Fine Chinese Art

New Bond Street, London | 16 May 2024

The John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023) Collection of Chinese Art, Lots 1 - 53

Lot 92 (detail)

Bonhams 1793 Limited

Registered No. 4326560

Registered Office: Montpelier Galleries

Montpelier Street, London SW7 1HH

+44 (0) 20 7393 3900

Fine Chinese Art

New Bond Street, London | Thursday 16 May 2024, 10am

BONHAMS

101 New Bond Street

London W1S 1SR

bonhams.com

SALE NUMBER

29423

Lots 1 - 170

ILLUSTRATIONS

Front Cover: lot 53

Back Cover: lot 92 (detail)

VIEWING

Saturday 11 May, 11am - 4pm

Sunday 12 May, 11am - 4pm

Monday 13 May, 9am - 7pm

Tuesday 14 May, 9am - 4.30pm

Wednesday 15 May, 9am - 4.30pm

GLOBAL HEAD,

CHINESE CERAMICS

AND WORKS OF ART

Asaph Hyman

CONSULTANT

Colin Sheaf

+44 (0) 20 7468 8237

colin.sheaf@bonhams.com

ENQUIRIES

Asaph Hyman

+44 (0) 20 7468 5888

asaph.hyman@bonhams.com

Benedetta Mottino

+44 (0) 20 7468 8236

benedetta.mottino@bonhams.com

Edward Luper

+44 (0) 20 7468 5887

edward.luper@bonhams.com

Chen Xie

+44 (0) 20 7393 3953

chen.xie@bonhams.com

Olivia Xu

+44 (0) 20 3988 6371

olivia.xu@bonhams.com

We would like to thank

Joyce Jenkins for the design

of the catalogue.

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Please see back of catalogue

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To submit a claim for refund of VAT,

HMRC require lots to be exported

from the UK within strict deadlines.

For lots on which Import VAT has

been charged (marked in the

catalogue with a * or Ω) lots must

be exported within 30 days of

Bonhams’ receipt of payment and

within 3 months of the sale date. For

all other lots export must take place

within 3 months of the sale date.

Please note that from 19 January

2022, items containing ivory cannot

be imported into the EU. The

import of ivory into the USA is

already prohibited.

PHYSICAL CONDITION OF

LOTS IN THIS AUCTION

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE

IS NO REFERENCE IN THIS

CATALOGUE TO THE PHYSICAL

CONDITION OF ANY LOT.

INTENDING BIDDERS MUST

SATISFY THEMSELVES AS TO

THE CONDITION OF ANY LOT

AS SPECIFIED IN CLAUSE 15

OF THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS

CONTAINED AT THE END OF

THIS CATALOGUE.

Chen Xie

London, New Bond Street

Rachel Hyman

London, Montpelier Street

Lazarus Halstead

London, Montpelier Street

Colin Sheaf

Consultant

Dessa Goddard

US Head, Asian Art

Asaph Hyman

Global Head, Chinese Art

Gigi Yu

Hong Kong

Lidia Lee

London, Montpelier Street

Jing Wen

Paris

Sophie Wang

Paris

International Chinese Ceramics

and Works of Art Team

Benedetta Mottino

London, New Bond Street

Sam Shum

Hong Kong

Tracy Hui

Hong Kong

Edward Luper

London, New Bond Street

Olivia Xu

London, New Bond Street

Global

Asia

London

Paris

Michael Hughes

New York

Bruce MacLaren

New York

Caroline Schulten

Paris

Katniss Xu

Los Angeles

Yvett Klein

Sydney

Australia

Bonhams Global Network

USA

I-Hsuan Chen

New York

Dick Lin

San Francisco

Ling Shang

San Francisco

Coco Li

New York

Hannah Thompson

Los Angeles

Rachel Du

Los Angeles

Krystal Liu

New York

Bobbie Hu

Taipei

Julia Hu

Hong Kong

Jie Wang

Shanghai

Asia Management & Representatives

Vivian Zhang

Beijing

Yunwen Sung

Singapore

Cecilia Nordström

Bukowskis, Stockholm

Linn Andersson Bennich

Bukowskis, Stockholm

Ralph Lexner

Bruun Rasmussen,

Copenhagen

Suhyung Kim

Bonhams Skinner,

Boston Mass.

Helen Eagles

Bonhams Skinner,

Boston Mass.

Sale Information

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SHIPPING

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as well as export licenses please

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BUYERS COLLECTION &

STORAGE AFTER SALE

All sold lots marked TP will be

removed to Bonhams Oxford

Warehouse, Banbury Road,

Kidlington OX5 1JH on Friday

17 May 2024 and will be available for

Collection from 9am Monday

20th May 2024 and then every

working day 9am-4.30pm.

Collections are by appointment only

and a booking email or phone call

is required in advance to ensure lots

are ready at time of collection,

photographic ID will be required at

time of collection & if a third party is

collecting written authorisation from

the successful buyer is required in

advance.

Photographic ID of the third party

will be requested at the time of

collection.

To arrange a collection time please

email : oxford@bonhams.com

telephone +44 (0) 1865 853 640.

Contact details for Bonhams

Oxford Warehouse:

Address: Banbury Road Shipton

on Cherwell Kidlington OX5 1JH

Telephone: +44(0) 1865 853 640

Email: oxford@bonhams.com

All other sold lots will remain in

the collections room at New Bond

Street without charges until 5.30pm

Thursday 30th May 2024. Lots not

collected by this time will be returned

to the department and storage

charges may apply.

The following symbol is used

to denote that VAT is due on

the hammer price and buyer’s

premium

† VAT 20% on hammer price

and buyer’s premium

* VAT on imported items at a

preferential rate of 5% on hammer

price and the prevailing rate on

buyer’s premium

Y These lots are subject to CITES

regulations, please read the

information at the back of

the catalogue.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

IVORY

The United States Government has

banned the import of ivory into the

USA. Lots containing ivory are

indicated by the symbol Ф printed

beside the lot number in this

catalogue.

Please note that since March 2016

China has imposed a ban on the

import of ivory.

POST BREXIT NOTICE FOR

EU BUYERS SHIPPING

PURCHASED LOTS TO OUTSIDE

THE UK

Please note that as of 1 January

2021 for Margin Scheme and

Imported Lots VAT on the Buyer’s

Premium will be refunded by

Bonhams on valid proof of export of

your Lot from the UK within 90 days

of full payment of your invoice.

What else has changed since

1 January 2021 for EU Buyers?

If you buy a Lot in this sale and

intend to ship the Lot outside the

UK, you will need to pay local Import

Tax when you bring your Lot into the

country of destination.

What do the Star (*) and Omega (Ω)

symbols mean? If you buy in this

sale you will pay import VAT of 5%

(* symbol) or 20% (Ω symbol) on

the Hammer Price.

As of 1 January 2021, for EU

buyers shipping purchased Lots

outside the UK, this tax will be

refunded by Bonhams on valid

proof of export of your Lot from

the UK within 30 days of full

payment of your invoice.

Lot 81 (detail)

I have always been fascinated to understand how people become collectors in works

of art, particularly Chinese porcelain which is a major subject in the Far East but is rare

in this country. By profession, I was a budding commercial agent in the West End,

apart from the occasional visit to a museum, I had very little understanding of the art

world until I had the good fortune to meet Harry Hyams in 1954, when I was 24 and

he was 26. Harry became a lifelong friend, immensely successful and had a wealth

of natural knowledge of the art world. He started collecting English and Continental

porcelain when he was 16!

In Christmas 1955, he invited me to his home, the Old Rectory at Mugswell in Surrey.

I arrived for lunch in my old ‘banger’ to be confronted with two massive wroughtiron gates which swung open automatically. I was greeted by the liveried butler and

ushered into the hall surrounded by a minstrels’ gallery. After a warm welcome, I

was given a glass of champagne. I should have made myself sociable by mingling

with other guests, but my eyes were distracted by the beautiful paintings and sundry

exquisite Georgian silver exhibited on a Queen Anne table. I recall that the turkey

lunch was served on Georgian silver plates and ‘rat-tail’ knives and forks. I couldn’t

bear the ‘squeak’ of my knife meeting with the silver! The thing that impressed me

most of all was Harry’s knowledge, especially for one so young.

I left the Old Rectory determined to educate myself and to save enough money to

buy one or two pictures or perhaps a lovely piece of silver. I didn’t really have a home

which would be suitable for my purchases. Eventually I bought a lovely house for

£10,000 (recently sold for £5.5million!) and I spent some money restoring it.

At that point I had established a friendship with a Mount Street estate agent called

Dudley Porson; he specialised in country houses and I in West End offices. We agreed

that if we had the occasional client with something to sell or buy in each other’s

speciality, we would make the introduction on the basis that no fees would change

hands but with a strict proviso that we would treat each other’s clients respectfully.

It so happened that I introduced a client to buy a country house for whom Dudley

succeeded in finding the perfect property.

