Date: Saturday 2 May 2026
Registration: 08:45-09:00am
Guided viewing: 09:00-10:00am
Place: Bonhams, 2/F, Six Pacific Place, 50 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong
The Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong is delighted to announce a private preview of Bonhams’ Spring sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art with Amethyst Chau, and of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art with Dora Tan.
The tightly curated Spring auction showcases an array of ceramics, jades, and works of art, led by an imperial gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus, commissioned by the Kangxi Emperor probably for his grandmother, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuangwen (1613-1688). Further highlights include a rare Northern Song dynasty Cizhou sgraffiato meiping, formerly in the Chang Foundation, and a Ming-inspired blue-and-white moonflask from the Qianlong period. The sale also presents a selection of archaic jades, including a Han dynasty handled cup and several animated figures of mythical animals from the Zhichengtang collection assembled from the 1980s to 1990s.
This May’s Images of Devotion — a series of auctions inaugurated in 2016, focusing on Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art — offers a glimpse into two thousand years of Buddhist art. Ranging from 3rd-century Gandhara to 12th-century Pala-period India, from 14th-century Nepal and Tibet to 18th-century paintings, the 47 works on offer showcase the distinctive artistic styles of each pivotal moment in this history. Here, civilisations met in the Himalayas and forged enchanting new idioms — Indian iconographic tradition, Nepalese and Tibetan craftsmanship, and Chinese aesthetic influences — as demonstrated by a rare bronze of Avalokiteshvara and a thangka depicting a goddess set against a Chinese-inspired landscape. The sale also features the Maitri Collection, a carefully curated group of Thai bronzes cast at the height of the Ayutthaya period.
Amethyst Chau is a Senior Specialist of Chinese Works of Art at Bonhams Hong Kong. She has over 15 years of experience in the auction industry, specialising in ceramics, jade and imperial works.
Dora Tan is Head of Sale of Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art at Bonhams Hong Kong. She joined Bonhams in 2018. In addition to Nepalese and Tibetan Buddhist art, she has a special interest in stone sculptures from the Ancient Region of Gandhara and Northeastern India.
Members are reminded that as the preview takes place before the public are admitted, this event is strictly limited to current members only. A limited number of places are available and pre-registration is required. Drop-ins will not be entertained. Members are further reminded that photography is not ordinarily permitted.