Posted 2018/7/29
Experts said that Liling ceramics, with their high level of craftsmanship and rarity, have a hold on international collectors, especially after a set of underglaze wucai, or "five color" style, porcelain bowls fetched HK$11.68 million ($1.5 million) at an auction on Thursday.
"I'm not surprised by the final price," said Xu Dong, manager of the antique department at Beijing Tranthy International Auction Co Ltd, about the bowls, which were made for Mao Zedong in 1974.
"As the public gains more understanding about these ceramic pieces and their history, I believe their values will further increase."
The set of five eggshell ceramic bowls, produced in Liling, Hunan province, was specially designed for Mao's 81st birthday. The bowls feature patterns of roses, lotus, chrysanthemums and red plum blossoms, representing the four seasons and corresponding with Mao's poems.
Although Liling ceramics have a relatively short history, appearing only in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), they are revered for their high level of workmanship.
By using the underglaze method in which paint is applied before the glaze, ceramics makers were able to make a safer bowl, in which poisonous chemicals found in the pigments, such as lead, were better contained, said Xu.
The wucai pieces are characterized as "white as jade, clear as a mirror, thin as paper" and are known for "their harmonious clattering sounds", Xu added.
Due to the short history and limited quantity of the Liling ceramics, such products are extremely rare.
The seller Luo Yuqi is a collector from Changsha, capital of Hunan.
According to Xu, the bowls made for Chairman Mao can even be regarded as cultural relics in terms of their historical value, scarcity and unmatched likeness.
Xu believes there is still big potential for investment for such products.
According to him, Mao's bowls grabbed wide attention with their mysterious history when they first appeared on the market in 2000, but their trading records were relatively limited.
The bowls were sold on Thursday along with other ceramics and embroideries from Hunan province.
The auction, as part of the ongoing Hunan Investment and Trade Promotion Week in Hong Kong, was jointly staged by Poly Auction Ltd and the Office of Hunan Cultural Industry at the Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel.
Organizers brought more than 350 pieces of Hunan embroideries and 100 pieces or sets or ceramics made in the province. Some of the pieces are classic works of national-level craftsmen.
Sixty-nine of the 100 lots offered were sold, and the total price was HK$31 million, according to the company's sale results.
Mao's bowls stole the most attention. Made from rare materials and of a limited supply, they have a high collection value.
The buyer was reported to be an agent who bid on the behalf of a Taiwan collector, who attended the auction specially for the wucai bowls.
