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A VERY RARE GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE TAPIR-SHAPED VESSEL, XIZUNYuan/Ming DynastyFinely cast after the archaic bronze wine vessel zun in the form of a tapir, the beast standing foursquare with head facing forward with an upturned snout, cast in relief with bulging gold-inlaid eyes below curved brows, the face and pricked ears further decorated with archaistic motifs inlaid with gold and silver, the neck encircled with a collar, the taut muscular body inlaid in silver with broad spirals on either side, the densely inlaid tail pointed downwards, the hollow body fitted with a small leaf-shaped hinged cover, the bronze with an enhanced greenish-brown patina with patches of malachite-green encrustation.17cm (6 11/18in) long.Footnotes:元/明 銅錯金銀犧尊Provenance: Mark Dineley (1901-1975)Peter Dineley (1938-2018), and thence by descent來源：Mark Dineley（1901-1975年）舊藏Peter Dineley（1938-2018年）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今Mark Dineley and his son Peter Cleverly Dineley collected antique arms and armour, Chinese, Tibetan and Nepalese art amongst other interests. The collections were displayed in the former family home, Aubrey House, located in Holland Park, London - a stately 18th century house. The house came into the Dineley family when it was acquired in 1873 by William Cleverly Alexander (1840-1916) from whom Mark and Peter were descended. Alexander was a banker and a great connoisseur and patron of the artist James McNeill Whistler, as well as a renowned collector of Chinese ceramics, jade and Japanese art, much of which is now in the British Museum, London, including the celebrated Northern Song Alexander bowl. He was amongst the lenders to exhibitions held at the Burlington Fine Arts Club in 1895, 1896 and 1910 and to the City of Manchester Art Gallery's Exhibition of Chinese Applied Art in 1913, and to exhibitions held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. In May 1931 his collection of Chinese ceramics, including 355 lots, was sold over two days and Sir Percival David acquired a significant part, now in the British Museum.This rare zoomorphic vessel illustrates the scholar's interest in antiquity and especially in ancient bronzes. Bronze vessels of this form with inlaid silver and gold decoration are based on ancient prototypes which originated 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, see for example a tapir-form vessel featuring intricate inlay, Spring and Autumn or Warring States period, illustrated in Masterworks of Chinese Bronze in the National Palace Museum, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1969, pl.25. The examples from the Bronze Age appear to have found favour with the Northern Song Emperor Huizong (reigned 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 Bogu tulu (Xuanhe Illustrated Collection of Antiques)- 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 popularity of these zoomorphic vessels continued into the Yuan and Ming periods. See a related bronze 'tapir' vessel inlaid with gold and silver, Yuan dynasty, in 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.A related gold and silver-inlaid bronze tapir-form vessel, Yuan/Ming dynasty, was sold at Christie's New York, 25 September 2020, lot 1538.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND IMPORTANT GOLD GEM-INSET FIGURE OF AN 'ABLE MINISTER'QianlongSuperbly modelled, seated with the right hand raised as if to hold an implement, the left resting on his lap, dressed in multiple loose robes opened at the chest and tied with a double knot, finely incised with floral designs at the hem and decorated with intricate filigree designs of ruyi and clouds inset with tourmaline, pearls and turquoise, wearing a billowing scarf around the shoulders, the well-defined face with a serene expression defined by a gentle smile framed by neatly adorned hair gathered up in a high chignon, fitted box. 13cm (5in) high, overall 560g, tested for high gold purity. (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 金嵌寶七珍「主藏臣寳」像Provenance: Sir Michael Oppenheimer (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020) and Lady Helen Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022), and thence by descent來源：Michael Oppenheimer 爵士（三代從男爵，1924-2020年）與Helen Oppenheimer爵士夫人（1926-2022年）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今The collection belonged to Sir Michael and Lady Oppenheimer DD (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020). Sir Michael's maternal grandparents were Sir Robert Grenville Harvey, 2nd Baronet (1856-1931) and Lady Emily Blanche Harvey (1872-1935) of Langley Park, Buckinghamshire. The Chinese art collection can be, at least in part, traced back to Langley Park, Buckinghamshire, home to the Harvey Baronets from 1788 until 1945, as demonstrated in a pre-1945 photograph showing Lot 122, the cloisonné enamel tripod 'elephant' incense burner, Qianlong.Sir Michael Oppenheimer's paternal family was the well-known South African mining family. The baronetcy was created in 1921 for Bernard Oppenheimer, Chairman of the South African Diamond Corporation for setting up diamond sorting factories to employ wounded ex-servicemen after the First World War. The family has been involved with De Beers over many decades. Lady Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022) was a distinguished moral and philosophical theologian, with a particular interest in the ethics pertaining to personal relationships.The present figure, made of gold of exceptionally high purity, is exceedingly rare and notable for the impeccable casting, the high-quality gilding, the meticulous filigree work and the setting of semi-precious stones adorning the garments, and generous use of the precious metal. Works displaying such a high-level of workmanship were undoubtedly produced by the Imperial workshops at the time and destined for use at the Imperial Court.This gold figure was part of a set of 'The Seven Royal Treasures', which would have been placed on an altar. See a related jade and semi-precious stone-inlaid set of the 'Seven Royal Treasures' on sandalwood stands, and a similar figure of an 'Able Minister', 18th century, in the Qing Court Collection, the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by E.Rawski and J.Rawson, China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.140, no.45. The set includes a Golden Wheel, Swift Horse, White Elephant, Loyal General, Able Minister of the Treasury, Jewels of Omen, and Divine Pearls. The