In late May I managed to take a week off to make the 24 hour trip from Toronto to Hong Kong. I was there to view the important Asian art sales hosted by Christie's at the Hong Kong Convention Centre.
During their 10 days of previews, Christie's showcased major categories including Chinese modern and contemporary art, magnificent jewellery and jadeite, fine wine, luxury watches and handbags, and Chinese works of art.
The highlight of the trip was viewing the specialty auction titled 'The Ten Perfections: Qing Imperial Ceramics from the Wang Xing Lou Collection' (十全：望星樓珍藏清代官窯瓷器). This sale comprised of ten exceptional Chinese Imperial porcelain objects from the collection of a renowned Hong Kong dealer.
Since the early 1990's, the owner amassed one of the best collections of Chinese Imperial porcelain from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), many of which have extensive provenance and exhibition history.
Here's a little bit of a background about the Wang Xing Lou collection - 103 objects from the collection were previously featured in the important catalogue 'Imperial Perfection: the Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors' and on loan to the Minneapolis Institute of Art from the late 1990's to 2020. Published in 2004, this catalogue contains extensive research about the collection.
The catalogue includes a preface by the late Dr. Robert D. Jacobsen, senior curator at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and an introduction by the late Chinese art specialist Julian Thompson (1941-2011), one of the leading experts on Chinese porcelain during his time.
While researching for this blog, I came across an older interview between the owner of the Wang Xing Lou collection and Sotheby's Chinese art specialist Henry Howard-Sneyd that was previously published in the March 2004 edition of Hong Kong-based Orientations magazine. Here, the reclusive owner discusses what brought him to collect Imperial Qing Dynasty porcelain and why he loaned his collection to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It provides insight for those who want to learn more about the collection, and the motivation behind why passionate collectors do the crazy things that they do.
Anyways, the 'Imperial Perception' catalogue (in my opinion) is an essential read for those who love Chinese porcelain. The essays are wonderful appreciations to Chinese porcelain, and each of the objects are well-catalogued, have high resolution photos, and contain the important provenance information.
Image 1. A photo of my copy of 'Imperial Perfection: the Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors'. On the front cover is the magnificent 'dragon' vase that I will discuss later on.
Image 2a. And here is the front cover of the Wang Xing Lou auction catalogue at the spring sale at Christie's Hong Kong. Only a handful of these books were produced and I was fortunate enough to get a copy.
You can see the cover also contains a photo of the above-mentioned copper-red 'dragon' meiping vase.
The May 2024 sale was actually the second auction where the owner of the Wang Xing Lou Collection offered his objects at Christie's Hong Kong. The first part was titled 'Celestial Brilliance: The Wang Xing Lou Collection' and took place on 20 May 2022. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the auction because Covid restrictions still made international travel difficult at the time.
Image 2b. An image of the first sale of the Wang Xing Lou Collection at Christie's Hong Kong in 2022. The cover lot was a famille rose fahua-style jar and cover with Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795). This lot realized HKD 14.85 million (approximately CAD 2.6 million).
Because of the 2022 Covid restrictions, fewer people were able to view the first part of the Wang Xing Lou Collection. Despite these complications, the sale still realized HKD 83,163 million (approximately CAD 14.59 million) which isn't too bad!
So by now you can probably tell that the major highlight from the entire Wang Xing Lou Collection is the copper-red 'dragon' meiping vase from the Yongzheng period (1723-1735). Just being able to handle a vase of such significance was quite an experience and worth the flight to Hong Kong!
Image 3a. A view of the copper-red 'dragon' meiping vase with Yongzheng mark and period (1723-1735) at Christie's Hong Kong. I booked an early time slot to view the vase in a private room and spent about 15 minutes examining it.
The shape of this vase is called a meiping 每瓶 (plum blossom) because traditionally, they were supposed to hold a single branch of plum blossoms. The base flares inwards before rising to a high-shouldered body that is surmounted by a short funnel neck. On the body are numerous dragons soaring over ocean waves.
The designs of the dragons are simply stunning. They are all slip-added and give the impression that they are floating on the vase's surface. The dragons are all extremely dynamic and embody the power of the Imperial Yongzheng reign.
The quality of the copper-red ground applied to form waves is astonishing and extremely even. For similar examples of this decoration, the copper-red is typically over or under-fired which results in a discoloured tone.
This vase had an estimate of HKD 65/80 million. During the auction, I watched two phone bidders actively pursue the vase and it ended up realizing an incredible HKD 78.125 million (approximately CAD 13.7 million).
Image 3b. An image of the vase's base and its six-character reign mark 大清雍正年製 which translates to 'made in the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty'. You can also see that it was exhibited in the Oriental Ceramic Society's Centenary exhibition in 2021. The full list of provenance, literature and exhibtion history for this vase reads:
Provenance:
Collection of Mary J. Morgan (1823–1885), New York
Sold at The American Art Association, New York, The Art Collection formed by the late Mrs. Mary J. Morgan, 9 March 1886, lot 538
Sold at Christie’s New York, 28 March 1996, lot 385
Literature
Ye Peilan and J. Thompson, Imperial Perfection: The Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors, Kangxi- Yongzheng- Qianlong, A Selection from The Wang Xing Lou Collection, Hong Kong, 2004, pp. 76-77, no. 24
The Oriental Ceramic Society, Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921-2021, London, 2021, pp. 252-253, no. 96
Exhibition
New York, The American Art Galleries, The Art Collection formed by the late Mrs. Mary J. Morgan, 12 February- 3 March 1886
On loan to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2003-2020
London, Brunei Gallery, SOAS University of London, Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A Century of the Oriental Ceramic Society 1921-2021, 15 October-11 December 2021
Image 3c. A photo of me carefully examining the 'dragon' meiping vase. Two hands on the object and one edge still balanced on the table!
It has become more rare these days to be able to handle Chinese art objects that surpass CAD 10 million in value.
Image 3d. Detail of the vase's magnificent central dragon. Not only is the dragon meticulously detailed, but it is also extremely dynamic. The dragon is in the act of twisting back towards the viewer while flying through the sky.
Image 3e. There are numerous other example of this type of vase in important museums around the world. One of these can be seen at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This photo was taken during my trip to NYC in late June.
Image 4a. The copper-red 'dragon' meiping vase was only one of the ten items featured in the Christie's specialty sale of the Wang Xing Lou Collection. I was able to spend time with each of these porcelain objects, and here are some of the other highlights.
This rare pink-enameled tea bowl is Yongzheng mark and period (1723-1735) and was estimated at HKD 700/900k. Its provenance can be traced back to the late 19th Century in New York. Yongzheng monochromes are especially popular and the rarest colours is pink, lime green and lemon yellow. This tea bowl sold for many times over its estimate at HKD 3.78 million (apoproximately CAD 663,000).
Image 4b. An image of the tea bowl's base and its six-character reign mark 大清雍正年製 which translates to 'made in the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty'.
Image 5a. Another highlight during my visit to the Wang Xing Lou Collection at Christie's is this Ge-type lobed bottle vase with Yongzheng mark and period (1723-1735).
The delicate form and gentle crackles pays homage to the Ge kilns of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Ge wares are renowned to have large dark crackles with smaller 'golden' crackles in between.
This lovely vase sold for HKD 5.292 million (approximately CAD 928,000) against an estimate of HKD 1/2 million. It was purchased by the famous dealer/collector who uses the trademark 'Paddle 1'.
Image 5b. An image of the vase's base and its six-character reign mark 大清雍正年製 which translates to 'made in the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty'.
Image 6a. There were many Qianlong period pieces in this sale as well. One of the most elegant was this blue and white 'Buddhist emblem' bottle vase with Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795).
The vase has a gorgeous shape and its body is decorated with numerous Buddhist emblems and lotus blooms throughout. The handles are in the form of two well-carved elephant heads. This vase had a relatively conservative estimate of HKD 5/8 million and ended up realizing HKD 10.05 million (approximatly CAD 1.76 million).
Image 6b. An image of the vases's base and its six-character reign mark 大清乾隆年製 which translates to 'made in the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty'.
Image 7a. One of the more interesting pieces at the Wang Xing Lou auction was this imitation-lacquer porcelain circular box and cover with Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795).
This box and cover qualifies as a trompe-l'oeil object, which is French for 'trick the eye'. When you first see this box and cover, you might think that it is a typical lacquer box with a carved surface scene containing two scholars in a landscape. However, this is actually carved from porcelain, making it very rare and showcasing the innovative talents of the 18th Century Qing Court artists.
This box was also extensively published and came through many important collections including the British Rail Pension Fund and the Shanghai-Hong Kong dealer Robert Chang. The provenance includes:
Sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 28-29 November 1978, lot 163
Sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Important Chinese Porcelain, Enamels and Jade Carvings from the Works of Art Collection of the British Rail Pension Fund, 16 May 1989, lot 47
The Robert Chang Collection, Hong Kong
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong- Imperial Wares from the Robert Chang Collection, 2 November 1999, lot 506
Against an estimate of HKD 2.8/3.5 million, this box and cover sold for HKD 5.292 million (approximately CAD 930,000).
Image 7b. An image of the box's base and its six-character reign mark 大清乾隆年製 which translates to 'made in the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty'.
Image 8a. And finally at the Wang Xing Lou Collection was this stunning moulded celadon glazed 'dragon and phoenix' octagonal vase with Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795).
Estimated at HKD 1.5/2.5 million, this vase has a very graceful shape and design that harks back to archaic bronze prototypes. The body has a large raised band of interlocking stylized dragons and phoenixes while the shoulder and base showcase stylized lotus petals. This attractive vase ended up realizing HKD 6.3 million (approximately CAD 1.105 million).
Image 8b. An image of the vase's base and its six-character reign mark 大清乾隆年製 which translates to 'made in the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty'.
Overall this Wang Xing Lou sale at Christie's was a wide success with all ten objects selling for a combined HKD 122.704 million (approximately CAD 21.527 million)!
And thank you for reading another one of my blogs and I hope everyone has a terrific summer! I will be heading to British Columbia very shortly for a three week trip to Vancouver and Victoria. During this time I will be mostly sourcing Asian art items for my next October Asian art online sale at Heffel. I also have a couple bits of writing and various Chinese art appraisals and valuation projects that I am working on. If you haven't done so, please follow me on Instagram @anthonywuart.
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