Press Release Hong Kong
For Immediate Release
Hong Kong | Carmen Ting | +852 2822 8140 | [email protected]
New York | Dan Abernethy | +1 212 606 7176 | [email protected] | London | Matthew Floris | +44 20 7293 5167 | [email protected]
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Presents
AN OUTSTANDING GUAN VASE
FROM THE SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY
NOT SEEN ON THE MARKET FOR FOUR DECADES
Expected to fetch in excess of HK$60 Million / US$7.7 Million
&
TWO EXTRAORDINARY THEME SALES DEDICATED TO
THE YONGZHENG AND QIANLONG EMPERORS
To lead Chinese Works of Art Spring Sales on 7 April
Hong Kong Public Exhibition: 2 – 6 April│ Auction: 7 April
Hong Kong, 2 March 2015
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art Spring Sales 2015 will take
place on 7 April at Hall 5, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, led by an outstanding Southern Song
‘Guan’ Vase from a Japanese Collection (Expected to fetch in excess of HK$60 million / US$7.7 million) which has
been unseen in the market for four decades, as well as two theme sales respectively dedicated to the Yongzheng and
Qianlong emperors of the Qing dynasty, two of the greatest art patrons and collectors in Chinese history. Also
noteworthy are a magnificent carved celadon, famille-rose and underglazed-blue ‘boys’ vase, the Robert H.
Blumenfield collection of bamboo carvings in addition to imperial porcelains and works of art from a Hong Kong
private collection. Altogether, the six sales will offer more than 250 lots with a total estimate of approximately
HK$600 million / US$76 million*.
Nicolas Chow, Sotheby’s Asia Deputy Chairman and International Head of Chinese Works of Art, said, “We
are privileged to offer this season some of the most outstanding Chinese works of art to come to the market in recent
history. The Southern Song Guan vase, a masterpiece of ceramic art, and the jade seal that the Yongzheng Emperor
used to impress on his own calligraphy are worthy of the finest public or private collections.”
Auction Highlights:
I) GUAN – FROM A JAPANESE COLLECTION
An Outstanding ‘Guan’ Octagonal Vase
Southern Song Dynasty
height 21.9 cm
Expected to fetch in excess of HK$60 million / US$7.7 million
Guan yao, the fabled ‘official ware’ specially created for the imperial
court of the Southern Song (1127-1279) in Hangzhou in south China,
is perhaps the most desirable and certainly one of the rarest types of
Chinese ceramics. It showcases Chinese potters at the height of their
ingenuity, technical know-how and aesthetic vision. The works of
art they conceived embodied the leitmotifs of China’s highly
educated scholar-officials, the ruling elite of the Song.
The shape reflects the Song dynasty fascination with archaic bronzes. The exquisite, unctuous glaze of the present
vase with its smooth pleasing texture, milky-blue tint and subtle gloss was achieved through gradual application of
multiple layers and presumably successive firings. The thick coating thus formed softly envelopes the angular shape,
rounding off all sharp angles to create an object that invites being held. The distinct web of veins of the large-scale
crackle, probably provoked by a well-controlled cooling process after the last firing and subsequent staining, acts like
a design formed by nature, giving the whole piece an aspect as if carved out of one large boulder of a fine jade-like
stone.
Although widely admired and avidly imitated, actual examples are exceedingly rare even in the Palace Museums of
Taipei and Beijing, since despite the expertise of the craftsmen, a satisfactory outcome was difficult even at the time.
Only three other vessels representing Song guan ware at its best have ever appeared at auction. The present vase,
originally purchased from Sotheby’s London in July 1975, from the collection of John Henry Levy, has been carefully
preserved the last forty years in a Japanese collection, from where the record-breaking Ru washer emerged in 2012,
selling for an unprecedented HK$207.86 million / US$27 million. Kept until last, the current vase was the one the
collector cherished and valued the most highly.
II) YONGZHENG - TREASURES FROM THE AGE OF HARMONY AND INTEGRITY
The Yongzheng Emperor is celebrated among historians and connoisseurs as a distinguished aesthete and art patron.
