On 11 May in London, Sotheby’s will bring to the market an exquisite selection of Chinese objects previously held in private hands. Featuring fine jades from an English private collection, early ceramics from Japanese collections, Chinese furniture from a European private collection, jades from the Fleischer collection, ceramics from the Joseph M. Morpurgo collection, among others, the auction of Important Chinese Art presents an exceptional array of material to appeal to scholars and collectors.

Robert Bradlow, Senior Director, Chinese Works of Art, Sotheby’s London, commented: “This promises to be one of our most eclectic London sales, dominated by fresh-to-the-market material imbued with a refined and elegant aesthetic.”

A Rare and Superbly Carved White Jade ‘Three Dogs’ Group Qing Dynasty, Early 18th Century 8.2cm Estimate: £20,000-30,000 / HK$224,000-335,000
This delightful carving is one of a group of fine jades from an English private collection featuring animal subjects. It is a masterfully rendered representation of three dogs, playfully wrestling with one another. Though jade carvings of hounds, generally portrayed in resting poses, were popular from the Tang dynasty onwards, they are rarely found in groups of three. The skill of the craftsman is evident from the carefully studied and naturalistic depiction of the dynamically intertwined bodies. Furthermore, this particular piece was cleverly fashioned in accordance with the shape of the jade pebble, in order to minimise wastage of the precious material.

A Large and Rare ‘Ding’ ‘Fish’ Basin Song/Jin Dynasty 32cm Estimate: £100,000-120,000 / HK$1,120,000-1,340,000
Following Sotheby’s successful sale in May 2015 of The Soul of Japanese Aesthetics: The Tsuneichi Inoue Collection, which encapsulated the refined collecting taste in Japan in the early to mid-20th century, this year’s auction features a group of early Chinese ceramics from Japanese collections. This large and rare basin is an outstanding example of the elegant and austere aesthetic, characteristic of Song dynasty ceramic work, which has appealed to Japanese sensibilities for centuries. The interior of the bowl depicts a large carp swimming amongst water weeds, while the exterior is intricately carved and moulded with three rows of overlapping upright leaves, applied with an even ivory-coloured glaze. Song ceramics have been admired and appreciated in Japan since the Kamakura period, when Buddhist monks travelled to China and returned with tenmoku and celadon ware, along with the Chinese practice of drinking tea. As Song ceramics began to play an increasingly important role in the ritual of the Japanese tea ceremony, they became an integral part of Japanese culture.

A Large ‘Cizhou’ Painted Vase Jin Dynasty 46cm Estimate: £30,000-40,000 / HK$335,000-4
This rare vase ranks among the largest – and most innovative – Cizhous wares, its delicate design contrasting the freely painted black decoration on the surface against the white background.

A Rare Gilt-Bronze Figure of Kapaladhara Hevajra Ming Dynasty, 15th Century 23cm Estimate: £150,000-200,000 / HK$1,680,000-2,240,000
Gilt-bronze Buddhist figures produced during the Ming dynasty in the 15th century are highly distinguished, admired for their exquisite refinement and craftsmanship. This rare and intricately carved figure depicts Kapaladhara Hevajra, locked in union with his consort Nairatmya.

A Pair Of Huanghuali ‘Official’s Hat’ Yokeback Armchairs, Guanmaoyi Qing Dynasty, 17th/18th Century Estimate: £80,000-120,000 / HK$ 895,000-1,340,000
This exceptional pair of ‘official hat-shaped chairs’ was acquired in the 1950s by Dr J. H. Zeeman, the Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Beijing. Strikingly modern in their simplicity of form and linear design, these high chairs retained a connotation of status and authority associated with the elite gentry in Chinese society. Their name derives from the winged hat that was part of the formal attire of Ming officials. The origin of this type of chair is uncertain, though it has been suggested that the design was imported from outside China.

A Finely Carved Celadon and Russet Jade Figure of a Fisherman Qing Dynasty, 18th Century 10.5cm Estimate: £40,000-60,000 / HK$447,000-670,000
The Fleischer Collection of Jades was formed by Wilfred Fleischer, whose interest in Asian art grew during the time he spent in Japan working as Editor-in-Chief of the country’s first English-language newspaper, established by his father. He amassed a substantial collection of Japanese and Chinese works of art during the 1920s and early 1930s, impressive not only for its diversity but also for the attention paid to the quality and rarity of the works. This figure of a fisherman is a magnificent piece of carved jade. The carver has skillfully retained the natural russet skin of the stone for the fisherman’s hat and shawl, and the carp, highlighting the minimal wastage of the precious material.

A Rare Wucai Square Jar Jiajing Mark And Period 12.5cm Estimate: £20,000-30,000 / HK$ 224,000-335,000
A group of Chinese ceramics from the Joseph M. Morpurgo Collection is testament to the quality of the works acquired by four successive generations of the Amsterdam Morpurgo dynasty, whose name is inextricably linked to the history of the Dutch art market. This square-form jar is one of the finest examples of the Jiajing period. Such jars required the utmost precision when potting and firing as they were made from a mould. The bajixiang and lotus motif continued to be popular in the succeeding Wanli reign, when it was used on jars of globular shape.