Lot 3611. A magnificent and extremely rare large yangcai blue-ground 'Lotus' vase with ruyi handles, Iron-red seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 36.7 cm, 14 1/2  in. Estimate: 40,000,000-60,000,000 HKD (5,095,600 - 7,643,400 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

very finely potted with a compressed globular body supported on a splayed foot, the domed shoulder rising to a tall waisted neck flaring at the rim, flanked by a pair of gilt ruyi sceptre loop handles each suspending a turquoise wan symbol tied in an iron-red ribbon with long ends, the body brightly enamelled against a rich blue ground, depicting four large pink lotus blooms, borne on stylised foliate strapwork issuing smaller blooms, buds, and lilies around the sides, the neck similarly decorated and further embellished with a musical chime (qing) above the lotuses, all between bands of pendent ruyi heads and overlapping lappets, the shoulder encircled by further floral sprays and the foot with pendant ruyi lappets enclosing and alternating with florets, bordered by gilt-decorated iron-red bands at the rim with circles and a classic scroll at the foot, the interior and base glazed in turquoise, save for a white square on the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark in iron red.

Provenance: Collection of Lord Loch of Drylaw (1827-1900).
Collection of Alfred Morrison (1821-1897), Fonthill House, Tisbury, Wiltshire (no. 525).
The Rt. Hon The Lord of Margadale of Islay, T.D.
Christie's London, 9th November 2004, lot 57.

Yangcai Blue-Ground Lotus Vase
A Harmonious Synthesis of East and West
Hajni Elias

Amongst the porcelains produced by the imperial kilns for the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795), those decorated in the rich spectrum of the yangcai or ‘foreign colours’ stand out for their superior workmanship and luxurious eye-catching decoration. The present blue-ground, two-handled pear-shaped vase belongs to this special group of wares with the use of the distinctive yangcai technique and palette in combination with an exquisite artistry of painting. Amongst vessels decorated in this fashion, this vase stands out, and thus remains an extremely rare example, for the use of the deep blue enamel for the ground and for the application of a pair of handles in the form of ruyi sceptres with the wan symbols suspended on a red ribbon. Only four yangcai vases with ruyi-shaped handles are known from the Qing court collection: an identical vase, possibly the pair to the present example, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th April 1997, lot 755; and three are in the Place Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 118, a green-ground vase with lotus scroll painting (fig. 1); pl. 126, a double-gourd form purple-ground vase with lotus scroll painting; and pl. 127, another purple-ground vase with similar lotus scroll decoration (fig. 2). Deep blue-ground yangcai vases remain extremely rare in any museum and private collections, although they are mentioned in the Qing Imperial Porcelain records which will be discussed later.

Famille-rose turquoise-ground ‘lotus’ vase with ruyi handles, seal mark and period of Qianlong© Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei.

Famille-rose ruby-ground ‘lotus’ vase with ruyi handles, seal mark and period of Qianlong© Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei .

The application of the yangcai, initially introduced to the Imperial Workshops at the Qing court by European Jesuit craftsmen, and subsequently embraced by Tang Ying (1682-1756), China’s unsurpassed kiln supervisor at Jingdezhen, confirms the extraordinary advancements made possible in ceramics production when Eastern aesthetics and Western technology were synthesised.

The term yangcai was first mentioned in 1735 by Tang Ying in his work, the Tao wu shu lue beiji [Records of Narrated Summaries of Porcelain Matters], and later included in the ceramics manual by Lan Pu titled, Jingdezhen taolu [Records of the Potteries of Jingdezhen], published in 1815. Tang writes as follows, ‘Yangcai household porcelains [are made with the application of] a new technique borrowed from Western painting methods during this dynasty. [Amongst the paintings of] figures, landscapes, flowers and plumage, there are none that are not fine and enthralling.'1 On the application of the yangcai palette, in 1744, he wrote as follows,

