A fancy-coloured diamond single-stone ring. Photo: Bonhams.

The heart-shaped diamond, weighing 11.19 carats, between colourless pear-shaped diamond shoulders, remaining diamonds approximately 0.60 carat total, ring size M½. Estimate£25,000 - 35,000 (€30,000 - 42,000)

Accompanied by a report from GIA stating that the diamond weighing 11.19 carats is Fancy Deep Brownish Greenish Yellow, natural colour. Report number 2151829027, dated 17 December 2013.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 30 Apr 2014, London, New Bond Street - www.bonhams.com

A large wucai dish, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period. Photo Sotheby's

Diameter 18 1/4 in., 46.4 cm

Provenance: Collection of Konrad Bernheimer, Germany.

Seated, wearing humble attire, the elder statesman Jiang Ziya fishes by the side of the Wei River. Across from him stands King Wen of Zhou and his entourage. Before heading out on the hunting trip, the king had sought out a prophesy and was told he would return without game but with something much more valuable; a teacher. Upon meeting the white haired dignitary, King Wen of Zhou recognized that this was no ordinary fisherman and respectfully engaged him in conversation. Years before Jiang, disappointed by the corruption and dissipation of King Zhou of Shang, had exiled himself to a life of quiet contemplation. Legends report that he would fish without hooks or bait, confident that the fish would come to him when the time was right.

Jiang Ziya, impressed with the Zhou ruler, returns with him to court and provides the king with a winning strategy to topple the Shang rulers. The artist evokes this famous tale of the past to shine a favorable light on the reign of the Kangxi emperor. The story conveys the humility necessary to be a great ruler. Comparison to King Wen of Zhou would provide reassurance of the young Manchurian emperor’s sincere desire to rule well and perhaps illustrate his willingness to heed sage advice.

Interestingly a nearly identical plate is in the Chateau de Fontainebleau outside of Paris. The 16th century chateau was one of the royal residences inhabited by Napoleon III of France (r.1852-1870) and his wife, the Empress Eugenie. In 1861, the empress comissioned the architect Alexis Pacard to create rooms to incorporate many of the Chinese works of art which had arrived in Paris following the Anglo-French sacking of Yuanming Yuan. The dish at Fontainebleau, formerly in the Qing court collection, is of the same quality, size and has the same distinctive border as the present piece, implying the two were part of the same set.

Sotheby's. Embracing Classic Chinese Culture: Kangxi Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, New York | 14 mars 2014 - www.sothebys.com

An unmounted fancy-coloured diamond. Photo: Bonhams.

The cushion-shaped fancy brownish yellow diamond weighing 2.00 carats. Estimate£6,000 - 8,000 (€7,200 - 9,600)

Accompanied by a report from GIA stating that the 2.00 carat diamond is Fancy Brownish Yellow, natural colour, VS2 clarity. Report number 2121391364, dated 29 July 2010.

A pair of unmounted fancy-coloured diamonds. Photo: Bonhams.

Comprising a cushion-shaped fancy pink diamond weighing 0.52 carat and a cushion-shaped fancy intense pink diamond weighing 0.41 carat (2). Estimate£15,000 - 20,000 (€18,000 - 24,000)

Accompanied by a report from GIA stating that the 0.52 carat diamond is Fancy Pink, natural colour, VS2 clarity. Report number 2136197356, dated 19 April 2012.

Accompanied by a report from GIA stating that the 0.41 carat diamond is Fancy Intense Pink, natural colour, SI1 clarity. Report number 1128622706, dated 21 October 2011.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 30 Apr 2014, London, New Bond Street - www.bonhams.com

A wucai brushpot, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period. Photo Sotheby's

Height 6 1/2 in., 16.8 cm

Provenance: Christie’s London, 6th June 2000, lot 357.
A & J Speelman, London, 2001.

Exposition: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Colors of Earth, Kangxi Era Porcelain from the Stamen Collection, 2002, no. 13.

A continuous scene depicts a scholar as he leans out from his study and gazes up at the moon. The moment of inspiration is echoed in the poetic inscription attributed to the Tang dynasty poet Wang Changling (698-756) renowned for his poems set in the far reaches of the empire.

