Lot 15. A rare jade dragon, Late Shang Dynasty, 5.7cm (2in) long. Estimate HK$150,000 - 200,000 (US$19,000 - 26,000). Sold for HK$ 350,000 (€40,162). Photo: Bonhams.

Carved in the form of a coiled dragon with its tail curving towards the head, deftly carved with double-line scrolls with protruding eyes on both sides, the softly polished stone of greyish tone suffused with dark brown markings.

Provenance: Tse Siu Bong, Hong Kong, 1982
The Songzhutang collection, no.19

Published and Illustrated: T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pl.19

Note: Tse Siu Bong was a Chinese antique collector in Hong Kong and well-known for his archaic jade collection. He was the founder of Chung Ching Dispensary and the CEO of King-to Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, a well known brand of Chinese herbal remedies in Hong Kong.

A similar jade dragon pendant was excavated from the tomb of Fu Hao in Anyang, Henan Province, carved with a coiled body incised in double lines. See J.Rawson, Chinese Jades from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p.209, fig.2. 

See another comparable example of a jade dragon, Shang dynasty, also thickly carved in the form of a coiled dragon, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 2 Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, p.144, pl.137. Compare also a further related example with similar carving style, in the Aurora Art Museum, illustrated by Cai Qingliang, Jades of Shang Dynasty, Taipei, 2010, p.115, pl.68. Compare the carving and form of a white jade dragon, Shang dynasty, from the Richard C. Bull collection, included in the Hong Kong Museum of Art exhibition Chinese Jade Animals, 1996, no.6.

Bonhams. THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES from the Neolithic Period to the Yuan Dynasty, 30 May 2017, 14:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 16. A rare jade ox-head pendant, Late Shang Dynasty, 4.3cm (1 3/4in) long. Estimate HK$80,000 - 100,000 (US$10,000 - 13,000). Sold for HK$ 500,000 (€57,374). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 18. An inscribed jade tablet, gui, Shang Dynasty or later, 13cm (5in) long. Estimate HK$350,000 - 450,000 (US$45,000 - 58,000). Sold for HK$ 687,500 (€78,889). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 19. A jade ox, Late Shang Dynasty, 4.8cm (2in) long. Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000 (US$7,700 - 10,000). Sold for HK$ 375,000 (€43,030). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 20. A jade tiger, Shang Dynasty and a jade bird, Western Zhou Dynasty. Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000 (US$7,700 - 10,000). Sold for HK$ 562,500 (€64,546). Photo: Bonhams.

The crouching tiger carved from a thick section of jade with distinctly incised details of eyes, ears, limbs and tail in low-relief, 3.9cm (1 1/2in) long; the small bird carved in three sections with the top indicating the head, the middle part as the body and the tapering section with a flared end as the tail, 2.5cm (1in) long; both of pale green tone with areas of opaque buff alterations, the bird with traces of cinnabar. (2).

Provenance: Jade tiger: J.D. Chen King Kwei
Mr and Mrs Malcolm E. McPherson, acquired from Mayuyama &Co., Tokyo, in the late 1950s
Christie's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 474 (part lot)
Jade bird: Cheung Tao Yin, Hong Kong, 1982
The Songzhutang collection, nos.23 and 28

Exhibited: San Francisco, Golden Gate Park, Hall of Flowers, Treasures of the Orient, Society for Asian Art, 1979, no.13 (tiger)

Published and Illustrated: S.Umehara, Yin Hsu, Asahi Shinbunsha, Tokyo, 1964, pl.CXLI (tiger)
T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pls.23 and 28

Note: Cheung Tao Yin was an eminent collector of Chinese archaic jades who was a renowned filmmaker in Hong Kong in the 1970s. One of his notable works includes Dragon Inn.

Compare an example of a jade tiger, late Shang dynasty, in the Avery Brundage collection, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated by R.L.d'Argencé, Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1977, p.26, pl.VI. Another example of a crouching tiger pendant with a slightly longer tail, late Shang or early Western Zhou dynasty, is in the collection of Sir Joseph Hotung in the British Museum, illustrated by J.Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p.214, no.12:8. See also a related example of a jade bird, Western Zhou dynasty, illustrated in Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series: Jades, Beijing, 2002, p.61, pl.38.