‘Both round wares and vases of white porcelain are painted in enamel colours in a style imitated from Western foreigners, which is consequently called Yang ts’ai or ‘Foreign Coloring’. Clever artists of proved skill are selected to paint the decoration. The different materials of the colour having been previously finely ground and properly combined, the artist first paints with them upon a slab of white porcelain, which is fired to test the properties of the colours and the length of firing they require. He is gradually promoted from coarse work to fine, and acquires skill by constant practice; a good eye, attentive mind, and exact hand being required to attain excellence.’2

Along with new colour tones, western style designs and decorative elements that were fashionable in Europe at the time were also introduced to Chinese artists. For example, the small pearl-like roundels dispersed amongst the lotus scroll decoration seen on the present vase are taken from Western floral decoration found on baroque-style furnishings. On the vase they are skilfully shaded to give them a distinct three-dimensional quality that makes them appear jewel-like. Thus, effective employment of the yangcai allowed Chinese potters to create a much wider range of colours than previously possible and added a new decorative technique to their established repertoire.

The Qianlong Emperor delighted in challenging his artists and artisans in the Imperial Workshops to create innovative designs, often testing their ability to produce pieces that explored the boundary between illusion and reality. The yangcai allowed, for the first time in the history of Chinese ceramics production, the creation of multi coloured brocade-like fields and borders in a variety of floral designs on a sgraffiato or mock-sgraffiato ground. The illusion achieved makes the surface of the vase appear as soft and sumptuous as the finest embroidered silk brocade. Yangcai also helped incorporate Western-style shading on compositions, a technique especially admired by the Qianlong Emperor in the paintings of Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), the Italian Jesuit missionary who served as an artist at the court and who painted in a style that skilfully fused Western and Chinese traditions.

What made yangcai pieces even more prized was their limited number, as they were often produced as unique items or as pairs and never in larger quantities or series. Furthermore, we know from the Qing imperial records that blue-ground yangcai vases were exceptionally rare within this group of wares and were made from the mid-18th century for only a few years. The Qing gong ciqi dang’an quanji [Complete Records on Porcelain from the Qing Court] records that on the 10th day of the first lunar month, in the 13th year of Qianlong’s reign (1748), the Aide and the Chief Commissioner of the Seventh Grade, Samuha, reported that the Eunuch Hu Shijie delivered a pair of blue-ground yangcai vases painted with gilt floral design. These vases were made to be placed in one of the Buddha Halls (fotang) in the grounds of the Forbidden City. On the 19th day of the 10th month of the same year another pair of blue-ground yangcai vases with gilt floral decoration and matching wooden stands were handed to the Eunuch Hu Shijie, for submission to the emperor. Accounts for the 18th day of the 15th year of Qianlong’s reign (1750) record that the Treasurer Da Zi reported that Eunuch Hu Shijie delivered a pair of blue-ground yangcai vases with matching stands for presentation to the emperor (fig. 3).3 From these records it is evident that blue-ground yangcai vases were produced on imperial order during a short period of only a few years, primarily between 1748-1750, and only three pairs of vases appear to be recorded, all submitted by the Eunuch Hu Shijie. While we know little about Hu Shijie, his name appears frequently in the imperial records, suggesting that he was a trusted member of the emperor’s inner circle and played a key role in handing out imperial decrees and supervising and delivering artefacts to the emperor.

Delivery record of a pair of yangcai blue-ground sgraffiato vases, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, dated to 1750. After: Qing gong ciqi dang’an quanji [The complete collection of Qing dynasty imperial palace records for porcelain], vol. 3, Beijing, 2008, p. 373.

