With Hong Kong’s autumn auction calendar well underway in late October, Bonhams held three sales dedicated to Chinese antiques on 29 October as part of its Asian Art Week, with early Chinese art leading the results.
The top lot was a small but finely carved jade deity mask, measuring just 4.3 cm and dating to around 4,000 years ago, from the Post-Shijiahe culture of the Late Neolithic period. It sold for HK$6.2 million, more than four times its estimate, and achieved HK$7.87 million (approximately US$1 million) with buyer’s premium – a strong result that reflects continued demand for archaic jade in the current market.
Second and third place went to Song dynasty Buddhist sculptures: a polychrome and gilt-decorated wood figure of 'Water-Moon' Guanyin (47 cm), which sold for HK$3.56 million, and a wooden head of a bodhisattva (64.5 cm), which brought HK$2.54 million.
Auctioneer Marcello Kwan | Head of Modern and Contemporary Art, Asia
Lot 305 | An important and extremely rare jade 'deity mask'
Late Neolithic period, Post-Shijiahe Culture, c. 2100-1900 BC
Width: 3.6 cm
Height: 4.3 cm
Provenance:
- Compagnie commerciale de la Chine et du Japon, Paris, early 20th century
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Estimate: HK$1,500,000 - 2,500,000
Hammer Price: HK$6,200,000
Sold: HK$7,878,000
In the field of Chinese antiquities, the term “archaic jade” refers specifically to jade objects dating to the Han dynasty or earlier. Given the challenges of authentication, pieces with clear and documented provenance have become especially sought after in recent years. This jade pendant is one such example, first recorded in 1909 in a catalog published by Adolphe Worch (1843-1915).
Born in Germany, Adolphe was a dealer active in Paris in the early 20th century, with a company specializing in Chinese and Japanese antiquities. He worked closely with his nephew, Edgar Worch (1880-1972), who made regular trips to China to acquire works of art, helping to expand the firm’s Chinese art department. After the war, Edgar established his own firm in Berlin, where he continued to handle significant Chinese works – many of which would eventually make their way into major museum collections.
This exceptionally rare jade mask represents the final phase of the Shijiahe culture, one of the largest Neolithic civilizations in the middle Yangtze valley. It flourished around the same time as the Liangzhu culture to the east and Longshan to the north.
By the early second millennium BC, on the fertile plains of what is now Tianmen city in Hubei province, Shijiahe had developed into a sophisticated agricultural society. Archaeological evidence points to a complex urban center, complete with a moat-protected citadel, residential zones, ceremonial altars, and dedicated workshop areas. Alongside early pottery, finely worked jade carvings began to appear, reflecting the community’s material wealth, spiritual beliefs, and cultural refinement.
Among the many jade objects excavated or passed down from this culture, jade masks are particularly rare, underscoring their likely significance in Shijiahe society. These masks fall into two distinct types: one features deities with two pairs of fangs and elaborate headdresses – such as the present example – while the other depicts humanoid figures, typically toothless and wearing simpler headdresses.
Despite its modest size, this mask displays remarkable craftsmanship. Carved from pale celadon jade, it has a triangular form with gently curving sides and a stylized anthropomorphic face. Powerful almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, and a wide mouth with sharp fangs are framed by large earrings and topped with an ornate headdress, complete with flanged extensions.
The exact function of these deity masks remains uncertain and continues to be the subject of scholarly debate. Some researchers suggest they may have been worn on the front of headdresses and secured with a string.
Although Shijiahe had skilled jade carvers, the culture likely lacked direct access to nephrite, the material used for such carvings. Raw jade was probably imported from nearby regions, which may explain the relatively small scale of Shijiahe jade objects. In some cases, artisans may have reworked or repurposed jade items from neighboring cultures.
Auctioneer Rex Lin | Senior Specialist, Chinese Paintings
Lot 210 | An extraordinary and rare polychrome and gilt-decorated wood figure of 'Water-Moon' Guanyin
Song Dynasty
Height: 47 cm
Provenance:
- Collection of Senta Wollheim, purchased in Germany prior to 1976
- Acquired in Europe in 2015
Sale: Morphosis: Chinese Sculptures through the Ages
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Hammer Price: HK$2,800,000
Sold: HK$3,560,000
Carved from wood and still preserving extensive traces of its original pigments and gilding, this sculpture exemplifies the refined Buddhist aesthetics of the Song dynasty (960-1279), a period celebrated for the union of technical precision and contemplative depth.
The bodhisattva is depicted in a relaxed seated pose, one arm resting gracefully on the knee, conveying an air of "royal ease." The figure’s serene expression is enhanced by the soft, flowing drapery of the robes, which cascade effortlessly over the body and merge seamlessly with the intricately pierced rockwork of the base.
The iconography of the bodhisattva seated in this leisurely posture became especially popular in Chinese Buddhist sculpture during the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties, particularly between the 11th and 13th centuries. This form, known as Shuiyue Guanyin, or Water-Moon Guanyin, represents Avalokiteshvara in a moment of tranquil reflection.
The imagery is rooted in the vision of the bodhisattva’s Pure Land on Mount Potalaka, a sacred realm imagined as a peaceful paradise beyond the seas. The moon’s reflection in water – a central metaphor – symbolizes the illusory and fleeting nature of worldly existence. By the Ming dynasty, this sacred landscape had shifted to Mount Putuo, an important pilgrimage site off the eastern coast of Zhejiang.
