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Click here to subscribeFour The Royal Mint United Kingdom 2019 'The Tower of London Coin Collection' silver proof piedfort five pound coins, comprising 'The Legend of the Ravens', 'The Crown Jewels', 'The Yeoman Warders' and 'The Ceremony of the Keys', all cased with certificates (4)Condition Report:Some damage to packaging
Five The Royal Mint United Kingdom 2018 silver proof piedfort five pound coins, comprising 'The 65th Anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty The Queen', 'Four Generations of Royalty', '1918 Representation of the People Act', 'Celebrating the 70th Birthday of HRH The Prince of Wales' and 'The Royal Wedding', all cased with certificates (5)Condition Report:Some damage to packaging
Three The Royal Mint United Kingdom 2018 '250th Anniversary of Captain James Cook's Voyage of Discovery' silver proof two pound coins, comprising 'Coin I - 1768', 'Coin II - 1769' and 'Coin III - 1770', housed in a presentation box together with the original boxes and certificatesCondition Report:Some damage to packaging
Three silver coin covers, comprising 'Golden Wedding Anniversary 1947-1997' containing Bailiwick of Jersey 1997 five pounds, 'Golden Wedding Anniversary 1947-1997' containing Great British one pound and 'HRH The Prince of Wales 50th Birthday' containing Great British 1998 five pounds
Three The Royal Mint United Kingdom 2021 'The Queen's Beasts' fine silver proof one ounce coins, comprising 'The Griffin of Edward III', 'The Queen's Beasts' and 'The White Greyhound of Richmond', all cased with certificates (3)Condition Report:Damage to packaging
Coins and banknotes including five Queen Victoria silver sixpence coins dated 1894, two 1895, 1900 and 1901, five King George V halfcrown coins dated 1920, two 1921, 1928 and 1934, three King George VI halfcrown coins dated two 1939 and 1942, pre decimal pennies and other coinage, three Bank of England Page five pound notes 'B24', 'B18' and 'A55' etc
Three The Royal Mint United Kingdom 2017 silver proof coins, comprising 'Nations of the Crown' one pound, 'Nations of the Crown' piedfort one pound' and 'Prince Philip Celebrating a Life of Service' five pounds, all cased with certificates (3)Condition Report:Some damage to packaging
Three The Royal Mint United Kingdom silver proof five pound coins, comprising 2011 'Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales to Miss Catherine Middleton 29th April 2001', 2015 'The Longest Reigning Monarch' piedfort and 2015 '50th Anniversary of the Death of Sir Winston Churchill', all cased with certificates (3)Condition Report:Damage to packaging
Great British and World coins, including Queen Victoria 1890 crown, King George VI Festival of Britain crown, Mauritius 1978 sterling silver proof twenty five rupees cased with certificate, Bahamas 1978 commemorative ten dollars silver coin cased, various Isle of Man etc, housed in a shallow cash tin
Six The Royal Mint United Kingdom silver proof five pound coins, comprising 1997 'Golden Wedding', 1997 'Diana', 1998 'His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales 50th Birthday', 2000 'Millennium', 2002 'Golden Jubilee' and 2002 '1900-2002 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother', all cased with certificate (6)
Four The Royal Mint United Kingdom 2017 silver proof piedfort five pound coins, comprising 'The Sapphire Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen', 'The 1000th Anniversary of the Coronation of King Canute', 'The Centenary of the House of Windsor' and 'The Platinum Wedding Anniversary', all cased with certificates (4)Condition Report:Some damage to packaging
Commemorative coins and medallions including The Royal Mint United Kingdom 2005 '200th Anniversary Trafalgar' silver proof piedfort two coin set, 2020 'The Brexit Silver 1oz Commemorative', three St Helena one ounce fine silver coins from 'The Queen's Virtues' collection produced for 'The East India Company London, four United Kingdom silver proof one pound coins etc, mostly cased with certificates
A RARE AND IMPORTANT SILVER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF GUANYINHe Chaozong seal mark, late Ming DynastyThe exquisitely cast Goddess of Mercy standing on swirling clouds, swaying gently, her left hand gently resting on her right wrist, both elegantly raised with her fingers beautifully coiled, the benevolent facial expression with her eyes downcast in affectionate and meditative contemplation, her flowing robes inlaid with silver-wire patterned as continuous foliate lotus scrolls, cascading down to her feet, draped around the shoulders and open to reveal the chest with a beaded necklace attached with a ruyi fungus pendant, the back with seal mark. 60cm (23 1/2in) high.Footnotes:明晚期 銅嵌銀絲觀音立像「何朝宗印」篆書款Published and Illustrated: Michael Goedhuis, Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900, London, 1989, no.7.