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Click here to subscribeA rare Dean’s Rag Book Honey, 1930s, the cream and brown velvet Honey with printed features, black glass eyes and pink wooden nose, cotton striped socks and black felt shoes, with pink skirt, bloomers, neck and hair ribbon, 19” (48cm) tall, with printed Honey and reg number to neck and stamped to feet, condition: good, small mark to forehead.
A rare Chad Valley Kiwi, 1930s the orange mohair bird with orange felt long beak and large feet, single brown glass eye, red Chad Valley label to left foot and ‘I am Kiwi. Like my polish I always make friends’ to right foot, 10” (25cm) tall, condition: lacks one eye, hole to felt beak and some more holes to soles of feet.
A rare Dean’s Rag Book A.1 Character cloth doll, 1920s, the pressed and painted face with hook nose and protruding chin and hole to mouth (probably for a pipe or cigarette), white mohair hair, stuffed body with wire armature, wearing pink striped suit with red felt jacket, orange cloth shoes with spats, and grey felt hat, 13” (33cm) tall, condition: very good.
Rare E. Horsman Co wigged all-bisque baby doll, German circa 1925, fine quality bisque head with weighted blue glass eyes, closed mouth and open crown with short brown wig, swivel head and jointed at shoulders and hips, wearing a later pink cotton dress with pleated skirt and lace trim, condition: good.
Rare Pierotti poured wax shoulder head baby doll with sleeping eyes, English circa 1860, the turned head with weighted blue glass eyes, painted lids, brows, mouth and rouged cheeks, with auburn wig and on a cloth body with wax lower arms and legs, wearing a white cotton dress , bonnet and underclothes, 19” (48cm) tall, condition: good, cleaned.
A rare Chad Valley Ramsay MacDonald P.M cloth doll, circa 1925, the brushed cotton head with printed features, grey wool hair and moustache, stuffed body with wire armature wearing felt jacket, waistcoat, trousers and spats to leatherette shoes, label to back of trousers, 12” (30.5cm) tall, condition: a little dusty, repair to trousers and some staining to clothes.
A rare Chad Valley David Lloyd George M.P cloth doll, circa 1925, the brushed cotton head with printed features, grey wool hair and moustache, stuffed body with wire armature, wearing felt jacket, waistcoat with red bowtie, trousers and shoes, button to back of body, 11” (28cm) tall, condition: a little dusty.
A rare Merrythought creature, 1930s, with green velvet body and head with large green felt ears, mouth and red tongue, large black and white eyes and rounded nose, swivel head and in seated position with long tail, having paper label to chest, Hygienic label to seat and registration tag to back, condition: good, some discolouration, loss/holes to green felt, 14” (36cm) tall.
A rare Chad Valley Stanley Baldwin P.M cloth doll, circa 1925, the brushed cotton head with printed features, stuffed body with wire armature and holding his wooden pipe, wearing felt jacket, waistcoat, trousers and shoes with spats, label to right foot, 12” (30.5cm) tall, condition: a little dusty, lacks hat and some staining to clothes.
Rare miniature Simon & Halbig 1129 bisque head oriental doll, German circa 1910, with fixed brown glass eyes, open mouth with teeth, auburn wig and on a composition body jointed at shoulders and hips, with painted blue stockings and red moulded shoes, wearing an embroidered kimono, 7 ½” (19cm) tall, condition: tiny flake to base of neck leading to fine firing line.
Rare early tumbling double acrobat toy, German mid 19th century, carved and painted wooden acrobats with gold card and fabric clothes, both attached to blue painted poles, red paper covered wooden box with drawer and fold up top to assemble multi-step platform, figures 2” (5cm) tall, condition, one figure lacks one foot, some sun fading to part of box, together with another larger acrobat tumbling figure, 5” (12.5cm) tall, condition: lacks one foot, some wear, (2 items).
Very rare and early pair of exquisite silk and leather Dolls Shoes, late 17th early 18th century, the shaped dark green silk shoes with yellow silk trim and woven metallic thread decoration to sides and front, framing stitched thread pattern, the tongue with stitched silver thread flower emblem, the shoes lined in kid leather and having sharply pointed toes and stitched leather squared heel and soles, 6cm long, condition: shoes are in perfect condition but the silk and thread is discoloured and dusty. Comment: Early miniature shoes from the late 17th early 18th century are extremely rare and we believe these may be the first to be offered for sale at auction.
A rare Dean’s rag Book A1 Doll (Buster Brown) on Trike cloth doll, circa 1930, the moulded head with painted features, blonde hair and wearing pink felt hat with Buster Brown ribbon, stuffed body wearing pink and white felt sailors outfit, seated on a chrome metal Tricycle with head moving mechanism, Dean’s tag and pull string, 13” (33cm) tall, condition: very good.
A rare Norah Wellings Harry the Hawk cloth doll, 1940s, moulded felt face with painted features, goggles and felt flying cap, on a velvet body with sewn on brown uniform, parachute and back pack, with original Royal Air Force Comforts Fund paper label, and sown on labels to collar and right foot, 10” (25cm) tall, condition: good.
A rare and early 19th century English Dolls House cupboard and contents, the painted natural wood effect exterior with two hinged panelled wings to façade with key hole, the house on three levels and having six evenly sized rooms mostly with good original wall papers, three built in corner fire places (one replaced) and moulded surrounds, kitchen with two shelves to back wall and contents including tinplate stove, wooden kitchen table and chair, turned wood tea service on tray and tureens, tinplate plate stand, tin bath, copper tea urn and various saucepans, plates, jugs and more. Salon with fine Waltershausen pieces including two writing desks, sideboard and sewing table with compartments, circular table with four green silk padded chairs, gilt table two dolls and various ornaments. Study with two Waltershausen settees, tables and hall stand, other pieces include wooden bureau, upright piano, large gilt mirror, four dolls (one damaged) and ornaments. Lounge with Waltershausen Biedermier bookcase, mirrored sideboard with cupboard, set of four chairs, settee and oval table all with ball shaped legs and flower decorated paper lithographed seats and backs, fine early fire screen with ornate beading, bisque head doll and ornaments. Bedroom 1 with large mirrored wardrobe, ornate carved wooden bed with canopy, marble top wash stand, Waltershausen desk, two dolls and ornaments. Bedroom 2 with cherry wood bed, side table and wash stand, Waltershausen marble top wash stand with mirror and two desks, mirrored wardrobe, three dolls and ornaments, condition: house with expected wear for age, contents many fine and rare pieces period to house some items added at later dates, 42 ½” (108cm) tall, 35” (89cm) wide, 13” (33cm) deep. Please note: For viewing, shipping and collection of this lot please contact Leigh Gotch at C&T Auctioneers direct.
A rare Tete Jumeau ‘Bebe phonograph’ bisque head doll, size 11, French circa 1890, with pale bisque head, fixed blue glass paper-weight eyes, painted lashes and feather brows, open mouth with upper teeth, pierced ears and long blonde wig, on a good wood and composition fully jointed body with swivel wrists, blue stamp to rear, phonograph disc system to torso and metal sound plate, key and stop/start lever to back, with one ‘Petit Papa’ phonograph, wearing a red cotton dress with white pinafore, layers of underclothes, socks and white leather shoes, 24” (61cm) tall, condition: some small chips to base of neck, some movement to mechanism but in need of attention.
A rare Steiff Bulldog, circa 1909, the russet brown burlap dog with white mohair chest and front paws, black boot button eyes, printed features, stitched black nose, mouth and claws, wearing original leather collar, swivel head and jointed at legs, having button to left ear, condition: good, some loss to ear felt lining, and white mohair.
A rare mohair character bird soft toy, possibly Einco 1920s, straw stuffed bird with large round green enamel eyes, long cloth beak, swivel head with sewn on red mohair waistcoat and blue trousers, felt lower legs and wired webbed feet, wearing card collar with bow-tie and skullcap, 13” (33cm) tall, condition: some general wear especially to back, holes to webbed feet.
A medal for the Polar Expedition for the Belgica in Antartica 1876, obverse lettering; 'Societa Royale Belge De Geographie 1876', with crown within a laurel leaf and star to bottom, engraved by Francois Wissaert. Reverse; Ship at sea to the left and lettering, 'Expedition Antartique Belge 1897-1899', 'Hivernage AD. De Gerlache/Commandt', engraver Francois Wissaert, to commemorate the Belgian Antartic expedition of 1897-1899 which was led by Lieutenant Adrien De Gerlache of the Belgian Navy, and had a broad range of scientific goals. the expedition took longer than expected as the ship was trapped in pack ice for thirteen months, among the crew was second officer Roald Amudsen, he was the first man to reach the South Pole in 1911, diameter 6cm. CONDITION REPORT It is quite worn, the image verso is very rubbed, most of the lettering on the coin is visible but there are some to be bottom of the coin which is barely readable, edges are knocked in some places. Also areas where the copper is showing through. Overall a rare thing
CALVERT RICHARD JONES (1804-1877) Figures on a Quay of a Mediterranean Harbour, signed and dated 1854, pencil, watercolour and bodycolour, 8 ½ x 13 in ; sold together with a rare lithograph by the artist depicting a coal boat off the Welsh Coast (with colliery ramps in the background); and an 1842 etching by the artist depicting shipping off a Mediterranean Coat with lighthouse; three (3)The Rev. Calvert Richard Jones was the son of a Swansea landowner and studied at Oriel College, Oxford. As a marine painter he was influenced by the work of George Chambers. He was an early Daguerrotypist, and occasionally worked with Henry Fox Talbot, and Hippolyte Buyard, the French inventor of creating direct positive prints on paper.
