Pieter Claesz. (Dutch, about 1597–1660), Still Life with Stoneware Jug, Wine Glass, Herring, and Bread, 1642. Oil on panel, 29.8 x 35.8 cm (11 3/4 x 14 1/8 in.), Bequest of Mrs. Edward Wheelwright, 13.458© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Claesz. specialized in the monochrome “breakfast piece,” a type of still life that presents the makings of a modest meal, primarily in related shades of muted green, gray, and brown. He usually approached his subject from a low vantage point, created a sense of depth by overlapping objects and blurring the edges of those farther back. Knife handles often project over the edge of the table, extending the composition into the viewer’s own space; this device also creates a sense of instability that plays against the careful and harmonious arrangement of objects on the table.

Pieter Claesz. (Dutch, about 1597–1660), Still Life with Silver Brandy Bowl, Wine Glass, Herring, and Bread, 1642. Oil on panel, 29.9 x 35.9 cm (11 3/4 x 14 1/8 in.), Bequest of Mrs. Edward Wheelwright, 13.459 © 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Claesz. specialized in the monochrome “breakfast piece,” a type of still life that presents the makings of a modest meal, primarily in related shades of muted green, gray, and brown. He usually approached his subject from a low vantage point, created a sense of depth by overlapping objects and blurring the edges of those farther back. Knife handles often project over the edge of the table, extending the composition into the viewer’s own space; this device also creates a sense of instability that plays against the careful and harmonious arrangement of objects on the table.

Pieter Claesz. (Dutch, about 1597–1660), Still Life with Wine Goblet and Oysters, 1639. Oil on panel, 50.2 x 70.1 cm (19 3/4 x 27 5/8 in.), Gift of Mrs. H. P. Ahrnke in memory of her great-aunt Mrs. Francis B. Greene, 56.883 © 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Like many still-life painters, Claesz. favored particular kinds of objects. The plain foods that he painted—bread, fruit, and herring— were those found on the tables of all but the poorest families in the Dutch Republic. This composition also includes tobacco spilling from a cone of paper. The capacious wine-glass found in many of Claesz.’s paintings provides a strong vertical element that balances the basic horizontals of the composition; it also gives the artist the opportunity to explore the related effects of transparency, translucency, and reflection.

“Centuries of Opulence: Jewels of India” features 50 lavish, historical jewelry pieces on loan from a private collection that have rarely been seen in public. Showcasing more than 300 years of adornment in India, the exhibit explores the original sources of the diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and other gems decorating these pieces, their religious and cultural symbolism, the wars fought for them and the historical tradition of gemology - the study of gems - in India.

Krishna Pendant, South India, early 20th century. Diamond, ruby, emerald and pearl in 22K gold, 12 x 10 cm. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

The Hindu god Krishna is flanked by his two consorts, Rukmini and Satyabhama, in this padakkam (elaborate pendant). It is a true gem mosaic, with kundan-set rubies, emeralds and diamonds; the three faces are carved from emerald and ruby. This pendant was made to adorn a life-size temple statue of Lord Krishna.

Hand of Vishnu, Maharashtra, 17th century. Emerald and diamond in 22K gold, 14 x 8 x 1.5 cm. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

Fashioned from emeralds and diamond and set in enameled gold, this exceptional Hindu ritual artifact is engraved in Sanskrit on the back with devotional verses from the Bhagavad Gita in praise of Lord Krishna.

Royal Manga Mala, Mysore, 19th century. Diamond, ruby and emerald in 22K gold. Necklace 79 cm long, pendant 11 x 8.5 cm. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

While a necklace exhibiting mango-shaped elements (a manga mala) is traditional in South India, a manga mala as elaborate as this one was worn only by those who could afford such a massive gem-set jewel. Note the stylized mangos around the collar of the necklace. Its pendant represents the mythical two-headed bird (gandaberunda) that was the emblem of Mysore’s Wadiyar royal family. There is elaborate repoussé detailing on the back.

