Lot 100. A Fine 'jun' sky-blue narcissus bowl, Early Ming dynasty; diameter 7 7/8 in., 20 cm. Estimate USD 300,000 — 400,000. Lot sold USD 825,000. © Sotheby's

of shallow circular form with curved sides, the exterior molded with a raised band featuring evenly spaced drum-nail bosses below the rounded rim, another row of bosses near the foot, all supported by three boldly scrolling ruyi-head bracket feet, covered in a lustrous sky-blue glaze exhibiting a network of 'worm trails', the edge of the rim, the bosses and the base in a mushroom tone, the underside incised si ('four') surrounded by a ring of spur marks, fitted carved wood stand (2).

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 25th October 1993, lot 705. 

Lot 91. A magnificent and very rare 'jun' mallow-shaped lavender-glazed flowerpot, Early Ming dynasty; height 7 1/2 in., 19 cm; diameter 10 3/4 in., 27.3 cm. Estimate USD 350,000 — 450,000. Lot sold USD 469,000. © Sotheby's

the superbly potted vessel of hexagonal section, the deep bracket-lobed flaring sides rising from a slightly splayed foot to a broad everted rim, covered overall with a lustrous lavender glaze, highlighted with brilliant cascades of vivid sky-blue and deep pinkish-purple, draining away from the mouth rim and between the lobes to reveal a creamy mushroom-brown tone, the interior predominantly a deep sky-blue color, the base glazed olive-brown over five pierced drainage holes and incised with the numeral san ('three')     .

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5th November 1996, lot 721. 

Lot 90. A small 'jun' purple-splashed tripod censer, Jin-Yuan dynasty (1115-1368); height 3 1/8 in., 7.9 cm; diameter 3 3/4 in., 9.5 cm. Estimate USD 80,000 — 100,000. Lot sold USD 97,000. © Sotheby's.

the petite globular body with flat base supported on three short cabriole legs projecting from the sides, the short broad neck culminating in a wide angled galleried rim, liberally splashed with bright purple accents upon the thick milky-blue glaze, the glaze also applied to just the interior of the neck, revealing the buff-colored body.

Note: Wares from the typesite Juntai in Yu county, Henan province, an area formerly known as Junzhou, are remarkable for their luscious thick glaze of intense coloration which can vary from light blue to deep turquoise blue. It was in the early twelfth century that potters started applying splashes of copper to the glaze before firing, resulting in patches of purple, lavender and tones of deep blue upon the milky-blue primary glaze. Such splashes added a flamboyant effect to the piece, often with a strong calligraphic quality which had an immense appeal to the literati and nobility of the time. The aesthetic beauty of splashed 'Jun' wares was thus derived from these distinct splashes, the elegant shapes and magnificent rich glaze.

The present 'Jun' tripod censer is a fine and rare example of its type. In its form and delicate small size it is closely related to Song period censers, which suggests that it may possibly be an early example of splashed 'Jun' wares. Yuan period 'Jun' censers of this type were typically of larger size and were applied with molded decoration.  

Compare a larger splashed censer of related form but with less prominent splashes illustrated in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol.1, Geneva, 1968, pl. A37; a slightly smaller censer covered with a lavender-blue glaze profusely splashed with brilliant tones of purple, from the Muwen Tang collection included in the exhibition Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 42, sold in our London rooms, 12th November 2003, lot 49; and a third example with more regular red coloring from the Schoenlicht collection, published in color in H.F.E. Visser, Asiatic Art in Private Collections of Holland and Belgium, Amsterdam, 1947, pl. 232.  

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works Of Art, New York, 18 March 2008

Lot 81. A 'jun' ovoid jar, Jin dynasty (1115-1234); height 4 in., 10.2 cm; widest 5 1/4 in., 13.3 cm. Estimate USD 10,000 — 15,000. Lot sold USD 12,500. © Sotheby's.

 the globular body tapering down to a slightly flared foot, with a short upright neck supporting the generously wide mouth rim, an unctuous glaze of sky-blue tone applied to the interior and exterior, stopping evenly mid-foot and thinning on the rim to reveal the mushroom-colored body, the fine ware, revealed at the foot rim, burnt a caramel color in the firing, the recessed base covered with a pool of glaze.

