Under the Hammer

Bonhams Hong Kong is excited to present three Chinese art auctions from 29 May to 2 June. Kicking off the series on 29 May, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art and More than a Game: Games in Chinese Art will present a rich array of Chinese works of art such as jades, vases, ancient vessels, and the Brian Harkins Collection of Bronze Arrow Vases. On 2 June, Fine Chinese Paintings will feature works by leading artists of the category such as Lin Fengmian and Zhang Daqian.

Ahead of the auctions, we spoke with the specialists behind the sales about their top lots going under the hammer.

Lot 123

An Exceptionally Rare Pair of Octagonal Candlesticks

We are very pleased to present this spectacular pair of blue and white Yongle octagonal candlesticks which have not been on public display for over 80 years. This is the only pair known in private hands with its particular form, size and almost identical decoration on each tier.

The distinctive style of the candlesticks was inspired by Islamic Imperial brass candlesticks of the 13th and 14th century. The sumali cobalt pigment was also imported from the Middle East, indicating an extensive trading and cultural exchange. The Imperial kiln had stopped producing this type of candlestick after the Xuande period because it was extremely difficult to imitate the shape of metalwork with clay and to maintain this shape during the firing process. The refinement of the body and glaze materials, the vivacity of the seasonal floral scrolls with lush blooms, and the tendrils on the candlesticks reveal the artist's skill and confidence.

Lot 133

Yangcai Painted 'Imperial Poems and Landscapes' Incised Celadon-Ground Vase

Another notable lot is this painted ‘Imperial poems and landscapes’ incised celadon-ground lobed oval vase. Four pieces of porcelain of the same name were recorded in the imperial archives, and three similar vases remain today in the National Museum of China, Victoria and Albert Museum and Manchester Art Gallery. The present lot is the only one with such design available on the market.

The four-lobed panels on each side of the vase enclose famille rose seasonal landscape scenes that are associated with Imperial poems composed by the Qianlong Emperor, published in Leshan tang quanji [The Complete Works of Leshan Hall] (1737). It is almost certain that this vase was produced when Tang Yin was the superintendent at Jingdezhen, since later the Imperial poems were selected from the Yuzhi shi chu ji [Imperial Poetry, Part 1] instead of the Leshan tang quanji from the 14th year of the Qianlong reign (1749).

Lot 30

A Rare 'Hundred Boys' Kesi Panel

This exquisite kesi panel depicts eighty-nine boys in small groups engaging in a variety of activities within a garden setting. It is complete with amazing details; if you look close enough, the facial expressions of each boy are unique.

The 'hundred boys' refers to the story of King Wen, the father of the founder of the Zhou dynasty King Wu, representing the wish for many sons. In folklore, King Wu of Zhou had ninety-nine sons and adopted one more, totalling one hundred. Although it remains unknown when this story emerged, the earliest known depiction of the story in visual art is a painting on silk mounted as a rounded fan, from the 12th-or 13th century, which is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art. The games and arrangement of the groups of boys on this particular panel share a consistency with other depictions of the same subject during the Ming dynasty.

Lot 34

A Rare Bronze 'Boys' Stupa-Shaped Arrow Vase, Touhu

The present vase is exceptional, firstly for its unusual Buddhist stupa shape rising from a drum-shaped stand, and secondly for the elaborate high relief design combining sixteen boys and four foreigners holding drum-shaped tubes, all further embellished with auspicious symbols. The number of boys, sixteen, may allude to the same number of luohans, a possibility reinforced by the Buddhist shape of the vase.

Lot 671

Lin Fengmian, Dunhuang Musicians

To see Dunhuang Musicians in our gallery is to be blown away completely. It is masterful in every regard – the subject, composition, application of colours, as well as each and every detail. Its size is also magnificent; it feels very much like seeing Picasso’s Girl Before a Mirror at the MoMA for the very first time, which is almost the same size, with one being horizontal and the other vertical. The market has never seen a Lin Fengmian work of such monumental dimensions and significance.

The series of Dunhuang musicians is Lin’s rarest, with only four known pieces in public collections, all of which are much smaller in size. The last time Dunhuang-themed paintings came to auction in Hong Kong was 20 years ago, and both portrayed a singular musician at a smaller scale.

As Lin wrote to his student in 1952, “The cave paintings of Dunhuang are the finest art of the Orient, many great painters in Europe including Paul Gauguin pursued fervently in vain. I have been exploring for a long time, it looks simple, but actually very difficult to paint. The colours applied between the lines, as well as the various shades of the colours are almost impossible to capture by hand.”

Being inarguably the most iconic work of the Dunhuang series, Dunhuang Musicians will surely be discussed by art historians, art lovers and collectors for many years to come.

Lot 646

Zhang Daqian, Fishing on the Autumn River

Just like the Impressionist masters who were mesmerized by the changing of light, their talented peers in the Far East were pursuing the same path during the first half of the 20th century - rather a challenging path due to the utensils at their disposal. Fishing on the Autumn River by Zhang Daqian is a wonderful example of such an arduous endeavour. Painted on very fine silk, Daqian first laid a thin layer of ochre colour to create the ambience of the sunset, followed by his exquisitely meticulous brushwork to portray the mountains, river, banks, trees, houses, and lastly, the scholar fishing in solitude on his boat, bathing in the glow of the sunset. What a moment to have captured! Composed during the heyday of the artist’s career, this charming painting was a gift to Daqian’s good friend and patron Yang Xiaoci (1895-1956), who, as the director of the Central Bank in Chengdu, sponsored Daqian’s grand tour to Dunhuang from 1941 to 1943.