Lot 124. Property of The Newark Museum of Art, Sold to Support Museum Collections. A peachbloom-glazed seal paste box and cover, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722). Diameter 9.8 cm. Lot Sold 152,400 USD (Estimate 60,000 - 80,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue (2)

Provenance: Collection of Herman A. E. (d. 1951) and Paul C. (d. 1951) Jaehne.

Gifted to The Newark Museum, Newark, in 1941 (accession no. 41.1968C-D).

Note: The present seal paste box, also known as yinse he or ‘vermilion box’, represents one of eight canonical shapes of peachbloom wares said to have been made for the scholar's tables of the Kangxi court. These pieces, known by connoisseurs as the Badama (‘Eight Great Numbers’), are among the most sought after examples of imperial monochrome porcelain ever produced, admired for their understated forms and dazzling peachbloom glaze. To achieve this dappled coloration, also known in Chinese as ‘apple red,’ ‘bean red’, or ‘drunken beauty,’ artisans of the imperial kilns required the utmost technical precision. Blowing a copper-lime pigment through a bamboo tube onto a layer of clear glaze and covering again with clear glaze to trap the spray in situ, this complex procedure, and the carefully controlled firing that followed, resulted in a spellbinding palette of variegated vermillion, pink and even the occasional green, that continues to inspire collectors and contemporary ceramicists to this day.  

Compare a number of similar seal boxes preserved in important collections around the world: one of several in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, fig. 237; another in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 124; and a third in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the museum's Special Exhibition of K'ang-hsi, Yung-cheng and Ch'ien-lung Porcelain Ware from the Ch'ing Dynasty, Taipei, 1986, cat. no. 11. See also examples sold at auction: one from the Leshantang Collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2023, lot 109; another from the collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-1980) later sold in these rooms, 22nd September 2020, lot 102; and a third, formerly in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, from the Florence and Herbert Irving Gift, sold in these rooms, 10th September 2019, lot 42.

Lot 345. A white-glazed anhua-decorated 'dragon and phoenix' cup, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period​​​​​​​ (1662-1722). Height 9.2 cm. Lot Sold 10,795 USD (Estimate 5,000 - 7,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with an apocryphal Chenghua six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle

Provenance: Collection of George de Menasce (1891-1967).

Spink & Son, Ltd., London, 1st June 1972.

Collection of James (1913-1990) and Marilynn (1926-2019) Alsdorf.

Christie's New York, 29th September 2020, lot 50.

Lot 471. A yellow-glazed bowl, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722). Diameter 14.6 cm. Lot Sold 3,810 USD (Estimate 3,000 - 5,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

​​​​​​​the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle

Provenance: Collection of Jack Faxon (1936-2020), prior to 1985.

Lot 120. A fine and rare pair of lemon-yellow-enameled cups, Marks and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Diameter 7.6 cm. Lot Sold 120,650 USD (Estimate 60,000 - 80,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base of each with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double rectangle with canted corners (2)

Provenance: American Private Collection, acquired between 1971 and 1981.

Note: Simple yet striking in their form and color, this rare pair of cups is a remarkable and fine example of the technical perfection achieved by potters working at the imperial kilns during the Yongzheng reign (1723-1735). Although imperial yellow-glazed wares had been created at Jingdezhen from the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) onwards, this elegant pastel-like enamel, known to connoisseurs as ‘lemon-yellow’ (ningmeng huang), is believed to have been introduced by visiting Jesuits just prior to the start of the Yongzheng period.

Delicately potted to such small and balanced proportions, the present pair of cups exemplifies some of the very highest levels of technical accuracy ever achieved in the history of imperial porcelain. Adorning the small area inside the delicate foot, the present reign mark is inscribed within a double rectangle with chamfered corners. This mark is extremely rare. Compare another lemon-yellow cup of this size with the same mark, from the collection of Dr Wou Kiuan, sold in these rooms, 22nd March 2022, lot 79; and another, with a related square mark, from the collection of Stephen Junkunc, III sold at Christie’s New York, 21st September 1995, lot 253.

