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Click here to subscribeA Barr Flight and Barr Worcester named topographical spill vase, depicting interior of Tintern Abbey, marbled reverse, puce script to base, impressed mark, 13.5cms high; three 19th century Staffordshire mugs, tallest 10.5cms high (4) Condition Report: BFB vase- 1 ring damaged- scratching to surface, top probably reduced Mugs fair to good Condition Report Disclaimer
A Royal Worcester Rose pot-pourri vase painted by Ethel Spilsbury, pierced cover and liner, date code for 1925, painted with daffodils and violets in the Hadley style, shape no. 2048, 25cm high Condition Report: Monday 2 November- amendment- please note Restored to finial. It looks like though the entire finial may have been off- and reattached. Some rubbing to gilding Condition Report Disclaimer
A Grainger's Worcester vase orange-ground and gilt two-handled Empire style vase, circa 1820, painted with a titled view of the South Parade Bath flanked by a pair of caryatid handles, 24.5cm high Provenance: Property of a private family collection. Condition Report: Restored through top of pedestal foot at the join with the vase. One handle cracked. Some crazing to the body. Monday 2 November- amendment- please note additionally there are 2 patched of old restoration to the top rim Condition Report Disclaimer
Modern decorative porcelain by Herend, including 3 items in Apponyi red- small vase, box and cover and dish with ribbon edge, Apponyi green ashtray, three items of Rothschild Birds - 2 dishes, match sleeve and a rectangular box and cover decorated with flowers, and a small continental green and gilt shaped box (9) Condition Report: All generally fair to good- but will benefit from a clean. Box with small chip to bottom edge. Condition Report Disclaimer
An ormolu mounted Chinese floral green celadon glaze vase, modelled as a twin branch table candelabrum, scrolling floral mounts, slender tapering vase, 30cms high overall, vase approximately 15.5cms high. Condition Report: Generally good- mounts are fixed. One sconce missing Condition Report Disclaimer
A Victorian Derbyshire black Ashford marble and pietra dura candlestick, circa 1880, the rectangular shaft inlaid with trailing lilies and leaves, 28.5cm high; a pair of Breccia spheres, 12cm diameter, presented on perspex stands; and three various items of stone and specimen interest, including a curved fragment from a vase in Roman style (6) Condition Report: Candlestick- broken and repaired below nozzle Condition Report Disclaimer
20th century decorative Continental porcelain including a pair of reticulated phoenix decorated Herend vases and covers, marked 6632/SP, 25cms high, another vase, three small trays, one small bowl and a bonbonniere; a Meissen tea cannister, Limoges needle case (10) Condition Report: Generally fair to good condition- very mild wear from handling Condition Report Disclaimer
A spinach-green jade three-piece incense setLate Qing DynastyComprising an incense burner and cover, carved around the body with archaistic dragons, flanked by a pair of beast-head handles suspending loose rings, all supported on three short feet. 13.5cm (5 2/8in) wide; a vase of flattened baluster form, with a pair of handles suspending loose rings. 12.5cm (5in) high; and a circular incense box and cover, the cover carved with a floral motif. 6cm (2 3/8in) diam; each with wood stand, with fitted box and cover. (11).Footnotes:清晚期 碧玉爐瓶盒三式Provenance: a Swiss private collection來源：瑞士私人收藏This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * Y* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.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 jade inlaid silver-alloy jar and coverThe jade, mid Qing Dynasty; the vase and cover, late Qing Dynasty/Republic PeriodThe jar of rounded square section, formed of angular scrollwork and floral motifs in coral and hardstones, each side inset with a large pale green jade plaque each carved with a scholar or sage in a mountain landscape, the domed cover similarly decorated and surmounted by a coral finial. 21cm (8 1/4in) high. (2).Footnotes:清晚期/民國，及明中期玉牌 銀合金嵌寶玉蓋罐This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: YY Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A cloisonné enamel baluster vase, Hu17th century Well cast with a globular body supported on a spreading foot rising to a waisted neck, set with a pair of taotie ring-handles at the shoulder, brightly and lavishly enamelled around the exterior with shaped panels containing auspicious birds in a garden setting, all reserved on a turquoise ground decorated with cracked-ice and flowers, between bands of further floral motifs and grape vines. 