A carved rhinoceros horn 'Prunus' cup, 17th century. Photo Sotheby's
the horn of a deep honey brown tone, elegantly modelled as a section of a flowering prunus tree, the exterior with a few five-petalled blooms issuing from a gnarled branch, the interior mostly undecorated, wood stand; 9.9 cm., 3 7/8 in. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 HKD
Provenance: Christie's New York. 26th September 1996, lot 339.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com
A superbly carved rhinoceros horn log-raft cup, by You Tong, late Ming Dynasty. Photo Sotheby's
superbly carved in varying relief with the figure of Zhang Qian, the great Han statesman and explorer, resting on a panel bridging over the sides of a log-raft behind a lotus flower stemming from the interior of the vessel, the figure grasping the cords of his robes in his left hand and a thin arched sprig in his right hand, the sprig extending upwards and over his head into a thick gnarled leafy branch issuing prunus and lotus flowers, the raft exquisitely formed as a long hollowed segment of a gnarled tree trunk, the broad central cavity tapering at the prow forming the twig-entwined spout, a further thin twig adjacent to the spout stemming outward, the opposite end carved as a stern with a flared undulating rim, all atop swirling waves carved in low relief to the underside and rising from the base to crest gently against the side of the stern, one side carved in low relief with Zai lai huajiazi ['Again comes a sexagenary cycle'], followed by a circular seal and square seal reading You and Yuyuan respectively, the horn of a deep brown tone lightening to a warm honey brown tone towards the tip; 31.6 cm., 12 1/4 in. Estimate 5,000,000 — 7,000,000 HKD
Provenance: Collection of W. Fleisher, Stockholm.
Collection of Edwin Meader, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Literature: Bo Gyllensvärd, Two Yuan Silver Cups and Their Importance for Dating of Some Carvings in Wood and Rhinoceros Horn, BMFEA 43, Stockholm, 1971, pl. 5.
Note: This exceptional rhinoceros horn libation cup, carved in the form of Zhang Qian on a log-raft by the late Ming master You Tong, is arguably the finest quality of all the known vessels of this form. The closest comparable example is a slightly smaller cup, also by You Tong, from the Qing Court Collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2002, pl. 119 (fig. 1), where it is noted that the interior of the cup is incised with an Imperial Qianlong inscription dating to 1782. The inscription praises the work of You Tong and suggests that You Yuyuan and You Tong are the same carver.
In addition to these, the largest single collection of rhinoceros horn raft vessels can be found in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, which has four examples, one of which is illustrated by Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 47. Others can be found in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, which interestingly shows Zhang with a fly whisk in his hand, published ibid., pl. 48; and a further raft in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, also carved by You Tong, illustrated in Jan Chapman, ‘The Use of Manipulation in Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Cups’, Arts of Asia, July-August 1982, fig. 6. Another raft, now in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, also bearing an Imperial Qianlong inscription datable to 1782, was exhibited on loan by the then Chinese Government in the famous Royal Academy of Arts, London, exhibition in 1935; see Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Government Exhibits for the International Exhibition of Chinese Art in London, Beijing, 1936, no. 60 (or no. 2948 in the standard London version published) and also included in the exhibition Jiangxin yu xiangong. Ming Qing diaoke zhan / Uncanny Ingenuity and Celestial Feats: The Carvings of Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2011, cat. no. 30.
For examples sold at auction, see a raft from the collection of Kenyon V. Painter sold in our New York rooms, 21st September 2006, lot 8, and a raft from the Collections of Edward T. Chow and Franklin Chow, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 3239.
In his discussion of the current piece, ‘Two Yuan Silver Cups and Their Importance for Dating of Some Carvings in Wood and Rhinoceros Horn’, Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, Bo Gyllesnvard illustrates two others, in the collection of His Majesty the King of Sweden, pls. 4-5, as well as a silver raft of the Yuan dynasty, pl. 3, noting that the silver raft represents the iconographic prototype for ‘Zhang Qian on a log raft’. Three silver rafts bearing the seal of Zhu Bishan and dated to 1345 are in the National Palace Museum, in the Palace Museum and in the Cleveland Museum of Art, published in Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, op.cit., pls. 382-4.
