AN OCTAGONAL ‘EROTIC’ BAMBOO VENEER BOX AND COVER, ZHUHUANG, QING DYNASTYChina, 1644-1912. The top of the cover carved in low relief with a couple engaged in amorous pursuits on a craggy rock under a tree in a terraced garden, encircled by eight panels showing the same couple in various erotic positions, all above eight side panels with ruyi heads and scrolling vines.Provenance: British private collection. Condition: Good condition with minor wear, light scratches, natural age cracks, few minuscule nicks. Some bending and losses to wire inlay. Very fine, naturally grown patina.Weight: 636.7 gDimensions: Height 10.2 cm, Width 22 cmThe red lacquered interior shows a partly legible inlaid two-character mark, the second character reading ‘chun’. The ruyi head and scrolling vine motif is repeated above eight panels with auspicious symbols.Intricately rendered in the zhuhuang or bamboo veneer technique and deftly decorated in relief, the present piece is an exceptionally fine object likely once gifted to a newly married couple as they prepared for their life together.The making of this piece involved the application of several thin panels, taken from the inner wall of the bamboo stem, over a wood core. These panels are then bound and held in place by the thick rims around the box and cover. The smoothly executed contours and proportionate symmetry of the box’s octagonal shape demonstrate the deft finish of this piece.Auction result comparison: Compare with a bamboo veneer brushpot at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Gems of Chinese Art – The Speelman Collection II on 3 October 2018, lot 3444, bought-in at an estimate of HKD 800,000-1,000,000, and a related bamboo veneer octagonal box and cover, also carved with Buddhist auspicious symbols like the present lot, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in The World of Qianlong on 27 April 2003, lot 18, bought-in at an estimate of HKD 800,000-1,000,000清代竹雕春宮圖八方蓋盒 中國，1644-1912年。蓋的頂部中央以及四周八個開光内都浮雕春宮圖。盒子八面雕刻如意與纏枝紋。 來源：英國私人收藏 品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損，自然裂紋，極少的微小划痕。 有些邊緣有缺損。自然的包漿。 重量：636.7 克 尺寸：高 10.2 厘米, 寬 22 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一個竹製筆筒，於香港蘇富比Gems of Chinese Art – The Speelman Collection II 拍場，2018年10月 3日，lot 3444, 估價HKD 800,000-1,000,000；一個相似的竹製八方蓋盒，於香港蘇富比 The World of Qianlong 拍場，2003年4月27日，估價 HKD 800,000-1,000,000。
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A BURLWOOD ‘TREE TRUNK’ BRUSH POT, BITONG, EARLY QING DYNASTYChina, 17th – 18th century. Of attractive form and proportions, with a fine reddish-brown color, the wood with several natural crevices and knots, left undecorated in appreciation of the fine pattern of the wood. Mounted to an old hardwood base and with a metal fitting to the interior.Provenance: Estate of Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009). Previously acquired at Sotheby’s during the 1980s or 1990s (according to auction label). Pao was one of Canada’s leading dealers of Chinese porcelain and works of art. His antique store, Pao & Moltke Ltd., owned together with his wife Mrs. von Moltke, who descended from a German and Danish noble family, was a fixture in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville area from the 1980’s to early 2000’s.Condition: Good condition with minor wear, occasional light scratches and small nicks, and some minor natural age cracks.Weight: 397.0 gDimensions: Height 18 cmAuction result comparison: A closely related brush pot was sold by Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 17 September 2008, lot 108, for USD 15,000.清初癭木筆筒 中國，十七至十八世紀。木料具有誘人的形狀和比例，美麗的紅棕色，帶有一些自然的縫隙和樹結，未經修飾就可以欣賞木材的精美花紋。 安裝在舊的硬木底座上，內部裝有金屬配件。 來源：Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009)遺產。Pao是加拿大中國瓷器和藝術品的主要經銷商之一。他的古董店Pao＆Moltke Ltd.是他與妻子von Moltke夫人成立，後者是德國和丹麥貴族的後裔。從1980年代到2000年代初期，他們的古董店曾是多倫多時尚Yorkville地區不可缺少的部分。 品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損，偶有輕微划痕和小刻痕，以及一些較小的自然年齡裂縫。 重量：397.0 克 尺寸：高18厘米拍賣結果比較：一個相似的筆筒， 於2008年9月17日在紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art， lot 108，成交價 USD 15,000。
A CARVED HUANGHUALI ‘IMITATION BURLWOOD’ BRUSH POT, BITONG, 17TH CENTURYChina, 17th century. The rather heavy vessel is naturalistically carved with an uneven knotty surface to simulate a gnarled segment of a tree trunk. Fine honey-brown color of the wood and naturally grown, unctuous patina.Provenance: Estate of Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009). Pao was one of Canada’s leading dealers of Chinese porcelain and works of art. His antique store, Pao & Moltke Ltd., owned together with his wife Mrs. von Moltke, who descended from a German and Danish noble family, was a fixture in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville area from the 1980’s to early 2000’s.Condition: Good condition with minor wear, occasional light scratches and small nicks, and some minor natural age cracks.Weight: 452.8 gDimensions: Height 10.5 cmLiterature comparison: Compare a similarly carved huanghuali brushpot from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee, dated to the Kangxi reign, sold by Sotheby’s on 22nd November 1984, lot 889.Auction result comparison: A related bitong of considerably larger size, also carved in imitation of burlwood, was sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Chinese Art on 24-25 November 2014, lot 1066, for HKD 400,000.十七世紀黃花梨仿癭木筆筒中國，十七世紀。木料厚重，樹幹型渾然天成，木材呈蜜棕色，自然生長，無皺紋。 來源：Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009)遺產。Pao是加拿大中國瓷器和藝術品的主要經銷商之一。他的古董店Pao＆Moltke Ltd.是他與妻子von Moltke夫人成立，後者是德國和丹麥貴族的後裔。從1980年代到2000年代初期，他們的古董店曾是多倫多時尚Yorkville地區不可缺少的部分。 品相：狀況良好，有舊磨損和風化，偶爾有輕微的划痕和小刻痕，還有一些較小的自然裂縫。 重量：452.8 克 尺寸：高10.5厘米拍賣結果比較：一個相似但較大的仿癭木雕刻筆筒， 於20014年11月24至25日在香港蘇富比Chinese Art，lot 1066，成交價HKD 400,000。
A HUANGHUALI ‘LOTUS’ BRUSH POT, BITONG, MID-QINGChina, 18th-19th century. The naturalistic vessel deftly rendered with tall and gently curved walls depicted as overlapping lotus petals, the exterior superbly carved in relief with lotus leaves, flowers, pods, and buds. The wood of a warm dark-honey tone.Provenance: Karl Zeilinger (1944-2014), a collector of Asian art and antique weapons from Nürnberg, Germany. Thence by descent in the same family.Condition: Excellent condition with old wear, some light scratches and minuscule nicks mostly to bases.Weight: 731.7 gDimensions: Height 13 cmLiterature comparison: Compare with a similar zitan brushpot with magnolia design, late Ming dynasty and with a signature of Wen Fu, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, no.23.Auction result comparison: A related huanghuali brush pot with magnolia design was sold by Bonhams London in Fine Chinese Art on 5 November 2020, lot 94, for GBP 10,062.明代中期黃花梨雕蓮池筆筒 中國，十八至十九世紀。筆筒圓滑的弧形筒壁，精美浮雕成蓮池中重疊蓮花、蓮葉、蓮蓬與花苞。溫暖的深蜜色木料。 來源：Karl Zeilinger (1944-2014), 德國紐倫堡亞洲藝術及古典武器收藏家，在同一家族保存至今。 品相：狀況極佳，有舊磨損，一些輕微的划痕，大部分在底部。 重量：731.7 克 尺寸：高 13 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件相近的黃花梨木蘭筆筒售于倫敦邦翰思Fine Chinese Art 拍場，2020年11月5日, lot 94, 售價 GBP 10,062.
AN OPENWORK AND RETICULATED ZITAN BRUSHPOT, BITONG, QING DYNASTYChina, 1644-1912. Of cylindrical form, the exterior exquisitely carved in high relief with a continuous scene of flowers, pine and willow trees, and animals, including monkeys, goats, rats, birds, and phoenixes, finely detailed with close as well as distant mountains. Signed Gu Jue in traditional Chinese characters, and carved either by the master himself or a close follower.Provenance: Zhou Shengli (1951-2018). Acquired ca. 1990. Thence by descent within the same family to the present owner. Zhou Shengli was born in Shanghai, graduated from Shanghai Institute of Mechanical Engineering in 1977, and studied painting under Lu Yanshao (1909-1993) from 1978. In the early 1990s, Zhou established the ‘Baosteel Painting and Calligraphy Society’. In the next 10 years, he and his colleagues participated in various national calligraphy and painting competitions and won over twenty of the highest prizes and awards. A painting by Zhou was auctioned once in 1995 by Gallery Duo YunXuan in Shanghai for a price of RMB 52,000, breaking the record for works by living artists at that time. His paintings are now exhibited in the prestigious Beijing Gallery, along with many of China’s most important artists.Condition: Old wear, several natural age cracks and minor losses with small old fills, few minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches. Overall fine condition, commensurate with age. Superb patina which over the centuries has naturally grown into a dark-brown color with a distinct deep-purple luster of the wood.Weight: 842.4 gDimensions: Height 15 cmThe wood of a fine grain and color, the carver masterfully utilizing the variegating tones for accentuations in the composition, appearing much like sunlight falling onto the respective areas.The brush pot is signed by the carver, Gu Jue (1662-1722), and carved either by the master himself or a close follower, whose designation was known as Zong Yu. The third character in the signature reads zhi (‘carved by’). A native of Jiading, Jiangsu province, Gu was one of the most famous bamboo carvers active during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor and whose surviving works are extremely rare. Gu especially excelled in very fine and detailed carvings of figures and landscape within highly complex compositions, often combining high relief with shallow carving. The quality of the present brush pot is simply breathtaking, therefore it is possible that it was indeed carved by the master himself.Literature comparison: A related brush pot signed by Gu Jue is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1994.382. See a similar bamboo brush pot carved with a landscape design and signed by Gu Jue, from the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection in the Seattle Art Museum, illustrated in Ip Yee and Laurence C.S. Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, Part I, Hong Kong, 1978, pl. 50. Compare also the brush pot dated to the early Qing period, signed Jiyou zhongxia Gu Zongyu zhi (‘Made by Gu Zongyu in the Summer of Jiyou year’) in the Palace Museum Collection, illustrated in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Forbidden City Publishing House, 2002, p. 55, no. 26. Compare also one illustrated in ‘Chinese Decorative Arts’, Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New York, Summer 1997, p. 50.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related brush pot at Christie’s Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 30 May 2005, lot 1293, sold for HKD 10,760,000, and another at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Scholarly Works of Art from the Mary and George Bloch Collection on 23 October 2015, lot 5, sold for HKD 5,160,000. A brushpot attributed to Gu Jue was offered at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in The Robert H. Blumenfield Collection of Chinese Bamboo Carvings on 7 April 2015, lot 3008, bought-in at an estimate of HKD 2,500,000-3,500,000, and one described as ‘School of Gu Jue’ was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong in The Feng Wen Tang Collection Of Bamboo Carvings and Furniture on 3 June 2015, lot 2828, for HKD 1,360,000.清代紫檀木雕筆筒 中國，1644-1912年。本品直筒形，直口，直腹，平底，精美浮雕茂密森林裏猴子戲耍的情景。不同的樹木，鳥類以及山羊等不同動物，此件器物雕飾巧致，疏透玲瓏並，細節生動逼真。顧珏款，可能爲大師本人，或是其同期匠人或學生。來源：周生力(1951-2018) 收藏。大約購於1990年代。直至現任藏家前一直保存在同一家族中。周生力出生於上海，師從陸儼少(1909-1993) 學畫。1990年代他和他的同事們參加了許多書法和繪畫比賽，並贏得了二十多個獎項，從而建立了“寶鋼書畫學會”。 他的一幅畫曾在1995年上海朵雲軒參加拍賣以52,000元的價格拍出，打破了當時在世藝術家的作品紀錄。 現在，他的畫作與許多中國最重要的畫家一起在著名的北京畫廊展出圖片：周生力與陸儼少，約 1970 至1980年間。品相：舊磨損，一些自然年齡裂縫和少量舊填充物，很少的微小划痕，偶爾的輕微划痕。 總體狀況良好，與年齡相稱。 幾個世紀以來，極好自然生長成深棕色的古銅色包漿，並具有明顯的深紫色光澤。重量：842.4 克 尺寸：高15厘米木材質地細密，色澤鮮豔，雕刻師熟練地運用不同色調來強調構圖，看起來很像陽光直射到各個區域。筆筒上刻清代雕刻大師顧珏（1662-1722）款，可能爲大師本人，或是其同期匠人或學生。顧珏字宗玉，江蘇嘉定人，是康熙皇帝時期最活躍的竹雕刻家之一，其倖存作品極為罕見。 顾珏特別擅長在高度複雜的構圖中精巧細緻地雕刻人物和風景，通常將淺浮雕與淺雕結合在一起。因爲筆筒雕刻工藝令人叹为观止，所以它很可能是由顧珏亲自雕刻的。文獻比較: 顧珏筆筒可見於Metropolitan Museum of Art，編號 1994.382。另一顧珏署名的竹雕山水筆筒來自Seattle Art Museum 中的Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection，見Ip Yee 與 Laurence C.S. Tam編輯的 Chinese Bamboo Carving, Part I, 香港1978, 圖 50。故宮博物院中“己酉仲夏顧宗玉制”的筆筒，Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Forbidden City Publishing House, 2002, 圖55, no. 26. 以及紐約Metropolitan Museum of Art 的 ‘Chinese Decorative Arts’, Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New York, Summer 1997, 圖50。拍賣結果比較：香港佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 拍場2005年5月30日，lot 1293, 售價HKD 10,760,000；香港蘇富比 Scholarly Works of Art from the Mary and George Bloch Collection 拍場2015年10月23日lot 5, 售價HKD 5,160,000。香港蘇富比 The Robert H. Blumenfield Collection of Chinese Bamboo Carvings 拍場2015年4月 7日，lot 3008, 估價 HKD 2,500,000-3,500,000；香港佳士得The Feng Wen Tang Collection Of Bamboo Carvings and Furniture 拍場2015年6月3 日，lot 2828, HKD 1,360,000。
