Porcelain & Works of Art

Chinese imperial porcelain blue and white slender necked baluster vase, of handbell form, yaoling zun, painted on the body with four circular medallions consisting of three bands forming the gankyil, “Wheel of Joy”, above stylised upright pointed leaves with scrolls and a wide herringbone band at the gently flared foot, the shoulder with a single rib within two lines.

Chinese imperial porcelain blue and white dragon bowl, wan, thinly potted with gently rising upright sides on a short foot rim, painted with two five-clawed dragons with detailed scales and open mouths, each in pursuit of a flaming pearl, amongst stylised flames, the interior glazed white.

Chinese imperial porcelain iron-red dragon bowl, wan, thinly potted with gently rising upright sides on a short foot rim, painted with two five-clawed iron-red enamel dragons each in pursuit of a flaming pearl amongst ruyi-clouds and flames, the dragons’ eyes heightened in black enamel, the interior glazed white.

Chinese imperial porcelain famille verte birthday dish, pan, with flat everted lipped rim, painted in the centre with Lady Magu standing holding a scroll looking back at her attendant with a large peach, beside a tethered mythical deer drawing a wheeled square jardinière supporting a fruiting lingzhi group, encircled by twenty iron-red flowerheads on a hexagonal diaper ground between four-character medallions, wan shou wu jiang, “endless longevity”.

Pair of Chinese imperial porcelain doucai figural bowls of deep form, wan, thinly potted with upright sides, each painted on the exterior in a continuous landscape scene with five tribute bearers carrying incense bowls, an aquatic branch, a tray of fruit and a cornucopia, all following a tethered yellow-glazed deer pulling a carriage of aquatic branches and peacock feathers, approaching a walled city amongst clouds, flowers, plants and rockwork beneath a triangular diaper band at the rim and above two underglaze blue lines at the foot. The well of the interior painted with a mountainous landscape medallion with a house nestled amongst pine trees and rockwork beneath the sun and migrating birds, encircled by two double lines in underglaze blue.

A very fine and rare Chinese imperial porcelain coral-red ground chrysanthemum-form flower dish, ju ban pan, the body with fluted petals and slightly inverted foot, covered overall in a rich and even coral-red enamel.

Chinese imperial porcelain doucai dragon saucer dish, pan, painted in the centre with a five-clawed dragon with open mouth and detailed scales in pursuit of a large iron-red flaming pearl, amongst stylised flames and ruyi-clouds all within two underglaze blue lines, the cavetto painted with five large ruyi-clouds in iron-red, aubergine, green and yellow enamels outlined in underglaze blue within two further underglaze blue lines beneath the rim. The underside with a wide band of crested foaming waves beneath clouds, all within underglaze blue double lines.

Chinese imperial porcelain doucai and famille rose enamelled conical floral medallion bowl, wan, painted on the exterior with four blossoming flower medallions of peony, lotus, chrysanthemum and prunus, representing the four seasons, the branches and leaves forming the roundel, all between stylised green-glazed branches with buds and lotus petals, beneath two underglaze blue lines at the rim repeated on the foot. The well of the interior with a double butterfly medallion and a prunus flower spray, circled by two pairs of underglaze blue double lines.

Chinese imperial porcelain blue and white “lotus bouquet” dish with gently rounded sides rising from a short tapering foot to a slightly everted rim, painted in rich cobalt-blue tones to the interior with a roundel enclosing a ribboned bouquet of lotus flowers, aquatic plants and a lotus pod, encircled by three concentric rings, the cavetto and exterior painted with seven alternating flowerheads amidst scrolling foliage, all below a classic scroll band.

Chinese imperial porcelain celadon-glazed deep bowl with flared rim, carved on the exterior with six camellia flowers on a continuous scrolling branch with leaves, covered overall with a luminous celadon glaze, extending on the interior and base.

Pair of Chinese porcelain semi-eggshell famille rose openwork hexagonal lanterns, each section reticulated in different openwork designs, having in the centre a circular medallion enclosing different figures in various pursuits, the collar and receding foot also with reticulated centres with pink enamel. 34.8 cm high. Yongzheng, 1723-1735.

Chinese porcelain blue and white and underglaze copper-red large ovoid jardinière with gently lipped rim, painted in a continuous mountain river landscape scene with a fisherman in his boat and another casting his net from a rocky promontory beside a willow and viewing pavilion, with large pine trees and underglaze copper-red wutong with two other standing scholars looking across the lake amongst rockwork, plants, pavilions all between underglaze blue lines, the base unglazed.

A large and impressive Chinese porcelain famille rose-verte charger, painted with a scene from the “Dream of the Red Chamber” with Lin Daiyu being introduced to her new tutor Jia Yucun by her father Lin Ruhai, within an elaborately decorated pavilion with draped curtains and tables with various ornaments and flowers, the foreground set with pierced garden rocks and flowering shrubs all beneath a prunus tree amongst iron-red, gilt, yellow and blue clouds, all within a gilt and iron-iron floral and diaper border amongst four leaf-shaped panels depicting elegant reclining ladies, the underside glazed white.

A Chinese porcelain large blue and white vase of slender form, decorated with a scene from the “Romance of the Western Chamber” with Zhang Sheng thanking General Du Que for saving his love Cui Yingying, surrounded by various high-ranking soldiers and officials inside the General’s tent with draped curtains and banners, the surrounds decorated with large varying trees and rockwork all beneath clouds, the neck with flower sprays and rockwork above a triangular diaper band, the base glazed-white and decorated with a ribboned artemisia leaf within a double-circle of underglaze-blue.

A Chinese porcelain famille verte ewer and cover, decorated on either side with a descending dragon grasping the flaming pearl above a band of waves and rockwork, the tall, slender neck flanked by a handle and spout decorated with two confronting dragons which meet at the join, the mouth and foot decorated with scrolling bands, the cover with flames surmounted by a finial with an iron-red flower, the base glazed white.

A pair of Chinese porcelain taperstick holders in the form of standing models of elegant nodding ladies holding a fluted baluster vase, each with a black enamel ground long jacket with iron-red sleeves and gilt floral medallions, tied at the waist with a turquoise bow above their lemon-yellow enamel pleated skirts revealing the tip of a foot, each on an integral moulded square raised base with flowerheads and iron-red and washed salmon-pink borders, the bases unglazed.

Chinese porcelain blue and white beaker vase, gu, decorated with four panels of buddhist lions perched atop rockwork, amongst waves, flames and clouds, the central bulb enclosed by two protruding ribs and key-fret borders decorated with flowers and scrolling foliage, the rim and foot with scrolling ruyi clouds, the base glazed white with a double-ring mark in underglaze blue.

A pair of Chinese porcelain blue and white thinly potted saucer dishes each fluted bodies foliate rims, painted with a scene from Xixiang ji, The Romance of The Western Chamber with Zhang Sheng meeting Cui Yingying in a terraced garden scene between a tree, beside an interior with table and stools, all beneath clouds, each underside with two landscapes and viewing pavilions.