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Lot 161
A Chinese zisha box and cover,Republic period (1912-1949), of circular form rising from a short foot, the cover incised with an archaic pendant, inscribed with the signature of Youzhu, the interior under a white glaze, seal mark to base,10cm diameter (2)民国 紫砂诗文盖盒Condition report: Minute chips to rim of cover.
Lot 175
A Chinese porcelain vase, 20th century, of tapering cylindrical form, painted with a continuous landscape with waterfalls, mountains, boats and figures, inscribed, dated year of Wuzi (1948) and signature of Zhang Zhitang (1893-1971), Yi Tao Zhai seal mark to the base,20.5cm high二十世纪 张志汤款 通景山水瓶 《亦匋斋》款Condition report: Surface scratches.
Lot 184
A Chinese famille rose plate, 20th century, of circular form, painted with a lady holding a rabbit in her arms, surrounded by servants in a garden, inscribed 'For respected Xulun's refined enjoyment, respectfully presented by Feng Yaoqing', 23.8cm diameter, a second plate,painted with quails among chrysanthemum, inscribed 'Guangdong Bowu Shanghui zhi' (made by Art Object Traders' Association of Guangdong) and also a seal mark to the base reading the same, 21.8cm diameter, a third plate,with literati and servants standing by a river in a rocky landscape, 21.7cm diameter, and a vase,with Liu Hai and two Daoist immortals in a garden, six-character Qianlong seal mark to base, 17.5cm high (4)Feng Yaoqing (1880-1943), the founder of Li & Fung Ltd. in 1906, was among the pioneers of the investing industry and export business for national salvation during the war. He presented a vase made by Guangdong Bowu Shanghui to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915 and won a gold medal. 二十世纪 粉彩人物故事图盘 《旭稐先生雅玩 冯耀卿敬赠》粉彩安居乐业图盘 《广东博物商会制》粉彩携琴访友图盘 及粉彩刘海戏蟾蜍图瓶 《大清乾隆年制》矾红篆书款 一组四件Condition report: Plate with inscription - chips and frits to rim and foot rim. Gilt rubbed, some enamel losses. Plate with quails - a small chip to rim.Plate with figures - frits and chips to rim.Vase - No obvious faults.
Lot 256
A Chinese wood seal,of square form, the finial with a dragon-like beast crouching on its haunches, carved with long curling whiskers, the seal face with a four-character mark in seal script 'Qianlong Chenhan' (the Qianlong emperor's own mark), 10.8cm square龙钮木玺印文: 乾隆宸翰Condition report: Cracks to wood in various places, small chips to edges.
Lot 264
Liu Kuo-Sung (Liu Guosong) (Chinese, b.1932)AND THERE WAS LIGHTSigned Liu Guosong c.l., dated 1968, with one seal of the artist, ink, colour and mixed media on paper, circular image 46cm diameter, framed and glazedProvenance: A private collection in London.Exhibited: London, Hugh Moss Ltd., 1971.Liu Kuo-Sung’s renowned Spacescape series emerged in 1969, but progressed in later years. Working with his expressionist abstractions and influenced by light from traditional Chinese lanterns, circular shapes became incorporated above structured geometric forms. Later, inspired by films of the Apollo mission, Liu merged the notion of outer space with the artistic practices of the Song Dynasty - the Chinese practice of observing and portraying scenes from an aerial viewpoint. An example of this is the 'Which is Earth?’ and ‘Moon’ series where Liu envisaged the universe while incorporating the culture of time-honoured Chinese painting and, importantly, transcending the world below. 'Moon Rising' (1971) is an example of his life’s work, which also brings the medium of ink to the forefront. It is also suggested that Liu Kuo-Sung is one of the most endorsed present-day artists in contemporary ink.刘国松 有光 综合媒材纸本款识：刘国松 艺术家钤印一枚 一九六八Condition report: Some scattered dots of foxing throughout, and a few larger spots of discolouration. One very small minor tear to border lower right. Not seen outside of frame. Paper circular.
