A pale green jade ‘lotus’ washer, 18th-19th century

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'lotus' washer, 18th-19th Century, pale green jade

A pale green jade ‘lotus’ washer, 18th-19th century. Estimate £1,000 – 1,500 (€1,300 – 2,000). Photo: Bonhams.

Carved in relief to the underside with a delicately scrolling stem and lotus leaf, forming the foot, each side variously with a dragonfly and shell, the exterior carved overall to simulate the veining, the stone of pale grey-green tone with some russet flecks. 10.2cm (4in) long.

Bonhams. ASIAN ART, 25 Feb 2015 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

A pale green jade openwork plaque, Ming Dynasty

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Ming Dynasty, openwork plaque, pale green jade

A pale green jade openwork plaque, Ming Dynasty. Estimate £1,500 – 2,000 (€2,000 – 2,700). Photo: Bonhams.

Carved with a central bracket lobed panel enclosing a writhing dragon amongst scrolling foliage, on a ground of continuous swastika pattern panels. 13.2cm (5.1/4in) long.

Bonhams. ASIAN ART, 25 Feb 2015 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

A pale green jade fish and lotus pebble carving, Qing Dynasty

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fish and lotus pebble carving, pale green jade, Qing dynasty

A pale green jade fish and lotus pebble carving, Qing Dynasty. Estimate £500 – 1,000 (€670 – 1,300). Photo: Bonhams.

The fish carved with a lotus flower and leaf held in its mouth and curling round over the back, the stone of a very even pale green hue. 7.9cm (3 1/8in) long

Bonhams. ASIAN ART, 25 Feb 2015 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

A pale green jade carving of a sage and boy attendant, Late Qing

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Late Qing, pale green jade, sage and boy attendant

A pale green jade carving of a sage and boy attendant, Late Qing. Estimate £1,000 – 1,500 (€1,300 – 2,000). Photo: Bonhams.

The bearded sage holding a tall staff with attached double gourd flask, the boy standing to his left side holding conjoined rings, wood stand. The jade 10.8cm (4.1/4in) high.

Bonhams. ASIAN ART, 25 Feb 2015 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

Two pale green jade carvings of finger citrons, 17th-18th century

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'Buddha's Hand' fruit, 'Finger citron', 17th-18th century, pale green jade

Two pale green jade carvings of finger citrons, 17th-18th century. Estimate £2,000 – 3,000 (€2,700 – 4,000). Photo: Bonhams.

The first carved as a tapering ‘Buddha’s Hand’ fruit, with leafy tendrils at the base, wood stand; the second carved and pierced as one large and one small finger citron, also with tendrils and leaves to the base, the stone of an very pale green hue. The larger: 5.4cm (2 1/8in) high (3).

Bonhams. ASIAN ART, 25 Feb 2015 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

A pale green jade belt hook, 18th-19th century

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18th-19th Century, belt hook, pale green jade

A pale green jade belt hook, 18th-19th century. Estimate £4,000 – 5,000 (€5,400 – 6,800). Photo: Bonhams.

The belt hook carved as a sinuous young dragon with a lingzhi spray confronting a larger dragon head, a circular boss to the reverse, the stone of an even pale celadon hue, fitted wood stand. 10.3cm (4in) long (2).

Provenance: A Dutch private collection.

Bonhams. ASIAN ART, 25 Feb 2015 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

A large pale green jade brush washer, 16th-17th century

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16th-17th century, Brush washer, Everts-Calvocoressi-Comnène Collection, pale green jade

A large pale green jade brush washer, 16th-17th century. Estimate £3,000 – 5,000 (€4,100 – 6,800). Photo: Bonhams.

Modelled as an open flowerhead, carved in openwork relief with gnarled leafy and flowering branches encircling the body, and forming the handle and base, the interior carved to simulate overlapping petals, the stone with areas of mottled creamy and mushroom coloured inclusions, pierced and carved wood stand in the form of prunus and magnolia branches. 15.5cm (6.1/8in) long.

Property from the Estate of Lady Logan

Provenance: The Everts-Calvocoressi-Comnène Collection of Chinese Art, London; Robert Everts was the Ambassadorial Envoy to Beijing from 1910 to 1916 and again from 1920 to 1924, and thence by descent.

Bonhams. ASIAN ART, 25 Feb 2015 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

A pale green jade prunus ‘double-trunk’ vase, 18th-19th century

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18th-19th Century, Everts-Calvocoressi-Comnène Collection, pale green jade, prunus 'double-trunk' vase

A pale green jade prunus ‘double-trunk’ vase, 18th-19th century. Estimate £700 – 900 (€950 – 1,200). Photo: Bonhams.

