An imperial gold ewer decorated with pearls, rubies, sapphires and turquoise sold for approximately US$7.11 million (HK$55.8 million) at Christie’s Hong Kong on October 29, 2026. Presented in a dedicated single-lot auction titled For the Son of Heaven, the vessel brought the elaborate craftsmanship of the Qianlong court into focus through an object small enough to hold in one hand. The reported price includes buyer’s premium.

Bearing a four-character Qianlong mark and dating to the emperor’s reign, 1736–1795, the ewer combines solid gold with intricate filigree and richly worked floral decoration. Its appeal extends beyond the precious materials: the vessel brings together imperial patronage, painstaking metalwork and a documented history of collecting and exhibition.

A Possible Connection to an Imperial Commission

According to Christie’s, Imperial Workshop records describe a jewel-embellished gold ewer commissioned in 1740 and completed for the Qianlong Emperor in 1741. That description closely corresponds to the present example in scale and decoration. The connection offers a compelling historical context, although correspondence with an archival description should be distinguished from a definitive identification.

Christie’s also draws a comparison with the Jin’ou Yonggu, or “Golden Cup of Eternal Stability,” associated with Qing imperial New Year ceremonies. The shared use of gold, gemstones and elaborate ornament places the ewer within a courtly tradition in which exceptional craftsmanship served the expression of imperial authority.

From the Kempe Collection to Hong Kong

The ewer formerly belonged to Swedish collector Dr Carl Kempe, whose collection helped bring Chinese gold and silver to wider international attention. Christie’s catalogue records its inclusion in the 1964 Arts of the Ch’ing Dynasty exhibition in London and the 1971 Chinese Gold, Silver and Porcelain: The Kempe Collection exhibition in New York, which subsequently toured American museums.

Its provenance also includes a Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction in April 2008. Those exhibition and sale records give the object a traceable modern history alongside its imperial attribution. At approximately US$7.11 million, the latest result reflects the substantial value collectors can place on a rare vessel whose significance rests on craftsmanship, historical associations and provenance together.

Source: Christie’s. US dollar equivalent is approximate.

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