Lot 3106. A fine and rare lavender-glazed bowl, Mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 12 cm, 4 3/4  in. Estimate 800,000 — 1,000,000 HKD. Lot sold 2,000,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's

with gently flaring sides supported on a slightly tapered foot, the exterior applied with a lustrous glaze of bright even clair-de-lune tone, the interior left plain, the white base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double circle.

Provenance: Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 27th November 1941, lot 561.
Collection of Stephen Junkunc III (1905-1978). 
Christie's New York, 21st September 1995, lot 248.
A European private collection.

Exhibited: Imperial Porcelain of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, S. Marchant & Son, London, 1996, cat. no. 12.
Chinese Ceramics Tang to Qing, Marchant, London, 2014, cat. no. 37.

Note: A pair of Yongzheng mark and period bowls covered overall in a clair-de-lune glaze was included in the exhibition Chinese Porcelain in the S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1987, cat. no. 148; and another pair, from the Sir Joseph E. Hotung Family trust, was exhibited in Recent Acquisitions, S. Marchant & Son, London, 2002, cat. no. 17. See also a pair included in the exhibition Qing Porcelain and Works of Art, Osaka City Museum, Osaka, 1994, cat. no. 111; and a further bowl, formerly in the collection of H.R.N. Norton, included in the exhibition Imperial Chinese Porcelain, Ceramics & Works of Art, Marchant, London, 2013, cat. no. 26. See also a similar pair of bowls from the Zhuyuetang collection, included in the exhibition A Millennium of Monochromes, from the Great Tang to the High Qing, Fondation Baur, Geneva, 2018, cat. nos 87a-b.

For an example sold at auction, see the bowl from the collection of Kate Sturgess Buckingham, accessioned to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1926, sold at Christie's New York, 12th September 2019, lot 745.

Sotheby's. Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, Hong Kong, 11 July 2020

Lot 3107. A blue and white 'Boy and peony' dish, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); 15.8 cm, 6 1/4  in. Estimate 100,000 — 200,000 HKD. Lot sold 400,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's

the deep rounded sides raised on an angled base and a short straight foot, reverse painted in rich cobalt-blue tones to the interior with a medallion enclosing a boy holding a branch of peony flowers against a dense blue leafy scroll ground, encircled at the rim by a lotus scroll band, the exterior with three floral sprays alternating with butterflies in flight, the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue.

Provenance: Collection of Tang Shaoyi (1862-1938), the first prime minister of the Republic of China, and thence by descent.

Note: A similar dish, from the collection of P.J. Donnelly, was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition The Arts of Ch'ing Dynasty, London, 1964, cat. no. 98. See also a bowl with a related design exhibited in The Bertil J. Hogstrom Collection, Kangxi Blue and White Porcelain (1662-1722), Marchant, London, 2011, cat. no. 9.

Sotheby's. Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, Hong Kong, 11 July 2020

Lot 3108. A fine and rare sacrificial-red glazed stem bowl, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 15.2 cm, 6 in. Estimate 600,000 — 800,000 HKD. Lot sold 725,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's

the deep rounded sides raised on a tall slightly splayed hollow foot, rising to a gently flared rim, covered overall in a rich luminous deep crushed-strawberry glaze stopping neatly below the rim and above the foot, inscribed to the interior of the foot with a horizontal six-character seal mark in underglaze blue.

Provenance: Collection of Y.C. Chen (1922-2012).
Christie's London, 17th May 2013, lot 1333.

Exhibited: Chinese Ceramics Tang to Qing, Marchant, London, 2014, cat. no. 48.

Note: A similar Qianlong mark and period stem bowl was sold in these rooms, 8th April 2011, lot 3022. See also a stem bowl of this type, but with a Yongzheng mark and of the period, but the interior left white, included in the exhibition Shimmering Colours, Monochromes of the Yuan to Qing Periods, The Zhuyuetang Collection, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 42.

Sotheby's. Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, Hong Kong, 11 July 2020

Lot 3109. A finely enamelled coral-ground famille-rose bowl, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 10.8 cm, 4 1/4  in. Estimate 900,000 — 1,200,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,750,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's

well potted with deep rounded sides resting on a short foot, the exterior vibrantly enamelled with three pink blossoming peonies on green branches, each within a lemon-yellow ground cartouche bordered with foliate scrollwork, alternating with blue flowerheads, all reserved on a brilliant coral-red ground, inscribed to the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue.

