The Centenary Exhibition

Chinese imperial porcelain doucai tripod censer, san zu lu, painted on the body with the Eight Buddhist Emblems, bajixiang, each ribbon tied amongst scrolling lotus and peony flowerheads on branches with scrolls and leaves, beneath a yellow ground ruyi-head band, between two curved openwork handles with open-winged iron-red bats and aubergine bats at the terminals, the flat sides with keyfret, with a lotus flowerhead interlinked branch on the neck above a green-washed band, the relief galleried rim with iron-red keyfret, all on three cabriole feet with flowerheads and branches linked by ruyi-heads, above further keyfret at the foot.

Pair of Chinese imperial porcelain wucai dragon and phoenix bowls, wan, deeply potted with gently flaring rims, each painted on the exterior with an iron-red and a green five-clawed dragon in pursuit of a flaming pearl separated by two swooping phoenix birds amongst leaves and flowerheads in two tones of green, beneath a band of bajixiang alternating with ruyi-heads, above two lines in underglaze blue on the foot. The interior painted in the well with an iron-red five yellow-clawed dragon in pursuit of a flaming pearl amongst flames within two underglaze blue double lines and one at the rim.

Chinese imperial porcelain blue and white vase of zun form, painted in the Ming style with heaped and piled effect, the body with two wide bands, the lower register with six different large flowerheads and twelve smaller flowerheads, all on continuous scrolling branches with their characteristic leaves, including peony, lily, rose, poppy, pink, camellia and mallow, beneath a band with six large lotus flowerheads on a continuous scrolling leafy branch with smaller flowerheads, all between six relief ribs above a wide band of swirling crested waves and a further rib above lappets on the splayed foot, all between two high relief taotie animal mask and ring handles, the neck with formal archaic style leaves, beneath a further crested wave band at the rim.

Pair of Chinese imperial porcelain lavender-glazed altar vessels and covers, dou, each modelled after an archaic bronze with moulded and carved archaic designs, the upright body with ribs and bands all on a splayed, ribbed foot, the cover with a design of scrolls, fretwork and two registers of stylised waves beneath a double-rope twist openwork finial, covered overall including the interior and underside in a luminous, rich and even lavender glaze, all the rims dressed in brown in veneration of the archaic prototype.

Chinese imperial porcelain ruby ground famille rose enamelled vase, feng er ping, with light blue and dark blue enamelled outlined openwork phoenix handles, decorated on each side with the Eight Daoist Emblems, anbaxian on a rich and even ruby-red enamel ground above a lappet band with ruyi-head terminals and a leaf band on a gently splayed foot, all beneath a yellow ground band of ruyi-heads at the gilt rim, the interior and base lined with turquoise enamel.

Pair of Chinese imperial porcelain large moulded celadon-glazed bowls, wan, of deep form with upright sides and straight footrims, each moulded on the exterior with six peony blooms on their characteristic leafy branches beneath an archaic scrolling band at the rim and above a keyfret band at the foot, the interior incised overall with a central peony flowerhead encircled by six further blooms on a continuous scrolling branch with leaves beneath a keyfret band at the rim, the rims glazed white, covered overall in a luminous even pale celadon glaze.

Chinese imperial porcelain lemon-yellow ground underglaze blue decorated deep stem bowl, gao zu bei, with gently flared lipped rim and ribbed splayed foot, painted on the exterior with three fruiting branches of peach, pomegranate and finger citron, sanduo, all above lingzhi dispersed between panels of flowering camellia branches each with a bud above lingzhi, the splayed foot with crested waves. The well of the interior with a fruiting peach branch above lingzhi within two underglaze blue lines beneath a band of crested and swirling waves and prunus flowerheads all on a lemon-yellow ground.

A very fine and rare pair of Chinese imperial porcelain blue and white moonflasks, bian hu, each with ruyi-head terminal handles, flared rim and everted foot, painted on each side with peach-shaped relief panels of five large fruiting peaches on a singular leafy branch between a pair of bats in flight encircled by scrolling branches of lotus and camellia within underglaze blue double lines, the flat sides with a continuous scrolling branch of fruiting lingzhi between pairs of double lines, the neck painted with a band of lotus beneath* ruyi*-heads and a floral band with scrolling leafy branches at the rim, the foot with a continuous band of leaves and branches.