Description A group of Chinese famille rose porcelain items dating from the 19th century. A large basin has bamboo leaves on exterior with a variety of floral designs on interior walls. It has a gilt line around the top of the rim. Interior has wax stamp seal. A hexagonal plate has Chinese calligraphy with two seals and two paint stamps on its base with a design of paper shreds filling the interior base. A rectangular tray has a pheasant pair with a flowering tree and is unsigned. Dimensions are: Basin: 3 7/8 inches tall X 11 inches diameter; 9.8 cm tall X 28 cm diameter. Hexagon tray: 1 inch tall X 9 1/8 inches wide; 2.5 cm tall X 23.2 cm wide. All measurements are approximate.
Condition Report Hexagon plate has edge repair and hairline crack in side wall. No damages noted on remaining items.
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.