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AN IMPERIAL GUANGZHOU ENAMEL 'LOTUS AND SHOU' SNUFF BOTTLE, YONGZHENG MARK AND PERIODChina, 1723-1735. Of ovoid form, the short waisted foot and neck each with a flat gilt-copper rim. Finely enameled on a yellow ground with formal scrolling flowers and vines as well as a circular medallion with the character shou (longevity) between a bat and a neatly detailed lotus blossom. The neck and foot enameled with bands of formalized lotus petals and line borders. The concave base with a red-enameled four-character mark Yongzheng nianzhi and of the period.Provenance: Belgian trade. Condition: Fine condition commensurate with age showing expected old wear and some manufacturing irregularities, rubbing to gilt, minor flaking to enamels, minute nicks to the copper alloy foot and lip. One small chip to the shoulder with an associated old repair. While the enamels are generally crisp and quite well preserved, the yellow background is somewhat faded.Stopper: Gilt bronze, possibly matching, good spoon Weight: 124.5 g Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 100 mm. Diameter neck 15 mm and mouth 6 mmAs noted by Hugh Moss, “extant examples of Yongzheng painted enamels on metal are almost as rare as those surviving from the Kangxi reign. [...] Of all surviving marked enamels from the Yongzheng era (there are not many), more than half are southern.” Yellow-ground enamel on copper examples of this form and from the “southern” group, e.g. from Guangzhou, are rare and vary in decoration including designs of dragons, deer in landscape, and bats, lotus and Shou, as seen on the present bottle.The Imperial Enamel Workshop which was first established in Beijing by the Kangxi Emperor utilizing the knowledge of Jesuit priests and enamellers from Guangzhou, was producing enamel works since circa 1715 as attested to by a Jesuit priest, Father de Maille, see H. Garner, The Origins of Famille Rose, TOCS, vol. 37, 1967-1969, London, 1970, page 4. However, the most important Chinese craftsmen came from Guangzhou as shown in a Court memorial dated 1716 noting the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi sent two artisans to Beijing to serve in the Enamel Workshop, see Yang Boda, Tributes from Guangdong to the Ch'ing Court, Hong Kong, 1987, page 63. By the Yongzheng period, technical challenges were gradually overcome and the painting became more refined and controlled.This bottle exhibits the Guangzhou tendency to elaborate on Beijing decorative motifs in a novel manner. Although the subject of formalized flowers on a yellow ground was common to both the Palace workshops in Beijing and on Guangzhou wares for the court, the style was generally different. The standard northern style tended to be simpler and more powerful, while its southern counterpart was more complex and ornate, often using a greater range of filling colors within outlined areas, such as scrolling vines and leaves.The lotus is a symbol of harmony in marriage as well as a Buddhist symbol of purity, because the perfect flower emerges from mud and murky waters. The overlapped lotus petals used as decorative borders in the present lot are derived from the bases of Buddhist sculptures from the sixth century onwards, which are usually surrounded by a series of registers of petals opening up to the Buddha seated above. The bat (fu) forms one of the most popular rebuses in Chinese art as it is a pun on the word for 'blessings'.Literature comparison: Yongzheng reign-marked enamel snuff bottles are extremely rare, with only a small number from the Qing court collection still preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 2003, nos. 129-133.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 261 Price: USD 73,000 or approx. EUR 96,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very rare and unusual Guangzhou enamel snuff bottle, Imperial, Guangzhou, Yongzheng four-character mark in brown enamel and of the periodExpert remark: Compare the related motif and form. Note the similar size (height 8.9 cm excl. stopper). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 10 February 2021, lot 3026 Price: HKD 604,800 or approx. EUR 73,300 converted at the time of writing Description: A Canton Enamel 'Millefleurs' Snuff Bottle Mark and Period of YongzhengExpert remark: Compare the quality of the painting, the enameling technique, and the execution of the mark.雍正款與年代御用廣州琺瑯纏枝蓮紋福壽紋鼻煙壺中國，1723-1735年。口略外撇，短頸，卵形，壺身成卵形，圈足；口部和足部邊緣包鍍金銅。淡黃色地，精美琺瑯，肩部蕉葉紋，在蝙蝠與纏枝蓮紋之間團壽紋。 圈足内紅彩“雍正年製”四字款。 來源：比利時古玩交易。 品相：品相良好，有磨損，琺瑯輕微剝落，足部和唇部包銅有微小刻痕。肩部有小磕損和相應的修補。 壺蓋：鎏金銅，可能原配，小勺精緻 重量：124.5 克 尺寸：含壺蓋高100 毫米，頸部直徑15 毫米，壺口直徑6 毫米

A BRONZE HEAD OF A MAN, GOA MADE, EAST JAVA, INDONESIA, 1ST MILLENNIUM BC - 1ST MILLENNIUM ADPublished: Claudio Giardino, Massimo Vidale, and Gian Luca Bonora (editors), Goa Made - An Archeological Discovery, Rome, 2012, page 241, no. 215.Agus Aris Munandar, Hitawasana: Studies on Indonesian Archeology, page 55, no. 6.Finely cast and modeled in the round with a hollow interior. The face with almond-shaped eyes below prominent lids and gently arched brows, centered by a long nose of trapezoidal section above a raised mouth, flanked by elongated ears.Provenance: A private collector in London, United Kingdom, and thence by descent to his daughter Amanda Torri. Alex Torri, Bologna, Italy, inherited from the above. Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above in 2002. A copy of the original invoice from Alex Torri, dated 25 June 2002, showing an image of the present lot, and stating a purchase price of ITL 15,000,000 or approx. EUR 12,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy, and the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Some wear, minor losses, small nicks, light scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations. The head is entirely covered in a superb, naturally grown, malachite-green patina with small areas of azurite encrustation to the interior.Weight: 735.1 g Dimensions: Height 26 cmGoa (or Gua) Made (Made Cave) is a site north of the Brantas River in East Java. Its importance was first discovered by Anacleto Spazzapan, an Italian archeologist, designer, and collector of ethnographic and folk art who frequently traveled to Indonesia. He was first led to the site in 1999 and brought back fragments of fired clay, which he sent to Arcadia labs in Milan for thermoluminescence testing. The first official excavations were subsequently conducted in an underground temple by the Bureau for the Archaeological Conservation of East Java (BACEJ) in 2001 and 2006, the latter funded by Paolo Bertuzzi (the last owner of the present lot), who had developed a profound interest in the site. Finds included imported glazed pottery, Chinese copper or bronze coins, and highly distinct bronze heads such as the present lot. Thermoluminescence analysis of terracotta bricks found in the excavations indicated a date in the early 1st millennium BC. This would not only suggest the discovery of a lost civilization but also challenge widely held notions of Southeast Asian history. The earliest uncontested architectural remains in East Java are two temples dating from the 8th - 9th century AD.In 2007, larger-scale excavations were carried out by a team of Italian and Indonesian archeologists, which revealed a previously overlooked shaft, a complex subterranean structure displaying a sophisticated integrated design that would have required mass community involvement in both its construction and usage. In the following years, disagreements between archeologists involved in the Goa Made project began to emerge. A 2010 article by Andreas M. Steiner and Massimo Vidale in the renowned Italian magazine Archeo supports the dating of the bronze heads to the early 1st millennium BC. In the same year, however, Fiorella Rispoli wrote an article for World Archeology Magazine wherein she questions the accuracy of the thermoluminescence analysis and instead proposed a post-10th century AD dating for the bronze heads, suggesting that the underground temple was most likely a water control system, while the heads should rather be placed within the tradition of East Java folk practices. In his 2016 book Hitawasana, Studies on Indonesian Archeology (where the present lot is illustrated, page 55), Prof. Dr. Agus Aris Munandar from the University of Indonesia wrote that further scientific studies remain necessary, and that additional research is expected to step-by-step resolve the questions regarding this important archeological site.

A BRONZE TEMPLE BELL, LATE MING TO EARLY QING DYNASTYChina, 17th-18th century. The waisted body with a flared base, the domed top surmounted by a twin dragon loop handle with a bud finial, the sides with a raised key-fret band.Provenance: Swedish trade. Condition: Good condition with old wear, naturally grown patina, few small nicks and dents, and some casting irregularities. The bell produces a good, long sound when struck.Weight: 1,050 g Dimensions: Height 19.2 cm Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams San Francisco, 12 March 2013, lot 5190Price: USD 4,375 or approx. EUR 5,400 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Chinese bronze bell, 17th/18th centuryExpert remark: Note the size (24.7 cm)明末清初銅鐘中國，十七至十八世紀。喇叭形鐘口銅鐘，鐘鈕上圓形頂珠，兩側龍形伏獸。鐘體中央一道雙層雷紋飾。 來源：瑞典古玩交易。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損，自然包漿，少量小刻痕和凹痕，以及一些鑄造不規則。敲擊時，鐘會發出美妙而悠長的聲音。 重量：1,050 克 尺寸：高 19.2 釐米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：舊金山邦瀚斯，2013年3月12日，lot 5190 價格：USD 4,375（相當於今日 EUR 5,400） 描述：十七/十八世紀銅鐘 專家評論： 請注意尺寸 (24.7厘米)。

AN ICONIC LARGE BRONZE TORSO OF THE 'WALKING BUDDHA', SUKHOTHAI KINGDOMOpinion: The present lot is a sad and, at the same time, hopeful testimonial to the sheer endless number of Buddhist images that were destroyed during two millennia of turmoil, upheaval, revolution, and outright war. Sad, because the tragedy of brutal and mortifying repression is apparent in this statue, hopeful because even the most savage physical harm was unable to diminish Buddha's eternally peaceful appearance.Thailand, 15th-16th century. Cast striding with the right leg slightly raised, his left hand in vitarka mudra and his right gracefully extended alongside his body, wearing a diaphanous sanghati over his left shoulder and flaring down towards a gently undulating hemline.Provenance: French trade. By repute acquired from an old private estate. Condition: Presenting remarkably well. Condition overall commensurate with age. Old wear, partially from extensive worshipping within the culture. Some casting flaws, few nicks and dents, small cracks and old fills, obvious losses. Fine, naturally grown, dark patina.Dimensions: Height circa 84 cm (excl. stand), circa 97 cm (incl. stand)Mounted to a modern metal stand. (1)The 'Walking Buddha' is a striking and iconic Thai invention emerging in bronze sculpture during the 14th century. Known in Sukhothai as cankrama (walking back and forth) it refers to the pacing of Buddha during the third week after Enlightenment, see H. Woodward, The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand, 1997, page 160ff. When Shakyamuni renounced his princely life, he dismounted from his horse to become a peripatetic mendicant. Buddhist texts describe his constant wandering from city to city in the course of his teaching, exemplifying the important role that the act of walking had upon Buddha's life.Literature comparison:Large models of this size and condition are extremely rare. Compare a related bronze figure of the walking Buddha, dated to the 15th century, height 128.3 cm, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 31.115. Compare another smaller example of the walking Buddha, dated to the 14th century, height 28 cm, in the British Museum, museum number 1947,0514.1.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 17 September 1999, lot 254Price: USD 112,500 or approx. EUR 194,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Large and Important Bronze Figure of a 'Walking Buddha', Thailand, Sukhothai, 15th/16th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose, color of the bronze, and size (117 cm including head and feet).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 13 September 2017, lot 635Price: USD 100,000 or approx. EUR 117,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Rare Bronze Figure of a Walking Buddha, Thailand, Sukhothai period, 15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose and dress. Note the small size (43.7 cm).

A BRONZE ARCHAISTIC MINIATURE TRIPOD CENSER, DING, QING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURYChina. The slightly tapered cylindrical body supported on three tapered cylindrical legs, the galleried rim surmounted by a pair of arched handles, the exterior cast with three taotie masks divided by three vertical raised flanges, all against a leiwen ground, the legs decorated with archaistic pendent cicada leaves.Provenance: French trade. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, small nicks, little dents, light surface scratches, encrustations, and casting flaws.Weight: 235 g Dimensions: Height 8.4 cm Auction result comparison:Type: Near identicalAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 October 2014, lot 3336Price: HKD 35,000 or approx. EUR 5,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A miniature bronze incense burner, ding, Qing dynasty, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the near identical form, decorations, and size (8.4 cm)十七世紀青銅仿古三足鼎式爐中國。鼎式爐球形深腹，雙立耳，下承三足。外壁雷紋地饕餮紋。足部蕉葉紋。 來源：英國古玩交易。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損、小劃痕、小凹痕、結殼和鑄造缺陷。 重量：235 克 尺寸：高8.4 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：幾乎相同 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2014年10月7日，lot 3336 價格：HKD 35,000（相當於今日EUR 5,000） 描述：清十七世紀銅饕餮紋沖天耳袖珍鼎式爐 專家評論：比較幾乎相同的外形，裝飾和尺寸 (8.4 厘米)。

A RARE BRONZE WINE JAR, HU, EASTERN HAN DYNASTYPublished: Rose Kerr et al., Chinese Antiquities from the Wou Kiuan Collection, page 67, no. 39.China, 25-220 AD. The globular body supported on a short foot and rising to a stout cylindrical neck with galleried rim, finely cast with a broad leiwen band encircling the waist, applied with two taotie masks in high relief, each with a loop handle suspending a loose ring. The bronze with a superb, naturally grown, rich patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Sotheby's London, 24 June 1958, lot 91 (dated to the Six Dynasties period). Dr. Wou Kiuan, acquired from the above. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. H.4.2. A copy of the catalog entry for the present lot from Sotheby's London, 24 June 1958, lot 91, noting the buyer “Wou” and a purchase price of forty-six British pounds, approximately two months' salary at the time, accompanies this lot. Dr. Wou Kiuan (1910-1997) was a Chinese diplomat and noted scholar of Chinese art. His father, Wou Lien-Pai (1873-1944), was one the leading political figures of early 20th century China, remembered for his role as speaker and leader of parliament during the turbulent years of the Republican era. Dr. Wou himself embarked on an illustrious career in diplomacy until his retirement in 1952, when he settled in London and devoted the rest of his life to the study of Chinese art. It was no doubt fortuitous that Dr. Wou's years of collecting coincided with an abundant availability of exceptional Chinese art on the London market. From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s he was able to form a collection of well over 1,000 works that together represented virtually every category of Chinese art. At the heart of Dr. Wou's drive to collect was a burning desire to preserve the relics of China's rich historical past scattered across Europe, and to promote Chinese art and culture. It is unclear when Dr. Wou conceived of the idea to create a place to house his collection, but in 1968 he opened the doors to the Wou Lien-Pai Museum, named in honor of his father. Over the years the Museum became a 'must see' destination for collectors, academics, and visiting dignitaries, and Dr. Wou would delight in leading his visitors through the galleries, recounting stories of China's glorious history. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Expected old wear, minor dents and losses, casting flaws, encrustations, signs of weathering and erosion, one loop handle with a small crack, all exactly as expected from a bronze that is 2,000 years old. Weight: 5,664 g Dimensions: Height 34.3 cm東漢罕見雙耳青銅壺中國，公元前25至公元220年。壺口外撇，頸微束，溜肩，肩部兩側分鑄一對獸面紋銜環舖首，腹部下收，肩腹飾雷紋帶，圈足高，嵌紅銅，皮色暗沉古穆。 出版：Rose Kerr et al.，《Chinese Antiquities from the Wou Kiuan Collection》，頁67，編號39。 來源：倫敦蘇富比，1958年6月24日，lot 91 (當時斷代為六朝時期)；吳權博士購於上述拍賣，吳蓮伯美術館，編號 H.4.2.。隨附一份蘇富比拍賣目錄複印件，上面寫著“Wou”，售價46英鎊。吳權(1910-1997)博士曾是一位中國外交家以及知名中國藝術收藏家。他的父親吳蓮伯 (1873-1944)先生曾是二十世紀初中國重要政治人物，因在民國動蕩歲月中擔任國會議員及議長而聞名。1952 年，吳博士在外交領域走上了輝煌之路，直到他退休後定居倫敦，並將餘生奉獻給了對中國藝術的研究。毫無疑問，吳權博士多年的收藏，與大量中國藝術珍品現身倫敦藝術市場上時間點相呼應，這無疑是幸運的。從 1950 年代中期到 1960 年代後期，他收集了 1,000 多件藏品，涵蓋了中國藝術的每一個門類。吳博士之所以收藏，其原因主要是爲保護散落歐洲各地的中國文物與推廣中國藝術與文化。尚不清楚吳博士何時想到創建一個美術館來歸置他的收藏的，但在 1968 年，他打開了以他父親的名字命名的 吳蓮伯美術館的大門。多年來，美術館已成為收藏家、學者和來訪政要的必經之地，而吳博士總是很樂意給參觀者介紹美術館，講述中國光輝歷史的故事。 品相：狀態極佳，磨損、輕微的凹痕和缺損、鑄造缺陷、結殼、風化和侵蝕的跡象，一活環帶有小裂紋。 重量：5,664 克 尺寸：高 34.3 厘米

A SILVERY BRONZE 'TLV' MIRROR, HAN DYNASTYChina, 2nd-1st century BC. Of circular form, the central knop set within a square border from which project four 'T' motifs flanked by pointed nipples and positioned below 'L' motifs alternating with 'V' motifs incorporated into a band of archaistic beasts executed in thread relief, all encircled by a hachured border below sawtooth bands and scrolls on the rim.Provenance: French trade, acquired from a French private collection built between ca. 1980 and 2012. Two old labels to the base '3310 02' and 'Han-China21EVC-22ENC'. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age and as expected for an authentic bronze with an age of ca. 2,000 years. Few signs of weathering, little wear, minor corrosion, and small nicks. Fine, silvery-gray patina with traces of malachite encrustation.Weight: 632 g Dimensions: Diameter 13.1 cmMounted on a modern metal stand. (2)Expert's note: The decoration on this TLV mirror and others like it is now believed to be derived from the layout of Qin and Han dynasty liubo game boards. Liubo was an ancient Chinese board game played by two players. The game rapidly declined in popularity after the Han dynasty and eventually became entirely forgotten. Knowledge of the game has increased in recent years with archeological discoveries of Liubo game boards and game equipment in ancient tombs, as well as discoveries of Han dynasty picture stones and picture bricks depicting Liubo players.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 16 September 2014, lot 128Price: USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 21,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze 'TLV' mirror, Han dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related motif and patina. Note the slightly larger size (16.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2013, lot 1139Price: USD 21,250 or approx. EUR 24,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze 'TLV' mirror, Western Han dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related motif and patina. Note the much larger size (20.6 cm).漢代鎏銀銅鏡中國，公元前二至一世紀。圓形銅鏡，半球鈕，四瓣葉形鈕座。鏡背飾以大方廓與博局紋，均由中央微凹之小寬條構成；博局紋與大方廓間夾有細陽線構成之動物紋，方廓四邊外各飾以枚乳丁。博局紋外靠鏡緣接一圈三角形鋸齒紋，靠鏡緣有如波浪形紋飾，鏡緣寬平略高於內區。 來源：法國古玩交易，購於一個法國私人收藏，建立於1980年至 2012年間，保存至今。底座上有兩個標籤 '3310 02' 與 'Han-China21EVC-22ENC'。 品相：狀況極佳，輕微風化跡象、磨損、腐蝕和小刻痕。精緻的銀灰色古銅色包漿，帶有孔雀石綠色結殼。 重量：632 克 尺寸：直徑13.1 厘米 現代金屬架 (2) 博局紋圖案與六博棋盤結構圖案相似，又稱規矩紋，歐美學者依其形稱為TLV紋，是漢代銅鏡上常見的紋飾之一。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2014年9月16日，lot 128 價格：USD 18,750（相當於今日EUR 21,500） 描述：漢青銅四神規矩紋鏡 專家評論：比較非常相近的主題和包漿。請注意尺寸稍大(16.5 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2013年3月22日，lot 1139 價格：USD 21,250（相當於今日EUR 24,500） 描述：西漢王氏作鏡銘四靈博局紋銅鏡 專家評論：比較相近的主題和包漿。請注意尺寸大很多(20.6 厘米)。

A BRONZE FIGURE OF VISHNU, ANGKOR PERIODKhmer Empire, 11th-12th century. Well cast, standing in samapada on a square base, eight-armed, holding his implements, the primary right hand with a bow, dressed in a long sampot secured at the waist with beaded belts, adorned with jewelry and a sash around the upper body. The face with a serene expression and almond-shaped eyes below a gently arched eyebrow, flanked by elongated earlobes, surmounted by a headdress and conical chignon. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, solid patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: An Austrian collection, acquired at auction in Holland. By repute previously in an old private estate. Condition: Very good condition with wear, few nicks, small dents and losses, light scratches, and signs of weathering and erosion. The marble base with traces of use and minor nicks.Weight: 2,328 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 19.5 cm (excl. stand) and 27.7 cm (incl. stand)Mounted to an old, neatly faceted black marble base, dating from around 1900. (2)Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 21 September 2007, lot 366Price: USD 21,250 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze figure of Lokeshvara, Khmer, Angkor Period, Bayon style, 13th centuryExpert remark: Compare the pose. Note the larger size (26.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 23 July 2020, lot 37Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 9,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze figure of Vishnu, Khmer, 10th-11th centuryExpert remark: Compare the pose. Note the larger size (27.2 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams London, 8 June 2004, lot 437Estimate: GBP 18,000 or approx. EUR 40,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A large and important bronze figure of a five-headed ten-armed deity, probably Sadasiva, Khmer, Angkor Period, Angkor Wat style, 12th CenturyExpert remark: Compare the pose. Note the much larger size (32 cm).

