibid., pp.406-417.Compare also with a blue and white 'Master of the Rocks' dish, Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 6 November 2014, lot 111.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 SMALL FAMILLE VERTE 'CHILONG' BOWLKangxiFinely potted with rounded sides, the well slightly domed and decorated with a writhing chilong amidst scrolling foliage surrounded by decorative bands and ruyi-shaped lappets containing flowers, the exterior with a band of three striding chilong amidst lotus scrolls beneath the mouth rim, a band of lappets above the foot, the base incised with Augustus the Strong's Dresden inventory number N 167/I. 11cm (4 2/8in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙 五彩螭龍紋碗Provenance: Collection of Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (incised inventory mark N 167/I to base).來源：奧古斯特二世舊藏（1670-1733），神聖羅馬帝國薩克森選帝侯及波蘭國王（底部刻有庫存編碼N167/I）The current bowl is marked N 167/I, this corresponds to the 1779 inventory of the Japanese Palace, Dresden: IV.a) Grün chinesisch Porcellain.Dieses ist durchgängig mit dem Signo I. bezeichnet....b) Olien-Töpfe und Thée Zeug....Achtzehen Stück Confect Schäalgen oder kleine Spühl Compen, inwendig mit rothen Trachen und Fischen gemahlt, 1½ Z. tief, 4¾ Zoll in diam. No. 166.Sechs Stück detto, in- und auswendig mit grün und rothen Blumen gemahlt. No. 167.Which may be translated as:[Chapter] IVa) Green Chinese Porcelain [ie Famille verte]Throughout marked with the letter I[...]b) Ollio pots and tea wares[...]Eighteen confectionary bowls or small rinsing bowls, painted inside with a red dragon and fish, 1½ Z[oll]. deep, 4¾ Zoll in diam. No. 166.Six ditto [confectionary bowls or small rinsing bowls], painted inside and outside with green and red flowers. No. 167.Augustus the Strong (1670-1733) Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, was an avid art collector. King Augustus amassed an extensive collection of 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.Similar chilong can be found an a cup in green enamels, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, p.301, no.195; see also a similar decorative band of chilong on a famille verte vase, Kangxi, illustrated in ibid., no.119. The shape of the present lot is very rare. See however, a famille verte bowl of similar form, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, but with a bird, illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 2010, no.770, which was late sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2011, lot 3. Compare also with a famille verte bowl of similar form, Kangxi, but also decorated with a bird, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2014, lot 3107.Please see below a link to the Dresden Porcelain Project: https://porzellansammlung.skd.museum/en/research/dresden-porcelain-project/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 POWDER-BLUE-GROUND BRUSHPOT, BITONGKangxiThe slightly waisted vessel richly gilt on a lustrous powder-blue ground with a continuous landscape with a three-tiered pagoda amidst rocky mountains and wispy clouds, all beside a body of water with rafts and willow trees. 18cm (7 1/8in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙 灑藍釉描金山水風景圖筆筒Provenance: Christie's South Kensington, 11 June 2004, lot 574Published and Illustrated: S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.176-177來源:佳士得南肯辛頓，2004年6月11日，拍品編號574著錄：S.Marsh，《筆筒淵鑒：收藏家的隨心所悟》，香港，2020年，第176-177頁According to two letters written in 1712 and 1722 by the French Jesuit priest Francois Xavier d'Entrecolles, who visited Jingdezhen, pieces such as the present lot were made by cobalt powder being blown onto the pot using a tube with silk gauze over the end, hence the term 'powder blue' in English and chui qing (吹青) 'blown blue' in Chinese. See a related powder-blue and gilt-decorated brushpot, Kangxi, illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, no.201. Compare with a related powder-blue and gilt-decorated brushpot, Kangxi, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 10 November 2017, lot 465.