An 18th-century Chinese porcelain bowl recently sold for a jaw-dropping price of $198.2 million Hong Kong dollars (about R360 million) at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong. The imperial porcelain bowl, known as Falangcai, is a rare and sought-after ware of the Qing dynasty, known for its blend of paintings, poetry, and calligraphy.
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Measuring less than 4.5 inches (11.3 centimeters) in diameter, the Falangcai bowl features delicate paintings of two swallows, a fruit tree in bloom, and a willow sprouting its first leaves. The bowl also bears a poem that is said to have been commissioned by the Wanli Emperor. It reads as follows:
“Scissors of jade cut through the flowers, like rainbow garments brought back from the moon.”
With its exquisite quality and decorative style, the bowl is a stunning work of art that captures the essence of Chinese culture.
The bowl was offered as a single-lot sale and sold to an anonymous buyer for R238 million at the hammer price, which was below its presale estimate of over HK$200 million. The consignor was Hong Kong-based art collector and philanthropist Alice Cheng, who acquired the piece in 2006 for HK$151 million at Christie’s Hong Kong.
This bowl is just one of many rare Chinese art pieces that were sold at Sotheby’s spring sales series of Chinese art across nine auctions in Hong Kong. The series brought in a total of R1.64 billion, the most in the category in nine years, according to Sotheby’s.
The success of the auction is a testament to Sotheby’s continuous leadership in Chinese art. Nicolas Chow, Sotheby’s chairman of Asia and worldwide head and chairman of Chinese works of art, said in a release that it was particularly poignant to witness such exceptional results during a year in which they celebrate their 50th anniversary in Asia.
Other highlights from the series include a painting by Zhang Daqian, Pink Lotuses on Gold Screen, 1973, which sold for R351 million and a 15th-century blue-and-white ewer from the collection of shipping tycoon T.Y. Chao, which sold for R145 million.
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Feature Image: Sotheby’s
