Lot 145. A large 'famille-rose' punch bowl, Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Period (1723-1735). Estimate 25,000 — 30,000 USD. Lot sold 42,000 USD. Photo: Sothebys.

the deep U-shaped sides finely painted on the exterior with a continuous frieze of eight women of the Yang Family riding horses, each wearing a long colorful dress with many layers, riding side-saddle atop pink, blue, lavender, yellow, and black horses, each carrying a whip while galloping through trellised gardens, the well of the interior painted with peonies, prunus and a butterfly, below a cell-diaper band alternating with sections of pink and turquoise further divided by friezes of chrysanthemum and peony sprigs; 15 1/4 in., 38.7 cm.

Note: This bowl depicts a scene from the legendary story of the Yang family women generals of the Song dynasty who went into battle after their husbands, sons and brothers died in combat. The story is about their bravery and their heroic defeat of the Western Xia military campaign. See a large bowl of this form similarly depicting the women generals, sold at Christie's London, 7th July 1986, lot 345.   

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Cai Guo-Qiang at the Prado

MADRID - The concept of this exhibition, which opens to the public on 25 October, arises from the artist’s ongoing relationship with El Greco’s unique artistic figure and spirituality and proposes a dialogue with artists in the Museum’s collection: a dialogue in which Cai Guo-Qiang has been able to further his engagement with his predecessors, a list that includes Titian, El Greco, Velázquez, Rubens, and Goya, which will converge in time in a spiritual exploration of painting.

Cai Guo-Qiang (born Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, 1957) will transform the Hall of Realms into his studio where he will produce a group of works inspired by the memory of this historic room, formerly part of the Buen Retiro palace, and by a dialogue with the old masters represented in the Museum. This artist’s residency, which will take place during the weeks prior to the exhibition’s inauguration, will culminate with the creation of The Spirit of Painting, a monumental painting measuring approximately 18 metres long.

Both this work and the others by Cai Guo-Qiang, also to be made with ignited gunpowder, will feature in the monographic exhibition The Spirit of Painting. Cai Guo-Qiang at the Prado, to be shown in the Prado’s Jerónimos Building. Visitors can appreciate the dialogue that Cai Guo-Qiang has maintained with the spirit of El Greco from his early years as an artist to the present through a selection of works which, in addition to those mentioned above, will also include various early paintings. These take the form of recollections of the journey he undertook in 2009 in the footsteps of El Greco (from his native island of Crete to Venice and Madrid before concluding in Toledo), as well as a new triptych inspired by that artist.

Cai Guo-Qiang, The Spirit of Painting, 2017. Gunpowder on canvas, 300 x 1800 cm. Courtesy © Museo Nacional del Prado.

The Spirit of Painting originated from the artist’s longstanding dialogue with the spirit of El Greco. Over the past two years, working with the Prado’s experts and studying its research expanding into an interrogation of the past, present, and future of painting.

The on-site process will culminate on October 23, when, at dusk, Cai will explode the exhibition’s centerpiece: the 18-meter The Spirit of Painting. These works will join a selection of other gunpowder paintings created over the last two years, to be exhibited inside the Prado’s Jerónimos Building.

For the creation of his new paintings for the exhibition Cai Guo-Qiang will be making his first use of local gunpowder from Valencia.

The themes and artworks in the four exhibition rooms naturally form a progressive rhythm that mirrors the Chinese compositional formula: Rise, Development, Shift, and Unification.

Cai Guo-Qiang, Day and Night in Toledo. Gunpowder on canvas, 260 x 600 cm. Courtesy © Museo Nacional del Prado

Cai Guo-Qiang, The Distant Clouds, 2017. Gunpowder on canvas, 360 x 300 cm. Courtesy © Museo Nacional del Prado

Cai Guo-Qiang, Alchemist, 2017. Gunpowder on canvas, 240 x 200 cm. Courtesy © Museo Nacional del Prado.

Cai Guo-Qiang, El Salón de Reinos…, 2017. Gunpowder on canvas, 360 x 600 cm. Courtesy © Museo Nacional del Prad

Documentary

The exceptional nature of this exhibition will be accompanied by the gaze of filmmaker Isabel Coixet, one of Spain’s most internationally acclaimed directors. She will be offering a portrait of the artist’s creative process and his production of the works to be displayed in the Museum’s Jerónimos Building.

Filming will take place in New York where Cai Guo-Qiang lives and has his studio, on Long Island and in Madrid during his residency in the Hall of Realms, as well as in Valencia and Toledo.

The documentary, filmed in 4K, will introduce visitors to the exhibition to Cai Guo-Qiang’s creative process through the personal gaze of one of Spain’s most internationally acclaimed directors.

