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A celadon jade ‘Shoulao and boy’ group, Qing dynasty, 19th century

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Lot 227. A celadon jade ‘Shoulao and boy’ group, Qing dynasty, 19th century. Estimate 3,000 — 5,000 GBP. Lot sold 3,750 GBP. Photo Sotheby's.

the standing deity holding a gnarled lingzhi branch hanging a double gourd, with a boy crouching beside supporting a large peach; 8.5 cm, 3 3/8  in.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, London, 09 Nov 2016

An amethyst ‘squirel and melon’ pendant, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century

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Lot 229. An amethyst ‘squirel and melon’ pendant, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century. Estimate 2,000 — 3,000 GBP. Lot sold 2,500GBP. Photo Sotheby's.

carved in the form of a squirrel climbing on melon vines; 4.6 cm, 1¾ in..

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, London, 09 Nov 2016

Gem set and diamond mystery clock, Cartier

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Lot 106. Gem set and diamond mystery clock, Cartier. Estimate 196,000 — 294,000 CHF. Photo: Sotheby's.

The circular faceted rock crystal dial within a bezel set with brilliant-cut diamonds and carré-cut rubies and emeralds, the hands of leaf design set with emeralds, rubies and diamonds, the case embellished with stylised lotus flower motifs, the base set with mother-of-pearl and decorated with a gold Buddha figure holding a cultured pearl and highlighted with rose quartz, rubies, emeralds and diamonds, measurements approximately 170 x 135 x 280mm, signed Cartier, numbered, French assay and maker's marks.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, Geneva, 16 Nov 2016, 10:30 AM

11.50 carats H Colour, VS2 Clarity oval diamond ring, by David Morris

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Lot 213. 11.50 carats H Colour, VS2 Clarity oval diamond ring, by David Morris. Estimate 196,000 — 294,000 CHF. Photo: Sotheby's.

Set with an oval diamond weighing 11.50 carats, between fancy-shaped diamond shoulderssize 481/2, signed David Morris..

Accompanied by GIA report no. 17460890, dated 17 July 2008, stating that the diamond is H Colour, VS2 Clarity.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, Geneva, 16 Nov 2016, 10:30 AM

Pair of natural pearl and diamond pendent earrings & 8.80 carats D Colour, VVS2 Clarity brilliant-cut diamond ring, Hemmerle

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Lot 232. 8.80 carats D Colour, VVS2 Clarity brilliant-cut diamond ring, Hemmerle. Estimate 300,000 — 500,000 CHF & Lot 231. Pair of natural pearl and diamond pendent earrings. Estimate 195,000 — 245,000 CHF. Photo: Sotheby's.

 

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Lot 232. 8.80 carats D Colour, VVS2 Clarity brilliant-cut diamond ring, Hemmerle. Estimate 300,000 — 500,000 CHF. Photo: Sotheby's.

Set with a brilliant-cut diamond weighing 8.80 carats, size 55, maker's mark for Hemmerle. 

Accompanied by GIA report no. 2171850889, stating that the diamond is D Colour, VVS2 Clarity, together with a working diagram stating that the diamond may be internally flawless after minor repolishing.

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Lot 231. Pair of natural pearl and diamond pendent earringsEstimate 195,000 — 245,000 CHF. Photo: Sotheby's.

Each set with brilliant-cut and baguette diamonds and supporting a drop shaped natural pearl weighing 17.49 and 19.45 carats, and measuring 11.36 x 11.66 x 19.92mm and 12.15 x 12.19 x 19.77mm respectively, post and hinged back fittings.

Accompanied by SSEF report no. 80411, stating that the pearls were found to be natural, saltwater.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, Geneva, 16 Nov 2016, 10:30 AM

Natural pearl necklace

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Lot 254. Natural pearl necklace. Estimate 172,000 — 294,000 CHF. Photo: Sotheby's.

Composed of a graduated row of natural pearls measuring from approximately 4.00 to 12.25mm, alternating with seed pearls, length approximately 385mm.

