HONG KONG.- Following the launch of the Chinese Classical Paintings department in Hong Kong earlier this year, Sotheby’sHong Kong debuts the first dedicated sale of classical Chinese paintings during the Hong Kong Autumn 2015 sale series, adding to its existing saleroom for the category in New York. The sale, to take place on 5 October at the Hall 3 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, offers more than 50 lots, estimated in excess of HK$64 million/ US$8.2 million. It will feature rare works from the masters of the Song Yuan through Qing dynasties. Highlights include a Song Yuan dynasty album leaf and calligraphy from the Qianlong Emperor; works from the ‘Four Wangs’ and ‘Four Monks’ from the Qing Dynasty, many of which have distinguished provenance from prominent literati figures. 

Rongde Zhang, Head of Classical Chinese Paintings, Sotheby’s, said, “To mark the first dedicated sale of Classical Chinese Paintings in Asia for more than a decade, we have meticulously selected important works in line with the collecting tastes of our Asian clients, for whom Hong Kong is an important hub. Formerly from the esteemed collection of Mi Yun Hall, we will offer a four-leaf album, Landscapes, and The Rubbing of Cui Jing Yong’s Epitaph, as well as Summit Lotus from an important private collection – all rarities on the auction market. We will also present eight works from the esteemed Sakamoto Goro Collection, including the Huang Yanlu Travelling Across Mountains handscroll by Shitao. Including some of the finest and rarest works from private collections around the world, this series is arguably one of the most anticipated sales of the season.” 

Property from an Important Private Collection 
One of the Qing Dynasty’s ‘Four Monks’, Hongren was among the most outstanding artists of the 17th century. When he died at age 55, he left behind only a small number of works, including very few handscrolls. Among them was Summit Lotus, an exceptionally rare piece painted by the artist to commemorate a trip to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) he took with a friend. 

Hongren (1610-1664), Summit Lotus, signed Hongren, inscribed, with one seal of the artist. With three collectors' seals of Wang Guan (1847-1909). Colophon by Ma Jiatong (1865-1937), dated gengshen (1920) and with two seals of his; ink on paper, handscroll, 26.3 by 195 cm. 10 3/4  by 76 3/4  in. Estimate Upon Request. Photo Sotheby's

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy, October 31, 2004, lot 407

Exhibited: Age of Glories: An Exhibition of Important Chinese Arts from Collections on Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait, Beijing: The Capital Museum, November 10-29, 2009

Literature: Age of Glories: An Exhibition of Important Chinese Arts from Collections on Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait, Beijing: Yanshan Press, 2009, pp. 174-177, pl. 58 and p. 290, no. 58

Property from Sakamoto Goro Collection 
One of the most influential painters of his time, renowned 16th century scholar-artist Shitao had a profound effect on the artistic development of countless Chinese artists who followed in his footsteps. As one the sale highlights, this landscape scroll portrays Shitao’s friend and patron, Huang Yanlu. Particularly noteworthy is the painting’s colophon by more than 30 literati from the late Ming Dynasty, all of whom are friends of Huang Yanlu, illustrating how expansive and close knit his literati circle is. Boasting impeccable provenance, this work comes from the collection of legendary antiques dealer and collector, Sakamoto Goro. 

Shitao (Yuanji) 1642-1718, Huang Yanlu travelling across mountains. Colophons by Guo Yuanyu, Chen Pengnian, Wang Shidan, Yin Yuqing, Shitao, Yang Shiji, Bada Shanren, Wang Shizhen, Wang Congdu (twice), Gao Buqian, Liu Shishu, Jiang Jishi, Cheng Mengxing, Tang Sunhua, Kong Shangren, Wang Sui, Ceng Long, Chen Aping, Li Hua, Wang Lingshu, Yan Gengwei, Huang Zhe, Yan Zhe, Liang Peilan, Min Linsi, Wang Xiru, Peng Huiqi, Xu Tianzhi, Lu Tianyu, Qian Zhiqing, Han Zhang, Wu Zhantai, Jiang Shijie, Li Guosong, Qiao Yin, Xian Zhu, Feng Rui, Feng Li, Song Changtong, Zhou Yi, Tian Lin, Zhang Zhixu, Yu Zhen, Shi Yizhi, Shi Jinyi, with one to four seals of each artist; ink and color on paper, a pair of handscroll; 32.4 by 170 cm. 12 3/4  by 67 in. Estimate 8,000,000 — 12,000,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's.

Literature: 1. Jonathan Hay, SHITAO: Painting and Modernity in Early Qing China, MA: Cambridge University Press, 2001, p. 64-67
2. Please refer to Chinese literature

Qing Dynasty Paintings from the ‘Four Wangs’ 
Two early Qing dynasty landscape paintings, by Wang Shimin and Wang Jian, will be featured in this landmark sale. Both disciples of Dong Qichang – revered as the most influential artist of his time – Wang Shimin and Wang Jian were also members of a group of painters commonly known as the ‘Four Wangs’ who all shared the same family name. Together with Wang Hui (1632–1717) and Wang Yuanqi (1642–1715), they led an Orthodox school of painting in the early Qing period which advocated seeking inspiration by recreating the styles and techniques of the ancient masters. 

Wang Shimin’s Landscape after Dong Yuan is a powerful example of the artist’s early style, showcasing his artistic talents and mastery of the traditional painting approach. He dedicated it to Dong Qichang, his teacher and father-in-law, who later composed a poetry hall found in calligraphy at the top of the scroll, lending a special, personal importance to the work. 

Wang Shimin (1592-1680), Landscape after Dong Yuan, signed Wang Shimin, dated dingmao (1627), with two seals of the artist. Colophon by Chen Jiru (1558-1639), with two seals; Poetry hall by Dong Qichang (1555-1636),dated wuchen (1628), with two seals. With five other collectors' seals; ink on paper, hanging scroll, 60.3 by 30.5 cm. 23 3/4  by 12 in. Estimate 200,000 — 280,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's.