present lot can therefore be identified as 'Able Minister of the Treasury' similar to the one in the jade set in the Palace Museum, Beijing. See also a related altar quintet of the 'Eight Auspicious Treasures' in jewel-inlaid gold-filigree, Yongzheng, illustrated in Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, 2009, Taipei, p.143.According to the Indian myth, only the 'Wheel-turning Sage King' (Sanskrit: cakravarti-raja) possessed the 'Seven Treasures', which would aid him in ruling his domain. Later, the 'Seven Royal Treasures' were inherited by Buddhism and taken as offerings presented to Shakyamuni Buddha. Besides, the association of the 'Seven Treasures' with the Sage Kings, with whom the Chinese emperors often liked to identify themselves, made the symbols a highly auspicious motif for decoration in the Imperial palace. The Qing Court funnelled immense resources into their religious projects through the Imperial Household Department (Neiwu fu) and the Ministry of Rites. The Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors alone established dozens of temples in Beijing, most of them dedicated to Tibetan Buddhism and the Confucian rituals of the state. But daily records of the Court also show that they promoted many other religious activities, especially shrines for their own Manchu spirits, for the Chinese war god Guandi, and for the beloved bodhisattva of compassion, Guanyin. They personally performed Daoist-inspired acts of abject penitence before local dragon-gods during years of drought, and patronised such popular Daoist figures. The use of semi-precious stones insets, such as tourmaline, pearls and turquoise, on gold, appears to be a revival of a Ming dynasty practice which can be seen on vessels dating to the fifteenth century. The early Ming emperors were expansionist and outward-looking, and following Admiral Zheng He's seven voyages across the 'Western Oceans', gems from Southeast Asia, India and Sri Lanka, started to be imported into China along with gold, spices and exotic animals; see for instance a gold ewer, Ming dynasty, decorated with dragons and inset with similar stones as the present lot, illustrated in Art of China. Highlights from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 2018, p.97, and a rectangular gem-inset gold 'dragon' plaque, early Ming dynasty, illustrated in Ming: Fifty Years that changed China, London, 2014, pp.108-109, fig.98. For Qing dynasty examples of goldwork and inlay, see a gold gourd-shaped ewer for wine, inlaid with pearls, rubies, coral, and other semi-precious stones, Qianlong, illustrated in Splendors of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, New York, 2004, p.193, no.235.Goldwork in the Qing dynasty is extremely rare and usually would have been commissioned by the Imperial Court. See for example, two gold cups 'of Eternal Stability', circa 1739-1740 and 1740-1741, commissioned by the Qianlong emperor to drink a special herbal drink during ceremonies relating to the Chinese New Year, in the Wallace Collection, London (acc.nos.W113 and W112). Originally a set of four, the other two are in the Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei. This shows the close connection between goldwork and the Imperial Court.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 WHITE JADE 'BOYS' BRUSHWASHER AND A COVER18th century Finely modelled with deep rounded sides rising from a circular ring foot, the handles formed from four boys fashioned in the round, each vividly portrayed in a different posture and holding a different implement including a pomegranate, a sheng, and a flower, all dressed in short jackets and trousers, their faces with a cheerful expression and the hair gathered into a topknot, the cover finely carved with a sinuous chilong, the well-polished stone of translucent pale green colour with faint grey and cloudy inclusions. 10.5cm (4 1/8in) wide. (2).Footnotes:十八世紀 白玉童子耳洗連蓋Provenance: Sir Michael Oppenheimer (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020) and Lady Helen Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022), and thence by descent來源：Michael Oppenheimer 爵士（三代從男爵，1924-2020年）與Helen Oppenheimer爵士夫人（1926-2022年）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今The collection belonged to Sir Michael and Lady Oppenheimer DD (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020). Sir Michael's maternal grandparents were Sir Robert Grenville Harvey, 2nd Baronet (1856-1931) and Lady Emily Blanche Harvey (1872-1935) of Langley Park, Buckinghamshire. The Chinese art collection can be, at least in part, traced back to Langley Park, Buckinghamshire, home to the Harvey Baronets from 1788 until 1945, as demonstrated in a pre-1945 photograph showing Lot 122, the cloisonné enamel tripod 'elephant' incense burner, Qianlong.Sir Michael Oppenheimer's paternal family was the well-known South African mining family. The baronetcy was created in 1921 for Bernard Oppenheimer, Chairman of the South African Diamond Corporation for setting up diamond sorting factories to employ wounded ex-servicemen after the First World War. The family has been involved with De Beers over many decades. Lady Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022) was a distinguished moral and philosophical theologian, with a particular interest in the ethics pertaining to personal relationships.The present vessel, surrounded by small figures of boys, is closely related to the bowls and cups made with similar composition of boys clinging to the rims of the vessel, usually forming the handles; see a green jade cup flanked by children playing games, Qing dynasty, illustrated in Compendiums of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol.10, Beijing, 2011, no.152, and a white jade washer with handles shaped as children, Qing dynasty, Ibid., no.199. The combination of children decorating vessels appears to have been popular from at least the Song dynasty; for a Song dynasty example, see a green jade cup flanked by 'boys' handles, in Ibid., no.56.Compare with a related green jade waterpot surrounded by children, Qianlong, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1376; and a white jade 'boys' incense burner, Qianlong, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3 October 2017, lot 3604.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 PALE GREEN JADE CARVING OF A BUDDHIST LION19th century The beast carved recumbent with a joyful expression defined by bulging eyes and semi-opened fangs, its head turned backward and the bushy tail swept upward, the jade of pale green tone with faint cloudy inclusions. 