“Standing on the high tower under the moonlight, I listen to the pure sounds coming from the Southern Mountains
Yesterday, the shadow of Chang’e appeared, and the sound of her subtle laughter was audible”

Signed Xin Yeqiao, with two seals - Wang and Zhu Shi Ju

The use of three dimensional surfaces to convey traditionally two dimensional formats reached new and innovative heights in the Kangxi period. Elaborate figural scenes appear in the Yuan dynasty and again in the Ming but not in conjunction with calligraphy and never with such immediate reference to scroll painting. The multi-layered contrivance of a scholar's scene painted in imitation of the layered greens and blues of a Tang dynasty palette and inscribed with a Tang dynasty poem on the theme of finding a muse in nature, all wrapped around a cylindrical vessel designed for the storage of brushes to create the aforementioned work, appealed intellectually and materially to luxury buyers of the early Qing.

Zhushi ju (Vermillion Rock Retreat) or Mushi ju (Bamboo and Rock Retreat) were favorite studio names of Qing scholars. These can be found on several porcelains of the period, some of them dated and ranging from 1690 to 1712. It is supposed that these were most likely also the names of private kilns; products included underglaze blue and wucai wares. There is a brushpot, with the same mark, dated to the year corresponding to 1709, in the Guimet Museum, from the Grandidier Collection illustrated in The World’s Great Collections, Oriental Ceramics, vol. 7, Tokyo, 1981, no. 36; another brushpot in the Shanghai Art Museum is illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, no. 111, pp. 166-167, and a flowerpot and stand with Mushi ju mark, part of the Salting bequest, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Sotheby's. Embracing Classic Chinese Culture: Kangxi Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, New York | 14 mars 2014 - www.sothebys.com

A diamond, fancy-coloured diamond and emerald ring, by David Morris. Photo: Bonhams.

Of bombé design, pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds, collet-set with an applied flower motif of pear-shaped purplish pink diamond petals and a brilliant-cut diamond stamen, between marquise-cut emerald leaves, to an 18 carat yellow gold band, diamonds approximately 1.35 carats total, maker's mark DM, partial London hallmark, ring size L½. Estimate£5,000 - 7,000 (€6,000 - 8,400)

Accompanied by a report from AnchorCert stating that one of the diamonds weighing 0.10 carat is Fancy Intense Purplish Pink, natural colour, SI2 clarity. Report number 20009780, dated 2 May 2013.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 30 Apr 2014, London, New Bond Street - www.bonhams.com

A wucai bowl, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period. Photo Sotheby's

Fu symbol in underglaze-blue
Diameter 7 1/4 in., 18.4 cm

Provenance: Property from a Private New York Collection.
Sotheby’s New York, 29th November 1994, lot 314.
Berwald Oriental Art, London, 1996

One of a pair, this bowl is painted with figures seated in an idyllic landscape on one side and inscribed on the other. The inscription is a portion of a poem by the famous Tang dynasty poet Li Bai entitled Zou Bi Zeng Du Gu Fu Ma (A Quick Note to Officer Du Gu), which may be translated as:

As a minister I awaited orders from the Son of Heaven,
Having received numerous honors.
I put my entire heart into my duties,
Due to court intrigue I retired from my position.

Signed Hui An, with three painted seals, one in the shape of a leaf, one circular and one square.

Li Bai, addressing the son in law of the emperor, laments his departure from bureaucratic office. Corruption and the machinations of bureacracy have compelled him to retire. The painted vignette of scholars conversing by a riverbank alludes to the next, quieter and more contemplative phase of the poet's life.

A luxury object and memento, this bowl carries a great significance. While illustrating the lines of a poem, the imagery has a broader appeal as well. The inviting scene of scholars seated in quiet conversation may be read as either inspirational or literal; either a peaceful state of mind or a well-deserved rest after years of toil. Officials in service of the emperor were frequently relocated in order to ensure that power remained with the central government in Beijing. As such, parting and relocation were unavoidable facets of bureaucratic life.

A similar bowl with the same fu mark on the base but of a more flared form is illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, no. 106.

Sotheby's. Embracing Classic Chinese Culture: Kangxi Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, New York | 14 mars 2014 - www.sothebys.com

A ruby and diamond cluster ring. Photo: Bonhams.

