A BRONZE FIGURE OF A MAHASIDDHATibet, 17th - 18th century. Seated in a relaxed posture on a lotus base with beaded edges, the left hand before his chest holding a lotus blossom in his palm, the right hand resting on his knee. Richly adorned in beaded and floral jewelry with inlays of turquoise, coral, and mother-of-pearl. The base sealed and incised with a double vajra.Provenance: Tresors d'Asie, Paris, France, ca. 1995. A Hungarian private collection, acquired from the above. A copy of a stamped and handwritten note from Tresors d'Asie, dated 22 July 2015, describing the figure as an Arhat, dated 19th century, and stating that the figure was bought in Tibet 20 years prior, accompanies this lot. Condition: Very good condition with some wear to gilt, light surface scratches, casting flaws, and few minuscule nicks, dents and losses.Weight: 1,181 g Dimensions: Height 15.7 cmThe hair falling elegantly in two strands down the shoulder, tied into a high chignon, and secured by a tiara centered by a single skull head, the face with almond-shaped eyes below thick furrowed brows and full lips forming a subtle smile.Mahasiddha is a term for someone who embodies and cultivates the 'siddhi of perfection'. A siddha is an individual who, through the practice of sadhana, attains the realization of siddhis, psychic and spiritual abilities and powers. There are eighty-four Mahasiddhas of Tantric Buddhism who can be male and female, kings and beggars, young and old, monks and laymen who through experiencing different kinds of life crises, attain the realization of the Buddha's teachings leading to the status of a guru or a tantric master eventually. Tibetan Buddhist masters of various lineages are often referred to as Mahasiddhas (grub thob chen po or tul shug). There is a long tradition of hagiographies of these Tibetan adepts, called namtar. Important Tibetan mahasiddhas include Padmasambhava, Milarepa, and Tsongkhapa.As discussed by Huntington, "Vajrayana Buddhism shares many elements of the Mahayana path, but introduces the belief that enlightenment can be obtained in a single lifetime of intense arduous practice. Transformational meditations [...] force the psyche of the practitioner into new avenues of awareness. The ideal practitioner is still the Bodhisattva but in a new and radically different guise [...] The Mahasiddha, or "Great Adept," [who] comes to be known as a Vidyadhara, or "Bearer of Esoteric Knowledge". (Huntington & Bangdel, The Circle of Bliss, Ohio, 2003, page 21)Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 140Estimate: HKD 350,000 or approx. EUR 51,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt copper alloy figure of a Mahasiddha (possibly Naropa), Tibet, circa 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related hair, skull tiara, and beaded jewelry. Note the different base and slightly smaller size (12 cm).大成就者坐蓮銅像西藏，十七至十八世紀。清代大成就者造像，坐姿自在，坐在連珠蓮座上，昂首挺胸，神態威嚴。左手置於胸前，手中有一朵蓮花，右手置於膝上。佩戴嵌寳項鏈，上可見綠松石、珊瑚和貝母。底座雙金剛杵印密封。 來源：匈牙利私人收藏，約在1995年在法國巴黎Tresors d'Asie藝廊購得。隨附一份寫於2015年7月22日並蓋章的藝廊説明副本，把銅像描述為十九世紀的羅漢，並註明，二十多年前在西藏購得此像。 品相：品相極好，鎏金有一些磨損、輕微的劃痕、鑄造缺陷，並且有微小的刻痕、凹痕和損失。 重量：1,181 克 尺寸：高15.7 厘米 由於字數限制，完整拍品中文翻譯請至www.zacke.at查看。
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A FINE GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF JAMBHALA, QIANLONG PERIODChina, 1736-1795. Seated in lalitasana on a lotus base with a beaded rim, his right foot resting on a conch supported by a vessel, his right hand offering a bijapuraka fruit, in his left a mongoose, the pot-bellied figure wearing a dhoti finely incised with foliate decorations, a billowing scarf around his arms, adorned in elaborate jewelry, his head surmounted by a five-leaf crown set in front of a high chignon, his wrathful face with protruding eyes, framed by a beard, and flanked by elongated earlobes. Provenance: From an old Croatian private collection and thence by descent. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few nicks, and light scratches. The base sealed.Weight: 562.8 g Dimensions: Height 11 cmPrimarily known as the God of Wealth, Jambhala is one of the most popularly worshipped deities in Tibetan Buddhism, propitiated in order to avoid the mundane distractions of ensuring sustenance so that practitioners can focus on their spiritual training. Here, a skilled craftsman has represented the deity in his full, corpulent glory, symbolic of the abundance Jambhala is able to grant. Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 19 March 2016, lot 1344Price: USD 8,750 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-bronze figure depicting Jambhala, Tibeto-Chinese, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose, decorations, and incision work to the base. Note the size (9.8 cm).乾隆鎏金黃財神銅像中國，1736-1795年。頭戴五葉寶冠，矮小凸腹，雙臂勁力，右手持布拉噶如意寶，左手握著吐寶鼬，周身珠寶飾品，多處嵌各色寶石。左足屈盤，右足下伸，踏海螺寶，以如意姿安座於蓮花月輪之上。來源：克羅地亞私人收藏，保存至今。 品相：狀況極好，輕微磨損、刻痕和劃痕。底座密封。 重量：562.8 克 尺寸：高11 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2016年3月19日，lot 1344 價格：USD 8,750（相當於今日EUR 11,000） 描述：十八世紀銅鎏金財寶天王坐像 專家評論：比較非常相近的姿勢、裝飾和底座雕刻。請注意尺寸(9.8 厘米)。
A GILT-COPPER CLOISONNE QUADRILOBED CUP STAND, 18TH CENTURYChina. Finely decorated in bright enamels to the interior and exterior with stylized lotus surrounded by archaistic and foliate scroll, the long sides each with a bat in flight. The overall form, and especially that of the gilt base, is reminiscent of the crabapple (haitang), further adding to the auspicious nature of this piece.Provenance: French trade.Condition: Very good condition with some wear, particularly to gilt, and expected manufacturing flaws, such as pitting. Minor nicks, small dents, and light scratches.Weight: 140.3 cm Dimensions: Length 15.1 cmAuction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's London, 11 May 2011, lot 209APrice: GBP 6,875 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-bronze cloisonne enamel dish, Qing dynasty, Qianlong periodExpert remark: Compare the related form, and size (15.4 cm) 十八世紀銅胎掐絲琺琅盞托中國，海棠式口盞托，材質厚重，底部鎏金。上下飾以纏枝蓮紋與紅蝠紋，寓意福壽連年。托外壁同樣裝飾雙蝠纏枝蓮紋兩組。全器裝飾風格華麗，製作規整。來源: 法國古玩市場。 品相: 狀況極好，一些磨損，特別是鎏金，以及預期的製造瑕疵，如麻點。小刻痕、輕微劃痕和小凹痕。 重量: 140.3 厘米 尺寸: 長 15.1 厘米 拍賣結果比較：形制：相近拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2011年5月11日，lot 209A價格：GBP 6,875（相當於今日EUR 11,000）描述：乾隆時期銅胎掐絲琺琅盞托專家評論：比較相近外型和尺寸(15.4厘米) 。
A PAINTED POTTERY STEM CUP, BAN CHIANG, 1ST MILLENNIUM BCThe deep rounded sides supported on a tall spreading foot and rising to an everted rim, decorated with even red lines forming geometric designs on the creamy-white ware.Provenance: Dutch trade. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Wear, signs of weathering and erosion, few chips, minor losses to the paint, no fills or restorations. A Ban Chiang piece in such well-preserved condition is considered to be rare.Weight: 1,450 g Dimensions: Height 18.9 cm Ban Chiang, denotes an archeological site located in Nong Han district, Udon Thani Province, Thailand. Discovered in 1957, the site attracted enormous publicity due to its distinctive red painted pottery. During the first formal scientific excavation in 1967, archaeologists unearthed several skeletons, together with bronze grave gifts and unglazed earthenware pots which had been low-fired and painted red with unique, highly expressive and characteristic designs.A subsequent excavation at Ban Chiang in 1974-1975 was followed by an article by Chester Gorman and Pisit Charoenwongsa, claiming evidence for the earliest dates in the world for bronze casting and iron working. Subsequent excavations, including that at Ban Non Wat, have now shown that the proposed early dates for Ban Chiang are unlikely. The first datings of the artifacts used the thermoluminescence technique, resulting in a range from 4420-3400 BC, which would have made the site the earliest Bronze Age culture in the world. These dates stirred worldwide interest. Thermoluminescence dating of pottery was at the time an experimental technique and had been applied to Ban Chiang sherds of uncertain provenance. However, with the 1974-1975 excavation, sufficient material became available for radiocarbon dating. Re-analysis by radiocarbon dating suggested that a more likely date for the earliest metallurgy at Ban Chiang was c. 2000-1700 BCE. A date of 2100 BCE was obtained from rice phytoliths taken from inside a vessel taken from the lowest grave, which had no metal remains. The youngest grave was about 200 CE. Bronze making began circa 2000 BCE, as evidenced by crucibles and other fragments. A contrasting analysis was conducted by Charles Higham of the University of Otago using the bones of the people who lived at Ban Chiang and the bones of animals interred with them. The resulting determinations were analyzed using Bayesian statistics and the results suggested that the initial settlement of Ban Chiang took place about 1500 BCE, with the transition to the Bronze Age about 1000 BCE. The chronology of Ban Chiang metallurgy is still in considerable dispute.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related jar, dated 3rd century BC to 3rd century AD, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1972,0919.1.
A PAIR OF CLOISONNE ENAMEL 'LOTUS POND' JARS, JIAQING PERIODChina, 1796-1820. Of lobed form, rising from an oval foot to a short straight neck, decorated in polychrome enamels depicting a lotus pond with butterflies and miniature cranes above a border of stylized crashing waves, the neck with a band of bats interspersed with lingzhi clouds, bordered by a band of ruyi, all above a deep coral red ground with a wan-symbol pattern. (2)Provenance: From an old Croatian private collection and thence by descent. One vase with a collector's number '62' to the base. Condition: Fine condition with some old wear, manufacturing imperfections, small nicks and losses to enamels. One jar with a ding to the shoulder, the other with an ancient repair to the interior.Weight: 1,154 g and 1,124 g Dimensions: Width 28 cm (each) Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams London, 17 May 2020, lot 145Price: GBP 5,000 or approx. EUR 6,400 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of cloisonne enamel and gilt-bronze baluster trumpet-necked vases, late Qianlong/JiaqingExpert remark: Compare the related wan-symbol ground and lotus pond decoration. Note the different form and larger size (44.5 cm).嘉慶一對掐絲琺瑯《荷塘鴨戲》罐中國，1796-1820年。橢圓形罐口，直頸，罐身呈四瓣，圈足。頸部蝙蝠如意紋帶；罐身紅地掐絲萬字紋，琺瑯荷塘鴨戲，荷花荷葉搖曳，蝴蝶飛舞，場景生動。 來源：克羅地亞私人收藏，保存至今，一個罐子底部有藏家編號“62”。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損、製造缺陷、小劃痕和琺瑯缺損。一個罐子的肩膀上有一個凹痕，另一個罐子的內部有修復。 重量：分別爲1,154 克與 1,124 克 尺寸：分別寬 28 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2020年5月 17日，lot 145 價格：GBP 5,000（相當於今日EUR 6,400） 描述：清乾隆晚期嘉慶一對掐絲琺瑯蓮紋瓶 專家評論：比較相近的萬字地荷葉裝飾。請注意外型不同，且尺寸較大(44.5 厘米)。
SALVADOR DALI 1904 - 1989 SURREALISTISCHER ENGEL 1984 Bronze mit dunkler Patina auf Messingsockel. Mit dem Schriftzug des Künstlers, Nummerierung und Gießerstempel Kunstguss Strehle. Mit notariell beglaubigtem Zertifikat vom 23.11.1986. Ex. 1428/1500. Edition Rom y Rom (Rudolf Rom). Höhe: 44 cm; Sockel: 12 cm. Vgl. Descharnes 380 (Série de multiples de petite taille d'un autre éditeur). (Patina bzw. Sockel mit wenigen Stoßspuren).
Statue of goddess Isis suckling Horus; Egypt, c, 600 BC.Bronze with reddish patina.Provenance: Private collection in the UK.Measurements: 10 x 2 x 3.5 cm.Round sculpture made in bronze representing the figure of the Goddess Isis breastfeeding Horus. The piece presents a great stylisation derived from the anatomical elongation of both figures, which can be seen especially in the treatment of the arms and legs. The representation of the Goddess Isis breastfeeding Horus was common during the rule of Egyptian culture, although it should be noted that during the Ptolemaic period its presence is much more relevant as it shows the assimilation of religious figures by the predominant religions, the figure being similar to the representations of the Virgin and Child.Isis is part of the Osirian triad together with her husband Osiris and her son Horus, known as the great magician, great mother goddess and queen of the gods, considered the fertilising force of nature and goddess of motherhood and birth. Her main iconographic symbol is the throne, although she can also be represented with a headdress with the solar disc, as she is the daughter of Ra, and with the wings of a dove. She can also take the form of a tree, as a nurturing goddess. From the beginning of the 18th Dynasty she will also be depicted with the horns and moon of Hathor, the Ankh and other symbols. A widespread iconography of Isis depicts her with Harpocrates, the infant form of Horus, on her lap. Harpocrates symbolises the weak sun of dawn or the winter sun, naked and unprotected. Just as this sun is transformed into a powerful star, the weak child will become the adult Horus, armed and warrior, who will avenge the death of his father, Osiris. The piece in question is made of schist, a material widely used for sculpture in Ancient Egypt due to its relative hardness.
Bowl from the Bactrian culture, 3rd-2nd millennia BC.Alabaster.In good condition.Provenance: Private collection, London, acquired in the 1990s. Previously acquired from a London gallery.Weight: 5.8 kg.Measurements: 24 cm (length).An alabaster bowl with no decoration other than its elegant lines and neat profiles. Bactriana, also called Bactria, is the ancient Greek name for the area of Central Asia located between the Hindu Kush (to the south) and the Amu Darya River (to the north). Today this territory corresponds to northern Afghanistan, southern Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. A fertile region of oases and mountains, since ancient times Bactria has been an important and almost obligatory stop for trade routes and communication between the Far East, the Indian subcontinent and the Mediterranean basin. Of particular importance in this region is the Bactria-Margiana archaeological complex, the modern archaeological designation of the Bronze Age in Central Asian culture, dating from around 2200-1700.
Lekitos; Italian school, following Greek models of the 5th century BC; late 19th century.Bronze.Measurements: 32 x 16 x 22 cm.Sculptural lekitos made in lost-wax bronze. This piece stands out for the presence of the male face that serves as a belly for the vessel. Both the vessel and the aesthetic finish of the male bust are inspired by Greek models. This is why symmetry and harmony stand out, with features such as the straight nose that determines the configuration of the face. The main figure has a ribbon running across his forehead, so that he is probably a representation of an athlete. The lekitos or lekitos is a type of Greek pottery used to store perfumed oil for body care. This type of vessel was also often used as funerary vessels, not only in Greek cities, but also by other peoples who had contact with this culture. They are characterised by their elongated shape, narrow neck and wide mouth, which both limits the flow of oil and facilitates its application.The term 'Grand Tour', which first appeared in Richard Lassels's 'Voyage d'Italie', was used to define the long journey through Europe, especially Italy, which was regularly undertaken by young British aristocrats from the 17th century onwards, but especially throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The purpose of the journey was for young people to become acquainted with the art and culture of mainly France and Italy, to admire classical art at first hand, to learn or improve their knowledge of languages, and to establish contacts and relations with the cultural and political elites of these countries. Travellers were often looking for pieces with which to start their own art collections, objects to take back to their places of residence as souvenirs. For this reason, workshops specialising in the replication of Roman pieces, both in bronze and marble, sprang up, some of which acquired a great reputation.
Fleming (Ian) From Russia, With Love, first edition, front free endpaper creased, with light spotting to following p., original boards with gun-and-rose design to upper cover in bronze and silver, spine lettered in silver and bronze, dust-jacket, light browning to spine, spine ends and corners a little chipped, light creasing to head, extremities a little rubbed, an excellent example overall, preserved in custom morocco-backed drop-back box, 8vo, 1957.
