Back to the Ming dynasty, the Four Gifted Scholars (sida caizi) were together travelling in Taishun. After a rich meal and cups of wine, they felt satisfied but sleepy. They did not want to spoil the mood, so they started composing poems while enjoying tea. One of the poems is still known to people nowadays:
Sleepiness comes after the noon,
and goes with a mouthful of freah and sweet tea.
Tea, such an awesome drinks, delights not only civilian-intellectuals, but also emperors and imperial members. They loved tea so much that at the East hallway of the Palace of Long Purity, a tea house was specially set up for only the emperor. In the heram, imperial wives and concubines also had their respective tea houses. From the choices of tea to the tea-making utensils and wares, there were sets of strict rules for the imperial servants to follow.
Now collectors and artlovers have a chance to experience the imperial taste and standard for tea. In March, Sotheby's New York is going to offer a bunch of Qing porcelains including two extraordinary Yongzheng tea caddies. A "nogime temmoku" tea bowl from Jian Kiln of Southern Song dynasty is also one of their sale's highlights.
Sale Details
Auction House: Sotheby's New York
Sale: Important Chinese Art
Sale No.: N09662
No. of Lot: 268
Viewing:
2017/3/9-13 10am-5pm
2017/3/11-12 10am-6pm
Sale Time (updated due to inclement weather):
Session 1 | 2017/3/15 10:30am
Session 2 | 2017/3/15 3pm
Top Lots
A MAGNIFICENT AND RARE BLUE AND WHITE CYLINDRICAL ‘DRAGON’ TEA CADDY AND COVER, YONGZHENG MARK AND PERIOD
Lot No.: 512
Estimate: US$1,300,000 - 1,500,000
A VERY RARE CELADON-GLAZED CYLINDRICAL TEA CADDY AND COVER YONGZHENG MARK AND PERIOD
Lot No.: 518
Estimate: US$800,000 - 1,200,000
A LARGE AND RARE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AMITAYUS, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD
Sale No.: 555
Estimate: US$500,000-700,000
AN EXCEPTIONAL ‘JIAN’ ‘NOGIME TEMMOKU’ TEA BOWL, SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY
Lot No.: 602
Estimate: US$500,000 - 700,000