Lot 2751. A magnificent blue and white moonflask, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795); 23 ¼ in. (59 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 60,000,000 - HKD 80,000,000. Price realised HKD 69,850,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

The circular body of oval section is raised on a splayed base and surmounted by a waisted neck flanked by bat-form handles holding lingzhi in their mouths, each side is finely painted in varying shades of bright cobalt blue with a farmer cultivating a field with a buffalo below paulownia trees, the short sides painted with scrolling peonies, and stylised shou characters suspending musical chimes, the base and the rim with a band of ruyi heads, box.

Provenance: Edward T. Chow Collection, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 3-4 May 1994, lot 172
An Asian private collection
Dragon & Phoenix – 800 Years of Patronage, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 November 2004, lot 902.

Exhibited: Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, One Man's Taste, Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, 1988-1989, Catalogue, no. C15

Bountiful Harvest – A Magnificent Qianlong MoonFlask
Rosemary Scott, Senior International Academic Consultant Asian Art, Asian Art

This large, rare and magnificent flask is skilfully painted in rich underglaze cobalt blue with a large circular panel containing an agricultural scene on each side surrounded by a formal peony scroll. On either side of the neck are bat-shaped handles each one holding a lingzhi fungus of immortality in its mouth. Painted front and back of the neck are two more bats. All the bats – both painted and as handles - are depicted upside-down. Since bats are a symbol of happiness and the word for upside-down is a rebus for ‘arrive’, these bats symbolise the arrival of happiness. On either side of the flask, below the handle, is painted a lotus flower from which is suspended a complex hanging which appears to combine the Swastika symbol 卍 representing wan (ten thousand) and the character shou (longevity) – suggesting ten thousand years of long life. Below that is a suspended qing chiming stone, which is a rebus for qing celebration and jiqing auspicious happiness. The major decorative panel on either side of this moonflask does not merely represent an attractive bucolic scene of a peasant tilling his fields, which might appeal to a Chinese literatus dreaming fondly of a simple life away from the exigencies of official duties. It has much more important symbolism. 

The immediate inspiration for the scenes on either side the flask is the famous 1696 imperial publicationYuzhi Gengzhi tu, sometimes known as the Peiwen zhai Gengzhi tu. In English this is usually known as‘Pictures of Tilling and Weaving’ or ‘Pictures of Agriculture and Sericulture’ and contained 23 illustrations of agriculture and 23 illustrations of sericulture, each accompanied by the Kangxi Emperor’s seven-character quatrains. A copy of this 1696 publication was sold by Christie’s London on 14 May 2013, lot 97 (fig. 1)in the sale of The Hanshan Tang Reserve Collection. The original version of the Gengzhi tu was written by the Southern Song scholar Lou Shou (1090-1163), whose courtesy name was Lou Shouyu or Lou Guoqi. He came from Yinxian in the prefecture of Mingzhou (modern Ningbo) and took up the post of magistrate ( ling) of Qianxian. He had considerable respect for the peasants and compiled a book illustrating details of their activities. The two juan book was eventually completed in 1132 and was submitted to Emperor Gaozong (r. 1127-1162), who welcomed it as another way to promote productive agriculture. The transmitted version of the Song dynasty Gengzhi tu consists of 21 images of agriculture and 24 pictures of sericulture accompanied by 45 five-syllable descriptive poems. This book not only described the technical processes involved with agriculture and sericulture, but also provided details of many of the implements involved. The first printed edition was eventually published around 1237 by Lou Shou’s grandsons Lou Hong and Lou Shen. Further publications of the Gengzhi tu by other authors, such as Liu Songnian in the Southern Song period and various authors in the Yuan and Ming dynasties largely copied Lou Shou’s original work. 

fig.1. Jiao, B. Yuzhi Gengzhi Tu -- Imperially Commissioned Illustrations of Tilling and Weaving. Beijing: 1696. 2° (383 x 291mm). Woodblock printed calligraphic preface and 46 full page woodblock illustrations mounted in an accordion-style album. Text in Chinese. Original brocade-covered boards (extremities rubbed). Sold for 37,500 GBP at Christie’s London, 14 May 2013, lot 97. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013 

In the Qing dynasty the Kangxi Emperor ordered the court painter Jiao Bingzhen (active c. 1680-1720) to revise the Gengzhi tu and to produce a fine dianben (palace edition) which could be distributed throughout the empire. Jiao, whose work shows the influence of the European Jesuit missionaries at the Chinese court, created exceptional images, which feature aspects of linear perspective. The finest woodblock cutter of the day, Zhu Gui (c. 1644-1717) was commissioned to cut the blocks from which the publication was printed. It is implied that the seven-character quatrains above each illustration were composed by the emperor, but some at least were probably composed by the scholars at the court, although the text is designed in imitation of the emperor’s own calligraphy. There are two versions of the 1696 edition, apparently printed from different blocks, one of which has the seals on the illustration pages in black and the other with the seals in red. Both versions have red seals appended to the preface. While the Kangxi Yuzhi Gengzhi tu remained and still remains the best-known version of this publication, further versions were produced during the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. In the Qianlong version, the illustrations were revised by the painter Jiang Pu. It has been suggested that this was a single copy which was stored in the Guijishan Tang Library of the Yuanming yuan, but that in 1769 the Qianlong Emperor added his own poems to this edition and thereafter it was stored in the Jiaxuan hall.

The significance of the Gengzhi tu to the imperial family in the 18th century can be seen not only in the fact that the Qianlong Emperor composed new poems for the 1769 edition published in his reign, but that in the Yongzheng reign a 52 leaf album was produced in colour on silk in which portraits of the Yongzheng Emperor were inserted in each illustration performing one of the tasks undertaken by one of the peasants in the Kangxi version – no matter how menial. This album is preserved in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, and is illustrated in Paintings by the Court Artists of the Qing Court, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 14, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 74- 90, with the illustration comparable to the image on the current flask being leaf number three, shown on page 76, lower left, entitled haonou.

These imperial depictions of agriculture and sericulture, which even included the emperor himself depicted working in the fields, serve as to illustrate of the importance of the success of these activities to China as a whole and the important role of the Emperor and Empress in ensuring bountiful harvests. As the Son of Heaven the emperor was an intermediary between Heaven and Earth, and was regarded as a significant participant in all cosmic activities. If he failed to conduct the proper rituals and sacrifices, he could be seen as responsible for disasters, such as poor harvests with their concomitant effects on the empire. A major ritual carried out by the emperor each year required that he personally ploughed the first furrow of the spring season – traditionally the second day of the second lunar month – and that the Empress should personally bring him sustenance after his exertions. An anonymous imperial hand scroll entitled The Emperor ploughing the first furrow, Qingeng tu in the collection of the Musee national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet in Paris, depicts the Yongzheng Emperor plough with a golden coloured water buffalo, while the princes and high officials wait to plough in their turn (exhibited in The Very Rich Hours of the Court of China 1662-1796 – Masterpieces from Qing imperial painting, Paris, 2006). This was a ritual which fascinated European visitors to China and there are many depictions of the Qianlong Emperor ploughing the first furrow, including the famous engraving of 1786 by Isidore Stanislas Helman (1743-1806). While the emperor conducted the rituals in respect of agriculture, the empress was responsible for ensuring the success of sericulture (silk production). On an auspicious day in spring the empress was required to conduct rituals at the Temple of the Goddess of Silk Leizu, who was believed to be an empress and wife to the legendary Yellow Emperor, and who is credited with discovering sericulture and inventing the silk loom. Amongst the rituals carried out by the Qing dynasty empress was the use of a golden hook to collect mulberry leaves to feed the silk worms, after which the other ladies would also collect leaves using hooks of different materials appropriate to their status.

