A Rare Underglaze-Blue Polychrome-Enamelled 'Magpie and Prunus' Moonflask, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period - Photo Sotheby's

the flattened globular body rising from a short oval foot to a waisted neck flanked by a pair of ruyi handles, delicately painted in underglaze-blue and enamelled in shades of green, yellow, iron-red, pink and white, each face depicting a bird perched on a gnarled branch of prunus blossom accompanied by bamboo, all between pendent and upright hooked flame motifs, the neck decorated with further bamboo branches, inscribed to the base with a six-character Qianlong seal mark in underglaze blue; 28.5cm., 11 1/4 in. Estimation: 300,000 - 500,000 GBP

Suite de cinq chaises d'époque Directoire et trois chaises en suite de style. Photo Artcurial - Briest-Poulain-F.Tajan

En bois sculpté et laqué gris clair rechampi bleu, le dossier ajouré à décor d'épis de blé, les pieds avant fuselées, en sabre à l'arrière, garniture en velours gris foncé (usagé). Hauteur : 88 cm. (34 ¾ in.). Largeur : 48 cm. (19 in.). Profondeur : 46 cm. (18 in.). Estimation : 1 000 / 1 500 €

A SET OF FIVE DIRECTOIRE WHITE LACQUERED DINING CHAIRS AND THREE MATCHING OF A LATER PERIOD

Artcurial - Briest-Poulain-F.Tajan. Mercredi 7 novembre 2012. Hôtel Dassault - 7 Rond Point des Champs-Elysées - 75008 - Paris www.artcurial.com

A superb and very rare pair of large huanghuali square-corner display cabinets, liang’ge gui. Estimate: HK$2,400,000-4,000,000 / US$300,000-500,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.

HONG KONG.- On November 28, 2012 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Christie’s Autumn sale of Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art will present approximately 380 lots, valued in excess of HK$400 million. Highlighting the sales are two prominent collections: Fine Chinese Furniture from Private American Collections, and Important Chinese Lacquer from the Lee Family Collection, Part III. Comprising over 50 lots of fine Chinese furniture, the furniture sale is estimated to realize in excess of HK$49 million/US$6 million. Sourced solely from a number of private American collectors, the works are being offered at auction in Asia for the first time. The sale of lacquer from the Lee Family Collection, one of the most researched and exhibited single-owner lacquer collections, will offer 29 lots, and is estimated to realize in excess of HK$25 million/US$3 million. 

FINE CHINESE FURNITURE FROM PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTIONS,SALE 2966

Leading the collections are works of huanghuali, “yellow flowering pear wood”, and zitan, a type of sandalwood admired for its rarity, density, fine grain and deep purplish-brown patina. Traditionally collected by Americans and in the West, prominent Chinese furniture collectors are now emerging from Greater China. The choice of location for the furniture sale indicates the category’s global appeal and the strengthening collecting trend across Asia. 

From the mid-20th century and into the 21st century, collecting Chinese furniture was in vogue in North America, and people travelled to Hong Kong and London to source works from the leading dealers in the field. The pure linear forms of Chinese furniture blended seamlessly with the contemporary interiors of North America, and became an iconic element of Western interior design. 

From the private collection of Dr. Sam and Annette Mandel is a superb and very rare pair of large huanghuali square-corner display cabinets, liang’ge gui (lot 2018, estimate: HK$2,400,000-4,000,000 / US$300,000-500,000). Pairs of cabinets do not often survive together. The generous proportions of the cabinets, and because they are crafted entirely from huanghuali with no use of secondary wood, indicate they would have been costly even at their time of construction. 

A rare large huanghuali recessed-leg altar table, pingtouan, from the private Midwestern collection of Major A.P. Moore, is also featured in the sale (lot 2028, estimate: HK$2,400,000-4,000,000 / US$300,000-500,000). Fashioned with metal fittings binding the feet, this single-panel table features ample proportions and a generous use of huanghuali. In 1948, Major Moore acquired the table to decorate his home in Shanghai, where he worked until he left China. He also furnished his home in the America with Chinese works of art that he prized, and his collection held an important place in his family’s home until his death in 1990. 

From a private Hollywood, California, collection is a magnificent and very rare pair of large imperial zitan lantern stands and zitan and softwood lanterns, tian gan deng jia (lot 2041, estimate: HK$2,400,000-4,000,000 / US$300,000-500,000). The pair once belonged to actor Bela Lugosi, famous for his role in the movie Dracula. Exemplary of their type, owing to their sizable proportions, style, and quality of carving, similar imperial lantern stands would have been included among the palace furnishings of the early to mid-18th century. Composed of a substantial amount of precious materials and crafted with striking delicacy, the pair is likely to date to the Yongzheng (1722-1735) or early Qianlong period (1735-1796), as they exhibit a level of refinement seldom seen in later works. Excellent workmanship is evident in the lampstand base, intricately carved with patterns symbolizing peace and contentment, ping’an ruyi. 

