Lot 333. A Dehua incense burner, 17th century; 14.3 cm, 5 5/8 in. Estimate 30,000 — 40,000 HKD. Lot sold 52,500 HKD (5,643 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
of bombé form, flanked by a pair of lion mask handles, the base with an apocryphal Xuande seal mark in archaic script.
Provenance: Collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999), and thence by descent in the family.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 334. A large teadust-glazed 'Chilong' vase, Qing dynasty, 19th century; 58.5 cm, 23 in. Estimate 30,000 — 40,000 HKD. Lot sold 400,000 HKD (42,991 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
the ovoid body rising from a splayed foot to a tall cylindrical neck, decorated in high relief with a chilongclambering around the neck, covered overall in a teadust glaze, the base with a four-character seal mark reading Taiping huanle ('peace and happiness').
Provenance: Collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999), and thence by descent in the family.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 330. A pair of turquoise-glazed zhadou, Republican period; 21.6 cm, 8 1/2 in. Estimate 40,000 — 60,000 HKD. Lot sold 275,000 HKD (29,557 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
each with a hexalobed body rising from a stepped circular foot to a wide flaring rim, covered overall in a turquoise glaze, the base incised with an apocryphal Yongzheng seal mark.
Provenance: Collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-1999), and thence by descent in the family.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 404. A Fahua-type sancaimeiping, Ming dynasty; 26.1 cm, 10 1/4 in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 40,000 HKD (4,299 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
decorated with floral sprays and butterflies, between jewelled garlands suspended around the neck and upright lappets encircling the foot, the design picked out in green against a yellow ground, the base unglazed revealing the buff-orange body.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 405. A Yaozhou celadon vase, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 21.6 cm, 8 1/2 in. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 HKD. Lot sold 27,500 HKD (2,956 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
the tapering body rising from a splayed foot to a flared rim, incised with two lines around the shoulder, covered overall in a translucent olive-green glaze.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 406. A green-glazed 'Mythical beast' jar, hu, Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE); 35 cm, 13 3/4 in. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 HKD. Lot sold 27,500 HKD (2,956 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
the shoulder decorated in relief with a band of mythical beasts, divided by two taotie masks suspending mock rings, the body applied with a rich green glaze.
Provenance: Christie's South Kensington, 6th July 1995, lot 405.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 409. A Yue celadon ewer, Five Dynasties – Northern Song dynasty (907-1127); 13.9 cm, 5 1/2 in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 25,000 HKD (2,687 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
of ovoid form, set with a strap handle opposite a short spout, covered overall in an olive-green glaze falling short of the foot.
Provenance: Mayuyama & Co. Ltd, Tokyo.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 410. A black-glazed 'oil-spot' bowl, Song dynasty; 9.2 cm, 3 5/8 in. Estimate 50,000 — 70,000 HKD. Lot sold 87,500 HKD (9,404 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
covered overall in a black-brown glaze suffused with iridescent purplish 'oil spots', falling short of the foot revealing the buff-orange body.
Note: A similar bowl from the collection of Hirota Matsushige, published in the Illustrated Catalogues of Tokyo National Museum: Chinese Ceramics I, Tokyo, 1988, pl. 610. Compare also an 'oil spot' shallow bowl attributed to Shanxi in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty, Vol. 1, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 204. See also a closely related bowl sold in our New York rooms, 15th September 2015, lot 8.
A black-glazed 'oil-spot' bowl, Northern Song-Jin dynasty. Diameter 3 1/2 in., 8.9 cm. Sold for 68,750 USD at Sotheby's , 15th September 2015, lot 8. Photo Sotheby's.
Cf. my post: A black-glazed 'oil-spot' bowl, Northern Song-Jin dynasty
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 411. A Longquan celadon dish, Song – Ming dynasty; 16.8 cm, 6 5/8 in. Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 HKD. Lot sold 875,000 HKD (94,044 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
with straight sides rising from a tapered foot to a flat everted rim, covered overall in a sea-green glaze.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 412. A Dingyao white-glazed bottle vase, Song dynasty (960-1279); 19.2 cm, 7 1/2 in. Estimate 150,000 — 200,000 HKD. Lot sold 400,000 HKD (42,991 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
the ovoid body rising from a spreading foot to a tall trumpet neck with a six-lobed foliate rim, covered overall in an ivory-white glaze.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 413. A Jizhou 'papercut' bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279); 10.5 cm, 4 1/8 in. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 HKD. Lot sold 18,750 HKD (2,015 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
resist-decorated with three papercut floral sprays, reserved against a mottled black ground suffused with milky-blue streaks, the exterior covered in a black glaze with brown splashes, stopping short of the foot to reveal the buff-coloured body.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 414. A Henan black-glazed 'oil spot' bowl, Northern Song–Jin dynasty (960-1234); 11.5 cm, 4 1/2 in. Estimate 80,000 — 120,000 HKD. Lot sold 100,000 HKD (10,748 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.
