New York – This September, Bonhams will present a series of three live sales during Asia Week New York at its U.S. flagship galleries at 111 West 57th Street: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Fine Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, and Fine Japanese & Korean Art. Together, the sales will showcase exceptional works from across Asia, highlighting the breadth, diversity, skill, and artistry of the region's rich cultural heritage through remarkable examples spanning centuries.

"We are pleased to return to Asia Week New York this September at 111 West 57th Street with an exciting series of sales that reflect the strength of the market and celebrate the craftsmanship, creativity, and cultural significance that define these fields," commented Dessa Goddard, Senior Vice President and Head of Asian Art, Bonhams Americas. "As our first fall season in our new flagship galleries, we look forward to building on the momentum of our March sales. From a magnificent gilt-copper-alloy elephant stand to rare zitan furniture, several works by the renowned Chinese painter Liu Dan, and an iconic Hokusai print of Red Fuji, this season's offerings exemplify a remarkable range of Asian art available to collectors worldwide."

Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, September 14

A Magnificent Gilt-Copper-Alloy Glass-Embellished Elephant Stand, Qianlong/Jiaqing period, will be presented in the Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale on September 14. Estimated at US$150,000 – 250,000, the present lot highlights the technical sophistication and artistry of Qing Imperial craftsmanship. Lavishly adorned with brightly Coloured glass inlay, the elephant-form stand embodies the auspicious wish for peace and prosperity, a motif long Favoured in Qing decorative arts. Close surviving parallels to the present work are found among the celebrated elephant-standclocks in the Palace Museum, Beijing, underscoring the rarity, sophistication, and significance of this exceptional example of Qing Court Collection.

Lot 16. A Magnificent Gilt-Copper-Alloy Glass-Embellished Elephant Stand, Qianlong-Jiaqing period; 57.8cm high overall; 37.1cm length; 13.7cm width. Estimate US$150,000 - US$250,000 (130 000 € - 210 000 €) © Bonhams 2026

Lot 16. A Magnificent Gilt-Copper-Alloy Glass-Embellished Elephant Stand, Qianlong-Jiaqing period; 57.8cm high overall; 37.1cm length; 13.7cm width. Estimate US$150,000 - US$250,000 (130 000 € - 210 000 €) © Bonhams 2026

Exquisitely cast and assembled from numerous elements and lavishly inlaid throughout with brightly colored glass, the caparisoned elephant, naturalistically modelled with long tusks, almond-shaped eyes and finely veined ears, the meticulously textured hide defined by swirling wrinkles, the elaborate saddlecloth decorated with a central panel of the bajixiang above cresting waves, enclosed by borders of floral scrolls, supporting a saddle surmounted by a sumptuous multi-lobed vase, richly embellished with bands of lotus petals and a broad blue-glass-inlaid leiwen border encircling the principal lobe, all supported on a stand raised on four cabriole legs linked by an intricately pierced apron beneath a waisted plinth decorated with a band of ruyi-heads and scrolling flowering vines, surmounted by an elegant openwork balustrade.

Note: The present lot is a remarkable testament to the extraordinary technical accomplishments of Qing Court craftsmen. Executed with exceptional precision, it is constructed from numerous individually cast and chased gilt-bronze components, lavishly enriched with brilliantly colored glass inlay, each element demonstrating the painstaking attention to detail characteristic of the finest Imperial works of the eighteenth century. Particularly noteworthy is the superb modelling of the caparisoned elephant, whose hide is rendered with an intricate network of finely chased whorled wrinkles, imparting an extraordinary sense of texture and vitality. The present lot may have been part of a set of auspicious symbols used in religious rituals. Compare with a related set of Seven Royal Treasures, including an Elephant, 18th century, illustrated in China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.140.

The elephant occupies a particularly auspicious place in the visual language of the Qing Court. Long associated with strength, wisdom and stability, it was regarded as a noble beast worthy of Imperial ceremony. When paired with a vase (ping 瓶), as in the present lot, it forms the rebus taiping youxiang (太平有象), literally 'Great peace is manifested by the elephant', conveying the wish for universal peace and prosperity throughout the empire. The motif became especially popular during the Qing dynasty and appears across a wide range of Imperial decorative arts, including cloisonné enamels, jade carvings, porcelain and textiles. As with many Qing decorative motifs, the composition combines visual splendor with an auspicious message, making it particularly appropriate for objects intended to furnish the Imperial palaces. See for example, a cloisonné enamel elephant and vase on stand, Qianlong, in the Qing Court Collection (accession no. 故00201339, 故00201340).