A sophisticated painting by Wang Jian, Landscape after Dong Qichang was painted in 1676, a year before the artist’s death. The work demonstrates Wang’s elegant brushstrokes and sense of composition deeply influenced by his teacher, Dong Qichang. Possessing a well-documented history that can be traced back to the Qianlong period (Qing dynasty), the work was kept in various esteemed private collections. 

Wang Jian (1598-1677), Landscape after Dong Qichang, 1676, signed Wang Jian, dated bingchen (1676), with four seals of the artist and five collector's seals. Titleslip by Chengqi (1911-1988), with one seal; ink and color on paper, hanging scroll, 131.5 by 60 cm. 51 3/4 by 23 1/2 in. Estimate 2,000,000 — 2,800,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's.

Important Property and Rubbings from Mi Yun Hall Rounding out this milestone sale, Sotheby’s is proud to present two exceptional works formerly from the distinguished collection of Mi Yun Hall. Landscapes is a four-leaf album that has passed through the hands of numerous prominent collectors including Qing dynasty painter Wu Yun and Liu E, a renowned novelist from the late Qing dynasty. The album showcases the typical painting style of the Song and Yuan dynasty periods, as well as the fine, delicate brushstrokes characteristic of the era’s celebrated master painters. 

 Xia Gui, Anonymous (13th Century), Landscapes, ink on silk, album of four leaves. One leaf signed Xia Gui. Titleslip by Wu Yun. Annotation by Wu Yun (forth times), Lui E, dated gengzi (1900), Di Pingzi (five times), dated dingmao (1927) and totally with one to twelve seals of the artist. With one collector's seal of Huang Lin (15th/16th Century); ink and color on silk, album of four leaves - (2) 18.6 by 11 cm. 7 1/3  by 4 1/3  in., (3) 21.2 by 10.1 cm. 8 1/3  by 4 in., (4) 16 by 12.8 cm. 6 1/4  by 5 in., (5) 16 by 12.8 cm. 6 1/4  by 5 in. Estimate  6,000,000 – 8,000,000 HKD (77,000 – 102,000 USD). Photo: Sotheby's.

Xia Gui, Anonymous (13th Century) Landscapes. Ink on silk, album of four leaves. Estimate  6,000,000 – 8,000,000 HKD (77,000 – 102,000 USD). Photo: Sotheby's.

Another highlight from the Mi Yun Hall collection is The Rubbing of Cui Jing Yong’s Epitaph, created in the 17th or 18th century. Among only five known rubbing copies of this epitaph, the present work is one of two kept in private hands, making it exceedingly rare at auction.

Anonymous, 17th-18th Century, The Rubbing of Cui Jing Yong’s Epitaph. Titleslip by Wu Changshuo (twice), Chu Deyi and Li Ruiqing, with one seal of each artist. Painting by Wu Cheng, Lin Shu, Wang Luonian, Chen Botao, with one to three seals of the artist. Colophon by Chen Yixi (1648-1709), dated gengchen (1700); Liu E (1857-1909), dated bingwe (1906); Luo Zhenyu (1866-1940), dated bingwe (1906); Fang Ruo (1869-1954), dated bingwe (1906); Wang Guan (1847-?) (twice), dated bingwe (1906) and the first year of Xuantong reign (1909); Wang Ti, dated wuyin (1938); Shen Yinmo (1883-1971), dated the thirty-sixth year of the Republic (1947), with one to four seals of each artist. With twenty-seven other collectors' seals in total; ink on paper, album of eighteen leaves. Various sizes. Estimate 1,500,000 — 2,000,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's.

Giuseppe Penone, Being the River, Repeating the Forest, installation view, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, September 19, 2015–January 10, 2016. Photo: Kevin Todora, courtesy Nasher Sculpture Center. 

DALLAS, TX.- Nasher Sculpture Center announces a major exhibition of the work of the influential Italian artist, Giuseppe Penone, in an exhibition called Being the River, Repeating the Forest which opened September 19, 2015 and runs through January 10, 2016. 

Italian artist Giuseppe Penone has played an integral role in the development of art over the past five decades. From his conceptual and performative works of the 1960s and 70s to the large-scale sculptural installations of the past ten years, Penone has explored intimate, sensate, and metaphysical connections with nature. Working in a stunning variety of materials—including clay, wood, stone, metal, plaster, resin, acacia thorns—the artist makes palpable and present the analogous processes of nature and art: carving large trees along their growth patterns to reveal the sapling contained within; elaborating the interior space of his closed hand into a large-scale sculpture that both contains his hand and enlarges the space it contains; rendering the swirling mists of his breath in the cold in tactile clay forms that contain the impression of his body. The exhibition at the Nasher Sculpture Center features a selection of work in a variety of materials highlighting the development of Penone’s ideas over the course of his career. 

Giuseppe Penone, Spazio di Luce (Space of Light), 2008-12. Bronze and gold, 98 7/16 x 787 3/8 x 70 7/8 in. Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York

“In his exceptionally various and nuanced work, Giuseppe Penone shows us that within the recognizable forms of trees, clay, and stone is housed an immense amount of information, both about specific materials and the human body’s relationship to them,” says Director Jeremy Strick. “In many ways, Penone’s work is a lesson in seeing, highlighting the history of a material’s experience and subsequently drawing connections to our own human one. Penone’s exhibition at the Nasher will provide an intensive encounter with a wide range of the artist’s meaningful, process-rich work.” 

