Early Jade Carvings

There's a tremendous interest in early jade carvings, made from the Neolithic period to the Han dynasty (3000 BC – 2nd century AD).

The huge interest first manifested itself in The Sze Yuan Tang Collection of Chinese Jades at Bonhams Hong Kong in April 2016, which offered an important selection of early jades. The sale achieved an extraordinary HK$178,276,250 (approx. £16,141,386) for only 73 lots. This trend continues, and most recently at Bonhams London in November 2021, a small group of early jades from a Swiss collection, estimated at £8,000 – 12,000, sold for £437,750.

Significant rise in interest in Song ceramics (960-1279). The so-called Five Classic Wares (Ru, Guan, Ge, Ding and Jun).

This category has been hugely admired by previous generations, and it is therefore no surprise that whilst buyers in mainland China first focused on Qing pieces from the 18th century, they returned to the earlier appreciation of the five classic wares through the prism of the 18th century Qianlong Emperor who wrote poems of appreciation inscribed on Song pieces. In March 2021, Bonhams New York sold a rare Imperially-inscribed white-glazed pillow, the pillow Song dynasty and the poem dated to 1746, for $882,312.

Since around 2015 the market for Chinese classical furniture has skyrocketed.

This is especially the case for furniture made of the prized huanghuali and zitan woods, and for pieces dating from the 16^th to the 18^th century. In May 2021, Bonhams held The H Collection of Chinese Classical Furniture, Archaic Bronzes and Japanese Art, which comprised an exceptional selection of huanghuali furniture, including an important huanghuali day-bed, circa 1550-1600, which sold for £862,750. This result followed the exceptional Taliani Collection of November 2017, which included an important set of four huanghuali folding chairs, 16th/17th century, which sold for a remarkable £5,296,250.

Buddhist Art

With the return to appreciation of antiques in China, it is no coincidence that equally there has been a return to the veneration of Buddhist art. In November 2019, a superb large gilt copper-alloy group of Vajrabhairava, Tibet, 17th century, from an English collection, sold for HK$11,335,625 (US$1,453,008).

Imperial Court Painted Enamel

Painted enamel on copper body was first introduced to China by Jesuit priests in the late 17th century. The interest in such wares made for the Imperial Court has grown significantly in recent years. In November 2021 Bonhams London offered The Parry Collection of Chinese Art, which sold 100% for a total of £7,888,246. The star lot was a rare and important Imperial Beijing-enamel teapot and cover, Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795), which sold against an estimate of £500,000 – 800,000 for £2,062,750.

Cloisonné Enamel

Cloisonné enamel was also influenced by the west and can be first seen in China during the second half of the 14th century. This category over recent years was strong in pieces made for the Imperial Court during the 18th century. Earlier cloisonné wares, until very recently, was a much under-valued category. However, there are strong signs that this is now changing.

In November 2021 Bonhams London sold an extremely rare cloisonné enamel box and cover, Xuande marks and period (1425-1435) from the collection of Rolf, Lord Cunliffe, for £622,750. In December 2021 an auction at Bonhams Hong Kong dedicated to cloisonné pieces made during the Ming and early Qing dynasty, achieved a total of HK$26,109,525 (US$3,346,494).

Imperial Textiles

Imperial textiles made for the Court communicated the individual’s hierarchy and adorned the Palaces. In 2018 Bonhams London sold a rare ‘twelve-symbol’ ‘dragon’ robe, Qianlong (1736-1795), which started at an estimate of £100,000 – 150,000 and finally sold at £464,750. Most recently, in May 2021, Bonhams London sold a rare Imperial yellow-ground silk embroidered screen panel, Qianlong (1736-1795) for £325,250.

Guqin

One of the Four Scholarly Accomplishments was the skill to play the Chinese string instrument guqin. Early examples are particularly highly sought after by collectors, and in December 2021 Bonhams Hong Kong sold an important lacquered qin, 10th century or earlier, for HK$9,852,500 (US$1,262,890).