Lot 2848. A rare white-glazed meiping, Sui dynasty (581-618); 33.6 cm high, box. Price realised HKD 8,820,000 (Estimate HKD 600,000 – HKD 800,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Warren E. Cox, New York, by repute
Frederick Agassiz Prince collection (d. 1950), Boston, and thence by descent within the family, by repute
An American private collection, Boston, purchased in 2009

Lot 2849. A very rare Yaozhou persimon-glazed meiping, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 38.5 cm high. Price realised HKD 3,780,000 (Estimate HKD 2,200,000 – HKD 4,000,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby’s London, 9 June 1992, lot 124
Offered at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 27 April 1999, lot 407 (front cover)
An Asian private collection
Sold at Sotheby’s London, 12 June 2003, lot 117
Eskenazi, Ltd., London
Ten-views Lingbi Rock Retreat Collection, North America, no. EK172
Sold at Poly Beijing, 5 June 2019, lot 5464.

Note: The Yaozhou kilns, known for their celadon wares, began production of persimmon-glazed wares during the mid-Song dynasty. The thick reddish-brown glaze covering these vessels was developed to imitate contemporary lacquer wares. The majority of the Yaozhou persimmon-glazed wares took the form of bowls or dishes, with only a handful of examples found in a vertical form.

While several Yaozhou persimmon-glazed meiping are recorded, none share the same form or surpass the present example in size. Compare two smaller examples sold at auctions, one (30.8 cm.) at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 24 November 2014, lot 1005, the other at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3216 (25.4 cm.)(fig. 1), both are potted with a waisted neck and a wider body; two truncated meiping, one (19 cm.) in the Idemitsu Collection, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, no. 112, another (15 cm.) excavated from the Lü Family tombs in Shaanxi province, illustrated in Yaozhou Kilns of China, Beijing, 2014, p. 325, fig. 14; and a small meiping with a wide everted mouth and a straight neck in the National Museum of Korea, illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1977, pp. 130-131, col. pl. 123 (14.6 cm.).

Lot 2850. A carved Yaozhou 'lotus' bowl, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 18.5 cm diam., box. Price realised HKD 138,600 (Estimate HKD 60,000 – HKD 80,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2851. A carved Ding 'peony' lobed-rim dish, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 19.5 cm diam. Price realised HKD 277,200 (Estimate HKD 150,000 – HKD 250,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2852. A Yaozhou lobed ewer, Five Dynasties-Northern Song dynasty (907-1127); 20 cm high, box. Price realised HKD 1,197,000 (Estimate HKD 150,000 – HKD 250,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2853. A Qingbai fluted ewer and a cover, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 19.7 cm high, box. Price realised HKD 119,700 (Estimate HKD 30,000 – HKD 50,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2854. A russet-splashed black-glazed jar, Northern Song-Jin dynasty (960-1234); 26.5 cm high, box. Price realised HKD 201,600 (Estimate HKD 60,000 – HKD 80,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2855. A Henan black-glazed 'ribbed' jar, Northern Song-Jin dynasty (960-1234); 25.5 cm high, box. Price realised HKD 226,800 (Estimate HKD 40,000 – HKD 60,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2856. A white-rimmed 'oil spot" tea bowl, Northern Song-Jin dynasty (960-1234); 14 cm diam., box. Price realised HKD 126,000 (Estimate HKD 80,000 – HKD 120,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2857. A Henan russet-splashed black-glazed bowl, Northern Song-Jin dynasty (960-1234); 13.3 cm diam., box. Price realised HKD 136,800 (Estimate HKD 40,000 – HKD 60,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2858. A Longquan Guan-type dish, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279); 16.5 cm diam., box. Price realised HKD 252,000 (Estimate HKD 100,000 – HKD 150,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2859. A Longquan celadon bowl and a cover, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Cover: 13 cm diam; bowl: 12 cm diam., box. Price realised HKD 226,800 (Estimate HKD 60,000 – HKD 80,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2860. A small Longquan celadon tripod censer, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). 9.7 cm diam. box. Price realised HKD 1,134,000 (Estimate HKD 80,000 – HKD 120,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Acquired in 1998 in Hong Kong.