11cm (4 2/8in) wide.Footnotes:十九世紀 青玉佛獅Provenance: Sir Michael Oppenheimer (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020) and Lady Helen Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022), and thence by descent來源：Michael Oppenheimer 爵士（三代從男爵，1924-2020年）與Helen Oppenheimer爵士夫人（1926-2022年）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今The collection belonged to Sir Michael and Lady Oppenheimer DD (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020). Sir Michael's maternal grandparents were Sir Robert Grenville Harvey, 2nd Baronet (1856-1931) and Lady Emily Blanche Harvey (1872-1935) of Langley Park, Buckinghamshire. The Chinese art collection can be, at least in part, traced back to Langley Park, Buckinghamshire, home to the Harvey Baronets from 1788 until 1945, as demonstrated in a pre-1945 photograph showing Lot 122, the cloisonné enamel tripod 'elephant' incense burner, Qianlong.Sir Michael Oppenheimer's paternal family was the well-known South African mining family. The baronetcy was created in 1921 for Bernard Oppenheimer, Chairman of the South African Diamond Corporation for setting up diamond sorting factories to employ wounded ex-servicemen after the First World War. The family has been involved with De Beers over many decades. Lady Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022) was a distinguished moral and philosophical theologian, with a particular interest in the ethics pertaining to personal relationships.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 WHITE AND RUSSET JADE 'DOUBLE BADGER' GROUP18th century The creatures finely carved facing each other, each grasping one end of a lingzhi stem in its mouth, the stone of a pale even white tone with soft polish and small russet inclusions. 7.5cm (3in) wide. Footnotes:十八世紀 玉雕雙獾Provenance: Sir Michael Oppenheimer (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020) and Lady Helen Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022), and thence by descent來源：Michael Oppenheimer 爵士（三代從男爵，1924-2020年）與Helen Oppenheimer爵士夫人（1926-2022年）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今The collection belonged to Sir Michael and Lady Oppenheimer DD (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020). Sir Michael's maternal grandparents were Sir Robert Grenville Harvey, 2nd Baronet (1856-1931) and Lady Emily Blanche Harvey (1872-1935) of Langley Park, Buckinghamshire. The Chinese art collection can be, at least in part, traced back to Langley Park, Buckinghamshire, home to the Harvey Baronets from 1788 until 1945, as demonstrated in a pre-1945 photograph showing Lot 122, the cloisonné enamel tripod 'elephant' incense burner, Qianlong.Sir Michael Oppenheimer's paternal family was the well-known South African mining family. The baronetcy was created in 1921 for Bernard Oppenheimer, Chairman of the South African Diamond Corporation for setting up diamond sorting factories to employ wounded ex-servicemen after the First World War. The family has been involved with De Beers over many decades. Lady Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022) was a distinguished moral and philosophical theologian, with a particular interest in the ethics pertaining to personal relationships.The Chinese word for badger, 獾 huan, is homophone with the word for happiness, 歡 huan. In this case, a pair of badgers, 雙獾 shuanghuan, stands for conjugal joy, an intimacy that is skilfully portrayed by the carver in posing the two animal gently entwined together.Compare a related white jade 'double badger' group from the Tuyet Nguyet Collection, illustrated by H.K.F.Hui and T.Y.Pang, Virtuous Treasures: Chinese Jades for the Scholar's Table, Hong Kong, 2007, no.103. A related white jade 'double badger' group, 18th century, was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 November 2014, lot 106.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 CARVED PALE GREEN JADE 'CRANE AND LINGZHI' VASE17th/18th century The vase finely carved in the form of a gnarled tree trunk flanked by a a crane standing on rockwork, grasping a branch of large peaches in its beak beside a lingzhi fungus, the stone of even pale tone with faint cloudy inclusions, stand.12.5cm (4 7/8in) high. (2).Footnotes:十七/十八世紀 玉雕仙鶴獻壽紋小瓶Provenance: formerly in the collection of Jan Habbema (1885-1970), acquired in the early 1930s, by repute來源：Jan Habbemam舊藏，傳於二十世紀三十年代早期入藏，並由後人保存迄今Jan Habbema was born in Ambon, the Dutch East Indies, to Habbema and Jacoba Petronella van der Vlist, who were married in Batavia in 1878. After graduating in law in Leiden in 1904, he became a resident of Rembang, Blora, Djocja and Bodjonegoro in the Dutch East Indies between 1930 and 1936. In 1936 he relocated to The Hague where he still lived in 1940 at the outbreak of the Second World War. He formed a large collection of Chinese art when stationed as a high official in Bodjonegoro, Indonesia, until 1936.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 FINE PAIR OF WHITE JADE 'POMEGRANATE AND FINGER CITRON' BOXES AND COVERS18th centuryCrisply carved each with straight sides, the covers carved as a finger-citron and pomegranate respectively, issuing from gnarled branches with leaves, the stone of attractive even pale-white tone, fitted box. The largest, 7.5cm (3in) wide. (5).Footnotes:十八世紀 白玉「石榴」及「佛手」式蓋盒 一組兩件Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 18 September 2007, lot 187An English private collection來源：紐約蘇富比，2007年9月18日，拍品編號187英国私人收藏Notable for the even, semi-translucent tone of the jade and the technical precision in the carving of the two halves of the boxes fitting precisely, the present boxes display the highest standard achieved in jade carving during the eighteenth century. The carved decoration on the present boxes was designed to emphasise the quality of the stone, with the actual body left smooth and plain, and the covers decorated with designs of a pomegranate and a finger citron in shallow relief. The pomegranate is a familiar symbol of fertility, and together with the finger citron and the peach, it is one of the Three Abundances. The depiction of a pomegranate at the point of splitting open, as in the present lot, is described as liukai baizi (榴開百子), meaning 'pomegranate revealing one hundred sons'. The finger citron fruit is known as Buddha's hand because of the likeness drawn between the long tendrils and Buddha's fingers in typical hand gestures.Compare with a similar white jade 'pomegranate' box and cover, 18th/19th century, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2022, lot 2918. A similar white jade 'finger citron' box and cover, 18th century, was sold at Christie's New York, 15 September 2017, lot 1023.