The inspiration drawn from the Kangxi Yuzhi Gengzhi tu and its successors can be seen in a number of different media in the 18th century. A set of porcelain plaques mounted as a folding, four-volume book was produced in the Qianlong reign. These plaques, with paired images and text plaques, were beautifully decorated in grisaille enamel, except for the two seals on each of the text plaques, which were depicted in iron red. This ‘porcelain book’, from the former Qing court collection is illustrated in Poem and Porcelain: The Yu Zhi Shi Ceramics in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2016, no. 73. An image on one of the plaques shows a farmer standing on a tangba , harrow, drawn by a water buffalo, while another shows the farmer ploughing, both similar scenes to that seen in one of the images in the original Kangxi Yuzhi gengzhi tu, and also similar to the scenes on the current moonflask. An imperial album of paintings by Xu Yang illustrating Ten Imperial Poems on Agricultural Implements by Emperor Gaozong (reflecting the interest in farming implements evinced in the Southern Song version of the Gengzhi tu) also includes one depicting a farmer tilling his fields, in this case with a plough, which clearly also took inspiration from the Yuzhi gengzhi tu. This album leaf was included in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, exhibition Story of a Brand Name – The Collection and Packaging Aesthetics of Emperor Qianlong in the Eighteenth Century,Taipei, 2017, pp. 196-7, no. IV-14. Scenes from the Yuzhi gengzhi tu,including tilling scenes using both a plough and a harrow are depicted on a set of eight Qianlong imperial embroidered panels offered by Christie’s Hong Kong on 26 April, 2004, lot 356.

Large imperial flasks with the decoration seen on the current vessel are extremely rare, but would almost certainly have been commissioned by the emperor to celebrate a particular occasion. Two Qianlong flasks decorated in doucai technique with similar scenes have been published. One is in the Tianjin Municipal Museum, illustrated in Porcelain from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 176 (fig. 2), while the other is in the Roemer Museum, Hildesheim, illustrated by Ulrich Wiesner in Chinesisches Porzellan die Ohlmer’sche Sammlung im Roemer-Museum, Hildesheim, Mainz am Rhein, 1981, pl. 57. A very similar blue and white flask is in the collection of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (fig. 3), which, like the current flask, also bears a design based upon the illustrations of the Gengzhi tu – on one side depicting a farmer using a harrow and on the other side a farmer using a plough, both implements pulled by a water buffalo, as on the current flask. As all the other decoration appears to be the same on the two vessels, it is possible that they formed part of a specially commissioned set.

fig.2. A doucai moonflask, Qianlong reign, in the Collection of Tianjin Municipal Museum.

fig. 3. Flask with Scenes of Plowing, Qianlong period (1736-1795), porcelain with underglaze blue. H: 23 1/4 in. (59 cm). Acquired by Henry Walters, 1911, 49.2015 © The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.

Lot 2752. A fine and superb yangcai yellow-ground ‘boys’ vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark in iron red and of the period (1736-1795); 15 ¼ in. (38.8 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 50,000,000 - HKD 80,000,000. Price realised HKD 66,475,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

The ovoid body is exquisitely decorated in bright enamels with a continuous scene of the ‘Hundred Boys’ celebrating the Spring festival, the children depicted in animated groups performing a lion dance, playing with dragon and phoenix puppets, playing music from drums, cymbals and horn, lighting a firecracker and carrying auspicious emblems, the festivities set within two gardens separated by a flowing river and linked by bridges, all between a trefoil border at the shoulder and overlapping lappets around the base, above the floral band around the foot, the waisted neck enamelled with a stylised lotus scroll and upright lappets on a yellow sgraffito ground, flanked by a pair of gilt and iron-red dragon handles, with classic scrolls around the foot and mouth rims, stand, Japanese wood box.

Lot 2753. An exceptionally rare pair of gilt-decorated and enamelled vases, Qianlong moulded and gilt six-character seal marks and of the period (1736-1795); 4 in. (10.2 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 20,000,000 - HKD 30,000,000. Price realised HKD 24,100,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

Each small vase is in archaic hu form with a compressed globular body and applied on the tapering shoulder with a pair of upright loop handles. The main body is moulded with decorative bands highlighted in gilt against an apple-green enamel ground with stylised kui dragons above cicada blades that are connected by bejewelled tassels. The tapering shoulder with raised studs below overlapping plantain surrounding the lower cylindrical neck, and beneath linked trefoils below the beaded mouth rim. It is supported on a low splayed foot moulded with a key-fret band below overlapping petals encircling the base of the vessel, Japanese wood box.

Provenance: The Wah Kwong Collection
T.Y. Chao Private and Family Trust Collection, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong,
18 November 1986, lot 115
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2200.

Exhibited: The Art Gallery, Institute of Chinese Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ch’ing Porcelain from the Wah Kwong Collection, November 1973-February 1974, no. 115.

Note: With the technical advances and virtuosity of porcelain production during the Qianlong period, potters from the official kilns were able to experiment with different methods and techniques to satisfy the emperor’s penchant for the curious and archaic. Although the idea of porcelain imitating other materials was pioneered by the potters of the late Kangxi and Yongzheng periods, it was during the Qianlong reign that this technique reached its zenith, and the present pair of vases is no exception. From its decorative style the vases largely took their inspiration from vessels that were produced in repousse metalwork, although the stylised kui dragons and cicada motifs are in imitation of those on early bronzes, such as those collected in the Imperial palace by Emperor Qianlong. A line drawing of a closely related hu-shaped bronze vessel, dating to the Han dynasty, was published in the Xiqing Xujian, ‘Inspection of Antiques-1st Supplement’ (fig. 1). This publication was a compilation of early period bronzes collected in the imperial palace, and appeared in its woodblock form in 1755 and published under the auspices of the Siku Quanshu, ‘The Imperial Manuscript Library’.

Lot 3019. A very rare pair of zitan continuous horseshoe-back armchairs, quanyi, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Each: 35 ½ in. (90 cm.) high, 25 ½ in. (65 cm.) wide, 22 ½ in. (57 cm.) deep. Estimate HKD 3,800,000 - HKD 5,000,000. Price realised HKD 4,660,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

Each has a sweeping crestrail supported on an S-shaped backsplat and vertical rear and front posts which continue through the rectangular seat to form the legs, above humpback stretchers fitted with vertical struts. The legs are of round section and are joined by stepped stretchers and a foot rest at the front.

