South East Asian Solid Gold Ring with Amethyst Cabochon

Each with concentric bands of blue hatching and scrolling, central rosette. 1.57 kg total, 16-16.6 cm



Ex Nagel Auction, with official Tek Sing Treasure labels to verso. Accompanied by an illustrated information sheet about the Tek Sing shipwreck.

The Tek Sing (True Star) wreck is one of the famous recovery stories of the 20th century. Sailing from the port of Xiamen (then known as Amoy) in February 1822 the vessel Tek Sing was bound for Jakarta, Indonesia laden with porcelain goods and 1600 Chinese emigrants. The captain decided to pass through the Gaspar Strait, between the Bangka-Belitung Islands, and ran aground on a reef. The vessel sank in about 100 feet of water. The next morning, February 7, an English East Indiaman captained by James Pearl, passing through the same waters, encountered debris and some survivors and managed to rescue about 190 of the latter.

Both with painted petals to the outer faces, painted bichrome design of vegetal motifs surrounding a Chinese character fu (meaning fortune or good luck) to the inside. 1.25 kg total, 22.2-22.3 cm



Ex Butterfield and Butterfield auction with official Hoi An Hoard labels. Accompanied by an illustrated information sheet about the Hoi An shipwreck.

In the mid 15th century a freighting junk loaded with fine Vietnamese pottery sank in an area of the South China Sea called the 'Dragon’s Embrace.' This vessel is part of the shipwreck cargo recovered off the coast of Vietnam at Hoi An. The ceramics themselves were probably made in the area of Chu Dau.

Modelled in the round in static pose, the horse with head held erect, tail partly absent; integral robed rider with hollow hands to accept reins; painted detailing to robe and saddle; repaired. 1.95 kg, 29 cm high



From the private collection of H. Norry, 1980s-1990s.