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A FINE WHITE JADE 'DOUBLE-GOURD' WASHER18th century The even white stone finely pierced and carved in the form of a double-gourd issuing from a gnarled leafy stem, with leaves on the underside and rim, naturalistically conveyed, worked with a bat, all vividly depicted on the lustrous smoothly polished stone.8cm (3 1/8in) long.Footnotes:十八世紀 白玉葫蘆式水盂The auspicious combination of a double-gourd and bats stands for the blessing 'May you have both blessings and wealth', Fulu Shuangquan. Furthermore, the network of vines and combination of larger and smaller gourds symbolises the wish for ceaseless generations of male descendants, Guadie Mianmian.Compare with a related 'double gourd' washer, 18th century, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures from the Palace Museuum, Vol.6, no.294, pg.204. See also an example illustrated in Jades of the T.B. Walker Collection at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, no.200, pp.150-152.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A PALE GREEN JADE 'FISH-DRAGON' PLAQUEQing DynastyThe scaly creature with dorsal fins and finely incised tail, the head turned sharply towards its back with bulging eyes and flaring nostrils, the translucent stone of pale green tone with beige patches, with fitted box.11.6cm (4 1/2in) wide. (2).Footnotes:清 青玉雕魚龍紋牌For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A RARE PALE GREEN AND RUSSET JADE IMPERIALLY-INSCRIBED 'CHRYSANTHEMUM' MOONFLASK, BIANHUQianlongThe vessel finely carved with a flattened circular shape supported on a rectangular foot, with a bulbuous neck flanked by a pair of arched leaf-scroll handles, decorated to the exterior with a large circular panel to each side framed by a leiwen border, one depicting blossoming chrysanthemums issuing from Taihu rocks, the reverse inscribed with an Imperial poem about chrysanthemums, the stone of pale green tone with some russet inclusions, box. 14cm (5 1/2in) high. (2).Footnotes:清乾隆 青玉菊石圖御題詩文抱月小瓶Provenance: an English private collection來源：英國私人收藏The poem inscribed on the present vessel is entitled 'Chrysanthemums, Imperially Inscribed'. It reads: 周書惟載有黃華，後世侵尋五色誇。自是椎輪生大輅，濫觴寧獨傲霜花。御製題菊Which may be translated as: 'The book of Zhou only records the yellow flower,Later generations searched and boasted of the five colours. Naturally, the petals verticillate like a large carriage wheel, Originally it prefers tranquil solitude and scorns frost'. The poem is included in Qing Gaozong Yuzhi Shiwen Quanji ('Anthology of Imperial Qianlong poems and text', Yuzhi Shi San Ji ('Imperial poetry'), vol.3, vol.39, p.6. Chrysanthemums are one of the 'Four Gentlemen' flowers along with bamboo, orchid and prunus. They are also associated with a joyful retirement. They were the favourite flowers of Tao Qian, or Tao Yuanming (365-427), a poet living during a turbulent period in China who retired in midlife to a small estate to live out his days in rustic obscurity, drinking wine and writing poetry; see S.Nelson, 'Revisiting the Eastern Fence: Tao Qian's Chrysanthemums', The Art Bulletin, 2001, vol.83, no.3, pp.437-460. It is probable therefore, that the Qianlong emperor wrote this poem on chrysanthemums in his later years as his thoughts also turned to retirement.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A WHITE JADE 'MARRIAGE' BOWLQing Dynasty or laterThe pale stone of even tone, carved as a bowl raised on four feet carved as 'lingzhi' head, each ring-handle decorated with a bat and a shou symbol, the exterior carved in shallow relief with two 'double happiness' characters alternating with double-peach symbols at the handle, all within scrolling borders. 24.2cm (9 7/16 in) wide.Footnotes:清或更晚 白玉雙喜雙壽雙蝠耳活環洗Finely carved with careful attention to detail, the present bowl relates to the group of 'marriage' bowls which were popular during the Qing period and especially made for use by the Court. These vessels were deemed very suitable as prestigious gifts at wedding, and were decorated with auspicious motifs that conferred blessings and good wishes upon the owners. Bats in particular were a popular motif to celebrate a happy occasion such as a wedding, since the character for bat fu, is homophone with the word for wealth and happiness. Combined with peaches, symbolising longevity, and the 'double-happiness' characters on this bowl bats are the ultimate symbols for happiness and union, symbolising highly propitious wishes for a wedding. Compare with a related white jade 'marriage' bowl, Qianlong, illustrated in The Woolf Collection of Chinese Jade, London, 2013, no.71; another related jade 'marriage' bowl, Qianlong, illustrated by R.Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, no.88, was later sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1503.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 ROCK CRYSTAL TREE-TRUNK-SHAPED BRUSHPOT, BITONGMid Qing DynastyThe transparent crystal smoothly hollowed and crisply carved as a gnarled tree-trunk with swirling knots, the stone with 'pine-needle' inclusions, wood stand. 14cm (5 1/2in) high. (2).Footnotes:清中期 水晶樹幹形筆擱Provenance: S. Marchant & Son, London, 25 June 2002來源： S. Marchant & Son，倫敦，2002年6月25日Published and Illustrated: S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector's View, Hong Kong, 2020, pp.18-19錄著：S.Marsh, 《Brushpots: A Collector's View》，香港，2020年，頁18-19Rock crystal is traditionally valued for its translucent quality as a symbol of purity, and is referred it as shujing, literally meaning 'water essence' (水晶); see M.Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, p.102. The present lot is carved a tree-trunk, probably a gnarled pine because of the 'pine-needle' inclusions. The pine tree is one of the 'Three Friends of Winter' along with bamboo and plum blossom and was admired by scholars for encapsulating ideals of Confucian morality such as self-discipline and fortitude.See a related rock-crystal brushpot carved as a gnarled pine tree with crane and bamboo, Qing dynasty, illustrated in The Jade Carving Art in the Ch'ing Dynasty, Taipei, 1990, p.165.