A pair of Qing dynasty jars that were bought from a charity shop in London for £20 ($25) could fetch up to £50,000 ($63,000) when auctioned at Roseberries May 16.
The pots feature round heads of red and yellow chrysanthemums in bloom interspersed with tendrils of lotus flowers. Measuring 4.5 inches tall, they are known as doucai lotus and chrysanthemum pots and bear the Qianlong seal marks on the base in underglaze blue. Chrysanthemums and orchids were two of the four “gentlemen’s flowers” commonly painted on porcelain, with chrysanthemums one popular pattern given their association with long life and wealth.
The seller did not know the value of the jars when he purchased them, but has a great passion for all things ceramic, as Bill Forrest of Roseberys Auction House told Artnet News: “It highlights the importance specialist knowledge when it comes to selling Chinese pots. porcelain.”
Close-up on one of the jars. Photo: Courtesy Roseberys.
The jars were created in the Chinese imperial kilns in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province in the 18th century and are based on a prototype. Although the original pattern has been lost, several pots of identical designs have been found and included in major porcelain exhibitions in China and Japan.
“These jars are extremely well potted and painted with great skill and finesse,” Forrest said. “Of course, charity shops can be forgiven for overlooking such niche items as these due to the volume and variety of donations they receive.”
Qianlong seal on the bases of the pots. Photo courtesy Roseberys.
In a gesture of goodwill, the seller has pledged to donate a portion of the sale to the charity from which he originally purchased the Qing Dynasty jars. “The seller,” Forrest noted, “is not driven by valuation.”
It is not the first time that lotus and chrysanthemum jars with the same design have been sold at auction. In 2021, a pair sold at Sotheby’s London for £277,000 ($350,000) and in 2013 another pair sold at Christie’s Hong Kong for $782,000. The presence of small hairlines on each jar and the absence of lids explain the difference between the estimate at Roseberys and the prices previously obtained for Qing dynasty jars.
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