Photo courtesy Bonhams.
During my early childhood in Taiwan, at every Chinese New Year festival I can remember my pretty elder sister would hold my hand and take me and our two brothers to visit my maternal grandparents at their home. As soon as we entered the main room I could see the large three-legged pale-green-glazed tripod dish containing a flower arrangement of pure and elegant narcissus flowers. My grandfather told me that this was a late Ming ‘Longquan celadon’ narcissus dish. At the time I had to count on my fingers to calculate its age: it was so ancient, the late Ming period was already over 400 years ago. It was at this moment that my great curiosity and interest in Chinese porcelain began.
After I grew up and got married, I followed my husband to live on Mount Yangming near Taipei. At the time, my husband was an American diplomat, stationed in Taiwan as cultural attaché. Apart from occasionally playing golf at the weekends, most of my leisure time was spent roaming around the antique shops of Taipei, the National Palace Museum, the National Museum of History and other cultural centres. Because of my husband’s work at the time, we got to know the Curator of objects d’art at the National Palace Museum Mr Wu Yu-Chang, and there were many opportunities to ask his advice regarding Chinese porcelain. I would often bring him pieces that I had just bought at an antique shop for him to look at; but nine times out of ten he would just smile patiently and explain to me that they were forgeries. Once, I thought I had bought a rare treasure – a Han dynasty green-glazed roof tile. The Curator took one look and then consoled me; he said that this was a modern tile from Guangdong’s Jiaozhi kiln, where they still make tiles to mend a traditional roof! It was like this over and over again, but I did not lose heart.
Finally, one day one antique dealer told me he had received a Song dynasty black-glazed tea bowl, with a very reliable provenance. I hurriedly went to his shop, and saw that it was a rather unremarkable looking dark Song dynasty bowl. My friend who was standing next to me at the time said she once saw a bowl like this for sale on the street, and walked straight past it. She laughed at me, saying how madly obsessed with antiques I was, rather than clothes and normal things... Nevertheless, with one deep breath I bought it. According to the shopkeeper, this bowl was left behind in Taiwan by a Japanese collector who had lived there in the Japanese colonial period. I nervously yet excitedly invited Mr Wu to come to my house, and served him the finest brandy with some almonds and peanuts. His pleasantly surprised expression told me that this was indeed an authentic Song dynasty Jianyao ware, much beloved by Japanese tea ceremony enthusiasts. It was at this moment that my particular specialist interest began in Song dynasty ceramics.
Three years later, my husband was posted to Hong Kong to serve at the American Consulate General. It was in Hong Kong that my eyes were truly opened. I met with countless collectors and experts, and joined the Oriental Ceramic Society, as well as becoming the first female member of the Kau Chi Society of Chinese Art. One day each month the Kau Chi Society would hold a meeting, and there would be opportunities to view and inspect the treasured items that collectors brought; everyone would Good Restaurant Mr Chan arranged for delicacies to be served to the sociality members. Thus, we were equally fortunate to eat fine food, at the same time as treating our eyes to rare and beautiful objects.
Several years were spent like this, until I discovered that collecting was an extremely large financial burden. I therefore decided that I would sell a portion of my collection by opening a gallery. I received much support and encouragement, and my business circle expanded, making lots of new local and international friends in Hong Kong, Japan, the US, the UK, Taiwan, Italy and France.
Around 1986, government import controls were relaxed, and antiquities of all kinds from the mainland entered Hong Kong in larger quantities. This was a big benefit to the local antiques trade, as well attracting numerous foreign buyers and visitors. One summer, I vividly remember the great Japanese connoisseur of Chinese cultural relics, Mr Nakamura from Kyoto (who was at the time eighty years old) came to my gallery and sat beside me for over three hours, carefully observing the business that I made within that time. At the end, he sighed deeply and said: “The amount of antique dealing you have done in three hours is equal to what I have done in thirty years! My eyes have been opened…” Happily he then laughed, saying: “You can already retire!”