While the technique and palate for the present vase may be of Western origin, in its shape and decoration the vase is a Chinese masterpiece. Although we can only speculate on the reasons for its production, nevertheless, the use of the colour blue combined with the painting of the lotus scrollwork as the primary decoration, along with the employment of ruyi-shaped handles and the wan symbol attached by red ribbons all convey an auspicious message. The ‘hidden’ meaning in the decoration celebrates the emperor’s appreciation of qualities of purity and integrity known in Chinese as qinglian, which is a homophone for qinglian meaning ‘blue lotus’. The term appears in the Dongguan Han ji [Han Records of the Eastern Lodge], compiled by a team of historiographers under the guidance of Ban Gu (AD 32-92) in the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220). In the ‘Biography of Zhou Ze (Zhou Ze zhuan)’ we read, ‘[Zhou Ye] paid his [deep] respect to the Minister of Ceremonies, [he was] resolute and daring, and on several [occasions] he spoke bluntly. The court was delighted with his honesty and integrity.’4 The colour blue is also associated with scholars and learning. The ‘Chapter on Learning (Quan xue)’ in the Xunzi, attributed to the Confucian philosopher Xun Kuang (c.310-c.235 BC, alt. c.314-c.217 BC), records the gentleman saying, ‘[The pigment] blue is obtained from the indigo plant, but it is bluer than the plant itself’. This phrase advises that through the act of learning it is possible to elevate oneself and become even better than the master.5 Qianlong would have appreciated an object whose colour and imagery prompted ideas of learning and qualities of purity and integrity as advocated by the teachings of Buddhism (alluded to here by the beautiful lotus flower). The ruyi sceptre and the wan symbol on the handles represent the granting of good wishes. The wan symbol was introduced into China with the spread of Buddhism. The pronunciation of wan is a homophone for the Chinese word of ‘ten thousand’ or ‘infinity’. Combined with the red ribbon (shoudai), the design is a reference to the wish of ‘having ten thousand longevities without boundary’ (wanshou wujiang).

The majority of extant yangcai porcelains may be found in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. They are the focus of Liao Baoxiu’s study titled Huali cai ci: Qianlong yangcai /Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-lung Reign, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008. Liao demonstrates the wide variety of wares decorated in the yangcai and confirms how orders for these pieces seem to date from the early 1740s.

The present vase has a distinguished provenance, formerly belonging to Alfred Morrison (1821-1897), one of the wealthiest of Victorian collectors of works of art, paintings, autographs and manuscripts. Second son of James Morrison (1790-1857), who was a businessman and Member of Parliament, Alfred inherited Fonthill House in Wiltshire from his father where he lived most of his life with his wife Mabel and family. According to Caroline Dakers’s study, to him ‘size and quantity mattered just as much as quality. He was an addict, surrounding himself with paintings, engravings, medals and autographs of royalty, aristocrats and distinguished politicians, suggesting his collecting was linked to a desire for status.’6 Dakers further notes that once ‘hooked’ on the work of a particular artist, designer or craftsman his inclination was to buy everything he could lay his hands on. Between 1861-1866 he spent £40,000 on porcelain alone which was undoubtedly a vast sum at the time.7 The collection later became known as the Fonthill Heirlooms after it was inherited by Lord Margadale of Islay. The contents of Fonthill House have been gradually sold at auction, first in 1965, and then in 1971 and 2004.8

1 See Liao Baoxiu, Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, p. 14.
2 Ibid., p. 14; and for the translation see S.W. Bushell, Oriental Ceramic Art, London, 1981 (1896), p. 234.
3 Qing gong ciqi dang’an quanji [Complete records on porcelain from the Qing court], Beijing, 2008.
4 Dongguan Han ji jiaozhu [Han Records of the Eastern Lodge, annotated], edited by Wu Shuping, Beijing, 2008, 18.804.
5 Xunzi jianzhu [Xunzi, Simply annotated], edited by Zhang Shitong, Shanghai, 1974, 1.1.
6 Caroline Dakers, ‘Size Matters: The Extraordinary Collection of Alfred Morrison, Victorian Maecenas,’ in Picturing the Nineteenth Century, University of Kentucky, Kentucky, 2013.
7 Caroline Dakers, Fonthill Recovered: A Cultural History, London, 2018, pp. 146-147.
8 For more information see Audrey Wang, Chinese Antiques: An Introduction to the Chinese Art Market, London, 2012.