The present carving of a log-raft with the figure of Zhang Qian is a particularly fine example of vessels belonging to a special small group of rhinoceros horn carvings. The carver has used a fine piece of Asian horn with an exceptionally thick lip which he skilfully carved into the figure of the famous Han dynasty explorer and official envoy Zhang Qian. Zhang, often depicted like a Daoist immortal, was the first official diplomat to bring back information about Central Asia to the Han court. According to legend, his travels were in search of the source of the Yangzi River, the origin of the Milky Way, and the means of making wine from grapes. Hence the popularity for making wine-pouring vessels using this subject matter. On the present piece, he is rendered with a smiling face gazing up in content with his open book resting on his lap. Perhaps he has been drinking from the double-gourd container filled with wine which hangs from a tree branch beside him. The carver has manipulated the rest of the horn into the shape of a long hollow tree trunk to form Zhang’s raft. Log-rafts of this type are technically amongst the most challenging and complex forms to create. Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, op.cit., pp. 101-105, explains in detail the work involved with the making of rafts and concludes that ‘it is scarcely likely that any but the most skilled carver would have attempted them’.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A carved rhinoceros horn archaistic 'Five Chilong' libation cup, 17th century. Photo Sotheby's
the horn of a warm chestnut-brown tone, modelled with flaring sides rising to a bracket-lobed rim from a small foot of conforming shape, decorated in low relief around the exterior with a frieze of taotie masks against a dense leiwen ground, beneath a key-fret band encircling the mouth, carved in high relief with three chilong with sinuous bodies and bifurcated tails clambering up on one side, reticulated with a further pair grasping the rim on the opposite side forming the handle, wood stand; 15 cm., 6 in. Estimate 800,000 — 1,000,000 HKD
Provenance: Bluett & Sons, London, 1975.
Exhibited: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth - Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 2003-2005, cat. no. 48.
Freer Gallery of Art, Washington DC, Spring 2001.
Note: The present cup is notable for its rich colour and rhythmical depiction of the chilong modelled in the round against the finely worked low-relief surface. The playful and creative rendering of the chilong brings a sense of movement and strength to the composition. This piece belongs to a well-known group of rhinoceros horn vessels fashioned and decorated in an archaistic style, adorned with motifs found on archaic bronzes, jades and lacquer. Such vessels were favoured by the nobility who were keen collectors of ancient artefacts. Carvers were able to transfer the ritual heritage of archaic bronze vessels to mediums such as rhinoceros horn, ceramics and jade. By fusing traditional decorative styles with contemporary motifs a fresh aesthetic was achieved, as seen on this example where the archaistic design band and square section is combined with a single chilongto form the handle.
A libation cup of similar form and decoration, from the collection of Stella Pitt-Rivers, was sold in our London rooms, 15th June 1979, lot 130; a cup without the stepped foot, was also sold in our London rooms, 13th May 1988, lot 484; and another was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th November 2011, lot 2906.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A finely carved rhinoceros horn figure of Budai, 17th century. Photo Sotheby's
well carved as a seated Budai, the laughing Buddha wearing loose robes draped over his corpulent body, his chest and large stomach bare, his right hand resting on his upturned leg, the other hidden beneath the long sleeves, his head bald with a round and broad smiling face, the horn of rich caramel brown colour with golden undertones, inset with a black lacquered wooden base; height 6.6 cm., 2 5/8 in. Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 HKD
Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 28th November 1994, lot 125.
Note: Budai, the God of Happiness, is usually depicted with a joyful expression and wide smile, wearing loosely fitted robes to reveal his large stomach. He was supposed to have carried all his belongings in his calico bag and reflected the changes in weather by the type of shoes he wore. In Buddhism, the role of Budai is to remind people of the ever-presence of the Buddha and protect his laws. He is also associated with the protection of children and is often depicted with small children at play.
