Three gemset gold ornaments, India, 19th-20th century. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014

Comprising two nose rings, each with foiled green and red hardstones fitted amongst natural pearls; and a hair ornament of hemispherical form, the decoration composed of a central star pattern surrounded by beads, some pearls lacking. The hair ornament 1.3/8in (3cm.) high. Estimate£800 – £1,200

Christie's. ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS INCLUDING A PRIVATE COLLECTION DONATED TO BENEFIT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, PART V. 10 April 2014, London, King Street - www.christies.com

A pair of spinach jade 'Narcissus and Pine trees' plaques and cloisonné stands, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Photo Sotheby's

the dark green plaques, each of rectangular form and carved on the reverse with a key-fret band border, one carved on the front in high relief with blossoming branches of prunus and a lush pine tree on a rocky ground, the other with blooming narcissus and long leaves elegantly extending across the plaque, both set in turquoise-ground cloisonné trestle stands enamelled with key-fret bands and lotus scrolls issuing leafy tendrils and archaistic scrolls; plaque: 28.2 cm., 11 1/8 in.; stand: 31.5 cm., 12 3/8 in. Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,800,000 HKD

Provenance: Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard K. Crawford.
Sotheby's New York, 1st/2nd June 1992, lot 63.

Note: Table screens of this type decorated with images of nature were placed in the scholar’s studio to serve as sources of inspiration for reflection and as an escape from the duties of officialdom. Both plaques are steeped in auspicious meaning; the prunus, bamboo and pine trees together form the popular ‘Three Friends of Winter’ motif and represent fortitude and uprightness in adverse conditions, while the narcissus symbolises good fortune and prosperity.

Table screens with similarly carved designs of flower sprays and plants include a pair decorated with chrysanthemum and peonies among rockwork, sold in our New York rooms, 20th October 1989, lot 289; another with flowering prunus and bamboo, sold at Christie’s London, 10th May 2011, lot 221; and a pair of white jade table screens incised with chrysanthemums and poppies, sold in our New York rooms, 19th September 2001, lot 61. A set of four white jade panels from the De An Tang collection, each carved with a different flowering plant was included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 33.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

A spinach-green jade Buddha within a grotto, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period. Photo Sotheby's

carved as Buddha seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus pedestal in a niche framed with jagged rockwork, dressed in loose robes with sleeves draping over his bent knees, his expression serene with his eyes closed, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, his head covered in small curls, his hands held in dhyana mudra, the reverse with further jagged rockwork and a small pine tree, the stone of a deep spinach green tone mottled with light green and dark inclusions, wood stand; 22.8 cm., 9 in. Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 30th October 2000, lot 699.

Note: The present piece is an example of the carver’s expertise in the medium, seen in the combination of a sensitively detailed face and the incorporation of the natural flaws of the stone to create a more naturalistic grotto-setting. A related carving was included in the exhibition Treasures from Snow Mountains. Gems of Tibetan Cultural Relics, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2001, cat. no. 38; and another was sold at Christie’s London, 11th May 2010, lot 152.

Jade carvings containing figures of luohan in caves are more commonly known; see one with a Qianlong mark and of the period, included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade. From the De An Tang Collection, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 33; another in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the museum’s exhibition The Refined Taste of the Emperor. Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, Taipei, 1997, cat. no. 43; and a third example sold in these rooms, 27th April 2003, lot 33.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

A pair of carved jadeite gu vases with taotie motif, Qing dynasty. Photo Sotheby's

each modelled after the gu vase and of rectangular section, the centre section with rounded sides resting on a hollow splayed foot and surmounted by a tall everted neck, the front and reverse carved in low relief with a taotie mask formed of angular scrollwork, above the foot decorated with two confronting kui dragons, the neck similarly carved in low relief with four dragons, the translucent stone of a icy-green tone, one with lavendar on the side and amber inclusions cleverly carved into foliate dragons, the other with a russet vein, wood stands; 29.4 cm., 11 5/8 in. Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 7th/8th April 1988, lot 134.