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 AND LARGE 'LADIES AND BOYS' WUCAI DISHYu tang jia qi mark, ShunzhiFinely potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short foot ring, the interior exquisitely decorated with two ladies and five boys, one lady carries a young boy in her arms while the other with her back to us plays with a Cassia flower, one boy hiding behind a lady humorously pulling his face at the viewer, another two boys playing with a drum gaze in the distance, all within a balustraded garden with large craggy rocks and prunus, a three character inscription reading tanhua lang 'The Flower Snatching Gentleman', the underside of the dish with maker's mark in underglaze blue within a double circle. 33cm (13in) diam.Footnotes:清順治 五彩仕女嬰戲圖盤青花「玉堂佳器」楷書款Provenance: S. Marchant & Son, London, 27 September 2005來源：倫敦古董商 S. Marchant & Son，2005年9月27日The painting on the present lot has multiple allusions to examination success. It is particularly remarkable however, for the humorous twist the craftsmen took in making the child behind the lady pull his face at the viewer; making a common trope of hopeful wishes for examination success into something unique. The image shows a lady plucking a cassia flower before the child held up to her. To 'pluck the cassia' was a euphemism for passing the Imperial civil service examinations. The phrase has its origins from the biography of Xi Shen (郤詵, exact dates unknown) in the Book of Jin (晉書), an official history of the Jin dynasty (266-420). Xi Shen was sent to Yongzhou as a Provincial Governor, but before he journeyed, Emperor Wu of Jin (236-290) asked him: 'how does our minister [i.e. you] consider yourself? [for the role]'. Xi replied saying: 'I, your servant, esteem virtue and am good at strategies in running a state, [I am] first under heaven, like a branch from the forest of cassia, or jade from Kunlun'. The link between plucking flowers and examination success is further reinforced by the inscription on the dish reading 'The Flower Snatching (or Plucking) Gentleman' (tanhua lang 探花郎). Tanhua was the title given to the third highest ranking candidate in the examination for the jinshi ('presented scholar') degree, the highest level. Zhuangyuan (literally meaning 'top thesis author') was the title given to the highest scoring candidate, while Bangyan (literally 'eyes positioned alongside') was the title awarded to the second highest scoring. The child reaching out for the flower held by the woman is literally a 'flower snatcher' or tanhua, embodying the hopes of later achieving examination success. See a blue and white bottle vase, Kangxi, with the same design, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red III, Hong Kong, 2000, p.14, no.10. See also a pair of related famille verte dishes, Kangxi marks and of the period, illustrated by S.Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, London, 1965, pl. XXXI, no.2.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 BLUE AND WHITE 'DESCENDING GEESE' OVOID JAR AND COVERChongzhenHeavily potted of ovoid form, rising from a short foot to a waisted neck, painted around the exterior with a continuous scene of a lotus pond, one goose flying towards another swimming in the water, all beneath a border of pendant foliage, the domed cover with incised scroll-border surrounding a rabbit gazing at the moon amidst rockwork, bamboo and floral sprays. 28.3cm (11 1/8in) high. (2).Footnotes:明崇禎 青花寳鴨穿蓮紋蓋罐Provenance: a Leipzig private collection, purchased in 1990, by reputeSotheby's London, 15 May 2007, lot 503來源：萊比錫私人收藏，於1990年入藏（擬）蘇富比倫敦，2007年5月15日，拍品503號Lotus were beloved by the literati since the Neo-Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073) wrote his essay 'On Loving Lotus' (Ai lian shuo). In his essay, Zhou likened the scholar-gentleman to the lotus who 'remains pure despite growing from the mud' ('出淤泥而不染'). In the context of venal late Ming Court politics of the Chongzhen era when the present lot was made, the pure lotus that rises from the mud would have resonated strongly with scholar-officials and encapsulated a hopeful attitude. The depiction of the geese are also particularly interesting. Geese descending is a theme which has strong poetic associations with Autumn and has been extolled by both painters and musicians alike in the well-known song for the guqin 'Wild Geese Descending on the Sandbank' (平沙落雁). This theme attained renown within Chinese literary and artistic circles during the Song period and continued from then on. See also for example, a painting of geese descending by Bian Shoumin (1683-1752), in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (acc.no.90.513). the painting 'Wild Geese and Hibiscus' by Bian Wenjin (ca.1356-1428), in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Hou-mei Sung, Decoded Messages: The Symbolic Language of Chinese Animal Painting, New Haven, 2009, p.68. The painting (though with five birds) shows wild geese on a river shore in the four aspects of flying, calling, sleeping and eating, a traditional grouping. Geese over time had many different meanings from orderliness in flight, to their ability to come and go as they pleased, to their apparent busyness and friendship. During the Yuan dynasty, wild geese appear to have symbolised the self-enforced leisure and freedom of retired Han Chinese scholars, indignant at their treatment under Mongolian rule. It could be perhaps, that Han Chinese scholars felt the same with impending foreign Manchu rule. It is likely that the present's lot design was based on the woodblock printed book Tuhui zongyi (圖繪宗彝), juan 8, which also shows geese descending, and was published in 1607. The cover depicts a rabbit gazing at the moon. This is a reference to the Goddess of the Moon's companion, the moon rabbit, sometimes also known as the Jade rabbit, who constantly pounds herbs into an elixir of longevity for Chang'e. In time, the rabbit became synonymous with the moon. Compare with a similar blue and white ovoid jar, but without cover, Jiajing six-character mark but Shunzhi, with very similar decoration, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping The Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.309, no.III3.60. See also a related blue and white ovoid jar and cover, Chongzhen, but decorated with flowers and antiques, illustrated in Seventeenth Century Jingdezhen Porcelain from the Shanghai Museum and the Butler Collections: Beauty's Enchantment, Shanghai, 2005, pp.90-91, no.13.See a related blue and white ovoid jar and cover, circa 1640-1650, similarly decorated with a lotus pond, which was sold at Christie's New York, An Era of Inspiration: 17th Century Chinese Porcelains from the Collection of Julia and John Curtis, 16 March 2015, lot 3513.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

