Description Lot includes: five unsigned, green bowls with crane and clouds; one teal plate with signature on base; one unsigned, green, double-handled ewer; one cup with dragon handle and frog on base underside; one small, signed teapot with twisted handle and corded lid attached; one green censer; four Flambe items; etc. Dimensions are: Crane bowls: 2 1/4 inches tall X 4 1/2 inches diameter; 5.7 cm tall X 11.4 cm diameter. Double handled ewer: 5 1/4 inches tall X 5 inches wide; 13.4 cm tall X 12.7 cm wide. All measurements are approximate
Condition Report Dragon cup has top horn broken off, rim chip, and hairline break. Large Flambe vase has base and rim chips. Small Flambe vase has bas chip. Flambe censer has rim chips. One crane bowl has hairline break and rim chip. Large plate has hairline break and rim chips. Brown censer has break at top handle. One small ginger jar has finish deterioration.
Provenance From the old collection of Mr. William Wu, San Francisco, USA. William Wu (1939-2007) was born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong with his family when he was young. In 1957, he was admitted to the Department of Philosophy at Princeton University. Because of his interest in history, in 1979 he received a doctorate in art history from Princeton University focusing on the Chinese artist Gong Xian. After graduation, he was successively employed as a professor of art history at Dartmouth, Oberlin, and other colleges. He later settled in San Francisco, California, where he presided over the Chinese Cultural Center, held regular cultural exhibitions, and devoted himself to introducing Chinese culture and artists to Western audiences. During the 1980s, he traveled between San Francisco and Shanghai and became an important bridge for cultural and artistic exchanges. Professor William Wu and the famous movie star Jet Li are distant relatives, and he was a great help in the early years of Jet Li's career development. Mr. Wu maintained contact with Jet Li during his life.