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Lot 636
Walasse Ting (Chinese/American, 1929-2010). Watercolor on paper depicting a woman hiding her face behind a fan. With a red seal stamp along the lower left.Lot Essay:Walasse Ting was a painter and a poet, a powerhouse in the mid-20th century art and intellectual scene. His work was fluorescent and shocking, intended to confront the viewer and force them to pause their worldly cares to focus on beauty. Born Ding Xiongquan in Wuxi, Jiangsu province in 1929, Ting had little formal artistic education. After a brief stint at the Shanghai Art Academy, he left for Paris, arriving in 1949. He quickly fell in with the CoBrA group, an avant-garde collective of artists known for their spontaneous way of painting and rebellion against the artistic establishment. Their emphasis on Outsider Art had a profound effect on Ting, especially since he had little art training and tended to see himself as an outsider in the art world.In 1959, he left Paris for New York City, where he was influenced by Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism. He became friends with many artists working in these styles, including greats such as Andy Warhol, with whom he once put on a joint exhibition. His work was influenced by these connections, pulling ideas from both movements and fluctuating between abstraction and figural works with a unique ease. He also began finding inspiration in more traditional sources, using bold strokes inspired by the calligraphy of his native China. In addition to art, he began publishing poetry during this period, both original poems and translations of classical Chinese poems. He published thirteen books, many of which contained illustrations by himself and his artistic contemporaries.In 1970, he won the Guggenheim Fellowship Award for Drawing. His career continued to flourish, and he split his time between New York and Amsterdam, painting, writing, and displaying his works. He additionally made many trips to Paris to exhibit at the Salon de Mai and traveled to Tahiti to explore the tropical landscapes and colors.During his long and varied career, he had over 60 solo exhibitions of his paintings, as well as making forays into theater direction and teaching. In all his endeavors, he tried to use art to bring beauty into the lives of as many people as possible, because, in his words, “[w]ithout beauty, life makes no sense."Sight; height: 14 in x width: 19 in. Framed; height: 19 1/4 in x width: 28 1/4 in. />Condition: There are no tears, losses, or restorations. Natural texture to the sheet due to the paper type. The colors are bold and bright. The paper is affixed to a backing. Framed under glass; light wear to the frame. The paper backing has been removed to allow for inspection of the work.
Lot 637
Walasse Ting (Chinese/American, 1929-2010). Lithograph on paper depicting a simple line drawing depicting one woman whispering into the other's ear, 1977. Pencil signed and dated along the lower right; editioned "Artist Proof" along the lower left. Possibly inspired by the works of Henri Matisse during one of the artist's trip to Paris.Lot Essay:Walasse Ting was a painter and a poet, a powerhouse in the mid-20th century art and intellectual scene. His work was fluorescent and shocking, intended to confront the viewer and force them to pause their worldly cares to focus on beauty. Born Ding Xiongquan in Wuxi, Jiangsu province in 1929, Ting had little formal artistic education. After a brief stint at the Shanghai Art Academy, he left for Paris, arriving in 1949. He quickly fell in with the CoBrA group, an avant-garde collective of artists known for their spontaneous way of painting and rebellion against the artistic establishment. Their emphasis on Outsider Art had a profound effect on Ting, especially since he had little art training and tended to see himself as an outsider in the art world.In 1959, he left Paris for New York City, where he was influenced by Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism. He became friends with many artists working in these styles, including greats such as Andy Warhol, with whom he once put on a joint exhibition. His work was influenced by these connections, pulling ideas from both movements and fluctuating between abstraction and figural works with a unique ease. He also began finding inspiration in more traditional sources, using bold strokes inspired by the calligraphy of his native China. In addition to art, he began publishing poetry during this period, both original poems and translations of classical Chinese poems. He published thirteen books, many of which contained illustrations by himself and his artistic contemporaries.In 1970, he won the Guggenheim Fellowship Award for Drawing. His career continued to flourish, and he split his time between New York and Amsterdam, painting, writing, and displaying his works. He additionally made many trips to Paris to exhibit at the Salon de Mai and traveled to Tahiti to explore the tropical landscapes and colors.During his long and varied career, he had over 60 solo exhibitions of his paintings, as well as making forays into theater direction and teaching. In all his endeavors, he tried to use art to bring beauty into the lives of as many people as possible, because, in his words, “[w]ithout beauty, life makes no sense."Sight; height: 27 3/4 in x width: 39 3/4 in. Framed; height: 30 1/4 in x width: 42 in. Condition: The sheet is toned. There are stains and foxing throughout, visible in the lot listing. No visible tears, creases, or losses. Light wear to the frame; framed under plexiglass; not inspected out of frame. The paper backing has been cut along three sides to see if the print could be rolled for shipping. The print can be rolled for shipping.