Lot 217 | A monumental and rare carved wood head of bodhisattva
Song Dynasty
Height: 64.5 cm
Provenance:
- A French private collection, acquired in 1920
- An Asian private collection
Sale: Morphosis: Chinese Sculptures through the Ages
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Hammer Price: HK$2,800,000
Sold: HK$3,560,00
Grand-scale wooden Buddhist sculptures from the Song and Yuan dynasties, particularly those produced in Shanxi province, are among the most admired works of Chinese religious art. Most have been lost to war and time, and surviving examples are now rare, with the majority held in major museum collections.
Measuring over 60 cm in height, the scale of this head alone is striking. If originally part of a complete standing figure, the sculpture would have reached a monumental size – appropriate for a temple hall of considerable importance. Even in its fragmentary state, its imposing scale and exceptional preservation speak to the achievements of Northern Song Buddhist sculpture.
The face is characterized by full, rounded cheeks and downcast eyes set with black glass pupils that have remarkably retained their original luster, conveying a sense of compassion and introspection. Crescent-shaped brows arch above a central indentation that once held a jeweled urna. The lips are full and gently pursed, the elongated ears proportioned according to canonical ideals. The hair is arranged in an elaborate, towering chignon, carved in swirling forms that evoke drifting clouds.
Close parallels can be found in major museum collections. The fullness of the face and treatment of the chignon closely resemble an 11th-12th century Guanyin (94 cm) at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Similar features appear in a Northern Song Manjushri (109.2 cm) and a polychrome Guanyin (94 cm), both at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The serene expression also resonates with a Jin dynasty Guanyin (172.7 cm) in the Ashmolean Museum.
A close example held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
A similar Manjushri figure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Other Highlight Lots:
Lot 375 | A pair of imperial iron-red 'dragon' cups
Yongzheng six-character marks and of the period
Diameter: 6 cm
Provenance:
- A European private collection
- P.C. Lu & Sons Ltd., Hong Kong, 28 October 1992
- S. Marchant & Son Ltd., London, 2014, no. SF 46
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Estimate: HK$1,500,000 - 3,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,850,000
Sold: HK$2,353,500
Lot 374 | A fine and large lemon-yellow enamelled moulded 'lotus' bowl
Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period
Diameter: 20.2 cm
Provenance:
- Christie's Hong Kong, 27 October 2003, lot 703
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Estimate: HK$1,200,000 - 1,800,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,450,000
Sold: HK$1,845,500
Lot 326 | An imperial parcel-gilt silver 'dragon' tibetan-styled ewer and cover, duomuhu
Qianlong seal mark and of the period
Height: 50 cm
Provenance:
- China-Bohlken, gallery of Theodor Bohlken (1851-1954), Potsdamer Straße 16, Berlin, 1930
- C.T. Loo (1880-1957), c. 1933
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Estimate: HK$1,200,000 - 3,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,200,000
Sold: HK$1,528,000
Lot 310 | An exquisite and large ding white-glazed vase
Northern Song - Jin Dynasty
Height: 26.5 cm
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Estimate: HK$1,200,000 - 1,800,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,200,000
Sold: HK$1,528,000
Lot 323 | A large and rare pair of gilt-bronze standing attendants
Late Ming Dynasty
Height: 107.5 and 110.5 cm
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Estimate: HK$1,200,000 - 1,800,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,100,000
Sold: HK$1,401,000
Lot 362 | A pair of zitan archaistic 'fuqing' armchairs
Qianlong
59 x 36 x 99 cm
Provenance:
- Collection of C. Philip Cardeiro (1930-2014)
- Christie's London, 13 May 2014, lot 124
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Estimate: HK$1,000,000 - 1,800,000
Hammer Price: HK$950,000
Sold: HK$1,210,500
Lot 376 | A very rare reverse-decorated blue and white bowl and cover
Yongzheng six-character marks and of the period
Diameter: 18.5 cm
Provenance:
- S. Marchant & Son, London, 27 May 2009 (label)
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Hammer Price: HK$850,000
Sold: HK$1,083,500
Lot 227 | A magnificent and rare gilt-bronze figure of Avalokitesvara Sadaksari
Ming Dynasty, 14th/15th century, or later
Height: 29 cm
Provenance:
- A European private collection
- An Asian private collection
Sale: Morphosis: Chinese Sculptures through the Ages
Estimate: HK$600,000 - 800,000
Hammer Price: HK$550,000
Sold: HK$702,500
Lot 116 | A rare carved bamboo 'goose shooting dingshan' brushpot
Signed Wu Zhifan, Qing Dynasty, 18th century
Height: 14.5 cm
Sale: Observing the Past: The Xianquxuan Collection from the Leisure Cloud Villa – Scholarly Playthings
Estimate: HK$500,000 - 700,000
Hammer Price: HK$400,000
Sold: HK$512,000
Auction Details:
Auction House: Bonhams Hong Kong
Date: 29 October 2025
Venue: 10/F, Six Pacific Place, Hong Kong
Sale:
- Observing the Past: The Xianquxuan Collection from the Leisure Cloud Villa – Scholarly Playthings
- Morphosis: Chinese Sculptures through the Ages
- Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art