Bonhams. THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES from the Neolithic Period to the Yuan Dynasty, 30 May 2017, 14:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

George Frederic Watts (1817 - 1904), Self-Portrait of the Artist in Middle Age, 1879, Watts Gallery Collection

COMPTON.- Watts Gallery Trust today announced an unprecedented exhibition of the most important masterpieces by the celebrated Victorian painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts (1817-1904).. 

Celebrating 200 years since the birth of the artist in London in 1817, England’s Michelangelo brings together the artist’s most significant paintings from public and private collections. For the first time since their restoration in 2011, the historic galleries at Watts Gallery, designed by Watts himself, are being used for a temporary exhibition. 

George F. Watts (1817 - 1904), Found Drowned, circa 1848-1850, oil, Watts Gallery Trust

Watts became a cultural icon who championed a new role for art as a means of symbolically expressing the progress of humanity, and as a tool to assist in philanthropic projects. His imagery was carried all over the world through reproduction, making him the most internationally recognised British artist of the age. In 1884 Watts became the first living artist to have a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. 

This exhibition offers an overview of Watts’ creativity over a period of more than fifty years. The central themes of his art – colour, cosmos, celebrity – evolved but remained essentially consistent, creating a remarkably coherent body of work traversing a period stretching from the age of Turner to that of Picasso. 

George F. Watts (1817 - 1904), Choosing (Ellen Terry), 1864, oil, National Portrait Gallery, London

The exhibition takes its title, England’s Michelangelo, from the name given to Watts by his contemporaries who saw in his art great ambition, generosity and range. 

England’s Michelangelo revolves around a series of key cycles of works by Watts. A selection of early paintings centres upon the monumental figures of Satan (1847; WGT) and The Good Samaritan (1848; Manchester Art Gallery). While Satan established Watts’ reputation among leading critics such as John Ruskin, The Good Samaritan was given to the city of Manchester in honour of Thomas Wright, a working-class prison reformer, beginning Watts’ life-long commitment to the campaigning potential of art. 

George F. Watts (1817 - 1904), The Good Samaritan, 1850, oil, Manchester City Galleries

Watts’ extensive practice as a portraitist is represented by works such as Choosing (1864; National Portrait Gallery, London), showing his first wife, the teenage actress Ellen Terry, and Marie Fox, Princess Liechtenstein (1870s; private collection), a work never before seen in public. 

At the centre of England’s Michelangelo is a room devoted to Watts’ most ambitious allegorical and Symbolist works. Here his famous Hope (1886; private collection), the picture which changed the life of President Obama, has been joined by major paintings including Love and Life (1880s; private collection) which also has a presidential association: given by Watts to the American people, it formerly hung in the White House. 

George F. Watts (1817 - 1904), Satan, circa 1847-48, oil, Watts Gallery Trust

Other key loans include the Sower of the Systems (1902; Art Gallery of Ontario). Not seen in the UK for over a century, this almost abstract work represents Watts’ late attempt to personify new astronomical discoveries. 

Throughout 2017, Watts Gallery will showcase the artist through four distinct mediums: drawing, painting, mural and sculpture. 

George Frederic Watts (1817 - 1904), Marie Fox Princess Lichtenstein, early 1870s. Private Collection.

Dr Nicholas Tromans, Brice Curator of Watts Gallery—Artists’ Village, says: “Watts was the most admired British artist of the late nineteenth century, and England’s Michelangelo will show why. We have set out to bring absolutely the very finest works by the artist to Compton to create a Watts exhibition like nothing seen before. The exhibition will emphasise the great originality and power of Watts as a painter, the glamour of his portraiture and the magnificence of his Symbolist works which so impressed all of Europe."

George F. Watts (1817 - 1904), Mrs. Lillie Langtry, circa 1879-1880. Oil.

George F. Watts (1817 - 1904), "Second version of Hope", 1886, Tate Britain 

Lot 11. Important rince-pinceaux en jade céladon pâle, Dynastie Qing, époque Qianlong (1736-1795), 19,2 cm. Estimate 30,000 — 50,000 EUR. Lot sold 319,500 EUR. Photo: Sotheby's

sculpté en forme d'une grande pêche évidée, le pourtour enveloppé de branchages feuillagés chargés de fleurs et de pêches, le bord visité de deux petites chauves-souris aux ailes déployées, la belle pierre d'une couleur uniforme au doux poli 

A WELL-CARVED PALE CELADON JADE WASHER IN THE FORM OF A LARGE PEACH, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD , 7 1/2  in.