Also highlighted in the collections is a magnificent pair of huanghuali ‘Southern Official’s Hat’ armchairs, nanguuanmaoyi, from an important private Midwestern collection (lot 2026, estimate: HK$4,600,000-6,200,000 / US$600,000-800,000). When these chairs were constructed in the 17th century, they would have been reserved for the most important guests or members of the household, as the S-shaped backsplat places the body into an upright position, giving the sitter an air of power, while those of lower rank would sit on stools. Armchairs of the present slender and delicate type were made for the chambers of an imperial court lady, and not often produced. 

From a private Midwestern collection is a rare zitan waistless ‘four-corner’s flush’ side table, simianping (lot 2040, estimate: HK$2,400,000-4,000,000 / US$300,000-500,000). Derived from an earlier method of construction, which rose to prominence during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), this three-panelled simianping design relies on the simple purity of line and form, combined with the rich luminosity of the wood, for its beauty. Today, works of this caliber are seldom available for sale. 

CHINESE LACQUER FROM THE LEE FAMILY COLLECTION, PART III: A LANDMARK SALE OF THE FINEST LACQUER WARES IN PRIVATE HANDS, SALE 2965

This autumn, Christie’s will present the third part of Important Chinese Lacquer from the Lee Family Collection, a single-owner collection regarded as the finest group of Chinese lacquers from the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties ever to appear on the international market. Lacquer in a variety of techniques, forms and decorative motifs make up the Lee Family Collection, one of the most studied and exhibited collections of lacquer in private hands. The collection is a testament to the expertise of K.T. Lee, following in the footsteps of an equally passionate and knowledgeable collector, his father, Sammy Lee. This sale provides ample opportunities for both new and seasoned collectors, offering a wide range of museum quality works at approachable price points. 

An important and very rare bowl and tixi lacquer bowl stand from the Song dynasty (960-1279) highlight the sale (lot 2093, estimate: HK$ 6,000,000-8,000,000 / US$780,000-1,000,000). The term tixi, which translates to “carved rhinoceros,” is from the Chinese characters for the term xipi, used to describe marbled lacquer, which resembles a rhinoceros hide. While the technique of tixi lacquer can be traced to the Tang dynasty, it rose to popularity during the Song and Yuan (1271-1368). Decorated by heart-shaped ruyi designs carved through alternating layers of coloured lacquer, very few bowl stands of this Song dynasty type survive today, and it is even more unusual to find carved examples adorned with ruyi motifs. 

A rare and finely carved polychrome lacquer circular ‘dragon’ dish Song dynasty (960-1279), decorated with the image of a three-clawed chilong dragon amidst swirling ruyi cloud motifs, belongs to a small group of lacquer wares with this distinctive chilong design (lot 2082, estimate: HK$1,500,000-2,000,000 / US$200,000-250,000). Chilong dragons are considered auspicious mythical creatures with the power to exorcise evil and avert disaster. The green lacquer of this Song dynasty dish is rarely seen on other lacquer wares from this period, and no identical example appears to have been published. 

Continuing on the theme of auspicious motifs is an extremely rare carved polychrome lacquer ‘toy peddler’ circular dish Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566) depicting an elaborate scene (lot 2097, estimate: HK$2,000,000-3,000,000 / US$250,000-380,000). In the central medallion, a street vendor carries a rack displaying different kinds of toys to a group of children, beneath the branches of a peach tree. The design was inspired by genre paintings known as huolang tu, or ‘commodities for children,’ a theme that became popular among Southern Song court artists. Images of children were symbolic of offspring and fulfilment of the Confucian ideal of the advancement of sons. The Jiajing Emperor, who wished for a male heir, was especially drawn to works illustrating this theme, and commissioned a number of pieces during his reign. 

An exquisitely carved and very rare cinnabar lacquer circular box and cover from the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and originally from the renowned Frederick Mayer collection, will also be offered in the sale (lot 2092, estimate: HK$3,500,000-4,500,000 / US$450,000-600,000). The ornate floral design carved on the surface is a dense pattern of different species of flowers, rather than a single type of flower, which was found on most lacquer boxes or dishes dating to this period. The only other comparable example recorded is a large dish now housed in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. 

The quality of the collection is underscored by an extremely rare tixi lacquer saddle, from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) (lot 2086, estimate HK$2,500,000-3,500,000 /US$350,000-450,000). This saddle is a tangible reminder of the importance of horses in Yuan China. Composed of a leather-bound wooden seat and wooden trimmings covered in tixi black lacquer, no other example of its kind and early date has been documented nor is believed to have survived. Saddles made in precious materials like lacquer were reserved for the powerful and elite and stood as the ultimate symbols of status and wealth. The detailed ornamentation carved into this saddle is of excellent quality and would have required a considerable amount of time and money to make, suggesting that its original owner enjoyed sophisticated tastes as well as a high social rank. 

A rare and finely carved polychrome lacquer circular ‘dragon’ dish. Song dynasty (960-1279). Estimate: HK$1,500,000-2,000,000 / US$200,000-250,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.

