Lot 12. A superb and extremely rare inlaid zitan ‘Scholars examining a handscroll’ box and cover, attributed to Zhou Zhu, Ming dynasty, Jiajing period (1522-1566); 8.2 by 16.4 by 12.7 cm, 3 1/4  by 6 1/2  by 5 in. Estimate: HK$1,500,000-2,500,000 / US$192,000-319,000. Courtesy Sotheby's

HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s will present two mid-season sales of Chinese works of art at its Hong Kong Gallery: Scholarly Art from the Collection of Mr and Mrs Gerard Hawthorn (30 May) and Chinese Art (31 May – 1 June). Known for his eclectic and expansive scopes of interest in Chinese Works of Art, Gerard Hawthorn had, over the years, amassed sizeable collections of bamboo, Yixing stoneware and bronzes. These are categories which have gained long overdue traction in comparison to their jade and ceramics counterparts, which have for the most part, embodied the canon of Chinese Works of Art collecting in the West in the past. In tandem with this great collection is the Chinese Art Sale, which constitutes fine selections from several private Hong Kong collections, in particular, a selection of scholarly items from the Peony Collection. The sale includes an assorted array of classic ceramics examples from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, huanghuali furniture, and Ming and Qing jade animal carvings and jade snuff bottles. All works will be exhibited for public viewing from 25 – 30 May, 2018. 

SALE HIGHLIGHTS 

SCHOLARLY ART FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR AND MRS GERARD HAWTHORN | 31 May 

Lot 12. A superb and extremely rare inlaid zitan ‘Scholars examining a handscroll’ box and cover, attributed to Zhou Zhu, Ming dynasty, Jiajing period (1522-1566); 8.2 by 16.4 by 12.7 cm, 3 1/4  by 6 1/2  by 5 in. Estimate: HK$1,500,000-2,500,000 / US$192,000-319,000. Courtesy Sotheby's

exquisitely inlaid with mother-of-pearl, malachite, soapstone, stained horn and various hardstones, the cover depicting three scholars seated around a low table examining a handscroll underneath an overhanging pine tree, looked on by an attendant while another attendant brews tea on a stove set nearby, the sides decorated with blossoming prunus branches, fitted with original internal tray.

Note: This exquisite box belongs to a small group of inlaid containers typically produced in precious zitan wood. The exceptional workmanship displayed here, especially in the quality of the beautiful inlay, suggests that it is by the hand of the Ming master carver Zhou Zhu, recorded in the writings of the Ming and Qing literati as having worked in Yangzhou in Jiangsu province during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor. He was famous for his perfection of the technique of inlaying a wide variety of precious stones and other materials onto wood and lacquer. What distinguishes Zhou's works from others is his use of a much broader range of material and the complexity of the inlay itself. On the present box, and on others attributed to him, are kaleidoscopic range of materials including soapstone, malachite and horn. His inlay technique is extremely multifaceted, as he deployed inlay upon inlay, not just setting different material next to each other but creating a three-dimensional effect. He also used precious metals such as gold and silver, often creating stunning multi-layer works of art. Later versions, even very fine and complex works from the height of the Qing dynasty, rarely employed such a wide range of complex inlay techniques.

While Zhou's birth date is unknown, the Jiajing period attribution to his work is confirmed by an inlaid box that bears an inscription of a date corresponding to 1537 inscribed in red lacquer on the base, richly embellished with a scene from a Mongolian hunt, sold twice in these rooms, 17th May 1988, lot 351, and 8th October 2010, lot 2192, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection. Zhou Zhu's work is discussed by Chi Jo-Hsin, 'Chou Chu and the Craftsmanship of Chou Chih works', Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Chinese Art History, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, p. 657; in National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, Taipei, 1993, p. 110; and by Craig Clunas in O.C.S. Exhibition of Chinese Ivories, Birtish Museum, London, 1984, pp. 127-128. 

The subject matter depicted on the present box is that of an elegant gathering known as yaji in Chinese, where a group of scholars and like-minded literati gather to enjoy music, discuss literature and talk about antiquity. A larger box depicting a related but more complex scene, the sides embellished with rich blossoming branches, was sold twice in these rooms, 16th/17th November 1988, lot 256, and again, 4th April 2012, lot 179, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection. Compare also an inlaid box and cover, sold in these rooms, 2nd June 2016, lot 88, also from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat collection. 