A RARE AND IMPORTANT BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL, EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, SHANXI OR HEBEI, CHINA, 7TH-5TH CENTURY BCPublished: Friedrich Georg Zeileis, Von Shang bis Qing - Dreieinhalb Jahrtausende Chinesischer Bronze (From Shang to Qing - Three and a Half Millenia of Chinese Bronze), 1999, pages 252-253, no. 86. Superbly cast, the globular body rising to a short waisted neck with an everted rim, densely decorated with rectangular panels full of archaic scrolls divided by rope-twist bands, all neatly incised in fine relief. The bronze with a rich, solid, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustation.Provenance: A noted private collection in New York, assembled since the 1920s. E & J Frankel Ltd., New York, early 1990s. Friedrich Georg Zeileis, acquired from the above, according to his publication. E & J Frankel was a major New York gallery specializing in Asian Art since 1967. Run by Edith (1939-2012) and Joel Frankel (1937-2018), it was one of the oldest galleries in the United States focusing exclusively on Asian art. Leaders in their field, the Frankels traveled the world in search of Asian art treasures and educated the general public about their shared passion. Their gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City became a local institution, best known for its regular schedule of innovative thematic exhibitions, and frequently visited by the biggest names in the field, such as Eskenazi, Ellsworth, Junkunc, and the Alsdorfs. Dr. Friedrich Georg Zeileis (b. 1939) is a retired physician who built an important collection of ancient Chinese jades and bronzes. He was also a pianist and composer, and published several books, as well as catalogs of his substantial art collections, including fine Chinese jades and bronzes. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, displaying spectacularly. Extensive old wear, minor dents, small nicks, light scratches, minute losses, signs of weathering and erosion, soil encrustations. Absolutely original with no fills or repairs whatsoever! A Zhou-dynasty bronze in such a well-preserved state must be considered exceedingly rare.Weight: 2,628 g Dimensions: Height 23.5 cmSeveral names have been given to vessels of this shape. A variety of designations, including lei, ling, fou, and pou, appear in inscriptions cast on the everted rims of some of these bronzes, even vessels closely comparable in shape. This type first appeared in the late Shang/early Western Zhou period, and the first versions typically had a long neck and sharply angled shoulders. By the end of the eighth century, the necks on these vessels had become proportionately shorter, and the shoulders more rounded. With its sharply angled shoulders and short neck, the present vessel would appear to represent a transitional period in the vessel's development.Expert's note: According to the Zeileis publication, the present lot was judged by Dr. W. Thomas Chase, retired Head Conservator of the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art, as a “doubtless genuine bronze”, while it was with E & J Frankel. According to the same publication, the present lot was examined in 1998 by Dr. Anna Bennett, an archeological scientist and conservator, who found it to be irreproachably authentic as well as unusual in this form, and extremely rare.Literature comparison: Compare a related bronze fu with similar decoration, also without handles, illustrated by Jenny So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, 1995, page 217, no. 34. The author notes that vessels with 'twist-rope' panels can be found from the provinces Shanxi to Hebei. Compare a related bronze pou, 20.5 cm high, dated to the Eastern Zhou dynasty, 7th century BC, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.277, illustrated by Jenny So, ibid., p. 210-213, no. 32. A lei without handles and with related dragon scroll cast on the shoulder, but undecorated on the lower body, from Henan Xinyang Guangshan Baoxiangsi G1, is illustrated by Jenny So, ibid., p. 134, fig. 13.2, where it is dated to the second quarter of the 6th century BC.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 19 September 2013, lot 1113 Price: USD 663,750 or approx. EUR 771,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A fine and rare bronze ritual wine vessel, lei, Spring and Autumn period, early 7th century BCExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and related decoration. Note the slightly larger size (29.5 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 6 November 2007, lot 334 Price: EUR 86,650 or approx. EUR 125,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An archaic bronze ceremonial wine vessel, fou, Eastern Zhou dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related form and decoration. Note the animal handles and slightly larger size (29.7 cm).西元前七至五世紀重要青銅酒器，山西或河北敞口外翻，束頸，豐肩，斂足，圈足。器身地飾鳥紋與繩紋帶。豐富、堅固、自然的銅銹，帶有孔雀石色和赤銅色結殼。造型美觀，紋飾謹嚴，鑄造精良。出版：Friedrich Georg Zeileis，《Von Shang bis Qing - Dreieinhalb Jahrtausende Chinesischer Bronze (From Shang to Qing - Three and a Half Millenia of Chinese Bronze)》，1999年，第252-253頁，圖 86。 來源：知名紐約私人收藏，建立於上世紀二十年代；紐約E & J Frankel Ltd.藝廊，上世紀九十年代初；Friedrich Georg Zeileis購於上述藝廊，並收編於他的出版物。 品相：品相極好，大量磨損、輕微凹痕、小刻痕、輕微劃痕、微小缺損、風化和侵蝕跡象、土壤結殼。無任何填充或維修！如此保存完好的周代青銅器，實屬難得一見。 重量：2,628 克 尺寸：高 23.5 釐米

A RARE BRONZE ARROW VASE, TOUHU, SONG - YUAN DYNASTYChina, 13th-14th century. The bottle-shaped body rising from a flaring foot to a long neck tapering towards the galleried rim and flanked by two tubular handles, cast to the body with a band of single-horned dragons above a leiwen ground, the neck and handles with a wider and narrower band of leiwen, the body and neck divided by two ribs and stiff leaves, the foot with further stiff leaves.Provenance: From a private estate in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, small nicks, light scratches, few dents, minor cracks, tiny losses, and casting flaws. Solid, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 2,732 g Dimensions: Height 38.8 cmExpert's note: Large arrow vases from this early period are exceedingly rare, especially with a dragon design in such high relief. Further note the clever and elegant alignment of the two elongated narrow tubes with the neck of the vessel, which also serves as the main tube.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 October 2014, lot 3384Price: HKD 325,000 or approx. EUR 47,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Bronze Archaistic Arrow-Handled Vase Song / Yuan DynastyExpert remark: Compare the related cast and design. Note the much smaller size (24.6 cm).宋至元銅投壺中國，十三至十四世紀。長直頸、兩側貫耳，圓鼓腹。鼓腹上雷紋地單角龍紋，頸部和手柄有寬窄不一的雷紋帶，頸部和腹部弦紋帶，頸部和足部修飾蕉葉紋。 來源：英國斯坦福郡私人舊藏。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損、小刻痕、輕微劃痕、少量凹痕、輕微裂紋、微小損失和鑄造缺陷。整體包漿緊實。 重量：2,732 克 尺寸：高 38.8 厘米 專家注釋：這一時期的投壺非常罕見，尤其是龍形浮雕如此之高。請注意兩個細長的頸部與貫耳的對稱。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2014年10月7日，lot 3384 價格：HKD 325,000（相當於今日EUR 47,000） 描述：宋 / 元銅饕餮紋貫耳壺 專家評論：比較相近的鑄造和設計。請注意尺寸較小(24.6 厘米)。

A BRONZE ARCHAISTIC ARROW VASE, TOUHU, SONG TO YUAN DYNASTYChina, late 12th to 13th century. Of slender pear shape with long neck, rising from a flaring foot to a straight cylindrical rim flanked by a pair of tubular handles, the handles and neck decorated with a band of leiwen, the design repeated at the foot. With a naturally grown, fine brownish-black patina overall.Provenance: Collection of Arnold Vissiere, Paris, France, thence by descent in the same family. Arnold Vissiere (1858-1930) was a French sinologist born in Paris and one of the creators of the French School of the Far East system. He worked as an interpreter at the French legation in Beijing and became a professor at the Ecole des Langues Orientales Vivantes in 1911. Later, Vissiere was appointed Consul General in Shanghai and then Minister Plenipotentiary in China. He also worked at the National Library on the catalog of Chinese books. Vissiere collected Chinese art including Chinese maps, some of which are exhibited in the Musee Guimet.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few nicks, small dents, light scratches, small cracks with associated minor losses, and casting flaws.Weight: 691.1 g Dimensions: Height 26.8 cmLiterature comparison:Compare a related bronze arrow vase, 21.6 cm, also dated Song to Yuan dynasty, late 12th to 13th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2021.294.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's Hong Kong, 11 June 2021, lot 3192Price: HKD 75,000 or approx. EUR 9,100 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze 'wave' two-handled tool arrow vase, Yuan dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related form and decoration. Note the much smaller size (17.9 cm).宋至元仿古銅投壺中國，十二世紀末至十三世紀。修長的梨形，長頸，圈足外撇，頸部雙貫耳。貫耳和頸部飾有雷紋紋飾帶，圈足處重複。整體細膩棕黑色包漿。 來源：法國巴黎 Arnold Vissiere，在同一家族保存至今。Arnold Vissiere (1858-1930) 是一位生於巴黎的法國漢學家，法國遠東學派體系的創始人之一。他曾在北京的法國大使館擔任翻譯，並於 1911 年成為 Ecole des Langues Vivantes 的教授。後來，Vissiere 被任命為駐上海總領事，隨後被任命為駐華全權公使。他還在國家圖書館從事中文圖書目錄工作。 Vissiere 收藏了包括中國地圖在內的很多中國藝術品，其中一些在吉美博物館展出。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損、少量刻痕、小凹痕、輕微劃痕、小裂紋以及相關的輕微缺損和鑄造缺陷。 重量：691.1 克 尺寸：高26.8 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的宋至元十二至十三世紀投壺，21.6 厘米，收藏於大都會美術館，館藏編號 2021.294。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港佳士得，2021年6月11日，lot 3192 價格：HKD 75,000（相當於今日EUR 9,100） 描述：元銅海水紋投壺 專家評論：比較相近的外形和裝飾。請注意尺寸小很多(17.9 厘米)。

A RARE GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF A STANDING MAITREYA, NEPAL, 14TH CENTURYFinely cast standing on a circular lotus base with tiered beaded rims, his left hand raised in front of the chest and holding a lotus stem coming to full bloom at the shoulder topped by a kundika, his right pendent and similarly holding a lotus stem. Clad in a sheer dhoti incised with foliate designs and flaring at the sides, richly adorned with beaded and floral jewelry with inlays of turquoise, lapis lazuli, and coral.Provenance: Jacques How Asian Art, Brussels, Belgium. A noted German private collection, acquired from the above. The base with an old label from Jacques How Asian Art. Jacques How-Choong has been collecting and dealing in Chinese and Southeast Asian art for many years, specializing in particular in Himalayan art and ritual objects, rare early Buddhist art, focusing on Dali Kingdom sculpture, as well as archaic works of art. Several museums, institutions, dealers, and private collectors are among his clientele. He is a distinguished member of Asian Art in Brussels and also exhibits annually at Parcours des Mondes in Paris.Condition: Good condition with some wear, particularly to gilt, minuscule nicks, minor dents, light scratches. The inlays possibly replaced at different times over many centuries. The figure leaning. The base sealed. The back with a small inlaid bronze plaque of rectangular shape for ritual purpose.Weight: 244.3 gDimensions: Height 11.2 cmWith an old fitted wood stand, possibly zitan, cleverly serving to compensate the leaning posture of the figure. (2)His serene face with heavy-lidded almond-shaped eyes below raised arched brows centered by a rectangular urna, further with a broad nose and full lips forming a subtle smile, the hair piled in a tall chignon topped with a jewel behind the foliate tiara.The presence of the kundika vase crowning the resplendent lotus flower by his left shoulder identifies this idealized young prince as the future Buddha Maitreya. Although equally vital to popular Buddhist practice, standing Maitreya images are relatively rare by comparison to more common bronzes of Avalokiteshvara Padmapani. This most elegant form of a standing bodhisattva maintained its popularity in Nepal until at least the 16th century, being applied to various deities including Manjushri.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 13 September 2016, lot 201 Price: USD 23,750 or approx. EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt bronze figure of a standing tara, Nepal, 14th century Expert remark: Compare the related pose, circular lotus base, and inlaid gemstones. Note the size (13.3 cm).十四世紀尼泊爾罕見彌勒佛鎏金銅像彌勒佛立於圓形蓮座上，邊緣有連珠紋，左手舉於胸前，手持一枝盛開於肩部的蓮花，上有一個淨瓶，右手垂下，同樣手持一朵蓮花。身穿飾有葉狀圖案並在兩側張開的法衣，鑲嵌有綠松石、青金石和珊瑚。面容平靜安詳，雙眼微垂，眉毛之間有白毫，闊鼻，嘴唇豐滿，頭髮盤成一個高高的髮髻，在葉狀頭飾後面鑲嵌著一顆寶石。來源：比利時布魯塞爾Jacques How Asian Art藝廊；知名德國私人收藏。購於上述藝廊。底部有 Jacques How Asian Art藝廊標籤。Jacques How-Choong多年來一直從事中國和東南亞藝術品的收藏和交易，尤其擅長喜馬拉雅藝術品和法器、稀有的早期佛教藝術品，專注於大理王國雕塑，以及古代藝術品。一些博物館、機構、經銷商和私人收藏。家都是他的客戶。他是布魯塞爾亞洲藝術協會的傑出成員，並且每年都會在巴黎的 Parcours des Mondes 舉辦展覽。 品相：狀況良好，有一些磨損，特別是鍍金方面，有微小的劃痕和輕微的凹痕。鑲嵌物可能在過去更換過。造像傾斜。 底座密封。背面鑲嵌一小塊長方形青銅牌，供祭祀之用。 重量：244.3 克 尺寸：高 11.2 厘米 相配木底座，或爲紫檀，巧妙地彌補了人物的傾斜姿勢。(2) 造像左肩上的蓮花淨瓶，表明他就是未來的彌勒佛。儘管對流行的佛教修行同樣重要，但與更常見的觀世音蓮花生青銅造像相比，站立的彌勒佛像相對較少。此類優雅立像造型至少在十六世紀之前在尼泊爾一直很受歡迎，被應用於包括文殊菩薩在內的各種菩薩。

A PARCEL-GILT SOLID SILVER FIGURE OF SHADAKSHARI LOKESHVARA, PALA REVIVAL, TIBET, 17TH-18TH CENTURYOpinion: This is probably a rather important commission because during the Pala revival era, Buddhist images that were cast in solid silver were extremely scarce. Most only contain a small amount of silver inlay instead. This may also suggest that this is an early example, as solid silver images were more prevalent in Tibet before the 17th century.Seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base with beaded rim, his principal hands in anjali mudra, the secondary hands holding a lotus flower and forming the vitarka mudra. Dressed in a diaphanous dhoti, richly adorned with fine beaded jewelry. The cold-gilded face with a serene expression and downcast eyes below gently arched brows, centered by an urna, flanked by elongated earlobes suspending two circular earrings, the hair tied in a high chignon secured by a foliate tiara. Note the finely gilt inlay work to both legs.Provenance: From a private collection in Belgium.Condition: Very good condition with old wear and casting irregularities, expected tarnishing to the silver, few minuscule nicks, rubbing to gilt, one of the celestial scarves possibly with a minor old repair.Weight: 301.8 gDimensions: Height 13 cmThis figure follows Indian Pala period bronze prototypes, of which various examples were in the Chinese Imperial collection and which inspired the production of revival pieces during the first half of the Qing dynasty not only in Tibet, but also at the workshops of the Qing Imperial Court. It is an image of Shadakshari Lokeshvara, a form of the merciful and compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. This form of the deity is the 'patron saint' of Tibet and is known as the Lokeshvara of the Six Mystical Syllables: om mani pad me hum (Hail to the jewel in the lotus). All Dalai Lamas are believed to be reincarnations of Shadakshari Lokeshvara. In the 17th century in Tibet, silver was seen as more precious than gilt bronze, and the process of obtaining silver was considerably more laborious than that for obtaining gold. As such, statues cast in solid silver were viewed as lavish, and were almost certainly commissions to accompany prayers for the favorable rebirth of an important loved one.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 Oct 2018, lot 77Estimate: HKD 300,000 or approx. EUR 38,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A silver figure of Amitayus, Tibet, 17th/18th centuryExpert remark: This comparable shows a figure, while of arguably lower quality, that dates to the same era in Tibetan history, and is of a related scale. Note the slightly smaller size (10.5 cm).十七至十八世紀西藏局部鎏金四臂觀音銀橡，帕拉復興時期四臂觀音結跏趺坐，雙手合十，副手拿著一朵蓮花；頭戴五葉寶冠；面部鎏金，面相端莊祥和，眼睛微閉，雙眉之間有白毫，眉彎連著鼻脛，長耳垂；衣飾瓔珞雕刻簡潔，頸、臂、手、腳均飾有裝飾鍊珠和釧環。形象典雅優美，充分錶現觀音慈悲與智慧的特質。腿上有精美的錯金紋飾。 專家注釋: 這可能是一個相當重要的委託，因為在帕拉復興時期，用純銀鑄造的佛像極為稀少。 大多數只含有少量的銀鑲嵌代替。 這也可能表明這是一個早期的例子，因為在十七世紀之前，純銀造像在西藏更為普遍。 來源：比利時私人收藏。 品相：狀況極好，有磨損和鑄造不規則現象，銀表面失去光澤，有一些微小的劃痕，鍍金有摩擦，其中一條披巾可能有輕微的修復。 重量：301.8 克 尺寸：高 13 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2018年10月2日，lot 77 估價：HKD 300,000（相當於今日EUR 38,000） 描述：銀質無量壽佛像，西藏，十七/十八世紀 專家評論：此比較顯示一件造像，雖然品質較低，但可以追溯到同一時代的西藏，並且具有相近的規模。請注意尺寸稍小(10.5 厘米)。

A CAST AND REPOUSSE GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF TARA, NEPAL, 18TH-19TH CENTURYThe four-armed deity seated in lalitasana on a double-lotus base with beaded upper rim, the main left hand held in vitarka mudra and the main right lowered in varada mudra, the other two hands holding a short staff and sutra. The palm of one hand and sole of one foot each incised with a stylized flowerhead. She is dressed in a diaphanous robe and billowing scarves, and richly adorned with beaded jewelry.Provenance: From the Folker Collection, Denmark. Mr. Folker, an industrialist and well-known collector of Himalayan art, bought from Danish dealers and noted auctioneers such as Lau Sunde and Bruun Rasmussen. Condition: Good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities, small dents, minuscule nicks, minor losses, rubbing to gilt, the base unsealed.Weight: 903 g Dimensions: Height 17 cmHer serene face with sinuously lidded eyes, gently arched brows, a raised urna, and bow-shaped lips forming a calm smile, flanked by elongated earlobes with large circular earrings, the hair arranged in a topknot with a vajra finial behind the foliate tiara, the head backed by a mandorla.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 13 September 2011, lot 326 Price: USD 10,625 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt bronze figure of White Tara, Nepal, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related base, mandorla, and repousse elements, as well as the related size (18.7 cm). Note the different pose and number of arms.十八至十九世紀尼泊爾錘鍱鎏金銅度母像四臂度母結右舒遊戲姿坐於蓮台之上，左手當胸結三寶印，右手撫膝施五羅陀手印，另兩手執短杖和經卷。其面容慈悲安詳，雙眉之間有白毫，面帶微笑，神情恬淡怡然；長耳垂，佩戴大耳環；頭髮梳成高髻；葉狀王冠後有一個金剛杵頂飾，有光背。緊貼肢體的天衣帛帶，佩戴著華麗的串珠首飾。 來源：丹麥Folker私人收藏。Folker先生是一位實業家和著名的喜馬拉雅藝術收藏家，從丹麥經銷商和著名拍賣商如 Lau Sunde 和 Bruun-Rasmussen 處購買。 品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損和鑄造不規則、小凹痕、微小刻痕、輕微缺損、鍍金摩擦、底座未密封。 重量：903 克 尺寸：高17 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2011年9月13日，lot 326 價格：USD 10,625（相當於今日EUR 12,500） 描述：十八世紀尼泊爾鎏金銅白度母像 專家評論：比較非常相近的底座、光背和、錘鍱元素，以及相近尺寸 (18.7 厘米)。請注意不同的姿勢和只有一對手臂。

A 'LUDUAN' BRONZE CENSER, CHINA, 17TH CENTURYThe beast is heavily cast standing foursquare, the detachable single-horned head is hinged from the front and is set with bulging eyes, an open mouth revealing sharp fangs, and a curling mane. The body is decorated with swirling scrolls wrapping around the feet.Provenance: Austrian private collection. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few small losses, and casting flaws. Good patina, naturally grown with malachite and cuprite encrustations. The hinge still intact.Weight: 1,248 g Dimensions: Height 16.2 cm Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's London, 10 May 2017, lot 29Price: GBP 13,125 or approx. EUR 20,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A small bronze 'luduan' incense burner, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related pose. Note the much smaller size (8 cm).十七世紀甪端銅香薰獨角甪端形象，昂首傲立，蹲伏狀。雙目圓瞪，髮鬚如火焰紋，前胸配以纓絡鈴鐺，頭部與身體相分開。腹部中空，設計巧妙。體態飽滿圓潤。 來源：奧地利私人收藏。 品相：狀況非常好，有輕微磨損、微小缺損和鑄造缺陷。良好的包漿，自然生長，帶有綠色和紅色結殼。鉸鏈仍然完好無損。 重量：1,248 克 尺寸：高16.2 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2017年5月10日，lot 29 價格：GBP 13,125（相當於今日EUR 20,000） 描述：十七世紀銅甪端 專家評論：比較相近姿勢。請注意尺寸小很多(8 厘米)。

A BRONZE FIGURE OF THE ASCETIC BUDDHA, THAILAND, 19TH CENTURYThe emaciated figure comprising four detachable parts, including the plinth, buddha, mandorla, and chignon. Shakyamuni is seated in meditation on a raised plinth decorated to the front with six acolytes, his shoulders enveloped in a folded shawl, the face with downcast eyes, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair tied in a high chignon, and backed by a mandorla.Provenance: Copenhagen trade, Denmark. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few nicks, small dents, and expected casting flaws. Good, solid patina overall.Weight: 9.6 kg Dimensions: Height 53.8 cmThis figure depicts Shakyamuni practicing extreme asceticism in the wilderness during his search for enlightenment. During this time, he realized that such self-punishment was ultimately futile, and he eventually attained enlightenment through meditation and the Middle Path of balance and moderation. Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams London, 5 November 2018, lot 250Price: GBP 4,750 or approx. EUR 6,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt-lacquered copper-alloy figure of the ascetic buddha, Thailand, Bangkok, Rattanakosin period 19th/20th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related pose, motif and material. Note the size (108 cm) and the later dating.

