PARIS - The Jewellery department is delighted with these great results which confirmed the strong interest for magnificent jewels including those coming from Place Vendôme. Collectors are continuously eager to acquire creations signed by the prestigious names such as Van Cleef & Arpels with a beautiful diamond ring (8.94 carats) sold for €328,000 against a pre-sale estimate of €180,000-200,000 and a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring which sold four times its pre-estimate at €237,500. Further highlights included pieces by Bvlgari such as a retro necklace composed of cultured pearls and diamonds which was acquired for €193,500 against a pre-sale estimate €40,000-60,000. Additionally, a magnificent choker created by Cartier with the design of a geometric motif paved with diamonds, has also attracted international collectors, and was sold for €250,000.

Lot 73. Diamond ring, 8.94 carats, Van Cleef & Arpels. Estimate EUR 40,000 - EUR 60,000. Price realised EUR 193,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

Rectangular step-cut diamond of 8.94 carats, baguette-cut diamonds, platinum (850) and 18K gold (750), size 52, gross weight: 7,05 g, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, in its pouch.

GIA, 2019, report no. 5201212389 : 8.94 carats, E colour, VVS2 clarity.

Lot 71. 15.67 carats Madagascar sapphire and diamond ring, Van Cleef & Arpels. Estimate EUR 40,000 - EUR 60,000. Price realised EUR 193,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

Oval-cut sapphire of 15.67 carats, half-moon cut diamonds, platinum (950), French mark, size 51, gross weight: 7.91 g, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, in its pouch.

SSEF, 2019, report no. 106284: 15.67 carats, Madagascar, no indications of heating.

Lot 213. Cultured pearl and diamond necklace, Bulgari. Estimate EUR 40,000 - EUR 60,000. Price realised EUR 193,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

Lot 169. Diamond pectoral necklace, Cartier. Estimate EUR 25,000 - EUR 35,000. Price realised EUR 52,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

French creators have again attracted jewel lovers as a bracelet “Honeycomb” adorned with sapphire by René Boivin was sold for €52,500 doubling its pre-sale estimate and a diamond pair of earrings by the same creator realised €47,500€. A flowery amethyst, aquamarine and emerald set created by Suzanne Belperron, coming from the property of a lady, has been acquired for €25,000, four times its pre-sale estimate. 

Lot 136. 'Honeycomb' sapphire bracelet transformable into a necklace, René Boivin. Estimate EUR 25,000 - EUR 35,000. Price realised EUR 52,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

Round-cut sapphires, 18K gold (750), French mark, 1945, bracelet 20.4 cm, necklace 39.4 cm, gross weight: 138.42 g, signed René Boivin.

The Jewellery department is also pleased to confirm the interest of collectors for bestiary’ jewels. Several pieces have exceeded their estimates such as these lovely fox and cat clips composed of ruby, emerald and diamond, signed by Van Cleef & Arpels which achieved €17,500 against a pre-sale estimate of €2,000-4,000 or a bird and a dog enamel and diamond clips by Cartier, realised €17,500 (estimated €4,000-6,000).

Lot 204. Ruby, emerald, diamond and enamel fox and cat clips, Van Cleef & Arpels. Estimate EUR 6,000 - EUR 8,000. Price realised EUR 25,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

A section dedicated to the brilliant creator JAR achieved a total of €350,625, including a superb necklace set in topaz and diamonds, a unique piece, which was sold €310,000, doubling its pre-sale estimate. 

Lot 269. Topaz and diamond necklace, JAR. Estimate EUR 130,000 - EUR 150,000. Price realised EUR 310,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019.

Finally, the magnificent box in lapis lazuli, jade, mother-of-pearl and diamond created by Cartier achieved €77,500 against a pre-sale estimate of €10,000-15,000.

Lot 58. Lapis-lazuli, jade, mother-of-pearl and diamond box, Cartier. Estimate EUR 10,000 - EUR 15,000. Price realised EUR 77,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019.

