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16 novembre 2024

Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024

Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024

Lot 83. Property from The Li Fan Thompson collection. A rare white-glazed carved 'landscape' brushpot, Jiajing six-character mark, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 16.5 cm high. Sold for £40,960. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

Of cylindrical shape, the exterior carved with a continuous scene of a mountainous riverscape, further detailed with clouds drifting among distant peaks, craggy rockwork, pine trees, cottages, a fisherman sailing across the river in a boat and a scholar seated by the river, the base inscribed with a six-character apocryphal Jiajing mark in underglaze blue, wood stand.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 October 2011, lot 2012
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London

Note: This piece exemplifies the Chinese literati painting tradition beautifully rendered in porcelain. While brushpots of the Kangxi period are commonly decorated with blue and white designs, those featuring white glaze and shallow relief, as seen in the present lot, are rare. See a similar white-glazed brushpot, but with a Shang Feng Bo Zhi mark, illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, p.348, pl.233. See also a similar white-glazed carved brushpot, Kangxi, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (acc. no.新00083267).
See a related carved blue and white, copper-red and celadon brushpot, Kangxi, which was sold at Christie's New York, 39 March 2006, lot 105.

Lot 91. Property from The Li Fan Thompson collection. A blue-glazed rouleau vase, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 28 cm high. Sold for £2,816. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

The elongated body rising from a short spreading foot to curving shoulders surmounted by a waisted cylindrical neck with galleried rim, covered around the exterior in a azure blue glaze, the interior and base glazed white.

Provenance: Christie's London, 11 May 2011, lot 691
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London.

Note: See a related powder-blue-glazed rouleau vase, Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 7 November 2023, lot 257.

 

Lot 83. Property from The Li Fan Thompson collection. A rare celadon-glazed bowl, Yongzheng seal mark and of the period (1723-1735); 23.2cm diam. Sold for £7,680. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

 

The flaring body rising from a short and slightly tapered foot to a slightly everted rim, the exterior covered with a pale sea-green glaze, the base inscribed with a seal mark in cobalt blue. 
Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 24/25 May 1979, lot 577
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3 December 2015, lot 542
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London
Note: Compare with a related celadon-glazed bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, illustrated in A Millennium of Monochromes: From the Great Tang to the High Qing, the Baur and Zhuyuetang Collections, Geneva, 2018, p.183, no.51.
See a similar but smaller celadon-glazed bowl, Yongzheng mark and of the period, which was sold at Bonhams London, 7 November 2019, lot 78.

Lot 105. A rare white-glazed 'chrysanthemum' dish, Yongzheng sixcharacter mark and of the period (1723-1735); 16.3cm diam. Sold for £12,800. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

Finely potted with lobed sides and foliate rim, rising from a short, slightly inward-tapering foot, covered overall in a creamy-white glaze, the base with underglaze-blue reign mark within a double circle.

Provenance: Vanderven Oriental Art, s-Hertogenbosch (label)

Note: Chrysanthemum dishes of this form were made in a wide range of colours during Yongzheng's reign. See a yellow-glazed dish of similar shape, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, illustrated in A Millennium of Monochromes from the Great Tang to the High Qing: The Baur and Zhuyuetang Collections, Geneva, 2019, pp.342-343. See also twelve Yongzheng dishes of this form, in twelve colours of glazes, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong: Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl.145.

Lot 24. A myrtle-green glazed bottle vase, 18th century; 21cm high. Sold for £3,840. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

The globular body rising from a slightly recessed base to a tall cylindrical neck with slightly flaring rim, covered in a deep crab-claw green glaze, save the base and interior glazed white. 

Provenance: J.P. Morgan (1837-1913), New York (label no.1406)
Karl Stirner (1923-2016), Easton PA, US

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Catalogue of the Morgan Collection of Chinese Porcelains, vol.II, New York, 1904, p.94, no.1406

Note: The catalogue notes that the present lot's surface has the texture of wax and is 'a fine example of this uncommon monochrome.' (p.94). After J.P. Morgan's death in 1913, his vast collection of Chinese porcelain, totalling around 1,800 pieces, was sold through the prominent art dealers Duveen Brothers. Morgan had carefully amassed this impressive collection, showcasing his passion for rare and exquisite Chinese art. The sale of these pieces marked a significant event in the art world, as Duveen Brothers played a key role in dispersing Morgan's collection to prominent collectors and institutions, further elevating the appreciation of Chinese porcelain in the West.