38cm (15in) high.Footnotes:十七世紀 銅胎掐絲琺瑯開光花鳥紋活環耳壺Provenance: an English private collection來源：英國私人收藏Compare with a related cloisonné enamel baluster vase, Kangxi, illustrated by Beatrice Quette, ed., Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, London, 2011, p.259, no.69.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A cloisonné enamel 'lotus' vase, hu17th century Brightly decorated around the pear-shaped body with bands of large Indian-lotus heads borne on scrolling leafy stems reserved on a turquoise-blue ground, set at the shoulder with two large gilt-bronze lion-mask handles suspending loose rings, all supported on a tall spreading foot. 50cm (19 3/4in) high.Footnotes:十七世紀 銅胎掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋壺Compare with a similar vase, 17th century, illustrated by B.Quette, ed., Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, New York, 2011, p.258, no.68.See a similar, smaller cloisonné enamel 'lotus' vase, 17th century, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2015, lot 3727.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A pair of celadon vases, congGuangxu six-character marks and of the periodEach in the form of an archaic jade cong, of square section supported on a short waisted footing, rising to a flat shoulder and a broad tapering short neck, each face with raised horizontal bands representing the Eight Trigrams, covered overall with a rich bluish-green glaze.Each 28cm (11in) high. (2).Footnotes:清光緒 青釉琮式瓶一對 青花「大清光緒年製」楷書款Provenance: an English private collection來源：英國私人收藏The present pair in its form was inspired by the archaic jade ritual cong vessel, which featured a square body and a hollowed circular core, perhaps symbolising heaven and earth. See for example a jade cong, Neolithic period, Liangzhu Culture (circa 3200-2000 BC), illustrated by J.Rawson, Chinese Jade From The Neolithic To The Qing, London, 1995, p.128, fig.3:5. This archaic form was imitated especially from the 18th century and onwards as means to draw moral righteousness and strength from the ancients. A very similar vase but with a Xuantong mark in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated by H.A.Van Oort, Chinese Porcelain of the 19th and 20th centuries, Lochem, 1977, pl.111.Compare with a similar pair of celadon-glazed cong-shaped vases, Guangxu six-character marks and of the period, which was sold at Christie's London, 7 November 2017, lot 216.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A rare teadust-glazed bottle vaseQianlong seal mark and of the periodThe globular body rising from a spreading foot to a tapering neck and everted rim, covered overall in an olive-green coloured glaze flecked with a fine yellow mist, the base with a six-character seal mark beneath a brown glaze. 18.8cm (7 3/8in) high.Footnotes:清乾隆 茶葉末釉長頸瓶「大清乾隆年製」篆書模款Provenance: a European private collection, and thence by descent來源：歐洲私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今The so called 'Tea-dust' glaze was first produced in the Yongzheng period, using the same metallic colourant as Imperial yellow glazes (iron oxide). Depending on the firing conditions, the glaze might fire a lighter yellowish brown, called 'eel yellow', or a greener hue, called 'snakeskin green'. The monochrome glaze complements the form of the porcelain, perhaps inspired by metalwork, especially archaic bronze forms. Compare with a similar Qianlong seal mark and period bottle of this form and glaze, illustrated in The Prime Cultural Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum, vol.II, Liaoning, 2007, p.41. See another similar vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period illustrated in Art of China: highlights from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, London, 2018, p.200, no.79. See also Porcelains from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pl.162. See also an example included in the exhibition Ethereal Elegance: Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing, The Huaihaitang Collection, 2007, Hong Kong, no.64; and a vase illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 1994, no.935, which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2013, lot 6. See also a similar teadust-glazed bottle vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 April 2017, lot 3668.