Provenance: Christie's London, 21st March 1966, lot 124.
(No. 74 in the collectors' files).

Note: The rounded, slightly incurved sides of this impressive vessel suggest a use as a water pot or a brush washer. The shape of the original jade boulder from which this impressive washer was carved may have influenced the shape of the object into which it was carved. In this case, it has taken the form of a rather large peach, a fruit laden with symbolism as it represents longevity and happiness. Additional auspicious creatures are incorporated into the design: Bats in flight are hovering on the exterior of the washer, flying amidst branches heavily laden with more if smaller peaches, representing additional happiness or blessings. The Chinese word for bat is fu, a homophone for ‘happiness’. 

Compare with two very similar, yet smaller jade peach-shaped bowls from the Hartman Collection, illustrated in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Jades from the Collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, Hong Kong, 1996, no. 92 and 93. Kleiner notes that these washers had a 'massive sculptural quality', a feature that the present jade washer also shares, see Robert Kleiner, ibid., p. 110. 

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie, Paris, 22 Jun 2017

Lot 198. Sculpture de Bodhisattva en schiste gris, Gandhâra, époque Kushan, IIe-IVe siècle, 56 cm. Estimate 40,000 — 60,000 EUR. Lot sold 223,500 EUR. Photo: Sotheby's

 la tête auréolée, les longs cheveux bouclés en partie attachés par une tiare, les oreilles percées de boucles, la poitrine découverte ornée d'un collier sculpté de deux têtes d'animaux fabuleux et d'amulettes en bandoulière, les bras couverts d'un uttariya, vêtu d'un paridhana attaché par une ceinture et retombant en d'élégants plis sur les jambes, la main droite levée tenant un bouquet de fleurs et la gauche une guirlande enrubannée, les pieds croisés et reposant sur un rebord, accompagné de deux acolytes se tenant debouts à gauche de son trône couvert d'un tissu 

Lot 228. Statuette de Guanyin à l'enfant en bronze doré laqué or, Dynastie Ming, XVIIe siècle,  34,5 cm,  avec socle 57,5 cm. Estimate 120,000 — 150,000 EUR. Lot sold 199,500 EUR. Photo: Sotheby's

 assise en dhyanasana, présentant à deux mains un petit enfant aux mains jointes, vêtue d'une ample robe monastique aux bordures incisées de motifs floraux, le torse découvert paré de bijoux, le visage charnu en méditation flanqué de longs lobes d'oreilles percés de boucles rondes et surmonté d'une couronne ouvragée abritant une figure miniature du Bouddha Amitabha, les cheveux retenus en un haut chignon laissant tomber de longues mèches le long des épaules, le tout soutenu par une large base lotiforme entre deux petits lotus épanouis, surmontant une tige émergeant d'un piédestal hexagonal à balustrade (3)

A LACQUERED GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF SONGZI GUANYIN ON A LOTUS BASE, MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY; 13 1/2  in., with stand 22 5/8  in.

Lot 199. Sculpture de Bouddha Maitreya en calcaire gris, Dynastie des Wei du Nord, VIe siècle, grottes de Longmen, 34,2 cm. Estimate 120,000 — 150,000 EUR. Lot sold 187,500 EUR. Photo: Sotheby's

assis en bhadrasana, la main droite levée en abhaya mudra, la gauche reposant sur le genou, vêtu d'une longue robe monastique tombant en d'élégant plis aux pieds, le long visage à l'expression sereine aux lèvres charnues dessinant un sourire, les yeux mi-clos, flanqué de longs lobes d'oreilles, la tête surmontée d'un haut chignon, socle en bois (2)

A RARE GREY LIMESTONE FIGURE OF THE BUDDHA MAITREYA, NORTHERN WEI DYNASTY, EARLY 6TH CENTURY, LONGMEN CAVES, HENAN; 13 1/2  in.

Provenance: With Yamanaka, New York, 1940s. 
Ching Wah Lee, San Francisco, 1960. 
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm McPherson, New York. 
Christie’s New York, 17th September 2008, lot 573.

Exhibited: San Francisco, Hall of Flowers, Treasures of the Orient, Society for Asian Art, 1979, no. 34.