A larger pair of cups, with a slightly less flared rim and the reign mark enclosed within a double circle, is preserved in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm (accession no. OM-1977-0127), illustrated in Jan Wirgin, Chinese Ceramics from the Axel and Nora Lundgren Bequest, Stockholm, 1978, pl. 58a, no. 77. Compare also two smaller pairs with straighter sides, formerly in the Sir Percival David Collection: one pair now in the British Museum, London (accession no. PDF,A.567), recorded in Rosemary Scott, Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1989, p. 39; the other pair included in the exhibition Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, British Museum, London, 1994, and illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, p. 240, no. 908.

Lot 121. A fine and rare ruby-enameled cup, Mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Diameter 9.1 cm. Lot Sold 152,400 USD (Estimate 80,000 - 120,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double square

Provenance: American Private Collection, acquired between 1971 and 1981.

Note: The present cup, with its charming proportions and vibrant ruby-red enamel, is an archetypal example of the Yongzheng aesthetic. Imbued with understated refinement and the result of technical and chemical mastery, the present cup is indicative of the remarkably fine ceramics produced in the early eighteenth century. 

Influenced by the advent of Jesuit technology in the final years of the Kangxi period, pink enamels of this type were soon developed and embraced by the imperial workshops. However, though few Kangxi examples of this type are known, it was not until the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods that this low-fired ruby-red enamel – produced in varying shades of pink – became a more prominent feature in the repertoire of Chinese ceramics. In fact, Tang Ying (1682-1756), the famed superintendent of the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen, referred to such vessels as 'Western red-glazed wares' in Taocheng jishi bei ji [Commemorative Stele on Ceramic Production].

Deceptively simple in form and color, the manufacture of such monochrome cups demanded the highest level of skill and meticulous precision, from not only the potting and firing but also the application of the enamel, which entailed blowing carefully through a silk gauze-covered bamboo tube onto the biscuit to achieve the lightly speckled yet even effect seen on the current cup.

A very small number of related Yongzheng cups is attested, produced in a range of similar shapes and sizes. Compare a slightly smaller cup of almost identical form, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th October 2019, lot 3102; another slightly larger cup preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 303, pl. 132; another of broader proportions with the reign mark inscribed within a single circle, from the Avery Brundage Collection, now preserved in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, published on the museum’s website, no. B60P2365; and a similar pair published in The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1991, pl. 126.

Lot 134. A rare purple-glazed pear-shaped vase (Yuhuchunping), Mark and period of Yongzheng​​​​​​​ (1723-1735). Height 34.4 cm. Lot Sold 228,600 USD (Estimate 60,000 - 80,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue

Provenance: ​​​​​​​Dallas Private Collection, acquired prior to 1920 (by repute).

Note: Shimmering in a delicate yet imposing purple-black tone, the present vase is an exceptionally rare example of its type. The Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1723-1735) was notorious for his love of monochrome wares and his passion for innovative design. According to Taocheng Jishi Beiji (Commemorative stele on ceramic production) of famed superintendent Tang Ying, the Yongzheng Emperor commissioned wares from the imperial kilns in 57 different monochrome colors, most of which were either inspired by ancient classics, developed from Kangxi period experiments – as in the present case – or newly invented for the Yongzheng court.

While related purple vases are attested in the Kangxi and Qianlong periods, vases of this size, form and glazing attributed to the Yongzheng period are extremely rare: compare a closely related Yongzheng yuhuchunping of deep purple-blue tone, in Ethereal Elegance. Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing: The Huaihaitang Collection, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007, cat. no. 15; another, also of Yongzheng mark and period, coated in a slightly more common sacrificial-blue glaze, sold at Bonhams London, 6th November 2014, lot 202; an unmarked 18th century black-glazed example sold in our London rooms, 13th November 1972, lot 152 from the collection of Peter Boode; and a closely related purple-glazed bottle vase of incised Qianlong mark, preserved in the Fondation Baur, in John Ayers, The Baur Collection. Chinese Ceramics. vol. 3: Monochrome-Glazed Porcelains of the Ch’ing Dynasty, Geneva, 1972, pl. A475. Compare also a smaller Kangxi period yuhuchunping of closely related purple glaze from the collection of T. Y. Chao included in Ching Porcelain from the Wah Kwong Collection, Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1973, cat. no. 30, the likes of which may well have inspired the present grand example.