The oval-cut ruby, weighing 6.17 carats, within a brilliant-cut diamond surround, diamonds approximately 2.40 carats total, ring size N. Estimate£12,000 - 15,000 (€14,000 - 18,000)

Accompanied by a report from The Gem & Pearl Laboratory stating that the ruby is of Burmese origin, with no evidence of heat treatment. Report number 05398, dated 23 March 2012.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 30 Apr 2014, London, New Bond Street - www.bonhams.com

A pair of wucaimeiping, Kangxi period and dated to the Xinsi year corresponding to 1701.. Photo Sotheby's

Height 12 in., 30.5 cm

Provenance: Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York.
Collection of Mrs. Colis P. Huntington.
Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York.
Collection of David A. Berg, New York.
Christie’s New York, 21st September 2000, lot 328.
S. Marchant & Son, London 2002.

Litterature: Gorer and Blacker, Chinese Porcelain and Hard Stones, London 1911, vol. I, pl. 118.

The vases each depict departure scenes of a provincial governor. It is unclear whether the official is retiring or has been promoted but protocol is paramount. In one scene two foreign bearded dignitaries present the governor with a jue cup of wine and a pair of new boots to take with him as he moves on. He will leave behind the old pair symbolizing his enduring affection for the local people. The pair to the vase is painted with a scene of the governor kneeling before an official who reads an imperial edict, as if in the presence of the emperor himself. The base of each vase is inscribed with a rare dated mark Xinsi Nian Zhi.

Scholar officials moved frequently from post to post. The temporary nature of their positions would prevent them from creating strong local ties that might become a threat to imperial authority. The civil service system was highly structured and hierarchical from the lowest offices in distant regions of the empire to the pinnacle of the power base in Beijing in proximity to the Emperor.

A vase with the same subject matter from the Ionides Collection was sold at Sotheby’s London, 14th July 1964. Sotheby's would like to thank Yibin Ni for his help in identifying the subject.

Sotheby's. Embracing Classic Chinese Culture: Kangxi Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, New York | 14 mars 2014 - www.sothebys.com

A ruby 'Smartie Poison' ring, by Solange Azagury-Partridge, 2007. Photo: Bonhams.

The pavé-set circular-cut ruby hinged cover opening to reveal a small compartment, mounted in blackened platinum, maker's mark S-AP, London hallmark, one ruby deficient, ring size K, maker's case. Estimate£4,000 - 6,000 (€4,800 - 7,200)

The ring was commissioned by the present owner in platinum; other 'Smartie Poison' models were made in blackened gold.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 30 Apr 2014, London, New Bond Street - www.bonhams.com

Platinum and diamond ring, Nardi. Photo Sotheby's

Set with a modified square-cut diamond weighing 6.43 carats, the mounting accented by round diamonds weighing .75 carat, size 6, signed Nardi. Estimation 100,000 — 150,000 USD

Accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from Nardi.

Litterature: Illustrated in Nardi, Venezia by Nicholas Foulkes, page 158.

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

Two-color gold, diamond and colored stone brooch, Nardi. Photo Sotheby's

Designed as a snake charmer composed of carved ebony, the snake set with round and oval-shaped emeralds, with two cabochon ruby eyes, further accented by round diamonds weighing approximately 5.00 carats, signed Nardi. Estimation 18,000 — 22,000 USD

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

18 karat white gold, platinum, sapphire and diamond bracelet, Aletto Brothers. Photo Sotheby's

The flexible band set with numerous round sapphires weighing approximately 68.00 carats, bordered by round diamonds weighing approximately 8.90 carats, length 6½ inches, signed Aletto Bros., numbered 12314. Estimation 45,000 — 65,000 USD

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

Pair of 18 karat white gold, sapphire, white topaz and diamond earclips, Aletto Brothers. Photo Sotheby's

The cluster-form earclips set with 20 oval-shaped sapphires weighing approximately 18.00 carats, accented by round diamonds weighing approximately 1.20 carats, further set with 20 white topaz rondelles, signed Aletto Bros. Estimation 12,000 — 15,000 USD

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

Platinum, invisibly-set ruby and diamond bracelet, Aletto Brothers. Photo Sotheby's

The flexible band set with numerous calibré-cut invisibly-set rubies weighing approximately 40.00 carats, bordered by round diamonds weighing approximately 5.60 carats, length 7 inches, signed Aletto Bros., numbered 12914. Estimation 45,000 — 65,000 USD

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

Pair of 18 karat gold, ruby and diamond earclips, Aletto Brothers. Photo Sotheby's

Of foliate design, set with 12 cabochon rubies weighing approximately 35.00 carats, accented by round diamonds weighing approximately 1.55 carats, signed Aletto Bros., numbered 110313. Estimation 12,000 — 15,000 USD

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

18 karat gold, platinum and diamond bracelet, Aletto Brothers. Photo Sotheby's

The flexible band set with numerous round diamonds weighing approximately 15.05 carats, gross weight approximately 89 dwts, length 7 inches, signed Aletto Bros.
Estimation 40,000 — 60,000 USD

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

A Cizhou painted baluster vase, Ming Dynasty. Photo: Bonhams.

The rounded body painted in black on the white slip ground with three lozenge-shaped panels, one with an elaborately-armoured horseman galloping through a rocky landscape carrying a spear, another with two male figures, one carrying a child on his back, discovering another child tied to a tree, and the last with a deer prancing freely over a hare, all surrounded by tightly packed spirals, and enclosed with decorative bands of larger spirals and tendrils at the shoulder and above the foot. 28cm (11in) high. Estimate£3,000 - 5,000 (€3,600 - 6,000)

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street, 15 May 2014 - www.bonhams.com

An archaistic white-glazed tripod incense burner, ding. Chenghua seal mark, 17th century. Photo: Bonhams.

The bulbous body moulded and incised with four taotie masks above archaistic motifs and beneath keyfret scrolls at the rim, the two handles each modelled as an animal head, all raised on three slender slightly splayed legs issuing from animal heads each moulded with chilong above a yinyang symbol and archaistic scrolls, the underside with an incised Chenghua seal mark. 28.9cm (11 3/8in) high. Estimate£4,000 - 6,000 (€4,800 - 7,200)

Provenance: Mallié& Co., Paris (label)

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street, 15 May 2014 - www.bonhams.com

A blanc-de-chine figure of Guandi, 17th century. Photo: Bonhams.

The figure finely modelled wearing a cloth cap tied in a simple knot over the head with two trailing ribbons, the face with steeply-slanting eyes beneath frowning brows and the mouth surrounded by holes for a moustache and beard, the hands clasped across the rounded belly and concealed beneath long flowing sleeves, the figure standing on an integral base deeply incised, all covered in a rich creamy glaze. 46cm (18 1/8in) high. Estimate£10,000 - 15,000 (€12,000 - 18,000)

This blanc-de-chine statue depicts the real historical figure of General Guan Yu (also known as Guandi and Guangong; died 219) who became glorified in the Ming Dynasty historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, attributed to Luo Guanzhong. The historical novel narrates the battles and political manoeuvres of the civil war between three kingdoms at the end of the Han Dynasty. In the novel, Guan Yu's deeds and moral qualities were lionised and he was hailed as a hero and protector of the people. His deification however began long before this famous piece of literature was published.

It was during the mid to late Ming period especially however, that the worship revolving around military heroes, such as Guan Yu, strengthened. This cult of Guan Yu was due in part to the Tumu crisis of 1449, when the Ming Emperor Zhengtong went on a haphazard military campaign against the Mongols, and was humiliatingly taken hostage. As such, whenever this otherwise civilian orientated society was under threat from foreign invasion, military heroes were resuscitated. By the late Ming period, many temples and shrines in dedication to Guan Yu sprang up.

A very similar blanc-de-chine figure of Guandi, the God of war, is in the British Museum. See J.Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p.512.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street, 15 May 2014 - www.bonhams.com

A clair-de-lune carved archaistic bottle vase, 18th-19th century. Photo Bonhams

The rounded body carved with a central band with four pairs of stylised phoenix issuing from archaistic squared scrolls between two narrow bands of incised key-fret, the straight neck with stiff upward-pointing lappets and stylised taotie masks at the mouth, the exterior all covered with a delicate pale blue glaze pooling at the recesses and reaching into the interior of the neck, 41.8cm (16 1/2in) high. Estimate£10,000 - 15,000 (€12,000 - 18,000)

Provenance: a Swiss private collection

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street, 15 May 2014 - www.bonhams.com