Lot 81
Rafa Nasiri (Iraq, 1940-2013)Abstract Composition acrylic on canvas signed 'Nasiri' and dated '88', executed in 1988120 x 100cm (47 1/4 x 39 3/8in).Footnotes:Provenance:Property from a private collection, LondonAcquired directly from the Artist by the aboveA large and captivating painting by Rafa Al-Nasiri'Rafa al Nasiri, in essence an abstract painter, came for some timeunder the spell of Arabic calligraphy, when he began to use wholephrases, usually of a devout nature, as a centre for his canvases.Soon, however, he was to seek the formal values of individual lettersfor his new kind of plastic variations.The relation between his original graphic skill, heightened by his study of Chinese art in Peking, and his novel manipulation of the alphabet, has thus been emphasized.Having mastered the distribution of balances, extensions, and emptyplanes, he achieves a harmonic lightness, a sheer visual delight,which once marked his earlier non-calligraphic work. More recentlyhe has taken even greater liberty with his forms: words, haphazardnumbers, crosses and circles, become symbolic graffiti, suggestive ofrepressed agonies. The poetic undertones thus join forces with thepurely visual sensation.'- Jabra Ibrahim JabraThis lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 34
Omar El-Nagdi (Egypt, 1931-2019)Alif mixed media on canvas, framedsigned 'Omar El Nagdi' and dated '2008' (upper right), executed in 2008150 x 150cm (59 1/16 x 59 1/16in).Footnotes:Provenance:Property from the Artist's Estate'Just as Zikr serves as a meditative tool, guiding the soul towards divine contemplation, the rhythmic repetition of letters in calligraphic compositions similarly evokes a meditative state. This repetitive technique in calligraphy resonates with the Sufi idea of cyclical remembrance, drawing parallels between the written form and spiritual transcendence'.Born in 1931 in Cairo, Omar El Nagdi's artistic trajectory is a testament to a deeply ingrained passion for exploring the union of cultural heritage with avant-garde artistry. While El Nagdi's oeuvre spans an array of styles and subjects, his hurrufieh compositions stand out as a distinguished chapter in his prolific career.Detaching from the conventional use of calligraphy, El Nagdi's works in this style liberate the Arabic letters from their primary linguistic function. Instead, they breathe and dance on the canvas, fusing together, intertwining, and morphing into emotive forms. They are at once recognizable as letters and abstract forms, urging the viewer to witness the script in an entirely new light.In this composition the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, Alif, is constantly repeated. In the intricate tapestry of Arabic calligraphy, the practice of repetitively inscribing individual letters bears a profound connection to the Sufi concept of Zikr (often spelled 'Dhikr'). Zikr, an essential component of Sufi spiritual practice, entails the repetitive invocation of divine names or religious phrases to cultivate inner mindfulness, presence, and an intimate connection with the Divine. Just as Zikr serves as a meditative tool, guiding the soul towards divine contemplation, the rhythmic repetition of letters in calligraphic compositions similarly evokes a meditative state. This repetitive technique in calligraphy resonates with the Sufi idea of cyclical remembrance, drawing parallels between the written form and spiritual transcendence, where both strive to center the practitioner in a profound space of reflection and devotion.El Nagdi's signature application of vivid hues imbues depth and dynamism to the compositions. Every brushstroke, while revealing letters, also narrates tales of centuries-old heritage and contemporaneous sentiments. Omar El Nagdi's hurrufieh compositions challenge, elevate, and redefine the way viewers engage with calligraphy. No longer simply a medium for conveying messages, the letters in his works embody emotions, stories, and histories.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 45
Ahmed Cherkaoui (1934-1967)Les Miroirs Noirs VII oil on canvas, framedsigned 'A.Cherkaoui' (lower left), titled and dated on the verso, executed in 196525 x 30cm (9 13/16 x 11 13/16in).Footnotes:Provenance:Property from a private collection, FranceProperty from a private collection, SpainAcquired directly from the artist by the above 'This is not the hard-edged abstraction championed by other well-known Moroccan modernists at the time such as Mohamed Melehi. Instead, Cherkaoui's work here and throughout his career retains much more of the hand of the artist. His work deliberately allows space for imperfections'- Holiday PowersAhmed Cherkaoui was a leading figure of early Moroccan modernism, known particularly as one of the first painters there to initiate a dialogue working towards rooting international artistic modernism within a distinctly national context. He was an early instigator to a broader movement in Morocco during the short span of his career between the late 1950s and 1967, when he died abruptly from complications from appendicitis. Despite the short length of his career, artists and the arts discourse in Morocco throughout the 1960s and 1970s came back repeatedly to questions Cherkaoui had begun to pose before his early death. Cherkaoui was one of the first artists to attempt to ground abstraction in signs and symbols, actively confronting the duality of and distance between Morocco and Europe as can be seen in his 1965 painting Les Miroirs Noirs VII (The Black Mirrors VII). If the resolutely flat plane, visible brush strokes, and loose gestural abstraction call to mind the Paris School, the luminous earth tones and central symbol still link back to Morocco. For an artist that felt himself continually torn between France and Morocco, it was in his work that he was able to create an interstitial space. The elements of the painting are not precisely locatable to a discreet national body yet still gesture to his multiple geographic ties, creating instead a new blend and bridging the distance between the two on canvas. Trained in calligraphy in Qur'anic schools in Morocco, Cherkaoui left for Paris to study graphic design at the École des Métiers d'Art in 1959. Despite his interest in design, it was during his time in Paris that he began