Although elephants are today associated primarily with South and Southeast Asia, archaeological evidence indicates that they once inhabited much of China during antiquity before gradually retreating southwards as a result of climatic change and expanding human settlement; for a lengthy study on this, see M. Elvin, The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China, 2004, New Haven. By the Ming dynasty, elephants had long ceased to exist in northern China and instead entered the Imperial Court principally as diplomatic tribute from kingdoms including Siam, Burma and other states of Southeast Asia. They were housed in the Imperial Elephant Stables (象房) situated outside Xuanwumen in Beijing, where they were carefully maintained for ceremonial occasions. Their life in the stables mirrored the ups and downs of officialdom, with well-behaved elephants increasing in rank and rations, while a badly behaved elephant might be demoted and punished with lower grade feed. Trained elephants played an important role in state processions, sacrificial rites and other court ceremonies, becoming familiar symbols of Imperial authority. See the court painting dating to the Qianlong reign, 'Ten Thousand Envoys Come to Pay Tribute' depicts an elephant carrying a vase as part of a tribute procession, illustrated by C.Ho and B.Bronson, Splendors of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, London, 2004, pls. 80-82.

Following the Qianlong Emperor's successful Gurkha campaigns in Nepal, two elephants were presented to the Qing Court as tribute, and were immortalized by the Jesuit court artists Louis Antoine de Poirot (1735-1814) and Giuseppe Panzi (d.1812) in a remarkably naturalistic painting, see Tales of the Forbidden City: 1644-1911, Hong Kong, 2022, pp. 132-133. Compared with the more stylized depictions found in earlier Chinese art, these eighteenth-century representations display a heightened attention to anatomy, proportion and texture. The extraordinarily detailed modelling of the present elephant, particularly the intricate network of whorled folds defining its hide, may reflect this broader courtly interest in direct observation of living animals, encouraged in part by the naturalistic conventions introduced by the Jesuit painters working at the Qing Court.

Some of the closest surviving parallels to the present lot are found among the celebrated elephant-form clocks in the Palace Museum, Beijing. Although differing in function, these magnificent objects share a remarkably similar compositional scheme, employing a richly caparisoned elephant as the principal structural support for an elaborate superstructure of gilt-bronze architectural elements lavishly embellished with brightly colored glass inlay. In many examples the elephant bears either a clock case or an ornamental vase, closely recalling the arrangement seen on the present lot. Their combination of sculptural naturalism, sumptuous ornament and technical virtuosity finds an especially close correspondence here. Compare, for example, the elephant clocks illustrated by Liao Pin, Clocks and Watches of the Qing Dynasty: From the Collection in the Forbidden City, Beijing, 2002, pls. 40 and 71, and Ian White, English Clocks for the Eastern Markets, Ticehurst, 2012, figs. 7.32 and 7.36–7. While those examples incorporate European clock movements, the present stand demonstrates that the same highly sophisticated design vocabulary was also employed in the creation of other luxurious furnishing objects for the Qing Court.

A very similar gilt-copper alloy and colored glass model of an elephant was sold at Bonhams San Francisco, 13 December 2010, lot 5154. See also a rare Imperial gilt-bronze, cloisonné and champlevé enamel ivory-inlaid 'elephant and vase Guanyin and Skanda' emblem, Qianlong, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 1 December 2020, lot 141.

Another major highlight in the sale is a Rare and Splendid Zitan 'Lotus' Luohan Bed and Kang Table, 18th/19th century, estimated at $US600,000 – 900,000. Executed in richly figured zitan, one of the most prized hardwoods used in Chinese furniture making, the ensemble exemplifies the refined craftsmanship, elegant proportions, and lavish sophistication of elite Qing interiors. Acquired from the highly respected Hong Kong dealer Lai Loy (1926–2012) and offered from a prestigious New York family collection, this remarkable example of Chinese classical furniture is distinguished by its exceptional provenance.