Lot 82. A 'jun''lotus bud' jar and cover, Jin dynasty (1115-1234); height 4 in., 10.2 cm; widest 5 1/4 in., 13.3 cm. Estimate USD 20,000 — 30,000. Lot sold USD 41,800. © Sotheby's.

the delicately potted bud-shaped body swelling at the bottom atop a low straight foot, the flat cover with a slightly curved edge encircling the bud finial rising from the recessed central well, applied overall with a thick lavender-blue glaze, the knife-pared foot rim burnt to a light caramel color in the firing (2).

Note: 'Jun' waterpots of this elegant 'lotus bud' form can be found in many important collections; for example see one in the Royal Ontario Museum illustrated in Henry Trubner, The Far Eastern Collection, Toronto, 1968, p. 60, fig. 74; and another, from the collection of Frederick Knight, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 18th May 1982, lot 17, also with a cover. See also a waterpot with pale blue glaze and of similar proportions to the present example, in the British Museum, London, published in Basil Grey, Early Chinese Pottery and Porcelain, London, 1952, pl. 82B; and one without a cover, sold in these rooms, 20th March 1976, lot 92. 

Lot 109. A 'jun' dish, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127); diameter 6 7/8 in., 17.6 cm. Estimate USD 5,000 — 7,000. Lot sold USD 8,125. © Sotheby's.

the flat slightly countersunk center with low rounded sides rising to an everted rim, applied with a pale light-blue glaze splashed with strokes of purple suffused with hues of turquoise-green draining to a mushroom tone around the rim, the unglazed foot and base revealing the grayish ware.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28th April 1998, lot 714.

Note: Compare a similar dish in the Palace Museum, Beijing, from the Qing Court collection illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I),1996, pl. 226.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works Of Art, New York, 18 March 2008

Lot 110. A Finely Carved 'Longquan' Celadon 'Lotus' Bowl, Ming Dynasty, 15th Century; diameter 6 7/8 in., 17.6 cm. Estimate USD 20,000 — 30,000. Lot sold USD 18,750. © Sotheby's.

the circular bowl with rounded sides and flared lip, all on a low irregularly-cut foot ring, the exterior carved with a continuous lotus-scroll, leiwen border to the lip, the interior centered by a lotus blossom amidst foliage, the sides with a continuous lotus scroll, a classic scroll border around the lip, the body covered with a pale sage-green glaze, inside of foot with unglazed ring burned orange-red, Japanese wood box (2).

Note: A bowl of similar high quality and decoration is in the collection of the British Museum, illustrated in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Catalogue of Late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, no. 16:50, p. 481, where Harrison-Hall notes that wares of this refinement were only made for a relatively short time. For related examples compare the bowl sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 8th October 1990, lot 410; another sold in our London rooms, 12th June 1990, lot 186; and a third from the Collection of Jack Chia, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th November 1996, lot 637. Compare also the slightly smaller bowl sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 25th April 2004, lot 281. 

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works Of Art, New York, 18 March 2008

Lot 99. A rare 'Longquan' celadon 'hundred rib' jar and cover, guan, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); height 11 1/2 in., 29.2 cm; diameter 11 in., 27.9 cm. Estimate USD 40,000 — 50,000. Lot sold USD 79,000. © Sotheby's.

beautifully potted, of wide baluster form swelling generously from a short, slightly tapered foot, the gently curved neck supporting the wide undulating cover, its flared rim in the form of a lotus leaf, the domed center featuring a knop in the form of a scrolling stem, accentuated throughout with slender vertical ribs, the unctuous bubble-suffused glaze pooling to a deeper green in the recesses, stopping short of the unglazed foot, revealing the pale gray body burnt reddish-orange in the firing (2).

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1st November 1994, lot 12.

