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Lot 2097
Vintage glazed stone flagon with impressed merchants mark David Perrett Wine & Spirit Merchant Wotton-Under-Edge, 32cm high, a smaller example with printed marks for Pickup & Co Bristol and five ginger beer and other bottles with printed marks for Coombe Valley Brewery Company Wotton-Under-Edge, Griffiths Cirencester, Brooke & Prudence Bristol and two JBB's Bath (7)
Lot 190
THE OUTSTANDING ADVANCE INTO GERMANY MC GROUP TO MAJOR H M WILSON NORFOLK REGIMENT. GVI Military Cross engraved 19451939/45 Star; France & Germany Star; Defence Medal; War MedalGeneral Service Medal, Palestine 1945-48 & S.E. Asia 1945 -46. Correctly impressed Major. H. M. Wilson M.C. NorfolksQueens Korea. Correctly impressed - Major. H. M. Wilson M.C. R NorfolkNato KoreaSwing mounted as worn.With swing mounted miniature set. Missing the miniature GSM. Humphrey Mark Wilson was born Williton, West Somerset in 1912. The son of Bernard William Wilson, whose medals are also in the sale. Humphrey was commissioned in the Indian Army on December 3rd 1933, as a Second Lieutenant. He subsequently transferred to the Norfolk Regiment and was promoted to Captain on September 3rd 1940. Captain Humphrey was awarded the Military Cross in 1945 for the following deeds; 'During the period February 1st to April 30th 45, this officer was outstanding on several occasions by his courage, his enthusiasm and his tirelessness. During the battle of Lingen on April 5th stiff fighting was met in house clearing for possession of the town. This offr was ordered to take temporary comd of a coy whose had been wounded and which had lost several cas. This coy's adv was held up by an enemy strong point from which three Spandau posns comd all approaches. Stalking fwd himself under point-blank fire from one of this Spandau's, he reached a point about 30 yds distant from which, with his rifle, he despatched the firer concerned. Moving around all his subunits, though under close-range fire most of the time, he quickly reorganised the coy for a further attack and instilled into them fresh confidence. Under his inspiring leadership, the flanking movement against this strong point met with overwhelming success. Yet again, during the battle of Brinkum on 15/16 Apr this offr's imperturbable cheerfulness and disregard of personal danger had a most marked effect on one of the coys. Which was temporarily checked by a strongly defended factory. Moving down with a fresh section of crocodiles, he made a recce from Op to Op, each time coming under short-range Spandau and sniper fire, so that the crocodiles could get off to the best possible start and be sure of the best routes to take in their advance. As a result of this, the attack took on a renewed turn of speed and opposition was shortly completely overcome. This officer has been 2IC of this Bn since D-Day. Throughout this period, he has never failed to show a degree of courage, unselfishness, of cheerfulness and spirit that have directly influenced several engagements in which the Bn has been involved'.. In the post-war years, he served in South East Asia and Palestine, earning a two-bar GSM. As a Major, he served in the Korean War and retired in 1961. Major Wilson died in 2003.
Lot 250
Original Pressed Aluminium Petroleum Spirit Warning SignMake: Contact AuctioneerModel: Contact AuctioneerYear: 0Mileage: 0VIN: Contact AuctioneerConfiguration: Right Hand DriveRegistration: Contact AucitoneerTransmission: Contact AuctioneerOriginal Pressed Aluminium Petroleum Spirit Warning Sign
Lot 252
Large Cast Metal Rolls Royce Spirit Of EcstasyMake: Contact AuctioneerModel: Contact AuctioneerYear: 0Mileage: 0VIN: Contact AuctioneerConfiguration: Right Hand DriveRegistration: Contact AucitoneerTransmission: Contact AuctioneerLarge Cast Metal Rolls Royce Spirit Of Ecstasy The buyers premium on automobilia items, including registration numbers is 15% plus VAT (18% in total)
Lot 264
Aluminium Petroleum Spirit Warning SignMake: Contact AuctioneerModel: Contact AuctioneerYear: 0Mileage: 0VIN: Contact AuctioneerConfiguration: Right Hand DriveRegistration: Contact AucitoneerTransmission: Contact AuctioneerAluminium Petroleum Spirit Warning Sign The buyers premium on automobilia items, including registration numbers is 15% plus VAT (18% in total)
Lot 108
A boxed Bing GBN stationary live steam engine, (Modell-Dampfmachine mit feststehendem), early 20th century, horizontal boiler with brick pattern tinplate chimney, driving a single cylinder engine and flywheel, complete with spirit burner, sight glass, safety valve, whistle, separate dynamo and instruction sheet, partly boxed 12in x 10½in (30.5cm x 26.5cm) x 17in (43cm) high.