A BOXWOOD 'CRANE AND PINE TREE' INCENSE HOLDER, QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIODChina, 1661-1722. The slender body naturalistically carved in the form of a gnarled pine tree trunk and in relief with a gnarly pine tree rising from the base to just below the rim and bearing clusters of pine needles, a branch with buds and flowers issuing from the mouth, scattered with irregular concentric rings to indicate weathered growth-lines. A crane is to be found at the lower end with stylized water lines at his feet.Provenance: Estate of Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009). Pao was one of Canada’s leading dealers of Chinese porcelain and works of art. His antique store, Pao & Moltke Ltd., owned together with his wife Mrs. von Moltke, who descended from a German and Danish noble family, was a fixture in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville area from the 1980’s to early 2000’s.Condition: Excellent condition with old wear, some light surface scratches and minimal nicks here and there.Weight: 447.4 gDimensions: Height 17 cmThe design of this piece is after tree-trunk form vases and brush pots generally carved in bamboo that became popular in the late Ming dynasty and continued to be made in the Qing period. While boxwood carvings of this type are rare, it is a medium that was appreciated for its fine grain and rich tone of brown coloration.Literature comparison: See a closely related boxwood vase in the form of the trunk of an aged pine tree, similarly carved with gnarled roots and vigorously twisted branches issuing clusters of pine needles, from the collection of Mary and George Bloch, sold by Sotheby’s on 23rd October 2005, lot 25. For a related bamboo example, compare also a vase illustrated in Chinese Metalwares and Decorative Arts, vol. 2, Bath, 1993, pl. 335; and another published in Ip Yee and Laurence C.S. Tam, Chinese Bamboo Carving, Part 1, Hong Kong, 1978, col. pl. 7, together with an irregularly-shaped brushpot attributed to the 18th century and described as made of yuzhu (jade bamboo), pl. 113.Auction result comparison: A closely related boxwood incense holder was sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection – Playthings on 2 June 2016, lot 96, for HKD 325,000.清康熙黃楊木雕松鶴樁香筒 中國，1661-1722年。香筒隨形而雕，修長的身體木料自然地雕刻成松樹樹幹的樣子，松針、仙鶴、花和藤曼的位置都是经过悉心设计，不仅寓意吉祥，而且形态逼真。來源：Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009)遺產。Pao是加拿大中國瓷器和藝術品的主要經銷商之一。他的古董店Pao＆Moltke Ltd.是他與妻子von Moltke夫人成立，後者是德國和丹麥貴族的後裔。從1980年代到2000年代初期，他們的古董店曾是多倫多時尚Yorkville地區不可缺少的部分。 品相：狀況良好，有舊磨損，一些輕度的表面刮痕，局部些微划痕。重量：447.4 克 尺寸：高17厘米拍賣結果比較：一個相近的黃楊木香筒售于香港蘇富比Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection – Playthings 拍場 2016年6月2日, lot 96, 售價 HKD 325,000。
A BURLWOOD ‘TREE TRUNK’ BRUSH POT, BITONG, QINGChina, 18th-19th century. Of attractive form and proportions, the wood with several natural crevices and knots, left undecorated in appreciation of the fine pattern of the wood.Provenance: Estate of Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009). Previously acquired at Sotheby’s during the 1980s or 1990s (according to auction label). Three old collector’s labels to base. Pao was one of Canada’s leading dealers of Chinese porcelain and works of art. His antique store, Pao & Moltke Ltd., owned together with his wife Mrs. von Moltke, who descended from a German and Danish noble family, was a fixture in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville area from the 1980’s to early 2000’s.Condition: Excellent condition with old wear, occasional light scratches, and few minor natural age cracks.Weight: 288.7 gDimensions: Height 13.5 cmAuction result comparison: A related brush pot was sold by Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 29 March 2006, lot 228, for USD 7,200.清代癭木筆筒 中國，十八至十九世紀。天然木料帶有一些自然的縫隙的癭木，未經修飾就可以欣賞木材的精美花紋。 來源：Sear Hang Hwie Pao (1937-2009)遺產。Pao是加拿大中國瓷器和藝術品的主要經銷商之一。他的古董店Pao＆Moltke Ltd.是他與妻子von Moltke夫人成立，後者是德國和丹麥貴族的後裔。從1980年代到2000年代初期，他們的古董店曾是多倫多時尚Yorkville地區不可缺少的部分。 品相：狀況良好，有舊磨損和風化，偶爾有輕微的划痕和小刻痕，還有一些較小的自然裂縫。 重量：288.7 克 尺寸：高13.5厘米 拍賣結果比較：一個相似的筆筒， 於2006年3月29日在紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art ，lot 228，成交價 USD 7,200。
AN INSCRIBED BAMBOO BRUSH POT, BITONG, DATED TO THE YEAR 1817China. The massive, cylindrical body supported on three shallow feet. The slightly rounded sides carved in low relief with gnarled prunus blossoms as well as chrysanthemum flowers on one side and with a poem and inscriptions on the other, indicating this piece was carved by Juan Pu in August of the year of Ding Chou, corresponding to 1817.Provenance: Wing Kei Curios & Porcelain, Hong Kong, 12 September 1993. Mrs. McGrady, Brighton, England, acquired from the above and thence by descent in the same family. The original receipt, dating the piece to the Qing dynasty, Jiaqing period, accompanies this lot.Condition: Good condition with extensive old wear, natural age cracks, occasional light scratches, minor nicks here and there, all commensurate with age and material. Fine patina, naturally grown into an exquisite golden-brown tone.Inscription: ‘Bamboo, peach blossom and chrysanthemum can only belong to one, when the artist sees this kind of scenery, and feels very strong in spirit. Carved in the sitting room by Juan Pu during the mid-autumn festival in 1817’.Weight: 1,185 gDimensions: Height 16.2 cm, Diameter 16.2 cmExpert’s note: Juan Pu is an artist name of Shen Pu (1706—1778), a court official and noted poet who worked during the Qianlong period. The dating of the present Bitong therefore could also be 1757, which would put the carving into the lifetime of the poem’s author.嘉慶丁丑年竹雕花卉題詩紋筆筒 中國。圓柱體筆筒，三淺足。 筆筒外壁淺浮雕梅樹，樹下菊花，另一側是詩和題詞，題詩処可見“丁丑年八月中”，倦圃款。 來源：香港Wing Kei Curios & Porcelain（永基古玩瓷器）, 1993年9月12日。英國Brighton 的Mrs. McGrady購於上述藝廊，自此保存在同一家族至今。隨附原始發票，上面注明“嘉慶”。品相：狀況良好，有大量的舊時磨損，自然的年齡裂縫，局部輕微划痕，這些都與年齡和材料相稱。 金棕色包漿。 重量：1,185 克 尺寸：高16.2 厘米, 直徑16.2 厘米
A RARE AND IMPORTANT MOTHER-OF-PEARL AND GOLD-FOIL INLAID ‘ZHUAZHOU’ BLACK LACQUER BOX AND COVER, LATE MINGChina, 17th century. Masterfully decorated with neatly applied inlays, the top of the cover depicting the ritual of Zhuazhou taking place in a pavilion with two ladies and a baby, all set within a picturesque landscape of craggy rockwork, pine and wutong trees. The front with a continuous scene of boys at play accompanied by two ladies in a similar landscape, the short sides with more rockwork, flowers, and butterflies, the reverse undecorated.Provenance: From a noted private collection in Abcoude, Netherlands, by repute acquired during the early 1990s.Condition: Excellent condition with some wear, traces of use, minor losses with associated touchups, minimal losses to inlays (> 90 % of original inlays preserved), some crackling, loss of lacquer to interior, light scratches, natural age cracks, and small nicks here and there.Weight: 2,750 gDimensions: Size 40.5 x 22 x 23 cmOf rectangular form, the hinged cover opens to reveal a shallow leather tray. The sides are set with bail handles, and the front with a ruyi-head lock plate and clasp.Zhuazhou is a ritual held at a child's first birthday party, when the child is one year old by Chinese reckoning. The literal translation is ‘pick’ and ‘anniversary’. The parents put various objects before the child, symbolizing career choices or personality traits, and the child's choice is used to forecast its future. In the present case, the child has picked a miniature halberd, representing a military career, as opposed to brushes (for a scholar) or an abacus (for an economist). The parents and other family members are looking on with pleased expressions, as becoming a general was considered the greatest ambition of a man in China during the 17th century.The earliest written record of this custom can be traced back to the Song dynasty and is portrayed in a well-known scene in the novel ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’. Although it has been a popular tradition for centuries, remaining one to this day, depictions of the ritual in Chinese works of art is incredibly rare.The present box was most likely crafted specifically for usage during the ritual, which not only explains the depiction of the scene but also the leather tray, as the objects needed for performing Zhuazhou could be stored in the box and then placed on the tray for the child to pick. Therefore, it seems plausible that the present box has been used many times, handed down from generation to generation.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related seal chest, dated to the 17th/18th century, at Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 24 March 2011, lot 1354, sold for USD 23,750. Compare also with a related document box at Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 17 September 2010, lot 1261, sold for USD 20,000.明末罕見黑漆髹螺鈿與金箔《抓周》蓋箱中國，十七世紀。箱蓋面精美鑲嵌著螺鈿，描繪了亭子裡兩位女士和一個嬰兒正在進行抓周儀式，四周風景如畫，假山、松樹和梧桐樹。箱子正面有兒童戯耍場景，有兩位夫人陪同，兩側可見更多的岩石、花朵和蝴蝶，背面沒有裝飾。 來源：荷蘭Abcoude 知名私人收藏，據説購于上世紀九十年代初 品相：狀況良好，有一定的磨損，使用痕跡，與修補相關的輕微損失，鑲嵌物的損失極小（保留了原始鑲嵌物的90％以上），有些裂紋，內部漆面脫落，輕度划痕，自然裂紋和小刻痕。 重量：2,750 克 尺寸：40.5 x 22 x 23 厘米 長方形蓋盒，鉸接式蓋子，打開後露出一個淺皮托盤。側面裝有手柄，正面裝有合頁與如意形鎖鼻。 抓周是中國孩子周歲時舉行的一項儀式。 父母將各種物品擺在孩子面前，象徵著職業或性格特徵，看孩子的選擇來預卜其未來。 在這件蓋盒上，孩子選擇了代表軍事的小戟，而不是毛筆（學者）或算盤（商人）。 父母和其他家庭成員用滿意的表情望著孩子，因為成為將軍被認為是十七世紀中國男性的最大的愿望。 該習俗在南北朝就已經存在，而最早書面記錄可以追溯到宋朝，《紅樓夢》中就有一個著名場景。 儘管抓周數百年來一直是一個流行的傳統，一直沿用至今，但在中國藝術品上出現卻極為罕見。 這個蓋盒很可能是為儀式期間使用而專門製作的，這不僅可以解釋場景的描繪，而且可以解釋皮托盤，因為可以將抓周所需物品放置在托盤上，放進盒中，方便進行禮儀。這個盒子似乎已經被使用了很多年代，世代相傳。 拍賣結果比較：一件十七至十八世紀的印箱見紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 拍場2011年3月24日 lot 1354, 售價USD 23,750. ；一件文件箱見紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 拍場2010年9月17日 lot 1261, 售價USD 20,000.
A LARGE OPENWORK HARDWOOD SQUARE BASE, QING DYNASTYChina, 19th century. The tiered base supported on four small feet and finely carved in openwork with geometric designs. The velvet padding of a later date.Provenance: French private collection. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, few light scratches, and some minuscule nibbling to edges.Weight: 1,065 gDimensions: Size 8 x 38.5 x 38.5 cm清代木雕方形基座 中國，十九世紀。分層底座，四足，鏤空精雕，表面覆蓋天鵝絨。 來源：法國私人收藏 品相：狀況極佳，輕微磨損，少量刮擦，邊緣有些微小的磨損。 重量：1,065 克 尺寸：8 x 38.5 x 38.5 厘米
A MOTHER-OF-PEARL-INLAID BLACK LACQUER RECTANGULAR TRAY, JOSEON DYNASTYKorea, 16th-17th century. With a wide flaring rim, superbly decorated with stylized lotus flowers on scrolling vines, to the interior with stylized auspicious symbols topping each flower, the base lacquered cinnabar red.Provenance: Gerard Hawthorn LTD Oriental Art, London, UK, 24 April 2008. A noted private collection in Abcoude, Netherlands, acquired from the above. A copy of the invoice, erroneously describing the piece as Chinese and from the Ming dynasty, accompanies this lot.Condition: Excellent condition commensurate with age, old wear, crackling, a small loss to one corner with associated touchup, the interior with four and the exterior with two replaced inlays (inspected under strong blue light) out of more than 200 inlays in total.Weight: 639 gDimensions: Size 4.3 x 31.7 x 19.2 cmAlthough they superficially resemble and, indeed, are often incorrectly termed as orchids, or even peony blossoms, the flowers depicted on this tray actually are stylized lotus blossoms, as indicated by the appearance of the associated buds. The stylized blossoms, which are known as byeonryeon in Korean, likely first appeared in the silk textiles of China’s Song dynasty (960– 1279). Popularized in Chinese porcelains of the Yuan (1279–1368) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties, the foreign lotus design, or fanlianwen, spread to Korea early in the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) and was incorporated into the decorative schemes of Korean blue-and-white porcelain, buncheong ware, and inlaid lacquers.Though little is known of the earliest history of lacquer-making in Korea, archaeological evidence indicates that Korean craftsmen were making lacquered objects at least two thousand years ago, in the late Neolithic and early historic periods. By the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) Koreans were producing elegant lacquer vessels and sutra-storage chests in black lacquer embellished with small floral designs inlaid in mother of pearl, the designs occasionally augmented with small, twisted, metal wires inset as borders and as the stems in floral arabesques. The tradition of inlaid lacquers continued into the succeeding Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), usually in black lacquer with bold floral designs inlaid in mother of pearl.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related foliate-shaped tray, of larger size and dated to the 17th-18th century at Christie’s New York in Japanese and Korean Art on 18 April 2018, lot 141, sold for USD 137,500. Compare also with a related but larger stationery box at Christie’s New York in Japanese and Korean Art on 22 September 2020, lot 252, sold for USD 81,250, and another at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Asian Lacquer on 27 May 2014, lot 902, sold for HKD 750,000.朝鮮王朝黑漆髹螺鈿托盤韓國，十六至十七世紀。托盤敞口，邊緣外翻。纏枝卷葉花卉紋以及吉祥符號。底部朱紅漆。 來源：倫敦Gerard Hawthorn LTD 東方藝術藝廊, 2008年4月24日。荷蘭Abcoude 知名私人收藏，購於上述藝廊。隨附發票複印件（錯誤描述該拍品來自中國明代）。 品相：良好的狀態與年齡相符，舊磨損，開裂，一角有小修，一共200多個鑲嵌螺鈿只有內部有四処以及外部有兩処螺鈿經過替換（在強藍光下檢查）。 重量：639 克 尺寸：4.3 x 31.7 x 19.2 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件葉狀托盤，更大尺寸，十七至十八世紀，見紐約佳士得Japanese and Korean Art 拍場2018年4月18日 lot 141, 售價USD 137,500. ；一件更大尺寸的文具盒見紐約佳士得Japanese and Korean Art 拍場2020年9月on 22日 lot 252, 售價USD 81,250, ；還有一件見香港蘇富比Asian Lacquer 拍場2014年5月27日 lot 902, 售價HKD 750,000.