During my career in Hong Kong, which is now more than thirty years of buying and selling Chinese art, I have also had the opportunity to privately collect the types of Chinese ceramics that I personally love. I never thought that after thirty years of collecting, I would have assembled well over a hundred pieces which I consider good examples of their different types. Although I don’t possess rare and expensive Ru and Ge wares, what I am presenting to everyone today are the fruits of my labours and years of accumulated knowledge. I chose as far as possible to select pieces representative of the various kilns, and although the collection does not include examples from all the earlier periods, I tried my best to complete a wide-ranging selection.
Lot 13. A magnificent and large olive-green-glazed vase and cover, Northern Qi Dynasty. 65cm (25 5/8in) high. Estimate £50,000 - 80,000 (€57,000 - 91,000). Photo: Bonhams.
Robustly potted, the baluster body raised on a tall spreading foot encircled by a band of radiating lotus petals, the lower body decorated with slender chicken-headed columns leading to eight roundels variously containing lotus flower heads and mythical animals, all beneath two relief registers of lotus lappets above tiger heads issuing acanthus leaves, the high shoulder applied with three strap handles, rising to a gently flaring neck with two registers of cartouches containing the image of the Buddha and floral sprays alternated with lion masks, all covered under an olive-green glaze, the domed cover decorated with eight acanthus leaves radiating from a bud-shaped finial, fitted box. (3).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s
Note: Compare two similar green-glazed vases, zun, Northern Qi dynasty, unearthed in 1948 and currently in the Palace Museum, Beijing, both of similar form moulded with lotus petals, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Jin and Tang Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1996, pp.61-63, nos.56-57. Another similar green-glazed vase, North Dynasties, was excavated from the tomb of Feng Zihui in Jing Prefecture, Hebei Province, dated 565, illustrated by Imai Atsushi, Chugoku no Toji 4: Seiji, Tokyo, 1997, no.15.
![A green-glazed vase, zun, Northern Qi dynasty, of the Palace Museum, Beijing]()
A green-glazed vase, zun, Northern Qi dynasty, Palace Museum, Beijing. Image courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing.
![A fine small Xingyao white-glazed ewer, Tang Dynasty (618-907)]()
![14-1]()
Lot 14. A fine small Xingyao white-glazed ewer, Tang Dynasty (618-907). 10cm (4in) high. Estimate £3,000 - 5,000 (€3,400 - 5,700). Photo: Bonhams.
Elegantly modelled with a slender ovoid body raising to a flaring rim, applied with a short spout to one side of the shoulder and a lion-shaped handle to the other side of the rim, all under a creamy-white glaze, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare a similar Xingyao lion-handled ewer, Tang dynasty, of similar size and ovoid form potted with a short spout and lion handle, illustrated by B.Gyllensvärd in Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1965, p.100, no.289. Another related white-glazed ewer, 9th century, Late Tang dynasty, formerly in the Eurmorfopoulos collection, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, of similar form modelled with a similar lion handle, is illustrated by S.Pierson, Chinese Ceramics, London, 2009, p.19, no.18.
![Ewer with lion's-head handle, Northern China, Tang dynasty, 800-900]()
Ewer with lion's-head handle, Northern China, Tang dynasty, 800-900, stoneware with white glaze. Museum no. Circ.108-1938 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2017.
![A fine Xingyao lion-handled ewer, Tang Dynasty]()
![15-1]()
Lot 15. A fine Xingyao lion-handled ewer, Tang Dynasty. 19.5cm (7 5/8in) high. Estimate £6,000 - 8,000 (€6,800 - 9,100). Photo: Bonhams.
Of ovoid form rising to a gently waisted neck, applied to one side of the high shoulder with a short spout shaped as the head of a mythical beast, the other side flanked by a handle modelled in the form of a Buddhist lion clambering on the rim, all under an attractive glaze of creamy-white tone, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare with a related white-glazed ewer, 9th century, Late Tang dynasty, formerly in the Eurmorfopoulos collection, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, of similar form modelled with a lion handle, illustrated by S.Pierson, Chinese Ceramics, London, 2009, p.19, no.18. Another related Xingyao ewer, Tang dynasty, of similar size and form but with a strap handle, is illustrated by B.Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1965, p.100, no.286.
A related white-glazed ewer, Tang dynasty, similarly modelled with a lion handle and beast spout, was sold at Christie's New York, 26 March 2003, lot 206.
