For more than a century, an exceptional collection of Chinese ceramics have remained in the care of The Art Institute of Chicago, their histories preserved through the vision and generosity of some of the most distinguished American collectors and philanthropists. Many works entered the museum in the early 20th century as landmark gifts and bequests from renowned patrons including Russell Tyson, Henry C. Schwab, Kate Sturges Buckingham and Stanley Herzman, whose collections helped shape one of the world’s foremost holdings of Asian art.

This remarkable group now comes to market as the centrepiece of Important Chinese Art during Asian Art Week at Christie’s New York, bringing together imperial porcelains of impeccable rarity, beauty and provenance. Highlights include a Yongzheng famille rose ‘peach and bat’ bowl, a finely enamelled Qianlong famille rose bottle vase and an exquisite coral-ground falangcai bowl, alongside celebrated peachbloom wares and rare Ming blue-and-white porcelains. Together, these works reflect a century of visionary collecting and offer stewards an extraordinary opportunity to acquire ceramics distinguished not only by their quality but by their unapparelled museum provenance.