A HUANGHUALI WEIQI BOX AND COVER, QING DYNASTYChina, 1644-1912. The compressed globular body supported on three shallow legs and carved in deep relief with two vases, one decorated with a dragon and the other with an ice-crack glaze, magnolias, peonies, hibiscuses, and chrysanthemums, as well as a handled woven basket with pomegranates. The domed circular cover with lotuses and a butterfly.Provenance: Karl Zeilinger (1944-2014), a collector of Asian art and antique weapons from Nürnberg, Germany. Thence by descent in the same family.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, natural age cracks, few minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches, and traces of giltWeight: 2,994 gDimensions: Height 19 cmLiterature comparison: A similar pair of weiqi boxes made from huanghuali wood is illustrated in S. Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Furniture, California, 2001, p. 200. Another pair, lacking the finely carved decoration seen on the present piece, was included in the exhibition The Imperial Packing Art of the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 1999, cat.no. 122, and a further pair in Qing Legacies - the Sumptuous Art of Imperial Packaging, Macau, 2000, cat.no. 94.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related but smaller zitan weiqi box and cover at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Chinese Art on 3-4 December 2015, lot 319, sold for HKD 81,250.清代黃花梨花卉紋圍棋蓋盒 中國，1644-1912年。球形圓盒，三個淺腿。盒身雕刻兩個花瓶，一個花瓶上裝飾著一條龍，另一個花瓶上裝飾著冰裂的釉面，四周裝飾玉蘭、牡丹、芙蓉和菊花，還有一個帶石榴編織提籃。圓盒蓋上雕刻著蓮花和蝴蝶。 來源：Karl Zeilinger (1944-2014), 德國紐倫堡亞洲藝術及古典武器收藏家，在同一家族保存至今。 品相：狀況極佳，有輕微磨損，自然老化裂紋，極少的微小划痕，偶有的輕微划痕和鎏金痕跡。 重量：2,994 克 尺寸：高19厘米 拍賣結果比較：於2015年12月3日至4日在香港蘇富比Chinese Art拍場上，與一個較小的紫檀圍棋蓋盒比較，lot 319，成交價HKD 81,250.。
AN EXCEPTIONAL OPENWORK AND RETICULATED IVORY ‘HUNDRED BOYS’ VASE AND COVER, LATE QING TO REPUBLICChina, late 19th to early 20th century. The ovoid body rising from a waisted foot to a concave neck with an everted rim, meticulously carved with innumerable boys engaging in leisurely pursuits, decorated with key-fret, bat, ruyi-head, leiwen, and floral bands.Provenance: From the private collection of a French diplomate. Condition: The neck with discoloration and extensive crackling to the ivory due to heat influence, areas of touchup limited to the neck, otherwise in superb condition with minor wear, minuscule nicks, and occasional light scratches. The lid slightly paler than the vase.Weight: 2,044 gDimensions: Height 32.6 cmThe domed oval cover with a finial in the form of two boys seated on a lotus leaf, one playing the flute and the other gleefully laughing.The present piece is decorated with the subject of the ‘Hundred Boys’, a very popular motif in porcelain decoration as it symbolizes the Chinese perpetual wish for many sons. According to Terese Tse Batholomew in Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 63, the 'Hundred Boys' theme has its origins in the Western Zhou dynasty when King Wen of the Zhou adopted one son in addition to his ninety-nine sons to complete the number of one hundred.Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related vase and cover, possibly from the same workshop, but slightly larger and depicting immortals as the main subject instead of the hundred boys, at Christie’s London, in Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Textiles, 11 November 2011, lot 1345, sold for GBP 32,450.This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore this item can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person. 清末民初象牙鏤空雕嬰戯圖瓶 中國，十九世紀末至二十世紀初。瓶身呈圓柱形，瓶身分層精心雕刻著嬰戯圖，有玩耍的，有玩琴的，有舞龍的，並裝飾著雷紋、蝙蝠與纏枝花卉紋。 來源：法國外交家私人收藏 品相：頸部因熱影響而變色，表面有大量裂紋，頸部有修補。基本狀況極佳，輕微磨損，微小的划痕。 蓋子比花瓶略微白。 重量：2,044 克 尺寸：高32.6厘米 拍賣結果比較：比較一個可能來自同一家工作室相似但稍大一些的圖瓶，主要描述仙人而非嬰戯，於2011年11月11日在倫敦佳士得Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Textiles拍場，lot 1345，成交價GBP 32,450。
A RETICULATED IVORY ‘PEACOCK’ TABLE SCREEN PLAQUE, QINGChina, 19th century. The fan-shaped plaque finely carved in openwork and high relief with a peacock perched on a gnarled branch bearing magnolias, of which a few have blossomed, as well as craggy rockwork and bamboo, the edges with neatly incised key-fret designs.Provenance: French private collection. Collector’s number inscribed to the reverse.Condition: Pristine condition with minor wear, few minuscule nicks and occasional light scratches, no losses whatsoever.Weight: 143.7 g Dimensions: Size 7.5 x 14 cmThis item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore this item can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person. 清代象牙浮雕孔雀桌屏中國，十九世紀。桌屏雕刻精美，木蘭樹木蘭盛開，樹下立著一只孔雀。 來源：法國私人收藏，背面有藏家收藏編號 品相：狀況極佳，輕微磨損，細微小划痕，局部有輕微的划痕，沒有任何缺損。 重量：143.7 克 尺寸：7.5 x 14 厘米
A CARVED IVORY BASE WITH A HIDDEN ‘BIRDS AND PRUNUS’ SCENE, QINGChina, 1644-1912. Of rectangular form with rounded sides and canted corners, this piece serves as a base or pedestal for a small figure or object. However, a look to the underside reveals a finely carved openwork composition to the interior of the hollow base.Provenance: French private collection.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few natural age cracks and occasional light scratches, no losses whatsoever.Weight: 124.3 g Dimensions: Size 8.2 x 12.1 cmThe interior well hollowed and skillfully carved in a reticulated manner with two birds perched on a gnarled prunus branch with buds and blossoms as well as a willow to one side.This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore this item can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person. 清代象牙雕委角方形花鳥飾件 中國，1644-1912年。委角矩形，此物可能是用作小形人物或物體的底座或基座。但是，從底面的外觀可以看出，空心底座的內部精美鏤空雕刻。 來源：法國私人收藏. 品相：狀況極佳，磨損很小，少量自然老化裂紋，偶有輕微刮擦，無任何缺損。 重量：124.3 克 尺寸：8.2 x 12.1 厘米
AN IMPORTANT AND LARGE KESI ‘PEACH FESTIVAL’ PANEL, QING DYNASTYChina, 1644-1912. Richly embroidered in bright colors with a lively scene depicting the legendary festival, with Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, descending from the sky astride her phoenix, flanked by two attendants, a crane in flight above. A pantheon of Daoist immortals and deities, including Shoulao, the Eight Immortals, Lui Hai, and Hehe Erxian, all holding ruyi-scepters, eagerly await her arrival on a garden terrace with lingzhi, pine and peach trees issuing from craggy rockwork.Provenance: From an old British private collection, by repute formed in the first half of the 20th century. Condition: Pristine condition with very bright and fresh colors, few loose threads to edges, very little minor soiling, and minimal tiny losses. Laid down on paper.Dimensions: Size 175 x 89 cmExpert’s note: Large kesi panels depicting this subject or variations thereof commonly appear on the auction market, most with irrevocably faded colors and manifold other condition issues. The present panel is arguably the best-preserved example on the market in a very long time: The colors are virtually as fresh as new, the embroidery is extremely detailed, and the iridescent luster of the silk is almost hypnotic. Most likely it has been rolled up ever since it was mounted on paper, and therefore was never exposed to light before.The Peach Festival is a popular Daoist theme associated with the birthday celebration of Xiwangmu, who has the sole authority to grant Peaches of Eternal Life and bestow celebrants of the festival with great fortune. According to legend, the festival is held at the Jade Palace in the Kunlun Mountains in the Western paradise and only takes place every 3000 years. Here, groups of Immortals are pictured waiting in anticipation for Xiwangmu, who gracefully arrives on a phoenix. The auspicious message of this theme made the present panel suitable for presentation at important festivities.Kesi, which means ‘cut silk’, derives from the visual illusion of cut threads that is created by distinct, unblended areas of color, as the weft threads are woven into each color and then cut. The earliest surviving examples of kesi tapestries date to the Tang dynasty (618-907), although the technique was already used earlier in wool and became widely used only during the Song dynasty (1127-1379). The fragment of a kesi tapestry has been recovered in a tomb of a man and his wife in Dulan, Qinghai province, who died in 633 and 688 respectively, and another also excavated in Dulan, was included in the exhibition “China, Dawn of a Golden Age” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2005, cat. no. 245.During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), kesi panels enjoyed a rise in popularity and thrived under the Qing emperors. Early in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) official weaving workshops were established both in the Palace and in the cities of Jiangning, Suzhou and Hangzhou, in order to cater to the Court’s increasing demand for palace and temple furnishings, clothing and presentation silks for civil and military officials. Specialized centers of production soon developed around this area, such as the city of Wenzhou, Zhenjiang province, which became particularly famous for its luxurious kesi tapestries.Literature comparison: A closely related silk kesi panel with a similar bright red sky in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji - Gongyi Meishu Bian, vol. 7, Beijing, 1987, pl. 180, where it is dated to the Qing Dynasty. A slightly larger kesi panel depicting the Peach Festival, from the Liaoning Provincial Museum, Shenyang, was included in the Hong Kong Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Heaven’s Embroidered Cloths, One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 119. Compare also a kesi panel depicting Xiwangmu being greeted by female Immortals in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the exhibition Masterpieces of Chinese Silk Tapestry and Embroidery in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 21.Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related kesi panel, depicting the same subject on a similar red ground, at Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 22-23 March 2012, lot 1627, sold for USD 40,000, and another at Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 14-15 September 2017, lot 943, sold for USD 56,250. Compare also with a larger kesi textile, dated to the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Art on 11 July 2020, lot 3637, sold for HKD 1,000,000.清代重要緙絲《蟠桃宴》壁挂中國，1644-1912年。絲綫鮮艷，生動地描繪了傳說中的蟠桃盛會。西王母騎在鳳凰上從天而降，兩側是侍從，頭上仙鶴飛舞。壽老、八仙、劉海以及和合二仙都在露臺上急切地等待著西王母的到來，四周可見靈芝、松樹和桃花樹。 來源：英國私人老收藏，據説購於二十世紀上半葉。 品相：原始狀態，色彩依然非常鮮豔，邊緣絲綫輕微鬆動，輕微污漬，缺損極小，裱在紙上。 尺寸：175 x 89 厘米 專家注釋: 描繪此主題的大型緙絲壁挂出現在拍賣市場上的，大多數帶有不可避免的褪色和其他各種問題。當前的壁挂可以說是很長一段時間以來市場上保存最完好的：顏色幾乎與新的一樣新鮮，刺繡非常細緻。 自從將其裝裱在紙上以來，很可能是將其捲起，因此以前從未暴露在日光下。緙絲，又稱刻絲，是中國傳統的一種絲織品，其特色是以緙織方式織造，緯線並不橫貫全幅，而僅在需要處與經線交織。尚存的最早的緙絲壁挂實例可追溯到唐朝（618-907），開始將此技法用於絲織品。南宋時期緙絲得到廣泛使用。緙絲壁挂曾在青海省都蘭墳墓中被發現。在紐約大都會博物館2005年的展覽“China, Dawn of a Golden Age” 也曾展出過另一塊出土緙絲，目錄圖 245。 在明朝（1368-1644），緙絲壁挂受歡迎程度不斷提高，並在清朝皇帝的統治下蓬勃發展。 清朝初期（1644-1911年），在皇宮以及江寧、蘇州和杭州等城市都建立了官方的織布作坊，以滿足宮廷和廟宇陳設、服裝和文職和軍事官員所用絲綢的日益增長的需求。很快就出現了特殊的生產中心，例如浙江溫州，以其豪華的緙絲掛毯而聞名。 文獻比較: 一件清代相近紅地緙絲見北京故宮博物院見《中國美術全集》，工藝美術編，第 7冊, 北京, 1987年, 圖 180. 一件《蟠桃會》大型緙絲見遼寧省博物館的展品，見香港美術館 Hong Kong Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Heaven’s Embroidered Cloths, One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, 1995年，圖119。還有一件西王母緙絲見臺北故宮博物院Masterpieces of Chinese Silk Tapestry and Embroidery 展覽, 1998, 圖 21. 拍賣結果比較：一件相似紅地緙絲壁挂售于紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 拍場2012年3月 22-23日 lot 1627, 售價USD 40,000, 另一件售于紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 拍場2017年9月14-15日 lot 943, 售價USD 56,250。 還有一件明末清初緙絲見香港蘇富比Important Chinese Art拍場2020年7月11日 lot 3637, 售價HKD 1,000,000。
A LARGE KESI ‘DRAGON’ PANEL WITH KIRIMON, MING DYNASTYChina, 17th century. Made for the Japanese market. Finely woven with the mon of the Toyotomi clan, in the form of a stylized paulownia, above an imposing three-clawed dragon surrounded by ruyi-shaped clouds.Provenance: Austrian private collection. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, soiling, minuscule losses, minor old repairs, few loose threads.Dimensions: Size 153 x 85 cmBehind glass, in a European frame.The Kirimon, or Paulownia Seal, once was the private symbol of the Japanese Imperial Family, from as early as the sixteenth century. The Toyotomi clan, led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, later adopted the Seal for use as the crest of his clan. After the Meiji Restoration, the seal was eventually adopted as the emblem of the Japanese government. The variation seen in the present lot, with 5-7-5 flowers (the syllabic pattern of a haiku poem), is today reserved for the prime minister of Japan.The present kesi panel likely was originally a border panel from a very large bedcover. Kesi produced an inherently weak fabric because the weaving technique left slits in the textile between color areas and did not stand up to wear. It was therefore rarely used for practical items like bedcovers, except for a group of early 17th century bedcovers surviving in museum collections, all with light blue backgrounds.Literature comparison: A complete coverlet, in a private collection, is illustrated in Vollmer 1982, p. 42, and another is in the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, California, unpublished. For two similar kesi panels made for the European market, see Myrna Myers, Silks for Thrones and Altars, Chinese Costumes and Textiles, p. 104, nos. 54a and 54b.Auction result comparison: Compare with a kesi fragment of much smaller size, with a very similar dragon and likely cut out from a large panel closely related to the present lot, at Christie’s London in Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art on 7 November 2017, lot 344, sold for GBP 11,875.明代大型龍紋緙絲 中國，十七世紀。為日本市場生產，豐臣家族的家徽“桐紋”，在由如意形雲團環繞的氣勢磅礴的三爪龍。 來源：奧地利私人收藏 品相：狀況極佳，輕微磨損，污跡，損失極小，較舊的修補，絲綫鬆動。 尺寸：153 x 85 厘米 歐洲裝框，玻璃蓋后 拍賣結果比較：一件相似尺寸較小的龍紋緙絲，有著非常相似的龍，可能與當前拍品相似的大緙絲上剪下，售于倫敦佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art 拍場，2017年11月7日，lot 344，售價GBP 11,875.
