Lot 122. An exceptionally rare Imperial famille rose yellow-ground 'floral' bowl, Qianlong six-character mark and of the period (1736-1795). Estimate HK$ 800,000 - 1,200,000 (€94,000 - 140,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 583. A Fine Pair of 5.26 and 5.17 carats Asscher-cut Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond and Diamond Pendent Earrings, by Forevermark. Estimate HK$ 2,300,000 - 2,800,000 (€270,000 - 330,000). Photo: Bonhams.

LONDON.- Sotheby’s annual London sale of Photographs on 19 May 2017 showcases some of the most exciting emerging contemporary talents in the field, alongside a selection of early twentieth century gems. The younger generation of artists include Alex Prager, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Pieter Hugo and Sohei Nishino, who was nominated for this year’s Prix Pictet. Works by well-known favourites Albert Watson, Irving Penn, Guy Bourdin and Peter Lindbergh will be offered together with Peter Beard’s distinctive photo-collages, and striking nudes by František Drtikol and Robert Mapplethorpe. The auction is timed to take place in conjunction with Photo London, the major international photography event now in its third edition, which will be held in the heart of the capital from 18-21 May. 

Brandei Estes, Head of Photographs, Sotheby’s London, said: “With such a fresh and diverse selection of works, this year’s sale spans genres and appeals on all levels, to both seasoned collectors and those pursuing an interest in photography for the first time.”  

NY-LON 
“I walk through these cities, camera in hand, capturing multi-facetted views that I then combine, one by one, in accordance with my memories, arranging them into a map that portrays all the singular aspects of the place.” – Sohei Nishino 

Lot 67. Sohei Nishino (b. 1982), ‘Diorama Map, London’, 2010. Pigment print, signed, titled, dated and numbered 4/15 in black pen, 79.2 x 142cm. Estimate £12,000-18,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

To create his striking diorama maps, Sohei Nishino assumes the role of the flâneur, wandering the city for days and months, capturing images from every angle. He sorts through his thousands of photos to reach his final selection, which he develops by hand in his dark room and painstakingly rearranges into an intricate and arresting composition. The resulting work is monumental in scale; Nishino subsequently digitally photographs the collage and presents it on a large scale, often up to 6 x 7 foot. Citing the 18th century Japanese cartographer Inō Tadataka as an influence, who also conducted his surveys on foot, Nishino’s dioramas are reminiscent of medieval and renaissance maps, with their distorted angles, mixture of viewpoints and the freedom and subjectivity of execution. This year Nishino was nominated for the Prix Pictet, widely considered to be the most prestigious prize for photography. His first solo exhibition was held this year at SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), displaying his fascinating maps from across the world, including one of San Francisco, created especially for the exhibition. 

FASHION 

Guy Bourdin (1928 - 1991),‘French Vogue’, December 1976/January 1977. Chromogenic print, printed later. Edition 7/18. Estimate £12,000-18,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Guy Bourdin’s images are characterised by theatrical lighting, dramatically graphic composition and vivid colour. They were sensational, exotic, sinister, provocative and surreal. Arriving at French Vogue by camel, Bourdin’s life and works defined what it meant to be visually daring in the twentieth century. Using fashion photography as his medium, Bourdin explored the outrageous and the sublime and as a perfectionist, he knew how to grab attention, done here so exquisitely with a December 1976 cover for French Vogue.

Peter Lindbergh (b. 1944), ‘Tatjana Patitz, Vogue France, Café de Flore, Paris’, 1985. Silver print, printed 2006. Edition 17/25. Estimate £12,000-18,000. Photo: Sotheby's

Often credited with kick-starting the era of the supermodel, Peter Lindbergh’s iconic shoots of a newly discovered group of models for Vogue in the 1980s garnered him international acclaim. Seen as promoting a new understanding of female beauty and pioneering the new style of realism, the photos were a fresh departure from the larger-than-life glamour of the previous decade. Tatjana Patitz, along with Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, feature in all three of his famous Vogue covers and have been recurrent figures in his photographs throughout their careers. 

Albert Watson (b. 1942), ‘Kate Moss, Marrakech (Contact)’, 1993. Pigment print, flush-mounted to aluminium. Signed, titled, dated and numbered 2/5 in black ink. Estimate £18,000-23,000. Photo: Sotheby's

"We were photographing for about three hours in the morning, then in the early afternoon she said 'You know it's my 18th birthday today?' It was very sweet."– Albert Watson 

Perhaps his most memorable work, Watson’s series of nude photographs of an 18-year-old Kate Moss, which were shot in Marrakech for German Vogue in 1993, epitomise the cinematic and graphic qualities that distinguish his style. The unique artistic sensibility displayed by Watson in the subtlety of light and tone, and the fine line that Kate draws between vulnerability and an effortless sex appeal, mark important turning points in the careers of both the photographer and his muse. 

