An important Imperial green jade 'San Xi Tang' double-gourd seal. Qianlong. Estimate: £1m to £1.5m. Photo: Bonhams

LONDON.- The Year of the Dragon, the most auspicious year to be born in according to Chinese culture, has come around again and Bonhams next auction of Fine Chinese Art on May 17 in London includes a number of dragon-linked items.

Asaph Hyman, Department Director of Chinese Art at Bonhams, says: "The dragon is one of the most revered mythical animals in China since the Neolithic period to this day and was associated with Imperial authority and the Emperor."

Among these fascinating dragon objects there are four that stand out.

1. The first is an Imperial Qianlong seal featuring three chi dragons.An important Imperial green jade double-gourd 'San Xi Tang' seal, of the revered Qianlong period (1736-1795), it is estimated to sell for over £1m. The seal is carved in an auspicious double-gourd form, associated with longevity as well as representing Heaven and Earth. The upper section is carved with three chi dragons (chilong), analogous to the hall name in the Forbidden City where it was housed, the Hall of the Three Rarities (San Xi Tang). Estimate £1m to £1.5m

An important Imperial green jade 'San Xi Tang' double-gourd seal. Qianlong. Photo: Bonhams

The jade of a remarkably vivid green tone with some attractive darker streaks, carved as a double gourd richly embellished on the rounded surface with three writhing intertwined chilong, the largest proudly rearing its head towards the point of the gourd where its long bifurcated tail curls elegantly, the two smaller chilong straddling the waist of the gourd and grasping at the leg and tail of the largest chilong, the underside recessed to leave a thin border containing the three crisply-carved seal-script characters San Xi Tang. 8.7cm (3 7/16in) long. Lot 58. Estimate: £1.0 million - 1.5 million / CNY 10.0 million - 15.0 million / HK$ 12.0 million - 18.0 million

清乾隆 乾隆帝御寶碧玉雕三螭鈕葫蘆式「三希堂」璽

Provenance: a European private collection 

Published (seal impression): Collections of the Palace Museum: Album of the Seal Impressions of Qing Emperors and Empresses, vol.5, Qianlong part I, Beijing, 2005, p.55 (Gugong Bowuyuan bian, Gugong Bowuyuan cang: Qingdai Dihou Xiyinpu. Di Wuce. Qianlong juan yi, Zijincheng chubanshe chuban, p.55).

Album of Seals of the Emperor Qianlong, in the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet, ref. no.BG 31149, published by Marie-Catherine Rey in Les Très Riches Heures de la Cour de Chine: Chefs-d'oeuvre de la Peinture Impériale des Qing 1662-1796, Paris, 2006, pl.86.

These Eastern Jin models of calligraphies are Kuaixue Shiqing Tie, (Clear Sky After Pleasant Snow) by Wang Xizhi; Zhongqiu Tie, (Mid-Autumn) by Wang Xianzhi; and Boyuan Tie, (Letter to Boyuan), by Wang Xun. The former is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and the latter two are in the Palace Museum, Beijing. The San Xi Tang would have been a personal space, intimate in size, being only a few square meters, but elegantly decorated with a kang by the window and a throne facing west; with a board with the characters San Xi Tang written by the Qianlong Emperor hung on the east wall.

The present seal embodies this highly important Imperial Hall and the three treasured paintings, first and foremost in the crisply-carved characters San Xi Tang; and secondly by the carving on top of the seal, sculpted with three coiled chi dragons graduating in age and size from the youngest and smallest chi dragon to the adult and largest chi dragon. Together they represent a homophone (or similar sound) of San Xi (三希 three rarities), San Chi (三螭 three dragons), and San Zi, (三子 three sons), thus representing the three treasured works as the three dragon sons, symbolising their importance to the Qianlong Emperor.

This seal is recorded in two important manuscripts: the Imperial archives, as published in the Palace Museum's Collections of the Palace Museum: Album of the Seal Impressions of Qing Emperors and Empresses, vol.5, Qianlong part I, Beijing, 2005, p.55 (Gugong Bowuyuan bian, Gugong Bowuyuan cang: Qingdai Dihou Xiyinpu. Di Wuce. Qianlong juan yi, Zijincheng chubanshe chuban, p.55) (fig.2); and the Album of Seals of the Emperor Qianlong, attributed to the Qianlong period (fig.3), in the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet, ref. no.BG 31149, gifted to the Musée Guimet in 1911 by General Frey, and published by Marie-Catherine Rey in the Musée Guimet Exhibition Catalogue Les Très Riches Heures de la Cour de Chine: Chefs-d'oeuvre de la Peinture Impériale des Qing 1662-1796, Paris, 2006, pl.86.