Giuseppe Penone, Idee di pietra - 1372 Kg di luce (Ideas of Stone - 1372 kg of Light), 2010, bronze, river stones, 1000 x 520 x 540 cm. Installation view, Madison Square Park, New York 2014.

The exhibition features close to twenty works from Penone’s long career, including Patate (Potatoes), 1977, for which the artist used molds of his face to shape the growth of the tuber, and Soffio di foglie (Breath of Leaves), 1979, wherein Penone uses his body and breath to carve and impress his form into a massive pile of leaves. The title of the exhibition comes from two series of works by Penone: Being the River, which documents the artist’s attempt to carve by hand a rock found at the source of a river to replicate a rock found at the mouth of the river carved by the ceaseless flow of the water; and Repeating the Forest, the aforementioned series of squared wooden beams carved along their growth lines to reveal the sapling at the core, a project that Penone began in 1969 and continues to this day. The two series are emblematic of Penone’s wider oeuvre, connecting the creative forces of the artist with those of nature and underlining the intimate, complex connection between humans and the world we inhabit. 

Giuseppe Penone, Essere fiume (Being the River), 2000. Carrara white marble, 2 elements 48 x 75 x 63 cm each. Installation view, Whitechapel Gallery London 2012.

Giuseppe Penone was born in 1947 in Garessio, Italy, and currently lives and works in Turin and Paris. He was one of the younger founding members of the influential Italian art movement Arte Povera in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arte in Turin, Italy. Giuseppe Penone's earliest exhibitions include the Museum of Modern Art, New York (1970), Kunstmuseum Luzern, Lucerne (1977); Staatliche Kunsthalle, Baden-Baden (1978); and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1980). More recently he has exhibited at the Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Switzerland (2013), the Whitechapel Gallery, London (2012), the Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna, Bologna, Italy (2008) and had a retrospective at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (2004). Short listed for the Turner Prize in 1989, Penone has exhibited in Documenta V (1972), VII (1982), VIII (1987) and XIII (2012) and at the Venice Biennale (2007, 1995, 1986, 1980, and 1978).

Giuseppe Penone, Ripetere il bosco (Repeating the forest), 1980-2014; wood, 6 elements, variable dimensions. Installation view, Musée de Grenoble 2014.

A large purple-splashed lavender-glazed 'Jun' narcissus bowl, Early Ming dynasty. Estimation 2,000,000 — 3,000,000 HKD (233,438 - 350,157 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.

of shallow circular form, the rounded sides gently curving down to a flat recessed base supported on three ruyi-shaped feet, the mouthrim decorated with a band of evenly spaced bosses between two narrow raised bands, above a further band of bosses above the feet, the glaze on the interior of a milky-blue colour, the exterior of a vivid purple thinning to a mushroom tone on the bosses, the thick glaze coagulating in droplets around the exterior, the base covered in a brown dressing and incised with the character yi ('one'); 24 cm., 9 1/2  in.

Note: For a detailed discussion of 'Jun' narcissus bowls, see the footnote of a closely related lavender-glazed example in this sale, lot 3602, where it is pointed out that 'Jun' vessels of this type are made in different sizes, with those incised with the character yi ('one') commonly believed to be the largest, but the significance of the inscriptions remains an enigma. 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 07 oct. 2015, 02:30 PM

Magnificent, large and fine cushion-cut diamond, 24.37 ct J/VVS1, vg/vg with strong fluorescence. Estimate 300 000 € / 400 000 €. Photo Hampel.

16.67 x 15.96 x 11.16 mm

Accompanied by a diamond report by IGI no. F1R39118 dated June 2014. 

HAMPEL FINE ART AUCTIONS, MUNICH, ALLEMAGNE. Vente de Luxe, le 25 Septembre 2015 à 10h

Important natural pearl and diamond pendant earrings, ca. 1900. Estimate 180 000 € / 250 000 €. Photo Hampel.

Overall weight: 12.4 g. Mounting: silver on yellow gold.

Accompanied by a report from SSEF no. 81378 dated 4 August 2015.

Magnificent, rare large natural pearl and diamond pendant earrings (lower sections only) with drop-shaped, crème-coloured, double pierced natural pearls with pink and green overtones, pearl dimensions ca. 12.20 - 13.85 x 20.20 mm and 12.30 - 14.35 x 18.10 mm. The cone-shaped mountings and flower ornaments attached to one side of each pearl are studded with small diamond roses. According to information of the owner the earrings have been reworked into pendant and brooch a long time ago, the original upper sections are unfortunately lost, the subsequent pendant mounting and brooch closure are available on request.

 HAMPEL FINE ART AUCTIONS, MUNICH, ALLEMAGNE. Vente de Luxe, le 25 Septembre 2015 à 10h

Large diamond solitaire ring, 21.965 ct, N-O/VS1. Estimate 130 000 € / 180 000 €. Photo Hampel.

Ring size: 53/ 54. Weight: ca. 11.1 g. Platinum. 

Accompanied by a certificate from DPL No. TF984 August 2015. 

Magnificent, exceptionally large, tinted, diamond solitaire, 21.965 ct, N-O/VS1, in elegant, simple prong setting, flanked by two fine baguette-cut diamonds, altogether ca. 0.45 ct.

HAMPEL FINE ART AUCTIONS, MUNICH, ALLEMAGNE. Vente de Luxe, le 25 Septembre 2015 à 10h

A very rare white-glazed mallow-shaped washer, Mark and period of Zhengde. Estimate 2,500,000 — 3,500,000 HKD (291,798 - 408,517 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.

exquisitely potted with shallow flared sides gently divided into ten mallow petal-shaped lobes rising from a correspondingly shaped foot, covered overall with a glossy milky-white glaze with a faint bluish tinge, the domed base inscribed in underglaze blue with a four-character reign mark within a double-circle; 19.3 cm., 7 1/2  in.