A YELLOW JADE 'DOUBLE DRAGON' PENDANT, HUANG, WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, c. 1100-771 BC. The arc-shaped huang is carved on one side with a stylized motif that represents the dragon's body and legs, terminating at each end with an abstract dragon head. Two small holes are drilled for suspension. The translucent stone of a superb yellow color with brown shadings, russet veins, and small areas of opaque calcification.Provenance: Wiltshire, United Kingdom, local trade. By repute acquired from a private estate. Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and traces of use, tiny nibbles to edges, remnants of pigment, one smoothened area to the upper edge.Weight: 30.7 g Dimensions: Length 11.9 cmLiterature comparison: The dragon on the current huang was a common design during the mid-Western Zhou Dynasty. Compare a similarly decorated jade huang, excavated from the Rui State tomb, illustrated in Selected Bronze, Jade and Gold Treasures from the Rui State of Early Spring and Autumn Period, Xian, 2007, no. 16, pp. 68-69. Compare a related huang, 7.5 cm long, excavated from Tomb no. 49 at the burial site of Shangguo, Wenxi, in the Shanxi Provincial Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 3, Beijing, 2005, p. 159. Compare a related huang, 7.3 cm long, excavated from Tomb no. 31 in the Necropolis of the Marquis of Jin State, Quwo, in the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archeology, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China, vol. 3, Beijing, 2005, p. 101.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29 November 2018, lot 4 Price: HKD 225,000 or approx. EUR 29,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An archaistic yellowish-celadon jade pendant, huang, Han dynasty or earlierExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and carving. Note the slightly smaller size (9.4 cm) and the paler color of the jade. Also note that the dating “Han dynasty or earlier” was somewhat overruled by the market, the hammer price far exceeding the original estimate of HKD 20,000-30,000.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's London, 6 November 2019, lot 215 Price: GBP 32,500 or approx. EUR 42,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Celadon Jade Pendant, Huang, Western Zhou DynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and carving. Note the slightly smaller size (10.8 cm) and the pale celadon color of the jade. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2741 Price: HKD 437,500 or approx. EUR 62,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Celadon Jade 'Dragon' Pendant, Huang, Mid-Western Zhou DynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, the carving and the near-identical size (11.3 cm). Note the pale celadon color of the jade.西周黃玉雙龍璜中國，公元前1100-771年。此件玉璜呈米黃色，半透明，帶有棕色、赤褐色紋理和小塊不透明鈣化區域。飾陰線雙龍紋，兩端為龍首。璜兩端各鑽有一個圓形穿孔。 來源：英國威爾特郡古玩交易，據説購於一個私人收藏。 品相：品相極好，有磨損和使用痕跡，邊緣有微小的磕損，顏料殘留，上邊緣有一個平滑區域。 重量：30.7 克 尺寸：長11.9 厘米 文獻比較： 此件玉璜的龍圖形為西周中期的常見圖案。比較一件相似裝飾的玉璜，出土於芮國墓，見《芮國金玉選粹 : 陝西韓城春秋寶藏 》，2007年，編號16，頁68-69。比較相近的玉璜，長7.5 厘米，出土於山西聞喜上郭城址第49號墓，收藏於山西省博物館，見《中國出土玉器全集》，卷3，北京，2005年，頁159。比較相近的玉璜，長7.3 厘米，於山西省曲沃縣晉侯墓地31號墓出土，現存山西省考古研究所，見《中國出土玉器全集》，卷3，北京，2005年，頁101。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2018年11月29日，lot 4 價格：HKD 225,000（相當於今日EUR 29,500） 描述：漢或更早青白玉龍紋璜 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和雕刻。請注意尺寸 (9.4 厘米)稍小，以及玉石顏色較淺。 也請注意此玉璜被斷定為「漢代或較早」，此看法不被市場認同，落槌價遠超原估價20,000-30,000港元。

A GUAN-TYPE LONGQUAN TRIPOD CENSER, LIAN, SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTYPublished: Song Ceramics, the Eight Kiln Groups at a Glance, Examples from the Jiyuanshanfang Collection, 2008, page 332.China, 1127-1279. The cylindrical body is encircled by three sets of raised bow-string bands, comprised of two ribs above the three foliate-molded ruyi-head supports, three encircling the mid-body and three below the flat inward-canted mouth rim. The censer is covered overall with a rich, finely crackled, bluish-green glaze which thins slightly on the rim and raised decoration, the unglazed edge of the tapering rim on the underside burnt orange in the firing.Provenance: The Jiyuanshanfang Collection. Currently housed on New York's Upper East Side and originally founded upon an old family collection, a comprehensive catalog of the Jiyuanshanfang collection titled “Song Ceramics: The Eight Kiln Groups” was published in 2008 with a foreword written by Li Zhiyan, Research Fellow at the Beijing Palace Museum. Another contributor to this catalog was Martin Lorber, formerly Director of Sotheby's New York. Jiyuanshanfang's first exhibition was held in 2012 at the Morris Museum in New Jersey. In 2015, Jiyuanshanfang lent early Chinese ceramics to a large-scale exhibition at the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach, Florida, titled “High Tea: Glorious Manifestations - East and West”.Condition: Good condition commensurate with age, showing expected old wear, traces of usage and shallow surface scratches. Some firing irregularities, the rim with a short hairline and associated microscopic loss, the foot rim with a tiny crack, one ruyi foot with an old kintsugi repair. The interior with remnants of calcification and russet discoloration to the crackle, consistent with temporary use as a jardiniere.Weight: 808.3 g Dimensions: Diameter 14 cmThe shape of the present censer originates from archaic bronze lian vessels, which were among the ritual implements aimed to present food and drink offerings to the ancestors during the Han dynasty. This archaistic shape was also produced in the Ruyao glaze during the Northern Song period as exemplified in a related Ruyao tripod incense burner from the Qing Court collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, p. 2, no. 1. Ceramic vessels of this form are often molded with bow-strings around the body, such as the well-known Northern Song Ru censer in the Percival David Collection, illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1977, p. 70, no. 62.Expert's note: The glaze on this censer is a particularly good example of the attractive bluish-green tone characteristic of the finest Longquan glazes of the guan type.Literature comparison: A closely related Longquan tripod censer, in the collection of the Hangzhou Archaeological Bureau, is illustrated by Zhu Boqian (ed.), Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, p. 149, no. 116. A small Longquan censer of similar form was discovered in 1991 in Suining, Sichuan province, amongst a cache of ceramics dating from the late Southern Song period, and is illustrated in Newly Discovered Southern Song Ceramics, A Thirteenth-Century “Time Capsule”, Tokyo, 1998, p. 32, no. 23.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2018, lot 527 Price: USD 62,500 or approx. EUR 71,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Longquan celadon tripod censer, Southern Song dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, with similar bow-string bands, ruyi feet, inward-canted rim, and bluish-green glaze. Note the similar size (14.7 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2002, lot 151 Price: USD 204,000 or approx. EUR 325,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare Longquan celadon ribbed censer, Southern Song dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, with similar bow-string bands, ruyi feet, inward-canted rim, and finely crackled bluish-green glaze. Note the similar size (14.3 cm).南宋龍泉窯仿官釉弦紋三足爐中國，1127-1279年。爐口沿較寬，直壁，圈足，足下承三個雲頭形足，三足與圈足在同一平面。器身凸起弦紋。通體施青釉，釉面開片，沿口略薄，圈足端無釉，呈橙色。出版: 《宋瓷八大窯系一覽——吉緣山房藏品》，美國加州，2008年，頁332。 來源：吉緣山房收藏；美國知名私人收藏購於上述收藏。 品相：品相良好，可見磨損與使用痕跡，表面有淺劃痕。一些燒製不規則現象，邊緣有短細裂紋和相關的細微缺損，足部邊緣有微小裂縫，一個如意足有金繼修復。內部有鈣化殘留物和裂紋的黃褐色變色，表明此器可能曾被用作花盆。 重量：808.3 g 尺寸：直徑14 厘米

A 'CLOUD AND NEBULAE' BRONZE MIRROR, HAN DYNASTYChina, 206 BC to 220 AD. Of circular form, crisply cast in high relief, the central peaked knob surrounded by six tapering spikes, the main field with four large nipples alternating with clusters of smaller nipples joined by scrolls, all within narrow borders below the raised outer border of further joined arcs.Provenance: Collection of Dr. Walter Rieder (1890-1986), thence by descent. Old inventory labels to the mirror 'RIE.1976.316' and '73'. Dr. Walter Rieder served in the Swiss East Asia Mission (SOAM) in Qingdao, Shandong Province, between October 1930 and December 1951. The mission specialized in educational, literary, and philanthropic work and Dr. Rieder was in fact, not a theologian or missionary, but a teacher of mathematics, physics, and science to high school students attached to the SOAM. His guiding principles were 'Creating understanding between different cultures' and 'Building bridges between East and West'. While in Qingdao, Dr. Rieder collected a wide variety of Chinese art. The objects in the collection thus offer a unique window into the type of antiques that were on the market in Qingdao in the second quarter of the 20th century. As well as demonstrating his passion for Chinese art, his collection also reveals the personal friendships Dr. Rieder forged with local artists, some of whom he knew from his teaching activities. Dr. Rieder had a scholarly approach to studying his collection. Alongside many of his objects, meticulous notes can sometimes be found detailing his art historical commentaries. The collection was hence Dr. Rieder's gateway to the history and culture of China. Objects from the collection were exhibited at the Kunsthaus in Interlaken, Switzerland in 2006 and 2018. Condition: Fine condition, commensurate with age, presenting remarkably well. Extensive wear, weathering, corrosion, and nicks. Superb, naturally grown patina with extensive malachite, azurite, and cuprite encrustations.Weight: 198.2 g Dimensions: Diameter 10.8 cmMirrors of this type are known as 'cloud and nebulae' mirrors because of the type of decoration - clusters of nipples connected by scrolls, which may represent clouds.Literature comparison: Compare the mirror of this type illustrated in Ancient Bronze Mirrors from the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2005, pp. 132-3, no. 30. Another mirror of this type in the Sumitomo Collection, is illustrated in the exhibition catalog, Chinese Bronze Mirrors, Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan, Kyoto, 8 January - 6 March 2011, no. 23. See, also, the similar mirror illustrated by J. Rawson and E. Bunker, Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Oriental Ceramic Society, Hong Kong, 1990, no. 161, where the authors note that mirrors of this type were common in China and have been found in various provinces including Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hunan and Jiangsu.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2012, lot 1430Price: USD 4,750 or approx. EUR 5,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze circular 'cloud and nebulae' mirror, mid-Western Han Dynasty, 2nd century BCExpert remark: Compare the closely related decoration. Note the different size (13 cm) and lack of patina.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's 22 March 2012, lot 1411Price: USD 10,625 or approx. EUR 13,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze circular 'cloud and nebulae' mirror, mid-Western Han dynasty, 2nd century BCExpert remark: Compare the related motif. Note the different size (13.4 cm) and lack of patina.漢代星雲紋銅鏡中國，公元前206年至公元220年。圓鏡，連峯鈕，鈕座外為內向十六連弧紋，與鈕座外的連弧紋相對應。其形狀很像天文星象圖，如星雲紋。 來源：Dr. Walter Rieder (1890-1986) 收藏，保存至今。鏡面可見收藏標籤 'RIE.1976.316 與 '73'。Dr. Dr. Walter Rieder 1930 年 10 月至 1951 年 12 月間在山東青島的瑞士東亞傳道部 (SOAM) 任職。該傳道部專門從事教育、文學和慈善工作，而Rieder博士實際上不是神學家或傳教士，而是一位SOAM 附屬高中的數學、物理和科學教師。他的教育原則是“在不同文化之間建立理解”和“在東西方之間架起橋樑”。在青島期間，Rieder博士收藏了種類繁多的中國藝術品。收藏中的物品為了解二十世紀下半葉青島的古玩類型提供了一個獨特的窗口。他的收藏除了展現他對中國藝術的熱情外，還可從中看出Rieder博士與當地藝術家建立的個人友誼，其中一些藝術家是他從教學活動中認識的。 Rieder 博士採用學術方法研究他的收藏。除了他的許多藏品外，有時還可以找到細緻的筆記，詳細介紹其藝術發展史。因此，其收藏成為 Rieder 博士了解中國歷史和文化的窗口。他的收藏曾於 2006年 年和 2018年 年在瑞士因特拉肯美術館館展出。 品相：狀況良好，大面積磨損、風化、腐蝕，有劃痕。極好的、自然生長的包漿，大面積孔雀藍和赤紅色結殼。 重量：198.2 克 尺寸：直徑10.8 厘米

A LARGE INLAID LACQUER 'HUNDRED BIRDS WORSHIP THE PHOENIX' ZITAN-FRAMED HANGING PANEL, QIANLONG PERIODChina, 1736-1795. Masterfully inlaid on a misty sky-blue lacquer ground with 11 different materials: Spinach green jade, lapis lazuli, malachite, carnelian, turquoise, soapstone, coral, wood, stained bone and tortoise shell, altogether depicting a phoenix perched under a wutong tree, surrounded and worshipped by a myriad of birds including a peacock, magpies, cranes, pheasants, and mandarin ducks, some perched on the tree, some in flight and others resting on rockwork, amid peonies, lingzhi, and bamboo. Provenance: UK trade. Formerly in a European private collection. Condition: Displaying remarkably well, with no restoration or replacement work worth mentioning, making this one of the best-preserved wall panels from the Qianlong period ever to be recorded. Some old wear, expected age cracks to lacquer with associated losses, only two small pieces (!) of the many hundred inlays lost. Light scratches. The frame with few minuscule chips, expected minor age cracks with an associated small touchup to the upper right corner. The suspension is made from gilt-bronze and is original to frame and panel.Dimensions: Panel size 67.5 x 100.5 cm, Size incl. frame 76 x 109 cmWith a well-carved zitan frame mounted with a gilt-bronze suspension in the form of finely incised lingzhi-shaped clouds.Paintings and embroideries with phoenixes surrounded by various birds, including cranes, mandarin ducks, and pheasants, are a common motif in Chinese culture. Phoenixes are regarded as the king of the birds, as they represent power, virtue, and grace. This large and impressive inlaid panel is an outstanding example and possibly of imperial origin. Literature comparison: A related example of an inlaid screen was exhibited in Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Gallery, 28 February to 12 April 1987, no. 86.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's 11 July 2006, lot 73Price: GBP 131,200 or approx. EUR 261,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: An ivory and hardstone inlaid zitan hanging panel, Qianlong (1736-95)Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif, material, frame, and size (81 x 118 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams London, 7 November 2013, lot 339Price: GBP 122,500 or approx. EUR 193,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare pair of jade and hardstone-inlaid wall screens, 18th/19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related motif, material, and size (82.5 x 111 cm). Note that this is a pair.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.乾隆時期大型《百鳥朝鳳》鑲寳漆屏，紫檀木框中國，1736-1795年。以十一種不同材質巧妙鑲嵌在天藍色地漆面上：碧玉、青金石、孔雀石、紅玉髓、綠松石、皂石、珊瑚、木頭、彩色骨質、玳瑁，共同描繪了一隻鳳凰棲息在梧桐樹上，在牡丹、靈芝和竹子之間，孔雀、喜鵲、鶴、雉鷄和鴛鴦等無數鳥類圍繞，有的棲息在樹上，有的飛翔，有的立在岩石上。 來源：英國古玩交易，之前來自一個歐洲私人收藏。 品相：品相極佳，無顯著修復或更換，是有史以來保存最完好的乾隆時期掛屏之一。一些舊磨損，兩塊鑲嵌中丟失。 輕微劃痕。框架輕微缺損，右上角有小修。原裝懸扣由鎏金青銅製成。 尺寸：掛屏67.5 x 100.5 厘米，總 76 x 109 厘米 紫檀木框，銅鎏金靈芝形金屬掛扣。 《百鳥朝鳳》這個題材在繪畫和刺繡中經常出現。鳳凰被視為百鳥之王，至高至上，美好吉祥。這塊巨大且令人印象深刻的掛屏是一個傑出的例子，可能是御製。 文獻比較： 一件相近鑲嵌的屏 ，曾展於《Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court》，香港中文大學 中國文化研究所文物館，1987年2月28日至4月12日，編號86。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：佳士得，2006年7月11日，lot 73 價格：GBP 131,200（相當於今日EUR 261,000） 描述：乾隆硬石象牙紫檀木框掛屏 專家評論：比較非常相近的主題、材料、木框和尺寸(81 x 118 厘米)。

AN IMPERIAL CINNABAR LACQUER SNUFF BOTTLE, 1730-1830China. Of flattened ovoid form, deeply carved through the layers of cinnabar lacquer with a continuous landscape scene divided by rockwork and a pine tree into two separate subjects, one with a pupil kneeling in front of his teacher in a fenced garden, the other with a man offering fruit to his companion carrying a long stick, all on a variety of diaper grounds. Provenance: From an English private collection. Condition: Good condition with minor wear, expected small age cracks, minuscule nicks, and few tiny losses.Stopper: Pink glass Weight: 81.6 g Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 75 mm. Diameter neck 20 mm and mouth 7 mmThis is a classic imperial lacquer snuff bottle on bronze. This group of bottles represents masterly carving in lacquer that is splendidly sculptural and covers a range of delightful subject matter usually drawn from popular dramas, operas or novels, or myths and legends. We can be sure that the group as a whole was imperial, even if we cannot be sure that every last example was made for the court. If they were for example made in Suzhou, the same workshops might have made a few pieces for private sale as well.Literature comparison: Four cinnabar lacquer bottles from this group carved with figural scenes are in the Qing Court Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and are illustrated in Masterpieces of Snuff Bottles in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1995, pp. 187-90, nos. 192-95. Another is illustrated in Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 7, Part 1, Hong Kong, 2009, pp. 175-82, no. 1538.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 20 March 2012, lot 66 Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 31,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A carved cinnabar lacquer snuff bottle, probably Imperial, possibly Palace workshops, 1730-1820Expert remark: Note the size (5.7 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2007, lot 7 Price: USD 20,400 or approx. EUR 28,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A fine carved lacquer snuff bottle, probably Imperial, attributed to the Palace workshops, Beijing, 1730-1820Expert remark: Note the size (6.35 cm)1730-1830年御用剔犀鼻煙壺中國。束頸，豐肩，剔犀層層深雕，山水景觀，一面是錦地庭園景觀，一位文人跪在另一位文人面前；另一面可見一個人把一盤水果遞給他的同伴。 來源：英國私人收藏 品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損，小老化裂紋、微小的劃痕和缺損。 壺蓋：粉紅玻璃 重量：81.6 克 尺寸：含蓋高75 毫米，頸部直徑 20 毫米，口部直徑 7 毫米 銅胎剔犀鼻煙壺，雕刻精美，工藝精湛。此類鼻煙壺通常取材於流行戲劇或小說、神話傳說中的場景。 文獻比較： 一組四件清廷人物剔犀鼻煙壺，收藏於北京故宮博物院，見《故宮鼻煙壺選萃》，1995年，頁187-90，編號192-95。 另一件見Moss，Graham，Tsang，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles，The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷七，第一部分，香港，2009年，頁175-82，編號1538。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2012年11月24日，lot 101 價格：HKD 87,500（相當於今日EUR 14,000） 描述：剔紅人物紋鼻煙壺，或為宮庭作坊御製品 專家評論：請注意尺寸 (6.5 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約邦瀚斯，2012年3月20日，lot 66 價格：USD 25,000（相當於今日EUR 31,000） 描述：清1770-1830剔紅愛鵝行山圖鼻煙壺 專家評論：請注意尺寸 (5.7 厘米) 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2007年3月22日，lot 7 價格：USD 20,400（相當於今日EUR 28,000） 描述：1730-1820年北京剔紅人物紋鼻煙壺，或為宮庭作坊御製品 專家評論：請注意尺寸 (6.35 厘米)。