The twin conjoined vessels carved in relief to the exterior with bamboo, gnarled branches of blossoming prunus and pine, the stone with creamy inclusions, pierced and carved wood stand. 12cm (4.3/4in) wide.

Property from the Estate of Lady Logan

Provenance: The Everts-Calvocoressi-Comnène Collection of Chinese Art, London; Robert Everts was the Ambassadorial Envoy to Beijing from 1910 to 1916 and again from 1920 to 1924, and thence by descent.

The Everts-Calvocoressi-Comnène Collection: Chinese Art

Irène Logan’s parents, Robert Everts and Alexandra, née Calvocoressi-Comnène, formed their collections of Chinese ceramics and works of art during Robert Everts service as the Belgian Ambassadorial Envoy to Beijing from 1910 to 1916 and again from 1920 to 1924. These included lacquer, furniture, porcelain, carved jade and hardstones. The Everts-Calvocoressi-Comnène collections included textiles of which a set of 8 kesi is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum; and an album of Chinese decorative motifs drawn by Alexandra Comnène-Everts, a talented artist and pupil of Anders Zorn, is now in the British Library. The collectors’ interest extended beyond Chinese Art and their discernment in Mexican textiles and metalwork has also been recognised in museum collections in England as in the Franz Mayer Museum, Mexico City. Alexandra Calvocoressi-Comnène’s bridal tiara commissioned from Cartier in Paris in 1913 is displayed in the Bollinger Jewellery gallery of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Bonhams. ASIAN ART, 25 Feb 2015 10:30 GMT – LONDON, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

A rare pale green jade inscribed pouring vessel, yi, Ming Dynasty

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chilong, Ming Dynasty, pale green jade, pouring vessel, yi

A rare pale green jade inscribed pouring vessel, yi, Ming Dynasty. Sold for HK$ 437,500 (€46,128). Photo Bonhams.

Raised on three small feet with a squared handle opposite the pouring lip, elegantly decorated on each side of the body with a sinuous chilong below a narrow band of scrolls, the base with a six-character zhuanshu inscription, the stone of a pale green tone with very slight pale grey-brown inclusions, silver-inlaid pierced wood stand. 11.2cm (4 1/2in) long (2).

Provenance: W.G.Wrigley, prior to 1936
Roger Keverne Ltd., London, acquired on 10 May 2002
A distinguished English private collection

Published: S.C.Nott, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, London, 1936, opposite page 43, pl.XXXI

Notes: The inscription reads 子孫其永寶用 Zi sun qi yong bao yong which translates as: ‘My sons and grandsons may preciously make use of it in eternity.’

Compare a related jade pouring vessel, yi, Ming dynasty, illustrated in Studies of the Collections of the National Museum of China: Jade, Beijing, 2007, pl.210.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 27 Nov 2014 14:30 HKT – HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY

A pale green jade rhyton cup, 17th-18th century

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17th-18th century, pale green jade, rhyton cup

A pale green jade rhyton cup, 17th-18th century. Sold for HK$ 400,000 (€41,976). Photo Bonhams.

The very pale green stone highlighted by scattered darker inclusions, the jade hollowed to form a slender cup raised on a stepped foot, the smooth body encircled by a band of finely incised archaistic scrolls, the handle carved in high relief as a charming chilong clambering up the side to peer over the finely flaring lip. 12.6cm (5in) high

Provenance: Somerset de Chair (1911-1995)

The present lot is exceptionally finely formed, with a most pleasing sweeping curvature to the rim, strongly stylised chilong and delicately turned foot. The horn-shaped form appears to have arrived in China during the Han dynasty from Central Asian and Near Eastern, but had already been absorbed into the Chinese tradition by the Song dynasty: see a rhyton cup with stylised chilong including one biting the rim, dated to the 10th-14th century illustrated by R-Y.Lefebvre d’Argencé, Chinese Jades in the Avery Brundage Collection, Japan, 1977, pl.XXXVII. Another example illustrated ibid., pl.LVII shows the later style from the 18th century, more closely related to the present cup with its elegantly curved rim, archaistic decorative bands and confidently carved chilong, as well as the white and russet stone chosen for the carving.

Bonhams. IMPORTANT JADE CARVINGS FROM THE SOMERSET DE CHAIR COLLECTION, 27 Nov 2014 14:00 HKT – HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY