Dr Carl Kempe Collection

Lot 881. A very rare Guan bottle vase, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279); 5 1/8 in. (13 cm.) high, cloth box. Price realised USD 2,580,000 (Estimate: USD 700,000 - USD 900,000). © Christie's Images Ltd 2023. The small, pear-shaped vase has a tall, cylindrical neck and is covered overall with a thick glaze of pale-bluish-green tone suffused with a network of golden-brown crackles. The dark body is revealed where the glaze runs thin on the lipped mouth rim and on the wide ring foot wiped clean... [Lire la suite]

    Lot 1048. A very rare Ge-type mallet vase, Yongzheng six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1723-1735); 6 1⁄2 in. (16.6 cm.) high. Price realised USD 1,134,000 (Estimate USD 400,000 – USD 600,000). © Christie's 2022 The vase has a slightly tapering cylindrical body rising to an angled shoulder below a tall cylindrical neck and is covered with a greenish-blue glaze suffused with a black crackle that extends to the foot, which is... [Lire la suite]

Lot 283. A Cizhou black-glazed bowl, Song dynasty (960-1279); 8 ½ in. (21.6 cm.) diam. Estimate GBP 5,000 - GBP 8,000. Price realised GBP 7,500. © Christie's Image Ltd 2014.  The bowl is delicately potted with wide rounded sides, rising to a slightly flared rim, all supported on a short straight foot. The base and exterior are covered in a rich black glaze, thinning to brown around the foot rim. The interior is with a fine white glaze, thinning at the edges to expose the fine... [Lire la suite]

Lot 285. A small Xingyao box and cover, Tang dynasty (618-907); 3 in. (7.6 cm.) diam. Estimate GBP 6,000 - GBP 8,000. Price realised GBP 15,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2014.  The box is formed with a short tapered foot, rising to an angular body with steep sides. The shallow domed cover is surmounted with a knop finial. The box is covered with an opaque white glaze, with some areas of greenish tinge to the cover.   Provenance: Dr. Carl Kempe Collection, no.... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1006. A rare Qingbai 'willow basket' , Southern Song-Yuan dynasty (1127-1368); 3 1/8 in. (8 cm.) diam. Estimate 8,000 - USD 12,000 USD. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. The exterior is finely incised with parallel lines forming concentric semi-circles on two sides. A row of iron-spot bosses encircles the shoulder between two incised lines. The jar is covered inside and out with a glaze of even pale blue color that ends in an irregular line around the unglazed, flat base which has burnt pale orange in the... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1005. A Ganzhou 'willow basket' jar, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty (1127-1368); 3 ½ in. (9 cm.) diam. Estimate 4,000 - USD 6,000 USD. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. The unglazed exterior is finely combed with parallel lines forming concentric semicircles on two sides and, at their longest, continuing under and across the small flat base. There is a combed band encircling the neck above a row of pointed bosses of white glaze. The rolled rim and interior are covered with a white glaze.  Property from a... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1003. A white-glazed 'lion' seal, Song-Ming dynasty (960-1664); 2 ¼ in. (5.8 cm.) high. Estimate 2,000 - USD 4,000 USD. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. The seal of square section is surmounted by a lion, with its head turned sharply to one side. The seal face is carved with a three-character name. It is covered overall with an ivory-white glaze with faint crackles.  Property from a Princely Collection. Provenance: Dr. Johan Carl Kempe (1884-1967) Collection, Sweden. Early Chinese... [Lire la suite]

Lot 571. A very rare gold 'dragon'-handled cup, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); 4 3/8 in. (11.2 cm.) wide; weight 72.1 g. Estimate USD 600,000 - USD 800,000. Price realised USD 2,535,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. The cup has a shallow bowl with rounded sides raised on a gently flared ring foot. The handle is exquisitely executed in repoussé from two gold sheets as a dragon head suspending a loose ring from its clenched jaws. The cup is chased with a narrow band of foliate scroll below the... [Lire la suite]

Lot 583. A silver flanged cup, Jin-Yuan dynasty, 12th-13th century; 4 in. (10.2 cm.) wide; weight 50 g. Estimate USD 15,000 - USD 25,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. The shallow cup is decorated on the interior with a single lotus flower, and has a flat, flange-like handle decorated in repoussé stippling with foliate scroll projecting from the rim on one side. Provenance: Dr. Johan Carl Kempe (1884-1967) Collection, Sweden, before 1953, no. CK136.Sotheby's London, Masterpieces of... [Lire la suite]

Lot 527. A pair of parcel-gilt silver hairpins, Tang dynasty (618-907). Each 13 1/8 in. (33.2 cm.) long, total weight 42.8 g. Estimate USD 4,000 - USD 6,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. The openwork head of each hammered silver, double-pronged hairpin has a fine openwork design of a lion facing a small bird perched on top of a large feathered plume surrounded by scrolling tendrils, leather box. Provenance: Dr. Johan Carl Kempe (1884-1967) Collection, Sweden, before 1954.Sotheby's... [Lire la suite]