A RARE LACQUERED AND PAINTED WOOD TOMB GUARDIAN FIGURE, ZHENMUSHOU, WARRING STATESChina, Chu Kingdom, 475-221 BC. The monstrous head with round bulging eyes, shaped brows, a long protruding tongue, and a curved neck inserted into a central mortise to the separately carved square base with raised geometric segments, the head with two further mortises to the sides to hold the separately carved antlers, all with black-painted scrolling designs.Provenance: Homo Sapiens di Giannozzo Pandolfini, Firenze, Italy, 2012. Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above. A copy of the original signed invoice from Homo Sapiens di Giannozzo Pandolfini, dated 21 January 2012, dating the present lot to the Warring States period, c. 4th century BC, stating it was duly imported and collected at Venice Airport on 7 December 2010, registered with number 2109 on 27 January 2011, and stating a purchase price of EUR 4,000 or approx. EUR 5,000 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses, chips, age cracks, nicks, scratches, wear to lacquer and pigments, signs of weathering and erosion, old repairs and fills, all as expected from a wood figure of more than 2,000 years of age.Weight: 5,090 g (incl. stand)Dimensions: Height 69.5 cm (incl. stand)With a modern metal stand. (2)This large menacing creature with antlers and a protruding tongue is a guardian (zhenmushou), often found in tombs of the Chu culture in the southern Chinese provinces of Hunan, Henan, and Hubei during the Warring States through Western Han periods. They are found placed in the chamber of the tomb, closest to the head of the tomb occupant and facing inward toward the occupant, in order to protect the deceased. Chu culture is renowned for its elaborately carved and painted lacquer objects; designs similar to the ones on this mythical guardian are also found on Chu textiles and inlaid bronzes of the same period.The southern state of Chu, which dominated the area of the great lakes north of the Yangzi river, is renowned for its complex views of the spirit world recorded in the later Han period text Shanhaijing ('Classic of the mountains and seas'). It seems likely that this southern area, which had employed figures of animals for its bronze vessels, retained a deep-seated interest in representing form in three dimensions. In this heavily forested area, the abundance of wood made wooden sculpture possible.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related lacquered and painted wood tomb figure, 105.7 cm high, also dated to the Warring States period, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 1999.20a-d. Compare a related wood guardian figure, 76.2 cm high, dated to the Eastern Zhou dynasty, c. 4th century BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1950,1115.1.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 20 November 2002, lot 414 Price: EUR 5,975 or approx. EUR 9,200 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A wood tomb spirit, Warring States Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, square base, and antlers. Note that this piece represents a slightly different type with two guardians in mirror image. Note the larger size (95 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 4 June 1992, lot 143 Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 72,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare painted wood dragon-form totem and base, Warring States Expert remark: Compare the closely related concept, design, form, material and painting. Note the smaller size (55.9 cm).戰國時期楚式彩繪木雕鎮墓獸中國，公元前475-221 年，楚國。巨大的頭部雙目圓睜，眉毛上揚，長長的突出的舌頭和彎曲的脖子插入中央榫眼，單獨雕刻的帶有凸起幾何部分的方形底座，頭部兩側有兩個榫眼以固定單獨雕刻的黑色鹿角。 來源：義大利弗洛倫薩Homo Sapiens di Giannozzo Pandolfini藝廊，2012年；Paolo Bertuzzi購於上述藝廊。隨附2012年1月21日Homo Sapiens di Giannozzo Pandolfini藝廊出具的發票複印本，上面斷代為戰國時期，公元前約四世紀，並證明2010年12月7日在威尼斯機場正式進口，并於2011年1月27日登記號 2109，售價EUR 4,000 或相當於 EUR 5,000 (根據通貨膨脹率)。 品相：品相良好，大面積磨損、缺口、磕損、老化裂縫、刻痕、劃痕、漆面和顏料磨損、風化和侵蝕的跡象、小修補和填充。 重量：5,090 克 (含底座) 尺寸：高 69.5 厘米 (含底座) 現代金屬支架。 (2)

A PAIR OF COPPER REPOUSSE FIGURES OF DEER, TIBET, 18TH-19TH CENTURYThe deer, one male and female, with their attentive demeanor, symbolize the audience of Shakyamuni Buddha's first teaching at the deer park of Sarnath after attaining enlightenment. He preached the eight-fold path towards liberation from the suffering of unenlightened life. The deer would have flanked an eight-spoked wheel of dharma, symbolizing the Buddhist teaching or 'turning of the wheel', and are generally placed above the front gates of Buddhist monasteries, allowing for the path toward liberation and happiness to progress.Each modeled in a recumbent pose atop an incised lotus base, the legs tucked underneath the body, the face with an alert expression marked by slightly raised heads and pricked ears, one with a short single horn with rounded tip. The faces well detailed and picked out in red, black, pink, and green pigments. (2)Provenance: Collection de Monsieur E., a private collection of Tibetan bronzes in France, and thence by descent. Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, few nicks, small dents, light scratches, few minuscule cracks, and remnants of lacquer. Ancient pigments. Fine, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 641.8 g and 637.1 g Dimensions: Height 19.2 cm and 19.7 cmAuction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 24 September 2020, lot 735Price: USD 21,250 or approx. EUR 22,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of bronze deer, China or Tibet, 19th centuryExpert remark: Note the significantly larger size (36.2 cm)十八至十九世紀一對西藏錘鍱銅鹿臥鹿臥於蓮花座上，雙腿收於身下，面部神情警惕，頭微揚，雙耳豎立，尖端圓潤。細節豐富，並以紅色、黑色、和綠色顏料勾勒。(2)鹿一公一母，神情專注，象徵著釋迦牟尼佛得道後在鹿野苑第一次開示的聽眾。他宣揚八正道，以從未開悟的生活痛苦中解脫出來。鹿的兩側是八輻法輪，象徵著佛教教義或“轉法輪”，通常被放置在佛教寺院的正門上方，讓通往解脫和幸福的道路得以推進。 來源：Monsieur E.私人收藏，法國一個西藏銅器私人收藏，保存至今。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損、少許刻痕、小凹痕、輕微劃痕、少許細小裂紋、殘漆。整體呈細膩自然的包漿。 重量：分別641.8克與637.1克 尺寸：分別高19.2 厘米與19.7 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2020年9月24日，lot 735 價格：USD 21,250（相當於今日EUR 22,000） 描述：一對十九世紀西藏或中國銅鹿 專家評論：請注意明顯尺寸較大(36.2 厘米)。

A LURISTAN BRONZE AXE HEAD, IRAN, CIRCA 1350-1000 BCThe axe with a rimmed, fan-shaped blade. The cylindrical socket extending into four molds terminating in spikes, with bands crossing over and merging above the blade. Overall with a rich, naturally grown, solid patina with distinct areas of encrustations.Provenance: Galerie Persepolis, Brussels, exhibited from 28 October to 13 November 1971. Collection Monsieur H., Brussels, acquired from the above. Collection Madame D.T., acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, few nicks, light scratches, minor losses, signs of weathering and corrosion, and encrustations.Weight: 385.5 g (excl. stand) Dimensions: Length 23.5 cmWith a modern metal stand. (2)Luristan bronzes are small cast and decorated objects from the Early Iron Age (first millennium BC) which have been found in large numbers in Lorestan province and Kermanshah in western Iran. They include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, horse fittings, and a smaller number of vessels including situlae and are characterized by a wide range of idiosyncratic forms and a highly stylized conception of human and animal representation. Those from recorded excavations were generally found in burials. The ethnicity of the people who created them remains unclear, though they may well have been Iranian, possibly related to the modern Lur people who have given their name to the area. Luristan bronze objects came to the notice of the world art market from the late 1920s onwards. They were excavated in considerable quantities by local people and are found today in many of the world's most important museums.Literature comparison:Compare a related bronze axe, 22.5 cm long, dated circa 1350-1000 BC, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.76.97.457. Compare a related bronze axe, 25.3 cm long, dated to the 9th century BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1973,1220.17. Compare a related bronze axe, 19.3 cm long, 1000-800 BC, in the Louvre, inventory number AO 20399. Compare a related bronze axe, illustrated in Alexis Cabrol, Bronzes prehistoriques de Perse. Bulletin de la Societe prehistorique de France, 1932, vol. 29, no. 9, pp. 429-432.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 12 April 2022, lot 53Price: USD 21,420 or approx. EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Luristan bronze axe head surmounted by an ibex, circa 1200-900 BCExpert remark: Note the similar size (25.4 cm)

A SILVER-INLAID BRONZE 'BUDDHIST LION' WATERDROPPER, 17TH-18TH CENTURYChina. The beast well cast standing foursquare, finely modeled with bulging eyes, wide snout, and scrolling mane, a tiny hole drilled through the teeth and a larger hole centering the back, the details heightened with silver wire inlays, the underside similarly inlaid with an inscription.Inscriptions: To the base, 'From generation to generation, always much happiness and prosperity'. Provenance: From an old European private collection, assembled before 2007. Condition: Good condition with significant old wear and expected casting irregularities, one paw with a small crack and associated old fill to the underside, the base with an ancient copper fill, few minuscule nicks here and there. Remarkably unctuous feel overall, the result of centuries of handling and appreciation.Weight: 325.6 g Dimensions: Length 10.5 cmLiterature comparison: For examples of gold and silver inlaid mythical beast-form water droppers, see Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, no. 208, and Sydney Moss, The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metalwork, London, 1991, no. 33.Auction result comparison:Type: Related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 10 December 2015, lot 8100 Price: USD 5,625 or approx. EUR 6,400 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze archaistic water dropper with silver wire inlay, 18th century Expert remark: Note the larger size (19 cm) and that this example is probably later, its archaic appearance being overall a bit more assimilated to the rather 'bourgeois' late 18th-century taste than on the present lot十七至十八世紀銅錯銀太獅水注中國。太獅成趴臥式，大眼圓睜，口鼻寬闊，鬃毛捲曲，牙齒上鑽有一個小孔，背部中央有一個較大的孔，細節處錯銀線。 款識：底部錯銀線八字：子孫匜樂，富貴昌宜 來源：歐洲私人舊藏，建立於 2007年。 品相：狀況良好，有明顯的磨損和鑄造不規則，一隻爪子有小裂紋，下面有相關的填充物，底部有銅填充物，很多微小的刻痕。整體包漿細膩。重量：325.6 克 尺寸：長10.5 厘米 文獻比較： 一件錯金銀神獸水注，見Gerard Tsang和Hugh Moss，《Arts from the Scholar's Studio》，香港，1986年，編號208；以及Sydney Moss，《The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metalwork》，倫敦，1991年，編號33。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：舊金山邦瀚斯， 2015年12月10日，lot 8100 價格：USD 5,625（相當於今日EUR 6,400） 描述：十八世紀青銅嵌銀絲獸形水滴 專家評論：請注意尺寸較大(19 厘米) ，以及此例子年代稍晚，與我們的水注相比，其外形總體上更像是十八世紀晚期的品味。

A 'CHILONG' JADE WEIGHT, EMBELLISHED WITH A GILT-BRONZE 'DRAGON' PLAQUE, HAN DYNASTYChina, 2nd century BC - 2nd century AD. The jade carved around the sides with two writhing chilong and a bear clutching their tails. The top fitted with an openwork bronze roundel in form of a sinuously coiled dragon. The translucent stone of a pale creamy-white color with veins and shadings of lavender-gray, white, and brown.Provenance: La Balaustra Antichita, Bologna, Italy. Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above in 1999. A copy of the original certificate from La Balaustra Antichita, dated 5 April 1999, written and signed by Giuliana Zanetti, describing the piece as a jade group of mythical beasts with a gilt bronze fitting in form of a dragon, dating from the Han dynasty, 2nd century AD, accompanies this lot. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Good condition with minor wear, the bronze fitting with small cracks, losses, remnants of gilt, and a fine naturally grown patina with malachite encrustations overall. The jade with wear, few small nicks, minuscule losses, iron sediments, remnants of old adhesive, and natural fissures, some of which may have developed into thin hairline cracks. The jade and the bronze possibly associated.Weight: 209.4 g Dimensions: Length 7.7 cm漢代玉螭龍鎮紙，裝飾鎏金銅龍紋牌中國，公元前二世紀至公元二世紀。玉石四周雕刻著兩條螭龍和一隻抱住尾巴的熊。鎮紙頂部鑲嵌著鏤空龍紋銅牌。白色的半透明玉石，帶有淡紫色灰色、白色和棕色的紋理和陰影。 來源：義大利博洛尼亞La Balaustra Antichita；Paolo Bertuzzi 1999年購於上述藝廊。隨附一份1999年4月5日 La Balaustra Antichita 出具的原始發票複印本一份，Giuliana Zanetti書寫並簽名，描述此件拍品為玉獸龍紋銅牌組，漢代。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：品相良好，輕微磨損，銅配件有小裂紋、脫落、鍍金殘留物，自然包漿帶有綠色結殼。玉質磨損，小缺口，輕微缺損，有鐵質沉澱物，有舊膠殘留，天然裂隙，有的已發展成細絲狀裂紋。 重量：209.4 克 尺寸：長7.7 厘米

A RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF A RAT, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, 500 BC to 300 AD. Well cast standing foursquare with the head slightly raised and ears pricked, the tail pointing upwards, the face with bulging eyes and open mouth.Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Some repair and touchups as generally expected from ancient Dong Son excavations. Losses, fissures, erosion, and corrosion. Minor casting flaws. Overall, still good condition, especially for such a rare piece. Fine malachite-green patina with brown encrustations overall.Weight: 164.8 g Dimensions: Length 12 cmDong Son (named for Dong Son, a village in Thanh Hoa) was a Bronze Age culture 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 Van Lang and Au 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.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 10 March 2022, lot 285Price: EUR 3,539Description: A rare bronze fish and mythical beast, Dong Son culture東山文化罕見銅鼠擺件越南，公元前500 至公元300 年。銅鼠呈站姿，四足着地，頭略微抬起，耳朵豎起，尾巴朝上，眼睛張開。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。 他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：一些修復，正如古代東山文化挖掘所普遍預期的那樣。缺損、裂縫、侵蝕和腐蝕，輕微鑄造缺陷。總體而言，品相良好。精美的孔雀石綠銅鏽，整體呈棕色結殼。 重量：164.8 克 尺寸：長 12 厘米 東山文化是位於越南北部紅河河谷的一個鐵器時代史前文化。它約繁盛於公元前1000年到公元前後，它影響的區域包括東南亞其他地區乃至以及印度-馬來亞群島。越南歷史學家將其歸因於範朗州和悠樂州。公元前1000年，它的影響了東南亞的其他地區，包括海上東南亞。長期以來，這種文化對西方考古學家來說一直是個謎，人們只能通過青銅器了解它，其中許多通過考古墓地挖掘。東山青銅器在其原始位置被確定之前就在歐洲展出了一個世紀，關於文化年代測定方法的幾種理論和推測一直持續到今天。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：維也納Galerie Zacke，2022年3月10日，lot 285 價格：EUR 3,539 描述：東山文化魚與神獸青銅擺件

A MASSIVE LOBED 'ELEPHANT' BRONZE VASE, CHINA, 17TH CENTURYElegantly cast with a slender waist, a band of ruyi-shaped clouds at the shoulder and above the foot, flanked by a pair of elephant-head handles, and an integral hexagonal stand supported on ruyi-shaped feet. The base cast with a seal mark.Inscriptions: To the base, 'Yongcunzhai'. Provenance: From a private collection in Westphalia, Germany, acquired before 2007, and thence by descent. Condition: Minor old wear, few small nicks, light scratches, one foot lost, and some casting flaws as expected.Weight: 2,998 g Dimensions: Height 33 cmAuction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 21 March 2015, lot 764Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 45,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze lobed 'elephant' vase, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the much smaller size (17.3 cm).十七世紀瓜棱形象首耳銅瓶造型優雅，腰身纖細，肩部及足部飾如意雲紋，兩側各飾象首耳一對，六如意形足，底座内留款。 款識：永存齋 來源：德國威斯特法倫私人收藏，購於2007年前，保存至今。 品相：輕微磨損，一些小刻痕、輕微劃痕，一隻腳丟失，以及一些鑄造瑕疵。 重量：2,998 克 尺寸：高33 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2015年3月21日，lot 764 價格：USD 40,000（相當於今日EUR 45,500） 描述：十七世紀銅如意紋象首耳海棠形瓶 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和裝飾。請注意尺寸小很多(17.3 厘米)。

A LARGE AND MOLDED FAMILLE ROSE 'HUNDRED ANTIQUES' BALUSTER VASE, QING DYNASTYChina, 19th century. The body molded and applied with various auspicious items and scholar's objects in high relief, including archaistic bronze vessels, butterflies, bats, and gourds, interspersed with floral sprays, the waisted neck flanked by two lingzhi handles, the neck and foot decorated with a diaper pattern and geometric bands, the interior of the mouth with three branches bearing peaches.Provenance: French trade. By repute acquired from a private estate in the region of Lille, France. Condition: Presenting remarkably well with some natural wear and expected firing irregularities, minor fritting and minuscule chips, small hairlines to the base, the rim with an old repair. The wood base with expected natural age cracks and small nicks.Weight: 7.1 kg (incl. base) Dimensions: Height 60.2 cm (excl. base), 66.5 cm (incl. base)With a fitted wood base. (2)Literature comparison:Compare a related yellow ground 'hundred antiques' vase, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, vol. 39, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 285, no. 254.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's London, 9 September 2015, lot 518Price: GBP 13,750 or approx. EUR 20,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of Chinese famille rose 'hundred antiques' vases, 19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related design and size (61 cm). Note that this lot comprises two vases but lacks the molded relief work completely.清代大型粉彩博古紋堆塑雙耳瓶中國，十九世紀。此瓶敞口，直頸，溜肩，直筒腹，脛部內收，圈足外撇。器身白地粉彩堆塑博古紋，疏朗排列，瓷瓶、擺件、盆景等，繪筆細緻，古雅氣質。此瓶胎質潔白細膩，形制端雅，繁複堆塑，風格別致。 來源：法國古玩交易，據說來自法國里爾地區私人收藏。 品相：品相極好，有一些自然磨損和預期的製作不規則、輕微磨損和微小的磕損、底部有細小的裂線，邊緣有修復。木底座有自然老化裂縫和小刻痕。 重量：7.1 公斤 （含底座) 尺寸：高 60.2 厘米 (不含底座)，66.5 厘米 (含底座) 木底座。 (2) 文獻比較： 比較一件相似的黃地凸雕博古圖龍耳大地瓶，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集‧琺瑯彩粉彩》，卷39，香港，1999年，285頁，編號254。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2015年9月9日，lot 518 價格：GBP 13,750（相當於今日EUR 20,500） 描述：十九世紀一對粉彩博古紋瓶 專家評論：比較相近的設計和尺寸 (61 厘米)。請注意此拍品為一對，但並沒有浮雕堆塑。

A RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF UMA, ANGKOR WAT STYLE, KHMER EMPIRE, 12TH CENTURYExpert's note: The finely cast details of the face, clothing and jewelry are all indicative of the Angkor period. Uma was a favored goddess in Khmer Angkor, and while sandstone representations of the goddess abound, bronze devotional figures of Uma are considerably rarer.Well cast standing upon a simple square plinth with her hands extended. Her pleated sampot is suspended from a charm-embellished belt and a central sash that tapers off in a distinct fishtail shape. She is ornamented in fine jewelry, including a collar necklace, bracelets, armbands, earrings, and an ornate diadem.Provenance: The personal collection of Robert Rousset, acquired in the 1950s-1970s. Thence by descent to Jean-Pierre Rousset (1936-2021). The underside with an old label, 'C. 1085'. Robert Rousset (1901-1982) was a former French radio officer in the merchant navy, who became one of the most prominent pioneers of the Chinese art market in Paris. As a child, his father, an insurance agent, would take him to Hôtel Drouot where he started to buy at a very young age. His true passion for Asian art started in the 1920s, when he was sent on a mission to Beijing after the decline of the Qing empire, along with Osvald Siren, the famous Swedish Asian art historian and connoisseur. He then became one of the main contributors of Chinese antiques for the Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes, founded in Paris in the early 20th century by the Blazy brothers. After the 1929 stock market crash, he had the opportunity to acquire the company. With his sister Suzanne in charge of the porcelain, they developed the business and became one of the most important dealers in France, selling pieces to the greatest museums, including the Musee Guimet and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses, nicks, scratches, dents, a crack to the lower sampot, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations. No hidden damages. Magnificent malachite green patina, naturally grown overall.Weight: 547 g (incl. base) Dimensions: Height 17.8 cm (excl. base) and 20.5 cm (incl. base)Mounted on an associated modern base. (2) Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 23 July 2020, lot 36 Price: USD 8,125 or approx. EUR 8,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare bronze figure of Uma, Khmer, Angkor period, Angkor Way [sic] style, 12th century Expert remark: Note the near-identical size (18.5 cm)

A CLOISONNE ENAMEL MINIATURE TRIPOD CENSER, DING, QIANLONG TO JIAQING PERIODChina, 1736-1820. Of circular form, rising from three elongated, tapering legs, the galleried rim set with two upright loop handles decorated with C-scrolls, the body decorated with kuilong scrolls, lotus blossoms, and scrolling vines issuing flowerheads, the legs depicting scrolls and flowers, all above a turquoise ground. The body with a gilt band above the legs and a gilt rim.Provenance: Collection of Anton Exner, Vienna, thence by descent. Galerie Zacke, Vienna, acquired from the above. An Austrian private collection, acquired from the above before 1999. A collection number 'SI [XX]' lacquered to the rim. A copy of an excerpt of the Galerie Zacke description from before 1999, confirming the dating and provenance above, accompanies this lot. Anton Exner (1882-1952) was the most important dealer, collector, and assessor of East Asian art in Vienna during the interwar period. His collection included all branches of Asian art - particularly Chinese and Japanese - from all epochs. During a long sojourn in Canada and the USA from 1908 to 1910, he made contact with Chinese dealers and later acquired handicrafts and Japanese silk blouses at various Asian ports, which formed the basis for his future business activities in Vienna. From then on, he went almost every year on buying trips to the Far East. The Austrian auction house Dorotheum appointed him as a sworn assessor of Asian art, a position he held for around a quarter of a century. From the early 1920s, he lent objects for all major exhibitions of Asian art in Vienna. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few nicks and scratches, little bruising, small chips, minor losses to the enamels, and manufacturing flaws including pitting.Weight: 397.2 g Dimensions: Height 15.6 cmAuction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1 June 2015, lot 663Price: HKD 112,500 or approx. EUR 15,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A small gilt-bronze and cloisonne enamel archaistic tripod censer, Qing dynasty, 18th/19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related form. Note the smaller size (10 cm) and cover.乾隆至嘉慶掐絲琺瑯三足鼎式爐中國，1736-1820年。鼎式爐，雙沖耳，三圓柱形足向下變尖。爐身藍地纏枝蓮花，飾有夔龍紋。 來源：維也納Anton Exner，保存至今；維也納Galerie Zacke藝廊，購於上述藝廊；奧地利私人收藏，購於上述藝廊，購於1999年前。邊沿處有收藏編號 'SI [XX]' 。隨附一份1999年前Galerie Zacke目錄摘要複印本，確認時間和來源。Anton Exner (1882-1952) 是兩次世界大戰期間維也納最重要的東亞藝術經銷商、收藏家和評估員。他的收藏包括亞洲藝術的所有分支——尤其是中國和日本——來自各個時代。1908 年至 1910 年在加拿大和美國逗留期間，他接觸了中國商人，後來在亞洲各個港口收購了手工藝品和日本絲綢女衫，為他日後在維也納的商業活動奠定了基礎。從那以後，他幾乎每年都去遠東旅行。奧地利拍賣行 Dorotheum 任命他為亞洲藝術的宣誓評估員，他擔任這一職位大約25年。從二十年代初開始，他為維也納所有主要的亞洲藝術展覽出借物品。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損、少許刻痕和劃痕、小缺口、少量琺瑯缺損以及包括點蝕在內的製造缺陷。 重量：397.2 克 尺寸：高15.6 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2015年6月1日，lot 663 價格：HKD 112,500（相當於今日EUR 15,500） 描述：清十八 / 十九世紀銅胎掐絲琺瑯仿古紋雙耳三足蓋爐 專家評論：比較相近的外形。請注意尺寸較小 (10 厘米) 和爐蓋。

A VERY LARGE BRONZE OF SHIVA NATARAJA, SOUTH INDIA, 18TH - 19TH CENTURYFinely cast, the eight-armed deity gracefully presented with a raised leg, dancing on a lotus pedestal atop a rectangular plinth, within a flaming aureole, his right foot resting upon the demon Apasmarapurusha, his hands holding various implements including a drum, flame, dagger, disk, and trident. His face neatly incised with almond-shaped eyes, gently arched brows, an urna, and full lips, his hair radiating in serpentine tresses, the head surmounted by a naga headdress.Provenance: From an Austrian private collection. Old trade label to backside.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and casting irregularities, small nicks, light scratches, minor dents. Beautiful, naturally grown chocolate-brown patina overall.Dimensions: Height 91 cmShiva Nataraja, Shiva as Lord of the Dance, is considered the creator of the universe and dances the world into existence. At the same time, he is also its destroyer. Much symbolism is attached to this specific form of Shiva. His drum stands for the creation of the world. His open palm protects human beings while his downward stretched hand symbolizes the solace of the world. His other hand holds the fire standing for the dissolution of the world. The dwarf on whom he tramples represents ignorance and the large flaming aureole the cosmos. The goddess Ganga represented in his hair fell from heaven to earth through his hair.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related bronze figure of Shiva Nataraja, 76.2 cm high, dated to the 18th century, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 27.959.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Paris, 14 December 2016, lot 5 Price: EUR 92,500 or approx. EUR 113,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An important bronze figure of Shiva Nataraja, South India, Nayak period, late 18th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, manner of casting, serpentine hair and naga headdress, flaming aureole, and lotus pedestal. Note the size (106 cm).

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND SIGNED GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, EARLY MING DYNASTYPublished: Svenska Hem i Ord och Bilder (Swedish Home in Words and Pictures), Stockholm, 1922, page 109. Note that this information is according to the family of the previous owner, as the present lot cannot be identified beyond any doubt on the ancient image in the publication.China, early 15th century. Finely cast, seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with beaded edges, his hands lowered in dhyanamudra above his lap, wearing a richly pleated robe with neatly incised foliate hems. The serene face with heavy-lidded eyes, gently arched brows, a circular urna, and full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes. The hair arranged in tight snail-shell curls, the high ushnisha surmounted by a jewel. Magnificent, naturally grown patina overall.Inscriptions: Signature to the back, 'Made by the lay follower Guo with the maiden name Huiming'.Provenance: From the collection of Inez Utter (nee Bonnier, 1890-1968) and Tore Utter (1880-1953), and thence by descent within the same family. Condition: Excellent condition commensurate with age, with well-preserved gilt, some old wear and expected casting flaws, including one to the back of the head with an associated small loss. The base resealed with ancient remnants of soldering, otherwise absolutely original with no restoration or repair of any kind. Presenting exceptionally well.Weight: 2,841 g Dimensions: Height 27.5 cmThis exquisite figure is notable for its fine casting and gilding, as evidenced in the naturalistically modeled folds of the robes and in the figure's serene facial expression. Stylistically it follows in the tradition established in the Yuan period, when Tibetan Buddhism became the court religion, and a new sculptural style began to appear. The full, yet somewhat squared facial features, robust body and stylization of the boldly cast lotus lappet base all indicate a rather early 15th-century date.Expert's note: Figures with gently smiling faces, full rounded bodies and tiered thrones are depicted in the early 14th-century woodblock prints made for the monastery of Yanshen Yuan, Hangzhou, and illustrated in Heather Stoddard Karmay, Early Sino-Tibetan Art, Warminster, 1975, pls. 26, 29, and 30. It is possible that these images, which reflect the style favored in Tibet at the time, were used for inspiration by craftsmen active in the early 15th century.Literature comparison:Compare a related gilt-bronze figure of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, dated to the first year of the Jingtai reign (1450), illustrated in Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series: Buddhist Statues (I), Beijing, 1999, page 153, no. 115.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's London, 8 November 2017, lot 67 Price: GBP 187,500 or approx. EUR 258,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, Ming dynasty, early 15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting, pose, robe, face, base, and size (27 cm). Note that this bronze is also signed. Note that the gilt is even better preserved than on the present lot. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 23 March 2011, lot 161 Price: EUR 133,000 or approx. EUR 179,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Chinese Ming period gilt bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, indistinct mark, 15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting, pose, robe, face, base, and size (27 cm). Note this bronze is also marked. Also note that the gilt is not as well preserved as on the present lot.明初鎏金銅釋迦牟尼坐蓮像中國，十五世紀初。釋迦牟尼坐於仰覆蓮座上，結全跏趺坐，雙手施禪定印。肉髻高隆呈塔形，螺髮，寶珠頂嚴。寬額豐頤，雙耳垂肩，彎眉細長與鼻脛相連，雙眉之間有白毫，雙目微合下視，嘴角微露笑意，法相莊嚴。頸施三道弦紋，胸膛寬闊，腰部收束，著袈裟，陰刻卷草紋。衣紋轉折流暢自然，富有層次感。蓮座上緣各飾一道連珠紋。座下封底。通體自然包漿。 出版：Svenska Hem i Ord och Bilder (Swedish Home in Words and Pictures)，斯特哥爾摩，1922年， 第109頁。請注意，此信息是根據前任藏家的家人提供的，無法根據出版物中的圖片確認當前拍品。款識：信女郭氏惠名造 來源：Inez Utter (nee Bonnier，1890-1968) 與 Tore Utter (1880-1953)收藏，在同一家族中保存至今。 品相：狀態極佳，鎏金保存完好，有一些磨損和鑄造缺陷，包括頭部後面的一個缺陷以及相關的小缺損。底座曾重新密封，沒有任何形式的修復或修理。 重量：2,841 克 尺寸：高27.5 厘米

A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF VAIROCANA, TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURYSeated in dhyanasana on a waisted base with a beaded band between two rows of lotus lappets, his hands held in dharmachakra mudra, wearing a loose-fitting robe draped over his left shoulder and gathering in folds at the base, his serene face with downcast eyes, raised arched brows centered by a circular urna, and full lips, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, the hair in tight curls with a high ushnisha surmounted by a jewel. The seal plate neatly incised with a double vajra symbol.Provenance: From the private collection of a gentleman in the United Kingdom.Condition: Very good condition with some wear, minor nicks, small dents, light surface scratches. The base sealed.Weight: 779.4 gDimensions: Height 14.5 cmThis finely cast and richly gilt image depicts the nirmankaya form of the tathagata Vairocana. Vairocana is considered a celestial or primordial Buddha and represents the dharma body of the historical Buddha. Vairocana is also seen as the embodiment of the Buddhist concept of sunyata, emptiness, and is one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, which represent the five qualities of the Buddha. In this respect, Vairocana stands for Buddha's all-encompassing wisdom.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 23 March 2022, lot 420 Price: USD 11,340 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze figure of a Buddha, Tibet, 15th-16th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, hand gesture, expression, and ushnisha topped by a jewel. Note the extensive wear to gilt, incised hems, and size (17.8 cm). Note also that this bronze was identified as either the nirmankaya form of Vairocana or the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, as the iconography is complicated by the presence of a vajra on the top of the base.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 March 2016, lot 30 Price: USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 30,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt copper alloy figure of Buddha, Tibet, 15th/16th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, hand gesture, expression, and ushnisha topped by a jewel. Note the tilting head and larger size (20 cm).十五至十六世紀西藏鎏金普賢王如來像普賢結跏趺座坐於雙層蓮座上，蓮座上邊緣飾有珠紋，普賢雙手施法輪印，身穿寬鬆長袍，披在左肩上，底部有褶皺，面容平靜，雙目低垂 ，雙眉之間有白毫，長耳垂，頭髮結螺髻，頭上鑲嵌著一顆寶石。封底刻有雙金剛杵。 來源：英國紳士私人收藏。 品相：狀況極好，有一些磨損、輕微劃痕、小凹痕。底座密封。 重量：779.4 克 尺寸：高 14.5 厘米 這尊鑄造精良、鎏金造像描繪了毘盧遮那如來的化身。毘盧遮那被認為是本初佛，代表第一佛陀的法身。毘盧遮那也是五方佛之一，代表佛的五種功德與佛陀的無所不包的智慧。拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2022年3月23日，lot 420 價格：USD 11,340（相當於今日EUR 11,000） 描述：西藏十五/十六世紀鎏金銅佛坐像 專家評論：比較非常相近的姿勢、手勢、表情、螺髻上鑲有寶石。請注意此像鎏金有大面積磨損、長袍的雕刻，以及尺寸(17.8 厘米)。請注意，此件青銅被認為是毘盧遮那佛的法身佛形式或釋迦摩尼，因為底座頂部有金剛杵，因此圖像變得複雜。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約邦瀚斯，2016年3月14日，lot 30 價格：USD 25,000（相當於今日EUR 30,000） 描述：西藏十五／十六世紀銅鎏金佛坐像 專家評論：比較非常相近的姿勢、手勢、表情、螺髻上鑲有寶石。請注意頭微傾和尺寸較大(20 厘米)。

A 'COSMIC EGG', BRAHMANDA, INDIA, 19TH CENTURYThe stone of typical ovoid form and finely polished with distinct natural markings in blood red and creamy white.Provenance: French trade, acquired from a French private collection built between ca. 1980 and 2012. Condition: Very good condition with old wear and weathering as expected, few light nicks and scratches, natural fissures.Weight: 4,068 g Dimensions: Length 19.5 cmCosmic eggs are so called because in the Hindu religion, they symbolize the union between heaven and earth. These natural stones were collected from the Narmada River in ancient times and it is believed that a meteorite colored the stone on its impact with the earth. The natural markings on the egg-shaped form symbolize the male and female principles in a single unit, a realization of the wholeness of the entire universe.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's Paris, 17 April 2008, lot 181Price: EUR 5,250 or approx. EUR 6,900 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Shiva lingam, Narmada River, IndiaExpert remark: Compare the related form and color of the stone. Note the size (44 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 6 March 2021, lot 748Price: EUR 16,432 or approx. EUR 18,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: An Indian stone Brahmanda, 'cosmic egg', and matching bronze tripod standExpert remark: Compare the form and markings. Note the size (23 cm).

A BACTRIAN MARBLE COLUMN IDOL, LATE 3RD TO EARLY 2ND MILLENNIUM BCPublished: Massimo Vidale, Treasures from the Oxus. The Art and Civilization of Central Asia, London/New York, 2017, page 50, no. 46.Oxus Civilization. The column of waisted form flaring towards the ends, the top and base with a crescent-shaped central groove. The stone of dark brown marble with yellow and white veins, and stress lines filled with calcite.Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Good condition commensurate with age showing expected old wear and traces of use, some obvious losses, chips, natural fissures, and old fills. Smooth polish.Weight: 5,181 gDimensions: Height 23.5 cmThe Oxus Civilization or Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), recently dated to c. 2250-1700 BC, is the modern archaeological designation for a Bronze Age civilization of Central Asia, previously dated to c. 2400-1900 BC, by Sandro Salvatori, in its urban phase or integration era. Though it may be called the “Oxus civilization”, apparently centered on the upper Amu Darya (Oxus River) in Bactria, most of the BMAC's urban sites are actually located in Margiana (modern Turkmenistan) on the Murghab river delta and the Kopet Dagh mountain range. There are a few later sites in northern Bactria (c. 1950-1450 BC), the territory of southern Uzbekistan, but they are mostly graveyards belonging to the BMAC-related Sapalli culture. A single BMAC site, known as Dashli, lies in southern Bactria, the territory of northern Afghanistan. Sites found further east, in southwestern Tajikistan, though contemporary with the main BMAC sites in Margiana, are only graveyards, with no urban developments associated with them. BMAC sites were discovered and named by the Soviet archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi when he was excavating in northern Afghanistan between 1969 and 1979. Sarianidi's excavations revealed numerous monumental structures in many sites, fortified by impressive walls and gates. Reports on the BMAC were mostly confined to Soviet journals. A journalist from The New York Times wrote in 2001 that during the years of the Soviet Union, the findings were largely unknown to the West until Sarianidi's work began to be translated in the 1990s.Several stone objects of this shape have been excavated at sites of the Oxus Civilization. However, it is still unknown what purpose they once fulfilled. It is suggested that these miniature columns at some point entered the rituals of the Oxus funerary practices, having previously performed a practical function that involved strong laces running around and causing intensive wear to the grooves. The present object belongs to a group of shorter, heavily polished columns with one central groove along the top and bottom.Literature comparison: Compare a related marble column idol, described as an “incense stand (?)”, 24.8 cm high, dated ca. late 3rd to early 2nd millennium BC, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1992.232.8.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 22 October 2003, lot 464Price: USD 6,600 or approx. EUR 9,600 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Bactrian marble ritual object, 3rd millennium BCExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and color of the marble. Note the size (38.1 cm).