‘PICKING FLOWERS’, CHINESE SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURYChina. Oil on canvas laid down on board. Depicting a walled garden scene with three court ladies dressed in finely embroidered unofficial robes, two of them picking flowers, the other inside a building lifting a curtain behind a window.Provenance: Collection of the late Max Harari. Major Max Harari (1908-1987) was born in Cairo as the son of Sir Victor Harari, a Pasha of Egypt, and educated at Oxford. He suffered the loss of his property when General Nasser came to power in 1952 and moved to England. In the 1960s, he became an art dealer and would later run the Wittgenstein Gallery in London until his death in 1987.Condition: Extensive craquelure and old wear, otherwise in good condition with only very few scattered and tiny touchups (inspected under strong blue light).Dimensions: Size incl. frame 54.5 x 67.8 cmWith a European frame dating to the early 20th century.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related pair of paintings, one also with a woman lifting a curtain behind a window, at Christie’s New York in Chinese Export Porcelain on 21 January 2009, lot 107, sold for USD 9,375.十九世紀中國貿易畫《摘花》 中國，布面油畫，已從木架上取下。描繪了一個花園場景，三位穿著精美刺繡的夫人，其中兩個在摘花，另一個在房間内在窗戶後面拉開窗簾。 來源：已故Max Harari的收藏。 Max Harari少校（1908-1987）生於開羅，是埃及Victor Harari爵士的兒子，在牛津接受教育。 當Nasser將軍於1952年上台后他移居英國時，他失去了財產。 在1960年代，他成為藝術品經銷商，後來經營倫敦的Wittgenstein藝廊，直到1987年去世。 品相：大量的龜裂和舊磨損，其他狀況良好，只有很少微小修飾（在強藍光下檢查）。 尺寸：含框54.5 x 67.8厘米 歐洲畫框，二十世紀上半葉 拍賣結果比較：比較相似的繪畫，其中一幅也是一位女人從窗後掀起窗簾，於2009年1月21日，在紐約佳士得Chinese Export Porcelain拍場，lot 107，售價USD 9,375。
‘CHINESE JUNKS’, A PAIR, CHINESE SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURYChina, Canton, oil on canvas. The first depicting a Chinese junk in the open sea with a mountain and distant ships in the background, the second depicting a junk in rough waters. (2)Provenance: Irish private collection.Condition: Some craquelure and old wear, otherwise in good original condition with minor warping, minimal abrasions, and little soiling (inspected under strong blue light).Dimensions: Size incl. frame 32 x 27 cm (each), image size 24.5 x 19.5 cm (each)Both with a European frame dating to the first half of the 20th century.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related pair of paintings, also with one depicting a junk in calm waters and the other depicting it in rougher waters, at Bonhams New York, in Important Maritime Paintings & Decorative Arts on 26 January 2017, lot 50, bought-in at an estimate of USD 3,000-5,000.十九世紀兩幅貿易畫《中國帆船》 中國，廣東，布面油畫。第一幅畫上帆船駛在海上，背景有山和其他船。另一幅畫中帆船在洶湧波濤中行駛。 來源：愛爾蘭私人收藏 品相：有些龜裂痕跡和舊磨損，處於良好的原始狀態，變形小，小磨損，輕微污染（在強藍光下檢查）。 尺寸：含框32 x 27厘米, 畫面 24.5 x 19.5厘米 歐洲畫框，二十世紀上半葉 拍賣結果比較：比較兩幅相似的繪畫，其中一幅描繪的是帆船在平靜海面，另一幅描繪的是帆船在洶湧大海，於2017年1月26日在紐約邦瀚斯Important Maritime Paintings & Decorative Arts拍場，lot 50，估價USD 3,000-5,000。
A TERRACOTTA HEAD OF MAITREYAAncient region of Gandhara, 4th-5th century. The head modeled with finely curled hair and wearing an elaborately adorned tiara centered by a stylized flower, the face with elegant features, such as the finely incised arched eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, aquiline nose, gentle smile, and long earlobes with circular earrings.Provenance: Arthur Huc (1854-1932). Marcel Huc, inherited from the above. Thence by descent within the same family. Arthur Huc was the chief editor of La Depêche du Midi, at the time the leading newspaper in Toulouse, France. He was also an accomplished art critic and early patron of several artists, including Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec. At the same time, Arthur Huc was a keen collector of Asian art, a passion that he inherited from his legendary ancestor Evariste Regis Huc, also known as the Abbe Huc (1813-1860), a French Catholic priest and traveler who became famous for his accounts of Qing-era China, Mongolia and especially the then-almost-unknown Tibet in his book “Remembrances of a Journey in Tartary, Tibet, and China”.Inventory List: In 1954, L. Magniette, bailiff of the court in Toulouse (Huissier), was ordered to compile a complete inventory of the collection inherited by Marcel Huc from his father, Arthur Huc, the so-called “Inventaire Huc”. The present lot is listed in this inventory as follows: “Serie de vingt deux têtes en terre-cuite. GANDHARA” (series of twenty-two terracotta heads. GANDHARA). A copy of the inventory list and cover page are accompanying this lot.Condition: Excellent, almost unique condition, fully consistent with the age of the sculpture, some firing flaws and material loss to exposed areas, hardly noticeable due to a light-colored varnish coating which was applied a long time ago.Scientific Analysis Report: A Thermoluminescence sample analysis has been conducted by Oxford Authentication, TL test no. N116n11, dated 18 October 2016, and is consistent with the suggested period of manufacture, a copy of the thermoluminescence analysis report accompanies this lot (the original is lost).Weight: 3.2 kg (total)Dimensions: Height 23 cm (the head) and 37 cm (incl. base)Mounted on an associated base. (2)According to Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is a bodhisattva who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor to the present Buddha. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya refers to a time in the future when the dharma will have been forgotten by most on the terrestrial world. In the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, in the first centuries CE in northern India, Maitreya was the most popular figure to be represented along with Gautama Buddha.Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related terracotta head of Maitreya at Christie’s New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 31 March 2005, sold for USD 20,400.陶土彌勒頭像健陀羅, 四至五世紀。頭部造型細緻，捲曲的頭髮，飾有精美花卉紋頭飾。臉部輪廓優雅，弓形眉，杏仁形的眼睛，筆挺的鼻子，慈祥的笑容以及帶有圓形耳環的長耳垂 。來源：Arthur Huc (1854-1932)收藏。Marcel Huc繼承，自此保存在同一家族至今。Arthur Huc是La Depêchedu Midi的主編，這是當時法國圖盧茲的主要報紙。他還是一位出色的藝術評論家，也是包括Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec在內的幾位藝術家的早期贊助人。 同時，Arthur Huc是一位熱衷於亞洲藝術的收藏家，他的熱情源於他的傳奇祖先Evariste Regis Huc，中文名為古伯察（1813-1860），是法國天主教神父和旅行作家，在他的《韃靼西藏旅行記》書中描述了他在清朝的遊歷以及對蒙古尤其是當時幾乎鮮為人知的西藏的敘述。收藏清單：1954年，圖盧茲法院法警 L. Magniette奉命對Marcel Huc從其父親Arthur Huc繼承的收藏品進行完整目錄彙編，即所謂的“ Inventaire Huc”。 此拍品也在當時列出的收藏清單中“ Serie de vingt deuxtêtesen terre-cuite。 GANDHARA”（二十二個陶土頭像系列，健陀羅）。隨附清單和封面副本。圖片：Arthur Huc (1854-1932)品相：狀況極佳，非常獨特，與雕塑的年齡相符，存在一些燒製瑕疵，裸露區域材料缺失，多年前的淺色清漆塗層已經幾乎看不出。科學檢測報告：隨附一份牛津熱釋光檢測鑒定報告（原件遺失）。監測報告 no. N116n11，2016年10月18日，與目前斷代一致。重量：縂3.2 公斤尺寸：頭高23 厘米；縂 37 厘米底座。拍賣結果比較：一件相近陶土彌勒佛頭像見紐約佳士得 Indian and Southeast Asian Art拍場2005年3月31日售價USD 20,400.
A RARE AND IMPORTANT TERRACOTTA HEAD OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNIAncient region of Gandhara, 4th century. The large head is superbly modeled with a serene and meditative expression, almond-shaped eyes beneath finely arched brows, distinct urna, aquiline nose, and full lips forming a gentle, benevolent smile. The hair is in tight curls with a dome-shaped ushnisha on top.Provenance: Arthur Huc (1854-1932). Marcel Huc, inherited from the above. Thence by descent within the same family. Arthur Huc was the chief editor of La Depêche du Midi, at the time the leading newspaper in Toulouse, France. He was also an accomplished art critic and early patron of several artists, including Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec. At the same time, Arthur Huc was a keen collector of Asian art, a passion that he inherited from his legendary ancestor Evariste Regis Huc, also known as the Abbe Huc (1813-1860), a French Catholic priest and traveler who became famous for his accounts of Qing-era China, Mongolia and especially the then-almost-unknown Tibet in his book “Remembrances of a Journey in Tartary, Tibet, and China”.Inventory List: In 1954, L. Magniette, bailiff of the court in Toulouse (Huissier), was ordered to compile a complete inventory of the collection inherited by Marcel Huc from his father, Arthur Huc, the so-called “Inventaire Huc”. The present lot is listed in this inventory as follows: “Serie de vingt deux têtes en terre-cuite. GANDHARA” (series of twenty-two terracotta heads. GANDHARA). A copy of the inventory list and cover page are accompanying this lot.Condition: Very good condition, especially when considering the dating of this piece. Some firing flaws, minor nicks and dents, material loss to exposed areas, all hardly noticeable due to a light-colored varnish coating which was applied a long time ago. Overall, fully consistent with the age of this sculpture.Scientific Analysis Report: A Thermoluminescence sample analysis has been conducted by Oxford Authentication, TL test no. N116n6, dated 18 October 2016, and is consistent with the suggested period of manufacture, a copy of the thermoluminescence analysis report accompanies this lot (the original is lost).Weight: 8.7 kg (total)Dimensions: Height 35 cm (the head) and 49.5 cm (incl. base)The kingdom of Gandhara lasted from 530 BC to 1021 AD, when its last king was murdered by his own troops. It stretched across parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gandhara is noted for its distinctive style in Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian and Indian artistic influence. Gandharan style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. In the first century AD, Gandhara was the birthplace of some of the earliest Buddhist images.The use of hard-fired ceramic instead of stone such as schist was popular during the later Gandharan period from the 4th to 6th centuries AD. Fired clay was expensive in the area, because the wood needed for the firing process was scarce. Therefore, such an expensive sculpture would have been a highly meritorious Buddhist offering. Only very few terracotta statues from this period and of this size have ever been recorded.The masterfully carved head of Buddha is a fine example of the rich cultural interplay and hybrid art styles of the Gandharan empire in the first centuries CE and embodies an idealized, transcendent male form of an earthly prince. Based on Greco-Roman prototypes, his elegant neck is slightly elongated, and his heavy eyelids frame a pair of almond-shaped eyes, his forehead remaining perfectly uncreased, and there is no tension in his rosebud mouth. While activated with energy, movement and life, the Buddha is simultaneously in a state of otherworldly tranquility.The sculptor has also skillfully referenced Buddha’s earlier history as Prince Siddhartha by carving openings in the elongated earlobes where, as a prince, he would have worn heavy jewelry. This detail reminds the viewer that, while the Prince’s past was centered on excess, the absence of material goods – jewelry and fine clothing – emphasizes the Buddha’s renunciation of worldly attachments.Compare the face of this Buddha with that of another in the Peshawar Museum (see H. Ingholt, Gandharan Art in Pakistan, 1957, p.113, fig.223). In both examples, the artist has skillfully carved and polished the face to transform it into human skin. While the face of the published image has been carved in a rather formulaic manner, the present work has been carved by a master of naturalism. The softly rounded cheeks give way to hollows on either side of the skin, the upper and lower lids are nearly spherical to emphasize the eyes, and the pupils are not carved. The quiet contours and gentle shadows model the flawless structure of the face, encapsulating the eternal youthfulness of the Buddha. Almost androgynous in appearance, the Buddha transcends gender, embodying the perfect balance of masculinity and femininity.This head has a high aesthetic value, illustrious provenance, and is in a beautifully preserved condition. It is an important and rare masterpiece of Gandharan art.Mounted on an associated wood base. (2)Auction result comparison: Compare with a related but smaller (28 cm) terracotta head of a Bodhisattva at Christie’s New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Art, 19 March 2013, lot 212, sold for USD 75,000, and a related but much smaller (20.3 cm) terracotta head of a Buddha at Sotheby’s New York, Images Of Enlightenment: Devotional Works Of Art And Paintings, 17 September 2014, lot 410, sold for USD 62,500.罕見重要陶土釋迦牟尼頭像健陀羅，四世紀。大型佛頭造型優美，沉靜冥思，眉毛下方拱形杏仁狀眼睛，眉間白毫，豐滿的鼻子，溫柔仁慈的笑容。 頭髮緊卷，呈螺髻。來源：Arthur Huc (1854-1932)收藏。Marcel Huc繼承，自此保存在同一家族至今。Arthur Huc是La Depêchedu Midi的主編，這是當時法國圖盧茲的主要報紙。他還是一位出色的藝術評論家，也是包括Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec在內的幾位藝術家的早期贊助人。 同時，Arthur Huc是一位熱衷於亞洲藝術的收藏家，他的熱情源於他的傳奇祖先Evariste Regis Huc，中文名為古伯察（1813-1860），是法國天主教神父和旅行作家，在他的《韃靼西藏旅行記》書中描述了他在清朝的遊歷以及對蒙古尤其是當時幾乎鮮為人知的西藏的敘述。收藏清單：1954年，圖盧茲法院法警 L. Magniette奉命對Marcel Huc從其父親Arthur Huc繼承的收藏品進行完整目錄彙編，即所謂的“ Inventaire Huc”。 此拍品也在當時列出的收藏清單中“ Serie de vingt deuxtêtesen terre-cuite。 GANDHARA”（二十二個陶土頭像系列，健陀羅）。隨附清單和封面副本。圖片：Arthur Huc (1854-1932)品相：狀況很好，尤其是考慮到這件作品的年代。一些燒製缺陷，輕微的刻痕和凹痕，裸露區域有材料缺損。表面的清漆應爲很久之前所塗，所以現在已經基本看不出來了。總體而言，狀況與該雕塑的年代相符。科學檢測報告：隨附一份牛津熱釋光檢測鑒定報告（原件遺失）。監測報告 no. N116n6，2016年10月18日，與目前斷代一致。重量：縂8.7 公斤尺寸：頭高35 厘米 ；縂49.5 厘米 這件頭像有很高的美學價值，出眾的外觀，並且保存完好，堪稱是健陀羅藝術裏的重要且罕見的傑作。底座。拍賣結果比較：一件相近但稍小 (28 厘米) 陶土菩薩頭像見紐約佳士得Indian and Southeast Asian Art拍場2013年3月19日 lot 212, 售價USD 75,000, ；一件相近但更小 (20.3 厘米) 的佛陀陶土頭像見紐約蘇富比Images Of Enlightenment: Devotional Works Of Art And Paintings拍場2014年9月17日 lot 410, 售價USD 62,500.