Circle of Antonio Joli (Modena circa 1700-1777 Rome), Christ at the Pool of Bethesda. Oil on canvas, 39 1/2 x 29 3/4in (100.3 x 75.6cm). Sold for $74,500; Est. $10,000-15,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Bonhams celebrates its fall season with two successful furniture and decorative arts auctions under its belt: the sale of Fine European Furniture, Decorative Arts and Export Porcelain, Including the Estate of Gloria Lowengart, October 29, and The Ronald F. Antonioli Collection of Fine Continental Furniture, Decorative Arts & Paintings, October 30.

The first sale, timed to coincide with the separately-occurring San Francisco Fall Antiques Show, was led by furniture & decorative arts highlights from various owners, including a fine, 18th century, Chinese 12-panel coromandel screen, sold for $52,500 (est. $15,000-25,000)(photo Bonhams); a mid-18th century, George III mahogany silver table, in the manner of the "Gothik" taste, sold for $25,000 (est. $6,000-8,000); and, from a notable California residence designed by Michael Taylor, a large, 19th century, Venetian Baroque style mirror, sold for $22,500 (est. $6,000-9,000).

The strength of the sale continued with lots from the French Furniture & Decorative Arts sector, including an early-19th century, important and fine, Empire gilt bronze mounted and parcel gilt thuya wood console table, attributed to Jacob Desmalter, sold for $50,000 (photo Bonhams). It is highly probable the table was made for Napoleon and Josephine’s apartments at the Palais Tuileries. Additionally from this section came a monumental Louis XV style gilt bronze porcelain mounted mantel clock, sold for $24,375, and a pair of fourth-quarter 19th century, Louis XVI style, gilt and patinated bronze five-light candelabras, together with a pair of Louis XVI style painted and parcel gilt pedestals, sold for $22,500 (est. $10,000-15,000).

Notable top lots of Continental Furniture & Decorative Arts also brought the sale success, such as a pair of mid-18th century, Venetian Rococo paint decorated and scagliola consoles, sold for $27,500 (est. $15,000-20,000)(photo Bonhams) and a pair of late-18th century, Italian Neoclassical painted and parcel gilt console tables, sold for $21,250 (est. $4,000-6,000).

One of the great draws of the sale was Property from the Estate of Gloria Lowengart (1927-2012). Ms. Lowengart hired Sister Parish to design the interior of her Pacific Heights home in the early 1980s. Sister Parish (Dorothy May Kinnicutt), 1910-1994, was a most important American interior designer who decorated the family rooms of the White House for former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Highlights from the Estate included a set of four, fourth quarter-18th century, statuesque Louis XVI painted fauteuils a la reine, sold for $18,750 (est. $8,000-12,000); a pair of Qianlong period, ruby backed, Canton enameled metal deep dishes, sold for $18,125 (est. $6,000-8,000); a Kangxi period, fine famille verte enameled deep dish of a beauty, sold for $17,500 (est. $10,000-15,000); and a pair of Qianlong period, Canton famille rose enameled metal dishes, sold for $17,500 (est. $4,000-6,000).

Of further importance in the sale was Property from the Estate of Charles and Eleanor de Limur, San Francisco. The de Limur’s started an important collection two generations ago, and most items were acquired during their long tenure living in Paris at the Palais Royale in the 1960s. Highlights included a French, patinated bronze figure of Lady Constance Stewart Richardson, after a model by Paul Petrovich Troubetzkoy (1866-1938), Valsuani foundry, circa 1923, sold for $15,000 (est. $6,000-9,000) and a superb, early-18th century pair of Queen Anne black japanned and parcel gilt engraved mirrors, sold for $13,750.

Property from a collection of decorative arts and furniture from a private San Francisco Estate, whose residuary beneficiary is the California Pacific Medical Center Foundation, included a fourth-quarter 18th century, Louis XVI parcel gilt painted trumeau mirror, sold for $10,000 (est. $5,000-7,000); a pair of late-18th century, Italian Neoclassical giltwood two handled urns, sold for $5,625 (est. $2,500-3,500); and a first-quarter 19th century, Austrian Biedermeier parcel gilt and gilt metal mounted mahogany center table, sold for $5,625 (est. $2,500-3,500).

Souvenirs from the Grand Tour portion of the sale, purchased by travelers in Europe on their obligatory “grand tour,” included an Italian carved marble bust emblematic of Autumn, Giovanni Maria Benzoni (Italian, 1808-1873), circa 1860, sold for $8,500, and a 16th century, French or Italian Renaissance polychrome decorated frame, now as a mirror, which was sold to benefit future Museum acquisitions of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, sold for $6,875 (est. $2,000-3,000).

Rounding out the sale was a superb, 18th/19th century, Spanish polychrome Chinoiserie decorated leather mounted six-panel floor screen, sold for $16,250 (est. $7,000-9,000) and two separate lots of similar Italian Renaissance style white marble fountains, sold for $17,500 and $15,000, respectively (both est. $8,000-12,000).