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A rare flambé-glazed bottle vaseQianlong seal mark and of the periodThe compressed globular body rising from a short, slightly splayed foot to a long tapering neck flaring at the rim, attractively glazed in rich tones of cherry-red, purple and shaded turquoise, the base with a vitreous burgundy-red glaze streaked with deep lavender-blue, incised seal mark. 17cm (6 3/4in) high.Footnotes:清乾隆 窯變釉賞瓶「大清乾隆年製」篆書模款Provenance: a European private collection, and thence by descent來源：歐洲私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今See a related flambé-glazed bottle vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, illustrated by R.Kerr, Chinese Ceramics - Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, London, 1986, pp.20-21.Compare with a related flambé-glazed pear-shaped vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 3335.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A celadon arrow vase, touhuQianlong seal mark and of the periodOf flattened form, the compressed globular body supported on a slightly splayed foot and rising to a tall waisted neck, the shoulder applied with a pair of tubular handles, covered overall with a thick greenish-blue glaze. 15.2cm (6in) high.Footnotes:清乾隆 青釉贯耳瓶青花「乾隆年製」篆書款Provenance: a European private collection, and thence by descent來源：歐洲私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今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 famille verte square vaseShunzhi/early KangxiThe stoutly potted body with tapered rectangular sides supporting a waisted cylindrical neck and everted rim, each side painted in bright enamels with legendary figures from history and folklore including generals, scholars and emperors, the neck with florets and lozenges. 35.5cm (14in) high. Footnotes:清順治/康熙早期 五彩人物故事圖方瓶Provenance: Robert Stanley Hope Smith (1910-1979), and thence by descent來源：Robert Stanley Hope Smith（1910-1979）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今The scenes depicted on the vase probably refer to scenes in the Ming dynasty historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, attributed to Luo Guanzhong. Their martial exploits were spread by professional storytellers as well as in operas and woodblock-printed novels. The prints from these books in turn were the major source of inspiration for the painters who decorated the present lot. Compare with a similar famille verte square baluster vase with very similar scenes, 1650-1670, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc.no.CIRC.384-1931).The Robert Stanley Hope Smith CollectionRobert Stanley Hope Smith, known to friends and family as Stanley, was born on 13th December 1910 in Horton, Bradford. During the 2nd world war he served with his local Home Guard Regiment. He was a solicitor and partner at Browning Oliver and Smith in Bradford and was known to have worked closely with the refugee Polish community which settled there in the late 1940s and early 50s, helping them establish a future within the city that still prospered with a textile industry.He married Joan Shelton, a schoolteacher, on 4th September 1946, bought a small semi-detached house, Colwyn, Park Mount Avenue in Baildon and had one son, John.According to his diary he began collecting 'Famille Rose' and 'Famille Verte' pieces in 1946 from local auction houses, shops and privately in Harrogate, Leeds and Bradford. His wife Joan also shared his passion and they made further purchases on weekend trips to country houses and antique fairs.He made his first Sotheby's purchase via absentee bid on 2nd October 1950 and on the 15th December the same year was elected a member of the Oriental Ceramic Society. In 1959 Frank Davis, another north of England OCS member, wrote to say that he would surely be welcomed by the 'learned lot' in London but it is unlikely Stanley ever made it there because of the disability that made travel difficult.Over the following decades he was delighted to acquire pieces from well-known collections formed by Lord Cunliffe, Montague Meyer, Leonard Gow, along with OCS exhibition pieces. What may have not been key pieces for them became the core of his collection.Stanley and Joan lived an unassuming life, intellectually stimulated by eclectic subscriptions to periodicals. He played the organ at church services in Baildon, watched his son play rugby for his school and county, and on summer afternoons tended his allotment. They loved the Yorkshire Dales, visiting country houses, occasionally staying in hotels in the Lake District. On Sundays they drove a specially adapted Jaguar across the Yorkshire moors.Members of their family were the few fortunate enough to see the porcelain collection displayed in the back room of Colwyn on a dresser alongside the piano and harpsichord. They assumed that