Lot 270
Olivia Newton John signed 16x12 colour promo photo for the Body Heart and Spirit Tour in 2007, as she headlines. Newton John is most known for her leading role the musical film Grease, whose soundtrack remains one of the most successful in history. Good condition. All autographs come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99
Lot 58
A Rolls-Royce New Phantom 'Spirit of Ecstasy' mascot, from 1925,solid nickel, marked 'Rolls-Royce Ltd Feb.6.1911' and signed 'Charles Sykes' around the base, with 'Reg U.S. Pat Off' and 'Trade Mark Reg.' markings under the wings, 13.5cm high, mounted on a correct nickel-plated radiator cap, above a turned wooden display base. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: †† VAT at the prevailing rate on Hammer Price and Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 61
A Rolls-Royce 1911-1914 type Silver Ghost 'Spirit of Ecstasy' replica mascot,signed 'Charles Sykes' to base and inscribed 'Rolls-Royce Limited. Feb 6th 1911.' around the base, hollow cast nickel-plated bronze, 16cm high, with fixing stud and castellated nut, mounted on a turned wooden display base. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: †† VAT at the prevailing rate on Hammer Price and Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 68
A Rolls-Royce Phantom III Spirit of Ecstasy mascot,chrome-plated, signature and dates to base indistinct, marked 'Reg.US.Pat.Off' and 'Trade Mark Reg' under wings, 12cm high, mounted on a nickel-plated radiator cap (some loss to nickel plating). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 60
The 'Warden of the Cinque Ports' Ceremonial pennant previously fitted to Former British Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Winston Churchill's Ministerial Humber Pullman car during his post-War term 1954-55,the woven 'Standard of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports' pennant in red, blue and yellow quartered Heraldic design, measuring approximately 13 x 28cm, as previously adorning the bonnet of Winston Churchill's 1954 Humber Pullman official state motorcar 'PDU 758' with Thrupp & Maberly coachwork (currently on display at the Louwman Motor Museum in Holland) during his post-War second term from 1954-1955, the pennant with some fraying and discolouration commensurate with age, mounted and displayed together with a printed official compliments slip from his then Private Secretary Sir Anthony Montague Browne, bearing Churchill's 28 Hyde Park Gate, London SW7, home address, and one of Churchill's 'Romeo y Julieta' cigars with label, by Rodriguez Arguelles y Ca. of Habana, (unused), all mounted together within a wooden glazed display with green baize lining with gilded frame, measuring 28 x 34 x 8cm overall, and offered together with a chrome-plated 'Bulldog' car mascot by Desmo, evocative of Churchill's 'Fighting Spirit', marked 'Copyright' to rear of base and mounted on a wooden base, of the type once later fitted to Churchill's Daimler 35Hp Barker (owned by Churchill 1932-1952) after a restoration in the 1980s. (2)Footnotes:Winston Churchill (1874-1965), during his first Wartime term had grown attached to the government issued bullet-proof Humber Pullman cars. Having lost the May 1945 General Election to Clement Attlee's Labour Party, and after being re-elected as Prime Minister in October 1951, Churchill was in need of a suitable car and luring him away from his hitherto allegiance to his Daimler 35Hp Landaulette Limousine by Barker, William Rootes of the Rootes Group, in 1954 sold or permanently loaned Churchill the new 1954 Humber Pullman 'PDU 758' as his Official car towards the end of his second post-War term in office, on which the pennant offered here today was displayed until Churchill's retirement in April 1955.The Humber Pullmans predate the Second World War but during the War years, were only produced for British Government officials and military officers, popular for their reliability and understated luxury. Churchill's 1954 model with the Thrupp & Maberly bodywork and the largest model in the range, was fitted with a large ashtray (to accommodate his preference for his iconic Havana cigars), a (novel for the time) push button radio, and independent heating systems and was garaged at the Rootes Devonshire House Headquarters. Rootes also supplied Churchill, upon request, with a Chauffeur for the Humber Pullman, a Mr John Bullock, a company driver and eventually a favoured member of Churchill's entourage. Indeed Churchill was reported as referring to his Humber as '...The Bullock Cart'. The Churchill 1954 Humber Pullman now takes pride of place at the Louwman Motor Museum in Holland, and is displayed with a large image of Churchill with the car.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: †† VAT at the prevailing rate on Hammer Price and Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 1000
A 1970�s circa gilt brass cased Jager- LeCoultre Atmos Clock, 15 jewelled unadjusted Swiss movement inscribed LeCoultre Atmos with serial number 164558, with five glazed panels, five-inch chapter ring with applied Arabic numerals and markers with baton hands, skeletonised movement with oscillating balance wheel beneath, spirit level and two leveling feet to the base, with original LeCoultre packaging, mahogany wall bracket and original paperwork, booklets, etc.*Created by the Jaeger LeCoultre watchmakers in 1928 the Atmos clock receives its power from minute changes in atmospheric temperature, hence the clocks name. Within a sealed capsule, a mixture of gases expand and contract with each temperature change. At a temperature between 15� and 30� Celsius, a variation of a single degree is enough to power the clock for two days. In order to operate, the clock functions with an almost complete lack of friction. W21.5cm, H23.5cm, D17cmDimensions: Height: 23.5cm Length/Width: 21.5cm Depth/Diameter: 17cm
Lot 870
EIGHTEEN CARAT GOLD ROLLS ROYCE GUCCI BELT,the buckle in the form of a Rolls Royce grill with Spirit of Ecstasy figure, 47mm high, marked 18K, 50.7g, to a Gucci black leather belt, signed to the interior, with crocodile skin effect finish, length 110cm, along with Gucci dust bagFootnote: The gold Rolls Royce grill belt buckle was originally commissioned by rock'n'roll superstar Elvis. Known for his love of luxury cars, he purchased his first Rolls Royce in 1960. This iconic design has since been recreated by Gucci in the form of this beautiful leather belt. Perfect for the car fanatic, this impressive belt buckle is sure to stop the traffic wherever you go.
Lot 6137
A collection of The Fillmore concert tickets 1967-1970, all with psychedelic artwork; 2x Jimi Hendrix Experience/John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers/Albert King, February 1967, artwork by Rick Griffin, 2x Cream/Paul Butterfield Blues Band, August 1967, artwork by Bonnie MacLean, 2x The Who/Cannonball Adderley/The Vagrants, February 1968, artwork by Lee Conklin, 2x Pink Floyd/Lee Michaels/Clear Light, October 1967, artwork by Bonnie MacLean, 2x Grateful Dead/Blood Sweat & Tears/Spirit, January 1969, artwork by Randy Tuten and 2x The Kinks/Elton John/Ballin' Jack/Juicy Lucy, November 1970, artwork by David Singer (12)
Lot 124
NO RESERVE Montesquieu (Charles Secondat, Baron de) The Spirit of the Laws, translated by Mr. Nugent, 2 vol., second edition, vol.2 with initial and final advertisement ff., occasional spotting and light staining, lightly browned, contemporary calf, gilt spines in compartments, lacking labels, joints split, but holding firm, spine ends and corners worn, rubbed, 8vo, Printed for J. Nourse, and P. Vaillant, 1752.
Lot 367
After Torii Kotondo (1900-1976) and othersShowa era (1926-1989), 20th centuryFive shin-hanga prints and one painting: two dai-oban prints of Asanegami (Morning Hair) and Kamisuki (Combing Hair) after Kotondo, published by Ishukankokai, circa 1980s (originally published in 1932 and 1929 respectively), both approx., 48cm x 33cm (18 15/16in x 13in); the third depicting an Edo-period couple, signed with a seal, 45cm x 29cm (17¾in x 11 7/16in); the fourth and fifth, a woodblock reproduction of Tojin Okichi (Tojin Okichi) and a digital reproduction of Suima (Water Spirit) after Tachibana Sayume (1892-1970), both approx., 38.5cm x 27cm (15 3/16in x 10 5/8in); the last a painting of the kabuki actor Bando Tamasaburo, signed Iga Miki, dated 1981, 43.3cm x 36cm (17 1/16in x 14 3/16in). (6).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 60
Bill Shepherd (American, 20th c). Oil on masonite depicting the shadows of trees in the bright sunlight overlooking a river. A gallery label from The Art Spirit Gallery, Boulder, Colorado is adhered along the verso; the label is inscribed with the artist's name and "81-7-32." Unframed; Height: 9 in x width: 12 in. Framed; Height: 15 in x width: 17 3/4 in.