Chinese style yellow metal and Jade bracelet with dragon detail closure, L18cm, and a spinach-green jade bangle, D6cm (2)

SIX VINTAGE RINGS AND TWO BROOCHES Four rings marked 925 or silver, two metal, stones include Jade, purple banded Agate Paraiba, Marcasite and glass, ring size N ½ , M ½ , O ½, P, Q, T, a silver enamelled Butterfly brooch, C clasp (working) hallmark faded 3.7cm X 2.2cm Condition Report : Enamel good, an enamelled swallow brooch, backed in metal, C clasp (working) 5.9cm X 1.6cm, slight wear to the enamel Condition reports are offered as a guide only and we highly recommend inspecting (where possible) any lot to satisfy yourself as to its condition.

A 9CT GOLD AND SILVER JADE SET RING, RING SIZE M

A large carved jade disc and a carved jade pendant

An early 20th century carved jade lidded censer with foo dog finial and handles along with a carved and polished agate dish. H.19 W.16cm (largest)

A jade-set platinum ring, the oval jade cabochon claw-set in platinum, size M

A jade and diamond pendant, the oval jade cabochon set within a surround of diamonds, suspending from a further diamond-set bale in platinum, 3.2cm high

A Chinese celadon jade carving depicting bats, a cloud and a dragon, length 8cm.Condition:- Appears to be be areas of losses in different areas around the piece. no sign of any other major damage.

A Victorian Garnet Brooch set three oval-cut stones in pinchbeck, a jade type Buddha Pendant, a pair of gilt metal Knot Earrings marked Monet, a pair of gilt metal Cufflinks and a gilt metal Brooch set paste

An Oriental jade lotus blossom Bowl with carved leafage design on a hardwood stand, 4 in long

An Oriental carved jade lidded Bottle vase with leafage and fruit decoration, on a carved hardwood stand, 8in H

An Oriental serpentine model of a Fish with fan tail, carved scale designs on a wooden stand, 4in and a jade type oval shaped Bowl with floral and branch supports, on a carved stand, 5 x 3in H

A Chinese Jade Brush Washer of oval form carved flower and leaves, approx 3in wide

A Chinese celadon Jade Bi Disk carved flower head with geometric carved centre section on hardwood stand, approx 3in diameter

A Chinese celadon Jade carved Fish with lily pad and flower to one side, small chips, on hardwood stand, approx 3 3/4in long

A 9ct gold bar brooch with bezel set half coral cabochon, with bracket mounts, length 6cm, together with a Chinese jade-style bar brooch of half cylindrical design, with the word 'Zon' in gold, with gold caps, length approx 5cm (2).

