Dorce & Rees’ Fine Asian Art auction on 10 November delivered a dramatic highlight when Lot 94, a finely moulded chrysanthemum-shaped Ding dish, surged to £100,000—far surpassing its modest estimate of only a few thousand pounds. The result marked the highest price achieved in the sale and provided a welcome boost to what was otherwise a mixed auction with many lots left unsold.
Catalogued as “A Finely Molded Chrysanthemum-Shaped Ding Dish Decorated with a Pair of Mandarin Duck in a Lotus Pond, Song/Yuan Dynasty,” the 14cm dish drew strong attention for its crisp moulding and evocative design. Its interior depicts a lively lotus pond scene, filled with blossoms, seed pods, and floating duckweed. At its centre, beneath a large curling lotus leaf, a pair of mandarin ducks meet in a gentle gaze as they drift across the water—an image long associated with harmony and fidelity in Chinese art.
The dish came from a Private English Collection, a provenance that likely added to its appeal among both collectors and dealers seeking quality early ceramics.
Another standout moment in the sale was Lot 38, a “Small and Rare Clair-de-Lune Glaze Water Pot, Taibo Zun, Yongzheng Six Character Mark and of the Period (1723–1735)”, which achieved £70,000, again far beyond expectations. With its refined imperial glaze and rare form, the water pot drew determined bidding despite the quieter atmosphere surrounding much of the catalogue.
While a notable number of lots failed to find buyers, the runaway success of Lots 94 and 38 ensured the sale avoided becoming a washout. The results reinforced a familiar truth in the Asian art market: exceptional pieces continue to command exceptional prices, regardless of broader fluctuations.