A LIFE-SIZED TERRACOTTA HEAD OF VAJRAPANI IN THE FORM OF HERACLESAncient region of Gandhara, 4th-5th century. Powerfully modeled with a stern expression, framed by dense facial hair arranged into long voluminous curls, wavy hair, a billowing moustache and full beard. The furrowed brow, indication of age, and piercing gaze reflect an ancient yet astonishingly present taste for naturalism.Provenance: Arthur Huc (1854-1932). Marcel Huc, inherited from the above. Thence by descent within the same family. Arthur Huc was the chief editor of La Depêche du Midi, at the time the leading newspaper in Toulouse, France. He was also an accomplished art critic and early patron of several artists, including Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec. At the same time, Arthur Huc was a keen collector of Asian art, a passion that he inherited from his legendary ancestor Evariste Regis Huc, also known as the Abbe Huc (1813-1860), a French Catholic priest and traveler who became famous for his accounts of Qing-era China, Mongolia and especially the then-almost-unknown Tibet in his book “Remembrances of a Journey in Tartary, Tibet, and China”.Inventory List: In 1954, L. Magniette, bailiff of the court in Toulouse (Huissier), was ordered to compile a complete inventory of the collection inherited by Marcel Huc from his father, Arthur Huc, the so-called “Inventaire Huc”. The present lot is listed in this inventory as follows: “Serie de vingt deux têtes en terre-cuite. GANDHARA” (series of twenty-two terracotta heads. GANDHARA). A copy of the inventory list and cover page are accompanying this lot.Condition: Excellent, almost unique condition, fully consistent with the age of the sculpture, some firing flaws and material loss to exposed areas, hardly noticeable due to a light-colored varnish coating which was applied a long time ago.Scientific Analysis Report: A Thermoluminescence sample analysis has been conducted by Oxford Authentication, TL test no. N116n15, dated 18 October 2016, and is consistent with the suggested period of manufacture, a copy of the thermoluminescence analysis report accompanies this lot (the original is lost).Weight: 8.3 kg (total)Dimensions: Height 29.5 cm (the head) and 42.5 cm (incl. base)This large terracotta head is an extremely rare legacy of the ancient kingdom of Gandhara, encapsulating the rich cultural interplay and hybrid art styles derived from Hellenistic and Indian influences. It depicts the bodhisattva Vajrapani, the protector of Buddhism, represented with the iconography of the Greek god Hercules, who was widely venerated as a hero and savior in western Asia during the early centuries of the present era. As a great champion, yet one who nevertheless understood the human condition, Hercules was easily assimilated into Mahayana Buddhism. Like other Gandharan bodhisattvas, he is depicted as an earthly prince with his aristocratic bearing and posture. However, his heavily moustached face belongs to the Indian world, while the naturalistic face is reminiscent of Greco-Roman sculpture.The kingdom of Gandhara lasted from 530 BC to 1021 AD, when its last king was murdered by his own troops. It stretched across parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gandhara is noted for its distinctive style in Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian and Indian artistic influence. Gandharan style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. In the first century AD, Gandhara was the birthplace of some of the earliest Buddhist images.The use of hard-fired ceramic instead of stone such as schist was popular during the later Gandharan period from the 4th to the 6th centuries. Fired clay was expensive in the area, because the wood needed for the firing process was scarce. Therefore, such an expensive sculpture would have been a highly meritorious Buddhist offering. Only very few terracotta statues from this period and of this size have ever been recorded.Mounted on an associated base. (2)Literature Comparison: Compare with a terracotta head of Dionysos (The God of Wine and Divine Intoxication), 4th–5th century, strongly resembling the present lot, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession no. 1979.507.2).Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related terracotta statue of Vajrapani in the form of Hercules at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Curiosity V, 02 April 2019, lot 3105, bought in at an estimate of HKD 1,500,000-1,800,000. Also compare with a closely related head of Vajrapani in the form of Heracles, sold in these rooms on 25 April 2020, lot 427, for EUR 45,500.陶土執金剛神頭像呈赫拉克勒斯形象健陀羅，四至五世紀。表情嚴肅，濃密的鬍鬚，長捲髮。 眉頭緊皺，年齡的顯示和尖利的目光反映出古老而又令人驚訝的自然主義品味。來源：Arthur Huc (1854-1932)收藏。Marcel Huc繼承，自此保存在同一家族至今。Arthur Huc是La Depêchedu Midi的主編，這是當時法國圖盧茲的主要報紙。他還是一位出色的藝術評論家，也是包括Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec在內的幾位藝術家的早期贊助人。 同時，Arthur Huc是一位熱衷於亞洲藝術的收藏家，他的熱情源於他的傳奇祖先Evariste Regis Huc，中文名為古伯察（1813-1860），是法國天主教神父和旅行作家，在他的《韃靼西藏旅行記》書中描述了他在清朝的遊歷以及對蒙古尤其是當時幾乎鮮為人知的西藏的敘述。收藏清單：1954年，圖盧茲法院法警 L. Magniette奉命對Marcel Huc從其父親Arthur Huc繼承的收藏品進行完整目錄彙編，即所謂的“ Inventaire Huc”。 此拍品也在當時列出的收藏清單中“ Serie de vingt deuxtêtesen terre-cuite。 GANDHARA”（二十二個陶土頭像系列，健陀羅）。隨附清單和封面副本。圖片：Arthur Huc (1854-1932)品相：狀況極佳，非常獨特，與雕塑的年齡相符，存在一些燒製瑕疵，裸露區域材料缺失，多年前的淺色清漆塗層已經幾乎看不出。科學檢測報告：隨附一份牛津熱釋光檢測鑒定報告（原件遺失）。監測報告 no. N116n15，2016年10月18日，與目前斷代一致。重量：縂8.3 公斤尺寸：頭高29.5 厘米，總 42.5厘米底座。拍賣結果比較：一件相近頭像見香港蘇富比Curiosity V拍場2019年4月2日lot 3105, 估價HKD 1,500,000-1,800,000. ；另一件十分相似的頭像在此拍賣行2020年4月25日lot 427, 售價 EUR 45,500.
AN IMPORTANT STONE STELE OF PARVATI WITH HER SONS GANESHA AND SKANDALate Kushan Empire, 4th-5th century. The finely carved relief panel shows three main figures, each standing on a double lotus base, with Parvati in a formal position holding floral attributes in her four hands, accompanied by her sons, the elephant-headed Ganesha and the god of war Skanda, also known as Karttikeya, all on a rectangular pedestal bearing a distinct circular lotus frieze.Provenance: Arthur Huc (1854-1932). Marcel Huc, inherited from the above. Thence by descent within the same family. Arthur Huc was the chief editor of La Depêche du Midi, at the time the leading newspaper in Toulouse, France. He was also an accomplished art critic and early patron of several artists, including Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec. At the same time, Arthur Huc was a keen collector of Asian art, a passion that he inherited from his legendary ancestor Evariste Regis Huc, also known as the Abbe Huc (1813-1860), a French Catholic priest and traveler who became famous for his accounts of Qing-era China, Mongolia and especially the then-almost-unknown Tibet in his book “Remembrances of a Journey in Tartary, Tibet, and China”.Inventory List: In 1954, L. Magniette, bailiff of the court in Toulouse (Huissier), was ordered to compile a complete inventory of the collection inherited by Marcel Huc from his father, Arthur Huc, the so-called “Inventaire Huc”. The present lot is listed in this inventory as part of a group of Gandhara stones as follows: “Seconde pièce cave- 32 pierres similaires Gandhara emballes- Bouddha et divers. (Voir suite)” (second room basement: 32 similar Gandhara stones wrapped- Buddhas and various. (see followup). A copy of the inventory list and cover page are accompanying this lot.Condition: Excellent condition, fully consistent with the age of the sculpture. Some loss to exposed areas, smaller dents and nicks, structural cracks, all hardly noticeable due to a light-colored varnish coating which was applied a long time ago.On a wooden base. (2)Weight: 65 kgDimensions: Height 76 cm (excl. base) and 95 cm (incl. base)Parvati is the perfection of beauty. In the present statue, she is shown with a benign facial expression, large eyes, round breasts and a narrow waist, wearing a diaphanous dhoti with schematized folds at the lower part. She is richly bejeweled, wearing her hair in an elaborate coiffure. Parvati is the daughter of Himavat, the embodiment of the Himalayan Mountains, and the consort of Shiva, one of Hinduism's most important gods. Her name means “Daughter of the Mountain.” Figuratively and literally, she is born from the stone itself and flanked by her two sons, the elephant-headed Ganesha on her right, and Karttikeya (also known as Skanda) on her left. In her four hands she holds various flowers as attributes. Some regard Kali as Parvati’s fearsome aspect while others consider Durga to be the manifestation that the goddess assumes to fight evil. In some ways Parvati can be regarded as the embodiment of the divine feminine, “The Great Goddess.”The present stele is carved from buff stone and undoubtedly was once positioned in a niche within a temple and served as a focus of worship.Literature comparison: Compare with a stone panel of Parvati and her sons in the collection of the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, USA, object no. B64S6, showing the same compositional concept and iconography, but dating from the Pala empire, 8th-12th century.Auction comparison: Compare with a green stone relief of Shiva and Parvati from the 12th century at Christie’s New York in Indian & Southeast Asian Art on 21 March 2008, lot 746, sold for USD 79,000.
