HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s will present two mid-season sales of Chinese works of art at its Hong Kong Gallery: Scholarly Art from the Collection of Mr and Mrs Gerard Hawthorn (30 May) and Chinese Art (31 May – 1 June). Known for his eclectic and expansive scopes of interest in Chinese Works of Art, Gerard Hawthorn had, over the years, amassed sizeable collections of bamboo, Yixing stoneware and bronzes. These are categories which have gained long overdue traction in comparison to their jade and ceramics counterparts, which have for the most part, embodied the canon of Chinese Works of Art collecting in the West in the past. In tandem with this great collection is the Chinese Art Sale, which constitutes fine selections from several private Hong Kong collections, in particular, a selection of scholarly items from the Peony Collection. The sale includes an assorted array of classic ceramics examples from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, huanghuali furniture, and Ming and Qing jade animal carvings and jade snuff bottles. All works will be exhibited for public viewing from 25 – 30 May, 2018.

SALE HIGHLIGHTS

SCHOLARLY ART FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR AND MRS GERARD HAWTHORN | 31 May

Lot 12 A SUPERB INLAID ZITAN ‘SCHOLARS EXAMINING A HANDSCROLL’ BOX AND COVER ATTRIBUTED TO ZHOU ZHU, MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD 8.2 by 16.4 by 12.7 cm Estimate: HK$1,500,000-2,500,000 / US$192,000-319,000
The exceptional workmanship of this present box, evident in the masterful quality of the inlay, suggests that it is by the hand of the Ming master carver and artist, Zhou Zhu. Famed for his invention of the technique of inlaying a wide variety of precious stones and other materials onto wood and lacquer, he distinguished himself through this use of his broad range of materials and the complexity of the inlay itself. On the present box, materials including malachite, mother-of-pearl, stained horn and various hardstones have been carefully worked, suggesting that he had access to a wide range of crafts and materials within a single workshop. A sense of three-dimensionality is achieved as he layered inlay upon inlay, rather than side by side.

Lot 3 AN IMPERIAL INSCRIBED ZITAN STAND YUTI MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG, DATED GUIWEI YEAR (CORRESPONDING TO 1763) 34 cm Estimate: HK$80,000-120,000 / US$10,200-15,300
Elaborately carved zitan stands of this type were designed to serve as a complementary companion to the ancient jade bi, which were treasured and collected by the Qianlong Emperor. The present stand sports a densely carved overall with archaistic motifs. One side is carved and picked out in gold with an imperial poem in clerical script, signed Qianlong guiwei zhongchun yue yuti ('imperially inscribed by Qianlong Emperor in the second month of the guiwei year'), followed by two seals reading jixia yiqing ('When does one have the leisure to delight the heart?') and de jiaqu ('obtaining refined enjoyment')

Lot 6 AN IMPERIAL INSCRIBED AND GOLD-DECORATED HARDWOOD SHRINE QING DYNASTY, DATED TO THE 25TH YEAR OF THE QIANLONG PERIOD (IN ACCORDANCE WITH 1760) 46.3 cm Estimate: HK$80,000-120,000 /US$10,200-15,300
The tripartite screen is supported on a tiered plinth, each section finely painted in gold with three sets of five bats amidst dense scrolling clouds, surrounding a medallion used for framing the head of a copper alloy figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, all below a stylised angular scroll formed from pairs of kui dragons, the reverse inscribed with three sets of inscriptions in Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan, the base with additional inscriptions, reading tianzi sanhao (‘Heaven number three’) and shuzhi hao (‘character shu’).

Lot 11 AN IMPRESSIVE CELADON JADE-INLAID ZITAN 'DRAGON' RUYI SCEPTRE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD 48 cm Estimate: HK$500,000- 700,000 / US$64,000-89,500
The ruyi (literally meaning ‘as you wish’) scepter is a talisman presented to bestow good fortune. The head, the mid-shaft and the terminal are each inset with a celadon jade plaque, depicting a ferocious en face dragon, a sinuous chilong and a smaller coiled chilong respectively, the zitan frame carved in low relief with floral scrolls, the edges bordered with key-fret bands, the end pierced with an aperture to thread a tassel.

Lot 8 A PAIR OF GILT-LACQUER VASES QING DYNASTY, EARLY 18TH CENTURY 28 cm Estimate: HK$350,000-450,000 / US$44,600-57,500
This sumptuous pair of vases has been splendidly lacquered in gold and draws attention to the abundance of the Qing empire. The design successfully blends the auspicious motifs of bat, wan symbol and peach with elements derived from Western art, evident in the intertwined scrolling leaves on the lower body. This echoes the Rococo architectural components that adorned European style palace buildings of the Yuanming Yuan, created to satisfy the Emperor’s lavish taste for the exotic as well as his desire to be seen as a universal ruler.

CHINESE ART INCLUDING SELECTED WORKS OF ART | 31 May - 1 June
Lot 373 A RARE AND EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE QINGBAI LOBED BASIN SONG DYNASTY 31 cm Estimate: HK$150,000-200,000 / US$19,200-25,500
This present basin is beautifully potted with deep rounded sides rising from a flat base to a flared six-lobed rim, covered overall in a translucent glaze, save for the flat base left unglazed revealing a smooth white body slight browned in the firing.

Provenance: Kochukyo, Tokyo (box). Exhibited: Exhibition of Far Eastern Ceramics, Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, 1970, cat. no. 44.

Lot 375 A YAOZHOU BROWN-PAINTED 'FLORAL' BOX AND COVER SONG DYNASTY 11.4 cm Estimate: HK$40,000-60,000 / US$5,100-7,700
The cover is decorated in brown slip with a central bloom, surrounded by liberal streaks, all against a creamy-white slip, the shallow recessed base unglazed revealing the grey body.

Provenance: Collection of Kitaouji Rosanjin Exhibited: Shumi Kotouki Dai Tenrankai: Great Exhibition of Antique Ceramics, Takashimaya Department Store Art Department, Osaka, 1935 (with Kurahashi Tojiro and Kitaouji Rosanjin as advisers)

Lot 452 A HUANGHUALI CONTINUOUS YOKEBACK SIDE CHAIR MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY 109 by 50.5 by 39 cm Estimate: HK$100,000-150,000 / US$12,800-19,200

Provenance: Grace Wu Bruce, London.

Lot 513 A BLUE AND WHITE 'PRUNUS' VASE SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF GUANGXU 43.3 cm Estimate: HK$80,000-120,000 / US$10,200-15,300

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 1st October 1991, lot 988.

Lot 468 A PAIR OF INLAID WHITE JADE TABLE SCREENS LATE QING DYNASTY 25.6 cm Estimate: HK$30,000-50,000 / US$3,850-6,400

Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd, London.

Lot 363 A LONGQUAN CELADON BOWL SONG DYNASTY 14 cm Estimate: HK$100,000-120,000 / US$12,800-15,300