HONG KONG - Exceptional Chinese Imperial works of art will be on offer at Bonhams Hong Kong on 3 December.

These include a pair of massive Imperial zitan rectangular panels, Mid-Qing Dynasty, estimated at HK$ 6,000,000 – 8,000,000, which reputedly belonged to Marcel Proust (1871-1922), widely considered to be one of the greatest authors of all time.

The pair of panels, with elegantly scrolling acanthus leaves and seashells, continues the tradition of adapting European Rococo-style motifs and aesthetics showing three-dimensional form and space, which flourished under the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns (1723-1795). 

Starting from the Yongzheng period (1723-1735) and up to the Daoguang period (1821-1850), there was a rise in popularity for the construction of European-style architecture in China, with the Western palaces in the vast Imperial Summer Palace complex, Yuanmingyuan, north of Beijing, being the finest of such examples. Furnishings for the interiors of these palaces were made with corresponding European influences in order to suit and match the magnificently elaborate and luxurious Western-style architecture. Zitan examples tended to be of the most exceptional quality, with craftsmen exercising their full talent of skill and creativity to create masterful works of art, as demonstrated in this lot. 

From the property of Marcel Proust. A pair of massive Imperial zitan rectangular panels, Mid-Qing Dynasty. Estimate HK$ 6 million - 8 million (€730,000 - 970,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Each towering panel lavishly decorated in high relief with circular cartouches above larger rectangular ones, each enclosing intricately carved various antiques, including several archaistic bronze vessels, incense burners, hand scrolls, brushpots, ruyi sceptres, inkstones, carvings and other scholarly objects, all set within a continuous meander of Rococo-style acanthus leaves borne on leafy tendrils with seashells, intertwined around a geometric scroll lattice bordered by laterjichimu frames. Each: 164cm (64 1/2in) long x 84cm (33in) wide (2). 

Provenance: Marcel Proust (1871–1922), and thence by descent, by repute

Notes: Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (1871-1922) was a renowned French novelist, author of the famous seven-volume novel À la recherche du temps perdu, written between 1913 and 1927, based on Proust's personal life told from a psychological and allegorical point of view. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest authors of all time. Proust's father, Adrien Achille Proust (1834-1903), was a prominent pathologist and epidemiologist, dedicated to the research and study of the cholera disease. It is known that Proust senior dedicated his life to this medical field and travelled extensively to Asia. For his services and exceptional contribution to the understanding of how to control cholera, he was conferred the distinction of Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur in 1892.

Zitan was exceptionally prized in China, particularly by the imperial court during the Ming and Qing dynasties. By the early Qing dynasty, zitan was very expensive, as supply had dwindled dramatically from excessive lumbering activities throughout the preceding Ming period. As zitan trees require centuries to fully mature into usable material, stockpiled wood from the Ming dynasty and imported supplies from the South Pacific islands were used to manufacture many pieces. 

During the Qing dynasty, the production of palace furniture was commissioned and carefully monitored by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zaobanchu 造辦處. Records such as the Neiwufu Zaobanchu huojidang reveal that the court issued instructions for the search and purchase of zitan and other valuable timber from private hands as imported supplies were low during the 18th century; see Guo Fuxiang, The Art of Furniture-Making in Imperial China, 2nd Century BC - 18th Century, Barcelona, 2006, pp.111 and 113. 

The present pair of panels, with elegantly scrolling acanthus leaves and seashells, continues the tradition of adapting European Rococo-style motifs and aesthetics showing three-dimensional form and space, which flourished under the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. In Chinese, such décor was coined Xiyang huawen, or 'Western decorative pattern', and reflected the fascination and taste for the style and splendour of Western aesthetics. From the 17th century, the Qing court became increasingly open to accommodate Western innovations, culture and influences. Starting from the Yongzheng period and up to the Daoguang period, there was a rise in popularity for the construction of European-style architecture in China, with the Western palaces in the vast Imperial Summer Palace complex, Yuanmingyuan, north of Beijing, being the finest of such examples. Furnishings for the interiors of these palaces were made with corresponding European influences in order to suit and match the magnificently elaborate and luxurious Western-style architecture. Zitan examples tended to be of the most exceptional quality, with craftsmen exercising their full talent of skill and creativity to create masterful works of art, as demonstrated in this lot. 