A POLYCHROME ENAMELED BRONZE FIGURE OF KANNON BOSATSU, LATE EDO PERIODJapan, 18th to early 19th century. Cast standing on a separate circular double-lotus base supported on a hexagonal tiered plinth, the right hand in kichijo-in, the left in an-i-seppo-in, wearing a long flowing robe opening at the chest, a garland around the arms, and a crown, the serene face with a rock crystal urna and downcast eyes, the hair pulled up in a high top knot, a separately cast mandorla with scrolling clouds towering behind.Provenance: Hungarian private collection. Condition: Good condition with extensive wear to enamels, minor nicks here and there, casting flaws, light scratches, some losses to extremities.Weight: 3,444 gDimensions: Height 39.8 cm
A CHAMPLEVE ENAMEL ‘BUDDHA’S HAND’ RUYI SCEPTER, QING DYNASTYChina, 18th century. Cast in openwork with an arched gilt-bronze shaft resembling a gnarled leafy branch and a head in the form of two finger citrons, known as ‘Buddha’s hand’ in Chinese, decorated in champleve enamels graduating from lime-green to yellow next to gilt bronze leaves.Provenance: Property from a Private Collection. Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8th April 2014, lot 3099 (one in a lot of two), bought in at an estimate of HKD 1,200,000 — 1,800,000. A noted private collector, acquired from Sotheby’s at a later time.Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, minuscule dents, light wear to the enamels and gilt.Weight: 584.7 gDimensions: Length 30.9 cmThe shaft bearing two small corresponding fruits in champleve enamels and gilt-bronze leaves, the openwork terminal suspending a tasseled endless knot.Literature comparison: For a gilt bronze scepter of this type, but cast with all three fruit of the sanduo, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see one illustrated in Masterpieces of Chinese Ju-i Sceptres in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1974, pl. 29; and a zitan version inlaid with jade and various hardstones to depict a finger-citron, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition China. The Three Emperors, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, cat. no. 277, and another gilt bronze scepter embellished with pomegranates, in the Österreichisches Museum für Angewandte Kunst collection, included in the exhibition Die Ware aus dem Teufelsland, Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt am Main, 1981, cat. no. 12.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related gilt bronze scepter, inlaid with glass and decorated with enamels, at Christie’s New York in Auspicious Treasures for Scholars and Emperors: Selections from the Robert H. Blumenfield Collection on 22 March 2012, lot 1228, sold for USD 86,500.清代鏨胎琺瑯多子多福如意 中國，十八世紀。如意以銅胎鎏金飾琺瑯工藝精心而制，雕成老幹樹枝狀折枝，佛手瓜左右雙佛手瓜造型，蒂梗繞於兩果實間，長柄彎曲，柄體呈蒼虯蜿蜓枝幹，彎曲有度，翻轉有致，葉盛開舒展，上掛兩小瓜，生氣盎然。枝葉飾以鎏金，佛手飾以掐絲琺瑯，風格寫實，色彩逼真，琺琅色從青檸色到淡黃色漸變。造型優美流暢，纖細靈秀，盡顯華貴富麗之感。佛手音與“福”字諧音，除表徵多“福“之意，更喻“多福多壽多子孫”的吉祥表徵。 來源： 私人收藏，見香港蘇富比Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art拍場, 2014年4月8日，lot 3099 (一對如意中的一件), 估價HKD 1,200,000 — 1,800,000。藏家説明：購於蘇富比此拍賣之後。 品相：狀況極佳，輕微磨損，微小凹痕，琺琅和鎏金部位輕微磨損。 重量： 584.7 克 尺寸： 長30.9 厘米 軸上有兩個小巧的相應水果，分別是琺瑯彩釉和鎏金銅的葉子，如意終端鏤空的懸掛著流甦的結佩。 文獻比較: 一件此類鎏金銅三鑲式如意，可見在台北故宮博物院中，請參見1974年出版的關於台北故宮博物院中的如意畫冊，圖29; 在中國故宮博物院內，還有一個鑲有玉石和各種硬石的紫檀佛手瓜。 Three Emperors, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, cat. 圖277；另一件來自奧地利應用藝術博物館的銅鎏金石榴如意參加了1981年在美因河畔法蘭克福的應用藝術博物館“來自東方的琺琅製品”的展覽，見“Die Ware aus dem Teufelsland”，Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt am Main, 1981, cat. no. 12. 拍賣結果比較：一件相近銅鎏金如意鑲嵌玻璃和琺琅，售于紐約佳士得Auspicious Treasures for Scholars and Emperors: Selections from the Robert H. Blumenfield Collection拍場，2012年3月22日，lot 1228, 售價 USD 86,500。
A SPINACH-GREEN JADE RUYI SCEPTER, MID-QINGChina, 18th century. Carved in the form of a lingzhi fungus, with a bat perched on the head and a chilong clambering up the stem amidst smaller lingzhi shoots. The stone is of a deep spinach-green tone with some darker speckles.Provenance: Roger Keverne, London, 2012. The Lenora and Walter F. Brown Collection, San Antonio, Texas, acquired from the above and thence by descent in the same family. Walter F. Brown (1930-2014) was an independent oil and gas producer. He founded Delray Oil Inc. and W. F. Brown Exploration Ltd. of Canada. The Browns began donating their collection of Asian works of Art to the San Antonio Museum of Art in the 1980s. In 2005, the museum honored the couple for their ongoing commitment by naming their new expansion the ‘Lenora and Walter F. Brown Asian Wing’.Published: Roger Keverne, Fine and Rare Chinese Works of Art and Ceramics - Winter Exhibition, London, 2012, no. 84.Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, some minuscule nicks, one crack with an old repair (invisible to the naked eye but inspected under strong blue light). The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.Weight: 345.8 gDimensions: Length 36.2 cmWith an old Chinese silk stand. (2)As Roger Keverne explains, the present scepter relates closely to one presented by the Qianlong Emperor to Sir George Staunton in 1793, now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Sir George Staunton (1737-1801) was Minister Plenipotentiary to the 1792 Macartney Embassy to Beijing. The Staunton ruyi scepter is illustrated in “Encounters: The Meeting of Asia and Europe 1500 -1800” by Jackson and Jaffer, fig. 7.2, page 94. William Alexander accompanied Lord Macartney on the mission and his drawing of the Staunton scepter is illustrated in “Image of China: William Alexander” by Legouix, pl. 44, page 62. It is noted there that the scepter was one of three presented by the Emperor Qianlong. The other two were given to Lord Macartney, one for himself and the second for King George III. The drawing is in the collection of the British Museum, registration number 1865,0520.272. It is therefore possible that the present scepter is the one that was presented by Emperor Qianlong to Lord Macartney, while the third scepter most likely remains in the Imperial household and collections, handed down from George III, who was King of England from 1760-1801.Literature comparison: For other similar examples, see Auspicious Ju-i Scepters of China, no. 17, p. 90, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei; Kerr, Immortal Images: The Jade Collection of Margaret and Trammell Crow, p. 26; Keverne, Jade, fig. 127, p. 178; Nott, Chinese Jade throughout the Ages: A Review of its Characteristics, Decoration, Folklore and Symbolism, pl. XLVI; and Palace Museum, Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, vol. 8, no. 73, p. 102.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related spinach-green jade ruyi scepter at Christie’s in Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art Including Jades from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco on 18 March 2009, lot 412, sold for USD 25,000.清代中期碧玉靈芝如意 中國，十八世紀。如意首作鏤雕靈芝形，內雕一蝙蝠，柄作靈芝莖狀，上雕小靈芝數朵與螭龍。如意、靈芝與蝙蝠相伴出現有福壽雙全的寓意。玉石成深綠色的菠菜色，有深色斑點。此如意玉質細膩溫潤，整器以靈芝造型，浮雕與局部鏤雕手法相結合，如意首部琢一大靈芝頭，長柄靈芝枝葉纏繞，多處鏤空，甚為玲瓏，表現出靈芝的肌理質感，更顯古樸自然。 來源：倫敦Roger Keverne, 2012。德克薩斯州聖安東尼奧市Lenora and Walter F. Brown收藏，從上述收藏獲得併自此保存在同一家族中的。Walter F. Brown（1930-2014）是一家獨立的石油和天然氣生產商。 他創立了Delray Oil Inc.和加拿大W. F. Brown Exploration Ltd.。 Brown一家在1980年代開始將其亞洲藝術品收藏捐贈給San Antonio Museum of Art博物館。 2005年，博物館將新展館名字命名為“ Lenora and Walter F. Brown Asian Wing”，以表彰這對夫婦的不懈努力。圖片：Walter F. Brown (1930-2014) 出版：Roger Keverne, Fine and Rare Chinese Works of Art and Ceramics - Winter Exhibition, London, 2012, no. 84. 品相：狀況極佳，輕微磨損，一些微小的刻痕，一條裂縫舊時已修復（肉眼看不見，但在強烈的藍光下檢查過）。具有天然裂縫的玉石，隨著時間的流逝，其中一些可能會發展成細小的裂縫。 重量：345.8 克 尺寸：長36.2 厘米 配置中國絲質底座。 正如Roger Keverne所説，本如意與乾隆皇帝於1793年贈予Sir George Staunton（現由維多利亞和阿爾伯特博物館收藏）密切相關。Sir George Staunton（1737-1801）是1792年馬卡特尼（Macartney）駐北京大使館的全權代表。Sir George Staunton 的如意可見Jackson和Jaffer 所著的“Encounters: The Meeting of Asia and Europe 1500 -1800”，參見圖7.2頁，第94頁。William Alexander陪同 Macartney勳爵，他曾繪製了Sir George Staunton如意，見Legouix 所著的“Image of China: William Alexander”，圖44，第62頁。在那裡提到，此如意是乾隆皇帝所贈三件如意中的一件，另外兩件分別送給了Macartney勳爵，另一件給了喬治三世國王。該圖在大英博物館收藏，編號1865,0520.272。因此，現在的如意很可能是乾隆皇帝送給馬卡特尼勳爵的，而第三只很可能仍留在皇室和收藏中，由1760-1801年的英格蘭國王喬治三世傳世。 文獻比較: 一件相似如意可見於 Auspicious Ju-i Scepters of China, no. 17, p. 90, 臺北故宮博物院收藏; Kerr, Immortal Images: The Jade Collection of Margaret and Trammell Crow, p. 26; Keverne, Jade, fig. 127, p. 178; Nott, Chinese Jade throughout the Ages: A Review of its Characteristics, Decoration, Folklore and Symbolism, pl. XLVI; 北京故宮博物院: Jade, vol. 8, no. 73, p. 102. 拍賣結果比較：一件相近碧玉如意售于佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art Including Jades from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 拍場，2009年3月18日，拍號412, 售價USD 25,000。
A SANDSTONE FIGURE OF VISHNU, PRE-ANGKOR PERIODKhmer Empire, 7th-8th century. The face meditative and smiling serenely, the almond-shaped eyes with finely incised pupils, wearing a cylindrical mitre headdress as well as a diaphanous sampot with a long central sash hanging down between his legs.Provenance: Collection Particulière Française, acquired at the beginning of the 1970s, thence by descent in the same family. Beaussant Lefèvre, Drouot, Paris, 10 April 2015. A French private collection, acquired from the above. A letter from Cabinet Portier, dated 22 April 2015, confirming the provenance and dating as stated above, accompanies this lot.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, extensive wear and losses, nicks and scratches, signs of erosion. Note that Cabinet Portier (see Provenance) states the head was reattached, but after inspecting the lot under strong blue light, we were unable to confirm this finding.Weight: 19.3 kgDimensions: Height 67.5 cmMounted on an associated metal base. (2)Literature comparison: For a related image, attributed to the Mekong Delta, see Emma Bunker and Douglas Latchford, Adoration and Glory: The Golden Age of Khmer Art, Chicago 2004, pl. 10.Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related figure of Vishnu, of related size but better preserved, at Bonhams London in Islamic and Indian Art on 4 October 2011, lot 249, sold for GBP 20,000.
A MASSIVE AND RARE EAST JAVANESE TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A BOAR, MAJAPAHITEast Java, 15th-16th century. Standing foursquare and wearing a collar incised with geometric motifs and suspending a large spherical bell, the face with a wrinkled snout, upward curving tusks, bushy eyebrows, and large bulging eyes, the spiral tail in relief over the right rear haunch.Provenance: Sotheby’s New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Art, 20 March 1997, lot 139. Estates of William R. Appleby (1915-2007) and Elinor Appleby (1920-2020), longtime donors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Mrs. Appleby had a particular interest in Asian art, and she and her husband supported the Department of Asian Art as well as the Fund for The Met, providing for important acquisitions and institutional initiatives. The original Sotheby’s receipt, the catalog page, and a large photograph of the boar on Kodak paper, originally sent by Sotheby’s to the Applebys, accompany this lot.Condition: Superb condition with old wear, minimal structural cracks, some chipping to the hoofs, light scratches.Weight: 14.9 kgDimensions: Length 53.5 cmLiterature comparison: Compare with a related but smaller boar in bronze in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1987.142.259.
A HEAVY GILT BRONZE ‘KASHMIR REVIVAL’ FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, LATER 18TH- EARLIER 20TH CENTURYKashmir. Seated in dhyanasana on a rectangular tiered throne supported by two Buddhist lions above a geometric design, the right hand lowered in abhaya mudra and the left holding the long flowing robe, the drapery cast in a slender column of u-shaped folds at the chest and diagonal folds at the arms and legs, the serene face with urna, almond-shaped eyes, and slender lips forming a subtle smile.Provenance: Ex-collection of the Dhakhwa family, by repute in the family since 1900. Belgian private collection, acquired from the above. The Dhakhwa family is one of the most renowned noble families who have been dwelling in Nagbahal, a community at the heart of Lalitpur (Patan) in the Kathmandu Valley, since ancient times.Condition: Good condition with extensive wear and firing flaws, minor structural cracks, some abrasions to gilt and traces of pigment, light scratches, minuscule nicks here and there. Overall commensurate with age, possibly even indicating an earlier date.Weight: 3,731 gDimensions: Height 23.2 cm十八世紀晚期至二十世紀初期克什米爾復興運動時期銅鎏金釋迦牟尼克什米爾。釋迦牟尼結跏趺坐坐在矩形階梯狀寶座上，兩隻佛獅背負著寶座。釋迦牟尼右手施無畏印，左手握住長袍，面部表情寧靜，杏仁形的眼睛和細長的嘴唇形成微妙的微笑。來源：原Dhakhwa family家族收藏, 據説于1900年起就在家族中了。比利時私人收藏，購於上述收藏。Dhakhwa 家族是自古以來就一直居住在加德滿都谷地拉利特布爾（Patan）心臟地帶的納格巴哈爾（Nagbahal）的最著名的貴族家庭之一。圖片：Padma Dhakhwa 和他的女兒Namrata 品相：狀況良好，大面積磨損和鑄造缺陷，較小的結構裂紋，鎏金擦傷和色素痕跡，輕微的划痕，到處都有微小的刻痕。 總體上與年齡相稱，甚至可能更早。重量： 3,731 克尺寸：高23.2 厘米
A BRONZE FIGURE OF UMA, LOPBURI STYLE, 13TH-15TH CENTURYThailand. Cast standing in samabhanga, holding a lotus bud in her right hand, wearing a checkered dhoti with an elaborate fishtail hem, multiple armlets, a torque and earrings. The braided hair drawn up into a conical chignon and secured with a tiara.Provenance: From an American private estate. By repute acquired in Asia c. 1965-1970 and thence by descent within the same family.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities, minuscule nicks here and there, and occasional light scratches. Fine, naturally grown patina.Weight: 658.7 g (incl. base)Dimensions: Height 23.2 cmMounted on an associated wood base. (2)Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related bronze at Christie’s New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 19 March 2014, lot 1129, sold for USD 10,000.
A KHMER BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, LATE ANGKOR PERIODKhmer Empire, Bayon style, late 12th to early 13th century. Seated in dhyanamudra on the coils of Muchalinda, beneath the seven-headed canopy of the serpent king, wearing a short loincloth around his waist, adorned with elaborate jewelry, a crown surrounding his hair piled high and surmounted by a conical ushnisha, his face with a serene expression, downcast eyes and hands held in his lap holding a stupa.Provenance: Old German private collection.Condition: Some minor fills to the back, otherwise in good condition with wear, some nicks here and there, light scratches, and losses. Fine natural patina with malachite-green and copper-red encrustations.Weight: 703.8 g (the bronze only)Dimensions: Height 19.5 cm (excl. base) and 26.5 cm (excl. base)Mounted on a modern metal base. (2)When a storm raged and torrential rain poured for a whole week, the king of the nagas, Muchalinda, rose from the earth, coiling its body to form a seat and swelling its great hood to shelter Buddha.Expert’s note: Few early examples of this type appear to be recorded. The well-modeled naga hood in later stylistic development dissolves into greater ornamentation. The present piece can therefore be considered as rare.Literature comparison: Compare to an in-situ example of a stone sculpture of Buddha Muchalinda, in M. Freeman and R. Warner, Angkor, The Hidden Glories, 1990, ill. p. 128. Compare also with two other examples in G. Coed/ges, Bronzes Khmers, 1923, plate XXI, figs 1 and 2.Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related but smaller bronze at Christie’s New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art including 20th Century Indian on 19 September 2002, lot 193, sold for USD 26,290, and another, though of larger size, at Christie’s New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 20 March 2002, lot 11, sold for USD 94,000.
A LARGE THAI BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, AYUTTHAYA KINGDOMThailand, 17th century. Cast standing in samabhanga with both hands held in abhayamudra, wearing uttarasangha and samghati secured by a belt, the serene face with downcast eyes, elegantly arched eyebrows, full lips forming a subtle smile, flanked by long earlobes, the hair arranged in spiky curls surmounted by a flaming ushnisha.Provenance: From the private collection of Paul Sochor, Austria.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, light scratches, some minuscule dents and nicks, remnants of ancient gilding. Fine, naturally grown patina of dark-brown, almost black color.Weight: 9.0 kg (incl. base)Dimensions: Height 66.4 cm (excl. base)Mounted on a modern base. (2)Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related bronze at Christie’s London in The Dani & Anna Ghigo Collection: Part II on 12 May 2016, lot 213, sold for GBP 7,500.
A THAI BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, AYUTTHAYA KINGDOMThailand, 17th century. Cast standing in samabhanga, the right hand raised in abhaya mudra and the left hand lowered at this side, wearing a long cloak and richly adorned in finely incised jewelry, the face showing a serene expression with downcast eyes under arched eyebrows, flanked by elongated earlobes with earrings. With a modern associated wood base. (2)Provenance: Estate of Joachim Hinz, a collector from Hamburg, Germany.Condition: Overall good condition commensurate with age, extensive wear, small nicks and losses here and there, the feet with old repairs (inspected under strong blue light). Fine malachite-green and copper-red patina.Weight: 1,893 g (the bronze only)Dimensions: Height 43.5 cm (incl. base) and 34.6 cm (excl. base)Auction result comparison: A related bronze of larger size was sold in these rooms in Fine Chinese Works of Art and Buddhist Sculptures on 16 June 2018, lot 113, for EUR 5,688.