Lot 2
Group of two prints by Jacques de Gheyn III (Netherlandish, ca. 1596-1641). Etching titled "Vreedsamich Paer" (The Pious Old Couple) depicting two people seated next to each other with the holy spirit, in the form of a ray of light and a dove, hovering above them. Engraving of the personification of Wealth. Plate 2 of 9 from the series Virtues and Vices. Engraved by Zacharias Dolendo (Netherlandish, 1561-ca.1604). Provenance: Galerie Gerda Bassenge, Berlin, June 15, 1998; Private Minnesotan Collection. (Vreedsamich Paer) Sight; Height: 8 in x width: 6 in. Framed; Height: 16 1/2 in x width: 12 in. (Wealth) Sight; Height: 8 in x width: 6 1/4 in. Framed; Height: 13 1/2 in x width: 11 1/2 in.
Lot 555
Various fishing items to include two spinning wheels, a Daiwa No.7700 and a Herculy No.918 example, various Shakespeare and other spinning lures, a selection of tied flies, also two Army ammunition boxes, one vintage, one modern and a green Army spirit/petrol canister, also an RAF metal mess tin.
Lot 334
Manner of XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)Galloping HorseBlack ink and white pigment on fibrous paper, signed Xu Beihong, one seal of the artist, framed and glazed 56.5cm (22 1/2in) high x 50cm (19 6/8in) wide. Footnotes:徐悲鴻（款） 奔馬 紙本水墨 鏡框裝裱Provenance: Max Morris (1910-2017), acquired in China in 1957, and thence by descentPublished and Exhibited: Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Modern Chinese Paintings from the Hafkin and Other Collections, Coventry, 11 July - 9 August 1964, no.42.來源：Max Morris（1910-2017）舊藏，於1957年購自中國，並由後人保存迄今展覽著錄：赫伯特藝術博物館，《Modern Chinese Paintings from the Hafkin and Other Collections》，考文垂，1964年7月11日-8月9日，編號42 Max Morris was born in London's East End to Russian immigrant parents. In his youth, he began working in his family's shoe business, P.Morris & Sons based in Shoreditch High Street. He served in the RAF during World War Two, as a French interpreter for air support crews in France, reaching the rank of sergeant. In August 1957, Morris was part of a small trade delegation to China with the aim of fostering better understanding and trade between China and the UK. During this time, he visited some artists' studios and acquired paintings, some of which were later exhibited at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry.In the 1980s he taught English at Toynbee Hall to primarily immigrants and was an active patron of the arts and charities. Two days before his 106th birthday he was awarded the British Citizen Award for his charitable work in a ceremony at the House of Lords on 7 July 2016.Xu Beihong is widely recognised as the father of modern Chinese painting, both for his innovative ink works that revitalised the traditional Chinese form, and for his willingness to embrace Western techniques.Winning high acclaim for their bold and lively styles, the horse paintings by Xu Beihong were highly admired amongst collectors and connoisseurs for their strength and vivacity, whilst also expressing Xu's desire to show his own feelings of patriotism.Born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, in 1895, Xu grew up in an artistic family and showed talent at an early age. In 1915, he moved to Shanghai, then a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, to begin his studies. There he met Kang Youwei, the scholar and political reformer, who became his mentor and greatly influenced Xu's thinking about the need to incorporate Western practices and ideas into Chinese art.Throughout his life, Xu Beihong championed the revitalisation of Chinese painting through the integration of Western-style realism and Chinese brush techniques. Here, using sharp tonal contrasts between black ink and white paper, Xu's swift rendition of the noble steed embodies the spirit of traditional 'ink play'. The horse's natural pose is deftly captured in abbreviated brushwork, however, the horse's accurate anatomy and the convincing foreshortening of its body reflect Xu's solid grounding in Western academic art. The powerful demeanour of the unleashed unmounted animal may convey a Western influence, but its mane and tail, blowing unnaturally in opposite directions, testify to the artist's ultimately subjective approach.Xu employed freehand strokes, only outlining the critical parts, such as the nose, the chest and the hooves. Xu Beihong studied the anatomy of horses and observed their postures and expressions in great detail; the shape of the large muscles at the neck, breast and back is accentuated with ink washes executed in various tones, giving life to a remarkably robust figure, whilst, at the same time, reinstating Xu Beihong's position as a leader of one of the first generation of innovative artists seeking to reinvigorate the long tradition of Chinese aesthetics.Xu's powerful and passionate images of horses, a traditional symbol of Chinese martial spirit, were intended to inspire patriotic resistance during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).See a related ink on paper depiction of a 'Heavenly Horse' by Xu Beihong, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, published by Shi-yee Liu, Straddling East and West: Lin Yutang, a Modern Literatus, New York, 2007, p.52.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 49