See a rhinoceros horn figure of a seated Budai, from the Mary and George Bloch collection and illustrated in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 99, and in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 66, sold in these rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 34. Another Budai carving with an inscription dating it to Wanli's reign, formerly in the Ruth Dreyfus and Sackler collections, illustrated in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 325, was sold at Christie's New York, 1st December 1994, lot 28; and a further example is published in Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo. Wood. Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 138, together with a rhinoceros horn carving of a figure of Guanyin, pl. 137. Compare also a Budai carving in the Shanghai Museum included in The Shanghai Museum of Art, New York, 1981, pl. 207; and one sold in our New York rooms, 30th March 2006, lot 133, and again at Christie's Hong Kong, 27th May 2008, lot 1727.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A rare rhinoceros horn figure of Guanyin, Late Ming-Early Qing dynasty, 17th century. Photo Sotheby's
well carved as a seated Guanyin with loose robes elegantly draped over her corpulent body revealing her chest with a headdress and her long locks of hair sitting neatly atop her head, beneath her revealing a network of tessellated wutong leaves, her head tilting slightly downwards with her eyes closed contemplatively, holding tasselled Buddhist prayer beads with her left hand below her bangle-adorned wrist, her right elbow resting on an armrest while holding a ruyi against her torso with her hand, the horn of a deep chestnut tone lightening to an amber colour near the tip, wood stand; 15.5 cm., 6 1/8 in. Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD
Note: The present rhinoceros horn carving of Guanyin is a fine and rare example of late-Ming figural carvings in this medium. The broad proportions of Guanyin's body and the wide leafy base upon which she sits, her robes spreading over it, suggest that it was made from a whole horn. The style of using the wide base of the horn for carving figures continued into the Kangxi period.
A closely related example was sold at Christie’s London, 10th April 1973, lot 282, and is possibly the one illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji [Complete series on Chinese art], vol. 11, Beijing, 1987, pl. 137. Other examples of superbly carved rhinoceros horn figures of seated Guanyin include two published in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pls. 75 and 77, from the collections of the Harvard University Art Museum and the Shanghai Museum respectively; and another sold in our New York rooms, 6th December 1989, lot 58. See also a carving of a seated Guanyin pouring balm from her vase while a small boy tries to touch the liquid, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., published in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 334 (right).
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A fine brown-glazed ribbed bowl, Mark and period of Yongzheng. Photo: Sotheby's
finely potted with shallow rounded sides rising to an everted rim, all supported on a slightly flared foot and further moulded around the exterior with a double bow-string band, covered overall with an even persimmon glaze highlighted by a slight iridescence, save for the base left white and inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark within double circles; 17 cm., 6 5/8 in. Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 HKD
Provenance: Goldschlager Collection, no. 37.
Christie’s London, 4th/5th June 1973, lot 195.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1st May 2001, lot 597.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A fine pair of small lemon-yellow enamelled saucer dishes, Seal marks and period of Qianlong. Photo: Sotheby's
each potted with rounded sides rising smoothly from the foot, the exterior covered with a vibrant lemon-yellow enamel, the slightly recessed base inscribed with a six-character reign mark; 11.4 cm., 4 1/2 in. Estimate 600,000 — 800,000 HKD
Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 27th May 2008, lot 1804.
Note; A closely related dish in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is published in Illustrated Catalogue of Ch’ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, vol. 2, Taipei, 1981, pl. 89; a pair of dishes of this type from the Edward T. Chow collection, was sold at Christie’s London, 27th November 1967, lot 7, and again in these rooms, 25th November 1973, lot 99; another pair was sold in these rooms, 5th November 1996, lot 859; and a further pair was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th May 2006, lot 1345.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A pair of yellow colored diamond and diamond earrings. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014
Each set with an oval-cut fancy yellow diamond, weighing approximately 3.29 and 3.24 carats, within a circular-cut diamond surround, mounted in platinum and gold. Estimate $35,000 – $55,000
With report 10627489 dated 25 February 2014 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond, weighing approximately 3.29 carats, is fancy yellow, natural color, VVS2 clarity