A massive inlaid zitan box and cover, attributed to Zhou Zhu, Ming dynasty, Jiajing period (1522-1566); 14.2 by 58.4 by 26.5 cm., 5 1/2 by 23 by 10 3/8 in. Estimate: 18,000,000 — 25,000,000. Lot sold 20,820,000 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4th April 2012, lot 179, , from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection. Courtesy Sotheby's

of rectangular form raised on four L-shaped feet, the cover masterfully inlaid with gathering scene centred with a scholar grasping a ruyi sceptre in his hand, accompanied by further gentlemen, ladies, and an attendant, their hats, robes, shoes and accessories in finely detailed different colours of soapstone, malachite, azurite, lacquer, horn, gold, silver and pearls, all in a garden setting with furniture and antiques similarly decorated in various colours of soapstone, lacquer, coral, jade and gilt-bronze, amid plantain and paulownia trees against a rich dark wood ground, the sides densely inlaid with blossoming branches of prunus, plum, tea and hydrangea, the flowers with soapstone and pearl petals, the rim of the cover and box with inlaid silver wire scroll bands, the wood of a deep reddish brown, fitted brocade box.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16/17th November 1988, lot 256.

Literature: Sotheby's Hong Kong Twenty Years, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 406.

Note: This exquisite box belongs to a small group of inlaid containers typically produced in the precious zitan wood, and occasionally in huanghuali. Generally they are of rectangular form and are finished with elegantly rounded covers and sides. The present example stands out for its magnificent size and within the group it is the largest example recorded. It is also of exceptional quality with the inlay decoration applied both to the cover and the sides which is rarely seen on other boxes of this type. Only one three-tiered box appears to bear such floral side decoration, illustrated in Zhongguo wenwu jinhua dacidian, Shanghai, 1996, pl. 116.

The exceptional workmanship displayed here, especially in the quality of the beautiful inlay suggests that it is by the hand of the Ming master carver Zhou Zhu, famed for his invention of the technique of inlaying a wide variety of precious stones and other materials onto wood and lacquer. What distinguishes Zhou's works from others is his use of a much broader range of material and the complexity of the inlay itself. On the present box, and on others attributed to him, one finds coral, silver, gold, malachite, lacquer, different types of horn, mother-of-pearl and even gilt-bronze, suggesting that he had access to a wide range of crafts and materials within a single workshop. His inlay technique is extremely multifaceted, as he deployed inlay upon inlay and not just setting different material next to each other but creates a three dimensional effect. He also used precious metals such as gold and silver, often creating stunning multi-layer works of art. Later versions, even very fine and complex works from the height of the Qing dynasty, rarely employed such a wide range of complex inlay techniques.

Zhou had many talents and also excelled at carving. He is said to have made furniture such as lacquered wood screens, tables, chairs, cupboards and bookcases. He is recorded in the writings of Ming and Qing literati as having worked in Yangzhou in Jiangsu province during the reign of the Jiajing emperor. While his birth date is unknown, the Jiajing period attribution to his work is confirmed by an inlaid box that bears an inscription of a date corresponding to 1537 inscribed in red lacquer on the base, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2010, lot 2192, richly embellished with an inlay decoration depicting a scene from a Mongolian hunt. Another related cinnabar lacquer box depicting a similar hunt, was also sold in these rooms in the same sale, lot 2213. The two boxes are undoubtedly the products of the same workshop and possibly made by Zhou himself. It is worth noting that the sides of the lacquer box mentioned above are richly carved with blossoming branches, not dissimilar in style to that seen on this box, suggesting that the idea for the decoration may have derived from carved lacquer vessels.

The subject matter depicted on the present box is that of an elegant gathering known as yaji in Chinese, where a group of scholars and like-minded literati gather to enjoy music, discuss literature and talk about antiquity. There is a further indication that a birthday celebration is taking place at the same time with coral branches placed in large vessels in front of the main figure. This would suggest that the box may have been commissioned as a special birthday gift.

