Lot 136. A fine blue-glazed cong-form vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795), 11 5/8 in. (28.5 cm.) high, Japanese wood box. Estimate HKD 150,000 - HKD 200,000. Price realised HKD 250,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Provenance: A Japanese private collection
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3325

Christie's. The Pavilion Sale Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 2 October 2017, Alexandra House, Hong Kong

Lot 134. A small robin’s egg-glazed bottle vase, Qing dynasty, 18th century, 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm.) high, box. Estimate HKD 120,000 - HKD 180,000. Price realised HKD 150,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Christie's. The Pavilion Sale Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 2 October 2017, Alexandra House, Hong Kong 

Lot 116. An iron-red and underglaze-blue decorated 'Dragon' dish, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795), 7 in. (17.5 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 60,000 - HKD 80,000. Price realised HKD 106,250. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Christie's. The Pavilion Sale Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 2 October 2017, Alexandra House, Hong Kong 

Lot 16. The Sonnery Kurkihar Buddha, copper alloy with silver and copper inlay, Kurkihar, Pala period, 11th century. Himalayan Art Resources item no.2449, 39 cm (15 3/8 in.) high. Estimate HK$ 8,000,000 - 12,000,000 (€850,000 - 1,300,000). Sold for HK$ 21,900,000 (€2,380,253). Photo: Bonhams.

HONG KONG.- The standing 11th century Crowned Kurkihar Buddha, a canonical image in Buddhist art, from Collection FKH, USA, reached the highest auction price at HK$21,900,000 (US$2,329,600) after a bidding battle at the Bonhams Images of Devotion Sale in Hong Kong on 3 October. In total, the sale made more than HK$72,235,000 (US$9,102,080). 

The rare jewel-like 15th century Tibetan bronze depicting Akshobhya, the Buddha of the East, with a powerful frame and commanding posture from an American private collection fetched HK$18,060,000 (US$1,920,000). 

Lot 22. A gilt copper alloy figure of Akshobhya, Tibet, 15th century, Himalayan Art Resources item no.2431, 34 cm (13 3/8 in.) high. Estimate HK$ 15,000,000 - 25,000,000 (€1,600,000 - 2,700,000). Sold for HK$ 18,060,000 (€1,962,894). Photo: Bonhams.

Another masterpiece from a private European collection, a bronze Mahakala from the Dali Kingdom originating from the late-12th to early-13th century sold for HK$10,620,000 (US$1,126,400) and was acquired by the Long Museum in Shanghai, China. 

Lot 10. A copper alloy figure of Mahakala, Yunnan, Dali Kingdom, late 12th-early 13th century, Himalayan Art Resources item no.7843, 41.5 cm (16 3/8 in.) high. Estimate HK$ 2,000,000 - 3,000,000. Sold for HK$ 10,620,000 (€1,154,260). Photo: Bonhams.

Commenting on the sale, Bonhams Global Head of Indian, Himalayan Art & Southeast Asian Art, Edward Wilkinson, said, “The sale was a solid indication of the high level of interest from the region with buyers being more selective on key pieces. It reinforces a sense of Hong Kong as the centre for Himalayan art.” 

Other highlights included: 

Lot 1. A copper and silver inlaid copper alloy figure of Avalokiteshvara Padmapani, Northeastern India, Pala Period, 11th-12th Century, Himalayan Art Resources item no.2439, 7.4 cm (2 7/8 in.) high. Estimate HK$ 250,000-350,000 (US$32,000-44,800). Sold for HK$ 1,062,500 (€115,480). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 20. A gilt copper alloy figure of Amitayus, Tibet, circa 14th century, Himalayan Art Resources item no.2437, 30.5 cm (12 in.) high. EstimateHK$2,400,000-3,000,000 (US$308,000-385,000). Sold for HK$ 1,062,500 (€115,480). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 10. An imperial heirloom Dingyao ribbed cylindrical tripod incense burner, Northern Song dynasty, 13 cm, 5 1/8  in. Estimate 2,800,000 — 3,500,000 HKD. Lot sold 18,100,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

of archaistic lian form, well modelled with a cylindrical body supported on three short cabriole legs, the exterior of the body centred with three raised fillets, all between two further raised ribs, covered overall save for the unglazed rim with a translucent ivory-coloured glaze pooling on the underside, the rim mounted with a copper-coloured metal band with traces of malachite encrustation.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 11th December 1984, lot 169. 
Collection of the Chang Foundation, Taipei.