展覽著錄：Michael Goedhuis著，《Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900》，倫敦，1988年，編號7 The present silver-inlaid bronze figure of the Goddess of Mercy is rare and only a few bronze figures of Guanyin of comparable size with similar hand gestures, dated to the Ming dynasty, seem to be recorded. The present lot also exhibits a similar thickness of the silver wire inlay, typical of late Ming dynasty bronzes. Whereas the silver inlay on later examples is usually much thinner. See three similar silver-inlaid bronze figures of Guanyin, Shisou marks, Ming dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City: Guanyin in the Collection of The Palace Museum, Beijing, 2012, pls.43-45. Compare also with a 16th/17th century silver-inlaid figure of Guanyin, with two-character 'Shisou' mark, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 27th May 2021, lot 27; and another silver-inlaid bronze figure of Guanyin, with four-character 'Yutang Shisou' mark, Qing dynasty, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th May 2014, lot 3529.He Chaozong was a celebrated early 17th century potter who specialised in blanc de Chine wares. Indeed, one can see a related blanc de Chine figure of Guanyin, He Chaozong mark, Ming dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Dehua Wares Collected by the Palace Museum I, Beijing, 2016, pp.43-45. One of the possibilities is that the bronze Guanyin was directly modelled after the blanc de Chine example. This is not unique; see for example, a related rare and large silver-inlaid bronze figure of Buddha, with inlaid He Chaozong seal mark, which was sold at Bonhams London, 11 May 2017, lot 108. The various examples of bronze and porcelain figures of Guanyin from this time related to the increased demand due to the spread of the Guanyin cult from the late Ming period onwards. This may in part have been spurred by images and statues of the Virgin Mary which were brought to China following Spanish and Portuguese presence in the region in the 16th century from Macau and the Philippines; indeed, there are striking similarities between ivory carvings of Guanyin and Christian iconography; see for example, an ivory carving of Guanyin with a boy in her arms, Ming dynasty, illustrated in Ming and Qing Chinese Arts from the C.P.Lin Collection, Hong Kong, 2014, p.297, no.179. Ultimately however, Guanyin was seen as a compassionate saviour who hears the woes of humankind, regardless of age, gender, or social class. Guanyin became a popular intercessor for humanity to understand divine salvation. In times of increasing political instability and social flux such as the late Ming period and early Qing era, Guanyin would have been a source of comfort for many on the margins of society. As the 'Bestower of Sons', Guanyin was venerated by women who sought to have sons of their own. In Confucian China, women were expected to stay within their domestic spaces, where such personal devotional objects offered opportunities to interact intimately with the divine. Perhaps the increased demand for bronze and porcelain statues reflects the growth of small household shrines, that would have allowed people to create a direct link as the faithful sought to emulate and aspire toward this image of divine compassion and motherhood.Due to the development of metallurgical technology, Ming dynasty bronzes ranked among the most exquisite and admired products of China's so-called 'second bronze age'; see China's Renaissance in Bronze: The Robert H.Clague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900 , Phoenix, 1993, p.11. The present lot encapsulates the high level of craftsmanship achieved at the time.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE BRONZE 'CHAMPION' VASEMing DynastyComposed of two tubular pedestal vases flanking an eagle with extended wings outstretched across both vases, standing on the head of a bear with outstretched limbs, its hindquarters and bifurcated tail protruding at the bottom on the back below a chilong joining the vases. 16cm (6 1/4in) high.Footnotes:Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價明 銅英雄雙聯瓶Vases of this form are known as 'champion vases', which refers to the vessel's twin-tubular compartments connected by an eagle (ying) and a bear (xiong), together forming the pun yingxiong 'champion' or 'hero'. In form, the vase was inspired by earlier bronzes, such as the Tang dynasty 'champion' vase depicted in the Xiqing Gujian, 1751, illustrated by M.Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, p.106, pl.107, which itself draws on Western Han dynasty examples. See a related inlaid gold and silver bronze 'champion' vase, Song to Ming dynasty, illustrated in The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metalwork, London, 1991, no.35.