A pair of jade circular drop earrings and a pair of spinach green jade drop earrings with engraved yellow metal embellishment (2).

A Chinese circular disc jade-style pendant with 10ct (10K) mounts and necklace hoop, on a gold-coloured dainty chain with later plated fastener, diameter of disc approx 4.5cm.

A jade intaglio pendant drop of tapered form, carved with the head of a tribal man, capped with 9ct gold and necklace hoop, length approx 5cm.

Various items of vintage and antique jewellery, to include a silver and polished agate Scottish Celtic brooch, a cross pendant with small green jade-coloured beads, an oval and silver Blue John necklace pendant and chain, a Wedgwood black jasperware brooch in a yellow metal mount, with Classical chariot scene, a small Ruskin-style brooch, an Art Nouveau style lady brooch, a small white metal box in the form of a peanut, length 3cm, an amber cheroot, a micromosaic religious brooch, etc.

A vintage green leather-effect jewellery box containing a quantity of vintage jewellery including chains, brooches, earrings and a ladies' quartz wristwatch, also a red leather-effect jewellery box with inset Smiths alarm clock, containing vintage costume jewellery to include brooches, jade-effect brooch, thimbles, clip-on earrings, vintage dress clips, etc (2).

Various items of mixed collectibles and costume jewellery, to include a hallmarked silver vesta case, a Chinese-style hand mirror with painted porcelain back and jade-style handle, a vintage lipstick and mirror combination, brooches, penknife, propelling pencils, watches to include a Lorus example and a gentlemen's Accurist example, various cufflinks, etc.

A late 19th/early 20th century set of eleven Chinese spinach jade circular bowls, diameter of each 6cm, in a case retailed by H Simmons of Piccadilly, London (one bowl missing).Provenance: From the descendants of Andrew Barclay Walker (of Walker Gallery Liverpool), this item has been passed down the generations and is suggested from the family that this is originally from the Andrew Barclay Walker estate. CONDITION REPORT: There are only eleven cups out of twelve spaces. Eight of the cups under light appear to be ok. Some appear to have hairlines, but under the light, appears to be more of the decoration than a hairline. One has got a hairline which can be felt and seen under light. Two have rim chips, one noticeable.

A gold ring, claw set with an oval jade, unmarked, weight 3.5g, ring size approx J1/2, and a pair of gold and oval jade cabochon solitaire earstuds, detailed '14K', weight 3.5g.Buyer’s Premium 29.4% (including VAT @ 20%) of the hammer price. Lots purchased online via the-saleroom.com will attract an additional premium of 6% (including VAT @ 20%) of the hammer price.

A gold, jade and half-pearl rectangular brooch, the rectangular jade mounted to the centre within a gold surround, decorated with flowerheads with four half-pearls mounted to each corner, detailed '24K', weight 8.2g, width 2.2cm.Buyer’s Premium 29.4% (including VAT @ 20%) of the hammer price. Lots purchased online via the-saleroom.com will attract an additional premium of 6% (including VAT @ 20%) of the hammer price.

A vintage green jade and gold plated bangle bracelet. The bracelet having gold plated fittings with a tongue in groove clasp. Interior circumference 17.5cm. 

A collection of vintage costume jewellery to include beaded necklaces, pop corn bracelet and bangle, faux jade bangles and glass beads. 

A Chinese gold jade and peridot bracelet. The bracelet having gold banded jade and peridot links to box clasp with Chinese symbol motif. Stamped 9k tests indicate 9ct gold Weight 12g. Measures approx 18cm.

A vintage gold and jade beaded bracelet. The bracelet having two rows of round jade beads having a rectangular box clasp. The clasp marked 14k. Measures 8 inches. Weight 37.9g. 

A carved jade dragon and pendant, snuff bottle, cloisonne vase etc

Witgouden broche in de vorm van een sterrenstelsel, jaren '60. Centraal bezet met een ovale cabochon geslepen jade (20 x 14 mm), daaromheen vijf banen met een gearceerd oppervlak, waartussen briljant geslepen diamant (totaal ca. 0.80 ct) bruto 14,9 gr., h. 29 x b. 47 mm [1] White gold brooch in the shape of a galaxy, 1960s. Centrally set with an oval cabochon cut jade (20 x 14 mm), around it five lanes, with brilliant cut diamonds in between (total approx. 0.80 ct.).

14 kt. Gouden collier, de voorzijde opgebouwd uit ronde zetkastjes, elk bezet met een cabochon geslepen groene jade, uitkomend in een boutonparel. Onderaan een rozet met eveneens een boutonparel, in een entourage van jade. Aan een ankerschakel kettinkje (tin reparaties) bruto 6,6 gr., l. 41 cm [1] 14 k. gold necklace, the front made up of round bezels, each set with a cabochon cut green jade, ending in a bouton pearl. At the bottom a rosette with also a bouton pearl, in an entourage of jade. On an anchor link chain (tin repairs)

14 kt. Witgouden cocktail ring, jaren '50. Centraal bezet met een ovale cabochon geslepen jade. De schouders met krullen, bezet met achtkant geslepen diamant. Hierbij een beneden wettelijk gehalte gouden armband en twee gouden broches, allen bezet met jade [4] 14 k. white gold cocktail ring, 1950s. Centrally set with an oval cabochon cut jade. The shoulders decorated with curls, set with single cut diamonds. Hereby a below legal gold alloy bracelet and two gold brooches, all set with jade