Provenance: John Sparks Ltd, London, circa 1950.
Collection of Sir Arthur Sims (1877-1969).

Exhibited: 90th Anniversary Exhibition Qing Porcelain from Private Collections, Marchant, London, 2015, cat. no. 35.

Note: A closely related bowl from the Wang Xing Lou collection is illustrated in Julian Thompson, Imperial Perfection. The Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors, Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, Hong Kong, 2004, cat. no. 58, where the author notes that "the decoration of this bowl, using two contrasting colour grounds, is inspired by the Kangxi wares decorated in the Imperial Palace workshop, though the treatment of the scroll patterns is here more detailed and complex. Unlike the Kangxi bowls, the palette includes the combination of coral-red and translucent green enamel, colours taken from the wucai, or 'famille-verte' palette, with the opaque enamels of the 'famille-rose' palette."

A closely related bowl from the British Rail Pension Fund, included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Splendour of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1992, cat. no. 159, was sold in these rooms, 16th May 1989, lot 81; and another from the collection of Sybil Luna Moses and Maurice Dangoor, was sold in our New York rooms, 15th March 2017, lot 519.

For the Kangxi prototype of this design, see one with a yuzhi reign mark in pink enamel, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 2

.

Sotheby's. Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, Hong Kong, 11 July 2020

Lot 3111. A rare yellow-glazed 'floral' bowl, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); 12 cm, 4 3/4  in. Estimate 450,000 — 550,000 HKD. Lot sold 500,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's

thinly potted with deep rounded sides raised on a straight foot, incised to the exterior with four stylised mallow medallions divided by radiating cloud wisps above a band of lappets, encircled at the foot and the rim with double-line borders, the interior incised in the well with a further mallow flower, covered overall in a soft egg-yolk yellow glaze, the white base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle.

Provenance: William Clayton Ltd, London, 16th March 1960.
A distinguished European private collection, and thence by descent.

Note: A similar bowl from the collection of Sir Percival David, now in the British Museum, London, is published in Margaret  Medley, Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Ch'ing Monochrome in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1973, pl. A599; and a pair from the Trevor Family collection, was included in the exhibition Recent Acquisitions, S. Marchant & Son, London, 2008, cat. no. 31.

Sotheby's. Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, Hong Kong, 11 July 2020

Witness the unbridled creativity of Renaissance and Baroque artists, such as Albrecht Dürer, who bring monsters to life in an artful manner.

The word “monster” comes from the Latin monstrum, meaning an anomaly in the natural order. Throughout the ages, artists have given shape to those abnormalities that populate collective imaginations. This exhibition showcases the unbridled creativity of Renaissance and Baroque artists, such as Albrecht Dürer, in bringing monsters to life in an artful manner.

Drawn from the collection of the National Gallery of Canada, a selection of engravings, etchings, woodcuts and drawings from the 15th through the 17th centuries highlights the different functions of monsters in the visual culture of early modern Europe. Whether they embody moral anxieties of the times or serve a decorative purpose, these fantastic beings elicit both terror and wonder. Through them, we can glimpse the power dynamics of religion and gender, and observe how art is capable of bringing a certain beauty even to the monstrous.

 National Gallery of Canada, Jul 18, 2020 to Nov 15, 2020

Andrea Mantegna, Battle of the Sea Gods (left side), c. 1485–88. Engraving on laid paper, 28 × 42.7 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Purchased 1915. Photo: NGC.

Lot 8821. A carved bamboo brush pot, Late Ming-Early Qing dynasty; 6 1⁄8 in. (15.5 cm.) high, box. Estimate: HKD 220,000 - HKD 350,000 (EUR 22,506 - EUR 35,805). Price Realised: HKD 375,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

Property from from the Tanglongge Collection.

Lot 8822. A bamboo carving of a finger citron, Qing dynasty (1644-1911); 4 1⁄4 in. (11 cm.) long, box. Estimate: HKD 30,000 - HKD 50,000 (EUR 3,069 - EUR 5,115). Price Realised: HKD 37,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

Property from from the Tanglongge Collection.

Lot 8823. An important and very rare bamboo root carving of a frog, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 23⁄4 in. (7 cm.) long. Estimate: HKD 480,000 - HKD 600,000 (EUR 49,104 - EUR 61,380). Price Realised: HKD 2,125,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

Property from from the Tanglongge Collection.