applied with a black glaze suffused with a dense pattern of metallic 'oil spots', the lower half of the exterior and the base dressed in dark brownish-black slip.
Sotheby's. Chinese Art including Selected Works of Art from the T.Y. Chao Family Collection, Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2017
Lot 845. A white glazed ewer and lid with underglaze iron decoration, Trần dynasty, 13th-14th century; 8 1/4in (21cm) height of ewer; 9 5/8in (24.5cm) height with lid. Estimate US$ 4,000 - 6,000 (€3,400 - 5,100). Photo: Bonhams.
The ewer of ovoid form with a wide cup-shaped mouth and waisted neck, a long dragon-headed spout and elaborate leafy tendril handle applied to the shoulder painted with leafy sprigs and bands of striping that repeat on the domed lid of curving lotus leaf form, the glaze showing a milky white hue where pooled while the buff clay body is visible on the unglazed surfaces of the foot pad and shallow base, the mouth and lid interior.
Published: James H. Brow and Anh Hoang Brow, 'Vietnamese Ceramics: A Ten Thousand Year Continuum,' Arts of Asia, March-April 2004, p. 83, no. 7.
Note: For ewers of similar shape and decoration, see John Stevenson and John Guy, Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition, 1997, p. 258, no. 155; p. 259, no. 157; and p. 260, no. 158. As noted on p. 259, the lid in the shape of a curling lotus leaf was inspired by Chinese Longquan wares of the same period. However Phlippe Truong notes the influence of Persian metalwork on the elaborate foliate handle and pear form in a similar celadon glazed ewer published in The Elephant and the Lotus: Vietnamese Ceramics in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, New York, 2007, p. 128, no. 94 (as 14th/15th century).
Bonhams. FINE ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 18 Dec 2017, 11:00 PST, SAN FRANCISCO
Lot 846. A glazed ceremonial temple stand with iron brown striping, Lý–Trần dynasties, 11th-12th century; 4 1/4in (11cm) high. Estimate US$ 3,000 - 5,000 (€2,600 - 4,300). Photo: Bonhams.
Formed as a shallow bowl within a lotus flower rising from a waisted stem with a pearl border set within an elaborate waisted pedestal with further lotus petals and pearl border above a stepped base of octagonal section, the celadon-tinged glaze on the exterior walls accented with stripes of iron brown wash, leaving the well of the bowl and the recessed base unglazed.
Note: For similar vessels described as cup stands, see John Stevenson and John Guy, Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition, 1997, pp.188-189, nos. 37-40.
Bonhams. FINE ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 18 Dec 2017, 11:00 PST, SAN FRANCISCO
Lot 855. A large blue and white circular box and cover, Lê dynasty, 15th-16th century; 6 7/8in (17.5cm) diameter. Estimate US$ 2,000 - 3,000 (€1,700 - 2,500). Photo: Bonhams.
The cover molded in eight sections with raised lotus lappets outlining the top edge that conform to raised ribs on the curving walls and painted with alternating flower and wave panels that surround a central peony blossom roundel, the curving walls of both sections showing begonia-shaped blossoms separated by trellis panels above overlapping lotus petals rises above the unglazed foot pad and shallowly recessed base.
Published: James H. Brow and Anh Hoang Brow, 'Vietnamese Ceramics: A Ten Thousand Year Continuum,' Arts of Asia, March-April 2004, p. 92, no. 31.
Note: Two covered boxes of similar size, shape and underglaze decoration were sold in Butterfields Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard sale, 11-13 October, 2000, lot 2031, diameter 6 7/8 and 7 in (17.4 and 17.8cm).