![A rare early white-glazed ewer, Tang dynasty, 9th-10th century]()
A rare early white-glazed ewer, Tang dynasty, 9th-10th century. 7¾in. (19.7cm.) high. Sold for 35,850 USD at Christie's New York, 26 March 2003, lot 206. © Christie's Images Ltd 2003
![A rare small Yueyao 'lotus-bud' jar and cover, Five Dynasties (907-960)]()
Lot 16. A rare small Yueyao 'lotus-bud' jar and cover, Five Dynasties (907-960). 11.5cm (4 1/2in) high. Estimate £3,000 - 5,000 (€3,400 - 5,700). Photo: Bonhams.
The ovoid body raising to a high angled shoulder applied with three loop handles, moulded to the exterior with overlapping lotus petals, all under a thin glaze of pale olive-green tone, the flat cover similarly shaped with overlapping petals centred on a finial in the form of a curling bud, fitted box. (3).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s
![A green-glazed 'lotus-petal' jar, guan, Tang Dynasty (618-907)]()
Lot 17. A green-glazed 'lotus-petal' jar, guan, Tang Dynasty (618-907). 17.5cm (6 7/8in) high. Estimate £4,000 - 6,000 (€4,600 - 6,800). Photo: Bonhams.
The globular jar potted with a straight neck and a slightly-spreading foot, moulded to the exterior with two registers of lotus petals, the high shoulder applied with four angular strap handles, all covered under a lustrous glaze of beige tone suffused with green patches, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare a related white-glazed ewer, Northern Qi dynasty, excavated from the tomb of Fan Cui, Anyang in 1971, now in the Henan Provincial Museum, of similar globular shape applied with strap handles and decorated with moulded lotus petals, illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, Gongyi Meishu bian Vol.1: Taoci (Shang), Shanghai, p.190, no.234.
The result of C-Link Research & Development Ltd. thermoluminescence test no.C117j83 dated 4 October 2017, is consistent with the dating of this lot.
![Two sancai 'floral' dishes, Liao Dynasty]()
![A sancai 'floral' dish, Liao dynasty]()
Lot 18. Three sancai'floral' dishes, Liao Dynasty (907-1125).each 13.8cm (5 3/8in) diam. Estimate £4,000 - 6,000 (€4,600 - 6,800). Photo: Bonhams.
Comprising an oval foliate dish, the shallow interior decorated with three lotus buds highlighted in green and amber reserved on a straw-coloured incised ground, bordered by a band of floral scrolls around the flat rim, 26cm (10 1/8in) wide; and a pair of eight-lobed dishes, each moulded in the centre with a large flower head surrounded by eight further flower heads highlighted in amber tone, all reserved on a green-glazed incised ground, fitted boxes. (5).
Provenance: The oval dish: John Sparks Ltd., London (label)
The Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s
Note: Compare similar sancai oval and lobed dishes, Liao dynasty, of similar form and pattern, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, nos.254 and 255. See also related sancai oval and lobed dishes, late Liao dynasty, illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, nos.185 and 186.
![A rare green-glazed baluster flask, Liao Dynasty]()
Lot 19. A rare green-glazed baluster flask, Liao Dynasty (907-1125). 29.2cm (11 1/2in) high. Estimate £4,000 - 6,000 (€4,600 - 6,800). Photo: Bonhams.
Moulded to the exterior with clusters formed of sea shells and beaded whorls beneath bands of pendants to the high shoulder, the sides with two applied strap handles, all under an attractive olive-green glaze, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: The result of C-Link Research & Development Ltd. thermoluminescence test no.8729YL10 dated 3 November 2010, is consistent with the dating of this lot.
Compare a related stoneware flask, Liao dynasty, late 10th – early 11th century, formerly in the Eumorfopoulos collection, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, of similar form applied with strap handles, illustrated by R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p.68, no.64.
![Flask, stoneware with cream slip and spalsh of green glaze, Cizhou ware, China, Liao or Northern Song dynasty, late 10th-early 11th century]()
Flask, stoneware with cream slip and spalsh of green glaze, Cizhou ware, China, Liao or Northern Song dynasty, late 10th-early 11th century. Height: 34 cm. Museum nos. Circ.134-1936, purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2017.