Accompanied by SSEF report no. 87940, stating that the thirty-six pearls were found to be natural, saltwater.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, Geneva, 16 Nov 2016, 10:30 AM

Finial of Hat with Ruby Inlay, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

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Finial of Hat with Ruby Inlay, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Gilt copper, ruby, and kingfisher feathers. Diameter of base: 4.36 cm, overall height: 11.5 cm. National Palace Museum Collection

Summer Court Hat for Imperial Concubines, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

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Summer Court Hat for Imperial Concubines, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Gold, Oriental Pearls, dark blue velvet, and vermilion silk cord fringe. External diameter: 31.5 cm, overall height: 31.5 cm. National Palace Museum Collection


Court Necklace with Green Jadeite Beads, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

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Court Necklace with Green Jadeite Beads, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Green jadeite, coral, tourmaline, gilt copper, and kingfisher feathers. Perimeter: 145 cm; diameter of beads: 1.2 cm. National Palace Museum Collection

Gilt Headdress in Kingfisher Feathers with Chinese Character "Double Happiness", Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

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Gilt Headdress in Kingfisher Feathers with Chinese Character "Double Happiness", Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Gilt copper, kingfisher feathers, coral, and pearls. Length: 32 cm, width: 19 cm, height: 17 cm. National Palace Museum Collection.

Belt and Gilt Buckle with Floral Design Inlaid with Diamonds, Early Qing period

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Belt and Gilt Buckle with Floral Design Inlaid with Diamonds, Early Qing period. Gilt copper, sapphire, ruby, green jade, and pearls. Length: 98.5 cm, maximal width: 10.6 cm. National Palace Museum Collection.

Gold Headdress Ornament with Water Chestnut Floral Design Inlaid with Diamonds, Early Qing period

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Gold Headdress Ornament with Water Chestnut Floral Design Inlaid with Diamonds, Early Qing period. Gold, diamond, Oriental Pearls, ruby, and kingfisher feathers. Length; 10.8 cm, width: 4.85 cm. National Palace Museum Collection.

Gold Hairpin with a Butterfly-shaped Finial in Filigree, Early Qing period

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Gold Hairpin with a Butterfly-shaped Finial in Filigree, Early Qing period. Gold, rubies, sapphires, turquoise, Oriental Pearls, and kingfisher feathers. Overall length: 17.3 cm, width: 8.5 cm. National Palace Museum Collection.

Gilt Hairpin with Design of Squirrels and Grapes, Middle Qing period

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Gilt Hairpin with Design of Squirrels and Grapes, Middle Qing period. Gilt silver, Oriental Pearls, ruby, sapphire, tourmaline, green jadeite, and kingfisher feathers. Length: 21.5 cm, width: 8.7 cm. National Palace Museum Collection.

Sable Hat Decorated with Patterns of Ruyi Clouds and Florals and a Red Velvet Knotted Finial, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

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Sable Hat Decorated with Patterns of Ruyi Clouds and Florals and a Red Velvet Knotted Finial; Silk Pendant with Dragon Design, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Sable, tourmaline, green jadeite, oval-shaped pearls, silk pendant. Hat: diameter: 23 cm; overall height: 12.5 cm; pendant: 91 cm. National Palace Museum Collection.


A group of kingfisher jewellery, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century

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Lot 262. A group of kingfisher jewellery, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 GBP. Lot sold 3,750 GBP. Photo Sotheby's.

comprising: a pair of earrings, a pair of hairpins, and seven hair and headdress ornaments. Quantity: 11. The largest: 21.5 cm, 8½ in.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, London, 09 Nov 2016

A rare Junyao octafoil 'lotus' dish, 13th century

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A rare Junyao octafoil 'lotus' dish, 13th century

Lot 1. A rare Junyao octafoil 'lotus' dish, 13th century. Estimate HK$ 400,000 - 600,000 (€48,000 - 72,000). Photo: Bonhams.

The dish rising from a slightly recessed base to shallow curved sides below a flared barbed rim, covered overall in a thick lustrous lavender-blue glaze thinning to a mushroom tone at the rim. 11.6cm (4 1/2in) diam.

ProvenanceEdward T. Chow (1910-1980)
Sotheby's Hong Kong, The Edward T. Chow Collection: Part Two, Early Chinese Ceramics and Ancient Bronzes, 16 December 1980, lot 274
Colonel R.J.H. Carson, OBE (1910-1983) and Mrs L.M.F. Carson (d.1987) Collection no.67
A distinguished British private collection, and thence by descent.

Notes: Edward 'Eddie' T. Chow (1910-1980), resided at the French Concession of Shanghai city and lived briefly in New York, before moving to Hong Kong in 1949 and then Switzerland in 1967. He was amongst the most respected dealers of his generation and known for his three fundamental tenets in building his collection: rarity, quality and decoration. 