Property from the Raymond Hung Collection

Literature: R. H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred and Three Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, vol. 2, Hong Kong, 2005, pp. 38-39, no. 14.

Note: While examples of horseshoe-back armchairs are readily known, one of the rarest variations of the form is the continuous rail horseshoe-back armchair. The design of these very rare chairs was inspired by bamboo furniture. The elegantly shaped crestrail and rounded members were carved to simulate the bamboo furniture construction technique of bending long stalks of bamboo using steam or heat. The abundance of bamboo made it popular among the lower classes, as a cost-effective and more easily portable alternative to the more luxurious hardwood furniture. Known bamboo-inspired examples in huanghuali include a pair formerly in the Collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, sold at Christie’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 47 and a single example formerly in the Flacks Family Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2016, lot 1105 and illustrated by M. Flacks in Classical Chinese Furniture: A Very Personal Point of View, London, 2011, pp. 59-63. The Honolulu Museum of Art acquired a hongmuexample from the Collection of Charles M. Cooke in 1981, illustrated by R.H. Ellsworth, Chinese Hardwood Furniture in Hawaiian Collections, Honolulu, 1982, p. 75, fig. 59. 

Refer to Ronald W. Longsdorf, “Chinese Bamboo Furniture, Its Influence on Hardwood Furniture Design,” Orientations, January 1994, pp.76-83, where the author discusses the features of bamboo furniture carried over to hardwood forms, such as rounded members, ‘wrap-around’ stretchers, ‘stacked’ stretchers and the use of closely placed vertical struts.  

Lot 3017. A very rare pair of Dali-marble-inset huanghuali armchairs, guanmaoyi, Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century. Each: 38 ¾ in. (98.5 cm.) high, 20 ¼ in. (51.5 cm.) wide, 20 ½ in. (52 cm.) deep. Estimate HKD 2,800,000 - HKD 3,500,000. Price realised HKD 3,460,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

Lot 3162. A jadeite oval pendant, 1 3/8 in. (4.5 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 700,000 - HKD 900,000. Price realised HKD 5,500,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

Lot 3163. A jadeite pendant; 2 in. (5 cm.) long. Estimate HKD 800,000 - HKD 1,200,000. Price realised HKD 2,740,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

Lot 3080. A very rare jade cong, Late Liangzhu culture, circa 3000-2500 BC; 2 ½ in. (6.5 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 3,000,000 - HKD 4,000,000. Price realised HKD 3,700,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

Lot 3016. A very rare huanghuali recessed-leg folding table, 17th-18th century; 37 in. (94 cm.) high, 29 in. (64 cm.) wide, 18 3/4 in. (48 cm.) deep. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,500,000. Price realised HKD 3,940,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

The rectangular top is set within a rectangular frame with beaded edge above plain, aprons separating four short rectangular-section, cloud-shaped legs. The round-section folding legs are attached with pivots to the inner-edge of the shorter legs. The folding legs are joined along the short sides by circular stretchers supporting further diagonal stretchers anchoring the legs within the transverse stretcher of the top frame.

Literature: R. H. Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture: One Hundred and Three Examples from the Mimi and Raymond Hung Collection, vol. 1, New York, 1996, pp. 120-121, no. 40.

Note: Folding furniture appears to have gained in popularity during the Ming period and boasted the dual advantages of portability and storage, but their fragile construction and compactness also led to damage, thus few surviving examples exist. The present table served two functions at full height as a wine table or as a kang with the legs tucked under.

This table appears to be a unique example of a foldable table, where the legs remain attached to the frame when folded. Square slots on the inside edge of the shorter rectangular-section legs accommodate a sliding side stretcher and join the legs with diagonal braces, which lock into the central transverse stretcher. This unusual construction allows for smooth and fluid motion when folding the legs. A low lacquer table in the Victoria and Albert Museum, dating to the early 15th century, is similarly constructed with square slots on the inside of the table legs. (museum number: FE. 1913-1993). This construction suggests that the table would have been raised on tall removeable legs.  

Table of red lacquered wood decorated with incised gold, Ming dynasty, Chinese, ca.1410. Height: 28.3 cm, Width: 94 cm, Depth: 41.2 cm. Purchased with Art Fund support, FE.1913-1993 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Lot 3601. A fine and very rare blue and white ‘wave’ cup, Kangxi six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1662-1722); 3 9/16 in. (9.1 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 700,000 - HKD 900,000. Price realised HKD 2,740,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

The cup is delicately potted with deep sides, rising from the small ring foot to the slightly flared rim. It is decorated on the exterior with a pattern of foam-crested waves.

Provenance: The Lindberg Collection
Sold at Christie’s New York, 1 June 1990, lot 256
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 25 October 1993, lot 768
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 4 November 1996, lot 756

Exhibited: S. Marchant and Son, Qing Mark and Period Blue and White, 11-22 June 1984, Catalogue, no. 6.

Note: A similar example, with the Eight Trigrams above the waves, is in the Percival David Foundation, illustrated by Margaret Medley, Illustrated Catalogue of Underglaze Blue and Copper Red Decorated Porcelains,London, 1976, p. 76, no. C619. Another similar example, reserved in white on a coral ground with a Yongzheng mark, is included in J.J. Marquet de Vasselot and Mlle. M.J. Ballot, Chinese Ceramics, K’ang Hsi Period to Our Days (1662-1911), The Louvre Museum, Paris, 1922, colour plate 30.

Lot 3006. A large flambé-glazed vase, Qianlong incised six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795); 16 7/8 in. (43 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 1,800,000. Price realised HKD 2,500,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

The broad-shouldered, tapering body is applied with a pair of butterfly-form handles with fixed rings, and is covered overall in a characteristic rich, cherry-red toned glaze suffused with lavender and blue striations.

Lot 2093. A magnificent 8.01 carat fancy vivid blue diamond and diamond pendant necklace by Moussaieff. Estimate HKD 159,850,000. Sold for HK$159,850,000 / US$20,470,000, US$2.55m per carat. © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

HONG KONG - The sale attracted 111 buyers from 18 countries across 5 continents.

Vickie Sek, Deputy Chairman and Director of Jewellery Asia, commented: “In a selective market, the sale saw healthy demand from collectors and professionals alike who bid for top quality jewellery and gemstones, realising record prices for a pair of Paraiba tourmalines and a coloured diamond bracelet designed by Edmond Chin for Boghossian. The Rockefeller pearl necklace achieved US$2m, having previously been sold at Christie’s Geneva in 1998 for US$500,000. We look forward to the continuation of our jewellery spring season at Christie’s Paris, New York and London.”

Top Ten.