Lot 119. A fine copper-red-glazed meiping, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Height 30.5 cm. Lot Sold 82,550 USD (Estimate 30,000 - 50,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Note: The use of copper-red glaze at Jingdezhen was revived by the Kangxi Emperor after the decline in usage during the late 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries. With the effort to reproduce classic Ming sacrificial-red (jihong) porcelains, Qing copper-red pieces quickly outnumbered their Ming counterparts. Nigel Wood in Chinese Glazes, London, 1999, p. 180, notes how the French Jesuit missionary, Pere Francois D'Entrecolles (b. 1664-1741) wrote letters giving detailed accounts of the copper-red production at Jingdezhen, the sourcing of the copper for the glaze, the recipes and the kiln location of the firing of these wares. D'Entrecolles was aware of the difficulties involved in the mak ing of copper-red wares and his account confirms the high level of technical knowledge of the potters at Jingdezhen. Although copper-red pieces can be readily found from the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods, by Qianlong's reign they become fewer in number.

Qianlong meiping in copper-red glaze are rare, although a small number are recorded, ranging between 9 and 12.5 inches in height. See a slightly smaller meiping in the Roemer Museum, Hildesheim, also with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, illustrated in Ulrich Wiesner, Chinesisches Porzellan, Mainz am Rhein, 1981, pl. 99; and another sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1521. A further example, from the Jingguantang Collection, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 5th November 1997, lot 864; another from the collection of Professor Ross Edman, was sold twice in these rooms, 23rd September 1995, lot 426 and again, 18th March 2008, lot 151; and a third was also sold in these rooms, 15th September 2010, lot 264.

Lot 126. Property of The Newark Museum of Art, Sold to Support Museum Collections. A rare aubergine-glazed dish, Mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Diameter 21 cm. Lot Sold 8,890 USD (Estimate 6,000 - 8,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with an incised six-character mark within a double circle

Provenance: Collection of Herman A. E. (d. 1951) and Paul C. (d. 1951) Jaehne.

Gifted to The Newark Museum, Newark, in 1941 (accession no. 41.991a).

Lot 127. Property of The Newark Museum of Art, Sold to Support Museum Collections. A copper-glazed bowl, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Diameter 21 cm. Lot Sold 21,590 USD (Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Provenance: Collection of Herman A. E. (d. 1951) and Paul C. (d. 1951) Jaehne.

Gifted to The Newark Museum, Newark, in 1941 (accession no. 41.1956B).

Lot 346. A Ming-style white-glazed 'lianzi' bowl, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Diameter 19.3 cm. Lot Sold 19,050 USD (Estimate 15,000 - 20,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Provenance: Christie's London, 8th June 2004, lot 445.

The Inder Rieden Collection.

Bonhams London, 10th November 2011, lot 75.

Note: A closely related example was sold in our London rooms, 23rd May 1972, lot 203; and another was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 28th November 1978, lot 147. Bowls of this type were inspired by early-Ming anhua-decorated lianzi bowls: compare one example, with a Xuande reign mark and of the period, sold at Christie's New York, 3rd November 1996, lot 720.

Lot 348. A carved celadon-glazed 'archaistic dragon' vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Height 20.6 cm. Lot Sold 76,200 USD (Estimate 80,000 - 120,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Collection of the Yoshida Kazō Family (by repute).​​​​​​​

Note: Celadon wares have long been an eternal symbol of China. With origins tracing back to the Bronze Age, these understated yet imposing wares washed in sea-blues and mossy-greens continued to be popular throughout China’s imperial history and indeed to the modern day. The brilliant celadon glazes created at the Longquan kilns from the Song dynasty had long been a source of inspiration to the potters of the Jingdezhen imperial kilns from at least the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and were particularly coveted during the wave of technical innovation that typified the early Qing period. By lessening the amount of iron in the glaze, the Jingdezhen potters of the Qing were able to create a cool and delicate celadon glaze that, when applied on a white porcelain body, resembled the translucency and texture of jade. A wide range of exquisite celadon tones were created in this process, commissioned as a direct response to the Yongzheng (r. 1723-35) and Qianlong (r. 1735-1795) Emperors’ appreciation of Song dynasty (960-1279) porcelain, including douqing [bean-green], a bright sea-green colour, and the present –particularly coveted – fenqing [soft-green] variety. When applied to finely carved  and molded decoration, like the present, the thinning and pooling of this tranquil glaze among the raised lines and recesses create a very delicate shaded effect and accentuate the crispness of the archaic design.  