![A fine and rare Cizhou 'peony-scroll' carved globular jar, Northern Song-Jin Dynasty]()
Lot 20. A fine and rare Cizhou 'peony-scroll' carved globular jar, Northern Song-Jin Dynasty (960-1134). 15.2cm (6in) high. Estimate £6,000 - 8,000 (€6,800 - 9,100). Photo: Bonhams.
Of globular form supported on a short and slightly spreading foot, the exterior covered with white slip, carved with a register containing three large peony blossoms borne on an undulating meander issuing large foliate leaves silhouetted against the russet-coloured body, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare a related Cizhou carved globular jar, late Northern Song dynasty, the exterior carved through the white slip with floral scroll design, illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, pp.326-327, no.145.
A related Cizhou carved globular jar and cover, Northern Song dynasty, decorated with carved peony scrolls, was sold in our Hong Kong Rooms, 9 October 2014, lot 195.
![A very rare Cizhou 'peony-scroll' carved globular jar and cover, Northern Song Dynasty, from the Feng Wen Tang Collection]()
A very rare Cizhou 'peony-scroll' carved globular jar and cover, Northern Song Dynasty, from the Feng Wen Tang Collection. 14.5cm high. Sold for HK$ 1,000,000 (€110,169) at Bonhams, Hong Kong, 9 October 2014, lot 195.
![A rare Cizhou 'peony-scroll' carved ewer, Northern Song-Jin Dynasty (960-1134)]()
Lot 21. A rare Cizhou 'peony-scroll' carved ewer, Northern Song-Jin Dynasty (960-1134). 16.3cm (6 3.8in) high. Estimate £8,000 - 12,000 (€9,100 - 14,000). Photo: Bonhams.
The compressed globular body raised on a short and slightly spreading foot, the body carved with four large peony blossoms borne on leafy scrolling foliage, reserved on a dense ring-punched ground, the wide shoulder similarly decorated with floral scrolls, beneath a cylindrical neck flanked by a short spout and strap handle, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: Susan Chen collection, no.132
The Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare with a related Cizhou white-glazed ewer, Northern Song dynasty in the Tokyo National Museum, of similar form with a slender cylindrical neck and strap handle but carved through the white slip with floral decoration, illustrated in Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum: Chinese Ceramics II, Tokyo, 1990, p.189, no.Hoyi2. Another related Cizhou carved vase, meiping, Song dynasty, in the Laiyantang collection, carved with a similar ring-punched ground but decorated with chrysanthemums, is illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Laiyantang Collection, 2010, p.76, no.29.
The result of C-Link Research & Development Ltd. thermoluminescence test no.129YL05 dated 3 November 2010, is consistent with the dating of this lot.
![A rare Cizhou black-glazed white-rimmed 'lotus-bud' jar, Northern Song Dynasty]()
Lot 22. A rare Cizhou black-glazed white-rimmed 'lotus-bud' jar, Northern Song Dynasty. 11cm (4 3/8in) wide. Estimate £3,000 - 5,000 (€3,400 - 5,700). Photo: Bonhams.
Of globular form, covered under a lustrous glaze of dark brown stopping short of the dressed purple-brown colour foot, the rim slip-decorated with a white band, velvet box.
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare a related brownish-black-glazed jar, Henan ware, Northern Song dynasty, of similar lotus-bud form but without a white-glazed band to the rim, illustrated by B.Gyllensvärd in Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1965, p.94, no.266.
![A very rare Cizhou 'oil-spot' white-rimmed tea bowl, Northern Song Dynasty]()
![A very rare Cizhou 'oil-spot' white-rimmed tea bowl, Northern Song Dynasty]()
Lot 23. A very rare Cizhou 'oil-spot' white-rimmed tea bowl, Northern Song Dynasty. 13cm (5 1/8in) diam. Estimate £10,000 - 15,000 (€11,000 - 17,000). Photo: Bonhams.
With deep rounded sides supported on a short foot, covered under a lustrous black glaze suffused with a dense pattern of silver 'oil spots', thinning to the exposed biscuit foot dressed in dark brown tone, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no.P107j8 dated 4 April 2007, is consistent with the dating of this lot.
