Hong Kong — On 28 October 2026, Bonhams Hong Kong will present ICONIC SPEELMAN, a dedicated sale featuring more than 40 lots from the collection of Jules Speelman, one of the world's most respected dealers and collectors of Asian art. Following three landmark sales in Paris in 2024 and Hong Kong in 2025, the auction marks Bonhams' fourth collaboration with Speelman and offers a broader view of his celebrated Chinese works of art collection, shaped by a lifetime of connoisseurship.
Beyond Jules Speelman's fascination with Buddhist bronzes, the sale reveals the breadth of his collection through an outstanding selection of imperial cloisonné, lacquer and other Chinese works of art. From an exceptionally rare Yuan dynasty jade vessel to a magnificent fan-shaped cloisonné panel from the celebrated Qianlong reign, these pieces epitomise courtly elegance through the ages, reflecting the iconic aesthetic and discerning eye of the third-generation connoisseur. Defined by quality, rarity, craftsmanship and provenance, works from the Speelman collection have been widely published and exhibited, and remain highly sought after by museums, institutions and private collectors worldwide.
Asaph Hyman, Global Head of Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, said: "Jules Speelman has the rarest of gifts – an innate sense for the exceptional, the aesthetically refined, and the rare. This, combined with his over 60 years of experience and breadth of knowledge, ensures collectors will be offered only the very finest, from one of the greatest dealers and collectors in the field of Chinese art. It is a great privilege to have been chosen by Jules to offer this magnificent part of his collection, and I look forward to sharing these pieces with worldwide collectors in the days to come."
Jules Speelman said: "Over the past 60 years, I've had the privilege of handling some of the finest imperial works of art. This selection epitomises what I love, and it is my great pleasure to share these pieces with collectors, who I hope will be as excited as I was when I first saw them."
A LEGACY OF CONNOISSEURSHIP
The Speelman family antiques trade spans three generations, originating in 19th-century Holland and expanding into England around the turn of the 20th century. Originally, A & J Speelman dealt in European and Chinese antiques, ranging from European ceramics, silver, tapestries and furniture to Chinese porcelain and works of art.
Jules Speelman joined the family business in 1964 at the age of 18, working alongside his father, Alfred. He put himself through rigorous training in museums, examining objects closely – from Saudi Arabian alabaster and Gandharan sculptures to Tompion clocks – an experience that developed his eye for the exceptional early on. Together with his father, Jules gradually shifted the focus towards Asia, and under his direction A & J Speelman became one of the foremost dealers in Asian antiques.
The Speelman Collection is particularly strong in Chinese works of art and decorative arts, including cloisonné, Beijing and Guangzhou enamels, lacquer, soapstone, hardstone, wood and bamboo carvings, porcelain, and Chinese private-trade export ceramics and works of art – a breadth that speaks to the discerning and eclectic taste for quality, style and rarity for which A & J Speelman is recognised.
SALE HIGHLIGHTS
An Exceptionally Rare Monumental Gilt-Bronze Figure of Avalokiteshvara
Yuan/Ming Dynasty
77cm (30 1/4in) high
Estimate: HK$7,000,000 – 9,000,000
Remarkable for its monumental scale and exquisite refinement, this rare figure of Avalokiteshvara is among the largest surviving examples of its type available on the market today. With its elegant, elongated proportions, high-waisted skirt, delicately modelled torso adorned with elaborate jewellery and a softly draped shawl, the work exemplifies the rich artistic and religious exchanges that defined China in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The provenance of this figure traces back to Dr. Otto Burchard, who dealt in Chinese art in Berlin and New York in the 1920s, and to the historic Berlin gallery China-Bohlken, which dedicated three entire floors to imperial Buddhist sculpture from the Wei to the Ming dynasties, and for which Burchard acted as the principal expert.
A Very Rare Cloisonné Enamel Archaistic Vessel on Stand and Cover, Gui
Qianlong incised four-character mark and of the period
37.5cm (14 3/4in) high
Estimate: HK$3,000,000 – 4,000,000
This exceptional gui vessel epitomises the cloisonné craftsmanship and technical ingenuity achieved during the Qianlong reign. Perfectly proportioned and intricately decorated, it showcases meticulous execution throughout its cast body, finely applied enamels and gilt-bronze dragon-form handles. Reflecting the Qianlong emperor's taste for archaism, the vessel draws on ancient ritual bronze prototypes while integrating contemporary decorative aesthetics, reinventing classical forms into refined imperial creations unique to the period.
A Very Large and Important Documentary Bronze Figure of a Deer
Dated to the tenth year of the Chenghua reign, corresponding to 1474 and of the period
45cm (17 3/4in) long
Estimate: HK$7,000,000 – 9,000,000
Exceptionally cast with highly refined naturalistic modelling, this monumental bronze deer stands out for its historical significance. Believed to be the sole extant large-scale bronze animal sculpture inscribed with a precise Chenghua reign date, it represents a landmark in 15th-century metalwork. Its securely dated inscription and rare animal-form subject make it a work of exceptional importance.
An Exceptionally Rare Imperial Carved Cinnabar Lacquer Jade-Inset Table
Qianlong
86.4cm (34in) high x 156.2cm (61 1/2in) wide x 68.6cm (27in) deep
Estimate: HK$2,000,000 – 3,000,000
Formerly in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, this imperial cinnabar lacquer table embodies the Qing court's taste for elaborately ornamented furniture of the highest calibre. This magnificent, exuberant taste, which can also be seen in imperial thrones, in fact, followed the production of important carved lacquer furniture during the early Ming dynasty. While the Qianlong court favoured opulent materials and intricate lacquer craftsmanship, large-scale cinnabar lacquer tables with jade inlay remain exceedingly rare.