Lot 265
A Chinese gouache painting,19th century, painted with the story of 'Tao Hua Yuan Ji' (The Peach Blossom Spring), a chance discovery of an ideal society where people lived in harmony with nature and remained unaware of the outside world for centuries, with the signature and seal of Wang Xiaomou (1794-1877), ink and colour on paper,32 x 44cm, framed and glazed王小某款 桃园问津 设色纸本 镜框Condition report: Stains. Splits with old repairs. Not seen outside of frame.
Lot 345
A Chinese wood box, of rectangular form, the slide cover incised with an inscription and signature of Bailong Shanren Wang Zhen (1867-1938), 26.2cm long, and a bamboo box, of cylindrical form, incised with an inscription and a seal mark, 12.5cm long (2)Condition report: Box - surface scratches and small chips. The sliding lid with a split and losses to one corner.Tube - surface scratches and minute knocks to edges.
Lot 220
A Satsuma reticulated ovoid vaseBy Kinkozan, Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th/early 20th centuryDecorated in enamels and gilt, the body inset with four oval panels, each enclosing a different subject comprising: (1) A blue bird flying towards cherry blossoms trailing over a roof; (2) Women and children on the banks of a river beside blooming irises; (3) A lantern hanging over flowering fuyo (rosemallow) and hageito (Chinese amaranth); (4) A pavilion nestled beneath a sugi (cedar tree), the shoulder with peonies; signed on the base with a gilt seal Kinkozan zo. 18.2cm (7 1/8in) high.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 229
A Satsuma slender ovoid vasePainted by Sozan for the Kinkozan workshop, Meiji (1868-1912), late 19th/early 20th centuryFinely decorated in enamels and gilt, the body with two tall rectangular panels enclosing the Rokkasen (Six Immortal Poets), Ono no Komachi, the female of the group, seated beside Sonjo Henjo standing behind a floor screen embellished with a Chinese landscape, from left to right Ariwara Narihira, Kisen Hoshi, Otomo no Kuronushi, reading a scroll and Fumiya no Yasuhide, the second panel showing an elegantly clad group of ladies enjoying the hanami (cherry-viewing) season, on a blue-midnight ground of trailing cherry blossoms, each panel signed with a seal Sozan, the base signed with an impressed seal Kinkozan tsukuru. 25.6cm (10in) high.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 252
A cloisonné-enamel large rounded rectangular trayBy Namikawa Sosuke (1847-1910), Meiji era (1868-1912), late 1880s-1890sWorked entirely in musen (wireless) enamels with a linear design of bearded purple irises on a graduated pale grey ground within a shakudo rim, the reverse worked in gilt wire enamel with numerous densely patterned cherry blossoms in pale brown on a dark plum-coloured ground; signed in silver wire with a single character Sakigake (the seal of Namikawa Sosuke). 28.8cm x 28.8cm (11¼in x 11¼in).Footnotes:Provenance: An English private collection, probably acquired by George Tolman Haycraft (1854-1938) in the early twentieth century, thence by descent.One of the greatest craft entrepreneurs of the later Meiji era, Namikawa Sosuke was until recently best known in Japan for a set of 32 decorative panels commissioned for Tokyo's Akasaka Rikyu Palace, completed in 1909. These date from the last years of his very productive life, nearly three decades after he began to experiment with the technique known as musen shippo (wireless enamelling), his most enduring contribution to an art form that developed at extraordinary speed in Japan between the mid-nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century. In Chinese cloisonné enamelling, the wires separating the different areas of fused and polished enamels that made up a design also served to hold the enamels in place during the firing process, and the individual areas of colour were relatively small. Sosuke, followed shortly after by his rivals, managed to improve the chemistry of the enamels so that they adhered more securely to the metal bases of his wares, allowing him to introduce large areas of colour into his designs, although it is thought that wires between different colours still had to be painstakingly applied and removed at each stage of manufacture. Thanks to these and other technical breakthroughs, later Meiji-era enamellers were often able to emulate the effects of brush painting on paper or silk. In recognition of his achievements, in 1896 Sosuke was appointed to the order of Teishitsu Gigeiin (Artist-Craftsman to the Imperial Household).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 280