focusing more on painting and began frequenting the atelier of painter Jean Aujame. Influenced by the work of Paul Klee and Roger Bissière, Cherkaoui began working with abstraction. Like many artists of his generation in Morocco, it was while he was abroad, studying in Warsaw at the School of Fine Arts, in 1961, that Cherkaoui became invested in a closer look at his own background and cultural heritage. This led him in part towards experimentation with new materials, such as his series consisting of paintings on jute and collages that allowed him to expand on the boundaries of more academic painting.1 It was upon his return to Morocco after that year that he began exploring more closely the signs and symbols culled from local visual culture that would go on to populate his visual language.2 In many ways, this is an evocative moment for a career that was so intensely rooted in Morocco yet primarily articulated abroad. After multiple years abroad, Cherkaoui came home only to leave again to forge a career in France. By 1965, the year in which he painted Les Miroirs Noirs VII, Cherkaoui was at the height of his career and working in France. That same year, Gaston Diehl, the highly influential director of the Cultural Exchanges at the French Cultural and University Mission, writes, again in a text reproduced in L'Opinion: 'Given that our universal contemporary art has been so often criticized by vocation and by taste to be without particular roots, let us rejoice in front of the oeuvre of an artist that is not afraid to affirm his personality andhis origins. ... That he plunges into a long ago past does not keep him from living in the present or placing himself there [in the present] with vigour. Mixture of traditions? Marriage of convenience between the Maghreb and Europe? I would opt more for an osmosis between two civilizations, between two distinct modes of expression.'While deeply influenced by Moroccan visual culture, and particularly by the symbols used in Amazigh symbols, Cherkaoui was by no means mechanically repeating the images that he saw around him, as is highlighted in Les Miroirs Noirs VII. To the contrary, his work is an in-depth exploration into the structures and shapes of these symbols in order to reimagine them, to rework them through the lens of international modernism. Instead, and as is highlighted with Les Miroirs Noirs VII, painted soon after Cherkaoui had left Morocco to work in France as a drawing teacher, the artist actively sought to ground the international influences of training within a deeply local context in order to create something different. It is not, in Cherkaoui's work, a choice between one or the other. Like other works from this time period, Les Miroirs Noirs VII focuses in closely on large shapes painted with thick black lines that are interacting with one another, emphasized and refracted by broad lines of bright colours over a wash of earth tones meant to mimic remembered Moroccan landscapes. This is not the hard-edged abstraction championed by other well-known Moroccan modernists at the time such as Mohamed Melehi. Instead, Cherkaoui's work here and throughout his career retains much more of the hand of the artist. His work deliberately allows space for imperfections—the black line at the right is not retouched and so we glimpse the blue paint underneath, the purple paint is not quite opaque. There are not clean lines or sharp shapes in Cherkaoui's oeuvre, giving way instead to shapes that have light and life in them. The central symbol itself is off balance, not centred but active on its unstable axis. The canvas is full of movement because the viewer can see the action of his brush in the uneven white line in the centre, the gradations of colour given by varying thicknesses of paint, the lines that stop before hitting the edge at the bottom. The colours rarely blend together, instead focusing on the solidity and purity of each colour as it stands alone in concert with the other bright accents throughout the canvas. Moreover, it is an intimate canvas, just slightly larger than a piece of paper. Here Cherkaoui does not impose a vision to overwhelm the viewer, but invites us to step in closer, see in more depth something that is almost private. Abridged from a Text by Holiday PowersThis lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 33
Omar El-Nagdi (Egypt, 1931-2019)Alef Lam Mim mixed media on canvassigned and dated '2008' (lower right), executed in 2008 180 x 180cm (70 7/8 x 70 7/8in).Footnotes:Provenance:Property from the Artist's EstateHurrufiyya – The Art of the Word'Just as Zikr serves as a meditative tool, guiding the soul towards divine contemplation, the rhythmic repetition of letters in calligraphic compositions similarly evokes a meditative state. This repetitive technique in calligraphy resonates with the Sufi idea of cyclical remembrance, drawing parallels between the written form and spiritual transcendence''They deconstruct writing, exploit the letter and turn it into a lexical sign of calligraphy, tradition and cultural heritage. As the sign is purely aesthetic, and only linguistic in its cultural association, it opens hitherto untraveled avenues for interpretation, and attracts different audiences, yet still maintains a link to the respective artist's own culture... Hurufiyya artists do away with the signifying function of language. The characters become pure signs, and temporarily emptied of their referential meaning, they become available for new meanings.' - Christiane TreichlBonhams are proud to present five spectacular artworks that showcase Arab Modern artists experimentation with the aesthetic and conceptual dimensions of Arabic letterforms, a movement broadly defined as 'Hurufiyya'. The works showcased here demonstrate the variety, geographical breadth, and originality of a movement which breathed new life into the traditional craft of calligraphy and which found local forms of expression amongst diverse regions of the Arab world. The Hurufiyya movement was an aesthetic movement that emerged in the late twentieth century amongst Arabian and North African artists, who used their understanding of traditional Islamic calligraphy, within the precepts of modern art. By combining tradition and modernity, these artists worked towards developing a Pan-Arab visual