Last month, the Value learnt from a reliable source that Christie’s Hong Kong is going to hold its first evening sale of Chinese Works of Art and Paintings. Christie’s has made an official announcement confirming the evening sale titled “Court, Studio, Atelier”, which dedicated to Chinese Works of Art and Paintings from Ming Dynasty and scheduled to be held on 27th November.
Cao Xingcheng’s interview with the Value
This sale is a culmination of the collaboration between the Chinese Paintings and Chinese Works of Art departments. The spotlight is undoubtedly on the collection offered by Cao Xingcheng, a prominent collector and the master of Le Cong Tang. His collection includes ceramics and lacquers from the Ming dynasty, among which the most outstanding one is definitely a Wucai ‘Fish’ jar and cover from the Jiajing reign.
This ‘Wucai’ fish jar has an impressive provenance as it was once owned by a famous collector J.M Hu, the master of Zande Lou (Studio of Temporary Enjoyment). It is even rarer that the fish jar comes along with its original cover, labelled estimate upon request. The Value learnt from a reliable source that the fish jar is roughly estimated at HK$180m (US$23m).
A selection of highlights from the Le Cong Tang Collection:
A cinnabar tixi lacquer hexagonal ewer (on the first left) and a blue and white basin (on the second left)
Christie’s has secured other fine masterpieces from the Le Cong Tang collection: a blue and white basin from the Yongle period, once collected by a notable art dealer Eskenazi; a cinnabar tixi lacquer from the Jiajing period carrying an estimate of HK$6m – 8m (US$767,945-1,023,927). It went to auction at Important Chinese Lacquer from the Lee Family Collection Sale at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2008.
Flowers of the Four Seasons
Poems in Running-Cursive Script
Garden Wayfaring in a Springtime
There are three highlights confirmed for Chinese painting Sale. The first one is Flowers of the Four Seasons by Shen Zhou (one of the four masters of the Ming dynasty), estimated at HK$12m – 18m (US$1,535,891-2,303,837). The second one is Mi Wanzhong’s Poems in Running-Cursive Script, estimated at HK$1.5m-2m (US$191,986 -255,981). The third one is Garden Wayfaring in a Springtime by You Qiu, estimated at HK$800,000 – 1m (US$102,392 - 127,990).
Furniture from the Ming dynasty will also be presented at the evening sale. A pair of Jichimu Yokeback Armchairs measures 112 x 58 x 47cm. It belonged to The Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture in Renaissance, California and it carries an estimate of HK$2m-3m (US$255,981 - 383,972).
A Dehua white-glazed standing figure of Guanyi also goes on this sale, with a mark of “He Chaozong”, carrying an estimate of HK$10m-15m (US$1,279,909 - 1,919,864). He Chaozong was a celebrated Chinese potter in the early 17th century, many of whose signature works are now housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing. The collection includes a Bodhidharma sculpture, a seated Guanyi sculpture and a sculpture of an immortal of crane and deer. (Image above from left to right) No picture is available for this lot at the moment.
The Value will keep you all posted on any updates. Please stay tuned.
Highlights of Court, Studio, Atelier
A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND EXTREMELY RARE WUCAI ‘FISH’ JAR AND COVER. JIAJING SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1522-1566)
Height: 46cm
Provenance:
- Collection of J.M Hu’s family
- Sotheby’s New York, 1 December 1992, lot 282
- Sotheby’s Hong Kong, An Extraordinary Collection of Ming and Qing Imperial Porcelain and Works of Art from a Private Trust, 29 October 2000, lot 18. (HK$44,044,750)
- Le Cong Tang
Estimate on request (HK$180,000,000/ US$23,000,000, according to The Value’s source)
AN IMPORTANT AND EXTREMELY RARE BLUE AND WHITE BASIN. YONGLE PERIOD (1360-1424). MING DYNASTY.
Diameter: 26.3cm
Provenance:
- Eskenazi Ltd, London, c2179.
- Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1510.
- Le Cong Tang
Estimate: HK$12,000,000 - 18,000,000 (US$1.53m-2.3m)
A HIGHLY IMPORTANT CINNABAR TIXI LACQUER HEXAGONAL EWER. JIAJING PERIOD (1522-1566). MING DYNASTY.
Height: 23.8cm
Provenance:
- Sold at Christie’s London, 14 December 1983, lot 54.
- Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, Important Chinese Lacquer from the Lee Family Collection, 3 December 2008, lot 2126.
- Le Cong Tang
Estimate: HK$6,000,000 - 8,000,000 (US$770,000-1.02m)
SHEN ZHOU (1427-1509). FLOWERS OF THE FOUR SEASONS. Handscroll, ink on paper
Painting: 28.6 x 263 cm. (11 ¼ x 103 ½ in.)
Calligraphy: 28.6 x 457 cm. (11 ¼ x 180 in.)
Estimate: HK$12,000,000-18,000,000 (US$1,535,891-2,303,837)
MI WANZHONG (1570-1628). POEMS IN RUNNING-CURSIVE SCRIPT. Handscroll, ink on paper
Size: 37.5 x 315cm
Estimate: HK$1,500,000 – 2,000,000 (US$191,986 -255,981)
YOU QIU (CA. 1525-1580). GARDEN WAYFARING IN A SPRINGTIME. Handscroll, ink on paper
Size: 32.5 x 275.5cm
Estimate: HK$800,000-1,000,000 (US$102,392 - 127,990)
A PAIR OF JICHIMU YOKEBACK ARMCHAIRS, GUANMAOYI. 17TH CENTURY
Size: 112 x 58 x 47cm
Provenance:
- The Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, Renaissance, California
- Sold at Christie's New York, Important Chinese Furniture, Formerly the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture Collection, 19 September 1996, lot 31
Estimate: HK$2,000,000 – 3,000,000 (US$255,981 - 383,972)