Lot 115. An exceptional pair of Imperial white jade bowls, Incised Qianlong four-character marks and of the period. Sold for HK$ 6,060,000 (€695,376). Photo: Bonhams.

Each bowl with deep rounded sides rising to a flared rim, raised on a circular foot ring, of lustrous polish displaying exceptional translucency in the nearly flawless white stone, the base incised with a four-character kaishu mark and an additional incised jia mark on the footrim, wood stands and fitted box. Each 15.5cm (6 1/8in) diam. (5).

Provenance: An important Asian private collection

Note: The Qianlong emperor's conquest of the Dzungar Khanate, now known as Xinjiang, between 1755 and 1759, permitted a larger quantity of jade to be sent to the Qing court; and with that, the opportunity for careful selection of the highest-quality material for the use of the emperor.  

The exceptional quality of the white jade stone, smoothly polished to a lustrous sheen, would have made any embellishment superfluous. Perfectly proportioned, these bowls, exquisitely matched in colour and polish, exemplify the finest jade craftsmanship accomplished in the jade ateliers during the celebrated reign of the Qianlong emperor. Compare a similar pair of white jade bowls, 18th century (14.5cm diam.), unmarked, in the British Museum, illustrated by J.Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, pl.29:13, where the author notes that undecorated jade vessels in porcelain shapes, as here, probably represented the highest quality in eating and drinking utensils. 

The present bowls are particularly rare because of the Qianlong Imperial reign marks incised on their base, and more so for the use of the additional character mark. Compare two other undecorated jade bowls, Qianlong marks and period with an additional Jia-character mark, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, the first of identical size (acc.no.GY000742N), and the second, of slightly smaller size (acc.no.GY000583N). A further similar white jade bowl, Qianlong mark and period with an additional jia character, is illustrated in Ming and Qing Chinese Arts from the C.P. Lin Collection, Hong Kong, 2014, pl.130. 

See also a pair of white jade bowls, Qianlong seal marks and period (13cm diam.), from the Andrew K.F. Lee collection, illustrated by Tina Yee-wan Pang and Jane Sze, eds., Virtuous Treasures: Chinese Jades from the Scholar's Table, Hong Kong, 2008, pl.31.; and another white jade bowl, Qianlong, unmarked, illustrated in The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, 2011, pl.152. Compare also a pair of pale green-white jade bowls, Qianlong, unmarked, in the British Royal collection, presented by the Guangxu emperor on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, illustrated by J.Ayers, Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, vol.III, London, 2016, p.762, nos.1798-1799. 

A similar pair of white jade bowls, 18th century, without a mark, was sold at Sotheby's London, 14 May 2014, lot 23.

Bonhams.  FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 110. A very rare pair of Imperial polychrome and qiangjin lacquer 'dragon' banquet boxes and covers, Qianlong period. Sold for HK$ 1,250,000 (€143,435). Photo: Bonhams.

Lot 103. A very rare agate lobed 'mallow' bowl. The bowl Song Dynasty or later; the silver mounts possibly 16th-17th century. Estimate 200,000 - 300,000 HKD (US$26,000 - 39,000). Sold for HK$ 2,880,000 (€330,476).  Photo: Bonhams.

Superbly carved as a mallow flowerhead with seven rounded petals rising from the circular foot, the translucent stone of golden-yellow and honey-brown tones, with natural striations of reddish-caramel banded ripples, the silver mount featuring a pair of confronted chi dragons clambering over the sides forming the handles, with traces of gilt. The bowl 12.3cm (4 7/8in) wide

Provenance: Baron Eugène Fould-Springer (1876-1929), and thence by descent
Le Palais Abbatial de Royaumont (inventory label no.335)

Baron Eugène Fould-Springer (1876–1929)

Baron Eugène Charles Joachim Fould-Springer (1876–1929), of French-Jewish ancestry, descended from one of the most distinguished financial and industrial French families of the 19th century. He married Marie-Cécile von Springer (1886-1978), who hailed from a well-known family of Austrian industrialists. Born Eugène C.J. Fould, in 1908 he was ennobled by Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria as Baron Fould-Springer, and changed his name by decree in 1912. He and his wife divided their time between their Parisian residence on Avenue d'Iéna and Le Palais Abbatial de Royaumont. He died in Shanghai in 1929.