Shells, with their delicate interlacing of natural curves were quintessential to French Rococo-style. The word rococo, derives from the French word Rocaille and denotes the shell-like delicate scroll motifs used. This in particular, captivated the Chinese emperors, as shown in imperial architecture and furniture suffused with shell motifs including: the Hall of Calm Seas, haiyan tang, in the Yuanmingyuan; see a copperplate print, 1786, illustrated in Yuan Ming Yuan, Qing Emperor's Splendid Gardens, Taipei, 2013, pp.258-259, no.V-10; and a zitan armchair with a back ending in a large shell-form head rest, in the Qing Court collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, pl.39. 

The opulent and complex three-dimensional decoration of these panels, with both carved and applied elements, is a powerful example of the level of technical skill and ingenuity furniture makers of the Qing period possessed. The carving of these pair of zitan panels are refined, fluid and especially deep. Furthermore, by carving out the motifs against a reserved ground, the background areas have been carefully finished and superbly polished to ensure an even surface without a trace of tool marks.

In continuation of the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors advocacy of tradition and innovation, as often seen in other mediums such as imperial porcelain and jade carving, master furniture craftsmen combined European-styles with the Chinese traditional repertoire, as seen in the carved 'antiques' and mythical beasts. Compare an eight-panelled zitandoor frame, with similarly carved 'antiques', in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Architecture and Decoration of the Forbidden City: Classics of the Forbidden City, Beijing, 2013, pp.148-151, no.129. The stylised dragons that form the round cartouches on the current panels are also reminiscent of those found on Ming dynasty furniture, such as those forming the brackets of a square table, dated 1550-1600, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by C.Clunus, Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1988, pp.57-59, no.47. The bold decoration of such Chinese motifs juxtaposes with the elegant European Rococo decorative elements, resulting in a unique and striking blend of styles. This convergence of Eastern and Western iconography conveys the dynamic cross-cultural exchange of the Qing period. 

Compare the panels on the doors of a tall compound cabinet in the Palace of Double Brilliance, Chonghua gong, with similarly ornate but shallower carvings of a round cartouche above a rectangular cartouche surrounded by leafy scrolls, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), Hong Kong, 2002, pl.260; see also a zitan display cabinet embedded with birch wood, with two bottom door panels with similarly carved peonies within Rococo-style acanthus leaf scrolls issuing from cornucopias, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Eternal Knowledge: Imperial Books, Art Works and Culture of the Qing, Macao, 2007, p.463, no.149.

A pair of zitan chairs with related Rococo-style decoration including shells and acanthus leaves, Qianlong, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2503.

Also on offer with the same illustrious provenance is a rare pair of Imperial champlevé enamel openwork garden seats, Qianlong (1736-1795), estimated at HK$ 1,600,000 – 2,000,000. 

From the property of Marcel Proust. A rare pair of Imperial champlevé enamel openwork garden seats, Qianlong. Estimate HK$ 1.6 million - 2 million (€190,000 - 240,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Each stool modelled in the form of a barrel, the rounded sides with openwork areas in the form of large doubleruyi-heads, interspersed with medallions formed by three archaistic chi dragons and between bands of largeruyi-heads, amidst an overall dense ground of lotus blooms and bats on leafy tendrils repeated on the top of the seat, all brilliantly enamelled in vibrant tones of red, blue, green, yellow, and pink on a pale turquoise ground. Each 53cm (20 7/8in) high (2).

Provenance: Marcel Proust (1871–1922), and thence by descent, by repute

Notes: Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (1871-1922) was a renowned French novelist, author of the famous seven-volume novel À la recherche du temps perdu, written between 1913 and 1927, based on Proust's personal life told from a psychological and allegorical point of view. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest authors of all time. Proust's father, Adrien Achille Proust (1834-1903), was a prominent pathologist and epidemiologist, dedicated to the research and study of the cholera disease. It is known that Proust senior dedicated his life to this medical field and travelled extensively to Asia. For his services, and his exceptional contribution to the understanding of how to control cholera, he was conferred the distinction of Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur in 1892.

During the early to mid-Qing period, production of large sized and highly ornate enamel work reached unprecedented heights, reaching its zenith during the Qianlong period; champlevé enamel garden seats are exceptionally rare, but for cloisonné enamel examples, see Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 2, Cloisonné in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Beijing, 2011, pl.108; and another illustrated in ibid., vol.4, pl.130. Compare also the similar workmanship and colour-scheme on a champlevé enamel flowerpot, mid-Qing dynasty, illustrated ibid., vol.4, pl.22. A cloisonné enamel altar set with related bands of stylised kui dragons on the neck of the censer and mid-sections of thegu vases, mid-Qing dynasty, is illustrated in ibid., vol.4, pl.47. 