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE TAPIR-SHAPED VESSEL AND COVER, XIZUNMing/early Qing DynastyThe stocky, tapir-like mythical beast heavily cast standing foursquare with head raised, ears pricked and tail pointed downwards, the body inlaid in silver and gold with geometric scrolls, the head cast in relief with curved brows and a collar encircling the neck, the hollow body fitted with a cover on its back surmounted by a bird finial, the cover inscribed with an archaistic symbol. 27.8cm (11in) long. (2).Footnotes:Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價明/早清 銅錯金銀犧尊This rare zoomorphic vessel is based on ancient prototypes which originated from at least as early as the Western Zhou dynasty. Tapir-form bronze vessels of this type began to appear in greater numbers in the Eastern Zhou dynasty; compare with a tapir-form vessel, Spring and Autumn or Warring States period, finely inlaid with gold and silver geometric designs, illustrated in Masterworks of Chinese Bronze in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1969, pl.25.The examples from the Bronze Age appear to have found favour with the Northern Song Emperor Huizong (r.1100-1126), who was a very keen antiquarian and who instigated the publication of illustrated catalogues of the items in his collection. One of these, the 'Xuanhe Illustrated Collection of Antiques' (Xuanhe Bogu tulu), included an illustration of such an early bronze vessel. While the original edition would not have been readily available to later craftsmen, it was reprinted on a number of occasions, and the illustration of this zoomorphic vessel appears, for example, in the 1528 edition, known as the Bogu tulu.The name xizun appears in both the Bogu tulu, compiled during the Northern Song dynasty, and the 'Catalogue of the Antiquities in the Xiqing Pavilion', (Xiqing gu jian), compiled in the eighteenth century. The word xi meaning 'sacrificial victim', often refers to an ox or another animal.Vessels shaped as tapirs are often dated to the Yuan and Ming dynasties. See, for example, a related bronze 'tapir' vessel inlaid with gold and silver, Yuan dynasty, from the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis (acc.no.273:1919), illustrated by P.K.Hu, Later Chinese Bronzes: The Saint Louis Art Museum and Robert E. Kresko Collections, St. Louis, 2008, p.45, fig.3, and another Ming dynasty example, similarly inlaid in gold and silver, in the collection of the Cernuschi Museum, Paris, acc.no.M.C.583.Compare with a similar gold and silver-inlaid bronze tapir, Song/Ming dynasty, which was sold at Bonhams London, 3 November 2022, lot 117.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE ARCHAISTIC GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE MOONFLASK, BIANHUSong/Ming DynastyOf flattened ovoid shape rising from a spreading foot to a narrow cylindrical neck, the body cast with panels arranged in three bands and divided by raised borders inlaid with silver and gold, each panel with interlaced hooks and scrolls, the shoulders with applied taotie masks suspending loose rings, the neck with pendent lappets, with gold inlay, box. 14cm (5 1/2in) high. (2).Footnotes:Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價宋/明 銅錯金銀仿古扁壺The present lot was inspired by archaic bronzes from the Han period and earlier, which were in turn inspired by flasks from Central Asia; the raised bands for example, imitating the leather strapwork that carried the flasks. See for example a related bronze bian hu, Warring States, illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji, vol.8, Beijing, 1995, pl.143. Such archaic bronzes such as bian hu were collected by the Song emperor Huizong and are recorded in the Xuanhe bogu tu and reproduced in the Qianlong era; see Chongxiu Xuanhe bogu tu, juan 13, no.12.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A VERY RARE BRONZE 'ZHANG QIAN AND BOAT' HANGING INCENSE VESSELMing DynastyThe vessel expertly cast as a boat in the form of a large lotus petal, with a mythical-beast head at the front, a Daoist Immortal with jovial expression seated at the stern, wearing a lotus-leaf hat and holding an open book, his right hand holding the rudder, the deck with leafy-tendril openwork, the exterior of the boat decorated with a band of openwork C-scrolls, with three raised suspension lugs attached to three chains hung from a loop ring. 25.5cm (10in) long.Footnotes:明 仙人乘槎掛式銅吊爐Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Michael Goedhuis, Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900, London, 1989, no.24. 