What was to follow set me off in my scholarship for Chinese porcelain. A couple of

days later, a most beautiful Korean vase arrived from Dudley as a present for my

introduction. I was so enchanted with this beautiful gift that I made enquiries to find

out where it had been bought. Dudley had bought it from Peter Vaughan of Sparks

in Mount Street, one of the foremost dealers of that era. After the restoration of my

house, I had two empty niches either side of a Georgian fireplace. I phoned Peter

Vaughan to find out if he could help me fill them! Within 24 hours he arrived with

suitcases of Chinese porcelain. He quite rightly decided I must be a Philistine to buy

such precious items in such a coarse way, but he went along with the fun and wasn’t

the slightest patronising. He unwrapped the goodies, mostly Chinese Blanc-de-Chine

and placed them carefully in both niches. They looked stunning. The invoice came

to £1350 which I have retained, and I still have all his porcelain which is a happy

reminder of how I started to collect. I had little idea of how to improve my knowledge,

so I decided to visit the auction rooms of Sotheby’s and Christie’s. There I met Roger

Bluett, Roger Keverne (who had just celebrated his 21st birthday!), and William

Clayton (who kept his good things in the basement wrapped in newspapers. ‘Tell me

about this,’ I asked. ‘This is an Imperial yellow plate with not a rubbing’!)

I enjoyed my visits to them all. This was in the late 1960s when Chinese porcelain

was still the poor relative for the auction houses. I still retain a Sotheby’s catalogue of

1968 when the aggregate price of a major sale was £68,000! At the time I probably

enjoyed my visits to Roger Bluett most of all. He was immensely scholarly and a very

gentle person who took much pleasure in imparting his abundant knowledge to me.

I shall never forget, that about 1970, Roger offered me a Palace bowl for £2000.

He implored me to buy it even though it had a very small chip. The price was very

substantial even in those days. I mulled over it for a couple of days but decided I could

not raise the funds. That Palace bowl was subsequently sold for £8 million!

Reflections of a Lifetime:

John E. Bodie’s Journey in Collecting

John Bodie

London, Summer 2023

8 | BONHAMS

It is a pity that John did not bring up to more recent years his

entertaining record of how a not-untypical English collector, in

the post-War years, came to appreciate the particular charms of

Chinese porcelain! But the key influential elements, a combination of

circumstances and personal inclination, are all there in his essay.

An awakened interest in fine art and antiques generally from his

mid-20s, when he began to earn a salary with a bit of latitude for

non-essential purchases, stimulated by a chance encounter with

a client’s collection; the opportunity to indulge his personal taste in

antiques to live with, because of the wide availability for a London

resident of collectible art of all kinds; and, perhaps above all, a range

of knowledgeable dealers very willing to educate and inform novice

collectors as they explored the tangible relics of a very different

culture. Being naturally an affable man with an enquiring mind, John

quickly came to know all the good dealers; the staff at Bluetts (where

Roger Bluett was a particularly influential early guide); at Spinks’; at

Sparks’ (what collector today would commence a collection by a first

purchase of some twenty pieces, lovingly unpacked on your drawingroom carpet by the then-head of the art gallery); William Clayton

whose confidence you had to win before being invited into his very

private basement of Tang pottery and fine jades. During the 1960s and

70s, as they reaped the benefit of buying back fine Chinese art which

they and others had bought and sold in London over 50 years to preWar (mostly English) collectors, this coterie of top dealers became

a magnet for any visitor to London seeking to buy Chinese art (and

especially ceramics, long a very English taste). A novice collector could

pick through exciting and wide-ranging inventories in a dozen Chineseart galleries and take home an unusual purchase which represented

only a small part of an annual salary for a junior professional property

agent based handily in Mayfair!

But life was not all about ‘pots’. Collectors like John Bodie were very

often well-rounded individuals as many of the earlier generation had

been, including financial wizards (George Eumorfopoulos), biscuit

manufacturers (Reginald Palmer), Air Ministry staff (Rolf Cunliffe), and

Museum employees (George Wingfield-Digby and Soame Jenyns).

Cultured, but not for the most part obsessives. Interested, but resolutely

‘amateurs’ in the French sense. They mixed on equal social terms

with a variety of outstanding academics and even leading dealers as

fellow-members of the Oriental Ceramic Society, founded in 1921 and

still the mother lode in the UK for Asian-art enthusiasts. Nevertheless,

these collectors were often markedly very different from the ultimate

committed scholar-collector in the mould of Sir Percival David.

And so, John had varied interests beyond ‘pots’, and the opportunity

to indulge all of them over many years. He was very sporty, ever since

captaining all kinds of teams at his public-school Bradfield. He loved

horse racing and horses, so much so that he owned a part share in

several flat racers. He loved cricket, and as a lifelong ‘Free Foresters’

team member spent many happy days alternately enjoying and

lamenting England and Middlesex team performances from the relative

comfort of the Lord’s pavilion. Socially his ‘second home’ was definitely

Whites in St. James’s Street, where he derived equal pleasure from

serving on Committees, advising on property issues, and exploring the

Club cellars. As a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club, he

loved the wholly different ethos and traditions of supporting top-flight

professional soccer. And as once a director of the legendary Jermyn

Street restaurant Wiltons, he was knowledgeable about food sourcing

and wine varieties, enthusiastic without ever becoming arrogant

or opinionated. Engaging, genial, physically imposing, superbly

connected professionally, immaculately turned out on every occasion,

John was widely appreciated as an excellent raconteur and a property

specialist with an encyclopaedic knowledge about rebuilding post1945 London. Great company on any occasion, but it was entirely in

character that he rarely mentioned his extensive philanthropic activities,

for which in due course he was awarded a deserved OBE.

As a collector, he appreciated and respected the pots he had bought

on enjoyable, competitive expeditions in St. James’s and Mayfair. The

gossipy nature of the art world entertained him, the objects intrigued

and attracted him, and the competition and one-upmanship appealed

to his outstanding property-dealing instincts!

It’s often said that a personal collection represents more than the

sum of its parts. This is certainly true of John Bodie’s collection. An

excellent range of Tang to Qing ceramics, it nevertheless represents

more than this. It is a sealed time capsule, a tangible record of one art

collector’s personal Odyssey, recalling the vanished opportunities for

a young collector enthusiastically exploring the highways and byways

of Chinese-art galleries in Post-War London. 40 years of fun, tucked

in between sunny days and packed lunches at Ascot and Lords, chilly

Saturday afternoons at Aston Villa, amusing conversations at previews

in the London auction rooms, and chatty weekday lunches at Whites

or Wiltons. And all the while, helping to remodel the physical footprint

and scarred landscapes of bomb-damaged London. His was a style of

collecting, not untypical in the 1960s and 70s, which we shall not see

again; and we have lost something by its disappearance.

The John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023) Collection of Chinese Art

Lots 1 - 52

Colin Sheaf

10 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

Invoice

1

A SANCAI-GLAZED BOTTLE VASE

Tang Dynasty

The ovoid body rising from a spreading foot

to a waisted neck with a cup-shaped mouth,

splashed with green, ochre and strawcoloured glazes falling in streaks and stopping

irregularly around the lower body.

18cm (7in) high.

£4,000 - 6,000

CNY36,000 - 55,000

唐 三彩盆口瓶

Provenance: Victor Rienaecker (1887-1957),

collection no.288 (label)

Brodie (1880-1967) and Enid Lodge, no.M.93 (label)

Sotheby’s London, 10 December 1968,

lot 84, acquired through William Clayton Ltd.,

London, 11 December 1968 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London,

collection no.25

Published and Exhibited: The Oriental

Ceramic Society, Exhibition of the Wares of the

T’ang Dynasty, London, 1949, no.124 (label)

來源：Victor Rienaecker (1887-1957)，

收藏編號288（據標籤）

Brodie (1880-1967)和Enid Lodge，編號

M.93（據標籤）

倫敦蘇富比，1968年12月10日，拍品編號84

，通過倫敦William Clayton Ltd.購得，1968

年12月11日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E.

Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號25

展覽著錄：東方陶瓷學會，《Exhibition of

the Wares of the T’ang Dynasty》，

倫敦，1949年，編號124（據標籤）

Victor Rienaecker of Oxford, collected Chinese

pottery, stoneware and porcelain dating

from the Tang to Qing dynasties. Most of his

collection was sold on 14 April 1937, with

additional sales taking place on 1 July 1943

and 9 March 1945. He was a client of Bluett &

Sons Ltd. 1934-1955, as well as John Sparks

Ltd. Brodie and Enid Lodge of Flore House,

Northamptonshire, were members of the OCS

and close friends of George Eumorfopoulos,

Sir Percival David and Sir Alan Barlow.

They lent 17 pieces to the OCS 1949 Song

Exhibition, 11 to its Enamelled Polychrome

Porcelain of the Manchu Dynasty, 1950, and

2 to the 1957 Arts of the Ming Dynasty, as

well as 3 pieces to the 1971 Ceramic Art of

China Exhibition. They acquired pieces from

Bluett & Sons Ltd., Sydney Moss Ltd., and

John Sparks Ltd. For more information on the

collectors above, see R.David and D.Jellinek,

Provenance, Oxon, 2011, pp.298 and 373.

The present vase would have been

commissioned for the burial of an elite member

of Tang society to serve as a liquid container,

perhaps wine, for the benefit of its owner.

Ancestors in China were deemed active

participants in the life of their living offspring,

which they could positively influence if provided

with continuous care. Miniature universes were

thus presented in burials and filled with a variety

of necessities in the form of animals, attendants

as well as food and drink vessels.

