A black-glazed bottle vase. Kangxi period (1662-1722)

A black-glazed bottle vase. Kangxi period (1662-1722).  photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The vase has a globular body rising to a tall, slender neck, the exterior is covered in a lustrous black glaze ending just under the white-glazed lipped rim. 8 in. (20.2 cm.) high. Lot 1022. Price Realized £3,500 ($5,513)

Provenance: With 'C.T. Loo & Co.' label to base 

Christie's. Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Textiles 18 May 2012 London, South Kensington

A yellow-glazed 'dragon' dish . Wanli underglazes blue six-character mark and of the period (1573-1619)

A yellow-glazed  'dragon' dish . Wanli underglazes blue six-character mark and of the period (1573-1619). photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012

With shallow rounded sides and an everted flaring rim, the saucer incised to the interior with a central medallion of a five-clawed dragon admist scrolling cloud, the exterior similarly decorated with two dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls amongst clouds and fire scrolls. 5¼ in. (13.5 cm.) diam. Lot 1177. Estimate £20,000 - £30,000 ($31,800 - $47,700). Price Realized £46,850 ($73,789)

Christie's. Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Textiles 18 May 2012  London, South Kensington 

Vase en porcelaine monochrome à glaçure céladon. Chine, Dynastie Qing, marque et époque Yongzheng (1723-1735).

Vase en porcelaine monochrome à glaçure céladon. Chine, Dynastie Qing, marque et époque Yongzheng  (1723-1735). Photo Sotheby'

A celadon-glazed porcelain vase, China, Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng mark and period (1723-1735)

de forme quadrangulaire reposant sur un haut piédouche, le col étranglé sous de larges bords rectangulaires, deux anses rappelant des béliers stylisés courant le long du vase, entièrement recouvert d'une belle glaçure mate céladon bleuté, marque à six caractères en bleu sous couverte à la base;  28 cm, 11 in. Lot 58. Estimation 60,000-80,000 EUR

CATALOGUE NOTE: Compare a vase of related shape and design, formerly in the Baur Collection, Geneva, illustrated in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, Geneva, 1999, vol 2, pp. 165-166, cat.no. 272

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie. Paris | 13 Jun 2012, 10:30 AM www.sothebys.com

Chine. Potiche couverte de forme balustre, XVIIIe siècle

Chine. Potiche couverte de forme balustre, XVIIIe siècle. Photo Piasa

à décor en or sur fond bleu poudré d'une chimère dans un paysage lacustre. Hauteur : 41 cm. Éclats au couvercle. Lot 25. Estimation : 1 000 / 1 500 €

Expert: Cyrille Froissart. Piasa . Mercredi 30 mai 2012. Drouot Richelieu - 9, rue Drouot - Salle 2 - 75009 Paris. Contact: Stéphanie Trifaud +33 (0)1 53 34 10 13

Godet à eau pour la calligraphie à couverte céladon vert

Godet à eau pour la calligraphie à couverte céladon vert. Photo Aguttes - Paris

décoré en léger relief de trois chimères traitées en enroulement, porte au revers une marque Kangxi à six caractères en bleu sous couverte. H 10 cm. Lot 61. Estimation : 400 / 600 €

Aguttes - Paris. Expert: Vincent L'Herrou. Mercredi 23 mai 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 4. Tel.  +33 (0)1 47 45 55 55.

Paire de figurines représentant deux chats emaillés blanc assis. Période Jiaqing (1796-1820).

Paire de figurines représentant deux chats emaillés blanc assis. Période Jiaqing (1796-1820).  Photo Aguttes - Paris

H 17 cm. Un éclat à une oreille. Lot 23. Estimation : 2 000 / 2 500 €

Aguttes - Paris. Expert: Vincent L'Herrou. Mercredi 23 mai 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 4. Tel.  +33 (0)1 47 45 55 55.

A very fine and rare Guanyao-type moonflask Yongzheng seal mark and of the period

A very fine and rare Guanyao-type moonflask Yongzheng seal mark and of the period. Photo Bonhams

The heavily-potted vase moulded with eight facets around the sides and two convex main faces, the cylindrical neck set with two zoomorphic dragon handles rising to the rounded rim, all on a slightly-domed rectangular base, the glaze of pale lavender-grey tone with an extensive wide light golden-brown craquelure simulating somewhat the Song Dynasty prototype for this kind of Qing Dynasty revival vessel. 49cm (19½in) high - Lot 303 Estimate: £300,000 - 500,000 / CNY 3.0 million - 5.0 million / HK$ 3.7 million - 6.2 million

清雍正 仿官釉雙獸耳抱月瓶 青花「大清雍正年製」篆書款 

According to the family, acquired in the 1930s in Oxford, and thence by descent.

The vase was housed in the family's stately home, Bettiscombe Manor, Dorset, from the 1930s to 1984, when the manor was sold. Bettiscombe Manor belonged to the Pinney family, who first came to Bettiscombe as bailffs for the lord of the manor in the 16th century. The family's fortune was founded on West Indian sugar plantations remaining in the family's ownership until the emancipation of slaves.