The present dish is rare in its lotus-lappet shaped barbed-rim form, indicative of the period between the Southern Song and Yuan dynasty. Compare a related Junyao barbed-rim dish, Song/Yuan dynasty, in the collection of the Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt (previously named the Städtliches Völkermuseum), illustrated by R.Schmidt, Chinesische Keramik, Frankfurt, 1924, pl.47(d); and see another related example, illustrated by A.Leth in Catalogue of Selected Objects of Chinese Art in the Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 1959, no.88. Similar lotus-shaped wares were produced during the Southern Song dynasty in other materials such as silver and lacquer; compare a silver 'lotus' barbed-rim dish, excavated from a tomb dated to 1274 of Zhou, wife of Wu Chou, De'an Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, and a lacquer cup stand, Southern Song dynasty, illustrated in Sō Gen no bi: denrai no shikki o chūshin ni, Tokyo, Nezu Bijutsukan, 2004, no.158, p.189, fig.62d.

See a related Junyao hexafoil 'lotus' dish, Song dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's London on 12 July 2006, lot 39.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 2016-11-29, 14:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

A Longquan celadon carved bowl, Early Ming Dynasty

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Lot 2. A Longquan celadon carved bowl, Early Ming Dynasty. Estimate HK$ 120,000 - 150,000 (€14,000 - 18,000). Photo: Bonhams.

The deep fluted sides supported on a short tapered foot, the exterior carved with two rows of lotus petals, the interior cavetto decorated with meandering leafy scrolls bearing the 'Flowers of the Four Seasons' surrounding a central medallion enclosing a fruit spray, covered in a lustrous sea-green glaze. 21.3cm (8 1/2in) diam.

ProvenanceNicholas de la Mare Thompson (1928-2010).

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Notes: Nicholas de la Mare Thompson (1928-2010), was grandson of the author Walter de la Mare and brother to Julian Thompson, the renowned specialist in the field of Chinese Ceramics. He was an active member of the Oriental Ceramics Society in London. 

A related Longquan celadon bowl carved with two rows of lotus petals, early Ming dynasty, is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated by Tsai Mei-fen, Green-Longquan Celadon of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 2011, pls.9-10; compare also with the scrolling blossoms in the present lot to two other bowls, illustrated in ibid., pls.7 and 11.

It is interesting to note that some of the blue and white 'lotus' bowls made in the Imperial kilns during the Yongle and Xuande periods share the same design of the double lotus petals on the exterior and the meandering floral scrolls on the cavetto; see an example of a blue and white 'lotus' bowl, Xuande mark and of the period, in the Tianminlou Collection, illustrated in The Radiant Ming 1368-1644 through the Min Chiu Society Collection, Hong Kong, 2015, no.117.

Compare a similar example, but with the centre of the interior with a lotus blossom and a key-fret band around the rim, sold at Christie's Hong Kong on 30 May 2012, lot 4243.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 2016-11-29, 14:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Obtaining Refined Enjoyment: The Qianlong Emperor's Taste in Ceramics

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The Qianlong Emperor in Formal Court Attire. Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining), (1688-1766), 1735, Qing Dynasty (1644- 1911). The Palace Museum.

The Qianlong Emperor, who was born in 1711 and passed away in 1799, reigned for sixty years (1736-1795). For about three years after abdicating and before his death, he still held onto power in his role as Emperor Emeritus. One of the longest living and ruling monarchs in Chinese history, he became known as "Emperor of the Eighteenth Century." While on the throne, he personally examined various antiquities and invested considerable human and material resources in establishing the Qing court collection. Consequently, he has been viewed as the first "museum" director of the dynastic collection. In particular, many surviving works from his collection now in the National Palace Museum and Beijing Palace Museum along with those in the Mukden (Shenyang) and Rehe (Jehol) palace holdings as well as the Nanjing Museum can be traced via the personal marks left by the Qianlong Emperor's collecting efforts, clearly demonstrating how he collected and appreciated artwork.

This exhibition revolves around the marks of appreciation left by the Qianlong Emperor on ceramics, displaying in particular those pieces with his poetry now in the National Palace Museum collection as well as those illustrated in ceramics catalogues of that time. Using these concrete traces of Qianlong's appreciation, we can better understand his taste in ceramics. This exhibition as a whole focuses on Qianlong's appreciation of ceramics based on two different types of collecting that he standardized while viewing, consequently yielding two sections in the display. The first category is entitled "Poetry as Record," mainly presenting examples of ceramics from the Museum collection with his engraved poetry. The other section is "Taste Re-Presented," displaying porcelains illustrated in the Qianlong Emperor's albums of ceramics.