Lot 39. A Rare and Splendid Zitan 'Lotus' Luohan Bed and Kang Table, Qing Dynasty, 18th-19th century, 111.8 x 210.8 x 130.8cm overall; Seat: 199.4 x 119.4cm; 50.5cm high of seat; Kang table: 28 x 110 x 54.6cm (2). Estimate US$600,000 - US$900,000 (510 000 € - 770 000 €) © Bonhams 2026

The back and side panels carved to resemble a nine-part screen and superbly carved as a dense network of lotus plants set into a bed of undulating waves and rocky outcroppings, the panels tenoned into a five-panel hard seat carved on the edge with a band of lotus pods and leafy stems above the waisted apron, the lotus and leaf network repeated on the elegantly shaped apron extending down the thick, cabriole legs and centered on a magnificent lotus blossom; the kang table composed of a two-board top set into a mitred, mortise-and tenon frame with ice-plate edge carved ensuite with identical decoration.

Provenance: Acquired from the distinguished Hong Kong art dealer Lai Loy (1926-2012), 1991

Property from a Prestigious New York Family

Note: The present lot is an exceptionally rare example of Qing dynasty furniture, remarkable for its monumental scale, the quality of its sculptural carving, and the use of highly prized zitan wood of substantial dimensions. See a near identical zitan Luohan bed and kang table, mid-Qing dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, with a cane-matting seat, illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City: Red Sandalwood Furniture in the Palace Museum Collection, Beijing, 2013, pl. 1, as well as in Hu Desheng, The Palace Museum Collection: A Treasury of Ming and Qing Dynasty Palace Furniture, vol.I, Beijing, 2007, pp. 62–63, fig. 40. The matching kang table is separately illustrated Ibid., p. 242, no. 274.

The luohan chuang, or 'Luohan bed', is one of the most substantial forms of traditional Chinese furniture, consisting of a raised platform with a high back and enclosed side panels, and traditionally used for sitting, reclining, receiving guests and, on occasion, sleeping. The term invokes the Buddhist luohan (arhat), the enlightened disciples of the Buddha, who are frequently depicted seated or reclining upon raised platforms. An early visual association may be seen in the painting by Wang Zhenpeng (active ca.1280–1329), Vimalakirti and the Doctrine of Nonduality, dated 1308, which shows Vimalakirti seated upon a substantial raised couch-bed of related form, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.1980.276). See also the woodblock print Lying Ill, from Li Liu Tang Ji, a collection of essays by Da Shan, showing a figure reclining on a Luohan bed, which Wang Shixiang writes 'closely resemble the furniture made in zitan by the Imperial workshop during the reign of the Qian Long emperor'; Wang Shixiang, Connoisseurship of Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, vol. I, Hong Kong, 1990, pp.19–20, fig.1.8.

Such beds were also particularly suited to the informal activities of the scholar's studio. Sarah Handler, in Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkeley, 2001, p.133, cites the late Ming scholar Wen Zhenheng (1585–1645), who praised couch-beds for their versatility, noting that they could be used for sitting, reclining and resting, as well as for reading texts, viewing calligraphy and paintings, displaying antiquities, dining and taking a nap. Contemporary pictorial representations similarly show such beds serving as settings for the cultivated pursuits of the scholar, blurring the distinction between furniture for repose and furniture for intellectual and aesthetic engagement. See Playing Double Sixes, a Yuan dynasty woodblock illustration to Chen Yuanliang's Compendium of a Forest of Affairs (Shilin guangji), depicting two men seated on a couch-bed of related form while enjoying a game of double sixes, illustrated in Handler, Ibid., p.126, fig.9.7.

The lotus decoration on the present lot is particularly appropriate to its Buddhist associations. Rising from muddy water yet emerging immaculate above the surface, the lotus became one of the most potent Buddhist symbols of purity, spiritual awakening and transcendence. The flower also acquired a celebrated moral significance within the literati tradition through Zhou Dunyi's (1017–1073) essay Ai lian shuo ('On the Love of the Lotus'), in which the lotus is praised as an embodiment of the virtuous gentleman who remains unsullied despite growing from the mud. The extensive depiction of lotus plants emerging through water and rocks across the present bed may therefore be read on several levels, combining Buddhist associations of purity and enlightenment with the literati ideal of moral integrity and incorruptibility. This layered symbolism is especially apt for a luohan chuang, whose name itself evokes the Buddhist ideal of spiritual attainment.

Compare with a zitan carved 'landscape' couch-bed, Qing dynasty, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 October 2014, lot 3127. See also a zitan Luohan bed, 18th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 16 March 2017, lot 643; and a rare zitan Luohan bed with marble panels, 18th century, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 11 November 2015, lot 19.