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 30th October 2001, lot 612.
Greenwald Collection, inventory no. 80.
Christie's Hong Kong, 1st December 2010, lot 2807.

Notes: This charming piece is striking for its semi-translucent and glossy glaze, complemented by the elegant mallow shape. White glazed washers of this shape were first designed in the Yongle period (1403-24). Although no complete example appears to have been published, a reconstructed washer of this form and glaze was recovered from the Yongle stratum of the waste heaps at the imperial kiln site in Zhushan, Jingdezhen, and included in the exhibition Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, 1996, cat. no. 100.

Zhengde mark and period washers of this form are held in important museums and private collections worldwide, including one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Minji mehin zuroku [Illustrated catalogue of Ming dynasty porcelain in the National Palace Museum], vol. 2, Tokyo, 1977, pl. 104; another in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, published in Jan Wirgin, Chinese Ceramics from the Axel and Nora Lundgren Bequest, Stockholm, 1978, pl. 44; and a third from the George Eumorfopoulos, Cunliffe and T.Y. Chao collections, sold in our London rooms in 1940, and twice in these rooms, 20th May 1980, lot 60, and 19th May 1987, lot 251. A further washer also from the George Eumorfopolous and Cunliffe collections and later in the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 688, was sold in these rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 59; another from the collection of Nancy and Ira Koger, illustrated in Geng Baochang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding, Beijing, 1993, p. 116, pl. 216, was sold in our London rooms in 1986, in our New York rooms in 1990, and again in these rooms, 26th October 1993, lot 58; and two washers from the collection of Carl Kempe, published in Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, pl. 687-8, were sold in our Paris rooms, 12th June 2008, lot 46 and 50.

Washers of this type appear to have been much treasured at the Qing court, as evidenced in the handscroll Guwan tu(‘Pictures of antiques’), dated in accordance with 1728, from the Sir Percival David collection and now in the British Museum, London, included in the exhibition China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, cat. no. 168, which includes a drawing of a closely related washer on a wooden stand.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 07 oct. 2015, 02:30 PM

Diamond solitaire ring, 6.67 ct K/VS1. Estimate 80 000 € / 100 000 €. Photo Hampel.

Ring size: 53. Weight: ca. 8.3 g. Platinum. 

Accompanied by a report by GIA no. 2175035677 dated February 2015. 

Premium, classic ring with large old-cut diamond, 6.67 ct K/VS1. Flanked by six small brilliant-cut diamonds, altogether ca. 0.24 ct. One little gem is damaged.

HAMPEL FINE ART AUCTIONS, MUNICH, ALLEMAGNE. Vente de Luxe, le 25 Septembre 2015 à 10h

A superbly painted and extremely rare blue and white 'Fish pond' brush washer, Mark and period of Xuande. Estimate 20,000,000 — 40,000,000 HKD (2,334,383 - 4,668,766 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.

of ten-lobed mallow shape with gently flaring sides resting on a countersunk base of corresponding form, the interior superbly painted in rich cobalt blue with a medallion enclosing a carp and mandarin fish swimming amongst clumps of lotus and undulating water weeds, the exterior similarly decorated with further fish swimming among similar water plants, the fish finely detailed with hatching and stippling and varied shades of blue to render their peculiar markings, lotus flowers and leaves in different stages, the latter with veins finely picked out through the blue to appear in white, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double-circle, the rim metal-mounted; 17.8 cm., 7 in.

Provznance: Peter Boode (died c. 1972).
Collection of Alfred (1873-1950) and Ivy Clark (c. 1890-1976), c. 1936/38.
Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1974.
Collection of Senta Wollheim, compiled in the 1960s to early 1980s, and thence by descent to the current owner.

Exhibition: International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935-36, cat. no. 1468.
Ming Blue-and-White Porcelain, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1946, cat. no. 29.
Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, 14th to 19th Centuries, Oriental Ceramic Society at The Arts Council Gallery, London, 1953-54, cat. no. 66.
Blue and White Porcelain from the Collection of Mrs. Alfred Clark, Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1974, cat. no. 14.
Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Berlin, 1984-2015, on loan. 

Bibliography: A.D. Brankston, Early Ming Wares of Chingtechen, Beijing, 1938, pl. 19.

The Clark ‘Fish Pond’ Brush Washer
Regina Krahl

The radiant painting of this brush washer displays a freedom of the brush rarely seen in the official designs of China’s imperial kilns – in the same way as fishes swimming in a lotus pond evoke the spirit of freedom from all restraints.

The painters of imperial porcelain active at Jingdezhen in the Xuande period (1426-35) were artists rather than mere artisans; but much of their work consisted of rendering to strict specifications from the court precisely prescribed images of dragons, phoenixes and other significant motifs on porcelain, designed to symbolize the status of the Emperor rather than to be enjoyed for their beauty and charm. Occasionally, however, they could devote time to creating less regulated, auspicious designs for porcelains that would be used at less official occasions. This is when they were able to indulge in free brushwork and to display their true mastership, and where in the Xuande period they created some of the most spirited and enchanting paintings on porcelain. There is hardly a nature subject that requires from the artist sharper observation directly from life than fishes among water plants, and that allows him to display his mastery more strikingly than the vivacious movement in a pond. In the present design the painter further excelled in rendering a wide range of cobalt-blue tones by applying different washes and rendering different textures through dotting, hatching and engraving.