Lot 2093. A magnificent 8.01 carat fancy vivid blue diamond and diamond pendant necklace by Moussaieff. Estimate HKD 159,850,000. Sold for HK$159,850,000 (US$20,470,000), US$2.55m per carat. © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

Suspending a pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond, weighing approximately 8.01 carats, surmounted by a circular-cut fancy intense pink diamond, weighing approximately 1.60 carats, to the similarly-cut diamond spacer, weighing approximately 0.35 carats, joined to the collet-set diamond double neckchain, mounted in gold, 41.6 cm, in Moussaieff case. Signed Moussaieff

Accompanied by report no. 5161611544 dated 18 September 2014 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the 8.01 carat diamond is fancy vivid blue colour, internally flawless clarity, with excellent polish  

Report no. 2185627370 dated 17 November 2017 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the 1.60 carat diamond is fancy intense pink colour 

Report no. 6282523389 dated 24 March 2018 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the 0.35 carat diamond is D colour, VS1 clarity, with excellent cut, polish and symmetry.

Lot 2092. An exclusive coloured diamond, diamond and seed pearl bracelet, by Edmond Chin for the House of Boghossian. Estimate HK$ 16,000,000-25,000,000 (US$2,000,000-3,200,000). Sold for HK$ 34,900,000 (US$4,469,209). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

The highly articulated seed pearl band set with vari-shaped multi-coloured diamond flowerheads and buds, interspersed with circular-cut diamond leaves, the reverse embellished by single-cut diamonds, mounted in gold, 18.0 cm, in white leather Boghoassian case. Signed Boghossian

Please note that some coloured diamonds have not been tested for natural colour.

Accompanied by thirty-two reports dated from 31 August 2005 to 4 February 2017 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the 0.77 to 0.14 carat diamonds range from fancy vivid, fancy intense, fancy, fancy dark, fancy deep, red, purplish red, pink, orangy pink, purplish pink, blue, gray-blue, green-blue, grayish violet, bluish violet, green, yellow-green, blue-green, bluish green, yellowish green, yellow-orange, yellowish orange, green-yellow colour, VVS2 to I1 clarity

 The Boghossian ‘Manuscript’ Coloured diamond bracelet. Uniting the Ancient and the Modern. 

It is not a lack of imagination that leads the designer to look to the past for inspiration - rather, it takes a great leap of the imagination to see how motifs hundreds, if not thousands of years old can be relevant to modern times. 

An immense amount of technical knowledge and skill was required in order to translate the complex design into a soft flexible bracelet. For example, each pearl was of a different size and required unique collets to match. In order that they would be comfortable when worn, the reverse of these tubes were then set with diamonds. Similarly, the flexibility of the curving tendrils was achieved by a complex multi stage process which required assembling and taking apart the bracelet multiple times.

The 15th century was a time of tremendous cultural transformation in Europe. The new ideas of the Renaissance were in full bloom in Italy, while in Germany the ideas of the late Gothic were still strong. At the same time, the thirst for Greek and Roman scientific knowledge had made Islamic texts with their exquisite decorative borders known in the west. In the same way, the 21st century is a period of immense transformation, the widespread availability of images from different cultures and periods of history providing an unprecedented level of visual stimulation. In reimagining an ancient manuscript into a precious jewel, Mr. Chin has reintroduced modern jewellery to the beauty of intricacy, displaying the culturally sensitive and sophisticated approach to design for which the House of Boghossian is so well known. 

Faced with a box of superb coloured diamonds of the best hues but differing shapes and tonalities, Edmond Chin for the House of Boghossian has used a 15th century illumination from the celebrated Waldburg Prayerbook as the basis for his design. Attracted to the exquisite pattern of differently shaped flower heads between coiling leaves devised by the late medieval artist, he envisioned a similar pattern of coloured diamonds flower heads between coiling tendrils of coloured diamond melee. The finishing touch was provided by antique hand cut half pearls dating from the 19th century.

Lot 2075. A jadeite and diamond necklace. Estimate HK$30,000,000-50,000,000 (US$3,800,000-6,400,000). Price realised HK$ 33,700,000 (US$ 4,315,540). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

Composed of sixty-nine jadeite beads, measuring approximately 8.2 to 10.8 mm, spaced by a pair of jadeite hoops and an oval-shaped diamond, weighing approximately 1.50 carats, to the similarly-cut diamond clasp, weighing approximately 3.02 carats, mounted in platinum, largest hoop diameter approximately 18.6 mm, thickness approximately 6.8 mm, necklace 73.5 cm. 

Accompanied by report no. KJ 98029(1-5) dated 6 April 2018 from the Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory stating that the beads and hoops are natural colour Fei Cui (Jadeite Jade) without any resin.

Two reports nos. 10231042 and 11603748 dated 24 October 1997 and 12 July 2001 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the 3.02 and 1.50 carat diamonds are D colour, VVS2 clarity.

Please note that the two diamond reports are more than 5 years old and might require an update.

Lot 2006. An exceptional pair of 7.46 and 6.81 carats Brazilian tourmaline and diamond ear pendants.Estimate HK$12,800,000-18,000,000 (US$1,600,000-2,300,000). Price realised HK$ 21,700,000U(S$ 2,778,849). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

Each set with a pear-shaped paraiba tourmaline, weighing approximately 7.46 and 6.81 carats, within a pear and oval-shaped diamond drop-shaped frame, to the similarly-cut diamond layered surmount and pear-shaped diamond trefoil spacer, mounted in gold, 5.4 cm.

Accompanied by two premium reports nos. 86453 and 86452 dated 27 June 2016 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the paraiba tourmalines are of Brazil origin, with indications of heating; also accompanied by two appendixes stating that the paraiba tourmalines possess characteristics which merit special mention and appreciation. The gemstones exhibit an attractive colour and an outstanding purity. Their colours are further pronounced by its well-proportioned cutting style, resulting in vivid blue hues due to multiple internal reflections. The analysed properties are consistent with those of Paraiba tourmalines from Brazil. Their vivid blue colour is due to a combination of well-balanced trace elements (notably copper) in the gemstone, which are typical and characteristics for the finest Paraiba tourmalines of Brazil. Paraiba tourmalines are commonly heated at a rather low temperature (approx. 450C) to modify and enhance their colour. The colour after heating is considered stable. As for the majority of gem-quality Paraiba-tourmalines from Brazil, the described gemstones show indications of heating. Paraiba tourmalines from Brazil of this size and quality are rare and exceptional.

Two reports nos. 604803 and 604804 dated 5 April 2006 from the Gübelin Gemmological Laboratory stating that the tourmalines are of Brazil origin, and this colour variety of tourmalines is known as “Paraiba tourmaline” in the trade; also accompanied by two appendixes stating that the gemstones possess a saturated and homogenous pure greenish-blue colour, combined with a very high degree of transparency. A pleasant shape and finely proportioned cut provide numerous vivid reflections of a vibrant greenish-blue colour, and the high purity of the gemstones make it virtually eye-clean.