Literature: James Spencer (comp.), Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, cat. no. 24.

Note: Adapted from an archaic bronze form, this elegant censer reflects the major impact on the arts that resulted from a drastic political shift during the early Song dynasty, from a society ruled by a hereditary aristocracy to one governed by a central bureaucracy of scholar-officials selected through civil service examinations. The resulting rise of Neo-Confucian ideals emphasised the importance of history in the pursuit of virtue. The increased interest in antiquities led to a revival of archaic jade and bronze forms that Song potters adapted into their repertoire. The present censer finds its roots in gilt bronze tripod wine vessels (zun) of the Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220), generally supported on bear-shaped feet, fitted with ring handles and supplied with a cover, such as an example decorated with animals, that is engraved with an inscription identifying it as a wine vessel (jiu zun) and dating it in accordance with the year 26 BC, illustrated in Li Xueqin, ed., Zhongguo meishu quanji: Gongyi meishu bian [Complete series on Chinese art: Arts and crafts section], 5: Qingtong qi[Bronzes], vol. 2, Beijing, 1986, pl. 217, together with another gilt-bronze wine zun with matching tripod stand in the Palace Museum, Beijing, pl. 236, which is decorated with a triple raised band in the centre and single bands at rim and base, not unlike the present piece, and attributed to the reign of Guangwudi, AD 25-57.

For ceramic incense burners, this shape was popular from the Song dynasty right through to modern times, and this Ding version with simple raised ribs, became a classic. Five similar Ding examples, in various shapes and proportions and with different arrangements of raised ribs, were included in the exhibition Gugong lidai xiangju tulu/A Special Exhibition of Incense Burners and Perfumers Throughout the Dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1994, cat. nos 35-39, together with a roughly contemporary Jingdezhen copy, cat. no. 44, a later Dehua copy, cat. no. 67, and a ‘Guang ware’ copy, probably from Guangzhou, cat. no. 71, all from the collection of the National Palace Museum. Three of the five Ding censers in Taipei were also included in the exhibition Dingzhou hua ci. Yuan zang Dingyaoxi baici tezhan/Decorated Porcelains of Dingzhou. White Ding wares from the collection of the National Palace Museum, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, cat. no. II-5.6.7, all with fitted wooden covers with Yuan (1279-1368) or Ming (1368-1644) jade carvings as knobs, a type known to have been commissioned by the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1723-1735) from the palace workshops. 

Another censer of this size, with two ribs near the mouth and also with a metal rim mount, from the Carl Kempe collection and illustrated in Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, pl. 447, was sold in our London rooms, 14th May 2008, lot 238; another is illustrated in Hsien-ch’i Tseng & Robert Paul Dart, The Charles B. Hoyt Collection in the Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, vol. II, Boston, 1972, pl. 29; a larger example, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in Selection of Ding Ware. The Palace Museum Collection and Archaeological Excavation, Beijing, 2012, pl. 41, together with a slightly smaller version excavated from Tomb 1 in Yangjiawan, Changsha, Hunan province, and now in the Hunan Provincial Museum, pl. 40; and another in the Tianjin City Art Museum, Tianjin, is published in Tianjin Shi Yishu Bowuguan cang ci/Porcelains from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 26. Compare also a much smaller fragmentary example recovered from the Ding kiln site in Quyang, Hebei province, illustrated in Zhongguo gu ciyao daxi. Zhongguo Dingyao/Series of China’s Ancient Porcelain Kiln Sites: Ding Kiln of China, Beijing, 2012, pl. 108. 