Andalusian School; XVII century."Saint Bartholomew".Oil on canvas.It presents humidity stains and small chromatic faults. Needs restoration.Measurements: 115 x 95 cm; 132 x 113 cm (frame).Saint Bartholomew was one of the apostles of Jesus, and is mentioned in the Gospels always in company of Philip. According to John, in whose Gospel he appears under the name of Nathanael, he was one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was also a witness to Jesus' ascension. The tradition collected by Eusebius of Caesarea narrates that Bartholomew went to preach the Gospel in India, where he left a copy of Matthew's Gospel in Aramaic. The Armenian tradition also attributes to him the preaching of Christianity in the Caucasian country, together with St. Jude Thaddeus, so both are considered patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Their martyrdom and death are attributed to Astiages, king of Armenia and brother of King Polymius, whom the saint had converted to Christianity. As the priests of the pagan temples, who were running out of followers, protested to Astiages against the evangelizing work of Bartholomew, the ruler sent for him and ordered him to worship their idols, as he had done with his brother. Faced with the saint's refusal, the king ordered him to be flayed alive in his presence until he renounced God or died. The image of Saint Bartholomew has undergone few modifications throughout the history of art, being common the representation of the saint at the moment of martyrdom. Thus, he is usually represented being flayed, either on a colt or tied to a tree. He has also been depicted working miracles: resurrecting the children of King Polymius and freeing his daughter possessed by the devil. On rare occasions he appears being scourged. Sometimes he is represented with a large knife alluding to his martyrdom, according to which he was flayed alive, which is why he is the patron saint of tanners. Also in relation to his martyrdom, he sometimes appears skinned, showing his skin held in his arm as if it were a piece of clothing.Aesthetically this work is close to the models of Sebastián Martínez Domedel Jaén, around 1615 - Madrid, 1667), follower of the school of Murillo is located by Palomino in Jaén, training with Antonio García Reinoso. He would arrive in Madrid after Velázquez died (so it would not have been possible for him to learn with him), city in which he would die in 1667, without means. Experts suppose that he may have studied in Cordoba, in the workshop of Juan Luis Zambrano, or with Antonio del Castillo (which would explain his dedication to landscapes), although it is possible that he was trained in Jaen, as already mentioned. A trip to Madrid in 1661 is documented, to visit the Royal Collections of El Escorial, commissioned by the cathedral chapter of Jaén, with the aim of copying some painting for the Altarpiece of the Holy Face of that building. Some documented works of the master are preserved, which show an eclectic and somewhat uneven artist, who frequently used prints for his inspiration and copied, with some skill, old masters, also imitating some of his contemporaries. It is possible to find paintings by him in several private collections, mainly Spanish, as well as in the Church of San Ginés in Madrid, in the convent of Corpus Christi in Córdoba, in the Museum of Jaén, in the Prado Museum in Madrid, in the Cathedral of Jaén, etc.
RARE NORTHERN IRELAND TROUBLES 16MM STILLS OF ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY POLICE SURVEILLANCE UNIT, M60 MACHINE GUN USED BY THE IRA IN SAS MURDER, BRITISH ARMY HELICOPTER IN SOUTH ARMAGH & VARIOUS SHOTS OF HMP MAZE PRISON INCLUDING INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN H-BLOCK CELLS DURING THE 1978 DIRTY PROTEST & THE CLEAN UP AFTERWARDS, RARE SIGN OF THE OLD ORIGINAL PRISON, VIEW FROM THE CONTROL TOWER, THE HMP MAZE CELLULAR PRISON PLAQUE, INSIDE THE PRISON & AROUND THE WALLS & A TAPE REEL OF HMP MAZE FROM C'POINT
A rare gilt-bronze figure of AvalokiteshvaraSui/Tang DynastyThe deity seated on a lotus flower borne on a long stem, with her right leg crossed over her left knee, her left foot resting on a lotus flower, with serene expression in front of a circular mandorla, clad in cascading robes with beaded jewellery, 11cm (4 1/4in) high; together with an archaistic bronze bell, Song/Ming dynasty, 12.5cm (5in) high. (2).Footnotes:隋/唐 銅鎏金觀世音菩薩像 及 宋/明 銅仿古紋鐘 一組兩件Provenance: Mrs Gret Hasler (1895-1971), Winterthur, Switzerland, and thence by descentA trip to New York, Chicago and Washington in 1937 was the starting point for Mrs Gret Hasler's interest in Chinese art. This she continued until the Second World War by acquiring objects from dealers in Paris, Sweden and New York.來源：瑞士溫特圖爾Gret Hasler夫人（1895-1971）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今Gret Hasler夫人對中國藝術的興趣始於1937年的紐約、芝加哥和華盛頓之行。此後，她持續自巴黎、瑞典和紐約的古董商處購藏藝術品，直至第二次世界大戰後。Compare with a related gilt-bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Sui/Tang dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 13 May 2015, 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 rare cloisonné enamel tripod incense burner15th centuryOf curved cylindrical form supported on three legs, expertly enamelled around the exterior with large lotus blooms in yellow, white and purple borne on leafy scrolls, all on a dark lapis-blue ground, the mouth with a further floral band on an emerald-green ground. 11.1cm (4 1/2in) diam. Footnotes:十五世紀 銅胎掐絲琺瑯蓮紋三足爐Provenance: Mrs Gret Hasler (1895-1971), Winterthur, Switzerland, and thence by descentA trip to New York, Chicago and Washington in 1937 was the starting point for Mrs Gret Hasler's interest in Chinese art. This she continued until the Second World War by acquiring objects from dealers in Paris, Sweden and New York.來源：瑞士溫特圖爾Gret Hasler夫人（1895-1971）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今Gret Hasler夫人對中國藝術的興趣始於1937年的紐約、芝加哥和華盛頓之行。此後，她持續自巴黎、瑞典和紐約的古董商處購藏藝術品，直至第二次世界大戰後。See a related cylindrical cloisonné enamel brush holder on three feet, decorated with grape vines, second half 15th century, illustrated by H.Brinker and A.Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York and London, 1989, no.31. Compare also with a cloisonné enamel tripod incense burner, early Ming dynasty, illustrated by B.Quette, ed., Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, New York, 2011, p.231, no.14.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A VERY LARGE RARE GREY STONEWARE HUMAN-HEADED PILLARHan DynastyThe hollow rectangular pillar with two canted corners, moulded with panel of stylised foliate and archaic motifs, surmounted by a crouching human headed figure, the arms held together at the front and legs tucked in at the sides. 123cm (48 1/2in) high.Footnotes:漢 石雕人像柱Provenance: a distinguished UK Private collection, according to the owner the pillar has been in their collection from circa 1975來源：英國傑出私人收藏，據稱於約1975年入藏The present pillar would have been positioned before the entrance to a multi-chambered underground burial belonging to a high-ranking member of the Han dynasty. The various scenes of entertainment, parades, protective guardians and mythical figures formed part of an elaborate setting aimed at sustaining the tomb occupant in their afterlife. The ancestors in China were believed to be active participants to the life of their living offspring, which they could positively influence if provided with continuous nourishment and all the right necessities for their afterlife existence. A miniature universe was thus presented to the tomb occupant in the form of multi-chambered burials, constructed underground, which mimicked the large estate inhabited by the owner before death. These included parades of officials entering the gate, banqueting and hunting scenes, reception halls, musical scenes. Heavenly realms were also part of this elaborate settings and normally depicted in the form of spirits riding clouds, unusual birds and the four animals, symbolising the four quadrants of the sky and earth; see J.Rawson, 'The Eternal Palaces of the Western Han: A New View of the Universe' in Artibus Asiae, vol.59, 1999, pp.5-58; see also ibid., 'Creating Universes: Cultural Exchange as Seen in Tombs in Northern China Between the Han and Tang Periods', in Between Han and Tang. Cultural and Artistic Interactions in a Transformative period, Beijing, 2001, pp.113-152.Compare with a nearly identical stoneware pillar, first century AD, in the British Museum, London, illustrated by S.Vainker, Chinese Pottery and Porcelain: From Prehistory to the Present, London, 1991, p.46, fig.33.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TPTP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A very rare massive sancai-glazed model of a Bactrian camelTang Dynasty The beast powerfully modelled in mid-striding pose with its tall hair-lined neck reared back, the head raised and mouth open as if bellowing, exposing its teeth and prominent tongue, the cream-glazed body surmounted by a square fringed blanket finely decorated in green, chestnut and straw-glazes, the carved details of the fur glazed in brown. 88cm (34 5/8in) high x 74cm (29in) wide x 27cm (10 5/8in) deep.Footnotes:唐 三彩駱駝俑Provenance: Tai Sing Fine Antiques Ltd., Hong Kong A distinguished American private collection, acquired from the above in January 2002來源：香港大成古玩有限公司美國私人收藏，於2002年購自上者Finely modelled with an arched neck and mouth open wide as it bellows, the present camel is an exceptional example of sancai sculptures created during the Tang dynasty. The extraordinary sense of realism, conveyed by the forward moving posture of the creature, enhanced by the strong and slender legs, highly detailed with naturalistic tufts of dark fur, and the tall humps, gently swaying to either side of the body, shows a remarkable degree of observation on the sculptor's part which is rarely otherwise encountered on animal models of this period to this high degree.The creature would have been individually sculpted and extremely expensive to produce at the time. It would have been commissioned for internment in a burial belonging to an elite member of Tang society and deemed to become alive for the benefit of its owner. Ancestors in China were deemed active participants in the life of their living offspring, which they could positively influence if provided with continuous care. Miniature universes were thus presented in burials and filled with a variety of necessities as painted, carved or moulded images, which were believed to function like their real counterpart if provided with the correct features. Forming an analogical relation with daily forms, these figures and models embodied important social and ideological aspects of their own time; see J.Rawson, 'The Power of Images: The Model Universe of The First Emperor and Its Legacy,' Historical Research, 2002, vol.75, no.188, pp.123-54. By the Tang dynasty, the burials constructed for the highest-ranking members of society were decorated in a way that suggested a Courtly architectural compound through painted designs of receiving halls, garden settings and official gatherings, and a large amount of pottery figures of courtiers, attendants, entertainers, horses and camels; E.L.Johnston, 'Auspicious Motifs In