In "Poetry as Record," imperial poetry conveys the Qianlong Emperor's historical understanding and appreciation of particular ceramics, conveying his views and ideals of imperial rule. The external features he observed along with his understanding of kilns reveal his impressions of the various attributes of these ceramics. Based on modern studies in ceramics history, the porcelains engraved with imperial poetry appreciated by the Qianlong Emperor can be divided into products of the Ding, Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun kilns as well as official kilns of the Xuande era in the Ming dynasty. These are clearly indicated by the imperial poetry engraved on the porcelains, with Qianlong's choice from renowned kilns also being strongly influenced by late Ming dynasty tastes in ceramics.

In addition, most of Qianlong's poems are on Northern Song Ru wares and Southern Song Guan and related wares, their contents dealing with praise for Song court porcelains as well as the tragic events that befell the Northern Song court. Consequently, judging from Qianlong's poetry on these porcelains, ceramics also served as a warning to himself and as something to reflect upon. Time and again he stressed that his appreciation of ceramics was not a self-absorbing hobby that distracted him from ruling the country. As a result, the Qianlong Emperor's discussion of court porcelains not only treated Northern Song Ru wares as an ideal, he also took the opportunity to trace back to the story of the virtuous ancient emperor Shun making pottery on a riverbank. In doing so, Qianlong attempted to use the model of the riverbank story to link with the lofty ideal of ruling the land by virtue and example. Thus, the Qianlong Emepror expressed a far-reaching idea that appreciating ceramics could serve as a model for himself in pursuit of the ideals of ancient sages.

The second section of the exhibition focuses on the porcelains illustrated in paintings. The Qing court left illustrated albums of ceramics that the Qianlong Emperor had ordered to be painted, allowing them also to be used as a kind of mark for his appreciation. They testify to the fact that porcelains had been personally appreciated by the Qianlong Emperor and thus reflected his views.

In conclusion, by tracing the various marks of appreciation left by the Qianlong Emperor, we can understand how he used ceramics as a medium for promoting his personal taste in art and his ideals of practice in ruling. The Qianlong Emperor's greatest purpose in leaving such marks, however, was probably to divert attention from his devotion to collecting while establishing a personal image of himself as a sage ruler.

Poetry as Record

The Qianlong Emperor, who can be considered the Chinese ruler most fond of composing poetry, left around 200 surviving poems that sing the praises of ceramics. Among them are many written specifically about official wares from ancient times. In the poetry he not only studied and identified the ware and date of particular pieces, he also expressed personal views on their glaze coloring, surface coating, and traces of firing. And since many poems address ceramics from the viewpoint of "official wares," Qianlong's imperial poetry allows us to understand his thoughts on the history and development of official wares.

In particular, when the Qianlong Emperor ordered his poetry to be engraved, it was not done all at the same time. Rather, poems were sent in batches to the Ruyi Hall and Maoqin Palace specially entrusted by the Qing court for engraving, indirectly revealing Qianlong's purpose behind choosing imperial poetry to be carved. Among his choices, Qianlong's taste mostly tended towards Northern Song Ru wares and Southern Song Guan and related official wares. It shows that, in addition to late Ming dynasty trends in appreciation, Qianlong actually also sought to trace the history of Song official ceramics to form a paragon for his own wares to follow. Furthermore, porcelains engraved with imperial poetry are dated mostly after 1770, which make them capable of being correlated with records from the Imperial Workshops. This indicates that, in reality, the Qianlong Emperor's orders for porcelains to be engraved are also closely related to his active reconstruction of the Qing court collection.

In conclusion, using modern-day terminology, the Qianlong Emperor's connoisseurship views expressed in his poetry can be generally divided into the following key points: 1) quality ceramics symbolizing the virtue of the ruler, 2) different vessel shapes and glaze colors representing corresponding personality traits, and 3) the appreciation of ceramics certainly not reflecting a diversion from his more serious tasks as emperor.

Green glazed pottery Jar, Eastern Han dynasty (206 BCE

Green glazed pottery Jar, Eastern Han dynasty (206 BCE.-9)National Palace Museum Collection.

Pillow with incised wave pattern in shadowy blue glaze, Northern Song Dynasty (11th-12th century)

Pillow with incised wave pattern in shadowy blue glaze, Northern Song Dynasty (11th-12th century)National Palace Museum Collection.

Pillow with incised floral pattern in white glaze, Ding ware type, Song -Jin Dynasty (11th-12th century)

Pillow with incised floral pattern in white glaze, Ding ware type, Song -Jin Dynasty (11th-12th century)National Palace Museum Collection.

Basin in celadon glaze, Ru ware, Northern Song Dynasty, National Palace Museum Collection

Basin in celadon glaze, Ru ware, Northern Song Dynasty (Late 11th- early 12th century). National Palace Museum Collection.

