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A CHINESE BRONZE FURNACE.
Ming Dynasty.
Of cylindrical form with a bulging middle raised on tripod feet, with ring handles, the body decorated with bands of taotie masks and archaistic patterns, Da Ming Xuande nianzhi mark to base, 18cm H.
£800-1,200
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A CHINESE GILDED BRONZE VASE, FANGHU.
Qing Dynasty.
Of rectangular section, the pear-shaped body rising from a tall splayed foot to a waisted neck flaring at the rim, flanked by a pair of phoenix handles, the body, foot and neck decorated with a band of taotie masks, 39.5cm H.
£500-600
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A CHINESE BRONZE FLOWER VASE.
Yuan-Ming Dynasty.
Of quadra-lobed pear shaped form, rising from a spreading foot, to a flared neck, with two handles emerging from mythical beast heads, two bands of archaistic decoration, 24cm H.
£400-600
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A CHINESE BRONZE VASE.
Qing Dynasty.
The globular body rising from a short foot to a wide cylindrical neck flaring to an everted rim, the neck applied with a qi dragon, Xuande mark to base, 15.5cm H.
£300-500
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TWO CHINESE BRONZES.
Qing Dynasty, and later.
Comprising a fanggu-form vase with archaistic designs and twin handles, 24cm H; and a tripod loop-handled censer, 8.5cm H, 10.5cm diameter. (2)
£300-500
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A CHINESE OR KOREAN BRONZE MIRROR, A BRONZE 'DRAGON FISH' VASE AND TWO BURMESE BRONZE OPIUM WEIGHTS.
Ming Dynasty-19th Century.
The mirror decorated with geometric patterns around a hemispherical central boss, with calligraphic inscription, 7cm diameter, the vase of slender pear-shaped form, raised on a spreading foot, with twin elephant head handles suspending rings, the body cast with dragon fish leaping among waves, 17cm H, the weights 6cm H. (4)
Provenance: John Sparks, 11th November 1986 [the mirror]; Christie's, South Kensington, 25th August 1988, lot 149A [the vase]; Spink & Son Ltd., 19th December 1990; Spink & Son Ltd., 19th December 1990; John Marriott (1921-2007) and Count R. L. Sangorski (1940-2014) Collection.
£300-500
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A CHINESE BRONZE FIGURE OF A LUOHAN.
Qing Dynasty.
Seated beside a lion-dog, the luohan a rosary, in the left hand, a slender stick raised above his right ear, adorned in a loose fitting monastic robe open at the chest, 6cm H.
£200-300
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A CHINESE BRONZE FIGURE ON THE BACK OF A SEATED UNICORN.
Early 20th Century.
Fitted carved wood lotus leaf lappet form stand, 32cm H.
£400-600
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A CHINESE BRONZE 'GUANYIN AND ELEPHANT' GROUP.
Ming Dynasty.
Naturalistically cast with a serene expression, seated on a recumbent caparisoned elephant turning its head to one side, supported on a base, 21cm H.
£500-600
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A CHINESE BRONZE PARROT CENSER.
Ming Dynasty.
Cast with a twig of blossom in the mouth and seated on a rocky base, 23cm H.
£600-800
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A LARGE CHINESE LOOP-HANDLED TRIPOD BRONZE CENSER.
Late Ming Dynasty.
The body and flaring neck decorated with taotie masks divided by vertical flanges, supported on cylindrical feet with rounded bottoms, the rim surmounted by a pair of arched handles, the interior with archaistic inscription, 33cm H.
£500-800
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A CHINESE BRONZE TWIN-HANDLED CENSER.
Qing Dynasty.
Of bombé form with twin dragon head handles, Da Ming Xuande nianzhi mark to base, 3.5cm H, 11.5cm diameter.
£200-300
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A CHINESE TRIPOD BRONZE CENSER AND COVER.
Qing Dynasty.