The present vase combines innovation and archaism, greatly inspired in its glaze from the subtle Imperial Southern Song Dynasty Guan glaze, yet reinterpreting it in this impressive octagonal moonflask form drawing on the Ming Dynasty, thus reflecting the trend of innovation within tradition, which took place during the Yongzheng reign and continued in the Qianlong reign. As noted by Regina Krahl in E.R.Rawski and J.Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2006, p.245: 'The signature works of the Yongzheng period, however, are those whose deceptive simplicity made the greatest demands on the potters' aesthetic conception and technical ability. The Yongzheng Emperor's fascination with antiquity, his collecting of antiques and the resulting passion for archaism on the one hand, and his personal taste, demand for quality, and engagement of contemporary craftsmen on the other, gave Qing art its identity and shaped our idea of Chinese art in general.' Undoubtedly the present vase encapsulates these aspects with its subtle archaic-inspired glaze, yet technically demanding form and monumental size produced in the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen.

The fascination with Song Dynasty glazes and Han, Song and Ming Dynasty forms is illustrated by the Ru, Ge and Jun type glazes found beautifully adorning vases from the Yongzheng period in the National Palace Museum, Taipei: see Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, pls.II-27, 30, 48, 49, 51-57. Compare also a related hexagonal Guan-type glazed vase, hu, Yongzheng mark and of the period, from the Qing Court Collection (fig.1), illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum: Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl.204. For a related blue and white octagonal moonflask, Yongzheng mark and of the period, from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of K'ang-hsi, Yung-cheng and Ch'ien-lung Porcelain Ware from the Ch'ing Dynasty in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1986, pl.30.

Compare a related Ge-type lobed moonflask, Yongzheng mark and of the period, of similar size, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 8 April 2011, lot 3017.

Bonhams. 17 May 2012 10 a.m. London, New Bond Street. Fine Chinese Art 

Vase balustre à deux anses « têtes de pigeon » annelées. Marque et période Qianlong (1736-1795)

Vase balustre à deux anses « têtes de pigeon » annelées. Marque et période Qianlong (1736-1795). Photo Delorme & Collin du Bocage

à décor en trompe lœil à fond brun capucin tacheté d'or à l'imitation du bronze « goldsplash ». Au revers, marque Qianlong à l'or en zhuanshu. Haut. : 34,5 cm. Estimation :  30 000 / 50 000 €

Références : Forme similaire à fond monochrome au National Palace Museum de Taipé (Taïwan). Deux pièces similaires en trompe lœil à l'imitation du bronze « goldsplash » à la Fondation Baur à Genève (un vase et un bol sur trois pieds).

L'Empereur Qianlong affectionnait particulièrement les trompe l'œil. Nombre de céramiques imitèrent le laque, le bois, le bronze, l'ivoire, le corail et les pierres dures.

Expert : Vincent LHERROU - 01 40 15 93 23 - Référence du lot : 5427-1 

DELORME & COLLIN DU BOCAGE sas. MERCREDI 23 MAI à 14 H 00. SALLE 5-Drouot Richelieu  9, rue Drouot 75009 PARIS. Tél. : 01.58.18.39.05 - Fax : 01.58.18.39.09 - Email : info@parisencheres.com

A moulded and incised white-glazed bowl, lianzi wan. Ming Dynasty, Yongle period

A moulded and incised white-glazed bowl, lianzi wan. Ming Dynasty, Yongle period. photo Sotheby's

the deep rounded sides supported on a straight foot, decorated to the interior with two leafy chrysanthemum flowers, enclosed by radiating stiff petal lappets below a band of breaking waves at the rim, the exterior incised with an undulating floral scroll bearing alternating chrysanthemum and camellia blossoms below a keyfret border, applied overall with an even milky white glaze stopping neatly above the foot ring; 20.9cm., 8 1/4 in. Lot 93. Estimation 10,000-15,000 GBP.. 

PROVENANCE: Acquired in Peking in the early 20th century by the Guazzoni family from Pied Mont, Italy.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. Londres | 16 mai 2012, 10:00 AM www.sothebys.com 

A rare White-glazed Ewer. Wanli Mark And Period

A rare White-glazed Ewer. Wanli Mark And Period. photo Sotheby's

the flattened pear-shaped body rising from a short foot to a tall waisted neck with galleried rim, set with a large strap handle and a tall spout joined to the body with a strut, moulded to each side with a peach-shaped panel and finely incised with a scaly dragon, the body incised with leafy floral sprigs beneath a stiff leaf band at the neck, covered overall with an even white glaze; 19.7cm., 7 3/4 in. Lot 92. Estimation 30,000-50,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Marchant, London.
An English Private Collection.

EXHIBITED: Two Hundred Years of Chinese Porcelain 1522-1722, Marchant, London, 1998, cat. no. 15

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. Londres | 16 mai 2012, 10:00 AM www.sothebys.com