Mughal Horn Pendant, Mysore, Mughal Era, 18th century. Emerald, ruby, diamond and pearl in 22K gold, 6 x 8.5 x 2 cm. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

This gold pendant features a 125 carat Colombian emerald engraved in Arabic with salutations of peace. Set with diamonds, Burmese rubies, emerald beads and dangling pearls, it was made for a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore.

Mughal Diamond and Emerald Necklace with Earrings, Hyderabad, Mughal Era, 18th century. Diamond and emerald in 22K gold. Necklace 20.5 x 18 cm, earrings 3 x 7.5 cm. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

Obtained from descendants of the Nizam of Hyderabad, this magnificent necklace and matching earrings are set with approximately 150 carats of Golconda diamonds and 47 Colombian emerald beads. They are strong symbols of the power and wealth of one of the richest ruling families of India

Armlet, Madurai, 19th century. Diamond, ruby, emerald and pearl in 22K gold, 10 x 7 x 8.5 cm. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

This traditional armlet (vanki) was worn by dancers from the Meenakshi temple of South India.

Dancing Shiva Pendant, Tamil Nadu, 20th century. Ruby, emerald, diamond, blue sapphire and cat’s-eye chrysoberyl in 22K gold, 7 x 9 cm. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

In this gold pendant, a host of gemstones form a mosaic of the god Shiva dancing on the demon of ignorance and greed. Lord Shiva’s face is carved out of a blue sapphire. Above his head, carved in emerald, is the monstrous “face of glory” kirtimukha (also known as the mascot of hope).

Mughal Jade Turban Ornament, Mughal Era, Deccan, 18th century. Jade (nephrite), diamond, spinel and emerald in 22K gold, 14 cm. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

Reserved for the wealthiest and most powerful, this jigha ornament, designed to be tucked into the folds at the front of the turban, is one of the few known to have been fashioned from jade. White jade, also known as “mutton fat” jade, was believed to ward off heart disease and high blood pressure. The jigha often takes the form of a feather, and some early jighas had a small pocket (parkhane) in the back of the jewel into which heron feathers would be placed when it was worn.

Lot 121. A very fine and rare imperial carved 'archaistic' celadon vase, mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 38cm., 15in. Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 GBP. Lot sold 580,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's 2007

of shouldered form with slightly flared neck and raised rim, the lower part of the body and shoulder carved in the style of a Middle Zhou bronze with undulating bands infilled with formal ring and hook motifs, stylised dragon taotie scrolls above a further band with pendant blades, each enclosing three 'C'-scrolls, the superb glossy glaze of even bluish-green colour accentuated by the crisp carving of the design.

Provenance: Collection of Zaizhen (1876-1948), son of Yikuang, the fourth Prince Qing (according to the inscription on box). 
Collection of Shoken Kotai Go, Emperor’s Taisho’s stepmother and wife of the Meiji emperor (according to inscription on box).

Note: The Japanese inscription on the box containing the present vase can be translated as follows:

The present article was presented on the 2nd day of the 9th month of the 35th year of the Meiji reign (equivalent to 1902) by Zaizhen with the beizi title.  
On the 15th day of the 8th month of the 3rd year of the Taisho reign (equivalent to 1914), Shoten Kotai Go bequeathed the article by imperial command.

Zaizhen (1876-1948) was the son of Yikuang, the fourth Prince Qing, 17th son of the Qianlong Emperor, Minister of Foreign Affairs and later Prime Minister at the Imperial Court. Zaizhen had the title beizi which was the 4th rank of nobility  in the Qing Imperial hierarchy. In 1902 he was sent to England as a special envoy to congratulate King Edward VII on his coronation, and subsequently visited France, Belgium, the United States and Japan. In 1906 he was promoted and became the Minister of the Board of Farming, Public Works and Trade. The present vase was possibly given to the Japanese imperial family as a gift on one of his many official visits to Japan. Shoken Kotai Go was Emperor Taisho's step-mother and the wife of the Meiji Emperor.  

