HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s will present two sales of Chinese Works of Art at its Hong Kong Gallery: Tianminlou - A Small History of Chinese Ceramics (30 May) and Chinese Art (30-31 May). All works will be exhibited for public viewing from 24 – 29 May 2019.

The Tianminlou Collection of Chinese porcelain assembled by renowned collector Ko Shih Chao since the 1950s is of unparalleled quality and has always played an important part in fostering appreciation for the ceramic arts of China. Comprising 35 ceramics from the Jin (265-420) to Qing dynasty (1644-1912), this sale offers collectors a journey through the history of Chinese ceramics, and the opportunity to acquire a piece from this renowned collection.

The Chinese Art sale features works of art from several private collections, including Song to Qing dynasty ceramics from the Xinyangtang collection; fine gilt bronze Buddhist sculptures and a set of 20 jade belt plaques from an old Hong Kong collection; an Asian collection of Qing dynasty wine cups and jades; Qing porcelains, textile and thumb rings from the collection of the legendary Chinese art dealer A. W. Bahr (1877-1959); and classical Chinese paintings and calligraphy previously from the Hou Yuhua collection.

SALE HIGHLIGHTS TIANMINLOU - A SMALL HISTORY OF CHINESE CERAMICS | 30 May

Lot 7 A RARE HUOZHOU WHITE-GLAZED STEM BOWL SONG DYNASTY 9.8 cm Estimate: HK$200,000-300,000 / US$25,500-38,300
Notable for its lustrous and creamy-white glaze, this stem bowl was likely made at the Huozhou kilns, which were renowned for producing fine quality white wares inspired by the celebrated Ding wares of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). White-glazed stem bowls of this unusual form, with a short flaring foot and a slightly incurved rim are rare.

Lot 12 A JUNYAO BLUE-GLAZED DISH NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY 18 cm Estimate: HK$250,000-300,000 / US$31,900-38,300
The shallow and sturdy form of this dish, with a wide everted rim, represents a classic shape of Jun ware produced at kilns in Henan province. One of the ‘Five Classic Wares’ of the Song dynasty, these wares are known for their ravishing blue glazes, which were achieved from an optical illusion where minute spherules of glass in the glaze scattered blue light. Unlike the other classic wares of the Song dynasty, the porous and thick body of Jun ware was best suited for simple forms, such as this charming dish.

Lot 17 A BLUE AND WHITE 'EGRETS AND LOTUS' POURING BOWL, YI YUAN DYNASTY 16.5 cm Estimate: HK$350,000-450,000 / US$44,600- 57,500
Known as yi, bowls of this form appears to have been used as pouring vessels together with yuhuchun vases, probably inspired by metal prototypes. Spouted bowls painted with this motif of egrets in a lotus pond are rare.

Lot 18 A WUCAI 'BAJIXIANG AND LOTUS' JAR MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAJING 12 cm Estimate: HK$400,000-600,000 / US$51,000-76,500
Jars of this square form decorated with such vibrant designs were an innovation of the Jiajing period. They encapsulate the creative freedom enjoyed by potters active in this period. The colourful wucai palette allowed potters to create increasingly complex and colourful motifs. As seen on this jar, so painted vibrantly with the Eight Buddhist emblems (bajixiang) wreathed in scrolling lotus blooms.

Lot 20 A FINE MING-STYLE WHITE-GLAZED ANHUA-DECORATED BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF KANGXI 14.9 cm Estimate: HK$500,000-700,000 / US$ 64,000-89,500
The lotus scroll motif on this piece is rendered in the subtle anhua technique, or hidden decoration that involved impressing the design into a layer of slip. First developed in the Song period, this technique was mastered in the Kangxi reign, with vessels displaying increasingly thin walls and sophisticated motifs, visible only when light shines through. In his strive to gain the influence and respect needed to rule over the predominantly Han-Chinese elite, the Kangxi Emperor took a keen interest in China’s history and culture and revived industries that had ceased production at the end of the Ming dynasty, which included the production of imperial wares at Jingdezhen. This bowl exemplifies this trend as it clearly references early Ming porcelain through its glaze and decoration.

