Lot 16. The Au Bak Ling Collection. An extremely rare faux bois basin, Yongzheng six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1723-1735); 38.2 cm diam. Price realised HKD 3,024,000 (Estimate HKD 3,000,000-4,000,000). © Christie's Images Ltd 2024.

The vessel is shaped and realistically decorated to resemble a wooden basin formed of vertical planks, enamelled in brown and black enamels simulating grain and knots of huanghuali, held together with two horizontal plaited rattan bands of ropes, carved in relief and enamelled in pale yellow.

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 16 May 1977, lot 153.

Note: Porcelain copying wood, bronze, stone or lacquer was a new technique developed during Yongzheng’s reign. The convincing imitation of wood on this basin is evidence of the extraordinarily high level of craftsmanship already achieved by Yongzheng period potters at Jingdezhen in this new technique of ceramic simulations.

According to palace archival records, on the 10th day of 12th month of Yongzheng 6th year, a ‘huali faux bois basin’ was sent to kept together with the tea wares in the Imperial palaces, possibly referring to faux bois basin similar to the present example.

Compare to three Yongzheng faux bois basins: one in the Palace Museum, Beijing (30.4 cm. diam.), illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong: Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, no. 146; one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (30.1 cm.), illustrated in Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and his Times, Taipei, 2009, no. II-78; and one from the Meiyintang Collection of this form measuring 39 cm. diam., sold at Poly Beijing, 8 December 2018, lot 5489.

Christie's. The Au Bak Ling Collection: The Inaugural Sale, Hong Kong, 26 September 2024