This ribbed tripod form was also adopted at other official kilns that produced wares for the court, for example, the Ru kilns in Baofeng, Henan province, see Wang Qingzheng, Fan Dongqing & Zhou Lili, Ruyao de faxian/The Discovery of Ru Kiln, Hong Kong, 1991, pls 59 and 66, for a piece from the collection of Sir Percival David, now in the British Museum, London, and one from the Palace Museum, Beijing; and at the Hangzhou guan (‘official’) kilns, see a piece in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Gui si chenxing. Qing gong chuanshi 12 zhi 14 shiji qingci tezhan/Precious as the Morning Star. 12th-14th Century Celadons in the Qing Court Collection, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2016, cat. no. II-2, where the author mentions, p. 67, related examples excavated from both the Laohudong and the Jiaotanxia kiln sites in Hangzhou.

Sotheby's. Song – Important Chinese Ceramics from the Le Cong Tang Collection, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2017, 10:20 AM

Lot 13. An outstanding large Cizhou white-glazed sgraffiato 'Peony'meiping, Northern Song dynasty, 34.7 cm, 13 5/8  in. Estimate 6,000,000 — 8,000,000 HKD. Lot sold 6,700,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

sturdily potted with an ovoid body sweeping up from a countersunk base to a broad shoulder and a waisted neck with a galleried rim, the exterior applied with a white slip, skilfully carved and detailed with incisions through the white slip to the buff-coloured body with a broad frieze enclosing peony blooms borne on curling leafy scrolls, between two bands of petal lappets encircling the upper shoulder and foot, all beneath a translucent milky glaze.

Provenance: Collection of the Chang Foundation, Taipei. 

Literature: James Spencer (comp.), Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, cat. no. 49.

Note: The lasting admiration for the unrivalled excellence of Song (960-1279) potters derives from two very different achievements: on the one hand the understated elegance of the refined green and white table wares, with their subtle tonal nuances and subdued decoration, and on the other hand the bold and striking appearance of black and white containers, with their swift and vivacious surface treatments with knife or brush in light/dark contrasts. The present meiping is a masterpiece of the latter category, which derives its beauty from the seemingly nonchalant sgraffiato carving, which in fact is skilfully laid out over the available space, with no awkward gaps or ungainly clusters, and the impeccable potting, manifested in its neat profile. 

The term Cizhou tends to be freely used for a wide variety of kilns using slip designs, distributed particularly over Hebei and Henan, the most important being the Cizhou type site at Guantai in Cixian (Ci county), the region formerly called Cizhou, in the southernmost part of Hebei province. The Guantai kilns created not only a very wide variety of decorative styles, but are particularly renowned for their masterful yet free manner of execution, with the potters wielding the carving knife, and later the brush, with a spontaneity like that displayed by the literati painters of the time in their ink paintings. The most important styles, which were developed before painted decoration became prevalent, were the various sgraffiato designs that make decorative use of the contrast between white and black slip, or between white or black slip and the exposed stoneware body, as seen on this impressive meiping, where the potters made decorative use of the subtle colour difference between the light beige-brown body and the ivory-white slip coating. 

The present piece shows the vigorous decoration of a lively peony scroll characteristic of the Guantai kilns’ production, which has been endowed with a sense of three-dimensionality through its bold outline carving and delicate incised and combed details. A very similar meiping with only two ranks of blooms, but incomplete and reconstituted from sherds, was discovered at the kiln site and is today in the Office for the Protection of Cultural Relics in Ci county, illustrated in Guantai Cizhou yaozhi/The Cizhou Kiln Site at Guantai, Beijing, 1997, col. pl. XI, no. 2 (fig. 1), together with similarly decorated fragments of other vessels, col. pl. XXI, no. 1, a pillow fragment, pl. XXI, no. 2, and a vase, pl. XXIV, no. 2. 

Cizhou white-glazed sgraffiato ‘peony’ meiping, Northern Song dynasty, excavated from Cizhou kiln site at Guantai© Office for the Protection of Cultural Relics in Ci county. After: Zhao Xuefeng, Zhongguo Cizhouyao [China’s Cizhou wares], Chongqing, 2004, p. 28.

A complete meiping of virtually the same shape and design as the present piece, has also been excavated in Tangyin county, Henan province, and is now in the Henan Museum, published in Zhongguo taoci quanji [Complete series on Chinese ceramics], Shanghai, 1999-2000, vol. 7, pl. 203, where it is attributed to the Dangyangyu kilns in Xiuwu in the same province. Since the find site is, however, situated much closer to the Guantai than the Dangyangyu kilns, even though they are today located in different provinces, and since the typical Dangyangyu sgraffiato wares are quite different in style (ibid., pls 204, 205 and 211), a Guantai provenance is more likely also for that vase. This opinion has also been expressed by Qin Dashu in his essay ‘Baiyou tihua zhuangshide chansheng, fajue ji xiangguan wenti/The Origin and Development of White Slip Sgraffito Decoration and Related Issues’, Wenwu, 2000, no. 11, p. 70, where both examples are illustrated, p. 72, fig. 9 and p. 75, fig. 19. 

A similar peony scroll is also found on a meiping covered in a lead-green glaze from the Eumorfopoulos collection in the British Museum, London, included in the exhibition Freedom of Clay and Brush through Seven Centuries in Northern China, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, 1980, cat. no. 94, where it is compared to a zun-shaped vase in the neutral colour scheme of the present vase, in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, fig. 276. 

Due to increasing demand for attractive utilitarian ceramics, kilns making wares similar to Cizhou sprang up all around China during the Northern Song dynasty, and related wares were made, for example, by the Yezicun and Dongaikou kilns in Hebei province, the Dengfeng, Bacun, Lushan, Mixian and Dangyangyu kilns in Henan province, the Jiexiu kilns in Shanxi, and others.

Sotheby's. Song – Important Chinese Ceramics from the Le Cong Tang Collection, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2017, 10:20 AM

Lot 8. A very rare Longquan celadon carved 'Peony'meiping, Northern Song dynasty, 28.6 cm, 11 1/4  in. Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,800,000 HKD. Lot sold 5,140,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

sturdily potted with a tapering body sweeping up to a broad shoulder and surmounted by a short neck and lipped mouth-rim, the exterior carved with large peony blooms with slender undulating petals above a thin concave band and a broad frieze enclosing upright petal lappets encircling the lower section of the vessel, covered unctuously overall save for the countersunk base with a translucent celadon glaze densely suffused with a network of ice crackles.

Provenance: Collection of the Chang Foundation, Taipei. 

Literature: James Spencer (comp.), Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, cat. no. 59.

Note: This serenely shaped and decorated meiping is one of the rare examples of the early production of the Longquan kilns in Zhejiang province, in the Northern Song period (960-1127), before Longquan wares reached the height of their popularity. At this time, the kilns, located in China’s southeast, were faced with the strong competition of northern celadon kilns such as Yaozhou in Shaanxi, which had the immense advantage of being located close to the seats of power. With their pale green glazes and delicate incised designs, early Longquan wares show closer similarities to Yue wares, made further north in the same province, and at times to Yaozhou ware, than to later Longquan wares with their deeper green glazes, often free of design, and were previously often mistaken for Yue. Although the Yue kilns clearly exerted a strong influence, the Longquan kilns had in fact created a distinctive style of their own already in the Northern Song, with their delicate carved designs covering the vessel surface, enlivened by fine combing. Outstanding examples such as the present vase are, however, exceedingly rare.

The dramatic transformation of the Longquan production, in terms of material and workmanship, from the Five Dynasties period (907-960), when the kilns produced mainly funerary wares, to the Northern Song, when they turned to high-quality utilitarian ceramics, becomes apparent when comparing a related, but much more coarse vase with slightly angled shoulders, carved with a peony scroll between bands of petals, attributed to the Five Dynasties period, illustrated in Longquan qingci [Longquan celadon], Beijing, 1966, pl. 2. 