展覽著錄：Michael Goedhuis著，《Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900》，倫敦，1989年，編號24The present lot is very rare. Although it is an incense burner or perfumer, the shape may possibly have been inspired by Central Asian and Persian kashkul, or so called 'beggar's bowls'. The kashkul was a sign of religious poverty assumed by Sufis and Islamic mystics, and was worn around the neck with a chain. The bowl's boat-like shape became symbolic of the dervish's journey on the ocean of mystic knowledge. See for example, a kashkul, ca.1500, Iran or Afghanistan, of similar boat-shape and with chain, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc.no.755-1889).The present lot, although not Islamic, shares the Sufi's concern with mysticism and the journey for knowledge, except now there is a Daoist Immortal with a book riding the boat. Immortals riding a raft (Xianren chengcha 仙人乘槎) are frequently depicted in other materials such as bamboo or rhinoceros horn carvings. See for example, a rhinoceros horn cup with Immortal on a raft, late Ming/early Qing, illustrated in Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings in the Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2010, p.302. The earliest record of the tale of an 'Immortal Riding a Raft' was in the Record of Diverse Matters (博物志) written by Zhang Hua (c.290 CE). According to this book, every Eighth Month, boats commute between the sea and the Milky Way leading one to Immortality. Later, this myth became conflated with the historical figure of Zhang Qian (張騫) the Han dynasty explorer and envoy to Central Asia. See a silver cup depicting an Immortal on raft, Yuan dynasty, illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji, vol.10, Beijing, 1996, no.154. S.Lee, in Chinese Art under the Mongols: The Yuan Dynasty, Cleveland, 1968, entry 37, mentions that this could be a depiction of the Daoist deity Taiyi zhenren (太乙真人), travelling to the fairy islands of Penglai.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE 'CHAMPION' VASESong/Ming DynastyExquisitely cast with two tubular pedestal vases decorated with archaistic scrolls, flanking an eagle holding a loop ring in its beak, standing with extended wings outstretched across both vases, standing on the head of a bear with outstretched limbs, its hindquarters and bifurcated tail protruding at the bottom on the back below a chilong joining the vases, all inlaid in gold and silver. 12cm (4 3/4in) high.Footnotes:Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價宋/明 銅錯金銀英雄雙聯瓶 Inspired by archaic bronze vessels produced during the Western Han period, this vase encapsulates a highly auspicious symbolism conveyed by the combination of eagle, ying and bear, xiong, which form the rebus for 'champion and hero'. The inlaid decoration, clearly derived from the archaic bronzes of the Warring States period, creates a demonstrable link to the revered Chinese past. Compare with a similar inlaid gold and silver bronze 'Champion' vase, 12th-15th century, illustrated in The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metal Work, London, 1991, pl.35.See also a rare silver-inlaid bronze 'Champion' vase, which was sold at Bonhams London, 12 May 2016, lot 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
AN ARCHAISTIC GOLD AND SILVER-DAMASCENED WINE VESSEL AND COVER, GONG18th centuryOf archaistic gong-shape, rising from a straight foot, the globular body connected to a stylised bird-head lid by a swing handle made of three movable sections, the waisted neck with raised nails in the form of chain jewellery, decorated around the body with designs of mythical beast masks, floral and geometric patterns damascened in gold and silver. 36cm (14 1/8in) high.Footnotes:Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價十八世紀 銅錯金銀獸面紋觥Provenance: Henri-Rene d'Allemagne (1863-1950) collection, Marnes-la-Coquette來源：Henri-Rene d'Allemagne (1863-1950) 舊藏，馬爾訥拉科凱特Published and Illustrated: Michael Goedhuis, Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900, London, 1989, no.83.展覽著錄：Michael Goedhuis著，《Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900》，倫敦，1989年, 編號83Henri-Rene d'Allemagne (1863-1950) was a French historian, librarian, author and collector. He was the owner of a large collection of Islamic items which was acquired after his death from his son Jacques d'Allemagne by P.T.Brooke-Sewell, who presented them to the British Museum in 1956. The subject matter of his books range from titles on decorative ironwork to playing cards.With silver inlaid designs on the body and the cover, the present vessel is inspired by the archaic ritual bronze wine vessels guang or gong. During the Ming dynasty, appreciating and collecting antique artefacts was highly popular. At this time, comprehensive catalogues illustrating the archaistic bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties were prepared and supplied the workshops with inspirational designs for the production of contemporary wares. The present vessel cleverly combines two archaic forms, namely the hu shape for wine containers produced during the Zhou dynasty, and the guang shape for handled wine ewers produced during the Shang dynasty, which were shaped as a sauce boat and had their cover cast as a dragon with a toothy grin and protruding horn. Wine vessels combining the hu and an animal shape were already produced during the later phases of the Zhou Dynasty. Compare, for example, with a bronze bird-head wine vessel, Warring States, excavated in