THE NUDE 

Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989), ‘Thomas’, 1986. Vintage silver print. Signed, dated and numbered 3/10 in black pen in the lower margin. Estimate £10,000-15,000. Photo: Sotheby's

Lot 8. Robert Mapplethorpe, ‘Lydia’, 1987. Vintage silver print. Signed and dated in black ink in the photographer’s copyright stamp, and titled, dated and numbered 2/10. Estimate £25,000-35,000. Photo: Sotheby's

Mapplethorpe’s photographs dominated the 1980s. The decade marked the peak of his career; he produced numerous powerful and provocative images, the treatment of which garnered international fame. In contrast to his celebrity portraits, his photographs of both male and female nudes rendered in an almost statuesque fashion demonstrate his fascination with the human body. These images, such as Lydia, often show only sections of the human figure in unusual compositions, appearing almost sculptural in form. “To make pictures big is to make them more powerful”, Mapplethorpe has claimed, and this certainly seems to be the case with ‘Lydia’; the large-scale adds to the power of this image. Taken only a few years before his death in 1989, ‘Lydia’ is an example of Mapplethorpe’s continued creativity and staggering ability to create iconic images. 

Lot 36. František Drtikol (1883-1961). ‘Untitled (Nude Reclining)’, 1922-28. Vintage silver print. Estimate £25,000-35,000. Photo: Sotheby's

“I let the beauty of the line itself make an impact, without embellishment, by suppressing everything that is secondary.” – František Drtikol 

Having successfully established himself as a portrait photographer, František Drtikol made his name through his daring and inventive nude studies, which were very much part of the avant-garde. He incorporated elements of Art Deco into his work, contrasting the flexible and supple forms of the body with geometric shapes and sharp shadows. Experimenting with light and expressive dance, and adopting an increasingly spiritual approach, in 1930 Drtikol began removing human bodies and replacing them with cut-outs in the decades that followed.  

Lot 38. Paul Outerbridge, Jr. (1896-1958), ‘Beauty’, c. 1936. Colour carbro print. Estimate £30,000-50,000. Photo: Sotheby's

A pioneer of colour photography, Paul Outerbridge made a significant contribution to the history of the medium. Beginning his career as an illustrator and set designer, he turned to photography in the 1920s. On his return to New York from Paris, where he had mixed with the likes of Berenice Abbott, Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp, he developed the highly complex tricolour Carbro process. This laborious technical process and his high standards make his rich colour prints extremely rare. His nude studies were considered too erotic to be exhibited during his lifetime and their controversial nature eventually led to his withdrawal from commercial photography.

AFRICA

Lot 52. Peter Beard (b. 1938), ‘Elui, son of Nzenge Mkambo from Voi (Tsavo lowlands)’, 1962. Chromogenic print, printed later Signed, titled and variously annotated in ink and blood. Estimate £70,000-100,000. Photo: Sotheby's

Peter Beard’s fascination with photo documentary and his passion for conservation in Africa is evident throughout his unique photo collages. Combining a range of photographs, diary clippings, quotes, found objects, drawings and more, his aim is to capture the nature of the African continent as it slowly but surely succumbs to inevitable industrialisation. ‘Elui, son of Nzenge Mkambo from Voi’ appeared on the front cover of Beard’s seminal publication on Africa, The End of the Game (1965). Whilst working at the Tsavo National Park during the 1960s, Beard created this publication, combining his own photography and writing with historical texts. This image captures the essence of this publication and is a poignant testimony to the considerable and irreparable damage done by man in Africa.  

CONTEMPORARY 

Lot 58. Pieter Hugo (b. 1976), ‘Abdullahi Mohammed with Mainasara (The Hyena and Other Men), Lagos, Nigeria’, 2007. Chromogenic print. Edition 2/9. Estimate £20,000-30,000. Photo: Sotheby's

South African photographer Pieter Hugo’s images are undoubtedly provocative. His work demonstrates his fascination with exploring marginalised groups in Africa and confronts head-on issues of race and identity, as well as traditional customs and urban environments. His desire to explore the social make-up of his homeland resulted in a two-year project to document the Hyena Men of Nigeria, a nomadic group who live on the fringes of society and have acquired an almost mythical status. The powerful images he captured, such as ‘Abdullahi Mohammed with Mainasara’, show the imposing and intimidating nature of this group, yet equally demonstrate the level of trust that Hugo built with them during the project. 

