Lot 21, An extremely rare turquoise-glazed anhua dish, Mark and period of Xuande. Estimate 2,500,000 — 3,000,000 HKD (292,358 - 350,829 EUR). Photo Sotheby's

delicately potted with a short tapering foot rising to rounded sides and a gently flaring rim, the interior decorated in anhua (‘hidden decoration’) technique with two dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls, the centre faintly engraved with a cluster of three lingzhi-shaped cloud scrolls, all further dressed in an unctuous white glaze, the exterior covered with a brilliant turquoise glaze applied to the biscuit, the footrim burnt yellow around the unglazed edge, the white-glazed base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double circle - 14.9 cm, 5 7/8  in.

Provenance: Collection of H.R.N. Norton (d. 1961/62), until 1924. 
Bluett & Sons Ltd, London, 1927 (£2:10).
Collection of F. Howard Paget (1866-1945), from 1927 to 1945 (£4:10). 
Bluett & Sons Ltd, London, 1945. 
Collection of H.R.N. Norton (d. 1961/62) from 1946 (£20). 
Sotheby's London, 26th March 1963, lot 58 (£380). 
Bluett & Sons Ltd, London, 1963 (£380).
Collection of Roger Pilkington (1928-69), from 1963 (£380).

Bibliography: Edgar E. Bluett, Ming and Ch'ing Porcelains, London, 1933, pl. XIII, no. 34. 

Note: Porcelains with bright monochrome glazes are among the rarest products of the imperial kilns, not only of the Xuande reign (1426-35), but throughout the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. A turquoise glaze had in China already been used in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), but only on fairly coarse ‘Cizhou’ stonewares. It represented a complete new-orientation for the potters in the early Ming period, as it had to be applied on the biscuit and fired on in a second, lower-temperature firing. White porcelain dishes of this type, with anhua dragon designs on the inside, are also known with copper-red and cobalt-blue glazes on the outside, glazes that could be applied at the same time as the transparent glaze, as they matured at similar high temperatures as the porcelain itself. For the present dish, however, only the inside and base were applied with a translucent glaze before the piece was fired, the outside specially left free to remain in the biscuit which was then covered with a turquoise glaze and the dish re-fired. Great care had to be taken that the biscuit did not discolour in the firing, but remained pure white.

Although many experiments with lower-firing glazes applied on the biscuit had already been made at the imperial kilns in the Yongle period (1403-24), turquoise seems to have been introduced only in the Xuande reign. Only seven turquoise-glazed porcelains of Xuande mark and period appear to be recorded, apart from fragmentary examples excavated from the Xuande stratum of the Ming imperial kiln site in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Only one unmarked turquoise piece appears to be preserved of the early Ming period, an incense burner also attributed to the Xuande reign, in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, included in the Museum’s Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 25.

The seven Xuande-marked turquoise porcelains are all dishes, of several different sizes and with different reign marks, illustrating that these turquoise-glazed pieces never entered the standard production at the imperial kilns, but were individually conceived: three turquoise-glazed dishes are in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, two in the British Museum, London, and only two others have ever appeared at auction.

A slightly larger dish of this form, glaze colour, design and reign mark in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, was included in the Museum’s Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 163; and again in the exhibition Ming Xuande ciqi tezhan, Taipei, 1980, cat. no. 103, together with another with incised Xuande mark, cat. no. 102. The third turquoise-glazed Xuande dish in Taipei, with anhua floral design instead of dragons on the inside, is listed in the inventory of the porcelain collection in the National Palace Museum, Gugong ciqi lu [Record of porcelains from the Old Palace], Taichung, 1961-6, vol. 2, part 1, p. 83.

Two other slightly larger dishes of this type are in the British Museum, one, bequeathed by Harry Oppenheim, is illustrated in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics, London, 2001, p. 142, pl. 4:45, the other from the collection of Sir Percival David is illustrated in Regina Krahl and Jessica Harrison-Hall, Chinese Ceramics. Highlights from the Sir Percival David Collection, London, 2009, pl. 33.

The only companion dish to the present piece, of the same size, decoration and reign mark, from the collection of H.F. Parfitt and later the British Rail Pension Fund, illustrated in Adrian M. Joseph, Ming Porcelains. Their Origins and Development, London, 1971, pl. 97, in Sotheby’s Hong Kong – Twenty Years, 1973-1993, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 146, and in Sotheby’s: Thirty Years in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2003, pl. 121, was sold three times in our London rooms, 1946, 1968 and 1973, and then three times in these rooms, 1978, 1989 and 25th April 2004, lot 286, whereby its price climbed from £ 150 to HK $ 12,382,400. Another larger turquoise-glazed dish from the collection of R.H.R. Palmer, included in the exhibition The Arts of the Ming Dynasty, The Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1957, cat. no. 108, was sold in our London rooms, 1st/2nd April 1974, lot 240 and in these rooms, 29th November 1977, lot 55.

Although so few turquoise-glazed imperial porcelains are preserved from the Xuande period, the excavation of the waste heaps of the Ming imperial kiln site has yielded many failed and deliberately destroyed and buried vessels glazed in turquoise, including two dishes, a flared bowl, flared cup, a bell-shaped bowl and a stem bowl, as well as pieces with a turquoise glaze covering a cobalt-blue design, see Jingdezhen chutu Mingdai yuyao ciqi [Porcelains from the Ming imperial kilns excavated at Jingdezhen], Beijing, 2009, pls. 069 – 074, and the exhibition catalogue Jingdezhen chutu Yuan Ming guanyao ciqi/Yuan’s and Ming’s Imperial Porcelain Unearthed from Jingdezhen, Yan-Huang Art Museum, Beijing, 1999, cat. nos. 268-73, with a dish similar to the present piece in shape and size, but apparently without anhua, illustrated as pl. 073 in the former publication.

Turquoise-glazed imperial porcelains remained rare throughout the Ming and Qing periods. In the Chenghua reign (1465-87), a turquoise glaze appears to have been used only in combination with cobalt blue, as on a box and cover in the British Museum, illustrated in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics, London, 2001, pl. 6: 17; a rare monochrome turquoise-glazed bowl of Zhengde mark and period (1506-21) in the Palace Museum, Beijing, from the Qing court collection is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 144; an equally rare bowl of Jiajing mark and period (1522-66) with incised phoenix under the turquoise glaze, now at Ascott House, Buckinghamshire, England, is illustrated in Regina Krahl, The Anthony de Rothschild Collection of Chinese Ceramics, n.p., 1996, vol. 1, pl. 66.

The present dish comes from two famous collections, that of F. Howard Paget (1886-1945), who also owned the Chenghua ‘Palace Bowl’, and of H.R.N. Norton (d. 1961/2), who owned several pieces in the Pilkington collection, including the Yongle ‘Holy Water’ vessel. For biographical notes on the two collectors see lots 25 and 15, respectively.

Sotheby's. The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 2850, A 'dreamstone' marble panel within a zitan screen, Late Ming–Early Qing dynasty. Estimate 800,000 — 1,000,000 HKD (92,636 - 115,795 EUR). Photo Sotheby's

the grey-veined white marble panel figured with an ethereal mountainous landscape scene with cavernous valleys beneath wispy cloud swirls on one side, the reverse with rather subtle light variegated grey inclusions, set within a zitan stand with a panel reticulated with three cartouches, above a beaded-edged cusped apron between stylised scroll feet - screen 57.8 cm, 22 3/4  in. - overall 60.9 cm, 24 in.

Sotheby's Literati / Curiosity II, Hong Kong, 05 Apr 2016, 10:15 AM

Lot 2773, Zhang Daqian (Chang Dai-chien, 1899-1983), Boating in the evening glow, signed YUAN WENG, dated 1973, and with one seal of the artist. Titled by the artist at the back of the painting, splashed colour on gold cardboard, framed, 38.7 by 51.6 cm 15 ¼ by 20 ¼ in. Estimate 1,500,000 — 2,000,000 HKD (175,415 - 233,886 EUR). Photo Sotheby's

Provenance: Previously in the collection of Li Deying
Sotheby's Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Paintings, May 1994, Lot 1045

Sotheby's. Chinese Paintings & Calligraphy from the Yong Li Studio, Hong Kong, 04 Apr 2016, 06:45 PM