Lot 150. 'Glyptic Attack', hommage à Nicolas Landau réalisé par Axel Vervoordt avec plusieurs objets ayant appartenus à Nicolas Landau. Haut. 44 cm, largeur 60 cm, prof. 7,50 cm. Estimation: 3,000 - 5,000 EUR. Lot Vendu 1,875 EUR. Courtesy Sotheby's

dont un collection de huit petits cadres ; série d'objets en pierre ; instrument scientifique ; deux pierres jaunes ; buste d'enfant en corail ; trois opales ; camée avec portrait d'écclésiastique ; collection de cinq sceaux ; camée ancien en cornaline, art sassanide ; camée en agathe représentant un buste de Mercure, époque néoclassique ; paire d'aigue-marines ; camée en cornaline ; quatre petits camées, en cornaline et agathe, Rome, 1er siècle ap. J.-C. ; plaquette Judith et Holopherne, ca. 1700 ; pièce de monnaie ; trois pierres de lune ; relief Vierge à l'Enfant dans un temple ; camée en améthyste Athéna ; médaille Le Baptême du Christ, 1595 ; intaille en verre 'Buste de Molière' ; collection de six pièces de monnaie antiques.

(les objets sont posés et non pas collés dans la vitrine)

Lot 162. 'Le moderne à travers les ages', hommage à Nicolas Landau réalisé par Axel Vervoordt  avec plusieurs objets ayant appartenus à Nicolas Landau. Haut. 99 cm, larg. 66,5 cm, prof. 23 cm. Estimation: 4,000 - 6,000 EUR. Lot Vendu 7,500 EUR. Courtesy Sotheby's

1) Petit bol, décor au coq ; collier avec perles en verre et pierre, Asie de l'Ouest; collier

2) Cobra sacré, en bronze doré et incrustations de lapis-lazuli, Egypte, Nouvel Empire, XVIIIe-XIXe Dynastie, ca. 1550-1186 av.J.-C.

3) Petit plat, en terre cuite, Espagne, 16e siècle ; perles ;

4) Petit vase Kohl, XIe-XIIe Dynastie ; petit vase à cosmétique, en gabbio, XIe-XIIe Dynastie ; vase, en marbre, Egypte, prédynastique ; paire d'objets en cristal

5) Table d'offrande ; série de perles cylindriques

6) Petit vase cosmétique, en marbre noir, Egypte, Nouvel Empire, XVIIIe-XIXe Dynastie, ca. 1550 - 1186 av. J-C; collier de perles ; trois pendentifs, Asie de l'Ouest

7) Petite coupe, en marbre, Egypte, Epoque romaine, ca. 30 av. J.-C. - 1er siècle ap. J.-C.; perles ;

8) Poids, en albâtre, Mésopotamie, 3ème - 2ème millénaire av. J.-C. ;  vase, en albâtre, Egypte, Ière - IIe Dynastie ; perles

9) Petit plat d'offrande, en grauwacke, Egypte, Basse Epoque, XXVIème - XXXIème Dynastie, 664-332 av. J.-C. ; manche d'un poignard Ko, 1027 - 771 av. J.-C. ; collier ; collier ; perles

10) Vase cylindrique, en albâtre rubané, Egypte, période thinite, Ier-IIe Dynastie, ca. 3100-2686 av. J.-C. ; pions; perles

11)  Petit plat d'offrande, en grauwacke, Egypte, Basse Epoque, XXVIème - XXXIème Dynastie, 664-332 av. J.-C. ; petite coupe, en terre cuite, art persan ; collier ; collier ; perles ;

(les objets sont posés et non pas collés dans la vitrine)

dont

Lot 230. 'L'ancien naît moderne', hommage à Nicolas Landau réalisé par Axel Vervoordt avec plusieurs objets ayant appartenus à Nicolas Landau. Haut. 105 cm, larg. 71 cm, prof. 25 cm. Estimation: 4,000 - 6,000 EUR. Invendu. Courtesy Sotheby's

dont:

1) Collier à perles de verre, Asie de l'ouest; buste de dignitaire en cire polychrome

2) Bol à décor figuratif ; os croisés ; bracelet

3) Oenochoéà décor de feuilles de vigne, en terre cuite, Grèce, Epoque hellénistique, 4ème - 3ème siècle av. J.-C. ; buste de dignitaire en cire polychrome

4) Trois pendentifs, Asie de l'ouest; fragment figuratif

5) Masque grotesque de carnaval, art populaire; fragment de pierre

6) Félin attaquant un capridé, en stéatite

7) Palette de peintre; tête d'animal fantastique, époque achéménide

8) Figure néogothique avec blason ; deux bracelets

9) Biche ; élément quadrilobé aux animaux fabuleux, époque médiévale

10) Instrument scientifique ; oeuf; pied d'une coupe

11) Terre cuite dans le goût de Picasso.

