Page 12 - In His Majesty's Palm Excuisite Playthings April 5 17 HK Sothebys

FOREWORD

In his Majesty’s Palm celebrates a certain taste This catalogue presents a small selection of refined
in Chinese porcelain, one that has its roots in the wares, mostly wine and tea cups, and includes two
unrivalled refinement of the emperors under whose outstanding pieces from the Chenghua period in
patronage gems of porcelain were produced and the second part of the 15th century. For centuries,
have endured among Chinese connoisseurs for gems from the Chenghua reign have been much
over half a millennium. It is porcelain not as mere revered and sought after for their charming designs,
decoration, but as a rarefied, almost confidential precise potting and lovely unctuous touch. Indeed,
pleasure to be cherished quietly. A dainty cup will to this day, the most expensive piece of porcelain
only suffer the hand of a most adroit potter, likewise ever sold remains a diminutive Chenghua wine cup.
the diminutive canvas that it provides requires In the world of Chinese porcelain, size often matters,
a most delicate brush and softest palette. The inversely.
supreme delight for the connoisseur handling in
his palm a small gem of porcelain is not so much
the lovely potting, the elegant painting or the
extraordinary silkiness of the touch, but rather the
confluence of all three at that very moment.

Nicolas Chow

10 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比