language, which instilled a sense of national identity in their respective nation states, at a time when many of these states where shaking off colonial rule and asserting their independence.They adopted the same name as the Hurufi, an approach of Sufism which emerged in the late 14th–early 15th century. Art historian, Dagher, has described hurufiyya as the most important movement to emerge in the Arab art world in the 20th-century.The term, hurifiyya is derived from the Arabic term, harf which means letter (as in a letter of the alphabet). When the term is used to describe an contemporary art movement, it explicitly references a Medieval system of teaching involving political theology and lettrism. In this theology, letters were seen as primordial signifiers and manipulators of the cosmos. Thus, the term is charged with Sufi intellectual and esoteric meaning.Traditional hurufi art was bound by strict rules, which amongst other things, confined calligraphy to devotional works and prohibited the representation of humans in manuscripts. Practising calligraphers trained with a master for many years in order to learn both the technique and the rules governing calligraphy. Contemporary hurufiyya artists broke free from these rules, allowing Arabic letters to be deconstructed, altered and included in abstract artworks Alef, Lam, Mim Born in 1931 in Cairo, Omar El Nagdi's artistic trajectory is a testament to a deeply ingrained passion for exploring the union of cultural heritage with avant-garde artistry. While El Nagdi's oeuvre spans an array of styles and subjects, his hurrufieh compositions stand out as a distinguished chapter in his prolific career.Detaching from the conventional use of calligraphy, El Nagdi's works in this style liberate the Arabic letters from their primary linguistic function. Instead, they breathe and dance on the canvas, fusing together, intertwining, and morphing into emotive forms. They are at once recognizable as letters and abstract forms, urging the viewer to witness the script in an entirely new light.Alef, Lam, Mim is a particularly significant sequence of letters which appears regularly in the Quran. In the intricate tapestry of Arabic calligraphy, the practice of repetitively inscribing individual letters bears a profound connection to the Sufi concept of Zikr (often spelled 'Dhikr'). Zikr, an essential component of Sufi spiritual practice, entails the repetitive invocation of divine names or religious phrases to cultivate inner mindfulness, presence, and an intimate connection with the Divine. Just as Zikr serves as a meditative tool, guiding the soul towards divine contemplation, the rhythmic repetition of letters in calligraphic compositions similarly evokes a meditative state. This repetitive technique in calligraphy resonates with the Sufi idea of cyclical remembrance, drawing parallels between the written form and spiritual transcendence, where both strive to center the practitioner in a profound space of reflection and devotion.El Nagdi's signature application of vivid hues imbues depth and dynamism to the compositions. Every brushstroke, while revealing letters, also narrates tales of centuries-old heritage and contemporaneous sentiments. Omar El Nagdi's hurrufieh compositions challenge, elevate, and redefine the way viewers engage with calligraphy. No longer simply a medium for conveying messages, the letters in his works embody emotions, stories, and histories.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 41
Mohamed Melehi (Morocco, 1936-2020)Study for Jeddah Airport gouache on cartonexecuted circa 1980s19.5 x 39cm (7 11/16 x 15 3/8in).Footnotes:The Jeddah Airport CollectionA set of important studies commissioned by King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah from the estate of architect Stelio ScamangaProvenance:Property from a private collection, FranceFormerly in the collection of Stelio Scamanga, commissioned by King Abdulazziz International Airport in Jeddah, circa 1980's'King Abdulaziz International Airport, represents an important stage in the work of the International Airports Projects. The airport is a symbol of the Kingdom's determination to encourage and strengthen the spiritual unity of the pan-Islamic world; besides the fact of being a place where the holy places of Islam can be made more accessible to the Muslims. This determination underlies the scientific and technical elements of the airport, as well as the aesthetic ones, as seen in its architecture and the works of art namely tapestries, sculptures, reliefs mosaics, ceramics and wood carvings: these works are an important part of the airports design. The emphasis on the continuity between the rich heritage of Islamic tradition and modern Arab Culture, was the criteria for the selection of contemporary Arab artists, whose works are included in this collection. These works inspired by the Islamic art of the past, namely the arabesque line and the meticulously worked patterns as well as calligraphy, emphasize the two-dimensionality of the space, and are characterized by a vivid imagination and energy that one recognises as thoroughly modern. Besides the great variety of these works of art, variety of forms and media, national influences and individual expressions, a strong bond unifies them together, that of a shared Islamic traditionThe final result is a museum quality collection that is unique in scope exemplifying dramatically the diversity of talent at work through the Arab world. We hope that this collection will inspire in our visitors a heightened sense for the artistic achievements that have marked Arab culture of many centuries and continue to distinguish it today'.-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Defence and Civil Aviation, 1980'Jeddah is the gateway to Mecca, the universal centre of Islam... Its airport is therefore the arrival point for millions of pilgrims from all over the world... Jeddah is in fact the beating heart of Arabia ... Therefore is it really logical that the eyes of our visitors from their first steps here, should set upon works by American and European artists...? I think that this airport should rather give pride of place to the works of their Muslim and Arab counterparts...'