It is interesting to compare the two seal impressions recorded above and the impression of the seal taken most recently. The first, in the Imperial archives, would have been produced most likely closely following the approval of the seal by the Qianlong Emperor. The second, recorded in the album of seals from the Musée Guimet, would have been recorded at a later date but presumably prior to 1795. The seal impression recorded in the Imperial archives shows the edges of the seal face delicately carved in high relief to be in perfect condition. However, the seal impression in the album from the Musée Guimet and the recent seal impression show identical slight chips to the relief edges of the seal face. This would prove that the slight chips occurred whilst the seal was in use in the Forbidden City and importantly that it was still treasured and deemed prestigious to be recorded in the Album of Seals of the Qianlong Emperor.

The present seal is carved in the form of a double gourd, hulu, symbolic of longevity, and homophonous with a word meaning 'protect, shield or guard' as well as blessing. Shoulao the God of Longevity as well as Li Tieguai, one of the Eight Immortals, are both typically depicted with a double gourd. Furthermore, since a gourd grows on a vine and has a large number of seeds, it is also associated with fertility and the wish for continuity.

Compare a related small pale green jade seal, carved with a single chi dragon, from the Palace Museum, Beijing, inscribed San Xi Tang Jing Jian Xi (Refined Inspection Seal of the Hall of the Three Rarities), Qianlong, 4cm long by 2.2cm wide (fig.4), illustrated in Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2006, pl.112. See also a small rectangular white jade San Xi Tang seal, Qianlong, 3.1cm by 1.8cm, carved with a single chi dragon, from the estate of Emile Guimet, removed from the Shouhuang dian, Hall of Imperial Longevity, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 8 October 2008, lot 2001.

2. The second item is a very rare pair of gilt-decorated tripod libation cups, with iron-red Qianlong four-character seal marks and of the period (1736-1795). They feature pairs of five-clawed dragons, each one unusually clasping a flaming pearl in one of its front claws. Estimate £250,000-350,000. 

These vessels known as Jue were used as ritual vessels for wine as early as the Shang dynasty, and the form was subsequently imitated, particularly in the Qing dynasty, in various media including later bronze and rhinoceros horn. However it is more unusual to find porcelain jue surviving intact, particularly given the fragile nature of the material, and to find a matching pair is yet more remarkable.

A very rare pair of gilt-decorated tripod libation cups, jue. Iron-red Qianlong four-character seal marks and of the period. Photo: Bonhams

Each superbly gilt in a wide band around the body horizontally with two pairs of confronted five-clawed dragons, each one unusually clasping a flaming pearl in one of its front claws, all within trailing clusters of billowing clouds, and between horizontal bands of zig-zag pattern, the tall slender serrated outcurving legs each gilt on the front side with a slender cicada panel enclosing two flower heads all under a very pale but slightly green-hued glaze. 12cm (4 7/8in) wide, 12cm (4 7/8in) high (2). Lot 323. Estimate: £250,000 - 350,000 / CNY 2.5 million - 3.5 million / HK$ 3.1 million - 4.3 million

清乾隆 白釉描金龍紋爵杯一對 礬紅「乾隆年製」篆書款

Jue were used as ritual vessels for wine as early as the Shang dynasty, and the form was subsequently imitated, particularly in the Qing dynasty, in various media including later bronze and rhinoceros horn (see for example, lot 219 of this sale). However it is more unusual to find porcelain jue surviving intact, particularly given the fragile nature of the material, and to find a matching pair is yet more remarkable.

The present pair are not only very rare, but also executed with astonishing skill; the modelling of the cups requires great precision and an eye for supreme elegance, which is further enhanced by a sureness and lightness of touch in the gilding, accurate in every detail despite the challenges of the jue's curving surfaces. A white-glazed jue cup with an impressed floral design is illustrated in Treasures in the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p.325, and a yellow-glazed and gilt cup is illustrated ibid. p.352. The present two cups combine the elegance of form with the opulence of the gold decoration seen on these two examples, with a very special and refined result.

3.Thirdly, there is a very fine three-colour lacquer 'nine dragon' domed circular box and cover, Qianlong (1736-1795).The entire box is carved on the exterior through three thick layers of lacquer. The high-domed cover bears a full-faced five-clawed dragon grasping at a flaming pearl trapped within its coiling body. Estimate £70,000-90,000.

The Qianlong period saw active guidance from the Emperor himself over the production of court lacquerware. The style developed under his direction is recognisable for its opulence combined with precision knifework. The present box and cover illustrates this with its full, pillowing shape, enhanced by the three layers of colours, together with sharply precise and vigorous carving of the nine dragons.

A very fine three-colour lacquer 'nine dragon' domed circular box and cover. Qianlong. Photo: Bonhams

The entire box carved on the exterior through three thick layers of lacquer, the uppermost layer red, the middle layer spinach green and the lower layer yellow, the high-domed cover with a large central roundel of a full-faced five-clawed dragon grasping at a flaming pearl trapped within its coiling body, on a ground of green cloud scrolls above yellow symmetrically-breaking waves, all within bands of squared spirals and flower head lappets, the side of the cover with four large ferocious dragons striding in mutual pursuit of flaming pearls, an unusual variant being that in two cases the dragon has actually caught the pearl, the exterior of the base similarly deeply carved with four dragons striding in mutual pursuit but in this case without flaming pearls and divided by rocks bursting from wildly-breaking waves, the interior with a rich black lacquer ground gilt with scattered flower sprays. 28.5cm (11¼in) diam. (2). Lot 185. Estimate: £70,000 - 90,000 / CNY 700,000 - 900,000 / HK$ 860,000 - 1.1 million

清乾隆 剔彩九龍紋圓蓋盒

The Qianlong Period saw active guidance from the Emperor himself over the production of court lacquerware. The style developed under his direction is recognisable for its opulence combined with precision of knifework. The present box and cover illustrates this with its full, pillowing shape, enhanced by the three layers of colours, together with sharply precise and vigorous carving of the nine dragons.

For a very similar 'dragon' box and cover from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, with a six-character Qianlong mark, see Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, no.135. Compare also another three-coloured lacquer box from the Muwen Tang Collection, illustrated by S.Kwan, Chinese Lacquer: The Muwen Tang Collection Series 20, Hong Kong, 2010, no.110.

4. The fourthdragon-bearing item is a superb and very rare pair of pale green jade vases from the 18th century carved with supreme skill and simplicity from pale green stone of astonishing lustre and even tone. Each vase boasts one large and one small chilong dragon of remarkable definition and character, with long coiling split tails swirling elegantly around the vase neck. The pair of jade vases is a remarkable achievement of the finest of Qing Dynasty jade craftsmanship and would almost certainly have been made for the Imperial court. Estimate £120,000-180,000

A superb and very rare pair of pale green jade vases, 18th century. Photo: Bonhams

Carved with supreme skill and simplicity from pale green stone of astonishing lustre and even tone, each formed in mirror image as a long-necked bottle vase, raised on a high foot with overlapping ruyi-head bands at the foot and shoulder pointing towards the smooth and bulbous body left undecorated to reveal the exceptional quality of the stone, the long neck crisply carved with one large and one small chilong dragon of remarkable definition and character, with long coiling split tails swirling elegantly around the vase neck, all beneath a simple incised leiwen pattern at the mouth, wood stands. Each 28.6cm (11¼in) high (4). Lot 19. Estimate: £120,000 - 180,000 / CNY 1.2 million - 1.8 million / HK$ 1.5 million - 2.2 million 

十八世紀 青玉雕螭龍紋瓶一對 

Provenance: a European private collection and thence by descent

The present pair of jade vases is a remarkable achievement of the finest of Qing Dynasty jade craftsmanship and would almost certainly have been made for the Imperial court. The spherical form and elongated necks would have required a large stone. To make a pair this would have been doubly challenging. However, a feat of such even tone and quality of stone, requiring in the process the loss of much of the stone around the necks, could almost only have been for Imperial use and is a tour de force of the jade ateliers. This is exemplified in these rare vases in the use of negative space, allowing the quality of the even pale green jade to reveal itself, restricting the relief-carved design to the ruyi-head borders forming the plain spherical bodies and the elongated cylindrical necks with the pair of chilong finely carved in mirror image. 

The motif on each of the vases of an adult chilong and its young is related to that of an adult and younger dragon, as exemplified in a famille rose lantern-shaped vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, illustrated in Ethereal Elegance. Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing. The Huaihaitang Collection, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007, p.346, pl.123, where the motif is interpreted as 'convey[ing] the message of the father teaching his son the way of life...the emperor giving lessons to the prince.' 

Compare a smaller pair of white jade vases, Qianlong, carved in low relief in the Mughal style, from the collection of Alan and Simone Hartman, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1392. It is also interesting to compare a similarly-shaped glass bottle vase, Qianlong mark and of the period, carved with chilong along the body and neck, from the Professor P.H. and Mrs T.Plesch Collection, sold at Sotheby's London on 12 November 1979, lot 102.