The second sale of the season was The Ronald F. Antonioli Collection of Fine Continental Furniture, Decorative Arts & Paintings. Mr. Antonioli (1929-2010) grew up in San Francisco and Marin County, Calif. He started his building company Ronald Antonioli, Inc., in the 1950s, and subsequently became well-known for his early use of the Pop-Up Warehouse, which became an international success. He simultaneously devoted much time to playing the piano and supporting the arts. He was an avid collector and connoisseur of French and Italian 18th and 19th century furniture, paintings, export porcelain, sculpture, clocks and decorative arts, so much so that he built his own Italianate villa with breathtaking views overlooking the Napa and Marin hills to house his collection.

Comprising the sale’s top lots were a fourth-quarter 19th century, important and fine Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry commode by Paul Sormani, sold for $116,500 (est. $75,000-100,000); two oil on canvas lots by the Circle of Antonio Joli (Modena circa 1700-1777 Rome), "Christ at the Pool of Bethesda," sold for $74,500 (est. $10,000-15,000) and "An architectural capriccio with Christ raising Lazarus," sold for $18,750 (est. $12,000-16,000); a late-19th century, fine, Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted mahogany and kingwood bureau plat, sold for $43,750; and a late-19th century, fine, Italian marble group, likely depicting the Pharaoh's daughter and the infant Moses, by Pietro Bazzanti (Italian, 1825-1895), sold for $43,750 (est. $20,000-30,000)(photo Bonhams).

Additional highlights included a set of four, fourth-quarter 18th century, French, Neoclassical painted canvas allegorical panels, sold for $27,500 (est. $8,000-12,000)(photo Bonhams); two separate late-19th century, fine, Louis XV style gilt bronze mantel clocks (one gilt and patinated and the other with its dial signed by Paul Sormani), Pendule à la Gloire du Roi, after models by Edmé-Jean Gallien (French, 1720-1797), sold for $22,500 (est. $12,000-18,000) and $21,250, respectively; a pair of late-19th century, Régence style gilt, patinated bronze, enamel and marble figural chenets, sold for $18,750 (est. $5,000-8,000); and a late-19th/early 20th century, fine, Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry and mahogany table a jeux, sold for $18,750 (est. $9,000-12,000).

An important and fine Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry commode. Paul Sormani, fourth quarter 19th century. The serpentine shaped breche d'alep marble top with stepped edge and outset rounded corners above a two drawers sans traverse with floral marquetry, feather and leaf cast scrolling encadrements and centering a shell mount; the outset corners headed by gilt bronze espagnolettes continuing to scrolled leaf cast sabots, the serpentine case sides with floral marquetry andencadrements; the lock plate inscribed Paul Sormani, 10 Rue Charlot, Paris. Height 36 1/2in (92cm); width 74in (188cm); depth 26 1/2in (67cm). Sold for $116,500; Est. $75,000-100,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

A Rare Cloisonné Enamel Ice-Chest and Covers, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period - Photo Sotheby's

of square form, the tapering sides divided into three horizontal sections by two raised gilt ribs chased with floral scrolls, flanked by pairs of C-shaped handles, the body decorated with stylised shou characters flanked by pairs of bats alternating with shou character roundels, all reserved on a T-diaper ground, the two removable flat covers similarly decorated with one section pierced with two cash coins, the interior lined with wood and pewter. Quantité: 6 - 60 by 61 by 37cm., 23 5/8 by 24 by 14 1/2 in. Estimation: 100,000 - 150,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Collection of Count Johann Henrich von Bernstorff.
Collection of Edgar Worch, Berlin.
Collection of Kaufman, Berlin, until 1923.
Collection of Paul Bernheimer, Boston.Collection of Grace Kaler, Maine.
Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th April 2001, lot 578.

NOTE DE CATALOGUE: The present cloisonné enamel ice-chest is impressive for its magnificent size and superb quality of enamelling and workmanship. Chests of this type were made in sections separated by horizontal divisions, two handles at each end and hinged covers with two pierced apertures on the top. A related imperial ice-chest can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing; for example see a comparable piece illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 129, decorated with large stylized passionflowers on a similar blue-ground in vivid enamels. Another cloisonné enamel ice-chest was sold at Christie’s New York, 20th October 2004, lot 601, from the C. Ruxton and Audrey B. Love collections; and a pair was also sold at Christie’s New York, 20th September 2005, lot 123, where it is mentioned that 18th century ice-chests destined for the apartments of those other than the emperor were made of plain bronze lined with pewter. This piece would have been intended for use in the private residence of the emperor and his family.

Ice-chests were an important part of the palace furnishing. They were not only functional but decorative at the same time. They had two practical uses; in the hot summer months food, beverages, fruit and snacks were placed on top of the ice inside the chest for cooling. They were also used for releasing cool air into the surrounding rooms and hallways. The two apertures on the cover allowed cold air to escape, while the thick walls of the chest helped maintain the interior temperature. Craig Clunas in Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, p. 100, mentions that ice used in the palace was stored in large underground pits during the winter, to be broken up and kept in these special chests in hot weather. He illustrates a wooden chest of this form, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, ibid., pl. 89, lined with lead.

