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Also on display were art gallery Fleurdelys Antiquites' beautiful wooden stands, such as a delicate 19th-century hongmu (black wood) opium tray. "Stands have a long tradition in Chinese history," says gallery director Laurence Paul. "It is about the art of display for objects, including vases, rocks and jade. Every object historically had a stand."

While the bulk of participants in the Pavilion were antique dealers, contemporary galleries were also well represented. The Tolman Collection showcased several brilliant paintings, such as Daniel Kelly's 2012 Tap on the Shoulder - a red and white standout acrylic piece on Nepalese paper - as well as the same artist's China Moon (2013), an oil painting on an unusual bamboo and wood sculpture.

The New York and London-based contemporary gallery was also a participant in Masterpiece London, another art fair held nearby, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, from June 26 to July 2. A key event in Britain's social calendar, it witnessed around 150 participants.

Masterpiece also attracted some 20 galleries devoted specifically to jewelry, such as Old Bond Street's Symbolic & Chase, who exhibited an exquisite gem-set and enamel "Chinoiserie" compact, from Cartier. Dating from around 1925, it depicts a water-dragon scene, on an ivory plaque encrusted with gold, mother-of-pearl, turquoise and rubies.

Ming Liu is a journalist for the Financial Times.

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