Editor’s Note
This single-lot auction in Paris spotlights a remarkable piece of cultural heritage: a Ge ware brush washer from the Song or Yuan Dynasty, once owned by the iconic jewelry designer Elsa Peretti. It bridges ancient Chinese artistry and modern design history.
Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris will hold a single-lot auction titled “Profound Beauty: The Elsa Peretti Brush Washer” on June 11, presenting a Song or Yuan Dynasty Ge ware ‘mallow’-form tripod brush washer from the collection of legendary jewelry designer Elsa Peretti.
Born in Florence, Italy in 1940, Elsa Peretti was a world-renowned jewelry designer and a once-popular fashion model. She was active in the New York fashion scene early in her career, collaborating with designers like Halston and becoming one of his house models. With her keen aesthetic sense, she ventured into jewelry design.
In 1974, invited by Tiffany & Co., she created a silver jewelry series that achieved tremendous success. Her series, characterized by a minimalist yet sculptural style, took the world by storm, accounting for up to one-tenth of the brand’s annual sales at one point. Her designs also established the status of silver in the world of high jewelry. Her iconic Bone Cuff bracelet and Diamonds by the Yard series remain among Tiffany’s most popular designs to this day.
Diameter: 21 cm
Estimate: €1,200,000 – 1,500,000
From the Private Collection of Elsa Peretti
– Asaph Hyman, Global Head of Chinese Art, Bonhams
This Ge ware brush washer is elegantly shaped and substantial, with a soft, lustrous glaze and beautiful crackle patterns. It is a masterpiece from the Southern Song (1127-1279) or early Yuan (1279-1368) period, perfectly embodying the serene and understated aesthetic ideal of the Song and Yuan eras. Ge ware has always been one of the most revered types of porcelain among collectors throughout history and has been imitated by imperial kilns in subsequent dynasties.
This piece aligns perfectly with classical descriptions of Ge ware, with the distinct network of “golden threads and iron wires” visible on its warm glaze, confirming its origin from this legendary kiln. Ge ware, along with Ru, Guan, Ding, and Jun, is counted among the “Five Great Kilns” of the Song Dynasty and has been favored by the imperial court and literati since the Song period.
The so-called “Five Great Kilns” of the Song Dynasty are each distinguished by their unique and recognizable glaze colors, textures, and crackle patterns. Ru ware is known for its sky-blue celadon; Jun ware for its brilliant and variegated colors; Ding ware often for its white, creamy glaze; while Guan and Ge wares are both famous for their opaque, thick glazes and intricate crackle networks. The natural-looking ice-crackle patterns are actually the result of exquisite craftsmanship, directly related to the atmosphere and temperature during firing. The crackle on Ge ware is typified by the so-called “golden threads and iron wires,” as seen on this piece.
The “washer” (xi) was a popular form among Song Dynasty ceramics, often used as a scholar’s object to hold water for washing brushes. This brush washer is precisely proportioned, with its soft mallow-flower form complementing the lustrous glaze. The traditional Chinese mallow-flower motif symbolizes longevity and, due to the flower’s heliotropic nature, is also associated with loyalty. Such a washer was perfectly suited for a scholar’s desk. During the Southern Song to Yuan periods, nature-inspired styles were prevalent, integrating the charm of the natural world into daily life, aligning with the contemporary aesthetic and worldview that revered nature and sought simple, genuine pleasure. It was precisely this elegant and understated design that resonated not only with the moral cultivation of Chinese literati but also deeply appealed to Elsa Peretti, a woman of profound aesthetic accomplishment and discerning taste.
This lot is extremely rare. Among known surviving Ge wares, it is slightly larger than other similar vessels. Its body is in the form of an eight-lobed mallow flower, with a flat, slightly concave base supported by three hoof-shaped feet. The foot tips are unglazed, revealing the body, and the exterior base shows nine spur marks.
Elsa Peretti acquired this piece at auction in 2005, and it immediately became one of the treasures in her collection, housed in her home in the medieval Catalan village of Sant Marti Vell. Since 1969, she restored several historic buildings there, creating a secluded retreat far from the hustle and bustle, where she devoted herself to her creative work until her passing in 2021.
– Elsa Peretti
Elsa Peretti lived her life by this belief. She was filled with curiosity and love for nature and animals and had a strong empathy for those in need. She firmly believed that human health and well-being must be founded upon and dependent on the care and conservation of nature. Consequently, she dedicated herself to philanthropy, establishing the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation in her father’s and her own name. For over 20 years, the foundation has been actively involved in environmental protection, social welfare, and art preservation. Until the very end of her life, Elsa remained actively engaged in the philanthropic endeavors she had built, working alongside a small, focused team. The present auction is being conducted under the commission of the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation.
The Song or Yuan Dynasty Ge ware brush washer from Elsa Peretti’s collection will be showcased during New York Asian Art Week, followed by exhibitions in Taipei and Hong Kong, with a final pre-auction preview in Paris in June.
Auction House: Bonhams Paris
Sale: Profound Beauty: The Elsa Peretti Brush Washer
Auction Date: 2025/6/11
Exhibition Schedule:
New York: March 11-17, 2025 (580 Madison Avenue, New York, 10022)
Taipei: April 11-13, 2025 (B1 Art Space, BELLAVITA, No. 28, Songren Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City)
Hong Kong: May 1-5, 2025 (11/F, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong)
Paris: June 6-10, 2025 (6 Avenue Hoche, Paris, 75008)