Sotheby's Announces London Sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art

A Fine and Exceptionally Rare Pair of Imperial Gilt-Bronze and Cloisonné Models of Magpies in Winter Plum Trees, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period (est. £500,000-700,000). Photo: Sotheby's.

LONDON.- In the wake of Sotheby’s record-breaking Spring sales series in Hong Kong, which totalled almost HK$2 billion, Sotheby’s biannual sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art in London will take place on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 and presents for sale over 220 lots. The auction, estimated to realise approximately £4 million, will be headlined by a unique pair of Imperial gilt and patinated-bronze winter plum trees, their branches covered with perching cloisonné enamel magpies, and a selection of ten pieces of Song ceramics from the Collection of Francisco Capelo.

Robert Bradlow, Director and Head of Sotheby’s Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Department, London, said: “Following the outstanding results achieved at Sotheby’s spring series of sales in Hong Kong – the company’s best ever in Hong Kong – which established some truly exceptional prices for rare and important Chinese works of art, we are delighted that our London auction will present for sale a range of remarkable objects that span from the Neolithic period through to the Qing Dynasty. London has traditionally been the selling centre for Song Ceramics and in May 2008 the Kempe collection - a group of some 138 Early Chinese White, Green and Black Wares – almost quadrupled its low estimate of £990,000 and we are delighted to once again be offering for sale such a fine group of Song Dynasty ceramics from the collection of Francisco Capelo.”

A spectacular Fine and Exceptionally Rare Pair of Imperial Gilt-Bronze and Cloisonné Models of Magpies in Winter Plum Trees, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period, comes to auction for the first time in their history (above). Estimated at £500,000-700,000 and formerly in the collection of the Hon. Nellie Ionides (1883-1962) – elder daughter of Marcus Samuel, First Viscount Bearsted, who founded the Shell Oil Company – the two Chinese bronze trees with cloisonné enamel birds in the branches had pride of place in the Library at Buxted Park, Sussex. Nellie Ionides was a passionate collector who became a great friend of Jim Kiddell, a partner at Sotheby’s. One day in the late 1940s, Mr. Kiddell was asked by Francis Edgerton who ran Mallett’s in New Bond Street to go and look at the present group. He immediately recognised their exceptional quality and said he had a buyer in mind, namely Nellie Ionides. They have passed down through the family to her great granddaughter.

No other similar pair of gilt-bronze trees with cloisonné magpies appears to be recorded, making the present pair, created in almost mirror image, a unique example. Magpies are known as birds of joy and happiness and a flock of magpies perched on a bare tree generally symbolise the wish for the arrival of spring. The quality of the workmanship is evident in the finely modelled and expertly crafted birds, with particular attention paid to detail in a lively and vivacious rendering. These colourful magpies with long tails are called ‘birds with longevity ribbon’ (shoudainiao) and the exquisitely cast winter plum trees invoke the blossoming that the new season will herald.

An outstanding group of ten pieces from the Collection of Francisco Capelo features in the sale, with estimates ranging from £30,000 to £300,000. A keen collector, Francisco Capelo fell under the spell of ancient Chinese ceramics after seeing an exhibition of the Meiyintang Collection at the Museé Cernuschi in Paris, which highlighted some of the finest achievements of Chinese potters from the Song and earlier periods. From this he developed his approach to Chinese ceramics, guided by both personal taste and an astute appreciation of quality. Ceramics from the Song dynasty (AD 960-1279) have a timeless beauty that has been a revelation to many an experienced art collector. This was undoubtedly the peak period of the potter’s craft, where the possibilities of forming on the potter’s wheel, of improving and expanding body and glaze recipes, of fine-tuning firing methods, and of introducing decorative effects with the help of basic carving tools or carefully administered colouring agents were brought to the greatest perfection. The exact outcome of each piece varied, imparting an individual and distinct identity and attraction. Song ceramics belong to one of four different categories: white, green, black and bright blue-glazed stonewares.

Headlining the present collection is an Exceptional Ding-Type Russet- Splashed Black-Glazed Foliate Dish (lot 153, below) estimated at £300,000-350,000. The interior is covered in a rich black glossy glaze suffused with an irregular scattering of iron-oxide which creates the stunning effect of small ‘partridge-feather’ mottles, as in traditional Chinese connoisseurs’ eyes this type of glaze evokes the plumage of a partridge. The surface has a vibrancy that makes the whole vessel come alive. The elegant flower shape of this dish is unusual and no other similar example appears to be recorded.

An exceptional ding-type russet-splashed black-glazed foliate dish, Northern Song dynasty. Est. 300,000 - 350,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the short, slightly flared foot rising to a flattened base and flared petal-lobed rim, the interior covered in a rich black glossy 'partiridge feather' glaze suffused with an irregular scattering of feathery russet flecks, with a similar glaze to the exterior stopping short of the foot - 19.5cm., 7 3/4 in.

PROVENANCE: Collection of Alfred Clark.
Sotheby's London, 25 March 1975, lot 21.
Collection of the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo.
Christie's New York, 21 March 2002, lot 137.
Collection of Francisco Capelo.

EXHIBITION: Arts de la Chine Ancienne, Orangerie de Tuileries, Paris, 1937, cat. no. 665.
Sung Dynasty Wares. Chun and Brown Glazes, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1952, cat. no. 54.
L'Art de la Chine des Song, Paris, 1956, cat. no. 78.
Arts of Sung, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1960, cat. no. 69.
Idemitsu Tenth Anniversary, Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, 1976, cat. no. 103.
Gendai no toji, Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, 1979, cat. no. 75.
Idemitsu Fifteenth Anniversary, Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, 1981, cat. no. 728.

LITERATURE: Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 107.
Francisco Capelo et. al., Forms of Pleasure. Chinese Ceramics from Burial to Daily Life, London, 2009, pl. 35.

NOTE: Decorated with an irregular pattern of small splashes of iron-oxide which creates the stunning effect of small 'partridge-feather' mottles, often seen on black-glazed conical-form bowls of the Northern Song period, the present dish is unusual for its elegant flower shape. No other similar example appears to be recorded, however, the type is known from vessels covered in a deep russett-glaze, such as the dish in the Idemitsu collection included in the museum's exhibition Gendai no toji, Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, 1979, cat. no. 76; and another slightly smaller example, from the collection of Harry Nail and later Hans Popper, included in the exhibition Song Ceramics from the Hans Popper Collection, Eskenazi, London, 1995, cat. no. 36.

The elegant form of this dish is well known from 'Ding' vessels, for example see a dish of this shape and size sold in these rooms, 9th November 2005, lot 269; and a pair of dishes of slightly smaller dimensions but of closely related form, from the collection of Carl Kempe, also sold in these rooms, 14th May 2008, lot 237.

Another persimmon-glazed dish of this type is illustrated in Robert D. Mowry, Hare's Fur, Tortoiseshell and Partridge Feathers, Cambridge, Mass., 1996, pl. 20, where Mowry on p. 119, notes that dishes of this form reflect the influence of black and dark  brown lacquer vessels that were popular during the Song dynasty. He further explains that the form can be found in 'Ding' wares as well as other Northern wares, especially 'Yaozhou', with different kilns producing similar vessels for the same market.

See another persimmon-glazed dish of closely related shape in the Musee Guimet, Paris, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Arts of the Sung Dynasty, London, 1960, cat. no. 38, illustrated pl. 19; and another from the Sedgwick collection sold in these rooms 2nd July 1968, lot 108, and again, 24th July 1973, lot 8.

Further highlights include a Fine and Rare Carved ‘Ding’ Bowl (lot 146, est. £120,000-150,000), notable for well defined deep carving of the design, a possible indication that the vessel was made for a special occasion, possibly as a wedding gift. The decoration comprising a pair of ducks in a lotus pond is rich in symbolism, with the ducks representing connubial bliss and loyalty. A Rare ‘Qingbai’ Buddhist Lion-Shaped Pillow (lot 150, est. £120,000-150,000) embodies the attributes of both male and female through the powerful Buddhistic lion with brocade ball in its mouth and small cub.

A fine and rare carved 'ding' bowl, Northern Song dynasty. Est.120,000 - 150,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the short foot rising to the rounded conical sides, the interior carved with two ducks swimming in a lotus pond, with combed waves, below a large lotus leaf and blossom flanked by outward curved grasses, covered in an ivory-toned glaze pooling in places to pale olive tears on the exterior and base, with unglazed rim - 23.4cm., 9 1/4 in.

PROVENANCE: The R.E.R. Luff Will Trust.
Sotheby's London, 26th June 1973, lot 17.
Christie's New York, 21st March 2002, lot 127.
Collection of Francisco Capelo.

EXHIBITION: The Ceramic Art of China, Oriental Ceramic Society Jubilee Exhibition, London, 1971, cat. no. 67.

LITERATURE: Francisco Capelo et. al., Forms of Pleasure. Chinese Ceramics from Burial to Daily Life, London, 2009, pl. 36.

NOTE: Although 'Ding' bowls with this charming decoration of a pair of ducks in a lotus pond that is rich in symbolism with the ducks representing connubial bliss and loyalty and the pond itself a rebus for harmony and purity are known, the present example is especially fine in its potting and decoration. The well defined deep carving of the design is noteworthy, insinuating that the vessel was made for a special occasion, possibly as a wedding gift. 'Ding' wares are generally thinly potted, as seen on the present vessel, with a fine body which does not require a slip to appear white after firing. It is covered in an ivory-coloured glaze which runs down in somewhat darker 'tears' characteristic of the best 'Ding' examples.

A slightly smaller bowl of more rounded form with the duck design, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in the museum's Special Exhibition of Ting Ware White Porcelain, Taipei, 1987, cat. no. 44; another from the collection of Lucy Maud Buckingham was exhibited in Masterpieces of Chinese Arts from the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, 1989, cat. no. 67; and a third, probably also of this type from the Ginsberg collection, was exhibited in the Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst, Berlin, 1929, cat. no. 595. Compare also a bowl sold in these rooms, 10th June 1997, lot 14.

‘Jun’ is quite unique in the Song dynasty in being the only colourful ware of the period. A Fine and Rare Small ‘Jun’ Splashed Tripod Censer (lot 151, est. £60,000-80,000) is a fine example of its type. The blue colour is not the result of an added pigment, but rather an optical illusion, created by minute glass particles that have separated out in the fired glaze and scattered light in such a way as to produce this effect. Splashes of deep purplish-red derived from copper are applied to the glaze before firing, adding a flamboyant effect which would have had an immense appeal to the literati and nobility of the time. A Rare ‘Yaozhou’ Carved Celadon Bowl (lot 152, est. £60,000-80,000) and a Fine ‘Jun’ ‘Lotus Bud’ Water Pot (lot 145, est. £50,000-70,000) comprise other superb examples from the collection. A further example of the mastery over the use of glazes and potting techniques is evident in a Very Fine and Rare Flambé-Glazed Bottle Vase, produced by Qing craftsman (lot 126, est. £60,000-80,000). Notable for its impressive size and brilliance and depth of glaze, the present piece demonstrates further innovations and developments on some of the traditional Song glazes; in this instance, the flambé glaze is derived from the ‘Jun’ wares. The deep reddish-purple tone lightly mottled with milky pale blue is particularly impressive.

A Fine and Rare Small ‘Jun’ Splashed Tripod Censer, Jin-Yuan dynasty. Est. 60,000 - 80,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the globular body with short wide neck and flat everted rim supported on three short cabriole legs, applied with a fine pale blue glaze liberally splashed with three copper-red blushes transmuting from misty purple to intense pinkish-red tone, later Japanese pierced white metal cover - 7.4cm., 2 7/8 in.

PROVENANCE: A Japanese Collection.
Collection of Francisco Capelo.

LITERATURE: Francisco Capelo et. al., Forms of Pleasure. Chinese Ceramics from Burial to Daily Life, London, 2009, pl. 57.

NOTE: The present 'Jun' tripod censer, with its thick luminous glaze and restrained use of brilliant purple splashes, is a fine example of its type. Wares from the typesite Juntai in Yu county, Henan province, an area formerly known as Junzhou, are remarkable for their luscious thick glaze of intense colouration which can vary from light to deep turquoise blue. In the early twelfth century potters began applying splashes of deep purplish-red derived from copper to the glaze before firing, resulting in patches of purple, lavender and tones of deep blue on the primary milky-blue glaze. As seen on this censer, such splashes added a flamboyant effect to the piece, often with a strong calligraphic quality which had an immense appeal to the literati and nobility of the time.