Note: A closely related pair of vases was sold at Christie's London, 16th December 1996, lot 176; another similar pair was sold at Christie's Hong Kong 29th September 1992, lot 882. The archaistic form and design of these pieces reflect the aesthetic trend of the Qing dynasty, and vases of this type were also produced in other media; see, for example, a jade vase sold in our London rooms, 12th June 1990, lot 72; and a pair of cloisonné vases sold at Christie's New York, 19th September 2007, lot 171.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

A red glass water dropper and spoon, Wheel-cut mark and period of Yongzheng. Photo Sotheby's

the transparent ruby-red globular body rising from a flat base to an incurved mouthrim, the base wheel-cut with a four-character reign mark within double squares, together with a metal spoon with an arched handle terminating with a dragon's head and a pearl set in its opened mouth; 5.6 cm., 2 1/4 in. Estimate 600,000 — 800,000 HKD

Note: A slightly smaller yellow glass waterdropper, also bearing a wheel-cut Yongzheng mark and of the period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Yang Boda, Complete Collection of Chinese Art. Gold. Silver. Glass and Enamel, vol. 10, Beijing, 1985, pl. 247. See also a glass pear-shaped vase of this red colour, included in the exhibition The Robert H. Clague Collection. Chinese Glass Of the Qing Dynasty, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, 1987, cat. no. 3.

Emily Byrne Curtis in Pure Brightness Shines Everywhere. The Glass of China, Burlington, 2004, p. 74, notes that only about one thousand glass items were manufactured during the Yongzheng reign in the Glass House, located in the Forbidden City.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong | 08 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

Claude François Desportes (1695 – 1774). "Nature morte aux raisins, pêches et poires sur un entablement de pierre"’. Photo CHEVAU LEGERS ENCHERES

Toile. 64 x 65 cm. Estimation: 6 000 € - 7 000 €

Expert : cabinet TURQUIN, Stéphane PINTA. Nous remercions Monsieur Fabrice FARE qui a authentifié notre tableau après examen

Me CHAUSSELAT et CHEVAU LEGERS ENCHERES. Dimanche 13 avril à 14h00 à Versailles. 6 bis Avenue de Sceaux, 78000 Versailles. Tél. : 01 39 50 58 08 - Fax : 01 30 21 32 48 - contact@chausselat.com

Pendule figurant une pagode hexagonale en bronze ciselé et doré sur fond laqué noir et or, signée Boin–Taburet. Photo CHEVAU LEGERS ENCHERES

à décor de paysage surmonté d’un chinois assis. Elle présente trois cadrans indiquant l’heure, l’hygrométrie et la température. Elle est soutenue par trois cygnes en porcelaine réunis par des feuillages fleuris Patins simulant des glands H. 32 cm /12. Estimation: 7 000 € - 7 500 €

Me CHAUSSELAT et CHEVAU LEGERS ENCHERES. Dimanche 13 avril à 14h00 à Versailles. 6 bis Avenue de Sceaux, 78000 Versailles. Tél. : 01 39 50 58 08 - Fax : 01 30 21 32 48 - contact@chausselat.com

Note: Emile Taburet, bijoutier, expose en 1880 à l'exposition de l'UCAD, "le métal". Son poinçon est biffé en 1881. Il s'associe avec son gendre, Georges Boin antiquaire, sous la raison sociale "Boin-Taburet" vers 1880. Ensemble, ils exposent à l'Exposition universelle de Paris en 1889. (http://opac.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/)

Ecole Française du XVIème siècle, « Homme en buste au pourpoint bleu ». Photo CHEVAU LEGERS ENCHERES.

Panneau daté 1597 – en haut à droite. 19.5 x 13.5 cm. Cadre d’époque XVIIème en bois laqué noir et or. Estimation: 3 000 € - 3 500 €

Me CHAUSSELAT et CHEVAU LEGERS ENCHERES. Dimanche 13 avril à 14h00 à Versailles. 6 bis Avenue de Sceaux, 78000 Versailles. Tél. : 01 39 50 58 08 - Fax : 01 30 21 32 48 - contact@chausselat.com

Assiette Jade "épinard", Chine, XIXème siècle. Photo APONEM - Enchères MSA

Diam: 19 cm. Estimation: 500 € - 800 €

APONEM - Enchères MSA. Vendredi 18 avril à 14h00 à PARIS. HÔTEL DROUOT - Salle 5. 9 rue Drouot, 75009 Paris. él. : 01 34 42 14 50 - Fax : 01 34 42 14 21 - msa@aponem.com

Zao Wou-Ki (1921-2013), 24.10.68. Photo APONEM - Enchères MSA

Huile sur toile / Oil on canvas Signée en bas à droite / Signed bottom right Contresignée et titre-date au dos / Countersigned and dated on the back 114 x 162 cm / 45 x 63,5 inches. Estimation: 1 500 000 € - 2 000 000 €

Provenance / From : Anciennement Galerie de France, Paris, 1969.

