Christie's Hong Kong is holding an auction on April 25 and 26 to sell Chinese ceramics and jade carvings.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Christie's Hong Kong introduced to the reporters part of the items. Among the some 200 items of ceramic works, a blue and white Yongle period (1403-1425) floral-lobed "dragon" brushwasher of exceptional rarity is among the highlights this season, estimated  HK$15,000,000 to 20,000,000.

For jade carvings, a magnificent imperial large white jade marriage bowl of emperor Qianlong's period, expected to fetch HK$8,000,000, and a very rare imperial incised and gilt-decorated spinach-green jade book of the same period, estimated 2,500,000 to 3,500,000, are the highlights of the sale.

At the auction, some 80 exquisite Chinese snuff bottles will also be offered. As introduced by Christie's, the collection of snuff bottles features an important group of bottles decorated in delicate enamels produced by the imperial workshops in Beijing during emperor Qianlong's reign. The estimated price of the bottles ranges from 1,000,000 to 1,800,000.
 
(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2004)