A RUSSET AND BROWN JADE NOTCHED DISC, XUANJI, LATE NEOLITHIC TO SHANG DYNASTYPublished: Friedrich Georg Zeileis, Ausgewaehlte Chinesische Jade aus Sieben Jahrtausenden (selected Chinese jades from seven millennia), 1994, pages 80-81, no. 64.China, c. 3000-1000 BC. The exterior rim carved as three arcs, each rising to a point and carved with raised teeth, the interior with a plain circle. The stone of a beautiful russet and honey-brown tone with dark veins.Provenance: A private collection in San Francisco, USA, 1980s. Friedrich Georg Zeileis, acquired from the above. Dr. Friedrich Georg Zeileis (b. 1939) is a retired physician who built an important collection of ancient Chinese jades and bronzes. He was also a pianist and composer, and published several books, as well as catalogs of his substantial art collections, including fine Chinese jades and bronzes. Condition: Condition commensurate with age. Old wear and tiny nibbles. The stone with natural fissures, some of which have developed into small cracks over time, with associated old fills.Weight: 58.8 g Dimensions: Diameter 9.7 cm (at the widest points)Literature comparison: Compare a related jade xuanji, 11.3 cm wide, dated Neolithic or Shang, 15th-10th century BC, in the British Museum, registration number 2022,3034.82, illustrated by Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, 1995, cat. no. 8.1. Compare a related jade xuanji, 13.9 cm diameter, dated to the Shandong or Henan Longshan culture, c. 2300-1700 BC, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, record number 589. Compare a related jade notched disc, 15.6 cm diameter, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 27.15.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 18 March 2014, lot 123 Price: USD 75,000 or approx. EUR 85,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A jade ritual notched disc (xuanji), Neolithic periodExpert remark: Note the significantly larger size (18.5 cm) Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 23 September 2022, lot 822 Price: USD 18,900 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare pale green and beigish-brown jade notched disc, Northwest China, late Neolithic period-early Bronze Age, 3rd-2nd millennium BCExpert remark: Note the similar size (11.5 cm) Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2709 Price: HKD 1,000.000 or approx. EUR 137,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Celadon Jade Notched Disc, YabiExpert remark: Note the slightly larger size (13 cm)新石器時代末至商代玉璇璣中國，公元前約3000-1000年。璇璣為扁薄體，近似圓形，光素無紋。中部一大圓孔，內緣規整，外緣為三個同方向旋轉的凸脊，間距相等，每脊間各有兩組分別三個齒狀鉏牙，鉏牙皆排列規整，保存完好。美麗的赤褐色和蜜棕色調玉石，帶有深色紋理。 出版：Friedrich Georg Zeileis，《Ausgewaehlte Chinesische Jade aus Sieben Jahrtausenden (selected Chinese jades from seven millennia)》，1994年，第80-81頁，圖 64。 來源：美國舊金山私人收藏，1980年代；Friedrich Georg Zeileis，購於上述收藏。Friedrich Georg Zeileis 博士（生於 1939 年）是一位退休醫生，收藏了一批重要的中國古代玉器和青銅器。他還是一位鋼琴家和作曲家，出版了數本書籍，並出版了大量藝術收藏品的目錄，其中包括精美的中國玉器和青銅器。品相：品相良好，有磨損和小刻痕，帶有天然裂縫的玉料，隨著時間的推移，其中一些已經發展成小裂縫，並有填充物。 重量：58.8 克 尺寸：直徑 9.7 厘米 (最寬處)

A RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF A RECUMBENT BUFFALO, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, 500 BC to 300 AD. Well cast in a recumbent position with the legs tucked underneath the body, the head raised and flanked by horns, the head and body incised with numerous characteristic spiral designs.Provenance: From the private collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy, and the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Minor old repairs and fills as generally expected from ancient Dong Son excavations. Some losses, fissures, signs of weathering and erosion, and casting flaws. Overall, still in very good condition commensurate with age. Fine malachite-green patina with brown encrustations overall.Weight: 394.5 g Dimensions: Length 11.8 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.Literature comparison: Compare a related elephant-shaped vessel with similar spiral designs, 16 cm long, dated 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD, in the Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, accession number 2007-56439.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's London, 30 January 2019, lot 149Price: GBP 5,250 or approx. EUR 7,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Four Cambodian Dong Son buffalo bells, Battambang province, probably 300 BC-300 ADExpert remark: Compare the related spiral decorations and curled horns東山文化罕見銅牛擺件越南，公元前500至公元300年。臥牛雙腿夾在身體下方，頭部抬起，兩側有角，頭部和身體表面有許多典型的螺旋圖案。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 私人收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。 Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。 他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：小修和填充，一些缺損，裂縫，風化和侵蝕的跡象，鑄造缺陷。綠色銅鏽包漿細膩，有棕色結殼。 重量：394.5 克 尺寸：長 11.8 厘米 東山文化是位於越南北部紅河河谷的一個鐵器時代史前文化。它約繁盛於公元前1000年到公元前後，它影響的區域包括東南亞其他地區乃至以及印度-馬來亞群島。越南歷史學家將其歸因於範朗州和悠樂州。公元前1000年，它的影響了東南亞的其他地區，包括海上東南亞。長期以來，這種文化對西方考古學家來說一直是個謎，人們只能通過青銅器了解它，其中許多通過考古墓地挖掘。東山青銅器在其原始位置被確定之前就在歐洲展出了一個世紀，關於文化年代測定方法的幾種理論和推測一直持續到今天。

A BRONZE FIGURE OF PADMAPANI, JAVA, 13TH CENTURYFinely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, the left hand resting on his knee and holding a lotus stem coming to full bloom at the shoulder, dressed in a long dhoti decorated with stripes and floral motifs, richly adorned with beaded jewelry, the face with downcast eyes below gently arched eyebrows centered by an urna and full lips forming a calm smile, the head surmounted by a tapering floral crown, backed by lotus leaves and buds issuing from the base. Provenance: From the estate of Anthony Powell, London, United Kingdom. Anthony Powell (1935-2021) was a British costume designer who brought deep research to his work in both theater and film. His costume designs for John Gielgud's production of The School for Scandal (1963) earned him a Tony Award. Powell collaborated on movies with Steven Spielberg and Roman Polanski and won three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, including 1978's Death on the Nile. He was an avid collector of fabrics and trimmings as well as Chinese, Indian, and Southeast Asian works of art. Condition: Commensurate with age, showing small dents and cracks, light scratches, some losses including one arm, and expected casting flaws. The figure was at some point professionally cleaned and subsequently re-patinated. Displaying beautifully overall.Weight: 912.5 g Dimensions: Height 15.3 cmLiterature comparison: Compare a related bronze figure of a bodhisattva, 13 cm high, dated to the 13th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1859,1228.42. Compare a related bronze figure of Vajrasattva, 9.5 cm high, dated to the 13th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1859,1228.16.

A GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE ARCHAISTIC STEAMER, SONG TO MING DYNASTYChina, 960-1644. Heavily cast, the upper cauldron with two upright loop handles to the rim, decorated with interlocking scroll and confronting stylized phoenixes. The sides with three animal masks flanked by confronting phoenixes divided by short flanges, above pendent stiff leaves, all reserved on leiwen grounds. The shoulders of the three legs cast with stylized large-eyed animal masks, decorated with scroll and lozenge designs. The bronze with a rich, solid, naturally grown, dark patina with scattered malachite encrustations.Provenance: From the personal collection of Dr. David McCay, and thence by descent in the same family. Dr. David McCay was an English physician and later surgeon general with the Indian Medical Service in Bengal, India. He was sent to China during the Boxer Rebellion and served as an army doctor at the Siege of Peking. While in India, he wrote a book titled Investigations on Bengal Jail Dietaries. Upon his retirement, he returned to England with his collection of Chinese bronzes, cloisonne, and porcelain. After his death, his wife gifted his favorite piece, a highly important Wanli garlic mouth vase, among other items, to the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number CIRC.23-1950, where it remains to this day.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear, traces of age and usage, some casting irregularities, small nicks and losses, light scratches, the undersides of the feet with tiny old fills. The gold inlays are fresh and in very good condition overall. The silver inlays have darkened over time and show expected tarnish. However, we chose not to clean the silver inlays, so to preserve the piece's impressive natural appearance.Weight: 5,200 g Dimensions: Height 31.5 cmReferring to the importance of reverence to the past in Chinese art, Ulrich Hausmann writes:“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. Generations of painters and calligraphers [...] spent a lifetime studying these inscriptions. 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.” (Quote from Ulrich Hausmann, Later Chinese Bronzes: In Search of Later Bronzes in Documentary Chinese Works of Art: In Scholars' Taste, Ed. Paul Moss, Sydney L. Moss, London, 1983, page 233, requoted again by Hugh Moss and Gerard Tsang in Arts from the Scholar's Studio, The Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong and the Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 161.)Expert's note: The present steamer is quite likely to date from the Song dynasty, because the earliest archaistic bronzes generally tend to be the closest in form and design to their archaic prototypes. This is clearly the case here, as shown by the two literature comparisons below, which prove that the present lot is very much in the spirit of its Shang and Western Zhou paragons. The example from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, even has gold and silver inlays just like our vessel, which is unusual for such an early piece. Another important aspect is the superb, naturally grown patina on the present lot with its distinct malachite encrustations. This is beyond doubt not a patina from the late Ming or early Qing dynasty: It not only does closely resemble that of ancient bronzes, but with its unique appearance, reminiscent of savage elementary forces rather than the genteel creations of later periods, essentially makes this bronze an archaic vessel of its own merit.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related prototype for this steamer, also with gold and silver inlays, dated to the Shang dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, image number K1A002369N000000000PAB. A related prototype, lacking gold and silver inlays, dated to the Western Zhou dynasty, 11th-10th century BC, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.352a-b, is illustrated by Jessica Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Vol. IIB, Massachusetts, 1990, pp. 342-344, no. 33.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams London, 11 November 2010, lot 139 Price: GBP 31,200 or approx. EUR 49,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large archaistic bronze tripod steamer, yan, probably Song dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related form with similar legs cast with animal masks. This steamer is however vastly inferior to the present lot as it lacks the gold and silver inlays and the design is overall less lively. Note the larger size (44.5 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 1 December 2022, lot 694 Price: USD 37,800 or approx. EUR 35,000 converted at the time of writing Description: An archaistic copper-inlaid bronze tripod censer (Ding), Ming dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related form with similar legs cast with animal masks. This censer is however vastly inferior to the present lot, not only because the inlays are merely copper, but also because it completely lacks the cauldron found on the present lot. Also note the significantly smaller size (16.7 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's London, 14 May 2014, lot 252 Price: GBP 80,500 or approx. EUR 116,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An archaistic silver and gold-inlaid bronze wine vessel and cover, you, Ming dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and decorations with similar gold and silver inlays. Note the related size (30.2 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2014, lot 3350 Price: HKD 2,680,000 or approx. EUR 380,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large gold and silver-inlaid bronze incense burner, gui, late Ming dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting and decorations with similar gold and silver inlays. Note the similar size (28.5 cm).宋至明代銅錯金銀三足銅甗中國，960-1644年。 來源：Dr. David McCay收藏，在同一家族保存至今。品相：狀況極好，有磨損和使用痕跡、一些鑄造不規則、小刻痕和缺損、輕微劃痕、腳底面有微小的填充物。錯金部分整體狀況非常好。錯銀部分變暗並顯示出光澤。

A RED OVERLAY GLASS 'CELESTIAL EYE AND CARPS' SNUFF BOTTLE, 18TH-19TH CENTURYChina, 1760-1840. The transparent, ruby-red overlay is carved through to the bubble-suffused clear glass ground to each side with a 'celestial eye' goldfish and a carp amid water weeds, the fish's positions reversed on the opposite side. The pear-shaped body supported on a thick oval foot and rising to a tall cylindrical neck.Provenance: From an old private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired in Shanghai and Hong Kong from the 1930s onwards, and thence by descent. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and expected manufacturing irregularities, one tiny nibble to mouth.Stopper: Jadeite, bronze collar with incised decoration, good spoon Weight: 47.2 g Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 68 mm. Diameter neck 14 mm and mouth 7 mmCelestial eye goldfish or Choutengan is a double-tailed breed of fancy goldfish that has a defining pair of telescope eyes which are turned upwards, pupils gazing skyward. Celestial eye goldfish in a pond were a popular motif during the Qing dynasty.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 June 2021, lot 1082 Price: HKD 23,940 or approx. EUR 3,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A red overlay white glass 'fish' snuff bottle, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th centuryExpert remark: Note the size (7 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 12 September 2018, lot 648 Price: USD 1,750 or approx. EUR 2,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A red-overlay clear glass snuff bottle, probably Imperial, palace workshops, Beijing, 1760-1840Expert remark: Note the size (7.9 cm)十八至十九世紀寶石紅套料金魚鯉魚紋鼻煙壺中國，1760-1840年。鼻煙壺平口，直頸，溜肩，垂腹，圈足外撇。霏雪地套透明的紅寶石色料，每一側都雕刻著一條金魚和一條鯉魚相對，在水中嬉戲。 來源：英國私人收藏，上世紀三十年代在上海和香港購置，保存至今。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損，口旁有一小磕損。 壺蓋：翡翠，青銅托片，小勺 重量：47.2 克 尺寸：含壺蓋高68 毫米. 頸部直徑14 毫米 ，壺口直徑7 毫米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2021年6月4日，lot 1082 價格：HKD 23,940（相當於今日EUR 3,000） 描述：清十八至十九世紀白地套紅料鯰魚圖鼻煙壺 專家評論：請注意尺寸(7 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2018年9月12日，lot 648 價格：USD 1,750（相當於今日EUR 2,000） 描述：1760-1840年透明地套紅玻璃蓮塘魚藻紋鼻煙壺 專家評論：請注意尺寸(7.9 厘米)。

A BRONZE SEATED FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, THAILAND, SUKHOTHAI, 14TH - 15TH CENTURYSeated in dhyanasana on a plain, short base, his right hand in bhumisparsha mudra, the left hand resting on his lap, dressed in a samghati. His face with a serene expression, incised eyes below gently arched eyebrows, aquiline nose, smiling lips, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair curled in tight snail shells and surmounted by a flaming ushnisha. Provenance: Copenhagen trade, Denmark. Condition: Good condition commensurate with age, showing some wear, few nicks and dents, a small crack to the base, a metal fill to the knee, and expected casting flaws. Naturally grown, even patina. The statue displays a remarkable presence overall.Weight: 5,478 gDimensions: Height 42 cmAuction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams London, 2 October 2012, lot 213Price: GBP 16,250 or approx. EUR 26,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze seated figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Thailand, Sukothai style, 14th/15th CenturyExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose, hair dress, face, and dress. Note the size (60 cm).

A SMALL BRONZE FIGURE OF GANESHA, 12TH CENTURY OR EARLIEREastern India. The potbellied deity well cast seated in Royal Ease atop a neatly incised circular double lotus base, holding in his four hands a goad, noose, broken tusk, and bowl of sweets from which he samples with his elegantly curved trunk, wearing a conical headdress.Provenance: From an old private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired in Shanghai and Hong Kong from the 1930s onwards, and thence by descent. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, small losses, minor dents, minuscule nicks, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations. Fine, naturally grown, rich patina with malachite encrustations.Weight: 99 g Dimensions: Height 5 cmAuction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 17 December 2021, lot 3015 Price: HKD 16,380 or approx. EUR 2,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A small bronze figure of Ganesha, Pala, Eastern India, 12th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose, attributes, and size (4.9 cm). Compare also the related lotus base, though with a beaded edge more typical of the Pala period, and the similar patina with malachite encrustations, though less pronounced than on the present lot.

A RARE 'PENSIVE MONKEY' BRONZE VESSEL, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, 500 BC to 300 AD. The vessel in the form of a seated monkey with slender elongated arms and legs, one elbow resting on his knee, the left hand lowered toward his waist and touching his prominent member. The face of almond shape with bulging eyes and a broad nose, the incised mouth forming a subtle smile, flanked by two tubular ears, the mouth of the vessel at the top of his head. The body incised with vertical lines, the recessed base decorated with a characteristic spiral design.Provenance: From the private collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy, and the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Minor old repairs and fills as generally expected from ancient Dong Son excavations. Some losses, fissures, signs of weathering and erosion, casting flaws. Overall, still very good condition commensurate with age. Fine malachite-green patina with brown encrustations overall.Weight: 663.8 g Dimensions: Height 20 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.Literature comparison: Compare a related seated male figure, though of much smaller size (8.9 cm), in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2000.287.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Galerie Zacke Vienna, 16 October 2021, lot 579Price: EUR 15,168 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare male bronze figure, Dong Son cultureExpert remark: Compare the nude man with prominent member and related incised decoration. Note the size (28 cm).東山文化罕見坐猴銅管越南，公元前500至公元300年。器形為坐猴狀，手腳細長，一肘擱膝，左手垂向腰部。杏仁形臉，雙眼圓睜，闊鼻，咧開的嘴露出笑意，兩側耳朵。器皿的口在頭頂。主體刻有垂直線條，圈足，全身有螺旋狀圖案。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 私人收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。 他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：小修和填充，一些缺損，裂縫，風化和侵蝕的跡象，鑄造缺陷。綠色銅鏽包漿細膩，有棕色結殼。 重量：663.8 克 尺寸：高20 厘米

A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, 15TH CENTURY, PUBLISHED BY SCHROEDERPublished: Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, page 430, no. 113A (illustrated).Central Tibet. Finely cast, seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base with beaded upper rim, his right hand lowered in bhumisparsha mudra and his left held in dhyana mudra above his lap, dressed in a diaphanous sanghati draped over his left shoulder with the hems neatly incised with a foliate pattern and the folds elegantly piled below the ankles. The face with heavy-lidded eyes below elegantly arched brows centered by a raised urna and flanked by elongated pierced earlobes, the hair in tight curls over the ushnisha and topped with a jewel.Provenance: From the collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Marsing, and thence by descent in the family. John Marsing (1918-1998) was a Danish businessman who, at the age of 20, had established a pharmaceutical company, Marsing & Co. The firm expanded during the mid-20th century and had branches all over Europe, Canada, and Korea. Marsing was very interested in Asian culture and a passionate collector of Asian works of art, particularly from the Himalayas, China, and Korea. He built a substantial collection over decades, buying in Asia and from antique dealers in Denmark as well as auction houses all around Europe. Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear and some casting irregularities, small dents, few minuscule nicks, the base unsealed.Weight: 601 g Dimensions: Height 15 cmAuction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2013, lot 408 Price: USD 81,250 or approx. EUR 94,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Tibet, 15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose, sanghati with incised hems, face, ushnisha with jewel finial, and elongated pierced earlobes, as well as the related size (17.7 cm). Note the slightly different lotus base. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 16 March 2016, lot 709 Price: USD 23,750 or approx. EUR 26,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze seated figure depicting Shakyamuni Buddha, Tibet, 15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related pose, sanghati with incised hems, face, ushnisha with jewel finial, and elongated earlobes, as well as the related size (17.5 cm). Note the slightly different lotus base with vajra at the top.十五世紀銅鎏金釋迦牟尼坐蓮像西藏中部。尊佛以精銅鑄造，鎏金璀璨，熠熠生輝。釋迦牟尼坐於仰覆蓮座上，結全跏趺坐，右手自然下垂，左手平托於腹前，施降魔觸地印。肉髻高隆呈塔形，螺髮排列規整飾靛藍，寶珠頂嚴。寬額豐頤，雙耳垂肩，彎眉細長與鼻脛相連，點丹白毫，雙目微合下視，嘴角微露笑意，神態怡然，法相莊嚴。頸施三道弦紋，胸膛寬闊，腰部收束，軀體比例健美，著袒右肩袈裟，邊緣飾雙連珠紋絛帶，中間陰刻卷草紋。薄衣貼體，衣紋轉折流暢自然，富有層次感。蓮瓣寬大飽滿，瓣尖微微上翹，座上緣各飾一道連珠紋。座下未封底。 出版：Ulrich von Schroeder，《Indo-Tibetan Bronzes》，香港，1981，第430頁，圖 113A。 來源：John Marsing私人收藏，在同一家族保存至今。John Marsing (1918-1998) 是一位丹麥商人。二十歲時，他成立了一家製藥公司 Marsing & Co。該公司在二十世紀中葉擴大規模，在歐洲、加拿大和韓國都設有分公司。Marsing 對亞洲文化非常感興趣，並且熱衷於收藏亞洲藝術品，尤其是來自喜馬拉雅山、中國和韓國的藝術品。幾十年來，他的收藏一直在發展，從亞洲、丹麥的古董商以及歐洲各地的拍賣行購買。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和一些鑄造不規則、小凹痕、一些微小的刻痕，底座未密封。 重量：601 克 尺寸：高15 厘米

A BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA, ANGKOR PERIOD, BANTEAY SREI STYLEKhmer Empire, Angkor period, late 10th century. Standing in samapada, the principal arms bend at the waist, and the other two raised, all four hands forming the dharmachakra mudra, dressed in a short sampot tied at the waist with a belt. The face with almond-shaped eyes, aquiline nose, and pouting lips, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair tied and surmounted by five rows of overlapping loops, centered in front with a small image of the Buddha Amithaba. Provenance: A French private collection, built between ca. 1980 and 2012. Thence by descent. Condition: Fully commensurate with age, nicks, small dents, light scratches, some losses, repairs, signs of weathering, corrosion, fills, and with casting flaws. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, solid patina with malachite and cuprite encrustation.Weight: 534 g Dimensions: Height 23.2 cm (excl. stand) and 27 cm (incl. stand)Mounted to a wood stand. (2)Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2012, lot 839Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A bronze figure of Maitreya, Khmer, Angkor period, Banteay Srei style, 10th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related pose, dress, and facial expression. Note the size (21.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's Amsterdam, 18 October 2005, lot 137Price: EUR 11,950 or approx. EUR 17,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Khmer, Banteay Srei style, bronze figure of a bodhisattva, late 10th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related pose, dress, and facial expression. Note the size (21 cm).

A BRONZE FIGURE OF A SEATED BUDDHA, LATE SUKHOTHAI PERIODThailand, 16th century. Cast as Buddha seated on a stepped base in virasana, the left hand rests gently on his lap whilst the elongated fingers of his right hand are outstretched in bhumisparsa mudra. Dressed in a monk's garb, with his feet, right shoulder and full arm exposed, wearing a long scarf that falls diagonally from the left shoulder above the navel, culminating in cascading folds. The body partly covered in gold foil.Provenance: French trade. Condition: Fine condition overall with some wear, few corroded areas, some losses here and there, small nicks, dents and casting flaws. The original lacquer coating has suffered in areas due to extensive weathering, leading to the application of several additional layers of lacquer and gilt over the centuries. The base with natural age cracks and minor nicks.Weight: 7,136 g (incl. base) Dimensions: Height 41.5 cm (incl. base)Mounted to a wood base. (2)The face with full lips delineated in a serene half smile, heavy-lidded eyes, flanked by elongated earlobes. The hair outlined with a narrow band and tied in tight, spiky curls that encompass the head, surmounted by a flaming ushnisha. The bhumisparsa mudra is a gesture that echoes the Buddha's call of the Earth to witness and attest to his achievement of maravijaya or enlightenment, thus taking his throne and vanquishing Mara's demonic retinue.Established in 1238, the Sukhothai kingdom enjoyed a brief but artistically brilliant period of independence until it acquiesced to Ayuttaya in 1583. Guided by itinerant Sinhalese Buddhist monks that frequented the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, Sukhothai sculptors returned to the ancient poetic descriptions of the mahalakshana (signs of a great man) to create a new idealized Buddha image, breaking away from Mon and Khmer idioms. The flaming ushnisha is a single common feature that documents this cultural exchange with Sri Lanka.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams New York, 14 March 2016, lot 80Price: USD 23,750 or approx. EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A copper alloy figure of buddha, Thailand, Sukhothai period, 15th/16th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related pose, facial features, and robe. Note the larger size (58.4 cm).