Note: Large 'Longquan' vessels of this elegant form and abstract ribbed design were much favored by the export market during the Yuan dynasty and can be found in many overseas collections. For example see a similar jar and cover recovered from the ship wrecked off the coast of Korea in 1323 A.D. illustrated in Relics Salvaged from the Seabed Off Sinan, Materials I, Seoul, 1985, pl. 30, fig. 37a and 37b, together with another jar of this type lacking its cover, pl. 31, fig.38. Compare also one from the collection of the Ottoman sultans and now in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, included in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, London, 1986, pl. 213.

A large jar and cover of this type can also be found in the Tokyo National Museum published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics II, Tokyo, 1990, cat.no. 14. Another, unearthed in 2002 and 2003 at the Jin and Yuan period ancient city site of Jininglu in Inner Mongolia, was published in Neimengu Jininglu guchen yizhi chutu taoqi, Beijing, 2004, pl. 61, and is of very similar size to the present jar. Compare also a jar and cover, from the Hardy collection, sold at Christie's New York, 21st September 1995, lot 121; and one with a later wood cover sold in these rooms, 6th December 1989, lot 144.  

Lot 106. A rare 'Longquan' celadon double-gourd vase with applied decoration, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); height 12 1/4 in., 31.1 cm. Estimate USD 60,000 — 80,000. Lot sold USD 73,000. © Sotheby's.

the two bulbous bodies forming the double-gourd decorated in the round with a lively display of sprig-molded scrolling peony, rising to an upright neck, covered overall in a thick unctuous blue-green glaze, the foot rim unglazed and burnt an orange color in the firing.

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 30th October 1995, lot 679A.

Note: It is rare to find 'Longquan' vases of this elegant and highly auspicious double-gourd form decorated with a peony scroll on both the lower and upper bulbs. A closely related but slightly larger double-gourd vase, fitted with a later Ottoman metal mount and now in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, is published in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 31, and also in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. 1, London, 1986, pl. 202. A slightly smaller gourd-shaped bottle with a chrysanthemum scroll around the lower bulb and chrysanthemum flower-heads at the top, in the Datong Municipal Museum, Shanxi province, is illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 10, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 34; and another with small sprigs of asters at the top and a composite scroll of peony and lotus at the bottom, in the Museum of Chinese History, Beijing, is published in Longquan qingci, Beijing, 1966, col. pl. 18, and in Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, pl. 153.

A 'Longquan' vase of this type was sold in these rooms, 30th March 2006, lot 57; and another vase, originally of double-gourd form but the top bulb damaged and missing, from the Alexander collection and illustrated in R.L. Hobson, Chinese Ceramics in Private Collections, London, 1931, fig. 7, was sold in our London rooms, 11th July 1978, lot 172.

'Longquan' wares with molded and applied decoration first appeared in the late Song dynasty but became popular and were produced in larger quantities during the Yuan dynasty. Double-gourd-form containers have been highly favored historically for their reference to gourds with their many seeds which symbolize fertility and abundance. 

Lot 107. A large 'Longquan' Celadon Tripod Censer with applied decoration, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); diameter 8 in., 20.4 cm; height 5 1/2 in., 14 cm. Estimate USD 50,000 — 70,000. Lot sold USD 49,000 . © Sotheby's.

the slightly tapered cylindrical body with ridged lip and base supported on three sturdy cabriole legs, the body with molded and applied continuous peony scroll, the center of the interior with applied circular disk, the body covered with an attractive sea-green glaze, thinning at the extremities, the unglazed applied disk burned orange, Japanese black lacquer cover, silk wrap, Japanese wood box (4).

Provenance: Hokkiji Temple, Nara.

Note: For a related example, see G. St. G. M. Gompertz, Chinese Celadon Wares, London, 1980, plate 88, p. 172. A similar example, in the collection of the Ban'a-ji, Ashikaga City, Japan, is illustrated in Tsugio Mikami, Ceramic Art of the World, Vol 13. Liao, Chin and Yuan Dynasties, Tokyo, 1981, plate 151, p. 182. Compare also the censer sold in these rooms, 7th November 1980, lot 150; and another, sold in our London rooms, 9th June 1992, lot 143.  For additional related examples, see the note for lot 98.

It is interesting to note that the present celadon vessel was used as a Mizusachi (water-container for tea ceremonies) during its sojourn in Japan, according to an inscription on its Japanese wood box.

