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Wednesday, November 04, 2020, 12:55
Imperial porcelain tempts collectors in London
By Bo Leung in London
Wednesday, November 04, 2020, 12:55 By Bo Leung in London

This undated photo shows a rouge-red glazed famille rose bowl decorated with a flower-butterfly pattern from the Yongzheng Period of the Qing Dynasty. (PHOTO / OFFICIAL WEIBO ACCOUNT OF THE PALACE MUSEUM / CHINADAILY.COM.CN)

A Yongzheng period famille-rose "dragon" dish from a noble family is one of the highlight pieces up for auction at the Important Chinese Art sale at Sotheby's.

A large group of classical Chinese furniture from a European collection is also up for sale at Sotheby's

The highly decorative dish, which is presented in a wooden frame, was acquired by an ancestor of the present owner who was a diplomat in China and returned to Europe in the mid-19th century.

The dish is expected to fetch 360,000 pounds (US$465,000) when it goes under the hammer at the sale on Wednesday.

The auction house is also offering a Ming-style blue and white vase formerly in an Austrian collection. The vase is painted in varying shades of deep blue with large floral blooms and the base is inscribed with a six-character "Yongzheng reign" mark within a double-circle.

Sotheby's said the vase "clearly takes its inspiration in early Ming blue and white porcelain of the Xuande period". It is expected to sell for 250,000 pounds.

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Caroline Schulten, Sotheby's European head of Chinese art, said: "Many of the pieces have been hidden away in private collections in England and continental Europe for decades, and their appearance on the market now is of great appeal to today's collectors, for whom provenance, rarity and freshness are key."

A large group of classical Chinese furniture from a European collection is also up for sale at Sotheby's. The collection was built up following the collector's frequent trips to Asia via Hong Kong in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was advised by one of the leading experts in the modern Chinese furniture world, Hei Hung-lu.

"The prestigious and diverse range of pieces covers multiple centuries and dynasties, with several standout objects along the way, from imperial porcelains with the most refined and ravishing glazes to exceptional huanghuali furniture. Equally, the opportunity to present the fourth part of a private collection of imperial porcelain, following sales in London, New York and Hong Kong, makes this season particularly special," Schulten added.

Jade belt hook

Christie's Important Chinese Art sale on Tuesday features works that span more than 3,000 years.

A group of archaic jade carvings in the Property from a Princely Collection include a rare yellow jade belt hook dated to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD) with an estimated worth of 800,000 pounds.

Christie's is also offering a rare pair of Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC) gold and silver-inlaid bronze chariot fittings, which is expected to sell for at 1 million pounds.

Rosemary Scott, senior international academic consultant in Asian Art said: "This pair of chariot fittings are a testament to the remarkable artistry and technical mastery of Eastern Zhou metal workers."

In the Bonhams Fine Chinese Art sale, a pair of rare iron-red and green-enameled ovoid jars will go under the hammer on Thursday.

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Bonhams said the pair of "dragon" jars with Yongzheng marks are exceedingly rare and have a nearly identical example in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Also in the sale is a remarkable collection of huanghuali furniture from the former Assistant Commissioner of the Shanghai Municipal Police between 1919 and 1928 in the Chinese classical furniture category.

This includes an exceptionally rare low-back armchair decorated with a pair of confronted "Chilong" on the back panel and side struts shaped as "Shou" characters. The armchair is expected to fetch a high estimate of 80,000 pounds.


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