A fine, exquisite and exceedingly rare falangcai blue-ground sgraffiato 'floral' bowl, Blue-enamel mark and early period of Qianlong | 清乾隆早期 藍地琺瑯彩錦上添花四時花卉紋宮盌 《乾隆年製》藍料款

Collection of Xu Shiying (1872-1964), former Premier of the Republic of China, and thence by descent.

前中華民國國務總理許世英（1872-1964年）收藏，此後家族傳承

Xu Shiying (10 September 1873 – 13 October 1964, also known as Hsu Shih-ing) was a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party and a politician who served as Premier of the Republic of China from 26th December 1925 to 4th March 1926. He is recognised as a staunch advocate of the rule of law and Western-style legal principles. Xu played a key role in the modernisation of China's judicial system and was instrumental in initiating prison reforms during the presidency of Yuan Shikai.

Among the highlights of Xu's career was his appointment as Minister of the Interior in 1916, followed by his appointment in 1924 as Chief Secretary to Marshal Duan Qirui, who headed the Provisional Government of China. Xu later served as the Chinese Ambassador to Japan and chaired a Chinese delegation for peace negotiations with Republican China. Xu lived in Hong Kong after 1948, later moving to Taipei in 1950, where he passed away in 1964.

許世英（1872年9月10日—1964年10月13日），字靜仁，號俊人，安徽建德人。清末民初政治人物，曾任中華民國國務總理。許世英生於一個富裕的地主家庭。光緒十七年（1891年）中秀才，此後兩次鄉試落第。光緒二十三年（1897年）選丁酉科拔貢，同年參加禮部廷試，得一等，繼而開啟仕途。於宣統三年任山西布政使，後支持袁世凱，同山西巡撫張錫鑾等人聯名籲請宣統帝退位。

民國年間，許世英歷任大理院院長、司法總長、任內確認了中國律師制度。後轉任奉天省民政長、福建民政長，內務總長，交通總長，並於1918年任中國與意大利合辦的華意銀行總裁。1925年出任段祺瑞政府的國務總理一職，翌年2月15日辭任國務總理。1928年南京國民政府成立，許世英任賑務委員會委員長，組織中國全國的社會救濟事業。1936年2月任中國駐日本大使。1948年12月他辭任官職後，移居香港。1950年後遷居台灣。1964年10月13日，病逝台北，享年92歲。