Highlights from our May 2023 auction include impressive ceramics and beautifully crafted fabrics and paintings, as well as jade, metalware and works of art from across Asia.
Included within the sale are works from several impressive private collections including a Private Taiwanese Collection (Lots 108-115), a Private Scottish Collection from North Berwick (Lots 116-122), a Private Scottish Collection from the West of Scotland (Lots 197-200), a Private Scottish Collection from Newton Don & Harrietfield, Kelso (Lots 67-76), a Private Scottish Collection from Edinburgh (Lots 259-270) and a Private Collection of A Notable Ottoman Family in London (Lots 290-307).
Here, we have selected a few pieces to highlight the fine craftsmanship of the works to be offered in our forthcoming auction...
Government officials and members of the imperial court were entitled to wear dragon robes. Designs and colours were regulated by rank; for example, only the emperor, the heir apparent, empress, and empress dowager could wear yellow robes. Only the imperial family and high-ranking princes were allowed to wear robes with nine dragons, and only the upper echelons were allowed to wear dragons with five claws; the lower orders wore four-clawed dragons.
The eight colourful dragons on the main body of the robe (five on the front, three on the back) are shown in different positions, such as front-facing and rising. The ninth dragon is hidden inside the flap.
The designs on this robe were embroidered on top of a woven gauze fabric. This robe is made of gauze fabric that is like a very fine net, which allows air to circulate and keeps its wearer cool in warm weather. Most of the embroidery stitches are vertical and cover about two rows of the gauze weave.
Youqua is regarded as one of the finest Chinese export painters active from the 1840's to the 1880's. Little is known about the life of this Cantonese export painter, but he is known for his fine works in Western style depicting port scenes, landscapes, still lifes and flowers. Youqua originally started in Canton at number 34 Old Street, corresponded to the address on the label of this lot, and later opened a second studio in Hong Kong at number 107 Queen's Road, both under the name of 'Yeehing'. By the 1850's Youqua was regarded as the best studio at that time.
Fish as a subject matter is rarer than exotic birds and flowers by Youqua. There is a comparable album of eleven pith paintings depicting exotic fish, stamped Youqua that was sold at Christie's London, 21 Jun 2006, lot 195.
Two closely comparable Qing dynasty jade washers, similar in the design of dragons chasing a flaming pearl, one of pale celadon jade and the other of spinach-green with russet skin jade, are in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, museum nos. Gu yu 故玉 2963 and 8817. Two further similar examples, one with highly similar colour of the jade and the size, dated to the early Qing dynasty, was from the Metropolitan Museum of Art- The Florence and Herbert Irving Gift and sold at Sotheby's New York in September 2019, lot 25; the other of spinach-green jade and slightly larger in size, was sold at Christie's New York in September 2019, lot 937.
To create a jade baton of this length requires a substantial jade boulder. The simplicity of the pipe showcases the attractive natural colour of the stone. A similar Chinese jade silver-mounted opium pipe, dated to the 20th century, sold at Christie's Amsterdam in April 2012, lot 365.
The Jiajing Emperor (reign 1521-1567) started to pay excessive attention to his Daoist pursuits while ignoring imperial duties from the twenty-first year of his reign. According to the historical record Jiangxi Sheng Da zhi (Annals of Jiangxi), 'Volume of Ceramics', Jiajing Emperor commissioned many ceramic wares infused with the Daoist subject matter. This jar is a testimony of his Daoist obsession. The Daoist immortals depicted on this jar are Li Tieguai, one of the Eight Immortals; Liu Haichan, the God of Wealth; Hanshan and Shide, who are also known together as the Hehe Erxian Twins.
It is rare to have these four immortals depicted together. A rare example in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei depicts these four immortals on crashing waves focusing on the God of Longevity in flight in the centre by an imperial painter in the Ming Court Shang Xi (ca. 15th century). This scroll painting is painted in meticulous brush craftsmanship, whereas the depiction on the present jar takes on a freer style, aptly applied to the subject matter of Pengtou Sixian (Four Unkempt Immortals), and cleverly captures the liveliness, freedom from the secular judgement, and the nonchalant manner of the immortals.
A highly comparable example of a blue and white 'four immortals' quatre-lobed jar, dated to the Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period, was sold at Sotheby's New York in September 2009, lot 189. The same jar was subsequently offered at Poly Beijing, 6 December 2011, lot 4938, then sold at the same saleroom in July 2022, lot 5623.
Fahua, meaning designs with boundaries, is a term probably coined by connoisseurs in the 1920s, refers to a palette and style of ornament rather than a kiln site. Fahua-type wares are mostly ornamented with designs outlined in relief with brightly coloured lead-alkaline glazes from a distinctive palette. During the Ming dynasty, fahua ceramics tended to be rather large-scale, mostly vases, wine jars and garden seats.1 The example offered here falls under the category of wine jar. For a related reticulated fahua wine jar, decorated with Eight Daoist Immortals, dated to the Ming dynasty, 16th century, is in the collection of the British Museum, museum no. 2003,0731.1. Also comparable to other Ming Dynasty reticulated fahua wine jars decorated with figures in auctions, two were offered at Sotheby's New York in March 2018, lot 1542 and Sotheby's Hong Kong in October 2020, lot 3616; one was also sold at Christie's Hong Kong in March 2020, lot 103.
Tea-dust-glazed bottle vases are well-known, most notably made in the Qianlong period. A similar vase in shape but broader cylindrical neck with a Qianlong mark and period is currently in the collection of the British Museum, accession no. 735-1883.
Tea-dust-glazed wares with additional silver, gilt, or enamel decoration are rare. A further example in the British Museum, museum is a hexagonal vase with tea-dust-glazed and gilt decoration, dated to the Qing dynasty, 1720-1820, no. Franks.57 another rare example, a gilt-decorated tea-dust-glazed double-gourd handled vase, with a Qianlong mark and of the period, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong in Nov 2005, lot 1311.
During the Jiajing reign, the range of colour combinations on ceramics was expanded. The red enamel painting onto a yellow glaze was an innovation of that time. First, a yellow overglaze was fired onto the ware, then red enamel was added with the designs reverse; later black enamel was used to add the details. 1
Several related examples with dragon and cloud as the motif can be seen on different wares, mainly jars. Examples include a lidded jar with cloud and dragon decoration in overglaze yellow on red ground, with a Jiajing mark and of the period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, museum no. Gu Ci 故瓷6090N. Another comparable jar with more rounded lower sides, without a lid, is in the collection of the British Museum, museum no. 1930,0719.48, and illustrated by Jessica Harrison-Hall in Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, no.9:90. Various similar jars were seen in auctions, one sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong in October 2015, lot 3659, another one previously in the collection of the Manno Art Museum, no. 388 and subsequently sold at Christie's Hong Kong in Oct 2002, lot 540.
A slightly larger (45.1cm high) and less bulbous double gourd vase, decorated with similar colour scheme and technique, but painted with lotus scroll instead of dragons and phoenixes, previously in the collection of the Qing Court, is now in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing.
Lyon & Turnbull’s international Asian Art department conduct frequent specialist auctions, in the various locations throughout the UK and via live online auctions. These auctions have a special focus on Chinese and Japanese ceramics, paintings, furniture, jade, textiles and works of art and are perfectly positioned to capitalise on the current strength in the Asian antiques markets.