Compare with a related sancai glazed bottle

vase, Tang dynasty, illustrated by W.Watson,

Tang and Liao Ceramics, London, 1984,

p.167, no.158.

THE JOHN E. BODIE OBE (1930-2023)

COLLECTION OF CHINESE ART

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人JOHN E.

BODIE(1930-2023)中國藝術品收藏

Lots 1 - 52

12 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

2

A RARE PAINTED POTTERY MODEL OF

A FOREIGN WINE MERCHANT

Tang Dynasty

The bearded Central Asian figure with bushy

eyebrows and broad nose wearing a conical

hat and kneeling on one knee, holding a

large vessel in the form of a goose with

flaring spout, painted in red, black and white

pigments, all raised on a lotus petal pedestal.

33.5cm (13 2/8in) high.

£15,000 - 20,000

CNY140,000 - 180,000

唐 彩繪胡人陶佣

Provenance: William Clayton Ltd., London,

19 January 1967 (valuation for insurance)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London,

collection no.12

來源：倫敦古董商William Clayton Ltd.

，1967年1月19日（保險評估）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E.

Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號12

Artefacts like this piece, despite being crafted

for burial purposes, offer a vivid glimpse into

life during the prosperous Tang dynasty,

reflecting the interconnected trade routes of

the era. The depiction of a wine merchant

clutching a leather wine container in the

form of a goose is particularly evocative.

Jan Chapman in her paper, ‘A New Look at

‘Wine Carriers’ Among Tang Dynasty Figures’,

Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society.,

vol.52, 1987-88, pp.11-20, illustrates two

similar figures, p.12, pls.1 and 2, the first in

the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, the second in

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow Museums

and Art Gallery, and argues that they are not

holding a real goose, but an earthenware

vessel of goose shape, in which a rhinoceros

horn has been inserted as a stopper, which

could also be used as a cup. Grape wine was

enjoyed in the Tang dynasty, although it was

not as prevalent as other types of alcoholic

beverages, such as rice wine and fermented

fruit wines. Grape wine, often imported

from Central Asia along the Silk Road, was

a luxury enjoyed by the elite and played a

role in diplomatic exchanges and cultural

interactions with foreign traders and envoys.

This merchant is adorned in attire distinct

from traditional Chinese garments, sporting

a conical cap, sleeveless tunic, and boots

indicative of foreign influence.

Compare with a related sancai glazed figure

of a wine seller, Tang dynasty, in the Asian Art

Museum, San Francisco (acc.no. B60P521).

See also another figure of a wine merchant,

Tang dynasty, illustrated by M.Prodan, The

Tang Potter, London, 1960, p.96. Perhaps

the best-known sancai-glazed figure of a

wine merchant is in the Seattle Art Museum,

illustrated in Ibid., p.135.

See also a sancai-glazed pottery figure of

a merchant holding a goose-shaped wine

vessel, Tang dynasty, which was sold at

Christie’s New York, 18 September 2015,

lot 2299.

FINE CHINESE ART | 13

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

Professor Cheng Te-K’un

3

A LONGQUAN CELADON MINIATURE ‘TWIN FISH’

BRUSHWASHER AND A LONGQUAN ‘INSECT’ BRUSHWASHER

Yuan Dynasty

The first with deep rounded sides, waisted neck and slightly everted rim,

carved with a pair of unglazed carp to the well, the vessel covered in a pale

sea-green glaze. 7.5cm (2 7/8in) diam. The second with deep rounded

sides, applied to the well with an insect, covered in a faintly crackled pale

olive-green glaze, 7.4cm (2 7/8in) diam. (2).

£1,000 - 1,500

CNY9,100 - 14,000

元 龍泉窯青釉貼塑雙魚紋洗 及龍泉窯青釉貼塑蟲紋洗

Provenance: Professor Cheng Te-K’un (1908-2001) (The twin fish washer)

Roger Keverne Ltd., London, 28 March 2006 (invoice) (The twin fish washer)

來源： 鄭德坤教授（1908-2001）（雙魚洗）

倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2006年3月28日 （發票）（雙魚洗）

Professor Cheng, a Chinese archaeologist, was Curator of the West China

University Museum at Chengdu in Sichuan. He left China and formed the

Mu-fei Library at the University of Cambridge, where he was Lecturer in Far

Eastern Art and Archaeology, 1951-1966; Reader in Chinese Archaeology,

1966-1974. He served as Visiting Professor of Fine Arts at the Chinese

University of Hong Kong in 1974, and later became Dean of Arts, and

Pro-Vice Chancellor. In 1978 he founded, and was Director of the Centre

for Chinese Archaeology and Art, CUHK. He retired in 1979 and was

made Honorary Director of the Institute of Chinese Studies, 1981-1986.

CUHK awarded him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Literature in 1981,

and Emeritus Professor of Fine Arts in 1982. His publications on Chinese

archaeology include: Archaeology in China (3 volumes and supplement),

Cambridge, 1966; The world of the Chinese, Hong Kong, 1981; and

Studies in Chinese archaeology, Hong Kong, 1982.

The twin fish motif symbolises harmony, abundance, and prosperity.

Compare with a related but slightly larger Longquan celadon dish with

twin-fish design, 13th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,

New York, (acc.no.65.82.4).

14 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

The present bowl is very rare as no identical examples seem to be known

in public collections. However, the potters working at the Ding kilns in

Quyang and the Xing kilns in Lincheng, both located in Hebei province,

were engaged in experimentation during the late Tang and Five Dynasties

period. They explored innovative rim designs, crafting dishes with serrated

or petal-shaped edges, as well as those adorned with three, four, five, or

even more lobes of varying configurations. This bowl should be viewed

within this historical context. However, with its forty-eight intricately handcut notches, the cost of production would likely have been prohibitively

high. Given its exceptional quality, it is highly probable that it originated from

either the Ding or Xing kilns, although pinpointing the exact origin remains

somewhat ambiguous.

Compare with a related xing white glazed bowl displaying a scalloped

rim, Five Dynasties, which was excavated from a tomb Jiangsu Province,

dated 933, illustrated in The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics, vol.6,

Shanghai, 2000, no.187.

4

A RARE WHITE-WARE SAWTOOTH-RIM DISH

Five Dynasties

Finely potted of conical shape with shallow, rounded sides, the mouth rim

with sawtooth edge, the interior and exterior covered in an even ivory-white

glaze stopping unevenly above the foot revealing the white body.

13.2cm (5 1/4in) diam.

£2,000 - 3,000

CNY18,000 - 27,000

五代 白釉花口碗

Provenance: Priestley and Ferraro, London, no. 2249 (label)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Priestley and Ferraro, Chinese and

Korean Ceramics and Works of Art, 2018, no. 3 and Front Cover.

來源： Priestley & Ferraro 藝廊，倫敦，編號2249（據標籤）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦

展覽著錄： Priestley & Ferraro，《Chinese and Korean Ceramics

and Works of Art》，2018年，編號3及封面

FINE CHINESE ART | 15

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

Hans Popper (1904-1971)

5

A YAOZHOU DEEP BOWL

Song Dynasty

Elegantly potted with deep curving sides, rising from a straight short foot

to a slightly everted rim, moulded to the interior with six fine moulded

vertical ribs, covered in an even olive-green glaze, Japanese wood box.

10cm (4in) diam. (3).

£2,000 - 3,000

CNY18,000 - 27,000

宋 耀州窯青釉碗

Provenance: Hans Popper (1904-1971), San Francisco, and thence

by descent

Eskenazi Ltd., London, 26 November 2005 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.64

Published, Illustrated, Exhibited and on Loan: R-Y. L. d’Argencé, The

Hans Popper Collection of Oriental Art, Japan, 1973, no.83 (Published)

Centre of Asian Art and Culture, San Francisco (4 October -

18 November 1973) (Exhibited; and on Loan 1985-1990)

Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts (10 December 1973

- 20 January 1974) (Exhibited)

The Baltimore Museum of Art (16 April - 26 May 1974) (Exhibited)

Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio (10 July - 3 September 1974), (label)

(Exhibited)

Seattle Museum of Art, Washington, (20 September - 3 November

1974) (Exhibited)

The Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas (on Loan 1991-2005)

Eskenazi Ltd., London, Song Ceramics from the Hans Popper

Collection, London, 3-26 November 2005, pp.32-33, no.4 (Published,

Illustrated and Exhibited)

來源： Hans Popper (1904-1971)，舊金山，並由後人保存迄今

倫敦古董商Eskenazi Ltd.，2005年11月26日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編

號64

展覽著錄及租借： R-Y. L. d’Argencé，《The Hans Popper

Collection of Oriental Art》，日本，1973年，編號83（著錄）

亞洲藝術文化中心，舊金山（1973年10月4日至11月18日）（展覽，

並於1985年-1990年租借）

伍斯特藝術博物館，伍斯特，馬薩諸撒州（1973年12月10日-1974年1

月20日）（展覽）

巴爾的摩藝術博物館（1974年4月16日至5月26日）（展覽）

卡夫蘭藝術博物館，俄亥俄州（1974年7月10日至9月3日）（標籤）

(展覽）

西雅圖藝術博物館，華盛頓（1974年9月20日至11月3日）（展覽）

達拉斯藝術博物館，達拉斯（1991年至2005年租借）

倫敦古董商Eskenazi Ltd.，《Song Ceramics from the Hans Popper

Collection》，倫敦，2005年11月3至26日，第32-33頁，編號4

(著錄和展覽）

Hans Popper was born in Vienna in 1904. In 1939 the family moved to

the US, eventually settling in San Francisco. On business trips to Japan

in the 1940s and 1950s he was exposed to Japanese, Chinese and

Korean art, and through his mentor Dr Fujio Koyama, Tokyo, he formed

an important collection of Japanese prints and ceramics, followed by

Chinese and Korean art. From 1969 Giuseppe Eskenazi became an

agent for Popper, who now also acquired archaic bronzes as well as

Song ceramics. Hans Popper’s wife Gretel was key in the final decision

making and after his death was involved in the museum traveling

exhibitions. For more information please see the Eskenazi Ltd.,

2005 catalogue.