Bonhams. FINE ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 18 Dec 2017, 11:00 PST, SAN FRANCISCO
Lot 856. A rare massive blue and white storage jar, Lê dynasty, 15th-16th century; 33 1/4in (84.5cm) high. Estimate US$ 125,000 - 200,000 (€110,000 - 170,000). Photo: Bonhams.
Seventeen years ago last month, the Asian Art group at Butterfield and Butterfield was proud to present Treasures from the Hoian Hoard, Important Vietnamese Ceramics from a late 15th/early 16th century Cargo – a superb archaeological discovery, in these San Francisco rooms. It was a great privilege to work with this 500 year old cargo; its diverse contents were a window into the market taste of late 15th century Southeast Asia, conveying the freshness and vitality of brushwork and the creative imagination of potter and craftsman. The massive excavation effort, commissioned by the Vietnamese government in cooperation with a Malaysian salvage company and Oxford MARE, both returned to Vietnam part of its cultural heritage while enabling museums and private collectors an opportunity to acquire documented objects of rare type and decoration for their collections.
It is with this background and experience that we are delighted to offer selections from the Brow collection of Vietnamese ceramics. This group of lots includes vessels from the 12th to the 16th century, including many pieces which directly relate to the Hoian cargo in shape and decoration, created in the kilns in Hai Duong province, the biggest center of ceramic production in North Vietnam.
Thickly potted and painted in dark cobalt underglaze with decorative bands that include peony flowers in profile on leafy tendrils around the neck and elaborately petaled peonies on leafy stalks around the body set between a leaf scroll meander above and a row of dragon heads and water spray below, the lotus petal lappets on the shoulder enclosing vegetal and geometric diaper patterns while tall jeweled lotus petals rise from the foot, the shoulder also applied with four pierced animal heads in high relief and the outside edge of the foot striped in ferruginous wash, the well-cut foot pad and recessed base showing the buff unglazed fabric.
Published: James H. Brow and Anh Hoang Brow, 'Vietnamese Ceramics: A Ten Thousand Year Continuum,' Arts of Asia, March-April 2004, p. 92, no. 29.
Note: This jar appears to be the tallest of a group of large storage jars published in various public and private collections. For a discussion of the group, dated variously from the 15th to 16th centuries, and ranging in size from 36.7 to 66 cm, see Kerry Nguyen-Long, 'An Indonesian Collection: Vietnam's Painted Ceramics,' Arts of Asia, March-April 2004, pp. 95-102. Of interest to this lot are the two jars from the private Indonesian collection painted in a similar dark inky blue: the taller (no. 13, height 66cm, as 16th century) with unpierced animal head masks applied on the shoulder; the shorter, (no. 12, height 62.5cm, as 15th-early 16th century), with a band of iron brown wash drawn around the edge of the foot. The shorter jar, in turn, shared characteristics similar to shards excavated at the Ngoi and Chu Dao kiln sites. The same distinctive band of brown wash to the foot rim, peony blossoms and pierced animal head masks applied to the shoulder appear on a jar of larger size from the Ken Baars collection, illustrated in John Stevenson and John Guy, Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition, 1997, p. 358, no. 331 (height 73cm, as 16th century. For a small blue and white lamp stand with dark cobalt decoration and iron brown band along the foot, part of the Hoi An/Cu La Cham shipwreck and matching wasters found at the Ngoi site, see Nancy Tingley, Arts of Ancient Vietnam: From River Plain to Open Sea, New York and Houston, 2009, pp. 288-289, no. 86c (as late 15th century).
Bonhams. FINE ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 18 Dec 2017, 11:00 PST, SAN FRANCISCO
NDB: This jar was proposed by Zetterquist Galleries in march 2017:
An Important and Massive Blue and White Jar, Lê Dynasty, 15th–16th c. A.D., Vietnam; Height: 86.5cm © Zetterquist Galleries
Cf. my post: An Important and Massive Blue and White Jar, Lê Dynasty, 15th–16th c. A.D., Vietnam
Lot 857. A blue and white bottle, bình Tỳ Bà, Lê dynasty, 15th-16th century; 11 5/8in (29.5cm) high. Estimate US$ 2,000 - 3,000 (€1,700 - 2,500). Photo: Bonhams.
Of pear form with a flared rim, painted with successive bands of plantain leaves, shell-shaped flowers in lotus reserves, alternating leaf sprays and young plants separated by wave diapers and jeweled lappets rising from the foot, the foot area unglazed and the recessed base coated with a reddish brown wash.