Lot 8826. A carved bamboo ‘Flute music to enchant the phoenix’ brush pot, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 63⁄8 in. (16.1 cm.) high, box. Estimate: HKD 400,000 - HKD 600,000 (EUR 40,920 - EUR 61,380). Price Realised: HKD 500,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

Property from from the Tanglongge Collection.

Lot 8831. A pair of huanghuali'weiqi' boxes and covers, Qing dynasty (1644-1911); 51⁄4 in (13.2 cm.) diam., box. Estimate: HKD 400,000 - HKD 600,000 (EUR 40,920 - EUR 61,380). Price Realised: HKD 350,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

One box contains 151 weiqi game pieces made of slate, the other with 150 pieces made of shell.

Property from from the Tanglongge Collection.

MONTREAL.- The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts invites visitors on a journey to the artistic effervescence of France at the turn of the 20th century with its exhibition Paris in the Days of Post-Impressionism: Signac and the Indépendants. Through over 500 works from an outstanding private collection, including the largest set of works by Paul Signac, the public will discover a magnificent body of paintings and graphic works by Signac and avant-garde artists: Impressionists (Degas, Monet, Morisot, Pissarro), Fauves (Dufy, Friesz, Marquet, Vlaminck), Symbolists (Gauguin, Redon), Nabis (Bonnard, Denis, Lacombe, Sérusier, Ranson, Vallotton), observers of life in Paris (Anquetin, Ibels, Steinlen, Toulouse-Lautrec), Cubists (Picasso, Braque), Expressionists (Feininger, Heckel), and above all, the Neo-Impressionists (Angrand, Cross, Hayet, Lemmen, Luce, Seurat, Van Rysselberghe).

Visitors will learn about the social and pictorial issues of the era and what prompted a group of artists led by Signac to create the Salon des Indépendants in 1884, which promoted the democratic ideal of an exhibition with “neither jury, nor award.” Art, they believed, should be accessible to all and could contribute to the common good. From its inauguration in 1884 to the First World War, the Salon des Indépendants served as a platform for major art-historical developments of the time including: Neo- Impressionism, the Nabis movement, Symbolism, Fauvism and Cubism.. The exhibition situates the Indépendants in the sociocultural and political context of Paris during the Belle Époque.

Theo Van Rysselberghe (1862-1926), Kalf’s Mill in Knokke, or Windmill in Flanders, 1894. Private collection.

Paul Signac and the Salon des Indépendants, 1884-1914
Paris, 1900: a revolution was underway in the Belle Époque. “Art for all!” declared artists who exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants under the motto “neither jury, nor reward.” Co-founder of the Salon des Indépendants, Paul Signac (1863-1935) made a name for himself as the theoretician of the so-called “postimpressionist scientists.” Inspired by the chromatic theories of Charles Henry, Ogden Rood and Michel-Eugène Chevreul, he applied pure colour to the canvas in tightly placed dots, such that the form would emerge from the optical blending in the viewer’s eye. With his “divisionist” technique, he sought to create total art somewhere between the paradise lost of the golden age and social utopia. Signac championed positivist painting, which promoted technical and political modernity. The new pointillist style of his “Neo” peers spread quickly from Paris to Brussels, glorifying the better days to come. According to the writings of such critics as Fénéon, Signac positioned himself as an engaged intellectual in the era of the Dreyfus affair.

“Justice in sociology, harmony in art: one and the same thing.” These words uttered by Signac sum up the vision he applied to both politics and art and reveal his quest for social justice and harmony. Nearly 80 creations by Signac will enlighten us on the artist’s quest for social and chromatic harmony as well as on other movements born of the turbulent era, including Symbolism, Nabism, Fauvism and Cubism. The first Canadian exhibition of this scale dedicated to Neo-Impressionism, Paris in the Days of Post-Impressionism is a unique opportunity to view these works together, many of which have never been exhibited before.

Commenting on the work that went into producing the exhibition, curator Mary-Dailey Desmarais adds, “It has been a tremendous pleasure to work with this truly exceptional collection. Together with the superb teams at the MMFA and the cocurators of the exhibition, Gilles Genty, I hope that visitors will come away having learned more about artistic freedom, ‘indépendance’ and the power of art to create social change.”