Stanley collected even broken pieces of Chinese pottery because they were all that he could afford, unaware that Kintsugi was key to his passion, for he had suffered from polio as a child and walked with a cane.Stanley died in November 1979. Joan remained a member of the Oriental Ceramic Society for the rest of her life. In later years her grandchildren remember her reading to them in front of an open fire from auction catalogues, OCB periodicals and Oriental art study books, teaching them about the Chinese dynasties and their dates while referring to the pieces still on display in the back room where they had remained undisturbed for the previous 45 years. She died in 2000 and the collection was subsequently put into storage. The family has decided that the time has come for others to enjoy and admire the collection and hope that it will bring as much pleasure as it did for Stanley and Joan.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A rare blue and white 'shoulao' sleeve vaseCirca 1640The tall cylindrical body deftly painted in cobalt-blue around the exterior with a continuous scene of the elderly bearded sage Shoulao seated beside a deer and accompanied by several attendants with fans, a figure bows before the sage lighting incense on a stand, all amidst a mountainous landscape with wispy clouds. 40.5cm (15 3/4in) high. Footnotes:約1640年 青花人物紋筒瓶Provenance: Marc Michot, BrugesA European private collection, acquired from the above in 1975來源：比利時布魯日古董商Marc Micho歐洲私人收藏，於1975年購自前者The scene on the present lot is distinctive both for the complexity of its design and for the fact that Shoulao - the God of Longevity - dominates the scene, while other figures are all depicted on a smaller scale. This emphasis on Shoulao as the most significant figure highlights the purpose of this motif in stressing wishes for longevity. The painting, in particular the ruyi-head clouds carrying Shoulao, is both dramatic and evocative. A jar with a similar design of Shoulao with deer, crane and boy attendant within a garden setting, Shunzhi, is illustrated in Seventeenth Century Chinese Porcelain from the Butler Family Collection, Alexandria, 1990, p.126, no.76.For an extensive discussion about the emergence of these wares, and the possible origin of the otherwise inexplicable name of Rolwagen, from rotating vases with continuous designs, in Dutch called 'rolvasen', see C.Sheaf, 'Reflections on Transitional Blue and White', Arts of Asia, Jan/Feb 2009.Compare with a related blue and white vase decorated with large mythical figures, Shunzhi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 10 November 2011, lot 110.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A very rare blue and white 'Immortals' sleeve vaseChongzhenThe tall cylindrical body expertly painted in vibrant tones of cobalt-blue around the exterior with a continuous scene of the Eight Immortals within a mountainous landscape, all beneath pendent plantain leaves at the neck. 37cm (14.6in) high.Footnotes:明崇禎 青花八仙祝壽圖筒瓶Provenance: a European private collection, acquired in 1975來源：歐洲私人收藏，購於1975年The Eight Immortals, Zhang Liquan, Lu Dongbin, Li Tieguai, Cao Guojiu, Zhang Guolao, Han Xiangzi, He Xiangu and Lan Caihe are Daoist mythical figures. Paintings often depict these figures celebrating a birthday or on their way to celebrate a birthday. There is a variety of different compositions of the same motif, such as the birthdays of the Queen Mother of the West or the God of Longevity. Many paintings originated from classical dramas and prints. Compare with a related blue and white sleeve vase decorated with Immortals, dated 1641, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, illustrated by R.S.Kilburn, Transitional Wares and their Forerunners, Hong Kong, 1981, p.35, fig.19.Compare with a related blue and white sleeve vase, Chongzhen, which was sold at Bonhams London 6 November 2014, lot 227.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A very rare blue and white garlic-head vaseKangxi six-character mark and of the periodThe compressed globular body surmounted by a tall waisted neck terminating with a garlic-head mouth, finely painted in soft inky-blue tones with gnarled branches of prunus on a cracked-ice ground, between diaper-pattern bands and chilong on the neck, and fish amidst swirling waves on the body, the lowest register with sand and shells, all supported on a tapered foot. 22.5cm (8 7/8in) high. Footnotes:清康熙 青花魚龍紋蒜頭瓶Provenance: an English private collection來源：英國私人收藏A related vase with mythical beasts and waves, from the Qing Court Collection, Kangxi six character mark and period, is illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III): The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2000, pl.19.See also a related blue and white vase, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1536.