Supported on tripod feet formed as kneeling figures, the body decorated with dragons and beasts borne on waves, the flat shoulders supporting dragon-form handles, the everted ring supporting a reticulated domed cover, surmounted by a recumbent elephant, 32cm H.
£1,500-2,000
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A BRONZE CENSER AND COVER.
17cm H.
£80-120
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A CHINESE SQUARE SECTION YIXING ZISHA TEAPOT AND COVER.
Qing Dynasty, 18th Century.
The faces with moulded decoration of birds among plum blossom, the edges of the teapot moulded as bamboo nodules, the handle and spout also modelled in simulation of bamboo, 12cm H.
£100-200
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A CHINESE YIXING ZISHA 'GNARLED PLUM TREE' TEAPOT AND COVER.
20th Century.
Modelled in the form of a gnarled plum tree trunk, Zhou Jian seal mark to base, 11cm H.
£200-300
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A CHINESE YIXING ZISHA TEAPOT AND COVER FORMED AS A LOTUS LEAF.
Early 20th Century.
Modelled as a lotus leaf supported by three shell-form feet, the cover surmounted by a frog, impressed Fan Jieyi zhi seal mark to base, 6cm H.
£150-200
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A CHINESE YIXING ZISHA TEAPOT AND COVER.
20th Century.
Peng Nian mark to base, 9cm H.£100-200
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A CHINESE ENAMELED YIXING ZISHA TEA CADDY AND COVER TOGETHER WITH A TEAPOT.
Late Qing Dynasty, 19th Century.
The caddy decorated with figures in a garden, 16cm H, the teapot decorated with Buddhist lion dogs, 12cm H. (2)
£300-500
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A LARGE CHINESE 'SHAO SHUCHUN' ENAMELLED YIXING ZISHA DRAGON TEAPOT.
Late Qing Dynasty, 19th Century.
Enamelled in green with a dragon chasing a flaming pearl among flames and clouds, the spout and handle decorated in blue, pewter cover, Shao Shuchun zhi mark to base, 20cm H.
£500-800
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A CHINESE 'MENG CHEN' ENAMELLED YIXING ZISHA TEAPOT AND COVER.
Qing Dynasty.
The cover and pear-shaped body decorated with flowers and butterflies, the base inscribed hehua shili pan Jiang hong, Meng Chen zhi, 11.5cm H.
£200-300
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THREE CHINESE YIXING ZISHA DISHES.
20th Century.
One carved to the interior with plum blossoms and signed Gao Panchu, another with a watery landscape, with impressed Fan Panchong yin mark to base, and a further dish with fish, with impressed Hong Shou seal mark, 26cm. (3)
£200-300
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A CHINESE 'TWENTY-FOUR PARAGONS OF FILIAL PIETY' MOTHER-OF-PEARL-INLAID OCTAGONAL STAND.
Qing Dynasty.
Each side of the octagonal section top inlaid with figurative scenes, supported on long elegant cabriole feet, 24.5cm H.
£800-1,200
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A PAIR OF CHINESE MOTHER-OF-PEARL-INLAID BLACK LACQUER CIRCULAR DISHES.
Early Qing Dynasty.
Of circular form with shallow rounded sides, finely inlaid in slivers of mother-of-pearl with figurative scenes, 13cm diameter. (2)
Provenance: Collection of Mrs Freegrove-Winzor (1883-1979), thence by decent to the present owner.
£100-200
The scenes on the present piece derive from stories from the Yuan Dynasty classic by Guo Jujing, with each of the twenty-four stories providing an example of selfless devotion to a parent. Illustrations were rendered in porcelain during the Kangxi period, but mother-of-pearl inlaid examples are extremely rare. Two details are illustrated alongside images the same scenes depicted on a blue and white vase in the Meiyintang collection. One scene depicts Wu Meng exposing his body to mosquitos to prevent them from bothering his parents, the other depicts Cui Shi feeding her own mother with her milk from her breast.
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A CHINESE ROOTWOOD CARVING OF A FIGURE.