 Electric Blue – Brazilian Paraiba

‘Paraiba tourmalines’ are said to be one of the most coveted gemstones in recent years. It is the Brazilian ‘Paraiba tourmaline’ that is the rarest and most sought after, which first emerged into the international market towards the end of the eighties. 

The first ever discoverer of the ‘Paraiba tourmaline’ was Heitor Dimas Barbosa. He first encountered it at a deposit near the village of Sao Jose de Batalha in the northern part of Paraiba state of Brazil. By the midnineties, other mines were found in the northernmost part of Paraiba state as well as the southernmost corner of Rio Grande de Norte state, adjacent to the Paraiba state. 

So unique are the quality elements exhibited by the ‘Paraiba tourmalines’ that they were immediately glorified and prized when it first appeared on the market. One of the main reasons that makes it so unique is caused by varying amounts of trace elements copper and manganese, resulting in a very distinct colour, a neon-bright blue-green ‘paraiba colour’. Another factor is the specific geochemical surroundings which yield pegmatite host rocks with bright vivid turquoise tourmalines. 

Tourmalines come in various shades and hues, from purple to violetish-blue, from blue to green and yellowishgreen; but none is remotely comparable to the astonishing turquoise and majestic blue-green shade that distinguishes the ‘Paraiba tourmaline’, also known as cuprian elbaite. The tourmalines of this range have an incandescent glow that appears to light up the stone, thus the colour is sometimes also referred to as ‘electric blue’ or ‘neon green’ in the trade. 

Presented in this lot is not one, but two ‘paraiba tourmalines’ exuberating the distinct and lively electric blue colour, is truly a marvelous modern-day collector’s piece. 

Lot 2061. A rare Burmese ruby and diamond necklace. Estimate HK$18,000,000-28,000,000 (US$2,300,000-3,500,000). Price realised HK$ 16,900,000 (US$ 2,164,173). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

The cushion-shaped diamond line necklace suspending fifty-eight cushion-shaped rubies, linked by circular-cut diamond collets, mounted in platinum and gold, 41.0 cm.

Accompanied by report no. 99405 dated 16 April 2018 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the rubies are of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating; also accompanied by an appendix stating that the rubies, summing up to a remarkable total weight of 69.45 ct (declared weight), have been carefully selected for this necklace and exhibit a matching colour and a fine purity. The small inclusions found by microscopic inspection and the analysed properties of these rubies are the hallmarks of rubies from the reputed mines in Mogok valley and Mong Hsu (southeast of Mogok). Their attractive red colour is due to a combination of well-balanced trace elements, which are the characteristic for the finest rubies from Burma (Myanmar). Assembling a matching selection of natural rubies from Burma of this quality can be considered rare and exceptional; and an additional information letter stating that although it might be an option that few of these rubies are of pigeon blood red colour, SSEF would only be able to fully grade these rubies in loose state after they have been unset

Report no. 17102094/ 1 to 57 dated 3 April 2018 from the Gübelin GemLab stating that the fifty-seven rubies are of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating and a few of the rubies are called pigeon blood red; also accompanied by an appendix stating that the gemstones possess a saturated and homogenous colour. The colour variety of a few of the rubies in this necklace and earrings set (presented in this sale: lot 2061 and lot 2059) may also be called "pigeon's blood red" in the trade

Report no. 17102094/ 58 dated 3 April 2018 from the Gübelin GemLab stating that the 2.60 carat ruby is of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating

Lot 2029. The Rockfeller Pearl Necklace. A superb single-strand natural pearl and diamond necklace. Estimate HK$4,000,000-6,000,000 (US$500,000-750,000). Price realised HK$ 15,700,000 (US$ 2,010,504). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

Composed of sixty-three graduated natural pearls, measuring approximately 6.80 to 11.15 mm, to the marquise-cut diamond clasp, mounted in gold, 55.5 cm.

Accompanied by report no. 97161 dated 19 January 2018 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the analysed properties confirm the authenticity of these sixty-three saltwater natural pearls; also accompanied by an appendix stating that the natural pearl necklace possess extraordinary characteristics and merits special mention and appreciation. The described necklace consists of 63 natural pearls strung on a regularly graduated strand and graduate to a remarkable size. They have been carefully selected for this necklace and exhibit a fine pearl lustre combined with an attractive colour subtly ranging from white to slightly cream. In addition to these qualities, part of these pearls show rosé and green overtones, poetically also referred to as the ‘orient of pearls’. These overtones are an iridescence effect on the surface of pearls and contribute greatly to the beauty of the described pearl necklace. Assembling a matching selection of natural pearls of this size and quality can be considered rare and exceptional.

 The Rockfeller Pearl Necklace

The renowned 17th century gem merchant and traveler, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) once described the oysters of the Bahrain fisheries as often containing “as many as six or seven pearls”. In the modern era, the odds of such an occurrence are, sadly, quite low. High quality pearls are rarer still, not to mention an extraordinary strand of sixty-three perfectly matched natural pearls. The present necklace was assembled over a period of ten years by Raymond C. Yard, a discreet New York jeweler known for his admirable tastefulness and relentless perfectionism. In 1929, it was sold to one of his most prominent patrons, John D. Rockefeller, ‘Junior’, (1874-1960). 

ABBY ALDRICH ROCKEFELLER, WIFE OF JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, IN 1905. PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVIS SANFORD, 1905. CREDIT: ROCKEFELLER ARCHIVE CENTER

Junior was a renowned member of the legendary Rockefeller family in America. The family patriarch, John D. Rockefeller, ‘Senior’, was
the co-founder of Standard Oil and is commonly considered one of the wealthiest Americans of all time, and is among the greatest philanthropists that ever lived. His son, Junior, and the successive generations continue the family tradition of charitable giving around the world. The immense contributions of the Rockefellers to humankind over the last two centuries have been an aspiration for many. 

This exceptional strand of natural pearls is typical of Yard’s perseverance and Junior’s discerning eye. Not only is it perfectly graduated, but the colour of the pearls is impeccably uniform. Each, without fail, displays intense pink and greenish overtones. To create such a necklace was no small feat as the pollution of the waters of the Persian Gulf at the beginning of the last century led to permanent damage of the oyster beds. The allure and desirability of natural pearls, compounded by their diminishing supply, have only increased their relevance and fueled prices exponentially. The provenance of the present necklace further cements its significance and importance. 

ABBY ALDRICH ROCKEFELLER AND JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR. WITH THEIR SIX CHILDREN. CREDIT: ROCKEFELLER ARCHIVE CENTER

Note: While the present lot has established provenance linking it to John D. Rockefeller, Junior, it is not part of The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, which is to be sold at Christie’s New York in the Spring of 2018.