The present meiping with its well-rounded shoulders and relatively wide neck is harmoniously proportioned, the complex flower scroll that covers two thirds of the body gives it a generous air, and the bluish glaze tone is particularly successful. On comparable vases the design is mostly divided into narrower bands, the proportions vary a lot, and the glazes tend to be more olive green; see, for example, a larger meiping of this type, excavated in Songyang county, Zhejiang province, and now in the Songyang County Museum, carved with an additional band of lappets around the shoulder, frequently illustrated, for example, in Zhu Boqian, Longquan yao qingci/Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, pl. 69; and in Zhongguo Longquan qingci/Longquan Celadon of China, Hangzhou, 1998, pl. 47 and on the cover; a slightly smaller, densely decorated vase from the Sir Herbert and Lady Ingram collection, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, published in Sekai tōji zenshū/Ceramic Art of the World, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1977, col. pl. 179; another from the Dexing Shuwu collection, sold in our New York rooms, 18th March 2008, lot 86; and one showing two narrow bands of scrolling flowers and a larger section of petals, sold in these rooms, 5th November 1996, lot 725; a much smaller version, decorated with one band of peony scrolls above five ranks of overlapping petals, from the Yang De Tang collection, was sold in our New York rooms, 17th March 2015, lot 64.

A 'longquan' celadon carved vase (meiping), Northern Song Dynasty, from the Dexing Shuwu collection, height 13 3/4 in., 34.9 cm. Sold for 43,000 USD at Sotheby's New York, 18th March 2008, lot 86. Photo Sotheby's

the ovoid body finely carved with a wide central band containing two registers of scrolling lotus blossoms, above a high skirt with two registers of overlapping lappets, a single band of lappets at the shoulder, all with finely combed detailing, the short upright neck culminating in an everted mouth rim, applied overall with an olive-green glaze pooling to a deeper tone in the recesses, the unglazed foot rim and recessed base revealing the pale orange-spotted body.

Provenance: Acquired by the present owner on the Hong Kong art market in 1994.

Note: Meiping of this type belong to early 'Longquan' wares that are particularly rare. A vase of similar proportions and incised decoration was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th November 1996, lot 725. Compare also a smaller related vase, from the collection of Sir Herbert and Lady Ingram and now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1977, p. 198, no. 179, which is decorated with a peony scroll with smaller blooms arranged in three ranks; and another smaller vase with a similar lotus scroll design in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, published in Jan Wirgin, Sung Ceramic Designs, Stockholm, 1970, pl. 37h.

A 'Longquan' celadon meiping, Northern Song dynasty, from the Yang De Tang collection. Height 8 1/8  in., 20.8 cm. Sold for 212,500 USD at Sotheby's New York, 17th March 2015, lot 64. Photo Sotheby's

Cf. my post  A 'Longquan' celadon meiping, Northern Song dynasty

Sotheby's. Song – Important Chinese Ceramics from the Le Cong Tang Collection, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2017, 10:20 AM

Lot 6. A superb Junyao purple-splashed blue-glazed dish, Song-Jin dynasty, 18.7 cm, 7 3/8  in. Estimate 4,000,000 — 6,000,000 HKD. Lot sold 5,140,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

sturdily potted with shallow rounded sides rising from a short tapering foot to an everted rim, covered overall with a milky sky-blue glaze thinning to a mushroom colour at the rim, the interior and underside liberally decorated with large and vibrant purple splashes, the base with five spur marks.

Provenance: Collection of the Chang Foundation, Taipei. 

Literature: James Spencer (comp.), Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, cat. no. 52.

Note: This dish is a masterpiece of abstract art. Since the Northern Qi (550-577) and throughout the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties Chinese potters in many different manufactories created wares decorated with irregular splashes in contrasting glaze colours. The copper-red streaks on blue Jun wares, however, are different from the rest: they are not fortuitous drips and splashes, but colour patterns that were applied with deliberation. Rose Kerr in Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p. 34, notes that the splashes found on Jun wares were made with the application of copper in broad brush strokes or washes over dry bluish glazes, which then merged when fired at full heat. Like an abstract painting, the success of the overall effect therefore depends on the motion of the brush that dictates the distribution across the surface, and on the relative ‘weight’ of one colour in relation to the other. This challenge has been superbly managed on the present dish. 

‘Jun’ ware, the most spectacular of the major Song dynasty wares, with its type site represented by the Juntai kilns in Yuzhou, Henan province, was produced by many different manufactories in Henan, including the Ru kilns at Qingliangsi in Baofeng, probably from the end of the Northern Song period (960-1127) until at least the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The bold, irregular red streaks on Jun ware, as seen on the present piece, had an immense appeal to the literati and nobility of the time due to their simple yet flamboyant, calligraphic effect, which gives each vessel decorated in this manner its unique design. 

The outstanding quality of this dish is further evidenced in the five small dot-shaped spur marks on the base. While many Jun bowls and dishes were fired on their unglazed foot rings, the present dish belongs to a small group of wares that were supported in the kiln on three or five spurs, which enabled the overall dish, including the foot ring, to be glazed, a firing method probably copied from the Ru kilns that were located nearby. 

Lot 108. A rare Longquan celadon vase, zun, Yuan-Ming dynasty (1279-1644). 9 ½ in. (24 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 300,000 - HKD 500,000. Price realised HKD 687,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017.

The vase is in the form of an archaic bronze zun, sturdily potted with a compressed globular mid-section, rising from a splayed foot to a tall trumpet neck, each register divided by four vertical crenelated flanges, applied overall with an unctuous sea-green glaze, gold brocade wrapper, Japanese wood box.

Note: Celadon vases of this archaic form were made in the Longquan and guan kilns from as early as the Southern Song dynasty and continued throughout the Ming dynasty. Fragments of zun of similar form were recovered from the Laohudong kiln site, Hangzhou. A closely related Longquan celadon example dated to the Southern Song period, from the collection of Tokyo National Museum, was included in the exhibition Longquan Ware: Chinese Celadon Beloved of the Japanese, Yamaguchi, 2012, pl. 29; another related Yuan example with similar design of flanges, in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Hangzhou, is illustrated in Celadon from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 2014, pl. 150, p. 177. Compare also to two Yuan examples of similar shape with varied designs of flanges, from the collection of Sir Percival David, London, illustrated in Stacey Pierson, Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997, p. 25, no. 221 and ibid., p. 29, no. 234. Another Longquan celadon zun vase, with similar crenelated flanges but of a slightly different shape, dated to the Ming dynasty, is in the collection of Kuboso Memorial Museum of Arts, Izumi and illustrated in Sensei Bansei to Ryusenyo no Seiji [Bansei, Sensei and Celadon of Longquan Wares], Izumi, 1996, no. 116.

Vase modelled after an ancient bronze, Yuan dynasty, AD 1280–1368. Stoneware, porcelain-type, carved, sprig-moulded decoration and celadon glaze, Longquan ware, Longquan region, Zhejiang province, Height: 24,5 cm, Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, PDF 221 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

This celadon vase is modelled after an ancient ritual drinking vessel called a gu. Wealthy aristocrats and generals of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, (about 1600–256 BC), buried bronze vessels as part of ritual eating and drinking equipment for tombs. The shape was transformed into a vase in the Song dynasty (AD 960–1279) as catalogues of collections of antiques were published with woodblock-printed illustrations. Related gu vases with less well-defined decoration were recovered from the Sinan shipwreck of AD1323. This ship was sunk in the waters near the Dokdo islets off the Shinan coast in south-west Korea. Of the 17,000 ceramics on board, over half were from Longquan. The ship is believed to have been travelling from Ningbo in southern China to Korea, on its way to Japan.

Vase modelled after an ancient bronze, Yuan dynasty, AD 1280–1368. Stoneware, porcelain-type, carved, sprig-moulded decoration and celadon glaze, Longquan ware, Longquan region, Zhejiang province, Height: 19,2 cm, Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, PDF 234 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Refer also to the Southern Song example of a guan zun vase with four divided low flanges, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Sung Dynasty Kuan Ware, Taipei, 1989, pl.2, p. 48.

Celadon-glazed zun vessel, Guan ware, Southern Song dynasty, height 25.9cm © National Palace Museum, Taipei.