A LARGE BRONZE DANCER'S HEADPIECE IN THE FORM OF A PANJURLI BHUTA (BOAR SPIRIT DEITY)South India, Kerala or Karnataka, 18th century. The mask finely cast in openwork to depict the head of a boar spirit with large pierced almond-shaped eyes, neatly incised arched brows, the mouth agape revealing teeth and tongue, the long pierced snout and lips detailed with beaded decorations, the head surmounted by an intricately cast crown; topped by six cobras above beaded and floral decorations as well as a row of numerous smaller snakes. Provenance: German trade.Condition: Good condition with old wear and some casting irregularities. Losses, nicks and dents, a bit of verdigris here and there, particularly to back and interior. Naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 5,475 g (excl. stand)Dimensions: Height 48 cm (excl. stand)This dramatic dancer's headpiece in the form of a boar's head was created in the southwestern coastal region of Tulu Nadu (in the modern Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka state and Kasaragod district of Kerala state), for ritual use in dance festivals propitiating and honoring the local tutelary spirit deities (bhuta). Hundreds of these elaborate community celebrations, called Dharmanema festivals, are held every year between February and May to venerate the regional pantheon of over 350 spirit deities. The boar spirit deity (Panjurli), one of the most powerful and important Genii Loci, is said to be borne of the forest and is thus particularly revered in this lush tropical region. He is also responsible for upholding righteousness through his identification as a manifestation of Vishnu, the supreme Hindu god of preservation and social order. This religious correlation is expressed by Panjurli's visual similarity to Varaha, the boar-headed avatar of Vishnu. Dancers' headpieces and masks are fashioned in a wide variety of iconographic forms and local artistic styles. They are typically quite large in size, and made in one of three primary media: wood, papier-mâche, and bronze. This headpiece is a tour de force of the genre because of its superb artistic quality, pronounced facial modeling, and complex ornamentation.With a modern stand. (2)Literature comparison: Compare a closely related copper alloy dancer's headpiece in the form of Panjurli Bhuta, 43.5 cm high, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.2005.49a-b. For a comparable example, see Brian A. Dursum, Change and Continuity: Folk and Tribal Art of India, Florida, 1998, p. 38, fig. 62. See S. Aryan, Unknown Masterpieces of Indian Folk and Tribal Art, 2005, p. 61-63, for bhuta masks made in brass; and the exhibition Dancing Masks - Bronzes from Southern India, 17 May to 23 August, 2009 at the Museum Rietberg, Zurich.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 345 Price: USD 12,500 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Panjurli-Bhuta Mask Copper Alloy India, Karnataka, Tulu Nadu region Expert remark: Note the smaller size (38 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 18 September 2013, lot 246 Price: USD 16,250 or approx. EUR 20,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A brass bhuta mask of a boar, South India, Karnataka, 18th/19th century Expert remark: Note the size (42.6 cm)
AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, DING, EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, 11th-10th century BC. The deep, rounded body is massively cast and raised on three columnar supports, the exterior with a flat-cast band of three taotie masks in relief below the rim from which two sturdy U-shaped loop handles rise. The interior with a crisp two character pictogram in oracle bone script below the rim.Inscriptions: To interior below the rim, 'hao' (good).Provenance: Nellie Clay Foster, acquired in China during the 1930s, and thence by descent in the family. Nellie 'Nelchen' K. A. Foster (nee Armstrong, d. 1950) was a socialite and amateur poet in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. She married the noted naturalist and yachtsman Henry Clay Foster (d. 1950). Nellie and Henry both traveled across Asia in the 1930s. According to information provided by the family, they got acquainted with a curator or consultant of the Metropolitan Museum in New York during one of their journeys through China. On one occasion this curator - possibly Gijs Bosch-Reitz (1860-1938) - had discovered five ancient bronzes for sale, of which he could only afford the purchase of three. As the story goes, the owner insisted on selling all five bronzes at once, and so Nellie was invited to pick two pieces. Her first choice was the present ding vessel, which she kept in her New Jersey home until her death.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, minor losses, nicks and cracks, all pretty much as expected from ancient bronzes. Beautiful, naturally grown patina with extensive malachite encrustation. X-Ray and CT: The images clearly document the outstanding overall condition of this lot. The crisply cast relief is remarkably well-preserved (see x-ray image 4). Note the three distinct areas of minor erosion at the inside bottom of the vessel (CT image 25). Further note the characteristic remnants of soil inside the legs (CT images 21 and 22).Weight: 3,022 gDimensions: Diameter 20 cm, height 23.6 cmLiterature comparison: Compare a closely related bronze ding decorated with a similar taotie band, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BC, 23.1 cm wide, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.328. Compare a closely related bronze ding decorated with a similar taotie band, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, 11th-10th century BC, 17.5 cm wide, in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number FSC-B-603.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's, 15 December 2010, lot 273 Price: EUR 46,600 or approx. EUR 59,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze tripod food vessel, ding, China, Western Zhou dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and taotie band. Note the smaller height (19.5 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's, 19 September 2014, lot 986 Price: USD 87,500 or approx. EUR 106,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large bronze ritual tripod food vessel, ding, late Shang-Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, taotie band, and inscription to interior below the rim. Note the larger height (30.2 cm).西周初期饕餮紋青銅鼎中國，公元前十一至十一世紀。鼎體渾圓且深，向上收口，兩側對稱設耳，鼎體上部有扁平浮雕饕餮紋。 款識：鼎内邊緣下可見“好” 來源：上世紀三十年代Nellie Clay Foster購於中國，保存在同一家族。Nellie 'Nelchen' K. A. Foster (nee Armstrong， 1950年逝世) 是美國肯塔基州路易斯維爾的社交名流和詩人。她嫁給了著名的博物學家和帆船運動員Henry Clay Foster (1950 年逝世）。 Nellie 和 Henry 都在 1930 年代遊歷了亞洲。據家人提供的信息，他們在一次中國之旅中結識了紐約大都會博物館的一位策展人或顧問。 品相：狀況極佳，大面積磨損、風化和侵蝕的跡象、輕微的缺損、刻痕和裂縫。美麗、自然生長的皮殼，帶有大量綠色鏽斑。清晰的浮雕保存得非常好，可在 X 射線圖像（可根據要求提供）上也見到，清楚地記錄了該拍品出色的整體狀況。 重量：3,022 克 尺寸：直徑 20厘米，高23.6 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件非常相近的公元前十一世紀西周饕餮紋青銅鼎(寬23.1 厘米)，收藏於亞瑟·M·賽克勒美術館，史密森尼學會，編號S1987.328。比較一件非常相近的公元前十至十一世紀西周饕餮紋青銅鼎(17.5 厘米寬)，收藏於亞瑟·M·賽克勒美術館Freer Gallery of Art，史密森尼學會，編號FSC-B-603。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A RHINOCEROS HORN ARCHAISTIC LIBATION CUP, JUE, EARLY QING DYNASTYChina, 17th to early 18th century. Finely carved, one side of the vessel with a flattened spout, the other slightly raised and tapering into a wide curve. The lip surrounded by a wave border incised in shallow relief. The body carved with two sinuous chilong holding branches of lingzhi in their mouths. The rhinoceros horn of a deep honey color, darkening towards the legs, and with a silky, naturally grown patina.Provenance: From the collection of Malcolm Moncrieff Stuart, OBE, CIE, and thence by descent. Stuart was a State Magistrate in the Civil Service in India from 1928 and 1949. After retiring he returned to Edinburgh, Scotland. Condition: Some losses to lip and body, minor age cracks. Absolutely untouched original condition.Weight: 133.5 gDimensions: Height 12.3 cmThe present libation cup, superbly carved in the form of the well-known bronze ritual vessel jue, exhibits an exceptional level of skill exercised by the carver, who used the highly complex technique of bending different sections of the split horn outwards to form the three splayed blade legs.Literature comparison: See T. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, page 93, lot 46, for a similar libation cup from the collection of Chun-hung Li. Compare a rhinoceros horn jue decorated with a taotie design illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl. 205, together with a four-legged ding form cup, pl. 206, and a tripod ding vessel, pl. 207.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2011, lot 2710 Price: HKD 2,420,000 or approx. EUR 413,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rhinoceros horn 'jue' libation cup, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related color of the horn, splayed legs, and chilong decoration. Note the size (11 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2012, lot 197Price: USD 182,500 or approx. EUR 230,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare rhinoceros horn archaistic libation cup (jue), Qing dynasty, 17th century Expert remark: Compare the related color of the horn and splayed legs. Note the size (10.2 cm).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, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.清初螭龍紋犀角杯中國，十七至十八世紀初。爵形杯，雕刻精美，杯子一側的杯流扁平，另一側略微凸起並逐漸變細。杯口外壁淺浮雕波浪紋，外壁浮雕兩條螭龍，嘴裡叼著靈芝。犀角杯呈深蜜色，向腿部往下逐漸變深，並帶有絲般的光澤。 來源：Malcolm Moncrieff Stuart 收藏，OBE，CIE，保存至今。Stuart曾從 1928 年到 1949 年，擔任印度州治安法官。退休後，他回到了蘇格蘭的愛丁堡。 品相：杯口和杯體有局部磕損，輕微的年代裂縫。原始狀況。 重量：133.5 克 尺寸：高 12.3 厘米 文獻比較： 一件相似的犀角杯，Chun-hung Li收藏，見 T. Fok，《Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China》，頁93，lot 46。比較一件饕餮紋犀角爵，見《故宮博物院藏珍品全集‧竹木牙角雕刻》，上海，2001年，編號205，與一件四足鼎杯，編號206，和三足鼎，編號207。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2011年4月7日，lot 2710 價格：HKD 2,420,000（相當於今日EUR 413,500） 描述：十七世紀爵形犀角杯 專家評論：比較相近的犀角顏色、杯腳外撇和螭龍裝飾。請注意尺寸(11厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2012年3月20日，lot 197 價格：USD 182,500（相當於今日EUR 230,500） 描述：十七世紀爵形犀角杯 專家評論：比較相近的犀角顏色和杯腳外撇。請注意尺寸(10.2厘米)。
A GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID 'FIGHTING BEARS' BRONZE MAT WEIGHT, WARRING STATES TO HAN DYNASTYOpinion: While bronze mat weights from the Warring States Period or the Han dynasty are rarer and rarer to come across on the market, it has nowadays become almost impossible to find one with such well preserved and detailed inlay work. The drama of the depiction has been copied over and over during later periods, and for all kinds of purposes, but it has never been achieved again to the extent found in the present lot.China, 5th century BC to 2nd century AD. Boldly cast as two ferocious bears locked in combat, one biting into his opponent's back as this one roars in anguish with his tongue outstretched. Finely inlaid in gold and silver, the two animals with scroll and geometric decoration as well as subtle detailing to their bodies, the sides of the circular base with a scroll band between line borders.Provenance: From a noted private collector in the Pacific Northwest, USA.Condition: Superb condition, commensurate with age. Wear, signs of weathering and erosion, corrosion, malachite and cuprite encrustation, nicks, scratches, losses and cracks. The gold and silver inlays exceptionally well-preserved. A bronze weight of around 2,000 years of age or more in such well-preserved condition must be considered exceedingly rare.Weight: 590.0 gDimensions: Diameter 6.7 cm, Height 5 cmWith a velvet-padded silk storage box. (2)Mat weights crafted from precious materials such as bronze and jade, often gilded or inlaid with gold, silver or gemstones, were produced in sets of four and served a practical function of anchoring down woven mats for seating. Mats and corner-weights were believed to have been used at banquets, even those laid out in tombs. Inlaid animal-form weights were discovered in the tomb of Dou Wan, consort of Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan (d. 113 BC), alongside food and wine vessels.The sculptural depiction of animals in combat was introduced to China from the nomadic and semi-nomadic cultures of Central Asia, the Eurasian steppes, and the Ordos region, and was an innovation particular to the Warring States and Han dynasty periods. During the early Western Han dynasty, the imperial Shanglin zoological park and hunting reserve adjacent to the walled city grew in size and importance. Conceived as a microcosm of the empire, it allowed the emperor and his courtiers to observe and study the various species of plants and animals known at the time. The site also served as a venue for orchestrated animal combat for the entertainment of the court.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related silver and gold-inlaid bronze mat weight from the Han dynasty depicting a ram and tiger, illustrated by Jenkins, Mysterious Sprits, Strange Beasts, Earthly Delights: Early Chinese Art from the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Collection, Portland, 2005, page 60, and now in the collection of the Portland Art Museum. Compare a pair of related bronze figures of tigers, with similar gold and silver inlay, but of larger size (29 cm), dated to the Warring States period, illustrated by Christian Deydier, Oriental Bronzes, XXIIIe Biennale des Antiquaires, Paris, September 2006, pages 10-21.Auction result comparison:Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 16 September 2010, lot 886 Price: USD 182,500 or approx. EUR 240,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Rare Gold and Silver-Inlaid Bronze Tiger-Form Weight, Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) Expert remark: Compare the similar size (6.7 cm) and purpose, and the inlay in gold and silver.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 13 October 2021, lot 3674 Price: HKD 441,000 or approx. EUR 57,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: An inscribed gold and silver-inlaid bronze weight, Han dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related subject matter, dynamic posture, and size (6.8 cm). Note the different decoration, albeit still employing gold and silver inlay.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 22 March 2022, lot 7 Price: USD 88,200 or approx. EUR 86,500 converted at the time of writingDescription: A gold, turquoise and malachite-inlaid bronze weight, Early Western Han dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related subject matter, gold inlay, and size (6.9 cm). Note the use of turquoise and malachite inlays.戰國至漢代錯金銀“斗熊”銅席鎮中國，公元前五世紀至公元二世紀。銅鎮作兩隻正在打架的熊造型，一隻熊正雙目圓睜，雙耳後抿，寬鼻闊嘴，回首咆哮；另一隻咬住對手的後背。細部刻畫入微。通體採用錯金銀工藝。形小而氣勢雄渾，造型生動自然，十分精緻。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A RARE AND IMPORTANT BRONZE RITUAL AXE-HEAD, YUE, EARLY SHANG DYNASTY, CIRCA 1500-1400 BCOpinion: Except for the different size, the present lot has remarkable similarities with a yue that bears a near-identical relief decoration surrounding the central hole, but lacks the taotie at the haft. This yue was excavated in 1974 from Lijiazui Tomb M2 in Panlongcheng and is now in the Hubei Provincial Museum. Discovered in 1954, Panlongcheng is a city-site that dates from the early Shang Dynasty. Located on the bank of Panlong Lake in Huangpi District, it covers an area of roughly 15 acres. The city conforms to the top-layer culture (circa 1500 BC) of the Shang site of Erligang in terms of bronze-making techniques, burial customs, styles of jade-wares, and features of pottery. It might have been a state built by Shang people in the middle reaches of the Yangtze to exploit resources in the south. Its discovery confirmed for the first time that the Shang culture of the Central Plains had reached the valley of the Yangtze River already during the early Shang Dynasty. The discovery of the yue in tomb 2 also confirms the function of the city as a military stronghold. Given the many features and striking resemblances that the present lot shares with the larger yue from Panlongcheng, and the provenance history described below, it seems possible, if not likely, that our yue was once found at the same site.China, ca. 1500-1400 BC. The wide flattened blade with a beveled edge, crisply cast in deep relief with Kui dragons with raised eyes flanking a large central aperture below two small rectangular holes, the haft similarly cast with taotie masks.Provenance: Mandala Fine Arts, Hong Kong, 1989. Acher Eskenasy, Paris, acquired from the above (invoice lost). Martin Doustar, Brussels, acquired from the above in 2011. An American gentleman, acquired from the above. A copy of a handwritten letter, signed by Acher Eskenasy, confirming his purchase of the present lot from Mandala Fine Arts, Hong Kong, in 1989 and its sale to Martin Doustar in 2011, accompanies this lot. Acher Eskenasy is a noted French scholar and collector of Asian and tribal art. Major works previously owned by him are now in important collections and museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris.Condition: Superb condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, corrosion, minor nicks, cracks and scratches. Fine, naturally grown patina with malachite encrustation overall.Weight: 838.8 g (excl. stand)Dimensions: Length 24.9 cm (excl. stand)With an associated metal stand. (2)The yue was an ancient long-handled weapon and instrument of execution, symbolic of noble authority. Evidence suggests that these axes played a part in ritual beheadings in addition to being symbols of power. Almost central holes also dominate several other early bronze axes, including two from Panlongcheng in Hubei province.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bronze yue, with near-identical relief decoration and central hole, but of larger size (41.4 cm) and lacking the taotie at the haft, excavated in 1974 from Lijiazui Tomb M2 in Panlongcheng and now in the Hubei Provincial Museum, illustrated by Wen Fong, The Great Bronze Age of China: An Exhibition from The People's Republic of China, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2013, page 104, no. 7. Another closely related bronze yue, with near-identical relief decoration and central hole, but of larger size (35.2 cm) and lacking the taotie at the haft, is in the Jiangxi Provincial Museum. Compare a closely related bronze yue, also with a large central hole, excavated in 1995 from Guojiazhuang Southeast, Tomb M26, and now in the Yin Ruins Museum. Compare a related bronze ceremonial axe, dated to the Eastern Zhou dynasty, 11th century BC, illustrated by Christian Deydier Oriental Bronzes Ltd., Le Banquet des Dieux, Bronzes Rituels de la Chine Ancienne, Paris, January 1996, page 37, no. 12. Compare a related yue axe, also decorated with taotie masks, dated to the Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC, from the collection of the King of Sweden, illustrated by Christian Deydier, Chinese Bronzes, Fribourg, 1980, page 86, no. 59. Compare a related qi axe with a human mask on the blade, in the collection of the Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Berlin, dated to the Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC, illustrated ibidem, page 88, no. 63.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2012, lot 3 Price: USD 80,500 or approx. EUR 100,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An archaic bronze ritual axe-head (yue), Shang dynasty, 12th/11th century BC Expert remark: Compare the related form, though slightly flared, similar relief decoration, and the taotie masks to the haft. Compare also the closely related rectangular holes. Note the smaller size (16.4 cm).公元前1500-1400年商代早期銅鉞中國，公元前約1500-1400年。器體呈梯形，長方形內直，肩部平直，兩側有對稱的長方形孔，弧刃，兩側略外張，器身中部有較大的圓孔，肩下及兩側各飾夔紋，柄上有饕餮紋。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
AN INSCRIBED GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF A LAMA, 17TH-18TH CENTURYTibetan-Chinese. Seated on a rug over a double cushion, all with incised floral pattern, his left hand holding a vajra, his right lowered above his lap, dressed in heavy robes with foliate-patterned hems and short-tailed cloud designs. His serene face with almond-shaped eyes below thick arched brows and full lips forming a calm smile, below close-cropped hair. Note the remarkably fine incision work overall.Inscriptions: To back of base, 'Om Sawa Sati Drenchok Wang Gi Gyalpo Kudradi Sange Tenpa Yunring Ne Pe Tashi Shok'.Provenance: English trade. Condition: Very good condition with some old wear and casting irregularities, minuscule nicks, light scratches, small dents, some rubbing to gilt. The base unsealed.Weight: 1,616 g Dimensions: Height 18 cmThe large cushion upon which the lama sits indicates that the sculpture was made during his lifetime or shortly after his death, as it was the convention to portray living figures seated on a cushion rather than on a lotus throne.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's, 10 May 2018, lot 984 Price: USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 21,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze figure of a lama, China, 17th-18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, short-cropped hair, heavy robes with similar incised hems, and incised cushion. Note the size (16.2 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 23 March 2018, lot 1044 Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze figure of a seated lama, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose, short-cropped hair, and incised cushion. Note the size (15.2 cm).十七至十八世紀銅鎏金喇嘛坐像漢藏。喇嘛坐於雙層寶座上，右手持金剛杵，左手置於膝上。身著敞右肩僧服，衣紋整齊，褶皺聚攏至腳踝，面容安詳，帶有沉思的表情，眼睛微閉，眉毛微攏，嘴唇豐滿。 款識：底座背面刻字，'Om Sawa Sati Drenchok Wang Gi Gyalpo Kudradi Sange Tenpa Yunring Ne Pe Tashi Shok'. 來源：英國古玩交易市場。 品相：品相極好，有一些磨損和鑄造瑕疵，微小的刻痕，輕微的劃痕，小凹痕，鎏金有磨損。底座未密封。 重量：1,616 克 尺寸：高 18 厘米 喇嘛所坐的寶座表明該造像是在喇嘛生前或死後不久製作的，因為按照慣例，如還在世，應該坐在墊子上而不是蓮座上。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：佳士得2018年5月10日，lot 984 價格：USD 18,750（相當於今日EUR 21,500） 描述：十七至十八世紀銅鎏金喇嘛坐像 專家評論：比較非常相近的姿勢、短髮，厚重長袍下擺雕刻類似，以及雙層寶座。請注意尺寸 (16.2 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2018年3月23日，lot 1044 價格：USD 15,000（相當於今日EUR 17,500） 描述：十八世紀銅鎏金喇嘛坐像 專家評論：比較非常相近的姿勢、短髮，以及雙層寶座。請注意尺寸 (15.2 厘米)。