A BRONZE BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, CHIENG RAI, 15TH-16TH CENTURYNorthern region of ancient Siam. Seated in dhyanasana on a plain stepped base, his right hand lowered in bhumisparsa mudra and the left resting on his lap with the palm facing upwards, wearing a sanghati draped over the left shoulder. The face with a meditative expression, heavy-lidded downcast eyes below arched eyebrows, full lips forming a smile, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair and ushnisha in tight spikes surmounted by a flame-shaped cintamani.Provenance: Collection Philippe Wancoompf. Jacques Lebrap, Paris, acquired from the above. LP Collection, Paris, acquired from the above.Condition: Good condition with old wear, remnants of gilt, minor losses, minuscule nicks, light scratches, a small loss to the left shoulder with associated old filling.Weight: 7,410 gDimensions: Height 47 cmLiterature comparison: A near-identical Buddha, dated to 1504, from the Wat Phra Singh temple, is illustrated in Carol Stratton, Buddhist Sculpure of Northern Thailand, p. 238, fig. 8.1.3.2.
A KOREAN PARCEL-GILT AND SILVERED METAL FIGURE OF A CROWNED BUDDHA, 19TH CENTURYSeated in dhyanasana on a separately cast lotus base, the right hand raised in vitarka mudra and the left holding the hem of his long flowing robe draped over the left shoulder and cascading in billowing folds, the serene face with downcast eyes, a broad nose, and full lips, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, wearing an octagonal crown incised with scrolling vines. (2)Provenance: Austrian private collection. Condition: The figure in good condition with minor wear and casting flaws, a small hole drilled to the back, few minute nicks, some wear to gilt and silvering, fine natural patina. The base in good condition with wear and casting flaws, an additional hole drilled at the top, few minute nicks, light scratches.Weight: 377.0 gDimensions: Height 11 cmThe base consisting of lappets at the foot with a finely granulated decoration, a reticulated openwork mid-section of compressed globular form, and overlapping leaves surrounding a lotus-pod design at the top.Expert’s note: The cohesiveness of the present figure and base cannot be proven beyond a doubt, however aesthetically they match very well.十九世紀韓國鎏金銀坐佛銅像 佛陀結跏趺坐在分開鑄造的蓮座上，右手施安慰印，左手握著長袍的下擺，長袍垂在左肩上，呈波浪狀褶皺，平靜的臉龐，低垂的眼睛，寬闊的鼻子和豐滿的嘴唇，兩側是長長的耳垂，戴著八角形冠，上面刻有滾動的藤蔓 。 來源：奧地利私人收藏. 品相：造像身體部位狀況良好，有輕微的磨損和鑄件缺陷，在背面鑽了一個小孔，有刻痕，鎏金鎏銀有些磨損，天然包漿。 底座狀況良好，有磨損和鑄造缺陷，頂部鑽有一個額外的孔，有刻痕，輕微的划痕。 重量：377.0 克 尺寸：高11 厘米 專家意見：目前造像與其底座是否相匹配無法得到證明，但是從美學角度來看，它們非常匹配。
A JAPANESE BRONZE FIGURE OF KANNON, EDO PERIODJapan, 17th-18th century. Cast standing with the right hand in kichijo-in, the left in an-i-seppo-in, the serene face with downcast eyes under a rock crystal urna and flanked by long earlobes, wearing a long flowing robe tied at the waist, the chest adorned with a beaded necklace, the hair arranged in a high topknot under the characteristic cowl.Provenance: French private collection.Condition: Good condition with old wear and some casting irregularities, remnants of ancient gilt, minuscule nicks here and there, and occasional light scratches.Weight: 2,142 gDimensions: Height 36.5 cmAuction result comparison: Compare with a related but later bronze at Bonhams San Francisco in Asian Decorative Art on 3 March 2008, lot 6015, sold for USD 3,000.
A HEAVILY CAST, GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE OF BUDDHA, 17TH-18TH CENTURYBurma. Seated in dhyanasana, his right hand lowered in bhumisparsamudra and the left resting on his lap, wearing a monastic robe draped over the left shoulder, the benign face with large almond-shaped eyes, full lips, and a broad nose, flanked by large ears with elongated lobes, the hair arranged in tight spikes.Provenance: From the private collection of a noted Austrian connoisseur of Buddhist art. Austrian private collection, acquired from the above. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting flaws, expected wear to gilt, light scratches, minuscule nicks here and there, an attribute likely once held in the left hand is lost.Weight: 6.6 kgDimensions: Height 27.5 cmLiterature comparison: Compare with a related bronze, with very similar arched eyebrows, elongated lobes and fingers, and plain appearance, but supported on a base, with an ushnisha, and dated to the 16th century, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1992,0207.1.
AN INDIAN BRONZE FIGURE OF RATNASAMBHAVA, PALA PERIODEastern India, Bihar, 9th century. Finely cast with Buddha seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base over a raised plinth, backed by a round nimbus with bead and flame border surmounted by a parasol, the stylized leaves of the Bodhi tree emerging from behind his head.Provenance: Dr. Phil Michael Henss, Zurich, Switzerland. A private collector, acquired from the above on 13 April 2018. A copy of the original invoice, dating the present lot to the 9th century and describing it as Buddha Ratnasambhava, accompanies this lot. Michael Henss is a Swiss art historian, scholar and writer focusing on Asian art - with a focus on Tibet and East Asia. He contributed articles for Asian art journals, seminars and books. Currently, Henss lives in Zürich, Switzerland, where he also runs a bookstore specializing in Asia and the Near East. In 2004-2005 he was a co-curator of the exhibition "The Dalai Lamas" at the University of Zürich Ethnography Museum.Condition: Very good condition with old wear, traces of use, minor nicks and dents here and there, light scratches, areas of fine copper-brown patina.Weight: 445.8 gDimensions: Height 15 cmDuring the Pala period, there was an increase of Buddhist patronage in Northeastern India, resulting in the production of a vast number of highly refined artworks that participated in the development of esoteric forms of Buddhism. Known as Vajrayana, the “diamond path,” this new iteration of Buddhism greatly expanded the pantheon of Buddhist deities. A large number of tantric texts were produced in Northeastern India and circulated throughout the Himalayas, where the esoteric knowledge they contained continued to flourish. Bronze sculptures played a crucial role in these lines of transmission. As portable objects, they could easily be carried across vast distances by the groups of monks and pilgrims who traveled by land and sea.Situated at the heart of Pala territory, less than twenty miles from Bodh Gaya and close to the renowned Buddhist monastery and educational establishment at Nalanda, Kurkihar became a sophisticated international center of artistic production at the end of the first millennium AD. Inscriptions found at Kurkihar document the arrival of monks and pilgrims from regions abroad, including distant places in India such as Kanchipuram in the South and also foreign lands such as maritime Southeast Asia. These visitors commissioned bronzes like the present example to donate to local temples and monasteries or to carry home.The bronzes produced by the expert artisans in Kurkihar contribute to the overarching Pala style while revealing their own local idiom particular to the Kurkihar workshops. Figures are characterized by slender proportions, delicately tapering torsos, and chests that swell with the intake of prana, the sacred life-breath. This present figure of Ratnasambhava, the “jewel-born” Buddha, is a seminal example of Kurkihar craftsmanship that gives expression to the donor’s pious devotion.Literature comparison: Compare with two early to mid-9th century bronzes of Avalokiteshvara and Tara from Nalanda, published in Roy, Eastern Indian Bronzes, New Delhi, 1986, nos. 110a & 124.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related bronze, but with the Buddhist creed inscribed to the reverse, at Christie’s New York in The Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Part I, on 17 March 2015, lot 12, sold for USD 269,000.
A JAIN COPPER- AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE ALLOY ALTAR SHRINEWestern India, Rajasthan, 13th-16th century. The pierced altar shrine cast with a Jina seated in meditation on a throne supported by lions, surrounded by two elephants as well as seated and standing figures of tirthankaras. His eyes and other details neatly picked out in silver and copper. On an openwork plinth with inscriptions in Devanagari on the backside.Provenance: From an old British private collection. Condition: Good condition with old wear, small dents, minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches. Fine natural patina.Weight: 440.4 gDimensions: Height 13.5 cmAuction result comparison: A closely related Jain altar shrine, dated 1322, was sold in these rooms in Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism and Hinduism on 25 April 2020, lot 453, for EUR 4,298.
A JAIN BRONZE ALLOY ALTAR SHRINE, GUJARAT, 11TH - 12TH CENTURYCast in openwork with the principal image of a Tirthankara seated in dhyanasana on a throne supported by various animals, framed by apsaras and with a tiered conical parasol above, the outer border with numerous seated and standing Jinas in architectural niches, the rectangular pedestal stepped, all with a rich brown patina.Provenance: German private collection. Condition: Good condition with old wear, small dents, minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches. Fine natural patina.Weight: 938.3 gDimensions: Height 17.8 cmThis bronze shrine is remarkable for the complex openwork casting and vivid detail. It is cast in two pieces, with the large surrounding arch separately cast and adjoined.Auction result comparison. Compare with a related shrine of 30 cm at Christies New York, in Indian And Southeast Asian Art, 21 September 2007, lot 94, sold for USD 67,000.
A BRONZE TRIAD OF VISHNU, SHRIDEVI AND BHUDEVI ON A GARUDA SHRINE, VIJAYANAGAR PERIODSouth India, 16th-17th century. The figures of Vishnu and his consorts separately cast standing on lotus pedestals. Vishnu holding a disk in one of his back hands and wearing a dhoti, necklace, and pendant sashes, flanked by Shridevi and Bhudevi in mirrored poses holding a lotus bud and with one arm extended. (4)Provenance: British private collection.Condition: Old repair to the right back column of the base, traces of pigment, extensive wear, minor losses, minuscule nicks, and light scratches.Weight: 1,462 gDimensions: Height 21.5 cmEach figure sliding onto the rectangular tiered base fronted by Garuda seated on a stepped square pedestal, all beneath a five-headed naga protruding from a separately cast openwork torana with elephants, conch, and disk, centered by a Bhairava mask.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related bronze triad of Vishnu and his consorts, however of much larger size, at Christie’s New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 19 March 2014, lot 1091, sold for USD 47,500.
AN INDIAN BRONZE FIGURE OF GANESHA, 17TH-18TH CENTURYSouth India, Maharashtra. The four-armed deity seated in lalitasana on a circular lotus throne raised on a flat square base, holding in his hands an axe, trident, broken tusk, and a bowl of sweets which he samples with his trunk, wearing a short striated dhoti, sacred thread around his portly waist, adorned with ornaments, and wearing a conical tiered head dress.Provenance: Art of the Past, New York. Collection Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Sharpe, Strasbourg, France, acquired from the above in 2001. A copy of an original letter, stating the land of origin as South India and dating the piece to the 18th century, with a description containing the story about Ganesha’s broken tusk, accompanies this lot.Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches, the base with dents.Weight: 1,701 gDimensions: Height 16 cmIn Puranic literature, there is an amusing story about Ganesha’s broken tusk: After feasting on sweets one day, Ganesha was returning home on his mount, a mouse. The poor mouse, unable to bear Ganesha’s weight, dropped the deity and as a result, Ganesha’s stomach burst open spilling sweets. The moon witnessed this scene from the sky and burst into laughter. Ganesha reacted by breaking off one of his tusks and angrily thrusting it at the moon, which is why we see dark spots on the surface of the moon.Auction result comparison: Compare with a bronze of a standing Ganesha from the 16th century, 24 cm, at Christie’s New York, in Indian Southeast Asian Art on 30 March 2006, lot 72, sold for USD 84,000.
AN INDIAN STONE BRAHMANDA, ‘COSMIC EGG’, AND MATCHING BRONZE TRIPOD STANDIndia, 19th century. The stone of ovoid form and finely polished with natural markings and grain. The stand with three rearing mythical animals forming the supports, and with a sun-shaped open ring to the top where the stone rests. (2)Provenance: Collection of Alain Presencer. Over the past 50 years, Alain Presencer has devoted his life to the study and promotion of Tibetan Buddhism and culture. His contributions to the field resulted in numerous recognitions, including his appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. Alain also brought to the West his knowledge of the extraordinary and mystical religious music of the region. As a result, he produced a popular recording of his own performances, introducing this musical genre to a global audience with his album 'The Singing Bowls of Tibet', which has sold over a million copies to date.Condition: Excellent condition with old wear, the stand with few minuscule nicks and occasional light scratches.Weight: 9.7 kg (total)Dimensions: Height 46 cm (incl. stand) and 23 cm (the brahmanda)The natural markings on the egg-shaped form symbolize the male and female principles in a single unit, a realization of the wholeness of the entire universe.Literature comparison: For a related brahmanda, see A. Mookerjee, Yoga Art, 1975, pl 39, p.71.Auction result comparison: Compare with two related brahmanda, one of slightly larger and the other of considerably larger size, at Christie’s New York in Indian And Southeast Asian Art Including Property From The Collections Of Ariane Dandois And Robert H. Ellsworth on 21 September 2007, lot 298, sold for USD 6,000.