Early Qing Dynasty.
Carved to include the natural abstract variations in the wood to depict a figure with a lotus leaf form parasol in the right hand and a double gourd bottle hanging from below the left, 35cm long.
£400-600
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A CHINESE 'GNARLED WOOD' BRUSHPOT, BITONG.
12cm H.
£800-1,200
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A CHINESE ROOTWOOD CARVING OF A CAT.
Early Qing Dynasty.
Carved to incorporate natural abstract variations in the wood into the body of a feline creature, the mouth open, 29cm long.
£600-800
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A CHINESE ROOTWOOD CARVING OF A GOAT.
Qing Dynasty.
Standing four square with the head raised and the tail upright, the coat of the hircine creature formed from natural undulations in the wood, 11cm H.
£200-300
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A SET OF EIGHT CHINESE PEWTER-LINED FINELY CARVED COCONUT TEA CUPS.
Qing Dynasty.
Each finely incised with magpies flying among gnarled pine branches, 4.5cm H. (8)
£150-200
Literature: For a set of eight agalloch wine cups with silver lined interiors see Gems from the South: Traditional Crafts of Guangdong Provenance, 2002, cat no 64, p 117.
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A CHINESE CARVED WOOD 'SQUIRREL AND FRUIT' BOX AND COVER.
Qing Dynasty.
Of rectangular form, the top finely carved with grapes and hanging fruit, foliage and three squirrels, the sides carved with geometric patterns, 5.5 x 23.5 x 13cm.
£300-500
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A PAIR OF CHINESE CARVED WOOD SQUARE BOXES WITH CUT CORNERS.
Qing Dynasty.
3.5 x 6 x 6cm. (2)
£100-200
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A COLLECTION OF MISCELLANEOUS CHINESE CARVED WOODEN STANDS.
£100-200
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A COLLECTION OF MISCELLANEOUS CHINESE CARVED WOODEN STANDS.
£100-200
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Y A CHINESE NINGBO IVORY AND SATINWOOD-INLAID WOOD PANEL.
Qing Dynasty.
The carved and inlaid centre depicting two birds on a flowering branch, 19 x 63cm.
£300-500
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Y A PAIR OF CHINESE NINGBO BONE, SANDLEWOOD AND JICHIMU-INLAID ROSEWOOD PANELS.
Qing Dynasty.
Each panel decorated with a various figurative scenes within a landscape setting among trees, rocks and garden pavilions, within a thin satinwood border and a further jichi wood border, each panel inscribed to the top right with a line from the work of the poet Han Hong, 108 x 46cm. (2)
£1,200-1,500
Ivory and satinwood inlaid work is a specific speciality of Ningbo in Zhejiang provenance and reached its highpoint during the Qing Dynasty. The active trade port close to Shanghai specialised in works for the export market with furniture and wooden objects produced in a range of qualities.
Fortune, a writer and traveller, notes of Ningbo furniture in 1847:
But what struck me as being most unique was a particular kind of furniture made and sold in a street, generally called 'Furniture Street' by foreigners who visit Ning-po… All peculiarly Chinese in their form, and beautifully inlaid with different kinds of wood and ivory… Everyone who saw these things admired them, and, what was rather strange, they seem peculiar to Ning-po, and are not met with at any other of the ports, not even Shang-hae.
(Fortune 1847 Three Years Wondering in Northern Provenances of China)
The present lot is exceptional in quality among the output of Ningbo for its depiction of literary scenes, its unusual use of three different types of wood and the quality and depth of the carving of the inlaid elements.
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A CHINESE CARVED WOOD RECTANGULAR VASE, FANGGU.
19th / 20th Century.
Carved with floral panels with integrated four-footed stand, 47cm H.
£600-800
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A CHINESE BAMBOO CARVING OF A SAGE.
Qing Dynasty.
Standing on a rocky base, with the head looking down, holding a bottle and fly wisp, 17cm H.