Daido Moriyama (b. 1938), ‘Stray Dog, Misawa’, 1971. Silver print, printed 2007. Estimate £12,000-18,000. Photo: Sotheby's

“My photos are often out of focus, rough, streaky, warped etc. But if you think about it, a normal human being will in one day perceive an infinite number of images, and some of them are focused upon, others are barely seen out of the corner of one’s eye.” – Daido Moriyama 

Japan’s most important photographer Daido Moriyama defined what it meant to be avant-garde in the twentieth century. He is the most celebrated photographer from the Japanese Provoke movement of the 1960s and has staged over 100 solo exhibitions worldwide including MoMA and Tate Modern. 

Lot 66. Hiroshi Sugimoto (b. 1948), ‘Seagram Building - Ludwig Mies van der Roh’, 1997. Silver print, dry-mounted to aluminium and board. Edition 2/5. Estimate £50,000-70,000. Photo: Sotheby's

Sugimoto’s fascination with twentieth century modern architecture, and the influence of both the Dadaist and Surrealist movements, has resulted in unique and distinctive works which appear to break all the rules of architectural photography. As part of a project commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Sugimoto created blurred images of some of New York’s most iconic twentieth century buildings at unusual and sometimes unrecognisable angles. Sugimoto has commented that he sees photography as “a fossilisation of time”, and it is this sense of timelessness that infiltrates his photography. Softening sharp architectural details and creating large-scale black and white images removes these iconic buildings from their context, yet simultaneously captures the very essence of the building. 

Lot 81. Thomas Struth (b. 1954), ‘Paradise 17, California’, 1999. Chromogenic print. Edition 4/10. Estimate £40,000-60,000 Photo: Sotheby's

Thomas Struth’s Paradise series confronts viewers with an almost overwhelming quantity of detail. Dense, textured undergrowth and criss-crossing plant forms disorientate, as the depth and scale of the images cannot be determined; yet it is this confusion which, Struth suggests, creates an inner calmness. “I wanted to make photographs in which everything was so complex and detailed that you could look at them forever and never see anything,” he claims, and in doing so captures a sense of harmony and peace. In search of finding a ‘paradise’, Struth left his native Germany and scoured the world for unspoiled locations. The series includes photographs taken in Australia, Asia, South America, and many more diverse settings. 

Lot 94. Philip-Lorca diCorcia, (b. 1953), ‘W, September #12’, 2001. Chromogenic print, flush-mounted to Plexiglas. Edition of 15. Estimate £18,000-23,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Lot 99. Philip-Lorca diCorcia, ‘W, September #8’, 1997. Chromogenic print, flush-mounted to Plexiglas. Edition of 15. Estimate £18,000-23,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

 In 1997, the influential and innovative photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia received an invitation from Dennis Freedman, the creative director of fashion magazine W, to shoot fashion stories around the world. Over the next twenty years, through to 2008, diCorcia completed eleven photographic portfolios, each story distinguished by its epic scope and enigmatic narrative. The resulting body of work stands as one of the most ambitious editorial projects ever undertaken. 

Alex Prager (b. 1979), ‘Crowd #7 (Bob Hope Airport)’, 2013. Pigment print. Edition 2/6. Estimate £20,000-30,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

Alex Prager was one of four photographers selected for ‘New Photography 2010’, an exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. With a nod to the cinematic language of twentieth century directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Douglas Sirk, Prager’s photographs are richly coloured, powerfully lit, and constructed from surprising angles. 

PORTRAITS

Irving Penn (1917 - 2009), ‘Hippie Family (Kelly), San Francisco’, 1967. Platinum palladium print, printed 1976. Signed, titled, dated and numbered 1/25 in pencil. Estimate £10,000-15,000. Photo: Sotheby's. 

Lot 123. A green and yellow-glazed 'birds and peach' bowl, Jiaqing seal mark and of the period (1796-1820). Estimate HK$ 80,000 - 120,000 (€9,400 - 14,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Note: The design on the present bowl is in direct continuation to similar bowls produced during the Qianlong reign, drawing inspiration from similarly decorated bowls made in the Jiajing reign period; the popularity of the design is further demonstrated in their production in the Guangxu period; see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Miscellaneous Enamelled Porcelains Plain Tricoloured Porcelains, Shanghai, 2009, pls.86, 108, 113 and 119. 

A similar green and yellow-glazed bowl, Jiaqing seal mark and period, was sold at Sotheby's New York, 11-12 September 2012, lot 31; and another was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1774.

An incised yellow and green enamelled bowl, Jiaqing seal mark and period (1796-1820). Sold 17,500 USD at Sotheby's New York, 11-12 September 2012, lot 31. Photo: Sotheby's.

A green and yellow-enamelled 'peach' bowl, Jiaqing black-enamel six-character seal mark and of the period (1796-1820). Price realised HKD 62,500 (USD 8,044) at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1774. © Christie's Images Ltd 2008

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT, HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 545. A Jadeite and Diamond Necklace and Earring Suite. Estimate HK$ 3,000,000 - 4,500,000 (€350,000 - 530,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 124. A fine puce-enamelled blue and white 'Eight Immortals' bowl, Daoguang seal mark and of the period (1821-1850). Estimate HK$ 150,000 - 200,000 (€18,000 - 23,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Note: The Eight Immortals is a group of legendary Daoist deities, which includes Lu Dongbin, He Xiangu, Lan Caihe, Zhang Guolao, Han Xiangzi, Zhong Liquan, Li Tieguai and Cao Guojiu.

The scene depicted on the present lot is that of 'The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'. Legend has it that the Eight Immortals were en route to attend the Gathering of the Peaches of Immortality when they encountered an ocean, necessitating each of the Immortals to exercise their individual ability to traverse the vast body of water. The Chinese proverb of Ba Xian guohai, gexian shentong is derived from this legend, representing the moral teaching that for a plan to succeed, each individual is required to do his part.

A similar puce-enamelled and blue and white 'Eight Immortals' bowl, Daoguang seal mark and period, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 April 2017, lot 3706.

A fine puce-enamelled blue and white 'Eight Immortals' bowl, seal mark and period of Daoguang (1821-1850), 22.1 cm, 8 5/8 in. Lot sold 225,000 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 April 2017, lot 3706. Photo: Sotheby's.

(Cf. my post A fine puce-enamelled blue and white 'Eight Immortals' bowl, seal mark and period of Daoguang (1821-1850)

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT, HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 555. A Fine 10.06 carats Tajikistan Ruby and Diamond Ring. Estimate HK$ 780,000 - 980,000 (€91,000 - 110,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 125. A rare copper-red-glazed bottle vase, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate HK$ 400,000 - 600,000 (€47,000 - 70,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Provenance: Almira Goodsell Rockefeller (1844-1920), wife of William A. Rockefeller Jr. (1841-1922), and thence by descent, by repute
An American private collection

Note: Almira Geraldine Rockefeller (1844-1920), born Almira G. Goodsell, married in 1864 William Avery Rockefeller Jr. (1841-1922), a prominent member of the Rockefeller family. The Rockefeller dynasty dominated American industrial, political and financial businesses for over one hundred and forty years and is regarded as one of the most powerful families in US history, controlling one of the world's largest fortunes in the oil business during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Almira Rockefeller was very active with numerous philanthropic activities as well as in War Relief work.

Almira Goodsell Rockefeller (1844-1920)

Copper-red glazes, which had not been revisited since the Ming dynasty, were not only successfully fired but technically improved during the Kangxi period renowned for its langyao and 'peach bloom' group. These may have been produced under the supervision of Zang Yingxuan and Lang Tingji, who demonstrated a commitment to precision and technological innovation, which would determine the subsequent history of Qing Imperial porcelain production; see J.Hay, 'The Diachronics of Early Qing Visual and Material Culture', in The Qing Formation in World Historical Time, Cambridge, 2004, p.318. 

The present vase, with its combination of the compressed globular bottle vase form and use of the copper-red glaze, is a development of the Yongzheng reign, celebrated for its innovative forms and technical virtuosity demanded by the emperor, a highly discerning connoisseur of art.  

The form is related to that of a bottle vase decorated in clair-de-lune glaze, Yongzheng mark and of the period, in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (acc.no.C.9-1948); as well as that shown in outline, recorded by Geng Baochang in Ming Qing Ciqi Jianding, Hong Kong, 1993, p.236, fig.9. The compressed globular bottle vase form continued into subsequent reigns as exemplified in a copper-red-glazed compressed bottle vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3506.

