Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art at Sotheby's London May 11th

   Offering over 340 lots, one of the highlights is the rare and impressive Qianlong doucai five piece altar garniture (lot 230) Estimate: £800,000-1,200,000. The set was once owned by Lord Kitchener and was previously sold in these rooms, 17th December 1980.

   Further notable items include an Imperial Jiaqing Khotan jade 'dragon' seal (lot 151) from a private European collector, Estimate: £1,000,000-1,500,000 and a large and finely painted lime green-ground famille-rose 'three rams' vase of the Daoguang Period (lot 283), inscribed with the Shende Tang zhi mark, Est £300,000-500,000.

   The sale also features a strong offering of rhinoceros horn carvings, including an outstanding selection from a private German collection. The most notable piece from this group is a magnificently carved and inscribed libation cup with a scene from the famous Romance of the West Chamber, with figures depicted in a rocky landscape (lot18), Estimate: £300,000-500,000. 

 An extremely important and rare 'guanyo' hu-shaped vase

Southern Song Dynasty, 12th Century Estimate: £2,500,000-3,000,000