October 25, 2017 to March 4, 2018

Cai Guo-Qiang, Last Carnival, 2017. Gunpowder on canvas, 280 x 750 cm. Photo by Yvonne Zhao, courtesy Cai Studio.

Cai Guo-Qiang, Detail of Last Carnival, 2017. Gunpowder on canvas, 280 x 750 cm. Photo by Lydia Ohl, courtesy Cai Studio.

Cai Guo-Qiang, Mountain in Heat, 2016. Gunpowder on canvas, 239 x 450 cm. Photo by Yvonne Zhao, courtesy Cai Studio.

Cai Guo-Qiang, Palmyra, 2017. Gunpowder on canvas, 240 x 450 cm. Photo by Wen-You Cai, courtesy Cai Studio.

Image of the exhibition galleries “The Spirit of Painting. Cai Guo-Qiang at the Prado”. Photo by Wen-You Cai, courtesy Cai Studio.

Ignition of gunpowder painting at the Salón de Reinos (Hall of Realms) Madrid, 2017. © Museo Nacional del Prado.

Cai Guo-Qiang in front of his work Day and Night in Toledo, Madrid, 2017. © Museo Nacional del Prado

Lot 160. A bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, you, Late Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC). 13 in (33 cm) high. Estimate 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 105,600 - USD 158,400). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017.

Michael Michaels (Born: Magdeburg, Germany 1907 - Died: London, England 1986)

In 1933, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, Michael Michaels fled to Britain as a penniless refugee. His first job was working in a raincoat factory owned by the Hammerson family, who recognised his determination to improve himself. With the help of his wife Charlotte, who he met in London, he set up a tent and camping goods company. Its success derived from his energy, resourcefulness and determination.

Once established financially, he was able to devote his time and intellectual energy to expanding his horizons. He was fascinated by antiquities of all cultures, especially how people with limited access to materials and technology could fashion beautiful pieces. He travelled widely in Europe and Israel seeking out great museums and important sites. It was only in the late 1960s that serendipitously he encountered archaic Chinese bronzes. He fell in love with their shapes, patina and historical background.

He immersed himself in learning about archaic Chinese bronzes with the same determination that had led him to commercial success. Michael Michaels became a self-taught expert with an eye for the authentic and beautiful. He spent hours in the British Museum, learning from Jessica Rawson and others; gaining an understanding of the nature of the pieces, the symbolism, the method of their manufacture, their uses and how to differentiate between seemingly similar artefacts. He was so grateful to the British Museum for their assistance that he donated to the museum an important late Shang Dynasty fang yi, from his collection. As other collectors heard about Michael’s collection and wide knowledge, he was increasingly asked for advice, which gave him much pleasure. Later, he visited the great collections in New York and San Francisco to learn more. Sadly, he never visited China. 

He felt that each item he bought needed to ‘speak’ to him. He loved the idea that these beautiful pieces were so treasured by their owners that they were buried with them. Each item needed to have beauty and symmetry, but also a back story to which he could relate. He understood that China had given the world so much beauty and innovation, and would one day again astonish the world.

His wife Charlotte is now 100, and she and her family recognise that the time has come for these beautiful objects to find new homes in which they can be appreciated and loved.

 Lot 156. A bronze ritual wine vessel, jue, Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC). 8⅜ in (21.3 cm) high. Estimate: GBP 10,000-GBP 20,000 (USD 13,200 - USD 26,400). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The body is cast with an intricate band comprising two stylised taotie masks, one divided to the centre with a vertical flange, the other with a pictogram cast beneath the curved handle surmounted by a buffalo head. A three-character inscription reading ran fu gui is cast under the handle. The surface is of a greyish-green tone with areas of malachite encrustations. The body is cast with an intricate band comprising two stylised taotiemasks, one divided to the centre with a vertical flange, the other with a pictogram cast beneath the curved handle surmounted by a buffalo head. A three-character inscription reading ran fu gui is cast under the handle. The surface is of a greyish-green tone with areas of malachite encrustations.

Provenance: The Property of Richard C. Farish, Esq.
Sotheby's London, 6 April 1976, lot 3.
The Michael Michaels Collection of Early Chinese Art.

Note: The three-character inscription beneath the handle ran fu gui may be read 'dedicated to Father Gui of the Ran clan'.

Compare the current piece to a jue with a similar format of inscription beneath the handle reading shi fu gui, which may be read as a dedication to 'Father Gui', preceded by the character shi for 'scribe', sold at Christie's London, 10 November 2015, lot 18.

The prominent spout, whorl capped posts, flared tail and long tripod legs make the jue one of the more striking vessels of the Shang dynasty ritual bronze assembly. The current jue showcases the highest mastery of ancient bronze casting technology, in a unique amalgamation of aesthetic ornamentation and ritualistic function. Used by Shang Kings in wine ceremonies linking them with the ancestral spirits, the unique silhouette of the jue wholly befits this original ritual use, and consequently became a marker of status when interred as a burial good in the graves of nobility. 