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A blue and white celadon and copper-red vase, MeipingKangxiDecorated around the exterior with a continuous scene of craggy mountains by water in cobalt-blue, some highlighted in celadon green, with various trees, some with copper-red leaves, a fisherman in a boat, with two scholars in discussion on the bank. 23m (9in) high.Footnotes:清康熙 青花豆青釉裏紅山中高士圖梅瓶For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A large blue and white vase, HuQianlong seal mark, Republic PeriodPainted around the body with scrolling lotus, with further lotus scrolls on the neck, flanked by a pair of applied taotie-mask ring handles. 55cm (21 1/2in) high.Footnotes:民國 青花纏枝蓮紋輔首尊青花「大清乾隆年製」篆書款Provenance: a Italian private collection來源：意大利私人收藏See a similar blue and white vase, Qianlong seal mark, late Qing dynasty/Republic period, which was sold at Bonhams London, 17 May 2018, lot 234.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A famille verte 'Lotus Plucking' basinKangxiFinely enamelled with elegant palace ladies in boats plucking lotus flowers from the lake while the Emperor looks on with pleasure beside his favourite concubine beneath a covered pavilion, the flat everted lipped rim finely decorated with six cartouches containing the 'Hundred Antiques' on a diaper-pattern ground, metal rim. 42.5cm (16 3/4in) diam. Footnotes:清康熙 五彩採蓮圖大盆The theme of beautiful women picking lotus flowers from a lake was popular with poets, playwrights and artists in Imperial China as an activity representing hedonistic pleasure at court. This stems from the story of King Fuchai of Wu (r. 495-473 BC) and his infatuation with the legendary beauty and femme fatale Xi Shi who plucked lotus on the lake. The King was so bewitched by her beauty that he neglected affairs of state, and his kingdom collapsed. This motif would be employed again for the Tang emperor Xuanzong (685-762) who was also in love with another femme fatale, the Imperial Consort Yang Guifei, who bathed at the Huaqing pool reserved for emperors and where lotus were placed to recreate the scene. The emperor claimed that even the lotus was not as beautiful as his concubine Yang Guifei. Yang Guifei's influence in court eventually stirred the An Lushan rebellion, from which the Tang Imperial family would never completely recover. A basin painted with a similar subject, late Kangxi, is illustrated by C.J.A.Jorg in Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, no.174, p.159. A famille verte rouleau vase with a similar design described as 'The Emperor Xuanzong standing beside Yang Guifei, the most beautiful woman in China looking on at ladies picking lotus flowers' is illustrated by Wang Qingzheng in Kangxi Porcelain Ware from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, no.127, pp.196-7.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A large famille verte 'dragon boat' rouleau vase19th centuryThe cylindrical body beneath a straight neck and everted rim, finely decorated around the exterior with a continuous scene of court ladies tugging a large dragon-boat carrying the Sui emperor Yang along a canal by a large palace with further ladies gazing from the window, the shoulder with floral scroll, the neck with various auspicious objects and Immortals. 79.5cm (31 3/8in) high.Footnotes:十九世紀 五彩龍舟出行圖大棒槌瓶Emperor Yang (AD569-618) of the short-lived Sui dynasty (AD581-618), is perhaps best known for having reunited China through military might and completing the extraordinary engineering feat of the Grand Canal. This canal, which still exists to this day, connected the Huai river in the north with the Qiantang river in the south and greatly helped economic growth and prosperity. Apart from his military and engineering achievements, Emperor Yang is infamous for his extravagant behaviour. According to some records, when the canal was completed in AD609, Emperor Yang floated 65 miles on the canal in a large, expensive dragon boat pulled by hundreds of his most beautiful palace ladies and followed by a flotilla containing musicians and entertainers. It was said that along the shore, sounds of merriment could be heard for a hundred miles. See Y.Ma and J.Lau, Traditional Chinese Stories: Themes and Variations, Boston, 1986, p.313. See also V.Xiong, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty: His Life, Times, and Legacy, New York, 2012, pp.75-94.