Karl Stirner (1923–2016) was an influential American sculptor known for his abstract, industrial metalworks and for fostering the arts community in Easton, Pennsylvania. Born in Germany, Stirner immigrated to the United States as a child and developed a strong interest in metalworking early in his career. His sculptures, often composed of welded steel, are marked by a minimalist, geometric aesthetic that reflects both his technical skill and his sensitivity to form and space. Over his long career, Stirner's work was exhibited in major galleries and institutions, earning him recognition in the contemporary art world.

Lot 88. A pair of sang-de-boeuf waterpots, 18th century; 5.9 cm diam. Sold for £48,640. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

Each finely potted of domed beehive form, the exterior covered with deep oxblood glaze, the interior and base applied with bluish-tinted white glaze, with wood stands.

Provenance: Dr Carl Kempe (1884-1967), Sweden (label)
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London

Published and Illustrated: Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics: In the Carl Kempe Collection, Goteborg, 1964, p.241, no.819

Note: Dr. Carl Kempe (1884-1967) was a prominent Swedish industrialist who served as the CEO of Mo och Domsjö AB, a leading company in the Swedish pulp and paper industry. Dr. Kempe resided at Ekolsund, a historic former Swedish royal palace, where he also maintained his distinguished art collection. As an early and active member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, he amassed one of the finest European collections of Chinese ceramics created in the mid-twentieth century.
The sang-de-boeuf glaze first appeared in Chinese porcelain during the Kangxi period, also known as 'Lang yao red' after the name of Lang Tingji (1663-1715) who was the director of the official kilns in Jingdezhen between 1705-1712. See a related sang-de-boeuf waterpot, Qing dynasty, illustrated in 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, p.51, pl.9.
See a similar sang-de-boeuf waterpot, Qianlong mark and of the period, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 15 May 2007, lot 583.

Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024

Lot 90. A rare Qingbai-glazed incised barbed-rim metal-mounted dish, 18th century; 16.2 cm diam. Sold for £16,640. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

Of flower shape, the fluted sides supported on a short and slightly tapered foot, incised to the centre with a floral head medallion surrounded by three bands of leafy and floral scrolls, the exterior covered with a bluish tinted glaze except the base, mounted with a gilt copper rim.

Provenance: Dr Carl Kempe (1884-1967), Sweden (label)
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London

Published and Illustrated: Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics: In the Carl Kempe Collection, Goteborg, 1964, p.241, no.655 (dated as Yuan or early Ming dynasty).

Note: Dr. Carl Kempe (1884-1967) was a prominent Swedish industrialist who served as the CEO of Mo och Domsjö AB, a leading company in the Swedish pulp and paper industry. Dr. Kempe resided at Ekolsund, a historic former Swedish royal palace, where he also maintained his distinguished art collection. As an early and active member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, he amassed one of the finest European collections of Chinese art created in the mid-twentieth century.

During the Qianlong reign in 18th century China, there was a notable revival of interest in Song dynasty styles, with numerous pieces of porcelain being crafted in homage to the refined aesthetics and techniques of Song examples. See for example a white glazed vase imitating Song aesthetics, 18th century, Obtaining Refined Enjoyment: The Qianlong Emperor's Taste in Ceramics, Taipei, 2012, p.168. The present lot was modelled after Song dynasty Qingbai wares. See for example a Qingbai-glazed carved 'lotus' barbed rim dish, Southern Song dynasty, which was sold at Bonhams London, 9 November 2017, lot 47.

Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024

Lot 93. A Ge-type foliate brush washer, 18th century; 11cm diam. Sold for £28,160. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

Of foliate form with ten lobes, covered with a lavender-grey glaze accented by a matrix of 'iron wire' and 'golden thread' crackles, the base with an unglazed circular area, fitted box. 11cm (4 3/8in) diam. (2).

Provenance: Dr Carl Kempe (1884-1967), Sweden (label)
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London

Note: Dr. Carl Kempe (1884-1967) was a prominent Swedish industrialist who served as the CEO of Mo och Domsjö AB, a leading company in the Swedish pulp and paper industry. Dr. Kempe resided at Ekolsund, a historic former Swedish royal palace, where he also maintained his distinguished art collection. As an early and active member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, he amassed one of the finest European collections of Chinese art created in the mid-twentieth century

See a related Ge-type foliate brush washer, Song dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, in the Palace Museum, Beijing (acc. no.故00145382). As early as the Yongle period of the Ming dynasty, imitation of Ge wares had already begun. By the Qing dynasty, during the reigns of the Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors, the technique had reached a zenith. The glaze was thick and smooth, exhibiting a crackle pattern known as 'golden thread and iron wire.'
Compare with a related Ge-type lobed washer but with tripod, Qianlong mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie's London, 13 May 2014, lot 408.