The present vase is remarkable for its magnificent celadon glaze, highly stylised archaistic relief decoration and most elegant hu form. Inspired by archaic bronze vessels, this vase is a prime example of the very high level of quality achieved by artists working in the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen during the first part of Qianlong's reign. Tang Ying, Superintendent at Jingdezhen, strove for technical and artistic perfection. Wares made under his supervision were celebrated and known as Tangyao (Tang wares) after his name. They became renowned for their stylistic variety and exceptional quality. Archaic bronzes and jades often supplied models for Qing porcelain decoration, but on the present piece the motifs have become so highly stylized that they form an almost abstract design. The composition of different band designs is masterfully orchestrated and represents a prime example of the ornate Qianlong style. The present vase is done in a style particularly favoured by the Qianlong Emperor, reflecting his fondness for archaistic forms and designs. The carving on this vase is particularly deep which allows the rich celadon glaze to provide a contrasting tones, as if two different colours had been used. The glaze and form have been carefully chosen and are in complete harmony with the design.

Only a small number of related examples appear to be recorded and can be found in important museum and private collections. See one from the T.Y. Chao Family collection, sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 18th November 1986, lot 92, again, 27th April 2003, lot 62; and again at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st November 2004, lot 875. Another vase of the same pattern is illustrated in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol. 2, Geneva, 1999, pl. 290. Further three examples were sold at auction, two in our Hong Kong rooms, 18th May 1988, lot 241, and 29th October 2001, lot 572, and one in these rooms, 2nd December 1997, lot 230.

For further examples of Qianlong hu-shaped vases see a large celadon-glazed vase of Qianlong mark and period, carved in a related style with formal floral scrolls and decorative borders, from the Estate of Count and Countess Constantin Israstzoff, sold in our New York rooms, 21st March 1980, lot 200.

For the archaic bronze prototype see a lei attributed to the 9th century B.C., illustrated in John Alexander Pope et al., The Freer Chinese Bronzes, vol. 1, Washington, 1967, pl. 83, with ring handles but closely resembling the present vase in the bands of decoration and in outline.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 16 May 2007 

Lot 115. A large carved celadon 'peony' vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 33.2cm., 13 1/8 in. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 GBP. Lot sold 9,600 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's 2007

of broad baluster form, freely carved around the exterior with four large peony heads borne on an undulating leafy scroll, all below a ruyi and key-fret collar encircling the short straight neck and everted rim, covered overall with an even pale celadon glaze draining to white at the rim.

Note: A related celadon vase, also with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th November 1982, lot 231; and another unmarked celadon vase carved with peony scroll and dragons was sold at Christie's New York, 16th September 1999, lot 363.  

The four large peony flowerheads are reminiscent of those carved on globular celadon jars with handles; see a jar from the T.Y. Chao collection, sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 17th November 1975, lot 150, and 18th November 1986, lot 85.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 16 May 2007

Lot 117. A celadon-glazed 'Dragon and cloud' vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 33cm., 13in. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 GBP. Lot sold 9,600 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's 2007

the body of compressed globular form and supported on a short spreading foot, the tall cylindrical neck applied with a large down-curling chilong, covered overall with an even pale celadon glaze with scattered iron-red and grey clouds.

Note: Compare a Qianlong mark and period vase of very similar form sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 12th May 1983, lot 200; and another sold at Christie's London, 9th November 1983, lot 292. See also a smaller vase of this shape and glaze, with a dragon coiled around the neck, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 21st May 1979, lot 124; and another vase with a compressed globular body tapering to a tall trumpet neck applied with a sinuous dragon coiled around the neck, sold in these rooms, 11th December 1973, lot 360.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 16 May 2007

Lot 100. A flambé-glazed lobed beaker vase, gu, Incised seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 GBP. Lot sold 12,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's 2007

the quatre-lobed compressed globular body rising from a tall spreading foot to a widely flaring trumpet mouth, covered overall with a rich lustrous glaze of dark red tone infused with turquoise-blue splashes to the exterior and turquoise to the interior, draining to a buff tone at the rim.

Provenance: Private collection, Leipzig, purchased in 1991(by repute). 

