Auction introduction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong is honoured to present Masterpieces of Chinese Ceramics from the Ise Collection, one of the most distinguished private collections of Chinese ceramics ever assembled and without question the greatest auction event of Chinese ceramics in recent memory. Meticulously curated by celebrated Japanese collector and tea master Mr Hikonobu Ise over the past half a century, the collection reflects decades of pursuit, honing and refining, driven by an innate understanding of quality. The collection is unique as a definitive survey of Chinese ceramics, spanning seven millennia of history from the minimalist elegance of Neolithic pottery to the splendour and technical perfection of Qing dynasty enamelled porcelains, and captures the distinctive Japanese sensibility in Chinese art. All throughout his collecting journey, Mr Ise was guided by Mayuyama Co., Ltd, the legendary Tokyo dealership, and the great majority of the pieces are wrapped in their signature furoshikis. The collection which numbers close to 200 pieces includes masterpieces from all the peaks in the history of Chinese ceramics, including a Southern Song dynasty Imperial Guan dish formerly in the Collection of Sir Harry M. Garner (1891-1977), a superb Ming dynasty Chenghua Palace bowl decorated with lilies formerly in the Collection of Peter Boode and Mr and Mrs R.H.R. Palmer, and a Yongzheng pear-shaped vase exquisitely decorated with flowering branches. The significance of the Ise collection however goes far beyond individual artworks: it embodies a profound cultural dialogue between China and Japan, firmly rooted in the refined tradition of chanoyu — the Japanese tea ceremony.