A MAGNIFICENT AND VERY RARE PAIR OF ZITAN-FRAMED KINGFISHER FEATHER-INLAID 'LANDSCAPE' SCREENSQianlongEach exquisitely decorated with lavish use of turquoise-blue kingfisher feathers and other materials reserved against a luxurious velvet ground, depicting rugged mountain and lake landscapes dotted with pavilions and pagodas, the leaves, tree trunks and rocks all made from kingfisher feathers, one screen depicting a boy-attendant carrying a guqin to a seated sage below pine trees, with swirling clouds amidst the tall craggy peaks, the other screen with figures in a house gazing out to the lake with a sampan, all set in a shaped skillfully carved zitan frame carved with archaistic scrolls in low relief and stand pierced with floral sprays. 111.2cm (43 3/4in) high x 56.7cm (22 1/4in) wide x 31.2cm (12 1/4in) deep (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 紫檀邊座點翠山水人物圖插屏一對Provenance:H.E. Monsieur Aleksander Vlangali (1823-1908), Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in China (1863-1873)Spink & Son Ltd., LondonMrs E. A. Parry (1879-1977), London, acquired from the above on 31 July 1926, and thence by descentPublished, Illustrated and Exhibited: Royal Academy of Arts, International Exhibition of Chinese Art, London, 1935-1936, pp.215-216, nos.2500 and 2511.來源：俄駐華公使亞歷山大·弗蘭加利（1823-1908）旧藏倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.倫敦E. A. Parry夫人（1879-1977）舊藏，於1926年7月31日購自上者，並由後人保存迄今展覽著錄：皇家藝術學院，《中國藝術國際展覽會》，倫敦，1935-1936年，頁215-216，編號2500与2511Aleksander Vlangali descended from nobility of St. Petersburg. He participated as an officer in the Crimean War of 1853-1856. In the late 1850s he entered the Imperial Russian diplomatic service and was promoted in July 1863 to the position of the Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in China, a position which he held until November 1873. In 1865 he was made Major General. 亞歷山大·弗蘭加利（Aleksander Vlangali）為出身於聖彼得堡的俄國貴族。曾作為軍官參加了 1853-1856年的克里米亞戰爭。十九世紀五十年代後期，任職俄羅斯帝國外交部門，並於1863年7月任命為俄駐華公使，直至1873年11月。1865年，亞歷山大被擢升為少將。This important pair of screens was included in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art held at the Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, London, in 1935-1936. This seminal exhibition had the patronage of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary, and the President of the Chinese Republic. It included over 3,000 objects. These were loaned by the Chinese Government, including pieces shown for the first time outside China, objects from the collection of Sir Percival David, which were exhibited for the first time in public, pieces from the British Royal Collection, and from many important museums including the British Museum, V&A, the Louvre, Guimet, Cernuschi, Topkapi Saray, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cleveland, Kansas City, Cologne, Dresden, and from notable private collectors including HRH Crown Prince of Sweden, Alan Barlow, R.C. Bruce, Buchanan-Jardine, Mr & Mrs Alfred Clark, Dr Leonard Gow, C.T. Loo, Carl Kempe, H.J. Oppenheim, Oscar Raphael, F. Schiller, Mr & Mrs Walter Sedgwick, A. Stoclet, S.D. Winkworth and Prof. W. Perceval Yetts - the roll call of the greatest collectors of Chinese art in the west in the 20th century. E.A. Parry loaned 6 pieces to the Exhibition, demonstrating the superb quality of the Collection and the high esteem in which it was held by the Exhibition Committee, which was directed by Sir Percival David. These pieces were admired to this date in the Parry family homes and this is the first time since the 1935-1936 Exhibition that they are seen in public once again. The remarkable screens demonstrate the exceptional artistry of the 18th century craftsmen reproducing idyllic landscapes in variety of materials and in the case of the present pair, utilising the brilliant enduring colours of kingfisher feathers meticulously inlaid within the design. Kingfisher feathers were admired and prized in ancient China, and as early as the Spring and Autumn period (770-475 BC) they adorned clothes and accessories. A Tang dynasty poem by Chen Zi'ang, 661-702 AD) reads: The halcyon kingfisher nests in the South Sea realm;Cock and hen in groves of jewelled