Roseberys’ first Chinese, Japanese, and South East Asian Art auction of the year will celebrate the history of wine in Chinese culture with a curated wine-themed section, spearheaded by a rare pair of porcelain wine warmers. Fiercely painted with dragons in iron red amid billowing clouds in cobalt blue, these are evidence of the importance of wine-drinking in Qing dynasty China.
Another highlight is an exquisite Qianlong mark and period pouring vessel, yuhuchun, skilfully covered in an even copper-red glaze. Roseberys will hold a unique event prior to the sale, a winding stream party. The winding stream party, known as "曲水流觞" (qū shuǐ liú shāng) in Chinese, is a traditional cultural wine drinking event that originated in ancient China around Western Zhou period (1046BC – 771BC). It typically involves gathering along the banks of a meandering stream or river to enjoy leisurely activities, such as drinking, dining, poetry recitation, music, and appreciating nature.
Lot 48: A Chinese copper-red-glazed pear-shaped vase, yuhuchun, Qianlong seal mark and of the period
Also offered on day one is a remarkable collection of over three hundred snuff bottles showcasing the sheer quality and breadth of media in which snuff bottles were carved. White jade is arguably the most revered material when it comes to snuff bottles, and lot 95 is a particularly good example of this type. It is also inscribed with a seal mark of Yi’An.
Yi'An is a seal associated with 何汝鸿 He Ruhong, who lived in Jiaxing during the Qing dynasty, born around 1830; he was an accomplished carver, expert at carving hardstones and particularly seals of the 'Zhu Wen' type, where the calligraphy is in shallow relief. He was also an accomplished painter. It is unclear whether he would have been the owner or the carver of the snuff bottle, but it quite rare for a jade snuff bottle to be signed.
Lot 95: A fine Chinese white and russet jade snuff bottle, Qing dynasty
A painting by the celebrated 20th century artist Zhao Shao’ang is just one of several works of art from the much revered and important collection of Mu-Fei to be offered in this sale.
From a varied Japanese art section which includes a large private collection of paintings, a rare early 17th century Namban lacquered chest may well prove to be the most sought-after object.
Lot 577: A Japanese Namban black lacquered, mother of pearl inlaid and gilt decorated cabinet, Momoyama period, early 17th century
Day two includes over 350 lots of Chinese ceramics from the Neolithic period to the Republic period and features a significant collection of Tang ceramics from a private London collection. Rare groups of musicians <lots 648 and 649> and one of the largest figures of a court lady known to have been produced are just some of the highlights from this collection.
Lot 723: A massive Chinese pottery figure of a court lady, Tang dynasty
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