Published: James H. Brow and Anh Hoang Brow, 'Vietnamese Ceramics: A Ten Thousand Year Continuum,' Arts of Asia, March-April 2004, p. 90, no. 27.
Note: For a large shard of similar bottle excavated at the kiln site, see Tang Ba Huanh (editor), Gom Chu Dao [Chu Dao Ceramics], 1999, p. 133, A151. See also Butterfields sale, Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard, 11-13 October, 2000, lots 317 and 318, the bottle in the right side of the photo for lot 318 very similar to decoration of this lot.
Bonhams. FINE ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 18 Dec 2017, 11:00 PST, SAN FRANCISCO
Lot 858. A blue and white jar, Lê dynasty, 15th-16th century; 7 1/2 in (19cm) high, 7 3/4in (19.5cm) diameter. Estimate US$ 2,500 - 4,000 (€2,100 - 3,400). Photo: Bonhams.
Thickly potted with a flared rim and an ovoid body, painted in underglaze blue with a key-fret band and striping above a panel with opposing images of rocks and bamboo separated by two chich choe birds, ending with jeweled lotus petals rising above the tall foot, the densely crazed glaze covering the exterior and interior walls with four spur marks visible on the floor of the deep well, the thick foot and deeply recessed base without glaze.
Published: James H. Brow and Anh Hoang Brow, 'Vietnamese Ceramics: A Ten Thousand Year Continuum,' Arts of Asia, March-April 2004, p. 1, no. 28.
Note: For a blue and white jar of similar shape, size and decoration, see John Stevenson and John Guy,Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition, 1997, p. 361, no. 337 (19.5cm diameter).
Bonhams. FINE ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 18 Dec 2017, 11:00 PST, SAN FRANCISCO
Lot 859. A blue and white ewer with lid, Lê dynasty, 15th-16th century; 6 1/4in (16cm) height of pitcher, 7in (17.8cm) height including lid. Estimate US$ 2,000 - 3,000 (€1,700 - 2,500). Photo: Bonhams.
With applied dragon-shaped handle and curving spout joined by raised clay coils to the shoulder painted in with overlapping lotus petals, then reserves of young plants separated by wave patterns in a wide band above further lotus petals encircling the body, the lower edge of the tall foot painted with an iron-brown band, the foot pad and recessed base unglazed; the associated lid also painted with overlapping lotus petals in underglaze cobalt and the interior recess finished with reddish-brown wash.
Published: James H. Brow and Anh Hoang Brow, 'Vietnamese Ceramics: A Ten Thousand Year Continuum,' Arts of Asia, March-April 2004, p. 92, no. 31.
Note: See the similarly shaped ewers offered Butterfields sale, Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard, 11-13 October, 2000, lot 171, with chich choe and flaming pearl bands around the bodies, but also showing a lotus petal band along the shoulder and iron brown striping along the base of the tall foot.
Bonhams. FINE ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 18 Dec 2017, 11:00 PST, SAN FRANCISCO
Lot 860. A blue and white bottle, bình Tỳ Bà, Lê dynasty, 15th-16th century; 11 1/2in (29cm) high. Estimate US$ 2,000 - 3,000 (€1,700 - 2,500). Photo: Bonhams.
Of pear form with a flared rim to the neck, painted in underglaze cobalt with successive bands of plantain leaves, descending jeweled lappets and birds alternating with bamboo above a jeweled lappet band rising along the foot, the foot area unglazed and brown wash applied across the recessed base..
Published: James H. Brow and Anh Hoang Brow, 'Vietnamese Ceramics: A Ten Thousand Year Continuum,' Arts of Asia, March-April 2004, p. 90, no. 27.
Note: Bottles with identical or very similar decoration were also part of the cargo sold in Butterfields sale, Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard, 11-13 October, 2000, lots 289 to 309. For another example with the bird facing to the left, see John Stevenson and John Guy, Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition, 1997, p. 335, no. 291. For an example excavated at the kiln site, see the front cover illustration on Tang Ba Huanh (editor), Gom Chu Dao [Chu Dao Ceramics], 1999, also illustrated on p. 133, A150.
Bonhams. FINE ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 18 Dec 2017, 11:00 PST, SAN FRANCISCO