Under his brief thirteen-year rule, the Imperial workshops within the Forbidden City came into full bloom by virtue of
the Emperor’s meticulous involvement in the production and quality control. The most luxurious materials were
painstakingly gathered, the most skilled craftsmen summoned from afar and techniques perfected to levels never to be
surpassed.
The present sale pays homage to the exacting eye and elegant taste of the Yongzheng Emperor. The nineteen objects
selected here encompass some of the finest porcelain produced in Jingdezhen, and include as a group of exceedingly
rare works of art – jade, soapstone, crystal, agate, glass, bronze, lacquer – manufactured in close proximity of the
Emperor at the court and under his direct guidance. Every piece in the sale is inscribed with a reign mark, or of a type
documented as being directly commissioned by the Emperor. It is unprecedented to have assembled a group of such
quality and rarity.
An Extremely Rare Imperial White Jade ‘Yongzheng Yubi Zhi Bao’
Seal with original Ivory-Inlaid Box and Cover
The seal: Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period
The seal face: Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Period
Seal 7.5 x 6.1 x 6.1 cm; box and cover 9.1 x 9.1 x 8.6 cm
Est. HK$30 – 40 million / US$3.8 – 5.1 million
This jade seal with its original box, one of only five recorded jade
examples from the Yongzheng reign, ranks among the most important
works of art of the period to come to light in recent history. The seal face
translates as ‘Treasure penned by his Majesty the Yongzheng Emperor’
and the seal is impressed on his own calligraphy and paintings. It is
exceptional to find such a seal preserved with its original box, which, like the seal itself, is recorded in the archives of
the Forbidden City.
A Fine and Superbly Painted Blue and White ‘Dragon’ Vase
Mark and Period of Yongzheng
height 38.6 cm
Est. HK$40 – 60 million / US$5.1 – 7.7 million
This magnificent dragon vase epitomises the Yongzheng Emperor’s admiration for
early Ming dynasty porcelain and his endeavour for aesthetic excellence. The
dragon motif is emblematic of the Emperor and, by extension, imperial power. The
brilliant deep blue cobalt, applied to replicate the ‘heaping and piling’ effect of
early Ming underglaze blue designs, reflects the high level of technical achievement
of the kilns in Jingdezhen during the period. No other example is known from the
period.
III) QIANLONG – POET AND COLLECTOR
Prince Hongli (1711-1799), the Qianlong Emperor, is one of the most prolific poets and writers in China’s literary
history, with more than 40,000 poems composed by him. He is also recorded in history as one of the most zealous
collectors, with an art collection of enormous scope and size, which included antiques, archaistic works and
contemporary art. His enthusiasm is reflected in the numerous inscriptions compiled in anthologies, and in his
commemorative poems and compositions preserved on the surface of the finest paintings, calligraphy, porcelains and
jades. The present sale offers four pieces formerly in the imperial collection of the Qianlong Emperor.
An Exceptionally Large and Extremely Rare Dated Zitan Mounted
Archaic Jade Bi Disc
Jade Disc: Eastern Han Dynasty
Stand: Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period, dated in accordance with 1770
height 30 cm; disc 23.8 cm
Est. HK$30 – 40 million / US$3.8 – 5.1 million
The superb Eastern Han jade bi disc features painstakingly carved and
reticulated dragon and phoenix motifs.
The carved words Yan Nian
(‘elongated lifespan’) stand for the longevity of the emperor as well as the
eternal prosperity of Qianlong’s reign, a symbolic reflection of his quest for
legitimacy as a ruler and his right to the Mandate of Heaven. The jade disc
itself is of outstanding quality and superbly carved. Inscribed, dated and preserved with its original zitan stand, it is
arguably the greatest inscribed work of art from the Qianlong Emperor's collection that remains in private hands.
IV) IMPERIAL PORCELAIN AND WORKS OF ART FROM A HONG KONG PRIVATE COLLECTION
This sale presents a selection of 24 objects from an Asian private collection, ranging from imperial porcelain from the
Xuande period, in the Ming dynasty, to Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong in the Qing dynasty. There is also a number
of rare imperial works of art, kesi and albums.