“Some exhibitions simply illustrate an era; this one instead invites visitors to experience the extraordinary aesthetics of the late 19th century. For me, it has been a great privilege to be part of this adventure,” says Gilles Genty, guest curator.

 Theo Van Rysselberghe (1862-1926), Paul Signac as a Yachtsman, 1896. Private collection

Lot 3603. A rare underglaze-red and famille-verte'rose' vase, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); h. 8.3 cm, 3 1/4  in. Estimate 1,500,000 — 2,000,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,875,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the well-rounded ovoid body tapering to a short lipped mouthrim, elegantly decorated with two rose sprays rising from the base, each with a large bloom and bud in a soft pinkish underglaze red, borne on leafy branches with foliage enamelled in green and outlined in black, the recessed base with an underglaze-blue six-character mark inscribed in three columns, wood stand.

Provenance: Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-1980).
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th May 1981, lot 539.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28th April 1992, lot 158.

Lot 3604. A rare doucai and iron-red 'Dragon' dish, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); 21.2 cm, 8 3/8  in. Estimate 250,000 — 300,000 HKD. Lot sold 525,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

powerfully painted to the interior with a ferocious five-clawed dragon in iron red, its muscular limbs stretched to reach for a flaming pearl, the fierce creature leaping from tumultuous swirling waves crashing on rocks enamelled in various shades of green, the scaly sinuous body partially obscured by stylised scrolling clouds, the exterior similarly decorated with two iron-red dragons leaping from scrolling clouds, inscribed to the base with a six-character reign mark within a double circle.

Lot 3605. A pair of blue and white floral bowls, Marks and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 12 cm, 4 3/4  in. Estimate 300,000 — 400,000 HKD. Lot sold 400,000 HKD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

each with deep rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a gently flared rim, the exterior painted in varying tones of cobalt blue with a composite floral scroll bearing varying blooms, each borne on an undulating leafy scroll, all above a frieze of interlocking ruyi heads accentuated with circular motifs, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle, wood stands.

Jusqu'au 3 janvier 2021, Le musée Marmottan Monet propose une exposition intitulée « Cezanne et les maîtres. Rêve d’Italie ». Pour la première fois, le travail de l’Aixois sera mis en regard de chefs-d’œuvre des grands maîtres italiens, du XVIIe au XIXe siècle. Ainsi une remarquable sélection de toiles de Cezanne, parmi lesquelles l’iconique Montagne Sainte-Victoire, les incontournables Pastorale et natures-mortes, fera face à un rare ensemble de peintures anciennes signées Tintoret, Bassano, le Greco, Giordano, Poussin, Rosa, Munari et,  pour les modernes Boccioni, Carrà, Roai, Sironi, Soffici, Pirandello ou encore Morandi.

Cette manifestation inédite a reçu le soutien exceptionnel de quarante-trois prêteurs : collections particulières ainsi que musées français, canadien, américains, suisse, allemand, écossais, espagnol, japonais et, bien sûr, italiens ont permis de réunir une soixantaine de toiles. Venues du monde entier, ces œuvres mettent en lumière l’importance de la culture latine dans l’art de Cezanne et la manière dont l’Aixois s’est nourri de l’exemple de ses illustres prédécesseurs pour asseoir une peinture « nouvelle ». Elles illustrent également l’influence qu’a exercée à son tour le Français sur les artistes du Novecento.

Afin que le public soit reçu dans les meilleures conditions, les visiteurs sont invités à réserver leurs billets horaire sur le site internet. Les horaires du musée sont élargis : du mardi au dimanche de 11h à 19h avec une nocturne supplémentaire, le mardi.

Jusqu'au 3 janvier 2021

Jacopo Robusti, dit le Tintoret, La Déploration du Christ, vers 1580. Huile sur toile, 104 x 137 cm, Paris, musée du Louvre, déposé au musée des beaux-arts de Nancy© RMN-Grand Palais / Agence Bulloz.

Paul Cézanne, Le Meurtre, vers 1870. Huile sur toile, 65 x 80 cm, National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery. Purchased with the assistance of Art Fund in 1964© National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery.

Nicolas Poussin, Paysage avec Agar et l’ange, après 1660. Huile sur toile, 98 x 73 cm, Rome, Gallerie Nazionali d’Arte Antica© Gallerie Nazionali d’Arte Antica di Roma.