As one of the oldest vessel forms, jue were used and continually adapted over several centuries, enjoying a relatively long period of popularity. In the earliest forms of Chinese writing, the character for jue in oracle bone inscriptions depict the long legs, spout and upright posts of the two present jue, suggesting a distinct vessel form and function from very early on (as discussed by E. Childs-Johnson in The Jue and its Ceremonial Use in the Ancestor Cult of China, Artibus Asiae, vol. 48, No. 3/4, 1987).  

Smaller flat-bottomed pottery jue preceded the development of bronze forms, emerging during the Late Neolithic at sites such as Beiyinyangying, Jiangsu. (Zhongguo Kexueyuan Kaogu yanjiusuo, Xin Zhongguo Kaogu de Shouhuo, Beijing, 1962). The earliest primitive bronze jue date from the pre-Shang Erlitou period, with thin short legs, a dainty narrow spout and bulbous ‘waist’ to the body, with these design features continuing into early Shang (see the Panlongcheng Shang Dynasty Erligang period Bronzes in Hubei Provincial Museum, Panlongcheng Shangdai Erligang qingtongqi, Wenwu 1976.2; pp.26-43, picture no. 5). Over time, certain features became more pronounced, with longer legs and taller rim posts, perhaps to better fulfil its role during libation rituals. The exact way in which jue were used, leading to such a distinctive silhouette has been a point of continued scholarly discussion. 

A corpus of over twenty different types of wine vessel in use during the Shang period attests to the importance of these libation ceremonies conducted by the rulers. Ritual preparation and drinking of wine would link the kings to the spirits of their ancestors, and symbolise both their power and legitimacy to rule with the mandate of Heaven.  

The traditional ascription of the jue as a libation cup is somewhat problematic, with scholars early on recognising the curious rim posts and long spout would do more to impede drinking than to aid it. The eminent Li Ji, one of the ‘fore-fathers’ of Chinese archaeology, based his research on excavated jue from the Shang ruins at Yinxu, concluding the jue was designed for pouring wine, perhaps from a large storage jar in to a smaller vessel for drinking, and was used in tandem with flared vessels, gu (Li Ji, Studies of the Bronze Jue Cup, Nangang, Taiwan, Archaeologia Sinica, 1966, n.s 2). However, the long legs and peculiar capped posts at the rim hint at a yet more specific use. Current scholarly opinion suggests that the splayed legs of the jue allow for stable positioning over hot coals in order to heat the wine during libation rituals. The two upright posts at the rim may have been used in tandem with the long tail when tipping the hot vessel for pouring wine using “their overhanging caps, which could be caught and pulled up by leather thongs”, (Childs-Johnson, ibid, p.174).  

The present jue represents typical late-Shang form, with a deep U-shaped spout, long tail and round-bottomed body. With the progression of time, the vertical posts became taller, placed further back from the spout along the rim. 

Lot 157. A bronze halberd blade, Ge, Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC). 10 ½ in. (26.7 cm.) long. Estimate: GBP 6,000-GBP 8,000 (7,920 - USD 10,560). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The curved butt is crisply cast on each side with a stylised scroll design, and the nei is pierced with a single hafting hole. The tapered blade is heavily encrusted. 

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 19 October 1965, lot 38.
Sotheby's London, 14 November 1972, lot 224.
The Michael Michaels Collection of Early Chinese Art.

Note: See a ge-halberd blade with similarly shaped and decorated butt from the Harris Collection of important early Chinese art, sold at Christie's New York, 16 March 2017, lot 809.

The slender vessel is cast to the mid-section and lower body with taotiemasks on a dense leiwen ground, separated by scored vertical flanges. The upper section is decorated with four stylised cicada blades rising upwards towards the flaring neck. The surface is of a pale greyish-green tone with milky-green malachite encrustations. 

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 8-9 July 1974, lot 3.
Sotheby's London, 8 July 1975, lot 10.
The Michael Michaels Collection of Early Chinese Art.

Lot 159. A bronze chariot shaft, Western Zhou dynasty (11th-10th century BC). 5 ½ in. (14 cm.) wide. Estimate: GBP 4,000 - GBP 6,000 (USD 5,280 - USD 7,920) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017.

The fitting is cast with a central taotie mask and stylised scrolls. The surface has a dark brownish-black patina with mottled malachite encrustations.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 15 July 1980, lot 186.
The Michael Michaels Collection of Early Chinese Art.

Note: Compare the current lot to a chariot fitting of similar form and decoration, also dated to the late 11th-early 10th century BC, illustrated by William Watson in Ancient Chinese Bronzes, London, 1977, pl. 34b.

Lot 160. A bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, you, Late Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC). 13 in (33 cm) high. Estimate 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 105,600 - USD 158,400). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017.

The vessel is cast to each side with a large taotie mask. The shoulder and foot are decorated with bands of stylised kuidragons, with a central animal mask to the lower shoulder. Each side is applied with a loop for attachment to the later swing handle. There is a single graph to the interior of the base and cover. 

Provenance: The Collection of Mr Carl Morse.
Sotheby’s London, 14 November 1972, lot 227.
The Michael Michaels Collection of Early Chinese Art.

Literature: Wang Tao and Liu Yu, A Selection of Early Chinese Bronzes with Inscriptions from Sotheby’s and Christie’s Sales, Shanghai, 2007, no. 115.

Note: The stout oval-bodied you, an important wine vessel for religious rituals in the late Shang Dynasty, did not appear until the first century of the Anyang period (1300-1028 BC). The sophisticated decorative style found on the current vessel, with its captivating taotie masks and its well-proportioned shape, place it in the mid to late Anyang period. This particular vessel is notable for the single-graph inscription to the base, referring to a clan name. 

Francis Bacon, Three Studies of George Dyer. Oil on canvas, in three parts. Estimate $35/45 million© 2017 Estate of Francis Bacon / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY.

NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction on 16 November 2017 will be led by Francis Bacon’s Three Studies of George Dyer, a rare triptych that shows the artist at the height of his power. George Dyer was a singular figure in Bacon’s work appearing in over forty paintings, with as many created following his death as during his lifetime. However, triptychs of Dyer in this intimate scale are exceptionally rare. The present work was exhibited shortly after its execution and has not been seen publically since. It comes to auction for the first time this November and is expected to fetch $35/45 million. 

Grégoire Billault, Head of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s New York noted: “George Dyer triptychs hold a particularly important place in Francis Bacon’s oeuvre, none more so than Three Studies of George Dyer from 1966. Seeing it for the first time ever a few months ago, I was simply amazed.” 

Bacon drew on the famous photographs of Dyer taken by John Deakin – which were later found ripped, torn and paint splattered among the debris in his studio – to create the heavily distorted portraits using his unique visual vocabulary. The dramatic gestural swaths of luminous color are framed by a dramatic background of dense black to masterfully illustrate Bacon’s twisted, torqued and scraped handling of paint, creating a portrayal that encompasses the full range of his and Dyer’s tempestuous and passionate love. 

According to popular myth, Bacon famously first encountered Dyer breaking into his home one night in 1963. The two fell deeply in love, and from that moment on Dyer featured large both in Bacon’s life and art. Although he would continue to paint Dyer’s likeness after his suicide in 1971, the artist never again returned to a portrayal in this highly charged and intimate format. Three Studies of George Dyer from 1966 is one of only five triptychs of Dyer in this intimate format that Bacon reserved for what are widely regarded as the most profoundly personal and intense portraits of the 20th century. Of those five, two are in museum collections: the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Louisiana Museum of Art, Humlebæk.

 A Rare and Fine Fancy Intense Green Diamond and Diamond Ring of 5.62 carats. Estimate: HKD 22,000,000 - 26,000,000. Image courtesy Phillips.

HONG KONG.- Phillips announced highlights from the Jewels and Jadeite auction this Fall, including the star lot of the sale – a rare intense green diamond. An exceptional collection of green stones is further highlighted by important Colombian emeralds and fine jadeites, offered alongside an array of Burmese rubies, precious gemstones, coloured and colourless diamonds of impeccable quality, as well as iconic pieces of signed vintage and period jewellery. With such a broad array of offerings this season, these are jewels that will appeal to seasoned collectors and influential tastemakers alike. Featuring over 140 lots, the sale is expected to realise in excess of HKD 160 million and will be held on the 27 November 2017 at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. 

Terry Chu, Head of Jewellery, Phillips Asia: “We are incredibly proud to lead the Fall season at Phillips with a rare and important fancy intense green diamond of 5.62 carats. This significant gemstone is an exceptional geological formation prized for its rich, uniform and saturated green body colour, as well as its remarkable size. Over the course of history, only a small number of green diamonds have been unearthed or documented and, as a result, the gem remains elusive from the public eye. In the past decade, increased scholarship, awareness and a rising demand for extraordinarily coloured diamonds have prompted the green diamond’s ascension in popularity. We are confident that this green diamond will have vast appeal to international collectors and are delighted to offer this notable discovery in our auction.” 

Celebrating the Verdant Stones of Nature 
Headlining the sale is the cushion-shaped Fancy Intense Green Diamond of 5.62 carats (estimate: HKD 22,000,000 - 26,000,000). While most diamonds with a pure green hue barely exceed 2 carats and often have lower clarity grading, the present diamond weighs close to 6 carats and has a VS clarity. It is a truly exceptional jewel worthy of any gem connoisseur’s acclaim.  

