The madicinal and stimulating effects of tea had been known to the Chinese since ancient times. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907) tea became a subject of connoisseurship. The tea-drinking culture was transported by Buddhist monks from China to Japan and Korea. Tea culture is defined by the way people interact with tea and by the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking. Tea ceremonies, with their roots in the Chinese tea culture, differ among East Asian countries, such as the Japanese or Korean versions.
A special section of our November auction is dedicated to the Asian tea culture via various tangible tea related material culture. Highlights include pieces from pictural record of Chinese tea cooking in daily life during the 19th century (lot 215), various types of teapots in ceramic or silver, tea bowls dated to the Chinese Song Dynasty or later periods (lots 223 to 226), a Korean Goryeo period tea bowl inspired by its contemporaneous Chinese Yaozhou example (lot 238), a tea caddy for storing tea leaves (Lot 242), and Japanese tea ceremonial utensils such as hibachi (lot 241) and tray (lot 240). What unites all the pieces in this theme sale is a careful selection of quality of craftmanship underlines the long history of Asian tea culture.
Here we take a look at a few of the highlights...
LOT 215 | QING DYNASTY REVERSE GLASS PAINTING
清 玻璃鏡畫山水煮茶博弈圖
LOT 215 | REVERSE GLASS PAINTING OF BOARD GAME AND TEA COOKING | QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY | 清 玻璃鏡畫山水煮茶博弈圖
depicting two scholars playing chess on the right, together with three attendants with one fanning a burner heating boiling teapot on a rock table, all set in a scenic landscape, framed | (Qty: 1) 35cm x 49cm | £600 - £800 + fees
View Lot 215 ⇒
LOT 216 | LUEN WO SILVER 'PRUNUS' TRAY
清 紹記款 外銷銀梅紋托盤
LOT 216 | EXPORT SILVER 'PRUNUS' TRAY | QING DYNASTY, LUEN WO, SHANGHAI, C.1890 | 清 紹記款 外銷銀梅紋托盤
of rectangular form, the central engraved freely with prunus, the raised border with chrysanthemum sprays in relief, flanked by twin faux bamboo handles, the base hallmarked in Chinese characters 'Shao Ji紹記' and the retailer 'LUEN WO', 'SHANGHAI' | (Qty: 1) 58.4cm long, 2442g | £4,000 - £6,000 + fees
View Lot 216 ⇒
LOT 218 | CHONG WO SILVER TEA WARES
清 外銷銀茶具組（一組三件）
LOT 218 | GROUP OF THREE EXPORT SILVER TEA WARES | QING DYNASTY, CHONG WO, HONG KONG, 19TH CENTURY | 清 外銷銀茶具組（一組三件）
comprising: one tea kettle on stand set with burner, the base hallmarked 'WH', '90' and a two-character '厚泰' in Chinese, 32cm high on stand; one teapot, 25cm wide; and one lidded sugar container, 17cm wide; the bases of the teapot and sugar container hallmarked 'CHONG WO', 'HONG KONG', '90' and a two-character '昆和' in Chinese; each piece decorated with faux bamboo handles and relief designs of five-clawed dragon around the body | (Qty: 3) tallest: 32cm high, total weight 2257g | £2,500 - £3,500 + fees
View Lot 218 ⇒
LOT 225 | JIAN WARE 'PARTRIDGE FEATHER' BOWL
宋或更晚 建窯黑釉鐵鏽斑茶碗
LOT 225 | JIAN WARE 'PARTRIDGE FEATHER' BOWL | SONG DYNASTY OR LATER | 宋或更晚 建窯黑釉鐵鏽斑茶碗
the bulbous rounded sides covered overall with a thick glossy black glaze freely splashed with short russet 'partridge feather' streaks, stopping in an irregular line and thinning above the foot, exposing the light buff body | (Qty: 1) 14cm diameter | Provenance: Private English collection, Isle of Wight | £2,000 - £3,000 + fees
View Lot 225 ⇒
LOT 229 | DAOGUANG 'PO-PHASE FLOWER' CUPS
道光 青花纏枝寶相紋茶杯成對
LOT 229 | PAIR OF BLUE AND WHITE 'PO-PHASE FLOWER' CUPS | DAOGUANG MARK AND OF THE PERIOD | 道光 青花纏枝寶相紋茶杯成對
each thinly potted, finely painted with po-phase flowers surrounded by scrolling tendrils to the exterior, an array of roundel po-phase flowers further the interior, the base inscribed with a six-character Daoguang mark in underglaze blue | (Qty: 2) 8.2cm wide each | £2,000 - £3,000 + fees
View Lot 229 ⇒
LOT 238 | GORYEO PERIOD KOREAN YAOZHOU GLAZED BOWL
高麗時代 耀州窯繡花青瓷茶碗
LOT 238 | KOREAN YAOZHOU GLAZED BOWL | GORYEO PERIOD | 高麗時代 耀州窯繡花青瓷茶碗
of conical form supported on a short straight ring foot, the interior finely carved in layered-details with flowers and tendrils in rounds, applied overall with greyish celadon glaze thinning on the carvings, with a Japanese wooden tomobako box | (Qty: 1) 16.8cm diameter | £800 - £1,200 + fees
Provenance: Private Taiwanese collection, formerly acquired from a private Japanese collection. The previous Japanese owner attached a paper on the underside of the cover, including the title of the bowl and an inscription stating the piece was acquired in June, 34th year of Shōwa ear, corresponding to 1959.
View Lot 238 ⇒
LOT 243 | MEIJI SILVER 'DRAGON' LIDDED TEAPOT
明治 銀質龍紋茶壺
LOT 243 | JAPANESE SILVER 'DRAGON' LIDDED TEAPOT | MEIJI PERIOD | 明治 銀質龍紋茶壺
cast on four short and flaring feet with cloud-shoulder, the globular body repoussé with ferocious ryujin on furious waves in high relief, the spout further with moulded ryujin, with a French import custom mark on the side of the lid | (Qty: 1) 19cm wide, 496g | £1,800 - £2,200 + fees
View Lot 243 ⇒
Auction Information
FINE ASIAN & ISLAMIC WORKS OF ART
Thursday, 5th November at 2pm
Live Online
Viewing by appointment on 30 October - 05 November in 22 Connaught St, London
View the auction catalogue ⇒