An Imperial Kesi Album of Poems On ‘West Lake’
Mark and Period of Qianlong
37.8 by 25.7 cm
Est. HK$4 – 6 million / U$510,000 – 770,000
The Qianlong Emperor was particularly drawn to the beauty
and elegance of the landscapes in southern China.
When
revisiting, he would compose poems, and then upon returning
to the Forbidden City, would order imperial albums of all the
poems he had composed on them.
A Fine and Rare Celadon-Glazed Vase
Seal Mark And Period Of Qianlong
height 37.9 cm
Est. HK$8 – 12 million / US$1 – 1.5 million
Of exceptional graceful form covered with a luminous celadon glaze, this vase is an
impressive example of the remarkable technical developments made to meet the
specific taste of the Qianlong Emperor, which was characterised by the imitation of
antiques, innovation and flair. Its simplicity of form and absence of decoration was
a new stylistic trend resulted from research into celebrated Song glazes. Published
in the collection of Taji Shuichi in Tokyo in 1983, it has exceptional provenance.
V) IMPORTANT CHINESE WORKS OF ART
The sale will feature a diverse range of important Imperial porcelain and works of art
from the Ming and Qing dynasties, highlighted by a magnificent carved-celadon,
famille-rose and underglaze-blue ‘boys’ vase.
A Magnificent Carved Celadon-Glazed, Famille-Rose and Underglaze-Blue
‘Boys’ Vase
Seal Mark and Period of Qianlong
height 44 cm
Est. HK$50 – 70 million / US$6.4 – 9 million
This exceptional vase is a tour-de-force, combining celadon glaze with relief design,
famille-rose and underglaze-blue painting. Acquired by the currently owner in France
twenty years ago, it is extremely rare with no other comparable published example,
and is of the uttermost refinement. The subject of children at play was favoured for its auspiciousness inspired by
paintings by court artists such as Jin Tingbiao.
VI) THE ROBERT H. BLUMENFIELD COLLECTION OF BAMBOO CARVINGS
Passionately collected over 30 years by the American collector Robert H. Blumenfield, this is an outstanding
assemblage of bamboo carvings, reflecting the superb output of literati taste bamboo produced in the late Ming and
early Qing dynasties. Encompassing all the major categories, the collection includes figure carvings, brushpots,
incense burners and exquisite miniatures produced for the scholar’s desk.
A Superb Carved Bamboo ‘Eight Daoist Immortals’ Brushpot
Attributed to Gu Jue
Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period
height 17 cm
Est. HK$2.5 – 3.5 million / US$320,000 – 450,000
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium
Images available upon request │All catalogues are available online at or through Sotheby’s Catalogue iPad App
NOTES TO EDITORS
I) SOTHEBY'S HONG KONG SPRING SALES 2015 CALENDAR (The schedule is subject to change)
Auction
Category
4 April
A Private Single-Owner Collection Of Important Wines And Watches (Wines Session)
Modern And Contemporary Asian Art – Evening Sale
(Modern Asian Art, Contemporary Asian Art and Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art )
Modern Asian Art Day Sale
Contemporary Asian Art Day Sale
Modern And Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Day Sale
Contemporary Literati: Curiosity
Fine Chinese Paintings
Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite
5 April
6 April
7 April
A Private Single-Owner Collection Of Important Wines And Watches (Watches Session)
Important Watches – Including Swatch & Art from the Dunkel Collection
Guan – From a Japanese Collection
Yongzheng – Treasures from the Age of Harmony and Integrity
Qianlong – Poet and Collector
Imperial Porcelain and Works of Art from a Hong Kong Private Collection
The Robert H. Blumenfield Collection of Bamboo Carvings
Important Chinese Works of Art
HONG KONG EXHIBITION AND AUCTION VENUE
Hall 5, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (New Wing), 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
II) ASIA TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS CALENDAR
Date
City
Venue
4 - 5 March
7 - 8 March
21 - 22 March
Shanghai
Beijing
Taipei
Jing An Shangri-La
China World Summit Wing
Fubon International Convention Centre
III) UPCOMING SELLING EXHIBITION IN MARCH
Date
Event
13 – 27 March
Avant Garde Asia – Gutai and Its Legacy and
Avant Garde Asia – Lines of Korean Masters
Venue
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery
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