Three items of 20th century jewellery. Comprising a yellow metal brooch featuring a clover, 1.8g, a Macintosh brooch and a carved jade pendant

A Collection of Various Chinese Carved Stone and Jadeite Grapes and Berries, All with Jade Style Leaves

Collection of Eastern style costume jewellery to include several jade type pieces, a silver gilt ring with green enamel detail, branch coral necklace, yellow metal mounted chalcedony pendant, white metal lapis lazuli brooch, etc

An old Chinese jade buckle with floral detail, raised on a carved wood stand

A HUANGHUALI LOW TABLE WITH DRAWERSLate 19th centuryThe rectangular top inset with two marble panels, above a set of three deep drawers with pale green jade chilong belt hook as handles, with a beaded apron raised on square supports terminating in inwards curling feet. 47cm (18 1/2in) high x 116.5cm (45 7/8in) wide x 39cm (15 3/8in) deepThis lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP YTP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A ZITAN RUYI SCEPTRE INSET WITH RETICULATED JADE PLAQUES18th centuryEach of the three white jade plaques carved with open work representation of chilong and crane surrounded by intense floral scroll, set within a zitan sceptre inlayed with hardstones, ivory and mother-of-pearl portraying birds on blossoming branches, fitted box. 46.5cm (18 1/4in) long (2).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y ФY Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13.Ф This lot contains or is made of ivory and cannot be imported into the USA or any country within the EU.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A MIXED GROUP OF SNUFF BOTTLES, PLAQUES AND A SEAL19th/20th centuryComprising: a cinnabar lacquer 'ladies' snuff bottle and stopper, with Qianlong four-character mark; an amber colour circular snuff bottle and stopper; a glass snuff bottle with relief 'Mandarin ducks and lotus' decoration, green stopper; a yellow resin 'lotus' snuff bottle; a snowflake glass 'lotus and inscription' snuff bottle and stopper; a small bone snuff bottle; a mottled green 'dragon and phoenix' agate snuff bottle and stopper; an agate mask-handles snuff bottle and red glass stopper; an openwork white porcelain 'dragon and phoenix' snuff bottle, Jiaqing seal mark; together with a pale green jade plaque; an archaistic Bi disc pendant; a cloisonné snuff box and a gilt metal cylindrical seal, with fitted box.Porcelain bottle: 8.5cm (3 3/8in) high (14).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A GROUP OF EIGHT VARIOUS SNUFF BOTTLESQing Dynasty to 20th centuryComprising: a white jade 'horse' snuff bottle, agate stopper; a rock crystal bottle formed as three finger citron, hardstone stopper; a rock crystal bottle humorously carved as a mythical beast, stopper; a green hardstone bottle carved as a toad with a shell on its back; a porcelain snuff bottle simulating coral, carved in relief with flowering plants, agate stopper; a red overlay glass snuff bottle with double-xi characters; a hardstone snuff bottle with a carp leaping from waves, lapis lazuli stopper; and a porcelain snuff bottle enamelled with twin dragons flanking shou emblems.The tallest: 8cm (3 1/8in) high (16).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

TWO PALE GREEN JADE SNUFF BOTTLES AND ONE GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE19th century and laterComprising a green jade baluster bottle with incised bats, coral stopper; a pale green jade bottle with cloudy inclusions, standing on a concave foot and terminating in a galleried rim, stopper; and a pale green glass bottle imitating jade, coral stopper. The first: 6.2cm (2 1/2in) high (6).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

TWO SPINACH JADE SNUFF BOTTLES AND A PALE JADE DOUBLE-GOURD BOTTLE19th centuryThe spinach bottles of flattened rounded form with gently concave bases, rose quartz stoppers; the double gourd bottle of even pale tone with a faint russet vein to the lower body, boxes.The tallest: 6cm (2 3/8in) high (8).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

THREE VARIOUS JADE SNUFF BOTTLES19th centuryComprising: a mutton fat jade bottle, of flattened rounded form, the mottled creamy stone with russet veining; a creamy russet jade bottle carved in relief with a dragon issuing vapour above a carp leaping from waves, the reverse with two further leaping carp; and a mottled creamy jade hu-form bottle, stoppers and boxes.The largest 6cm (2 3/8in) high (9).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A MONGOLIAN-STYLE JADE AND HARDSTONE-INLAID WHITE METAL EWER AND COVERThe jade 17th/18th century, the ewer 19th/20th century The pear-shaped ewer embossed with a dragon handle and a makara-head spout, with inset embellishments, each side mounted with a jade plaque openworked with carp amongst lotus, and a jade finial to the cover. 35cm (13 3/4in) highThis 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 CREAMY RUSSET JADE CARVING OF A BIXIEYuan/Early Ming DynastyThe recumbent beast facing forward with the head raised, the mouth slightly parted revealing a pair of fangs, the bulging eyes flanked by curled locks, below backward sweeping horns, framing a curled mane, the haunches incised with flame motifs, with a bifurcated tail, a small rectangular aperture running through the back, the stone softly polished, with brocade box.6cm (2 3/8in) long (2).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com