Fishes darting about among densely growing water plants had been a recurrent theme of ink painters at least since the Song dynasty (960-1279), when various artists specialized in this genre. One of the earliest and most important of these fish painters, Liu Cai, was active during the reign of Emperor Huizong (r. 1101-25), who was not only one of China’s greatest connoisseurs and patrons of the arts, but also one its most fervent Daoist rulers. Apart from representing a challenging subject for nature studies, fish paintings were also popular on account of their symbolic message that would have been immediately obvious to educated observers. Their presumed freedom of spirit can be traced to the book Zhuangzi, a compilation of Daoist texts with origins in the 5th/4th century BC. One of the most popular passages in this text is a witty exchange between the Daoist master who, after claiming that darting around the water is what fish really enjoy, was challenged by a Confucian scholar ‘how he knows that’, and after several sophistical exchanges eventually wins the argument by claiming that the question ‘how he knows it’ already implies that he knows it.   

As decoration for blue-and-white porcelain the design of fish freely swimming in a lotus pond was popular since the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), when it appeared on dishes, bowls and particularly successfully on large storage jars. Although the present washer differs in style from those Yuan prototypes, it has borrowed from that period the depiction of the veins of lotus leaves by needle-engraving through the cobalt-blue wash to make them stand out in white.

There can surely be no more pertinent use of this design than on a brush washer, and no better design for a brush washer than a fish pond. When washing his brush, the imperial writer or painter would look into the depth of a pond filled with aquatic life and, while pondering over the next stroke, could follow the fishes’ movements even by gazing at the outside of his washer, as if the vessel were transparent. Needless to say, a washer such as this would not have been used for writing about affairs of state, but for an Emperor’s pleasurable pastimes such as painting, practicing calligraphy, or writing poetry – activities the Xuande Emperor was particularly fond of. According to Edward L. Dreyer (Early Ming China. A Political History, 1355-1435, Stanford, 1982, p. 226) “A talented artist and poet, [the Xuande Emperor] was somewhat more interested in these and other private pleasures than in governing.” Yet, also according to Dreyer (p. 236), he was “both attentive to his duties as head of state and reasonably impartial in his treatment of the groups that composed the ruling elite … subsequent generations of Ming officials looked back nostalgically on the Hsüan-te [Xuande] period as a golden age of good government”.

The design of this washer was closely copied in the Jiajing reign, which is not surprising since the Jiajing Emperor (r. 1522-66) was a fervent Daoist. A washer of this pattern, of Jiajing mark and period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei is illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum. Blue-and-White Ware of the Ming Dynasty, book V, Hong Kong, 1963, pl. 21; and another from the collection of Myron S. Falk was sold at Christie’s New York, 16th October 2001, lot 143.

Only three other brush washers of this design and Xuande mark and period appear to be recorded: one discovered in Tianjin city, published in Wenwu 1977, no. 1, p. 92; another from the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1653, and sold in these rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 54 (fig. 1); and a third, of smaller size (16 cm), sold at Hanhai Art Auction Corp., Beijing, 7th October 1995, lot 1031. A broken and discarded example of this pattern was recovered from the Ming imperial kiln site and included in the exhibition Xuande Imperial Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 19-2 (fig. 2). The Taipei catalogue states (p. 202) that in the early Wanli period the poet and dramatist Tu Long (1542-1605) mentioned mallow-flower shaped Xuande period washers with fish and aquatic plants, but that a painting in the Palace Museum, Beijing, depicting a Xuande hunting scene, shows a vessel of this type serving as a stand for a pear-shaped bottle. Of course, filled with water, the bottle may have been used together with the washer as a set, one placed inside the other while not in use, rather than the washer being deliberately used as a stand for the bottle.

Blue and white ‘fish pond’ brush washer, mark and period of Xuande, from the Meiyintang collection, Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7th April 2011, lot 54.

Blue and white ‘fish pond’ brush washer, mark and period of Xuande, excavated from the Ming imperial kiln site at Jingdezhen. After: Xuande Imperial Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 19-2.

The same design appears also on the inside of a dish of Xuande mark and period in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, included in the Museum’s Mingdai Xuande guanyao jinghua tezhan tulu/Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, no. 180.

Peter Boode, who owned the washer until the 1930s, was a Dutch antique dealer who went to China from the 1910s onwards and was particularly active in London in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Mr and Mrs Alfred Clark, who acquired the piece shortly after the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition, London 1935/6, assembled one of the finest collections of Chinese ceramics largely between the ‘20s and ‘40s and themselves lent generously to that exhibition as well as to the various exhibitions of the Oriental Ceramic Society in London thereafter.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 07 oct. 2015, 02:30 PM

An extremely rare blue and white 'Fruit' bowl, Ming dynasty, Yongle period. Estimate 6,000,000 — 8,000,000 HKD (700,315 - 933,753 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.

the deep rounded sides rising from a short foot, vividly painted on the exterior with detached fruiting branches of peach, crabapple, pomegranate and longan, above a band of overlapping petals encircling the foot, the interior decorated with a roundel enclosing a chrysanthemum spray, the cobalt of an attractive blue tone with pronounced characteristic 'heaping and piling' effect; 19.7 cm., 7 3/4  in.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 12th December 1978, lot 382.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 13th November 1990, lot 127.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26th October 1993, lot 48.

Bibliography: Liu Liang-yu, A Survey of Chinese Ceramics, vol. 4: Ming Official Wares, Taipei, 1991, p. 64 left.

Notes: This bowl is a classic example of blue-and-white porcelain from the early Ming dynasty. It features a lush fruit pattern, one of the most popular motifs of early Ming (1368-1644) blue and white which appears equally on other shapes of the period. Similar bowls, however, are very rare. In the Palace Museum, Beijing, is a bowl from the Qing court collection of nearly identical form, size and decoration (fig. 1), illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (I), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 69, and probably the same bowl again in Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci [Early Ming blue-and-white porcelain in the Palace Museum], Beijing, 2002, vol. 1, cat. no. 76.

Blue and white ‘fruit’ bowl, Ming dynasty, Yongle period, Qing court collection, collection of Palace Museum, Beijing. After: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (I), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 69.

