Fine Chinese Works of Art - 13th November 2018
Lot 301
A FINE AND RARE CHINESE IMPERIAL WUCAI 'ODE TO THE RED CLIFF' WINE CUP SIX CHARACTER KANGXI...
Estimate £30,000 - £50,000 | Hammer £160000
+ Buyers Premium
Description
A FINE AND RARE CHINESE IMPERIAL WUCAI 'ODE TO THE RED CLIFF' WINE CUP
SIX CHARACTER KANGXI MARK AND OF THE PERIOD 1662-1722
With a deep conical body and a gently flaring rim, painted on one side with the poet Su Shi with two friends and an attendant in a flat-bottomed boat floating on calm waters towards a tall overhanging cliff-face, the reverse inscribed with a poem by Su Shi (1037-1101) from the Chibi fu ('Ode to the Red Cliff'), and a seal to the reverse, with a circular paper label for John Sparks to the interior, 5.2cm.
The poem reads: 'I raised my wine cup and toasted my guests, joining them in chanting the Ode to the bright moon and the song of Sylphs'.
The seal reads: 'Elegance'.
Provenance: John Sparks Ltd, and then an English private collection, Dorset, purchased from Sydney L Moss in 1963 for £60.