Expositions / Exhibitions : - Galerie de Montréal, Mackay, Montréal (étiquette au dos). - Palais des Beaux-Arts, Charleroi (étiquette au dos). - 1969, Montréal, Canada, Musée d'Art contemporain, puis Québec, Musée du Québec, «Zao Wou-Ki», rétrospective, ill. n&b., non paginé. - 1975-1976, Saint-Étienne, France, Maison de la culture et des loisirs, «Zao Wou-Ki, peintures, aquarelles, lavis, estampes et May Zao, Sculptures», exposition personnelle, cat. n° 3, Fig. 3 ill. coul. p. 9. - 1983, Montauban, France, Musée Ingres, « Zao Wou-Ki ou se libérer du connu», exposition personnelle, cat. n° 24, non repr.

Bibliographie / Literature : - Zao Wou-Ki, catalogue de l'exposition, Galerie de France, 1969, reproduit (dimensions erronées / wrong size). - Zao Wou-Ki, Jean Leymarie, 1986, n° 409 p. 335 (dimensions erronées / wrong size).

APONEM - Enchères MSA. Vendredi 18 avril à 14h00 à PARIS. HÔTEL DROUOT - Salle 5. 9 rue Drouot, 75009 Paris. él. : 01 34 42 14 50 - Fax : 01 34 42 14 21 - msa@aponem.com

Corail sculptéà décor de femme chinoise jouant d'un instrument et décor floral. Photo Besch Cannes Auction.

Hauteur : 25 cm. Poids 390 grs, (socle bois). Estimation : 3 500 € / 4 000 €

Besch Cannes Auction. 20 Avril 2014. SALONS DE L'HÔTEL MARTINEZ - 73, BOULEVARD DE LA CROISETTE - 06400 CANNES. Tel: +33 (0)4 93 99 33 49

Important Corail sculptéà décor de femme et enfants. Photo Besch Cannes Auction.

Hauteur : 28 cm. Poids 750 grs, (socle bois). Petit accident sur le Phénix (petit morceau recollé). Estimation : 8 000 € / 1 000 €

Besch Cannes Auction. 20 Avril 2014. SALONS DE L'HÔTEL MARTINEZ - 73, BOULEVARD DE LA CROISETTE - 06400 CANNES. Tel: +33 (0)4 93 99 33 49

Magnificent platinum, fancy intense orangy pink diamond and diamond ring. Photo Sotheby's

The cushion-cut Fancy Intense Orangy Pink diamond weighing 15.23 carats, the mounting accented by round diamonds weighing .76 carat, size 6¼. Estimate 6,000,000 — 7,000,000 USD

Accompanied by GIA report no. 5151931291 stating that the diamond is Fancy Intense Orangy Pink, Natural Color, VS2 clarity.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels, New York | 29 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

Platinum, fancy deep pink diamond, fancy colored diamond and diamond ring. Photo Sotheby's

Centering a cut-cornered square modified brilliant-cut Fancy Deep Pink diamond weighing 1.50 carats, flanked by one cushion modified brilliant-cut Fancy Deep Blue-Green diamond weighing .26 carat and one cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut Fancy Deep Greenish Blue diamond weighing .22 carat, the mounting accented by round diamonds weighing .26 carat, size 6. Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 USD

Accompanied by three GIA reports:
No. 16229819 stating that the 1.50 carat diamond is Fancy Deep Pink, Natural Color, SI2 clarity.
No. 6157638590 stating that the .26 carat diamond is Fancy Deep Blue-Green, Natural Color, SI2 clarity.
No. 1156638608 stating that the .22 carat diamond is Fancy Deep Greenish Blue, Natural Color, SI2 clarity.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels, New York | 29 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

Platinum, fancy intense yellow-green diamond and diamond ring, JAR, Paris. Photo Sotheby's

Set with a rectangular modified brilliant-cut Fancy Intense Yellow-Green diamond weighing 3.93 carats, the mounting set with numerous single-cut diamonds weighing approximately .60 carat, size 3¼, signed JAR Paris, with French assay and workshop marks. Estimate 75,000 — 100,000 USD 

Accompanied by GIA report no. 8685948 stating that the diamond is Fancy Intense Yellow-Green, Natural Color.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels, New York | 29 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