Two blue and white bowls of this pattern from the Yongle period (1403-24) are recorded in John Alexander Pope, Chinese Porcelain from the Ardebil Shrine, Washington, 1956, together with a white bowl incised with same branches of fruit and of the same form. He illustrates the carved white bowl pl. 113, no. 29.716, and one of the blue and white bowls pl. 49, no. 29.340; the second blue and white bowl, no. 29.339, is illustrated in Mehdi Bahrami, "Chinese Porcelains from Ardabil in the Teheran Museum", Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 25, 1949-1950, pl. 1d; and different views of both bowls are illustrated in Takatoshi Misugi, Chinese Porcelain Collections in the Near East, Topkapi and Ardebil, vol. 3, The Ardebil Shrine Collections, Hong Kong, 1981, no. A 62. Compare also a larger bowl of this form of the Yongle period, painted with more widely spaced branches of fruit and with additional decoration on the interior, in Lu Minghua, Studies of the Shanghai Museum Collections: Ming Imperial Porcelain, Shanghai, 2007, pl. 1-9, also illustrated in Wang Qingzheng, Underglaze Blue and Red: Elegant Decoration on Porcelain of Yuan, Ming and Qing, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 47.

Related examples include Yongle period blue and white bowls of the same form, with similar fruit sprays on the interior and floral scrolls on the exterior, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, op.cit., pls. 62 and 63. Compare also Xuande mark and period (1426-35) bowls of different forms, but with similar fruit sprays on the exterior, ibid., pls. 144 and 151.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 07 oct. 2015, 02:30 PM

A finely painted and rare blue and white 'Fruit'meiping, Ming dynasty, Yongle period. Estimate 8,000,000 — 12,000,000 HKD (933,753 - 1,400,630 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.

with full rounded shoulders rising at a gently flaring angle from the base and sweeping to a short waisted neck, well painted in a lively style in washes of cobalt, the sides with a wide band of six fruit sprays arranged in an alternating double register, the upper register showing detached peach, pomegranate and crab apple, the lower register with lychee, loquat and cherry, the leafy branches further issuing small blossoms and buds, all between double-line borders, the shoulders draped by a band of pendent lotus lappets enclosing elaborate trefoils below the neck, the foot skirted by a band of upright overlapping leaves, the underglaze blue with characteristic 'heaped and piled' effect giving the designs depth and texture, all beneath a slightly blue-tinted transparent glaze, the base left unglazed and later inscribed in ink with partially legible Arabic numbers and English letters; 29 cm., 11 3/8  in.

Provenance: Probably sold in the United Kingdom in the 19th Century (base inscription).

For wine and flowers: Two meiping vases for the Yongle and Qianlong Emperors
Baoping Li

Meiping or ‘prunus vases’ are among the most elegant and interesting vessel shapes of Chinese porcelain. This form, featuring an elongated body and small mouth, was produced in China for about a thousand years, and was greatly favoured by the emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Fired in the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen, painted with superb skill with auspicious motifs of lush fruit sprays symbolising wishes for longevity, numerous offspring and the like, the two meiping from the Yongle (1403-24) and Qianlong (1736-1795) periods are amazingly beautiful and extremely rare, and perfectly represent two golden ages of Chinese porcelain. The Qianlong Emperor, one of the greatest collectors and patrons of the arts in China, went to great lengths to have Yongle meiping copied, but to his own taste. In a poem of 1790 about a long-necked vase from the Song dynasty (960-1279), he proclaimed ‘Used to contain wine in ancient times, the vase is now holding flowers, clearly flowers and wine belong to the same family’. The two lines could equally have been written about meiping vases, which underwent the same change of function.

Meiping vases first appeared in the Song period, when they served as the primary type of wine container and were made in great variety by nearly all the famous kilns across China. In contemporary mural paintings they are frequently illustrated in feast scenes. In the Ming dynasty meiping continued to function as wine vessels, but began already to be used for holding flowers. In addition, and more importantly, they also served as ritual vessels and were placed in the tombs of Emperors, princes, aristocrats and high-ranking generals across China. For example, eight large covered meiping with marks of the Jiajing (1522-66) and Wanli (1573-1620) periods have been recovered from the celebrated Dingling mausoleum of the Wanli Emperor near Beijing, of which four came from the Emperor’s funeral chamber and two from those of his two Empresses. The inclusion of meiping of Jiajing mark and period in the Wanli mausoleum documents the significance of these vessels for the Ming emperors. By the Qing dynasty meiping were manufactured primarily as flower vases or display items, as demonstrated in a few paintings, such as one by the court painter Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) (fig. 1). Althoughmeiping were used to hold various kinds of flowers, ‘prunus vase’ became the standard name for this vessel. This may be because the narrow mouth is perfectly suited for holding the slender prunus branches, or perhaps because prunus, due to its winter-resistant beauty, is one of the best-loved flowers in China, symbolising righteous personality sustained even in harsh conditions.

Giuseppe Castiglione, Dragon Boat Festival, hanging scroll, colour on silk, Qing dynasty, Yongzheng period, Collection of Palace Museum, Beijing. After: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Paintings by the Court Artists of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 22.

In view of this context, the two meiping vases of great beauty are particularly important. The blue-and-white vase represents one of the classic patterns of the Yongle period that illustrates the phenomenal advances made by Jingdezhen’s potters and painters in less than a century, since blue and white porcelain began to be made there. Both in terms of its well-proportioned shape, which was produced with various kinds of decoration, and its lush fruit pattern, one of the most popular motifs of early Ming blue and white which appears equally on other shapes of the period, this design set a standard of excellence that would be emulated for centuries to come. The present piece is remarkable for its particularly fine potting and its tactile glaze, and beautifully displays the characteristic ‘heaping and piling’ of the cobalt-blue painting – a much-copied trademark of imperial blue and white from the early Ming dynasty. The present pattern and in particular this feature were identified with the most desirable Ming porcelain already in the Yongzheng period (1723-1735) of the Qing dynasty.