Ninth-Thirteenth-Century Chinese Tombs', Ars Orientalis, 2005, vol.33, no.2, pp.33-75; see also J.Rawson, 'Creating Universes: Cultural Exchange As Seen In Tombs In Northern China Between the Han and Tang Periods', Between Han and Tang: Cultural and Artistic Interactions in a Transformative Period, Beijing, 2001, pp.113-152. These referred to frivolous moments of daily life and appeared in conjunction with a variety of extravagantly shaped vessels and personal ornaments made of gold, silver, and other precious materials, which reflected the prosperity of the Empire.In appearance, the present camel represents the Bactrian camel, which was imported into China from the areas of the Tarim Basin, eastern Turkestan and Mongolia. This species was highly regarded by the Tang Emperors who established dedicated offices to oversee the Imperial camel herds. Referred to as the 'ships of the desert', camels endured hot temperatures and were the essential method of transport for merchants wishing to conduct trade with the oasis cities of Central Asia, such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Isfahan, along the trading routes of the Silk Road; see E.R.Krauer, The Camel's Load In Life & Death, Cambridge, 1998, pp.50-120.Vast riches poured into the Tang capital, Chang'an, from the Silk Road. Merchants came from far afield to acquire silk, bamboo and lacquer wares, and imported perfumes, horse and jewels; see E.Schafer, The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of Tang Exotics, Berkeley, 1963, pp.7-40. Different types of food, spices, and wines were also imported into Tang China, as well as exotic musical genres, fashions and literary styles. In the arts, many foreign shapes such as amphorae, bird-headed ewers and rhyton cups, and decorative motifs, such as hunting scenes, floral medallions, garlands, swags, vines and Buddhist symbols, were imported from Central Asia and the Middle East; see B.Mater, De Gouden Eeuw Van China: De Tang Dynastie (618-907AD), Assen, 2011, pp.16-68. The recent excavation of thirty-seven tax receipts, recording approximately 600 payments, made in a year at a tax office outside Turfan (present-day Xinjiang), testifies to the fast pace of trading activities during the Tang dynasty. Chang'an had two main markets, referred to as the Eastern and the Western Market, both filled with shops, eateries and tea houses, and additional trading centres were established in the proximity of its main gates; see V.Hansen, The Silk Road: A New History, London, 2012.The animated attitude of this remarkable camel is reminiscent of the running camels vividly depicted on the walls of Crown Prince Zhuanghuai's tomb (d.684), excavated in Qianxian near Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, dated to 706 AD, illustrated in Out of China's Earth: Archaeological Discoveries in People's Republic of China, Beijing, 1981, pl.258.Compare also with a large sancai camel, Tang dynasty, similarly modelled in mid-stride, in the collection of the British Museum, London, illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol.11, Tokyo, 1976, p.148, no.136.A related sancai-glazed camel, Tang dynasty, was sold at Bonhams London, 8 November 2018, lot 28.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE BLUE SILK LAMPAS 'FIVE DHYANI BUDDHAS' PANEL10th-13th centuryThe panel finely woven in gold thread with four rows, each executed in repeat pattern with designs of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, from left to right, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Vairocana, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi, each figure seated cross-legged on a lotus padma base, the hands held in appropriate mudras, except for Ratnasambhava, where the hands repeat the gesture of Akshobhya, all on a blue background decorated with curling leaves before a floral border to the sides, mounted.43cm (17in) wide x 28.5cm (11 2/8in) high.Footnotes:十至十三世紀 五方佛紋藍地織金錦Provenance: Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., LondonAn English private collection來源：倫敦古董商Jacqueline Simcox Ltd.英國私人收藏Finely woven in a technique known as 'lampas', the present panel presents a finely-embellished surface of gilded paper patterns wrapped around a silk core, against a midnight-blue ground. Aksobhya, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi, Ratnasaṃbhava, and Vairocana are the five Dhyani Buddhas worshipped in Mahayana Buddhism. They are viewed in tantric meditation and are found in Buddhist iconography. Each of these Buddhas represents a different aspect of the enlightened consciousness to help in spiritual transformation. They signify the core mandala in ourselves including our environment and the cosmos. In addition, they represent the five types of human personality and exemplify the perfect form of the personality types. Akshobhya is a heavenly Buddha who rules over the Eastern paradise, Abhirati. The individuals who satisfy Akshobhya's promise are renewed in Abhirati and will not fall again into the lower state of consciousness. Akshobhya holds a vajra in his left hand which symbolises shunyata or an absolute reality that both animate and inanimate things are unmanifested. Amitabha Buddha is the focus of Pure Land Buddhism, which is one of the largest schools of Mahayana Buddhism in Asia. Amitabha signifies mercy and wisdom and is often portrayed with his hands in meditation pose, his fingers barely touching and gently folded over the lap with palms facing upwards. Amoghasiddhi Buddha represents the achievement of all activity. His name signifies 'Infallible Success'. He reigns in the North and he is usually portrayed in Buddhist iconography as transmitting a green light, which is the view of finishing knowledge and advancing peace. His hand motion is the mudra of courage, with his right hand placed in front of his chest and palm in an outward direction as though to state 'stop'. Ratnasambhava Buddha symbolises wealth. His name means 'Source of Jewel' or the 'Gem Born One' and he holds his hands in the desire-satisfying mudra, with his right hand facing down and the palm outward and his left in the meditation mudra symbolising generosity. Finally, Vairocana Buddha is believed to be the exemplification of all the Dhyani Buddhas, including everything and everywhere, ubiquitous and omniscient. His hand gesture in the Dharmachakra mudra signifies the turning of the wheel and places the hands in such a way that the thumbs and forefingers touch at the tips to form a wheel.Compare with a similar but larger blue-ground silk 'lampas' 'Five Dhyani Buddhas' panel, 10th-13th century, in the Guimet Museum, Paris, illustrated by Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., Chinese Textiles and Works of Art, London, 2005, p.13. See also a similar 'lampas' panel depicting six rows of 'Five Dhyani Buddhas', 10th-13th century, illustrated by Spink & Sons Ltd., The Art of Textiles, London, 1989, no.18.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE LARGE YELLOW-GROUND SILK BROCADE 'VAJRADHATU' SQUARE MANDALAEarly 15th centuryFinely woven with large blossoming lotus issuing from a continuous meander and scrolling foliage, each flower supporting a different Tibetan character executed in gold script woven in flat gilded paper, forming the 'Offering of the Universe' mantra reading from the centre to the east, south, west and north, all on a yellow ground and within a double gilt border.190.5cm (75 1/2in) x 194cm (76 3/8in).Footnotes:十五世紀早期 黃地織金剛界曼荼羅Provenance: Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., LondonAn English private collectionPublished and Illustrated: Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., Chinese, Indian and South-East Asian Textiles, London, 2007, pp.10-11.來源：倫敦古董商Jacqueline Simcox Ltd.英國私人收藏出版著錄：Jacqueline Simcox Ltd.，《Chinese, Indian and South-East Asian Textiles》，倫敦，2007年，頁10-11Finely woven with gold a profusion of blossoming lotus issuing from scrolling tendrils and Lanca characters from 'Offering of the Universe', a Sanskrit mandala, the present panel would have been used as a visual support for meditation purposes. The characters read from the centre, then to the east, south, west and north, and finally the other directions.'Lampas' weave is amongst the most complex forms of weave structure, requiring an elaborate and heavy loom. It was introduced to China from the west during the Yuan dynasty, and was only used in professional workshops and in particular those catering to the Imperial Court. Such meditation hangings were made as Imperial gifts to abbots of leading Tibetan monasteries and to Buddhist monasteries within China. The practice of giving such gifts was at its peak in the 14th and 15th centuries; see Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., Chinese, Indian and South-East Asian Textiles, London, 2007, pp.10-11.For Tibetans, and Buddhists in general, the east direction is the West's south direction, indicating that the beginning of the weaving was regarded as the east, where the sun rises, and the finish of the weaving, at the top, was the West, where the sun sets and the weaving ends. A weaving would thus be interpreted as symbolic of life: a work from start to finish, or from life to death, or from sunrise to sunset. Shown at the centre is the seed syllable for Vairocana, one of the five Dhyani Buddhas, with the four other buddhas in the group placed around the centre, interspersed with four goddesses who act as consorts to the Buddhas, and with four further goddesses, acting as assistants, placed in the corners. There would have been eight offering goddesses in all.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE YELLOW-GROUND SILK KESI ROBE 'DRAGON' PANELWanliThe panel finely woven with a lively side-facing five-clawed horned dragon chasing a flaming pearl beneath an oval canopied lantern decorated with a rabbit and striding amidst wispy ruyi clouds interspersed with the Auspicious Emblems, all on a rich yellow-ground above the terrestrial diagram rising above rolling waves and ruyi clouds, mounted.122cm (48in) long x 61cm (24in) wide.Footnotes:明萬曆 黃地緙絲龍紋袍料Provenance: Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., London, 2007An English private collection來源：倫敦古董商Jacqueline Simcox Ltd.，2007年英國私人收藏Finely woven in gold and multi-coloured threads with elegant designs of a side-facing five-clawed dragon, writhing amidst clouds and a lantern decorated with a rabbit, the present panel would have formed the front right half of an Imperial robe which would have been worn by the Emperor on the occasion of the Lantern Festival celebrations. The Lantern Festival was held over a period of ten days centering on the 15th day after the New Year Festival, which was the time of the first full moon of the new year. It appears to have been introduced during the Han dynasty, probably in relation with the spread of Buddhism in China. Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD) had heard that Buddhist monks prayed to Buddhist relics on the 15th day of first lunar month, lighting lanterns to pay respect to the Buddha. Taking a liking to the custom, he ordered that lanterns be lit throughout the Imperial palace and all the temples on the same day. The custom of hanging lanterns quickly became widespread among the population; see G.J.Melton, Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations, Goleta, CA, 2011, pp.514–515. A colourful scroll painting titled 'Xianzong Enjoying Pleasures', in the History Museum, Beijing, depicts the ruler at several moments in time including his tour of the palace surveying the elaborate festivities he ordered for the Lantern Festival, which included several rows of brilliantly-blazing lanterns lining the archway leading up to the Imperial palace; see J.Stuart, 'Timely Images: Chinese Art and Festival Display', in Proceedings of the British Academy, vol.167, 2009, pp. 295–348.The Emperor, Imperial family and high-ranking wealthy courtiers wore costumes woven or embroidered with themed decoration for the festive event. While the Ming dynasty official colour was red, the Emperor wore yellow for his official Court dress. Robes made to be worn for the occasion were probably restricted for use by the upper ranks at the Court of the Wanli Emperor, known for its demand for luxurious silks. Compare with a silk gauze embroidered panel from a dragon robe made for the Lantern Festival, Wanli, depicting a side-facing dragon riding amidst clouds and lanterns, illustrated by J.Vollmer and J.Simcox, Emblems of Empire, Edmonton, AB, 2009, pp.50-51.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