Lot 3612. A fine large blue and white Ming-style vase, hu, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 49 cm, 19 1/4  in. Estimate: 10,000,000-15,000,000 HKD (1,273,900 - 1,910,850 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the robust ovoid body supported on a splayed foot, sweeping up to a waisted neck and everted rim, set with two taotie-mask handles suspending mock rings, brightly painted in deep shades of cobalt accented by contrived 'heaping and piling' with a wide band of scrolling lotus, the large blooms borne in an alternating double register with the upper row each supporting one of the beribboned bajixiang, the neck encircled by a band of quatrefoil crenulated motifs divided by flower sprigs and further wrapped with a lotus scroll, the base skirted with petal lappets, all between a band of tumultuous waves encircling the rim and foot, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 14th May 2008, lot 683.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th October 2013, lot 3037.

Lot 3613. A doucai'Peony and Rock' dish, mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 21 cm, 8 1/4  in. Estimate: 1,000,000 — 1,500,000 HKD (127,390 - 191,085 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the interior finely painted with two butterflies fluttering amidst three colourful tree peony blooms, one bloom in yellow, another lavender and the third iron red, all springing from the same tree growing from the base of a large garden rock, the rounded sides of the exterior painted with a chrysanthemum on one side and hibiscus and pinks on the other, both similarly flourishing from rocks with butterflies on each side, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double circle.

Provenance: A Japanese private collection.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 11th April 2008, lot 2970.

Note: he design is striking for its combination of highly stylised rockwork, skilfully painted in washes of underglaze blue in the manner of ink painting, and the flowers executed in the bright doucai palette of glossy overglaze enamels.

A closely related dish, from the Woodthorpe and Aykroyd collections, is included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Enamelled Polychrome Porcelain of the Manchu Dynasty, London, 1951, cat. no. 99, and later sold in our London rooms, 6th April 1954, lot 105 and again, 17th May 1966, lot 229. Two other related examples to the present pair were sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 26th October 1993, lot 154, and 25th April 2004, lot 444; and another dish, from the collection of Dr and Mme Ho-Ching Yang, was sold in our New York rooms, 17th March 2009, lot 10.

Dishes of this type can also be found painted entirely in underglaze blue; for example see a pair of dishes included in the exhibition Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain from the Collection of the T.Y. Chao Family Foundation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, cat. no. 86; and another single dish illustrated in Soame Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, London, 1951, pl. LXI.

The design of butterflies and peonies has traditionally been a favoured motif in China for its highly auspicious qualities, with the peony symbolising wealth and honour, and the butterflies (hudie) representing the wish for 'accumulation of blessings' (fudie). 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2018, 03:00 PM

Lot 3614. A fine wucai'Month' cup, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); 6.6 cm, 2 5/8  in. Estimate: 300,000 — 500,000 HKD (38,217 - 63,695 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

finely potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short foot to a flared rim, the exterior delicately enamelled with red florets, the reverse inscribed in underglaze blue with a poem reading Qing xiang he su yu, jia se chu qing yan ('The fragrance blends with the flavour of evening rain; the beautiful colour stands out in clear weather like in mist'), followed by a seal mark reading shang, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double circle.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28th April 1998, lot 823.

Note: Month cups depicting seasonal flowers accompanied by pertinent two-line poems, represent a classic design of the Kangxi period. Very delicately potted, they are painted in the proper wucai palette of underglaze blue and overglaze enamels, which was devised in the Ming dynasty, but rarely used in the Qing, when the underglaze colour was generally omitted. On these month cups the designs are generally sketched on the unglazed porcelain in a faint underglaze blue.

Slight differences in size, colours, writing styles and marks between individual cups and different months suggest that even these cups may not have been produced as sets of twelve, but perhaps issued consecutively, as the year evolved, to be assembled at the end.