Note: flambe-glazed gu-shaped vase, in the Tokyo National Museum, is illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 15, Tokyo, 1983, col. pl. 278, from the Hirota collection. See another Qianlong vase sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd May 2000, lot 614; and one sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th May 2006, lot 136.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 16 May 2007

Lobed Vase Flambé glaze, Qing dynasty, Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795), Jingdezhen ware. Gift of Mr. Hisa Ryuzo, TG-2949. © Tokyo National Museum

Lot 105. A good blue and white 'Dragon' moonflask, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795); 34cm., 13 3/8 in. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 GBP. Lot sold 22,800 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's 2007

of compressed globular form, painted to either side in rich cobalt-blue tones with a central dragon medallion encircled by a leafy composite floral scroll, the tall waisted neck with Buddhist emblems and flanked by a pair of dragon handles.

Provenance: Private collection, Leipzig, purchased in 1991 (by repute). 

Note: Blue and white Qianlong moonflasks with this unusual design combination of flower scrolls and dragon medallions are rare, and more common are flasks painted with a floral scroll only, with a large, full-faced five-clawed dragon or with the 'dragon and phoenix' design. For example see a flask from the Qing Court collection and still in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed red (III), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 132; and one painted with a flower scroll included in Chinese Porcelain. The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Part 1, Hong Kong, 1987, pl. 65.

Compare also a slightly smaller flask painted with foliate scroll around the body, sold in our New York rooms, 30th May 1990, lot 171; and another sold in these rooms, 7th June 1994, lot 356.

Lot 97. A rare iron-red decorated `Bat' double-gourd vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 10cm., 4in. Estimate 50,000 — 80,000 GBP. Lot sold 168,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's 2007

the ample voluptuous double gourd finely painted with bats in flight, their eyes picked out in black enamel, all beneath a gilt band at the neck.

Note: Vases decorated with the design of innumerable bats were made for special celebratory occasions. Bats have traditionally been the symbol of good fortune, and red bats were especially auspicious, the red being the colour which wards off demons and identical in sound to the word 'enormous' (hong) indicating especially 'great' fortune. Double-gourd shaped containers were also highly favoured for their reference to gourds with their many seeds symbolizing fertility and abundance.  

No other similar miniature vase of this form and design appears to be recorded although a larger double-gourd shaped vase painted with hundreds of bats on a turquoise-ground from the Palace Museum Collection, also with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, was included in the exhibition China. The Three Emperors, the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2006, cat.no. 287. Another gourd-shaped vase, also with a Qianlong reign mark, with a similar bat design painted in iron-red on a gilt-ground, but with a simulated ribbon decoration painted in polychrome enamels around the body, in the Baur collection, is illustrated in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, Geneva, vol. 4, Geneva, 1974, pl. A643, and also in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 15, Tokyo, 1983, pl. 117.

Jar Bat and cloud design in underglaze blue and overglaze red enamel, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-95), Jingdezhen ware, China, TG-2291© Tokyo National Museum

Lot 17. A gilt-bronze bear-form support, Han dynasty; 8.6cm., 3 3/8 in. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 EUR. Lot sold 15,000 GBP. Photo courtesy Sotheby's 2015.

hollow-cast in a half-kneeling position with the right fore paw raised above the head and the jaw open, the body finely incised with fur markings, with a D-shaped aperture in the top of the head and a circular opening in the base, Japanese wood box. Quantité: 2.

Lot 49. An archaic bronze horse, Han dynasty; 8.2cm., 3 1/4 in., together with an archaic bronze ‘bird’ belthook, Han dynasty, and an Ordos bronze plaque. Estimate 1,500 — 2,000 GBP. Lot sold 10,000 GBP. Photo Sotheby's.

cast standing with one foreleg extended forward, detailed with geometric patterns, wood stand, Japanese wood box; together with an archaic bronze ‘bird’ belthook, Han dynasty, wood stand and an Ordos bronze plaque, Japanese wood boxes. Quantité: 8

Provenance: The belthook: Mayuyama & Co. Ltd., Tokyo.