Compare a near identical pair of champlevé enamel barrel-form garden seats, dated Qianlong, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3333. A cloisonné enamel pair of barrel-shaped seats with similar decoration from the Alfred Morrison collection, Fonthill heirlooms, was offered at Christie's London, 9 November 2004, lot 56. 

The sale also includes a rare selection of Imperial cloisonné enamel, including a magnificent and large pair of Imperial gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel cranes, 18th century, estimated at HK$2,300,000 – 2,800,000.

The exceptional pair of cranes was owned by Antoine Alfred Agénor de Gramont (1819-1880), 10th Duc de Guiche and Prince de Bidache. The Duc was a renowned French diplomat and statesman, born into nobility to one of the distinguished families in Paris. Agénor owed his entire career in politics to his close friendship with Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, Emperor Napoléon III (1808–1873). He was also on close terms with the Empress Eugénie, who established the Chinese museum at Château de Fontainebleau in 1863. His remarkable career included appointments as minister plenipotentiary at Cassel and Stuttgart in 1852; Turin in 1853; ambassador to Washington DC in 1854; Rome in 1857; Vienna in 1861 and in 1870, he was appointed the foreign minister of Napoléon III.

From the property of Antoine Alfred Agénor de Gramont (1819-1880), 10th Duc de Guiche and Prince de Bidache. A magnificent and large pair of Imperial gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel cranes, 18th century. Estimate HK$ 2.3 million - 2.8 million (€280,000 - 340,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Each crane perched on an hourglass-shaped base decorated in low relief with blue and green rockwork, the body enamelled in creamy white with feathers intricately outlined in gilt, its long slender neck gracefully curved in an 'S'-shape with the red-crowned head raised high, detailed with expressive eyes and a sharp curved beak, the feathers on the back, wing tips and tail highlighted in black. Each 94cm (37in) high (2).

Provenance: Antoine Alfred Agénor de Gramont, Duc de Guiche and Prince de Bidache (1819-1880), Chateau de Mortefontaine, Oise

Notes: Antoine Alfred Agénor de Gramont (1819-1880), Duc de Guiche and Prince de Bidache, was a renowned French diplomat and statesman, born into nobility to one of the illustrious families in Paris. Agénor owed his entire career in politics to his close friendship with Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, emperor Napoléon III (1808–1873). He was also on close terms with the empress Eugénie, who established the Chinese museum at Château de Fontainebleau in 1863. His illustrious career included appointments as minister plenipotentiary at Cassel and Stuttgart in 1852; Turin in 1853; ambassador to Washington DC in 1854; Rome in 1857; Vienna in 1861 and in 1870, he was appointed the foreign minister of Napoléon III. 

These elegant red-crowned birds, because of their long life spans, became associated with longevity and conveyed the auspicious wish for long life. Cranes were also symbolic of peace, as the word for crane in Chinese he is also a homophone for the word harmony. Figures of these birds in cloisonné enamel, were therefore particularly appropriate as objects suitable to furnish the imperial palaces, and were often placed on either side of thrones in imperial halls in the Forbidden City, including the Hall of Supreme Harmony, 太和殿 Taihedian, and the Palace of Heavenly Purity, 乾清宮 Qianqinggong.

Compare a pair of massive gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel cranes, each standing on a raised hexagonal platform and on rockwork, biting on a stem of lingzhi, mid-Qing dynasty, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 4, Beijing, 2011, pl.71. See also another smaller pair of cloisonné enamel cranes standing on a related hexagonal hourglass-shaped pedestals, Qing dynasty, illustrated in Colorful, Elegant and Exquisite. A Special Exhibition of Imperial Enamel Ware from Mr. Robert Chang's Collection, Shanghai, 2007, pp.14-15.

A pair of massive cloisonné enamel censers and covers, Qianlong, from the Antoine Alfred Agénor de Gramont, Duc de Guiche collection, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 10 April 2006, lot 1541.

These and other rare examples included in the sale to be held in Hong Kong on 3 December would have graced the opulent Imperial palaces of the Ming and Qing Courts.