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A pale green and russet jade 'bamboo' vaseMid Qing DynastyCrisply carved as a hollow bamboo trunk with naturalistically-grooved nodes and issuing leafy branches, flanked by a pheasant perched on high rockwork, the stone of pale-green tone with reddish-brown russet patches, box. 14.2cm (5 5/8in) high. (2).Footnotes:清中期 青白玉帶皮仿竹節形瓶Provenance: an English private collection, and thence by descent. The collection was formed by the grandfather of the former owner who was the Assistant Commissioner, Shanghai Municipal Police, 1919-1928. His father was a Protestant missionary in China. The family returned to England shortly after the Second World War.來源：英國私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今。本拍品前任藏家之祖父曾於1919至1928年任上海公共租界工部局警務處副官，其父為一名新教傳教士；第二次世界大戰爆發後，舉家回到英格蘭。Compare with a related jade vase with bamboo and phoenix, Qing dynasty, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, 8, Beijing, 2011, p.223, no.181.See also a pale green jade bamboo-shaped 'phoenix' vase, 18th century, which was sold at Bonhams London, 17 May 2018, lot 166.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A pair of rare large cinnabar lacquer double-gourd 'Daji' vasesQianlongBoth vases with slightly flattened sides and narrow waist, rising from rectangular feet detailed with narrow bands, the upper bulbs set with a central medallion to either side enclosing the Da character on a gilt-lacquer ground bordered by mother-of-pearl, the lower bulb with a Ji character within similarly decorated medallions, all reserved on finely carved scrolling lotus blooms and the Eight Buddhist Emblems, bajixiang, on a wan diaper ground, attached zitan stands. 48cm (18 7/8in) high. (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 剔紅纏枝花卉紋「大吉」葫蘆瓶一對Provenance: William Morton Eden, 5th Baron Auckland (1859-1917), Kitley House, Yealmpton (label)A French private collection來源：英國亞姆頓，凱特利大宅，第五代奧克蘭勳爵William Morton Eden（1859-1917）（標籤）法國私人收藏Kitley House, Yealmpton, which belonged to the Pollexfen Bastard family, was rented by William Morton Eden, 5th Baron Auckland (1859-1917) between 1900 and his death in 1917. The Barons Auckland are members of the prominent Eden family, which included George Eden, Baron Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland and 2nd Baron Auckland (1784-1849), who as Governor-General of India (1836-1842) was responsible for the war in Afghanistan and deployed forces to China in the First Opium War.The present pair of vases encapsulate the highest standards achieved in Imperial production of lacquerware during the period of the Qianlong emperor. The style developed under the ruler's guidance at the Imperial workshops is easily recognisable in its combination of opulence and carving precision. The characters Da Ji express the wish for good fortune and are frequently used to decorate objects bearing a double-gourd shape. The bottle gourd itself is associated with the Daoist Immortals, particularly with Li Tieguai who used the gourd as a container for medicine. The pairing of the bottle gourd with the Da Ji characters thus creates a particularly auspicious object.Double-gourd vases of slightly flattened form and inlaid with mother of pearl are quite rare. Compare with a related cinnabar-lacquer 'double-gourd' vase, late 18th century, decorated with medallions enclosing the Da Ji characters in gilt metal on a blue enamel ground in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by E.F.Strange, Catalogue of Chinese Lacquer, London, 1925, no.33, pl.XV.See one cinnabar lacquer double-gourd 'Daji' vase, 18th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 13-14 September 2012, lot 1298.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A very fine white jade incense-tool vaseQianlong Deftly carved rising from a short splayed foot to an ovoid body surmounted by a long tapering, cylindrical neck with galleried rim, the body exquisitely carved in low-relief around the exterior with archaistic designs of confronted stylised chilong, the stone of even pale white tone, wood stand. 