A COPPER-INLAID BRASS FIGURE OF BUDDHA VAJRASANA, 12TH-13TH CENTURYTibet, circa 1100-1250. Superbly cast, seated in vajraparyankasana on a double lotus throne with remarkably thick-beaded rims, the right hand extended in bhumisparsha mudra and the left in dhyana mudra, the fingernails conspicuously inlaid with copper, his left palm and right sole incised with a floral design. Wearing a sanghati gathered on one shoulder, with distinct wavelike folds hidden in the gap between the body and the left arm, the robe gathering in elegant pleats just below his feet and above a vajra finely incised to the base.Provenance: Old Austrian private collection.Condition: Superb condition, commensurate with age. Some wear, casting irregularities, minor dents, few tiny losses, minuscule nicks, light scratches, remnants of ancient pigment and gilding to face, the eyebrows and other areas possibly inlaid with silver wire, which has over the centuries turned completely black and cannot be clearly identified. The base unsealed. Rich, naturally grown patina with an unctuous feel overall, showing signs of extensive worship and caress across the centuries.Weight: 1,249 gDimensions: Height 26 cmThe gilt face is sensitively modeled with a serene expression, the downcast eyes and arched brows seem to be inlaid with metal (possibly silver), the lips with faint remnants of copper inlay, flanked by long pierced pendulous earlobes, the blue hair arranged in tight curls surmounted by a tall ushnisha topped by a bud-shaped jewel.The bronze depicts Shakyamuni Buddha at the very moment of Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Touching the goddess, Earth, with his right hand, he called her to witness his imperturbability in front of the assault of the demon Mara. It is with reference to this condition of serene beatitude that Shakyamuni's epiphany was called Akshobhya, meaning 'Imperturbable'. The episode took place at the Vajrasana seat at Bodh Gaya, which by tradition was specially empowered to expedite his enlightenment. Later, the followers of Buddhist esoteric schools represented the epiphany with their most important emblem, the vajra, which they interpreted as a symbol of the adamantine purity, indestructibility, and perfection of the Buddhist doctrine. In the present bronze, the vajra is incised into the upper surface of the lotus base.This sculpture represents the early phase of Tibetan Buddhist art during the Chidar, the Later Diffusion of Faith, that took inspiration from eleventh and twelfth-century Pala-period sculptural traditions of eastern India. Various elements reflect Indian prototypes, including the tall ushnisha and particularly the base's lower rim, distinctively decorated with a single row of large beads. Meanwhile, the base's high-relief lotus petals with their characteristically incised design are an early Tibetan feature. This combination of stylistic elements exemplifies Tibetan artists' close apprenticeship of Pala art during and shortly after the Chidar.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related brass figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, dated 13th-14th century, supported on an altar of probably a later date, the base similarly cast with Pala-influenced beaded rims and Tibetan flattened lotus petals, illustrated in the Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, 60 Buddhist Statues of Tibet, Hong Kong, 1998, pages 160-161, no. 153. This type of base is also seen in three closely related brass figures dated circa 13th century, illustrated by von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, Volume II, pp. 1173, pls. 313C-E. For the Pala prototype depicting Buddha Vajrasana, dated 11th-12th century, see von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, Volume I, pp. 269, pl. 86C. Note also the elongated figure, narrow waist and tubular limbs, the distinctive double-tipped petal motif of each bulbous petal on the lotus throne, and the curled double-edges of the sanghati thrown over the proper left shoulder in the figure of Shakyamuni (313D), as well as the gently sloping hairline, ovoid facial shape, raised urna, and the upward-curving eyes inlaid with silver on the figure of Vajrasattva (313C).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 October 2017, lot 3131Estimate: HKD 1,500,000 or approx. EUR 203,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An inscribed early copper-inlaid bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, Tibet, 12th-13th centuryExpert remark: Compare the alloy and patina, the pose, robe and hems, the face, and the tall ushnisha with the similarly bud-shaped jewel on top. Note the slightly larger size (29.8 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 December 2020, lot 1009Price: HKD 752,500 or approx. EUR 95,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A silver and copper inlaid copper alloy figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Tibet, 13th centuryExpert remark: Compare the alloy and patina, the pose, robe and hems, the face, and the tall ushnisha with the similarly bud-shaped jewel on top. Note the larger size (31.8 cm).十二至十三世紀錯紅銅金剛座佛陀銅像西藏，約 1100-1250年。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A CAST AND REPOUSSE GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF GREEN TARA, QIANLONG PERIODTibetan-Chinese, 1736-1795. Seated in lalitasana atop a double-lotus base with beaded edges, her raised left hand held in vitarka mudra and holding a lotus stem, her left lowered in prithvi mudra. Wearing a fine dhoti cascading in voluminous folds and neatly incised with foliate and diapered designs at the hems. Richly adorned with beaded, floral, and inlaid jewelry. The finely incised hair pulled up into a tall double-topknot falling elegantly in long segments down the sides of the shoulders and surmounted by a jewel.Provenance: From the collection of Gustave Fayet (1865-1925), thence by descent in the family. Gustave Fayet was a French painter and art collector, who owned works by Degas, Manet, Pissarro and above all Paul Gauguin. Fayet was a man with a universal curiosity, an eminent patron of the arts, and a discerning collector in all fields.Condition: Overall fine condition commensurate with age and presenting remarkably well and attractive. With old wear, traces of use and some minor casting flaws, occasional light scratches, tiny nicks, few small dents. Losses to inlays, some of the remaining inlays may be later replacements. Well-preserved ancient pigments. The separately cast lotus flowers at the shoulders are missing. The lacquer gilt sections with scattered stains. The fire gilt sections with minor areas of malachite encrustation. The base lid is bent and indented.Weight: 3,166 gDimensions: Height 37.7 cmThe serene face with heavy-lidded eyes, gently arched brows centered by an urna, and full lips forming a benevolent smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes.The impressive statue is made from a solid cast of copper alloy, as clearly evidenced by the lack of any dings or bent areas to body and base. Only the earrings, scarf, strands of hair, and the lotus foot support are executed in copper repousse. The statue is gilt overall, partially in lacquer and partially with a superb fire-gilt, exactly as expected from a statue of the Qianlong period.The present work exhibits many characteristics common to the Buddhist workshops of the Qianlong period, such as the combination of cast and repousse parts, the languid and feminine treatment of the face and body, and the tightly waisted double-lotus base with broad petals. The Qing court patronage of Buddhism that began under the Kangxi Emperor reached epic proportions under his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor. The Buddhist centers of Beijing, Rehol, and Dolonnor produced thousands upon thousands of images to keep up with the demand of the numerous temples in and outside the capital.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 16 September 2016, lot 1231 Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 40,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A cast and repousse gilt-bronze figure of a bodhisattva, Qianlong period Expert remark: The bronze belongs to the same group as the present lot, combining repousse elements with a cast figure. The bronze is of near-identical size (37.1 cm) and also dated to the Qianlong period.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 674 Price: USD 112,500 or approx. EUR 122,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A large cast and repousse gilt-bronze figure of Green Tara, Inner Mongolia, Dolonnor style, late 18th century Expert remark: The bronze also depicts Green Tara and belongs to the same group as the present lot, combining repousse elements with a cast figure. The bronze is of considerably larger size (58.1 cm high) and dated to the late 18th century.乾隆銅鎏金錘鍱綠度母漢藏, 1736-1795年。本尊綠度母坐像，通身以錘鍱工藝製作，半跏趺舒坐於蓮花寶座上，為典型的三折姿勢。葫蘆形髮髻高聳，雙耳垂肩，耳懸花鐺，披肩長辮優美。面容飽滿，嘴角上揚微笑，雙眉之間有白毫，端莊靜穆，給人以悲憫之感。上軀袒露，佩掛項圈及連珠長鏈，手、臂、踝均飾有釧環。左腿橫盤，右腳下應踏小蓮台，左手於胸前施三寶印，右手置膝前作予願印。其下蓮座為雙層束腰仰覆式，台座規矩，蓮瓣舒展精細。 來源：Gustave Fayet (1865-1925) 收藏，保存在同一家族至今。Gustave Fayet 曾是一位法國畫家和藝術收藏家。他的收藏中可見德加、莫奈、畢加索和高更。Fayet是一個特別有好奇心的傑出的藝術贊助人，也是一個在各個領域都獨具慧眼的收藏家。 品相：整體狀況良好，與年齡相稱。有磨損，使用痕跡和一些輕微的鑄造缺陷，局部輕微的劃痕和刻痕，少量小凹痕。鑲嵌物的遺失，一些剩餘的鑲嵌物可能在後期更換過。顏料保存完好。肩部分鑄的蓮花遺失。漆面鎏金部分有散落的污漬，少量綠色結殼。底蓋彎曲。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A GE-TYPE VASE, HU, QIANLONG MARK AND PROBABLY OF THE PERIODChina, c. 1736-1795. The globular body supported on a tall spreading foot and rising to a waisted neck with galleried rim, the shoulder applied with two pierced handles in the form of bats suspending ruyi heads, and further decorated with two raised bowstrings each below the neck and above the foot. Covered overall with a creamy gray glaze suffused with a striking network of black and golden-brown crackle. The recessed base with an underglaze-blue six-character seal mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi and probably of the period. Provenance: From a Norwegian private collection. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and firing irregularities. The piercings to the bat-form handles with traces of use including minute nibbling around the openings. The rings now lost. Weight: 4,424 g Dimensions: Height 28.7 g Expert's note: The high level of control exhibited by the glaze of the present vase, with its razor-sharp black and golden-brown crackle, along with the archaistic yet strictly precise form and the finely executed bowstrings, leaves little doubt that it was made in the 18th century. The bat-form handles are a particularly notable detail, as they once held separately crafted ring handles, probably made of gilt bronze, as evidenced by the piercings from one side to the other and the wear and nibbling around the openings. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's London, 7 June 2004, lot 145 Price: GBP 21,510 or approx. EUR 43,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A ge-type vase, hu, underglaze-blue Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period Expert remark: Compare the closely related two-tone crackle glaze, bowstring decoration, and Qianlong seal mark, as well as the related form and size (26.1 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2011, lot 36 Price: HKD 7,220,000 or approx. EUR 1,241,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A fine and rare ge-type vase, seal mark and period of Qianlong Expert remark: Compare the closely related two-tone crackle glaze and Qianlong seal mark as well as the related form. Note the smaller size (16.5 cm).乾隆款仿哥釉壺，或為乾隆時期中國，約1736-1795年。盤口，束頸，溜肩，鼓腹，底足外撇。肩部如意形蝙蝠輔首，肩部和底足有兩道凸起的弦紋。通體施灰白色釉，黑色和金棕色開片紋。圈足内青花六字款“大清乾隆年製”。 來源：挪威私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，輕微磨損，燒製不規則。蝙蝠形輔首有使用痕跡，邊緣處有微小磕損，輔首中的環丟失。 重量：4,424 克 尺寸：高28.7 厘米 專家注釋：此瓶釉色高雅，黑色和金棕色的開片紋，古樸而嚴謹的造型，可能是十八世紀製作的。蝙蝠形輔首中的環已丟失，可能曾是鎏金銅環，可以從輔首上的孔的磨損可以看出。拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2004年6月7日，lot 145 價格：GBP 21,510（相當於今日EUR 43,000） 描述：乾隆款及年代仿哥釉壺 專家評論：比較非常相近的雙色釉面開片、弦紋和乾隆款識，以及相近的外型和尺寸 (26.1厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2011年4月7日，lot 36 價格：HKD 7,220,000（相當於今日EUR 1,241,000） 描述：乾隆款和年代仿哥釉壺 專家評論：比較非常相近的雙色釉面開片和乾隆款識，以及相近的外型。請注意尺寸較小(16.5厘米)。
A LARGE GOLD-SPLASHED BRONZE 'ELEPHANT' TRIPOD CENSER AND COVER, QING DYNASTYChina, 18th-19th century. Supported on three elaborately cast elephant-head feet and with a pair of similar elephant-head handles, the rounded sides rising to an everted rim. The domed cover with pierced cartouches showing confronting dragons below a caparisoned elephant supporting a finial on its back.Provenance: From a private collection in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, mostly acquired in New York, Europe, and Hong Kong between the 1940s and 1970s. Thence by descent to the last owner. Old inventory label to inside of cover. A copy of the anonymized provenance statement signed by the previous owner accompanies this lot.Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear and some casting flaws, few small nicks, occasional light scratches, a faint impression from an old label to the base. The finial slightly leaning. The wood base with traces of use and age. All three pieces with a fine, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 5,211 g (excl. base) and 6,281 g (incl. base)Dimensions: Height 42.6 cm (overall) and 35 cm (excl. base)With a finely carved matching wood petal-lobed tripod base, carved with a central lotus design, dating to the Qing dynasty. (2)Literature comparison: Compare a related bronze censer, also with elephant feet, handles, and cover but lacking the gold splash, in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, accession number 00095770.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 17 September 2010, lot 1022 Price: USD 74,500 or approx. EUR 94,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large and finely cast gold-splashed bronze tripod censer and cover, 18th/19th century Expert remark: Compare the similar elephant handles and feet, the pierced cover surmounted by an elephant, and the gold splash. Note the larger size (57.8 cm).清代大型灑金象耳三足熏爐中國，十八至十九世紀。整器工藝繁複，直口，與器蓋子母口相合。爐蓋上有大象背托寶瓶，腹部灑金，兩側出天象耳，卷鼻上揚，肌肉感、皮膚褶皺，表現淋漓。底承三象首形足，葉形象耳後揚，眉眼細長，鋒牙斜出，卷鼻著地，頭頂漩渦圖案。 來源：美國亞特蘭大私人收藏，其藏品多在上世紀四十至七十年代購於紐約、歐洲以及香港，保存至今。爐蓋内有舊標籤。隨附一份由前任所有者簽署的匿名出處聲明的複本。 品相：品相非常好，有輕微磨損和一些鑄造缺陷，少量小刻痕，輕微的劃痕，舊標籤在底座上有微弱印跡。寶瓶微微傾斜。木質底座有使用痕跡和年代感。整體都帶有自然包漿。 重量：5,211 克 (不含底座) 和 6,281 克 (含底座) 尺寸：高42.6 厘米 (總) and 35 厘米 (不含底座) 清代蓮花圖案木質底足。文獻比較： 比較一件相近的宣德款銅纏枝花卉紋象耳足蓋爐，同樣的形制，但無灑金，見北京故宮博物院館藏，編號00095770。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得, 2010年9月17日, lot 1022 價格：USD 74,500（相當於今日EUR 94,000） 描述：十八或十九世紀大型灑金三足銅蓋爐 專家評論：比較相似的象耳把手和足，鏤空的爐蓋以大象為飾，灑金分布在均勻整爐。請注意尺寸較大 (57.8 厘米)。
A VERY LARGE GILT-SPLASHED BRONZE CENSER, 17TH-18TH CENTURYChina. Heavily cast, of compressed globular form below a lipped rim set with two loop handles all supported on three short tapering feet, the exterior densely embellished with irregular gilt splashes, the base cast with a four-character mark.Inscriptions: To base, 'dan er bu yan' (simple but desirable).Provenance: From the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Scott Brunscheen, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA, and thence by descent in the same family.Condition: The censer is presenting extraordinary well. Some old wear and minor casting flaws, one handle bent downwards with associated minuscule cracks, the base somewhat warped, few dents and small nicks, the gilt-splashes spectacularly well-preserved. Superb, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 6,167 gDimensions: Diameter 34 cmAuction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 15 September 2015, lot 233 Price: USD 47,500 or approx. EUR 58,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large gilt-splashed bronze censer, 17th / 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the near-identical form, size and decoration, the censer cast with the same rare mark as the present lot. Note the much more extensive wear to the gilt-splashes when compared to the present lot.十七至十八世紀大型灑金銅爐中國。爐身厚重，圓口，束頸，上出雙耳，大小勻稱，腹肥微垂，底落三乳丁足，整器通體灑金為飾，金點斑駁，金片大小錯落有致，色澤富貴艷麗。底部有四字款。 款識：淡而不厭 來源：Scott Brunscheen夫婦收藏，美國 愛阿華州 東部林縣 錫達拉皮兹，保存在同一家族至今。 品相：狀況極好，一些磨損和輕微的鑄造缺陷，一耳向下彎曲並有微小的裂縫，底座有些翹曲，少量凹痕和小缺口，灑金保存極好。整體上極好的、自然生長的包漿。 重量：6,167 克 尺寸：直徑34 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2015年9月15日，lot 233 價格：USD 47,500（相當於今日EUR 58,500） 描述：十七至十八世紀銅灑金橋耳三足大爐 《淡而不厭》款 專家評論：比較幾乎相同的外型、尺寸和裝飾，甚至有相同的罕見款識。請注意此爐的灑金磨損面積較大。
A PALE CELADON JADE PETAL-LOBED ARCHAISTIC 'CHILONG' VASE, QIANLONG PERIODChina, 1736-1795. Superbly carved, the thinly walled flared neck and spreading foot as overlapping petals while three chilong in high relief encircle the convex mid-section, one with a lingzhi sprig in its mouth and another a young cub lacking the horn. Note the ruyi-shaped ears of the two larger beasts. The translucent stone finely polished to a subtle luster and of a pale celadon tone with faint russet and icy veins as well as cloudy inclusions.Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London, United Kingdom, 23 September 1966. Gordon W. Quance LLM, acquired from the above and thence by descent. A copy of the original invoice from Spink & Son Ltd., addressed to G. W. Quance, dated 23 September 1966, confirming the dating above, and with a stamped, handwritten, and signed note stating that payment was received on 22 September 1966, accompanies this lot. Gordon William Quance (1931-2017) was an English lawyer who lived in Birmingham and built a fine collection of Chinese art during the 1960s, often purchasing from Spink & Son and other renowned houses in London.Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear, few tiny nibbles to edges, the stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time.Weight: 304.6 g (the vase) and 103.9 g (the stand)Dimensions: Height 16 cm (excl. stand) and 18 cm (incl. stand)With a finely carved and fitted wood stand. The stand additionally filled with a weight of some kind. (2)Deceptively simple in its refined form and design, the present vase displays the technical prowess and artistic imagination of jade carvers during the Qianlong period. The shape and motifs draw inspiration from archaic bronze wine vessels, gu, made in the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties; the robust shape of the bronze prototype was transformed into a graceful barbed silhouette that resembles a magnolia blossom. Deftly carved with motifs of the hallmark of the Shang and Zhou styles, the result is a vase that appears modern yet steeped in classical symbolism, skillfully adapted to suit the refined taste of the Qianlong Emperor. This magnificent vase represents one of the most graceful and successful reinterpretations of the bronze gu shape and displays the strictly antiquarian nature that characterizes jade carvings of this period.An erudite scholar and passionate collector of antiques, the Qianlong Emperor's love for the past was grounded in his admiration for Chinese history and influenced by Confucian philosophy, which emphasized the study of history in the pursuit of virtue. The Qianlong Emperor actively influenced jade production, criticizing the 'vulgar' style popular in the 18th century as excessively ornate, and urging craftsmen to study antique vessels and adapt them to the jade medium. The Xiqing gujian (Catalogue of Xiqing antiquities), which was compiled by court artists between 1749 and 1755 and comprised line drawings of some 1500 objects in the imperial collection, was circulated among craftsmen who were encouraged to take inspiration from it.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 23 June 2008, lot 8119 Price: USD 27,000 or approx. EUR 35,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A yellow jade gu-form vase, 18th/19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and manner of carving with similar overlapping petals and clambering chilong. Note the yellow color of the jade and the similar size (18 cm). Note also that this lot was sold almost 15 years ago and would probably achieve a higher result today.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 26 March 2010, lot 1106 Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A pale greyish-green jade archaistic fluted gu-form vase, 18th/19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related, though less pale color of the jade, as well as the related petal-lobed form. Note the taotie-ring handles and the size (19.7 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's London, 8 November 2011, lot 231 Price: GBP 30,000 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A celadon jade 'chilong' flaring vase, 18th/19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form with overlapping petals and clambering chilong, though not restricted to the mid-section, as well as the related if less pale celadon color with similar natural fissures. Note the larger size (24 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 October 2019, lot 121 Price: HKD 12,175,000 or approx. EUR 1,579,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A superbly carved and rare white jade barbed vase, gu, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period Expert remark: Compare the related form with similar overlapping petals. Note the white color of the jade and the size (20.8 cm).乾隆螭龍青玉葵口方觚中國，1736-1795年。 來源：英國倫敦Spink & Son 藝廊，1966年9月23日；Gordon W. Quance LLM 購於上述藝廊，保存至今。隨附藝廊當日出具給Quance的發票的副本。Gordon William Quance (1931-2017年) 曾是一位英國律師，生活在伯明翰，在 1960 年代建立了中國藝術品收藏，經常從 Spink & Son 和倫敦其他著名的藝廊購買藏品。 品相：品相極佳，輕微磨損，邊緣輕微磕損，玉料有天然內沁和裂縫，隨著時間的推移，其中一些可能會發展成細小的裂縫。 重量：瓶304.6 克，底座103.9 克 尺寸：高16 厘米(不含底座) ，18 厘米(含底座) 雕刻精美的木底座。 由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A CLOISONNE ENAMEL AND GILT BRONZE 'LOTUS' CENSER, JINGTAI MARK, MING DYNASTYChina, 15th-16th century. The deep rounded sides supported on three gilt-bronze feet in the form of elephant heads and flanked by similarly cast Buddhist lion handles, the rims and interior gilt, the exterior finely decorated in bright enamels with stylized lotus blossoms amid foliate scroll and auspicious symbols. The base cast with a four-character mark Jingtai nianzhi within a square reserve.Provenance: Swiss trade.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with half a millennium of age. Some old wear and expected manufacturing flaws, such as pitting, few minor nicks and associated small loss to enamels, few tiny fills.Weight: 324.3 gDimensions: Width 10.5 cmLiterature comparison: The decoration and the elephant mounts are a direct continuation from the preceding Yuan dynasty, see an incense burner with elephant trunk handles, Yuan dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Enamels 1, Cloisonne in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, page 60, pl. 7.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, 8 November 2012, lot 232 Price: GBP 49,250 or approx. EUR 76,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very rare cloisonne enamel two-handled bowl, cast Jingtai mark, the cloisonne enamel early to mid-15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the similar Jingtai mark, lotus decoration, and bronze mounts, though with dragon handles (instead of lion handles and elephant feet as on the present lot). Note the size (13.7 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Paris, 16 December 2010, lot 54 Price: EUR 30,750 or approx. EUR 39,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Brûle-parfum en bronze et emaux cloisonnes, Chine, dynastie Ming, XVIE siècleExpert remark: Compare the related lotus decoration and bronze mounts, though with elephant handles (instead of lion handles and elephant feet as on the present lot). Note the size (18 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 November 2018, lot 61Price: HKD 187,500 or approx. EUR 25,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze and cloisonne enamel tripod incense burner, Jingtai four-character mark, mid-Ming dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related Jingtai mark, lotus decoration, and bronze mounts, though with elephant handles (instead of lion handles as on the present lot). Note the size (22.2 cm).明代景泰款掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮花鎏金三足爐中國，十五至十六世紀。掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮花紋，鎏金獅形耳與象頭三足。底座内“景泰年製”四字款。 來源：瑞士古玩市場。 品相：品相極好。一些磨損和製造缺陷，麻點、輕微刻痕以及琺瑯磨損，與搪瓷相關的少量損失、很少的微小填充。 重量：324.3 克 尺寸：寬 10.5 厘米 文獻比較： 此裝飾和象頭足延續了元代的特色。一件元代象頭把手的香爐，收藏於北京故宮博物院，見《故宮博物院藏品大系‧琺瑯器編‧元明掐絲琺瑯》，北京，2011年，頁60，編號7。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2012年11月8日，lot 232 價格：GBP 49,250（相當於今日EUR 76,500） 描述：十五世紀早期到中期掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋雙龍耳爐 陽文「景泰年製」楷書款 專家評論：比較相近的「景泰」款識、纏枝蓮紋，但把手為龍形。請注意尺寸(13.7 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：巴黎蘇富比，2010年12月16日，lot 54 價格：EUR 30,750（相當於今日EUR 39,000） 描述：十五世纪明代掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋雙象耳爐 專家評論：比較相近的纏枝蓮紋，但把手為象形。請注意尺寸(18 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2018年11月27日，lot 61 價格：HKD 187,500（相當於今日EUR 25,500） 描述：明中期銅胎掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋三足爐「景泰年製」楷書款 專家評論：比較相近的「景泰」款識、纏枝蓮紋，但把手為象形。請注意尺寸(22.2 厘米)。
A LIFE-SIZED TERRACOTTA HEAD OF VAJRAPANI IN THE FORM OF HERACLESAncient region of Gandhara, 4th-5th century. Powerfully modeled, the face framed by dense facial hair arranged into long voluminous curls, wavy hair, a billowing mustache below a straight nose, and a full beard set around full lips, the eyebrows and pupils with cold paint.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, fully consistent with the age of the sculpture. Some firing flaws, dents and losses to exposed areas, the nose tip with a small old repair. Remnants of a varnish coating which was applied a long time ago. Some ancient pigment is well preserved, especially to the eyebrowsFrench Export License: Certificat d'exportation pour un bien culturel Nr. 185423 dated 3 July 2017 has been granted and a copy is accompanying this lot.Weight: 10.2 kg Dimensions: Height 48.5 cm (incl. stand), 32.5 cm (excl. stand)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, but 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 iinfluences. 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.Literature comparison: Compare a related terracotta head of Dionysos, dated to the 4th-5th century Gandharan, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1979.507.2. Sculptures with similarly substantial beards are also common to Gandharan Atlantes, see Zwalf, Gandharan Sculpture, London, 1990, pp. 208-10 and 216, nos. 362-64, 366, and 377.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 April 2019, lot 3105Estimate: HKD 1,500,000 or approx. EUR 199,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A monumental terracotta statue of Vajrapani in the form of Hercules, Gandhara, 4th-5th centuryExpert remark: Compare the similar facial features and the wavy beard and hair. Note that the provenance of this statue is identical to the present lot and stated as “Collection of Arthur Huc (1854-1932), France, by repute.”Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 4Price: HKD 625,000 or approx. EUR 85,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze inlaid marble head of a bearded man, ancient region of Gandhara, circa 3rd centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related wavy beard and hair as well as the similar size (31 cm). Note that the head is carved from marble with bronze-inlaid eyes, and is dated slightly earlier.陶土金剛手菩薩神頭像呈赫拉克勒斯形象犍陀羅, 四至五世紀。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A GILT COPPER-ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRADHARA, 15th-16TH CENTURY OR EARLIERTibet. The primordial Buddha seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, his arms crossed in front, holding a vajra in his right hand and a ghanta in his left, wearing a tight-fitting robe and richly adorned with beaded and floral jewelry. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes below gently arched brows centered by an urna, framed by his hair falling elegantly in curled strands over the shoulders and piled up into a topknot surmounted by a vajra behind the elaborate foliate crown.Provenance: Old Viennese private collection, built over several generations between 1910 and 1975, thence by descent in the same family.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Some wear and casting irregularities. Small nicks, minor dents and losses, and light surface scratches. The base unsealed. Fine, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 750.1 gDimensions: Height 18 cmLiterature comparison: Compare a related bronze of Vajradhara, dated 15th-16th century, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1979,0514.1.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 21 September 2007, lot 40Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 56,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A silver and copper inlaid bronze figure of Vajradhara, Western Tibet, 15th centuryAuction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Paris, 12 June 2012, lot 415Price: EUR 20,000 or approx. EUR 24,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A copper and silver inlaid bronze figure of Vajradhara, Tibet, 15th century十五至十六世紀或更早銅鎏金金剛總持西藏。金剛總持結跏趺坐在雙層蓮座上。上身挺直，左右手臂戴釧，雙手當胸交叉，左手在內持鈴，右手在外持金剛杵，胸前的鈴與杵代表智慧與善巧的結合。造像頭戴五葉寶冠，眼眉細長，雙眉之間有白毫。耳垂戴圓鐺，頸戴瓔珞。 來源：維也納私人舊藏，整個收藏構建與1910-1975年間，歷經幾代人，保存在同一家族至今。 品相：品相極佳，與年代相符，一些磨損和鑄造不規則。小刻痕、輕微的凹痕和缺損，表面有輕微的劃痕。底座開封。 整體包漿細膩。 重量：750.1 克 尺寸：高18 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的十五至十六世紀青銅金剛總持 ，收藏於大英博物館，編號1979,0514.1。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2007年9月21日，lot 40 價格：USD 40,000（相當於今日EUR 56,000） 描述：十五世紀西藏西部銅銀鑲嵌青銅金剛總持 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2012年6月12日，lot 415 價格：EUR 20,000（相當於今日EUR 24,000） 描述：十五世紀西藏銅銀鑲嵌青銅金剛總持
A GILT COPPER REPOUSSE FIGURE OF GREEN TARA, 17TH-18TH CENTURYTibetan-Chinese. Well modeled seated in lalitasana, the right hand in varada mudra and the left in vitarka mudra, holding a lotus stem coming to full bloom at the shoulder, wearing elaborate jewelry and an incised robe falling in drapes, the face with a benevolent expression flanked by pendulous earlobes, crowned with a five-leaf tiara enclosing the hair coiled into an elaborate chignon. The seal plate with a punched double vajra.Provenance: From an old British private collection, acquired in the 1970s. A Belgian private collection, acquired from the above. Old label to base with manual inscription: “Nepal Tibet - Bronze dore - Acquis dans les annees 1970 Coll. A + JP de (…) Mc DONALD GB” (Nepal Tibet, gilt bronze, acquired in the 1970ies, collection of A + JP Mc Donald, UK) Condition: Good condition commensurate with age and still presenting remarkably well. Some wear and manufacturing flaws, minor dings and dents, small tears and losses, light scratches, minuscule old repairs. The base sealed and possibly still filled with sacred contents. Good, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 1,055 gDimensions: Height 27 cmThis elegant seated figure of Tara exhibits many characteristics common to Buddhist imagery from the Qianlong period (1736-1795), made in the lamaist workshops in and around Beijing. In the latter half of Qianlong's reign, when the construction of Buddhist temples and the associated Buddhist images reached its apogee, the use of repousse, where thin metals are beaten rather than cast, became more prevalent in an effort to save materials and time. The artisans of the period quickly mastered the process, and details such as the ornately worked crown and flowers at the shoulders in the present figure demonstrate the mastery of the technique.Green Tara, also known as Shyamatara, is venerated as a savior and liberator from samsara, the earthly realm of birth and rebirth. According to Buddhist mythology, Green Tara emerged from a lotus bud rising from a lake of the tears of Avalokiteshvara, shed for the suffering of all sentient beings. She embodies compassion in a dynamic form, hence the usual depiction of the goddess with right leg outstretched, ready to leap out to ease suffering. Her right hand is always held out in varada mudra, a gesture of compassion and charity, and the left hand in vitarka mudra, a gesture of teaching.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Galerie Zacke, 27 September 2019, lot 68 Price: EUR 10,744 or approx. EUR 12,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt copper statue of Manjusri, Tibetan-Chinese, 17th-18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related repousse work, gilding, incision work, inlays, and double lotus base with similar petals and beaded edge. Note the related size (29.8 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 673 Price: USD 21,250 or approx. EUR 24,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A repousse gilt-bronze figure of Tara, Inner Mongolia or China, late 18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related repousse work and lotus base with similar petals and beaded edge. Note the size (39.4 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, 16 May 2019, lot 171Price: GBP 15,062 or approx. EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large gilt-copper repousse figure of Green Tara, Tibet, 16th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related expression, pose, and jewelry. Note the size (40.4 cm) and that this statue is of an earlier date. 十七至十八世紀銅鎏金錘鍱綠度母坐蓮像漢藏。綠度母頭戴花冠，面相方圓，慈眉善目，神態沉靜。耳垂花璫，胸戴瓔珞，袒露上身，下著錦褲，雙肩豎出蓮花法器，單腿伸出自然坐於單層覆蓮座上。底座密封雙金剛杵印。 來源：英國私人舊藏，購於上世紀七十年代；一個比利時私人收藏，購於上述收藏。底部有舊標籤 “Nepal Tibet - Bronze dore - Acquis dans les annees 1970 Coll. A + JP de (…) Mc DONALD GB” (尼泊爾或西藏，銅鎏金，購於1970年代，英國 A + JP Mc Donald收藏) 品相：品相良好，與年齡相稱。一些磨損和製造缺陷、輕微的凹痕、小撕裂和缺損、輕微的劃痕與維修。底座密封，造像内可能還裝了聖物。 整體良好，自然包漿。 重量：1,055 克 尺寸：高 27 厘米 由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF VAJRADHARA, 16TH CENTURYTibet. Well cast as the primordial Buddha seated in vajraparyankasana on a double-lotus pedestal with beaded edges, his hands depicted crossed at the wrist in prajnalinganabhinaya and holding vajras. Clad in a dhoti with neatly incised folds gathering below his feet, richly adorned with ornamental beaded jewelry including a crown, necklaces, armbands and anklets, all inset with turquoises.Provenance: From a private collection in London, United Kingdom, acquired before 2000, and thence by descent.Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear and casting irregularities, few minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches, minor dents, little rubbing to gilt. Some inlays possibly later replacements. The base sealed and possibly still filled with sacred contents. The gilt in magnificent preservation overall.Weight: 561.8 gDimensions: Height 15.7 cmHis serene face with downcast eyes, sinuous upper lids, gently arched brows, square urna, and full lips pursed to form a subtle smile. The hair arranged in a high chignon, surmounted by a jewel, two strands falling elegantly over the shoulders.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 22 March 2018, lot 1038 Price: USD 23,750 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Vajradhara inlaid with semi-precious stones, Tibet, circa 16th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related expression with similar pursed lips and sinuous upper lids, jewelry with similar inlays, hair with similar strands at the shoulders and also surmounted by a jewel, hand pose with vajras, and size (15.3 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3 December 2015, lot 450 Price: HKD 200,000 or approx. EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze Vajradhara, Tibet, 16th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related expression with similar slightly tilted head and sinuous upper lids, jewelry with similar inlays, hair with similar strands at the shoulders and also surmounted by a jewel, hand pose (though lacking the vajras), and size (15.4 cm). 十六世紀銅鎏金金剛總持西藏。金剛總持，藏語「多傑羌」，意為總持統攝一切金剛，是原始的報身佛，為佛教各宗派傳承的本源。本件造像金水燦然。造像頭戴寶冠，面相俊朗秀雅，眼眉細長，雙眉之間有白毫。耳垂戴圓鐺，頸戴瓔珞，瓔珞中央嵌寶，以示莊嚴。上身挺直，左右手臂戴釧，雙手當胸交叉，左手在內持鈴，右手在外持金剛杵，胸前的鈴與杵代表智慧與善巧的結合。雙足金剛跏趺坐，座下雙層蓮座蓮瓣寬大，底部裝藏封蓋。來源：英國倫敦私人舊藏，購於2000年之前，保存至今。 品相：品相極好，有輕微磨損和鑄造瑕疵，輕微劃痕、凹痕，鎏金磨損。一些嵌寳可能曾在後期更換過。底座密封，造像内可能還裝了聖物。鎏金整體保存完好。 重量：561.8 克 尺寸：高 15.7 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2018年3月22日，lot 1038 價格：USD 23,750（相當於今日EUR 27,500） 描述：約十六世紀西藏鑲嵌寶石銅鎏金金剛總持 專家評論：比較非常相近的嘴唇緊閉、上眼瞼蜿蜒的表情，類似的鑲嵌珠寶、肩部髮絲也有珠寶，手部握有金剛杵，以及尺寸 (15.3 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2015年12月3日，lot 450 價格：HKD 200,000（相當於今日EUR 28,500） 描述：十六世紀西藏銅鎏金金剛總持 專家評論：比較非常相近的表情、頭部略微傾斜、上眼瞼蜿蜒，珠寶鑲嵌，肩部髮絲也有珠寶，手的姿勢（但没有金剛杵），以及尺寸 (15.4 厘米)。
A CARVED CELADON-GLAZED 'LOTUS' VASE, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIODChina, 1736-1795. Finely carved in high relief around the body with stylized lotus flowerheads borne on scrolling leafy vines, overall incised with minute details, above a lappet border and below a band of ruyi heads. The shoulder similarly decorated with foliate scroll below a distinct leiwen border, the neck with overlapping palm blades above pendent trefoils, with further ruyi bands at the foot and below the rim. The base incised with a six-character seal mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi in intaglio within a slightly recessed square and of the period.Provenance: West Berkshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate. Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear and firing flaws, tiny surface scratches. Weight: 3,097 g Dimensions: Height 38.3 cmThe rounded sides supported on a spreading foot and sweeping up to an angular shoulder and waisted neck. Covered overall in a lustrous sea-green glaze pooling to a rich and deep celadon tone within the carved recesses. The base and inside glazed as well, leaving only the foot rim unglazed, revealing the white biscuit.From its fine potting, translucent pale green celadon glaze, crisp lotus scroll and supporting designs, this vase reveals the technical and artistic virtuosity of craftsmen active at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen during the 18th century. The form evokes a sense of effortless elegance, despite its design being meticulously executed and conceived in advance. The decoration and glaze both draw from the celebrated ceramic tradition of Longquan in Zhejiang province and reinterpret it to suit the eclectic taste of the 18th century and growing interest in timeless elegance, literally overarching millennia. Celadon-glazed wares are perhaps the type of ceramics most intimately associated with China. Their origins can be traced back to the Bronze Age, and since then they continued to be popular throughout the Chinese empire. The brilliant bluish-celadon glazes created at the Longquan kilns had provided much inspiration to the potters of the Jingdezhen imperial kilns since the early Ming dynasty. By lessening the amount of iron in the glaze, the potters were able to create a cool and delicate celadon glaze that, when applied on a white porcelain body, resembled the translucency and texture of pale celadon jade. A wide range of exquisite celadon tones was created in the early Qing dynasty, as a result of the Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors' appreciation of Song dynasty porcelain. Much admired by contemporary connoisseurs was the douqing (bean-green), a bright sea-green color, and the present fenqing (soft green), a pale celadon-green glaze. When applied to finely carved pieces as on the present vase, the thinning and pooling of the glaze on the raised lines and the recesses create a delicate shaded effect, thus accentuating the crispness of the design. The present vase belongs to a group of monochrome wares where, by using a multi-level carving technique, the craftsmen have created a contrast in the color tone, as if two shades of the same color were used. The motif is elaborate and complex, displaying a level of porcelain carving and incision quality only achieved in the Imperial kilns of the 18th century, yet without any cluttering or overload whatsoever. The elegant silhouette of this vase, its restrained decoration, subtle glaze, and intaglio mark suggest that it was made in the early to middle years of the Qianlong reign, some time before designs slowly started to become overtly elaborate. Expert's note: The luxuriant lotus scroll on the present vase, which is particularly crisp in its rendering, was adapted from the somewhat rough and rustic designs on Longquan celadons of the Yuan and Ming dynasties. By adding tall palm blades to the neck, precise ruyi borders to the edges, multi-layer lappets to the lower body, and a hyper-accurate leiwen band to the shoulder, the artist has sensibly transitioned original Longquan designs into the highly formal decor language of the Imperial court. Later copies of these designs always lack such sophisticated semantics, for they not only demand complete submission to simplicity, but also scrupulously precise execution. Literature comparison: Compare a related Imperial celadon-glazed globular jar, also with a six-character incised seal mark of Qianlong in intaglio within a slightly recessed square and of the period, illustrated by Marchant, Recent Acquisitions 2012, Important Chinese Porcelain from Private Collections, London, page 94, no. 41. Compare a related celadon-glazed vase in the Qing Court collection, also with a Qianlong mark and of the period, with similarly carved ruyi heads, illustrated in Monochrome Porcelain: The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, 1999, pages 152-153, no. 138. Compare a related celadon-glazed vase with carved lotus scrolls, with a similar incised Qianlong seal mark and of the period, illustrated in Shanghai Museum, Beijing Museum, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Qing Imperial Monochromes. The Zande Lou Collection, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 120, no. 43. Compare a closely related celadon-glazed bottle vase, 37.5 cm high, also with a Qianlong mark and of the period, with similarly carved palm blades, at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2011, lot 3018. Compare a related celadon-glazed fanghu, 34.9 cm high, also with a Qianlong mark and of the period, with similarly carved lotus scroll, at Sotheby's New York, 16 September 2014, lot 158. Finally, compare also a closely related pear-shaped vase, Jiaqing mark and period, at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 and 30 April 2001, lot 554. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2011, lot 3018Price: HKD 20,000.000 or approx. EUR 2,935.000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Fine and Extremely Rare Carved Celadon-Glazed Bottle Vase, Seal Mark and Period of QianlongExpert remark: Compare the closely related celadon glaze, form, and characteristic carving techniques including high reliefs and remarkably fine incision work with corresponding glaze poolings.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's London, 6 November 2019, lot 17 Price: GBP 375,000 or approx. EUR 492,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A superb and rare carved celadon-glazed 'peony' vase, Qianlong incised seal mark and periodExpert remark: Compare the related celadon glaze, carved decoration, and incised seal mark, and particularly the near-identical lappet border above the foot, perfectly encapsulating the skill required to make this vase. Note the slightly smaller size (32.4 cm).