-Stelio ScamangaThe following four lots comprise an exquisite set of preparatory works commissioned by the Lebanese Greek artist and architect Stelio Scamanga for a major project to acquire and display large scale artworks by prominent Arab artists in Jeddah airport in the 1980's. Stelio Scamanga (1934-2022) was an intrepid Lebanese Greek artist and architect who setup an architectural practise in Jeddah in the late 1970's. He was subsequently appointed to consult on a major project to introduce an art collection to the airport which was initially intended a group of prominent American and European to be selected for the commission. Scamanga was instrumental in the reversal of this course and the decision to seek out influential artists from the Arab world to maintain the Arab and Islamic identity of the airportA group of monumental paintings and tapestries were eventually commissioned and displayed by the airport from some of the most accomplished Arab artists of the time, including Melehi, Azzawi, Shibrain and others. The present set of works comprise initial studies for the eventual artworks, some of which, like the spectacular calligraphic composition by Ahmed Shibrain, can be pictured in the airport to this day.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 3
A highly significant Dutch engraved calligraphic goblet signed by Mathieu (Matthëus) Petit, Leiden, circa 1680-90The generous round funnel bowl fully engraved in diamond-point with the inscription 'Suyverd het binnenste' (Purify the soul) in fine calligraphic script, the base moulded with 'nipt diamond waies' in high relief, set on a double collar above a tall stem formed of two wide hollow quatrefoil knops also resting on double collars, over a short plain section terminating in a basal knop, on a wide folded conical foot, signed 'M. Petit, Schrijf Mr te Leyden.' in diamond-point script on top of the fold of the foot, 22.7cm highFootnotes:ProvenanceVan Stockum, 's-Gravenhage, 5 November 1986, lot 233With H C van Vliet, AmsterdamWith AspreyDurrington CollectionLiteratureF G A M Smit, Uniquely Dutch Seventeenth-Century Calligraphy on Glass (1989), p.112, no.S25ExhibitedRijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1990sBroadfield House Glass Museum, 'Majesty & Rebellion', 1999, catalogue no.19Mathieu (Matthëus) Petit (d.1721) was a schoolmaster, writer and glass engraver who lived in Leiden where he was Head of a French boarding school. He married Anne Jerardin (or Gerardin) from Delft on 24 October 1681 in Leiden, and the couple had nine children together. He remained in Leiden until at least 1696, but by 1698 he had moved to Arnhem where he ran a French school. It seems likely that Petit knew the calligraphic master engraver Willem van Heemskerk (1613-1692) personally as he had owned a bottle engraved by van Heemskerk himself, see P C Ritsema van Eck, 'Bastiaan Boers en Mathieu Petit, schrijfmeesters, schoonschrijvers en glasgraveurs', Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum, Vol.30, No.2 (1982), pp.51-62. Willem van Heemskerk is therefore highly likely to have influenced or even taught the art of calligraphy on glass to Petit. He also probably knew and was influenced by his contemporary calligraphic glass engravers François Crama and Bastiaan Boers.Very few glasses by Mathieu Petit survive. Just five extant signed pieces, including the present lot, are recorded by Smit (1989), p.40. Two of these are bottles engraved in Gothic script and dated 1683 and 1687 respectively, see Pieter C Ritsema van Eck, Glass in the Rijksmuseum, Vol.2 (1995), pp.123-4, nos.112 and 113 and Smit (1989), nos.H19 and D17. Gothic script is a distinctive feature of of Petit's work and was not used by other 17th century glass engravers. The two other signed pieces, both undated, include another bottle and a 'Molglas', the latter engraved in Roman characters, see Smit (1989), nos.D8 and and V5. Only one other glass exists which may perhaps be attributable to Petit, see Smit (1989), no.V34. The present lot is the only surviving piece engraved in calligraphic script with flourishes which can certainly be attributed to Petit. It therefore occupies a highly significant position within this artist's oeuvre. An important 1749 inventory of the property of the Leiden regent and cloth merchant Allard de la Court (1680-1755) describes seventeen glasses all presumably signed by Petit, and is discussed by Ritsema van Eck (1982), p.61. Two wine glasses and covers, both inscribed 'Suijvert 't Binnenste', are listed in this inventory, see Smit (1989), nos.S27 and S28. Smit suggests that there is a possibility that the latter 'Venetian' example, with a cover inscribed 'Latet anguis in Herba' (There is a snake hidden in the grass), may in fact be the present lot. Dutch engraved goblets of very similar form include a calligraphic example of circa 1685 by Willem van Heemskerk which was formerly in the Guépin Collection, illustrated by Sheppard and Smith, Engraved Glass Masterpieces from Holland (1990), pp.16-17, no.5 and a wheel-engraved Royal armorial example of circa 1688 from the A C Hubbard Collection sold by Bonhams on 30 November 2011, lot 225.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 204
A CHINESE WUCAI BALUSTER VASE AND COVERTRANSITIONAL C.1640Painted with ladies at leisure in a fenced garden before a pavilion, the cover with boys at play, the interior of the cover with calligraphy, together with a wood stand, 38cm. (3)PLEASE NOTE THIS LOT IS TO BE OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE.Provenance: from a British collection, Kent.
Lot 223
A CHINESE POWDER-BLUE GROUND AND GILT DECORATED CYLINDRICAL BRUSHPOT, BITONGKANGXI 1662-1722Painted with birds amongst blossoming trees, the reverse with traces of calligraphy, together with a fitted wood rim, 13cm. (2)PLEASE NOTE THIS LOT IS TO BE OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE.Provenance: from a British collection, Kent.
Lot 256
A CHINESE FAMILLE ROSE EGGSHELL PORCELAIN VASEREPUBLIC PERIODPainted in enamels with a black and white dog seated on rockwork amongst flowers and grasses, the reverse with calligraphy, with a four character Qianlong mark, with a card note dated Hong Kong 23 Jan 52, fitted silk lined box, 13.7cm.PLEASE NOTE THIS LOT IS TO BE OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE.Provenance: from a British collection, Kent.