Complete sets of month cups are extremely rare. A full set of month cups in the Palace Museum, Bejing, is illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 65, pl. 48; another set from the Sir Percival David collection and now in the British Museum, London, is published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Qing Enamelled Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, rev. ed., London, 1991, pl. 815; another in the Idemitsu Museum of Art, Tokyo, is included in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 221.

A set of twelve wucai month wine cups, Qing dynasty, Kangxi marks and period, about AD 1700. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue and overglaze enamels, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Height 5 cm. Diameter 6.5 cm. On loan from Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, PDF.815. © Trustees of the British Museum

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2018, 03:00 PM

Lot 3615. A fine doucai'Sanduo' cup, Mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 7.2 cm, 2 7/8  in. Estimate: 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD (101,912 - 152,868 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

delicately potted with conical sides rising from a short foot to a gently flared rim, softly painted in bright enamels within underglaze-blue outlines, depicting three fruiting sprays of peach, finger citron and lychee forming the sanduo (Three abundances) on the exterior, the interior with a central medallion enclosing flowering and budding roses borne on curled thorny stems, all divided by double-line borders, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle.

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 29th May 2007, lot 1495.

Note: Other cups of this design are illustrated in Yeh Pei-lang [Ye Peilan], Beauty of Ceramics, vol. 6: Gems of the Doucai, Taipei, 1993, pl. 78; in Chinese Porcelain. The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1987, pl. 98; and in Julian Thompson, The Alan Chuang Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Hong Kong, 2009, cat. no. 49. Several other examples were sold in these rooms: a pair from the collection of Edward T. Chow, 19th May 1981, lot 561; another pair from the collection of Paul and Helen Bernat, 15th November 1988, lot 6; and a third pair from the Meiyintang collection, most recently, 8th October 2014, lot 3627.

From the Meiyintang collection. A pair of brilliantly enamelled doucai 'Sanduo' cups, Marks and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 7.2 cm., 2 7/8  in. Sold for 2,320,000 HKD at Sotheby's HongKong, 8th October 2014, lot 3627. Photo: Sotheby's.

Cf. my post: A pair of brilliantly enamelled doucai 'sanduo' cups, Marks and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735)

Lot 3653. A doucai'Chicken' cup, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 6.5 cm, 2 5/8  in. Estimate: 500,000 — 700,000 HKD (63,695 - 89,173 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

delicately potted with rounded sides rising from a concave base to a gently flaring rim, the exterior intricately painted in soft enamels within an underglaze-blue outline, depicting a rooster, a hen and five chicks in a garden landscape with flowering peony branches growing from pierced rockwork, the interior with a central medallion enclosing lingzhi shrubs growing from rocks, encircled by double line borders repeated at the rim, the base with an apocryphal four-character Chenghua mark within a double circle, Japanese wood box inscribed by Fujio Koyama.

Lot 3655. A fine doucai'Immortal' bowl, mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 9.2 cm, 3 5/8  in. Estimate: 250,000 — 350,000 HKD (31,848 — 44,587 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

delicately potted with rounded sides resting on a short foot, the exterior brightly enamelled within underglaze-blue outlines, depicting an immortal carrying an axe and a floral basket on his shoulder, looking backwards towards another immortal holding a sprig of lingzhi, all amongst a garden with a pine tree and lingzhi sprays, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle, wood stand.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 13th July 2005, lot 257.

Lot 3654. A rare doucai'Peaches' dish,mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 15.1 cm, 5 7/8  in. Estimate: 100,000 — 150,000 HKD (12,739 - 19,109 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

with shallow rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot to an everted rim, the interior delicately decorated with a central medallion enclosing a gnarled leafy branch bearing two peaches, a flower and a small cluster of nandina berries, above jagged rockwork amidst pine clusters, nandina berries, bamboo leaves and a further gnarled branch, all surrounded two leafy sprays of peaches on the cavetto accentuated with berries, each spray alternating with two fluttering butterflies, the exterior with bamboo shoots issuing from jagged rockwork with lingzhi blooms sprouting nearby, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark.