A censer of related form and size, but profusely splashed with brilliant tones of purple, from the Muwen Tang collection and included in the exhibition Song Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 42, was sold at Christie's London, 8th June 1987, lot 49, and again in these rooms, 12th November 2003, lot 49. A slightly larger example is illustrated in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. 1, Geneva, 1968, pl. A37; another from the Dexingshuwu collection, was sold in our New York rooms, 18th March 2008, lot 90; and a third example from the Schoenlicht collection, is published in H.F.E. Visser, Asiatic Art in Private Collecions of Holland and Belgium, Amsterdam, 1947, pl. 232. Compare also a larger censer of this form, glazed with a deep purple on the body and feet, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, cat. no. 394.

This censer derives from the archaic bronze liding, a ritual vessel used from the Shang to the Han dynasties (16th century BC-220 AD) and reflects the interest in antiquity amongst members of the educated elite. The literati of the day formed collections of ancient bronzes, which were used only on special occasions to prevent them from wear and damage; thus, contemporary vessels of bronze and ceramic based on antique models were commissioned.

A Rare ‘Yaozhou’ Carved Celadon Bowl, Northern Song dynasty. Est. 60,000 - 80,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

of gently swelling rounded form, the interior carved and combed to the centre with a foliate peony design loosely divided into six sections, further accentuated by a notched everted rim, the underside carved with peony scrolls, all covered in a rich olive-green glaze 6 19.5cm., 7 3/4 in.

PROVENANCE: Toguri Museum of Art, Tokyo.
Sotheby's London, 9th June 2004, lot 49.
Collection of Francisco Capelo.

LITERATURE: Francisco Capelo et. al., Forms of Pleasure. Chinese Ceramics from Burial to Daily Life, London, 2009, pl. 37.

NOTE: Although the form and design elements of this piece are well known from the repertoire of 'Yaozhou' celadons, the motif found on this exquisitely carved vessel remains rare. A closely related shallow bowl excavated from the 'Yaozhou' type site is illustrated in a line drawing in Songdai Yaozhou yaozhi/The Yaozhou Kiln Site of the Song Period, Beijing, 1998, p. 204, fig. 106; 12 and pl. 50, fig. 6.
The Song wares from Huangbaozhen, Tongchuan county in Shaanxi province, the area formerly known as 'Yaozhou', are characterized by deep olive-green glazes and carved decoration as seen on the present vessel.

Each vessel is distinct since the glaze has a tendency to pool to a deeper tone in the recessed areas. The type site has produced a vast variety of shapes and designs, although the majority are utilitarian pieces such as bowls, dishes and smaller upright forms.

For examples of 'Yaozhou' bowls decorated with peony spray see one included in the exhibition Iron in the Fire, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1988, cat. no. 21; and another published in Masterpieces of Yaozhou Ware, Osaka, 1997, p. 50, no. 64. Compare also a bowl sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 21st May 1984, lot 38; and another sold in these rooms, 10th December 1985, lot 166.

A Fine ‘Jun’ ‘Lotus Bud’ Water Pot, Northern Song dynasty. Est. 50,000 - 70,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the short, slightly flared foot rising to rounded sides, covered with a thick lustrous glaze of milky lavender colour, stopping just short of the foot and thinning at the mouth rim to a pale mushroom colour - 8.5cm., 3 3/8 in.

PROVENANCE Collection of Robert Chang.
Christie's New York, 21st March 2002, lot 150.
Collection of Francisco Capelo.

EXHIBITION: An Exhibition of Important Chinese Ceramics from the Robert Chang Collection, Christie's, London, 1993, cat. no.4.

LITERATURE: Francisco Capelo et. al., Forms of Pleasure. Chinese Ceramics from Burial to Daily Life, London, 2009, pl. 56.