Note: Flower-shaped agate bowls of this early period are exceptionally rare with few published attributed to this early date. See a lobed agate 'mallow' bowl, Song dynasty, bearing a later incised Jiaqing mark, and another lobed agate 'mallow' bowl and stand, Song dynasty, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 5. Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pp.82-83, pls.73-74. In their lobed mallow form they are related to lobed wares produced in lacquer; for examples of seven-lobed mallow-shaped lacquer dishes, Song dynasty, see: Sō Gen no bi: denra no shikki o chūshin ni, Tokyo, Nezu Bijutsukan, 2004, pls.19-20; and P.Y.K. Lam, ed., 2000 Years of Chinese Lacquer, Hong Kong, 1993, pl.17. 

The remarkable silver chi dragon handles and mount, with traces of gilt, are similar in style to handles on Ming dynasty jade cups, such as those illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 7 Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pls.117-119, 123-126, 133, 135-136, 139-141, 147 and 148 (compare also the details on the dragon handles carved on this cup). It is also interesting to compare the mounts on the present bowl to a silver cup, 12th century, with a related high-relief chi dragon clambering over the sides and rim, found in a hoard dated to circa AD 1190 in Pengzhou, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, currently in the Pengzhou Museum, illustrated in Sō Gen no bi: denra no shikki o chūshin ni, Tokyo, Nezu Bijutsukan, 2004, pp.183-184, pl.480. 

The appreciation of the agate stone saw a revival during the Yongzheng reign; records in the archives of the Imperial Jade Workshops, yuzuo, dated 1724-1729, noted that the Yongzheng emperor ordered for agate brush washers and bowls to be kept undecorated in order to show the original pattern of the agate stone; pieces with 'intricate' designs or of unsatisfactory quality were rejected and sent back to the Imperial Palace Workshops. The Imperial collections in Taipei and Beijing hold a number of extant agate vessels, bearing the Yongzheng mark and of the period; see Feng Mingzhu, Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, pp.235-245; and in the Palace Museum, Beijing, an agate cup and dish; are illustrated by Yang Boda, Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, Hebei, 2005, pp.553 and 550, nos.10 and 62.

Bonhams.  FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 101. A rare archaic bronze turquoise-inlaid sword, jian, Early Warring States Period, 8.2cm (22 7/8in) long (3). Estimate HK$300,000 - 500,000 (US$39,000 - 64,000). Sold for HK$ 375,000 (€43,030). Photo: Bonhams.

The long pointed blade with bevelled edges and a long median ridge, the ribbed handle with a wing-shaped guard inlaid with turquoise forming a taotie mask motif and ending in a flattened concave pommel, with olive-green patina and malachite encrustations, fitted box and metal stand. 

Provenance: Professor Max Loehr
Eskenazi Ltd., London, 11 March 1991
The Sze Yuan Tang Archaic Bronzes from the Anthony Hardy Collection, Christie's New York, 16 September 2010, lot 825

Published and Illustrated: Li Xueqin, The Glorious Traditions of Chinese Bronzes: From the Anthony & Susan Hardy Collections and the Sze Yuan Tang, Singapore, 2000, pp.116-117, no.42

Exhibited: Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, 2000, no.42
Hong Kong Museum of Art, 2002-2006, no.CB87

Note: Max Loehr (1903-1988) was an eminent art historian and professor of Chinese art at Harvard University from 1960 to 1974. A foremost authority in his field of expertise, Professor Loehr published a number of books and numerous articles on Chinese art in the fields of archaic bronzes, jades and paintings.

Compare a similar bronze sword with raised linear designs and taotie designs on both sides of the guard, Warring States period, in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., illustrated by T.Lawton, Chinese Art of the Warring States Period: Change and Continuity, 480-222 BC, Washington D.C., 1982, p.72, no.29. Compare also another related turquoise-inlaid sword inscribed with 'given by decree from the King of Yue', early Warring States period, in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Hangzhou, illustrated in Zhongguo Qingtongqi Quanji 11 Dong Zhou 5, Beijing, pp.96-97, nos.101-104. See a further related bronze sword with variegated surface, Warring States period, excavated from a tomb of the State of Chu, in Jiangling County, Hubei Province, illustrated by W.Watson, The Genius of China, 1973, p.96, no.129. A further sword of similar size, with a turquoise-inlaid guard and collars, is illustrated by M.Loehr, Chinese Bronze Age Weapons, Michigan, 1956, pl.XXXVIII, no.98. 