Sotheby's. Treasures of the Qing Court, A Personal Perspective. London | 07 nov. 2012, www.sothebys.com

Jean-Jacques Bachelier (Paris 1724 - 1806), Deux chardonnerets blancs  & Deux couples de passerins d'Amérique et un amandina dans son nid.

Paire de toiles 49,5 x 61 cm La seconde, signée et datée en bas à droite: Bachelier / 1760. Estimation : 30 000 - 40 000 €

Provenance: - Collection de la marquise de Pompadour (au moment de l'inventaire après décès en 1764, à l'hôtel de Pompadour rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré à Paris, dans une chambre au premier étage servant de garde meuble (n° 55, prisé 120 livres); Vente après décès de la marquise le 28 avril 1766, n° 31 (vendu 96 livres);

Galerie Maurice Ségoura, 1980.

Bibliographie: - Charles Blanc, Le trésor de la curiosité tiré des catalogues de ventes, Paris, 1857, tome 1, p. 130;

- Charles Blanc, Histoire des peintres de toutes les écoles, "Ecole française", Paris, 1864, tome 2, p. 4;

- Emile Campardon, Madame de Pompadour et la cour de Louis XV au milieu du XVIIIe siècle, suivi du Catalogue des tableaux originaux, des dessins et des miniatures vendus après la mort de madame de Pompadour, Paris, 1867, p. 324, n° 31;

- Jean Cordey, Inventaire des biens de madame de Pompadour rédigé après son décès, Paris, 1939, p. 88, n° 1207; - Hélène Mouradian, avec la collaboration de Xavier Salmon, Tamara Préaud, Danielle Rice et Ulrich Leben, Jean-Jacques Bachelier (1724 - 1806), Peintre du Roi et de Madame de Pompadour, cat. exp., Paris, 1999, n° 81 et n° 82, pp. 130-131, repr;

- Xavier Salmon, sous la direction de, Madame de Pompadour et les arts, cat. exp., Paris, 2002, p. 196, repr. fig. 1 et fig. 2.

Commandée par la marquise de Pompadour pour son hôtel particulier à Paris, hôtel d'Evreux, actuel Palais de l'Elysée, cette paire de toiles témoigne de sa passion pour les animaux exotiques, plus particulièrement les oiseaux. Naturellement, elle passe commande auprès de Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Christophe Huet ou de Jean Jacques Bachelier afin qu'ils immortalisent ses spécimens préférés. Notre paire est ainsi décrite dans le catalogue de vente qui suivit son inventaire après décès: "Deux oiseaux rares, nommés chardonnerets blancs, perchés sur le bord de leur nid, qui est au-dessus du chêne. Quatre oiseaux sur des branches et un cinquième sur son nid. Ces deux bons tableaux sont peints sur toile. Ils portent chacun 17 pouces 9 lignes de haut sur 22 pouces de large. "Si les chardonnerets blancs sont une espèce fictive, probablement issue d'un croisement d'espèces, en revanche les deux couples de passerins d'Amérique sont fort reconnaissables: celui de gauche est un couple de passerins indigo et l'autre, un couple de passerins nonpareils. A droite, un Amandina erythrocephala d'Afrique du Sud, est un oiseau gris à tête rouge déjà représenté par Jean-Baptiste Oudry dans un tableau réalisé pour la marquise en 1753 représentant un Faisan doré de Chine (toile, 65 x 54 cm, Paris, collection particulière).

Lundi 12 novembre à 14h15. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 1. Pescheteau-Badin. EMail : pescheteau-badin@wanadoo.fr - Tél. : 01 47 70 50 90 & Camard & Associés. EMail : infoventes@camardetassocies.com - Tél. : 01 42 46 35 74

A Small Yellow-Ground Green-Enamelled and Underglaze-Blue Dish, Yongzheng Mark and Period - Photo Sotheby's

the shallow rounded sides rising from a short foot to a lipped rim, the central medallion enclosing a meandering composite floral scroll repeated at the well, encircled with a green-enamelled classic scroll band at the rim, the exterior similarly decorated, within green-enamelled keyfret and a classic scroll bands, all reserved on a bright yellow ground, the white base inscribed with a six-character Yongzheng mark within a double circle; 13.6cm., 5 3/8 in. Estimation:  30,000 - 50,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Christie's New York, 3rd June 1993, lot 275.

NOTE DE CATALOGUE: The present dish is especially fine for its striking combination of blue, yellow and green enamels and for the perfectly arranged Ming-style flower scroll design painted in the characteristic ‘heaping and piling’ technique. Yongzheng dishes of this small size and design are rare, although a closely related example, but of much larger dimensions, from the Riesco collection, was sold in these rooms, 11th December 1984, lot 383, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 8th October 1990, lot 360. Another dish of this form and decoration was sold in our New York rooms, 5th  June 1985, lot 309; and a third was sold at Christie’s New York, 3rd December 1992, lot 341. See also a bowl decorated with a similar design, with a Yongzheng reign mark and of the period, published in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. 4, Geneva, 1975, pl. A 575.