AN EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL 'POMEGRANATES' CIRCULAR BOX AND COVERIncised Xuande six-character marks and of the periodThe slightly-domed cover exquisitely enamelled in gradating tones of red, green and yellow in the centre with two ripe pomegranates, one bursting with ruby-red seeds highlighted with white, issuing from gnarled gold branches with blossoms and further smaller fruit, the undulating leaves with shades of red, yellow and blue picked with gold veins, the vertical sides of the cover and box decorated with formal lotus scrolls, the slightly recessed base incised with a Xuande six-character mark, the interior of the cover similarly incised with a six-character mark. 12cm (4 3/4in) diam. (2).Footnotes:明宣德 掐絲琺瑯石榴紋蓋盒「大明宣德年製」楷書刻款Provenance: Spink and Son, Ltd., London, purchased by Lord Cunliffe in 1946Rolf, Lord Cunliffe (1899-1963), Honorary Keeper of the Far Eastern Collections at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (collection no.E2), and thence by descentPublished, Illustrated and Exhibited: Mostra D'Arte Cinese (Exhibition of Chinese Art), Venice, 1954, p.203, no.754The Arts Council of Great Britain and the Oriental Ceramic Society, The Arts of The Ming Dynasty, 15 November - 14 December 1957, no.300 (published and exhibited)H.Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonné Enamels, London and Boston, 1962, pl.23 (published)Rolf, Lord Cunliffe, began collecting Chinese art in London towards the end of the Second World War. Over the next 20 years, he acquired over five hundred Chinese ceramics, jades and bronzes; buying judiciously but regularly from the best dealers in Chinese art dotted around Mayfair and St James in London, including galleries such as Bluett & Sons, John Spark, and Spink & Son. At his London flat in the heart of Mayfair, across the street from the famous Dutch dealer in Chinese art Peter Boode, he squeezed his growing collection into steel filing cabinets inconspicuously tucked away in his bathroom! Visiting collectors like the King of Sweden would spend happy hours sitting on the edge of the bath, discussing the finer points of a jade rhyton or a Junyao bowl. The present important cloisonné enamel box and cover, Xuande marks and of the period, has been a prized object in the collection, previously exhibited on two occasions, lastly in 1957, and published in the important and early publication by Sir Harry Garner in 1962.來源：1946年，倫敦古董商Spink and Son, Ltd.劍橋大學菲茨威廉博物館東方藝術部名譽主任，Rolf，Cunliffe勛爵（1899-1963）舊藏（藏品編號E2），並由後人保存迄今展覽著錄：「Mostra D'Arte Cinese（中國藝術展）」，威尼斯，1954年，頁203，編號754英國藝術委員會與倫敦東方陶瓷學會，「The Arts of the Ming Dynasty（明朝藝術）」，1957年11月15日-12日14日，編號300（展覽並出版）H.Garner著，《Chinese and Japanese Cloisonné Enamels（中國與日本掐絲琺瑯）》，倫敦和波士頓，1962年，圖版23Rolf，Cunliffe勛爵，第二次世界大戰後期開始收藏中國藝術品；並在之後的二十年內有規律地光顧倫敦當時最為頂尖的中國藝術古董商，如Bluett & Sons、John Spark、和Spink & Son 等，購藏了五百餘件中國藝術品，所藏涵括瓷器、玉器、和青銅器等門類。其倫敦的公寓位於梅費爾地區腹地，與著名中國藝術經紀Peter Boode隔街相望；而他就將其日益壯大的中國藝術收藏收納在公寓浴室中毫不起眼的金屬櫃裡！登門造訪的收藏家，譬如瑞典國王，則會花幾個小時坐在浴缸邊沿，愉快地交流諸如玉雕來通盃或鈞窯盌上的精彩細節。本例明宣德掐絲琺瑯石榴紋蓋盒，「大明宣德年製」楷書刻款，在Cunliffe勛爵的收藏中也備受重視，曾經兩次公開展出，最近一次展於1957年，且被收錄在早在1962年出版的加納爵士（Sir Harry Garner）關於掐絲琺瑯的重要著作中。Cloisonné enamel wares, though introduced in the 14th century during the Yuan dynasty, are widely considered to have reached artistic maturity in the early 15th century during the early Ming dynasty. In terms of their dynamic designs and powerful palettes, framed and heightened by the richly gilt wires, the Xuande period represents the pinnacle of cloisonné enamel craftsmanship as exemplified in the famous 'dragon' jars and covers in the British Museum, London and the Uldry Collection in Museum Rietberg in Zurich. The present lot is an exceptionally rare example of this early period, bearing two incised Imperial Xuande reign marks, demonstrating the bold palette and decorative features of the period, exquisitely shown in the juicy translucency of the ripe and bursting fruit. Apart from being extensively published, the present lot is important as it is one of only four published similar cloisonné enamel boxes. Each of these four boxes is similar in form, in size (approximately 12cm diam.), in the lotus scroll decoration around the sides of the box and cover, and in the main decorative motif being a type of auspicious fruit: pomegranates, persimmons, melons and grapes. Importantly, each of these boxes are doubly marked with an incised Xuande six-character reign mark, once on the underside of the box and again on the interior of the cover. The Cunliffe box is the only one remaining in a private collection with the other three in public museums and institu... For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A PAIR OF RARE HUANGHUALI HORSESHOE-BACK ARMCHAIRS, QUANYI17th century Each elegantly modelled with the sweeping crest rail terminating in outswept hooks above shaped spandrels, forming an elegant curve above the curving splat carved with a ruyi cartouche enclosing a pair of confronted chilong, flanked by beaded shaped spandrels, the rear posts continuing to form the back legs below the rectangular frame above shaped beaded aprons and spandrels carved to the front with foliate scrolls, with plain beaded aprons and spandrels on the sides, all supported on four round legs joined by stretchers. 98cm (38 1/2in) high x 63cm (24 6/8in) wide x 45.3cm (17 6/8in) deep (2).Footnotes:十七世紀 黃花梨圈椅成對Provenance: Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong (labels)A distinguished American private collection來源：香港古董商嘉木堂(標籤) 美國重要私人收藏The present chairs are distinguished by the attractively-figured huanghuali grain on the backsplat, the vigorous outline of the shaped aprons and the refined quality of the carving of the splat medallions and aprons.The Chinese name for this type of chair, quanyi, literally translates as 'chair with a circular back' or 'circle chair'. During the Song dynasty, this form was known as kaolaoyang, referring to a large round basket made from split bamboo.Horseshoe-back chairs, quanyi, are notable for their elegant curving crest rails and sweeping armrests and are timeless in their balanced interplay between curvilinear and straight members. These chairs were inspired by seats made of pliable lengths of bamboo with seemingly-simple continuous crest rails achieved through an ingenious joinery technique. To recreate a continuous back when using less pliable hardwoods, the various members were fitted together with a cut-out to accommodate a tapered wood pin that locked them firmly in place when inserted. The complexity of the design required utmost precision, as a slight error in the angle of any of the joins would be magnified by the adjoining members. A lacquer coating was then applied to make the underlying joinery virtually invisible; see R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasty, New York, 1971, pp.86-87.Lightweight yet sturdy, quanyi armchairs were amongst the most prestigious seats in Ming and Qing dynasty households. They were reserved for high-ranking members of society and frequently depicted in woodblock illustrations. During formal occasions, quanyi chairs were draped with sumptuous textiles and provided with a footstool. Their wide seats, C-shaped splats and curved backs made these chairs particularly comfortable and suitable for informal contexts. They also served as sedan chairs reserved for officials of high rank, and were considered markers of high status; see C.Clunas, Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, p.24.The crisp angular scrollwork decorating the aprons appears to have been inspired by designs found on archaic bronzes, reflecting the interest in antiquarianism which was popular among the literati elites during the 17th century. According to Robert Ellsworth, the archaistic designs are an innovation attributable to the late Ming and Kangxi period; see R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture. Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, New York, 1971, p.86.Horseshoe-back chairs were generally made in sets of two or four. A single huanghuali horseshoe-back armchair, late Ming dynasty, carved in similar fashion to the present chairs, is illustrated by R.H.Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, New York, 1996, pp.68-69, no.14. See also a huanghuali horseshoe armchair, 17th century, carved with similar ruyi heads on the splat, illustrated by Wang Shixiang and C.Evarts, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, p.56, no.26.A pair of similar huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs, 17th/18th century, was sold at Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 52; see also another similar huanghuali example, 17th/18th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 18 March March 2015, lot 139.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP YTP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A famille verte 'Lady and boy' saucer-dishKangxiFinely enamelled to the interior with an elegant lady holding a book in her right hand and seated on a garden stool beside a table supporting a square vase holding branches of prunus, the lady's tiny lotus foot exposed slightly from underneath her long gown cascading in neat pleats, a boy beside her stands attentively gazing over the terrace with gnarled rocks, all surrounded by a diaper-pattern band around the rim, the base with channelled foot and a leaf within a double circle. 35.1cm (13 3/4in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙 五彩教子圖盤Provenance: Warmington & Co., Inventory & Valuation of the Furniture at Mersham Le Hatch, May 1926 (Knatchbull Papers, Kent Archives, Maidstone, U951 E14 U951 Z54-4) Countess Mountbatten of Burma (1924-2017)來源：Warmington & Co.