Lot 3101
  • 3101

A FINE AND RARE CELADON-GLAZED 'LINGZHI AND BAMBOO' SAUCER DISH MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG |

Estimate
380,000 - 500,000 HKD
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Description

  • 11.7 cm, 4 5/8  in.
finely potted with rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot, the exterior applied with a soft sea-green glaze and delicately incised with a continuous leafy scroll bearing five lingzhi heads amidst bamboo leaves, the interior and base left white, the latter inscribed with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue within a double circle

Provenance

A private collection, Rome, 1980.
A European private collection.
Christie's Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 3518 (one of a pair).

Exhibited

Recent Acquisitions, Marchant, London, 2012, cat. no. 35.

Condition

The dish is in very good condition with expected minute pinholes to the rim.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

It is with great pleasure, in association with Sotheby’s, to be holding an auction of Qing Imperial Porcelain to coincide with my forthcoming retirement. After sixty-seven years in the business and having enjoyed every minute, it feels a good time to retire and leave Marchant. Now in its 95th year, the company is left in the capable hands of my eldest son Stuart, the third generation, together with Samuel and Natalie, both the fourth generation. Marchant’s association with Sotheby’s goes back a long way. The founder, Samuel Sidney Marchant (1898-1975), attended the famous Eumorphopulus auction at Sotheby’s London in May 1940. One of the people who helped and advised me in my early days was A.J.B. ‘Jim’ Kiddell who was head of the Chinese department at Sotheby’s London. I fondly remember him putting his arm around my shoulder and giving me advice. After he retired, the good relationship continued with the late Julian Thompson, a world authority and head of Sotheby’s Chinese department, and later chairman of Sotheby’s, he is greatly missed. In 1973, Sotheby’s began their Hong Kong auctions and I attended most of them throughout the 1970s and 80s. My son Stuart then began attending the auctions and we continue to this day to have a positive relationship.

It has been a great adventure, travelling the world, meeting wonderful and interesting people and forming memories which I will always treasure. One of the most remarkable and perhaps surprising aspects has been the continual change of taste over the passing years. As a young man, I was attracted to Qing Imperial porcelain in spite of the fact that it was far less popular than Ming porcelain. My appreciation for Qing has continued throughout my life, always focusing on quality, condition and provenance. I trust that this group reflects my love and standards and hope that these pieces find new homes with people who have the same passion as I have.

Richard P. Marchant
April 2020

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A similar dish was included in the exhibition Shimmering Colours, Monochromes of the Yuan to Qing Periods. The Zhuyuetang Collection, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 86; and another, from the collection of Peter W. Hyui, was included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 74. See also an undecorated dish of this form and size and with Yongzheng mark and of the period, from the Hall Family collection, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition The Arts of the Ch'ing Dynasty, London, 1964, cat. no. 273, and sold in these rooms, 2nd May 2000, lot 544.