trees; How could they know that the thoughts of lovely women; Covet them as highly as yellow gold?' The popularity of the use of the prized feathers in appliqué technique continued into the 18th century, with the majority of workshops specialising in utilising the feathers for decoration and in carving the precious zitan wood, located in Guangzhou. Such works were commissioned by the Qing Court and made as Imperial-tribute. Compare with a pair of related screens with kingfisher feather decoration, Qianlong, in the Shengyang Palace Museum, and a further panel in the Forbidden City, illustrated by B.Jackson, Kingfisher Blue: Treasures of an Ancient Chinese Art, Berkeley, Toronto, 2001, pp.30-31 and 186. See also three other screens decorated with kingfisher feathers, mid Qing dynasty, made in Guangzhou as Imperial-tribute, illustrated by Hu Desheng, Ming Qing Gu Gongting Jia Zhu Da Guan, vol.1, Beijing, 2006, nos.388, 394 and 396.The remarkable screens showing idyllic mountain landscapes and an attendant carrying a wrapped guqin to a scholar, were inspired by literati paintings and ideals. Images of the private retreat proliferated among the scholar-officials from the early Song dynasty, when visions of the natural hierarchy became metaphors for the well-regulated state. The scholars extolled the virtues of self-cultivation and asserted their identity as literati through poetry, calligraphy, and painting. The images of old trees, bamboo, rocks, and retirement retreats created by these scholar-artists became emblems of their character and spirit. Pine trees, for example, remaining green even during the winter, came to represent the sturdy and morally upright scholar. The conquering Manchu Emperors desired very much to show themselves as the custodians of Han Chinese culture and adopted it fully, including the ideals of literati from the Yangzi delta region. In addition to literati landscape paintings, the Qianlong Emperor also showed himself as a custodian and connoisseur of China's ancient heritage by championing archaism as both an aesthetic and intellectual movement. The superbly carved and prized zitan frames and stands follow the Qianlong Emperor's taste for archaism, utilising motifs seen on early ritual bronze vessels, such as taotie masks and S-shaped scrolls.With its smooth and silk-like texture, fine and dense grain and ... For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 66
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED TWO-COLOUR CINNABAR LACQUER CARVED BRUSHPOT, BITONGQianlong seal mark and of the periodExpertly carved around the exterior in relief with an Imperial poem in kaishu script titled Xiao yuan xian yong wu shou ('Five verses from the small leisure orchard') in red, on a black square diaper-pattern ground, the rounded rim carved with a zigzag floral design, all supported on a stepped base decorated with black floral honeycomb diaper-ground, raised on five ruyi-shaped carved red lacquer framed feet, the interior and base black lacquered. 12.2cm (4 3/4in) high.Footnotes:清乾隆 御製剔紅「小園閒詠五首」御題詩筆筒「乾隆御製」款 「乾」「隆」印Provenance:Spink & Son Ltd., LondonMrs G. N. Parry (1923-2013), London, acquired from the above on 29 April 1961, and thence by descent來源：倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.倫敦G. N. Parry夫人（1923-2013）舊藏，於1961年4月29日購自上者，並由後人保存迄今Finely carved lacquer brushpots with Imperial poems carved in elegant kaishu script, such as the present example, are very rare, but two examples from the Qing Court Collection, in the Palace Museum, Beijing have been published. The first brushpot, nearly identical to the present lot, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, pl.32. The second example is illustrated in 200 Objects You Should Know: Carved Lacquer Ware, Beijing, 2008, pl.162. A third example, a closely-related but slightly smaller carved two-colour lacquer brushpot with the same poem, Qianlong seal mark and period, is illustrated by S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Barcelona, 2020, p.80. Only one other very similar example appears to have been sold at auction. Compare with a carved cinnabar lacquer brushpot, with the same poem, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, but with a red colour foot and no key-fret border, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 10 April 2006, lot 1526.All the brushpots mentioned above have subtle variations in their design. It has been suggested that these differences are due to having been produced over a period of time; see S.Marsh, ibid.,, p.80. However, only the present lot has the exquisite carving on the mouth rim of a zigzag diaper-pattern, while sharing with one of the two Beijing Palace Museum brushpots the same colour and