Gardens of Pleasure: Sex in Ancient China is the arresting title of an exhibition at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong from April 16 to May 3. The auction house will present part of the Ferdinand M. Bertholet Collection, the world’s largest collection of erotic art. The exhibition features more than 100 pieces, with objects dating from the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911 AD). These include works in silk, ivory, bronze, and are whispers and slivers of tantalising tales from days gone by. Within these works, made up of alluring albums and provocative porcelains, an older, more mischievous China unfolds. As a collection, such pieces offer an unparalleled view into an exceptional story of sex in the ancient Middle Kingdom.
Love games in a flowering garden, late 17th century, one from a set of eight.
Meiren at her bath, early 19th century scroll.
A set of seven small porcelain figures (19th-20th century).