Christie's. The Pavilion Sale Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 2 October 2017, Alexandra House, Hong Kong 

Lot 109. A Longquan celadon 'Treillis' vase, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), 8 3/4 in. (22 cm.) high, Japanese wood box. Estimate HKD 30,000 - HKD 50,000. Price realised HKD 20,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017.

Christie's. The Pavilion Sale Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 2 October 2017, Alexandra House, Hong Kong  

Lot 2017. A 15.01 carat Colombian emerald and diamond ring, by Jewellery Theatre. Estimate HKD 1,300,000 - 3,000,000 (USD 166,400 - 384,000). Lot sold HKD 1,534,000 (USD 196,352). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited

Set with a cushion-shaped emerald weighing 15.01 carats, flanked on each side by a fancy-shaped diamond, mounted in 18K gold, ring size 6 1/2; with marker's mark for jewellery theatre 

Accompanied by report no.17071065 dated 14 July 2017 from the Gübelin stating that the 15.01 carat emerald is of Colombia origin, with indications of minor clarity enhancement Also accompanied by report no. GRS2006-081591 dated 19 August 2006 from the GRS stating that the 15.02 carat emerald is of Colombia origin, with minor clarity enhancement.

Lot 2113. A pair of 7.00 and 7.60 carat Burmese 'Royal Blue' sapphire and diamond ear pendants. Estimate HKD 1,200,000 - 1,800,000 (USD 153,600 - 230,400). Lot sold HKD 1,416,000 (USD 181,248). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited

Each suspending a cushion-shaped sapphire weighing 7.00 and 7.60 carats, to the brilliant-cut diamond surmount and hook, approximately 3.1 cm long 

Accompanied by report no. 17087001 dated 14 August 2017 from the Gübelin stating that the 7.00 carat sapphire is of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating Accompanied by report no. 17087002 dated 14 August 2017 from the Gübelin stating that the 7.60 carat sapphire is of Burma (Myanmar) origin, 'Royal Blue' color, with no indications of heating Accompanied by report no. CS85237 dated 15 March 2016 from the AGL stating that the 7.00 carat sapphire is of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no gemological evidence of heat Accompanied by report no. CS85238 dated 04 April 2016 from the AGL stating that the 7.60 carat sapphire is of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no gemological evidence of heat 

Lot 2152. A 7.49 carat diamond and diamond ring, by Tiffany & Co. Estimate HKD 960,000 - 1,200,000 (USD 122,880 - 153,600). Lot sold HKD 1,132,800 (USD 144,998). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited

Set with a pear-shaped diamond weighing 7.49 carats, flanked on either side with tapered baguette-shaped diamonds, mounted in platinum, ring size 6. Signed TIFFANY & CO 

Accompanied by report no. 1186104244 dated 12 January 2017 from the GIA stating that the 7.49 carat diamond is I color, VS2 clarity  

Lot 2099. A jadeite and diamond ring. Estimate HKD 950,000 - 1,200,000 (USD 121,600 - 153,600). Lot sold HKD 1,121,000 (USD 143,488). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited

Set with a jadeite of intense green color and good translucency, surrounded by pear-shaped diamond altogether weighing approximately 2.96 carats, to diamond-set shoulders, mounted in 18K gold, ring size 6. 

Accompanied by report no. SJ154933 dated 4 August 2017 from the Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory stating that the jadeite tested is natural, known in the trade as “A Jade”   

Poly Auction. Magnificent Jewels, 2 October 2017 1:30pm, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

Lot 2012. A 3.30 carat no oil Colombian emerald and diamond ring. Estimate HKD 850,000 - 1,200,000 (USD 108,800 - 153,600). Lot sold HKD 1,121,000 (USD 143,488). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited

Centering upon a rectangular-shaped emerald weighing 3.30 carats, to the pearand marquise- shaped diamond surround, mounted in 18K gold, ring size 6 1/2 

Accompanied by report no. 92444 dated 13 June 2017 from the SSEF stating that the 3.304 carat emerald is of Colombia origin, with no indications of clarity modification   