Bonhams.  FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 102. A very rare gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel 'treasures' incense burner, Yuan-early Ming Dynasty, 9.5cm (3 3/4in) diam. (3). Estimate HK$600,000 - 700,000 (US$77,000 - 90,000). Sold for HK$ 725,000 (€83,192). Photo: Bonhams.

Of cylindrical form with gently tapering sides, raised on three ruyi-shaped feet, the exterior colourfully enamelled with two tiers of lotus blossoms, each enclosing one of the 'Various Treasures', zabao, borne on undulating leafy stems in vivid tones of white, yellow, red and green on a light turquoise ground, wood box and stand. 

Note: The present incense burner is very rare for the double depiction of the zabao, 'Various Treasures', shown on each of the two tiers of the lotus scrolls in the centre of each blossom. Also known as the 'Precious Objects', they often appear on porcelain from the Yuan dynasty, indicating an early date for this incense burner; see for example the famous 'David Vases', a pair of blue and white temple vases, dated by inscription to AD 1351, painted within the lotus lappets with the zabao, illustrated in Splendors in Smalt: Art of the Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain, Shanghai, 2012, pl.1 (one of the pair illustrated). 

Detail of one of the David Vases; Sir Percival David Collection; Image courtesy of the Trustess of the British Museum, London

The powerful design of the lotus scroll, the petals boldly enamelled in red, yellow, white and green, issuing thickly-bodied multi-coloured tendrils, is typical of cloisonné enamel wares dated to the early Ming dynasty; however, there is an ongoing debate as to whether some of these may be datable to the Yuan dynasty. Compare a similar design on a cloisonné enamel circular box and cover, first half 15th century, and see also the tendrils on a cloisonné enamel barbed-rim dish, first half 15th century, illustrated by H.Brinker and A.Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, London, 1989, pls.7 and 11.

Compare a related cloisonné enamel alms bowl, early 15th century, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1435.

onhams.  FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 104. A pale green jade 'chi dragon' cup, 14th-15th century, 16cm (6 1/4in) wide (2). Estimate HK$200,000 - 300,000 (US$26,000 - 39,000)). Sold for HK$ 437,500 (€50,202). Photo: Bonhams.

The deeply-hollowed U-shaped cup with straight sides, flanked by two confronted chi dragons forming handles, clambering over the sides with their front paws extended over the rim, the cup raised on a slightly flared circular foot, the semi-translucent stone of a pale-green tone with minor russet inclusions, fitted box. 

Note: The shape of the present lot is similar to that of qingbai glazed porcelain cups, made during the Southern Song and Yuan dynasties; see J.C.S. Lin, The Immortal Stone: Chinese Jades from the Neolithic Period to the Twentieth Century, Cambridge, 2009, p.69, pl.60. 

Compare a related pale green jade cup, first half 15th century, which entered the collection of Cardinal Mazarin between 1653-1661, in the Musée Guimet, Paris, illustrated by Tsao Huei-chung, Jade: From Emperors to Art Deco, Paris, 2016, no.175, where it is noted that it could be dated to as early as the Song dynasty. 

Coupe dite « Mazarin », Chine, Dynastie Ming (1368 - 1644), première moitié du 15e siècle © RMN-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Thierry Ollivier

Compare also another pale green jade cup, Ming dynasty, the chi dragon handles also with an elaborate horn, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 7 Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl.118. See also a related green jade faceted cup, Yuan dynasty, illustrated by Yang Boda, Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji, Hebei, 2005, no.185.

This form continued from the Southern Song dynasty to the Qing dynasty, as demonstrated by a related white jade octagonal cup with chi dragon handles, Qianlong seal mark and period, from the Qing Court collection, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 10 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl.147.

A similar but smaller white jade 'chilong' cup, 16th century (with a later spinach-jade stand), was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 6 April 2015, lot 248.

A white jade 'chilong' cup and a spinach jade cup stand, the cup Ming dynasty, 16th century, the cup stand later; The cup: 3 3/4 in. (12.1 cm.) across the handles, box. Sold for HKD 400,000 (USD 51,844) at Christie's Hong Kong, 6 April 2015, lot 248. © Christie's Images Ltd 2015

Bonhams.  FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 105. A spinach-green jade archaistic incense burner and cover, gui, Qianlong-Jiaqing period; 14.2cm (5 5/8in) wide (3). Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000 (US$10,000 - 15,000). Sold for HK$ 375,000 (€43,030). Photo: Bonhams.