This dish recalls the past in many ways. The design is copying one of the most striking decorative innovations of early fifteenth century wares, the flower scroll motif found on Yongle period blue-and-white dishes. For example, see a dish in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, included in the museum’s exhibition Blue and White, Chicago, 1985, cat. no. 22, where the author notes that vessels of this type were widely exported to the Near East and that their influence can be seen in Persia, Syria and Egypt. Another Yongle dish in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ming Dynasty Porcelain, vol. 1, Taipei, 1977, cat. no. 37; one in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, is illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. II, London, 1986, pl. 602; and a dish formerly in the Ardebil Shrine and now in the Iran Bastan Museum, Teheran, is published in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol. 4, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 189.

The use of underglaze-blue design on a striking yellow ground, as seen here, is also inspired by early Ming vessels; for example see a Xuande mark and period dish in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Minji meihin zuroku, vol. 2, Tokyo, 1977, pl. 99, painted with a leafy gardenia branch in deep cobalt blue in the centre surrounded by fruiting branches around the well all reserved on a brilliant clear yellow enamel ground. The use of green in the composition is likely to be a Yongzheng period innovation where the Qing artist has added a contemporary touch to the piece.

Sotheby's. Treasures of the Qing Court, A Personal Perspective. London | 07 nov. 2012, www.sothebys.com

A Green-Glazed Saucer Dish, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period - Photo Sotheby's

the rounded sides supporting on a straight foot, covered overall with a bright emerald-green glaze displaying an iridescent sheen and satin texture, the white base inscribed with a six-character Qianlong seal mark; 14.1cm., 5 1/2 in. Estimation: 5,000 - 7,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Collection of Anthony du Boulay.
Marchant, London, 9th June 2004.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. London | 07 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Guéridon d'époque Empire, début du XIXème siècle, probablement Russie. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2012

En bronze ciselé et doré, placage d'ébène et marbre vert, le dessus rectangulaire restauré probablement d'origine reposant sur quatre montants arqués surmontés d'une tête d'aigle et terminés par des serres, réunis par une tablette d'entretoise décorée de rinceaux et de feuillages et reposant sur une base en plinthe aux angles sortants munie de roulettes. Hauteur: 81 cm. (31 2/3 in.) ; Largeur: 56,5 cm. (22¼ in.) ; Profondeur: 40,5 cm. (16 in.). Estimation: €80,000 - €120,000

Bibliographie comparative: Antoine Chenevière, Russian Furniture, The Golden Age 1780-1840, The Vendome Press, New York, 1988, p. 164.

Notes: On peut rapprocher ce guéridon de la table de milieu d'époque Louis XVI de l'ancienne collection de M. Hubert de Givenchy ; en effet, son plateau repose sur quatre montants arqués très comparables, sommés de têtes d'aigles et terminés par des pieds griffe. Cette table avait auparavant fait partie des collections Tournon-Simiane puis Seligmann avant d'être vendue en 1993 (Magnificent French Furniture, Silver and Works of Art from the Collection of M. Hubert de Givenchy, vente Christie's, Monaco, 4 décembre 1993, lot 92).

Ce guéridon évoque également celui conservé à Pavlovsk ; les montants sont traités de façon similaire mais sont à la fois plus fin et plus arqués, ne soutenant qu'un fin plateau de verre et non pas une épaisse dalle de marbre ; ce meuble est illustré dans Antoine Chenevière, Russian Furniture. The golden age. 1780-1840, The Vendome Press, New York, 1988, p. 164.

Christie's. 500 ans : Mobilier - Arts Décoratifs Européens, 7 November 2012, Paris

A Green-Glazed 'Dragon' Bowl, Guangxu Mark and Period - Photo Sotheby's

the deep rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a flared rim, incised to the exterior with two dragons chasing flaming pearls amidst flame wisps, all above turbulent foaming waves and stylised mountains, covered in a bright green glaze, the interior and the base glazed white, inscribed with a six-character Guangxu mark; 14.9cm., 5 7/8 in. Estimation: 5,000 - 7,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Christie's New York, 20th September 2005, lot 381.
Marchant, London, 2005.

EXHIBITED: Monochrome Ceramics of the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 64.
Nineteenth Century Mark and Period Porcelain, Marchant, London, 1991, cat. no. 76.
Qing Mark and Period Monochrome and Two-coloured Wares, Marchant, London, 1992, cat. no. 62.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. London | 07 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Coupe en vermeil par Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot, Paris, 1819-1823. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2012

La base carrée sur quatre pieds-griffes, ornée d'enroulements, le piédouche décoré de larges feuilles, la coupe appliquée de dauphins, de grappes de raisin et centrée d'un mascaron féminin, les anses en putti à ailes de papillon, gravée à l'intérieur d'une rosace, poinçons: titre, garantie et orfèvre; Hauteur: 23,5 cm. (9¼ in.), 1421 gr. (45.10 oz.). Estimation: €6,000 - €8,000

Notes: Une coupe dans le même style, en argent, est illustrée dans O. Gaube du Gers, Odiot l'orfèvre, Paris, 1990, p. 89.