A PAIR OF GILT-BRONZE TAOTIE MASK FITTINGS WITH LOOSE RING HANDLES, WARRING STATES PERIOD TO HAN DYNASTYChina, 5th century BC to 2nd century AD. Each well cast and finely detailed with bulging eyes below thick brows and curved horns, all above a pair of arms, suspending a loose ring from the down-turned nose, which continues into a rectangular tab on the back below another tab pierced for attachment. Fine, solid patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: A French private collection, acquired in Hong Kong during the 1980s. Galerie Archaia, Lyon, France, 2011. A French private collection built between ca. 1980 and 2012, acquired from the above, and thence by descent. A copy of the original invoice from Galerie Archaia, Lyon, dated 9 November 2011, describing the present lot as a pair of gilt bronze taotie from the Warring States period, accompanies this lot.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minor dents, small nicks, light scratches, losses, signs of weathering and erosion, casting flaws, and encrustations.Dimensions: Height 13.7 cm (each)Each with a modern acrylic glass stand. (6)Expert's note: The inclusion of human-like arms in this design is very unusual, and related to a small number of bronze ring handles with human-form decoration, including one excavated in 1968 at Mancheng, Hebei Province, from the tomb of Liu Sheng (d.113 BC) in the Hebei Provincial Museum which was illustrated in the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition catalog Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.-A.D. 220), New York, 2017, pages 184-185, no. 103.Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams London, 17 May 2018, lot 41 Price: GBP 8,750 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare pair of gilt-bronze 'taotie and figure' door handles, pushou, Warring States period/Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the related human-form decoration. Note the width of the handles (12.5 cm) and that the lot also comprises a pair.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 16 March 2017, lot 861 Price: USD 23,750 or approx. EUR 26,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze taotie mask fitting with loose ring handle, Han dynasty Expert remark: Note the similar size (15.2 cm) and that the lot only comprises a single taotie mask fitting.戰國至漢代一對銅鎏金獸面輔首啣環 描述：中國，公元前五世紀至公元二世紀。鑄造精良，細節精緻，獸面濃密的眉毛，彎曲的角，大眼圓睜，嘴部有一雙手，鼻子下懸掛一個可以活動的環。細膩堅固的包漿，帶有紅綠色銅鏽結殼。 來源：法國私人收藏，上世紀八十年代購於香港；2011年法國里昂Galerie Archaia藝廊；法國私人收藏，建立於1980年至2012年間，購於上述收藏，保存至今。隨附一份Galerie Archaia原始發票複印件，時間爲2011年11月9日，描述爲來自戰國時代的銅鎏金饕餮。 品相：狀態極好，大面積磨損、輕微凹痕、小刻痕、輕微劃痕、缺損、風化和侵蝕跡象、鑄造缺陷、結殼。 尺寸：分別高13.7 厘米 現代玻璃底座。 (6) 專家注釋：這件拍品中包含人形手臂非常不尋常，可能與有人形裝飾的青銅環柄有關，其中包括 1968 年在河北省滿城出土的劉勝墓(公元前113年)並在河北省博物館展出，可參見大都會藝術博物館《 Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.-A.D. 220)》，紐約，2017年，第184-185頁，圖103。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2018年5月 17日，lot 41 價格：GBP 8,750（相當於今日EUR 11,500） 描述：戰國/漢銅鎏金輔首銜環 一對 專家評論：比較相近的裝飾。請注意環寬度(12.5 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2017年3月16日，lot 861 價格：USD 23,750（相當於今日EUR 26,000） 描述：漢鎏金銅輔首啣環 專家評論：請注意相似的尺寸(15.2 厘米) ，以及此饕餮輔首啣環只有一件。

A BRONZE DEATH MASK, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, 500 BC to 300 AD. Cast as the face of a man with arched brows above deep eye sockets, pierced almond-shaped eyes, a broad nose, and full lips, the mouth slightly open.Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Fine condition commensurate with age and displaying remarkably well given its high age. Some losses, dents, nicks, scratches and old wear. Expected signs of weathering, erosion and corrosion. Minor structural cracks, old fills and repairs. Magnificent, naturally grown patina overall with extensive malachite and cuprite encrustations.Weight: 315.9 gDimensions: Height 20.8 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 Van Lang and Au 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.Literature comparison: Compare a related Dong Son bronze face mask, lacking most of the patina because of extensive restoration and conservatory work, illustrated by Danny Tan, Assistant Curator of the Asian Civilizations Museums, Singapore.東山文化銅面具越南，公元前500至公元300年。面具成男人面容，眉毛深邃，眼窩深邃，大眼圓睜，鼻樑寬闊，嘴唇豐滿，嘴巴微微張開。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 私人收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：品相良好，有一些缺損、凹痕、刻痕、劃痕和磨損，並可見風化、侵蝕和腐蝕的跡象；輕微的結構裂縫、填充物和維修。大面積自然包漿與綠色銅紅色結殼。 重量：315.9 克 尺寸：高20.8 厘米 東山文化是位於越南北部紅河河谷的一個鐵器時代史前文化。它約繁盛於公元前1000年到公元前後，它影響的區域包括東南亞其他地區乃至以及印度-馬來亞群島。越南歷史學家將其歸因於範朗州和悠樂州。公元前1000年，它的影響了東南亞的其他地區，包括海上東南亞。長期以來，這種文化對西方考古學家來說一直是個謎，人們只能通過青銅器了解它，其中許多通過考古墓地挖掘。東山青銅器在其原始位置被確定之前就在歐洲展出了一個世紀，關於文化年代測定方法的幾種理論和推測一直持續到今天。 文獻比較： 比較一件相近東山文化面具，由於廣泛地修復，因此沒有包漿，圖見新加坡亞洲文明博物館助理館長Danny Tan。

A PAINTED TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A ZEBU, MATURE HARAPPAN PERIODIndus Valley Civilization, ca. 2600-1900 BC. The humped bull standing foursquare, its head with large eyes, a short muzzle, and long curved horns, the animal further modeled with a tail. The eyes, horns, neck, and back encircled by brown-painted stripes.Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minuscule nicks, minor smoothened losses, expected old fills and repairs, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations.Weight: 651.4 gDimensions: Length 16 cmThe Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age culture in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilizations of the Near East and South Asia, and of the three, the most widespread. Its sites spanned an area from northeast Afghanistan and much of Pakistan to western and northwestern India. The civilization flourished both in the alluvial plain of the Indus River, which flows through the length of Pakistan and along a system of perennial monsoon-fed rivers that once coursed in the vicinity of the Ghaggar-Hakra, a seasonal river in northwest India and eastern Pakistan. The cities of the ancient Indus were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and techniques of handicraft and metallurgy. Both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa likely grew to a size of 30,000 and 60,000 individuals, and the civilization may have contained between one and five million total population during its florescence. It is also known as the Harappan civilization, after its type site Harappa, the first to be excavated early in the 20th century in what was then the Punjab province of British India and is now Punjab, Pakistan. The discovery of Harappa and soon afterwards Mohenjo-Daro was the culmination of work that had begun after the founding of the Archaeological Survey of India in the British Raj in 1861. There were earlier and later cultures called Early Harappan and Late Harappan in the same area. The early Harappan cultures were populated by Neolithic civilizations, the earliest and best-known of which is Mehrgarh in Balochistan, Pakistan. Harappan civilization is sometimes called Mature Harappan to distinguish it from the earlier cultures.Terracotta figures such as the present lot have been unearthed at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, suggesting a commonality of style and purpose throughout the Indus Valley during the mature Harappan period (ca. 2600-1900 BC). In one excavated example from Chanu-daro a hole was poked in the belly, indicating that it would have been attached to a stick for use as a puppet or a small standard of the kind carried in the processions depicted on some seals. In others, the hole was indeed placed on the back of the animal, thus suggesting an alternative function, perhaps as part of a larger ensemble.Zebu cattle are thought to be derived from the Indian bos primigenius namadicus, a subspecies of the aurochs. Wild Asian aurochs disappeared during the time of the Indus Valley Civilization from their range in the Indus River basin and other parts of the South Asian region possibly due to interbreeding with domestic zebu and the resultant fragmentation of wild populations due to loss of habitat. Believed to have first been bred in northwestern South Asia, between 7000 and 6000 BC, they are understood to have been dispersed by 4000 BC and spread across much of South Asia by 2000 BC.Literature comparison: Compare a related painted terracotta figure of a unicorn, also dated ca. 2600-1900 BC, illustrated by Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, Cities of the Indus Valley, in Joan Aruz (ed.), Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus, 2003, no. 276, p. 390. Compare a related serpentine figure of a bull, 14.7 cm long, also dated ca. 2600-1900 BC, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1986.280. Compare two related terracotta models of a humped ox, 9 cm long, dated ca. 2500 BC, used to draw a toy chariot, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession numbers 37.96 and 37.97.

A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF CHAKRASAMVARA AND VAJRAVARAHI, QING DYNASTYChina, 18th to 19th century. Both figures are modeled in yabyum over prostrated figures atop a separately cast lotus base with beaded rims. The sixteen-headed Chakrasamvara with twenty-four arms radiating around him and hands held in shuni mudra, his principal arms holding a vajra and ghanta crossed around his consort's back and further hands holding other attributes including kartika, khatvanga, and kapala. Wearing long sashes, tiger skin and a garland of heads, supporting Vajravarahi with his thigh, the consort holding a chopper and skull cup and wearing a beaded festooned belt.Provenance: From a private collection in Southampton, United Kingdom. Condition: Good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities, few small nicks and dents, minor old repairs with associated soldering marks, the pegs below the feet are later replacements, the base resealed. The gilt remarkably well preserved overall.Weight: 1,598 g Dimensions: Height 21.5 cmAuction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's London, 6 November 2018, lot 262 Price: GBP 18,750 or approx. EUR 26,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt bronze figure of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, Qing dynastyExpert remark: Note the similar size (20.6 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 4 April 2017, lot 202 Price: HKD 325,000 or approx. EUR 43,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, Qing dynasty, 19th centuryExpert remark: Note the larger size (44.1 cm)清代銅鎏金勝樂金剛與明妃像中國，十八至十九世紀。勝樂金剛勝十六首，二十四臂，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：英國南漢普頓私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損和鑄造不規則，輕微小缺口和凹痕，有小修補，腳下的釘子更換過，底座重新密封。鍍金整體保存完好。 重量：1,598 克 尺寸：高 21.5 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2018年11月6日，lot 262 價格：GBP 18,750（相當於今日EUR 26,000） 描述：清鎏金銅勝樂金剛立像 專家評論：請注意相似的尺寸(20.6 厘米) 。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港佳士得，2017年4月4日，lot 202 價格：HKD 325,000（相當於今日EUR 43,000） 描述：清十九世紀 鎏金銅勝樂金剛像 專家評論：請注意尺寸較大(44.1 厘米)。

A SUPERB BRONZE FIGURE OF A DRAGON, EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, CHINA, 770-256 BCPublished: Friedrich Georg Zeileis, Von Shang bis Qing - Dreieinhalb Jahrtausende Chinesischer Bronze (From Shang to Qing - Three and a Half Millenia of Chinese Bronze), 1999, page 318, no. 118. Finely cast as a dragon standing foursquare with the head turned back. The elegantly curved tail with a curled tip, the body with raised and finely incised S-scroll, clouds, and spiral designs. The bronze with a solid and naturally grown, rich patina with malachite and cuprite encrustation.Provenance: Sotheby's London, 1995. Friedrich Georg Zeileis, acquired from the above, according to his publication, Von Shang bis Qing - Dreieinhalb Jahrtausende Chinesischer Bronze (From Shang to Qing - Three and a Half Millenia of Chinese Bronze), 1999, page 318, no. 118. Dr. Friedrich Georg Zeileis (b. 1939) is a retired physician who built an important collection of ancient Chinese jades and bronzes. He was also a pianist and composer, and published several books, as well as catalogs of his substantial art collections, including fine Chinese jades and bronzes. Condition: Remarkably well preserved, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minor losses, some nicks, scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, soil encrustations. Fine naturally grown patina overall, with small areas of faint cuprite and various shades of malachite green.Weight: 288.2 g Dimensions: Length 16 cmLiterature comparison: Compare a near identical bronze in the form of a dragon, 16.2 cm long, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.9.2118.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 July 2022, lot 3031 Price: HKD 352,800 or approx. EUR 41,500 converted at the time of writing Description: A rare bronze figure of a winged tiger, Eastern Zhou dynastyExpert remark: Note the much smaller size (11 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christies New York, 22 March 2013, lot 1233 Price: USD 62,500 or approx. EUR 72,500 converted at the time of writing Description: A Very Rare Bronze Tiger-Form Applique, Late Eastern Zhou Dynasty, 5th-4th Century BCExpert remark: Note the much smaller size (11.1 cm)西元前770-256年青銅龍鑄造精良，龍頭後轉，龍尾捲曲，造型美觀，龍身飾雲紋和螺旋紋。表面銅鏽堅固且自然，並有綠色紅色結殼。 出版：Friedrich Georg Zeileis，《Von Shang bis Qing - Dreieinhalb Jahrtausende Chinesischer Bronze (From Shang to Qing - Three和a Half Millenia of Chinese Bronze)》，1999年，第318頁，圖118。 來源：倫敦蘇富比，1995年；Friedrich Georg Zeileis，根據他出版的書上記載，購於上述拍賣。Dr. Friedrich Georg Zeileis博士（生於 1939 年）是一位退休醫生，收藏了大量中國古代玉器和青銅器。他還是一位鋼琴家和作曲家，出版了數本書籍與大量藝術收藏品目錄，其中包括精美的中國玉器和青銅器。 品相：保存完好，年代久遠。嚴重磨損、輕微缺損、一些刻痕、劃痕、風化和侵蝕跡象、土壤結殼。整體有自然美麗的銅綠，帶有小面積的微弱紅色和各種深淺不一的綠色結殼。 重量：288.2 克 尺寸：長16 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件幾乎相同的青銅龍，長16.2 厘米，收藏於Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in the National Museum of Asian Art，史密森學會，館藏編號S2012.9.2118。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2022年7月28日，lot 3031 價格：HKD 352,800（相當於今日EUR 41,500） 描述：東周銅翼虎 專家評論：請注意尺寸小很多(11 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2013年3月22日，lot 1233 價格：USD 62,500（相當於今日EUR 72,500） 描述：公元前五至四世紀東周青銅虎 專家評論：請注意尺寸較小很多(11.1 厘米)。

A BRONZE HALBERD BLADE, GE, WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, c. 1100-771 BC. Finely worked with the elongated blade (yuan) cast in relief with the profile of a mythical beast with ruyi-shaped ears, its long sharp tongue protruding from its mouth and extending toward the tip of the blade, all bordered by crisply finished edges. The end of the yuan pierced with a rectangular chuan (aperture), the tang (nei) with a circular chuan.Provenance: La Balaustra Antichita, Bologna. Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above. A copy of a certificate of authenticity by La Balaustra Antichita, Bologna, written and signed by Giuliana Zanetti, dated 20 January 1992, and describing the piece as a ceremonial axe likely dating from the Shang dynasty, accompanies this lot. From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, nicks and cracks, shallow surface scratches. Possibly with minor old repairs. Fine, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustation overall.Weight: 255.6 g Dimensions: Length 22.8 cmLiterature comparison:Compare a closely related bronze halberd, Western Zhou dynasty, 10th to 9th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1994.605.7.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 18 March 2009, lot 230 Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An unusual bronze socketed ge-halberd blade, Western Zhou dynasty, circa 1100-771 BC西周銅戈中國，公元前約 1100-771 年。細長的刀刃（援）做工精細，浮雕神獸紋，有如意形耳，長而尖的舌頭從嘴裡伸出並延伸到刀尖。援端鑿一長方形孔，援末和胡上有穿繩纏柲的小孔（穿）。 來源：義大利博洛尼亞La Balaustra Antichita；Paolo Bertuzzi 1992年購於上述藝廊。隨附一份1992年1月20日 La Balaustra Antichita 出具的原始發票複印本一份，Giuliana Zanetti書寫並簽名，描述此拍品為商代禮器。Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：品相良好，大面積磨損、風化和侵蝕，有刻痕和裂縫、表面淺劃痕。可能有小修。精美、自然包漿，整體帶有綠色紅色結殼。 重量：255.6 克 尺寸：長22.8 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件非常相近的公元前十至九世紀西周銅戈，大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號1994.605.7。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2009年3月18日，lot 230 價格：USD 9,375（相當於今日EUR 12,500） 描述：公元前1100-771年西周銅戈

A CLOISONNE ENAMEL MALLET VASE, QIANLONG FIVE-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIODChina, 1736-1795. The cylindrical body rising from a spreading foot to a tall neck with gilt rim, decorated around the exterior with lotus blooms borne on meandering leafy scrolls between ruyi bands, the foot encircled with C-scrolls and circles, all reserved on a distinct turquoise ground. The base incised with a five-character mark Qianlong nianzhi zuo and of the period.Provenance: British trade. Condition: Good condition with expected old wear, minor crackling and small fills typical for these wares. Minuscule nicks, some dents with associated small losses, the vase slightly leaning.Weight: 226 g Dimensions: Height 14.4 cmBased on its size and mallet shape, this vase was made to hold incense instruments. These types of small cloisonne vases, censers, and instruments (luping sanshi) which were made for the burning of incense had an additional character below the reign mark and were made for the Qianlong court. Some scholars have suggested that the fifth character under the Qianlong mark could have been a way to number the large group of objects in the correct order, see H. Brinker and A. Lutz, Chinese Cloisonne: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, pp. 74-79.Literature comparison:Compare a similar cloisonne enamel vase with Qianlong five-character mark and of the period, from the Robert H. Clague Collection, Phoenix Art Museum, illustrated in Beatrice Quette, Cloisonne: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, New York, 2011, p. 291, pl. 130.Auction result comparison:Type: Near identicalAuction: Christie's New York, 18 September 2014, lot 613Price: USD 37,500 or approx. EUR 44,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A small cloisonne enamel bottle vase, Qianlong four-character mark inscribed in a line and of the periodExpert remark: Compare the near identical bottle or mallet form, motif, five-character mark, and size (14.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams London, 11 May 2017, lot 180Price: GBP 22,500 or approx. EUR 32,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A cloisonne enamel bottle vase, Qianlong five-character mark and of the periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related mallet or bottle form, motif, and five-character mark. Note the slightly larger size (17 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams London, 17 May 2012, lot 139Price: GBP 20,000 or approx. EUR 32,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A cloisonne enamel and gilt-bronze long-necked cylindrical vase, incised Qianlong five-character mark and of the periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, motif, and five-character mark.乾隆五字款及年代銅胎掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋賞瓶中國，1736-1795年。長頸，直腹，底足微束，足微外撇。外壁掐絲琺瑯描繪纏枝蓮紋，瓶口下裝飾一圈如意紋。底足内刻“乾隆年製”與“左”字款。 來源：英國古玩交易。 品相：品相良好，有磨損、輕微裂紋和小填充物。微小的刻痕，一些凹痕、缺損，賞瓶略微傾斜。 重量：226 克 尺寸：高 14.4 厘米 根據它的大小和形狀，這個瓶子應是用來盛放香薰器具的。這些供燒香用的小景泰藍瓶、香爐和器具在年號下方加了一個字，是為乾隆宮廷製作的。 一些學者認為，乾隆標記下的第五個字符可能是一種以正確順序對大群物品進行編號的方式，見 H. Brinker和A. Lutz，《Chinese Cloisonne: The Pierre Uldry Collection》，紐約，1989年，頁74-79。 文獻比較： 比較一件相似的銅胎掐絲琺瑯乾隆五字款和年代賞瓶，來自Robert H. Clague 收藏，收藏於Phoenix Art Museum，見Beatrice Quette，《Cloisonne: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan，Ming and Qing Dynasties》，紐約，2011年，頁291，圖130。

