In early 2022, I was asked to assist a Taiwanese client in selling part of her collection of Chinese export porcelain. With Alastair Gibson’s background experience in this area, I suggested to my client that we consider this as a suitable venue for the sale of part one of her collection.
The sale was held at the premises in Bermondsey, London on 6 July and the pieces were offered at no reserve. An interesting highlight was the Kangxi period famille verte Dutch market ‘Holland’ barbers bowl, which sold for £3,700 hammer (Estimate £1,500-2,000). Another notable piece was the rare Yongzheng period ‘verte Imari’ ‘South Sea Bubble’ plate, circa 1725. It commemorates the world’s first financial crash and is painted with a Commedia dell’Arte figure standing on a chequerboard-pattern floor. It sold for £1,800 hammer (Estimate £300-500). The sale also featured a number of Qianlong period en grisaille wares, the most expensive of which was lot 174, the Crucifixion plate. This sold for £1,500 against an estimate of £400-600.
This group represented part one of the collection and totalled £38,950 against a low estimate of £16,450, with all 50 lots selling. The second part will be offered in the next sale later this year on 17 November.
