Description Diverse lot contains four sectional plates in various sizes and styles; a seal-stamped, Rhombus-shaped red and teal planter with paper tag; a signed and sealed candle holder with bats, dragon, and Chinese calligraphy; three signed plates with floral patterns and mythical beasts; a small peach-shaped plate; and a blue-and-white jar without lid. Dimensions are: Rhombus shaped planter: 2 7/8 inches tall X 9 3/8 inches wide X 3 1/8 inches deep; 7.3 cm tall X 23.8 cm wide X 8 cm deep. Candle holder: 6 1/8 inches tall X 3 7/8 inches square wide; 15.6 cm tall X 9.9 cm square wide. Large mythical beast plate: 1 3/8 inches tall X 7 3/8 inches diameter; 3.5 cm tall X 18.8 cm diameter. All measurements are approximate.
Condition Report Candle holder has chip to the corner of the base. Rhombus-shaped planter has a chip to the rim. Floral plate has a V shaped hairline crack and minor rim chips. Small mythical beasts plate has a few minor rim chips. Blue and white jar has inner rim chip and minor glaze firing defects.
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.