Additional highlights in the sale include:

Lot 76. A Rare Turquoise-Ground Puce-Enameled 'Dragon' Altar Vase, Gu, Qianlong six-character mark and of the period, 28.5cm high. Estimate US$40,000 – 60,000 (34 000 € - 51 000 €) © Bonhams 2026

Of archaistic gu form, finely modelled with a flaring trumpet neck rising above a central bulb and a bell-shaped foot, vividly decorated in rouge enamel against a turquoise ground with one five-clawed dragon leaping amidst clouds on the upper and lower sections each, the central bulb bears a puce-enameled six-character seal mark enclosed within a rectangular cartouche, each sections finely encircled by a ruyi-band and a keyfret border, the interiors of the neck and foot enameled turquoise.

Note: A devout Buddhist and dedicated patron of Tibetan Buddhism, the Qianlong emperor placed considerable importance on the furnishing of Imperial Buddhist temples and ancestral halls, commissioning ritual vessels in precious and finely worked materials including cloisonné enamel, bronze, jade, and porcelain. Vases of the present form belong to this group of imperial ritual wares, which were produced in a variety of sizes and color schemes and were likely intended as components of five-piece altar garnitures.

The present altar vase appears to be very rare in its decorative palette and associated techniques. Particularly noteworthy is its use of rouge enamel, a costly and technically demanding color introduced from the West during the Kangxi reign and subsequently refined at the Imperial workshops. By the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, rouge enamel had become a highly prized imperial color, valued for its delicate range of tones from soft pink to deep crimson. Although no identical vase seems to have appeared on the market, a few related wares with similar scheme can be found in prominent museum or private collections. A related Qianlong mark and period altar censer with dragon-form handles, decorated in puce enamel against a turquoise ground, is in the National Museum of China, Beijing, illustrated in Studies of the Collections of the National Museum of China, Shanghai, 2007, pl. 107, p. 163; another censer of puce enamel and turquoise ground was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2925. See also a similar vase decorated in rouge enamels with a pair of five-clawed dragons pursuing 'flaming pearls', but against a white ground, illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics: Qing Dynasty, vol. 4, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 177.

Lot 134. A Fine and Rare White Overlay Pink Glass 'Ox and Cart' Snuff Bottle, Li Junting, Yangzhou School, dated Spring 1821 and with seal mark Wei Zhi, 5.6cm high, stopper. Estimate US$40,000 - US$60,000 (34 000 € - 52 000 €) © Bonhams 2026

Of rounded medallion form tapering to a slender, cylindrical neck, with flat mouth rim and small mouth, carved through the white overlay with a vignette of a boy who has lost his hat while pulling an ox cart driven by another, inscribed xinsi chun ri, corresponding to 1821, spring day, reversed by a horseman and his hound pursuing a hare, the rider swinging a bolo over his head, sealed Weizhi, the bottle brilliantly executed and resting on a complementary white glass foot ring.

Provenance: Eric Young Collection
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 October 1993, lot 1069
Property of a Lady
Christie's New York, 26 March 2003, lot 95
Property from an Important Private Collection, acquired in 2004

Note: One of the most talented and brilliant carvers in the Qing dynasty, Li Junting is amongst the few identified artists in this medium that are identifiable by his seal. See another bottle in a pink ground and dated to 1821, published in R. Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch,, London, 1995, no. 179, pp. 270-271, this with a green overlay. See another, op. cit., no. 171. The link between the seal, Weizhi, and Li Junting is discussed by H. Moss, V. Graham and K.B. Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, New York, 1993, vol. II, p. 651 no. 399.

Lot 33. A White Jade 'Quails and Milet' Vase and Cover, 18th century, 27cm high overall (box). Estimate 40,000 - US$60,000 (34 000 € - 52 000 €) © Bonhams 2026
 

depicting three quails perched on rocky promontory and one other sweeping downwards, the scene further decorated with millet stems issuing from behind jagged rockwork, the neck flanked by a pair of elephant heads suspending loose ring handles, the stone of luminous white color with icy inclusions.