，《Mersham Le Hatch大宅之家具陳設估值清單》，1926年5月（英國梅德斯通肯特郡檔案處，Knatchbull文件，U951 E14 U951 Z54-4）緬甸的蒙巴頓女伯爵（1924-2017）舊藏Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Lady Brabourne, CBE, MSC, CD (1924– 2017) was a British peeress and the third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She was the elder daughter of heiress Edwina Ashley, a patrilineal descendant of the Earls of Shaftesbury, first ennobled in 1661, and Admiral of the Fleet the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Lady Mountbatten succeeded her father when he was assassinated in 1979, as his peerages had been created with special remainder to his daughters and their heirs.Dishes decorated in the famille verte palette with elegantly-dressed women in gardens were popular during the Kangxi period. Dishes of this type appear to represent the idealised concept of a cultured lady instead of a historical person, although the motifs were probably inspired by popular stories, paintings and prints. See a related dish, Kangxi, illustrated in China Without Dragons: Rare Pieces from Oriental Ceramic Society Members, London, 2016, p.315, no.187.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE CORAL-GROUND SILK EMBROIDERED 'BUDDHIST WHEEL AND DEER' BOX COVERYuan Dynasty The panel with square shape, delicately embroidered in counted stitch cross hatch stitch with gold, blue, green and red threads depicting a pair of recumbent smiling deer flanking a central blossoming lotus supporting the Wheel of Dharma, symbolising compassion and wisdom, amidst a profusion of lotus buds and scrolling foliage, all on a coral red damask ground, mounted. The coral red panel 13cm (5 1/8in) square.Footnotes:元 珊瑚紅地繡雙鹿法輪紋盒蓋ProvenancE: Linda Wrigglesworth, London來源：倫敦Linda WrigglesworthCompare the style of the embroidery on the present lot with the one used on a pair of silk knee pads, 13th/14th century, illustrated by J.Vollmer, Silks for Thrones and Altars. Chinese Costumes and Textiles, Berkeley, CA, p.27.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE EMBROIDERED 'DOUBLE-GEESE' BADGE17th centuryThe badge for a Fourth-Rank civil official colourfully embroidered with a pair of confronted geese, the lower one standing on prism-like rocks issuing from rolling waves embroidered in silk floss using long stitches and couched threads, all amidst ruyi clouds worked in red, blue, green, yellow and pink, further embellished at the centre with gold thread, the edges raised over an under-thread to convey a three-dimensional effect, all on a ground of dark blue silk with a twisted thread for a matt effect, mounted. 36cm (14 1/8in) x 36.3cm (14 2/8in).Footnotes:十七世紀 刺繡雲雁紋四品文官補子Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth, LondonA distinguished Belgian private collection來源：倫敦Linda Wrigglesworth法國顯赫私人收藏The present badge was part of a large group comprising over thirty similar silk badges, mainly representing lions, silver pheasants and egrets, once sewn into a large curtain or canopy, in Palazzo Corsini, Florence. The bold design of the present badge, with large lozenge-shaped clouds and prism-like rocks, reflects aesthetic developments during the later Ming dynasty.During the 17th century, under pressure from the Manchu to institute their own style of Court attire, the shape of the buzi or insignia badges became more exactly square. This example shows a fine thread original border.A similarly-embroidered silk 'double silver pheasants' badge, 16th/17th century, is illustrated by J.Vollmer, Silks For Thrones and Altars: Chinese Costumes and Textiles from the Liao Through the Qing Dynasty, Paris, 2003, no.11, pp.36-37. Two related silk Court 'double pheasant' rank badges, 17th century, were sold at Bonhams London, respectively on 7 November 2019, lot 126, and 13 May 2021, lot 79.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
An exceptionally rare chestnut-ground 'dragon' chubha, KangxiKangxiThe elegant garment constructed in Tibet from Chinese Kangxi period Imperial chestnut silk brocades, finely worked in gold and multi-coloured threads, the design on the front and back dominated by a large and powerful side-facing four-clawed mang dragon clutching the flaming pearl amidst a dense ground of ruyi clouds and Shou medallions, all above the terrestrial diagram rising from rolling waves and ruyi lishui, with four further partial dragons on the sleeves, superimposed against a ground of interconnected clouds and small dragons, woven in gold and multi-coloured threads, all above a partial terrestrial diagram at the hem, the collar and inner flap decorated with panels depicting a continuous patterns of dragon roundels alternating with wispy clouds, the raised collar and border edged with dark and light fur pelts, blue brocade and gold thread creating an elegant design, the interior lined with patterned cotton. 184cm (72 1/2in) wide x 136cm (53 1/2in) long.Footnotes:清康熙 御製褐地織彩雲金龍紋袍料製藏袍Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth, LondonA distinguished Belgian private collection來源：倫敦Linda Wrigglesworth比利時顯赫私人收藏Finely tailored from sumptuous Imperial chestnut-ground brocaded silks, the present garment is a brilliant and elegant adaptation of 17th century Chinese Imperial Court costume to formal Tibetan ceremonial attire.The front and back of the garments would have made up the main body of an extremely rare Imperial woman's formal state robe, chaopao dating to the Kangxi period. This is visible by the L-shaped seam between the collar and the underarm, noted on the present lot. The same L-shaped seam between the collar and the underarm is one of the main features of chaopao garments, long dragon robes made of a single section from shoulder to hem, with separate sleeves which were inserted into the main body at the shoulders; the resultant seams were then covered with metallic brocade ribbon, which was used as neck, side and hem trim. A separate piling collar was an additional garment that rested on the shoulders. Epaluettes were once applied and then removed to obtain a simpler Tibetan-style closure. This tailoring combined the styles of the two layered garments worn by the Imperial female members of the Ming dynasty, namely a a long sleeved, full-length coat, chaopao, which would have been worn under a full-length sleeveless coat, gualan. Surviving material evidence suggests that probably by the time of the Qing conquests, the two garments had merged into a single coat though the full length court vests still appeared; see J.Vollmer, Ruling from the Dragon Throne. Costumes of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Berkeley, CA, 2002, p.69. Chaopao robes dating to the Kangxi period and preserved in public collections are exceptionally rare, however, a velvet textile for a dragon robe, 17th century, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, depicts a very similar large four-clawed dragon clutching the flaming pearl, to the dragons brilliantly woven on the present robe, acc.no.1987.147, illustrated in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1985–2007. New York, 2008, p.36. See also a yellow-ground robe, Shunzi, embroidered with a single large side dragon clutching the flaming pearl, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures from the Palace Museum. Textiles and Embroideries of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2005, p.181, no.202. A Qing dynasty winter chaopao lined with brown fur and incorporating the styles of a long garment and a sleeveless coat, as the present example, from the 'Regulations of Imperial Paraphernalia of the Qing Dynasty' Huangchao Liqi Tushi, edited in 1759, is illustrated by J.Vollmer and J.Simcox, Emblems of the Empire. selections from the Mactaggart Art Collection, Edmonton, CA, 2009, p.13.According to the 'Illustrated Regulations for the Ritual Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court' Huangchao Liqi Tushi 皇朝禮器圖式, edited in 1759, brown jinhuang, was considered one of the five shades of yellow that could only be worn by the closest family members to the Emperor, and Third and Fourth Degree Princes and their wives could wear brown robes decorated with four-clawed dragons, mang; see L.Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, London, 1990, p.174.During the Qing dynasty, it became an established practice for the Court to send gifts of silks and garments to Tibet because of the strong attachment of the Manchu rulers to Tibetan Buddhism and the political relations. At this time, the Court produced richly-decorated silk costumes specifically for use in Buddhist rituals and bestowed large quantities of Imperial 'dragon' robes that became the customary formal dress for aristocratic Tibetans. The Tibetans traditionally wore robes featuring very long sleeves characterised by wider cuts and a simpler style of front overlap and fastening. The front part of the garment slanted from the neck to a fastening under the right arm.The Tibetans created the chubha style robe by substituting the front underlap of the garment with another material, or by cutting off some of the deep wave border to extend the arms or widen the sleeves. The overall result conveyed a rather harmonious and eccentric effect obtained by combining different materials; see J.Simcox and J.Vollmer, Emblems of Empire: Selection from the Mactaggart Art Collection, Edmonton CA, 2009, pp.200-217.Compare with a related 'dragon' robe, Kangxi, which was sold at Christie's London, 9 November 2010, lot 276.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE SILK EMBROIDERED 'GOLDEN PHEASANT' BADGEYongzheng/QianlongMade for a civil official of the Second Rank, finely embroidered in multi-coloured threads with the bird facing the sun as it alights onto a rock emerging from green rolling waves interspersed with gold thread, all within a border of sinuous trailing clouds executed in delicate blue and green shades, framed and glazed. The badge 28.5cm (11 2/8in) wide x 27cm (10 1/2in) long. Footnotes:清雍正/乾隆 刺繡錦雞紋二品文官補子Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth, London, 1980來源：倫敦Linda Wrigglesworth，1980年Badges buzi displaying fabulous creatures, birds or animals were worn by the members of the Qing ruling elites as part of their Court dress. The various species, whether real or imaginary, signified the wearer's rank and the badges were worn in pairs on the bufu surcoat. Accordingly, one badge was attached to the back of the surcoat, the other was made in two parts, which were respectively placed to either side of the opening on the chest.Compare with a similar silk 'Golden Pheasant' embroidered badge, 18th century or earlier, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.1988.104.89.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