Lot 103, A huanghuali low-back continuous yoke-back armchair, Late Ming dynasty. Estimate 1,800,000 — 2,800,000 HKD (211,850 - 329,544 EUR). Photo Sotheby's

the highly curved round-cornered top-rail pipe-joined to the stiles, the stiles continuing through the seat frame to become the back legs, the elongated round-cornered 'S'-shaped arms mitred, mortised and tennoned to the stiles and pipe-joined to the posts, similarly continuing through the seat to become the front legs, a pair of tapering 'S'-shaped circular supports fitted into sockets in the seat frame and the underside of the arms, the back splat with two beaded-edged stretchers mortised and tennoned to the underside of the top rail and the back rail of the seat frame, further divided into three sections with a pair of horizontal beaded-edged mitred stretchers, the top inset with a panel reticulated with a foliate design, above a central burlwood panel and a cusped leaf-shaped apron below the lower stretcher, the seat frame of standard mitre, mortise and tenon construction with the edge slightly curving and tenons exposed on the short rails, a plain apron with mitred spandrels butt-joined to the the underside and tongue-and-grooved to the legs beneath the seat, the sides and back with similar aprons, the legs joined in front by a shaped footrest above an apron, each side with a pair of oval stretchers flattened on the underside, the back with a similar single stretcher - 93 by 56.3 by 45.3 cm, 36 5/8  by 22 1/8  by 17 3/4  in.

Provenance: Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong.
Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Renaissance, California.
Christie’s New York, 19th September 1996, lot 36.

Literature: Wang Shixiang and Curtis Evarts, Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Chicago and San Francisco, 1995, pp. 68–69.

Note: This huanghuali chair with flowing lines, a highly curved top rail and back splat is elegant as well as comfortable. The back splat of three sections with an inset panel of floral motif echoes that of the leaf-shaped apron below, while the centre is a well-figured burl panel. Although this type of section back-splat chairs is often seen in woodblock illustrations of Ming publications, there are few extant examples datable to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Sotheby's. Ming Furniture – An Asian Private Collection, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, 02:00 PM

Lot 3026, A fine and rare yellow jade bowl, Song to Ming dynasty. Estimate 2,000,000 — 2,500,000 HKD (229,196 - 286,495 EUR). Photo Sotheby's

exquisitely worked with steep conical sides supported on a slightly splayed foot, the lustrous warm yellow stone mottled with attractive russet and icy inclusions to the sides and accentuated with a long patch of russet skin bordering the rim, wood stand - 9.7 cm, 3 3/4  in.

Note: Early yellow jade vessels are extremely rare and the value of this boulder is evident in the incorporation of the skin of the precious stone into the overall composition of the bowl to maximise its full usage and minimise wastage. Produced from the Tang dynasty onwards, jade vessels represent the most valuable eating and drinking utensils and were thus used solely by the nobility or the emperor and only during special occasions. The high status associated with such vessels is demonstrated by the 12th century writer Zhou Hui, according to whom the Huizong Emperor (1101-27) commented regarding the use of two jade cups: “I would like to use these at the banquet but am worried people might criticise me for being too extravagant” (translated in Ming Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, p. 35). 

A slightly larger bowl of similar form, attributed to the Song dynasty, from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, is illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 5, Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pl. 70, together with a white jade version, but carved on the interior, pl. 71; another, but with a lipped rim, from the collection of J.C. Thomson and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 274; and two further bowls of circular form, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, are illustrated in Angus Forsyth and Brian McElney,Jades from China, Bath, 1994, pls. 249 and 251. Compare also a bowl with flared sides, unearthed from the Southern Song tomb of Zhu Xiyan and his wife at Chengguan, Xiuning, Anhui province, and illustrated in The Complete Collection of Unearthed Jades in China, Beijing, 2005, vol. 6, pl. 174. 

The form of this bowl, with steeply flared sides and a slightly everted foot rim, appears to have been inspired by contemporary silver and ceramic wares; see for example a silver bowl, unearthed in Pengzhou and now in the Pengzhou Municipal Museum, illustrated in Song Yun, Sichuan jiaocang wenwu ji zuo [Selected relics from the Sichuan hoards], Beijing, 2006, pl. 182; and a qingbai cup, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Qingbai Ware. Chinese Porcelain of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, London, 2002, pl. 39.