Christie's. 500 ans : Mobilier - Arts Décoratifs Européens, 7 November 2012, Paris

A Fine and Rare Pair of Brown-Glazed Bowls, Kangxi Marks and Period - Photo Sotheby's

each with deep rounded sides supported on a straight foot, covered overall with a lustrous brown glaze displaying an iridescent sheen and satin texture, the white base bearing a six-character Kangxi mark within a double-circle. Quantité: 2 - 12.4cm., 4 7/8 in. Estimation: 40,000 - 60,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Robert Somerville, Chicago, 1965.
Collection of Harold L. Geiger.
Marchant, London, 11th October 2000.

NOTE DE CATALOGUE: This perfectly formed pair of bowls is notable for the iridescent sheen of the brown glaze, and is amongst the finest monochromes of the Kangxi period. A similar bowl from the collection of Paul and Helen Bernat and later in the Goldschmidt collection was sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 15th November 1988 lot 69, and 13th November 1990, lot 65. Compare also a bowl from the Kostolany and H.M. Knight collections, included in the Oriental Ceramics Society exhibition, Monochrome Porcelain of the Ming and Manchu Dynasties, London, 1948, cat. no. 52, sold inthese rooms, 15th June 1982, lot 345; and a pair from the collection of Robert Somerville, Chicago, sold in our New York rooms, 22nd March 2000, lot 118. Compare also the bowl in this catalogue, lot 409; and another sold in our New York rooms, 1st December 1992, lot 306.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. London | 07 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Paire de meubles d'entre-deux d'époque néoclassique, début du XIXème siècle, dans le goût d'Adam Weisweiler. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2012

En placage de loupe d'amboine, d'amarante, bois de rose, acajou, filets de houx et de houx teinté vert, ornementation de bronze ciselé et verni et laiton, le dessus rectangulaire de marbre brocatelle d'Espagne, la ceinture à décor de réserves, ouvrant par un tiroir et reposant sur deux montants à section pentagonale et un fond plein à l'arrière réunis par deux tablettes d'entretoise, les pieds fuselés ; un plateau de marbre restauré. Hauteur: 83 cm. (32½ in.) ; Largeur: 57 cm. (22½ in.) ; Profondeur: 32 cm. (12½ in.) (2). Estimation: €15,000 - €20,000

Bibliographie comparative : Isabelle Néto, Musée Cognacq-Jay. Catalogue des Collections. Le Mobilier, Editions des musées de la Ville de Paris, Paris, 2001, no. 15.

Notes: Ces élégants meubles d'appui se distinguent par leur ligne sobre, soulignée de bronze doré. Ils sont très proche du bonheur du jour estampillé d'Adam Weisweiler conservé au musée Cognacq-Jay (Inv. J 385, cf. Bibliographie comparative).

Christie's. 500 ans : Mobilier - Arts Décoratifs Européens, 7 November 2012, Paris

A Pair of Brown-Glazed Bowls, Daoguang Seal Marks and Period - Photo Sotheby's

each with deep rounded sides supported on a straight foot, covered overall with a lustrous brown glaze displaying an iridescent sheen and satin texture, the interior and the base glazed white, inscribed with a six-character Daoguang seal mark to the base. Quantité: 2 - 11.5cm., 4 1/2 in. Estimation: 8,000 - 12,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Marchant, London.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. London | 07 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Flacon et son couvercle en cristal de roche, or et émail, la monture peut-être Autriche-Hongrie, fin XIXème siècle; le cristal de roche, Inde moghole, XIXème siècle. 

Sur piédouche ajouré et orné d'émaux rouge, vert et noir, centré de médaillons en émail représentant des allégories, en rappel sur le col, le corps en cristal de roche taillé de fleurs stylisées , les anses en forme de serpent avec des yeux en rubis, le couvercle bordé d'émaux bleu et blanc, la prise en toupie. Hauteur: 16 cm. (6¼ in.) (2). Estimation: €15,000 - €20,000

Christie's. 500 ans : Mobilier - Arts Décoratifs Européens, 7 November 2012, Paris

A Peachbloom-Glazed Brushwasher, Kangxi Mark and Period - Photo Sotheby's

delicately potted of compressed circular form, supported on a shallow tapering foot, the incurved, rounded sides covered with a fine strawberry-pink glaze mottled with copper-red flecks, the interior and base left white, inscribed with a six-character Kangxi mark; 12cm., 4 3/4 in. Estimation: 30,000 - 50,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Duveen, New York (by repute).
Collection of Emily Norwood Trevor, New York.
Marchant, London.