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 DOCUMENTARY BLUE AND WHITE 'TANG EMPEROR VISITS THE MOON PALACE' SLEEVE VASEChongzhen, cyclically dated to the Wuyin year corresponding to 1638 and of the periodThe tall cylindrical vessel with slightly tapering sides decorated around the waisted neck with a band of pendent plantain leaves, above a continuous scene in vibrant tones of cobalt-blue of the Tang Emperor Minghuang standing beneath a peacock-feather fan visiting the Guanghan Palace of Chang E on the moon, accompanied by a Daoist priest wearing a patterned cloak and holding an official's tablet, Chang E accompanied by attendants, one carrying the hare, the inscription and signature reading Zhu Shiju, all between incised borders at the shoulder and foot rim. 45cm (17 3/4in) high. Footnotes:明崇禎1638年 青花「唐明皇夜遊月宮圖」象腿瓶 Provenance: Berwald Oriental Art Ltd., London, 9 June 1998Published and Illustrated: R.Kilburn, Transitional Wares and Their Forerunners, Hong Kong, 1981, p.34, fig.17來源：倫敦古董商Berwald Oriental Art Ltd.，1998年6月9日著錄： R.Kilburn, 《Transitional Wares and Their Forerunners》，香港，1981年，第34頁，插圖17The scene on the present vase is from the popular drama 'The Tang Emperor Visits the Moon Palace' based on the Tang poem by Bai Juyi (772-846), 'Song of Eternal regret'. The Tang Emperor Minghuang (685-762) was infatuated by his plump concubine Yang Guifei (719-756), so much so that affairs of state were being neglected leading to the An Lushan rebellion of 755. The Emperor and his concubine were forced to flee the capital, but on the road, the Emperor's own bodyguard, blaming her for the rebellion, forced the Emperor to order her suicide:君王掩面救不得，回看血淚相和流。His Majesty covered his face, for he could not save her. Looking back, he saw a stream of blood and tears mixing togetherThe Emperor grieved for a long time afterwards until a Daoist priest felt pity for the Emperor and decided to use his powers to search for the spirit of Yang Guifei. In the 17th century drama, the Emperor and concubine are reunited in Chang E's moon palace, underscored in the present lot by the presence of the hare, which pounds the elixir of Immortality on the moon. See a wucai vase, circa 1650-1660, with similar decoration, illustrated by M.Butler et al, Shunzhi Porcelain: Treasures from an Unknown Reign, Alexandria, 2002, p.207. The story is also recounted by J.B.Curtis, Chinese Porcelains of the Seventeenth Century: Landscapes, Scholars' Motifs and Narratives, New York, 1995, p.112. Compare with a related sleeve vase, decorated with water buffalo, circa 1640, illustrated in Seventeenth Century Chinese Porcelain from the Butler Family Collection, Virginia, 1990, pl.99. See also a similar blue and white sleeve vase, dated 1637, illustrated by R.Kilburn, Transitional Wares and Their Forerunners, Hong Kong, 1981, pl.60.Compare with a related blue and white 'Saagata' sleeve vase, Chongzhen, but with a different narrative, which was sold at Bonhams London, 3 November 2022, lot 17.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 Chinese blue and white porcelain moon flask, 19th century. With kylin form handles and prunus pattern, the circular opposing panels enclosing musicians and workers, height 26.5cm, width 18cm, depth 6cm. Maurice Jenkins (1933-2022). North Cornwall collector. Maurice was a lifetime collector and started in the 1950s. He opened a shop in Liskeard in the 1970s called Canon Hill Antiques. He visited a number of Middle Eastern countries in his lifetime including Egypt in the late 1970's when his interest in Islamic and Asian antiques began. He was a man with an eye for quality and a love of antiques, history and travel who purchased privately and at auction over the decades. Over a lifetime of purchasing privately and at auction, he created an eclectic ensemble of collections reflecting his interests. He died a few weeks before his 90th birthday and was still buying until that time. small chips to top rim and body.
Two similar Chinese blue and white porcelain pots and covers. Mid 20th century, decorated with flowerheads and vines, heights 19.5 and 19cm. diameters 17 and 16.5cm. (2) Maurice Jenkins (1933-2022). North Cornwall collector. Maurice was a lifetime collector and started in the 1950s. He opened a shop in Liskeard in the 1970s called Canon Hill Antiques. He visited a number of Middle Eastern countries in his lifetime including Egypt in the late 1970's when his interest in Islamic and Asian antiques began. He was a man with an eye for quality and a love of antiques, history and travel who purchased privately and at auction over the decades. Over a lifetime of purchasing privately and at auction, he created an eclectic ensemble of collections reflecting his interests. He died a few weeks before his 90th birthday and was still buying until that time.
