Sotheby’s has announced it will offer in Hong Kong on April 7, a selection from one of the grandest collections of Chinese Art formed in the last century, The Meiyintang Collection. Assembled over a period of more than 50 years, The Meiyintang Collection is world-renowned for having brought together magnificent examples of Imperial Porcelain and the sale will bring to market iconic pieces from each of the main reigns from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Around 80 lots, could bring an estimated $81-121 million during the special evening sale. One highlight is this Falangcai vase with golden pheasants, Qing Dynasty, AD 1736-95, expected to sell in excess of $23 million (photo). Falangcai designates a style of enamelling on copper, porcelain and glass introduced by European artisans working in the Palace Workshops of the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the painting style here adopted, with its naturalistic rendering of the birds and accomplished shading of the flowers shows the influence of artists such as the Italian Giuseppe Castiglione (AD 1688 – 1766), who served as court painter under three Qing emperors. This vase is unique and works of art such as this are rare even in the former palace collections now in Beijing and Taipei.
Another highlight is a set of seven ‘peach-bloom’ vessels from the Jingdezhen imperial kilns with the Kangxi mark and period (ad 1662-1722). They carry an estimate of $6.4-9 million. This rare mottled copper-red glaze which in the West is referred to as ‘peach bloom’ and in China is likened to apples (pingguo hong) or beans (jiangdou hong), is known from only a very small number of vessel shapes. To assemble a set such as this has become almost impossible, since some vessel shapes are exceedingly rare and virtually unobtainable today.
Ahead of the sale there will be a travelling exhibition: 9-10 March Shanghai, 12-13 March Beijing and 26-27 March Taipei.
