Ming dynasty, first half of 16th century

The slightly rounded sides are incised on the turquoise-blue ground with aubergine lotus scrolls and blossoms glazed in cream. The top is glazed in dark violet-blue and has three circular and one rectangular aperture  encircling a turquoise central raised disc with a small circular hole. 
The base is partly glazed in a yellowish colour.
Diameter 13 cm

Drum-shaped brush- and inkstick holders were produced in China during a rather short period, and generally dated to the first half of the 16th century, although blue and white examples from the Wanli period (1573-1620) are known.
They usually have three or four circular and one rectangular openings at the top for holding brushes and an inkstick.

A similar fahua example incised with a four-charcter Ming mark, from the Percical David collection, is in the Victoria & Albert Museum (C 58-1935).
Another example, but missing the central domed disc, from the Sam Marsh collection, is illustrated in his latest publication, together with other drum-shaped brush receptables, in 'Brushpots, A Collector's View', Hong Kong 2020 (see image 9).

The use of these brush- and inkstick receptables becomes clear as there exists a painting of the famous philosopher Wang Yangming (1472-1529) seated at his writing desk. On the desk we can see, amongst others, a similar vessel, the circular holes holding three brushes with tips upwards (see images 5-6). It is assumed that the rectangular opening is meant to hold an inkstick. (See G. Tsang and H. Moss, 'Arts from the Scholar's Studio', Hong Kong. 1986, pp. 226-227).

It is very rare to find similar shapes made of materials other than porcelain, such as the gilt bronze example from our collection (see images 7-9), which probably predate the Ming porcelain ones.
This very piece was formerly in the collection of Sam Marsh (provenance Nicholas Grindley), and illustrated in his latest publication, "Brushpots, A Collector's View', Hong Kong 2020, p.24, fig.5


 

Chongzhen-Shunzhi, c. 1640-1645

The vase is of cylindrical form and is surmounted by a waisted neck.
The exterior is painted in shades of underglaze blue with two large vases, one filled with flowering branches of lotus beside a low table supporting an incense burner and a tool vase. The other vase is filled with flowering branches of prunus beside a jardiniere containing a small scholar's rock, and a bowl filled with fruit. An insect is hovering above, all under a full  moon. 
Height 20.6 cm

This vase was amongst the circa 25.000 pieces of porcelain salvaged from the South China Sea by Captain Michael Hatcher from a wrecked Chinese junk.
Sold at Christie's Amsterdam, June 1984 (Label)

Illustrated: Feng-Chun Ma, 'Chinese Porcelain from the Wanli to Kangxi Period', 2019, Catalogue, No.44
 

明崇禎至清順治 哈察船貨 青花清供小棒槌瓶

c. 1640-1645

器呈筒式，束頸。外壁以青花繪兩件大瓶：一瓶內插折枝蓮花，旁設矮几，几上承香爐與香具；另一瓶內插折枝梅花，旁置賞石盆景及一盛放瑞果之盌。上方高懸一輪圓月，並繪草蟲翩躚其間。

高20.6公分

來源：此瓶為哈察船貨之一。
1984年6月 阿姆斯特丹佳士得(標籤)

圖錄: 馬鳳春, 'Chinese Porcelain from the Wanli to Kangxi Period', 2019, Catalogue, No.44

Ming dynasty, 16th century

The Buddha is shown seated in dhyanasana, his right hand pointing to the earth in bhumisparsamudra on a double-lotus pedestal, and left hand resting on his lap in dhyana mudra. He is wearing priest's robes draped over the left shoulder. The face is finely cast with contemplative expression flanked by long pendulous pierced ear lobes, below tightly-coiled black curls,  surmounted by a bud-shaped usnisa.
Painted black and red details of face and usnisa. 
Height 24.5 cm

Provenance: An old private collection, Sweden
                     Remains of old Chinese stickers on the back

Some stylistic features of this Buddha, such as the tall, poited usnisa, and the elongated pendulous ear lobes shows an evident influence of the Central Tibetan style. Such Tibetan characteristics of Buddha were introduced to China during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), when the Tibetan form of esoteric Buddhism was adopted as the official religion of the Mongol court.

 

WF 21 明十六世紀 銅鎏金髹漆釋迦牟尼佛坐像

本尊釋迦牟尼佛結跏趺坐於雙層蓮瓣座之上。右手下垂施觸地印，左手平放於盤築的雙腿上結禪定印。身著袈裟，偏袒右肩。佛面法相尊崇，鑄造精工，呈靜穆沉思之態；雙耳下垂且耳璫穿孔。頭飾緊密螺髪，肉髻高聳呈苞蕾狀。面部及肉髻局部可見黑、紅兩色漆繪細節。

高24.5公分

來源：瑞典私人舊藏。背面留有中國舊標籤殘痕

17th/18th century 

The incense burner is cast on the steeply rounded sides with a large taotie mask on a leiwen ground. It is supported by a tall splayed foot cast on both sides with a border of the eight trigrams, bagua, below a scroll border. The sides are flanked by two dragon-fish handles, each 'biting'  the everted rim. The base is cast with a geometric diaper pattern.