A bronze baluster vaseAttributed to Kibundo Shohei (1813–1892), Meiji (1868-1912), late 19th centuryThe reddish-brown body applied with a tree frog in high relief of bronze crawling up one side towards the top of the vase as it spies a spider on the rim, signed on the base with chiselled signature Kibun tsukuru; with a wood storage box inscribed on the lid Seidoko-shiki kabin (Flower vase in the style of archaic Chinese bronze vase) with a seal, inside the lid signed Kibundo Shohei tsukuru with a seal Kasetsu Nihon Biwako no higashi (Our family is clumsily located to the east of Lake Biwa in Japan). 25.5cm (10in) high. (2).Footnotes:The founder of the Kibundo Company, Kibundo Shohei (also known as Hatano Shohei) was apprenticed at age 11 to the Ryubundo Company of Kyoto, where he studied the art of casting in bronze and iron for 17 years before setting up his own business. After much disruption due to the political upheavals of the late Edo period, he finally settled in the Notogawa district (today's Higashi-Omi City) near Lake Biwa.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
Lot 389
Yoshida Toshi (1911-1995)Showa era (1926-1989), one dated 1954 and one circa 1980One oban yoko-e and a large tate-e print: the first a yoko-e of Hakone Shinsenkyo take no oniwa (Bamboo Garden, Hakone Museum), dated 1954, signed Toshi Yoshida in Roman script on the margin and Toshi with seal Yoshida in Chinese characters within the image, 25cm x 39cm (9 7/8in x 15 3/8in); the second, a large tate-e sheet of Matsu (Pine) from a triptych Sho, Chiku, Bai (Pine, Bamboo, and Plum [The Garden of the Three Friends]), signed in pencil in Chinese characters Yoshida Toshi in the margin and Toshi with seal Yoshida Toshi within the image, 51cm x 27cm (21 1/16in x 10 5/8in); both framed and glazed. (2).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 111
A gold-lacquer and ivory okimono of the takarabune (treasure ship)By Eishin, Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th/early 20th centuryThe ship lacquered red and gold in the form of a phoenix fitted with four movable wheels, the open deck with Hotei and Benten seated in front of a dish of sea bream, the former holding a sake cup as a karako (Chinese boy) replenishes his cup, the latter playing the biwa, the upper storey with Daikoku beating a small drum held over his right shoulder and a second karako dancing in accompaniment; signed on the base in a red rectangular seal Eishin. 17cm x 21cm (6 5/8in) x 8¼in).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y ФY Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.Ф This lot contains or is made of ivory. The United States Government has banned the import of ivory into the USA.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 235
An inside-painted glass snuff bottleDing Erzhong (1865-1935), cyclically dated to the winter of Jihai, corresponding to 1899 and of the periodFinely painted on one side with two cranes standing on rockwork under a gnarled pine tree amongst grass and flower sprays, inscribed 己亥冬月 二仲寫 Jihai dongyue erzhong xie, which may be translated as 'Erzhong painted in the winter month of the year of Jihai', the other side painted with a pagoda amidst wind-swept trees in a mountainous landscape, inscribed 筱舫觀察大人雅鑒 二仲 庾, which may be translated as 'Erzhong, Yu, for the elegant judgment of Xiaofang, the honourable Surveillance Commissioner', with stopper. 6.1cm (2 3/8in) high (2).Footnotes:一八九九年 丁二仲作玻璃內畫山水花鳥鼻煙壺Provenance: an English private collection, and thence by descent來源：英國私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今Compare with a very similar inside-painted glass snuff bottle by Ding Erzhong, cyclically dated to 1899 and decorated with the same scenes, illustrated by H.Moss, V.Graham and K.B.Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Mary and George Bloch Collection. Inside Painted, vol.4, part 2, pp.312-313, no.555, where the authors describe the bottle as an example demonstrating Ding at his height and the painting as masterpieces of their subjects. This bottle was later sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2010, lot 62.Ding Erzhong is the 'zi' name, or sobriquet of Ding Shangyu, a Qing dynasty scholar official from Tongzhou in Jiangsu province, who was also a calligrapher, seal carver, painter and master of inside-painted snuff bottles. He renewed the art form, drawing on Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming paintings as inspiration for his own works, of which no two bottles are ever the same.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 26