With report 10627482 dated 25 February 2014 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond, weighing approximately 3.24 carats, is fancy yellow, natural color, SI1 clarity
Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 16 April 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com
A wood, diamond and emerald snake bracelet. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014
Designed as a wood and 18k rose gold coiled snake, with a circular-cut diamond head and pear-shaped emerald eyes, mounted in 18k rose gold, size adjustable. Estimate $15,000 – $20,000
Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 16 April 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com
A diamond, ruby, emerald and enamel "Capricorn Ram" bangle bracelet, by David Webb. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014
The articulated hinged bangle designed as a green enamel ram with sculpted 18k gold spiraled horns and spots, bezel-set with cabochon ruby eyes and forehead, his face decorated with circular-cut diamonds, his green enamel body forming the hoop, to the sculpted gold tail, set with circular-cut diamonds and a cabochon emerald, mounted in 18k gold and platinum, 2¼ ins. diameter, in a David Webb brown suede pouch. Signed David Webb. Estimate $20,000 – $30,000
Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 16 April 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com
A coral, diamond and emerald ram bracelet, by David Webb. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014
The flexible bracelet designed as a sculpted coral ram, joined by carved coral links with single-cut diamond accents, his face decorated with cabochon emerald eyes and forehead, to the single and circular-cut diamond detail, mounted in 18k white and yellow gold, 6½ ins., accompanied by additional links, in a David Webb black velvet pouch. Signed Webb for David Webb. Estimate $30,000 – $50,000
Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 16 April 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com
A coral, diamond and emerald brooch, by David Webb. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014
Designed as a carved coral ram's head, with marquise-cut diamond eyes, enhanced with circular-cut diamonds and a cabochon emerald, to the spiraling coral horns with sculpted 18k gold and circular-cut diamond detail, mounted in platinum and 18k gold, in a David Webb black suede envelope. Signed Webb for David Webb. Estimate $15,000 – $20,000
Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 16 April 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com
A fine pair of small iron-red decorated 'Dragon' cups, Seal marks and period of Qianlong. Photo: Sotheby's
each with deep delicately potted sides rising to a slighlty everted rim, finely decorated on the exterior in iron-red with a pair of dragons playfully striding through flames and clouds above crashing waves, all between double-line borders, inscribed on the base with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue; 6.2 cm., 2 3/8 in. Estimate 400,000 — 600,000 HKD
Note: Similar cups can be seen in various museum collections, for example see one in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Treasures in the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 269. A comparable pair of cups was sold in these rooms, 8th April 2011, lot 3134.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A coral red-glazed 'Lingzhi' dish, Mark and period of Yongzheng. Photo: Sotheby's
delicately potted with rounded sides resting on a slightly tapered foot, the interior decorated with a medallion enclosing an iron-red sprig issuing delicate leaves and eight lingzhi blossoms, all within an underglaze-blue double-line border around the medallion and repeated at the rim, the exterior similarly decorated with an iron-red leafy meandering lingzhi scroll below an underglaze-blue double-line bordering the rim, the foot with a key-fret band, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark. Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 HKD
Exhibited: Ch'ing Polychrome Porcelain, The Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 78.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A rare underglaze-blue and copper-red mallet vase, Mark and period of Kangxi. Photo: Sotheby's
of well-potted baluster form, surmounted by a slender tapering neck, pencilled with four tightly drawn medallions above a scroll-filled upright lappet rising from a herringbone band encircling the very slightly splayed foot, the decoration all in copper-red fired dark in patches and with brighter red speckling, three thin underglaze-blue lines encircling the foot, the recessed base inscribed in underglaze-blue with a six-character reign mark in two horizontal lines; 21.6 cm., 8 1/2 in. Estimate 1,500,000 — 2,000,000 HKD
Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 17th November 1975, lot 60.
Note: This elegant vase represents the the Kangxi Emperor's devotion to Tibetan Buddhism the the appearance of original designs on porcelain during his reign: the swirling three-section gakyil ('Wheel of Joy') that is framed by several bands of design appears to derive from the dharmachakra, the traditional 'The Wheel of Joy', which holds an important place in the Buddhist doctrine.