Lot 101. A 'Longquan' celadon bulb-mouth bottle vase, suankouping, Yuan-Early Ming Dynasty; height 13 in., 31.8 cm. Estimate USD 15,000 — 18,000. Lot sold USD 21,250. © Sotheby's.

the pear-shaped body atop a low splayed foot rising to a tall slender neck and culminating in a bulbous-mouth and slightly everted mouth rim, the straight neck and sloping shoulder divided by a raised band, covered overall in a thick olive-green bubble-suffused glaze, the gray ware revealed at the foot rim burnt orange.

Note: Vases of this unusual form were recovered from a ship wrecked off the coast of Korea in 1323 A.D. A smaller vase of this type now in the National Museum of Korea, together with a bronze vase of related form, is illustrated in Relics Salvaged from the Seabed Off Sinan, Seoul, 1985, pl. 38 and pl. 290. Other related vases are included in Suzanne G. Valenstein, 'Some Chinese Celadons Reclaimed from the Sea', Oriental Art, Spring 1979, vol. XXV, no. 1, fig. 7, where the author discusses the development of this form, derived from the bronze suantou ping of the Western Han dynasty.

Compare a smaller 'Longquan' vase of this form in the Percival David Foundation published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Celadon Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, Section 7, London, 1997, pl. 283; and one in the Ataka Collection included in Sekai Toji Zenshui, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1981, p. 188, no. 76, with a tobi seiji glaze. Two vases of this type were also sold in our London rooms, 9th December 1986, lot 149, and 9th June 1987, lot 183.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics And Works Of Art, New York, 18 March 2008

Lot 86. A 'Longquan' celadon carved vase, meiping, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127); height 13 3/4 in., 34.9 cm. Estimate USD 35,000 — 40,000. Lot sold USD 43,000 . © Sotheby's.

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

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

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

An early 'Longquan' vase of this type but  with a less distinctive rim and carved with a denser scroll of smaller flowers, in the collection of the Chang Foundation, is included in James Spencer, Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1990, pl. 59.

For a piece of the type which may have inspired the making of this type of meiping, see the vase of slightly different shape with a more angled shoulder and carved with a peony scroll design, attributed to the Five Dynasties period (907-960) illustrated in Longquan qingci, Beijing, 1966, pl. 2. 

Lot 79. A rare large 'Longquan' celadon mallet vase, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279); height 10 1/4 in., 26 cm. Estimate USD 45,000 — 55,000. Lot sold USD 55,000. © Sotheby's.

Lot 87. An outstanding 'Yaozhou' carved and dated pillow, Jin dynasty, Dated to the Fifth Year of the Cheng An Reign (Corresponding to 1200 A.D.); height 4 in., 10.2 cm; widest 8 5/8 in., 21.9 cm Estimate USD 80,000 — 120,000. Lot sold USD 97,000. © Sotheby's.

Lot 78. A rare early 'Yaozhou' relief-carved globular ewer, Five Dynasties-Northern Song Dynasty (907-1127); height 7 3/4 in., 19.7 cm. Estimate USD 150,000 — 200,000. Lot sold USD 181,000. © Sotheby's.

Anna Hu. Courtesy Sotheby's.

Hong Kong - Sotheby’s Hong Kong is thrilled to collaborate with Chinese haute joallierie artist, Anna Hu to offer her latest jewellery creations, titled Silk Road Music Collection, at its Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Autumn Sale. Specially commissioned for this collaboration, the collection features five jewellery pieces inspired by the musical and cultural exchanges that took place in the Silk Road - an ancient trade route connecting the East and West dating back thousands of years. Leading the collection is The Dunhuang Pipa Necklace, designed and mounted by Anna Hu, set with a 100.02-carat fancy intense yellow diamond (est. HK$40-50 million / US$5 – 6.25 million), which will go under the hammer on 7 October in Hong Kong.