An exceptionally rare Imperial embroidered chestnut-ground silk 'dragon' robeYongzhengMeticulously worked on the front and back in couched gold thread, satin stitch tiny detail of seed stitch with nine powerful, five-clawed dragons clutching or pursuing flaming pearls amidst a profusion of hovering cranes vividly depicted in different poses, some holding a tally in their beaks, all on a densely deep blue-patterned ground of stylised wan emblems and above a lishu hem beneath a sea of tumultuous waves interspersed with elaborate pavilions, with original sleeve extension and midnight-blue cuffs and collar decorated with further dragons and clouds.205.3cm (80 6/8in) wide x 138.5cm (54 1/2in) long.Footnotes:清雍正 御製香色地繡彩雲金龍「海屋添籌」紋袍Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth Ltd., London, 1994An Australian private collection來源：倫敦古董商Linda Wrigglesworth Ltd.，1994年澳洲私人收藏This remarkable robe, notable for its exquisite and complex embroidery, vivid depictions of cranes and most unusual terrestrial diagram, made of elegant pavilions floating above rolling waves, was probably made for a First Rank Prince, one of the sons of the Emperor. A closely-related embroidered chestnut-ground robe, dated to 1738, excavated from the tomb of Prince Guo (1797-1738), seventeenth son of the Kangxi Emperor, is similarly embroidered with vivid designs of five-clawed dragons, cranes carrying tallies in their beaks and pavilions on lattice ground, illustrated by J.Vollmer, Imperial Silks. Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Chicago, 2000, p.143, no.42.According to the 'Illustrated Regulations for the Ritual Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court 'Huangchao liqi tushi 皇朝禮器圖式, edited in 1759, the brown colour for garments, qiuxiangse, was one of the five Imperial shades of yellow which could only be used by the innermost family circle of the Emperor; see J.Vollmer, Ruling from the Dragon Throne: Costumes of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Berlekey, CA, 2002, pp.85.This exceptional robe may have been worn by the Imperial family member during birthday celebrations. The auspicious combination of the sea hai, the pavilions wu and the tallies chou carried by the cranes underscore the auspicious wish for long life, forming the rebus Haiwu Tianchou 海屋添籌, which can be translated as 'Adding tallies to the Immortal's abode above the sea'. The literary origin of the scene originated in 'Conversations of Three Old Men', from the 'Collected Writings by Su Dongpo' Dongpo zhilin 海屋添籌, by the Northern Song scholar Su Shi (1037-1101 AD). During one chance meeting of three Immortals, the topic of age was broached. Each one of the sages tried their best to exaggerate their own great age. The second sage famously boasted, 'After every cycle of the sea drying up and becoming mulberry fields, I put a strip of bamboo in my house as a counter and now the tallies have already filled ten houses'. By the Qing dynasty, when pun rebus design became increasingly popular and the character chou 筹 for bamboo strip counter acquired a pun on shou 寿 meaning longevity, the Haiwu Tianchou 海屋添籌 phrase became a popular allusion conveying the birthday wish 'May the length of your life be eternally prolonged 'Hai wu tian shou 海屋添寿'.The term 'sea house', haiwu, probably referred to Kunlun, the fabled fairyland of the Immortals, rising from the Oceans of Eternity which is often represented by a pavilion or mansion built atop an isle, with refined caves and lavish gardens full of propitious flowers and plants, ponds made of gold and trees made of gemstones. Imperishable and magnificent in its loftiness, this land was the perfect goal of the adept's quest for Immortality; see Wu Hung, 'Mapping Early Daoist Art: The Visual Culture of Wudoumi Dao', in S.Little, Taoism and the Arts of China, Berkeley, 2000, p.85. Cranes were also considered important constituents of Kunlun. As birds with a long life span, they were deemed celestial beings, symbolising longevity, wisdom and divine grace; see M.Wan, 'Emperor Jiajing and His Auspicious Words', in Archives of Asian Art, vol.57, pp.95-120 and P.Sturman, Cranes above Kaifeng: The Auspicious Image at the Court of Huizong, in Ars Orientalis, 1990, p.33-68. Reinforcing the wish for extended happiness to last for eternity, the blue fret ground, so finely embroidered on the present robe, is an endless pattern incorporating the leiwen designs, meaning ten-thousand, thus forming the pun for 'May ten-thousand generations be granted happiness'.The combination of cranes carrying tallies, pavilions and Immortal figures became a popular subject decorating objects destined for use by the Qing Court during the Yongzheng reign. See a doucai bowl, Yongzheng mark and period, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by R.Kerr, Chinese Art and Design, London, 1997, p.57; see also a blue and white dish, Chenghua mark but Yongzheng period, from the Cleveland Museum of Art, acc.no.1989.315. See also an 18th century kesi silk panel, Ming dynasty, embroidered with cranes carrying tallies, hovering above pavilions floating in waters, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, acc.no.GU-SI-000068-00000.'Dragon robes' were supreme significant social markers representing access to power. The right to wear such garments depended on rank and status. The Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty were keen on projecting an evocative and powerful image of themselves, and their Court costumes conveyed legitimacy and heritage. Despite their initial reluctance to wear the same type of robes as their Ming predecessors, by the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the Manchu elites were keen wearers of richly-ornamented 'dragon' robes on semi-formal Court occasions and official duties.In Han Chinese thought, the five-clawed dragon was the quintessential symbol of Imperial power, embodying royalty, dominion and expressing the visual metaphor of the good ruler who behaved wisely for the wellbeing of his subjects. Capable of flying high in the sky and diving back into the sea, dragons were regarded as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth and credited with extraordinary powers that compared to those of the Emperor. Even the number nine, for the dragons depicted on the present robe, is highly evocative and likened to the power of Heaven. The multiple of three threes, nine has a long association with the Emperor. In addition, the 'Records of the Grand Historian' Shiji, completed during the first century BC, recounts that, having tamed the floods that once engulfed the land, the mythical Emperor Yu divided the territory into the Nine Provinces and collected bronze in tribute from each one. Thereafter he cast the metal into nine large tripod cauldrons. These vessels thus were at the heart of ruler's possessions and symbolic conveyers of power.Stylistically, the five-clawed front-facing dragons and trailing wispy clouds of the present robe closely compare with their counterpart woven on an Imperial yellow-ground kesi robe, Yongzheng, in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, acc.no.42.8.11.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A rare midnight-blue-ground silk embroidered 'butterfly and double-gourd' informal surcoat, changpaoEarly 19th centuryThe front-opening surcoat finely embroidered on the front and back panels with eight symmetrically-placed round floral roundels each meticulously embroidered with a profusion of double gourds individually decorated with various diaper patterns, all issuing from leafy and curling stems amidst multicoloured butterflies, all above the intricate finely-drawn turbulent wave border incorporating lingzhi-form vapor and the Auspicious Emblems in the wind-tossed waves rising from a deep lishui stripe, the details embroidered in bright, shaded tones of red, green, pale orange, yellow, blue and white with very fine gold thread highlighting diaper designs, the wave borders repeated at the cuffs beneath three smaller gourd and butterflies roundels on each sleeve, all reserved on a midnight-blue ground, the entire garment in lined blue, with gilded buttons. 175.5cm (68 7/8in) wide x 141cm (55 1/2in) long.Footnotes:十九世紀早期 石青緞繡瓜瓞綿綿紋袍Provenance: an English private collection來源：英國私人收藏Notable for its highly-refined embroidery depicting elegant roundels with multi-coloured designs of butterflies and double gourds, the present lot is a rare example of formal surcoats worn by the highest-ranking women of the Qing Court.The surcoats made for the highest-ranking female members of the Qing society were decorated by eight roundels over elaborate lishui borders at the hem, such as displayed on the present lot; see V.Garrett, Dragon Robes, Oxford, 1998, p.35 and J.Vollmer, Imperial Silks. Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MA, 2000, p. 54. Garments decorated with roundels always signalled formality. This decorative scheme can be traced to the Tang dynasty and may have been influenced by Western Asian traditions; see Huang Nengfu and Chen Juanjuan, Origins of the Art of the Chinese National Costume, Beijing, 1994, p.209; see also J.Watt and A.Wardwell, When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles, New York, 1998, pp.21-29.While the dragon-patterned roundels signified official attire, medallions decorated with seasonal flowers, butterflies, cranes and other auspicious imagery underscoring the wishes for good fortunes, wealth, happiness, typically indicated the informal nature of the occasions for which the surcoats were worn. Roundel schemes were particularly popular during the Ming dynasty for both Court and unofficial wear and the Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty appear to have continued this tradition. By the eighteenth century, the formal design of a distinct wave border at the hem appears to have become the favoured style.Although changpao surcoats were worn by noble Manchu women, the rich symbolic intent of the decoration embroidered on them was deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Double gourds are popular symbols of longevity and are associated with Li Tiegui, one of the Eight Daoist Immortals, who is often depicted holding a double gourd containing the elixir of Immortality. Butterflies are also homophone with the character die 耋 meaning over seventy or eighty years of age, and thus express a wish for longevity. They symbolise happiness in marriage and everlasting romantic love, the latter conveyed by a number of traditional Chinese stories in which butterflies play a significant part. A story by Feng Menglong (1574-1646), for example, features the so-called 'butterfly lovers', Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, who are transformed into butterflies after death. Butterflies are also associated with the Daoist connotation of dreamlike reflection and the freedom of the soul; see Sookja Cho, Transforming Gender and Emotions. The Butterfly Lovers Story in China and Korea, Ann Harbor, MI, 2018, pp.1-13 and V.H.Mair, 'Chuang-tzu', in W.Nienhauser, Traditional Chinese Literature, vol.2, Bloomington, IN, 1998, pp.20–26.Compare with three related blue-round silk kesi informal surcoats, mid-19th century, illustrated by J.Vollmer, Imperial Silks.Ch'ing Textiles from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MA, 2000, p.269, n.104, p.271, no.105, p.273, no.106. A related silk kesi surcoat, Yongzheng/Qianlong, was sold at Christie's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 83.