Lot 29. A very rare lime- green enamelled bowl, Jiaqing seal mark and of the period (1796-1820); 12.8cm diam. Sold for £17,920. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

Elegantly potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short, slightly inward-tapering foot, the exterior enamelled in lime green, the interior and base glazed white, with underglaze blue seal mark

Provenance: Gustaf Oscar Wallenberg (1865-1937), Stockholm, and thence by descent

Note: Gustaf O. Wallenberg was a Swedish businessman, diplomat and active politician. He was the son of André Oscar Wallenberg, founder of Stockholm Enskilda Bank (today's Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, known as SEB). After a career in the Swedish Navy he turned to the business world and was active in improving the transoceanic shipping industry.

Wallenberg was Sweden's Envoy to Tokyo between 1907-1918. In April 1907 he travelled to Beijing to amend the Treaty of Canton (1847) between Sweden-Norway and China and to establish diplomatic relations between Sweden and the Qing Court. As the Swedish Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Peking, he successfully negotiated and signed with Lien Fang, the Guangxu Emperor's High Commissioner Plenipotentiary and Senior Vice-President of the Wai Wu Pu, the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation, between Sweden and China, which was signed in Beijing on 2 July 1908, with an additional article signed on 24 May 1909.

The collection was acquired between 1907 and 1918 when Wallenberg was the Swedish Envoy in Tokyo, and possibly during his diplomatic service in China. Documents preserved at the Östasiatiska Museum in Stockholm demonstrate the importance of Gustaf Wallenberg and his extensive connections with the Qing government to the Swedish engineers and businessmen who were in China during this period, such as Johan Gunnar Andersson, Osvald Siren, Orvar Karlbeck, Erik Nordstrom and many more.

Gustaf Wallenberg was the grandfather of Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg (1912-1945), an architect, businessman, and diplomat. Raoul Wallenberg has been designated by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among Nations, as well as having many monuments and streets named after him in honour of him saving thousands of Jews in German-occupied Hungary during the Second World War, while serving as Sweden's Special Envoy in Budapest. As he lost his father the same year he was born, he was brought up also by his grandfather Gustaf Wallenberg, with the Chinese porcelain collection around him, inheriting part of the collection when his grandfather passed away in 1937. He died at a time unknown between 1945 and 1947, further to his detention in Budapest by General Malinovsky in 1944, and arrest by the Soviet authorities. Further to his disappearance his part of the Chinese collection was deposited at the Östasiatiska Museum in Stockholm, and later released to the family.

The lime-green enamel was an innovation and rarity even for the Yongzheng period, and the monochrome vessels decorated in this colour, though seemingly simple in design, were among the most technically demanding porcelains ever produced. By the Jiaqing reign, lime-green bowls retained their prestige, though the techniques had evolved. The lime-green enamel, made by adding copper to lead-antimonate, was a striking and vibrant colour, introduced to Chinese ceramics through the influence of Jesuit missionaries. While lead-antimonate was readily available in China, the precise formulation of this enamel and its even application was particularly challenging. A second firing at a lower temperature was required to achieve the distinctive evenness of the lime-green glaze, a process that demanded immense skill. Jiaqing examples, like those of the present lot, show a mastery of this difficult technique, with a consistency in hue and finish that exemplifies the advanced craftsmanship of the period.

Jiaqing mark and period examples of lime green enamelled bowls are rare, however, see a related lime green-enamelled bowl, Daoguang seal mark and period, illustrated in Treasures in the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p.396.

See also a pair of extremely rare lime green-enamelled bowls, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Bonhams London, 16 May 2024, lot 37.

Lot 84. Property from The Li Fan Thompson collection. A rare gold enamelled 'shou' cup, Guanxu six-character mark and of the period (1821-1950); 6.3 cm diam. Sold for £28,160. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

Finely potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short foot, the exterior moulded with four Shou character medallions enclosed by stylised chilong in blue against a gold enamelled ground, the interior glazed white.

Provenance: Dr Carl Kempe (1884-1967) collection (label)
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London

Published and Illustrated: B.Gyllensvard, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, p.255, no.874.

Note: The present lot is modelled after a design from the Kangxi period. See a similar gold-ground wine cup with blue roundels, Kangxi, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Miscellaneous Enamelled Porcelains Plain tricoloured Porcelains: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Shenzhen, 2009, p.306, no.256. Gold, considered one of the most auspicious metals, symbolised opulence and was associated with the Daoist concept of the golden elixir of immortality (jindan). This is underscored by the shou character on the sides of the cup, a symbol of longevity. See also an unmarked pair of gold enamelled bowls, 18th/19th century, illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 1994, pl.949.