Lot 2861. A Jizhou splashed black-glazed tea bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). 16 cm diam. box. Price realised HKD 63,000 (Estimate HKD 30,000 – HKD 50,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2862. A Jian brown-glazed bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). 12.5 cm diam. box. Price realised HKD 138,600 (Estimate HKD 30,000 – HKD 50,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei.

Lot 2865. A rare Yaozhou celadon leys jar, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). 18.5 cm wide. box. Price realised HKD 1,386,000 (Estimate HKD 700,000 – HKD 900,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Note: It is rare to find Yaozhou wares of this form. Compare to a Yaozhou leys jar of similar proportion in the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology collection, illustrated in Rose Kerr, Yaozhou Wares From Museums and Art Institutes Including Yaozhou Tribute Wares, Hong Kong, 2021, no. 397.

The result of Oxford thermoluminescence test no. P120a37 (27 February 2020) is consistent with the dating of this lot.

Lot 2867. A Jizhou paper-cut resist-decorated 'prunus' tea bowl, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). 15 cm diam. Price realised HKD 226,800 (Estimate HKD 200,000 – HKD 300,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Exhibited: Eskenazi, Song: Chinese ceramics, 10th to 13th century (Part 5), London, 10 May - 1 June 2018, no. 18.

Lot 2867. A Jian 'hare's fur' tea bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). 12.5 cm diam. Price realised HKD 252,000 (Estimate HKD 300,000 – HKD 400,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Sold at Bonhams London, 10 November 2003, lot 154.

Literature: J.A.N. Fine Art, One hundred of the best, London, 2004, p.17, pl.15.

Note: For a similar example of the same size, attributed to the kilns at Shuiji, Jianyang County, Fujian Province, in the Baur collection, see J. Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, Geneva, Vol. 1, p. 96, no.50 (12.5 cm. diam.). Another similar example, without the metal mount, is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated by R. Mowry, Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell and Partridge Feathers — Chinese Brown-And Black-Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, p. 220, no.83 (12.1 cm. diam.).

Lot 2868. A rare finely carved Longquan celadon 'floral' jar, Ming dynasty, 15th century. 28 cm high. Price realised HKD 226,800 (Estimate HKD 200,000 – HKD 300,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 26 November 1980, lot 206.

Note: The jar is boldly carved in high relief around the sides with a composite frieze of camellia, chrysanthemum, and peony, enclosed in panels divided by vertical bamboo ribs, between a band of mallow flower petals around the shoulders interrupted by a pair of applied lion-form handles, and above a broad band of slender leaves around the base. The neck is carved with a band of key frets. The jar is covered overall in a sea-green glaze with the exception of the foot.
The high-relief decoration on the present jar is remarkably crisp and strong, a feature rarely found on other Longquan vessels of this period. Compare to a Longquan meiping of the same period, carved with foliage enclosed in panels and set with mask-form handles from the Lindberg Collection, illustrated in Mostra d'Arte Cinese/Exhibition of Chinese Art, Venice, 1954, p. 128, no. 444; and a Yuan Longquan jar carved with seasonal flowers in slightly shallower relief, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2022, lot 2849.

Lot 2870. A large carved Longquan celadon charger, Ming dynasty, 15th century. 47 cm diam. Price realised HKD 100,800 (Estimate HKD 120,000 – HKD 180,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Sold at Christie's New York, 23 March 2012, lot 1973.

Note: Large dishes of this type and approximate size, all dated to the 15th century, are illustrated by J. Ayers and R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul, vol. I, London, 1986, pp. 328-9, nos. 353-6 and 359. Another example of this type sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1840.

Lot 2871. A fine and very rare Qingbai carved double-gourd ewer and over, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). 21.5 cm overall height. Price realised HKD 882,000 (Estimate HKD 400,000 – HKD 600,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: A French family collection, by repute

Lot 2872. An extremely rare Qingbai gilt-decorated 'dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). 15.5 cm overall diam. Price realised HKD 3,276,000 (Estimate HKD 300,000 – HKD 500,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2024

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4-5 November 1997, lot 1398.

Note: Much of the gilt decoration is lost; however, a clear 'ghosted' impression of the three-clawed dragon is clearly visible.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 30 May 2024