For the Son of Heaven: The Imperial Qianlong Gold Ewer

À propos de la vente

Christie's is honoured to present a dedicated single-lot auction featuring a magnificent imperial embellished gold ewer and cover, bearing a Qianlong mark and of the period (1736-1795). Fashioned in gold and exquisitely embellished with pearls, rubies, sapphires and turquoise, the extraordinary vessel exemplifies the technical brilliance and artistic refinement achieved under the patronage of the Qianlong Emperor. Imperial Workshop records describe a jewel-embellished gold ewer commissioned in 1740 that closely corresponds to the present work in scale and decoration. The ewer later entered the renowned collection of Dr. Carl Kempe (1884-1967), one of the foremost European collectors of Chinese art in the 20th century, and boasts a distinguished history of international exhibition and extensive publication. It is one of the finest surviving imperial gold vessels in private hands.

Special Notice
From June 2025, EU regulations 2019/880 and 2021/1079 introduce new licensing requirements and regulations relating to the import of cultural goods into the EU. We recommend clients check ahead of the sale whether the lot they wish to purchase and its import into the EU could be impacted by the regulations.

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Horaires des ventes aux enchères

29 oct. 02:30 (HKT) Lots 1001-1001

Brought to you by

Marco Almeida (安偉達)

SVP, Senior International Specialist, Head of Department & Head of Private Sales | Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art

Marco Almeida is Senior Vice-President and Senior International Specialist, and Head of the Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Department at Christie’s Asia Pacific. He brings over two decades of experience in the auction industry, having begun his career in 2001 and joined Christie’s London in 2008. After several years in London, he relocated to Hong Kong to lead the department in 2021. In addition to his departmental role, Marco also heads private sales for the category across the region, driving sales and securing major consignments.

Marco specialises in Imperial porcelain and jade carvings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and has been instrumental in bringing significant private collections to market. Notable sales include the Heveningham Hall Collection of Classical Chinese furniture (Hong Kong, 2021) and the Butler Collection of 17th-century porcelain (Hong Kong, 2022). Under his leadership, the department has achieved several 100% sold sales and secured market leadership in Hong Kong, including its strongest autumn season since 2017 in 2023.

Born in Brazil and educated in Europe, Marco is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Mandarin. He holds a Master’s degree in History of Art and Archaeology from SOAS, University of London.