Compare with a similar Yaozhou bowl, Northern Song dynasty, illustrated

by R.L.Hobson, The George Eumorfopoulos Collection Catalogue of

the Chinese, Corean and Persian Pottery and Porcelain, vol.2, London,

1926, pl.L.B184.

See a related slip-decorated Yaozhou celadon bowl, Northern Song

dynasty, which was sold at Christie’s New York, 22 September 2023,

lot 1013.

16 | BONHAMS

(two views)

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

Invoice

Invoice

Yellow-glazed porcelain made during the Ming dynasty appears to

have been reserved for use of the emperor, with particularly exquisite

examples emerging during the Hongzhi and Zhengde reigns,

renowned for their superior glazing and vibrant colour.

Compare with a similar yellow-glazed dish, Zhengde mark and period,

in the Qing Court Collection at the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated

in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum:

Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, p.46, pl.41. Another

yellow-glazed dish is illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from

6

A VERY RARE IMPERIAL YELLOW-GLAZED DISH

Zhengde six-character mark and of the period

Finely potted, with a short hollowed circular foot rim, the curved body

rising to a flaring rim at the tip, plainly enamelled in a rich egg-yolk

yellow tone all over, the base with a six-character mark.

17.8cm (6 7/8in) diam.

£20,000 - 30,000

CNY180,000 - 270,000

明正德 黃釉盤

青花「大明正德年製」楷書款

Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 6 June 1967, lot 43, acquired

through Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, 7 June 1967 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.13

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society,

The World in Monochromes, London, 16 April - 20 June 2009, no.179

(label). John E. Bodie loaned 8 pieces to this exhibition.

來源：倫敦蘇富比，1967年6月6日，拍品編號43，從倫敦古董商

Bluett & Sons Ltd.處獲得，1967年6月7日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號13

展覽著錄：東方陶瓷學會，《The World in Monochromes》，

倫敦，2009年4月16日至6月20日，編號179（據標籤）。

John E. Bodie曾借展8件藏品給該展覽

the Meiyintang Collection, vol.4, London, 2010, pl.1676. Two further

examples are illustrated by J.Harrison-Hall, Catalogue of Late Yuan

and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p.205,

pls.8:27 and 8:28; finally, another yellow-glazed dish, Zhengde mark

and period, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acc.

no.y1966-74.

Compare with a nearly-identical Imperial yellow-glazed dish, Zhengde

mark and of the period, which was sold at Christie’s New York,

14 September 2017, lot 735.

18 | BONHAMS

(two views)

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

8

7

來源：倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2005年11月30日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品

編號22

展覽著錄：Roger Keverne Ltd.，《冬季展覽2005》，倫敦，第36

頁，編號31

See a related wucai ‘dragon’ brush handle with cap, Wanli sixcharacter mark and of the period, illustrated by R.Krahl, Chinese

Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 1994, no.711,

later sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 3 April 2012, lot 34.

7

A RARE IMPERIAL WUCAI PORCELAIN BRUSH HANDLE

Wanli six-character mark and of the period

The long cylindrical porcelain shaft enamelled around the exterior with

three boys at play in a garden with various floral sprays, the underglaze

blue six-character mark within a rectangular cartouche near the base of

the shaft.

The porcelain, 15.5cm (6 1/8in) long.

£6,000 - 8,000

CNY55,000 - 73,000

明萬曆 五彩嬰戲圖筆管

青花「大明萬曆年製」楷書款

Provenance: Roger Keverne Ltd., London,

30 November 2005 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.22

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Roger Keverne Ltd.,

Winter Exhibition 2005, London, p.36, no.31.

20 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

9

8

A WUCAI ‘FOUR CRANES’ APPLE-SHAPED BRUSHWASHER

PINGGUO ZUN

Chongzhen

The compressed rounded body rising to an inward-curved mouth,

decorated with four crane roundels amongst cruciform clouds.

7.2cm (3in) diam.

£5,000 - 7,000

CNY46,000 - 64,000

明崇禎 五彩團鶴紋蘋果尊

Provenance: Spink and Son Ltd., London (label)

Joseph M. Morpurgo Collection

Sotheby’s London, Chinese Ceramics from the Joseph M. Morpurgo

Collection, 11 May 2016, lot 175

Roger Keverne Ltd., London, 2016

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.23

來源：倫敦古董商Spink and Son Ltd.（據標籤）

Joseph M. Morpurgo舊藏

倫敦蘇富比，Joseph M. Morpurgo舊藏中國瓷器，2016年5月11日，

拍品編號175

倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2016年

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號23

The unusual design of the crane as a circular roundel resembles a

Japanese crest or mon, and would indicate therefore that the present

lot might have been intended for the Japanese market. Crane roundels

can be seen on Japanese blue and white Arita ware, see for example,

the blue and white dish with a similar crane roundel, 1630-1650,

illustrated by Y.Trousselle, La Voie du Imari: L’aventure des porcelaines

à l’Époque Edo, Paris, 2008, p.38, no.29.

9

A RARE WUCAI ‘BOYS’ WINE CUP

Jiajing six-character mark and of the period

The steep walls rising to a flared rim from a short foot, decorated

around the body in green, red, yellow and brown enamels with four

boys at play amidst stars in a balustraded garden.

6.2cm (2 1/2in) wide.

£5,000 - 8,000

CNY46,000 - 73,000

清嘉慶 五彩嬰戲圖杯

青花「大明嘉靖年製」楷書款

Provenance: Roger Keverne Ltd., London, 10 June 2016 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.109

來源： 倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2016年6月10日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號109

The motif of boys at play symbolised happiness, prosperity, and

familial harmony, aligning with Confucian ideals of filial piety and the

importance of family cohesion. Additionally, the depiction of children

engaged in various activities conveyed a sense of innocence, joy, and

vitality, providing a delightful subject matter for artists and craftsmen.

See a related wucai bowl, Jiajing, illustrated in The Complete Collection

of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and

Contrasting Colours, Shanghai, 2007, p.10, no.9.

FINE CHINESE ART | 21

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

10

AN IMPERIAL YELLOW-GLAZED SAUCER-DISH

Jiajing six-character mark and of the period

The shallow rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot to an everted

rim, covered overall in an even egg-yolk yellow glaze, the base left white

with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double-circle.

12.7cm (5in) diam.

£8,000 - 12,000

CNY73,000 - 110,000

明嘉靖 黃釉盤

青花「大明嘉靖年製」楷書款

Provenance: Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, 5 January 1968

(invoice and label)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.21

來源：倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.，1968年1月5日（據收據和標籤)

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號21

This present dish displays an attractive hue of rich yellow glaze,

a colour reserved for the Imperial court. Despite their seemingly

straightforward appearance, monochrome porcelains demanded

meticulous precision in potting, glazing and firing, particularly relying on

the clay’s utmost purity for light-coloured glazes like this one. Known

as ‘Imperial yellow’, this glaze was carefully crafted at the Imperial kilns

in Jingdezhen throughout the Ming dynasty, where it was achieved by

infusing ferric oxide into the lead silicate base.

Yellow, as one of the Five Elements wuxing, held profound symbolism

for the emperor. It was believed that the emperor resided at the centre

of the Five Directions, with the centre represented by the Earth element

and associated with the colour yellow.

Compare with a pair of similar yellow-glazed saucer dishes, Jiajing

marks and of the period, in the British Museum, illustrated by J.

Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics, London, 2001, nos.9:75 and 9:76.

A similar yellow-glazed dish, Jiajing mark and period, was sold at

Sotheby’s London, 8 November 2017, lot 65.

Invoice

(two views)

22 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

11

AN IMPERIAL YELLOW-GLAZED

SAUCER-DISH

Jiajing six-character mark and of the period

The dish finely potted with shallow rounded

sides rising from a short tapered foot,

luxuriously covered in a rich egg-yolk-yellow

glaze, the base with a six-character kaishu

mark in underglaze-blue within a double circle.

17.6cm diam.

£15,000 - 20,000

CNY140,000 - 180,000

明嘉靖 黃釉盤

青花「大明嘉靖年製」楷書款

Provenance: Reginald H.R. (1898-1970) and

Lena (d.1981) Palmer (collection no.521)

Sotheby’s London, 28 May 1968, lot 103,

acquired through Bluett & Sons Ltd., London,

30 May 1968 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London,

collection no.18

來源： Reginald H.R. (1898-1970) 和 Lena

(d.1981) Palmer伉儷舊藏（藏品編號521）

倫敦蘇富比，1968年5月28日，拍品編號103

，從倫敦Bluett & Sons Ltd.處獲得，1968年

5月30日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E.

Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號18

For more information on the Palmer collection

see Bonhams London Exhibition and

catalogue: Reginald and Lena Palmer, Their

Collection and The Oriental Ceramic Society,

1921-1970, 25 October - 2 November 2021.

Characterised by a seemingly simplistic

form and colour, the present dish stands

amongst the most technically demanding

porcelain wares ever crafted. Achieving

perfection in potting, glazing and firing was

imperative, as even the slightest flaw could

lead to the piece being discarded. Of all the

monochrome glazes, yellow holds a special

significance due to its direct association with

Imperial patronage.

Invoice

Compare with two very similar yellow-glazed

dishes, Jiajing marks and period, in the

Sir Percival David Collection in the British

Museum, London, illustrated by by M.Medley

in The Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and

Ch’ing Monochrome, London, 1973, nos.537

and A580. See also another similar yellowglazed dish, Jiajing mark and period, which

was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong,

27 May 2021, lot 67.

(two views)

FINE CHINESE ART | 23

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

12

A VERY RARE IMPERIAL WUCAI ‘BOYS’ JAR

Wanli six-character mark and of the period

The vessel boldly painted in bright enamels with a continuous scene of

eight boys at play engaging in various leisurely pursuits, including riding

a wooden horse, holding a lotus leaf as a canopy, flying a flag, holding

a vase, and playing with crickets, all in a garden setting interspersed

with trialling clouds, pitted rocks, trees and a band of downward overlapping plantain leaves on the sloping shoulder.

13.5cm (5 2/8in) high.

£60,000 - 80,000

CNY550,000 - 730,000

明萬曆 五彩嬰戲圖罐

青花「大明萬曆年製」楷書款

Provenance: Mayuyama & Co. Ltd., Tokyo, by 1976

A Japanese private collection

S. Marchant & Son, London, by March 2002, sold on 2 September

2005 (invoice and label)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.6

Published and Illustrated: Mayuyama & Co. Ltd., Mayuyama,

Seventy Years, Tokyo, 1976, vol.I, p.313, pl.934

S. Marchant & Son, Recent Acquisitions 2002, London, 2002,

pp.14-15, no.6 (and illustrated on the Front Cover)

來源： 東京古董商繭山龍泉堂，1976年

日本私人收藏

倫敦古董商S. Marchant & Son，2002年3月，出售於2005年9月2日

(收據和標籤）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品

編號6

著錄：繭山龍泉堂，《繭山龍泉堂七十年》，第一冊，第313頁，

圖版934

S. Marchant & Son，《Recent Acquisitions 2002》，倫敦，2002

年，第14-15頁，編號6（封面）

24 | BONHAMS

This rare jar, featuring playful boys, is based on a prototype dating

to the Jiajing period. See, for example, a wucai ‘boys’ jar and cover,

Jiajing mark and period, decorated with a nearly identical scene, which

was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 November 2017, lot 8005.

‘Boys’ jars drew inspiration from earlier Ming Dynasty blue and white

wares decorated with similar designs. See, for example, a blue and

white jar, Xuande mark and of the period, decorated with sixteen boys

at play, illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected

Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelain of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998,

Cat.no.152.

During the Ming dynasty, the portrayal of children at play emerged as

a visually captivating and auspicious theme in Chinese art. Originally

rooted in Buddhist beliefs and later influenced by Daoism, this subject

acquired a secular interpretation by the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907),

symbolising the auspicious desire for offspring, known as zhaozhi.

It also alludes to the ‘hundred boys’ decoration, representing the sons

of Zhou Wenwang, the founder of the Zhou dynasty, who, as legend

has it, had ninety-nine sons from his twenty-four wives and adopted

an orphaned boy to complete the count to one hundred. Boys at play

thus embody the blessing for an abundance of male descendants,

ensuring the perpetuation of the family line and the fulfilment of

filial duties. This wish would have been particularly poignant for the

continuity of the Ming dynasty.

In one depiction, a boy is shown holding a lotus stem, potentially

serving as a rebus or visual pun. In Chinese, the word for lotus lian

sounds similar to a term meaning ‘continuous’ or ‘successive’,

suggesting the wish for the continuous birth of sons and grandsons

when combined with the image of a boy. Additionally, another Chinese

word for lotus pronounced as ‘he’ resembles the term for ‘harmony’,

implying harmony among future generations of sons and grandsons.

26 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

13 Y

TWO BLANC-DE-CHINE INCENSE BURNERS

17th century

The bombe incense burner rising from a short inward-tapered foot to

an everted rim, applied with a pair of mythical-beast head handles, one

side with a three-line inscription in cursive calligraphy, 9.2cm (3 5/8in)

wide; the tripod incense burner of similar shape with upright rope-twist

handles, hardwood stand, 13.3cm (5 1/4in) wide. (3).

£3,000 - 5,000

CNY27,000 - 46,000

十七世紀 德化白釉獅耳簋式爐 及德化窯白釉繩藤耳三足鼎式爐

Provenance: John Sparks Ltd., London, 15 October 1962 (invoice)

(the rope-twist-handled ding)

An English private collection (the gui)

Roger Keverne Ltd., London, 15 November 2017 (invoice) (the gui)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection nos.57 and 108

來源： 倫敦古董商John Sparks Ltd.，1962年10月15日（收據）

(繩藤耳鼎式爐）

英國私人收藏（簋式爐）

倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2017年11月15日（據收據）(簋式爐)

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編

號57和108

Compare with a related blanc-de-Chine tripod incense burner with

rope-twist handles, Ming dynasty, illustrated in Dehua Wares Collected

by the Palace Museum, vol.1, Beijing, 2016, pp.246-247, no.99.

Related examples, of blanc-de-Chine bombe incense burners with

similar mythical-beast head handles, Ming dynasty, are also illustrated

in Ibid., nos.121, 122, 123, 124, and 125.

Invoice

28 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

Seal face

14

A BLANC-DE-CHINE ‘MYTHICAL BEAST

AND CUB’ SQUARE SEAL

Xuande four-character mark,17th/18th century

The square seal surmounted by a fierce

lu duan, its bifurcated horn extending down

its back, with finely incised mane and tail,

with flaring nostrils and bulging eyes, a

playful cub by its front right paw, the seal

face reading tianshui yuehe (天水月河)

‘Heavenly water streams [like the] moon’.

8cm (3 1/8in) high.

£1,500 - 2,000

CNY14,000 - 18,000

十七/十八世紀 德化窯白釉瑞獸鈕方印

「天水月河」款

Provenance: William Clayton Ltd., London,

19 January 1967 (valuation for insurance)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London,

collection no.99

來源：倫敦古董商 William Clayton Ltd.

，1967年1月19日（保險評估）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E.

Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號99

Compare with a similar blanc-de-Chine

seal, Ming dynasty, illustrated in The

Complete Collection of Treasures of the

Palace Museum: Small Refined articles

of the Study, Shanghai, 2009, pp.271,

no.270; and another in the Ashmolean

Museum, Oxford (acc.no.EA1956.3281).

See also a very similar blanc-de-Chine

documentary seal, cyclically dated to the

Jiyou year, corresponding to 1684 and of

the period, which was sold at Bonhams

London, 7 November 2022, lot 84.

FINE CHINESE ART | 29

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

J.M Hu (1910-1993), also known as Hu Jen-mu and Hu Huichun, a

native of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, was a famous collector and

connoisseur, particularly acclaimed for his collection of Ming and

Qing ceramics with the studio name of Zandetang 暫得堂. In 1949,

he was (as a member of the Shanghai Cultural Relics Management

Committee), contributing significantly to the establishment of the

Shanghai Museum.

15 Y

A RARE BLANC-DE-CHINE ARCHAISTIC INCENSE BURNER,

GUI

17th century

Finely potted of archaistic form, decorated on the exterior in relief

with central taotie masks bordered by archaistic fretwork, the foot

decorated with a band of stylised bird pattern, the vessel flanked by a

pair of loop handles issuing from mythical-beast heads, hongmu stand.

21cm (8 2/8in) wide. (2).

£20,000 - 30,000

CNY180,000 - 270,000

十七世紀 德化窯白釉饕餮紋雙獸耳簋式爐

Provenance: J.M Hu (1910-1993)

An East Coast private collection, USA

Christie’s New York, 15 September 2009, lot 403

Roger Keverne Ltd., London, 23 November 2017 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.26

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: J.C.Y. Watt, An Exhibition of

Te Hua Porcelain, Art Gallery, Institute of Chinese Studies, Chinese

University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, January-June 1975, no.44

E. Crichton-Miller, ‘Collectors’ Focus, Blanc de Chine’, Apollo,

November 2017, pp.90-91

The Oriental Ceramic Society, Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A

Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921-2021, London,

15 October - 11 December 2021, p.162, no.47

來源：胡惠春(1910-1993)舊藏

美國東海岸私人收藏

紐約佳士得，2009年9月15日，拍品編號403

倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2017年11月23日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號26

展览著錄：J.C.Y. Watt，”德化瓷器展覽”，香港中文大學中國文化研

究所文物館，香港，1975年1-6月，編號44

E. Crichton-Miller， 《Collectors’ Focus, Blanc de Chine》，

《Apollo》，2017年11月，第90-91頁

東方陶瓷學會，《百年清賞：東方陶瓷學會的收藏家、鑑賞家及博物

館員展覽》，倫敦，2021年10月15日至12月11日，第162頁，插圖47

J.M Hu (1910-1993)

The design and shape of the present piece is crafted in emulation of

an ancient bronze vessel known as a ‘gui’ from the Shang and Zhou

dynasties. During the Qing dynasty, there was a surge in antiquarian

interest, evident not only in the revival of collecting antiquities but also

in an increased ‘archaizing’ trend in metalwork and ceramic designs.

Such archaistic incense burners, produced at the Dehua kilns, gained

significant popularity among scholars and Imperial collectors during the

Ming and Qing dynasties.

A similar blanc-de-Chine incense burner, shaped like a ‘ding’ and

adorned with taotie masks, Ming dynasty, is in the Palace Museum,

illustrated in Dehua Wares Collected by the Palace Museum I, Beijing,

2016, p.272, pl.115. Additionally, a dragon-handled archaistic guishaped blanc-de-Chine incense burner, 1675-1725, is illustrated by

P.J.Donnelly, Blanc de Chine: The Porcelain of Dehua in Fukien, London,

1969, pl.14B.

30 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

16

16

A WUCAI ‘SAGES’ INCENSE BURNER

Shunzhi

Finely potted with steep sides rising from

a short flaring foot, decorated around the

exterior with panels containing a scholar

seated beside a balustrade gazing at a lotus

pond, as well as a fisherman beside a river,

and another sage with an attendant behind

him carrying an axe, later Japanese pierced

metal cover.

10.3cm (4in) wide.

£3,000 - 5,000

CNY27,000 - 46,000

清順治 五彩高士圖香爐 配日本製金屬蓋

Provenance: Mujintang collection, no. Q48

(label)

Robert Bradlow Fine Art, UK

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London,

collection no.122

來源： 沐錦堂，編號Q48（據標籤）

Robert Bradlow Fine Art，英國

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E.

Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號122

The decoration on the present of a scholar

gazing at lotus could refer to the Song dynasty

Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi (1017–1073).

One of Zhou Dunyi’s notable writings includes

a famous passage where he reflects upon

the lotus flower as a symbol of moral purity

and spiritual enlightenment. In this text, Zhou

Dunyi describes how the lotus grows in muddy

waters yet remains unstained, representing

the potential for humans to cultivate virtue

amidst the challenges of life. This admiration

for the lotus not only showcases Zhou Dunyi’s

philosophical insights but also underscores the

enduring significance of natural symbolism in

Chinese thought.

The fisherman could refer to the story set in the

12th/11th century BC, in which King Wen of

Zhou sought the advice of the hermit scholar

Jiang Ziya, later known as Taigongwang.

According to Chinese history, the last king of

the Shang dynasty was corrupt and cruel. Jiang

Ziya had once served him, but was disillusioned

and retired to spend the rest of his days fishing,

waiting to serve a new and moral king. It is said

that he used no hook at all, believing that the

fish would come to him on their own, echoing

the future King Wen who later sought him out

to serve him. Such legends from history, of

scholars waiting to serve more morally upright

regimes, would have resonated with the literati

class during the turbulent period of the late

Ming to early Qing dynasties.

17

A RARE FAMILLE VERTE ‘OUTLAWS OF

THE MARSH’ SAUCER DISH

Three-character mark Wen Xin Zhai mark,

Kangxi

Depicting three figures from the novel Shuihu

Zhuan, Lu Zhishen in blue robe with curly hair,

bald pate and Buddhist beads around his

neck, Lin Chong in green cloth cap and scaly

armour picked out in gilt, and Li Jun dressed

as a fisherman with pole and basket.

20.5cm (8in) diam.

£10,000 - 15,000

CNY91,000 - 140,000

清康熙 五彩水滸人物圖盤

青花「問心齋」楷書款

Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 16 May

1967, lot 140, acquired through Bluett & Sons

Ltd., London, 22 May 1967 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London,

collection no.28

來源：倫敦蘇富比，1967年5月16日，拍品編

號140，從倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.處

獲得，1967年5月22日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E.

Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號28

32 | BONHAMS

17

The present lot depicts three characters

from the novel, Outlaws of the Marsh

(Shuihu zhuan), also known as ‘The Water

Margin’. Considered one of the Four Great

Classical Novels of Chinese literature, it

chronicles the adventures of a band of

108 outlaws who resist oppressive and

corrupt government officials during the

Song dynasty. Two prominent characters

in the novel are Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong.

Lu Zhishen (shown on the far left), also

known as the ‘Flowery Monk’, is a not-sodevout Buddhist monk with exceptional

strength and a volatile temper. Lin Chong

(shown in the middle), known as ‘Panther

Head’, is a skilled martial artist and military

officer who becomes a fugitive after being

framed for a crime he did not commit.

Li Jun (shown right, with name tag Hun

Jianglong), also known as ‘Iron Flail’, is

another notable character. He is portrayed

as a skilled martial artist and a courageous

warrior. Li Jun is known for his loyalty to

his friends and his fierce combat abilities,

wielding a flail as his weapon of choice.

These characters play significant roles in

the narrative, contributing to its enduring

popularity and cultural significance in

Chinese literature.

The overglaze blue which can be seen on Lu

Zhishen’s robe as well as the accents of gold,

were noted by Sir Michael Butler as features

that appeared in enamel-only porcelain from

the early Kangxi reign. See a related famille

verte dish, Kangxi six-character mark and of

the period, with four characters from the same

novel, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler,

Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael

Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century

Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.435,

pl.III.4.90. Compare to a set of four similarly

decorated famille verte dishes, Kangxi, in

the Victoria and Albert Museum, London,

one illustrated by R.Kerr, Chinese Ceramics:

Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911,

London, 1986, pp.102-103, no.81. Another

dish in the Shanghai Museum is illustrated by Invoice

Wang Qingzheng, Kangxi Porcelain Wares

from the Shanghai Museum Collection,

Hong Kong, 1998, p.305, no.132.

See also a related famille verte ‘Water Margin’

dish, Kangxi, which was sold at Sotheby’s

Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 692.

Another famille verte ‘Water Margin’ dish,

Kangxi, was sold at Christie’s London,

5 November 2019, lot 179.

FINE CHINESE ART | 33

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

Invoice

18

A PAIR OF RARE WHITE-GLAZED ANHUA ‘DRAGON’ CUPS

Early 18th century

Each exquisitely potted of conical form rising from a short straight foot

with recessed base, the tapering sides finely incised with two striding scaly

dragons pursuing flaming pearls in the well, covered in a creamy white

glaze save the foot revealing the white porcelain body.

6.8cm (2 5/8in) diam. (2).

£1,500 - 2,000

CNY14,000 - 18,000

十八世紀早期 白釉暗花龍紋斗笠杯一對

Provenance: Shiro collection

William Clayton Ltd., London, 20 May 1971 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.102

來源： Shiro舊藏

倫敦古董商William Clayton Ltd.，1971年5月20日（收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號102

Anhua-decorated wares in 18th-century China represent a remarkable

fusion of artistic technique and cultural symbolism. Anhua, meaning

‘hidden decoration’, involves incising or carving intricate designs into

the surface of biscuit ceramics, which are then covered with a glaze,

creating a subtle, understated effect. This decorative style flourished

during the Qing dynasty, particularly in the 18th century, when it

reached its peak of popularity. See a related but larger yellow-glazed

conical bowl with dragon design, Kangxi, illustrated in The Complete

Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Monochrome Porcelain,

Hong Kong, 1999, p.56, no.50.

Compare with a related small white-glazed anhua-decorated wine cup

with dragons, Yongzheng mark and of the period, which was sold at

Sotheby’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 537.

34 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

(two views)

19

A MING-STYLE WHITE-GLAZED ANHUA-DECORATED

‘DRAGON’ DISH

17th/18th century

The dish with shallow rounded sides rising to a gently everted rim,

the sides delicately incised with a floral scroll, the well with a writhing

dragon amidst clouds, covered overall with a luminous white glaze.

28cm (11in) diam.

£3,000 - 5,000

CNY27,000 - 46,000

十七/十八世紀 白釉暗刻雲龍紋盤

Provenance: John Sparks Ltd., London, 15 October 1962 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.49

來源： 倫敦古董商 John Sparks Ltd.，1962年10月15日（據發票）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號49

Notable for its pristine white glaze and elegant form, this refined dish was

inspired by the prototypes of the early Ming dynasty, which were highly

regarded by the Qing emperors; see, for example, a white-glazed dish

decorated with incised designs of a dragon writhing amidst clouds and

flames, Yongle mark and of the period, illustrated in Special Exhibition of

Early Ming Porcelains, Taipei, 1982, no.69.

During the early reigns of the Ming dynasty, particularly under the reign

of the Yongle Emperor (r.1403-1425), the production of white-glazed

vessels reached its pinnacle. These sought-after pieces boasted a whiter

body and a milky semi-translucent glaze characterised by a silky, smooth

texture. The white colour held significant symbolism, representing spiritual

purity; it was closely associated with Buddhist rituals but also with filial

piety and mourning.

A related white-glazed ‘anhua dish, 18th century, was sold at Sotheby’s

New York, 17 March 2015, lot 284.

FINE CHINESE ART | 35

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

20

A RARE MING-STYLE WHITE-GLAZED DEEP BOWL

Xuande six-character mark, Kangxi

Elegantly potted with deep rounded sides rising from a tall slightly

inward-tapering foot, covered in a bluish-white glaze.

16cm (6 1/4in) diam.

£4,000 - 6,000

CNY36,000 - 55,000

清康熙 白釉蓮子碗

青花「大明宣德年製」楷書款

Provenance: Mrs Ann Stokes

Sotheby’s London, 18 May 1971, lot 179 (dated as Xuande mark and

of the period), acquired through William Clayton Ltd., London,

20 May 1971 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.61

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society,

The World in Monochromes, London, 16 April - 20 June 2009, no.128

(label). John E. Bodie loaned 8 pieces to this exhibition.

來源：Ann Stokes夫人

倫敦蘇富比，1971年5月18日，拍品編號179（斷代為宣德款及時期）

，從倫敦William Clayton Ltd.處獲得，1971年5月20日（據收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號61

展覽著錄：東方陶瓷學會，《The World in Monochromes》，

倫敦，2009年4月16-6月20日，編號128（據標籤）。John E. Bodie

曾借展8件藏品給該展覽。

Invoice

The present bowl would have been based on a prototype of the early

Ming dynasty, when the use of white-glazed vessels during the Xuande

period extended beyond mere utility. At the time, these vessels served

as tangible expressions of filial piety and Imperial virtue, reflecting

the emperor’s solemn duty to honour his forebears. The purity and

simplicity of the white glaze conveyed a sense of reverence and

solemnity, making these vessels suitable for ceremonial and ritualistic

purposes within the Imperial court.

For a white-glazed bowl, Xuande mark and of the period, see the

example in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete

Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Monochrome Porcelain,

Hong Kong, 1999, p.113, no.103; see also a white-glazed bowl,

Xuande mark and of the period, illustrated by J.Harrison-Hall, Ming

Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p.122, no.4:2.

36 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

21

A FAMILLE VERTE BISCUIT ‘LOTUS LEAF’ BRUSH WASHER

Kangxi

Naturalistically modelled in the form of an undulating lotus leaf with a

small crab, toad and dragonfly resting in the well, beside a lotus pod

with bulging seeds and open lotus flower water receptacle issuing from

a thorny stem, set on three short feet.

11.5cm (4 1/2in) wide.

£2,000 - 3,000

CNY18,000 - 27,000

清康熙 素三彩荷葉螃蟹硯滴

Provenance: Demetrius Zafiropoulos, France

Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art,’s-Hertogenbosch,

23 March 2004, no.61 (invoice and label)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.27

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society,

China Without Dragons, London, 3-9 November 2016, p.69, no.34

(label). John E. Bodie loaned 7 pieces to the exhibition.

來源： Demetrius Zafiropoulos，法國

Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art，荷蘭斯海托亨博斯，2004年

3月23日，編號61（收據和標籤）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號27

展覽著錄： 東方陶瓷學會，《China Without Dragons》，

倫敦，2016年11月3-9日，第69頁，編號34（據標籤）

John E. Bodie曾借展7件藏品給此展覽。

Compare with a very similar vessel, Kangxi, illustrated by A.du Boulay,

Christie’s Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics, London, 1984, p.233,

no.13. See also a related box in the form of a brown crab on a green

lotus leaf, Kangxi, illustrated by R.Krahl, The Anthony de Rothschild

Collection of Chinese Ceramics, vol.2, n.p., 1996, no.229.

See a related unusual famille verte biscuit ‘bird and peony’ group,

Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 2 November 2023,

lot 203.

38 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

22

A FAMILLE VERTE BISCUIT ‘LOTUS-POD’ BRUSH WASHER

Kangxi

Naturalistically modelled in the form of a large open lotus pod,

surrounded by upright leaves with finely incised veins, a small aperture

to the surface, conjoined with a veined open lotus leaf forming the

water receptacle, a stippled stem trailing down to the base.

11.5cm (4 1/2in) long.

£1,500 - 2,000

CNY14,000 - 18,000

清康熙 素三彩蓮蓬洗

Provenance: Demetrius Zafiropoulos, France

Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art, s’-Hertogenbosch, 23 March

2004 (invoice)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.66

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society,

China Without Dragons, London, 3-9 November 2016, no.35 (label).

John E. Bodie loaned 7 pieces to the exhibition.

來源： Demetrius Zafiropoulos，法國

Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art，斯海托亨博斯，2004年3月

23日（收據）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號66

展覽著錄：東方陶瓷學會，《China Without Dragons》，

倫敦，2016年9月3-9日，編號35（據標籤），John E. Bodie曾借展

7件藏品給該展覽

The lotus plant, embodying both the noble symbolism of Buddhist

thought (remaining pure while rising from the mud) and the enchanting

beauty of southern Chinese lakes, naturally became a favoured

inspiration for water vessels on the scholar’s desk. See a similar famille

verte lotus-leaf and lotus-pod water vessels, Kangxi, illustrated by

J.P.Desroches, Les Tresors du Lettre: Objets de la Chine imperiale,

Paris, 1993, p.7 and p.45.

Compare with a related pair of famille verte ‘duck and lotus’ water

droppers, Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 2 November

2023, lot 176. See also a similar famille verte lotus brush washer,

Kangxi, which was sold at Christie’s London, 19 February 2013, lot 66

(part lot).

FINE CHINESE ART | 39

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

Invoice

23

A FAMILLE VERTE BISCUIT ‘MAGNOLIA’ CUP AND A LOTUS

WASHER AND WATER DROPPER

Kangxi

Each vessel naturalistically modelled, one as a large magnolia

flowerhead with finely incised veins, issuing from a stem extending

down the interior and side forming the base of three feet, 9.4cm

(3 3/4in) wide; the second as a large lotus leaf with thorny stem

extending down the side, raised on three feet, two formed as lotus

pods, 9.4cm (3 3/4in) wide. (2).

£1,500 - 2,000

CNY14,000 - 18,000

清康熙 素三彩玉蘭花杯 素三彩荷葉洗連水滴

Provenance: The Hon. Nellie and Basil Ionides (the magnolia cup)

S. Marchant & Son, London, 14 August 2003 (invoice and label)

(the magnolia cup)

Roger Keverne Ltd., London, 7 August 2007 (invoice)

(the lotus washer)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.98

(the lotus washer), no.54 (the magnolia cup)

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society,

China Without Dragons, London, 3-9 November 2016, p.70, nos.36

and 37 (labels). John E. Bodie loaned 7 pieces to the exhibition.

來源： Nellie及Basil Ionides伉儷 （玉蘭花杯）

倫敦古董商S. Marchant & Son，2003年8月14日（據收據和標籤）

(玉蘭花杯）

倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2007年8月7日（據收據）

(荷葉洗連水滴）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號98（荷葉洗連水滴），編號54（玉蘭花杯）

展覽著錄： 東方陶瓷學會，《China Without Dragons》，

倫敦，2016年11月3-9日，第70頁，編號36及37（編號），John E.

Bodie曾借展7件藏品給該展覽

See a related pair of lotus leaf water vessels with ducks, Kangxi,

illustrated by W.R.Sargent, The Copeland Collection: Chinese and

Japanese Ceramic Figures, Salem, 1992, no.7.

Compare with a related pair of famille verte ‘duck and lotus’ water

droppers, Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 2 November

2023, lot 176. See also a similar famille verte lotus brush washer,

Kangxi, which was sold at Christie’s London, 19 February 2013, lot 66.

40 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

24

A FAMILLE VERTE BISCUIT RETICULATED ‘THREE FRIENDS

OF WINTER’ BRUSHPOT, BITONG

Kangxi

Exquisitely moulded in the form of a bamboo grove with gaps between

each stem, issuing bamboo leaves and applied with gnarled branches

of flowering prunus and pine, glazed yellow, green, brown and

transparent glazes save the base revealing the biscuit body and an

impressed chrysanthemum design.

12cm (4 3/4 in) high.

£3,000 - 5,000

CNY27,000 - 46,000

清康熙 素三彩歲寒三友筆筒

Provenance: Ionides Collection, by repute

William Clayton Ltd., London, 19 January 1967 (valuation for

insurance)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.69

Provenance: Ionides舊藏，據傳

倫敦古董商William Clayton Ltd.，1967年1月19日（保險評估）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號69

A related brushpot is illustrated by J.P.Stamen, C.Volk, and Ni Yibin, A

Culture Revealed: Kangxi-era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang

Collection, Boston, 2017, p.108, later sold at Sotheby’s New York,

20 March 2018, lot 352.

See also a pair of related turquoise-glazed bamboo-stem brushpots

mounted as baskets with ormolu handles and stands, Kangxi,

illustrated by J.Ayers, Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the

Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, vol.2, London, 2016, nos.1438-

1439. Another related pair of turquoise-glazed bamboo-stem

brushpots, Kangxi, is illustrated by R.Krahl, The Anthony de Rothschild

Collection of Chinese Ceramics, vol.2, n.p, 1996, no.262.

See a related sancai-glazed openwork ‘Three Friends of Winter’

brushpot, Kangxi, which was sold at Bonhams London, 2 November

2023, lot 28.

Base

FINE CHINESE ART | 41

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

25

A FINE PAIR OF FAMILLE VERTE SAUCER-DISHES

Chenghua six-character marks, Kangxi

Each finely potted with rounded sides supported on a short foot, the

first dish with a fruiting branch of ripe peaches amidst verdant foliage in

the well within a double red circle, the exterior with further branches of

peaches and pomegranates, the second dish with a flowering branch

of peonies in the well, the exterior with further peonies and branches

of blossoming prunus, the bases of both vessels with underglaze-blue

six-character marks within a double circle.

The largest 17.7cm (6 7/8in) diam. (2).

£20,000 - 30,000

CNY180,000 - 270,000

清康熙 五彩花果紋盤一對

青花｢大明成化年製」楷書款

(two views)

42 | BONHAMS

Provenance: H.M. Knight (the dish with fruiting peach)

W.R.Bindley

Roger Keverne Ltd., London, December 2004 (letter)

Harry Hyams, acquired from the above and gifted to John E. Bodie,

Christmas 2004

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.17

Exhibited: Oosterse Schatten, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1954,

no.347 (fruiting peach dish)

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society,

Arts of the Ch’ing Dynasty, London, 1964, no.183 (the fruiting

peach dish)

The Oriental Ceramic Society, China Without Dragons, London, 3-9

November 2016, pp.312-313, no.185 (both dishes; labels). John E.

Bodie loaned 7 pieces to the exhibition.

來源：H.M. Knight（桃紋盤）

W.R.Bindley

倫敦古董商Roger Keverne Ltd.，2004年12月（據信）

Harry Hyams，從上處獲得並在2004年聖誕節贈予John E. Bodie

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號17

展覽：Oosterse Schatten，阿姆斯特丹國家博物館，阿姆斯特

丹，1954年，編號347

（桃紋盤）

展覽著錄：東方陶瓷學會，《Arts of the Ch’ing Dynasty》，

倫敦，1964年，編號183（桃紋盤）

東方陶瓷學會，《China Without Dragons》，倫敦，2016年11月3-9

日，第312-313頁，編號185（兩隻盤；據標籤）。John E. Bodie

曾借展7件藏品給該展覽

(two views)

Several dishes of similar style have been documented, featuring

various combinations of fruiting and flowering branches in a distinctive

colour scheme. These dishes typically lack underglaze-blue decoration

and are characterised by double red lines encircling the designs and

rims, often bearing spurious Chenghua marks.

One dish in this group showcases a fruiting peach branch on the

interior and branches of cherry and loquat on the exterior, while

another features a flowering pomegranate on the interior and begonia

and a flowering fruit tree on the exterior. Utilising polychrome washes,

the motifs are rendered in a naturalistic manner, with particular

attention to detail evident in the depiction of leaves, some of which

show signs of aging such as insect bites and yellowing.

Such attention to detail as the yellowing leaves reflect that the mark of

a person of feeling in the late Ming and Qing dynasties was a poignant

awareness of the transience of the phenomenal world, embodied alike

in the changing seasons and in the shifting fortunes of human life. This

sentiment was rooted in a profound awareness of the transient nature

of the world, evident in the changing seasons and the unpredictable

twists of human existence. At the heart of this awareness lies a

significant concept—the solemn Buddhist principle of impermanence,

which intersected with the aesthetic inclination towards profound

engagement with the world. Poetry, painting (including on ceramics),

traditionally revered as hallmarks of cultured refinement, drew strength

from this awareness. Both the artist and the observer could sense a

profound connection to essential Buddhist truths through artworks

depicting flowers and decaying leaves, evoking a sense of melancholy

over the fleeting beauty of existence.

Similar depiction of flowers and fruits, often with yellowing leaves,

are seen on famille verte ‘birthday plates’, Kangxi. See one example

illustrated in the Loan Exhibition: Reginald and Lena Palmer, their

Collection, and the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1921-1970, 27 October -

2 November 2021, nos.12 and 19.

The fruits depicted on the present lot are also replete with auspicious

symbolism. Peaches are often associated with longevity, immortality,

and vitality. In Chinese mythology, the peach tree is believed to be the

tree of immortality, and peaches are considered the fruit of the gods,

bestowing longevity and eternal youth upon those who consume them.

Pomegranates, on the other hand, symbolise fertility, abundance, and

prosperity. With their numerous seeds, pomegranates represent the

promise of abundance and the continuity of generations. Together,

peaches and pomegranates embody auspicious wishes for longevity,

prosperity, and happiness, making them popular motifs in Chinese

porcelain art throughout history.

See a related group of three famille verte dishes, Kangxi, from the

collections of Sir Harry Garner and Sir Alfred Aykroyd, illustrated

by R.Krahl and C. von Spee, Chinese Ceramics from the Gulexuan

Collection, London, 2003, pls.103-104. See also one related famille

verte dish, Kangxi, illustrated by M.Beurdeley and G.Raindre, Qing

Porcelain: Famille Verte, Famille Rose, London, 1987, pl.94.

44 | BONHAMS

Lot 25 (detail)

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

26

A BLUE AND WHITE ‘THREE FRIENDS OF WINTER’ BOWL

Xuande six-character mark, 18th century

The deeply curving sides rising from a short straight foot, painted

around the exterior in vibrant tones of cobalt-blue with pine,

prunus blossom and bamboo, the interior with a sprig of auspicious

lingzhi fungus.

11.4cm (4 1/2in) diam.

£2,000 - 3,000

CNY18,000 - 27,000

十八世紀 青花「歲寒三友」圖碗

青花「大明宣德年製」楷書款

Provenance: John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection

no.103

來源： 大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，

倫敦，藏品編號103

The ‘Three Friends of Winter’ motif, consisting of pine, bamboo, and

plum blossoms, symbolises resilience, longevity, and perseverance

in the face of adversity. Compare with a related blue and white bowl

of similar shape, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, but

decorated with peonies in the central well, illustrated in The Complete

Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White

Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, p.78, no.68.

Compare with a related blue and white ‘Three Friends of Winter’

bowl, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at

Bonhams London, 2 November 2023, lot 10.

46 | BONHAMS

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

Invoice

27

A WUCAI TRIPOD BOWL AND COVER

Kangxi

The cover finely moulded with lotus petal panels, surmounted by a

lotus spray finial, the sides decorated with flowering lotus amongst

rockwork, resting on three beast mask and paw feet.

11.2cm (4 1/2in) diam. (2).

£4,000 - 6,000

CNY36,000 - 55,000

清康熙 五彩獸足花卉紋蓮葉鈕蓋盒

Provenance: S. Marchant & Son, London, 14 August 2003 (invoice

and label)

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.37

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: The Oriental Ceramic Society,

China Without Dragons, London, 3-9 November 2016, p.309, no.183.

John E. Bodie loaned 7 pieces to the exhibition.

來源：倫敦古董商S. Marchant & Son，2003年8月14日

(據收據和標籤）

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，

藏品編號37

展覽著錄：東方陶瓷學會，《China Without Dragons》，倫敦，2016

年11月3-9日，第309頁，編號183，John E. Bodie曾借展7件藏品給

該展覽

This covered box stands out for its unique form, design, and colour

scheme. The prominent use of cobalt blue suggests a resemblance to

late Ming dynasty pieces, as during the Kangxi period, underglaze blue

was less common in the famille verte palette. The box’s shape bears

similarities to Japanese vessels. The inclusion of applied flowers, fruits,

or leaves is uncommon for Chinese pieces of this period and brings to

mind early European porcelains, such as those produced at Meissen

in the 1710s, as well as contemporaneous Japanese ceramics. See a

Kakiemon-style porcelain tripod incense burner and cover, 17th/18th

century, illustrated in China Without Dragons: Rare Pieces from

Oriental Ceramic Society Members, London, 2016, p.308, no.182.

FINE CHINESE ART | 47

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot

please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.

The British Museum, London

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Palace Museum, Beijing

28

A RARE WUCAI ‘MONTH’ CUP

Kangxi six-character mark and of the period

Exquisitely potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short foot to a

flared rim, delicately enamelled around the exterior with a red-flowering

peach tree with small blossoms among scant leaves, representing

the third month, the reverse inscribed in underglaze blue with a poem

followed by a seal mark reading shang (appreciation).

6.5cm (2 1/2in) diam.

£50,000 - 80,000

CNY460,000 - 730,000

清康熙 五彩「桃花」花神杯

青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款

Provenance: T.Y.King Jr., Hong Kong

Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, acquired from the above on 7 February 1965

Allan D. Pilkington, acquired from the above on 15 November 1965

Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, 11 June 1969

John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.5

來源： T.Y.King Jr.，香港

倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.，1965年2月7日從上處獲得

Allan D. Pilkington，於1965年11月15日從上處獲得

倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.，1969年6月11日

大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品

編號5

48 | BONHAMS