Lot 273
A CHINESE SOAPSTONE 'BUDDHIST LION' SEALMING DYNASTYThe creamy stone finely carved with the beast seated on its haunches with the brocade ball, the underside carved with three columns of calligraphy, 3.5cm.PLEASE NOTE THIS LOT IS TO BE OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE.Provenance: from a British collection, Kent.
Lot 516
A PAIR OF CHINESE ROSE VERTE 'BIRD' DISHES, AND THREE FACETED CUPSFIRST HALF 18TH CENTURYEach dish painted with a bird perched on a blossoming prunus branch, below lines of calligraphy and a single seal, the cups decorated with alternating panels of basket of flowers and floral sprigs on a black-ground, 15.8cm max. (5)Provenance: from the collection of Dr Nariman Bamji (1909-78).
Lot 524
A CHINESE PEWTER ENCASED YIXING TEAPOT AND A SMALL JARDINIERE QING DYNASTY AND LATER The sanxuanghu inscribed with calligraphy and mounted with a jade handle, knop and spout, a seal mark to the interior, the bowl moulded with a farmer and crops, 16cm. (3)Provenance: from a private British collection of Yixing pottery, acquired no later than 1991.
Lot 526
TWO SMALL CHINESE YIXING TEAPOTS AND COVERS AND A TEA BOWL QING DYANSTYOne with a pear-shaped body and inscribed around the shoulder, another shaped as a pumpkin, the flared tea bowl inscribed with calligraphy, all marked to the bases, 11.5cm. (5)Provenance: from a private British collection of Yixing pottery, acquired no later than 1991.
Lot 529
THREE CHINESE YIXING TEAPOTS AND COVERS QING DYNASTY/ REPUBLIC PERIODOne fluted, another with a plain ovoid body, the third incised with a mountain village and with calligraphy, all with impressed marks to the base, 17cm. (6)Provenance: from a private British collection of Yixing pottery, acquired no later than 1991.
Lot 587
A SET OF FOUR CHINESE FAMILLE ROSE 'EIGHT IMMORTALS' PLAQUES LATE QING DYNASTY/REPUBLIC PERIOD Each decorated with two of the Eight Immortals standing next to trees and craggy rocks, all with calligraphy above, 31cm x 23cm. (4) Provenance: from an English private collection, given to the current owner's father in the 1970s.
Lot 156
Yu Youren (Chinese, 1879-1964). A fine piece of calligraphy on paper.Huaxin; height: 54 1/2 in x width: 12 1/2 in. Scroll; height: 79 in x width: 19 3/4 in. />Condition: The scroll is in overall good condition with no tears, major stains, losses, or repairs. The paper is slightly toned and there are areas of light accretions and/or foxing. Light wear as expected from age and use. Light wear including a few creases to the silk lining.
Lot 165
Two Japanese hand-painted floor screens, each four panels, depicting birds and foliage with calligraphy. Signed Hirata Gyokuun (fl. 1804-1817).Each, height: 54 3/4 in x width: 86 in. />Condition: Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.
Lot 19
Group of two Chinese blue and white porcelain Bleu de Hue dishes. One painted with a dragon flying through clouds. The other painted with a landscape with calligraphy in the negative space. Both marked along the underside.(Dragon) diameter: 4 1/4 in. (Calligraphy) diameter: 5 1/2 in. />Condition: Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.
Lot 38
Group of two 19th century Chinese famille rose porcelain ovoid jars. Each decorated with calligraphy on one side and with a group of women and children in a garden along the other, ca. 19th century. One vase with a four character stamp in red ink along the underside. Both with wooden lids and stands.(Each) Height: 11 1/2 in x diameter: 8 1/2 in. />Condition: Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.
Lot 45
Chinese PRC porcelain plate depicting a woman in a courtyard surrounded by scholarly objects. With calligraphy along one side. The underside with twelve characters in red indicating production in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. The front signed by Zhao Huimin.Diameter: 8 1/2 in. />Condition: There are no chips, cracks, losses, or restorations. There are three small boreholes drilled into the footrim. Light wear throughout.
Lot 54
Chinese metal brush rest with calligraphy along the top and a cartouche depicting figures in a garden, Daoguang, Qing dynasty. Stamped along the underside. The sides of the brush rest with lovely floral motifs.Height: 1 1/4 in x width: 5 1/2 in x depth: 2 in. />Condition: Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.
Lot 74
Chinese carved soapstone bonsai tree tray. Carved in low relief with branches and calligraphy along the sides. With an older auction label affixed along the underside reading "#1302."Height: 1 1/4 in x width: 7 in x depth: 4 3/4 in. />Condition: Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.
Lot 76
Group of four Chinese carved soapstone objects, ca. 19th century. Two oblong seal ink boxes with low feet carved from the body. Two small vases or cups with carved reliefs depicting figures and plants. The larger vase with shallow incised calligraphy along the back.Provenance (Boxes): Canton Trade Fair 1977; The Oriental Impression, Ltd., September 1994; Private Minnesota Collection.Height ranges from 1 3/4 in to 4 in; width ranges from 2 3/4 in to 3 1/2 in; depth ranges from 1 1/4 in to 2 1/2 in. />Condition: Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email condition@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.
Lot 13
Ismail Gulgee (1926-2007)Untitled (Calligraphic) signed and dated 'Gulgee '98' lower centre; further inscribed Gulgee Collection May 1998, Karachi versooil on canvas, framed120.2 x 90.4cm (47 5/16 x 35 9/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceProperty from a private collection, Pakistan.Acquired from the artist.'I am enchanted by Islamic calligraphy and feel close to the Sufis mystics. For me the medium of the unknown is space and the calligraphic choreography of my painting is the dance of the dervish.' (Ismail Gulgee in Nadeem Zuberi's, 'Ismail Gulgee's everlasting painting experience,' The News, 17 December 2019, https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/584747-ismail-gulgees-everlasting-painting-experience) Gulgee's art beckons us into a realm where tradition intertwines with innovation and mysticism meets artistic mastery. Renowned for his abstract work, he was inspired by Islamic calligraphy and by 'action painting,' a style of abstract painting in which paint is randomly thrown, splashed or poured on to the canvas. Introduced to the style in 1959, Gulgee adapted the style to his own works, first depicting it as pure movement, as seen through his 'Two Horses' from 1969 and 'The Cosmos' from 1973, to eventually becoming calligraphic in the 1980s. His 'own body action went into the paintings because he jumped with the air and hit the canvas with a broad brush richly charged with primary colours. The mixing of the colours took place in action on the canvas placed vertically unlike Pollock who spread it out on the ground.' (Akbar Naqvi, Image and Identity: Fifty Years of Painting and Sculpture in Pakistan, Karachi, 1998, p.360-361.)In Untitled (Calligraphic), we can see the manifestation of Gulgee's engagement with the very act of creation, represented by the sun. With a fervent and almost ritualistic approach, he allows his materials to interact in ways that are both controlled and freeform, resulting in a harmonious symphony of pigment and motion. The subtle hues of gold and brown that form the background are juxtaposed with the vibrant blues, reds, oranges and whites. Pulsating with energy, work succeeds in bridging the gap between the tangible and abstract, embodying the very essence of artistic expression. 'Gulgee's work seems so rich and precious that one cannot help associating it with a treasure. The use of gold-leaf, beads of paint, and pieces of glass intensifies this effect...Gulgee's paintings are essentially fantasies. But they seem to enhance self awareness, inspire hope and impart joy by stimulating our sense of beauty and rhythm.' (Ijaz Ul Hasan, Painting in Pakistan, Lahore, 1996, p.119)This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 582
CALLIGRAPHY -- "SEELEN ERQUICKUNG In sich haltend Außerlesene Meeß, Beicht und Communion Gebett (…)". 1757. Calligraphed prayer-book in black, reddish brown and blue ink w. all kinds of very fine ornaments. 186 pp. Sm-8°. Simple black mor. bind., spine gilt and sides w. gilt borders. (Spine a bit worn/dry, free endpapers gone). NOTE: Prayer-book especially calligraphed for Anna Catharina Theresia Schröder ("von Aachen") by (her brother/father?) Joan. Carl Schröder. - Not in Doede.
Lot 583
CALLIGRAPHY -- "TÄGLICHES LOB GOTTES. Das ist Morgen-, Abend-, (…) und andere schöne Gebetter nebst den H. Creutz-weeg. Zum gebrauch eines jeden Gottesfürchtigen Christen geschrieben 1776". Ms. in black, blue, green and red ink. 249, (3) pp. W. 7 full-p. cold. drawings. Sm-8°. Cont., richly gilt green vellum, w. gilt initial 'GB' (Gebet Buch?) and dated '1776' on front side, dec. endpapers, a.e.g. NOTE: Prayer-book, beautifully written in Suetterlin handwriting, with calligraphed titles before the various prayers, the text surrounded by a double red border.
Lot 104
A SMALL COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS 19TH/20TH CENTURY Comprising: a depiction of Krishna and Yashoda in an interior, and another of a beauty reading a letter, both with red seal marks; another of two deities in a garden, with calligraphy underneath; two Persian-style miniature paintings, one of a horse rider with falcon, on a bright green ground; the other with a beauty standing in a garden; together with a Chinese painting of a Chinese scholar, with a long line of calligraphy beside him, 46cm x 21cm max. (6) Provenance: from the collection of Norman Blount, 1875-1930. Norman Blount was a jute broker, as well as the joint secretary (together with Abanindranath Tagore) of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, which was founded in 1907 in Calcutta, with Lord Kitchener the Society’s President. 印度畫 一組六件 十九/二十世紀 來源：諾曼·布朗特（1875-1930）收藏。諾曼布朗特曾是一個黃麻經銷商，與藝術家泰戈爾一起擔任了印度東方藝術協會的聯合秘書（1907年於加爾各答成立），而霍雷肖•赫伯特•基奇納元帥(1850-1916)為協會主席。
Lot 313
An attractive late 19th Century royal blue ground Chinese embroidered Gown, decorated with butterflies, flowers and calligraphy, with greenlining; together with a lilac ground embroidered Gown decorated with floral brocade, colourful trim and shaped decorated calligraphy patterns, with blue lining and italics, as fabrics, w.a.f. (2) Provenance: Private Irish Stately Home.