A fine copper-red-glazed compressed bottle vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795). Price realised HKD 2,200,000 (USD 285,091) at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3506. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT, HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY 

Lot 575. A Fine 6.44 carats Burmese Ruby Dress Ring. Estimate HK$ 2,750,000 - 3,000,000 (€320,000 - 350,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 126. A fine flambé-glazed 'pomegranate' lobed vase, Incised Qianlong seal mark and of the period (1736-1795). Estimate HK$ 750,000 - 850,000 (€88,000 - 100,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Note: The inspiration for the flambé glaze can be traced back to the splashed Jun wares of the Song dynasty. However, this particular red glaze, derived from copper but also containing lead, was exceptionally unstable and difficult to control in the kiln, resulting in one of the highest failure rates of all Chinese glazes. It was not until an extraordinary technical mastery was re-developed during the Kangxi period, reaching its zenith in the Qianlong reign, that successful flambé-glazed porcelain could be produced, highlighting the quality and rarity of the present lot. 

Flambé glazes were only achieved towards the late Kangxi period. In 1722, Father François Xavier d'Entrecolles (1664-1741), stated in a letter: "I was brought a piece of porcelain called yaobian ['flambé] or transmutation. This transmutation happens in the kiln and is caused either by a defect, or from excessive heat or some other unknown cause. This piece which, in the opinion of the worker, was not successful, and was caused by pure chance, is no less beautiful or prized. The worker had planned to make soufflé red vases. One hundred pieces were lost, and the one which I spoke of came from the kiln resembling a piece of agate. If one wanted to run the risks and the expense of different attempts, he could finally find the technique which chance produced only one."

The six-lobed pomegranate shape of the vase would have presented additional possibilities for streaking and pooling for the craftsman to explore. 

A similar Qianlong seal mark and period example is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum. Volume 2, Tokyo, 1981, pl.75; compare also another similar vase, Qianlong mark and period, in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Zhou Lili, Shanghai Museum Collections Research Series of: Qing Yongzheng - Xuantong porcelain kiln, Shanghai, 2014, p.105, pl.3-69; a third example, with the same rich purple and blue tones, is illustrated by J.Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol.2, Geneva, 1999, no.A.291, pl.260.

A similar flambé-glazed 'pomegranate' vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2287.

A fine flambé-glazed 'pomegranate' vase, Qianlong incised six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795). Price realised HKD 2,190,000 (USD 283,438) at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2287. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT, HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY 

Lot 577. An Important Burmese Mogok valley 'Pigeon's Blood' Ruby and Diamond Bracelet. Estimate HK$ 2,300,000 - 2,800,000 (€270,000 - 330,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 127. A fine and rare flambé-glazed vase, Incised Qianlong seal mark and of the period (1736-1795). Estimate HK$ 600,000 - 700,000 (€70,000 - 82,000). Photo: Bonhams.

With steep sides and slender neck converging towards a thickly lipped mouth, flanked by a pair of thin elephant-head handles, all lustrously decorated in a thick purplish-red glaze with striking streaks of creamy bluish glaze, the base incised with a six-character zhuanshu seal mark. 22cm (8 5/8in) high

Note: The stylised elephant handles on the present lot can be interpreted as xiang, forming the pun taiping youxiang, meaning 'a sign of peacefulness'.

Similar flambé-glazed vases, Qianlong seal mark and period, can be found in important museum collections: compare one illustrated in The Prime Cultural Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum: The Chinaware Volume, the Second Part , 2007, p.147; a similar vase in the Exhibition of Chinese and Other Far Eastern Art Assembled by Yamanaka & Co., New York, 1943, no.915; a third flambé-glazed vase is illustrated by Liu Liang-yu, A Survey of Chinese Ceramics: Ch'ing Official and Popular Wares, Taipei, 1991, p.207; and another example, with obscured mark, is illustrated by J.Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol.2, Geneva, 1999, pl.259.

A similar flambé-glazed vase, Qianlong mark and period, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2014, lot 3111; and another similar example was sold in our London rooms, 8 November 2012, lot 120.