£600-800
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A CHINESE BAMBOO CARVING OF A BUDDHA.
Seated beside a pillow with the mouth open and the left hand resting on the raised left knee, 5cm H.
£100-200
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A CHINESE WOOD BRUSHPOT, BITONG.
Of cylindrical form, the underside has a circular central plug, 16.5cm H, 16cm diameter.
£400-600
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A CHINESE BAMBOO BIRD CAGE.
Qing Dynasty.
49cm H.
£400-600
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A CHINESE CARVED BAMBOO 'PINE TREES' LIBATION CUP.
17th Century.
Naturalistically carved as a section of a pine trunk, detailed with nodules imitating tree bark and carved in openwork with growing pine firs on extended gnarled branches, the wooden stand carved and pierced in the form of lotus leaves, flowers and pods, 15cm H.
£6,000-8,000
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A HARDWOOD STRIKING TABLE CLOCK.
Qing Dynasty, early 19th Century.
With a circular white enamel dial with Roman hours and Arabic quarters, surrounded by a gilt metal frame decorated in bats and scrolling foliage, encased in a wooden frame with a sliding panel to the reverse decorated with rectangular windows to the sides, twin fusee movement striking the quarters on two bells, 45.5cm H.
£1,000-2,000
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A CHINESE CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER CIRCULAR BOX AND COVER.
Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period.
The exterior of the cover carved with a central roundel enclosing a figurative scene within a mountainous landscape, the sides of the cover and box carved with flowers, 21cm diameter.
£800-1,200
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A CHINESE 'SHEN SHAO'AN' LACQUERED WOOD VASE, TOGETHER WITH A TRAY.
Late Qing Dynasty.
Each delicately painted with a watery landscape scene populated with figures, the vase 37cm H, the tray 38.5 x 61cm. (2)
Provenance: Collection of Herbert Dixon Summers (1871-1953), Secretary Directorate General of Posts Peking, and family, thence by descent to the present owner.
£100-200
This lacquer technique traces its origins back to the work of Shen Shao'ai, lacquer master craftsman active during the Qianlong era. The technique substitutes the use of a coarse linen base with much thinner silk in a technique sometimes referred to as 'bodiless' lacquerware. It also introduced gold and silver foil into the paints to create a wider range of colours and silky glow to the image. The technique is a specialism of Fuzhou and was sent to Beijing as a form of Imperial tribute. For a comparable examples see Debenham and Freebody, The Famous 'Shen Shao An' Gold Lacquer of Foochow China. An Account of its Origins and Curious Characteristics, London: Debenham and Freebody, 1914, p 5.
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A PAIR OF CHINESE ZHAZHENMU CHAIRS.
Late Qing Dynasty, 19th Century.
The arms and back with an open latticework design, the backsplat with two panels, one with figures, the other with flowers, below a ruyi-head form headrest, 98cm H. (2)
Provenance: Private Collection, acquired in 1991.
£500-800
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A PAIR OF CHINESE ZHAZHENMU CHAIRS.
Late Qing Dynasty, 19th Century.
The arms with an open latticework design, the backsplats with two panels one with figures, the other with fruits, 94cm H. (2)
Provenance: Private Collection, acquired in 1991.
£500-800
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A CHINESE ROSEWOOD CABINET.
19th / 20th Century.
The lower section with hinged doors each incised with stylised rectilinear dragons, the upper section with three drawers each carved with bats among clouds, 88 x 100 x 46cm.
£300-500
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A CHINESE ROSEWOOD CABINET.
19th / 20th Century.
The top with everted flanges above a drawer, the lower section with hinged doors, each decorated with scrolling rectilinear patterns, 119 x 108 x 55cm.
£100-200
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A CHINESE GILT BLACK LACQUERED GAMING TABLE.
Qing Dynasty.
74cm H.
£200-300
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A KASHMIRI CARVED WOOD CHINESE-STYLE 'DRAGON' CHAIR.
19th Century.
105cm H.
£400-600
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