However, the present vase does not just typify the antiquarian tastes of the Qianlong Emperor in its glazing; rather each aspect of this remarkable piece, from form to decoration, speaks both to the Emperor’s penchant for the archaic and his passion for innovation. For archaic bronze vessels of related angular form that may have served as inspiration to the imperial potters, compare a Western Zhou handled lei wine vessel of slightly more squat profile preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bronze Ritual Vessels and Musical Instruments, Hong Kong, 2006, pl. 102; and for similar to scrolling bands of leiwen (key frets) and abstracted kui dragons – typical of Eastern Zhou (770 BC-221 BC) design – compare a similar dragon design on an archaic bronze ding in the Shanghai Museum, attributed to the late Spring and Autumn period (770 BC-476 BC), illustrated in Chen Peifen, Xiashangzhou qingtongqi yanjiu [Study of archaic bronzes from Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties], dongzhou vol. 1, Shanghai, 2004, pl. 493.

To date, no other vases of this grand and angular form appear to be known. For related Qianlong period celadon-glazed examples carved with similar archaistic designs – many of which also appear to be unique – compare a rounded zun-form vase with handles, illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 145; a closely related angular celadon vase of Qianlong mark and period, carved overall with an archaistic motif, illustrated in John Ayers, The Baur Collection. Chinese Ceramics. Monochrome-Glazed Porcelains of the Ch’ing Dynasty, vol. 3, Geneva, 1972, pl. A379; a globular vase with a long neck, decorated with archaistic design in the same technique, illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art - Chinese Ceramics IV, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 35, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th October 1995, lot 736A, and again, 27th October 2003, lot 700; and another example, sold in these rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1522.

Lot 470. A yellow-glazed bowl​​​​​​​, Mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Diameter 14.6 cm. Lot Sold 7,620 USD (Estimate 6,000 - 8,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue

Provenance: William Doyle Galleries, 24th May 1989, lot 244B.

Lot 472. A pair of turquoise-glazed covers, Seal marks and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Diameter 13.1 cm. Lot Sold 27,940 USD (Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base of each with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue, Japanese wood box (4)

Lot 473. A pair of robin's egg-glazed 'shell' waterpots, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Width 8 cm. Lot Sold 10,160 USD (Estimate 8,000 - 10,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Christie's New York, 20th November 1979, lot 330.

American Private Collection.

Lot 122. A Ge-type faceted vase, Seal mark and period of Jiaqing (1796-1820). Height 23 cm. Lot Sold 57,150 USD (Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Note: Jiaqing mark and period Ge-type vases of this type are particularly rare. Another known example is recorded in the Meiyintang Collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, cat. no. 881.

Lot 132. A rare pair of copper-red-glazed bowls, Marks and period of Xianfeng (1851-1861). Diameter 15.4 cm. Lot Sold 63,500 USD (Estimate 30,000 - 50,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base of each with a six-character mark in underglaze blue (2)

Provenance: American Private Collection, acquired between 1971 and 1981.

Note: Imperial wares bearing Xianfeng reign marks are notably rare. The Imperial kiln at Jingdezhen was destroyed in the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign (1855) during the Taiping Rebellion and remained unreconstructed until the Tongzhi period. This interruption in production, exacerbated by flooding in the region, severely limited the output of Imperial ceramics during the latter years of Xianfeng’s reign.

Compare a similar bowl exhibited in Imperial Porcelain of Late Qing from the Kwan Collection, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 89; and another exhibited in The Wonders of the Potter's Palette, Qing Ceramics from the Collection of The Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1984, cat. no. 109; see also a closely related bowl, previously in the collection of Tang Shaoyi, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 10th July 2020, lot 3147.

Lot 123. A rare and superb archaistic celadon-glazed ‘taotie’ handled vase, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Height 23 cm. Lot Sold 6,985 USD (Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue

Provenance: Tonying and Co., London, 11th November 1926.

Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, 22nd November 1926.

Collection of Geoffrey Hope-Morley, 2nd Baron Hollenden (1885 –1977).