A superb flambé-glazed vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Sold 1,180,000 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2014, lot 3111. Photo: Sotheby's.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT, HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY 

Lot 581. An Emerald, Burmese Ruby and Diamond Necklace, Brooch and Earring Suite, by Mauboussin, Circa 1965. Estimate HK$ 950,000 - 1,200,000 (€110,000 - 140,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 89. A pair of green-enamelled hexagonal jars, zhadou, Shende tang zhi mark in iron-red, Daoguang period (1821-1850). Estimate GBP 10,000 - GBP 15,000 (USD 12,920 - USD 19,380) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The body of each jar is decorated in vibrant green enamel with a leafy stylised lotus between a ruyi-head and a stiff leaf band, all below a lotus border to the flaring neck. Each jar rests on sixruyi-shaped bracket feet. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm.) wide

Note: A almost identical single leys jar can be found in the Nanjing Museum and illustrated in The Grand Treasure Series of Nanjing Museum Preface: Qing Imperial Porcelain, 2013, p. 243.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works of Art, 9 May 2017, London, King Street

Lot 90. A ruby-red ground famille rose buddhist stupa, 18th-19th century. Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 103,360 - USD 155,040) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The impressive shrine is finely decorated and gilt with scrolling lotus below monster masks linked by pendant beaded chains. The shrine supports a series of graduated sections, each gilt-separated tier is decorated with a narrow floral band. The tapering column is surmounted by a beribboned Treasure Vase, one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, atop a moulded skirted cap. The stupa supported on a square base decorated with bands of lappets and floral scrolls on a vivid yellow ground. 17 in. (43 cm.) high 

Provenance: Formerly from a private Japanese collection

Note: Stupas are a symbol of Nirvana, and they represent the past and the present. They were originally memorial monuments built over the mortal remains of the Sakyamuni, and other important figures. Regarding the architectural form of the present piece, the square Mt. Sumeru base is Tibetan in style, while the rounded dome has its roots in India. The spire of thirteen layers is symbolic of the thirteen stages of enlightenment. This type of object had a ritual function at the Qing Court frequented by Tibetan monks. An example of a red-ground shrine and yellow-ground pedestal like the current lot is in the Qing Court Collection which is illustrated in Dihuang Yu Gongting Ciqi, vol. 2, Beijing, 2010, p. 359, pl. 25-14. 

A very similar ruby-ground stupa with a green-ground stand dating to the Qianlong period was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 April 2002, lot 536.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works of Art, 9 May 2017, London, King Street

Lot 91. A blue-ground famille rose foliate stand, Jiaqing six-character seal mark in iron-red and of the period (1796-1820). Estimate GBP 10,000 - GBP 15,000 (USD 12,920 - USD 19,380) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Raised on four ruyi-head feet, the exterior is decorated with lotus sprays on a blue-ground, and the everted flat rim is similarly decorated on a yellow ground. The interior of the stand is enamelled turquoise while the base is enamelled blue apart from the mark. The edges of the rim and base are highlighted in gilt. 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm.) diam. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works of Art, 9 May 2017, London, King Street

Lot 92. A pink-ground famille rose foliate jardinière and stand, Jiaqing six-character seal marks in iron red and of the period (1796-1820). Estimate GBP 15,000 - GBP 20,000 (USD 19,380 - USD 25,840) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The lobed jardinière is decorated and gilt with bats and chimes separated by scrolling lotus, all reserved on a pink ground. The flat-topped rim is decorated with a yellow-ground band of flower sprays. The interior and base are enamelled turquoise around the seal mark. The stand is similarly decorated, and both are supported on four ruyi-head feet. The jardinière, 6 ¾ in. (17.2 cm.) diam.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works of Art, 9 May 2017, London, King Street

Lot 93. A famille rose jar, Daoguang six-character seal mark in iron-red and of the period (1821-1850). Estimate GBP 10,000 - GBP 15,000 (USD 12,920 - USD 19,380) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The ovoid jar is decorated to the body with colourful flowering chrysanthemums amongst asters next to pierced rocks and butterflies in flight, all below turquoise-ground ruyi-head bands decorated with bats, peaches and lotus blooms. The neck and foot are decorated with further turquoise-ground floral bands. 10 3/8 in. (26.5 cm.) high

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works of Art, 9 May 2017, London, King Street

 Lot 94. A famille rose'bats and peaches' vase, 19th century, Shende Tang zhi hall mark in iron red. Estimate GBP 20,000 - GBP 25,000 (USD 25,840 - USD 32,300) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The vase is decorated with a tree bearing nine peaches rising from a sea of frothing waves behind pierced rocks growing moss and lingzhi fungus, all below two iron-red bats in flight. 12 3/8 in. (31.5 cm.) high

Provenance: Predominantly acquired in Amsterdam in the 1980s and 1990s

Note: A vase with similar decoration also with a Shende Tang zhi mark was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 November 2004, lot 851.

Compare with a vase decorated in a similar style with a pomegranate tree and the addition of lappet and ruyi borders, illustrated in Falangcai, Fencai, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 189.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works of Art, 9 May 2017, London, King Street