Note: Delicately carved in shallow relief with quails amid sprays of millet, the decoration conveys the auspicious rebus suisui pingan (歲歲平安, may there be peace year after year). The Chinese word for quail, (鵪), is a homophone for an (安), meaning 'peace', while the ears of millet, sui (穗), are homophonous with sui (歲), meaning 'year'. Together, the motif forms one of the most enduring auspicious visual puns of the Qing dynasty, expressing the wish for enduring peace and harmony. The composition also reflects the long-established flower-and-bird painting tradition, which flourished from the Five Dynasties period (907–960) onward and remained an important source of inspiration for jade carvers throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Compare a flattened jade vase carved with the same motif in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji (Complete Collection of Chinese Jades), vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 217; and another example in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (accession no. C.1920-1910), published by Ming Wilson in Chinese Jades, London, 2004, pl. 50, and Jessica Rawson and John Ayers, Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, London, Oriental Ceramics Society, 1975, no. 424.

Fine Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, September 15

On September 15, the Fine Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy sale will feature both classical and contemporary works with special emphasis on 20th century painting schools and modern movements. Comprising a selection of paintings by highly collectible masters including by not limited to, Zhang Daqian (1899–1983), Qi Baishi (1864 – 1957), and Pu Ru (1896–1963), the sale will also feature paintings by members of the Fifth Moon Group, as well as leaders in Contemporary Ink.

Headlined by Zhang Daqian's (1899–1986) Blue/Green Landscape, 1945, estimated at US$60,000 – 90,000, this painting relies on an archaic palette of Colour to evoke the distant past. Painted during a turbulent era, and shortly after his residence in the Dunhuang Buddhist cave site, Zhang Daqian at once embraces the landscape painting tradition, while providing an innovative approach.

Lot 270. Zhang Daqian (1899–1986), Blue/Green Landscape, 1945. Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, inscribed by the artist and dated yiyou and signed Daqian Jushi Yuan with three artist's seals, noted on the outer mount that it was formerly in the collection of Yang Ziying (1915-1983); 147.3 x 38.8cm. Estimate US$60,000 - US$90,000 (52 000 € - 77 000 €) © Bonhams 2026
 

Note: The present lot is executed primarily in pale ink lines and washes of malachite, further accented with touches of pale ochre. Its restrained and elegant palette possesses a distinctly literati sensibility. Two scholars, accompanied by an attendant, travel by boat on a meandering stream flanked by white rocks and towering trees, gazing toward verdant mountains beyond the clouds. While the color scheme reflects Zhang Daqian's engagement with archaic traditions, his brushwork remains imbued with the vitality of the natural world, free from slavish adherence to earlier conventions. In a preface written for Zhang's solo exhibition in Nanjing in 1936, Xu Beihong (1895-1953) observed: "Daqian's success as a painter owes much to the landscape of Sichuan, amid whose extraordinary, precipitous and majestic scenery he was immersed day after day, absorbing it into his very being." Half a year before executing the present work, Zhang had spent a brief sojourn at Mount Qingcheng. Having assimilated the vital spirit of its landscape, he gave it expression through his brush in the present painting.

By the 1930s, Zhang Daqian's engagement with works by ancient masters had extended beyond the ink traditions of Ming and Qing literati painting to encompass the sumptuous blue-and-green landscapes of the Tang, as well as the still earlier "white clouds and red trees" tradition in the boneless manner. Following his two visits to Dunhuang in the early 1940s, both his brushwork and handling of color became increasingly vigorous, monumental and archaic. By the mid to late 1940s, his blue-and-green landscapes had reached a new level of refinement. In 1938, while in Beijing, Zhang first encountered Jiangdi Wanjing (Late Scenery Along a Riverbank), a blue-and-green landscape traditionally attributed to the Five Dynasties master Dong Yuan (?-ca. 962). Captivated by its artless and quaint charm, he never forgot it; as he later inscribed on the painting's silk mount, "whenever I spoke of the work, I would sigh in admiration and praise it without end." With the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, Zhang returned to Sichuan to seek refuge. Following the end of the war in September 1945, he hastened back to Beijing and acquired the painting for his Dafengtang Collection. The following year, he began making a copy after it.

Zhang Daqian was renowned for his prodigious visual memory, and the compositions and pictorial details of this Dong Yuan painting he particularly admired must have remained deeply impressed upon his mind. A close examination of the composition of the present lot reveals notable affinities with Late Scenery Along a Riverbank: the configuration of trees in the foreground and middle ground; the staggered, receding banks and islets; the distant mountains set obliquely against areas of reserved space; and even the placement of the figures and dwellings within the landscape. These correspondences testify to the depth of Zhang's internalization of the works by old masters. Rather than merely producing faithful copies of their works, he absorbed their pictorial vocabulary and reimagined them through his own artistic vision.