A LOBED SPINACH-GREEN JADE ‘CHRYSANTHEMUM’ BOWL, QINGChina, 18th century. The deeply lobed sides rounded about the splayed foliate foot before flaring towards the slightly everted rim. Finely carved with chrysanthemums surrounded by scrolling leafy vines above a band of lappets, the translucent stone of a rich spinach-green color with light cloudy inclusions and dark speckles.Provenance: Rare Art Inc., Alan and Simone Hartman, New York, c. 1984. Collection of Isidore Cohn, Jr., M.D, according to his estate acquired from the above, and thence by descent in the same family. Isidore Cohn (1921-2015) was a prominent surgeon in New Orleans. Dr. Cohn served as the first Vice President of the American College of Surgeons (1993). He was also a passionate collector of art, with several exhibitions of pieces from his collection conducted by The New Orleans Museum of Art, including Chinese Jades from the Collection of Marianne and Isidore Cohn, Jr. in 2013-2014. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and a tiny chip to the lip. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.Weight: 255.4 gDimensions: Height 7.8 cm, Diameter 12 cmAuction result comparison: Compare with a spinach-green jade box and cover of similar size at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in The Muwen Tang Collection of Chinese Jades on 1 December 2016, lot 13, sold for HKD 225,000.清代碧玉葵口纏枝菊花紋碗 中國，十八世紀。葵口碗，張開的葉狀腳周圍變圓，邊緣稍稍外翻。半透明的石頭精心雕刻菊花紋，周圍層層曡曡的纏枝紋。碧玉色澤濃郁，帶有淡淡的雲霧絮狀和深色斑點。 來源： 紐約Rare Art Inc., Alan and Simone Hartman, 約1984年。Isidore Cohn，M.D收藏，根據他的遺產説明是從上述藝廊購得，自此保存在同一家族中。 Isidore Cohn（1921-2015）是新奧爾良的著名外科醫師。 Cohn醫生（1993）擔任美國外科醫生學院第一任副校長。 他還是一位熱情的藝術收藏家，在新奧爾良藝術博物館舉辦的展覽中多次展出他的藏品，包括2013-2014年Marianne and Isidore Cohn, Jr.收藏的中國玉器。 圖片: Isidore Cohn, Jr., M.D 品相：狀況極佳，磨損很小，碗唇邊上有細小的磕損。 玉石内具有天然裂縫，隨著時間的流逝，其中一些可能會發展成細小裂縫。 重量： 255.4 克 尺寸： 高 7.8 厘米,直徑12 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件相近尺寸的碧玉蓋盒售于香港蘇富比 The Muwen Tang Collection of Chinese Jades 拍場，2016年12月1日，lot 13, 售價HKD 225,000。
A BRONZE FIGURE OF RAMA, VIJAYANAGAR PERIODSouth India, 16th-17th century. Cast standing in tribhanga on a circular double-lotus base supported on a stepped square plinth, the hands in katakamudra, dressed in a short dhoti secured with a beaded belt and richly adorned in jewelry and the sacred thread, the face with elongated eyes flanked by pendulous earlobes, surmounted by a conical headdress, and backed by a shirashchakra.Provenance: French private collection. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, traces of use, malachite encrustations, minuscule nicks, dents and light scratches here and there.Weight: 398.4 gDimensions: Height 16 cmRama is a major deity of Hinduism and the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, one of his most popular incarnations along with Krishna, Parshurama, and Gautama Buddha. He is the central figure of the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, a text historically popular in the South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures. Rama is especially important to Vaishnavism, and ancient Jain Texts also mention Rama as the eighth balabhadra among the 63 salakapurusas. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being.The Vijayanagara Empire was based in the Deccan Plateau region in South India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, members of a pastoralist cowherd community that claimed Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Islamic invasions by the end of the 13th century. At its peak it had subjugated almost all of South India’s ruling families and the Sultans of the Deccan region, thus becoming a notable power. It lasted until 1646, although its power declined after a major military defeat in the Battle of Talikota in 1565 by the combined armies of the Deccan sultanates. The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround present day Hampi, now a World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India. The writings of medieval European travelers such as Domingo Paes, Fernao Nunes, and Niccolo Da Conti, and the literature in local languages provide crucial information about its history. More recent archaeological excavations at Vijayanagara have revealed the empire's power and wealth.Auction result comparison: Compare with a related but slightly larger bronze of Rama at Sotheby’s New York in Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art on 22 March 2018, lot 1019, sold for USD 13,750.
A VIETNAMESE RED AND GILT-LACQUERED WOOD STATUE OF GUANYINVietnam, 19th century. Carved standing with the right hand raised and the other hand holding a water vessel, wearing a long flowing robe decorated with gilt wave designs, the beaded hems with scrolling leafy vines and flowers, adorned with a necklace, the serene face with an urna and heavy-lidded eyes, the hair arranged in a high chignon under the characteristic cowl.Provenance: French private collection. Condition: Good condition with wear to lacquer and gilt, natural age cracks, few minuscule nicks and losses, occasional light scratches.Weight: 2,092 gDimensions: Height 57 cm越南鎏金漆木雕觀音像 越南, 十九世紀。觀音立像，右手舉起，左手握净水瓶，穿著長流袍，飾有鍍金波浪設計，串珠的下擺飾有滾動的綠葉藤蔓和花朵，飾有項鍊，寧靜的臉龐，雙眼微閉，頭髮在特徵罩的下方排列成高。 來源：法國私人收藏 品相：狀況良好，漆彩和鎏金磨損，自然老化，幾乎沒有細微的划痕和損失，偶爾會有輕微的划痕。 重量：2,092 克 尺寸：高57 厘米
A BEIJING ENAMEL ON COPPER 'PEONIES' WATER POT, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIODChina, 1736-1795, ca. 1740. The pear-shaped body supported on a low splayed foot and rising to a waisted neck below a flared rim, the shape slightly reminiscent of a Zhadou. Finely enameled on a rich Imperial yellow ground with three large peony blossoms, one of purple and lavender, one of pink and one of blue color. The neck draped by a neatly painted scroll of morning glories seen from the top against a pale turquoise ground. The interior white, the rims gilt, the white base inscribed with a blue-enameled four-character reign mark within double squares. Provenance: Property from an important private collection. Old collector number ‘77’ painted in white lacquer to base. Condition: Superb condition with minor wear, traces of use and minor firing flaws. The gilding to lip and foot rim with extensive abrasions. Blue light inspected, absolutely no restoration whatsoever.Weight: 172 g Dimensions: Height 7.6 cm The decoration seen on the present water pot is unusual for Qianlong vessels of this type, although a near-identical vessel from the same period, painted with a peony design on a yellow-ground, is illustrated in Sotheby’s London, 14th November 2002, lot 364, described as an ‘Imperial Enamel Water Pot, Qianlong Mark And Period’.In its shape and delicate small size, this water pot is after a group of slightly earlier, Kangxi period vessels generally painted with motifs from flora and fauna. For an example from this group, see a Kangxi mark and period vase, finely painted with blooming flowers in panels on a yellow ground, illustrated in Michael Gillingham, Chinese Painted Enamels, Oxford, 1978, page 15, plate 6. The pale turquoise color used for the ground of the scroll at the neck of the present water pot is unusual, although reminiscent of that found on the inside of a bowl from the Kangxi period, illustrated by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Art on October 3rd 2018, lot 3610. Shades of purple and lavender, as found in one of the three peonies on the present water pot, were also frequently used on Kangxi vessels, especially before pink enamel was introduced into the Chinese enamellers' repertoire employed by the Palace Workshop. Another characteristic of Kangxi enamel on copper vessels are their slightly oversized imperial marks, again as seen on the present lot and on the bowl illustrated by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Art on October 3rd, 2018, lot 3610. For all of the reasons mentioned above, it can safely be assumed that the present water pot was made rather early in the Qianlong period, probably ca. 1740.乾隆款及年代銅胎琺琅牡丹水丞 中國，1736-1795, 約1740年。梨形水丞，圈足外翻，腹部喇叭形，升至腰部頸部，其形狀略似渣斗。黃色釉地上精美琺琅彩，三朵大牡丹花，紫色、粉紅色和藍色。頸部畫著牽牛花，綠松石地開光。水丞內部白色，邊緣鎏金，底足白色底上藍色琺瑯雙方框四字款。 來源：一個重要私人收藏產業。底部可見老藏家所注‘77’ 標志。 品相：狀況極佳，有輕微磨損、使用痕跡和輕微燒制缺陷。 唇沿和圈足邊緣鎏金有大量擦傷。 藍光檢查，絕對沒有任何修復。 重量：172克 尺寸：高7.6 厘米
AN APPLE- AND EMERALD-GREEN JADEITE ‘LINGZHI’ PLAQUE, QING DYNASTYChina, 1644-1912. Of rectangular form, carved in relief with lingzhi funghi, as well as a bixie and a small chilong to one side, with finely incised details. The stone of translucent light apple green ground suffused with brilliant emerald green streaks. Pierced with a small aperture at the top.Provenance: From a private collection in Southern California, USA.Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. Some natural flaws to the mineral.Weight: 53.5 gDimensions: Size 6 x 4 cmAuction result comparison: Compare with a related apple and emerald green jadeite plaque carved with gourds at Christie’s Hong Kong in Magnificent Jadeite Jewelry on 30 November 2006, lot 2643, sold for HKD 38,400.清代靈芝翡翠如意紋挂墜中國，1644-1912年。圓角長方形，浮雕靈芝如意紋，另一面為辟邪與螭龍紋，細節精緻。半透明的淺綠色石料，散佈著鮮豔的翠綠色條紋。 頂部穿孔。 來源：南加利福尼亞私人收藏 品相：狀況極佳，小磨損小。自然瑕疵。 重量：53.5 克 尺寸：6 x 4 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件翡翠葫蘆挂墜見香港佳士得Magnificent Jadeite Jewelry 拍場2006年11月30日 lot 2643, 售價HKD 38,400.
AN EXCEPTIONAL AND VERY LARGE CANTON ENAMEL ‘SCHOLARS’ DISH, EARLY 18TH CENTURYChina. This piece is notable for its imposing size, the broad surface of which has been delicately rendered with a rich scene of scholars, literati and pupils observing an artist working on a scroll, painted with bamboo springing from craggy rockwork, the yet unfinished oeuvre being the talk of the gathering.Provenance: From a private estate in Pennsylvania, USA. The backside with an old collector’s label inscribed “C-09” and a second label with the inscription “Canton Enamel Charger 22” Diam. (18TH C) #78 (10.15.K)”. Condition: The foot rim with a hole drilled for suspension. The center with circular hairlines along the foot and two old fillings, each the size of a coin. The outer border with an old, restored section of ca. 10-15 cm, barely extending into the yellow border, mirrored at the back. Minuscule firing flaws, pitting, hairlines, dents, losses and fills. The metal mounts with a fine, naturally grown patina. Old wear and traces of use. Overall, in good condition, especially considering the magnificent size of 2.365 cm², with less than 60 cm² of restored area, equivalent to only 2.5% (!) of the total surface.Weight: 3.7 kg Dimensions: 55 cm Furthermore, we find a building with a terrace, a garden with scholar’s rocks, an imposing Ming dynasty altar table with a bitong and various brushes, an inkstone and several garden stools, as well as a peaceful lake and mountains in the far distance completing the inspiring scene.The cavetto with a dense scroll of pink peonies and lavender-colored lotus against an Imperial yellow ground, all within two circumferential bands of leaves and vines. The reverse shows a neatly painted still life of two peaches, lingzhi, flowers and a single bat against a white ground. The border with a band of grapes.The present dish is among the earliest examples of the successful combination of Western imaging techniques with traditional Chinese motifs during the first half of the 18th century. The subtle gradations of tone and the rendering of light and shade are particularly successful in the central panel, where cautious shading is introduced along the walls and canopy of the building. Even these few shades already give the composition a certain three-dimensional depth, heretofore unknown in Chinese painting. Moreover, the similarly rendered pink flowers are depicted in full bloom and appear to loom out from the contrasting yellow background. The fusion of East and West is therefore not only found on a technical level, but also in the stylistic approach to this painting, where the Chinese tradition of outlining has cleverly been combined with the European pursuit of naturalism through shading. Wares that combine a finely enameled scholarly motif on the interior with a vibrant yellow ground exterior were also produced in porcelain and celebrate the newly developed Famille Rose palette of the early eighteenth century. Tang Ying (1682–1756), as of 1728 the superintendent of the Imperial Kilns at Jingdezhen, notes in his work “A Brief Account of Ceramics”, that yangcai (Western color) enamel wares should be classified as combining falang glazes with Western painting styles (see the National Palace Museum exhibition catalog, Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Qianlong Reign, Taipei, 2008, pp. 32-40).Painting in enamels on copper is essentially a Western art that gained prominence in northern Europe during the Renaissance and flourished in China under the reign of the Qianlong emperor. Once the piece was shaped, the copper was prepared with a ground of plain enamel to receive the painting in glassy pigments which then bonded to it by firing. The resulting clear and brilliant contrast of colors, which allowed for ornate decoration, was particularly suited to the young Qianlong emperor's taste for the opulent and exotic. The technique was first introduced to Guangzhou by Jesuit missionaries who entered the port with samples of Limoges wares from Europe around 1700. It was then presented to the Palace Workshop between 1714 and 1716 by the enamel factories in Guangzhou, who supplied versatile artisans dedicated to developing and improving the standard of the imperial Enamel Workshop (see Yang Boda in the catalog to the exhibition Tributes from Guangzhou to the Qing Court, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1987, page 63).Curator’s Summary: The frugal use of shading points to an early date during the first period of enamel production, which can possibly be even narrowed to 1710-1725. After this period, shading became more sophisticated and stippling was introduced. It is even possible that this monumental work, obviously conceived to impress, and difficult to make with the limited production capacities of the time, was among the few large template pieces presented to the Imperial Palace Workshop between 1714 and 1716 by the enamel factories in Guangzhou. This would explain the lasting albeit simplified reappearance of closely related scholarly motifs in later imperial works. Overall, the present dish must therefore not only be regarded as extremely rare, but also as an important contributor to what was later to become the most sophisticated producer of enamel wares in the history of mankind: The Imperial Palace Workshops in Beijing. Literature comparison: A similar use of yellow ground with multi-colored floral scrolls along panels containing depictions of scholars in garden landscapes can be seen on a Qianlong hand-warmer – with a red enamel six-character Qianlong seal mark within a single square – in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei (illustrated in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, p. 243, no. 134) although the frames of the panels on the hand-warmer are in red tones and created using more sophisticated abutted S- and C-shaped elements. The use of imperial yellow grounds ornamented with multi-colored floral scrolls was much admired by the court in the Qianlong reign and can be seen on a number of items in a range of forms preserved in the collections of the Palace Museum, Beijing, and the National Palace Museum, Taipei.A scene of scholars in a garden setting, related to the one on the present plate, appears on a Qianlong enameled tea container in the collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow (illustrated by Marina Neglinskaya in Kitayske raspisnie zmali, Moscow, 1995, cat. 38), although in the case of the Moscow piece, one scholar is playing the qin while another listens, and a servant approaches with refreshments. The enamels on the Moscow tea container are less rich than those on the present plate and the hand-warmer from the National Palace Museum Collection, and the dominant color in the background is blue rather than yellow, but it is interesting to note that the style was appreciated by the European elite as well as those in China.Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related but much smaller plate at Christie's Hong Kong in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on December 1st 2010, lot 3229, sold for HKD 350,000.十八世紀初廣州銅胎畫琺琅開光文人賞畫圓盤 中國. 尺寸宏偉，盤内開光，繪畫精美，文人及其學生欣賞一位畫家在捲軸上作畫的場景，四周山水湖泊以及院内假山竹林。 來源： 美國賓夕法尼亞州私人遺產。盤底有老藏家的標簽 “C-09” 以及第二個標簽 “Canton Enamel Charger 22” Diam. (18TH C) #78 (10.15.K)”。 品相： 完整中文品相報告請至www.zacke.at查看。其餘中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
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