Sourced

A Rare Imperial Puce-Enamelled Blue and White 'Dragon' Moonflask, Bianhu

Found in East Devon and sold in Hong Kong in 2015 for HK$ 5,680,000 inc. premium.

This lot was a family ornament which had spent most of its life at the back of a display cabinet. Put in a box and deposited in the attic, it was later discovered when the client was having a clear-out. They were extremely shocked at the estimate, let alone the price it sold for at our Bonhams Hong Kong Sale.  The vase originally belonged to a relative of the client who was a Colonel with Her Majesty's Royal Army Medical Corps during the 19^th and early 20^th century.

A testament to the exceptional skills employed at the imperial kilns and a superb example of imperial porcelain production at the height of the Qianlong period, this flask exhibits characteristics typical of the finest pieces made for the Qianlong emperor. The unusually small and intricate size (16.8cm high) makes this vase a personal piece to be handled and admired. Moreover, it is very rare to find this style of decoration featuring a dragon in puce enamel, surrounded by underglaze blue cloud scrolls.

Giuseppe Zocchi (Florence, 1711-1767), View of the Tiber

Found in Devon and sold in London in 2009 for £1,308,000 inc. premium.

This fabulous oil painting was discovered wrapped in a blanket under a bed whilst doing a probate valuation in a South Devon cottage. For insurance reasons, we collected the picture on the same day and transferred it to the Bonhams office so it was adequately insured. We believe the picture was acquired by the clients' parents in circa 1949, after which it was hanging at Inglewood House, Devon, and thence by descent.

Rolex, A Fine And Rare Stainless Steel Automatic Calendar Bracelet Watch

Found in East Devon and sold in London in 2020 for £150,250 inc. premium.

This watch was discovered in the South West and came directly from the family of its original owner, who was an accomplished career diver. Having joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16, he later become a Royal Navy diver in 1955; during this period he was part of the bomb and mine disposal unit and was attached to the SBS (Special Boat Service, the Navy's equivalent to the SAS). He completed 25 years of service, ending as a diving instructor.

He then moved onto the renowned diving enterprise, Comex, in Aberdeen as head of training, aiding trainee divers to survive saturation diving in the extremely hazardous environment of the North Sea. After his time at Comex, he moved onto British Petroleum as North West Europe Operations Manager.

As a diver he helped develop SCUBA and knew Jacques Cousteau, Hans and Lotte Hass and Lionel (Buster) Crabb.

The collaboration between the world famous French diving company Comex (Compagnie Maritime d'Expertise) and Rolex started in early 1971. Each watch was issued to their specialist divers, with Comex marked on the dial and numbered on the case back. The current lot has been serviced by Rolex several times over the years.