Paul Cezanne, Château Noir, 1905. Huile sur toile, 73 x 92 cm, Paris, Musée national Picasso-Paris. Donation Pablo Picasso, 1973/1978, Collection personnelle Pablo Picasso © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée national Picasso-Paris) / Mathieu Rabeau.

Dhomínikos Theotokópoulos, dit le Greco, Portrait de jeune fille. Huile sur toile, 43 × 36,5 cm, Collection particulière© Valentina Prezius.

Paul Cézanne, D’après le Greco, La Femme à l’hermine, 1885-1886. Huile sur toile, 53 × 49 cm. Avec l’aimable autorisation de la Daniel Katz Gallery, Londres © Daniel Katz Gallery London.

Jacopo Robusti, dit le Tintoret, La Descente de croix, 1580. Huile sur toile, 116 × 92 cm, Strasbourg, musée des Beaux-Arts© Photo Musées de Strasbourg, M. Bertola.

Paul Cézanne, La Femme étranglée, entre 1875 et 1876. Huile sur toile, 31 × 25 cm, Paris, musée d’Orsay, Donation de Max et Rosy Kaganovitch, 1973 © Musée d'Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt.

Giorgio MORANDI, Baigneurs, 1915. Huile sur toile, 76 x 53,8 cm, Italie, collection de la Fondation Cariverona© collection de la Fondation Cariverona.

Paul Cézanne, Cinq baigneurs, 1900-1904. Huile sur toile, 42 x 55 cm, Paris, Musée d’Orsay. Donation de Philippe Meyer, 2000© RMN-Grand Palais (musée d’Orsay) / Adrien Didierjean

Jacopo Robusti, dit le Tintoret, La Cène (esquisse pour l’église San Trovaso à Venise), 1566. Huile sur toile, 90 × 121 cm, Caen, musée des Beaux-Arts © musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen/ P. Touzard.

Paul Cézanne, La Préparation du banquet, 1888-1890. Huile sur toile, 45 × 53,5 cm, Osaka, National Museum of Art© Collection of The National Museum of Art, Osaka.

Nicolas Poussin, "Moïse sauvé des eaux", 1638 - Paris, musée du Louvre© Droits réservés.

Nicolas Poussin, Paysage avec Bacchus et Cérès, vers 1625-1628. Huile sur toile 102,5 x 133,3 cm, National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery. Presented by the Liverpool Royal Institution in 1948© National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery. Present.

Paul Cézanne, Pastorale, 1870. Huile sur toile, 65 x 81,5 cm, Paris, musée d’Orsay © RMN-Grand Palais (musée d'Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski.

Jean-François Millet, dit Francisque Millet, Paysage classique, XVIIe siècle. Huile sur toile, 96 x 128 cm, Paris, musée du Louvre, dépôt au musée des beaux-arts de Marseille© Ville de Marseille, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Jean Bernard.

Paul Cézanne, La Montagne Sainte-Victoire, vers 1890. Huile sur toile, 65 x 95,2 cm Paris, musée d’Orsay, donation de la petite-fille d’Auguste Pellerin, 1969 © RMN-Grand Palais (musée d'Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski.

Mario Sironi, Ritratto del fratello Ettore, vers 1910. Huile sur toile, 102 x 72 cm, Archivio Mario Sironi di Romana Sironi© Archivio Mario Sironi di Romana Sironi.

Paul Cézanne, Homme assis, 1905-1906. Huile sur toile, 64,8 x 54, 6 cm, Madrid, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza© Madrid, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza.

Paysage, 1922. Huile sur carton, 61,2 x 46,5 cm, Milan, collection Fondazione Cariplo© Milan, collection Fondazione Cariplo.

Paul Cézanne, Paysage en Provence, 1879-1882. Huile sur toile, 54,7 x 65.5 cm, Hakone, Pola Museum of Art© Pola Museum of Art.

Cristoforo Munari, Natura morta [Nature morte]. Huile sur toile 44 × 56 cm Paris, Fondation Custodia, collection Frits Lugt© Fondation Custodia, collection Frits Lugt.

Paul Cézanne, Nature morte, 1888-1890. Huile sur toile 27,7 × 40,9 cm, Hakone, Pola Museum of Art© Pola Museum of Art.