The sale also presents an ensemble of emeralds, one of the three major precious gemstones treasured around the world which has been mined from at least 330 BC. To date, the most prized and valued emeralds have originated from Colombia, as the stones exhibit highly desirable colour and clarity. On offer is a very rare and impressive no-oil Colombian Emerald and Diamond Ring of 19.90 carats, possessing the hallmarks of a stone from its origin, it showcases an even and saturated bluish-green colour (estimate: HKD 9,000,000 – 12,000,000). Weighing an astonishing 19.90 carats, the emerald is spared of clarity enhancement whilst boasting excellent natural clarity. The mesmerising hues of green possess shared symbolism across many different cultures, as a signifier of peace, vitality and hope.  

A Very Rare and Fine no-oil Colombian Emerald and Diamond Ring of 19.90 carats. Estimate: HKD 9,000,000 – 12,000,000. Image courtesy Phillips.

Across Greater China the green glow of jadeite has long been treasured, as it is believed to generate positive energy, with the stone continuing as a mainstay of major collections in modern times. Leading this category is a very fine Jadeite Bangle (estimate: HKD 13,500,000 - 17,000,0000) of excellent proportions, carved with great balance from the highest quality boulder, and with an attractive emerald green colour throughout. Also on offer is an impressive Pair of Jadeite 'Double-Gourd' and Diamond Earrings (estimate: HKD 4,500,000 - 5,500,000), each mounted with a stunning carved jadeite gourd, known as hulu in Chinese, the form is considered a highly auspicious and spiritual object. Despite this traditional motif, the minimalistic design affords a bold contemporary finish, whilst also allowing one to transform each hulu into a pendant. As high-quality jadeite boulders become increasingly scarce, natural jadeite jewellery, particularly that of traditional forms, such as jadeite cabochons and bangles, remain highly desirable to Asian buyers and can be collected as a treasured heirloom to pass down through generations.  

Impressive Pair of Jadeite 'Double-Gourd' and Diamond Earrings. Estimate: HKD 4,500,000 - 5,500,000. Image courtesy Phillips.

A Fine Jadeite Cabochon and Diamond Necklace. Image courtesy Phillips.

Rubies from Burma 
Collectors have unanimously hailed rubies mined from the Mogok Valley in Myanmar as the best exemplars of the crimson stone. Often possessing intense colour saturation, vitality and devoid of natural inclusions, unheated Burmese ‘pigeon’s blood’ rubies are highly sought after in the international auction market. Jewels and Jadeite features an important group of refined ruby jewellery, including wearable contemporary pieces of enigmatic design and crafted from exceptional stones.  

An Exceptional Ruby and Diamond Necklace. Image courtesy Phillips.

A Fine and Exceptional Ruby and Diamond Bracelet. Image courtesy Phillips.

Vintage and Period Jewellery from across the Ages 
As tastes continue to evolve, the collection of vintage jewellery is on the rise across the region and Phillips is delighted to offer a stellar selection this season. Included in the sale is a mid-19th century Antique Diamond Tiara retailed by Garrard & Co. Ltd (estimate: HKD 320,000 - 380,000). Versatile in its construction, the delicate floral garland can also be worn as three separate brooches. As jewellery designed and created during the Art Deco period continues to have great appeal, there are superlative examples from this influential period by the house of Cartier, including an Art Deco Diamond Double-clip Brooch, Cartier London, circa 1930 (estimate: HKD 120,000 - 160,000). A further highlight is an Art Deco Diamond and Sapphire Bracelet, circa 1925, with each link set with a series of marquise-shaped diamonds, it is emblematic of the exquisite craftsmanship of the period. The fine setting also allows the piece to bend with a softness that matches the elegance of an Art Deco jewel (estimate: HKD 680,000 - 880,000).  

CARTIER. An Art Deco Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet, Cartier, circa 1925 & An Art Deco Diamond Double-clip Brooch, Cartier London, circa 1930. Estimate: HKD 120,000 - 160,000. Image courtesy Phillips.

Coloured Diamonds 
In addition to the star lot, the sale also presents “The Golden Drop”, an internally flawless Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond and Diamond Ring of 8.09 carats (estimate: HKD 5,500,000 - 6,300,000). This arresting diamond displays a rich golden yellow colour, often described as ‘Zimmi’ in the trade. The name is derived from the Zimmi mines located in Sierra Leone of Africa, a region that is renowned for producing the world’s best yellow diamonds. The rarity and quality of these stones have been substantiated by research, stating that stones of ‘Zimmi Yellow’ make up only 0.1% of all natural diamonds. In addition to the captivating colour, this pear-shaped diamond also exhibits a wellproportioned outline rarely seen in fancy diamonds of this size. In the elite world of gems, “The Golden Drop” will have great appeal to collectors around the world.

The Golden Drop - A Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond and Diamond Ring of 8.09 carats. Estimate: HKD 5,500,000 - 6,300,000. Image courtesy Phillips.

A Fancy Intense Blue Diamond Ring & A Fancy Intense Pink Diamond Ring. Image courtesy Phillips.

A Pair of Sapphire and Diamond Pendent Earrings. Image courtesy Phillips.

Lot 173. A rare rhinoceros horn raft libation cup, 17th Century. Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 USD. Lot sold 132,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

finely carved as Zhang Qian in a log raft seated confidently on a raised perch naturally formed by the gap between two gnarled upright branches, dressed in loose robes and a small cap, his softly modeled face with a long wispy beard, his left arm casually resting on a branch, the well hollowed craft tapering to the elongated knotty prow, the underside carved in low relief with an eddying whirlpool, the well-polished translucent horn of warm amber tone; 8 1/4 in., 21 cm

Note: This piece belongs to a small group of rhinoceros horn raft cups depicting the Han Dynasty statesman Zhang Qian, who according to legend, on one of his journeys succeeded in discovering the source of the Yangzi River and in another legend discovered the source of the Milky Way. 

The horn is carved using the side of the horn as it is oriented horizontally.  It is believed that these were actually used as wine containers rather than cups because of the small opening at the tip of the prow.  According to Jan Chapman, the most common type of horn is the Indian rhinoceros.  For a detailed discussion on the preparation and carving of these raft horns, see Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pp.77-81.

Lot175. A carved rhinoceros horn libation cup, Qing Dynasty, 17th-18th Century. Estimate 7,000 — 9,000 USD. Lot sold 22,800 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the tapered cup finely carved on the exterior with a scholar seated on a rock beneath a tree next to a flowing stream, his attendant appearing from behind another tree carrying a ruyi sceptre, all beneath wispy clouds and a flying crane at the rim, the handle formed by the trunks of two trees growing from a rocky cliff and overhanging into the interior, the horn of a warm amber tone (zitan stand); length 5 in., 12.7 cm.

Note: The treatment of the horn is similar to one in the Thomas Fok Collection , illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, 1999, no. 154, where treatment of the trees and the clouds along the rim are quite similar. 

Lot 176. A carved rhinoceros horn libation cup, Qing Dynasty, 18th century. Estimate 7,000 — 10,000 USD. Lot sold 22,800 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the tapered horn flaring at the mouth, carved in high-relief on the exterior with mallow flowers, grapes on a vine and magnolia, each with intertwining stems forming the openwork foot, the horn of deep chestnut tone, (stand). Quantité: 2 - 6 1/2 in., 16.5 cm

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 179. A pair of large rhinoceros horn carvings, Qing Dynasty, 19th century. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 USD. Lot sold 30,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

each conforming to the shape of the horn, densely carved with lotus flowers and stalks intertwining to form the openwork stem, the base of the horn carved in the form of a cupped lotus leaf, the horn of golden honey color darkening at the tip, (2 carved wooden stands); length 22 1/2 in., 57 cm.

Provenance: Robert Leroy Ripley of "Ripley's Believe It or Not," New York City, acquired 1938.
Earl Hodge, St. Augustine, Florida.
Muriel Hodge Manchester, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, acquired 1963.
The present owner, Denver, Colorado, acquired 1983.

Note: According to Jan Chapman in The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London., 1999, p. 73, these 'full-tip cup' decorated horns were primarily made in Canton for export to the West in the late 19th century.  Compare a smaller pair sold at Sotheby's London, 13th November 2002, lot 13. 

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 5. A Longquan celadon-glazed tripod censer, Song dynasty (960-1279). 4 ¼ in. (10.8 cm.) diam. Estimate GBP 10,000 - GBP 15,000 (USD 13,110 - USD 19,665). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The censer is modelled with a short neck leading to a flattened rim, the globular body is decorated with three raised flanges which lead down the tapered legs. The censer is covered overall with a soft celadon glaze which thins at the raised decoration and stops slightly above the feet.

Provenance: Previously in a private Japanese collection.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

Lot 6. A Longquan celadon-glazed barbed rim bowl, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century. 11 5/8 in. (29.5 cm.) diam. Estimate GBP 5,000 - GBP 8,000 (USD 6,555 - USD 10,488). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The heavily potted bowl is decorated to the interior with a carved roundel enclosing a leafy lotus spray. The interior and exterior of the moulded ribbed walls are carved with upright lotus sprays. The bowl is covered overall with a rich celadon-green glaze save for an unglazed ring to the base which has fired orange.

Note: Compare a similar bowl carved with lotus sprays on the interior and exterior included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Government Exhibits for the International Exhibition of Chinese Art London, vol. II, Shanghai, 1948, p. 100, and another bowl in the Topkapi Saray Museum with fruit and flower sprays on the interior and lotus sprays on the exterior illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. I, 1986, p. 360, no. 493.

A small number of bowls similar to the present lot have been sold at Christie's Hong Kong, including on: 30 May 2005, lot 1445; 30 May 2006, lot 1337; and 30 November 2011, lot 3019.  

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

Lot 8. A large Longquan celadon-glazed carved dish Ming dynasty, 15th century. 17 1/8. in. (43.5 cm.) diam. Estimate GBP 5,000 - GBP 7,000 (USD 6,555 - USD 9,177). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The heavily potted dish is carved to the centre with a design of stylised flowerheads and sprays. The body is covered overall in a rich even green glaze. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

Lot 9. A Longquan celadon-glazed  'Dragon' funerary urn and cover, Song dynasty (960-1127). 11 ¼ in. (28.5 cm.) high. Estimate GBP 8,000 - GBP 12,000 (USD 10,488 - USD 15,732). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The exterior of the vessel is moulded and incised with overlapping stylised lotus petals below a moulded dragon chasing a small dog and a bird to the neck and shoulder. The cover is decorated by four vertical rows of curled flanges surmounted by a bird finial. Both the jar and cover are covered in a rich olive-green glaze.

Provenance: With Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London.
Sotheby's London, 10 November 2004, lot 537.
From the collection of a private European collector. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

Lot 10. A rare Longquan celadon-glazed carved and moulded pomegranate-form vase, shiliu zun, Early Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century. 14 in. (35.5 cm.) high. Estimate GBP 15,000 - GBP 20,000 (USD 19,665 - USD 26,220). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The vase is decorated to the body with four alternating panels enclosing lychee branches and lotus blooms above a lappet band at the base. The shoulder is carved with a band of circular blooms, and the ribbed neck is carved with a lotus scroll beneath a band of stiff leaves. The wide flaring rim is carved with a chevron band and applied with a row of bosses. .

Provenance: Christie's London, 12 May 2009, lot 154.

Note: This is from a rare group of Longquan vases which are inspired by contemporaneous metal ware. A very similar vase is in the The Palace Museum in Beijing and is illustrated in Ceramics Galleries of the Palace Museum, Part II, Beijing, 2008, p. 373, pl. 290. A smaller vase without the moulded decoration, is in the British Museum, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall in Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p. 474, pl.16:33 where the author states that Tibetan brass and copper ewers may have inspired the unusual roll-up mouth with bosses as seen on the current lot.  

Longquan celadon-glazed pomegranate-form vase, shiliu zun, Ming Dynasty, Collection of The National Palace Museum.

Compare also to three other examples decorated with panels similar to the present lot. The first is illustrated in Ye Peilan, Yuandai ciqi, Beijing, 1998, p. 259, pl. 446 and in Sekai Toji Zenshu, Shogakukan Series, vol. 13, Japan, 1981, p. 181, pl. 150. The other two are in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and illustrated in Green-Longquan Celadon of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 2009, pp. 148-151, pls. 75 and 76.

Celadon Zun Vessel in the Style of Pomegranate, Longquan Ware, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). © The Palace Museum, Taipei. 

Another example with a carved rather than moulded primary decorative band was sold on two occasions, the first at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1472, and most recently at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3009 from the Roger Belanich Collection of Longquan Celadon Ceramics.

An important and extremely rare Longquan celadon pomegranate-form vase, shiliu zun, Ming dynasty, 14th-early 15th century, from the Roger Belanich Collection of Longquan Celadon Ceramics. 14 ¼ in. (36 cm.) high. Sold for 3,900,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3009. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Cf. my post: The Roger Belanich Collection of Longquan Celadon Ceramics at Christie's Hong Kong 31 May 2017

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

Lot 11. A Longquan celadon-glazed 'Dragon' dish, Early Ming dynasty, 14th century. 14 in. (35.5 cm.) diam. Estimate GBP 3,000 - GBP 5,000 (USD 3,933 - USD 6,555). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The dish is decorated to the centre with a moulded appliqué dragon chasing the flaming pearl surrounded by a carved stylised foliage band at the cavetto. The moulded fluted exterior is carved with a lotus petal band. The dish is covered overall with a sea-green glaze which highlights the raised and carved design, the base has an unglazed ring which has fired orange.

Note: Compare to a charger with the same motif and facing in the opposite direction in the British Museum, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics: The World’s Great Collection, vol. 5, Tokyo, 1981, no. 132; and another in the collection of the Topkapi Saray Museum, illustrated by Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, vol. 1, Istanbul, p. 256, no. 62. 