NOTE: 'Jun' lotus bud waterpots of this elegant form and distinctive opalescent glaze are held in major public and collections worldwide; see one of this size, from the British Rail Pension Fund and exhibited on loan at the Dallas Museum of Art between 1985-1988, sold in these rooms, 12th December 1989, lot 85; another in the Baofeng County Cultural Relics Bureau, published in Ruyao de xin faxian, Beijing, 1991, pl. 107; and a third example in the Meiyintang Collection illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, pl. 393, together with a vessel of this form but decorated with purple splashes, pl. 392. Compare also a water pot in the Shanghai Museum included in Chugoku toji zenshu, vol. 12, Kyoto, 1983, pl. 30; another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, published in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 79; and one sold in these rooms, 12th December 1989, lot 236.

Together with 'guan', 'ge', 'Ru', and 'Ding' wares, 'Jun' ware forms one of the 'five famous wares of the Song dynasty' as grouped by later collectors. Its heavy potting and thick glaze best lent itself to simple, fluid forms; and with its well-proportioned shape coupled with the even opalescent pale blue glaze the present waterpot is a fine example of this type of ware.

A Very Fine and Rare Flambé-Glazed Bottle Vase, Qianlong impressed six-character sealmark and period. Est. 60,000 - 80,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the slightly compressed globular body with moulded horizontal ribs around the waist and shoulder, covered overall in a flambe glaze of deep reddish-purple tone lightly mottled with milky pale blue to the body and the rim, the foot unglazed exposing the biscuit, the base covered in a caramel-brown glaze - 41cm., 16 1/8 in.

PROVENANCE: John Sparks Ltd., London.

NOTE The present piece is notable for its impressive size and brilliance and depth of glaze. Compare a closely related vase of slightly larger proportions, sold twice at Christie's Hong Kong, 27th April 1997, lot 62, and again, 1st December 2009, lot 1903; and another from the Eumorfopoulos collection illustrated in R.L. Hobson, The George Eumorfopoulos Collection Catalogue of the Chinese, Corean and Persian Pottery and Porcelain, vol. 5, London, 1927, col. pl. LXVII, no. E390.

Vases of this type derived from guan ware of the Song dynasty (960-1279) and demonstrate the mastery of the Qing craftsmen over the use of glazes and potting techniques. While imitating Song wares they also made innovations and developments on some of the traditional Song glazes; for example from the 'Jun' wares the flambé glazes derived. The form of this vase was first revived by the Yongzheng emperor and covered in Song-inspired glazes, including ru-type glaze, such as one in the National Palace Museum, included in the Special Exhibition of Qing Dynasty Monochromes, Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 79; and flambé-glaze, as seen on a vase sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th May 2006, lot 1255. For the Song prototype of the shape, see a smaller guan vase, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Special Exhibition of Sung Dynasty Kuan Ware, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1989, cat. no. 21.

A Rare Large Twelve-Panel Painted Screen, Qing Dynasty, 18th Century (lot 40), painted in gouache on silk on a gilt ground, depicts a scene of phoenix and cranes flying and standing around a central magnolia tree, among flowering peony, plantain and rockwork (est. £80,000-120,000). The subject of bird-and-flower painting was much favoured by the literati from as early as the Song dynasty, when under the patronage of the Northern Song emperor Huizong (r. 1101-1125) the Imperial Academy was established. The subject matter of myriad birds including the sacred bird, the phoenix, in a natural landscape setting filled with lush greens and flowers of all varieties allowed the artist to display his skills and also functioned as a metaphor for society. The colourful birds represented the higher echelons of society while the smaller birds the common people. The phoenix symbolises the emperor or the empress and as such, all the other birds are depicted paying homage to it. Boldly painted with powerful colouration, screens of this type were used as important furnishing of halls and palaces and would have been placed in a prominent position dividing the space or used as a background setting.

A Rare Large Twelve-Panel Painted Screen, Qing Dynasty, 18th Century. Est. 80,000 - 120,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

gouache on silk on a gilt ground, depicting a continuous scene of phoenix and cranes flying and standing around a central magnolia tree, amongst flowering peony, plantain and rockwork and swirling clouds beside a pond with mandarin ducks and birds, with bamboo, prunus and lingzhi fungus on the marshy banks - 301cm by 714cm., 118 1/2 in by 281 1/8 in.

PROVENANCE: John Sparks &Co Ltd.
The Duke of Kent.
Francis Egerton.