Paul Cézanne, Madame Cézanne accoudée, vers 1873-1874. Huile sur toile, 46 x 38 cm, Onyx Art Collection© Peter Schälchli, Zürich.

Umberto Boccioni, Ritratto di fanciulla (Portrait de jeune fille), 1910. Huile sur toile, 104 x 75 cm, Collection particulière© Christian Baraja SLB

Giorgio Morandi, Nature morte avec bouteille et verres, 1945-1955. Huile sur toile, 30,3 x 45 cm, Remagen, Arp Museum Bahnhof / Sammlung Rau für UNICEF© Peter Schälchli, Zürich.

Paul Cézanne, Nature morte, poire et pommes vertes, vers 1873. Huile sur toile, 22 x 32 cm, Paris, musée de l’Orangerie, collection Jean Walter et Paul Guillaume© RMN-Grand Palais (musée de l’Orangerie) / Hervé Lewandowski.

Lot 2849. A  carved white jade ‘landscape’ boulder, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 6.½ in. (16.7 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 300,000 - HKD 500,000. Price realised HKD 937,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

The carver skilfully created the idealised landscape scenes from natural stone. The boulder is of rounded triangular form resembling a mythical rocky landscape. It is finely carved in relief with two bearded immortals holding baskets of lingzhi fungus and peaches walking through tall pine and wutong trees, while an attendant stands below the steps holding a tasselled chime. A pavilion is seen behind the immortals. The reverse is carved in a similarly framed landscape with trees growing from rocky cliffs, hongmu stand, box.

Provenance: Charles V. Swain (1914-2006)
Roger Keverne Ltd., London, 26 May 2009
A British private collection.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 9 July 2020

Lot 2851. A white jade pouch-form vase, Qianlong period (1736-1795); 3 in. (7.7 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 180,000 - HKD 250,000. Price realised HKD 375,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

The vase is carved in the form of a pouch supported on cresting waves. It is tied around the opening with a ribbon, bundled together with stalks of millet and flowers, with a jagged rock flanked to one side., zitan stand.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 9 July 2020

Lot 2852. An archaistic white and russet jade fanggu-form vase, Qianlong period (1736-1795); 8.¾ in. (22.3 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 400,000 - HKD 600,000. Price realised HKD 500,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

The vase is based on the archaic bronze form, carved in low relief with archaistic animal taotie masks on each side. The neck with slender upright leaves, and pendent leaves around the foot. The stone is of a white tone with occasional russet inclusions, box.

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby’s London, 4 November 2009, lot 133.

Note: The present vase follows the archaic bronze prototype, fanggu, a type of wine vessel used in the rituals of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. By the Qing period, archaic forms and motifs found great popularity at court and a number of jade vessels, such as the present example, were produced to reflect the fashion of the period.

Compare with a slightly taller white jade gu-form vase (24.3 cm. high) in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, Taipei, 1997, no. 11. Compare also with a few other jade gu-form vases of varying sizes, shapes and types of jades in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Jadeware, III, Hong Kong, 1995, nos. 130-134

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 9 July 2020

Lot 2853. A rare spinach green jade ‘peach’ vase, meiping, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 10 in. (25.5 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 1,000,000 - HKD 2,000,000. Price realised HKD 1,250,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020. 

The vase is superbly carved on the exterior with a broad band of peach fruits and leaves borne on gnarled branches on the body. The shoulder is carved with four of the Bajixiang ‘Eight Buddhist Emblems’ enclosed within ruyi heads, separated by plantain leaves. The foot is similarly decorated with the rest of the four Bajixiang below bats. The base is incised with a six-character Qianlong reign mark in regular script., box.

Provenance: Sold at Christie’s London, 8 June 2004, lot 434.

Note: It is rare to find a jade vase in meiping form. The form of the current vase is very similar to that of porcelain meiping made at the Imperial kilns during the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. A slightly larger spinach-green jade meiping (26.7 cm.) of very similar design was formerly in the Qing Court Collection, now in the Palace Museum, Beijing. The vase is similarly carved on the body with peach branches, floral blooms enclosed within ruyi heads on the shoulder, and lotus flowers within upright petals around the foot (fig. 1). It is illustrated in Jadeware (III), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1995, no. 64.

A spinach-green jade meiping, Qing dynasty, 18th century, 26.7 cm, in the Qing Court Collection, now in the Palace Museum, Beijing.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 9 July 2020