Lot 8. A jade fish-form ornament, Shang dynasty (c.1600-1046 BCE); 5.8cm., 2 1/2 in. Estimate 2,000 — 3,000 GBP. Lot sold 10,000 GBP. Photo Sotheby's. 

of curved form, resembling an abstract fish-form with angular contours, the convex side carved with bands of diagonal grooves to denote dorsal and pelvic fins, the stone of an opaque calcified ivory tone with patches of russet-brown, Japanese wood box. Quantité: 2

Lot 16. A parcel-gilt silver shell-form box and cover, Tang dynasty  (618-907); 4.2cm., 1 5/8 in. Estimate 5,000 — 7,000 GBP. Lot sold 21,250 GBP. Photo Sotheby's. 

modelled in the form of a shell, the exterior engraved with birds in flight amongst scattered floral sprays and mountains, all reserved on a ring-punched ground, the hinged cover similarly decorated, Japanese wood box. Quantité: 3.

Provenance: Mayuyama & Co. Ltd., Tokyo. 

Exhibited: Chūgoku bijutsu ten series: Sui Tō no bijutsu [Chinese art exhibition series: The art of the Sui and Tang Dynasties], Osaka Art Museum, Osaka, 1976, cat. no. 222.
Tokubetsu tenji gō. Higashi Asia no futamono [Special exhibition box and cover. Eastern Asian box and cover], Kuboso Memorial Museum of Arts, Osaka, 1984, cat. no. 14.

Literature: Ryūsen Shūhō. Sōgyō shichijū shūnen kinen/Mayuyama: Seventy Years, Tokyo, 1976, vol. 2, pl. 81.

Lot 26. A celadon bowl, Five dynasties-Song dynasty, from the Tsuneichi Inoue Collection; 14.1cm., 5 1/2 in. Estimate 3,000 — 5,000 GBP (4,070 - 6,783 EUR). Lot sold 17,500 GBP. Photo courtesy Sotheby's 2015

the deep flaring sides rising from a short straight foot, covered overall in a greyish-celadon glaze, the footring unglazed revealing the grey body, Japanese wood box. Quantité: 2

Exhibited: Chūgoku tōji meiho ten [Exhibition of the great works of Chinese ceramics], The Gotoh Museum, Tokyo, 1966.

Literature: Gakuji Hasabe, 'On the Celadon Bowl Called Dong Ware', MUSEUM, vol. 426, September 1986, p. 29, pl. 3.

A Gold Finger Ring With Kylin, China, Liao dynasty, 11th century, gold. Price On Request© Susan Ollemans

Silver- Gilt Filigree Bracelet, China, Qing Dynasty, 19th century. Silver-Gilt. Diameter: 9cm. Price On Request© Susan Ollemans

Susan Ollemans started her business in 1979 and has traded in Oriental Works of Art ever since. She was trained at the Percival David Foundation, SOAS London University, and worked as an agent for Spink and Sons for 15 years. She has sold to the Museum of New South Wales, Australia; the Cultural History Museum, South Africa; the Hong Kong Museum; the Singapore National Museum and to many private collections around the world.

3 Georgian House, 10 Bury Street, St James's, London SW1Y6AA, United Kingdom. Tel: + 44 ( 0 ) 7775566356 - Email: sue@ollemans.com 

Basra Pearl Nosering, North India, 19th century. Pearls and Gold. Price On Request © Susan Ollemans

A Ruby And Diamond Ring, South India, 19th century. Gold, Ruby and Diamond. Price On Request © Susan Ollemans

A Gilt-Bronze Ear Piece, Tibet or Nepal, 19th century. Gilt-Bronze. Length: 18.5cm. Price On Request © Susan Ollemans

A Gold Diamond And Ruby Pendant, North India, 20th century. Gold, Ruby and Diamond. Length: 6 cm. Price On Request © Susan Ollemans

Susan Ollemans started her business in 1979 and has traded in Oriental Works of Art ever since. She was trained at the Percival David Foundation, SOAS London University, and worked as an agent for Spink and Sons for 15 years. She has sold to the Museum of New South Wales, Australia; the Cultural History Museum, South Africa; the Hong Kong Museum; the Singapore National Museum and to many private collections around the world.

3 Georgian House, 10 Bury Street, St James's, London SW1Y6AA, United Kingdom. Tel: + 44 ( 0 ) 7775566356 - Email: sue@ollemans.com