Bonhams Realizes HK$9,236,650 in Yang Ming Shan Fang Chinese Art Auction

In a sale that closed on 28 October 2026, Bonhams presented the Selected Works of Art from the Yang Ming Shan Fang Collection. According to the official results published by Bonhams, the auction realized a total of HK$9,236,650^[1], with 23 of 59 lots sold, representing a 39% sell-through rate^[1]. The single-owner collection brought together notable examples of Chinese lacquer and cloisonné enamel objects spanning several dynasties, highlighting the meticulous craftsmanship of imperial workshops.

The collection featured works of significant scale and decorative complexity. Among the prominent cloisonné enamel pieces was an extremely rare and large cloisonné enamel 'dragon and cloud' tianqiuping from the Yongzheng or Qianlong period. This monumental vessel is designed with a globular body resting on a countersunk gilt-decorated base, featuring broad shoulders that sweep up to a tall cylindrical neck with a gilt-lipped mouth rim. The exterior of the piece is decorated in vivid enamels depicting a ferocious dragon with a sapphire-blue face, an emerald-green mane, and azure scales, shown striding through variegated clouds in red, pink, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple above swelling waves. Bonhams offered this lot with an estimate of HK$7,000,000 to^[2] HK$10,000,000^[2].

Another notable lot in the sale was a very rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'immortal' two-tiered covered box and stand from the Qianlong period. This square-form object features four ruyi-shaped corners, with the cover finely carved with a large wan emblem centered by a medallion of Shoulao against a wave-diaper ground with bats. The sides and lower section depict bats amidst clouds, supported on a separate red lacquer stand carved with meandering flowers. It carried an estimate of HK$1,200,000^[9][8][7] to^[3] HK$1,800,000^[3].

The auction also featured a very rare imperial cloisonné enamel 'chilong and lingzhi' incense burner and a cover, gui, with the incense burner bearing a Wanli six-character enamel mark and of the period, and the cover dating to the 18th century. The compressed globular body is decorated with four chilong amidst meandering lingzhi scrolls above a domed foot with lotus lappets, flanked by a pair of 'C'-shaped dragon handles. The later cover features gilt-bronze pierced meandering lotus scrolls and circular cartouches enclosing the Buddhist wheel-of-fire.

Additionally, a large cloisonné enamel 'peony' phoenix-handled moonflask from the Qianlong period was offered with an estimate of HK$800,000 to^[5] HK$1,200,000. This^[5] flattened circular body is supported on a short oval foot and surmounted by a tall cylindrical neck with a gilt-bronze rim, flanked by a pair of gilt-bronze handles formed as scrolling phoenixes. The exterior is decorated with peony blooms and rockwork against a turquoise ground. Standing 58cm high, the piece has an extensive provenance, having appeared at Sotheby's London on 17 December, Barry Sainsbury in London, Christie's London on 20 November, an English private collection, and Sotheby's London on 10 May.

The sale demonstrates the specific market interest in early Chinese lacquerware and imperial cloisonné vessels. Collectors focused on pieces with documented provenance and imperial marks, such as the Wanli-marked incense burner and the Jiajing-period octagonal stand. The results reflect the selective bidding patterns observed for specialized single-owner collections of Chinese works of art.