CHINESE ART | 30-31 May

Lot 335 PROPERTY FROM THE XINYANGTANG COLLECTION A JUNYAO MOON-WHITE GLAZED NARCISSUS BOWL SONG – MING DYNASTY 23.5 cm Estimate: HK$1,800,000-2,500,000 / US$230,000-319,000
This narcissus bowl radiates the essence of Jun ware, which derives its beauty from the robust forms, which were coated in a contrasting luminous thick glaze of varied moon-white colouration that becomes almost transparent around the edges of the vessel where the glaze thins significantly. On the present bowl the glossy glaze is reminiscent of a hazy blue sky, infused with the characteristic markings that have become known as 'earthworm tracks'. Highly prized throughout Chinese dynastic history since their production, these striking vessels were produced in a variety of proportions and glaze colours and are found in some of the most important museums and private collections of Chinese art.

Lot 619 and 617 (from left to right) PROPERTY FROM AN OLD HONG KONG COLLECTION A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF SHADAKSHARI AVALOKITESHVARA 15TH – 16TH CENTURY 22.5cm Estimate: HK$400,000-600,000 / US$51,500-77,000
This finely cast gilt-bronze sculpture of Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara is a personification of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara's six syllable (sadaksari) mantra. The first known description of the mantra appears in the Karandavyuha Sutra compiled at the end of the 4th century or beginning of the 5th century AD, where Shakyamuni Buddha introduces Avalokiteshvara, and praises the mantra as being the most beneficial. The popularity of this mantra led to its personification and this form of Avalokiteshvara is the patron, and one of the most popular deities in Tibet.

PROPERTY FROM AN OLD HONG KONG COLLECTION A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF MILAREPA TIBET, 16TH CENTURY 11cm Estimate: HK$80,000-120,000 / US$10,300-15,400
Milarepa (1040-1123) is revered by Tibetans as the archetypal yogin and renowned for his unwavering pursuit of knowledge. The stories of Milarepa's trials while apprenticed to Marpa (1012-1096) have become lauded as legendary. Seeking to praise nature and inspire those around him, Milarepa used simple and plain folk songs to relay his message. The unique posture of his right hand signifies that his esoteric teachings belong to the 'Ear-whispered Lineage', essential teachings that are transmitted by whispering into the recipient's ear.

Lot 620 PROPERTY FROM AN OLD HONG KONG COLLECTION AN EXCEPTIONAL SET OF TWENTY PALE CELADON JADE 'DEER' BELT PLAQUES MING DYNASTY 5 to 11 cm. Estimate: HK$300,000-400,000 / US$38,300-51,500
Complete sets of jade belt plaques are unusual, and the present example is particularly notable for its intricate carving of deer among flowering prunus, bamboo and pine trees. These jade plaques would have been sewn together with cloth or leather to form a belt and constituted an important part of rank insignia for Ming dynasty officials.

Lot 496 PROPERTY FROM AN OLD HONG KONG COLLECTION AN EXCEPTIONALLY WELL-PRESERVED BLUE-GROUND GOLD-COUCHED 'DRAGON' ROBE QING DYNASTY, LATE 19TH CENTURY 135.5 by 212 cm Estimate: HK$120,000-180,000 / US$15,400-23,000
The strict sumptuary laws of the Qing dynasty, promulgated in 1759 and enforced in 1766, required that the Mandarin civil and military officials wear robes covered in dragons and other symbols for all formal occasions appropriate to their positions. Created to represent the universe, the formal court robes display dragons chasing flaming pearls amidst cloud scrolls and other auspicious emblems, often above stripes representing waves and mountains. The present robe is exceptionally well preserved, finely decorated with gold-couched dragons. The gold thread was made by beating high carat gold into gold leaf and pasting it on to a paper support with lac from a lac tree. The gilt material would then be burnished and cut into fine strips before being wrapped around a silk thread core. The gold threads would then be couched down on top of the silk to form the dragons.