This May, Bonhams Hong Kong will stage a single-owner auction honoring one of the city's most respected collector-scholars: The Dr. & Mrs. Hu Shih-chang Collection of Chinese Art.
Taking place on 5 May at Bonhams' newly opened Asia headquarters, the sale brings together 30 exceptional works spanning five dynasties – the Han, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing – offering a window into decades of rigorous, scholarly collecting.
Leading the sale are two standout pieces: a unique robin's-egg glazed tianqiuping (celestial-globe vase) from the Qianlong period, estimated at HK$7 million (US$900,000), and a carved cinnabar lacquer bowl stand dating to the late 14th to early 15th century, estimated at HK$3 million (US$380,000).
Dr. Hu Shih Chang (1924–2006) was one of the few fully qualified paediatricians in postwar Hong Kong, and a globally respected connoisseur of Chinese antiquities. In addition to serving as an Honorary Advisor to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, he donated important works to major institutions, including the British Museum and the Art Museum at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
In his twilight years, despite declining health, Dr. Hu remained deeply committed to research and publication – supported closely by his wife, Dorcas Hu (1928–2024) – earning both wide respect from the academic and collecting community.
Dr. Hu Shih-chang and his wife Dorcas Hu
In 1952, Dr. Hu Shih-chang graduated from the University of Hong Kong and was later awarded a scholarship to further his studies in the United Kingdom. After returning home, he served in public hospitals before establishing a private practice, where he earned renown as one of Hong Kong’s first generation of pediatricians.
By the 1960s, as entrepreneurs and cultural figures from mainland China settled in Hong Kong, the city saw a burgeoning interest in art and antiquities collecting. This new wave of collectors – including Dr. Hu – carried forward the traditions of pre-war Shanghai and Beijing connoisseurship while also embracing Western methods of appreciation, forging a unique collecting culture at the crossroads of East and West.
A quintessential figure of this pioneering generation, Dr. Hu built a diverse collection spanning Chinese ceramics, jades, cloisonné, and lacquer. Over time, he directed his focus toward lacquer – a relatively unexplored field – ultimately establishing himself as a leading collector and authoritative scholar in the field, both in Asia and internationally.
Reflecting his scientific and medical training, his collection is not only comprehensive and systematically curated, but also historically coherent, encompassing works from the pre-Qin and Han dynasties through to the Ming and Qing periods – a sweeping, panoramic survey of Chinese lacquer art.
Lot 108 | An exceptionally rare and important robin's-egg glazed vase, tianqiuping
Qianlong seal mark and of the period
Height: 54.3 cm
Estimate: HK$7,000,000 - 12,000,000 (US$900,000 - 1,500,000)
One of the most exceptional pieces from the Hu family collection is a unique robin's-egg glazed tianqiuping, the largest known Qing imperial porcelain of its type bearing an impressed Qianlnog seal mark. Hidden from public view for nearly half a century, it was last exhibited at Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties exhibition, organized by The Min Chiu Society in 1977.
Conceived as a reinterpretation of the revered Jun wares of the Song dynasty, vessels covered in this flamboyant and variegated robin’s-egg glaze first appeared during the Yongzheng period under the direction of Tang Ying (1682–1756), the greatest porcelain superintendent in Chinese history. On a stele in Jingdezhen inscribed by Tang Ying, this glaze is listed first among the nineteen most popular types of wares produced for the imperial court.
While robin’s-egg glazed examples from the Qianlong period exist in various forms – such as lanterns, double-gourds, and pilgrim flasks – this tianqiuping is the only known example of its kind, featuring a generously proportioned globular body and a tall cylindrical neck.
Created early in the Qianlong reign, the vase stands out for its rare incised seal mark in a distinctive "round" seal script. According to the imperial archives, this style of seal mark was primarily used around the eighth year of Qianlong’s reign (1743), and mostly applied to monochrome wares like this one. Fewer than 30 surviving pieces with this specific mark are known in public and private collections.
(Left) The seal mark on the present lot; (Right) Standard Qianlong seal mark
Dr. Hu’s rigorous scientific training as a doctor deeply informed his methodical approach to collecting and scholarship. Despite the demands of his medical practice, he made it a daily ritual to visit the antique shops along Hollywood Road during his lunch breaks, meticulously studying and acquiring pieces of interest. Evenings were spent immersed in classical texts, tracing object lineages with scholarly precision.
Among his most valued research materials were complete sets of Wenwu and Kaogu – two seminal journals known for their thorough archaeological and academic studies, first published in the 1950s under the auspices of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, respectively. Dr. Hu owned every issue from the inaugural editions onward, each carefully annotated with marginalia and commentary – a testament to his scholarly rigor and unyielding pursuit of knowledge.
Lot 115 | A large carved cinnabar lacquer bowl stand
Hongwu to Yongle, Yongle and Xuande six-character marks
Width: 21.4 cm
Provenance:
- Sotheby's London, 13 December 1983, lot 56
- Keitaku Takagi (K.T. Lee), Gammon House Art Gallery Ltd., Hong Kong, December 1984
Estimate: HK$3,000,000 - 5,000,000 (US$380,000 - 640,000)
Another highlight of the collection is a rare seven-lobed Ming lacquer bowl stand that exemplifies the technical mastery and aesthetic refinement of early 15th-century craftsmanship. Its robust construction and finely carved decoration – featuring overlapping petals, intertwining branches, and delicately incised leaf veins – demonstrate the opulent layering and crisp carvings characteristic of early Ming lacquerwares.