Compare a similar black-glazed 'oil-spot' white rimmed bowl, 12th-13th century, in the Fujita Museum, Osaka, illustrated in Ceramic Art of the World, Vol.12: Sung Dynasty, Tokyo, 1977, p.256, pl.260.
A related Cizhou white-rimmed black-glazed bowl, Northern Song dynasty, of similar form and size but decorated with russet streaks, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1-2 June 2017, lot 419.
![116390112]()
![116390107]()
A 'Cizhou' white-rimmed black-glazed bowl, Northern Song dynasty (960-1126). 14.8 cm, 5 7/8 in. Sold for 187,500 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1-2 June 2017, lot 419. Photo: Sotheby's.
Cf. my post: A 'Cizhou' white-rimmed black-glazed bowl, Northern Song dynasty
![A fine and rare Cizhou carved pear-shaped vase, yuhuchunping, Jin Dynasty]()
Lot 24. A fine and rare Cizhou carved pear-shaped vase, yuhuchunping, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). 27.5cm (10 7/8in) high. Estimate £10,000 - 15,000 (€11,000 - 17,000). Photo: Bonhams.
The globular body supported on a short foot elegantly tapered to a slender waisted neck and flaring rim, the exterior covered with a lustrous and attractive dark brown glaze, carved with a wide register of scrolling meander issuing large acanthus leaves, below another similar floral band against the unglazed buff-colour biscuit, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: The result of C-Link Research & Development Ltd. thermoluminescence test no.6380AM20 dated 17 December 2012, is consistent with the dating of this lot.
Compare a similar Cizhou carved pear-shaped vase, Yuhuchunping, Jin/Yuan dynasty, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl.523. Another related Cizhou carved pear-shaped vase, 13th-14th century, in the Saint Louis Art Museum, is illustrated by R.Mowry, Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers: Chinese Brown- and Black-glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Harvard, 1996, pp.189-191, no.68.
A similar Cizhou carved bottle vase, Yuhuchunping, Jin dynasty, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3284.
![A rare Cizhou carved bottle vase, Yuhuchunping, Jin dynasty (1127-1234)]()
A rare Cizhou carved bottle vase, Yuhuchunping, Jin dynasty (1127-1234). 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm.) high. Sold for 875,000 HKD at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3284. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013
![A very rare small Jizhou reserve-decorated 'elephant' jar, Southern Song Dynasty]()
Lot 25. A very rare small Jizhou reserve-decorated 'elephant' jar, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). 9.5cm (3 3/4in) high. Estimate £6,000 - 8,000 (€6,800 - 9,100). Photo: Bonhams.
The high shoulder rising to a delicately everted rim, flanked by a pair of small loop handles, the body painted on each side with a standing tusked elephant reserved on a ground of dark-brown wash, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
![A fine and very rare Jizhou resist-decorated 'double phoenix' baluster vase, meiping, Southern Song Dynasty]()
Lot 26. A fine and very rare Jizhou resist-decorated 'double phoenix' baluster vase, meiping, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). 28.5cm (11 1/4in) high. Estimate £6,000 - 8,000 (€6,800 - 9,100). Photo: Bonhams.
The baluster body raising to a high shoulder, short tapering neck and lipped rim, resist-decorated to the exterior with two pairs of confronted phoenix detailed with long feathered tail and plumage, separated by billowing clouds, reserved on a dark brown glaze, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare a very similar Jizhou resist-decorated vase, meiping, Southern Song to Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century, in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, similarly glazed dark-brown and resist-decorated with a pair of phoenix, illustrated by R.Mowry Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers: Chinese Brown- and Black-glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Harvard, 1996, pp.253-255, no.103.
A related Jizhou resist-decorated and carved brown-glazed vase, meiping, Southern Song dynasty, of similar form but decorated with prunus branches, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 4 April 2017, lot 109.
