A rare famille rose'hundred boys' vase and cover, Iron-red Qianlong seal mark and of the period. Sold for £57,500 (€79,656).  Photo Bonhams.

Exquisitely enamelled in delicate shades on the ovoid body with a lively continuous scene of boys celebrating a festival variously dressed as Buddhist lions playing with a brocade ball, playing drums and trumpets, and holding aloft models of a five-clawed dragon, phoenix and various fish, crabs, shrimp and goats, and lanterns illuminating boys enjoying a mock duel, all amongst a rolling landscape of pines and mountains by a river, the foot and neck with lotus blossoms on foliate scrolls, the cover with similar lotus amidst scrolls and blue, yellow, turquoise and pink key-fret. 35.5cm (14in) high (2).

Provenance: an English private collection

Notes: The animated composition filling the entire body of the vase emphasises the joyous, festive atmosphere as the continuous scene of boys absorbed in their energetic play processes in exquisitely enamelled detail. The theme of a 'hundred boys' was very popular in the Qing dynasty, representing the desire for many sons to continue the family line and ensure prosperity and stability. 

Related famille rose porcelain vases with Qianlong seal marks and of the period, and scenes of boys at play in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, are illustrated in Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Shanghai, 2009, no.121, and nos.128 and 132 from the Qing Court Collection. 

Compare also a closely related pair of vases, Qianlong seal marks and of the period, but with a slightly more bulbous shape, sold at Christie's London, 15 May 2012, lot 328.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, 14 May 2015 10:00 BST -  LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A famille rose turquoise-ground vase, Jiaqing seal mark and of the period. Sold for £25,000 (€34,633). Photo Bonhams.

The cylindrical body vividly enamelled in pink, yellow, blue and green tones with eight large lotus flower heads borne on meandering leafy tendrils, alternated with descending bats holding leafy sprays of gourds and reserved on a bright turquoise ground, all above lappets to the foot and a band of ruyi-heads to the sloping shoulder, rising to a short neck decorated with small flower heads on a dense ground of scrolling foliage, the interior and underside glazed turquoise.23.4cm (9 1/4in) high

Notes: Compare with a related vase, Jiajing seal mark and of the period, from the Qing Court Collection, of similar form decorated with lotus scrolls and dragons on a green ground and with ruyi handles, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, no.173.

A related pair of vases, Jiaqing iron-red seal marks and of the period, was sold at Christie's London, 5 November 2013, lot 473.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, 14 May 2015 10:00 BST -  LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

Anish Kapoor, 'Blood Mirror', 2000 (detail). Stainless steel and lacquer, 78 in. diameter. Photo courtesy Heather James Fine Art

PALM DESERT, CA.- Heather James Fine Art is offering an important sculpture by Anish Kapoor, one of the world’s most influential contemporary artists. At 78 inches in diameter, the stainless steel and lacquer Blood Mirror consumes its space and everything around it. It captivates and resonates with viewers, who seldom resist engaging with the art. 

Anish Kapoor, 'Blood Mirror', 2000. Stainless steel and lacquer, 78 in. diameter. Photo courtesy Heather James Fine Art

Kapoor’s work typically manifests in simple, curved forms, usually monochromatic and richly colored to draw the viewer through extraordinary scale and surface. The round, concave, and highly reflective Blood Mirror has a powerful presence, both physically and psychologically. From a distance, it appears to be a void that tempts viewers to look closely as it reflects and distorts everything in front and to the sides of it. Up close, the surface seems to switch from concave to convex, which creates an unsettling tension as it challenges the viewer’s perception. The sculpture’s sonar effect also surprises, as it amplifies and projects the viewer’s voice to other areas in the room. 

Anish Kapoor, 'Blood Mirror', 2000. Stainless steel and lacquer, 78 in. diameter. Photo courtesy Heather James Fine Art

Born in Bombay, India, and living and working in London, Kapoor has gained worldwide acclaim for creating a vocabulary in raw pigments (he uses colors as symbols) and geometric and biomorphic forms. His monumental public and private pieces explore space, structure, and perception in an abstract fashion that he insists teeters on representation. His work touches myriad metaphysical polarities, such as presence and absence, inward and outward, visible and invisible, light and dark. The viewer’s presence activates these relationships.  