A SILVER AND COPPER-INLAID GILT BRASS FIGURE OF BUDDHA VAJRASANA, TIBET, 15TH - 16TH CENTURYSeated in vajrasana on a double lotus base with beaded edges, a vajra before him, his right hand lowered in bhumisparsa mudra and the left in avakasha mudra, wearing a loose-fitting monastic robe opening at the chest, the beaded hems neatly incised with foliate scroll. The serene face with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes finely inlaid with silver and copper below arched eyebrows centered by a turquoise-inlaid urna. The sealed base incised with a double vajra.Provenance: From a noted English private collection. Condition: Good condition with some old wear and traces of use, minor casting flaws, minuscule nicks, light scratches and dents, small losses, extensive wear to gilt. Warm, smooth patina. Sealed.Weight: 915.7 g Dimensions: Height 18.5 cmExpert's note: This cheerful bronze recalls the moment of Buddha's enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Gazing at the viewer, he has a particularly amiable countenance. His slender eyes, often seen in art of the Guge Kingdom in Western Tibet, are made more captivating by the use of silver and copper inlay. A bronze Akshobhya from Guge in the Museum Rietberg has similar facial features and rippled pleats above the base (Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, pp. 70-1, no. 29). Yet, similar lotus petals and the exact shape of the mouth are also represented on a standing Avalokiteshvara, suggesting Tsang in Central Tibet as an alternative place of production (see von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. II, Hong Kong, 2001, p. 1192, no. 323A).Most important of the Buddhist pilgrimage sites is the location of Shakyamuni's enlightenment at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. Here, it is believed a descendant of the bodhi tree, which Shakyamuni sat under, still stands. His enshrined seat at the Mahabodhi Temple, known as the vajrasana ('vajra seat'), is referenced in this bronze's small vajra placed on top of the lotus pedestal. Unlike many other Buddha images, these 'Buddha Vajrasana' emphasize Shakyamuni's historicity. Recalling a specific spiritual achievement associated with a specific site, its mnemonic vajra no doubt promoted pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya as well.Auction result comparison:Type: Near-identicalAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 7 October 2019, lot 934Price: HKD 425,625 or approx. EUR 56,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Silver and Copper Inlaid Brass Figure of Buddha Vajrasana, Tibet, 15th/16th CenturyExpert remark: Compare the near-identical subject, pose, robe, vajra, and inlaid eyes. Note the identical size (18.5 cm).十五至十六世紀西藏錯銀錯紅銅金剛座佛陀銅像佛陀成金剛座坐於雙層蓮座上，面前有一個金剛杵。右手施觸地印，左手禪定印，身著長袍，袒露右肩，面容歡愉，再現佛陀於菩提伽耶悟道之瞬間。雙目含笑，以和藹可親之態凝視觀者，眼睛細長，與紅銅的鑲嵌令其眼目更富神采。雙眉之間綠松石鑲嵌白毫。底部雙金剛杵印封印。 來源：英國知名私人收藏。 品相：品相良好，有一些磨損和使用痕跡，輕微的鑄造缺陷、微小的刻痕、劃痕和凹痕，少量缺損，鎏金廣泛磨損。包漿細膩光滑。底部密封。 重量：915.7 克 尺寸：高18.5 厘米 專家注釋：這尊面容歡愉的佛像再現佛陀於菩提伽耶悟道之瞬間，其細長的眼睛時常可見於藏西古格王朝的造像或壁畫中。瑞特堡博物館現藏一尊古格阿閦佛銅像則帶有相似面部特徵以及蓮花座上橫向堆疊的衣褶（Uhlig，《On the Path to Enlightenment》，蘇黎世，1995年，頁70-1，編號29）。然而，另一尊觀音菩薩立像帶有與其十分類似的蓮花瓣與完全一致的嘴形，或許本拍品可能來自藏中地區（馮·施羅德，《西藏佛教造像》，卷二，香港，2001年，頁1192，編號323A）。釋迦牟尼在菩提伽耶摩訶菩提寺開悟之處是最重要的佛教朝聖地。據說，釋迦牟尼所坐的菩提樹的後裔仍然屹立於此。他在摩訶菩提寺供奉的座位，被稱為金剛座，這個放置在蓮花座頂部的銅小金剛杵是其象徵。與許多其他佛像不同，“金剛座佛陀” 強調釋迦牟尼的歷史性。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF CHAKRASAMVARA AND VAJRAVARAHINepal, 17th-18th century. Chakrasamvara striding in alidhasana on two prostrate figures over a lotus base, dressed in a tiger skin and adorned with a garland of severed heads, holding a damaru and khatvanga in his primary hands and other attributes including the head of Brahma, trident, kartika, and kapala in the radiating hands. Vajravarahi with both legs wrapped around his waist and holding a kartika and kapala in her raised hands, dressed in a festooned belt and adorned with beaded jewelry. His hair pulled up into a high chignon adorned with sun and crescent moon symbols above the foliate crowns.Provenance: Old Viennese private collection, built over several generations between 1910 and 1975, thence by descent in the same family.Condition: Good condition with some wear, particularly to gilt, and minor casting flaws. Small nicks, losses and light scratches, some bending and dents, primarily to attributes. The base sealed with a double vajra plate.Weight: 915.1 gDimensions: Height 15.3 cmChakrasamvara's four heads are cast separately and inserted with an attachment tang at the bottom. (2)Chakrasamvara, embodying the most important transcendental ideals in Buddhist art, couples with Vajravarahi symbolizing a perfect union of wisdom and compassion. From Chakrasamvara's neck hangs a garland of severed heads strung on a length of human intestine and the hair of a corpse, signifying the purification of speech and the mental factors according to the Chittamatra or Mind-Only School as described by Asanga.Being so complex, only the best artists were fit to undertake the challenge of casting Chakrasamvara. The task most often fell to Newari master craftsmen from Nepal who produced such sculptures for domestic and Tibetan worship. The stylistic preferences of each of those two audiences are somewhat slight. But, while many contemporaneous Tibetan examples emphasize the ferociousness of Chakrasamvara's facial expressions, here instead, a benign intimacy is shared between the deities gazing into each other's eyes. This sentiment betrays a preference in Nepal for showing divine couples in harmony, as representatives of ideal matrimony.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 13 September 2011, lot 356 Price: USD 20,000 or approx. EUR 24,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt bronze figure of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, Nepal, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the similar benign expression, the two in embrace gazing into each other's eyes, as well as the beaded jewelry and high chignons. If the base is discounted on the present figure, this bronze is of similar height (12.7 cm). Note that Chakrasamvara has only one head, the figures are wearing skull crowns, and there is no lotus base.鎏金銅勝樂金剛像尼泊爾，十七至十八世紀。勝樂金剛勝四頭，十二臂，兩足，弓步。主尊頭戴五葉冠，上有太陽和新月符。主臂兩手分別持金剛杵和金剛鈴，擁抱明妃金剛亥母。其餘各手分別持不同的法器，如三叉戟、匕首、卡巴拉碗等。脖子上掛人首做成的項鍊，雙足奮力踩踏兩個魔鬼，威力無比。金剛亥母雙腿盤在勝樂金剛腰間，手持鋮刀和卡巴拉碗，穿著花飾腰帶，佩戴著珠飾。 來源：維也納私人老收藏，在1910 年與1975年期間，經過幾代人的共同努力建立，在同一家族保存至今。 品相：品相良好，有一些磨損，特別是鎏金和輕微的鑄造缺陷。小刻痕和輕微劃痕，一些彎曲和凹痕，主要是法器。底座密封，有雙金剛杵印密封。 重量：915.1 克 尺寸：高15.3 厘米 勝樂金剛的四首獨立鑄造，在底部插入連接柄。拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得, 2011年9月13日, lot 356 價格：USD 20,000 （相當於今日EUR 24,000） 描述：17世紀尼泊爾鎏金銅勝樂金剛像 專家評論：比較相近的溫和神情，兩人擁抱在一起，凝視著對方的眼睛，還有串珠首飾和高高的髮髻。含底座的尺寸相近（12.7厘米）。請注意此尊勝樂金剛僅有一顆頭，頭戴頭骨皇冠，無蓮座。
A COPPER INLAID BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL, HU, WESTERN HAN DYNASTYChina, 206 BC to 8 AD. Heavily cast, the globular body supported on a spreading foot and rising to a flared galleried mouth, encircled by three raised bands below a copper-inlaid sawtooth band on the waisted neck. The shoulder is flanked by a pair of crisply cast and finely incised taotie masks suspending loose rings.Provenance: From a noted private estate in Paris, France. Condition: Excellent and absolutely original condition, fully commensurate with age and significantly better than normally expected from a Han dynasty bronze. Minor old wear, few small nicks, dents and losses, some encrustations as well as signs of weathering and corrosion, light scratches. The bronze with a sublime, naturally grown patina overall, showing vivid patches of malachite and cuprite.Weight: 3,936 g Dimensions: Height 31.2 cm Expert's note: The remarkably well detailed and finely incised mask handles to each side are exceedingly rare to find on this type of bronze, as is the copper-inlaid sawtooth band on the waisted neck. Literature comparison:A similar copper-inlaid bronze hu in the Sen'oku Hakkokan, dated to the 4th century BC, is illustrated by J. So in Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1995, p. 281, fig. 50.1, where the author notes that the copper inlay was applied to the clay molds before the bronze was poured. Compare a related hu, excavated in 1968 from the tomb of Prince Liu Sheng who was the king of Zhongshan from 154 BC and died in 113 BC in Mancheng, Hebei province, illustrated in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua Daguan, Qingtongjuan, Hong Kong, 1994, no. 1100, p. 306.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 19 September 2013, lot 1115Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 19,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A copper-inlaid bronze ritual wine vessel, hu, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8)Expert remark: Compare the similar form and decorations, as well as the near-identical size (30.5 cm) and the copper-inlaid sawtooth band on the waisted neck.西漢蕉葉弦紋壺中國，公元前206年至公元 8年。壺口外撇，頸微束，下方鏨刻變體蕉葉紋，溜肩，肩部兩側分鑄一對獸面紋銜環舖首，腹部下收，肩腹飾三匝凹弦紋，圈足高企而外撇，嵌紅銅，皮色暗沉古穆。 來源：法國巴黎私人收藏。 品相：完美且絕對原始的狀態，與年齡完全相稱。輕微的磨損，少量小刻痕、凹痕和缺損，一些結殼以及風化和腐蝕的跡象，輕微的劃痕。青銅整體古銅色包漿，綠色和紅銅色斑塊。 重量：3,936 克 尺寸：高31.2 厘米 專家注釋：青銅壺上，每一側都有非常細緻的獸面紋銜環極為罕見，束頸上的銅鑲弦紋也是如此。 文獻比較： 一件相似的公元前四世紀的鑲嵌銅青銅壺，收藏於泉屋博古館，見J. So，《Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collection》，Arthur M. Sackler基金會，1995年，頁281，圖50.1。書中指出，銅的鑲嵌是在澆築青銅器之前塗在黏土模具上。比較一件於 1968年在河北滿城縣中山王劉勝墓中出土的壺，見《中國文物精華大全—青銅器卷》，香港，1994年，編號1100，頁306。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2013年9月19日，lot 1115 價格：USD 15,000（相當於今日EUR 18,000） 描述：西漢蕉葉弦紋壺 專家評論：比較一下相似的形式和裝飾，以及近乎相同的尺寸（30.5厘米）和腰頸上的銅嵌變體蕉葉紋。
A MASSIVE BRONZE RAIN DRUM, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, first millennium BC. The heavy, round drum with a waisted base, the top and side finely cast in relief with concentric bands of decoration, the top with a star symbol in the center and groups of stylized frogs applied at the rim, the sides with pairs of small loop handles.Provenance: Leonardo Vigorelli, Bergamo, Italy, acquired ca. 1995 in Brussels, Belgium. Leonardo Vigorelli is a retired Italian art dealer and noted collector, specializing in African and ancient Hindu-Buddhist art. After studying anthropology and decades of travel as well as extensive field research in India, the Himalayan region, Southeast Asia, and Africa, he founded the Dalton Somare art gallery in Milan, Italy, which today is being run by his two sons.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Extensive old wear, some casting flaws, small nicks and dents, few cracks, minor losses, signs of weathering and erosion overall. Fine, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations. Dimensions: Height 42.3 cm, Diameter 66 cmDong Son (named for Dong Son, a village in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam) was a Bronze Age culture in ancient Vietnam centered at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam from 1000 BC until the first century AD. Vietnamese historians attribute it to the states of Văn Lang and Âu Lạc. Its influence spread to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Maritime Southeast Asia, throughout the first millennium BC. The culture long remained a mystery to western archaeologists, and it was known only through its bronze objects, many of which were taken from burial sites. Dong Son bronze objects were exhibited in Europe for a century before their original location was even determined, and several theories and speculations over the dating methodologies of the culture continue to this day.Bronze rain drums were invented by the Dong Son people and produced from about 600 BC or earlier until the third century AD. They are one of the culture's most astounding examples of metalworking. The discovery of Dong Son drums in New Guinea is seen as proof of trade connections - spanning at least a thousand years - between this region and the technologically advanced societies of Java and China.Bronze drums are still being used ceremoniously in Southeast Asia by the Yi people, Zhuang people, Miao people and Qabiao people in northern Vietnam and southern China. They are generally struck in the center with a soft mallet, and on the side with a wood or bamboo stick. Among the ethnic Vietnamese, they are still used in some rituals, such as those to the Hung kings, but are rarely used as a musical instrument anymore. In Thailand, the Dong Son drum is also used in some ceremonies, where it is called the Mahorathuek.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 March 2018, lot 36Estimate: 400,000 or approx. EUR 54,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A copper alloy ritual drum, Dong Son culture, Vietnam, circa 3rd/2nd century B.C.Expert remark: Compare the form and star decoration at the center. Note the smaller size (35.2 cm).
A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF GUANYIN, MING DYNASTYChina, 1368-1644. Heavily cast, seated in dhyanasana with hands lowered in dhyana mudra, wearing crisply cast robes with neatly incised lotus scroll hems and cascading in elegant folds, worn over a beaded necklace and a dhoti tied above the waist. The serene face with downcast eyes and full lips, the hair falling elegantly in strands over the shoulders and secured by a diadem decorated with the Amitabha Buddha below the cowl.Provenance: From a Czech private collection.Condition: Very good condition with some old wear, mostly to gilt, traces of use and casting flaws, minor nicks, light scratches, remnants of pigment, the interior with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Weight: 4,250 gDimensions: Height 28 cmThe statue shows several meticulously inlaid miniature bronze plaques of rectangular shape, one to the front and several to the back (see detail images online). These plaques have a ritual purpose and are frequently found in Buddhist sculpture.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 15 September 2011, lot 1371Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 31,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty, 17th century Expert remark: Note the size of 24.5 cmAuction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2019, lot 1779Price: USD 32,500 or approx. EUR 40,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty (1368-1644) Expert remark: Note the size of 33.7 cm.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's London, 3 November 2021, lot 173Price: GBP 40,320 or approx. EUR 47,810Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century Expert remark: Note the size of 32.2 cm. 明代鎏金銅觀音坐像中國，1368-1644年。觀音菩薩結跏趺坐，雙手結禪定印。頭戴花冠，内坐阿彌陀佛。面相豐頤圓潤，曲眉似彎月，眼瞼較寬，神態慈和寧靜，雙眼微合，俯視前方。彷彿正在冥想之中，袈裟自頭頂披下，衣緣處飾以精美的花朵紋飾，胸前飾瓔珞，下身著高束腰及胸長裙。 來源：捷克私人收藏。 品相：品相極好，一些磨損，主要是鎏金部分，有使用痕跡和鑄造缺陷，輕微的劃痕，顏料殘留，內部有結殼。 重量：4,250 克 尺寸：高28 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2011年9月15日，lot 1371 價格：USD 25,000（相當於今日EUR 31,000） 描述：十七世紀明代鎏金銅觀音坐像 專家評論：請注意尺寸24.5 厘米。拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2019年3月22日，lot 1779 價格：USD 32,500（相當於今日EUR 40,500） 描述：明代(1368-1644)鎏金銅觀音坐像 專家評論：請注意尺寸33.7 厘米。拍賣結果比較：形制：相近拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2021年11月3日，lot 173價格：GBP 40,320（相當於今日EUR 47,810）描述：明十六至十七世紀鎏金銅觀音坐像專家評論：請注意尺寸32.2厘米。
A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, PRE-ANGKOR PERIODStyle of Angkor Borei, Ta Keo region of the Mekong Delta, 7th century. Seated in dhyanasana on a rectangular plinth, the hands in dhyanamudra, the face with downcast eyes below gently arched eyebrows, flanked by two elongated ears, the hair in tight curls, surmounted by an ushnisha.Provenance: From the collection of an American gentleman. Galerie Zacke, 11 May 2019, lot 311, sold for EUR 8,216 or EUR 8,700 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Michael Phillips, acquired from the above. Michael Phillips (born 1943) is an Academy Award-winning film producer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his parents were Lawrence and Shirley Phillips, noted New York dealers in Asian fine arts, selling to the Met, the LACMA, the Chicago Art Institute, and the British Museum among others. Michael Phillips is a collector of Asian art himself, particularly Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan sculpture. His most important films include The Sting (winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1973), Taxi Driver (winning the Palme D'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival), and Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Condition: Extensive wear, some losses and cracks, traces of erosion, minor nicks. Very good condition considering the high age of this statue. Fine naturally grown patina.Weight: 521.9 g Dimensions: Height 17.4 cm (excl. base), 18.5 cm (incl. base)With a fitted modern wood base. (2)Angkor Borei was an important early center of Buddhism and Buddhist temple construction before the establishment of the Khmer Empire. The present figure is characteristic of Angkor Borei sculpture, as seen in the subtle protuberance of the ushnisha and the large snail-shell curls. Sculpture from this early period exhibits the naturalism and grace that echoes the treatment of the body in Gupta-period India, where ornamentation is minimized to emphasize the smooth volume of the form.Expert's note: The raw material of this sculpture is copper ore with iron oxide veins, which has developed an extensive malachite and azurite patina over the past 1400 years. A closely related piece from the same group was tested at the Ciram Laboratory in France in 2018 to confirm the material. According to the previous owner, the piece was originally found in the Ta Keo region of the Mekong Delta.Literature comparison:Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha, dated 7th-8th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1981.462.2.Auction result comparison:Type: Remotely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 13 September 2016, lot 265Price: USD 37,500 or approx. EUR 45,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Sandstone Figure of a Seated Buddha, Pre-Angkor period, Angkor Borei style, 7th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose and facial features. Note the different material and significantly larger size (48.2 cm).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.