Additionally, the sale will feature two works by Liu Dan (b. 1953), widely Recognised as one of the most important artists working in the field of contemporary Chinese Ink painting today. Renowned for his meticulous technique and innovative engagement with the Chinese literati tradition, Liu has earned international acclaim for works that bridge classical aesthetics and contemporary artistic practice. Highlights in the sale include Dan's Single Pinwheel, 1999, estimated at US$45,000 – 75,000, and Ink Daffodil 1, 2000, estimated at US$22,500 – 47,500.

Lot 311. Liu Dan (born 1953), Single Pinwheel, 1999. Matted, framed and glazed, ink and color on paper, inscribed by the artist and dated jimao, and signed Liu Dan with two artist's seals; 36.4 x 36.8cm. Estimate US$45,000 - US$75,000 (39 000 € - 64 000 €) © Bonhams 2026

Provenance: The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, 29 October 2000

De: Still Expression: Recent Flower Paintings by Liu Dan, New York: The Chinese Porcelain Company, 2000, pl. 7, pp. 22-23.

Exhibited: "Still Expression: Recent Flower Paintings by Liu Dan," The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, 20 March - 1 April, 2000.

Lot 319. Liu Dan (born 1953), Ink Daffodil 1, 2000. Matted, framed and glazed, ink on paper, inscribed by the artist and signed Liu Dan with two artist's seals; 30.6 x 30.6cm. Estimate US$22,500 - US$47,500 (19 000 € - 41 000 €) © Bonhams 2026

Provenance: The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, 29 October 2000

Published: Still Expression: Recent Flower Paintings by Liu Dan, New York: The Chinese Porcelain Company, 2000, p. 32, no. 15.

Exhibited: "Still Expression: Recent Flower Paintings by Liu Dan," The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, 20 March - 1 April, 2000.

Additional highlights in the sale include:

Lot 235. School of Jean Denis Attiret (Wang Zhicheng 1702–1768),  Portrait of a Court Lady in Winter Robe, Qianlong Period, mid-18th century. Framed, oil on Korean paper, backed with cloth, unsigned and without artist's seals, 173.3 x 91.5cm. Estimate US$40,000 – 60,000 (34 000 € - 52 000 €) © Bonhams 2026

Provenance: Formerly in a private Texas collection

Note: https://www.bonhams.com/auction/31887/lot/235/school-of-jean-denis-attiret-wang-zhicheng-1702-1768-portrait-of-a-court-lady-in-winter-robe-qianlong-period-mid-18th-century/

Lot 231. After Sun Hu (active 1736-1745), Ding Guanpeng (active 1740-1768) and Zhou Kun (active 1741-1748),  Tao Ye Tu (Illustrations of Porcelain Manufacture), Qianlong period, 18th century. Album of eight leaves, ink and color on silk, unsigned, with a collector's seal; 46 x 32.4cm, each leaf. Estimate US$40,000 - US$60,000 (35 000 € - 52 000 €) © Bonhams 2026
 

Provenance: Sotheby's, Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Ceramic and Works of Art: Thirty Years, 26 October 2003, lot 156
 

Note: This album of eight images presents a visualization of the steps of porcelain production at the Jingdezhen Qing Imperial kilns. The images that compose this album are adopted from the illustrations used in Tang Ying (1682-1756)'s Taoye Tu Shuo 陶冶圖説, a description of the twenty essential steps to produce fine porcelain--from initially mining to the clay to the final act of thanking the gods for the fulfillment of wishes after the finished product had shipped. A close examination of the individual leaves in this album reveals the labors of young and old craftsmen working in rustic, open-air courtyards. Corresponding with Tang Ying's commentary, the eight leaves of this album depict:
 

Decorating round wares with blue and white 圓器青花 (fig.1)
Washing and Refining Clay 淘練泥土 (fig.2)
Decorating and painting sculpted wares 製畫琢器(fig.3)
Repairing molds for round wares 圓器修模 (fig.4)
Dipping and spraying glaze 蘸釉吹釉 (fig.5)
Building sculpted wares by hand 琢器造坯 (fig.6)
Making saggars 製造匣缽 (fig.7)
Decorating round and sculpted wares with overglaze enamels 圓琢洋采 (fig.8)
 

The flurry of activity accurately describes the production process and is corroborated by the contemporary eyewitness account of the Jesuit priest Francois Xavier d'Entrecolles (Yin Hongxu, 1664–1741), who stated that a single porcelain vessel could pass through the hands of as many as seventy craftsmen before completion. The presence of artisans using overglaze enamels demonstrates the album's painters were depicting the most state-of-the art techniques in porcelain decoration.
 