Anish Kapoor, 'Blood Mirror', 2000. Stainless steel and lacquer, 78 in. diameter. Photo courtesy Heather James Fine Art

The Turner Prize-winning Kapoor — who has exhibited at the Venice Biennale, Shanghai Biennale, Lyon Biennale, and Documenta IX — became known in the United States for his monumental Cloud Gate installation in Chicago’s Millennium Park. He has also created large-scale works for the Tate Modern in London and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, United Kingdom. His solo exhibitions include he Tate Gallery and Hayward Gallery in London, Kunsthalle Basel, Haus der Kunst Munich, Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, Reina Sofia in Madrid, MAK Vienna, Sakip Sabanci Museum in Istanbul, and Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin, In 2008, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston exhibited Kapoor’s first U.S. survey. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2003 and a Knighthood in 2013 for services to visual arts.  

Anish Kapoor, 'Blood Mirror', 2000. Stainless steel and lacquer, 78 in. diameter. Photo courtesy Heather James Fine Art

Heather James Fine Art offers a rare look into art history’s past and present, featuring a wide breadth of genres, including cultural art and antiquities, American and Latin American masters, European masters, Impressionist and Modern, postwar and contemporary, and photography. The gallery showcases blue-chip and cutting-edge contemporary art while maintaining the integrity of antiquity and classical masterpieces.  

Heather James Fine Art has two galleries, one in Palm Desert, California, and the other in Jackson, Wyoming. For more information about the gallery and upcoming exhibitions, visit www.heatherjames.com or contact the Palm Desert Gallery at 760-346-8926.

Anish Kapoor, 'Blood Mirror', 2000 (detail). Stainless steel and lacquer, 78 in. diameter. Photo courtesy Heather James Fine Art

Tabular Wulfenite on matrix, Rowley Mine, Arizona

Via mineralists.tumblr.com

Chalcopyrite, Pedro Claim, Goldmyer Hot Springs, King Co., Washington, USA

Via mineralists.tumblr.com

Spessartine Garnets on Smoky Quartz, Fujian Province, China.

Via mineralists.tumblr.com

 Alexandre-Isidore Leroy De Barde (1777-1828), Vases grecs et étrusques. 

Alexandre-Isidore Leroy De Barde (1777-1828), Nature morte aux oiseaux exotiques, au centre : un hibou, autour divers oiseaux.

Alexandre-Isidore Leroy de Barde (1777-1828), Nature morte aux oiseaux exotiques, vers 1810, gouache et aquarelle.

Alexandre-Isidore Leroy de Barde (1777-1828), Selection of Shells Arranged on Shelves (Choix de coquillages), first half of 19th century. Watercolour and gouache on heavy paper, 125 x 90 cm (49.2 x 35.4 in). Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Alexandre-Isidore Leroy de Barde (1777-1828), Crystallised Minerals. Watercolour and gouache on heavy paper, 126 x 80 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris.

A superb 9.07 carats rectangular-shaped fancy intense pink Type IIa diamond and diamond ring. Estimate HK$95,000,000 – HK$120,000,000 (US$12,000,000-15,000,000). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

Set with a rectangular-shaped fancy intense pink diamond weighing approximately 9.07 carats, flanked by triangular-shaped diamonds, mounted in platinum and 18k rose gold, ring size 5¼. Mounted by Harry Winston 

Accompanied by report no. 12290465 dated 3 December 2014 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the 9.07 carat diamond is fancy intense pink, natural colour, internally flawless clarity

Also accompanied by a supplemental letter from the Gemological Institute of America stating the 9.07 carat diamond has been determined to be type IIa. Type IIa diamonds are the most chemically pure type of diamond and often have exceptional optical transparency. Type IIa diamonds were first identified as originating from India (particularly from the Golconda region) but have since been recovered in all major diamond-producing regions of the world. Among famous gem diamonds, the 530.20 carat Cullinan I and the 105.60 carat Koh-i-noor, are examples of Type IIa

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong

A highly important 10.32 carats pear-shaped fancy pink diamond and diamond ring. Estimate HK$30,600,000 – HK$50,000,000 (($4,000,000-6,400,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

et with a pear-shaped fancy pink diamond weighing 10.32 carats, flanked by pear-shaped diamonds, mounted in 18k white and rose gold, ring size 5¾