Carved around the sides with confronted archaistic dragons, flanked by a pair of handles in the form of chi dragons clambering through horizontal loops, raised on a splayed foot encircled by pendent petals, with a key-fret border around the rim and foot ring, the domed cover with a narrow band of taotie masks interrupted by ingot-shaped flanges, below the circular knop carved with a coiled dragon in relief, the stone of varying darker and lighter spinach-green tones, fitted box.  

Provenance: Christie's London, 6 June 1988, lot 16
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 17 November 1988, lot 429

Note: The archaistic design of taotie masks, notched flanges and chi dragon handles on the present lot, is consistent with the Qing court's fascination with antiquity, which influenced jade craftsmanship. The Qianlong emperor proposed to 'restore ancient ways', reflecting on his concerns with drawing moral strength and righteousness from the examples of the Ancients; see Chang Li-tuan, The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taipei, 1997, p.49.

Bonhams.  FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 106. A rare Imperial and spinach-green jade 'lotus' bowl and cover, Qianlong period, 15cm (5 7/8in) diam.(3). Estimate HK$180,000 - 200,000 (US$23,000 - 26,000). Sold for HK$ 562,500 (€64,546). Photo: Bonhams.

Superbly carved in the form of a lotus pod, rising on a short spreading foot elaborately carved on the bowl with overlapping lotus petals rising to the inverted rim, surmounted by the slightly domed pod with naturalistically carved circular nodes simulating seeds, encircling the tall ribbed neck, set with a later pierced metal cover. 15cm (5 7/8in) diam.(3).

Provenance: The Summer Palace, Beijing, 1860, by repute
Sir John William Buchanan-Jardine (1900-1969), 3rd Baronet of Castle Milk (according to Spink invoice)
Spink & Son Ltd., London
An English private collection, acquired from the above on 27 January 1953

Note: Sir John William Buchanan-Jardine was a scion of Sir William Jardine, the founder of Jardine, Matheson & Co. Established in Canton in 1832, this great shipping company rose to dominate the lucrative China trade and was instrumental in the early development of Hong Kong. The Jardine family played an influential role as proponents of punitive action against the Manchu court, leading to the infamous Opium Wars. From their privileged position in the Far East, the family was in a strong position to secure important pieces from the Chinese Imperial collections after the looting of the Summer Palace, Beijing, and the subsequent periods of instability.

The present lot is exceptionally rare in form and only one other similar example appears to have been published. See a white jade 'lotus' bowl and cover, Qianlong mark and of the period, from the Qing Court collection, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 10 Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl.177.

The form of the present lot would have required significant loss to the jade stone in the process of carving, making this bowl and cover, a particularly prized possession. The remarkable form of the bowl suggests it would most likely have been specially commissioned.

Bonhams.  FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 108. A fine pair of Imperial spinach-green jade double-carved circular table screens, Qianlong-Jiaqing period. Estimate HK$600,000 - 800,000 (US$77,000 - 100,000). Sold for HK$ 1,312,500 (€150,607). Photo: Bonhams.

Well carved in high relief on both sides featuring lush steep mountainous landscapes with pine, cypress, wutong and plantain trees, lingzhi and shrubs, all amidst multi-layered rockwork and outcrops, with steps, streams and waterfalls, all below clouds; one screen carved to the front with Shoulao, the God of Longevity, standing in front of a pavilion above two young attendants carrying a hanging chime, qing, the reverse with a crane perched on rockwork and biting on a lingzhi; the second screen decorated with a scholar and two attendants carrying lotus stems below a pagoda, the reverse with a stag and doe grazing with one feeding on lingzhi, the stone of attractive darker and lighter spinach-green tones, wood stands and fitted box. Each 20.6cm (8 1/8in) diam. (5).

Published and Illustrated: Jade: Ch'ing Dynasty Treasures, Taipei, 1997, pp.66-69 and 272, no.20.