A RARE GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF VARAHA, NEPAL, 16TH-17TH CENTURYCast striding on a nagaraja above a lotus base, dressed in a loin cloth, adorned with beaded jewelry and bangles, his left arm raised supporting the goddess Bhudevi, his face in the form of a boar with long snout and two protruding fangs, standing on a coiled snake next to a small depiction of Buddha Muchalinda. The base sealed and incised with a double vajra.Provenance: From the private collection of Angela Trueb, Somerset, United Kingdom, and thence by descent in the same family. Angela Trueb (1918-1991) was the wife of Swiss coffee planter Hans Trueb. During her childhood, she spent many years in a coffee estate in Doddengudda, South India, and later moved to India again with her husband. Trueb inherited her mother's passion for Indian religious sculptures and art. During her stay in India, Trueb invested a lot of time and energy into researching Indian temple sites and started her collection, which was later moved to her home when her family returned to Somerset in 1967. Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear, few nicks and dents, light surface scratches, and casting flaws. Very good, naturally grown patina overall. Sealed.Weight: 646.5 g Dimensions: Height 14.1 cmThe present figure depicts Vishnu as the cosmic boar Varaha telling the scene where the god prevents the earth from flooding. The earth goddess Bhudevi was captured by the demon Hiranayaksha and trapped in the cosmic waters when Vishnu took the form of a divine boar and rescued her after defeating the primeval serpent monster.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 15 September 2015, lot 22Price: USD 12,500 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt bronze figure of an animal-headed attendant, Tibet, 16th/17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related pose, beast head, and size (15 cm)十六至十七世紀尼泊爾罕見銅鎏金筏羅訶像豬頭大聖左腿膝蓋微屈，大開步站在蓮座上，長鼻子和兩顆獠牙突出，腰圍圍裙，佩戴珠飾和手鐲，左臂高舉，托著女神布德維；脚下盤繞的蛇，一側坐著那迦龍王目支鄰陀像。底座用雙金剛杵密封。 來源：英國薩默塞特Angela Trueb收藏，在同一家族保存至今。Angela Trueb (1918-1991) 是瑞士咖啡豆莊園主Hans Trueb的妻子。童年時代，她在南印度多登古達的一個咖啡莊園度過多年，後來隨丈夫再次移居印度。Trueb 繼承了她母親對印度宗教雕塑和藝術的熱情。在印度逗留期間，Trueb投入了大量時間和精力研究印度寺廟遺址，並開始了她的收藏，後來當她的家人於 1967 年返回薩默塞特時，這些收藏被搬到了她的家中。 品相：狀況極好，有磨損，輕微刻痕和凹痕，表面有輕微的劃痕和鑄造缺陷。自然包漿。密封。 重量：646.5 克 尺寸：高 14.1 厘米 這件造像將毗湿奴描繪成豬頭大聖筏羅訶，阻止大地洪水氾濫的場景。大地女神布德維被惡魔俘虜並被困在水域中，毗湿奴在擊敗蛇怪後化身為神豬並將她救出。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得， 2015年9月15日，lot 22 價格：USD 12,500（相當於今日EUR 15,000） 描述：A gilt bronze figure of an animal-headed attendant，Tibet，16th/17th century 專家評論：比較相近的姿勢、獸首和尺寸(15 厘米)。

AN EXTREMELY RARE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA IN ROYAL EASE, YONGLE INCISED SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIODChina, 1402-1424. Superbly cast seated in rajalilasana, with swaying torso and head inclined, the left leg drawn up and the right folded in front, the left hand raised and held in vitarka mudra and the right elegantly resting on the rear of the double-lotus pedestal base with beaded rims. The front left corner at the top of the base is neatly incised with the six-character mark Da Ming Yongle nianzhi and of the period.Provenance: From the private collection of a gentleman in the United Kingdom. Condition: Superb condition with only minor wear, minimal casting flaws, minuscule nicks, and remnants of old varnish. The base retains the original sealing.X-Ray Images: Available upon request.Weight: 1,441 g Dimensions: Height 17 cmExpert's remark: The present figure was in private ownership for a long time. Until just recently, it was covered entirely by a thick layer of old varnish, which had blackened completely over the years. The six-character mark was unrecognizably hidden under this coating, and the owner was unaware of its presence. A significant portion of the varnish has now been removed to reveal the magnificent original gilding hidden below. Needless to say, this was done in a most sensitive manner, without scratching the gilding, using only pure alcohol and cotton. There are still some remains of varnish, mostly in the many corners and recesses, which may also be removed if one wishes. Prospective bidders are encouraged to study our high-resolution images in full detail. These will confirm that most of the black areas remaining are ancient varnish, under which the gilding is well preserved.The bodhisattva is wearing a finely detailed foliate tiara, a profusion of beaded jewels around the neck, arms, waist and ankles, a diaphanous scarf billowing at either side, and a voluminous lower garment gathered at the waist with a jeweled girdle and spreading onto the lotus pedestal. The face is exquisitely modeled to provide a benevolent expression with downcast eyes, gently arched brows, circular urna, and smiling lips. The neatly incised hair is drawn up into a knotted jatamakuta topped by a cintamani jewel and elegantly falling in tresses over the shoulders.Bronzes in the Tibetan-Chinese style produced during the reign of Emperor Yongle in the first quarter of the 15th century and bearing his reign mark are highly distinguished for their unsurpassed craftsmanship, overall refinement and gracefulness. Executed by the Imperial ateliers, they display a highly consistent and uniform style, which evolved out of the influence of the Nepalese artist Anige (1244-1306) at the Yuan court and the close links with Tibet established by the Yongle Emperor. The distinct Imperial style includes double-lotus bases with beaded rims and characteristic facial features with broadened outline, gently arched brows above the lidded eyes and subtle smile, all finished with great attention to detail.The future Yongle Emperor was likely introduced to Tibetan Buddhism and became interested in it around 1380, when he was enfeoffed in Beijing, and of course he had strong ties to the Mongol military elite, who were also adherents of lamaist Buddhism, so it appears that he continued to practice this form of Buddhism for the rest of his life. Certainly more works of art depicting lamaist Buddhist deities and imagery were produced during his reign period than under any other Chinese emperor, with the exception of the Qing Emperor Qianlong. For further discussion of this topic see J.C.Y. Watt and D.P. Leidy, Defining Yongle: Imperial Art in Early Fifteenth-Century China, Yale University Press, 2005.In 1406, the Yongle Emperor sent a mission to Tibet inviting the famous hierarch of the Karmapa monastery, Halima, to Nanjing, to take part in the memorial services for the Hongwu Emperor and Empress Ma. Halima first sent a tribute mission, and then in the Spring of 1407 came to the Ming court in person. There he was received with great honor, given the title Dabao Fawang (Great Precious Religious Prince) and asked to perform religious ceremonies for the Emperor's deceased parents. After his return to Tibet, Halima continued to exchange gifts with the Emperor. The Yongle Emperor also invited the hierarch of the Sakyapa to the court at Nanjing in 1413 and treated him too with great honor. Thereafter missions were sent from Sakya abbots until the 1430s. A high-ranking representative of the Yellow Sect was invited to Nanjing in 1413 and was also greatly honored and returned to Tibet in 1416 with many gifts. Gifts and missions continued to be exchanged with the Yellow Sect until the 1430s.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related figure of Avalokiteshvara, also with the Yongle mark incised to the front left corner at the top of the base, below Avalokiteshvara's left knee, at exactly the same place where it is found on the present lot, in the Norbulingka Palace in Lhasa, recorded by von Schroeder in his survey of the holdings of Tibetan monastery collections, illustrated in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, pp. 1270-1, pl. 353D, and in E. F. Lo Bue (ed.), Tesori del Tibet: Offetti d'arte dai Monasteri di Lhasa, 1994, p. 110, no. 70. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's London, 7 November 2007, lot 362 Price: GBP 546,900 or approx. EUR 939,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare and extremely fine gilt-bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, erased mark of Yongle and of the period Expert remark: Compare the regal pose, bodhisattva jewelry, smiling expression, double-lotus pedestal base with beaded rims, and near identical size (18 cm). Note that this figure has an erased Yongle reign mark.永樂款罕見銅鎏金觀音中國，1402-1424年。蓮台座面上題刻“大明永樂年製”，為明宮廷風格的作品。 來源：英國一位紳士私人收藏。 品相：狀況極佳，只有輕微磨損、極小的鑄造缺陷、劃痕和舊清漆殘留。底座保留了原來的密封。X光檢測圖片:如有需可經詢問提供。 重量：1,441 克 尺寸：高17 厘米

A BACTRIAN TRAVERTINE BOWL, LATE 3RD TO EARLY 2ND MILLENIUM BCPublished: Massimo Vidale, Treasures from the Oxus. The Art and Civilization of Central Asia, London/New York, 2017, p. 59, no. 51, described as a truncated cone-shaped bowl in banded calcite or travertine.Oxus Civilization. The deep conical sides supported on a slightly rounded base and rising to an everted rim above a short waisted section. The stone of a beautiful cream color with faint veins of amber.Provenance: Bruno Cooper, Norwich, United Kingdom, 2009. Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice from Bruno Cooper, Norwich, dated 18 October 2009, describing the piece as a Bactrian truncated cone-shaped bowl in travertine, dating it to the 3rd millennium BC, and stating a purchase price of EUR 1,800 or approx. EUR 2,400 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Very good condition with old wear, few minuscule chips to the rim, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, and natural fissures, some of which may have developed into hairline cracks.Weight: 825.2 g Dimensions: Diameter 16.3 cmThe Oxus Civilization or Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), recently dated to c. 2250-1700 BC, is the modern archaeological designation for a Bronze Age civilization of Central Asia, previously dated to c. 2400-1900 BC, by Sandro Salvatori, in its urban phase or integration era. Though it may be called the "Oxus civilization", apparently centered on the upper Amu Darya (Oxus River) in Bactria, most of the BMAC's urban sites are actually located in Margiana (modern Turkmenistan) on the Murghab river delta and the Kopet Dagh mountain range. There are a few later sites in northern Bactria (c. 1950-1450 BC), the territory of southern Uzbekistan, but they are mostly graveyards belonging to the BMAC-related Sapalli culture. A single BMAC site, known as Dashli, lies in southern Bactria, the territory of northern Afghanistan. Sites found further east, in southwestern Tajikistan, though contemporary with the main BMAC sites in Margiana, are only graveyards, with no urban developments associated with them. BMAC sites were discovered and named by the Soviet archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi when he was excavating in northern Afghanistan between 1969 and 1979. Sarianidi's excavations revealed numerous monumental structures in many sites, fortified by impressive walls and gates. Reports on the BMAC were mostly confined to Soviet journals. A journalist from The New York Times wrote in 2001 that during the years of the Soviet Union, the findings were largely unknown to the West until Sarianidi's work began to be translated in the 1990s.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related marble bowl, with a similar waisted section below the rim, dated ca. late 3rd to early 2nd millennium BC, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1983.535.4.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 11 December 2003, lot 99Price: USD 7,170 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Bactrian banded calcite-alabaster bowl, circa late 3rd-early 2nd millennium BCExpert remark: Compare the related form, material, and size (17.5 cm). Note the vibrant bands and thin walls.

A 'FIRE AND FOUR-PETAL LEAVES' BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI, EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, 11th century BC. The deep body of slight S-profile raised on a spreading foot with a tall straight foot rim below a band of leiwen divided by four flanges, cast below the everted rim with a band of alternating fire and four-petal leaves centered on two sides with a small animal mask, flanked by a pair of loop handles with an animal mask at the top and a hooked tab projecting from the bottom. The bronze with a superb, naturally grown, rich, brown patina with distinct malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Gottfried and Helga Hertel, Cologne, Germany. The property of a gentleman in the United States, acquired from the above. Gottfried Hertel (1925-2019) was the Executive Director of the German Nuclear Reactor Insurance Association in Cologne. Together with his wife, Helga (1928-2013), he formed a substantial collection of Asian art, antiquities, and Old Master paintings, over many decades, beginning in 1970. Parts of the Egyptian art and classical antiquities collection were sold at Bonhams in London, 3 July 2019. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Old wear and shallow surface scratches, losses, small nicks and dents. One side of the wall and an area of the foot rim sympathetically restored. The interior of the foot rim with minor flaking. Superb, naturally grown patina overall and thus displaying exceptionally well.X-Ray imagery: X-Ray images of the present lot are available on request.Weight: 1,447 g Dimensions: Width 25.5 cm (across)Literature comparison: Compare a related early Western Zhou dynasty gui, illustrated by Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng (Compendium of Inscriptions and Images of Bronzes from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties), Shanghai, 2012, pl. 3862. The decoration on the present gui, resembling fire and four-petal leaves, belongs to a distinct type which first appeared in the Western Zhou dynasty, see Shang Zhou qingtongqi wenshi (Decorative Patterns on Shang and Zhou dynasties Bronzes), Beijing, 1984, p. 248, pl. 703-708 for a related discussion and study carried out by the Shanghai Museum Bronze Research Group on this design. Compare the similar gui, also dated early Western Zhou, illustrated by J. Rawson in Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. IIB, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1990, p. 385, fig. 43.1. See, also, the similar gui in the collection of the Danish National Museum, illustrated by M. Boyer, Some Chinese Archaic Bronzes in the Danish National Museum, BMFEA, No. 27, Stockholm, 1955, pp. 1-10, pl. 5 (b).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1247 Price: USD 194,500 or approx. EUR 233,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze ritual food vessel, gui, early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BCExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, handles, and decoration with similar animal masks and alternating fire and four-petal leaves (described here as “stars and whorls”), as well as the related size (26.7 cm). Note the five-character inscription.西周初期青銅簋中國，公元前十一世紀。侈口，垂腹，半環耳，圈足外撇，近底處起淺臺。腹兩側為獸首半環耳，下皆垂珥，口沿下飾一紋飾帶，以浮雕小獸面為中心，兩側為交替的火焰紋和四葉草紋。圈足飾一周雲雷紋襯地。青銅器具有極好的、自然生長的、豐富的棕色銅綉，帶有明顯的孔雀石色和赤色結殼。 來源：德國科隆Gottfried 與Helga Hertel收藏；美國紳士收藏，購於上述收藏。Gottfried Hertel (1925-2019年) 曾是德國科隆核反應堆保險協會的執行董事。自1970 年起，他與妻子 Helga（1928-2013年）建立了亞洲藝術、古物和古典大師繪畫收藏。部分埃及藝術和古典古物收藏於2019年7 月3日在倫敦邦瀚斯拍賣行出售。 品相：狀況極佳，有磨損和表面淺劃痕、缺損、小刻痕和凹痕。一側和腳緣的區域得到了修復。足緣內部有輕微剝落。自然生長的整體包漿。 X光射線檢測: 可詢問獲取X射線檢測圖。 重量：1,447克 尺寸：寬 25.5 厘米 (雙耳之間)

A VERY RARE SILVER BOX AND COVER DEPICTING THE BLACK TORTOISE, XUANWU, TANG DYNASTYChina, 618-907. Both sides of the flat circular box are finely chased, the cover neatly embossed to the center with a tortoise entwined with a snake, their heads confronted, the serpent's scales and tortoise's carapace meticulously incised, encircled by two foliate bands divided by a raised line band. The sides of the box and cover with a similar foliate band, the underside similarly decorated with two confronted phoenixes centered by a flowerhead and encircled by a raised line and a foliate band, all against a ring-punched ground.Provenance: Hong Kong trade.Condition: Very good condition with some old wear, traces of use and manufacturing irregularities, expected minor tarnishing to the silver, and few tiny dents.Weight: 50.3 g Dimensions: Diameter 6 cmThe Black Tortoise (xuanwu) is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations, which emerged in Chinese cosmology around the third century BC and became firmly established in the following centuries. Despite its English name, it is usually depicted as a tortoise entwined together with a snake. The name used in East Asian languages does not mention either animal. The alternative name 'Black (or Dark or Mysterious) Warrior' is a more faithful translation. It represents the north and the winter season, thus it is sometimes called Xuanwu of the North. The creature's name is identical to that of the important Taoist god Xuanwu, who is sometimes (as in Journey to the West) portrayed in the company of a turtle and a snake.This depiction of a tortoise entwined with a snake is highly symbolic. According to Chinese mythology, tortoises are exclusively female and must be paired with snakes, which have similarly shaped heads, to conceive. Therefore, the adroitly entwined tortoise and snake do not represent a violent struggle, but rather a harmonious balance of Yin and Yang. Interestingly, neither is capable of defeating the other, as the snake is unable to crush the tortoise's shell and reach its vital organs while the tortoise is unable to attack the serpent due to its short limbs and neck. Furthermore, the creature's name is identical to that of the important Daoist god Xuanwu, who is sometimes (as in Journey to the West) portrayed in the company of a turtle and a snake.Literature comparison:Compare the mural of the Black Tortoise, dated early 7th century, Goguryeo Kingdom, painted on the northern wall of the Great Tomb of Kangso in Pyongyang. Compare a bronze mirror with symbols of the four cardinal directions, including the Black Tortoise, dated 7th century, Sui or Tang dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2022.151.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 12 September 2019, lot 544 Price: USD 102,500 or approx. EUR 108,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A finely engraved small silver 'mandarin duck' box and cover, Tang dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related circular (though convex) form and chased decoration, however lacking the embossed details to the center. Note the smaller size (4.4 cm).唐代玄武紋銀盒中國，618-907年。扁圓盒兩面精美雕刻，雙層纏枝卷葉紋，中央開光，浮雕龜蛇纏繞，蛇首相對，蛇鱗和龜甲細節可辨。盒子的側面有相似的卷葉紋。盒底裝飾雙層纏枝花卉紋，中央開光，浮雕面對面的鳳凰。所有紋飾以圓點為地。 來源：香港古玩交易。 品相：狀況極好，有一些磨損、使用痕跡和製造瑕疵，銀質輕微變色，輕微小凹痕。 重量：50.3 克 尺寸：直徑 6 厘米 玄武，中國古代神話中的天之四靈之一，又名龜蛇 ，源於遠古星宿崇拜。玄武是一種由龜和蛇組合成的一種靈物，北方玄武象徵四像中的老陰，四季中的冬季，同時也是天之北陸。 這幅烏龜纏蛇的描繪極具象徵意義。根據中國神話，烏龜是唯一的女性，必須與頭部形狀相似的蛇配對才能構精。因此，纏繞的龜蛇並不代表激烈的鬥爭，而是陰陽的和諧平衡。此外該生物的名字與重要的道教神玄武的名字相同，玄武有時（如在西遊記中）被描繪成一隻烏龜和一條蛇。 文獻比較： 比較七世紀初期高句麗黑玄武壁畫，畫於平壤的江西三墓的北牆。比較一件七世紀隋或唐代四方神獸銅鏡，其中也有黑玄武，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號2022.151。

A COMPLETE SET OF SIX BRONZE NESTING SEALS, CHINA, QING DYNASTYInscriptions: All 31 seal faces inscribed with sayings, aphorisms, and idioms, including 'Three Friends of Winter' and 'A contented mind is a perpetual feast' (to the second-largest seal); 'Long distance does not separate bosom friends' (to the second-smallest seal); and 'A day like three years' (to the smallest seal). Comprising a small cube cast in intaglio to each of its six surfaces with archaistic seal script characters, fitting snugly into five further square-sectioned seals which are all similarly cast with intaglio or recessed seal script characters to the sides, their tops each with a raised circle cast with an additional seal face. (6)Provenance: British trade. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few nicks, light scratches, casting flaws, and traces of seal paste.Weight: 254.5 g Dimensions: Length 3.6 cm (the largest) to 1.5 cm (the smallest) Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 27 September 2021, lot 611Price: USD 4,410 or approx. EUR 4,600 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A set of five bronze nesting seals, Qing dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, and size (3.2 cm).清代一套六件銅印長方體或正方體同印，大小不一。每一個印的六個表面的都刻有篆書字符；從小到大，可以把印套在一起。(6) 款識：讀未見書，如得良友，見已讀書，如逢故人；梅閣留春，荷亭銷夏，自娛而已；讀不盡者書，造詣不盡者人品，鶯旁按譜，花前覓句；歲寒三友；小樓一夜聼春雨；知足長樂；一日思君十二時；燕交飛處柳煙低；我欲醉眠芳草；江上青山送六朝；天涯知己；聲山翰墨；琴書知己；安且吉兮；出入日利；仁者必壽；坐花醉月；一日三秋，等。 來源：英國古玩交易。 品相：狀況非常好，有輕微磨損、些微刻痕、少量劃痕、鑄造缺陷和密封膏痕跡。 重量：254.5 克 尺寸：長3.6 厘米 (最大)至1.5 厘米 (最小) 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2021年9月27日，lot 611 價格：USD 4,410（相當於今日EUR 4,600） 描述：清銅套印一套五件 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和尺寸 (3.2 厘米)。