NOTE: Panels of this powerful colouration and bold painting are extremely rare although a closely related screen, acquired by Alan Priest in Beijing in 1919 and later in the collection of Robert Ellsworth, and included in the exhibition The Manchu Dragon: Costumes of the Ch'ing Dynasty 1644-1912, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1980, was sold in our New York rooms, 30th March 2006, lot 251.

The subject of bird-and-flower painting was much favoured by the literati from as early as the Song dynasty, when under the patronage of the Northern Song emperor Huizong (r. 1101-1125) the Imperial Academy was established where artists were encouraged to create and experiment with their painting style. Northern Song painter Cui Bo (active circa 1060-1085) is often credited for changing the direction of bird-and-flower paintings within the Academy, making them more animated and freer in style; for example see his work titled Magpies and Hare in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Wen Fong and James Watt, Possessing the Past, New York, 1996, pl. 71.

The subject matter of myriad birds including the sacred bird - phoenix - in a natural landscape setting filled with lush greens and flowers of all sorts allowed the artist to display his skills and also functioned as a metaphor for society.

The colourful birds represented the higher echelons of society while the smaller birds the common people. The phoenix, usually featured prominently in the centre, symbolises the emperor or the empress and as such, all the other birds are depicted paying their homage to it. For an example of a twelve panel coromandel lacquer screen decorated with phoenixes see one illustrated in W. de Kesel and G. Dhont, Coromandel Lacquer Screens, Gent, 2002, pl. 40, attributed to the 18th century; and one from the collection of C.T. Loo, Paris, is published in Michel Beurdeley, Chinese Furniture, New York, 1979, pl. 184, attributed to the 17th century. Screens of this type were used as important furnishing of halls and palaces and would have been placed in a prominent position dividing the space or used as a background setting.

The sale will also include a rare Cloisonné Enamel and Gilt Cup Stand of Xuande mark and period (lot 35, est. £100,000-150,000), unusual for the stylised wave rim, and a Fine ‘Doucai’ Butterfly and Peony Dish, Yongzheng Mark and Period (lot 209, est. £100,000-150,000). The design of butterflies and peonies has traditionally been a favoured motif in China for its highly auspicious qualities, with the peony symbolising wealth and honour, and the butterflies (hudie) representing the wish for ‘accumulation of blessings’ (fudie). Depicted together, they convey the powerful message for many blessings, wealth and high social status (fudie fugui). The present dish is remarkable for its fine potting and naturalistic painting style characteristic of the best Yongzheng wares. The design is also striking for its highly stylised rockwork, skillfully painted in washes of underglaze-blue reminiscent of traditional Chinese ink painting, and the flowers executed in the bright doucai palette of glossy overglaze enamels.

A rare Cloisonné Enamel and Gilt Cup Stand of Xuande mark and period. Est 100,000 - 150,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the shallow rounded sides rising from a flat base to an everted lipped rim, brightly polychrome enamelled on a turquoise ground to the central raised medallion with a lotus flower head within a lotus-lappet band, encircled by an undulating leafy lotus scroll and a lotus lappet band at the well, the rim with a wave band, the underside with an incised and blue enamel six-character mark within a circle - 19.5cm., 7 5/8 in.

NOTE: It is rare to find cloisonné cupstands of Xuande mark and period and this piece is unusual for the stylised wave rim; see a closely related cupstand illustrated in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonné Enamels, London, 1962, col. pl. B and 95A. Another example inscribed with a reign mark of this type, but decorated with a central lotus flower surrounded by a composite flower scroll, floral well and flower and scroll rim, was sold at Christie's London, 7th October 1968, lot 173, and again in these rooms, 16th June 1999, lot 704.

Compare also similarly decorated cupstands with various flower scrolls, but with the vertically placed reign mark incised in outline, such as one from the collections of T.B. Kitson and Mrs. Walter Sedgwick, sold in these rooms, 2nd July 1968, lot 49 , now in the collection of Pierre Uldry, included in the exhibition Chinesisches Cloisonné. Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, Rietberg Museum, Zurich, 1985, cat. no. 23; and another in the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 28.

Although no contemporary cups in cloisonné to complement the cupstands appear to have been published, wine cups made of copper and decorated with designs in colour are mentioned in the Gegu Yaolun (The Essential Criteria of Antiquities) by Cao Zhao, written in 1387 (see Garner, op. cit., p. 31).

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