The Qianlong Emperor commissioned close copies of early Ming porcelains. For example, in the third year of the Qianlong period (1738), the Emperor had a eunuch send two meiping of early Ming to Jingdezhen to be copied by Tang Ying, the greatest porcelain superintendent in Chinese history. One was ‘a Xuande kiln blue-and-white meiping’, the other ‘a Xuande kiln blue-and-white meiping with Three Fruit design’, see Feng Xianming, Annotated Collection of Historical Documents on Ancient Chinese Ceramics, Taipei, 2000, p. 230-232. It was common practice at the Qing court to refer to early Ming blue and white as ‘Xuande (1426-1435) kiln’, which included unmarked pieces from the Yongle kilns. Yongle-style blue and whitemeiping with fruit designs from the Qianlong period are rare; one example in Beijing is included in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 117 (fig. 2). 

Blue and white Yongle-style ‘fruits’ meiping, seal mark and period of Qianlong, Collection of Palace Museum, Beijing. After: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 117.

The present Qianlong vase with fruits in underglaze red, however, is even rarer, probably unique, and unusual in several respects. First, this piece differs from common Qianlong meiping in having a narrow shoulder. In fact, the present form is rare amongst meiping vases of the Ming and Qing dynasties, although examples are known, such as a celadon-glazed and a white porcelain vase from the Xuande period, recently illustrated in Wang Guangyao & Jiang Jianxin eds., Imperial Porcelains from the Reign of Xuande in the Ming Dynasty, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2015, cat. nos. 62-63.

Secondly, it is also very rare to find meiping with underglaze-red decoration, which is not surprising, because successful firing of underglaze copper red requires extremely precise control of the firing process in order to achieve a good colour. According to a court record of 1738 about a meiping with dragon design in underglaze red, the Qianlong Emperor deemed the colouring of the copper red not good enough and demanded a better red colour, see Feng Xianming, op. cit., p. 232. The excellent red colour of the present piece is a credit to the kiln master responsible for its successful firing.

Thirdly, it is also extremely rare to find meiping of the Ming and Qing periods with five fruit sprays arranged in two registers like on the present vase, as related Qianlong meiping are usually decorated in underglaze blue with two alternating registers of fruiting and flowering branches, while Yongle examples feature either six or ten fruit sprays in two registers.

During the Yongle period meiping vases were made in the imperial kilns in various sizes with various kinds of decoration, and were equally popular in China as abroad, as examples preserved both in the Chinese palace collections and the Safavid and Ottoman royal collections in Iran and Turkey document.

The present vase is very similar in shape to a pair of Yongle meiping with the famous tianbai or ‘sweet white’ glaze, with covers in underglaze blue, in the celebrated Ataka collection, illustrated in The Beauty of Asian Ceramics: From the Collection of The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, Osaka, 2014, pl. 79 (fig. 3). The vases are inscribed in underglaze blue with the characters neifu or ‘Imperial Household’, documenting the significance of meiping vases for the court. For another Yongle white porcelain meiping of different shape also inscribed neifu in blue, now in the Beijing Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics, see Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series: Pottery and Porcelain, Beijing, 2004, pl. 160.

Pair of white-glazed meiping with  underglaze-blue neifu inscription, Ming dynasty, Yongle period, from the Ataka Collection, collection of the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, accession no.: 00704 Courtesy of the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka.

Several early Ming meiping of similar design and size as the present vase are in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see a Yongle piece illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji [Complete series on Chinese ceramics], Shanghai, 1999-2000, vol. 12, pl. 12; another in Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang gu taoci ciliao xuancui [Selection of ancient ceramic material from the Palace Museum], Beijing, 2005, vol. 1, pl. 85 (fig. 4); and a third, attributed to the Xuande period, published in Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci [Early Ming blue-and-white porcelain in the Palace Museum], Beijing, 2002, vol. 1, cat. no. 76, together with a Yongzheng copy and the more elaborate Qianlong version of this pattern, vol. 2, cat. nos. 185 and 202.

Blue and white ‘fruit sprays’ meiping, Ming dynasty, Yongle period, Collection of Palace Museum, Beijing. After: Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang gu taoci ciliao xuancui, Beijing, 2005, vol. 1, pl. 85.

Two blue-and-white meiping of this design, one attributed to the Yongle, the other to the Xuande period, are also in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Minji meihin zuroku [Illustrated catalogue of important Ming porcelains], Tokyo, 1977-78, vol. 1, pls. 12 and 39, the two examples slightly varying in proportion, and the latter with the design more tightly arranged, and with a cover.

Another early Ming meiping attributed to the Xuande reign, in the collection of the Shanghai Museum, is illustrated together with a Yongzheng copy in Lu Minghua, Studies of the Shanghai Museum Collections: Ming Imperial Porcelain, Shanghai, 2007, pls. 5-21 and 5-22 (images reversed); and an early Ming example in the Jingdezhen Ceramic Museum is published inKeitokuchin jiki [Jingdezhen ceramics], Kyoto, 1982, pl. 36.

For two similar vases out of a total of six from the Ottoman Royal collection, see Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, ed. John Ayers, London, 1986, vol. 2, no. 624; and four meiping of this design from the Safavid Royal collection preserved in the Ardabil Shrine in Iran are recorded and one of them illustrated in John Alexander Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine, Washington, D.C., 1956 (rev. ed., London, 1981), pl. 51 top right.