Lot 2085. An important 2.35 carats ear-shaped fancy intense blue diamond and diamond ring. Estimate HK$10,000,000-15,000,000 (US$ 1,250,000 - 1,900,000). Price realised HK$ 15,100,000 (US$ 1,933,670). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

Set with a pear-shaped fancy intense blue diamond, weighing approximately 2.35 carats, within a circular-cut pink diamond surround, to the circular-cut diamond gallery and bifurcated three quarter-hoop, mounted in platinum, ring size 6. 

Please note that the pink diamonds have not been tested for natural colour.

Accompanied by report no. 11326764 dated 23 February 2018 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is fancy intense blue colour, internally flawless clarity; and a Diamond Type Classification letter stating that the diamond has been determined to be Type IIb.

Lot 2059. An important pair of 5.06 and 5.03 carats Burmese “Pigeon’s Blood” ruby and diamond ear pendants. Estimate HK$12,800,000-18,000,000 (US$1,640,000-2,300,000). Price realised HK$ 14,500,000 (US$ 1,856,835). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

Each suspending a cushion-shaped ruby, weighing approximately 5.06 and 5.03 carats, spaced by a cushion-shaped diamond, to the similarly-cut diamond surmount, weighing approximately 2.20 and 2.15 carats, mounted in platinum and gold, 2.4 cm.

Accompanied by report no. 99406 dated 16 April 2018 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the rubies are of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating; also accompanied by an appendix stating that the pair of ruby ear pendants possesses extraordinary characteristics and merits special mention and appreciation. The rubies with a declared total weight of 10.09 ct have been carefully selected for their attractive colour and quality, thus resulting in a matching pair of ruby ear-pendants. The small inclusions found by microscopic inspection are the hallmarks of rubies from the classical ruby mines in Burma (Myanmar), well known for its wealth in gems since historic times. Their colour is due to a combination of well-balanced trace elements, which are characteristic for the finest rubies from Burma. Assembling a matching pair of natural rubies from Burma of this quality can be considered rare.

Report no. 18031186/ 1 and 2 dated 23 March 2018 from the Gübelin GemLab stating that the rubies are of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating; also accompanied by a duplicate appendix stating that the gemstones possess a saturated and homogenous colour. The colour variety of a few of the rubies in this necklace and earrings set (presented in this sale: lot 2061 and lot 2059) may also be called "pigeon's blood red" in the trade.

Report no. 2268321440 dated 6 July 2017 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the rubies are of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating and the color appearance of these rubies is described in the trade as “Pigeon’s Blood”.

Two reports dated 26 May 2015 and 29 May 2015 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the 2.20 and 2.15 carat diamonds are F colour, VVS1 and VVS2 clarity respectively.

Lot 1966. A 19.28 carats Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring, by Chopard. Estimate HK$8,000,000-12,000,000 (US$1,000,000-1,500,000). Price realised HK$ 13,540,000 (US$ 1,733,899). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018

Set with an octagonal-shaped sapphire, weighing approximately 19.28 carats, to the gold hoop, accented by single-cut diamonds, ring size 8¾. Signed Chopard

Accompanied by report no. 96622 dated 28 November 2017 from SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute that the sapphire is of Kashmir origin, with no indications of heating.

Report no. 8087741 dated 8 March 2018 from the AGL American Gemological Laboratories stating that the sapphire is of Kashmir origin, with no gemological evidence of heat and clarity enhancement.

Lot 2053. An elegant pair of 5.95 and 5.83 carats Type IIa diamond and Burmese “Pigeon’s Blood” ruby ear pendants. Estimate HK$9,800,000-15,000,000 (US$1,250,000-1,900,000). Price realised HK$ 11,860,000 (US$ 1,518,763). © Christie's Image Ltd 2018 

Each suspending a pear-shaped diamond, weighing approximately 5.95 and 5.83 carats, linked by a cushion-shaped ruby, weighing approximately 2.62 and 2.42 carats, to the circular-cut diamond hook surmount, mounted in platinum, 3.9 cm.

Accompanied by two reports nos. 1172017135 and 5161748279 dated 18 May 2016 and 19 November 2014 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamonds are D colour, internally flawless clarity; and two Diamond Type Classification letters stating that the diamonds have been determined to be Type IIa.

Report no. 98578 dated 7 March 2018 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the rubies are of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no indications of heating and the colour of these rubies may also be called ‘pigeon blood red’ based on SSEF reference standards.

Report no. CS1077412 A and B dated 25 July 2016 from the AGL American Gemological Laboratories stating that the rubies are of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no heat enhancement and a letter stating that 'these gems possess a richly saturated, homogeneous colour that is typical of fine quality rubies from this famous locale. Traditionally rubies of this colour have been described as having a 'pigeon's blood' hue. Fine, well-matched Classic Burma rubies such as those set in this refined pair of earrings are exceedingly rare'.

Jean-Antoine Houdon, Muscle man , late 18th cent. Bronze, gilded © National Museums in Berlin, Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art / Antje Voigt

BERLIN.- When we think of flesh and meat, the first thing that comes to mind is usually food. But also our own bodies consist of meat. For thousands of years, meat has played a central role in cultural and ritual contexts as well. In short: meat is food, body, and cult. The transition from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead becomes apparent within it. In the exhibition, the relationship between men and meat as well as meat’s complex cultural connotations are presented while exploring the tensions surrounding the becoming and decay of flesh. The exhibition is interdisciplinary and spans the collections of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, including archaeological, ethnological, and art-historical objects from 5,000 years of human history. The works range from a clay tablet containing 58 different porcine terms from the late Uruk period (approx. 3300–3000 BC) to the works of contemporary artists such as Vanessa Beecroft, Christian Jankowski, and Bruce Nauman. 

Christoph Weiditz, Fortuna or Venus, around 1550. Bronze, fire-gilded © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art / Jörg P. Anders.

Meat is Food 
Historical representations of the hunt are opposed to Christian Jankowski’s video Die Jagd (The Hunt, 1992–1997). At a time when the provisioning of meat is no longer essential to survival, Jankowski’s chivvy at the local supermarket strikes us as absurd, yet it also puts on display the alienation which goes hand in hand with the modern food industry. The pig, which is the only animal to be bred and kept exclusively to be used for its meat, represents the relationship between human and animal. In the late Uruk period (approx. 3300–3000 BC), 58 different terms for the word ‘pig’ were specified. The picture story by Ludwig Emil Grimm showing the life, death, and afterlife of a sow depicts an emotionally charged individual fate of a pig, while the clinical descriptions in the handbook for sanitary and administrative workers at a US-American industrial slaughter-house around 1900 offer a more sober and objective view on the animal. 

Vanessa Beecroft, VB 55.004, Performance in the Neue Nationalgalerie, 8.4.2005. Digitalprint © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie / Stefanie Dietzel

Meat is Cult 
Meat plays a role in almost all religions, especially in dietary rules. Godly forces, which lie beyond the mortal flesh, were and are still worshipped in many cultures. Cultic rituals ranging from animal to human sacrifice often take a central place within individual religious societies. Within the exhibition this dimension of meat is explored through the Christian narrative of the body of Christ on one hand and through religious offerings of flesh from antiquity to the present day on the other. The ethnological field research video Durgapuja: Gonzo Goes Ritual from 2003, which shows a ritual goat slaughter, is thus placed alongside a splendorous monstrance from 1629. 