Beyond illustrating the porcelain manufacturing process, this album also reflects the aesthetics and standards of the early 18th century Qing court painting studios. The meticulous execution and attention to fine details, as well as the synthesis of different painting methods and techniques from outside the court, are all hallmarks of the Imperial ateliers under the reign of the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. The consistent treatment of light and distance evince the presence of European artists; and, the fine silk and vivid mineral pigments are a tribute to the wealth of the court and its high standards for excellence in art.
 

At least four imperial commissions of porcelain production albums were created under the aegis of the early Qing court. The present album is most faithful in composition to the Chonghua Gong (Palace of Abundant Splendor) version, although the leaves of the present album are twice the size. Originally commissioned in 1738, the Chonghua Gong version was documented as being completed in 1743. As with many Qing court paintings, the Chenghua Gong Taoye Tu was a collaborative effort by several court artists, including Sun Hu (architecture), Ding Guanpeng (figures), and Zhou Kun (rocks and trees), whose joint efforts accompanied the descriptive commentary of Tang Ying. The Chonghua Gong version of Taoye Tu was sold at Christie's Hong Kong in their April 1996 auction, and the album is currently held in a private Taiwanese collection. Although the artists of the present lot are not identified by inscription or seal, the fidelity to the 1738-1743 Chonghua Gong version is notable. The present lot may have served as a preparatory version for the Chonghua Gong version.
 

In addition, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum houses a handscroll version of Taoye Tu from the Huaihaitang Collection, bearing the signature of Jean-Denis Attiret (Wang Zhicheng, 1702-1768), which has been dated to the early nineteenth century. While the handscroll preserves the general compositions of the various stages of porcelain production integrated into a continuous landscape setting, its execution of detail and quality of brushwork are inferior to those of the present lot.
 

Reference: Wang, Xiaoqin et al. "Spatial Organization and Interaction Mechanisms in Jingdezhen Ceramic Production: Visual Analysis of the Qianlong-era Tao Ye Tu." In Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 12, 2002 (2025).

Fine Japanese & Korean Art, September 16

Bonhams' Asia Week New York live sales will conclude with Fine Japanese & Korean Art on September 16. Highlights include Gaifū kaisei (Fine Wind, Clear Weather), a woodblock print by the master printmaker Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849). Estimated at US$150,000 – 250,000, the print is among Hokusai's most Recognisable and sought-after designs, celebrated for its powerful simplicity and striking use of Colour. Known internationally as "Red Fuji," the image ranks among the most important works from the artist's landmark Fugaku sanjūrokkei (36 Views of Mount Fuji) series.

Another notable print featured in the sale will be Utagawa Hiroshige's (1797–1858) Kameido Umeyashiki (Plum Estate, Kameido). Estimated at US$75,000 – 95,000, it ranks among the most pleasing designs from Hiroshige's celebrated Meisho Edo hyakkei (100 Famous Views of Edo) series, distinguished by its striking composition and masterful rendering of the famed plum garden.

Additional highlights in the sale include:

● A Massive Cloisonné-Enamel Plaque, Meiji era (1868-1912), by Namikawa Sōsuke (1847–1910) for the Shippō Gaisha estimated at US$50,000 – 70,000.

● A Buncheong Jar with fish design, 15th century, estimated at US$30,000 – 50,000.

● A Large Porcelain Vase, Meiji era (1868–1912), late 19th century, by Makuzu (Miyagawa) Kōzan (1842–1916), estimated at US$20,000 – 30,000.

Complementing the live series of auctions, Bonhams Asia Week New York will be rounded out by two additional online sales, including Chinese Paintings Online: 20th Century & Beyond Part III, running from September 8–17, and Chinese Works of Art Online, running from September 15–25, offering collectors an expanded selection of exceptional Asian works of art.