![A Jizhou resist-decorated and carved brown-glazed vase, meiping, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)]()
A Jizhou resist-decorated and carved brown-glazed vase, meiping, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). 9 in. (22.8 cm.) high. Sold for 1,800,000 HKD at Christie's Hong Kong, 4 April 2017, lot 109. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
![A very fine and rare small Jizhou 'tea-leaf-pattern' tea bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
![A very fine and rare small Jizhou 'tea-leaf-pattern' tea bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
Lot 27. A very fine and rare small Jizhou 'tea-leaf-pattern' tea bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). 10.7cm (4 1/4in) diam. Estimate £4,000 - 6,000 (€4,600 - 6,900). Photo: Bonhams.
Elegantly potted with deep rounded sides rising to a slightly everted rim, the bowl covered with an even and attractive brownish-black glaze, resist-decorated with a buff-coloured leaf to the interior, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
![A rare Jizhou 'tea-leaf-pattern' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
![A rare Jizhou 'tea-leaf-pattern' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
Lot 28. A rare Jizhou 'tea-leaf-pattern' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). 10.8cm (4 1/4in) diam. Estimate £4,000 - 6,000 (€4,600 - 6,900). Photo: Bonhams.
Of conical form with gently sloping sides, covered with an attractive brownish-black glaze stopping short of the biscuit foot, the interior resist-decorated with a buff-coloured leaf revealing its veins, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
![A fine and rare Jizhou paper-cut-out 'flower sprays' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty]()
![A fine and rare Jizhou paper-cut-out 'flower sprays' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty]()
Lot 29. A fine and rare Jizhou paper-cut-out 'flower sprays' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). 12.2cm (4 7/8in) diam. Estimate £3,000 - 5,000 (€3,400 - 5,700). Photo: Bonhams.
With gently rounded sides rising to a slightly everted rim, the interior with three resist-decorated flower sprays reserved on a speckled russet ground, the exterior with a dark brown glaze stopping above the biscuit foot, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
![A fine and rare Jizhou paper-cut-out 'prunus-blossoms' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
![A fine and rare Jizhou paper-cut-out 'prunus-blossoms' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
Lot 30. A fine and rare Jizhou paper-cut-out 'prunus-blossoms' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). 12.3cm (4 7/8in) diam. Estimate £5,000 - 8,000 (€5,700 - 9,200). Photo: Bonhams.
Decorated to the interior of the flared sides with scattered prunus blossoms applied in resist technique, reserved on a speckled russet ground, the exterior covered in a dark brown glaze stopping above the brown-slip-dressed foot, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare a similar Jizhou paper-cut 'prunus' bowl, Southern Song dynasty, illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, p.382, no.173.
A related Jizhou paper-cut 'prunus' bowl, Southern Song dynasty, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2-3 June 2016, lot 618.
![111103627]()
A 'Jizhou''papercut''prunus' bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Sold for 137,500 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2-3 June 2016, lot 618. photo: Sotheby's.
Cf./ my post: A 'Jizhou''papercut''prunus' bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
![A fine and rare Jizhou tortoiseshell-glazed paper-cut-out 'auspicious characters' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
![1]()
Lot 31. A fine and rare Jizhou tortoiseshell-glazed paper-cut-out 'auspicious characters' bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). 11.5cm (4 1/2in) diam. Estimate £5,000 - 8,000 (€5,700 - 9,200). Photo: Bonhams.
Of conical shape with steep sloping sides, the interior applied with three resist-decorated quatrefoil cartouches, each enclosing four auspicious characters reserved on a speckled russet ground, the exterior covered with a dark-brown glaze with beige splashes, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: The quatrefoil cartouches are enclosed with auspicious characters reading Jinyu Mantang 金玉滿堂, which may be translated as 'may gold and jade fill your household'; Changming Fugui 長命富貴, 'longevity and wealth'; and Fushou Kangrong 福壽康榮, or 'wealth, longevity, health and peace'.
Compare a similar Jizhou paper-cut bowl, Southern Song dynasty, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, similarly decorated with three quatrefoil cartouches enclosing auspicious characters, illustrated by R.Kerr, Song Dynasty Ceramics, London, 2004, p.109, pl.110. For another similar Jizhou paper-cut bowl, from the Kwong Yee Che Tong collection, see The Multiplicity of Simplicity: Monochrome wares from the Song to the Yuan Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2012, pp.264-265, no.108.