Dragon Dish, Yuan-Ming dynasty, 13thC-14th century. Moulded and celadon glazed ceramic, porcelain. Green ware. Diameter: 14.5 inches. Bequeathed by Henry Blackwall Harris , 1929,0722.5 © The Trustees of the British Museum

Chargers similar to the current lot have been sold at auction, including a slightly smaller (35.7 cm.) one with a dragon facing the opposite direction sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3005, and a slightly larger dish (36.4 cm.) at Christie's South Kensington, 4 November 2014, lot 237.

A rare carved and moulded ‘dragon’ charger, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), from the Roger Belanich Collection of Longquan Celadon Ceramics. 13 ¾ in. (35.7 cm). Sold for 475,000 HKD at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3009. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Cf. my post: The Roger Belanich Collection of Longquan Celadon Ceramics at Christie's Hong Kong 31 May 2017

A Longquan celadon ‘Dragon’ dish, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). 14 3/8 in. (36.4 cm.) diam. Sold for £43,750 ($69,913) at Christie's South Kensington, 4 November 2014, lot 237. © Christie's Images Ltd 2014

Cf. my post: A Longquan celadon ‘Dragon’ dish, Ming dynasty (1368-1644) 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

Lot 12. A large and carved moulded Longquan celadon-glazed barbed-rim dish, Early Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century. 19 ¾. in. (50.2. cm.) diam. Estimate GBP 4,000 - GBP 6,000 (USD 5,244 - USD 7,866). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

This heavy potted dish is moulded with shallow ribbed sides imitating open petals and is incised to the interior with a stylised diaper ground. Each side of the well is carved with lotus blossoms and scrolling sprays. The glaze is of a rich translucent tone.

Provenance: Important European Private Collection.

Lot 13. A rare celadon-glazed oviform 'trumpet-neck' vase, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century. 15 ¾. in. (40 cm.) high. Estimate GBP 4,000 - GBP 6,000 (USD 5,244 - USD 7,866). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The slender ovoid body is decorated with an incised geometric pattern above a band of narrow petals to the foot. The vase is covered overall with a fine crackled glaze in soft sea-green tone.

Provenance: Important European Private Collection.

Lot 167. A fine silvered bronze mirror, Sui-Tang Dynasty (581-907). 4 in., 9.8 cm. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 USD. Lot sold 13,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the circular mirror crisply cast around a domed knob in the central well with four running animals including a ram, and three senmurv-like animals, perhaps a boar, fox and mythical beast, enclosed by a raised ridge and further encircled by a foliate palmette scroll beneath the raised rim, the surface of a bright silver patina.

Note: The ram on this mirror is particularly well modeled.  For an identical mirror in the Donald H. Graham Jr. Collection, see Bronze Mirrors from Ancient China, 1994, no. 71. 

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 168. A rare 'open-leg' silvered bronze mirror, Tang Dynasty (618-907). 6 1/4 in., 15.9 cm. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 USD. Lot sold 31,200 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the octafoil mirror cast with a pair of phoenix, a galloping horse and a running wolf, each animal with one hind leg cast in openwork with space underneath the leg, all centered with a bear forming the knob and enclosed by a foliate scroll on the rim.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 12th June 1990, lot 21.

Note: Mirrors with openwork detail are relatively rare.  Compare three illustrated in Zhonggui Qingtong qi quan ji,  Beijing, 1998, vol. 16, nos. 125-128.  Each one of these is on a circle-punch ground with an inlaid silver sheet. A related mirror, with flower sprays between the animals, but with a plain circular knob and with a different decoration round the rim, excavated at Yichuan, Henan province and now in the collection of Yinchuan Cultural House, was included in the exhibition Yellow River Civilization, Tokyo, 1986, cat.no. 120.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 172. An inscribed Silvered Bronze Mirror, Sui-Tang Dynasty (581-907). 6 1/2 in., 16.5 cm. Estimate 7,000 — 10,000 USD. Lot sold 8,400 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the center set with a knob surrounded by six baoxiang hua floral roundels, further divided by six candelabra-shaped elements, enclosed on the outer border by an inscription written in regular script.

Note: Similar mirrors are illustrated in Circles of Reflection of Chinese Mirrors, The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2000, pl. 57, where the inscription is discussed; another illustrated Cheng Congwen, ed., Bronze Mirrors of the Tang Dynasties, Beijing, 1958, pl. 9; and a third in Bronze Mirrors From Ancient China: The Donald H. Graham Jr. Collection, 1994, fig. 53a.  Also compare one from the Vanotti Collection illustrated in Eskenazi, Catalogue,  June 1989, no. 34. 

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005