An enamelled diamond-set and pearl turban ornament (turra). Probably Hyderabad, Mughal India, 19th century. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2014

With an s-shaped hook decorated with enamelled roundel design and topped with a diamond-set palmette supporting a gold rosette similarly set with diamonds, each lobe of the rosette issuing a single large pearl, and the base with eight further strands of pearls from which issue smaller gold rosettes each with a central diamond; 6 7/8in. (17.5cm.) high (overall). Estimate: £10,000 – £15,000

Literature: The Indian Heritage. Court Life and Arts under Mughal Rule, Victoria and Albert Museum, 21 April - 22 August 1982, no.312, p.110

Exhibited: The Indian Heritage. Court Life and Arts under Mughal Rule, Victoria and Albert Museum, 21 April - 22 August 1982

Notes: This ornament (turra) would have been worn at the side of a turban, hanging down past the ear - probably as part of a set with a sarpech mounted at the front. A similar example to that offered here, with rosette terminal and suspended pearls, is published in Thomas Holbein Hendley, Indian Jewellery, re-printed and updated by Waltraud Ganguly, Delhi, 2009, pl.3A.

For a contemporary photograph of a turra being worn by Sir Prabhu Narayan Singh Bahadur, the Maharaja of Benares (1855-1931) see Usha R Bala Kirshnan and Meera Sushil Kumar, Dance of the Peacock. Jewellery Traditions of India, Mumbai, 2010, no.423, p.312.

Christie's. ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS INCLUDING A PRIVATE COLLECTION DONATED TO BENEFIT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, PART V, 10 April 2014, London, King Street - www.christies.com

Very fine emerald and diamond ring. Photo Sotheby's

Centring on a cushion-shaped emerald weighing 12.63 carats, surrounded by brilliant-cut, pear- and marquise-shaped diamonds together weighing approximately 7.00 carats, mounted in platinum. Ring size: 6¼. Estimate 7,000,000 — 8,500,000 HKD - Lot Sold:. 9,040,000 HKD

Accompanied by Gübelin and SSEF reports numbered 13097415 and 66180, dated 23 September 2013 and 12 December 2012, stating that the emerald is natural, of Colombian origin, with no indications of clarity modification.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite, Hong Kong | 07 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

Fancy vivid yellow diamond and diamond ring, Cartier. Photo Sotheby's

Centring on a cushion-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 7.16 carats, flanked by two shield-shaped diamonds together weighing approximately 1.10 carats, mounted in platinum and 18 karat yellow gold, signed. Ring size: 5½. Estimate 5,200,000 — 6,000,000 HKD

Accompanied by GIA report numbered 5151574972, dated 25 July 2013, stating that the 7.16 carat diamond is natural, Fancy Vivid Yellow colour, VS2 clarity.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite, Hong Kong | 07 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

Highly important unmounted diamond. Photo Sotheby's

An unmounted brilliant-cut diamond weighing 30.57 carats. Estimate 46,000,000 — 53,000,000 HKD - Lot Sold. 51,080,000 HKD

Accompanied by GIA report numbered 2155730667, dated 31 October 2013, stating that the diamond is D colour, Flawless clarity, with Excellent Cut, Polish and Symmetry; further accompanied by diamond type classification report stating that the diamond is determined to be a Type IIa diamond. Type IIa diamonds are the most chemically pure type of diamond and often have exceptional optical transparency.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite, Hong Kong | 07 Apr 2014 - www.sothebys.com

Sapphire and diamond 'Flower' brooch. Photo Sotheby's

Designed as a flower, centring on a circular-cut sapphire weighing 43.43 carats, the petals and stems set with marquise-shaped, brilliant-cut and baguette diamonds together weighing approximately 13.00 carats, the leaves set with two marquise-shaped diamonds weighing 2.01 and 2.00 carats respectively, mounted in 18 karat white and yellow gold. Estimate 2,200,000 — 3,000,000 HKD - Lot Sold. 2,920,000 HKD 

Accompanied by SSEF report numbered 72606, dated 6 February 2014, stating that the sapphire is natural, of Burmese (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating; also accompanied by two GIA reports numbered 6165902415 and 1168902419, dated 18 February 2014, stating that the 2.01 and 2.00 carat diamonds are E and D colour, SI1 and VVS2 clarity respectively.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite, Hong Kong | 07 Apr 2014 -www.sothebys.com