A RARE PAIR OF PORCELAIN-INLAID LACQUER PANELS INSCRIBED WITH A CALLIGRAPHY SIGNED LIANG GUOZHI (1723-1786) QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of vertical rectangular form, inlaid in white-glazed porcelain with a calligraphy, each panel inscribed with a porcelain seven-character verse in running script reserved on a black granulated ground of speckled black lacquer resembling a stone slab, the couplet reading shu dui shengxian cheng zhuke, zhu jian fengyu si xianshao ('confronting the sages in the books, I am a guest in their hospitality; the bamboos rattling in the wind and rain, sounds the finest music in my ears'), preceded on the right panel by a red-ground seal probably reading Jie en, and signed Liang Guozhi with red seals Liang Guozhi yin ('seal of Liang Guozhi') and Liang shi Jieping on the left panel, within moulded hardwood frames set with a hinged metal hook reticulated with a shou symbol

Collection of Silas Aaron Hardoon (1851-1931).

As visible in the catalogue illustration, there are cracks to the porcelain characters, and minor losses, but otherwise in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Liang Guozhi (1723-1786), a native of Zhejiang province, attained the highest rank in the metropolitan and Palace examinations in 1748 to become a compiler of the first class in the Hanlin Academy. In 1754, Liang was appointed as tutor in the Imperial Academy, and two years later chief-examiner of the Guangdong provincial examination. He subsequently held posts in Jiangxi, Anhui, Shanxi, Hunan and Jiangsu provinces and was made governor of Hubei province in 1769. In 1773 he was summoned to the capital to serve as Councillor of the State, a position he held till his death thirteen years later. After 1774 he was also appointed as Qianlong's personal secretary, accompanying the emperor on his southern inspection tours. In 1785 he participated in the Banquet for Elderly Men and the same year was promoted to be concurrently a Grand Secretary. For detailed information on Liang see Arthur W. Hummel, Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period, Taipei, 1991, p. 501.

Porcelain-inlaid calligraphic panels as such, have been suggested to be first created by Tang Yin (1682-1756), the ingenious kiln supervisor. A few pairs of similar porcelain-inlaid panels inscribed with a calligraphy signed Tang Ying are recorded, including one in the collection of Eisei Bunko, Tokyo, illustrated in Huang Qing-Hua, ‘The forgotten, excellent Tang kilns: A first look into the couplets and hanging panels for Tang Ying porcelains’, The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, no. 363, June 2013, p. 111, fig. 3. Another closely related pair, from the collections of Taji Shūichi and Yiqingge, published in Taji Shūichi, Shindai no jiki/ Porcelain of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Tokyo, 1976, no. 164, was sold recently in Christie's Hong Kong, 29th May 2013, lot 2012. The technique of porcelain-inlaid lacquer calligraphic panels is discussed in Huang Qing-Hua, op. cit., pp. 110-119.

Silas Aaron Hardoon (1851-1931) was born in Baghdad and moved to Shanghai in 1868. He started as an employee at the David Sassoon, Sons & Company but soon proved his talents and became a partner in E.D. Sassoon's & Co. His investments in Shanghai property eventually made him the wealthiest person in Asia.