AN ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI, WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, 11th-10th century BC. Well cast with the compressed body resting on a tall splayed foot, decorated below the gently everted rim with a band of stylized mythical birds, the two pairs on the main sides centered by an animal mask cast in high relief, the other two centered on the horned animal heads that surmount the handles, all above a bowstring band, the foot with a geometric band. The beast handles are neatly incised and set with pendent tabs.Provenance: The MacLean Collection of Asian Art Museum, acquired 1996 in Hong Kong and deaccessioned in 2022. The MacLean Collection has been formed over the last fifty years by Barry MacLean, a businessman from Chicago, who began to collect in the early 1970s. Over time, he made many trips to Asia for business, and began to narrow his focus to ancient bronzes from China and their archaistic counterparts from later dynasties. The MacLean Collection of Asian Art is housed in a museum which was designed by Larry Booth and completed in 2003. Since 2004, the museum has published seven books, held thirteen exhibitions, lent objects to many other museums, and awarded a dozen fellowships to train future specialists and enthusiasts.Published: Richard A. Pegg and Zhang Lidong, The MacLean Collection: Chinese Ritual Bronzes, Chicago, 2010, pl. 19.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. The vessel is slightly leaning and has some old wear as well as minor casting flaws, minuscule nicks, and small dents. The lower body has two small fills, invisible to the naked eye, but precisely detected on the five X-ray images provided (available in the online catalog at www.zacke.at or via e-mail upon request). Spectacular, naturally grown patina overall with several layers of malachite encrustation and small areas of azurite and cuprite. The crisply cast decorations are extremely well-preserved, which makes this one of the most attractive examples of its kind. In such pristine condition, it must be considered exceedingly rare.Weight: 2,878 gDimensions: Width 28 cm (across handles)Gui were used during ritual ceremonies for storing cooked rice or millet. While this vessel shape first appeared in the Erligang phase, they were not widely produced and examples from this period are rare. The form increased in popularity from the early Western Zhou dynasty onwards, and numerous variations of the original shape also began to appear. The present vessel, with its rounded body, everted rim and animal-head handles represents the most popular form.Literature comparison: A related gui unearthed from Xi'an, Shaanxi province, now in the National Museum of China, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo qingtongqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese archaic bronzes], vol. 5, Beijing, 1996, pl. 61. Another from the collection of T. Yamamoto is published in Sueji Umehara, Nihon Schūcho Shina kodō Seikwa/ Selected Relics of Ancient Chinese Bronzes from Collections in Japan, vol. 2, Osaka, 1960, pl. 107. Jessica Rawson notes in Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1990, p. 415, that these types of gui vessels are more common in early Western Zhou, and lists five other examples, including one from Liaoning Kezuo Shanwanzi illustrated in Wenwu, 1977.12, p. 23-33, fig. 55. Compare also a related bronze gui, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1955,0519.2. Finally compare a related bronze gui, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, late 11th to early 10th century, in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art at the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number F1924.14a-b.Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 23 September 2020, lot 570Price: USD 478,800 or approx. EUR 540,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: An important archaic bronze ritual food vessel (gui), Western Zhou dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, animal masks, and beast handles, as well as the related stylized birds. Note the similar size (29.5 cm) and that this gui has a six-character inscription.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 17 September 2013, lot 15Price: USD 125,000 or approx. EUR 157,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze ritual food vessel (gui), early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th-10th century BCExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, animal masks, and beast handles, as well as the related stylized kui dragons. Note the similar size (29.5 cm) and that the gui has a three-character inscription.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 16 March 2015, lot 3181 Price: USD 149,000 or approx. EUR 184,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze ritual food vessel, gui, the gui early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BC, the inscription laterExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, animal masks, and beast handles, as well as the related stylized taotie designs. Note the similar size (29.2 cm) and that this gui has a later-added inscription.西周青銅夔紋簋中國，公元前十一至十世紀。圓簋，折沿，雙耳，圓腹，圈足，耳做獸首形，下有附珥，圈足外有外凸的圈足座。口沿下有一圈有夔紋與獸面紋飾帶，器腹素面，足部飾橫條紋。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A CLOISONNE ENAMEL 'TAOTIE' ARCHAISTIC BEAKER VASE, GU, 17TH-18TH CENTURYChina. The vase is enameled on the mid-section with a pair of taotie masks divided by gilt flanges, framed by gilt bowstrings enclosing key-fret and diaper bands, between upright petals on the trumpet neck with further taotie as well as archaistic scroll, surrounded by lotus blossoms and scrolling vines, and further taotie masks and archaistic scroll on the spreading foot.Provenance: Sotheby's London, 16 May 2007, lot 389. The MacLean Collection of Asian Art Museum, acquired from the above, and deaccessioned in 2022. The MacLean Collection has been formed over the last fifty years by Barry MacLean, a businessman from Chicago, who began to collect in the early 1970s. Over time, he made many trips to Asia for business, and began to narrow his focus to ancient bronzes from China and their archaistic counterparts from later dynasties. The MacLean Collection of Asian Art is housed in a museum which was designed by Larry Booth and completed in 2003. Since 2004, the museum has published seven books, held thirteen exhibitions, lent objects to many other museums, and awarded a dozen fellowships to train future specialists and enthusiasts.Condition: Excellent condition with old wear and small manufacturing flaws, as well as minor nicks and losses and associated old fills (inspected under strong blue light). The base with small structural fissures. All exactly as expected from authentic 18th-century cloisonne wares of this size. For a detailed video of the vase taken under strong blue light, please refer to the department.Weight: 1,059 gDimensions: Height 25 cmExpert's note: The present cloisonne gu is exceptional for its refined design of taotie masks, which are highly expressive and comparable to some of the most valuable cloisonne wares of the 18th century ever to come up for auction. Compare a cloisonne zun, with a Qianlong mark and of the period, at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 April 2019, lot 3517, sold for HKD 4,495,000; a cloisonne hu, dated Yongzheng to Qianlong period, at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 2905, sold for HKD 8,650,000; and a cloisonne fang gu, dated Yongzheng to Qianlong period, sold in these rooms, 15 October 2021, lot 4, sold for EUR 48,000.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 6 April 2015, lot 176Price: HKD 250,000 or approx. EUR 35,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A cloisonne enamel vase, gu, Qing dynasty, 18th century Expert remark: Compare the near identical form and closely related decoration with taotie masks, archaistic and lotus scroll as well as gilt flanges and bowstrings. Note the size (34 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams London, 7 June 2021, lot 671 Price: GBP 16,500 or approx. EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A cloisonne enamel and gilt-bronze archaistic beaker vase, gu, Qianlong Expert remark: Compare the related form and decoration with taotie and archaistic scroll, as well as the similar size (24.7 cm). Note the absence of bowstrings and flanges.十七至十八世紀掐絲琺瑯饕餮紋觚中國。銅胎鍍金，圓觚，弧腹，口及底外撇。通體藍釉地，圖案層次分明，繁密工細。頸部飾仰覆蕉葉紋，蕉葉紋内飾獸面紋，腹部與底邊飾獸面紋，紋飾對稱分佈。口沿外裝飾勾蓮紋。口內鎏金無紋飾。造型渾厚凝重，裝飾富麗堂皇。 來源：2007年5月16日倫敦蘇富比，lot 389。The MacLean Collection of Asian Art Museum收藏，購於上述拍賣，2022年出售。The MacLean Collection由來自芝加哥的商人 Barry MacLean 在50 年前創立，他於 1970 年代初開始收藏。 他曾多次前往亞洲從商，並開始將注意力集中在來自中國的古代青銅器和後世的仿古青銅器上。The MacLean Collection由Larry Booth設計並於 2003 年完工。自 2004 年以來，該博物館已出版了七本書，舉辦了十三次展覽，將藏品借給許多其他博物館，並用十幾個獎學金來培訓未來的專家和愛好者。 品相：狀況極好，有磨損和小的製造缺陷，以及輕微的劃痕和缺損以及相應的填補（在強藍光下檢查）。底部有小結構裂隙。與這種尺寸的十八世紀景泰藍器皿完全一致。有關在強藍光下拍攝的花瓶的詳細視頻，歡迎聯係我們。 重量：1,059 克 尺寸：高25 厘米由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
AN IMPORTANT AND RARE BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, LI, WITH 24-CHARACTER INSCRIPTION, LATE WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYInscriptions: To the rim, 'zhui shi you er nian zhengyue chu ji zhou bai fu zuo zun ge qi wannian zisun yong bao yong xiang'. The inscription states that this vessel was made in “January of the twelfth year” of an unspecified period “with the hope of it being used by many generations after”.Opinion: This spectacular li vessel compares more than favorably to the Zhong Jiang Li previously in the Fujita Museum and sold at Christie's in 2017. Not only do these two vessels share more or less the same form and decoration, they are also both inscribed at the top of the rim - although the inscription on the present vessel is substantially longer. There are, however, some key differences between the two that should be of great interest to the astute collector. For one, the Zhong Jiang Li must at some point have been cleaned, as it lacks the beautiful patina of our li. However, its provenance is well-documented, going back to the 19th century, which goes some way to explain the high price it reached at auction. In terms of quality though, the present li is in no way inferior to the Zhong Jiang li, and very much deserves the same attention. China, 9th-8th century BC. The tri-lobed body is supported on three hoof-shaped feet, and cast on the sides with raised vertical lines divided by plain horizontal bands and narrow flanges. The everted rim is crisply cast with a 24-character inscription. The vessel has a superb, naturally grown patina with extensive malachite encrustation.Provenance: From an old English private collection, acquired in the 1950s and thence by descent within the same family. The fitted box is inscribed with the collector's name "Q.E. Robey" and dated "7. May 195".Condition: Remarkably well preserved and substantially better than expected. Some revision work dating to the period of creation and subsequent usage, such as small patches and fills, must not be mistaken for modern restorations. A minor dent to the shoulder. Old wear and weathering, soil encrustations, minor areas of corrosion, some smaller nicks here and there. The inscriptions are crisp and well-defined. Superb, naturally grown patina.X-Ray images: Images 19 and 20 show the inscription and confirm its originality. Image 21 reveals the small patches mentioned in the condition report. (more images available upon request)Weight: 962.7 gDimensions: Width 16.2 cm (measured rim to flange), diameter 15.4 cm (measured at the mouth rim)Fitted box, dating from the early to mid-20th century. (2)Li with striated decoration were inspired by pottery prototypes and were popular during the middle to late Western Zhou dynasty. A set of five similar li vessels with Wei Bo inscriptions was found in a hoard in Zhuangbai village, Fufeng county, Shaanxi province, and illustrated by Wu Zhenfeng in Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng (Complete Collection of Inscriptions and Images of the Shang and Zhou Bronzes), vol. 6, Shanghai, 2012, pp. 85-89, nos. 2702-2706. The Wei Bo li have more slender legs and taller proportions than the present li and can be dated by inscription to the latter part of the middle Western Zhou dynasty. A group of late Western Zhou li vessels with Zhong Ji inscriptions are very similar to the present li. See ibid., pp. 127-133, nos. 2746-2752. Literature comparison: Compare related examples excavated from mid-Western Zhou sites in Shaanxi province, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. IIB, Washington, D.C., 1990, pp. 322-323, figs. 27. 2 and 27.4. Compare also a li of similar size and design, from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, illustrated ibid., pp. 330-331, no. 27.For the pottery prototype, see an earthenware li dated to the 10th century BC in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1959,0216.1.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 15 March 2017, lot 528Price: USD 427,500 or approx. EUR 470,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze ritual food vessel, Zhong Jiang Li, late Western Zhou dynasty, 9th-8th century BCExpert remark: Compare the near identical form and striated decoration, as well as the five-character inscription similarly cast to the rim. Note that this vessel appears to have been cleaned at some point, removing most of its natural patina. Also note the slightly larger size (19 cm). 西周晚期青銅禮器鬲中國，公元前九世紀至八世紀。青銅食器。敞口，束頸，分襠，鼓腹，下置三短蹄狀足。腹飾條紋，扉棱。此器口沿變寬，便於手端，代替立耳，簡潔明快。外翻的邊緣清晰地鑄有 24 個字銘文。極好的自然生長的包漿，大量結殼。 款識：隹十又二年正月初吉周白父作尊鬲，其萬年子孫永寶用享由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A SANDSTONE GUARDIAN FIGURE DEPICTING HANUMAN, KOH KER STYLEKhmer Empire, 10th century. Finely carved seated on a rectangular base with one knee raised, his right hand holding a vajra and his left resting on his thigh, wearing a short pleated sampot with fine incision work. The face well detailed, the large bulging eyes with neatly incised pupils, the mouth agape revealing sharp teeth and a wrathful expression, flanked by elongated lobes with large earrings, the head surmounted by an elaborate foliate crown. Provenance: From a distinguished Italian private collection, acquired between the late 1960s and early 1970s. Leonardo Vigorelli, Bergamo, acquired from the above. Leonardo Vigorelli is a retired Italian art dealer and noted collector, specializing in African and ancient Hindu-Buddhist art. After studying anthropology and decades of travel as well as extensive field research in India, the Himalayan region, Southeast Asia, and Africa, he founded the Dalton Somare art gallery in Milan, Italy, which today is being run by his two sons.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, small losses, minor nicks and surface scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, structural cracks, encrustations. Fine, natural patina overall.Dimensions: Height 62.8 cmGuardian figures such as the present lot were placed aside of gateways, steps, and entrances of sacred areas like temples.Koh Ker, which lies 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Angkor, was the capital of the Khmer Empire from 928-944. Koh Ker's sculptural style is thus distinct from those developed in Angkor's immediate vicinity. The stone sculpture, often monumental in size, is imbued with a heightened sense of movement and a suppleness of form. The Koh Ker rulers adhered to the Hindu religion, especially the Shaiva sect.Hanuman is most prominently featured in the Indian epic Ramayana, which had gained popularity in Cambodia by the 600s. As a divine being, Hanuman has the power to augment or diminish his size at will, and so he grows to such a stature that he can span the ocean with a single stride.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Koh Ker sandstone figure of Hanuman, 177.8 cm high, in the collection of the National Museum of Cambodia, inventory number NMC.259. Compare a related Koh Ker bronze figure of Hanuman, 15.2 cm high, in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1987.43.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Paris, 7 June 2011, lot 381 Price: EUR 97,000 or approx. EUR 119,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An important sandstone figure of a lion-headed guardian, Cambodia, Khmer, Koh Ker Style, mid-10th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose and manner of carving, the guardian also holding a vajra in his hand. Note the size (84 cm).
A RARE AND SIGNED GILT-SPLASHED ARCHAISTIC WINE VESSEL, JUE, LATE MING TO EARLY QING DYNASTYChina, 17th-18th century. Superbly cast, with a characteristic pair of short posts on the mouth rim dividing the elongated pouring mouth and an exaggerated lip, decorated around the exterior of the cylindrical receptacle with taotie-masks against leiwen-ground and divided by vertical flanges, one side with a loop-handle emerging from an animal-head, all raised on three long tapered legs, decorated overall with characteristic gilt splashes. The base carved with a six-character seal script mark.Inscriptions: To base, 'Boshen zuo Baoyi' (Boshen made this precious yi).Provenance: The Property of a Gentleman. Christie's Hong Kong, 30 April 2001, lot 771. The Collection of Hedda and Lutz Franz, Hong Kong, acquired from the above. The silk box with an old label from the Christie's sale. Hedda and Lutz Franz, who met in Hong Kong in 1979, have spent over forty years assembling a spectacular collection of Chinese art, at first focusing on snuff bottles and eventually branching out into scholar's objects and paintings, as well as Japanese inro and Kilim carpets. The couple has worked closely together with their friend and advisor, Hugh Moss, and have published five books on their collection, entitled Franz Art, with one book, Franz Art Jade, winning a Silver award at the 2011 Gold Ink Awards in Chicago.Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear and casting irregularities, few minuscule nicks, occasional light scratches. Fine natural patina overall.Weight: 948.7 g Dimensions: Height 21.5 cmWith a fine velvet-padded silk storage box. (2)The base is inscribed in archaic script with Boshen zuo Baoyi, 'Boshen made this precious yi'. Yi may be translated as a cup or libation vessel. It is interesting to note that not only the form and decoration were copied in reverence to archaism, but the inscription had been taken directly from characters inscribed on late Shang/early Zhou dynasty vessels. The name Boshen appears to be unrecorded.Bronze vessels of this type were valued by the literati class in China for their reverence to archaism, and those bearing an epigraphic inscription were considered even more precious. Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss in Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, page 184, quote Ulrich Hausmann saying, “Archaic bronzes and their inscriptions, the subject of centuries of epigraphic and stylistic studies by literary men and artists, became inseparable; so much so that since that time scholars writing characters have seen at the back of their minds the image of ancient bronze vessels whose rubbings they had carefully studied. ...what could be more fitting than to embellish one's studio with subtle allusions to the magnificent past, or to furnish the ancestral altar with vessels expressing the continuation of their inheritance.”Literature comparison: Compare a near identical gold-splashed censer, bearing the same five-character archaic inscription, illustrated by Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 161. A further gold-splashed jue is illustrated in Egan Mews, 'Gold-splashed Bronzes in the collection of Mr. Randolph Berens', Connoisseur, November, 1915, p. 144, and a pair, bearing the same inscription as the present example, was included in the exhibition The Minor Arts of China, Spink & Son, London, 1987, cat. no. 77.Auction result comparison: Type: Near identical Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 April 2012, lot 139 Price: HKD 524,000 or approx. EUR 85,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-splashed bronze censer, jue, signed Boshen, Qing dynasty, 18th centuryExpert remark: Note that this jue bears the same mark as the present lot and is of similar size (21 cm). This jue is also the one illustrated by Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 161Auction result comparison: Type: Near identical Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3591 Price: HKD 600,000 or approx. EUR 94,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare gilt-splashed archaistic wine vessel, jue, late Ming dynasty, 17th centuryExpert remark: Note that this jue bears the same mark as the present lot and is of similar size (22 cm).明末清初罕見灑金饕餮紋銅爵中國，十七至十八世紀。灑金地，爵杯仿先秦禮器爵所製，作圜底杯式，流部扁寬，角略長而尖，流角相對，處於同一高度；口沿設一對扁柱狀帽頭，腹中部弦紋圍成的帶狀開光內，以雲雷紋為地，飾饕餮紋，器物雄渾莊重。底承三棱狀足，踞地沉穩。整器包漿均潤厚潤。 由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A MASSIVE BRONZE 'DRAGON' FOUNTAIN, RATTANAKOSIN KINGDOMOpinion: This imposing dragon fountain, nearly two meters high, boasts an impressive quality of casting and naturally grown, solid patina, two clear indicators of age, and is extremely rare to find - especially in Europe, where the previous owner, a noted London dealer with an eye for unusual and impressive objects, acquired it at a French auction.Thailand, 1782-1932. Boldly cast as a fierce dragon with sinuous body emerging from a base of crashing waves, the scales crisply cast, the beast's face detailed with a tall flaming crest, large bulging eyes, sharp teeth, and protruding tongue.Provenance: From the collection of a noted London dealer of antique interiors, by repute acquired at auction in France.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting flaws. Some nicks, small dents and losses, and light scratches. Naturally grown patina overall with distinct malachite encrustation. Dimensions: Height 195 cm
A CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER ZHADOU AND COVER, 18TH CENTURYChina. The zhadou has a wide everted rim carved on top with lotus flowers within a ruyi-head border and incised on the underside with leafy lotus sprays below ruyi heads, all above the slightly rounded sides carved with hexagonal floral diaper. The domed cover is carved en suite around a circle of petal lappets at the base of the semispherical imitation-amber glass finial. The interior and base are entirely covered in black lacquer. Provenance: From a noted French private collection. Condition: Good condition with old wear, expected age cracks, few losses, some nicks here and there. Fine, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 174.0 gDimensions: Diameter 14.6 cmExpert's note: The Sanxitang (Three Treasures Hall) was a private study of the Qianlong Emperor. It was so named because it was used to house his favorite three pieces of calligraphy, “Timely Clearing after Snowfall” by Wang Xizhi, “Mid-Autumn” by Wang Xianzhi, and “A Letter to Boyuan” by Wang Xun. The hall also houses a closely related zhadou along with a number of other important scholar's objects made during the period.Literature comparison:Lacquer zhadou with covers of this type appear to have been carved with various decorations, and have rims of various shapes. One carved with the sanduo and dated to the Qianlong period is illustrated by S. Kwan in Chinese Lacquer, Hong Kong, 2010, pp. 290-91, no. 103. Also illustrated, page 290, is a photograph from the Sanxitang in which a similar zhadou and cover are shown. Another related example carved with flower scroll, dated 18th century, in the Shenyang Palace Museum, is illustrated by R. L. Thorpe in Son of Heaven: Imperial Arts of China, Seattle, 1988, page 96, no. 28.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 23 March 2012, lot 1710 Price: USD 10,000 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A carved red lacquer zhadou and cover, 18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and manner of carving with similar lotus blossoms, petal lappets, and hexagonal floral diaper. Note the similar size (15.3 cm) and lack of a finial.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 16 October 2021, lot 454 Price: EUR 12,008 or approx. EUR 13,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A carved cinnabar lacquer zhadou and cover, mid-Qing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and manner of carving with similar ruyi-head rim, lotus blossoms, petal lappets, and hexagonal floral diaper. Note the similar size (15 cm) and gilt bronze finial.十八世紀剔紅纏枝蓮紋渣斗中國。渣斗寬邊折沿如意紋，蓋上剔紅纏枝蓮紋，渣斗外壁錦地紋。蓋上仿琥珀琉璃鈕。渣斗內黑漆。 來源：法國知名私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損和年齡裂縫，邊緣有缺損，大面積刻痕，整體包漿細膩。 重量：174.0 克 尺寸：直徑 14.6 厘米 專家注釋：三希堂，古時是清高宗弘曆即乾隆帝的書房。 “三希”即“士希賢，賢希聖，聖希天”，士人希望成為賢人，賢人希望成為聖人，聖人希望成為知天之人，也就是鼓勵自己不懈追求，勤奮自勉。書房名為“三希堂”，乾隆十一年（公元1746年）間在此收藏了晉朝大書法家王羲之的《快雪時晴帖》、王獻之的《中秋帖》和王珣的《伯遠帖》。在乾隆帝的三希堂裏曾存放了一件相似的渣斗和其他文房用品。 文獻比較： 這種類型的帶蓋渣斗，有各種雕刻和裝飾，並有各種形狀的邊框。一件乾隆時期三多渣斗，見S. Kwan，《Chinese Lacquer》，香港，2010年，頁290-91，編號103；也見頁290，一張三希堂的照片裡有相似的渣斗。 另一件相近的十八世紀花纏枝渣斗，收藏於瀋陽博物館，見R. L. Thorpe，《Son of Heaven: Imperial Arts of China》，西雅圖，1988年，頁96，編號28。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2012年3月23日，lot 1710 價格：USD 10,000（相當於今日EUR 12,500） 描述：清十八世紀剔紅花卉紋渣斗 專家評論：比較非常相近的外型和花卉雕刻、寬邊折沿如意紋、六邊形花紋。請注意相似的尺寸(15.3厘米) ，但蓋上沒有鈕。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, MON-DVARAVATI PERIODOpinion: Most Buddha bronzes from the Mon-Dvaravati period that have survived are standing images and of considerably smaller size, as is for example the case with the rare seated figure in the Victoria and Albert Museum, see literature comparison. The present large bronze figure of a seated Buddha must therefore be considered as exceedingly rare.Thailand, 8th-9th century. Seated in dhyanasana, with both hands lowered in gyan mudra, wearing a samghati draped over his left shoulder. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes below thick ridged eyebrows, a broad nose, and full lips, flanked by long pendulous earlobes. The hair arranged in tight curls surmounted by a tall ushnisha.Provenance: From a distinguished private collection in Milan, Italy. Leonardo Vigorelli, Bergamo, acquired from the above. Leonardo Vigorelli is a retired Italian art dealer and noted collector, specializing in African and ancient Hindu-Buddhist art. After studying anthropology and decades of travel as well as extensive field research in India, the Himalayan region, Southeast Asia, and Africa, he founded the Dalton Somare art gallery in Milan, Italy, which today is being run by his two sons.Condition: Superb condition commensurate with age. As expected there is extensive wear, some casting flaws, signs of weathering and erosion, few nicks and shallow surface scratches, a crack along the backside. Fine natural patina overall, with distinct areas of cuprite and malachite encrustations.Weight: 4,728 g Dimensions: Height 26.7 cmLiterature Comparison: Compare a related Dvaravati bronze figure of Buddha, dated ca. 700, 10 cm high, in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number IS.136-1999.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 16 September 2008, lot 572 Price: USD 32,500 or approx. EUR 44,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze figure of Buddha, Thailand, Mon-Dvaravati, 8th/9th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related mudra, facial features, expression, tight curls, and ushnisha. Note that the figure is standing and of slightly smaller size (21.6 cm).
A BRONZE DRUM, HAN DYNASTYChina, 202 BC - 220 AD. The round drum supported on a waisted base, the top and sides finely cast in relief with multiple concentric geometric designs including key-fret, triangles, and beads centered by a star design, with pairs of loop handles to either side. The drum produces a clear and distinct sound.Provenance: From the collection of Tony Bingham, United Kingdom. Tony Bingham is a retired dealer of antique musical instruments. He and his wife Irene opened several stores in London beginning in the 1960s, where they were selling antique instruments to museums, private collectors, and musicians, for more than 40 years. He also published several books on the history of musical instruments, including The New Langwill Index, a Dictionary of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers and Inventors. Condition: Good condition commensurate with age showing extensive wear and weathering, some casting flaws, possibly minor old repairs, small losses, nicks, dents, and scratches. Fine, naturally grown patina with Malachite encrustations. All as expected from a bronze drum with an age of roughly two millennia.Weight: 16.4 kg Dimensions: Height 29.4 cm, Diameter 51.5 cm Expert's note: Bronze drums such as the present lot are a percussion instrument used by various ethnic groups from the southwest of China. They were popular in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Hunan Provinces, among which Yunnan and Guangxi have the largest numbers recorded. Both provinces share a border with Vietnam, home to the Dong Son culture, which in turn is well-known for its own drums. Applied to sacrifice rituals, the drums were usually used to play music or accompany dance rites. The Yunnan Provincial Museum in Kunming houses an important collection of early bronze drums (Warring States through Western Han period) that were excavated from royal burials at Shizhai Shan and other locations in the vicinity of Lake Dian. This part of Yunnan, whose people and language were not originally Han Chinese, had been ruled by the independent Dian kingdom from about 500 BC. Bronzes from this period through the middle Western Han Dynasty (about 100 BC) are unique to the region, and share many characteristics with bronze artifacts of Southeast Asia. Their decoration was also influenced by artistic styles of the Eurasian steppe. After surrendering to Han Wudi in 109 BC, the Dian kingdom was administered as a frontier commandery of the Han empire. Dian kings were retained as local rulers. From then on, the distinctive Dian regional bronzes became gradually replaced by Han-style bronzes, in the type of cultural assimilation that is called "Sinification" (literally, "becoming Chinese") by Chinese historians.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related but smaller drum in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Bronze Articles for Daily Use, Beijing 2007, number 78.漢代青銅鼓 中國，公元前202年至公元220年。圓鼓，由鼓面向下收後，足部外撇，腰部有明顯凸起的弦紋。鼓面有雙圈十二角星紋，外壁飾有雷紋、三角紋、凸起鉚釘等幾何紋飾。兩側各有一對環形把手。該鼓發出的聲音清晰響亮。 來源：英國Tony Bingham收藏。Tony Bingham是一位退休的古董樂器經銷商。他和其妻子Irene於1960年代初期，在倫敦開設了多間古董樂器行，並出售給博物館、私人收藏家和音樂家，營業40餘年。他也出版了多本關於樂器史的書籍，其中包括《The New Langwill Index, a Dictionary of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers and Inventors》。 品相：品相良好，與年代相稱的大面積磨損、風化，有些鑄造瑕疵和可能的舊修補，小缺損、刻痕、凹痕和劃痕。良好和自然生長的包漿，帶有孔雀綠色結殼。這些狀況都是在一件兩千年前的青銅鼓上可預期的。 重量：16.4公斤 尺寸：高29.4厘米，直徑51.5厘米 專家注釋：此類型的青銅鼓是中國西南地區各民族使用的一種打擊樂器。它們流行於雲南、貴州、四川和湖南等省，其中雲南和廣西所記錄數量最多。這兩個省都與越南接壤，越南是東山文化的發源地，而東山文化又以鼓而聞名。鼓通常被用於祭祀儀式，演奏音樂或伴舞。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A LARGE COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANIKKAVACAKAR, TAMIL NADU, 14TH-15TH CENTURYSouth India. Boldly cast standing in tribhanga atop a double lotus pedestal supported on a stepped base decorated with beaded edges, incised lotus and geometric designs. He is holding prayer beads in his right hand, a manuscript in his left, wears a tight-fitting dhoti and is adorned with beaded jewelry. The serene face with large almond-shaped eyes with incised pupils below elegantly arched brows, the full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by pendulous pierced earlobes. Provenance: From a private collection in London, United Kingdom, acquired prior to 2000. Thence by descent.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting flaws, small nicks, light scratches, minor dents. The back of the legs with remnants of an old label which have left marks on the patina.Weight: 7,856 gDimensions: Height 38.5 cmManikkavacakar (Tamil: 'One whose words are like gems') was a 9th-century Tamil saint and poet who wrote Tiruvasakam, a book of Shaiva hymns. Speculated to have been a minister to the Pandya king Varagunavarman II (c. 862-885), he lived in Madurai and is revered as one of the Nalvar, a set of four prominent Tamil saints alongside Appar, Sundarar, and Sambandar. The other three contributed to the first seven volumes (Tevaram) of the twelve-volume Shaivite work Tirumurai, the key devotional text of Shaiva Siddhanta. Manikkavacakar's Tiruvasakam and Thirukkovaiyar form the eighth volume. These eight are considered to be the Tamil Vedas by the Shaivites, and the four saints are revered as Samaya Kuravar (religious preceptors). Manikkavacakar's works are celebrated for their poetic expression of the anguish of being separated from God, and the joy of God-experience, with his ecstatic religious fervor drawing comparisons with those of Western saints like St. Francis of Assisi. Manikkavackar's stone image is worshiped in almost all Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu.Expert's note: There is a remote possibility that the present figure dates from the 12th-13th century, especially when comparing the metallurgy and some physical characteristics with the statue of Yashoda at the Metropolitan Museum. If this were the case, however, it would also mean that the lower two-thirds of the base would have been replaced or at least re-decorated at a later point in time, probably between the 15th and 17th centuries.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bronze of the Shaiva saint Sambandar, dated to the 15th century, 52.1 cm high, in the collection of the Norton Simon Museum, accession number F.1972.25.3.S. Compare also a related bronze depicting Yashoda with the infant Krishna, dated early 12th century, the cast of similar copper-brown patina and with similar wear and casting flaws, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1982.220.8.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Nagel, Stuttgart, 11 December 2020, lot 1656 Price: EUR 57,600 or approx. EUR 59,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A fine bronze figure of Sambhandar, South-India, Vijayanagar period, ca. 13th ct.Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose and coppery tone of the bronze. Note the similar size (37 cm).
A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF PADMAPANI, LICCHAVI PERIOD OR SLIGHTLY LATERNepal, 9th-11th century. Standing in tribhanga on a circular lotus base, his right hand lowered in varada mudra and the left holding a lotus stem coming to full bloom at the shoulder, wearing a long flowing dhoti secured with a billowing sash, sacred thread, and foliate tiara centered by a small image of the Amitabha Buddha, his serene face with almond-shaped eyes and full lips, with a smooth deep brown patina overall and traces of gilding.Provenance: From a Swiss private collection, acquired in Nepal from a Tibetan family. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minor casting flaws, small losses, minuscule nicks, light scratches, dents. Fine, naturally grown patina.Weight: 452.1 gDimensions: Height 17.4 cmThe present lot is stylistically related to the copper alloy and bronze figures of the Licchavi period dating from the 9th century. Well cast, the figure displays the elegance of post-Gupta sculpture, the dhoti finely incised with textile patterns of the period. The rounded facial features still show a close relationship to the Sarnath style. The flaming halo is most effectively executed and the foliate crown displays a remarkable feature as it bears an image of a standing Amitabha, the spiritual father of Avalokiteshvara. As is typical for the period, the original fire gilding is relatively thin and now mostly worn off, yet the fluidity of form and the warm copper tone are thus even more enhanced.Literature comparison: This bronze favorably compares with the famous eighth-century figure of Vajrapani from the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection. The dhoti is similarly secured with a diagonally bound billowing sash and finely incised with linear bands, see P. Pal, Art of Nepal, 1985, fig. S6, p. 90. Compare also with a figure of Avalokiteshvara with a similarly integrated flaming halo, in P. Pal, The Arts of Nepal, 1974, fig. 190, and a further figure bearing a seated figure in the crown, fig. 295.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2008, lot 503 Price: USD 313,000 or approx. EUR 425,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An important gilt copper figure of Avalokiteshvara, Nepal, Licchavi period, 8th/9th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose and dress, the related mandorla and copper patina with traces of gilding. Note that the figure is considerably larger (29.2 cm) and likely earlier than the present lot.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2008, lot 600 Price: USD 241,000 or approx. EUR 327,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare gilt copper figure of Padmapani, Nepal, 10th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, dress, lotus base, and copper patina with traces of gilding. Note that the figure is considerably larger (34.8 cm) and possibly earlier than the present lot 利察維王朝或之後罕見銅鎏金蓮華手菩薩尼泊爾，九至十一世紀。蓮華手菩薩呈三曲式站在蓮花座上，右手下垂，左手持蓮花莖，蓮花靠在肩上，身著百褶褲，佩戴五葉冠，中坐阿彌陀佛小像。面容平靜，杏仁狀的眼睛，豐滿的嘴唇。整體有光滑的深棕色包漿和鎏金痕跡。 來源：瑞士私人收藏，從尼泊爾一個藏人處購得。 品相：品相極好，大面積磨損、輕微的鑄造缺陷、小缺損、微小的刻痕、輕微的劃痕、凹痕。包漿細膩自然。 重量：452.1 克 尺寸：高 17.4 厘米 本拍品在風格上與九世紀的利察維時期的銅合金造像相似。鑄工精美，人物展示了後笈多雕塑的優雅，多褶褲上可見當時的紡織圖案。圓潤的五官與鹿野苑風格相似。五葉冠上特徵明顯，可見阿彌陀佛立像。與這一時期的典型情況一樣，原來的鎏金相對較薄，現在大部分已經磨損，更增强了其溫暖的銅色。 文獻比較：此金蓮華手菩薩像與一件收藏於Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection的知名的八世紀金剛手菩薩像相比，更有優勢。斗篷也是用對角線捆綁的波浪形腰帶固定，並有精細的線狀刻痕，見P. Pal，《Art of Nepal》，1985年，圖S6，頁90。比較一件觀世音菩薩像，有相似的火焰光背，見P. Pal，《Art of Nepal》，1974年，圖190；另一件有王冠的觀音菩薩坐像，圖295。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF GUANYIN, DALI KINGDOM, 12TH - MID-13TH CENTURYExpert's note: A unique feature of copper alloys from Yunnan is the high content of arsenic, making the bronze quite soft, and leading to tiny holes in the material. Alloys from other regions do not develop this compelling tell which is clearly visible in the present lot.A metallurgic analysis of the present lot has shown an arsenic content of 1.5%, which is remarkably elevated. A comprehensive analysis of 32 Chinese copper alloy figures from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, dating from the 4th to the 19th century, has found that only two statues had an arsenic content of above 1.2%. Both these statues are from Yunnan and date to the 11th-12th century. Only five of the other 30 figures showed an arsenic content between 0,5 and 1,2%, all others were below this value, most of them significantly. (1)A comprehensive metallurgic analysis of six near-identical copper alloy figures of Acuoye Guanyin from Yunnan in the collections of the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Art institute of Chicago, and the collection of Robert Ellsworth, New York, has returned arsenic contents ranging between 0,53 and 3,08% with an average of 1.89%. (2)As Paul Jett notes, it seems more likely that the singularly high arsenic content in the copper alloys from Yunnan is of natural origin, instead of being a deliberate addition, because sulfide-deposits, where arsenic appears in combination with copper, are widespread in this specific region. (3)For the aforementioned reasons, it seems reasonable to assume that copper alloy statues with an elevated arsenic content of 1% or more are from Yunnan when they show stylistic traits characteristic of this region. Features typical of statues from the Dali Kingdom found on the present lot include for example the unusually elongated face, the minuscule yet razor sharp eye slits, the elaborate headdress with its distinct triple-topknot, the beaded floral jewelry medallions on the breast and the lengthy, almost frail hands that still show the undeniable influence of Indian and Southeast Asian Buddhist images, which at that time had already vanished from the more important centers of Chinese Buddhism.The metallurgic analysis of the present lot furthermore returned a copper share of 75% as well as contents of lead (10%) and zinc (10%). While a zinc content of 10% may be unusual at first glance, it must be noted that coins of the Song dynasty were found to contain Zinc (4) and copper alloys with high levels of zinc eventually became so popular during this period, that they were prohibited by the government for commoners. (5) The Song empire was the eastern neighbor of the Dali Kingdom, and Dali's relationship with the Song was cordial throughout its entire existence, with cultural and economic exchange taking place on multiple levels. In the early Ming dynasty, highly elevated zinc contents of up to 36,4% were found for example in Imperial Xuande period censers dating from 1426-1435. (6)References: (1) Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Denise Patry Leidy and Donna Strahan, Yale University Press, 2010, appendix D, pages 206-207. (2) Der Goldschatz der drei Pagoden, Museum Rietberg Zürich, Albert Lutz, 1991 .Paul Jett: Technologische Studie zu den vergoldeten Guanyin-Figuren aus dem Dali-Königreich, page 73. (3) Ibidem, page 71. (4) Distilling Zinc in China: The technology of large-scale zinc production in Chongqing during the Ming and Qing dynasties (AS 1368-1911), Wenli Zhou, University College London, 2012, page 26. (5) Ibidem, page 39. (6) Ibidem, page 46-47.China, Yunnan, Kingdom of Dali, 12th - mid-13th century. Superbly cast standing with her right hand lowered in varada mudra and her left held in front, wearing long flowing robes cascading in voluminous folds and billowing scarves, richly adorned with elaborate beaded and floral jewelry. Her elongated serene face with heavy-lidded, almost fully closed eyes centered by a prominent urna above gently arched brows. The hair falling elegantly in strands over the shoulders and pulled up into a distinct triple-topknot behind the pierced foliate tiara. Provenance: Old Viennese private collection, built over several generations between 1910 and 1975, thence by descent in the same family. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age and displaying remarkably well. Extensive wear, minor losses, nicks, scratches, minuscule dents, signs of weathering and erosion, remnants of lacquer priming with malachite and cuprite patina. Weight: 1,458 g Dimensions: Height 25.8 cm It was not until the American scholar Helen Chapin identified a group of bronzes in western collections as being of Yunnanese origin, based on a scroll painting known as the Long Scroll of Buddhist Images by the 12th-century Yunnanese artist Zhang Shengwen, which she published in 1944, that the origin of these distinctive Dali or Yunnanese bronzes was first realized. In the late 1970s, restoration work at the Qianxun Pagoda in Yunnan province uncovered a reliquary deposit which included a number of statues similar in style to those in the West, see A. Lutz, 'Buddhist Art in Yunnan', Orientations, February 1992. Literature comparison:Compare a seated Bodhisattva in “Der Goldschatz der Drei Pagoden“, Museum Rietberg, Zürich, pages 178-179, number 53 (Fig.1). The beaded floral jewelry medallions on the breast of this statue is near-identical to the jewelry on the present lot. Also compare a rare gilt-bronze figure of Avalokitesvara, Dali Kingdom, 12th century, at Bonhams London, 11 June 2003, lot 133, and note the similar tiny holes in the alloy, as well as the hairstyle with the near-identical yet unusual triple-topknot behind the foliate tiara (Fig.2). Literature comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 25 March 2022, lot 748 Description: A magnificent and highly important gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, Dali Kingdom, late 11th-early 12th century Expert remark: Compare the alloy with its characteristic remnants of lacquer priming and the distinct malachite and cuprite patina. Also compare the similar robes cascading in voluminous folds, elaborately beaded floral jewelry, billowing scarves, and manner of casting with similarly elongated face and hands. Note the significantly larger size (57.1 cm) and the highly important provenance. 大理國罕見觀音銅像中國，雲南，大理王國，十二世紀至十三世紀中期。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A LARGE AND IMPORTANT BUDDHIST VOTIVE PLAQUE, GILT COPPER REPOUSSE, EARLY TANG DYNASTYExpert's note: This seems to be by far the largest and most detailed of all early Tang dynasty gilt repousse votive plaques that have been on the market in a long time. The extent to which this magnificent work of art was cherished by Hisazo Nagatani becomes best perceptible when one looks at the Japanese storage box in which this jewel was kept, with its outer casing, neatly inscribed and made from light wood and elegant red lacquer, the inner storage box with its abundant padding, tightly fitted to the exact dimensions of the plaque itself.China, 618-907, circa 7th century. The thin plaque finely decorated with the central figure of Buddha seated in dhyanasana atop an elaborate lotus throne growing from neatly incised waves flanked by two lions, his right hand raised in abhaya mudra and his left lowered in varada mudra, wearing loose-fitting robes cascading in voluminous folds, a flaming halo behind him and the bodhi tree towering above, flanked by two acolytes and surrounded by groups of worshipping monks and attendant bodhisattvas, all below swirling clouds and two flying apsaras.Provenance: From the collection of Hisazo Nagatani, and thence by descent within the family. The lacquered and padded wood box with an old label, 'Gilt Bronze Slab'. Hisazo Nagatani (1905-1994) was a Japanese-American collector, scholar, and noted dealer of Asian art. Growing up near his birthplace Osaka, he developed a passion for Asian art early on and joined Yamanaka & Co. in 1922, at the age of only 17. He soon moved to Beijing, traveling throughout China, and handling bronzes, porcelains, jades, and other works of art, before relocating to the United States. He eventually became the manager of the Yamanaka gallery on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago until the firm had to cease operations in the United States. In 1944, he opened his own gallery, Nagatani & Co., which flourished for many decades, selling to such important collectors as Robert Mayer, Stephen Junkunc, Avery Brundage, and the Alsdorfs. Nagatani later donated many of his works of art and his important library to museums.Condition: Good and original condition, commensurate with age, displaying simply spectacularly. Extensive wear, tears and losses, minor dents, small nicks, light scratches. Fine, naturally grown patina with malachite encrustations to the front, the back with extensive malachite, cuprite, and azurite encrustations. The gilt remarkably well preserved overall.Weight: 303.2 gDimensions: Height 24.4 cm (the plaque), Size 7 x 38.4 x 29.2 cm (the padded storage box) and 11 x 40.6 x 31.3 cm (the lacquered box)With a Japanese wood storage box, the inner silk padding fitted specifically for the present plaque, and an old Japanese lacquered wood box. (3)Literature comparison: Similar images of the Buddha seated under a roofed structure flanked by numerous bodhisattvas can be found in paintings from the Dunhuang caves, dated to the early 8th century, as evidenced by the fragment in the British Museum, illustrated by A. Farrer and R. Whitfield, Caves of the Thousand Buddhas: Chinese Art from the Silk Route, New York, 1990, page 24, no. 1 and cover. Compare, also, the gilt-bronze plaque in the Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum, Kobe, dated to the Sui dynasty of significantly smaller size (15.4 cm. high) with similar imagery, but lacking the Bodhi tree, illustrated by S. Mizuno, Bronze and Stone Sculpture of China from the Yin to the T'ang Dynasty, Tokyo, 1960, fig. 123.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 24 March 2004, lot 74 Price: USD 17,925 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A small gilt-metal Buddhist plaque, Tang dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and subject with a similar depiction of the Buddha seated under a canopy surrounded by bodhisattvas and worshippers, as well as the similar tear line at the top. Note the much smaller size (9.2 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 29 October 2001, lot 507 Price: HKD 1,035,000 or approx. EUR 183,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very rare repousse gilt-copper Buddhist votive plaque, early Tang dynasty, 7th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and subject with a similar depiction of the Buddha seated under a canopy surrounded by bodhisattvas and worshippers. Note the smaller size (19.2 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 30 March 2005, lot 237 Price: USD 102,000 or approx. EUR 150,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare gilt-copper Buddhist plaque, early Tang dynasty, 7th century Expert remark: Note the significantly smaller size (11.4 cm).唐初大型重要許願錘鍱鎏金銅牌中國，618-907年，約七世紀。薄薄的銅牌上精美錘鍱佛陀坐禪坐於蓮座上，蓮座從波浪中升起，兩側是兩隻獅子，右手上舉施無畏印，左手下垂施與願印，身著長袍，衣褶條紋流暢，身後有光背。菩提樹高高聳立，兩側有僧眾、侍從菩薩，兩飛天。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MINIATURE CLOISONNE HAT STAND, JIAQINGOpinion: This splendid little 'hat stand', the perfect receptacle for the finest and smallest brushes, belongs to a rare group of miniature cloisonne scholar's objects, examples of which only seldomly come up for auction. However, the present lot even stands out from this illustrious group, with its unusually fine enameling, naturalistic subject matter, and the extremely rare hat stand form, including the hallmark apertures.China, 1796-1820. Of cylindrical form, the turquoise ground finely decorated in bright enamels and gilt wire with butterflies and crickets amid leafy sprays of blossoming peony, chrysanthemum, plum, and hibiscus, all framed by a ruyi-head band below the rim and a leafy lappet border above the foot, the body further pierced with quatrefoil apertures. The interior of turquoise enamel. The rim, foot, and base of gilt bronze.Provenance: From a noted English private collection, acquired in the 1970s, and thence by descent to the last owner. Condition: Excellent condition with minor old wear and manufacturing irregularities.Weight: 50.8 gDimensions: Height 5.8 cmHat stands made from porcelain first appeared at the beginning of the Jiaqing reign (1796-1820) and were originally conceived as unusually tall, cylindrical vessels only. But commencing later in the Jiaqing period, and through to Daoguang and Tongzhi, these tall vessels were equipped with a number of distinct apertures cut into the body, promoting a flow of air and thus assisting in the removal of odors from the hat, which was placed on top of the vessel. From Guangxu (1875-1908) onwards the apertures slowly disappeared again.The decoration of butterflies and various flowers offers opportunities for symbolic and auspicious meaning. For example, the combination of a butterfly and plum blossom signifies a quest for blissful love. In Daoism, butterflies represented the freedom of the soul.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3874Price: HKD 150,000 or approx. EUR 24,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare miniature cloisonne enamel brushrest, Qianlong periodExpert remark: Note the small size (3.5 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1423Price: HKD 144,000 or approx. EUR 25,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare pair of miniature cloisonne enamel scroll weights, Qing dynasty, 18th centuryExpert remark: Note the small size (5.7 cm)嘉慶掐絲琺瑯花卉紋帽座中國，1796-1820年。圓柱體。帽傘上近口沿處裝飾如意雲頭紋一周，腹部主題紋飾為蝴蝶紋理、勾連紋、卷草紋、如意雲頭等紋樣。松石綠地，鎏金靚麗，光彩照人。 專家注釋：這件精美絕倫的小“帽架”，屬於稀有的迷你景泰藍文人藏品，很少見。其琺瑯異常精美，傳統題材，極為罕見的帽架形式，包括用來熏香用的小孔。 來源：英國知名私人收藏，上世紀七十年代前購買，保存至今直到家族最後一位主人。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微的磨損和製造瑕疵。 重量：50.8克 尺寸：高5.8厘米 帽座最初為瓷器，最早出現於嘉慶年間（1796-1820年），初期為異常高大的圓柱形器。從嘉慶後期開始，直到道光和同治，開始在帽架上鏤空，内置熏香，從而有助於去除帽子上的氣味。從光緒（1875-1908）開始，這些孔又慢慢消失了。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港佳士得，2011年6月1日，lot 3874 價格：HKD 150,000（相當於今日EUR 24,500） 描述：乾隆時期小型掐絲琺瑯筆擱 專家評論：請注意尺寸非常小 (3.5厘米) 。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港佳士得，2007年5月29日，lot 1423 價格：HKD 144,000（相當於今日EUR 25,500） 描述：清代十八世紀一對小型掐絲琺瑯紙鎮 專家評論：請注意尺寸非常小 (5.7厘米)。
A LARGE AND IMPORTANT LACQUER-GILT WOOD FIGURE OF BUDDHA, 17TH-18TH CENTURYExpert's note: The present lot boasts a superbly preserved lacquer coating that is more than 250 years old, and hence shows a beautiful, naturally-grown patina. Furthermore, it is of relatively large size and overall in very good condition, making it an extremely rare example of Buddhist gilt-lacquer sculpture from the 17th to 18th century.China. Well carved, the standing Buddha with elongated earlobes and a benevolent face beneath a prominent ushnisha formed with coiled curls reserved with an urna, wearing a thick overlapping draped robe opening to the bare chest and falling to the feet with folds distinctively detailed with coils and scrolls, all covered in a rich lacquer gilt. The back with an oval aperture.Provenance: English trade. Condition: Very good condition with old wear, expected minor age cracks, losses and nicks, minor old repair to fingers of proper left hand. Remnants of pigment. Fine, dark patina. A large wood figure of such high age and well-preserved condition, particularly to the lacquer gilding, must be considered extremely rare. Weight: 2,310 gDimensions: Height 43.8 cmCoating carved wood figures with gilt-lacquer is a technique that appears to have emerged during the early part of the Ming dynasty, continuing on to the Qing dynasty and echoing Buddhist bronze figures in form and decoration.Literature comparison: Compare a related larger gilt-lacquered wood figure of Buddha, also dated 17th-18th century, 76.8 cm high, exhibiting the same kind of gilt found on the present lot, at Christie's New York, 23 March 2018, lot 1041. Note that the size of the Buddha statue without the throne is similar to the present lot.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, 16 May 2019, lot 169Price: GBP 312,562 or approx. EUR 377,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Rare Set of Three Gilt-Lacquered Wood Figures of the Buddha, 17th-18th CenturyExpert remark: Compare the lacquer gilding, the patina, the carving technique and style, as well as the related size (55 cm). Note that the lot comprises 3 statues.十七至十八世紀大型重要木雕漆金佛陀立像中國。佛陀立像雕刻精美，螺髮刻畫清晰，且前額飾髻珠，面容圓潤飽滿，神態沉靜而優雅。敞胸披袈裟。左手於胸前結禪定印，右手自然下垂結與願印，儀態端莊肅穆。此造像工藝考究，袈裟衣褶的處理尤為精彩，如行雲流水一般。 專家注釋：本拍品金漆保存完好，已有 250 多年的歷史，包漿美麗自然。此外，漆金飽滿，品相一流，加之體量碩大，極爲難得的木雕造像精品。 來源：英國古玩交易市場。 品相：品相極好，有磨損，輕微的年齡裂縫，缺損和劃痕，右手手指的有輕微修復。色彩殘留。深色包漿。如此年代久遠且保存完好的大型木質造像，尤其是鎏金，極為罕見。 重量：2,310 克 尺寸：高 43.8 厘米 漆金木雕造像是明初出現的一種工藝，一直延續到清代，在造型和裝飾上與佛教青銅造像相呼應。 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的十七至十八世紀木雕漆金佛陀像，高76.8 厘米，展示了與本拍品上相同的鎏金，見紐約佳士得，2018年3月23日，lot 1041。請注意此佛像去除底座後尺寸與本拍品相似。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2019年5月16日，lot 169 價格：GBP 312,562（相當於今日EUR 377,500） 描述：十七至十八世紀木漆金佛像一組三件 專家評論：比較金漆、包漿、雕刻技術，以及相近的尺寸 (55 厘米)。請注意此佛像為三件一組。
A VERY LARGE AND EXTREMELY RARE CIZHOU PAINTED ARROW VASE, TOUHU, MING DYNASTYPublished: Michael B. Weisbrod, Inc., From Kilns of Kings and Commoners, 1990, New York, page 68, catalog number 27.Opinion: Except for a similar yet smaller example in the British Museum, the present lot seems to be the only surviving example of a group of Cizhou Touhu vases, probably made for Imperial use during the mid-15th to mid-16th century. The curator of the British Museum, Rebecca Harrison-Hall, comments on the rare vessel as follows: “Two earlier arrow vases of this shape, made of bronze, were excavated from a tomb (M.13) in Pinghu county, Sichuan province. Archaeologists believe that the tomb belonged to the father of the scholar Wang Xi (1405-52) or to one of Wang Xi's father's wives. A number of bronze and iron arrow vases have been collected by Professor Jessica Rawson for the British Museum for future publication. The style of figure painting relates closely to that of blue-and-white wares of the Jiajing period, which were made at Jingdezhen.”China, 15th-16th century. The compressed globular body supported on a low, thick foot and rising to a tall, slightly waisted neck, flanked at the top by two tubular arrow holes, the mouth and each of the arrow holes with thick lipped rims. The exterior densely decorated in brown and black painting above a cream-colored slip.Provenance: Warren E. Cox (1895-1977), New York, USA. A private collection in New York, USA, acquired from the above after 1977. A private collector in Toronto, Canada, acquired from the above. Michael B. Weisbrod, Inc., New York, acquired from the above in 1990. An important North American collection, acquired from the above. Warren Earle Cox (1895-1977) was an important New York antiques dealer and an authority on porcelain and pottery from around the world. His two-volume work “The Book of Pottery and Porcelain” became a standard reference in the field.Condition: Superb condition commensurate with size and age. Some old wear and firing flaws, including open bubbles, firing cracks, pitting, and dark spots, all as expected for Ming dynasty Cizhou wares. Minor glaze flaking along the rims and base with associated small touchups. Minuscule losses, nicks and shallow surface scratches.Weight: 6,386 gDimensions: Height 43.6 cmThe neck masterfully painted with shaped reserves enclosing sages dressed in loose-fitting robes seated amid trees, clouds, and lotus, all below scholar's rocks and plantain leaves as well as a band of ruyi-heads and above bands of key-fret and scroll. The body with a band of lotus petals at the shoulder, above a band of peony blossoms and scrolling vines, and a band of Buddhist lions striking different poses and divided by their ribboned brocade balls, with a scroll band above the foot. The arrow holes with floral diaper.Arrow vases were made for a drinking game called 'touhu', which had been popular among elite men and women from the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC). Players threw arrows into bronze or ceramic vases with narrow tubular necks at prescribed intervals, each player equidistant from the vase. The winner successfully projected all his arrows into the vase and the loser was forced to drink at each miss. Elaborate rituals and intricate rules, recorded in the Li Ji (Book of Rites), added further complexity to the game. Puzzling pitching techniques were described in the Touhu Yijie (Ceremonial Usages and Rules of Touhu), an illustrated manual written by Wang Ti (1490-1530), and these shots were given fancy names, like 'A Pair of Dragons Enters the Sea' when two arrows were thrown from a great height at once into the vase. The touhu game was used to practice archery, one of the essential accomplishments of a gentleman. Later in the Ming era, the game became more widespread and was played by rich merchants as well as the aristocracy and scholarly elite. A scene in the famous late Ming novel Jin Ping Mei (Plum Blossom in the Golden Vase), written in 1619, describes the wealthy merchant Ximen Qing's seduction of his concubine Panjinlian. She becomes inebriated while playing touhu on a picnic and the game leads to an amorous encounter. For a further discussion of the game see Isabelle Lee, 'Touhu: Three Millennia of the Chinese Arrow Vase and the Game of Pitch-pot', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 56, 1991-2, pp. 13-7.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Cizhou painted touhu, 40 cm high, dated to the Ming dynasty, circa 1522-1566, in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1937,0716.74.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 17 March 2017, lot 1174 Price: USD 68,750 or approx. EUR 77,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A painted Cizhou jar, Yuan dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting showing similar figures within shaped reserves. Note, however, that the present arrow vase is much rarer, of more elaborate form and decoration, and slightly larger than this jar (35 cm). 明代罕見磁州窯彩繪投壺中國，十五至十六世紀。長直頸、兩側貫耳，圓鼓腹，足底露胎，刮痕粗顯，胎質堅硬，色呈淺灰。唇口、内壁和外壁罩白釉，色澤乳白微黃。外壁彩繪人物、神獸以及纏枝花卉等紋樣。 出版：Michael B. Weisbrod，Inc.，From Kilns of Kings and Commoners，1990年，紐約，頁68，畫冊第27號。 由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
A RARE AND COMPLETE SET OF FOUR JADE OPENWORK SWORD FITTINGS, WESTERN HAN DYNASTYChina, 206 BC to 8 AD.Comprising:1) A pommel (shou) of circular form, the domed center carved as a dragon, encircled by alternating taotie masks and archaic scroll,2) A sword guard (ge) carved with central taotie masks to each side, the nose extending to the pointed lower end, flanked by phoenixes and archaic scroll,3) A scabbard chape (bi) of trapezoidal form carved with sinuously coiled dragons,4) A scabbard slide (zhi) carved with a central bi disc flanked by two confronting dragons with tails terminating in phoenix heads.Provenance: From the private collection of Irene and Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022). The couple has been active in the art trade for well over half a century and were one of the first in Austria to offer Asian works of art in their gallery, starting in 1968. Since the late 1980s, they have been collecting ancient Chinese jades, building an extensive and multiply published collection over the decades.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, alterations and weathering, minuscule nibbling and losses, soil and iron rust encrustations. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Weight: 113.6 g (total) Dimensions: Length 14 cm (the scabbard slide), 7 cm (the scabbard chape), and 6.8 cm (the sword guard), Diameter 6.7 cm (the pommel)The translucent jades are of a fine, greenish-yellow tone with cloudy inclusions, and scattered black speckles. The distinct iron rust encrustation indicates that the jades were buried with a source of iron, doubtlessly the decomposed blade.Expert's note: Xi'an City was the capital of China during the Western Han (202 BC-8 AD) period. According to metallographic studies of iron swords excavated in this region, all known examples were found in a severely decomposed condition. Consequently, they presented a wide range of damage such as fractures, incompleteness, and thick layers of corrosion. Such corrosion leaves notable decaying marks on their corresponding jade fittings, which take centuries to develop into the russet 'spiderweb' crackle found on the present lot. These alteration marks are inimitable, not only because they leave behind irreversible scars on the jade itself, but also because their metallurgic composition is quite unique.In ancient China, there were two pathways known for soft iron making: One was the so-called “direct process” in which bloomery iron, with a low-carbon content, was smelted in a furnace and then directly used for smithing larger numbers of lower quality blades. The second, so-called “indirect process” was more complex: After smelting from a blast furnace, cast iron was decarburized through a liquid-state procedure called Chaogang. This produced still-malleable iron with a significantly higher carbon content of up to 1%, or - in other words - steel of the best possible quality for the manufacture of high-end blades. Needless to say, jade was used primarily for fittings of blades from this group, a sign of almost exuberant luxury, marking its owner as a person of nobility. Similar fittings were also found on bronze swords, but only the ones discovered near the remnants of iron blades are encrusted with distinct rust patterns such as the present lot.This exceptional set of sword fittings exemplifies the best jade carving of the early Western Han period. Note the extreme thinness of the jades in several areas, with some parts of the guard and the chape measuring an incredible 1 mm in thickness.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related set of sword fittings once belonging to the King of Nanyue, illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji 4 - Qin, Han, Nanbeichao, Hebei, 1993, pp. 60-61, nos. 79-82. Compare four sword fittings from the Myers collection, dated to the Western Han period, published in Fillippo Salviati, Radiant Stones: Archaic Chinese Jades, 2004, Hong Kong, nos. 130-133.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 2711 Price: HKD 8,460,000 or approx. EUR 1,148,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An important set of three jade 'chilong' sword fittings and a jade sword guard, Western Han dynasty Expert remark: Note the smaller size (the largest 8.8 cm)西漢罕見一套四件玉劍飾中國，公元前206年至公元8 年。一套四件 來源：Irene與 Wolfgang Zacke (1942-2022)。自1968 年起，這對夫婦活躍在藝術貿易界，並且是奧地利最早在其畫廊中提供亞洲藝術品的人之一。1980 年代後期，他們一直在收集中國古代玉器，幾十年來建立了極富多樣性的收藏。 品相：狀況極佳，有磨損、風化、磕損、缺損、土壤結殼與鏽斑。具有天然內沁和裂縫的玉料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些已經發展成細小的裂縫。 重量：總113.6克 尺寸：劍璏長 14 厘米，劍珌7 厘米，劍格6.8 厘米，劍首直徑 6.7 厘米 玉質細膩，有綠色、赭色斑，瑩潤有澤。玉石上明顯的鐵鏽斑。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
AN IMPERIAL SCROLL-SHAPED ZITAN BOX AND COVER, QIANLONGChina, 1736-1795. Naturalistically carved as three stacked scrolls, the upper scroll with a neatly incised lozenge diaper pattern in deep relief, the lower two with similarly executed floral and wan-symbol patterns, respectively. Each of the three with a bone-inlaid plaque imitating a label, meticulously engraved with gilt inscriptions identifying the paintings once contained in the box, all framed by a remarkably fine silver-inlaid T-scroll border, and cleverly decorated with further inlays to imitate the clasps and scroll handles. The sides again meticulously carved and painted to imitate the scroll ends. The interiors delicately padded with lozenge-diapered Imperial yellow silk.Inscriptions: The upper scroll box, 'Poetic Ideas from the Imperial Jiguang Temple, painted by Qian Weicheng, calligraphy by Liang Shizheng'. The lower left scroll, 'Poetic Ideas of the Imperial Jade Belt Bridge, painted by Xu Yang, calligraphy by Wang Yudun'. The lower right scroll, 'Poetic Ideas on the Boat Journey to Spring, painted by Dong Bangda, calligraphy by Liang Shizheng'.Provenance: British trade. Condition: Very good condition with some old wear and traces of usage, also to the interior, light surface scratches, minuscule age cracks, nicks and losses. The gilt to the incised inscriptions slightly worn off. The textiles to the inside slightly faded, with loose thread and minor creases.Weight: 1,194 g Dimensions: Length 27.8 cm This exquisitely conceived box is remarkable for the combination of zitan wood, gilt bone inlays, and silk textiles which all have been carefully assembled resulting in a harmonious design overall. Skillfully modeled to simulate three scrolls, such elaborate curiosity pieces are rare and would have enjoyed a place of prestige in an elegant scholar's studio or even an Imperial palace.The Qianlong Emperor's love of painting and calligraphy fueled the development of boxes for such treasured items. The characteristics of these containers included the use of choice materials, the preferences being zitan, carved lacquer, cloisonne, and bamboo, due to their durability and fine quality which would complement the painting and calligraphy. The shape and decoration of these containers were also carefully considered to reflect both their contents and the imperial authority. Scroll boxes in the form of either three or five stacked scrolls were made in a variety of materials and demonstrate the importance given to packaging during the Qianlong reign.The paintings contained in such scroll boxes were usually made by well-known court painters and the boxes usually depict the title on the cover. The present box is decorated with three meticulously carved inlaid plaques imitating labels, each inscribed with the title of a famous painting, all three by court painters known to be active during the reign of Qianlong. One is a landscape depicting the Yudai bridge by Xu Yang, another a landscape painting of the Jiguang temple by Qian Weicheng, the last a painting of a boat by Dong Bangda.Literature comparison:Boxes made to imitate scrolls were popular in the Qianlong period and were made in various materials and designs. Compare the near-identical scroll-form box made of zitan and inlaid ivory, and the one in carved red lacquer, both in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and illustrated in The Sumptuous Art of Imperial Packaging, Macau, 2000, pp. 30-31, nos. 2 and 3.Compare an imperial carved cinnabar lacquer scroll box and cover, dated to the Qianlong period (1736-1795), at Christie's New York, 19 March 2009, lot 589. Compare a gilt-bronze and cloisonne enamel covered box, dated to the Qianlong period, at Sotheby's Paris, 16 June 2022, lot 141. Compare a hardwood scroll shaped box and cover, dated to the Qing dynasty, at Sotheby's London, 6 November 2013, lot 73.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 April 2018, lot 3413 Estimate: HKD 500,000 or approx. EUR 68,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of ivory-inlaid zitan scroll-shaped boxes and covers, Qing dynasty, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, inlays, and decorations. Note that this lot comprises two boxes.乾隆御製紫檀卷軸蓋盒中國，1736-1795年。紫檀卷軸刻雷紋、團花紋與萬字紋，嵌象牙，象牙上刻所裝書畫名稱等畫名。可開啓。此包裝的造型采用卷軸冊頁式，製作精美。盒内襯雷紋黃地絲綿。 款識：御制玉帶橋詩意，徐揚畫，汪由敦書；御制積廣詩意，錢維城畫，梁詩正書；御制舟行春興詩意，梁詩正書，董邦達畫。 來源：英國古玩交易。 品相：狀況極好，有一些磨損和使用痕跡，內部也有輕微的劃痕，微小的老化裂縫、刻痕和缺損。鎏金略有磨損，内襯略微褪色，線鬆散，有輕微摺痕。 重量：1,194 克 尺寸：長 27.8 厘米 紫檀木、鎏金象牙以及絲綢紡織品的組合使盒子顯得尤爲珍貴，整體設計和諧，深受文人雅士甚至皇宮之中所推崇。由於字數限制，完整中文敘述請至www.zacke.at查看。
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