There are various factors which affect the estimate of an antique, and provenance is undoubtedly a very important one. This April, the “Important Chinese Art” sale of Sotheby’s Hong Kong has lots with excellent provenance, including two porcelains from the legendary collector, Edward T. Chow (1910-80).

First one is the lot on the catalog cover, a blue & white “rosette” moonflask of Yongle period, modelled after a Middle Eastern metalwork prototype. Flasks of this type come in different shapes and sizes during Yongle and Xuande periods.

The current flask was first a collection of Edward T. Chow, then auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 1981, and was acquired by Idemitsu Museum of Art, Tokyo later. This flask was included in an article by Edward T. Chow and F. S. Drake, as a classic example of Yongle period moonflask.

The other lot is a copper-red “three fish” stem cup of Xuande period, with a six-character Xuande mark. Only three fishes were painted on it, yet the design is amazing. By letting one fish swims in the opposite direction from the others, three different pairs of fish appear: a pair swimming towards each other, a pair pursuing each other, and a pair swimming away from each other.

The cup had been in various hands, including Edward T. Chow and the family of shipping tycoon T. Y. Chao. In 2006, it went under hammer at Sotheby’s Hong Kong spring sales, sold for HK$15,240,000 (with buyer’s premium) against pre-sale estimate of HK$7m to 9m.

Auction Details

Auction House: Sotheby's Hong Kong
Sale: Important Chinese Art
Sale No.: HK0722
Lots: 117
Viewing:
2017/3/31 10am-5:30pm
2017/4/1-2 10am-8pm
2017/4/3-4 10am-6:30pm
Sale Time: 2017/4/5 2:30pm

Selected Lots

AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE BLUE AND WHITE ‘ROSETTE’ MOONFLASK, BIANHU, MING DYNASTY, YONGLE PERIOD

Lot No.: 3608
Height: 32.5cm
Estimate: HK$30,000,000 - 40,000,000
Provenance:
Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-80).
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 19th May 1981, lot 408.
Idemitsu Museum of Art, Tokyo.

AN IMPORTANT AND RARE COPPER-RED ‘THREE FISH’ STEM CUP, MARK AND PERIOD OF XUANDE

Lot No.: 3610
Diameter: 11.7cm
Estimate: HK$30,000,000 - 40,000,000
Provenance:
Sotheby’s London, 9th November 1954, lot 71.
Christie’s London, 8th December 1975, lot 130.
Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-80).
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 25th November 1980, lot 45.
Family Collection of T.Y. Chao (1912-99).
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 18th November 1986, lot 30.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 10th April 2006, lot 1661. (HK$15,240,000)