11.2cm (4 1/2in) high (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 白玉雕仿古螭龍紋香插Provenance: a Swiss private collection來源：瑞士私人收藏Incense-tool vases would be used to contain implements such as metal chopsticks and spatula which would have been used to prepare incense on sand contained in an incense burner. In contrast to much Chinese jade carving in the 18th century, which was characterised by decorative high-relief carving, the Qianlong emperor commissioned a large number of jades which were inspired by the forms and designs of antiquity. Jade carvers were encouraged to move away from the 'new style' by studying archaic bronze vessels in the Qing Court Collection or in illustrated woodblock prints, and adapting them to the medium of jade. Inspired in its decoration by archaic bronzes, the present lot epitomises this trend. See for example, a related white jade incense tool vase with archaistic taotie pattern, but with a pair of handles, Qing dynasty, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, 10, Beijing, 2011, p.149.Compare with a slightly larger (14.5cm high) white jade archaistic bottle vase, Qianlong, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2010, lot 1882.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * Y* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.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 pale green jade archaistic vaseQianlongDeftly carved of flattened, baluster form, rising from a tapered foot, the waisted neck flanked by a pair of handles, carved in low relief to each side with an archaistic taotie mask, all above stylised cicada lappets, hongmu stand. 10.2cm (4in) high (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 青白玉雕仿古饕餮紋雙耳瓶Provenance: a Swiss private collection來源：瑞士私人收藏This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * Y* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.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 very pale green jade archaistic vase, huQianlongOf flattened baluster shape, the wide central register carved with ridges imitating Western Zhou dynasty archaic bronze decoration, between key-fret borders also around the rims, and waisted lower section and neck each similarly decorated in relief with a whirl medallion flanked by archaistic C scrolls, the neck flanked by a pair of zoomorphic handles suspending loose rings, all raised on a conforming shaped spreading foot, the stone of event pale green tone. 20cm (7 7/8in) high.Footnotes:清乾隆 青白玉雕仿古活環雙耳壺Provenance: a Spanish private collection, and thence by descent來源：西班牙私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A very pale green jade archaistic 'heavenly bird' vase and coverQianlongThe mythical bird exquisitely carved standing on pierced, angular scroll-work, with finely incised-plumage supporting a vase carved with archaistic taotie masks in low relief, the domed cover surmounted by a finial, the stone of pale green tone with some darker patches. 12.5cm (4 3/4in) high (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 青白玉雕天雞蓋尊The archaistic flying mythical creatures known as 'heavenly birds' or tianji and are commonly mistaken as phoenixes. The legend of tianji dates back to the Jin dynasty (AD 265–420) as recorded in Xuanzhongji or 'Records of Mysterious Phenomenons' by the Eastern Jin scholar and writer Guo Pu (AD 276-324). It is said that there lies a giant tree on Mount Taodu whereby the tree is so immense it shades an area of five thousand kilometres. The tianji is found perched on the tree while other birds mimic its singing. Another 4th-6th century record also mentions the tianji as a bird that could fly a thousand miles high and whose flapping wings would produce thunderous sounds when outstretched.See a related jade phoenix vase but without cover, 18th century, illustrated in Jade Chinois: Pierres D'Immortalité, Paris, 1997, p.188, no.123.Compare with a related pale green jade 'cockerel' vase and cover, 18th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and formerly the collection of Florence and Herbert Irving, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 10 September 2019, lot 18.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
An archaistic spinach-green jade 'dragon and phoenix' vase, zunQianlongCrisply carved as a standing mythical bird with the head facing forward slightly to the right, carrying a hollowed vase incised with C-scrolls between a pair of upswept wings, a scaly dragon curled around behind the phoenix and the vase, the stone of dark olive-green tone with black flecks, silver-wire inlaid wood stand.10.2cm (3 1/2in) high. (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 碧玉雕龍鳳尊Provenance: a European private collection, and thence by descent來源：歐洲私人收藏，並由後人保存迄今The combination of the dragon and phoenix is from Daoism, and represents sagacity, long life and benevolence. A related 'dragon and phoenix' vase group from the Harvard University Art Museum, is illustrated in Chinese Art in Overseas Collections, Jade I, Taipei, 1981, no.153.The shape of the vase in the present group is in imitation of archaic bronzes, and archaistic jade carvings of the Song dynasty. A related white jade example, in the form of an archaic bronze gu of diamond cross-section, 18th century, also detailed with a dragon on the side of the vase, is illustrated by R.Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, p.188, no.144, and later sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1385.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: YY Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A very fine pale green jade vase and cover18th/19th centuryCrisply carved in baluster form of square section, the body left plain to enhance the natural beauty of the smooth very pale green stone, a band of lappets at the shoulder beneath archaistic circular whorl patterns, the elegantly tapering neck flanked by a pair of archaistic beast-head handles, the cover surmounted by a square finial, wood stand and fitted box and cover. 20.2cm (8in) high. (4).Footnotes:十八/十九世紀 青白玉雕雙耳蓋瓶Provenance: Pierpaolo Pineschi (1925-2014), Italy, and thence by descentPierpaolo Pineschi (1925-2014) was one of the founders of the National Union of Italian Film Journalists. In 1950 he was appointed Head of Press and Promotion of Unitalia Film, promoting Italian cinema worldwide. It was in these circumstances that Pineschi worked with the entertainment mogul and philanthropist Sir Run Run Shaw (1907-2014). During Pineschi's visit to Asia, Sir Run Run Shaw introduced him to Chinese art and approved of his choice of the present jade vase.來源：意大利Pierpaolo Pineschi（1925-2014）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今Pierpaolo Pineschi（1925-2014）是意大利電影記者聯盟的創始人之一。 1950年，Pineschi被任命為Unitalia電影新聞和推廣部門負責人，在全球範圍內推廣意大利電影。由此，Pineschi開始與娛樂界大亨兼慈善家邵逸夫爵士（1907-2014）合作；在其訪問亞洲期間，邵逸夫爵士向他介紹了中國藝術，並促成了他選擇收藏本拍品。Qing dynasty carvers understood that their craft was still second to nature in beauty and so highlighted the natural beauty of the stone by leaving larges areas of the present lot unadorned, living up to the saying that jade is as pure as ice (yujie bingqing 玉潔冰清).Only the shoulder is carved in low-relief with an archaistic band of whorl patterns. The beast-head handles further allude to archaic bronzes from the Zhou dynasty from which many jades carvings were inspired. Compare the handles of the present lot with those on a white jade vase and over, Qianlong, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections of the Palace Museum: Jade, 10, Beijing, 2011, p.48, no.22.See also a related white jade vase and cover, Qianlong, smoothly carved with elephant-head handles, illustrated in The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, p.165, no.135.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: YY Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A pale green jade incised 'bajixiang' sceptre, ruyiQianlongElegantly carved and smoothly polished with a long, curving shaft, finely incised with the Eight Auspicious Emblems, bajixiang, the large lingzhi shaped terminal incised with a caparisoned elephant carrying a vase on its back with further auspicious symbols such as a chime, coral and ruyi sceptre, the stone of even pale-green tone, box. 43cm (17in) long. (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 青白玉雕太平有象八吉祥紋如意Provenance: Jessie May Stirling (d.2010), Edinburgh, and thence by descent. According to family history Jessie May Stirling inherited the ruyi sceptre from her father who was in China in the first half of the 20th century.來源：英國愛丁堡Jessie May Stirling女士（2010年歿）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今據家族記載，其父於二十世紀前半葉居於中國，後Stirling女士繼承了這柄如意Finely finished to a smooth and highly tactile polish, this piece is notable for the delicate decoration. Such restrained decoration draws attention to and enhances the quality and translucency of the stone. The present lot is rich in auspicious symbolism. The elephant together with the vase, for example, forms a rebus. The 'vase' (ping 瓶) which puns with 'peace' (ping 平), and elephant (xiang 象) which also means 'sign' or 'portent', forms a rebus for the phrase taiping youxiang (太平有象), meaning 'Where there is peace, there is a sign (or elephant)'. Furthermore, the shaft is decorated with the Eight Buddhist Emblems.See a related jade ruyi-sceptre, Yongzheng/Qianlong, but incised with dragons among clouds, illustrated by E.Rawski and J.Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.369, no.282. Compare with a related pale green jade 'peach' ruyi-sceptre, 18th century, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 May 2019, lot 154.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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