Accompanied by report no. 2155088099 dated 20 November 2012 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the 10.32 carat diamond is fancy pink, natural colour, SI1 clarity

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong

An exceptional 5.02 carats rectangular-shaped fancy intense green diamond ring, by Moussaieff. Estimate HK$20,000,000 – HK$30,000,000 ($2,500,000-3,500,000). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

et with a rectangular-shaped fancy intense green diamond weighing approximately 5.02 carats, flanked by pear-shaped pink diamonds, to the brilliant-cut pink diamond gallery and three quarter-hoop, mounted in platinum, ring size 5¾, in black suede Moussaieff case. Signed Moussaieff

ccompanied by report no. 5141453020 dated 2 March 2012 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the 5.02 carat diamond is fancy intense green, natural colour, SI1 clarity 

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong

A rare 3.00 carats pear-shaped fancy intense blue diamond ring, by Moussaieff. Estimate HK$17,500,000 – HK$28,000,000 ($2,200,000-3,500,000). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

Set with a pear-shaped fancy intense blue diamond weighing approximately 3.00 carats, within a brilliant-cut pink diamond frame and heart-shaped pink diamond surround, to the brilliant-cut pink diamond three quarter-hoop, mounted in 18k rose gold, ring size 5½ , in black suede Moussaieff case. Signed Moussaieff 

Accompanied by report no. 2165766737 dated 21 January 2015 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the 3.00 carat diamond is fancy intense blue, natural colour, internally flawless clarity

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong

An important 15.15 carats rectangular-shaped Type IIa diamond ring, by Graff. Estimate HK$14,000,000 – HK$18,000,000 ($2,200,000-3,500,000). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

et with a rectangular-shaped diamond weighing approximately 15.15 carats, flanked by tapered baguette-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum, ring size 8½. Signed Graff 

Accompanied by report no. 10312408 dated 31 March 2014 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the 15.15 carat diamond is D colour, internally flawless clarity

Also accompanied by a supplemental letter from the Gemological Institute of America stating the 15.15 carat diamond has been determined to be type IIa. Type IIa diamonds are the most chemically pure type of diamond and often have exceptional optical transparency. Type IIa diamonds were first identified as originating from India (particularly from the Golconda region) but have since been recovered in all major diamond-producing regions of the world. Among famous gem diamonds, the 530.20 carat Cullinan I and the 105.60 carat Koh-i-noor, are examples of Type IIa

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong

The largest no oil  38.51 carats Colombian emerald ever auctioned and diamond bangle, by Etcetera. Estimate HK$12,000,000 – HK$18,000,000 ($1,500,000-2,300,000). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

The octagonal-shaped emerald weighing approximately 38.51 carats, to the brilliant-cut diamond prongs and gallery, extending to the hoop designed as a line of marquise-cut diamonds, six marquise-cut diamonds weighing from approximately 1.54 to 1.00 carats, mounted in 18k white gold, inner circumference 14.6 cm, in brown Etcetera pouch. With maker's mark for Etcetera 

Accompanied by report no. 74104 dated 3 April 2014 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the 38.51 carat emerald is of Colombia origin, with no indications of clarity modification; also accompanied by an appendix stating that the natural emerald possesses exceptional characteristics and merits special mention and appreciation. The emerald exhibits an impressive size and weight, combined with an attractive saturated colour and a very fine purity, rarely encountered in Colombian emeralds of this size. The few inclusions found by microscopic examination represent the hallmarks of Colombian emeralds from the famous mining areas Muzo, Coscuez, and Chivor, all located in the green foothills of the Cordillera Oriental in the Colombian Andes. Its attractive and saturated green colour is due to a combination of well-balanced trace elements in the stone, typical and characteristic for the finest emeralds of Colombia. The fact that this emerald shows no indications of clarity modification is a further sign of rarity. A natural emerald from Colombia of this size and quality is very rare and exceptional and thus can be considered a true treasure of nature

Also accompanied by report no. 11115063 dated 7 November 2011 from the Gübelin Gemmological Laboratory stating that the 38.50 carat emerald is of Colombia origin, with no indications of clarity enhancement

Also accompanied by report no. CS 47413 dated 8 December 2011 from the American Gemological Laboratories stating that based on available gemological information, it is the opinion of the Laboratory that the emerald weighing 38.51 carat is natural, the origin of this material would be classified as Classic Colombia, clarity enhancement: none