A pair of Chinese famille noire porcelain vases, 19th century Gilt decorated with birds and a flowering tree, height 25.5cm, width 9.5cm.One vase has a rim crack or firing crack (see image) The other vase has a firing blemish on the interior rim. Both have glaze pitting marks to the interior. Both with wear to the gilding all over.
A large Chinese cylindrical porcelain vase, late 19th century, The flared rim above a body decorated with numerous figures, four character mark, height 31cm, diameter 12.5cm and a carved wood stand, height of stand 4.5cm. (2)Small chip on top rim, small firing fault only visible inside the vase on the base.
A Chinese famille rose porcelain jardiniere, circa 1900, With female figures, precious objects and insects, height 12cm, width 20cm, depth 18cm.There is a chip to the rim of this jardiniere, also some fading to the paintwork, please see additional images now on our website of effected areas. Thankyou.
A large Chinese Canton porcelain wash bowl, late 19th/early 20th century. Decorated with panels of figures in interior settings and insects, birds and floral sprays, the exterior with three floral sprays, height 15.5cm, diameter 47cm.This profusely-decorated piece is in good overall condition with the paintwork still bright and unfaded. There is a 1cm crack in the rim, but otherwise sound. Please view the three extra images of the same crack. .
A Chinese famille verte porcelain puzzle teapot, early 20th century. The cover surmounted by a dog of fo, the central floral panel surrounded by a floral border with yellow 'brick' handle and spout, height 24cm, width width 17cm, depth 4.5cm. The end of the spout has broken with two loose pieces which are present and awaiting fixing. Otherwise in good order.
A Chinese famille verte porcelain bowl, Kangxi mark. The interior painted with four figures in an interior setting, the exterior with multiple workers and animals, height 10cm, diameter 25.5cm.This well-decorated bowl has dirty concealing some of the decoration with the bowl, especially within the tiled floor decoration. One faint hairline crack to the rim, 4.5cm in length. Please view additional images.
A Chinese blue and white porcelain censer, Qianlong seal mark. The cover surmounted by a dog of fo, above a bulbous body painted with dragons and scrolling tendrils, on three mask feet, height 17.5cm, width 16cm, depth 13cm. Maurice Jenkins (1933-2022). North Cornwall collector. Maurice was a lifetime collector and started in the 1950s. He opened a shop in Liskeard in the 1970s called Canon Hill Antiques. He visited a number of Middle Eastern countries in his lifetime including Egypt in the late 1970's when his interest in Islamic and Asian antiques began. He was a man with an eye for quality and a love of antiques, history and travel who purchased privately and at auction over the decades. Over a lifetime of purchasing privately and at auction, he created an eclectic ensemble of collections reflecting his interests. He died a few weeks before his 90th birthday and was still buying until that time. This piece has no restoration and the only damage noted are very minor chips to feet. See images
A Chinese cloisonne three-piece garniture, circa 1900. Comprising of a bottle vase and two bud vases, height of single vase 19cm, width 10cm, height of bud vases 16cm, width 5cm. and a Japanese porcelain bowl, 20th century, signed, height 7cm. diameter 13cm. (4)Bottle vase has seven small areas of dents/losses on the body.
A Japanese black lacquer rectangular box, circa 1900. The cover with three gilt decorated fish, height 6cm, length 33.5cm, width 9cm, two Chinese black lacquered hinged boxes, early 20th century, a circular carved wood box, early 20th century, a Chinese blue and white porcelain cylindrical prunus pattern vase, late 19th century, with four character Kangi mark, height 14.5cm, diameter 7cm and a small wooden pill box. (6)
A Chinese blue and white porcelain vase, late 19th century. Decorated with a river scene, figures, animals and trees, four character mark, height 18.5cm, width 8.5cm. Maurice Jenkins (1933-2022). North Cornwall collector. Maurice was a lifetime collector and started in the 1950s. He opened a shop in Liskeard in the 1970s called Canon Hill Antiques. He visited a number of Middle Eastern countries in his lifetime including Egypt in the late 1970's when his interest in Islamic and Asian antiques began. He was a man with an eye for quality and a love of antiques, history and travel who purchased privately and at auction over the decades. Over a lifetime of purchasing privately and at auction, he created an eclectic ensemble of collections reflecting his interests. He died a few weeks before his 90th birthday and was still buying until that time. This has no damage and no restoration
A pair of Chinese blue and white porcelain ginger jars, late 19th century. Each with covers and decorated with figures beneath a tree, four character Kangxi mark, height 16cm, width 12cm and a Chinese prunus pattern ginger jar, late 19th century, height 13cm, width 12cm. (3)There is no restoration and no damage other than the re-glued lid.