shaped foot.The poem adorning the present brushpot, entitled 'Five verses from the small leisure orchard' Xiao Yuan Yong Wu shou, was composed by the Qianlong Emperor himself and is recorded in the Anthology of Qianlong Poems Qing Gaozong Yushi Wen Quanji. Le Shan Tang Ding Ben, chapter 27, p.5, which may be translated as:'Five Verses from the small leisure orchard'1In the autumn lake the fish timidly near the bait, such are the affairs of rod and hook. Above the green waters a bamboo rod, a clear breeze rustles the collar of the palm-bark rain cape. The grassy reeds of the outskirt, among the moon and stars. Returning home along in the still night, along the mossy clear path. 2Taking the pine as my home, seeing home where the crane guards the gate. Knowing people and visiting guests, deserve fine grain from the paddies. The ancient spirit of the moon staying the night, the combing breeze through manifold feathers. Up to now, fine servant boys, need not be expensive and lofty. 3How much do you understand the colours of autumn? the reeds and flowers are all now white. The battling wind shakes the moorside at sunset, drinking the dew on the cold isle. Life and vitality knows to be thankful, and not willing to stop anytime. In the vast smoky water, it is best to go by a flat boat.4The pavilion across the river, connected by a bridge. Old autumn with jaded white sky, the red maples in the cold current. Rolling curtains of willow to the night moon, walking in the wind and frost. How I love this path, crossing the water east. 5Of the flowers and trees of the four seasons, my favourite in the garden is the plum blossom. Refusing to yield to the snow, in the breeze several flowers have blossomed. The pure fragrance wafts to the bones, cold and moist with icy cheeks. Alone, the secluded person can appreciate it, inspecting the branches. The poems were written by Prince Hongli, before he became the Qianlong Emperor, and were originally published in the Yuzhi Leshan Tang Quanji. The Leshan Tang was within the Palace where the Qianlong Emperor lived as a Prince, and these poems were published in the second year of his reign. It could be said that the Qianlong Emperor was nostalgic about his earlier time in this palace before he became Emperor, and so wanted brushpots carved with this particular poem. We enter the private realm of the Qianlong Emperor - firstly, through the poem, in his small garden rather than on an ostentatious grand tour, and secondly, through the brushpot, with him seated at his scholar's desk. Although brushpots with calligraphy can be found from earlier reigns, such as the Kangxi period, it was only during the Qianlong period that a brushpot is decorated with the Emperor's own poem. This can be taken as a sign of the Qianlong Emperor's confidence in poetry and classical Chinese literature and furtherance of his image as an accomplished scholar. Indeed, the Qianlong Emperor was a prolific poet and composed thousands of poems that, taken together, construct an image of the Emperor as a wise, erudite yet sensitive ruler. As a Manchu, he was still very much conscious of his perceived 'foreignness' by the Han Chinese elite. His sensitivity to the issue resulted in both a sorcery scare in 1768: a hunt for perceived sorcerers cutting off the Manchu prescribed queues, and literary inquisitions that sought to censor and destroy any text that he considered insulting to the Manchu. See P.A.Kuhn, The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768, New Haven, 2009. The Qianlong Emperor's concerns however, had a positive side too, propelling him to forge an identity, given that he was not entirely Han Chinese, to became the custodian, protector and benefactor of that culture. As such, the Qianlong Emperor aimed to show himself as worthy of any educated Han Chinese literatus: learned in the classics and the arts of painting and calligraphy. He therefore surrounded himself with the accoutrements of the scholar, such as brushpots, embellished with his own poems in fine calligraphy. In this series of poems carved on the present brushpot, the description of beautiful scenery and nature parallels the harmony and beauty of a world under his dynasty's rule. Brushpots with these poems, such as the present lot, would instill in the writer the erudition of the Emperor, and similar poems were inscribed on other brushpots in different mediums. See for example, the same poem on an underglaze red and white brushpot, Qianlong, illustrated in Sun Yingzhou de taoci shijie, Beijing, 2003, p.262, no.161.圓口直筒，筒身微斂，筒內髹黑漆，口沿飾紅邊，底部剔紅鐫出回紋一匝，下承四足錦地基座。器身外壁於深色回紋錦地上作剔紅雕刻乾隆... For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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