Dr. Hu, alongside Lee King Tsi, another leading authority in the field and his partner in research, proposed that intricately crafted lacquerware likely originated during the Hongwu reign. The process of creating lacquerware is labor-intensive and can take years: the body must be constructed, followed by the application of multiple layers of lacquer, each left to dry in the shade. Only once a sufficient thickness is achieved can carving begin, followed by fine polishing.
As such, lacquerware dated to the first year of the Yongle reign may have actually entered production during the preceding Hongwu period. Hongwu pieces often feature seasonal floral motifs, while Yongle examples tend to focus on a single flower species – an important stylistic clue for dating.
The dual reign marks on the present bowl stand
This particular bowl stand intriguingly bears two reign marks. A finely gilded Xuande mark is superimposed over a faintly incised Yongle mark. Li and Hu suggest that Yongle-period lacquer pieces were originally unmarked when produced in Nanjing workshops, with marks added only after their arrival in the new capital of Beijing.
The rationale for the coexistence of both marks remains unresolved, though the practice of later reigns appropriating earlier works is well documented, especially during the early Ming and again in the Qing dynasty.
Only two similar seven-lobed examples are known: one bearing a Yongle mark in the Qing Court Collection at the Palace Museum in Beijing, and another – unmarked – in the Seikadō Bunko Art Museum in Tokyo. Neither features the additional Xuande mark found on the Hu example.
A close example housed in the Beijing Palace Museum
In the late 1990s, after falling ill, Dr. Hu retired from medicine but remained deeply committed to research and writing. His wife, Dorcas Hu, was instrumental in compiling historical references, organizing his manuscripts, and photographing pieces for scholarly use.
Dorcas Hu came from a distinguished medical family. Her father, Dr. Zhou Huaizhang, was among the first graduates of the School of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and a co-founder of the Yeung Wo Nursing Home, which later became the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.
A scholar in her own right, Dorcas served as director of the Fung Ping Shan Library at the University of Hong Kong from 1965 to 1970. With her rigorous training in librarianship, she became an indispensable partner in her husband's collecting and academic pursuits, with each piece in their collection bearing the imprint of their shared dedication and wisdom.
The late collector Au Bak Ling, for whom Dr. Hu once served as family physician, fondly recalled his first auction preview in the autumn of 1974. Overwhelmed by the hundreds of artifacts on display, Au was fortunate to meet Mrs. Hu, who patiently explained the distinctions between vessel forms and decorative styles. Her guidance helped him acquire over a dozen pieces in that very first experience – he would go on to become one of the most esteemed collectors of Chinese ceramics.
Dr. Hu's manuscript
In the art world, the roles of collector and scholar are usually distinct. Rare are those who excel in both and are recognized by their peers for doing so.
Over the years, Dr. Hu published many scholarly articles of lasting importance, appearing in the National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, Oriental Art, and Journal of the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong. Written often in both Chinese and English, his papers are notable for their scrupulous methodology, wide-ranging citations, and careful argumentation – and they continue to be widely cited today.
Beyond scholarship, the couple played an active role in promoting public appreciation of Chinese cultural heritage. They generously lent works to major museums and cultural institutions, notably donating pieces to the British Museum and gifting ceramics and publications to the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Dr. Hu’s achievements as both a collector and a scholar were recognized formally in the 1980s, with his appointment as an Honorary Advisor to the Hong Kong Museum of Art and his inclusion in "List of Experts in the field of Chinese Antiquities in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)".
Other Highlight Lots:
Lot 121 | A black lacquer mother-of-pearl inlaid three-tiered square box and cover
Late Yuan to early Ming Dynasty
Height: 23.5 cm
Provenance:
- Keitaku Takagi (K.T. Lee), Gammon House Art Gallery Ltd., Hong Kong, March 1979
Estimate: HK$350,000 - 550,000 (US$45,000 - 71,000)
Lot 118 | A finely inlaid zitan 'three rams' box and cover
Qing Dynasty, 18th century
Length: 19.5 cm
Provenance:
- S H Chan & Co., Hong Kong, August 1980
Estimate: HK$180,000 - 250,000 (US$23,000 - 32,000)
Lot 111 | A cloisonné enamel 'grapevine' leys jar, zhadou
Ming Dynasty, 16th century
Height: 10.5 cm
Provenance:
- Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, December 1975
Estimate: HK$120,000 - 180,000 (US$15,000 - 23,000)
Lot 105 | A cream-glazed vase and cover
Tang Dynasty
Height: 11.4 cm
Provenance:
- Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, June 1976
Estimate: HK$60,000 - 80,000 (US$7,800 - 10,000)
Auction Details:
Auction House: Bonhams Hong Kong
Sale: Dr. & Mrs. Hu Shih-chang Collection of Chinese Art
Number of Lots: 30
Venue: 10/F, Six Pacific Place, 50 Queen's Road East, Hong Kong
Preview Date and Time: 1 - 4 May 2025 | 10 am - 6 pm (Hong Kong Local Time)
Auction Date and Time: 5 May 2025 | 2 pm (Hong Kong Local Time)