Width (from handle to handle) 24.5 cm

WF 49 十七/十八世紀 青銅香爐

本品青銅爐深腹弧壁，外壁通體以雷紋為地，鑄飾碩大饕餮紋。下承高圈足，向外微撇，圈足周身鑄八卦紋一周，其上飾卷草紋邊飾。器身兩側對稱置雙魚龍耳，龍首作吞銜外撇爐沿狀。器底鑄幾何錦紋。

雙耳距24.5公分

Kangxi (1662-1722)

The lady's shoe is in the shape of an early Ming satin model with an embroidered top, and a piece of damask is attached to the heel (see a pair of shoes found in an early Ming lady's tomb).
It is glazed in yellow and enamels, details in relief of a stylised animal's mask in green and aubergine. 
Length 9.5 cm

This so-called' lotus' shoe was meant for a lady's bound foot.
In traditional China, especially during the Song (960-1279) throughout the Qing (1644-1912) dynasties, the bound feet were considered the most intimate and erotic part of a woman's body, symbols of feminine beauty, elegance and sexuality. Therefore, small-sized shoes were deeply intertwined with sexuality, eroticism, and patriarchal perceptions of femininity.

PF 52 清康熙 素三彩繡花鞋型筆洗

此品造形取法明早期緞面繡花鞋，鞋面飾以刺繡紋樣，後跟處見綾緞紋（參考明代早期女性墓葬出土之鞋履實物）。通體施琺瑯黃釉，鞋頭處浮雕蛾紋，施綠、紫色釉。

長9.5公分

Tianqi -Chongzhen period (c. 1625-1635)

The sturdily potted dishes are of square form with flattened rim with indented corners. The interior of each is painted in shades of underglaze-blue to the centre with large flowering lotus branches growing from a pond. A turtle is emerging from a lotus leaf in the lower left corner; a winged insect is hovering above. The rims are reserve-decorated in white with a border of scrolling chrysanthemum.
17.5 and 17.8 cm wide

Provenance:
Formerly in a Japanese collection
Acquired from Jorge Welsh, London

The scene of the present dish is painted after a Chinese woodblock print from the Bazhu Huapu, 'Manual of Eight Types of Paintings', dating from the Tianqi period (1621-1627). In the original print, a frog is shown on the lotus leaf, which is replaced by a turtle in our dishes.



明天啟至崇禎 青花荷塘古染付方盤 兩件

c. 1625-1635

器胎堅實，呈倭角折沿方盤式。盤心以青花繪荷塘景致，蓮花自水中挺立；左下角一烏龜自荷葉間探出，上方繪草蟲翩躚。折沿處飾纏枝菊紋一週。
此盤紋飾取材自明天啟年間刊行之木刻版畫《八種畫譜》。原版畫中荷葉上繪有一青蛙，而本品則將其替換為烏龜。

寬 17.5 及 17.8 公分

來源：日本舊藏
倫敦 Jorge Welsh

Kangxi period (1662-1722)

Each is modelled in mirror image in the form of a boy lying on the back of a buffalo. Each animal, standing four-square looking to the right or to the left, is realistically depicted and glazed in a strong aubergine colour, the hooves dark brown below a narrow unglazed band. Each boy lies on his front, holding a ruyi scepter in one hand, his straw hat on his back.
Each is wearing a green tunic over yellow trousers, the smiling face in biscuit under black hair.

Length: 19.5 cm; height: 13.5 cm

Provenance: Feng-Chun Ma, Amsterdam

Published in Feng-Chun Ma, A Thousand Years of Hundred Boys in Chinese Art, 10th–20th Century (Hong Kong: CA Book Publishing, 2024), 108.

The herd-boy and the buffalo are depicted in a relaxed mood after their work is finished, ready to return home.

PF 30 清康熙 素三彩牧童臥牛 一對

水牛四足穩立，或向右或向左顧盼，造型寫實，通體施濃郁茄紫釉，蹄部呈深褐色，蹄上留一圈素胎。童子俯臥其上，一手持如意，草帽置於背後。童子身著綠色上衣與黃色長褲，面容含笑，以素胎呈現膚色，配以黑髮。
牧童與水牛神情閒適，正準備歸返家園。

長：19.5 公分；高：13.5 公分

來源：Feng-Chun Ma, Amsterdam

出版：馬鳳春《千年百子─十至二十世紀中國藝術中的嬰戲圖》(香港：CA Book Publishing, 2024)，頁108.

