On the last day of Sotheby’s Hong Kong spring sales, selected pieces from the coveted Tianminlou collection achieved an extraordinary white-glove sale by selling all 18 lots offered. It was followed by another single-owner sale – Six Treasures from an Important Private Collection, which presented six porcelain treasures from Southern Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties. The sale sold five of all six lots offered, realising a total of HK$84.18m (US$10.72m).
An Extremely Rare and Important Blue and White Middle-Eastern Inspired Stand, Wudangzun. Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period
The stand was hammered down at HK$19.5m
Rachel Shen, Deputy Chairman, China
The cover lot of the sale was a blue and white Middle-Eastern inspired stand, Wudangzun, Ming Dynasty, Yongle period. The 17.2cm-tall stand was hammered down at HK$19.5m and sold for HK$23.57m after premium to the telephone bidder represented by Rachel Shen, Deputy Chairman, China.
Wudangzun was potted with a hollow, waisted cylindrical body centred by a raised horizontal rib. Metal stands of this form were made under Mamluk rule in Egypt or Syria, particularly in the first half of the fourteenth century. Generally considerably larger, they were used to support trays.
While Middle Eastern shapes were reproduced in some number in the Yongle reign (1402-1424), Persian or Arabic inscriptions are rare on early Ming imperial porcelain. The inscriptions on the Mamluk metal stands relate the names or titles of high-ranking dignitaries or rulers, probably the stands’ owners, and eulogies on their virtues. On the porcelain versions, the inscriptions are no longer legible.
After three centuries, the porcelain stand passed down to the hand of the Qianlong Emperor. Perplexed by the intriguing shape and decoration, he was drawn to the exotic object, something that he called a ‘bottomless jar’ (wudangzun) and attributed to the Xuande period (1426-1435).
Two other top lots were guan jardinières from the Southern Song to Yuan dynasty. Both jardinières, one with 15cm diameter and another one with 16.5cm diameter, came from the collection of renowned Japanese collector Sakamoto Gorō (1923-2016).
A guan lobed jardinière, Southern - Yuan dynasty
It was hammered down at HK$32m
Patti Wong, Co-Chairman, Sotheby’s Asia
The bidding of the lobed jardinière started at HK$10m and evolved into a prolonged bidding battle between two telephone bidders, represented by Patti Wong, Co-Chairman, Sotheby’s Asia and Peter Song, Specialist from Beijing. The jardinière was hammered down at HK$32m and sold for HK$38.51m to Patti’s client.
While another guan jardinière in a hexagonal shape was hammered down at HK$10m and sold for HK$12.17m (US$1.56m) to Peter Song’s client.
A guan hexagonal jardinière from Southern Song - Yuan dynasty
Guan ware of the Southern Song to the Yuan periods (12th-13th centuries) is one of the most sought-after wares in the history of Chinese ceramics. It is noted for its scattered nature of the bubbles that make the surface of the glaze lustrous with a jade-like quality.
Lot results
A Rare Guan Lobed Jardinière. Southern Song – Yuan Dynasty
Lot no.: 105
Size: 15cm
Provenance:
- Collection of Mrs Alfred Clark (1890-1976), no. 661.
- Collection of Dr Lin, sold at Sotheby's London, 25th March 1975, lot 102.
- Acquired from Sakamoto Gorō (1923-2016) in 2003.
Estimate: HK$15,000,000 - 20,000,000
Hammer price: HK$32,000,000
Price realised: HK$38,514,000 (US$4,960,988)
An Extremely Rare and Important Blue and White Middle-eastern Inspired Stand, Wudangzun
Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period
Lot no.: 102
Height: 17.2cm
Estimate: HK$20,000,000 - 30,000,000
Hammer price: HK$19,500,000
Price realised: HK$23,575,000 (US$3,036,696)
A Rare Guan Hexagonal Jardinière. Southern Song – Yuan Dynasty
Lot no.: 104
Size: 16.5cm
Provenance:
- Collection of Mrs Alfred Clark (1890-1976), no. 638.
- Sotheby’s London, 25th March 1975, lot 112.
- Acquired from Sakamoto Gorō (1923-2016) in 2003.
Estimate: HK$10,000,000 - 15,000,000
Hammer price: HK$10,000,000
Price realised: HK$12,175,000 (US$1,568,262)
A Superb and Rare Blue and White Moulded 'dragon' Stem Cup. Yuan Dynasty
Lot no.: 106
Size: 11.5cm
Provenance:
- Collection of Stephen Junkunc III (1905-1978).
- Christie's Hong Kong, 25th October 1993, lot 718.
Estimate: HK$6,000,000 - 8,000,000
Hammer price: HK$5,000,000
Price realised: HK$6,175,000 (US$795,402)
An Outstanding and Extremely Rare Wintergreen-glazed Stem Bowl. Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period
Lot no.: 101
Size: 16.3cm
Estimate: HK$3,000,000 - 5,000,000
Hammer price: HK$3,000,000
Price realised: HK$3,750,000 (US$483,038)
A Rare Longquan Celadon Tobi Seiji Pear-shaped Vase, Yuhuchunping. Yuan Dynasty
Lot no.: 103
Size: 26cm
Estimate: HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000
Bought-in
Auction summary
Auction house: Sotheby’s Hong Kong
Sale: Six Treasures from an Important Private Collection
Sale date: 3 April 2019
Lots offered: 6
Sold: 5
Unsold: 1
Sold by lots: 83%
Sale total: HK$84,189,000