A rare teadust-glazed bottle vaseQianlong seal mark and of the periodThe globular body rising from a spreading foot to a tapering neck and everted rim, covered overall in an olive-green coloured glaze flecked with a fine yellow mist, the base with a six-character seal mark beneath a brown glaze. 18.8cm (7 3/8in) high.Footnotes:清乾隆 茶葉末釉長頸瓶「大清乾隆年製」篆書模款Provenance: a European private collection, and thence by descent來源：歐洲私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今The so called 'Tea-dust' glaze was first produced in the Yongzheng period, using the same metallic colourant as Imperial yellow glazes (iron oxide). Depending on the firing conditions, the glaze might fire a lighter yellowish brown, called 'eel yellow', or a greener hue, called 'snakeskin green'. The monochrome glaze complements the form of the porcelain, perhaps inspired by metalwork, especially archaic bronze forms. Compare with a similar Qianlong seal mark and period bottle of this form and glaze, illustrated in The Prime Cultural Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum, vol.II, Liaoning, 2007, p.41. See another similar vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period illustrated in Art of China: highlights from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, London, 2018, p.200, no.79. See also Porcelains from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pl.162. See also an example included in the exhibition Ethereal Elegance: Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing, The Huaihaitang Collection, 2007, Hong Kong, no.64; and a vase illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 1994, no.935, which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2013, lot 6. See also a similar teadust-glazed bottle vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 April 2017, lot 3668.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
Lot 27
A rare flambé-glazed bottle vaseQianlong seal mark and of the periodThe compressed globular body rising from a short, slightly splayed foot to a long tapering neck flaring at the rim, attractively glazed in rich tones of cherry-red, purple and shaded turquoise, the base with a vitreous burgundy-red glaze streaked with deep lavender-blue, incised seal mark. 17cm (6 3/4in) high.Footnotes:清乾隆 窯變釉賞瓶「大清乾隆年製」篆書模款Provenance: a European private collection, and thence by descent來源：歐洲私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今See a related flambé-glazed bottle vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, illustrated by R.Kerr, Chinese Ceramics - Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, London, 1986, pp.20-21.Compare with a related flambé-glazed pear-shaped vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 3335.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
Lot 29
A very rare white glazed 'cut-through' 'lotus' bowlQianlong seal mark and of the periodThinly potted with rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a gently flared rim, delicately pierced around the body with a broad band of scrolling lotus blooms, applied overall with a transparent unctuous glaze revealing the white body and intricate design. 13.5cm (5 1/4in) diam.Footnotes:清乾隆 白釉玲瓏透花番蓮紋盌青花「大清乾隆年製」篆書款Provenance: P. Parizel collection, by reputeGalerie 41 Antiquités, MonacoA European private collection, and thence by descent來源：傳為P. Parizel舊藏摩納哥古董商Galerie 41 Antiquités歐洲私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今This delicate bowl is notable for its exquisite lace-like decoration, which was made by piercing the body with a delicate openwork design of small perforations that were subsequently filled with a clear glaze. An innovation of the Qianlong period, this decoration is known in the West as 'grains-de-riz' (rice grain), because the tiny perforations resembled small grains of rice.Compare with a related example, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong: Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl.147; another in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, published by J.Ayers and S.Masahiko, eds, Ceramic Art of the World, vol.15, Tokyo, 1983, pl.280; one with a more elaborate motif illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 1994, pl.793, and later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2012, lot 3; a pair from the Alfred F. Pillsbury collection in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, included in the exhibition Chinese Ceramics from the Prehistoric Period through Ch'ien-Lung, Los Angeles, 1952, no.320; another slightly smaller pair in the Zhuyuetang Collection, illustrated by L.Schwartz-Arenales, eds, Mille ans de Monochromes, Geneva, 2018, p.372, no.197a-b.See also a similar white glazed 'cut-out' decoration bowl and cover, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's New York, 21-22 March 2013, lot 1501. A similar pair of bowls, Qianlong seal marks and of the period, was sold at Sotheby's London, 6 November 2019, lot 7.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
Lot 54
A rare wucai 'month' cupKangxi six-character mark and of the periodOne side delicately painted in blue and enamelled in shades of green, iron-red and aubergine with a cluster of tree peony and flowering bamboo issuing from a rocky grassy terrace, the reverse of the cup with a poem and one seal, box. 5.5cm (2½in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清康熙 五彩花神杯 青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款Provenance: formerly on loan to the Bristol MuseumBonhams, New Bond Street, 10 July 2006, lot 130Bonhams, New Bond Street, 17 May 2012, lot 339來源：曾借展於布里斯托博物館倫敦邦瀚斯，2006年7月10日，拍品編號130倫敦邦瀚斯，2012年5月17日，拍品編號339The couplet reads:不隨千種盡，獨放一年紅Which may be translated as:'The rose does not follow the masses and die away, but alone sets forth its crimson all year round.'The poem on the back identifies this cup as depicting the China Rose (Rosa Chinensis) which was apparently the appropriate flower to represent the eleventh month of the year. The poem has been loosely translated: 'unlike the thousand other species which blossom and wither (this flower) blossoms alone in red for an entire year'.Full sets of twelve 'month' cups can be found both in the Percival David Foundation, illustrated in R.Scott, For the Imperial Court: Qing Porcelain from the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, New York, 1997, no.23, and in the Qing Court Collection, The Complete Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pl.140.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 56
An iron-red and blue and white 'sea creatures' bowlQianlong seal mark and of the periodThe deep rounded sides rising to a flared rim, the exterior with a continuous band of nine sea creatures, including winged dragon, horses and carp, leaping against vivid turbulent waves in iron-red, between a keyfret border at the rim and around the straight foot, the well with a winged dragon amongst iron-red waves within a central medallion. 21cm (8 1/4in) diam.Footnotes:清乾隆 青花礬紅海獸紋大盌 青花「大清乾隆年製」篆書款Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 2 December 2015, lot 3201來源：香港佳士得，2015年12月2日，拍品編號3201The present lot is decorated with an unusual design of sea creatures among waves which first appeared on blue and white Imperial porcelains of the Xuande and Chenghua reigns, see a related blue and white bowl decorated with sea-animals illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum, Blue-and-white ware of the Ming Dynasty, Book III, Taipei, 1963, pp.42-43, no.11, and enjoyed a revival in the late Ming and Qing periods.Compare a similar iron-red and blue bowl in the Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, illustrated in Qing Imperial Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, Hong Kong, no.82. See also a similar bowl which was sold at Sotheby's London, 10 November 2017, lot 214.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 57
A pair of famille rose blue-sgraffiato-ground 'medallion' bowlsDaoguang seal marks and of the periodEach delicately enamelled around the exterior with four medallions, one of the weaver girl, one of the cowherd, alternating with two landscapes, each within gilt borders and separated by ruyi-clouds, all reserved on a blue engraved ground incised with feathery scrolls, the interior painted in underglaze blue with a medallion of the weaver girl and cowherd standing on a bridge of magpies amidst wispy clouds in the well. Each 15cm (5 8/9in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清道光 粉彩藍地軋道開光鵲橋仙渡圖盌一對青花「大清道光年製」篆書款Provenance: an English private collection, and thence by descent來源：英國私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今A very similar famille rose blue-ground bowl, Daoguang seal mark and period, is illustrated in Encompassing Precious Beauty: The Songzhutang Collection of Imperial Chinese Ceramics, Hong Kong, 2016, pp.216-217, no.84.Compare with a similar bowl, Daoguang seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Bonhams London, 16 May 2019, lot 132.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 101