Exhibited: The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Santa Ana, California, Jade: Ch'ing Dynasty Treasures from the National Museum of History, Taiwan, 7 September 1997 - 1 March 1998
The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, Texas, Jade: Ch'ing Dynasty Treasures from the National Museum of History, Taiwan, 3 April - 7 September 1998
National Geographic Society Museum Explorer Hall, Washington D.C., 8 October 1998 - 3 January 1999

Note: The exceptional table screens would have formed part of the paraphernalia on a scholar's desk, with the vast multi-layered mountainous landscape alluding to the idealised scholar's retreat. The auspicious subject matter conveys wishes of longevity, represented by the crane, deer and lingzhi, as well as the sage, who may be identified as Shoulao, the God of Longevity. Compare a related pair of white jade circular screens, Qing dynasty, from the Qing Court collection, carved on the front of each screen with a sage, possibly representing Shoulao, and attendants in a mountainous landscape, the reverse with a crane and deer, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware (II), Shanghai, 2008, pl.61. The stag and doe symbolise the wish for marital bliss, and when combined with the lingzhi, could be interpreted to wish continuity and longevity. The musical stone carried by the attendants relates to the sets of jade chimes used in the Grand Sacrifices of state rituals performed at the Altar of Heaven and the Altar of Land and Grain, underpinning the legitimacy of the dynasty and establishing the emperor as the single intermediary between Heaven and Earth. The auspicious wishes of longevity and continuity represented in the present lot can be therefore construed not only as a personal wish to be bestowed on the owner of the screens but also on the dynasty.

The Qianlong emperor advocated that jade mountains and carved panels should carry the spirit of paintings by famous past masters. It is recorded that a number of classical paintings from the emperor's own collection was ordered to be reproduced in jade such as the well-known painting entitled Travellers in the Mountain, by the painter Guan Tong of the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD). In one of the emperor's poems, as discussed in an essay by Yang Boda, Arts of Asia, 'Jade: Emperor Ch'ien Lung's Collection in the Palace Museum, Peking', March-April 1992, the emperor noted in reference to a jade panel: 

'This piece of precious jade slab is from Khotan. It is unsuitable for making vessels such as the dragon hu and animal Lei. In order to fully utilise it, it is carved into a panel with the scene of "A Riverside City on a Spring Morning". Imagination is exerted to turn the natural undulation or ruggedness into an appropriate landscape... It takes ten days to carve a tiny bit of water and five days to shape a piece of rock. The crafting is indeed very time-consuming.' 

See a related spinach-green jade double-sided circular screen, Qianlong, decorated with Shoulao greeting Xiwangmu, the reverse similarly carved with a stag and doe, which was sold in these rooms, 4 December 2008, lot 204; compare also a pair of white jade circular screens, Qianlong, with related subject matter of sages, attendant striking a musical stone, and cranes, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1511.

A magnificent pair of white jade circular screens, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Sold for HKD 18,247,500 (USD 2,355,770) at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1511. © Christie's Images Ltd 2015

Bonhams.  FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 30 May 2017, 15:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

Lot 109. A rare white jade 'Immortals' table screen, 18th-19th century.  Estimate HK$150,000 - 170,000 (US$19,000 - 22,000). Sold for HK$ 212,500 (€24,384). Photo: Bonhams.

Crisply carved with a mountain landscape of rockwork, pine trees, foliage and a hidden waterfall, featuring Immortals, five of them playing music on a balustraded stone platform, the remaining three engaged in discussion and exchanging gifts at the bottom of the steps, the semi-translucent stone of a white tone, wood stand. 23.4cm (9 1/4in) high x 16.8cm (6 5/8in) wide (2).

Provenance: An English private collection

Note: This rectangular white jade panel was used by the master carver as a 'canvas' on which to carve the image, which most likely derived from a woodblock print; see for example a woodblock print of the Lan Tai in Fang Shi Mopu, originally published in the 16th century, reproduced by J.Rawson, Chinese Jade: From the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p.404, fig.1. Compare also a similar jade rectangular table screen, 18th century, but in mirror image, in the British Museum, London, illustrated by J.Rawson, ibid., pl.29:17. 

The auspicious subject matter, showing the Eight Daoist Immortals, would have been suitable for a birthday celebration gift.

A related white jade circular table screen, Qianlong/Jiaqing, was sold in our London rooms, 11 November 2010, lot 54.

A rare Imperial white jade circular table screen, Qianlong-Jiaqing period. Sold for £96,000 (€109,333) at Bonhams London, 11 November 2010, lot 54. Photo: Bonhams