Lot 5
A calligraphic album page, attributed to Shah Mahmud Nishapuri Persia, mid-16th CenturyPersian manuscript on cream paper, six lines of text written in nasta'liq script in black ink and some gold, laid down on an album page with inner borders decorated in colours and gold, to left and right three cartouches containing nasta'liq text within cloudbands on a gold ground arranged vertically, upper and lower borders with further sections of nasta'liq text within cloudbands arranged diagonally and vertically, wide plain cream outer borders text panel 152 x 78 mm.; album page 465 x 310 mm.Footnotes:ProvenancePrivate collection, London.The text in the central panel is probably from the preface to a manuscript of Tuhfat al-Muluk. In the borders are couplets from a ghazal of Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi; and above and below are couplets from Nizami's Khusraw and Shirin, and from a ghazal of Sa'di. A label on the backboard has a handwritten note by Mehdi Bayani, attributing the calligraphy to Shah Mahmud Nishapuri, with a second note written by Karimzadeh confirming this opinion: 1. Signed by Mehdi Bayani: 'In my opinion, ninety percent probability, it is one of the illustrious writings of Shah Mahmud Nishaburi, 14 Bahman 1340 (3 February 1962)'.2. Signed by Muhammad 'Ali Karimzadeh: 'Without doubt, it is one of the best and most illustrious writing of the master Shah Mahmud Nishaburi. It is undoubtedly a precious and beautiful piece'. The label also bears a seal impression of Shah Abad, the College of Arts (dar al-sanayi') of Golestan. The picture framing of Tehranian. 1310 (1931).Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri, also known as Zarin Qalam ('Golden Pen'), lived and worked in Tabriz for most of his life. He was a royal calligrapher to Shah Tahmasp (d.1574) and was without doubt one of the greatest calligraphers of his time, renowned for his 'perfect nasta'liq'. His recorded work is dated between AH 923/AD 1517 and AH 982/AD 1575. When the Shah lost interest in the Arts, Shah Mahmud moved to Mashhad and worked there under the patronage of Ibrahim Mirza (d.1577) until he died (Norah M. Titley, Persian Miniature Painting and its Influence on the Art of Turkey and India, London 1983, pp.84,103,105, fig.81; and A.J. Arberry (ed.), The Chester Beatty Library. A Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts and Miniatures, vol.II, no.179). For further information see Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. I, Tehran 1345 sh, pp.295-304, vol.II, 1346, pp.305-7 and V. Minorsky, Calligraphers and Painters, 1959, pp.134-137.Important Notice to BuyersSome countries, e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of works of particular origins. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) and Syrian origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid on or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: RR This lot is subject to import restrictions when shipped to the United States.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 24
A CHINESE ROCK CRYSTAL 'PHOENIX' GROUP 18TH/19TH CENTURY Comprising a brush washer and waterpot, the waterpot formed as a hollowed peach upon a rock, the brush washer worked as a tree trunk carved in relief with a bat and lingzhi, with an elegant phoenix and a peach uniting the two vessels, the mythical bird and small fruit picked out in a green section of the stone, the base incised with three characters reading Tian lai ge, The Pavilion of Heavenly Sound, 20.3cm. Provenance: the Lawrence Collection of jades and hardstone carvings, purchased from Spink & Son prior to 1959. The Pavilion of Heavenly Sound was the name of the private library of the famous connoisseur Xiang Yuanbian (1525-1590). Xiang was born in Jiaxing in Zhejiang province into a family of wealthy merchants and officials. Over his life, Xiang built an excellent collection of rare books, paintings and calligraphy, many of which later became part of the Imperial Collection of the Qing court.十八/十九世紀 水晶雕如意福壽富貴洗《天籟閣》款來源：勞倫斯珍藏玉石，1959年前購於Spink & Son。天籟閣是著名收藏家浙江項氏家族項元汴（1525-1590）珍藏金石書畫的地方，據傳因得古琴天籟而命名。
Lot 26
A FINE CHINESE CHALCEDONY 'MANDARIN DUCK' WATERPOT AND COVER 18TH CENTURY Formed as a Mandarin duck standing upon a large lotus leaf finely detailed with incised veins, the aquatic bird depicted with a short crest and long wing and tail feathers, it turns its head whilst holding a reed in its beak, decorated in high relief with a shell, lotus and other plants trailing over the body of the duck, with a circular aperture to its back, the cover doubling as a water dropper, the stone cleverly worked with the duck picked out in white and the plants in dark orange, together with a wood stand carved and pierced with lotus motifs, 10.8cm. (3) Provenance: the Lawrence Collection of jades and hardstone carvings, purchased from Spink & Son prior to 1959. The Chinese call mandarin ducks yuanyang. The bird is a metaphor for conjugal affection and fidelity, and designs featuring mandarin ducks are commonly used at weddings. In Chinese pictorial art, mandarin ducks are frequently depicted in pairs swimming in a lotus pond. This water pot was probably made as a desk piece, for painting and calligraphy, perhaps given as a present at a special occasion such as a wedding. This form was popular in jade carving of the early Qing period, in particular the Qianlong reign.十八世紀 南紅瑪瑙雕鴛鴦銜蓮水盂來源：勞倫斯珍藏玉石，1959年前購於Spink & Son。
Lot 35
77cm sharply curved fullered blade with traces of an incised maker's mark, characteristic hilt with trefoil terminating langets, bulbous domed quillons, scroll knuckle guard with bud terminal, urn-form grip, shallow dished disc pommel with sun-form dome finial, the whole profusely decorated with panels of flowers and foliage, with good traces of gilt highlights, the inside of the guard with a band of calligraphy, contained in its leather wrapped wooden scabbard.
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