Lot 84. Property from The Li Fan Thompson collection. A yellow-glazed incised 'dragons' dish, Guanxu six-character mark and of the period (1875-1908); 17.5 cm diam. Sold for £3,840. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

The central medallion finely incised with a scaly five-clawed dragon in pursuit of a flaming pearl amidst wispy clouds and flames, the exterior with two incised dragons chasing flaming pearls alternating with cloud scrolls and flames, all covered in a rich yellow glaze.

Provenance: Constantinidi Collection
Ormonde Gallery Ltd., London
Mallett Antiques Ltd., London
Desmond R.Laurence Collection, no.266, acquired in 1988
Roy Davids Collection, no.8, purchased on 20 October 2001
Bonhams London, 6 November 2014, lot 36
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London.

Note: Compare with a similar yellow-glazed 'dragon' dish, Guangxu mark and period, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 13 December 2021, lot 136.

Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024
Chinese Monochrome Porcelain sold at Bonhams London, 7 november 2024

Lot 86. Property from The Li Fan Thompson collection. A Guan-type foliate-rimmed brushwasher, Qing dynasty; 10.5 cm long. Sold for £38,400. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

Provenance: Dr Carl Kempe (1884-1967), Sweden (label)
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London.

Published and Illustrated: Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics: In the Carl Kempe Collection, Goteborg, 1964, p.82, no.224.

Note: Dr. Carl Kempe (1884-1967) was a prominent Swedish industrialist who served as the CEO of Mo och Domsjö AB, a leading company in the Swedish pulp and paper industry. Dr. Kempe resided at Ekolsund, a historic former Swedish royal palace, where he also maintained his distinguished art collection. As an early and active member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, he amassed one of the finest European collections of Chinese art created in the mid-twentieth century.
The lotus-leaf-form brush washer serves both functional and decorative purposes on a scholar's desk, embodying scholarly aesthetic values. The Qing Court's collection includes several exquisite lotus leaf washers of various materials, with the Qianlong Emperor himself composing a poem about the 'Hetian Jade Lotus Leaf Washer' (詠和田玉荷葉洗), indicating the popularity of lotus leaf washers at that time. See a related celadon jade lotus-leaf-form brush washer, Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, in the Palace Museum, Beijing (acc. no. 故00102888). See also a related longquan-type lotus-leaf-form brush washer, Yongzheng, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum: Monochrome Porcelain, Shanghai, 1999, p.191, pl.173.
Compare with a similar Guan-type lotus-leaf-form brush washer, 18th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 14 September 2018, lot 1159.

Lot 87. Property from The Li Fan Thompson collection. A Ge-type four-lobed square brushwasher, Qing dynasty; 6.5 cm long. Sold for £32,000. © Bonhams 2001-2024

 

With lobed sides rising to a brown mouth lip, covered overall in a bluish-grey glaze with crackles stained brown, the glaze thinning at the foot to reveal the dark-brown body underneath.

Provenance: C.T. Loo
Dr Carl Kempe (1884-1967), Sweden (label)
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: C.T. Loo, Exhibition of Chinese Art in Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, October 1931, no.245
Mostra D'Arte Cinese (Exhibition of Chinese Art), Venice, 1954, p.133, no.467 (dated as probably Ming dynasty)
Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics: In the Carl Kempe Collection, Goteborg, 1964, p.73, no.187 (dated as Ming dynasty)

Note: Dr. Carl Kempe (1884-1967) was a prominent Swedish industrialist who served as the CEO of Mo och Domsjö AB, a leading company in the Swedish pulp and paper industry. Dr. Kempe resided at Ekolsund, a historic former Swedish royal palace, where he also maintained his distinguished art collection. As an early and active member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, he amassed one of the finest European collections of Chinese art created in the mid-twentieth century.
Inspired by the wares of the Song dynasty, the present lot is a fine piece reminiscent of antiquity. See a related Ge-type square washer, Ming dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (acc. no. 故00145208).
Compare with a related pentafoil Ge-type washer, Yuan-Ming dynasty, which was sold at Christie's New York, 23 September 2022, lot 943. See also a related Ge-type square washer, Ming dynasty, which was sold at Christie's New York, 23 March 2018, lot 717.

 

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Art, London, New Bond Street, 7 November 2024

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