Kangxi (1662-1722)

The lady's shoe is in the shape of an early Ming satin model with an embroidered top, and a piece of damask is attached to the heel (see a pair of shoes found in an early Ming lady's tomb).
It is glazed in yellow and enamels, details in relief of a stylised animal's mask in green and aubergine. 
Length 9.5 cm

This so-called' lotus' shoe was meant for a lady's bound foot.
In traditional China, especially during the Song (960-1279) throughout the Qing (1644-1912) dynasties, the bound feet were considered the most intimate and erotic part of a woman's body, symbols of feminine beauty, elegance and sexuality. Therefore, small-sized shoes were deeply intertwined with sexuality, eroticism, and patriarchal perceptions of femininity.

PF 52 清康熙 素三彩繡花鞋型筆洗

此品造形取法明早期緞面繡花鞋，鞋面飾以刺繡紋樣，後跟處見綾緞紋（參考明代早期女性墓葬出土之鞋履實物）。通體施琺瑯黃釉，鞋頭處浮雕蛾紋，施綠、紫色釉。

長9.5公分

RAINY LANDSCAPE
Hanging scroll, ink on paper

Signed: 隆(隴)南 劉珣 寫意  (Liu Xun from Longnan, free brushwork); with two seals of the artist

109 x 56 cm 

Provenance: Mr. Carl Barkman, Dutch diplomat in Beijing in the 1960s

劉珣 《寫意山水》

此畫描繪煙雨山景。

屬款：隆(隴)南 劉珣 寫意

109 x 56 cm 

來源：1960年代駐北京之荷蘭外交官Carl Barkman收藏
 

17th/18th century 

The Immortal is seated sideways on his recumbent companion, a deer on a circular base, his right hand grasping one of the animal's thin antlers, his left hand holding a scroll. He is clad in long robes tied with a long string below his belly.
His hair is gathered in a knot at the back of his head suspending long ribbons covering his shoulders. The animal with one thin leg lifted and head turned back.
Areas of parcel gilding contrast with the deep brown bronze. The base is partly hollow and is finished with three pins which reveal that the figure was once attached to a larger object, probably a censer.
Height 11 cm

A very similar group, also part of a larger piece, was sold at Spink & Son, Ltd., 4th May 1979

WF 50 十七或十八世紀 銅局部鎏金壽老騎鹿像

壽老側坐於伏地瑞鹿之背，下承圓座。壽老右手輕扶鹿角，左手執經卷。身著長袍，腰間束帶。束髮於後，帛帶垂及雙肩。瑞鹿引頸回首，一足微屈，神態靈動。
全器局部鎏金，與古雅之深褐銅色對比鮮明。底座局部中空，存有三枚銷釘，由此推斷此像原應與較大型器物（或為香爐）相連。

高 11 公分

倫敦斯賓克（Spink & Son, Ltd.）曾於1979年5月4日售出一件與本品極其相似之像，其亦為大型器物之部件。

Ming dynasty 

The rounded sides are carved in low relief with celestial animals including a turtle, a tiger, a snake, a bird and a hare pounding the elixer of long life, below 'ruyi' shaped cloud, the semi-translucent stone of a greyish-green tone with opaque and russet area encircling the sides.
8 cm across 

Provenance: A former Dutch diplomat in Beijing, acquired in the late 1950s

WF 48 明 青玉褐沁手鐲

圓環手鐲，以淺浮雕刻飾瑞獸紋樣，包括龜、虎、蛇、鳥及玉兔等，襯以如意形雲紋。玉質半透明，呈灰青色調，間有不透明及褐色沁斑環繞器身。

直徑8公分

來源：曾駐北京之荷蘭外交官於1950年代末獲得之舊藏

Kangxi period (1662-1722)

The small dish is painted in bright cobalt blue in the 17th century Ming style with a central roundel of a stylized tulip motif surrounded by a border of five bats divided by tulip heads. The well and everted rim is painted with radiating panels of further stylized tulips growing from a leafy stem divided by smaller panels of a flower spray and beaded panels .
The underside has two shaped panels enclosing a spray of tulip divided by a single flower spray.
Artemisia leaf on the base
Diameter 16.5 cm

It is rare to find a Kangxi dish that imitates the Kraak style so closely as the present example.

BF 77 清康熙 青花鬱金香五蝠紋小盤

此盤尺寸精巧，青花發色蒼翠明麗。全器效法十七世紀明代克拉克瓷風格，盤心圓形開光內繪鬱金香紋，外環飾五蝠，間以鬱金香花首。內壁至撇口處繪扇形開光，內飾鬱金香花葉紋，其間點綴折枝花卉及聯珠紋。
外壁另繪兩組開光，內分別飾鬱金香及花卉紋。盤底繪一艾葉紋。
康熙朝瓷器中，如本品般如此精準傳神地摹仿明代克拉克瓷風格者，實屬珍罕難得。

直徑： 16.5 公分