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE EMBROIDERED SILK MANCHU NOBLEWOMAN'S FESTIVE HAT, JIGUAN19th centuryOf domed shape, the upturned brim lined with sea-otter fur surrounding a domed crown finely decorated in various shades of pink and green threads with flowering prunus branches and large red peaches, all on a vibrant blue ground beneath a red silk Endless Knot, suspending two red silk streamers at the rear, each decorated with gold thread designs depicting the Auspicious Emblems within a double ruyi frame. The hat 22cm (8 5/8in) diam.; the kerchief 78.5cm (30 6/8in) long. Footnotes:十九世紀 海狸皮冬季女吉服冠Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth, London, early 1990's來源：二十世紀九十年代早期，倫敦Linda WrigglesworthFestive hats, such as the present example, were known as jiguan and completed the semi-formal outfit worn by Manchu noblewomen and noblemen, which comprised of a side-fastening silk robe decorated with five-clawed dragons, footwear, belts, purses and a surcoat.Women's festive hats resemble the shape of the Emperor's winter hats and were embellished with a pair of wide streamers decorated with auspicious symbols, which were inserted through a horizontal slit in the brim and hung down her back to below the waist.Compare with a similarly-shaped silk hat for an Empress or concubine, Qing dynasty, capped with a similar red silk endless knot, as the present example, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures from the Palace Museum: Costumes and Accessories of the Qing Court, Shanghai, 2006, no.165. See also two related embroidered silk Manchu noblewomen's festive hats, each suspending a pair of streamers, 19th century, the first in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, illustrated by J.Vollmer, Ruling From the Dragon Throne. Costumes of the Qing Dynasty, Berkeley, 2002, p.133, fig.4.50; and the second is illustrated by V.Garrett, Chinese Dress: from the Qing Dynasty to the Present, Clarendon, VM, 2008, p.41, fig.65.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE IMPERIAL DOUBLE-SIDED EMBROIDERED SILK 'DRAGON' ROBE, JIFUEarly 19th century Meticulously worked on both the outer and inner sides in satin stitch and coloured threads with nine writhing five-clawed resplendent blue dragons clutching or pursuing flaming pearls amidst dense trailing scrolls of five-coloured clouds interspersed with bats, all above the terrestrial diagram rising from rolling waves and lishui stripe at the hem, all picked out in vibrant shades of blue, aubergine, yellow, coral-red and green, reserved on a deep apricot ground, the matching dark-blue-ground collar and cuffs worked with further blue dragons amidst bats, clouds and waves.205cm (80 6/8in) wide x 156cm (61 1/2in) long.Footnotes:十九世紀早期 御製藍地雙面繡彩雲龍紋吉服袍Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth Ltd., LondonA distinguished New York private collection, acquired from the above on 6 April 1994.來源：倫敦古董商Linda Wrigglesworth Ltd.紐約顯赫私人收藏，於1994年4月6日購自上者Superbly embroidered on both the inner and outer surface with nine lively five-clawed dragons riding the heavens, the present robe is a rare and remarkable example of its type and would have most probably, been worn by a Third or Fourth Rank Prince.Double-sided robes displaying such an impeccable and detailed embroidery and meticulous attention to detail, noted in the animated expressions of the dragons and their overlapping scales, exquisitely executed in various shades of blue to convey the impression of depth, are obvious features of the most exquisite garments reserved for the highest-ranking members of Qing society. Furthermore, the depictions of dragons clutching, rather than chasing, flaming pearls, also suggest that the wearer would have been one of the most immediate family members of the Emperor. According to the 'Illustrated Regulations for the Ritual Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court' Huangchao Liqi Tushi 皇朝禮器圖式, edited in 1759, blue was the colour worn by the Third and Fourth Degree Princes; see J.Vollmer, C.Hall and Lee Cheor Lin, Power Dressing. Textiles for Rulers and Priests from the Chris Hall Collection, Singapore, 2006, p.147. In Han Chinese thought, the five-clawed dragon pursuing or clutching the flaming pearl was the quintessential symbol of Imperial power, embodying royalty, dominion and expressing the visual metaphor of the good ruler who behaved wisely for the wellbeing of his subjects. Capable of flying high in the sky and diving back into the sea, dragons were regarded as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth and credited with extraordinary powers that compared to those of the Emperor. Even the number nine, for the dragons depicted on the present robe, is highly evocative and likened to the power of Heaven. The multiple of three threes, nine has a long association with the Emperor. In addition, the 'Records of the Grand Historian' Shiji, completed during the first century BC, recounts that, having tamed the floods that once engulfed the land, the mythical emperor Yu divided the territory into the Nine Provinces and collected bronze in tribute from each one. Thereafter he cast the metal into nine large tripod cauldrons. These vessels thus were at the heart of ruler's possessions and symbolic conveyers of power.At the Qing Court the colour blue had a ritual significance, as it was associated with the most important rites at the Altar of Heaven, where the Emperor performed sacrifices at the Winter Solstice and prayed for good harvest and rain during the summer months. It is possible, therefore, that the present robe may have been worn on the occasion of a ritual at the Temple of Heaven. The Imperial Regulations confirmed the importance of a new type of robe, the jifu or longpao, as semi-formal Court wear and brought the cosmic purpose of Imperial rule into sharp focus. The careful arrangement of sinuous dragons writhing amid clouds and above the universal ocean washing against the earth mountain, quickly transcended the political and ethnic priorities of Imperial government to become universal symbols of the Empire. Dragon robes thus became supreme significant social markers representing access to power. The right to wear such garments was dependent on rank and status. The Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty were keen on projecting an evocative and powerful image of themselves, and their Court costumes conveyed legitimacy and heritage. Despite their initial reluctance to wear the same type of robes as their Ming predecessors, by the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the Manchu elites were keen wearers of richly-ornamented 'dragon' robes on semi-formal Court occasions and official duties.The Qing robes, however, had their own distinctive shapes and trimmings. For example, the slits appearing at the centre seams, at the front and back hem, as well at the sides, were Manchu innovations that made it comfortable for the garment to be worn during riding. In addition, 'dragon' robes were secured at the waist with ceremonial belts suspending narrow and straight streamers, and sometimes, purses. Other conspicuously-displayed accessories further identified Manchu dress, such as a hat, a surcoat and a necklace; see V.Garrett, Chinese Dress From the Qing Dynasty to the Present, 2008, North Clarendon VT, pp.16-17.The impeccable quality and style of the embroidery closely compare with an Imperial double-sided yellow-ground robe, Qianlong, also decorated with similar blue dragons, from the Qing Court Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Ming Wilson, Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden City, London, 2010, p.46-47, no.46. An Imperial blue-ground kesi silk robe, Qianlong, also from the Qing Court Collection, decorated with nine blue dragons, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures from the Palace Museum. Costumes and Accessories of the Qing Court, Shanghai, 2006, no.37. See also a related Imperial chestnut-ground robe for a Prince, Jiaqing, with nearly-identical depictions of blue dragons, illustrated by J.Vollmer, Dressed to Rule. 18th century Court Attire in the Mactaggart Art Collection, Edmonton, AB, 2007, p.10-11, no.2005.5.79.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE IMPERIAL APRICOT-GROUND EMBROIDERED SILK WOMAN'S 'DRAGON' ROBEMid 19th century Finely worked on the front and back in satin stitch and couched gold threads with nine writhing five-clawed dragons pursuing flaming pearls amidst dense trailing scrolls of five-coloured clouds interspersed with bats, all above the terrestrial diagram and the lishui stripe at the hem picked out in vibrant shades of blue, yellow, red, coral and green, all reserved on a deep apricot ground, the matching dark-blue-ground collar and cuffs worked with further dragons amidst further bats, clouds and waves, dragons bands, and nine dragons amidst further bats, clouds and waves, lined in a blue support silk. 186cm (73 2/8in) wide x 133.5cm (52 2/8in) long.Footnotes:十九世紀中葉 御製杏黃緞繡暗八仙紋龍袍Provenance: a distinguished Belgian private collection來源：比利時顯赫私人收藏The delicate tailoring and vivid depictions of dragons clutching flaming pearls, suggest that this robe would have been worn by an Imperial Manchu consort. According to the 'Illustrated Regulations for the Ritual Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court' Huangchao liqi tushi 皇朝禮器圖式, edited in AD 1759, the apricot-orange colour xinghuang of this fine robe was one of the 'Five Imperial Yellows' that could only be worn by the Heir Apparent to the Emperor, as well as Princes and Princesses of the First Rank and Imperial Consorts of the Second and Third Degree; see M.Medley, The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Ch'ing Dynasty, London, 1982, and L.Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, Berkeley, 2002, pp.14-30.The 'Regulations' confirmed the importance of a new type of robe, the jifu or longpao, as semi-formal Court wear and brought the cosmic purpose of Imperial rule into sharp focus. The careful arrangement of sinuous dragons writhing amid clouds and above the universal ocean washing against the earth mountain, quickly transcended the political and ethnic priorities of Imperial government to become universal symbols of the Empire.Dragon robes thus became supreme significant social markers representing access to power. The right to wear such garments was dependent on rank and status. The Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty were keen on projecting an evocative and powerful image of themselves, and their Court costumes conveyed legitimacy and heritage. Despite their initial reluctance to wear the same type of robes as their Ming predecessors, by the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the Manchu elites were keen wearers of richly-ornamented 'dragon' robes on semi-formal Court occasions and official duties.In Han Chinese thought, the five-clawed dragon was the quintessential symbol of Imperial power, embodying royalty, dominion and expressing the visual metaphor of the good ruler who behaved wisely for the wellbeing of his subjects. Capable of flying high in the sky and diving back into the sea, dragons were regarded as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth and credited with extraordinary powers that compared to those of the Emperor. Even the number nine, for the dragons depicted on the present robe, is highly evocative and likened to the power of Heaven. The multiple of three threes, nine has a long association with the Emperor. In addition, the 'Records of the Grand Historian' Shiji, completed during the first century BC, recounts that, having tamed the floods that once engulfed the land, the mythical Emperor Yu divided the territory into the Nine Provinces and collected bronze in tribute from each one. Thereafter he cast the metal into nine large tripod cauldrons. These vessels thus were at the heart of a ruler's possessions and symbolic conveyers of power.The Qing robes, however, had their own distinctive shapes and trimmings. For example, the slits appearing at the centre seams, at the front and back hem, as well at the sides, were Manchu innovations that made it comfortable for the garment to be worn during riding. In addition, dragon robes were secured at the waist with ceremonial belts suspending narrow and straight streamers, and sometimes, purses. Other conspicuously-displayed accessories further identified Manchu dress, such as a hat, a surcoat and a necklace; see V.Garrett, Chinese Dress From the Qing Dynasty to the Present, 2008, North Clarendon VT, pp.16-17.Compare with a similar apricot-ground silk 'dragon' robe, mid-19th century, illustrated by V.Garret, Chinese Dress. From the Qing Dynasty to the Present, Berkeley, 2008, p.32, fig.49.A related apricot-ground formal Court silk 'dragon' robe, jifu, mid-19th century, was sold at Christie's London, 12 May 2017, lot 290.