Kronos / Saturn, devouring his child. Design: Wenzel Neu. Execution: Porzellanmanufaktur Kloster Veilsdorf, clay fired around 1766 © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstgewerbemuseum / Saturia Linke

Meat is Body 
The body as a mobile and nevertheless transitory foundation for life has always been closely interwoven with cultural and political struggles. In this context, the exhibition explores such avenues as the decay of flesh and laceration through combat, considers body images and bodily experiences, and shows the connection between fertility symbols and Lustmord. Meat as body thus moves between mortality, sexuality, and body modification. With his work Body Pressure (1974), Bruce Nauman uses a performance to invite visitors to feel their own body and become more conscious of it. 

Hans Schwarz, Death and the Girl, c. 1520 . Boxwood © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art / Antje Voigt

After the success of the exhibition Bart (Beards) in 2015/16 at Neues Museum, Fleisch (Flesh / Meat) is the second exhibition realized by young curators of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, spanning twelve of the museums’ collections.

Francis Bacon, Logique de la sensation, 1981. Color lithograph © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett / Jörg P. Anders

Official figure with pig head, China, 19th century, porcelain © National Museums in Berlin, Ethnological Museum / Martin Franken

Hedwig Bollhagen, Piggy bank, around 1996, Brandenburg, faience, glazed, painted © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum Europäischer Kulturen / Christian Krug

Vessel in the shape of a pig, Egypt, Mergelton © National Museums in Berlin, Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection / Sandra Steiß

Painted piggy, Troy, clay, painted, 1800-1100 BC Chr. © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum of Prehistory and Early History / Jürgen Liepke

Reichsfleischkarte Kingdom of Saxony, 1917. Paper © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum Europäischer Kulturen

Alexander Enger, On the Fleischhof Lüneburger Straße in Moabit, around 1964. Photography © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Art Library / Alexander Enger

Corinthian Lekythos, c. 560 BC Chr. Clay, painted blackfigure © National Museums in Berlin, Collection of Classical Antiquities

Phallus follower, Roman, dating unknown. Bronze © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Antikensammlung / Johannes Laurentius

Lot 3003. A large Ming-style blue and white 'melon' dish, Yongzheng six character mark in underglaze blue with a double circle and of the period (1723-1735); 17 ¾ in. (45.1 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 1,200,000 - HKD 2,200,000. Price realised HKD 2,125,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

With shallow rounded sides, the interior is well painted in subtly shaded underglaze blue with seven lobed melons borne on a leafy, flowering vine below a band of composite foliated scroll in the well, the everted rim painted with a wave border within a moulded outer edge, with six detached fruiting branches on the exterior, including peach, lychee, pomegranate, crab apple, loquat and cherry.

Provenance: Collection of Bengt Gustaf Theorder Ingeström (1873-1953), Sweden, and hence by descent within the family.

Note: The current dish was formerly in the collection of the Swedish engineer Bengt Gustaf Theorder Ingeström (1873-1953), who founded the engineering firm Zander & Ingeström in 1898. 

The design of this dish is based on Yongle fifteenth century prototypes, examples of which are illustrated by J. A. Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1956, pl. 40, no. 29.61 and in the Catalogue of the Hong Kong O.C.S. exhibition of Jingdezhen ware, the Yuan Evolution, 1984, no. 142, from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee. However, while the Yongle examples generally bear two melons, and the plant is shown rooted to the ground, the Yongzheng examples have a design of a scrolling vine usually bearing seven melons. Compare the Yongzheng dish of almost the same size, illustrated in Chinese Porcelain, The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Part 1, Hong Kong, 1987, col. pl.53. Another is illustrated by Liu Liang-yu, A Survey of Chinese Ceramics, Ching official and Popular Wares, Taipei, 1991, p. 95 (top). See, also, Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing, The Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, no. 125.

A similar dish with Yongzheng mark from Jingguantang collection was sold at Christie’s New York, 26 March 2003, lot 262; another was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1576.

 A fine large Ming-style  blue and white 'melon' dish, Yongzheng six-character mark within double circles and of the period (1723-1735); 17¾ in. (45.2 cm.) diam. Sold for HKD 2,647,500 at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1576. © Christie's Images Ltd 2008.

With shallow rounded sides, the interior well painted in fifteenth century style in subtly shaded underglaze blue with seven lobed melons borne on a leafy, flowering vine below a band of composite foliated scroll in the well, the everted rim painted with a wave border within a moulded outer edge, with six detached fruiting branches on the exterior, including peach, lychee, pometranate, crab apple, loquat and cherry.

Note: The design of this dish is based on Yongle fifteenth century prototypes, examples of which are illustrated by J. A. Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1956, pl. 40, no. 29.61 and in the Catalogue of the Hong Kong O.C.S. exhibition of Jingdezhen ware, the Yuan Evolution, 1984, no. 142, from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee. However, while the Yongle examples generally bear two melons, and the plant is shown rooted to the ground, the Yongzheng examples have a design of a scrolling vine usually bearing seven melons. Compare the Yongzheng dish of almost the same size, illustrated in Chinese Porcelain, The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Part 1, Hong Kong, 1987, col. pl.53. Another is illustrated by Liu Liang-yu, A Survey of Chinese Ceramics, Ching official and Popular Wares, Taipei, 1991, p. 95 (top). See, also, Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing, The Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, no. 125.

A similar dish with Yongzheng mark from Jingguantang collection was sold at Christie's New York, 26 March 2003, lot 262.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 30 May 2018

Lot 3035. A rare large blue and white 'bajixiang' dish, Yongzheng six character mark in underglaze blue with a double circle and of the period (1723-1735); 17 ¾ in. (45 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 800,000 - HKD 1,200,000. Price realised HKD 1,500,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018 

The heavily potted dish is painted in vibrant blue tones in the centre with a stylised flower-head below the well decorated with lotus scroll bearing eight flowers, each positioned below one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, all beneath a wave border on the flat rim. The exterior is decorated with six flowering and fruiting branches. 

Lot 3030. A blue and white ‘pheasant and peony’ octagonal box and cover, Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1522-1566); 11 9/16 in. (29.5 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 800,000 - HKD 1,200,000. Price realised HKD 1,000,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018 

Lot 3105. A blue and white ‘dragon and phoenix’ tea pot, Wanli six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1573-1619); 8 in. (20.2 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 80,000 - HKD 120,000. Price realised HKD 812,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018 

The tea pot is decorated to the body with four quatrefoil panels each enclosing a pair of dragon and phoenix in pursuit of a flaming pearl, between lappets border below and a floral scroll above. The arched handle and short, curving spout are decorated with blossoming and fruiting scrolls.

Derick Baegert (c. 1440 - c. 1509), The Descent from the Cross, around 1480-1490, Dallas Museum of Art, Marguerite and Robert Hoffman Fund in memory of Dr. William B. Jordan.

DALLAS, TX.- The Dallas Museum of Art today announced its acquisition of The Descent from the Cross by the German master painter Derick Baegert (c. 1440 - c. 1509). Painted around 1480-1490, the monumentally-scaled panel is an exceptional example of Baegert’s distinctive style, which reflects the transitional period between medieval and Renaissance painting. As the inaugural acquisition of the Marguerite and Robert Hoffman Fund for pre-1700 European Art, this masterpiece of Northern European painting is the first work of its kind to enter the DMA’s holdings and is the first work by this artist to enter a US museum. Established in 2013, the Marguerite and Robert Hoffman Fund was conceived to expand and enhance the Museum’s collection of European art, primarily of the Renaissance and Baroque eras, through the establishment of a $17 million endowment. 

“This remarkable and rare painting by Baegert will be a cornerstone of the Old Master European holdings at the DMA,” said Agustín Arteaga, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director. “With this extraordinary acquisition, the Museum can now illustrate the development of art history from the Gothic period to the Renaissance through the DMA’s permanent collection. We are deeply grateful to Marguerite Hoffman for the remarkable gift she bestowed on the Museum in her name and that of her late husband Robert with the endowment of the fund, which has made possible this truly transformative addition to the Museum’s permanent collection.” 

“Derick Baegert was a master of late Gothic painting, and The Descent from the Cross is a spectacular example of the technical and artistic acumen for which he was renowned during his lifetime and and beyond,” said Nicole R. Myers, The Lillian and James H. Clark Curator of European Painting and Sculpture. “Beautifully preserved and stunning in its palette and details, The Descent drastically expands the ways we can share the history of medieval and Renaissance art with our audiences. It will be a powerful anchor in the galleries around which the Museum will continue to build its Old Master collection.” 

Successful throughout his lifetime, Baegert was the head of a family of painters and became the master of a large workshop in the Rhineland area of Germany during the last third of the 15th century and first third of the 16th century. While he borrowed elements from Netherlandish art, his style remained close to that of the late Gothic and reflects a transition from the late medieval period to the early Renaissance. The Descent from the Cross was likely inspired by models produced by such Northern Renaissance masters as Rogier van der Weyden (Brussels, 1400-1464) to whom the work was mistakenly attributed in the early 19th century. At over five feet tall and three feet wide, this impressive, monumentally-scaled oil on panel painting illustrates the lowering of Christ’s body from the cross, a subject the artist painted many times. The panel is thought to be the inside right wing of a large altarpiece of unknown origin that depicted scenes from the Passion of Christ. 

A master of illusionistic realism, Baegert is known for highly expressive facial depiction and keen attention to minute details, which are evident in The Descent’s protagonists. Their faces possess the detail and individualism associated with portraiture. The Descent also features Baegert’s distinctive organization of space, in which figures are frequently placed on a shallow stage against a distant landscape without a middle ground. Renowned for his great technical virtuosity, Baegart adeptly used compositional elements, such as sharply outlined figures and vibrant, contrasting colors, to convey narrative drama and the emotional mood of the scene. In The Descent, luminous jewel-tones contrast with Christ’s pale body to heighten the dramatic impact of the scene. 

Baegert’s paintings reside today in such major international institutions as the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, Alte Pinakotek in Munich, Musée royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique in Brussels, Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Dortmund, and LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur in Munich, which now holds the largest collection of his work. The Descent from the Cross will be on view late this summer in the DMA’s European art galleries, providing a focal point and context for additional new installations of 15th and 16th century paintings and sculpture.

NEW YORK, NY.- On Thursday, June 14 at 10am, Doyle will hold an auction of Photographs. The sale will offer 19th century photography, including a collection of daguerreotypes, as well as photographs by Curtis, Negré. Durandelle and others. 20th century examples feature work by many major figures, among them Berenice Abbott, Edward Steichen, Margaret Bourke-White, Alfred Stieglitz, Aaron Siskind, Ellen Auerbach, Paul Caponigro and Harry Callahan. Contemporary photography offers work by such artists as Robert Mapplethorpe, Nan Goldin, Bert Stern, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Peter Beard. 

Just the mention of the name Ansel Adams (1902-1984) brings to mind expansive vistas of the American west, the meeting of dramatic skies, sheer mountains and glistening rivers. An acknowledged darkroom master, his spellbinding images are best viewed as intended by the artist, in the large format gelatin silver photographs that he printed himself and signed gently in pencil on the mounts below. From 1962 is his arresting photograph of Evening Clouds and Pool, East Side of the Sierra from the Owens Valley, California, deaccessioned from The College of New Rochelle (est. $12,000-18,000). 

Lot 42. Ansel Adams (1902-1984), Evening Clouds and Pool, East Side of the Sierra from the Owens Valley, California, 1962. Gelatin silver print, 15 1/4 x 19 1/2 inches (387 x 495 mm) , signed in pencil in lower right mount, titled, dated, and numbered with artist's stamp on mount verso. With deaccession stamp on mount verso. Estimate: $12,000 - $18,000. 

C The College of New Rochelle.

A 1926 photograph by Edward Steichen (1879-1973) captures Brancusi's Endless Column in Steichen's garden at Voulagis, France. The photographer and sculptor were close friends, having met at Rodin's studio in 1907. This twenty-four foot sculpture was carved from a tree on the grounds. The sculpture was conceived as site-specific, so this photograph, beyond its importance as a Steichen work, is a significant piece of art documentation (est. $10,000-15,000). 

Edward Steichen (1879-1973), Brancusi's Endless Column, 1926. Vintage gelatin silver print on matte paper, 9 7/8 x 8 inches (252 x 222 mm), annotated in an unknown hand in pencil on verso "Eternity as M. Brancusi the sculptor conceives it". Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000.

Brancusi's Endless Column is shown here in Edward Steichen's garden at Voulagis, France. The photographer and sculptor were close friends, having met at Rodin's studio in 1907. This twenty-four foot sculpture was carved from a tree on the grounds. The sculpture was conceived as site-specific, so this photograph, beyond its importance as a Steichen work, is a significant piece of art documentation. Provenance: Didier Imbert F.A., Paris; David Grob; Christien Zervos, Paris; Phillips New York October 25, 2002 ($16,730). . Handling crease in upper left quadrant, faint trace of a cropping line in graphite at right. 

Imogen Cunningham’s 1925 Magnolia Blossom was recognized as an innovative work early on, chosen as it was for the seminal Modernist Internationale Ausstellung des Deutschen Werkbunds Film und Foto held at the Städtische Ausstellungshallen in 1929, an exhibition which helped define what László Moholy-Nagy termed “New Vision” photography. Cunningham has transformed the blossom into a near-abstract study of light, shade and form, imbued with a quiet luminosity (est. $10,000-15,000).