A meiping of this design and similar size from a Nagoya tea ceremony collection was sold in these rooms, 8th April 2014, lot 3023. Another meiping from the Edward T. Chow collection was sold in these rooms, 19th May 1981, lot 409, together with a Qianlong version with fruit and flower sprays, lot 546. A larger Yongle vase from the Estate of Laurance S. Rockefeller was sold in our New York rooms, 21st/22nd September 2005, lot 64.

In shape and decoration all these vessels are closely related to another early Ming meiping design, a more complex variant, which may well represent a prototype of the present pattern, that was slightly simplified to give the individual fruit sprays more prominence. The more complex design shows ten similar fruit sprays distributed over a narrower space and enclosed between more elaborate borders. Five examples of that design are known. Two covered examples are in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (I), Shanghai, 2000, pls. 29-30. In addition is a pair with covers excavated at Haidian district, Beijing, both in the Capital Museum, Beijing, one illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji [Complete series on Chinese ceramics], Shanghai, 1999-2000, vol. 12, pl. 47, the other in Guang Lin, 'Beijing chutu de jijian Mingdai qinghua ciqi [Some Ming blue and white porcelains excavated in Beijing]', Wenwu 1972, no. 6, pl. 6, fig. 2. The fifth one was sold three times in these rooms, 19th November 1986, lot 209, 2nd November 1998, lot 304, and 5th October 2011, lot 11; illustrated in Sotheby's Hong Kong – Twenty Years, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 49, again in Sotheby's. Thirty Years in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2003, pl. 210, and in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1641 (fig. 5).

  Blue and white ‘fruit sprays’ meiping, Ming dynasty, Yongle period, from the Meiyintang Collection Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 5th October 2011, lot 11.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 07 oct. 2015, 02:30 PM

Monochamus subfasciatus

Monochamus sutor

Monochamus latefasciatus

Monochamus notatus

Monochamus obtusus

Monochamus guttulatus

Monochamus galloprovincialis

Monochamus dubius

Monochamus alternatus

Monochamus marmorator

Monochamus maruokai 

Monochamus grandis

 'Embroideress' Teapot, China, Qianlong period. Estimate : 2 000 € / 3 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos.

of globular form, european subject decorated in grisaille and gold, representing a woman embroidering sheltered by curtains with a view of boats in the distance.

See HERVOUËT, "La Porcelaine des Compagnies des Indes", p. 131, image

MARQUES DOS SANTOS , PORTO. L'Art de la Théière - Collection privée de Porcelaine Chinoise, le 26 Septembre 2015 à 15h30

Famille Noire'rooster' Teapot, China, Yongzheng period. Estimate : 1 500 € / 2 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos.

baluster chape, decorated with rooster floral reserves in polychrome famille noir and rose enamels on black blackground with butterflues. MTS sticker to bottom. Dim.: 14,5cm.

MARQUES DOS SANTOS , PORTO. L'Art de la Théière - Collection privée de Porcelaine Chinoise, le 26 Septembre 2015 à 15h30

Teapot on presentoir, China, Yongzheng period. Estimate : 1 500 € / 2 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos.

baluster shape with lobed presentoir, applied relief flower decoration painted in famille rose enamels and gold. Guest & Gray sticker. Dim.:14cm and 16,5cm.

MARQUES DOS SANTOS , PORTO. L'Art de la Théière - Collection privée de Porcelaine Chinoise, le 26 Septembre 2015 à 15h30

'Squirrel' Teapot on presentoir, China, Yongzheng period. Estimate : 1 500 € / 2 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos.

of baluster shape with lobed presentoir, applied relief flower and squirrel decoration painted in famille rose enamels and gold. Guest & Gray sticker. Dim.: 16cm and 14,5cm.

MARQUES DOS SANTOS , PORTO. L'Art de la Théière - Collection privée de Porcelaine Chinoise, le 26 Septembre 2015 à 15h30

Teapot on presentoir, China, Yongzheng period. Estimate : 1 500 € / 2 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos.

of baluster shape with lobed presentoir, applied relief floral decoration painted in famille rose enamels and gold. Guest & Gray sticker. Dim.:15cm and 15,6cm. 

 MARQUES DOS SANTOS , PORTO. L'Art de la Théière - Collection privée de Porcelaine Chinoise, le 26 Septembre 2015 à 15h30

Teapot on presentoir, China, Yongzheng period. Estimate : 1 500 € / 2 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos.

of baluster shape with lobed presentoir, applied relief floral decoration painted in famille rose enamels and gold. Jorge Welsh sticker. Dim.:15cm and 15,5cm 

MARQUES DOS SANTOS , PORTO. L'Art de la Théière - Collection privée de Porcelaine Chinoise, le 26 Septembre 2015 à 15h30

 'Sailing ship' Teapot on presentoir, China, Jiaqing period. Estimate : 1 500 € / 2 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos.

globular shape with relief handle and spout, lobed presentoir, polychrome enamel decoration representing a three mast sailing ship with british pavillion.

See HERVOUET, "La porcelaine de compagnie des Indes", p. 41, image 2.14. Dim

MARQUES DOS SANTOS , PORTO. L'Art de la Théière - Collection privée de Porcelaine Chinoise, le 26 Septembre 2015 à 15h30

Ex-Hervouet collection grisaille Teapot, China, Qianlong period. Estimate : 1 500 € / 2 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos.

globular shape, decorated in grisaille and gold with man teaching his dog.  With sticker of Hervouët collection nº 292 on bottom. Dim.: 18.5 cm.

Reproduced in HERVOUET, "La porcelaine des compagnie des Indes", p. 96, image 4:48. 

MARQUES DOS SANTOS , PORTO. L'Art de la Théière - Collection privée de Porcelaine Chinoise, le 26 Septembre 2015 à 15h30