London - This Asian Art Week in London celebrated each November will undoubtedly be an exciting one at Bonhams. The week begins with a wide range of pieces on offer in the Asian Art sale, which will be held at Bonhams Knightsbridge on Monday 1st November. The Chinese art feast will continue with the remarkable Parry Collection of Chinese Art, offering superb and exceptionally rare Imperial works of art collected by the Parry family from as early as 1919 and kept for three generations, the sale of which will be held on 2nd November at New Bond St., London. At the same time, Bonhams will also host, to celebrate the Centenary Exhibition of the Oriental Ceramic Society, a special Loan-Exhibition of over thirty Imperial and rare ceramics and works of art which were collected by the famous collectors R.H.R Palmer and his wife Lena. The exhibition will be held from 27 October – 2nd November.
The Fine Chinese Art sale, which will be held at New Bond St., London on 2nd November offers an exceptional selection of Imperial porcelain, cloisonné enamel, jades, huanghuali furniture, and two very fine groups of textiles, from important collections across Europe and the UK.
The highlight of the sale is an extremely rare and important cloisonné enamel 'pomegranates' box and cover, Xuande incised six-character marks and of the period (1426-1435), Lot 234, estimated at £400,000-600,000 (image above). It is offered from the collection of Lord Cunliffe, having been acquired from Spink & Son in 1946, and then exhibited twice – in Venice in 1954 and by the Oriental Ceramic Society in 1957, and published by Sir Harry Garner in 1962. It is one of a very select group which includes only three other published boxes, with one in the Palace Museum, Beijing. However, as all other three are in museum or institutional collections, only the Cunliffe box remains in private hands and will become available at Bonhams for the first time in 75 years.
We are delighted to offer two rare and fine groups of Chinese textiles: The first, from an English private collection, includes textiles dating from as early as the 10th-13th century to the 18th century (Lots 220-227), many of which were acquired from Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., London, with the highlight of the group, Lot 227, an exceptionally large Imperial silk kesi 'double-dragon' wall hanging, Qianlong (1736-1795), measuring 370cm wide x 195cm high, estimated at £40,000-60,000. The second group offers a fine and rare selection of Imperial and Court textiles curated by Linda Wrigglesworth, and consigned by various owners (Lots 266-292), including an exceedingly rare Imperial chestnut-ground 'dragon' robe, Yongzheng (1723-1735), estimated at £60,000-80,000 (Lot 275). It is superbly embroidered with a profusion of cranes carrying tallies in their beak, hovering above elegant pavilions floating on the rolling waves. The designs relate to a famous Northern Song dynasty story narrating the legendary encounter between three Immortals who compare their ages by counting the long cycles each had lived.
The sale includes a number of Imperial porcelains from the celebrated reign of the Qianlong Emperor. These include an exceptionally rare large Imperial Ru-type 'Eight Triagrams' moonflask, bianhu, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, estimated at £250,000-350,000 (Lot 299), from an English private collection, which demonstrates both the Emperor's interest in inspiration from earlier periods, in this case the Ru wares of the Northern Song dynasty, as well as the continuation from the Yongzheng period of the interest in Daoism. Also offered is an exceptionally rare Imperial imitation-gold ritual 'Lanca' bowl, Qianlong impressed seal mark and of the period, estimated at £150,000-200,000 (Lot 312), which encapsulates the opulent taste of the Court, technical innovation and the importance of Tibetan Buddhism in the Qing Court.
An important pair of hongmu four-part compound hat-chests on cabinets, Dingxiang'gui, 17th/18th century, from a British private collection, are estimated at £150,000-200,000 (Lot 248). They are notable for their imposing size and delicate relief carving of sinuous archaistic chilong clambering amidst lingzhi fungi, symbolising spiritual potency and the essence of Immortality, success, well-being, divine power and longevity. Also offered from a distinguished American private collection, is a rare pair of huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs, quanyi, 17th century, estimated at £60,000-80,000 (Lot 238), which were acquired from Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong.
Other highlights include a magnificent and rare cloisonné enamel and gilt-bronze tripod 'cranes' incense burner and cover, Qianlong, estimated at £150,000-200,000 (Lot 304), from a UK private collection, and formerly in a European private collection, it is a superb example of the magnificent objects made for the Court during the Qianlong reign, with a closely-related example in the collection of the British Museum, London.
A lecture by Dominic Jellinek celebrating the Parry and Palmer Collections, will be held at Bonhams New Bond St., London on Monday 1st November at 6pm; with a book signing event at 5pm, by Dr Teresa Canepa and Katharine Butler, on the event of the publication of their book: Leaping the Dragon Gate, The Sir Michael Butler Collection of 17th Century Chinese Porcelain.