Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art
A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND MAGNIFICENT SOAPSTONE SEALCARVED FOR THE QIANLONG EMPERORAchieves HK$153,334,000 / US$ 19,540,885
On 29 April at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, a highly important and magnificent soapstone seal carved for the Qianlong Emperor, prominently impressed on many of the greatest national treasures of China, was sold for HK$153,334,000 / US$19,540,885 to an Asian private collector after a 10-minute bidding battle, setting the highest price for any seal ever sold at auction in Asia. This seal is also the most expensive seal sold at Sotheby’s surpassing the imperial inscribed white jade ‘Ji’entang’ seal from the Qianlong period sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in spring 2021 for HK$145,691,000 / US$ 18,770,828. The most iconic among all seals destined for art connoisseurship, this superb imperial seal is the highlight of the Hong Kong chapter of the Dr Wou Kiuan Collection, a series of four single-owner sales held globally throughout 2022.
I will never forget seeing this seal sit on a shelf and turning it over for the first time when we visited the Wou collection in 2011, over 10 years ago – it was like an electric shock. I had seen the ghost of that seal so many times on so many of the most important paintings in the world. It was a privilege to find a new home for this exceptionally important historical object.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art
The Most Recognisable Seal Face in The History of Chinese Art
Prominently Impressed on Many of The Most Important Chinese Paintings in The WorldGEMS OF IMPERIAL PORCELAIN FROM THE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF JOSEPH LAU
The Genesis of the Collecting Journey of One of the World’s Most Influential and Visionary Collectors
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art 2022 Spring Sale Series is led by a highly important and magnificent soapstone seal carved for the Qianlong Emperor, prominently impressed on many of the greatest national treasures of China. The most iconic among all seals destined for art connoisseurship, this superb imperial seal is the highlight of the Hong Kong chapter of the Dr Wou Kiuan Collection, a series of four single-owner sales to held globally throughout 2022. The Spring sale is also highlighted by a selection of Imperial porcelains from Joseph Lau’s legendary collection, one of the finest ever assembled in the field. The group features 8 pieces of imperial porcelain which were acquired from some of the greatest collections. Adding to this season’s strong line-up of renowned private collections are Qing imperial porcelain from the Marchant Collection, Gardens of Pleasure – Erotic Chinese Art from the Bertholet Collection and Jades from the De An Tang Collection.
This season boasts a striking array of Chinese art from prominent private collections around the globe. The sale includes a superb soapstone seal carved for the Qianlong Emperor that one finds prominently impressed on the most important paintings in the history of Chinese art and it is perhaps the most famous seal impression in the history of Chinese art. In addition, we are privileged to present a selection of porcelains from the collection of Joseph Lau, a name that resonates with collectors around the globe and stands for excellence. Chinese art is at the genesis of Joseph Lau’s adventure with collecting art and it is on Chinese art indeed that he cut his exacting eye.
A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND MAGNIFICENT SOAPSTONE SEAL CARVED FOR THE QIANLONG EMPEROR, PROMINENTLY IMPRESSED ON MANY OF THE GREATEST NATIONAL TREASURES OF CHINA, WAS SOLD FOR HK$153,334,000 / US$19,540,885, SETTING THE HIGHEST PRICE FOR ANY SEAL EVER SOLD AT AUCTION IN ASIA. SOTHEBY’S
A Journey Through China’s History: The Dr Wou Kiuan Collection
One of the Last Great Collections of Chinese Art Remaining in Private Hands
After its debut in New York this March, the Hong Kong chapter of the Dr Wou Kiuan Collection will kick off in April with a highly important and magnificently carved soapstone seal carved for the Qianlong Emperor early in his reign, which bears the inscription Qianlong Yulan Zhibao (treasures admired by his Majesty the Qianlong Emperor). The seal is found prominently impressed on countless important Chinese paintings including Fan Kuan’s Travelers Among Mountains and Streams, Guo Xi’s Early Spring, Wang Ximeng’s A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains, and many of the finest paintings by all the great masters, from Emperor Huizong, to Ni Zan, Qiu Ying, Zhu Da, Lang Shining. No other imperial seal to have come to market appears on such a large number of historically important paintings.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art
QING DYNASTY, THE ‘LION’ FINIAL, KANGXI – EARLY YONGZHENG PERIOD, THE SEAL FACE, QIANLONG PERIOD 7.8 X 7.8 X H. 10.7 CM
ESTIMATE UPON REQUEST
The most iconic among all seals destined for art connoisseurship, this seal was carved by a master craftsman working for the Qianlong Emperor’s father Yongzheng and grandfather Kangxi. It was selected by Qianlong around 1735-1736 for the all-important purpose of recording the finest works in his art collection. It was extensively used from the early years of the Emperor’s reign to the completion of the first catalogue of the imperial collection, the Shiqu Baoji, in 1745. This project of cataloguing and archiving all the extraordinary paintings passed down over the centuries, and having them all impressed with his seal, was a way for the Qianlong Emperor to own Chinese history by leaving his mark on all the works that most profoundly symbolised its glorious heritage, and thus furthering his political legitimacy. The worn characters on the seal face capture all the hundreds and hundreds of embraces this object has had with masterworks of the Imperial collection and testify to the Emperor’s mad devotion for his collection.
After the Emperor’s death in 1799, the seal was transferred to the Shouhuangdian, the temple of imperial ancestors which overlooked the Forbidden City. During the years of turmoil towards the end of the Qing dynasty, over 100 years later, the seal made its way to Europe to resurface in 1965 at an auction in Sotheby’s London. It was purchased there by Wou Kiuan and has since disappeared from the public eye for more than 50 years.
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