Zhou Zhu is discussed in a number of publications; for example see Paul Moss, Escape from the Dusty World. Chinese Paintings and Literati Works of Art, London, 1999, p.226; and Craig Clunas, Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, p. 94, where the author notes that the technique used by Zhou is known as Zhou zhi or 'Zhou's work' which was developed in the late 16th century with the first textual reference to it appearing in the encyclopaedic work by the Ming scholar Gao Lian Zun sheng ba jian ('The Eight Discourses on Living') published in 1591. Works by Zhou are further examined in Chi Jo-Hsin, 'Chou Chu and the craftsmanship of Chou Chih works', Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Chinese Art History, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, pp. 659-679, where it is mentioned that Zhou enjoyed the patronage of the Grand Secretary and Imperial confidant Yan Song (1480-1565). Yan's sponsorship would suggest that Zhou's pieces were well known by the court and possibly to the emperor himself. The fitted case for this box, the interior covered with a yellow silk brocade with the dragon motif, suggests that the piece was part of the Imperial collection during the Qing dynasty. See an imperial case, lined with a similar yellow brocade, containing a Kangxi period Imperial painting album, published in The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, no. 4, 1983, p. 11.

The most comprehensive group of related inlaid-boxes can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, cat. nos. 219-248. A box decorated with a hunting scene, most probably the work of Zhou, is published in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carving, Beijing, 2004, pl. 100, together with a container luxuriously embellished on all sides with gems forming flowers, fruits and birds, pl. 99.  

The only piece known to be signed by Zhou is an inkstone box that bears a Qianlong poem composed in 1784, illustrated in Treasures from the Scholar's Studio, Tokyo, 1992, pl. 205, and also in The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, no. 18, 1984, p. 48, with the signature shown on p. 49. The signature, inlaid on the base of the box in silver wire reads Wumen Zhou Zhu (Zhou Zhu of Wumen) in seal script. The inkstone itself is inscribed with a Xuande reign mark and the Imperial poem notes that it was a Xuande inkstone copied from a Song dynasty original. The inscription suggests that Zhou made a cover for an existing 15th century work from the Imperial collection, which was later inscribed with Qianlong's poem.

An Inlaid ‘Hunters’ Zitan Box and Cover, Attributed to Zhou Zhu, Ming Dynasty, Jiajing Period (1522-1566); 9 by 25 by 14.9 cm, 3 1/2  by 9 7/8  by 5 7/8  in. Est. HKD 2 – 3 million / USD 260,000 – 390,000. Lot sold 3,440,000 HKD (442,797 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2nd June 2016, lot 88, also from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat collection. Courtesy Sotheby's.

Cf. my post: Sotheby's Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art June Auction series to take place on 2-3 June

The most comprehensive group of related inlaid-boxes, can be found from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, pls 219-48. A box decorated with a hunting scene, most probably the work of Zhou, is published in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carving, Beijing, 2004, pl. 100.

Lot 3. An imperial inscribed zitan stand, yuti mark and period of Qianlong, dated guiwei year (corresponding to 1763); 34 cm. Estimate: HK$80,000-120,000 / US$10,200-15,300. Courtesy Sotheby's.

intricately carved overall with archaistic motifs, one side incised and picked out in gold with an imperial poem in clerical script, signed Qianlong guiwei zhongchun yue yuti ('Imperially inscribed by the Qianlong Emperor in the second month of the guiwei year'), followed by two seals reading jixia yiqing ('When does one have the leisure to delight the heart?') and de jiaqu ('obtaining refined enjoyment').

Note: Elaborately carved zitan stands of this type were designed to serve as a complementary companion to the ancient jade bi discs, which were treasured and collected by the Qianlong Emperor. A number of related zitan stands is known, including two in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, incised with poems dated to 1772 and 1784 respectively, illustrated in Teng Shu-p'ing, Neolithic Jades in the Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1992, pl. 100; one mounted with an archaic jade bi, with an inscribed poem dated to 1764, sold in these rooms, 4th November 1997, lot 1202; and another, inscribed with a poem dated to 1775, also sold in these rooms, 8th April 2013, lot 3010.

Lot 6. An imperial inscribed and gold-decorated hardwood shrine, Qing dynasty, dated to the 25th year of the Qianlong period (in accordance with 1760); 46.3 cm. Estimate: HK$80,000-120,000 /US$10,200-15,300. Sold for HK$1,250,000 (159,312 USD) to an Asian Trade. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the tripartite screen supported on a tiered plinth, each section finely painted in gold with three sets of five bats amidst dense scrolling clouds, surrounding a medallion used for framing the head of a copper-alloy figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, all below a stylised angular scroll formed from pairs of kui dragons, the reverse inscribed with three sets of inscriptions in Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan, the base with additional inscriptions, reading tianzi sanhao ('Heaven number three') and shuzhi hao ('character shu').