A very rare large court painting of ladies playing chessYongzheng/QianlongInk and pigment on silk depicting two Court ladies playing weiqi within a bamboo grove, each of the ladies with finely arched eyebrows and delicately painted strands of hair under ornate headdresses, clad in elegant loose flowing robes with exquisitely detailed hems, the black and gilt weiqi boxes and covers decorated with dense foliate scroll, the top right with a large apocryphal seal 'Jing ji shan zhuang' seal, glazed and framed. Including the frame: 155cm (61in) wide x 99cm (39in) high.Footnotes:清雍正/乾隆 宮廷繪畫 仕女對弈圖 絹本設色 鏡框裝裱Provenance: a distinguished Italian private collection formed circa 1930s-1940s, and thence by descentThe important Italian collector lived and worked in Shanghai between 1932 and 1936, as representative of his Italian company and in 1937, following the Sino-Japanese war, he was transferred to Dalian in Southern Manchuria. After a brief period spent in Italy in 1938, he returned to Shanghai where he lived between 1941 and 1946 and formed the vast majority of his collection of Chinese Art.來源：意大利顯赫私人收藏，約二十世紀三十至四十年代入藏，並由後人保存迄今該重要意大利收藏家曾於1932至1936年作為某意大利公司代表在上海工作生活，1937年日本侵華戰爭爆發後遷往大連，1938年在意大利短暫停留後又回到上海，此番在上海居住的1941至1946年間，他獲得了其絕大部分中國藝術品收藏。The most notable feature of the present lot is the remarkable similarity of the faces of the ladies with those in Yongzheng's famous Screen of Twelve Beauties in the Palace Museum, Beijing. Compare the faces and hems of the ladies with those in the Twelve Beauties at Leisure Painted for Prince Yinzhen, the Future Yongzheng Emperor (hereafter abbreviated as Screen of Twelve Beauties), by anonymous court artists in the Late Kangxi period, illustrated in China: the Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, pp.258-259, no.173. The uncanny similarity of the faces painted in realistic style with neat outlines and generous colour, follows the custom of depicting ladies of the Court as women of elegance and natural grace, and strongly points to the courtly origin of this painting. The present lot closely follows the composition of another Imperial painted album, the Yue man qing you tu (月曼清遊圖) by Chen Mei 陳枚 (active in the early Qianlong reign), in the Palace Museum, Beijing. Painted in 1738, the album depicts the life of concubines over twelve months. One of the album leaves shows ladies playing chess in the exact same posture and position as the present lot, but within an interior. Therefore, one can see that the depiction of court ladies followed set models and precedents by court masters, which the present lot also follows. By examining further the Screen of Twelve Beauties, we may understand too the background of the present lot. While the Yongzheng emperor was still a prince, he commissioned the set of paintings of twelve beauties for the purpose of decorating a screen in the Deep Willows Reading Hall, a study within his private quarters at the Summer Palace. An Imperial garden to the northwest of Beijing, the Summer Palace, was presented to the young prince in 1709 by his father, the Kangxi emperor. However, an item found in the archives of the Imperial Household Department notes that in the eighth lunar month of 1732, ten years into Yongzheng's reign as emperor, the twelve paintings were removed from the screen and individually stored.Like the Screen of the Twelve Beauties, the present painting was also probably part of a larger screen or wall painting meant to decorate a palace. The apocryphal seal in the top right of the painting Jing ji shan zhuang (靜寄山莊), refers to an Imperial retreat in Panshan near Tianjin. Although the seal is apocryphal, it could refer to the original location where the present lot was from. Furthermore, like the Screen of the Twelve Beauties, the present lot was also at some point detached from a wall or screen and later cut into a more convenient and smaller section and re-mounted onto a different background. The format of the present lot is in keeping with 19th century practices of display; see for example J.Cahill, Pictures for Use and Pleasure: Vernacular Painting