A similar Jizhou paper-cut bowl, Southern Song dynasty, was sold at Sotheby's New York, 13-14 September 2016, lot 121.
![112128058]()
A 'Jizhou' papercut and tortoiseshell-glazed bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Sold for 18,750 USD at Sotheby's New York, 13-14 September 2016, lot 121. Photo Sotheby's.
Cf. my post: A 'Jizhou' papercut and tortoiseshell-glazed bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279)
![A fine Jianyao russet-splashed bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
![A fine Jianyao russet-splashed bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)]()
Lot 32. A fine Jianyao russet-splashed bowl, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). 13cm (5 1/8in) diam. Estimate £5,000 - 8,000 (€5,700 - 9,200). Photo: Bonhams.
Modelled with steep sloping sides rising to an unglazed russet rim, all under a lustrous black glaze with russet-brown patches and streaks arranged in concentric layers, stopping above the biscuit foot, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
![A fine Yaozhou celadon-glazed 'four fish' moulded bowl, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126)]()
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Lot 33. A fine Yaozhou celadon-glazed 'four fish' moulded bowl, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126). 11.7cm (4 5/8in) diam. Estimate £2,500 - 3,500 (€2,900 - 4,000). Photo: Bonhams.
Delicately potted with steep sloping sides rising to a slightly-everted rim, the interior elaborately moulded with four scaly fish swimming amidst dense foaming waves, a seashell at the centre, the exterior with radiating ribbed design, all under a thin pale olive-green glaze, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare a similar pair of Yaozhou celadon-glazed bowls, Northern Song dynasty, illustrated by R.Scott, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1989, p.44, no.27. Another related Yaozhou celadon-glazed bowl, similarly decorated with fish on a ground of waves, but without a shell at the centre, is illustrated in Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong, 1994, pp.200-201, no.82.
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![A rare Qingbai-glazed 'chrysanthemum-bud' lobed stem cup, Song Dynasty]()
Lot 34. A rare Qingbai-glazed 'chrysanthemum-bud' lobed stem cup, Song Dynasty. 11cm (4 3/8in) diam. Estimate £3,000 - 5,000 (€3,400 - 5,700). Photo: Bonhams.
Delicately potted with a foliate rim supported on a short flaring foot, the lobed body moulded with radiating chrysanthemum petals, a flower head to the interior, all covered under a lustrous glaze of bluish-green tone, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
![A rare small Qingbai-glazed figure of a seated Bodhisattva, Southern Song Dynasty]()
Lot 35. A rare small Qingbai-glazed figure of a seated Bodhisattva, Southern Song Dynasty. 15.5cm (6 1/8in) high. Estimate £2,000 - 3,000 (€2,300 - 3,400. Photo: Bonhams.
The deity with a benign face dressed in elaborate headdress and long robe, flanked by a perched bird beside his right foot and a slender vase to the other side, seated in a rocky grotto underneath an arch of scrolling clouds around a small image of the Buddha, all under a lustrous glaze of pale green tone, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no.P106w41 dated 12 September 2006, is consistent with the dating of this lot.
![A fine and rare small Junyao 'chrysanthemum' petal-rimmed dish, 13th-14th century]()
Lot 36. A fine and rare small Junyao 'chrysanthemum' petal-rimmed dish, 13th-14th century. 13cm (5 1/8in) diam. Estimate £2,000 - 3,000 (€2,300 - 3,400). Photo: Bonhams.
The shallow curved sides moulded in the shape of chrysanthemum petals, all under a lavender-blue glaze thinning to a mushroom tone at the rim and on the folds, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: R. Randolph Richmond collection (label)
Mathias Komor, New York (label)
The Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s
Note: The chrysanthemum petal rim, as seen on the present lot, is rare but examples from other regional kilns of the Song dynasty are known. For a related Qingbai-glazed chrysanthemum petal-rimmed dish, Song dynasty, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, p.173, no.157.
Compare a related Junyao dish, in the Sir Percival David collection, in the British Museum, London, of similar size but with an eight-lobed petal rim, illustrated by S.Pierson and S.McCausland in Song Ceramics: Objects of Admiration, London, 2003, pp.46-47, no.13.
