On April 8, Sotheby’s spring sales of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art totaled HK$451,275,199. The three sales, which together comprised a total of over 230 lots and featured rare and magnificent Imperial Chinese ceramics and works of art, included Important Chinese Art from the Collection of a Parisian Connoisseur (HK$128,304,002/US$16,415,214), By Heavenly Mandate: Historical Works of Art from the Qianlong Reign (HK$97,600,000/US$12,486,944) and Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (HK$225,371,197/US$28,833,991). The top lot of the sales was an Extraordinary Group of Seven Jade Imperial Archer’s Rings, along with its original fitted cinnabar box and cover, mark and period of Qianlong, which sold for HK$47,360,000. Mr. Nicolas Chow, Sotheby’s Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art & Senior Director, Asia, said, “Sotheby’s offering today of The Collection of a Parisian Connoisseur brought to sale remarkable Chinese 12 porcelain, largely Imperial, which had been out of China for an extended period of time. The market responded to this fresh material, which appeared at an international auction for the first time, with enthusiasm by repatriating many works back into Chinese hands. Every single object sold, a “white glove” sale, and many achieved multiples of their high estimates. We were also honoured to have been entrusted with works from the Qianlong reign which are of enormous historical and cultural significance to China. The price achieved today for the Imperial rings symbolizes the privilege of being the custodian for works which offer profoundly intimate commentary on the life of Qianlong and shows the increasing focus of our buyers on unique objects of supreme historical importance.”An Extraordinary Group of Seven Jade Imperial Archer’s Rings, along with its original fitted cinnabar box and cover, mark and period of Qianlong, sold for HK$47,360,000 (US$6,059,238) to an Asian private. The theme sale included five jade lots from the Qianlong reign and totaled HK$97,600,000 (US$12,486,944). The Extraordinary Documented Group of Seven Imperial Archer’s Rings with its Original Cinnabar Box and Cover vividly conjures the military supremacy of the Qing dynasty Emperors. The Qianlong Emperor’s personal interest in thumbrings stemmed from his passion for archery and came as a tribute to the glory of his Manchu ancestors, nomadic tribesmen whose archery skills first ensured their survival and in time established their military might. This set of archer’s rings appears to have captivated the Emperor over three decades - from the lacquer box first inscribed in 1757 with a poem he himself composed to after 1790 when the final ring was inscribed with the last of his ten poems. Another cornerstone of the sale was a Highly Important dated Zitan Mounted Archaic Jade Bi with Yuti mark, Qianlong period, which sold for HK$34,480,000 to an Asian private (US$4,411,371). The superb Eastern Han jade bi disc features painstakingly carved and reticulated dragon and phoenix motifs, and the carved words Yan Nian (‘elongated lifespan’) stand for the longevity of the emperor as well as the eternal prosperity of Qianlong’s reign. Important Chinese Art from the Collection of a Parisian Connoisseur Every single lot found a buyer – a “white glove” sale - in the single-owner sale of this remarkable Parisian collection, which was assembled in France between 1970 and 1996, and totaled HK$128,304,002 (US$16,415,214). Highlighting the 25 lots of largely Imperial Chinese porcelains and works of art, which made their first appearance at an international auction, was a Superbly Decorated and Rare Faceted ‘Famille-rose’ Vase, bearing the seal mark of the Yongzheng period, which sold for 3 HK$22,720,000, many times over its high estimate, to Hong Kong dealer Chak’s Company Ltd. The hexagonal section was richly moulded with designs inspired by European baroque ornament and enamelled in the ‘famille-rose’ palette on colour grounds, predominated by a dazzling lemonyellow. A Fine and Rare Blue and White Beaker Vase, Zun Ming dynasty, Chenghua period, achieved HK$13,760,000, selling to Littleton & Hennessy Asian Art (US$1,760,454). The vase is freely painted in rich cobalt-blue tones and decorated with four of the ‘babao’, each issuing froma lotus bloom amid leafy curling scrolls.The various-owners sale brought HK$225,371,197/US$28,833,991, and the highlight of the day was an Exquisite and Very Rare ‘Falangcai’ Enamel Miniature Vase, Mark and Period of Qianlong, which achieved HK$33,920,000, almost tripling its high estimate and selling to an Asian private (est. HK$10/12 million). The delicately potted ovoid body, flanked by a pair of tubular handles, is painted in meticulous detail, with two rounds panels with rococo borders. A Superbly Decorated Large Doucai Vase from the Qing dynasty bearing the Yongzheng seal mark sold for HK$31,120,000 to an Asian private. The entire body is decorated with auspicious designs, from the neck which bears the Eight Buddhist Emblems (bajixiang) to the generous body with its colourful sprays of hydrangea (xiuqiu), a homonym for ‘longevity ball’. An Extremely Rare Reserved White and Blue-ground ‘Pomegranate’ Dish from the Ming dynasty bearing the seal mark of Xuande realized HK$17,120,000, selling to a Hong Kong private buyer in the room (US$2,190,333). The present example has a counterpart in the British Museum which does not bear an Imperial mark. An Important and Rare ‘Wucai’ Wine Ewer and Cover, mark and period of Wanli, and superbly painted in vibrant enamels with pairs of songbirds, brought HK$16,560,000, selling to Littleton & Hennessy Asian Art.