in High Qing China, 2010. The artist of this painting as well as the Screen of Twelve Beauties portrayed the imagined beauties enjoying traditional Han Chinese leisure activities such as playing chess or weiqi, sampling tea, watching butterflies, and reading, as well as showing them in quiet reflection. This view reflects the late Imperial Chinese model of femininity, where women could engage in the traditionally male 'Four Arts of the Scholar' (playing the guqin, calligraphy, painting, and chess) whilst still being refined, delicate and attractively feminine. See S.McCausland and Lizhong Ling, Telling Images of China: Narrative and Figure Paintings 15th-20th Century from the Shanghai Museum, London, 2010, pp.65-7. The Manchu rulers, seeking to define themselves as the proper heirs to the throne of China, could not have missed the support of female intellectuality that many found even within the conservative Confucian tradition. It would be tempting to suggest that the artist of the present lot also showcased the most popular costumes and hairstyles of Qing court women. However, it interesting to note that these ladies are dressed in the styles of the flourishing Chinese cultural centre of the Yangzi delta region, at a time when there were repeated Imperial efforts to block the growing Manchu tendency to take on Han Chinese folkways. The Qianlong emperor, like his predecessors an author of repeated prohibitions against Manchu adoption of Han dress - wrote that its appearance in one rendition of women attending the emperor was not to be taken seriously, dismissing it as 'painterly playfulness' (丹青遊戲); see J.Larsen, 'Women of the Imperial Household: Views of the Emperor's Consorts and their Female Attendants' in Proceedings of the Denver Museum of Natural History, no.15, November 1, 1998, p.24. One can surmise that the present lot and paintings like it, such as the Screen of Twelve Beauties and Yue man qing you tu, were following artistic conventions of the court rather than depicting the actual leisure garments of palace women. Indeed, one can argue that the present lot encapsulates a fantasy. Wu Hung presents evidence associating these paintings of imagined court ladies in Han dress with the feminised and sexualised landscape of China, now intimately known by the Manchu conquerors; see Wu Hung, 'Beyond Stereotypes: The Twelve Beauties in Qing Court Art and the Dream of the Red Chamber' in Ming and Qing Women and Literature, Stanf... This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: YY Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 168
A late 19th century Chinese blue and white temple jar and cover painted with prunus flowers on a blue ground, four character Kangxi mark to base, height 38cm, together with an early 20th century Chinese ginger jar with relief floral decoration, embossed seal mark to base, height 25cm (2).Additional InformationThe blue and white jar with numerous chips around the top rim, a couple of smaller chips around the foot rim, the cover with large chips to the underside. The ginger jar and cover with chipping to the relief decoration.
Lot 116
Three Chinese blue and white floral decorated saucer dishes, the larger two unmarked, the smallest with painted Jiajing Fu Gui Jia Qi-type seal mark to base, diameter 9.75cm, 9.25cm, and 7.5cm.Additional InformationThe largest dish has a little bit of fritting to the rim, the next dish down has a 6 x 1mm ring chip and some fritting, the smallest dish as a small area of imperfection to the glaze, otherwise ok condition.
Lot 178
A group of 20th century Chinese ceramics including a waisted vase with enamelled figural and floral decoration bearing stylised shou characters and apocryphal Qianlong seal mark, length 33.2cm, a soapstone horse, a terracotta soldier, etc.Additional InformationThe soapstone figure with some natural fissures and hairline cracks, general surface wear to items throughout.
Lot 105
A pair of Chinese Peoples Republic porcelain vases, 20th century, the flared rim above a black stencilled pendant drop neck, above transfer printed Manchurian cranes amongst peony and prunus blossom, heightened with gilding, the reverse with a portrait bust of Mao above a poem 'A hundred leagues locked in ice, a thousand leagues of whirling snow', above a stencilled black band, four character seal mark, Made at Jingdezhen, 46cm ( by repute given as a gift to Rt Hon. Edward Heath by Chairman Mao)Condition report: No obvious faults.
