Seven hundred years of Chinese ceramics are going up on the block in a June 1 auction at Christie’s Hong Kong.The sale, Classical Chinese Art From the Sui to the Song Dynasties, will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and feature 35 carefully selected pieces created between the years 581 and 1279. Bidders will have the opportunity to choose from a diverse collection that includes tableware, vases, and large porcelain figurines.According to a press release from Christie’s, the auction house chose objects representing the “height of refinement” for each era covered in the sale.One major draw is a scalloped porcelain brush washer from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). This 12-centimeter-diameter bowl, which would have been used to wash the ink off a paintbrush, was fired in the famous government-operated Guan kilns. As is typical for Guan ceramics, the brush washer’s glaze is crackled, with delicate veins spreading out across the vessel’s surface. According to Christie’s, the scallops are intended to evoke the leaves of a mallow plant. The auction house has placed an estimate of $3.9 million to $6.4 million on the piece.A rectangular celadon dish from the official kiln of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) is also sure to attract attention. This item, which has an estimate of $1 million to $2 million, is the only surviving rectangular dish from the Northern Song’s official kiln, also known as the Zhanggongxiang kiln.At a slightly lower price point is a notable white-glazed candle stand in the shape of an elephant. Christie’s describes this piece from the Sui or Early Tang era (circa 7th century), with an estimate of $644,000 to $1 million, as the “rarest and most impressive of early white wares.”From Sui to Song runs June 1 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, following a preview May 26-31 at Christie’s Hong Kong.
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