Sotheby's. Emperors’ Playthings – a Connoisseur’s Collection, Hong Kong, 06 Apr 2016, 02:20 

Lot 3662, A massive cinnabar lacquer 'dragon' box and cover, Late Ming dynasty. Estimate 6,000,000 — 8,000,000 HKD (710,043 - 946,725 EUR). Photo Sotheby's

of circular form supported on a wide foot, the flat cover superbly carved in relief with a five-clawed en facedragon encircling  a 'flaming pearl', its scaly body writhing amid clouds above turbulent rolling waves against a meticulously carved diaper ground, further encircled on the sides by a band of clouds in the form ofruyi and six lobed panels, each enclosing a ferocious dragon undulating in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', the box similarly decorated with six lobed panels enclosing dragons, the rim decorated with a key-fret border repeated at the foot, the recessed base incised with an apocryphal six-character mark of Xuande - 69 cm., 27 1/8  in.

Provenance: Collection of the Fujii Yurinkan Museum, Kyoto.

Literature: Fujii Zensuke, Yūrin Taikan, vol. 3 (gen), Kyoto, 1942.

Note: The present finely carved lacquer box is striking for its magnificent size; the only example known of such impressive proportions made in the Ming dynasty. It is a tour de force of the genre, a testament to the high level of technical and artistic skills of Ming artisans commissioned by the court to produce a container of unrivalled dimensions and decoration. The design of a five-clawed front-facing scaly dragon on a lacquer box of this period is also unusual, although a lacquer folding chair in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese Lacquer, London, 1979, pl. 82, is carved with a similar dragon on the splat. Interestingly, the chair is also incised with an apocryphal six-character Xuande mark. Derek Clifford in Chinese Carved Lacquer, London, 1992, p. 98, notes on the chair that the 'forward-facing dragon and the tripartite rocks with breaking waves urge a Jiajing date'. The chair may have served as the blueprint for the dragon design on this piece.

Lot 4. A chicken-bone jade cylindrical tube, cong, Western Zhou Dynasty. Estimate HK$ 100,000 - 150,000 (€11,000 - 17,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Of short cylindrical square section, decorated with stylised faces incised with small eyes and protruding large noses on the four angled corners, the opaque stone of chalky white colour with grey specks. 8.9cm (3 1/2in) diam.

Note: Although their exact function and meaning are still unclear, according to the Zhouli (a Han reconstruction of a lost Zhou dynasty text), jade burial practice during the Zhou dynasty included placing a bi disc, a symbol of heaven, on the chest, and a cong, a symbol of Earth, beneath the body. See M.Sullivan, The Arts of China, California, 1999, p.39.

Bonhams. THE SZE YUAN TANG COLLECTION OF CHINESE JADES, 11:00 HKT, HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 150. A rare pair of huanghuali'four-corner’s exposed’ official’s hat armchairs, sichutouguanmaoyi, Ming dynasty, 17th century. Estimate HK$2,800,000 – HK$3,500,000 ($362,668 - $453,335). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The sweeping crest rail supported by the C-shaped splat and elegantly curved back rails which continue through the frame to form the back legs, the attractively shaped arms supported by vertical struts and shaped spandrels, the hard mat seat set within the rectangular frame above plain, beaded aprons and spandrels, the legs joined by stepped stretchers and the footrest above a plain, shaped apron. 41 7/8 in. (106.4 cm.) high, 22 3/4 in. (5.7 cm.) wide, 18 1/8 in. (46 cm.) deep

The Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth

Provenance: The Collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, New York, before 1971

Literature: R. H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Early Ch'ing Dynasties, New York, 1971, p.109, pl. 2 and 2a
A. Juliano, “Robert H. Ellsworth Treasures the East,” Architectural Digest, October 1985, p. 106

Christie's. THE PAVILION SALE - CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 5 April 2016, Hong Kong

Lot 114. A huanghuali square stool, Late Ming dynasty. Estimate HK$480,000 — 700,000 (56,493 - 82,386 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.

the top of standard mitre, mortise, tenon frame construction with exposed tenons on the short sides of the frame top with two transverse braces underneath, resting on beaded-edged legs rounded on the outside and squared on the inside, the legs double-tennoned into the frame top, the similarly beaded-edged, cloud-shaped apron tongue-and-grooved into the legs and butt-joined to the underside of the seat frame, the four hump-back shaped stretchers with ridge mouldings mitred and tennoned into the legs. 49.3 by 57.5 by 57 cm, 19 3/8  by 22 5/8  by 22 3/8  in.

Provenance: Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong.

Bibliography: Grace Wu Bruce, Two Decades of Ming Furniture, Beijing, 2010, p. 161.

Note: This huanghuali square stool is decorated with beautiful cloud-shaped spandrels and fitted with stretchers carved with ridge mouldings below. Standard hoof feet and hump-back stretchers are the most frequently seen features in surviving examples of huanghuali stools; unusual designs like the present example are quite rare.

Compare a very similar piece in the C.F. Bieber collection, illustrated in George N. Kates, Chinese Household Furniture, 1948, reprinted 1962, pl. 91.

Sotheby's. Ming Furniture – An Asian Private Collection, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, 02:00 PM

Lot 297. A Fine Golconda-Type 5.94 Carat Octagonal Step Cut Diamond. Estimate $ 275,000-325,000. © 2016 Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Inc.

measuring approximately 12.94 x 9.26 x 5.72 mm, accompanied by a yellow gold ring setting. 

Accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America diamond grading certificate number 7111040, dated December 7, 2015, stating Weight: 5.94 carats, Color: D, Clarity: Internally Flawless, Polish: Very Good, Symmetry: Good, Fluorescence: None. 

Accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America diamond type analysis letter number 7111040, dated December 7, 2015, stating that the present diamond has been identified as Type IIa. Type IIa diamonds comprise less than 2% of all gem diamonds and are highly prized for their purity due to their lack of nitrogen, the coloring agent which causes a yellow hue in diamonds, and their optical characteristics, often attaining the highest levels of clarity. 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. IMPORTANT JEWELRY, April 3 2016 12:00 PM 1338 West Lake Street

Lot 433, A Fine 5.99 carats Golconda-Type Diamond and Ruby Ring. Estimate $ 250,000-300,000. © 2016 Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Inc.

containing one octagonal step cut diamond weighing approximately 5.99 carats, six baguette cut diamonds weighing approximately 0.67 carat total and square and rectangular mixed cut rubies weighing approximately 0.64 carat total. 11.30 dwts. 

Accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America diamond grading certificate number 2175330514, dated September 29, 2015, stating Weight: 5.99 carats, Color: D, Clarity: VS1 with a comment that this stone is potentially flawless, Polish: Good, Symmetry: Good, Fluorescence: None. 

Accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America diamond type analysis letter number 2175330514, dated September 29, 2015, stating that the present diamond has been identified as Type IIa. Type IIa diamonds comprise less than 2% of all gem diamonds and are highly prized for their purity due to their lack of nitrogen, the coloring agent which causes a yellow hue in diamonds, and their optical characteristics, often attaining the highest levels of clarity. 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. IMPORTANT JEWELRY, April 3 2016 12:00 PM 1338 West Lake Street

Lot 361. A Platinum and 8.00 carats Diamond Ring. Estimate $ 175,000-200,000. © 2016 Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Inc.

containing a squared octagonal step cut diamond weighing approximately 8.00 carats and four tapered baguette cut diamonds weighing approximately 0.56 carat total. Stamp: Plat. 5.50 dwts. 

Accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America diamond grading certificate number 5118373, dated November 14, 2015, stating Weight: 8.00 carats, Color: H, Clarity: VS2, Polish: Good, Symmetry: Good, Fluorescence: None. 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. IMPORTANT JEWELRY, April 3 2016 12:00 PM 1338 West Lake Street

Lot 117, A Guan-type crackle-glazed lobed bowl, Qianlong four-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795). Estimate HK$40,000 – HK$60,000 ($5,181 - $7,771). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The bowl is formed with deep rounded lobed sides, supported on a short straight foot. The glaze is of a creamy bluish-grey tone with irregular crackles. 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm.) diam.

Provenance: Sold at Christie's London, 14 May 2013, lot 250

Christie's. THE PAVILION SALE - CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 5 April 2016, Hong Kong

Lot 118. A fine Guan-type glazed vase, fanghu, Guangxu six-character mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1875-1908). Estimate HK$60,000 – HK$80,000 ($7,771 - $10,362). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The rectangular vase is raised on a short foot and has a pair of lug handles applied to the neck. Each side is moulded with a peach-shaped panel. It is covered overall with a thick lustrous glaze of bluish-grey tone suffused with a broad network of russet crackles. 12 in. (30.6 cm.) high, box

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, May 1994, lot 116
The Estate of William and Jennifer Shaw; sold at Sotheby's New York, 11 September 2012, lot 55

Christie's. THE PAVILION SALE - CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 5 April 2016, Hong Kong

Lot 2847. An archaistic inscribed Duan inkstone with rubbing inkstone: Mark and period of Qianlong, rubbing: dated 1954. Estimate HK$700,000 — 900,000 (81,057 - 104,216 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.

of square section, the duan inkstone masterfully applied with green and russet lacquer in imitation of patinated bronze, each side of the exterior bearing an archaistic animal mask issuing a loop handle between a pair of confronted mythical beasts, all on a scrollwork ground, carved around the edge of the recessed base with verses in clerical script and signed Qianlong yuti, followed by one seal, de chong fu ('Sign of Virtue Within'), the base centred with a square enclosing archaic script characters, yi zisun ('To Benefit Future Generations'), wood base and cover; inkstone 7 by 13 by 13 cm, 2 3/4  by 5 1/8  by 5 1/8  in. 

together with a rubbing of two views of the inkstone

Shiqu Tang Yan ('Tang dynasty stone inkstone'), ink on paper, mounted hanging scroll, dated jiawu, corresponding to 1954, inscribed Shiyu jianshang ('appreciated by Shiyu') and with three seals. Photo Sotheby's.

rubbing 49.5 by 43.6 cm, 19 1/2  by 17 1/8  in. 

Provenance: An old Japanese family collection, Kobe (by repute).

Note: Compare a similar square inkstone made of refined clay, also dated to the Qianlong period, preserved in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, published in Treasures from the Chinese Scholar's Studio, Kyoto, 1992, cat. no. 11.

Qing Gaozong yuzhi shiwen quanji [Anthology of imperial Qianlong poems], yuzhi shi si ji [imperial poems, vol. 4], juan 82, p. 2.

Sotheby's. Literati / Curiosity II, Hong Kong, 05 avr. 2016, 10:15 AM

Lot 128. A blue and white 'Sea Creatures' bowl, Guangxu six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1875-1908). Estimate HK$60,000 – HK$80,000 ($7,771 - $10,362). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The bowl is painted in soft, inky-blue tones on the exterior with an assortment of mythical beasts such as the winged dragon, winged fish, qilin and winged elephant gambolling amongst finely pencilled waves and clouds, all below a keyfret band on the rim; the interior decorated with a medallion enclosing a leaping winged dragon above cresting waves. 8 3/8 in. (21.2 cm.) diam.

Christie's. THE PAVILION SALE - CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 5 April 2016, Hong Kong

Lot59. An Important Belle Époque Platinum, Montana Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet, circa 1910. Estimate: $75,000-100,000. Sold for $81,250 © 2016 Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Inc.

containing seven square step cut Yogo Gulch Montana sapphires, the largest weighing approximately 2.00 carats and the group weighing approximately 10.60 carats total, together with 63 old mine, old European, rose cut and round single cut diamonds weighing approximately 1.40 carats total. Scratch mark: 4476 (partially obscured). 10.20 dwts

Accompanied by a photocopy of an American Gemological Laboratories sapphire identification and origin certificate number CS 37397, dated October 15, 2004, stating Mineral Type: Natural Corundum, Origin: Yogo Gulch, Montana, Enhancement: No gemological evidence of heat, Clarity Enhancement: None. 

Sapphire Characteristics (graded in setting) 
The sapphires exhibit even and minor wear under 10X magnification consisting of minor facet junction abrasions to the table/crown and scattered superficial scratches. 

Stones described starting from clasp tongue side: 
Stone 1 - Measurements: 6.12 x 5.97 x 3.04 mm (approx weight range: 1.07-1.15ct) 
Stone 2 - Measurements: 6.42 x 6.34 x 3.28 mm (approx weight range: 1.20-1.40ct) 
Stone 3 - Measurements: 6.64 x 6.45 x 3.11 mm (approx weight range: 1.20-1.40ct) 
Stone 4 - Measurements: 7.31 x 7.23 x 3.52 mm (approx weight range: 1.92-2.05ct) 
Stone 5 - Measurements: 6.56 x 6.45 x 3.32 mm (approx weight range: 1.28-1.45ct) 
Stone 6 - Measurements: 6.38 x 6.17 x 3.80 mm (approx weight range: 1.35-1.55ct) 
Stone 7 - Measurements: 6.28 x 6.07 x 3.23 mm (approx weight range: 1.12-1.27ct) 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. IMPORTANT JEWELRY, April 3 2016 12:00 PM 1338 West Lake Street

Lot 259. A Platinum and 10.02 carats Diamond Ring. Estimate $ 130,000-160,000. Sold for $137,000 © 2016 Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Inc.

containing one rectangular modified brilliant cut diamond weighing approximately 10.02 carats, the knife edge setting containing 72 round brilliant cut diamonds weighing approximately 0.79 carat total within two separate sections. 7.20 dwts. 

Accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America diamond grading certificate number 12466205, dated February 27, 2003, stating Weight: 10.02 carats, Color: J, Clarity: VS2, Polish: Very Good, Symmetry: Good, Fluorescence: Faint. 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. IMPORTANT JEWELRY, April 3 2016 12:00 PM 1338 West Lake Street

Lot 81. A Fine Graduated Single Strand Natural Pearl Necklace. Estimate $ 20,000-30,000. Sold for: $60,000 © 2016 Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Inc.

consisting of 65 pearls measuring approximately 4.33-8.70 mm in diameter strung knotted with a platinum clasp containing one marquise cut diamond and 20 round single cut diamonds weighing approximately 1.63 carats total. 
Stamp: 65484 (scratch marks L109ZV A26247 A25121 19010 A25030). 

Accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America natural pearl identification certificate number 6173357008, dated October 30, 2015, stating Quantity: 65, Weight: 22.02 grams (gross), Pearl(s): Natural Pearls, Environment: Saltwater, Mollusk: Pinctada Species, Treatments: No indications of treatment, Shape: Near-round, Bodycolor: White, Overtone: Pink. 

The necklace is approximately 16 1/4" long. 

Pearl Characteristics : Shape: near round - Bodycolor: (noted as "White" by GIA) Subtle range of white to very light cream - Luster: Moderately High to High - Blemish: Scattered minor, no cracks or peeling observed - Orient: None to Rose, of weak to strong strength, center pearl shows strongest rose overtones. 

The sizes of the pearls, in order from the female end of the clasp, are as follows: 
4.33 mm, 4.41 mm, 4.46 mm, 4.43 mm, 4.42 mm, 4.35 mm, 4.46 mm, 4.44 mm, 4.46 mm, 4.51 mm, 4.59 mm, 4.74 mm, 4.89 mm, 5.29 mm, 5.25 mm, 5.25 mm, 5.22 mm, 5.56 mm, 5.61 mm, 5.77 mm, 5.72 mm, 5.80 mm, 6.18 mm, 6.44 mm, 6.54 mm, 6.56 mm, 6.67 mm, 6.92 mm, 7.20 mm, 7.46 mm, 7.73 mm, 8.11 mm, 8.71 mm, 8.02 mm, 7.81 mm, 7.45 mm, 7.04 mm, 6.99 mm, 6.63 mm, 6.59 mm, 6.52 mm, 6.06 mm, 6.48 mm, 5.80 mm, 5.73 mm, 5.74 mm, 5.59 mm, 5.57 mm, 5.56 mm, 5.39 mm, 5.15 mm, 5.04 mm, 4.97 mm, 4.67 mm, 4.57 mm, 4.52 mm, 4.58 mm, 4.58 mm, 4.52 mm, 4.42 mm, 4.54 mm, 4.49 mm, 4.61 mm, 4.48 mm, 4.31 mm 

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. IMPORTANT JEWELRY, April 3 2016 12:00 PM 1338 West Lake Stree

Lot 120. A blue-glazed cong-shaped vase, Tongzhi six-character mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1862-1874). Estimate HK$40,000 – HK$60,000 ($5,181 - $7,771). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The vase is potted with a rectangular body of archaistic form with characteristic circular foot ring and mouth rim, applied with a pair of moulded elephant-heads with a mock ring-handle. They are covered in a lustrous, dark violet-blue glaze. 11 5/8 in. (29.5 cm.) high, box

Christie's. THE PAVILION SALE - CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 5 April 2016, Hong Kong