![A rare Longquan celadon-glazed 'eight immortals' baluster vase, meiping, Yuan Dynasty]()
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Lot 37. A rare Longquan celadon-glazed 'eight immortals' baluster vase, meiping, Yuan Dynasty. 26cm (10 1/4in) high. Estimate £15,000 - 20,000 (€17,000 - 23,000). Photo: Bonhams.
The baluster body supported on a tapering foot rising to a high shoulder and short flaring rim, moulded to the eight facets with cartouches enclosing the Eight Immortals amidst billowing clouds, in between further cartouches enclosing floral sprays, covered all under an attractive glaze of olive-green tone, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
Note: Compare a related Longquan celadon-glazed vase, meiping, Yuan dynasty, of similar octagonal form and decoration but with unglazed figural panels, in the Percival David collection, illustrated in Imperial Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, San Francisco, 1989, pp.48-49, no.23.
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Octagonal vase with immortals and flowers. Stoneware, porcelain-type, with impressed and partly biscuit-fired decoration with celadon glaze. Longquan ware, Longquan region, Zhejiang province. Yuan dynasty, about AD 1300–1368, PDF203 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum.
![An Yixing stoneware teapot and cover, Jingxi two-character seal mark, Early Qing Dynasty]()
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Lot 38. An Yixing stoneware teapot and cover, Jingxi two-character seal mark, Early Qing Dynasty. 11.5cm (4 1/2in) wide. Estimate £5,000 - 8,000 (€5,700 - 9,200). Photo: Bonhams.
Of square form with curving sides, the rounded body flanked by a short tapering spout and a loop handle, mounted with gilt-metal and connected by a chain to the finial of the cover. (2).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
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Lot 39. An Yixing stoneware moulded 'prunus' teapot and cover, 18th century. 14.8cm (5 7/8in) wide. Estimate £2,000 - 3,000 (€2,300 - 3,400). Photo: Bonhams.
The rectangular teapot with curving sides supported on four bracket feet, moulded to each side of the body with lotus sprays and prunus branches within key-fret borders, flanked by a short curving spout and loop handle modelled in the form of tree branches detailed with burls, the cover decorated with small prunus blossoms surmounted by a prunus-branch handle, fitted box. (3).
Provenance: the Sze Yuan Tang collection, acquired in Hong Kong circa 1980s-1990s.
![An Yixing stoneware moulded 'dragon medallions' bowl, Chen Jinghou zhi seal mark, Qianlong period (1736-1795)]()
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Lot 40. An Yixing stoneware moulded 'dragon medallions' bowl, Chen Jinghou zhi seal mark, Qianlong period (1736-1795). 20cm (7 7/8in) diam. Estimate £8,000 - 12,000 (€9,200 - 14,000). Photo: Bonhams.
Potted with deep rounded sides rising to a gently flaring rim supported on a short straight foot, moulded to the exterior with five relief cartouches each encompassing a wrathful four-clawed dragon striding amidst scrolling clouds, beneath a band of stylised shou characters to the rim, the stoneware of creamy-beige tone suffused with brownish-red inclusions, fitted box. (2).
Provenance: Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1983
Mr and Mrs Gerald Hawthorn collection
Sold in our Hong Kong Rooms, 28 November 2011, lot 215
The Sze Yuan Tang collection
Note: Compare a related bowl by Chen Jinhou, 18th century, impressed with the same seal mark of the potter but decorated with stylised dragons, illustrated by K.S.Lo, The Stonewares of Yixing: From the Ming Period to the Present Day, Hong Kong, 1986, p.239, no.169.
A very similar Yixing bowl, impressed Chen Jinhou zhi seal mark, 18th century, was sold in these Rooms, 8 November 2012, lot 134.
![An unusual documentary Yixing bowl, Impressed Chen Jinhou zhi seal mark, 18th century]()
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An unusual documentary Yixing bowl, Impressed Chen Jinhou zhi seal mark, 18th century. 19.8cm (7¾in) diam. Sold for £25,000 (€28,609) at Bonhams London, 8 November 2012, lot 134. Photo: Bonhams.