Dish with hibiscus shaped rim in celadon glaze, Guan ware, Southern Song Dynasty

Dish with hibiscus shaped rim in celadon glaze, Guan ware, Southern Song Dynasty (12th-13th century)National Palace Museum Collection. 

Hu vessel in celadon glaze, Guan ware, Southern Song Dynasty (12th-13th century)

Hu vessel in celadon glaze, Guan ware, Southern Song Dynasty (12th-13th century)National Palace Museum Collection.

Taste Re-presented

Starting from 1755, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the painting of catalogues for porcelains and bronzes. Although the ceramics catalogues are now stored separately from the porcelains they illustrate, archival records along with the arrangement of curios and bronzes in the National Palace Museum collection nonetheless still indicate that these ceramics albums originally were placed together in the same wooden cases as the porcelains they illustrated. Furthermore, the wooden cases as a whole formed curio boxes of porcelains, the albums thus serving as catalogue records for these curio box sets.

Comparing display pieces here with two albums, "Precious Ceramics of Assembled Beauty" and "Refined Ceramics of Collected Antiquity," indicates that the paintings were probably done in the fifth decade of Qianlong's rule (ca. 1785-95). Each album features ten paintings of porcelains, and each leaf is mounted with an upper and lower part. The top includes the name and illustration of a particular porcelain, while the bottom records its dimensions, glaze, form, marking, and previous commentaries. The works in these paintings, judging from the original titles, were wares from the Ding, Guan, Ge, Jun, and Longquan kilns as well as official wares from the Xuande and Wanli reigns of the Ming dynasty, thereby conveying Qianlong's taste in art. In fact, like his choice in ordering porcelains to be engraved with poetry, Qianlong was strongly influenced by connoisseurship trends of the late Ming dynasty. Comparison between the actual porcelains and their illustrations in the albums expresses in concrete terms the Qianlong Emperor's taste in appreciating ceramics.

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Precious Ceramics of Assembled Beauty. National Palace Museum Collection.

Dish with foliated shaped in sky blue glaze, Jun ware, Jin-Yuan Dynasty (12th-14th century)

Dish with foliated shaped in sky blue glaze, Jun ware, Jin-Yuan Dynasty (12th-14th century).National Palace Museum Collection.

Dish with dragon pattern in celadon glaze, Guan ware, Southern Song Dynasty (12th-13th century)

Dish with dragon pattern in celadon glaze, Guan ware, Southern Song Dynasty (12th-13th century). National Palace Museum Collection.

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Refined Ceramics of Collected Antiquity. National Palace Museum Collection.

Bowl in ruby red glaze, Xuande reign (1426-1435), Ming Dynasty

Bowl in ruby red glaze, Xuande reign (1426-1435), Ming Dynasty. National Palace Museum Collection.

Dish with Sanskrit inscription in under glaze blue, Wanli reign (1573-1620), Ming Dynasty

Dish with Sanskrit inscription in under glaze blue, Wanli reign (1573-1620), Ming Dynasty. National Palace Museum Collection.

La promesse du printemps. An impressive pair of diamond ear pendants, by Boehmer et Bassenge

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Lot 2078. La promesse du printempsAn impressive pair of diamond ear pendants, by Boehmer et Bassenge. Estimate HKD 16,000,000 - HKD 25,000,000 (USD 2,072,144 - USD 3,237,725). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016. 

Each pendant set with an oval-shaped diamond, weighing approximately 11.13 and 11.03 carats, to the circular-cut diamond foliage, suspended from a diamond-set flowerhead surmount, spaced by a marquise-cut diamond, weighing approximately 1.08 and 1.03 carats, mounted in gold, 8.2 cm, with French assay mark for gold. Signed and with maker's mark for Boehmer et Bassenge.

Accompanied by two reports nos. 2165058485 and 2165058478 dated 5 May 2014 and 10 April 2014 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the 11.13 and 11.03 carat diamonds are of D colour, flawless clarity, with excellent polish and symmetry; and two Diamond Type Classification letters stating that the diamonds have been determined to be Type IIa.

Two reports nos. 2167403077 and 6211110840 dated 3 February 2014 and 24 May 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the 1.08 and 1.03 carat diamond is D colour, internally flawless clarity, with excellent polish and symmetry.

Sixty-eight reports dated from 16 October 2014 to 29 March 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamonds weighing 0.47 to 0.23 carat are D colour, internally flawless clarity.

Christie's. Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels, 29 November 2016, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

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