Lot 3656. A large wucai'Dragon and Phoenix' dish, mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); 32.5 cm, 12 3/4  in. Estimate: 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD (101,912 — 152,868 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

Lot 3657. A rare large finely painted famille-verte jardinière, mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); w. 51.6 cm, 20 1/4  in. Estimate: 3,000,000 — 4,000,000 HKD (382,170 — 509,560 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

Lot 179. A rare Mughal carved Colombian emerald, India, 17th-18th century; 2.8 by 0.7cm. Est: £25,000 - £35,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the front carved with three flowers emanating from a stem, the bevelled edge carved with a chevron design, reverse with a similar three foliate stem motif.

Accompanied by Gemological Certification Services, London, numbered 78162-43, dated 14 June 2018, stating that the emerald is of Colombian origin, with indications of significant clarity enhancement. Cracks visible within the emerald with some associated discoloration, formerly set into later gold and diamond-set pendant, as viewed.  

Provenance: Ex-private collection, USA. 

Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, October 24, 2018, 10:30 AM 

Lot 175. A diamond and emerald-set enamelled necklace, North India, late 19th century; 22cm. height; 17.1cm diam. (jewelled section only). Est: £25,000 - £35,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

comprising articulated openwork metal settings designed in a foliate manner, set with facet-cut, foil-backed diamonds, featuring carved emeralds in hexagonal mounts, with a tear-drop, en-suite pendant terminating with a hanging large uncarved emerald, enamelled on the reverse in red, green, blue and white with foliate details on each setting, with a metal-thread string, in box. .  

Provenance: Maharaja Shri Pratap Singh of Idar (1845-1922), Gujarat. 
Thence by descent, UK.

Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, October 24, 2018, 10:30 AM 

Lot 176. A gem-set and enamelled turban ornament (jigha or sarpech), North India, late 18th-19th century; 20cm. Est: £20,000 - £30,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

set with large carved emeralds, the central one with flowerhead design, within foiled surrounds, surrounded by table-cut diamonds, hanging spinel and seed pearls, the reverse with red, green and white floral design in basse taille enamel, two pin hooks for fastening, two drop pearls.  

Provenance: Maharaja Shri Pratap Singh of Idar (1845-1922), Gujarat. 
Thence by descent, UK.

Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, October 24, 2018, 10:30 AM 

Lot 177. A large white sapphire and enamelled necklace, North India, circa 1920-30; 24cm. height; 21cm. max. diam. (jewelled section). Est: £18,000 - £25,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the metal frame designed in hinged sections with openwork foliate motifs featuring two confronted peacocks between a large flowerhead, set with facet-cut, foil-backed white-sapphires, with hanging flowerhead, the reverse decorated with black enamelled details, floral settings for attaching, in box.  

Provenance: Maharaja Shri Pratap Singh of Idar (1845-1922), Gujarat. 
Thence by descent, UK.

Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, October 24, 2018, 10:30 AM 

Lot 178. A pair of gem-set and enamelled bracelets (kara), North India, Rajasthan, mid-19th century; each: 8 by 8.3cm. max. Est: £12,000 - £18,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the hinged clasps rendered in the form of two confronting elephants with entwined trunks, decorated with red, green, white, blue and black enamels, the interiors with floral motifs, set with foil-backed facet-cut diamonds to exterior.  

Provenance: Maharaja Shri Pratap Singh of Idar (1845-1922), Gujarat. 
Thence by descent, UK.

Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, October 24, 2018, 10:30 AM

Lot 3671. A Longquan carved celadon jar, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); 27.5 cm, 10 7/8  in. Estimate 250,000 — 300,000 (31,848 - 38,217 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

robustly potted, of baluster form with a tapered neck decorated with overlapping striated triangular motifs, carved around the sides with panels of flowers of the four seasons, alternating with panels of characters jin yu man tang ('May gold and jade fill your halls'), beneath a continuous border of scrolling clouds, all between bands of formalised petals around the neck and base, covered overall with a thick rich green glaze.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 27th/28th April 1993, lot 29.