Lot 142
A Japanese carved ivory okimono of a man, Meiji period, wearing a robe with Artemesia leaves attached to the rear, carrying a basket of peaches and leaning against a gnarled staff, two character red seal mark, on wood stand, 21cmFootnote: The attributes of the gnarled staff and peaches are unmistakenly those of the Chinese god of longevity Shoulao.Condition report: Pin hole to top of head, some natural cracking and discolouration, no other apparent damage or repair.
Lot 173
A Chinese hors d'oeuvre set in the form of a butterfly, each dish painted in polychrome enamels with a deity, against a light turquoise ground, the centre dish with pseudo Jiaqing seal mark, in fitted case, 47cm wideCondition report: The left corner of the uppermost dish has been off and glued back on, otherwise the dishes are generally in good condition with rubbed rims but no further no obvious faults. The base has a split to the lower side, some light surface marks to the top of the case.
Lot 18
A Chinese silk scroll wall hanging, Qing,中国，丝绸卷轴壁挂水彩画一副，清代painted with blossoming tree peony and rockwork, two, lines of script with two red seal marks, three further seal marks to the margins, watercolour, 99cm x 39cmCondition report: Some creasing and folds to margins, with further stresses and marks to the image, to include what look like tears / repairs. The whole is sun-bleached and faded in places with some areas darker than others. Some small repairs around the edges. Possibly 17th/18th century.
Lot 186
A Chinese bronze censer, Qing, 19th century, the everted rim above string bands, with rams mask handles, on a circular foot, pseudo six character Xuande seal mark, 554 grams, 10.5cm diameter Condition report: A small old repair to the underside of the rim, showing a small shallow indent on the top of the rim. Some small knocks to the body, but otherwise in good condition.
Lot 227
A pair of Chinese celadon mallet shape vases, each with a slightly flared rim on a slender neck terminating to a raised ring on the shoulders of the waisted and tapering body, pseudo six character underglaze Qianlong seal mark, 24cm & 24.5cm highCondition report: One vase has a small anomaly on the shoulder but, being glazed, this is a fault caused at production firing. Otherwise both vases are in good condition with no obvious post production faults visible.
Lot 233
A large Chinese blanc de Chine figure of Guanyin, 20th century, modelled seated in lalitasana, dressed in long robes and holding a rui sceptre, her left hand close to shuni mudra, her left foot resting upon a carp amongst waves and pearls, impressed pseudo seal marks to the rear, a gourd incised 'Dehua' and a seal mark for 'Ho Yin Chao Tsung', 37.5cmCondition report: No obvious faults.
Lot 31
Three Chinese bronzes, comprising a late Ming period中国，青铜器三件，明/清，及其他seated figure of Guanyin; a late Qing well cast Ju, of typical form; and a gilt seal figure of a cat, a good soapstone figure of Guandi and a Burmese cast bronze Buddha, tallest 12.5cmQty: 3Condition report: Guanyin figure with a repair to the rear, a probable old repair to the neck, otherwise in good condition. The soapstone figure of Guandi is missing the end of his sword, there is a repair break to the base. The gilt bronze seal is in good order other than covered in verdigris. The Burmese Buddha is in good condition but has a poor patination. The Ju is in good condition and probably late 19th/early 20th century.
Lot 5
A Chinese carved ivory table screen, 17th/18th century,中国，牙雕桌屏一件，17/18世纪of rectangular form, carved in relief with a man fishing in a boat, beneath pine trees, mountains and clouds, the reverse with character marks and seal mark, all within a pierced border of florets, in a carved and inlaid wood stand, the panel 19.7cm x 11.4cm, overall 29cm high, weight of panel 172.3 grams.Condition report: Some fine age splits to both sides. There is a discolouration down the centre of the panel, stemming from a small repair/infill in the top edge. Some minor chips/losses on the stand but nothing too significant.
Lot 61
Two Chinese canton rose enamel porcelain dishes, circa 1860/70, decorated with a floral basket and vase framed by Buddhist symbols, the other with fanciful birds, butterflies, fruits and flowers, each with apocryphal seal marks to the underside, 19cm diameterCondition report: Buddhist symbol dish with a small section of restored rim chips. The rose canton plate with a small firing fault rim chip.
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