18th-century imperial enamelled vase to be auctioned in Hong Kong

An enamel-coated glass vase made for Emperor Qianlong at the imperial workshops of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is to be auctioned on Oct 8 by Sotheby's Hong Kong. The vividly-colored, richly-ornamented vase, standing about 18 centimeters tall, was modeled in the shape of a yellow pouch tied with a pink ribbon. And it depicts on both sides a flamboyant phoenix flying among colorful clouds and heading downward toward the blossoming flowers.

Classic Chinese works of art such as ceramics, ink paintings and other objects formerly in the imperial collection are highly sought after by collectors.

Other pieces to be auctioned include qinghua cobalt-blue ceramics of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including a dragon stem cup dated to the reign of Emperor Xuande and a daylily-patterned bowl dated to the reign of Emperor Chenghua, two prime times for qinghua production.

An monochromatic ink painting depicting fruits and brackens by prominent monk painter Bada Shanren, born as Zhu Da, will also go under the hammer.