Yvonne Chu, Acting Head of Department, Jewellery, Sotheby’s, comments: “We are excited to present the latest jewellery creations by the talented contemporary jewellery artist Anna Hu, who has transformed top quality gemstones into inspirational jewellery masterpieces. The Dunhuang Pipa necklace is one of the most important jewellery pieces on offer this season. ”

Anna Hu, artist of the Silk Road Music Collection, comments: “It is absolutely a pleasure to collaborate with Sotheby’s on this project, and be given the opportunity to work with the 100.02 carat yellow diamond, which is a true gift from nature. I want this collection to speak to my Chinese root, and I thought the beauty of jewels could be enhanced with a touch of the traditional yet exotic music that once flowed through the Silk Road.”

ANNA HU HAUTE JOAILLERIE: THE CONCEPT

Anna Hu seeks design inspirations from her passion for music and western art. A beautiful blend of the Eastern and Western aesthetics, Hu’s jewellery design is imbued with musicality, in which shapes and lines of the pieces often resembles the fluid movements of music. Her brand is known for creating one-of-a-kind pieces with rare gemstones, crafted by skilled French-trained artisans.

The Dunhuang Pipa Necklace, designed and mounted by Anna Hu. Set With a 100.02-carat Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond. Estimate HKD40-50 million / US$ 5 – 6.25 million. Courtesy Sotheby's.

The Silk Road Music collection is led by The Dunhuang Pipa Necklace, designed and mounted by Anna Hu, set with an impressive 100.02-carat fancy intense yellow diamond. Touched by the culture from Silk Road, Hu took inspiration from an imagery of a lady playing the pipa (a four-stringed Chinese lute) depicted on the Dunhuang murals, to conjure the silhouette of this necklace which resembles a Chinese Pipa attached to lines of western staff that flows gracefully along the neckline. Transformable into a brooch and an earring, the necklace is designed for modern-day women who appreciate intricate designs with a versatile twist.

Anna Hu. Courtesy Sotheby's

ABOUT ANNA HU

Anna Hu grew up studying classical music and trained as a cellist since a very young age. Born in Taiwan to gemstone dealer parents, she fell in love with stones at just the same time, when aged 8, she started to play the cello. When severe injuries to her shoulder abruptly ended her blossoming musical career, she turned to her second love: jewellery. In 2008, Hu founded her namesake brand, Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie, opening her first boutique in New York. 

Hu presented her first global exhibition at the Louvre’s Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris in July 2012 and celebrated the launch of her first book, Symphony of Jewels, op. 1, in the same year. One of the youngest jewellery artists invited to exhibit in La Biennale Paris, Hu was the first Asian female jeweller admitted into Comité de la Haute Joaillerie Paris, a prestigious recognition alongside famed French jewellery houses. 

In 2013, Anna Hu’s Côte d’Azur Brooch was auctioned for CHF 4,197,000 (US$ 4,568,163) in Geneva, setting a record for the highest price paid for a contemporary jewellery artist at the time. Her jewellery has been worn by styleinfluencers, including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, as well as contemporary artist Cindy Sherman, and Jetsun Pema, the Queen of Bhutan.

Anna Hu. Courtesy Sotheby's

MORE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SILK ROAD MUSIC COLLECTION

Jadeite, Diamond and Pink Sapphire Brooch, Cello, Anna Hu. Estimate HK$2,200,000 – 2,800,000 / US$280,000 – 350,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

Anna approaches jewellery design like music creation, and a melodic beauty protrudes through her works. This jade cello brooch takes inspiration from Picasso’s Violin Hanging on the Wall, housed in Switzerland’s Museum of Fine Arts Bern (Kunstmuseum Bern) and is composed of jadeites ranging from 1.43 carats to 34.93 carats, outlined with yellow and white diamonds. Anna applied smooth silhouettes to outline and create the cello body and injected her love for music into the design, evoking the power of a sensational melody that sweeps people off their feet. 

Conch Pearl, Gem Set and Diamond Brooch, Blue Magpie, Anna Hu. Estimate HK$ 1,500,000 – 1,800,000 / US$190,000 – 225,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

Inspired by an antique Blue-and-White Flower-Bird motif on a circle-squared porcelain plate from the National Museum of History, as well as the works of Giuseppe Castiglione, the Jesuit missionary and painter at the imperial court of China, Anna extracted the essence of Eastern arts and applied it in the design of the Blue Magpie Brooch.