Lot 3652. A wucai‘Dragon and Phoenix’ fan-shaped cricket case, mark and period of Wanli (1573-1619); 9.8 cm, 3 7/8  in. Estimate 300,000 — 400,000 HKD (38,217 - 50,956 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

with straight sides rising from a knife-pared foot, each facet brightly enamelled with a leaping five-clawed dragon pursuing a flaming pearl beside a swooping phoenix, all amidst leafy sprays issuing stylised flower heads and within underglaze-blue double-line borders, the glazed base inscribed with a six-character reign mark in a scallop-edged rectangular cartouche, reticulated metal cover.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26th October 1993, lot 61.

Lot 3670. A Tibetan-inscribed blue and white 'Dragon medallion' bowl, mark and period of Wanli (1573-1619); 15.9 cm, 6 1/4  in. Estimate 150,000 — 200,000 HKD (19,109 - 25,478 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the deep rounded sides rising from a tapered foot to a gently flared rim, richly painted to the exterior in bright cobalt blue tones, depicting four roundels formed from sinuous five-clawed dragons writhing amidst clouds, divided by pairs of the babao (Eight treasures) arranged in double registers, the interior with a central medallion enclosing a single large Tibetan 'All Powerful Ten'-style character, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle.

Note: Another Wanli blue and white bowl inscribed with Tibetan ‘All Powerful Ten’ style characters is illustrated in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, pl. 11:100.

Lot 3669. A blue and white 'Boys' cup, mark and period of Jiajing (1522-1566); 8.7 cm, 3 3/8  in. Estimate 150,000 — 200,000 HKD (19,109 - 25,478 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the rounded sides supported on a slightly concave base, vividly painted on the exterior with eight boys in a garden with pierced rocks, one side depicting a group of four at play, the reverse with a boy holding a vase and another carrying a jardinière of flowers walking towards two further boys, all above a wavy band of lappets, the interior with a central medallion enclosing two boys in a garden, encircled by double-line borders repeated at the rim, the glazed base inscribed with a six-character reign mark.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4th November 1997, lot 1408.

Lot 3651. A rare lobed yellow-ground and iron-red decorated 'Crane' box and cover, mark and period of Jiajing (1522-1566); 12.6 cm, 4 7/8  in. Estimate 800,000 — 1,000,000 HKD (101,912 - 127,390 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

of quatrelobed form, the box potted with rounded sides resting on a short foot of corresponding form, the exterior decorated in iron red with four cranes, each bird alternating with two ruyi cloud scrolls, all below a classic scroll band bordering the straight rim and repeated at the rim of the cover, the cover with a rounded border similarly decorated with a frieze of flying cranes and ruyi cloud scrolls, surrounding a raised quatrelobed panel enclosing a crane framed by ruyi cloud scrolls and the Eight Trigrams, all against a bright yellow ground, the white base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark.

Provenance: Acquired from Uragami Sokyu-do Co. Ltd., Tokyo, 2009.

Note: A devoted follower of Daoism, the Jiajing Emperor's pursuit of immortality led not only to his infatuation with alchemy but the domination of Daoist rituals in court, a natural result of which was the proliferation of imperial wares commissioned for ritualistic purposes. Supplied especially by Jingdezhen, such artefacts brim with Daoist imagery such as cranes and the 'eight trigrams', presenting the promise of attaining immortality and exaltation.

Rarely employed, the colour scheme of the present piece may have been specific to the Jiajing reign, during which its auspicious significance was fully appreciated by the emperor. It was most likely its onerous production method that precluded a more widespread use: not only were three firings – one for the clear-glazed porcelain, one for the yellow overglaze enamel, and a third for the design-bearing iron-red enamel – necessary, the difficulty of even-handedly applying the red around the designs in yellow must have contributed to an exceptionally high rate of failure.

The small size of this present piece is also noted for its rarity among heirlooms of a similar type.