NOTE DE CATALOGUE: The present washer is especially attractive for the light colouration of the peachbloom glaze and for its elegant circular form that represents one of the better known shapes among the group of eight peachbloom wares made for the scholar’s desk. A complete group of the eight peachbloom wares, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, p. 237; and another set of seven was included in the exhibition Chinese Porcelain from the 15th to the 18th Century, Eskenazi, London, 2006,cat. no.s. 4-10, where on p. 40, related washers are mentioned in the collection of the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, in the Baur collection, Geneva, and in the Meiyintang collection.

Further examples of peachbloom washers of this type, known in Chinese as tangle xi, have been sold at auction; one was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2009, lot 1657, from the collection of Edward Chow; another from the Jingguantang collection was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 3rd November 1996, lot 557; and two washers from the Herschel V. Johnson collection were sold in these rooms, 21st February 1967, lot 85 and 88.

Compare also a washer from the collection of H.M. Knight and included in the exhibition 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1954, cat. no. 300, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th May 1982, lot 263; and another from the collection of Mrs. Enid Lodge and of the late F. Brodie Lodge, sold in these rooms, 10th December 1968, lot 127, and again, in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th May 1982, lot 264.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. London | 07 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Tour de Force en ivoire sculpté et tourné. Allemagne, XVIIème siècle. 

Décorée d'une sphère ajourée; reposant sur un fût tourné et une base circulaire. Hauteur: 28,4 cm. (11,2 in.). Estimation: €7,000 - €10,000

REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHIQUE: Hambourg, New York, Rome, Museum f Kunst und Gewerbe, The Metropolitan Museum or Art, Palazzo Ruspoli, Princely Splendour: The Dresden Court, 1580-1620, A. Scherner and D. Syndram eds.

Notes: La sculpture sur ivoire est, depuis la nuit des temps, un moyen d'expression artistique fondamental. Le procédé s'est développé sous l'Antiquité, l'ère Byzantine et le Moyen-âge européen, pour atteindre son apogée au début du XVIIème siècle, période à laquelle bon nombre de sculpteurs talentueux travaillant auprès des cours européennes, produisirent des pièces magnifiques mettant en valeur les qualités naturelles du matériau. Celles-ci prirent la forme de coupes, tours et figures tournés, et furent crées pour les kunstkammern princiers étant apparus au milieu du XVIème siècle. Le principe de ces collections reposait sur le concept selon lequel l'univers - un macrocosme - serait représenté sous forme de collection - un microcosme. Ainsi, l'univers serait représenté par les naturalia crées par Dieu, à savoir tout matériau zoologique, botanique et géologique - et par les artificialia crées par l'homme; dont la tour en ivoire ici offerte est un parfait exemple.

Christie's. 500 ans : Mobilier - Arts Décoratifs Européens, 7 November 2012, Paris

A Pair Of Huanghuali Horseshoeback Armchairs, Quanyi, 17th Century - Photo Sotheby's

each with a curving crest rail terminating in everted handgrips, above a bowed backsplat, carved with a stylised ruyi-shaped medallion and flanked by narrow shaped-flange brackets, with soft cane seat and moulded seat frame, on circular legs joined by shaped aprons and foot stretchers. Quantité: 2 - 96.5cm., 38in. Estimation: 50,000 - 70,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Collection of Dr J.H. Zeeman, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of the Netherlands, Beijing, 1954-1957.
Thence by descent.

NOTE DE CATALOGUE: Chairs of this type, known as quanyi in Chinese, developed from round-back folding chairs, as explained by furniture specialist Hu Desheng in The Palace Museum Collection. A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, vol. 1, Beijing, 2007, p. 92. Hu, ibid., p. 92, further notes that because of its round backrest and smooth, downwardsloping armrest, folding chairs were exceptionally comfortable and highly favoured. Over time, they gradually developed into the ‘round-back chair’, as seen here, which were made for interior use as opposed to folding chairs that were garden or outdoor furnishings. They also differed from folding chairs with their straight legs and hard seat panels that retained traces of the crossed-leg chair form. During the Ming and Qing periods, chairs of this type were frequently called ‘grand tutor’s chair’ or taishi yi, referring to their popularity amongst the gentry and scholar-literati.

While the majority of quanyi are undecorated, the small carved medallions on the back splat of this pair are added embellishments that give them a hint of elegance while maintaining the simplicity of the form. Horseshoeback armchairs can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included ibid., figs. 67-76; formerly in the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture sold at Christie’s New York, 19th September 1996, lot 41; and a plain pair of chairs in the collection of Messrs. Robert and William Drummond, published in Gustav Ecke, Chinese Domestic Furniture, Rutland and Tokyo, 1962, pl. 106. Compare also a closely related chair included in the exhibition Chinese Huanghuali Furniture From a Private Collection, Eskenazi, London, 2011, cat. no. 10; and one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Craig Clunas, Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, where on p. 27, a folding armchair, from the collections of Sir Harry Garner and Lady Garner, is also published.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. London | 07 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com

Boucheron Serpent diamond, opal and rock crystal necklace