Shandong, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Chinese Bronzes Beijing, 1997, p.28, no.27. For a bronze gong pouring vessel, Shang dynasty, see the example in the British Museum, London, illustrated by J.Rawson, Chinese Art and Ritual, London, 1987, cat.no.6.The inlaid designs of cusped palmettes are similar to those found on Persian metalworks and suggest that the present vessel may have been produced for the Islamic market. See, for example, a large tinned copper basin, Safavid Iran, 17th century, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated by A.S.Melikian-Chirvani, Islamic Metalwork from the Iranian World, 8-18th Centuries, London, 1982, pp.317-318, no.143. A very similar bronze-inlay 'owl' vase, Ming dynasty, was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 November 2022, lot 139.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A RARE DOCUMENTARY BRONZE SEATED FIGURE OF GUANYIN17th centuryThe Goddess of Mercy exquisitely cast seated cross-legged, the face swaying gently to her left, wearing beaded necklaces and long flowing robes falling in graceful cloud-like folds, the face with a benevolent and serene expression under a cowl, the bronze with a dark-chocolate patina, cast with a calligraphic inscription on the base, J.H.C. inscribed on the rim of the base, stand. 33cm (13in) high. (2).Footnotes:十七世紀 銅鑄觀音坐像Published and Illustrated: Michael Goedhuis, Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900, London, 1989, no.8展覽著錄：Michael Goedhuis著，《Chinese and Japanese Bronzes A.D.1100-1900》, 倫敦, 1989年, 編號8The present lot is remarkable and rare not only for its fine casting and unusual features such as the slightly tilted head, but also for the seventeen-character inscription on the base with the name of the maker Yang Sheng. The inscription reads:碧雞楊盛為信官蔣榮焚香拜造于梅雪窯Which may be translated as:'Yang Sheng of Bixi made this for the believer Jiang Rong whilst burning incense and worshipping at the Plum Blossom and Snow Dwelling'Compare with two related bronze and silver-inlaid seated figures of Guanyin, Ming dynasty, Shisou marks, illustrated in Guanyin in the Collection of the Palace Museum: Classics of the Forbidden City, Beijing, 2012, p.71, no.41, and also p.72, no.42.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
AN ARCHAISTIC SILVER AND GOLD-INLAID BRONZE VASE, HU17th/18th centuryOf archaistic hu form, the baluster body rising from a straight foot, set at the shoulders with three taotie masks handles issuing loose rings, all beneath a waisted neck, the exterior decorated with three raised bands with geometric patterns in silver and gold, the registers decorated on a diamond-pattern ground. 41cm (16in) high.Footnotes:Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價十七/十八世紀 銅錯金銀饕餮耳活環壺The archaistic design on the present lot reflects the archaistic scholarly trends of the late Ming period which continued into the Qing dynasty. The academic trend known as the 'search for evidence' (kaozheng 考證) movement began in the early 17th century and reached its height in the 18th century. Although this movement originated in a renewed scholarly interest in ancient texts and inscriptions on archaic bronzes, as literati sought a more empirical approach to understanding their ancient heritage, it led to a greater fascination for decorative designs adopted from ancient bronzes too. Compare with a related archaistic vase with taotie-mask ring handles, 17th/18th century, illustrated by D.Failla, Food for the Ancestors Flowers for the Gods: Transformations of Archaistic Bronzes in China and Japan, Genoa, 2017, p.224, no.7.12. See also a related gold and silver damascened bronze vase, 18th century, illustrated by Syndey L.Moss Ltd., The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metalwork, London, 1991, no.59.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A quantity of vintage costume jewellery to include a Reitter Mittenwald white metal and red enamelled brooch in the form of a cello, two reproduction Medieval arrow badges designed by Fr Patten, made by Thomas Pattorini, various school and enamelled badges, white metal and silver items, ladies cocktail watches to include Timex and Hamilton and other items all housed in a late 19th Century leather travel jewellery case with key. Location;R2.3
Victorian and later silver, white metal and costume jewellery to include a 19th Century gold-plated swivel brooch, a Niello 10 tablet bracelet, a Wedgwood Jasper ware pendant, a labradorite and silver cross pendant together with 2 small boxed silver-plated goblets. Location:R2.4
Two 9ct gold and pearlised teardrop design extra long stem hat pins having silver coloured stems together with 2 early 20th Century silver extra long hat pins in the form of gold clubs having white metal stems, makers initials PPld (Payton, Pepper & Sons Ltd) together with a J.C Vickery, Regent Street leather hat pin box. Location:Cab
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