Bringing to Light the Overlooked Masterpieces of William Cleverley Alexander
UK|MARCH 11, 2025: Woolley & Wallis is excited to present two exceptional Chinese works from the private collection of one of Britain’s most knowledgeable art connoisseurs and philanthropists, William Cleverley Alexander (1840-1916). The works, which include a rare Kangxi vase and a Kangxi wine ewer, have remained in the family collection since he purchased them in 1907 and 1913 and will be offered for auction for the first time in over 100 years. Known for his curatorial skills Alexander chose quality over quantity for his collection, with each piece being thoroughly researched before being purchased. His meticulous documentation of the pieces was also key and each piece comes with its original invoice and drawing.
Woolley & Wallis is especially thrilled to be able to offer the works, not just because of the esteemed pedigree of the collection, but also because the auction house broke the million-pound barrier for a Chinese work in a UK regional auction house 20 years ago, when it sold a Chinese Yuan dynasty vase from the Alexander collection for £3 million against an estimate of £200,000-£300,00 in July 2015.
Commenting on this exciting offering in Woolley & Wallis Fine Asian Art sale on May 20, 2025 John Axford, Asian Art Specialist and Chairman of Woolley & Wallis, said: “It is an honour to be entrusted to sell these two rare and fine pieces. They epitomise the keen eye for outstanding craftsmanship and quality of materials that William Cleverley Alexander had, as well as demonstrating his passion for works from this period. There is a demand for the highest quality works with such stunning provenance, careful curation and preservation and we therefore anticipate interest from around the world.”
His collection was housed between the family homes of Aubrey House in Kensington and his country house, Heathfield Park in Sussex. Both pieces are from the Chinese Kangxi period (1662-1722), which was a period of recovery following the collapse of the Ming dynasty. This era of renewed stability instigated a surge in artistic creativity, predominantly in ceramics. This, combined with groundbreaking technical advancements resulted in ceramics from the Kangxi period being regarded as some of the most exquisite ever produced.
The first piece going under the hammer is a rare underglaze meiping (vase) decorated around the body with two squirrels hiding amongst a fruiting grapevine. Highly decorative, it features bands of stylised lotus flowerheads and leaf scrolls, with further flower motifs in a red colour against a white background. It carries an estimate of £20,000-£30,000.
The second piece is a vibrant rare Kangxi yellow-glazed wine ewer that is fashioned in the shape of the Chinese characters Fu Lu Shou which translates as good fortune (Fu), prosperity (Lu) and longevity (Shou), representing the three key aspects of a good life in Chinese culture. This ewer therefore is a symbol of positivity. There were various uses for wine ewers of this period, from ritualistic or ceremonial use, to funerary versions (where they were created to literally ‘toast’ the dead) and some for more practical usage.
John Axford tells us: “Ceramic wares modelled in the form of characters like the present wine ewer were a remarkable innovation of the Kangxi period. This ewer is a particularly decorative example, with an unusually long neck and moulded as the combined characters of Fu and Shou. It is applied with a loop handle and a slender, tapering spout, with a charming blue glazed Buddhist lion finial which contrasts strikingly with the yellow.”