Six reports dated from 9 December 2010 to 27 October 2014 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the marquise-cut diamonds weighing from 1.54 to 1.00 carat range from F to H colour, VVS1 to SI1 clarity

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong

A spinel, diamond and coloured diamond bangle-brooch, by Etcetera. Estimate HK$150,000 – HK$250,000 ($20,000-30,000). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

Designed as a cluster of cabochon spinel floral buds with briolette diamond pistils, accented by brilliant-cut yellow diamonds and spinel beads (illustrated as a bangle), mounted in 18k gold (with brooch and bangle fittings), 8.1 x 8.1 cm, bangle inner circumference 14.2 cm. With maker's mark for Etcetera 

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong

A blue silk gauze dragon robe, China, 19th century. Estimate CHF 8 000/ 12 000 (€ 7 620 / 11 430).  Photo Koller Auctions.

Length 132 cm.

Swiss private collection. Purchased at Teresa Coleman's, H.K. in 2001.  

KOLLER. Asian Art (Himayalas and China): Sale A173AS, 02 June 2015 10:00

A blue-ground gold-thread silk dragon robe, China, 19th century. Estimate CHF 6 000/ 9 000 (€ 5 710 / 8 570).  Photo Koller Auctions.

length circa 135 cm. 

KOLLER. Asian Art (Himayalas and China): Sale A173AS, 02 June 2015 10:00

A purple silk winter nine-dragon robe with gold-thread embroidery, China, late Qing dynasty.  Estimate CHF 4 000/ 6 000 (€ 3 810 / 5 710).  Photo Koller Auctions.

length 140 cm. 

KOLLER. Asian Art (Himayalas and China): Sale A173AS, 02 June 2015 10:00

A blue-ground silk brocade nine-dragon robe, China, late Qing dynasty. Estimate CHF 800 / 1 200 (€ 760 / 1 140).  Photo Koller Auctions.

length 131 cm. 

KOLLER. Asian Art (Himayalas and China): Sale A173AS, 02 June 2015 10:00

A highly important jadeite, ruby and diamond pendant necklace. Estimate HK$28,000,000 – HK$38,000,000 ($3,500,000-4,800,000). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

Suspending a thick high-domed jadeite cabochon of vivid emerald green colour and high translucency, surmounted by a cabochon ruby and a brilliant-cut diamond spacer, to the length adjustable black cord, mounted in 18k white gold,cabochon approximately 26.1 x 21.3 x 14.5 mm, 63.5 cm long

Accompanied by report no. KJ89238 dated 9 February 2015 from Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory stating that the cabochon is natural jadeite and no polymer is detected

Notes: Old mine jadeite represents the rarest and highest quality of all jade and is one of the most sought-after treasures of nature. Formed in a low-temperature and high-pressure environment, jadeite roughs are washed into the river bed from the deposits. After years of weathering and erosion by water, the precious old mine jadeite is finally formed, characterised by its extraordinarily fine texture, high transparency and pure colour.

This jadeite cabochon showcases the unique beauty of old mine jadeite with its delicate and clear texture, pure and even colour, full and graceful form, and outstanding translucency. Only a jadeite rough with a fine, consistent and crack-free structure that allows a perfect reflection of light can be polished into such an exceptional piece. The cabochon exhibits an evenly distributed colour that turns darker or more vivid under different lights. The cabochon measures 26mm in length and over 14mm in height. Its perfect proportion is proof that it was discovered and cut in the old days when quality and beauty was preferred over profitability. The slightly bulging back further highlights the glass-like translucency and lustre of the cabochon.

Prolonged overexploitation has resulted in a dramatic decline in the supply of old mine jadeite, yet the demand remains strong. An old mine jadeite of such size and quality is extremely rare.

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong

An important jadeite bangle. Estimate HK$12,000,000 – HK$18,000,000 ($1,500,000-2,300,000). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015.

The thick semi-cylindrical jadeite bangle of vivid emerald green colour on light green ground and high translucency,inner diameter approximately 56.0 mm, width approximately 18.1 mm, thickness approximately 8.3 mm

Accompanied by report no. KH7461 dated 15 August 2014 from Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory stating that the bangle is natural jadeite and no polymer is detected

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 2 June 2015, Hong Kong