Vases of this type are held in important private and museum collections worldwide; see one illustrated in Kangxi Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 7; another published in Porcelains from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 130; and a third vase in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated together with an underglaze-blue version in Oriental Ceramics. The World's Great Collections, vol. 11, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 119. Further examples of copper-red vases of this type include a pair from the J.M. Hu collection, sold in our New York rooms, 4th June 1985, lot 20; and one in the Meiyintang collection, published in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 4, part II, London, 2010, pl. 1706.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A cat's eye chrysoberyl and diamond ring. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014
Set with a cabochon cat's eye chrysoberyl, to the old European-cut diamond shoulders, mounted in platinum. Estimate $15,000 – $20,000
Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 16 April 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com
A rare famille-verte 'Peach' stembowl, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period. Photo: Sotheby's.
raised on a tall stem tapering to meet the rounded sides gently flaring to a galleried rim, elegantly decorated around the exterior with a slender frieze with iron-red peaches among light green and cobalt blue leaves, all borne on a continuous undulating stem, the interior well adorned with a central medallion containing a pair of long-tailed birds, perched on two intertwining camellia branches amongst craggy rocks, lingzhi fungus and scrolling clouds, all painted in bright iron-red together with translucent enamels of green and yellow, over brilliant shades of underglaze blue, original lacquered leather box; diameter 15.6 cm., 6 1/8 in. Estimate 380,000 — 480,000 HKD
Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 30th May 2006, lot 1428.
Note: Fluently painted with auspicious motifs such as ripe peaches, long-tailed birds and lingzhi fungus conveying the wish for longevity, this rare famille-verte stembowl displays the exquisite imperial taste of the Kangxi reign. Only a few examples are known, including one in the Nanjing Museum, published in Treasures in the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 64, as well as one with cover in the collection of Musée Guimet, illustrated in La Chine des Porcelaines, Paris, 2004, pl. 38.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A set of diamond and multi-gem jewelry. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014
Comprising a fringe necklace, suspending variously-shaped cabochon emeralds, rubies, sapphires and seed pearls, to the rose-cut diamond neckchain; and a pair of ear pendants en suite, each set with a cabochon pear-shaped ruby, weighing approximately 3.85 and 3.67 carats, mounted in 18k gold, 15¾ ins. Estimate $40,000 – $60,000
With report CS 42175 A and B dated 5 May 2010 from the American Gemological Laboratories stating that it is the opinion of the Laboratory that the rubies, weighing approximately 3.85 and 3.67 carats, would be classified as Burma (Myanmar). No gemological evidence of heat (2)
Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 16 April 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com
A rare famille-verte 'Bird' bowl, Mark and period of Kangxi. Photo: Sotheby's.
elegantly potted with shallow rounded sides rising from a recessed base protruding on the interior, finely painted around the exterior with a green and pale yellow, possibly a laughing thrush bird with a long tail perched on a pendant loquat branch in an asymmetrical composition covering most of the sides, the brown branch bearing orange-red fruits and bright green leaves, extending to the interior with further fruits and leaves, the concave base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark in regular script within double circles; 13.6 cm., 5 3/8 in. Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,600,000 HKD
Provenance: Estate of Doris McCordick (1912-1977), St. Catherines, Ontario, received as a gift from her brother-in-law Paul Grigaut (1905-1969), the chief curator of the Detroit Institute of Arts from 1955 to 1963.
Thence by descent within the family.
Acquired in Toronto.
Note: A closely related bowl is illustrated in Michel Beurdeley, La Ceramique Chinoise, Fribourg, 1974, pl. 80; and a further pair is included in Sekai tōji zenshū, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1956, pl. 37. Compare also a bowl of similar form but painted with a different type of bird perching on a peach branch, formerly in the Meiyintang collection, sold in these rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 3. This design of berried branches was also combined with hovering butterflies instead of birds; see a pair of bowls sold in these rooms, 23rd May 1978, lot 158; and a dish, with an apocryphal Chenghua reign mark, in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, published in Kangxi Porcelain Wares, Shanghai, 1998, pl. 100.
The design of the present bowl has been inspired by early-Ming blue and white designs, which in turn were influenced by the popular bird and flower paintings of the Song dynasty (960-1279). See a large blue and white dish depicting a single bird on a lychee branch, attributed to the Yongle period, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 4, pt. II, London, 2010, pl. 1639; and a Chenghua stembowl decorated with birds amongst fruiting sprays, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st December 2009, lot 1875.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com
A diamond and multi-gem ring. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014
Set with a circular-cut diamond, weighing approximately 6.68 carats, to the variously-cut diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire surround, mounted in gold. Estimate $35,000 – $55,000
With report 1152931868 dated 21 February 2014 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is W to X Range color, VVS1 clarity
Christie's. MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 16 April 2014, New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christies.com