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE EMBROIDERED PALE-BLUE-GROUND SILK DAOIST PRIEST'S ROBE, JIANGYICirca 1880Of rectangular form with a central opening at the front, the heather-blue brocade woven with intricate pale pink designs of sinuous dragons striding chasing flaming pearls amid clusters of vaporous clouds and leafy vines, the back elaborately decorated with the square Daoist diagram incorporating symbols of the sun and moon (cockerel and rabbit), the constellations and the symbolic forms of the Five Sacred Mountains, all surrounded by cloud fronds, cranes and phoenix, all worked in a fine net pattern of metallic couched threads, all within borders incorporating five-clawed dragons, cranes, carps and heavenly horses striding above rolling waves at the hems and back and front sleeve openings, worked in very fine couched gold, multi-coloured threads and gold leafed paper on a deep blue ground.158 (62 2/8in) wide x 136cm (53 1/2in) long.Footnotes:約1880年 淺藍緞地繡鬱羅蕭台瑞獸紋道教絳衣Provenance: a distinguished New York private collection來源：紐約顯赫私人收藏Finely embroidered in multi-coloured silk, couched gold wrapped thread and gold-leaf paper, this exquisite garment was made for a Daoist Priest of the First Degree. Daoist garments, also known as robes of descent, jiangyi, evoked the meditative transcendence of the wearer and are among the most sumptuous and visually spectacular works of Daoist ritual art.Jiangyi robes worn by the grand master consisted of two main lengths of yardage, sewn together up the back, with the front-left open. The most important decoration appeared on the back of the garment as this was seen by the supplicants as the priest faced the altar to perform his rites. However, the grand master also faced outward, sometimes descending to the lay people's level, hence the translation 'robe of descent'. Symbolically, the wearers of garments decorated with such cosmic designs were thought of becoming the animators of rituals and promoting harmony with Heaven and stability on Earth. The symbolism underscored by the subjects depicted on Daoist robes combined in richly orchestrated displays related to Daoist vision of an ordered cosmos, harmonious existence with nature, and heavenly paradise. The principal features include a central pagoda within a circle or ovoid, surrounded by stars, clouds, and a rainbow pattern representing paradise. The circle itself is often ringed with flames, with the symbols of the sun and the moon, containing respectively the three-legged cockerel and the rabbit pounding the elixir of longevity, positioned at the top. Surrounding the circle are plain disks representing the stars. The Jade Emperor sat within his palace as the focus of the glowing arch formed by the stars around him. The side and hem borders include a a version of the celestial landscape populated by dragons and other mythical creatures; see J.Vollmer, Imperial Silks. Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MA, 2000, p.354-357.The formula of portraying the cosmos with the Daoist palace at the centre, flanked by the sun and the moon, dates from at least the Han dynasty and an early form may be noted on the famous banner excavated from tomb 1 in Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan, which depicted the deceased's journey toward the Daoist Immortal realm. A similar depiction of the Immortal land as an icon survives in 14th century wall frescoes in the Yonglegong, Shanxi Province and others preserved in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, illustrated by C.Brown, Chinese Scholars' Rocks and the Lands of Immortals: Some Insights from Paintings, in R.D.Mowry, Worlds Within Worlds: The Richard Rosenblum Collection of Chinese Scholars' Rocks, Cambridge, MA, 1997, p.67, fig.4.Compare with a related pale blue-ground embroidered silk Daoist Priest's robe, late Qing dynasty, illustrated in Heaven's Embroidered Cloths. One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong, 1995, pp.186-187, no.48.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 COPPER-RED-DECORATED 'FIVE BATS' BOWLSYongzheng six-character marks and of the periodEach finely potted with deep curving sides rising from a straight foot to a gently flared rim, the exterior painted with four bats swooping and soaring in copper-red silhouettes, the intensity of the red subtly shifting from deep crimson to a pale pinkish-gray at the wing tips, all on a white ground, the interiors each with a further bat in flight. Each 15.5cm (6 1/8in) diam. (2).Footnotes:清雍正 釉裏紅五蝠紋盌一對「大清雍正年製」楷書款Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 12 September 2018, lot 142A UK private collection來源：紐約蘇富比，2018年9月12日，拍品編號142英國私人收藏The five bats, wufu, are a homophone for the 'Five Blessings', which are long life, wealth, health, love of virtue and a good end to one's life. The pattern was one of the designs on porcelain supplied to the Court listed in 1729 by Tang Ying, director of the Imperial porcelain factory active during the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns, and translated by S.Bushell in Oriental Ceramic Art, London, 1981, p.198.Designs created through red-glaze silhouettes originated however in the early Ming dynasty and are best known from the Xuande period, but the technique had already been developed during the preceding Yongle reign, when silhouettes of animals and fish were used in combination with underglaze-blue designs; for an example excavated from the late Yongle stratum of the Ming Imperial kiln site, see Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods Excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Hong Kong, 1989, no.38, and see also a Xuande period example recovered from the Xuande stratum of the Ming Imperial kiln site at Jingdezhen and included in Xuande Imperial Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Taipei, 1998, nos.101-102.Notoriously difficult to achieve, copper-red glazes had been largely abandoned at Jingdezhen since the early Ming dynasty and were revived during the Kangxi reign. Research by Peter Lam and other leading scholars indicates that the inspiration to start using again the celebrated but technically challenging pigment occurred during the early years of the Kangxi period under the direction of Zang Yingxuan, who was sent to Jingdezhen in 1681 to oversee the rebuilding of the kilns and serve as Imperial supervisor. It was in these early years of the Qing dynasty that a series of copper-red mythical beasts appeared, their abstracted rich red forms boldly contrasting with a white porcelain body covered with a pale blue-tinged transparent glaze.By the Yongzheng period, the technique had been perfected and achieved its finest form of expression with the crimson-red-glaze silhouettes of fish, pomegranates and most rare of all, bats, appearing on bowls, stem bowls and dishes, and bearing Imperial reign marks. This silhouette technique, which makes use of the copper-red glaze, possibly sandwiched between layers of clear glaze, is different from the more common method of painting designs in copper-red pigment directly onto the body before the glaze is applied. The present technique, if successfully handled, results in intensely red designs which do not allow for the rendering of detail and are best suited for silhouettes.A very similar bowl with five bats, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, is illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p.116. A similar pair, in the Malcolm McDonald Collection, Oriental Museum, Durham University is illustrated by Ireneus László Legeza, A Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Malcolm McDonald Collection of Chinese Ceramics in the Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art and Archaeology School of Oriental Studies University of Durham, London, 1972, pl.LXXVIII, nos.218-219. Another similar example is illustrated by B.Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, pl.788.Compare with a similar underglaze copper-red-decorated 'bats' bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3527.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE BLUE-GLAZED STEM BOWLYongzheng six-character mark and of the periodFinely potted with rounded sides rising from a tall and slightly splayed foot to a gently flaring rim, covered on the exterior in a sacrificial-blue glaze stopping neatly below the rim and above the foot, the interior of the vessel and base glazed white, the interior of the stem foot with a single line of regular script in underglaze blue.15.2cm (6in) diam. Footnotes:清雍正 祭藍釉高足盌青花「大清雍正年製」楷書橫款Provenance: Bluett & Sons Ltd., LondonAn English private collection, acquired from the above circa 1990, and thence by descent來源：倫敦古董商: Bluett & Sons Ltd.英國私人收藏，於約1990年入藏，並由後人保存迄今Compare with a very similar blue-glazed stem bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 11 September 2019, lot 633.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE SEA-GREEN-GLAZED 'BATS AND WAVES' INCISED BOWLYongzheng six-character mark and of the periodFinely potted with rounded sides rising from a slightly tapered foot to a gently flaring rim, the interior centred with an incised medallion enclosing two soaring bats edged by a band of turbulent waves, the exterior similarly picked out with nine bats hovering above tempestuous waves crashing against rocky outcrops, applied overall save for the base with a translucent sea-green glaze thinning at the rim.11.9cm (4 11/16in) diam.Footnotes:清雍正 冬青釉暗刻福山壽海紋盌 青花「大清雍正年製」楷書款Provenance: S.Marchant & Son, London (label) An English private collection來源：倫敦古董商S.Marchant & Son（標籤）英國私人收藏Compare with a similar celadon-glazed 'bats and waves' incised bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2016, lot 3645. See also a related celadon-glazed incised 'bats and waves' bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1 June 2015, lot 505. See also a related finely-incised pale-celadon-glazed 'bats and waves' bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's New York, 24 September 2020, lot 853.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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