Two similar Chinese blue and white porcelain moon flasks, 19th century. Each with opposing circular panels decorated with a figure in a garden terrace, four character Kangxi mark, largest height 15.5cm, width 10cm. (2) Maurice Jenkins (1933-2022). North Cornwall collector. Maurice was a lifetime collector and started in the 1950s. He opened a shop in Liskeard in the 1970s called Canon Hill Antiques. He visited a number of Middle Eastern countries in his lifetime including Egypt in the late 1970's when his interest in Islamic and Asian antiques began. He was a man with an eye for quality and a love of antiques, history and travel who purchased privately and at auction over the decades. Over a lifetime of purchasing privately and at auction, he created an eclectic ensemble of collections reflecting his interests. He died a few weeks before his 90th birthday and was still buying until that time. large chip near top of one vase, top rim nibbles on both.
A Chinese famille rose porcelain footed square bowl, 19th century. Decorated with floral sprays, birds and insects, red seal mark, height 7cm, width 15cm, depth 15cm. Maurice Jenkins (1933-2022). North Cornwall collector. Maurice was a lifetime collector and started in the 1950s. He opened a shop in Liskeard in the 1970s called Canon Hill Antiques. He visited a number of Middle Eastern countries in his lifetime including Egypt in the late 1970's when his interest in Islamic and Asian antiques began. He was a man with an eye for quality and a love of antiques, history and travel who purchased privately and at auction over the decades. Over a lifetime of purchasing privately and at auction, he created an eclectic ensemble of collections reflecting his interests. He died a few weeks before his 90th birthday and was still buying until that time. Two small scratches on the white interior. Please see extra images on our website www.davidlay.co.uk
A set of six Chinese famille rose porcelain plates, 18th/19th century. Each with a peacock perched on a rocky outcrop below a bird and beside foliage and bamboo fronz, diameter 22.5cm. (6) Maurice Jenkins (1933-2022). North Cornwall collector. Maurice was a lifetime collector and started in the 1950s. He opened a shop in Liskeard in the 1970s called Canon Hill Antiques. He visited a number of Middle Eastern countries in his lifetime including Egypt in the late 1970's when his interest in Islamic and Asian antiques began. He was a man with an eye for quality and a love of antiques, history and travel who purchased privately and at auction over the decades. Over a lifetime of purchasing privately and at auction, he created an eclectic ensemble of collections reflecting his interests. He died a few weeks before his 90th birthday and was still buying until that time. This striking set of plates all show their age, with some imperfections to each: Plate 1 - one four mm historic chip and four nibbles to the edge. Some loss of colour to the decoration. Plate 2 - wear to the inner rim of the foot rubbing and chips to the edge, the longest 2.5cm in length. Some paintloss to the tail of the peacock, bird and other areas. Plate 3 - two chips and other nibbles in the rim. Paintloss to the bamboo and some foliage. Plate 4 - 3.75cm hairline crack to each side of the plate, but otherwise one of the finer rims. Some loss of paint to the bird, bamboo and other areas. Plate 5 - no large chips, some nibbles. Loss of paint to the tail, bird and other areas. Plate 6 - rubbing to rim edge, longest 1.5cm. Some nibbles. Loss of paint to peacock's legs. An attractive set.
A Chinese blue and white porcelain double gourd vase, late 19th century. With figures in a river landscape, four character Kangxi mark, height 19cm, width 10cm.This well-decorated vase is in good condition. Firing blemishes are evident, as is common with pieces such as this. Please view extra images for the most prominent examples.
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