The classic blue and white Magpie motif is reinterpreted with western colour palette, to picture an idyllic scene. Paved with over five hundred gems, two blue Magpies perch on delicate tree branches, resulting in a colourful creation that combines Chinese aesthetics and Western aristocracy.

Pair of Conch Pearl, Sapphire and Diamond Earrings, Ellington, Anna Hu. Estimate HK$2,200,000 – 2,800,000 / US$280,000 – 350,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

Combining the two loves of her life – music and jewellery, Anna visualises an enchanting jazz melody through the creation of Ellington Earrings.

The earrings blend piano keys with the shape of harp, elegantly representing the melodic flow of classical jazz music. Composed of blue sapphires, baguette cut and modified cut diamonds, this pair of unique earrings is highlighted with conch pearls that connote musical notes.

Ruby and Diamond Ring, Appassionata, Anna Hu. EstimateHK$650,000 – 850,000 / US$80,000 – 100,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

Lot 745. A clair-de-lune-glazed bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1723-1735); 4 ¾ in. (12.1 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 40,000 - USD 60,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. 

Lot 746. An unusual celadon-glazed shallow dish, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1723-1735); 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 10,000 - USD 15,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019.  

Lot 750. A very rare small clair-de-lune-glazed pear-shaped bottle vase, Yongzheng four-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1723-1735); 5 ¾ in. (14.6 cm.) high. Estimate USD 6,000 - USD 8,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019.   

Lot 762. A copper-red-glazed bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1723-1735); 7 1/8 in. (18 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. 

Lot 748. A miniature incised white-glazed 'garlic-head' vase, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue and probably of the period (1723-1735); 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm.) high. Estimate USD 3,000 - USD 5,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019.  

Lot 754. A copper-red-glazed pear-shaped vase, yuhuchunping, Yongzheng-Qianlong period (1723-1795); 11 5/8 in. (29.6 cm.) high. Estimate USD 10,000 - USD 15,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. 

Lot 631. A small copper-red-glazed bottle vase, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1723-1735); 5 in. (12.7 cm.) high. Estimate USD 3,000 - USD 4,000. Price realised USD 27,400. © Christie's Image Ltd 2008. 

Lot 741. A teadust-glazed vase, Qianlong six-character incised seal mark and of the period (1736-1795); 13 in. (33 cm.) high. Estimate USD 80,000 - USD 120,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. 

The vase has a compressed body and cylindrical neck and is covered overall with an opaque glaze of finely mottled dark yellowish-green color that continues into the interior and also covers the base. The foot is covered with a dark wash.

Provenance: Pauline (1882-1956) and Potter Palmer II (1875-1943) Collection, Chicago, before 1937.
The Art Institute of Chicago, accessioned in 1937.  

Note: During the reigns of the Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors there was significant experimentation at the imperial kilns to increase the range of fine monochrome wares. Subsequently, during the early- to mid- 18th century, the number of different monochrome glazes produced at Jingdezhen expanded considerably. The aim was not only to produce attractive colors, but also to achieve interesting textures. 

Christie's. Chinese Art from The Art Institute of Chicago, New York, 12 September 2019

Lot 747. A teadust-glazed vase, Qianlong six-character incised seal mark and of the period (1736-1795); 12 ¾ in. (32.4 cm.) high. Estimate USD 60,000 - USD 80,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. 

The vase has a compressed body and cylindrical neck and is covered overall with an opaque glaze of finely mottled dark yellowish-green color that continues into the interior and also covers the base. The foot is covered with a dark wash.

Provenance: Emily Crane Chaelbourne (1871–1964) Collection, Chicago, before 1939.
The Art Institute of Chicago, accessioned in 1939.  

Note: During the reigns of the Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors there was significant experimentation at the imperial kilns to increase the range of fine monochrome wares. Subsequently, during the early- to mid- 18th century, the number of different monochrome glazes produced at Jingdezhen expanded considerably. The aim was not only to produce attractive colors, but also to achieve interesting textures. 

Christie's. Chinese Art from The Art Institute of Chicago, New York, 12 September 2019