(les objets sont posés et non pas collés dans la vitrine)

Lot 325. 'Antic et Toc', hommage à Nicolas Landau réalisé par Axel Vervoordt avec plusieurs objets ayant appartenus à Nicolas Landau. Haut. 99 cm, larg. 66,5 cm, prof. 23 cm. Estimation: 4,000 - 6,000 EUR. Lot Vendu 5,000 EUR. Courtesy Sotheby's

dont: 

1) Sedes sapienta ; grand pendentif, Chasseur avec lance ; médaille Vierge à l'Enfant

2) relief ; anneau; récipient

3) couteau ; tête de vieillard ; pendentif d'un guerrier à bonnet phrygien

4) Cavalier en terre cuite

5) tripode ; anneau

6) léopard ; relief aux pampres

7) ornement soldat et homme ; pinacle décoratif floral

8) fibule ostrogothique ; boîte à bijoux

9) applique bougeoir ; petit socle en ivoire ; corail;  fragment lapis-lazuli ; pendentif gravé d'un pseudo cadran solaire ; médaille

10) robinet ; plat, Chine

11) plaquette en cuivre archée ; tabatière ; collier ; écusson.

(les objets sont posés et non pas collés dans la vitrine)

Lot 331. 'Silence', hommage à Nicolas Landau réalisé par Axel Vervoordt avec plusieurs objets ayant appartenus à Nicolas Landau. Haut. 44 cm, larg. 60 cm, prof. 7,5 cm. Estimation: 3,000 - 5,000 EUR. Invendu. Courtesy Sotheby's

dont un pendentif Dieu guerrier sur un taureau, Asie du Sud Est; une médaille Saint Georges et Madone à l'Enfant; un Christ bénissant, en argent niellé ; un Christ en gloire dans une mandorle ; un fragment figuratif; une porte de retable miniature figurant les Apôtres; une plaquette aux six saints ; un petit relief arché Vierge à l'Enfant ; plat en cuivre ; une pièce de monnaie percée ; une médaille Homme et Femme ; une médaille croix ; une pièce de monnaie.

(les objets sont posés et non pas collés dans la vitrine)

Lot 77. A wucai 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Qianlong seal mark and of the period (1736-1795); 15.4cm (6 1/8in) diam. Sold for £23,750 (€ 26,623). © Bonhams

Finely enamelled with a green five-clawed dragon and a red five-clawed dragon alternating between two downwards-flying phoenix amid foliate and blossoming tendrils, all beneath a band containing the Eight Buddhist Emblems beneath the rim. 

Provenance: a distinguished European private collection.

Note: The dragon and the phoenix are a very symbolic combination in Chinese art, with the five-clawed dragon representing the Emperor and the phoenix representing the Empress; this bright and distinctive style was developed in the Kangxi period and became a classic design, and continued to be produced to very high standards throughout the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns, and on into the later Qing period. 

A very similar bowl with a Qianlong mark and of the period in the Nanjing Museum is illustrated in Treasures in the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p.282. 

Compare a similar bowl from the Y.C.Chen collection sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 1293.

Lot 80. A pair of iron-red 'dragon' wine cups, Guangxu six-character marks and of the period (1875-1908); 6.5cm (2 1/2in) diam. Sold for £ 23,750 (€ 26,623). © Bonhams

Each thinly-potted cup enamelled around the exterior with two striding dragons, one in profile, one with its head turned backwards, in pursuit of flaming pearls above breaking waves.

Provenance: a distinguished European private collection.

Lot 81. A large pair of famille verte yellow-ground jardinières, Guangxu period (1875-1908). Each 41.6cm (16 3/8in) diam. Sold for £ 8,125 (€ 9,107). © Bonhams

Each enamelled on the exterior with two lobed cartouches, one containing a scene of an official in his study and the other with horsemen riding to battle, the cartouches alternating with two pomegranate-shaped cartouches containing opera scenes, all on a ground of green lotus meanders against yellow enamel, beneath a band of ruyi head enclosing lotus beneath a further decorative band of cracked ice and hawthorn at the waisted neck, the lip with iron-red panels and floral scrolls, the interiors each enamelled with five-iron red fish swimming amidst water weeds. 

Provenance: a European private collection.

Lot 82. A set of famille verte and biscuit figures of the Eight Immortals, 19th century. The largest 30cm high. Sold for £ 31,250 (€ 35,030). © Bonhams

Depicting the eight Daoist Immortals, Li Tie Guai, Zhongli Quan, Lan Cai He, Zhang Guo Lao, He Xian Gu, Lü Dong Bin, Han Xiang Zi and Cao Guojiu, each holding their attribute, standing on rectangular pierced bases with diaper pattern, wearing robes with floral ornament.

Provenance: Dr Leonard Gow and thence by descent.

Exhibited: Glasgow Art Galleries and Museums, four figures with labels reading: Reg.No.E6-'36ej, Reg.No.E6-'36em, Reg.No.E6-'36en and Reg.No.E6-'36eo.

Note: Sets of the individually identifiable Eight Daoist Immortals were extremely popular decorative items in the 18th and 19th century, for the Chinese market as well as for the export market to the West. More frequently made in the famille rose palette, the present set is very unusual in its design in famille verte and in fine quality of the modelling. Two famille verte figures of Immortals dated to the early 18th century are illustrated by C.J.A.Jörg, Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, London, 1997, p.191, no.215. See also a set of four famille verte Immortals dated to the Kangxi period and illustrated by E.J.Sullivan (ed.), The Taft Museum: Its History and Collections, Vol.II, New York, 1995, p.683, museum nos.1931.35, 37, 40, and 42.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street, 15 May 2014

Lot 175. A gem-set jade-hilted dagger (khanjar) and scabbard, North India or Deccan, 1700-1725; 14 ins. (35.5 cm.) long. Estimate USD 800,000 - USD 1,200,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

Set with rubies and emeralds, pierced watered-steel blade fitted with three channels containing free running seed pearls, the velvet-covered wooden scabbard with enamelled gold locket and chape.

Literature: Hales 2013, p.31.

Exhibited: Grand Palais, Paris 2017, p.114, no.90
The Doge’s Palace, Venice 2017, p.144, no.92
The Palace Museum, Beijing 2018, p.168, no.96
de Young Legion of Honor, San Francisco 2018, p. 89, no. 31.

Note: This exquisite dagger with its carved scale decoration jade hilt inlaid with rubies has a strong sculpted effect. The hilt is further inlaid with foliage, lotus flowers and poppies set with emeralds and rubies. The rich enamelled sheath fittings have later restorations with foliage on one side and chevron patterns on the other. The free running seeds within the blade are related to Iranian and Ottoman examples dating to sixteenth and seventeenth century, usually referred to as 'the tears of Allah' or 'the tears of the wounded' (Hales, 2013, p.31.).

Christie's. Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence, New York, 19 June 2019

Lot 84. A gem-set jade-hilted dagger (khanjar), North India or Deccan, circa 1675-1700; 14 3/8 ins. (36.6 cm.) long. Estimate USD 700,000 - USD 1,200,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

Set with rubies, watered-steel blade, later cloth-covered wooden scabbard with original gem set jade locket.

Exhibited: The Miho Museum, Koka 2016, p. 35, no. 40
Grand Palais, Paris 2017, p.120, no,91
The Doge’s Palace, Venice 2017, p.145, no,93
The Palace Museum, Beijing 2018, p.169, no,97
de Young Legion of Honor, San Francisco 2018, p. 90, no. 32.

Note: The form of this hilt derives from an early all-steel hilt type which ended in animal heads. Good examples, both with curved katar-like blades, are in the Furusiyya Collection (Mohamed, 2007, no.175, p.187) and in the Victoria and Albert Museum (IS 86-1981; Skelton et al, 1982, no.421, p.131). Here the terminals have been transformed into scrolls instead of tigers’ heads, but the material enables the allusion to tigers to be made in the stripes (bubri) of the design. The previous catalogue entries for this dagger point clearly to the significance of the tiger stripes and their later association with Tipu Sultan. The design is far older than this, appearing on 16th century and earlier manuscripts and textiles. Similar hilts are noted as being worn by Prince Muhammad Muazzam Shah Alam Bahadur, the second son of the emperor Aurangzeb, in around 1680 (Falk and Archer, 1981, no.91). In his entry on the Furusiyya example Bashir Mohamed notes another example worn by one of the princes in the famous image of The Princes of the House of Timur by Mir Sayyed 'Ali dating from 1550-1555 in the British Library (inv.no.1913,0208,0.1). The blade here, of rare Indian form, is also found on a steel hilted dagger dating from around 1600 in the al-Sabah Collection (LNS 1053 M)

Lot 262. A gold gem-set hilted dagger (kinjal), Tanjore or Mysore, South India, 1790-1810; 13 3/8 ins. (34.1 cm.) long. Estimate USD 500,000 - USD 700,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

The hilt in the form of a yali, set with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, steel blade.

Literature: Jaffer 2013, p.191, no.65

Exhibited: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2014, p.55
Grand Palais, Paris 2017, p.172, no.131
The Doge’s Palace, Venice 2017, p.200, no.134
The Palace Museum, Beijing 2018, p.223, no.138
de Young Legion of Honor, San Francisco 2018, p. 106, no. 45.

Note: The hilt of this impressive gem set dagger is in the form of a yali, a fearsome mythical beast. It is a well-known motif in the architecture of southern India, also used for smaller furniture fittings in ivory and wood, and often seen on the hilts of weapons (Paris 2017, p.172). A comparable 17th century dagger from Tanjore, with a chiselled iron grip and pommel modelled as a yali is published in Hales, 2013, cat.162, p.76. Another comparable sword hilt, dated to the 17th or 18th century from the private collection of the Raja of Tanjore is illustrated in Elgood, 2004, cat.8.64, p.99.

Lot 381. A personal sword of Shah Jahan with gold-damascened tulwar hilt, the blade Europe, circa 1600, the inscription and mounts, India, second quarter 17th century;33 ¾ ins. (85.7 cm.) long. Estimate USD 250,000 - USD 350,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

The watered-steel blade with gold-overlaid inscription and marked with the royal parasol (chhattri).

Note: The phrase Sahib Qiran Thani was one used by Shah Jahan on selected items that were for his personal use. For a brief discussion please see the entry under the Shah Jahan dagger, lot 387. A further example of the use of this title is on a ring mounted with a spinel and dated 1643 (V, inv.no.1023-1871; 1982, no.355, p.118). The royal ownership is further confirmed by the overlaid gold parasol, a sign of royalty indicating our tulwar entered the personal armoury of a Mughal emperor or of a direct relative.

Lot 176. A gem-set jade-hilted dagger (khanjar) and scabbard, North India or Deccan, 1700-1750, scabbard, India or Iran, circa 1650;13 5/8 ins. (34.8 cm.) long; scabbard 9 3/8 ins. (23.8 cm.) long. Estimate USD 200,000 - USD 300,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

Exhibited: Grand Palais, Paris 2017, p.122, no,93
The Doge’s Palace, Venice 2017, p.146, no.94
The Palace Museum, Beijing 2018, p.170, no.98.

Lot 382. ‘Diamond' a personal sword of the Emperor Aurangzeb with gold-damascened tulwar hilt, the blade Europe, circa 1600, the inscription and mounts, India second quarter 17th century; 35 ins. (89 cm.) long. Estimate USD 200,000 - USD 300,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019

The watered-steel blade stamped with a royal inscription and inlaid in gold with further inscriptions on the spine and the royal parasol (chhattri) on the blade.

Note: The first word, which translates as ‘Diamond’ or ‘The Hardest’, almost certainly refers directly to the sword itself. It was not uncommon for Mughal emperors to name their personal swords. One of Aurangzeb’s swords, named as Blood Thirsty, was sold at Christie’s, London, 23 April 2015, lot 120. The practice of naming royal weapons is something that was mentioned by Niccolao Manucci (1639-1717), the Italian traveler and author of ‘Storia do Morgor’, an important account of the later reign of Shah Jahan and that of Aurangzeb. His account includes a list of names which belonged to some of the Emperor Aurangzeb’s weapons which included the likes of ‘Killer of Enemies, Tyrant-Slayer, Violent Stroke, Without Fault, Army-Vanquisher, Hand’s Friend, Waist-Adorner and World Conqueror’ - that which Aurangzeb was said most usually to carry in his hand (Manucci, quoted in Abdul Aziz, 1947, pp.21-22). The gold inlaid parasol (chhattri) mark, a symbol reserved for the ruler, is also found on the previous lot, and the Shah Jahan dagger, lot 387 in this sale.

The blade of our sword is punched near the sharp edge with a further indication of Alamgir’s ownership, a stamp inscribed Alamgir Shahi. A blade with tulwar hilt bearing a similar punch, dated 1072/1661 and also bearing the parasol, is in the Furusiyya Art Foundation Collection (Mohammed, 2007, p. 100, cat. 64).  

Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipikata) and Qualities of the Buddha (Mahabuddhagana), late-18th century, Thailand, CBL Thi 1341 © The Chester Beatty

DUBLIN.- The Chester Beatty has opened an exhibition of Thai Buddhist manuscripts dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. The world-renowned collection of beautifully illustrated books provides a rare opportunity to explore the Buddhist tales depicted within. Presented as colourful illustrations alongside sacred texts, some of the most popular Buddhist stories within the books are the birth tales of the Buddha and the legend of the monk Phra Malai. 

Handsomely decorated folding books were used by monks as teaching aids and for chanting during religious ceremonies. Many were commissioned following the death of a relative and then donated to a temple. This earned religious merit for the donor as well as the deceased. 

Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipikata) and Qualities of the Buddha (Mahabuddhagana), late-18th century, Thailand, CBL Thi 1341 © The Chester Beatty

The Buddha had many past lives, but stories of his last ten are particularly important in Thai culture. Known as jatakas, or ‘birth tales’, these stories tell of the Buddha’s moral evolution over countless incarnations as he attained the ten perfections required for Buddhahood. Well-known scenes from these stories are featured in Thai folding books of the 18th and 19th centuries. They are presented as paired paintings, flanking the passages of sacred text. 

The life of the historical Buddha was much less frequently depicted in Thai folding books, but the museum has several examples that show scenes from his life before and after he became the Buddha. 

Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipikata) and Qualities of the Buddha (Mahabuddhagana), late-18th century, Thailand, CBL Thi 1341 © The Chester Beatty

The legend of a monk named Phra Malai was one of the most popular subjects of 19th century Thai illustrated folding books. The pious monk Phra Malai visited heaven and hell using powers he earned through meditation and acts of merit. On his return to earth he reported what he had seen. The tale was often recited at wakes. Its detailed descriptions of hell and heaven served as powerful reminders that actions in this life determine one’s next life. 

Illustrated folding books continued to be made in Thailand into the early twentieth century. However by the 1920s, the availability of inexpensive printing meant their production had almost completely come to an end. Introducing cherished stories and preserving the devotion of their makers and the communities who used them, these beautiful books offer a unique window onto Thai Buddhist heritage. 

The exhibition is curated by Laura Muldowney, researcher of the museum’s East Asian collection.

Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipikata) and Qualities of the Buddha (Mahabuddhagana), late-18th century, Thailand, CBL Thi 1341 © The Chester Beatty

Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipikata) and Qualities of the Buddha (Mahabuddhagana), late-18th century, Thailand, CBL Thi 1341 © The Chester Beatty

 Extracts from the Pali canon, late-18th century, Thailand, CBL Thi 1341 © The Chester Beatty

Elephant treatise, 1816, Thailand, CBL Thi 1301 © The Chester Beatty

 Divination manuscript, mid-19th century, Thailand, CBL Thi 1302. © The Chester Beatty

Extracts from the Pali canon and Story of Phra Malai, 1897, Thailand,CBL Thi 1319 © The Chester Beatty

Extracts from the Pali canon and Story of Phra Malai, late-19th century,Thailand,CBL Thi 1312. © The Chester Beatty

Lot 91. A pair of famillerose lime-green-ground bowls, Daoguang seal marks and of the period (1821-1850); 14.5cm (5 3/4in) diam. Sold for £ 15,000 (€ 16,850). © Bonhams

Enamelled around each body with vivid polychrome lotus tendrils amongst auspicous gilt double-happiness characters, red bats and shou characters alternating around the rim. 

Provenance: a distinguished European private collection.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART. London, New Bond Street, 15 May 2014

Lot 93. A famille rose'Immortals and bajixiang' flattened double-gourd vase, 19th century; 42cm (16 1/2in) high . Sold for £ 23,750 (€ 26,679). © Bonhams

The upper section with enamelled panels of figures in landscapes, the lower main sides with mountain landscape panels, all on a ground of scrolling lotus and Buddhist emblems. 

Provenance: an English private collection.