Poly Auction. Magnificent Jewels, 2 October 2017 1:30pm, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

Lot 2104. An 11.54 carat Sri Lankan padparadscha and diamond ring. Estimate HKD 600,000 - 800,000 (USD 76,800 - 102,400). Lot sold HKD 708,000 (USD 90,624). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited

Centering upon an oval-shaped padparadscha weighing 11.54 carats, flanked on either side by two trapezoid-shaped diamonds, ring size 6 3/4 

Accompanied by report no. 91372 dated 28 March 2017 from the SSEF stating that the 11.547 carat Padparadscha is of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) origin, pinkish orange color, with no indications of heating    

Poly Auction. Magnificent Jewels, 2 October 2017 1:30pm, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

Lot 2086. A 69.84 carat emerald, conch pearl, sapphire, pearl and diamond 'Whale' brooch. Estimate HKD 580,000 - 980,000 (USD 74,240 - 125,440). Lot sold HKD 413,000 (USD 52,864). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited

Lot 2087. An exquisite pink sapphire and diamond brooch, by Wallace Chan. Estimate HKD 350,000 - 680,000 (USD 44,800 - 87,040). Lot sold HKD 802,400 (USD 102,707). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited

Lot 6. A superb Junyao purple-splashed blue-glazed dish, Song-Jin dynasty, 18.7 cm, 7 3/8  in. Estimate 4,000,000 — 6,000,000 HKD. Lot sold 5,140,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

sturdily potted with shallow rounded sides rising from a short tapering foot to an everted rim, covered overall with a milky sky-blue glaze thinning to a mushroom colour at the rim, the interior and underside liberally decorated with large and vibrant purple splashes, the base with five spur marks.

Provenance: Collection of the Chang Foundation, Taipei. 

Literature: James Spencer (comp.), Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, cat. no. 52.

Note: This dish is a masterpiece of abstract art. Since the Northern Qi (550-577) and throughout the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties Chinese potters in many different manufactories created wares decorated with irregular splashes in contrasting glaze colours. The copper-red streaks on blue Jun wares, however, are different from the rest: they are not fortuitous drips and splashes, but colour patterns that were applied with deliberation. Rose Kerr in Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p. 34, notes that the splashes found on Jun wares were made with the application of copper in broad brush strokes or washes over dry bluish glazes, which then merged when fired at full heat. Like an abstract painting, the success of the overall effect therefore depends on the motion of the brush that dictates the distribution across the surface, and on the relative ‘weight’ of one colour in relation to the other. This challenge has been superbly managed on the present dish. 

‘Jun’ ware, the most spectacular of the major Song dynasty wares, with its type site represented by the Juntai kilns in Yuzhou, Henan province, was produced by many different manufactories in Henan, including the Ru kilns at Qingliangsi in Baofeng, probably from the end of the Northern Song period (960-1127) until at least the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The bold, irregular red streaks on Jun ware, as seen on the present piece, had an immense appeal to the literati and nobility of the time due to their simple yet flamboyant, calligraphic effect, which gives each vessel decorated in this manner its unique design. 

The outstanding quality of this dish is further evidenced in the five small dot-shaped spur marks on the base. While many Jun bowls and dishes were fired on their unglazed foot rings, the present dish belongs to a small group of wares that were supported in the kiln on three or five spurs, which enabled the overall dish, including the foot ring, to be glazed, a firing method probably copied from the Ru kilns that were located nearby. 

Lor 2135. A lavender jadeite bangle. Estimate HKD 480,000 - 680,000 (USD 61,440 - 87,040). Lot sold HKD 566,400 (USD 72,499) © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited.

The bangle of lavender color and good translucency, weighing 333.14 carat, inner diameter approximately 55.19mm, thickness 14.75 mm. 

Accompanied by report no. SJ154923 dated 4 August 2017 from the Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory stating that the jadeite tested is natural, known in the trade as “A Jade” 

Poly Auction. Magnificent Jewels, 2 October 2017 1:30pm, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong