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Lot 1531
Tallulah Bankhead - A two strand graduated pearl necklace, the clasp stamped '14K' for 14ct, set with a cushion cut citrine, 47cm longProvenance: These pearls were given to Louise Mckenna, daughter of Hollywood stars Dame Virginia Mckenna and Bill Travers by the executors of Tallulah Bankhead's estate and were previously owned by Tallulah Bankhead.Tallulah Bankhead was an iconic American star. The 'southern bell' began her career in the silent movies following the First World War but was most well known for her performances on Broadway. The pearl necklace became a true Tallulah Bankhead trademark.
Lot 258
18th century first period Worcester blue and white porcelain butter boat, c. 1758 - 60, in the 'Mansfield' pattern, with geranium leaf-moulded exterior, the interior printed in blue underglaze, stalk loop handle with thumb rest, 3.5cm high and 8.5cm wide, and a period spill vase with blue underglaze floral spray, 14cm high. (2)CONDITION REPORT: Chip to the rim of the vase. Paint blemish on the rim also. Crazing to the underside of the vase and the body. Small chip to the underside of the butter boat. Crazing and staining all over on the butter boat.
Lot 194
PUBLIUS LENTULUS His Newes to the Senate of Rome Well-executed and attractive illuminated manuscript on card by C Rose, Illuminator, 43 Windsor Road, London, in gold and colours with decorative initials, margins etc., 19th century Signed, 38cm x 24cm. This epistle of Lentulus was first widely circulated in the 15th century, although from a rather earlier period, and purports to be a contemporary description of Christ`s physical appearance by a Roman official. Despite being spurious, it has had an influence on how Jesus is depicted up until the present day.
Lot 254
18th century sparrow beak cream jug, c. 1770, probably first period Worcester, decorated with polychrome floral sprays, 9.5cm high, and a similar period sparrow beak cream jug, 9cm high, impressed circle to the centre of the underside of both. (2)CONDITION REPORT: Chips to the beaks on both. Crazing and age-related fading to the gilding and enamels on the rim. Chips to the rim on the underside of both. Minor age-related crazing to both.
Lot 248
18th century first period Worcester sparrow beak baluster cream jug, c. 1770, polychrome decoration with chinoiserie figures, 8cm high.CONDITION REPORT: Age-related losses and fading to the gilding on the rim. Small crazing holes to the rim. Minor fading to the polychrome decoration. Further crazing and minor staining.
Lot 246
18th century first period Worcester sparrow beak jug, c. 1770, with blue underglazed floral sprays, 8cm high, and a similar 18th century first period Worcester sugar bowl, 12.5cm diameter, both with crescent mark to the underside. (2)CONDITION REPORT: Crazing to the rim of the jug. Age-related crazing holes (small) to areas. There are chips, nibbles, crazing and staining to the underside of the jug. There is a minor chip to the rim of the bowl. Small crazing holes all over to the bowl.
Lot 247
Group of 18th century first period Worcester and Caughley blue and white porcelain, and similar to include tea bowls, coffee can and a dish etc, decorated in the 'European', 'Waiting Chinaman', 'Cannonball' and 'Floral Sprays' patterns, crescent marks to the underside, the smaller mug with serif crescent. (7)CONDITION REPORT: There is a small chip to the base of the smaller coffee can. There is a small chip near the rim of the larger cup. There is a small chip to the rim of one saucer. There is a small chip to the underside of another saucer. There are minor areas of crazing to all pieces.
Lot 253
18th century sparrow beak cream jug, c. 1770, probably first period Worcester, decorated in the famille rose palette with polychrome peonies and floral sprays, 10cm high, and another similar 18th century cream jug, 9.5cm high. (2)CONDITION REPORT: Small chip to the rim of one jug. Chips to the rim of the underside of the same jug. Minor crazing and fading to the polychrome decoration on both.
Lot 252
18th century first period Worcester sparrow beak baluster cream jug, c. 1750, with polychrome decoration in the 'Chinese Family' pattern, 8.5cm high.CONDITION REPORT: Crazing to the rim. Further crazing all over and small nibbles to the underside. Minor factory blemishes to the body of the jug.
Lot 245
18th century first period Worcester sparrow beak cream jug, c. 1770, in the 'Cannonball' pattern, crescent mark to the underside, 8cm high (near matches the previous lot).CONDITION REPORT: Nibbles and small chips to the underside. Age-related crazing and holes, mainly to the body of the jug and underside.
Lot 251
Three 18th century first period Worcester sparrow beak cream jugs, decorated with polychrome enamel floral sprays, 8.5cm and 9cm high. (3)CONDITION REPORT: Chip/small repair to the beak on one jug. Further repair to the underside of the same jug. Age-related crazing holes to the rims and underside of all three.
Lot 250
18th century first period Worcester Imari sparrow beak baluster cream jug, with all over Imari floral panels, blue square fret mark to the underside, 11cm high.CONDITION REPORT: Minor age-related fading to the polychrome decoration. Small crazing holes to the body. Crazing and nibbles to the rim. Chip to the rum of the underside with further crazing. Iron red Chinese character mark to the underside. Staining to the interior and underside.
Lot 243
18th century first period Worcester porcelain blue and white globular teapot and cover, c. 1770, in the Mansfield pattern, crescent mark to the underside, approximately 18cm high.CONDITION REPORT: Minor chip to the underside of the teapot. There is a drilled hole to the teapot cover. Minor mark to the base of the finial, blue glaze on the teapot rim and the handle. Small chips to the underside. Age-related crazing all over.
Lot 249
18th century first period Worcester sparrow beak baluster cream jug, polychrome decoration with chinoiserie figures, label to the underside for Klaber & Klaber, 8.5cm high.CONDITION REPORT: Small repair to the body of the jug. Has crazing and staining to the rim. Holes, nibbles and crazing to the underside. Age-related fading to the polychrome decoration.
Lot 35
IMPORTANTE STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI EN BRONZE DORÉKhasa Malla, XIII/XIVe siècle AN IMPORTANT AND RARE GILT-COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHAKhasa Malla, 13th/14th century Heavily cast and richly gilt, seated cross-legged in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, his right hand in bhumisparsha mudra touching the ground, wearing a diaphanous robe with rice grain-patterned borders, elegantly draped over the left shoulder with fish-tail ends and gathering in fan-shaped folds between his legs, his rounded face with wide downcast eyes below high, arched brows, and cusped mouth, flanked by long, slightly curved pendulous earlobes, his hair arranged in tight curls rising to a domed ushnisha, the base plate sealed. 32.3cm (12 3/4in) high.Footnotes:THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN 士紳藏品卡薩馬拉 十三/十四世紀 銅鎏金釋迦牟尼佛坐像Provenance: Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes, ParisAn Italian private collection, acquired from the above on 2nd February 2001來源:巴黎藝廊，Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes意大利私人收藏，2001年2月2日購自上者The present lot displays several stylistic features that place it firmly in the workshops of the Khasa Malla Kingdom. Between the 12th and 14th century, the ruling family of the Khasa Mallas reigned over a territory that included large parts of present-day western Nepal and western Tibet. Devout Buddhists, the Khasa Malla rulers were great patrons of the arts. The metal-working tradition that evolved under their patronage shows the strong influence of artists and artistic traditions from Western Tibet, Pala India and the Kathmandu valley, reflecting the syncretic religions and cultures within the Khasa Malla kingdom.The characteristic features of metal sculptures made in the workshops of the Khasa Malla kingdom were first discussed by Ian Alsop in what he describes as 'the quest for a unified description of what can be called the Khasa Malla style', compare Ian Alsop, 'The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa Malla Kingdom', in Orientations, June, 1994, vol. 25 (6), pp. 61-68, p. 66, and which he saw as a clear adaptation of Kathmandu Valley style, exhibiting Newar stylistic elements. The present large gilt-copper alloy figure of Buddha Shakyamuni is a classic example of the 'Khasa Malla style' as it 'exhibits stylistic characteristics which can be ascribed to various disparate traditions without permitting firm attribution to any one of them', see Ian Alsop, op.cit., p. 63). With its broad rounded shoulders and fleshy torso, the figure appears quite compact, slightly heavyset with robust almost sturdy physical features, an element that appears in other examples of Shakyamuni Buddhas, see, for example, a gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, sold in Bonhams Hong Kong, 21 April 2021, lot 20. The physiognomy of his face is defined by distinctive wide-set and open eyes, set below long, arched brows, and his cusped mouth and sharply beak-like nose. His unusually curved earlobes and the exaggerated delineation of the finger joints and knuckles on both sides of the hands and toes are also characteristic of Khasa Malla sculpture. A rather unusual feature that the current buddha shares with the larger Buddha Shakyamuni sold in Bonhams Hong Kong, 21 April 2021, lot 20, is the dhoti which is draped in a fish-tail on his left shoulder. His robe similarly has two triangular-shaped folds layered over of the fan-shaped folds gathered between his legs. A more common feature of Khala Malla sculpture is the lozenge-shaped patterning of the hem of his robe. This most distinctive feature of this Buddha Shakyamuni is the broad, comparatively squat lotus base, with is single row of wide rounded lotus petals below a beaded peal border. The base has a plain and unfinished-looking rear and is covered overall with a matte red pigment, features that typically appear on other lotus bases of Khasa Malla figures.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 59
ASSIETTE EN PORCELAINE BLEU BLANCMarque et époque Jiaqing (1796-1820)A BLUE AND WHITE MING-STYLE 'DRAGON' DISHJiaqing seal mark and of the periodWith rounded sides rising to a slightly everted rim, the interior painted with a three-clawed, sinuous dragon striding amidst ruyi-shaped clouds, encircled by a double-line border repeated at the rim, the reverse similarly decorated with two dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls, the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue. 15.5cm (6 1/8in) diam. Footnotes:清嘉慶 青花卷草雲龍紋盤 青花「大清嘉慶年製」篆書款Provenance:The Tim and Sally Turner Collection, acquired in 2000Christie's New York, 19 and 20 September 2013, lot 1406來源：Tim 和 Sally Turner 舊藏，2000年入藏紐約佳士得，2013年9月19日至20日，編號1406Compare the present dish with two blue and white Ming prototypes, the first a blue and white dragon saucer dish of the Wanli period, sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 13 November 1990, lot 138, the second of the Jiajing period, also sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 13 November 1990, lot 143.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a reduced rate of 5.5% on the hammer price and the prevailing rate on buyer's premium if the item remains in EU. TVA sur les objets importés à un taux réduit de 5.5% sur le prix d'adjudication et un taux en vigueur sur la prime d'achat dans le cas où l'objet reste dans l'Union Européenne.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 58
VASE EN PORCELAINE À LA GLAÇURE BLANCHE 'TIANBAI' À DÉCOR 'ANHUA'Époque Yongle (1402-1424)A 'SWEET WHITE' ANHUA-DECORATED 'LOTUS' JARYongle period (1402-1424)With a wide baluster body rising from a slightly countersunk base to full rounded shoulders and a short, tapered neck, finely and freely incised around the body with a continuous flower scroll issuing large lotus blooms and curled leaves, the foot encircled with a band of upright lappets, applied overall with a smooth, opaque 'sweet white' (tianbai) glaze. 21.4cm （8 3/8in) high.Footnotes:明永樂 甜白釉暗刻蓮紋罐 Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 April 2017, lot 3665來源:香港蘇富比，2017年4月5日，編號3665With its smooth white glaze, this small jar embodies the classic style of the imperial court during the Yongle period (1403-1425) of the Ming dynasty. The slightly matte, silky tianbai glaze was developed by potters working at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen under the Yongle emperor in response to the his preference for fine white porcelain wares to be used in the palace and ritual ceremonies. This type of glaze was later known as 'tianbai', a term that was first used by the Ming writer Huang Yizheng in his Shiwu Ganzhu, who accurately described the glaze as 'white like congealed fat, immaculate like piled-up snow', see Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Hong Kong, 1989, p.71. Producing this unctuous, silky glaze on a pure white, fine porcelain body presented a technical challenge for early Ming potters as the large numbers of tianbai sherds unearthed in Jingdezhen from consecutive Yongle strata demonstrate op.cit., p.19. Today, few early Ming 'sweet-white'-glazed porcelains survive. A jar of closely related form, incised with dragons instead of scrolling lotus under a 'sweet white' glaze, was excavated from the site of the Ming imperial kilns at Jingdezhen and dated to the Yongle period, is illustrated in Yuan and Ming Imperial Porcelains Unearthed from Jingdezhen, Beijing, 1999, p.146, no.95. Compare also with a larger jar covered with a tianbai glaze, formerly in the Collection of J.J.Lally & Co., sold Christie's New York, 23 March 2023, lot 895, and another larger jar in the collection of the Nanjing Museum, published by Xu Huping in The Treasures of the Nanjing Museum, Hong Kong, 2001, p.56, no.39.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a reduced rate of 5.5% on the hammer price and the prevailing rate on buyer's premium if the item remains in EU. TVA sur les objets importés à un taux réduit de 5.5% sur le prix d'adjudication et un taux en vigueur sur la prime d'achat dans le cas où l'objet reste dans l'Union Européenne.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 74
AN IMPORTANT AND RARE LARGE WOOD FIGURE OF A DAOIST DEITYSong (960-1279)Seated facing forward, with her head slightly leaning to the left side, her feet firmly on the ground, hands clasped but hidden in the long sleeves of her robe, wearing a tunic with a stiff inner collar under a feather-bordered short cape, her layered robe falling in ample folds over her arms and cascading over her legs and feet, revealing the tips of her pointed shoes, tied around the chest with a belt and around her upper arms with wide bejewelled armbands, a necklace around her neck, the full oval face with a small cusped mouth and nose, with small slanted eyes below arched brows, framed by large pendulous earlobes, her hair neatly braided and drawn up into a tall chignon framed by an elaborate diadem/headdress consisting of rows of overlapping feathers or leaves, the back of the figure with a large rectangular opening, extensive traces of red, green, white and gold pigments, wood stand.111cm (43 3/4in) high. (2).Footnotes 宋 木雕彩繪道教神仙坐像Provenance:Property of a distinguished German private collector, acquired in Berlin in the 1950s, thence in the family by descentThe result of Ciram Radiocarbon Dating test no. 0423-OA-416R (P1 and P2) (4 May 2023) is consistent with the dating of this lot.來源:德國私人收藏，1950年代於柏林獲得，並由後人保存迄今法國Ciram實驗室碳-14結果，測試編號0423-OA-416R(樣本P1和P2，2023年5月4日）顯示本拍品年份斷代相符This charming figure is as intriguing as it is rare. It was acquired in Berlin in the 1950s and was reputedly dated to the Liao dynasty (901-1125). The results of a recent carbon-14 test have secured a more firm dating to the 11th/early 12th century. Conforming with the high-fashion style popular during the Liao and Song dynasties, the lady is dressed wearing the sumptuous trappings of a gentle woman. Her robe is ample and colourful, the many layers of her dress, tunic and shawl generously draped across her shoulders, arms, and legs, enveloping the body, and gathering around her feet. The outer garment shows traces of painted flower sprays, her tunic and collar a vibrant red colour, the robe over her legs a muted green.Representations of similarly clad elegant ladies feature prominently in murals adorning the walls of important tombs and temples of the Five Dynasties (907-960), Liao (907-1125) and Song (960-1125) periods. Compare, for example, the groups of ladies wearing the same style of collared tunic over long robes tied with colourful sashes on the sides, discovered on the walls of a Liao tomb in Baoshan, Inner Mongolia, illustrated in Wu Hong and Lin Qingquan, Baoshan Liao mu: cailiao yu keshi, Beijing, 2013, p.196, figs.59-61. Similarly, the largest tomb of the Zhang family compound unearthed in Baisha, Henan, illustrates the ladies of the house engaged in various activities, dressed in colourful robes that resemble that of the current seated figure, see Su Bai, Baisha Song mu, Beijing, 1957, col.pl.17.One feature that sets this figure apart from the elegant ladies immortalized in murals of the Liao and Song period, is the precious jewellery she displays. It comprises a large necklace suspending circular beads and earrings which are now lost. Her elaborate headdress which bears extensive traces of gold resembles a crown and is supported on a wide band set with prominent foliate-shaped ornaments repeated on the armbands that fasten her sleeves. It is the very distinctive jewellery of this figure that allows us to attribute it more firmly to the Northern Song dynasty. Foliate-shaped ornaments made in silver very much like those on her headdress and armbands were found in a silver hoard in Yongjia, Zhejiang province, published in Yang Zhishui, Shehua zhise: Song Yuan Ming jin yin yanjiu, vol. 1 Song Yuan jin yin shoushi, Beijing, 2011, pp.39-40, fig.1-10. A similar motif also appears on a band-shaped hairpin from the same hoard, ibid., p.51, figs.1-15:1 and 2. Moreover, the large cloud-shaped plaque around her neck closely resembles a silver ornamental plaque of the same shape discovered in another Northern Song silver hoard unearthed in Xingzi Xian, Jiangxi, ibid., pp.180-183, fig.1-55:1.The inspiration behind her very special jewellery may lie in Buddhist sculptures and paintings of the same period. Like this figure of a gentle lady, Bodhisattvas were similarly adorned with bejewelled necklaces, armbands and crowns, reflecting their elevated status and noble origins. Compare, for example, the manifold representations of bodhisattvas featured on the walls of the Daxiongbaodian Hall in Kaihua Monastery, built between 1076 and 1096, near Taiyuan, Shanxi, each dressed in a dazzling array of jewellery, see Kaihua si Song dai bihua, Beijing, 1983, col.pls.2 and 3.Tombs and temples of the Liao and Song provide us with more visual clues as to who this seated figure might be. Among the myriad of female figures that appear on the walls of important tombs and temples of the tenth to 13th centuries, a small group of female figures stands out. Painted on the wall of an interior chamber in the Liao tomb in Baoshan, Inner Mongolia, is a small figure of a lady descending on a cloud, see Wu Hung and Lin Qingquan, op.cit., p.179, figs.31 and 32. Wearing a similar style of dress in vibrant red with blue borders and adorned with jewellery highlighted in gold, she is wearing a short feathered cape and feather-like sleeves or scarves. Holding a peach in her right hand she is identified as Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West in an inscribed cartouche above her. Like the present wood figure of a seated lady, the Queen Mother of the West is depicted as an aristocratic lady in a manner standardised from the Tang dynasty onward, see Suzanne Cahill, Transcendence and Divine Passion. The Queen Mother of the West in Medieval China, Stanford, 1983, pp.82 and 83.During the Liao and Song, Daoism flourished alongside Buddhism. Numerous Daoist temples and shrines were built where worshippers could congregate and worship. It is a Daoist temple in Northern China that may resolve the puzzle that this figure poses. Located in the centre of the Jinci Temple near Taiyuan in Shanxi province is a large building known as the Sage Mother Hall (shengmu dian). It is dedicated to Shengmu, the Sage Mother, originally a water spirit which was later revered as the Sage mother and first queen of the Zhou dynasty. A large polychrome stucco figure of the seated Sage Mother occupies a central position. She is seated and faces ahead. Her robes are ample, tied high under her chest, she is wearing a bejewelled necklace and an elaborate crown. The forty-three figures of maids that are gathered around her are similarly dressed though without the jewellery. The Shengmu Hall was built between 1023 and 1032 during the Tiansheng reign and may have been sponsored by the Dowager Empress Liu. The dating corresponds loosely with the making of the present figure.The Sage Mother image further corresponds with the image of the Queen Mother of the West represented in the slightly later mural of the Heavenly Court in the Yongle Gong (Palace of Eternal Joy) in southern Shanxi, dated 1325, the most important Daoist temple built in the Jin/Yuan period. Here, in the Hall of Three Purities (Sanqing dian, the largest and most important hall of complex, the Queen Mother of the West is depicted in the same seated position as the Sage Mother, wearing an elegant robe, fluttering scarves, bejewelled necklaces and an elaborate crown.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 54p
A MAGNIFICENT AND VERY RARE LARGE WOOD FIGURE OF THE BODHISATTVA GUANYIN IN WATER MOON FORMJin dynastySeated in rajalitasana, with the right arm resting on his right raised knee and his left arm and hand resting on the ground and supporting the body, the bare torso dressed in a short cape with long ribbons falling over his arms, a narrow, scarf draped over the left shoulder, falling diagonally across his chest and tied on the left in a large limpid knot, the lower body covered with a full diaphanous wrap-around skirt falling in linear folds around his legs and ankles, tied around the waist with an elaborate bow, a bejeweled necklace with an ornate central pendant lies at this chest, bracelets at his wrists, his rounded face with a serene, meditative expression, with arched brows above downcast eyes inlaid with black glass, with high cheekbones, small, full pursed lips and rounded chin, the hair drawn up into a high curled chignon with tresses falling to each shoulder where they are bound, divided into three wavy strands falling over his shoulders and arms, traces of blue, red and green pigments, and traces of gilding.111cm (43 3/4in) high.Footnotes THE PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED FRENCH FAMILY 法國顯赫家族藏品金 木雕水月觀音坐像Provenance:Ta-Kou-Tchai (Studio for Understanding Antiquity) of Paul Houo-Ming-Tse (Paul Hou Ming-Zhi, ca. 1880-1949), Beijing, before 1930Alphonse Bellier et Andre Portier, Collection Paul Houo-Ming-Tse de Pékin. Objets d'Art de la Chine de Époques Archaïques au XVIIIe Siècle., Vente aux Encheres publiques, Hôtel Drouot, 15, 16 et 17 Février 1932, lot 63Acquired in Paris by the grandfather of the present owners before 1935, and thence by descentPublished, Illustrated and ExhibitedPaul Huo-Ming-Tse, Preuves des Antiquités de Chine Pékin, 1930, p.297Alphonse Bellier et Andre Portier, Collection Paul Houo-Ming-Tse de Pékin. Objets d'Art de la Chine de Époques Archaïques au XVIIIe Siècle., Vente aux Enchères publiques, Hôtel Drouot, 15, 16 et 17 Février 1932, lot 63Gazette de L'Hôtel Drouot, Numéro 19, Mardi 16 Février 1932, cover pageCabinet Portier, 100 Ans 1909–2009, Paris, 2010, fig.100The result of Re.S. Artes Radiocarbon Dating test no. C 145020A (E1 and E2) (9 May 2023) is consistent with the dating of this lot.來源：霍明志（约1880-1949)，達古齋，北京，1930年以前入藏巴黎德魯奧拍卖會，1932年2月15-17日，霍明志藏品專場，編號63現任藏家祖父於1935年前於巴黎獲得，並由後人保存迄今出版：霍明志,《達古齋古證錄》，北京, 1930年, 頁297巴黎德魯奧，《霍明志藏品專場圖錄》，編號63《巴黎德魯奧公報》封面，第19期，1932年2月16日Cabinet Portier,《百年鑒藏1909-2009》，巴黎，2010年，圖100法國Re.S.Artes實驗室碳-14測定結果，測試編號 C 145020A (樣本E1和E2，2023年5月9日）顯示本拍品年份與斷代相符 Eyes of CompassionThis impressive sculpture seated in a contemplative pose is a religious sculpture that was made in the 11th/12th century under the Jin dynasty (1115-1234). It represents the Buddhist Bodhisattva Guanyin whose Sanskrit name is Avalokiteshvara, 'the Lord who looks down'. Known as Guanshiyin in Chinese, the Bodhisattva Guanyin is the one who is attuned to the sounds of the worlds and hears all the world's suffering. His inward-turning gaze expresses The Bodhisattva's powers as a comforter of humans suffering and hardship while his naturalistic image expresses proximity and approachability. This Bodhisattva is known as the Bodhisattva of infinite compassion, he who has attained enlightenment and the utter state of bliss but who has deferred entering Nirvana to ease the suffering of all humans. As such he is one of the most important deities in Mahayana Buddhism.This magnificent figure of the Bodhisattva Guanyin is seated in the pose of 'Royal Ease', with his right hand resting on his right bent knee, a posture that is known as the 'Water-Moon' form of the Bodhisattva Guanyin (Shuiyue Guanyin in Chinese). The iconography is based on important Buddhist scriptures referring to the Bodhisattva Guanyin, in particular the Avatamasaka Sutra from the Huayan Jing , the Sutra of Flower Adornment, and the Fahua Jing, the Lotus Sutra. They portray the Bodhisattva Guanyin as the universal saviour who can embody many different forms, male and female, young and old. The 'Water-Moon' iconography is based on passages from the Avatamsaka Sutra which describe the young prince Sudhana visiting the Bodhisattva Guanyin on Mount Potalaka to receive the teachings of the Dharma. It is here that the Bodhisattva Guanyin could be found in deep contemplation of the moon's reflection on the water of the surrounding sea. His Chinese name ' Shuiyue Guanyin' refers to this pose and to his nature attuned to the sounds of the world and able to hear all the world's suffering ( guanyin).This figure is sculpted as male deity for his defined torso is clearly visible beneath his diaphanous robes and bejewelled necklace. His garments reveal the strong Indian influence on sculpture of this period, almost a thousand years since Buddhism first reached China from India. He is dressed luxuriously with diaphanous scarves and skirt falling in ample folds around his body. An elaborate necklace suspending a large central pendant adorns his chest and we can assume that he was wearing bejewelled earrings. His costly attire and regal posture remind us that Bodhisattvas originally were aristocratic princes. His hair is carefully tied back in a high chignon. A depression on the front of the top know indicates that a small carved figure of the Buddha may originally have been placed here. Amitabha was similarly revered as the figure of compassion and the figure of Guanyin was to be born from a ray of light emanating from the right eye of the Buddha Amithaba.During the 10th to 13th centuries, painted wooden figures such as this magnificent figure of the Bodhisattva Guanyin in Water-Moon form were made for Buddhist temples in Northern China. At that time, the North of China was ruled by the Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115-1234), a nomadic people from the steppes of Central Asia that had defeated in war the two largest and most powerful nations in Asia, the Khitan Liao and the Han Chinese. Under the Jin, Buddhism flourished. The Jin rulers were highly conscious of the fact that Buddhism was not a native Chinese religion. Under their patronage Buddhism received the official support and veneration it lacked in other parts of the empire. Consequently, a plethora of Buddhist temples thrived in and around Buddhist centres of religious activity in Taiyuan and Mount Wutai in modern Shanxi province. The Jurchen Jin rulers gradually adopted Buddhism as the state religion, thus establishing a rich legacy of temples, tombs, and artefacts.Large sculptures such as this magnificent figure of the Bodhisattva Guanyin in Water-Moon form were originally made for important Buddhist temples. These were often large structures with several halls of worship connected by courtyards where groups of vibrantly painted wood sculptures would be positioned along walls and around central figures of devotion. Due to the large demand for religious sculpture for the furnishings of Buddhist temples, craftsmen soon moved from working in stone to sculpting in wood, a material that was less expensive and could be worked more easily. Traces of bright cobalt blue pigment and gilding can be found in the back of the folds of the skirt of this figure hinting at the colours that once made this figure come alive. The sheer size of the figure that is worked entirely in the round conveys an almost life-like impression. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 55
GRAND PARAVENT EN LAQUE DE COROMANDEL À DOUZE FEUILLESÉpoque Kangxi (1662-1722), daté de l'année ren ying de Kangxi (1722)A TWELVE-PANEL COROMANDEL LACQUER SCREENdated to the ren ying year of the sixty-first year of the Kangxi reign (1722) and of the periodFinely carved on one side with the birthday celebrations for Guo Ziyi, a Tang dynasty hero, and depicting the arrival of guests crossing a footbridge to approach the central pavilion where the hero is entertained by dancers and musicians, with groups of military and civilian officials waiting in a courtyard to pay their respects, surrounded by noble families, and ladies tending to young children in secluded pavilions, all within a floral border and panels each featuring mythical animals, all in rich colors on a brown ground, the reverse with a long inscription across all twelve panels, dedicated to the an official on his birthday and dated to the cyclical year ren ying of the Kangxi reign (corresponding to 1722) Each panel 279 x 48cm (109 7/8 x 18 7/8in) (12).Footnotes:THE PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED FRENCH FAMILY 法國顯赫家族藏品清康熙六十一年（1722年） 款彩郭子儀祝壽圖十二扇屏風Provenance:Acquired in Paris by the grandfather of the present owners before 1935, and thence by descent來源:現任藏家祖父於1935年前於巴黎獲得，並由後人保存迄今Coromandel lacquer, known in Chinese as kuancai, first appeared in China in the 16th century. Coromandel lacquer technique involved applying a layer of chalk mixed with clay to wooden panels which were then covered with a thin layer of black lacquer, the design was then carved into the chalk through the layer of lacquer. Then the carved areas of the light base layer, framed by narrow bands or larger areas of the black lacquer surface, were filled with coloured lacquer and partially gilded. A novel technique, coromandel lacquer pieces were first made for the domestic market but in the 17th and 18th century were made mainly for export to the West. The scene depicted in one side of this impressive twelve leaf screen depicts Guo Ziyi (697-781), a celebrated general who served under four emperors and is credited with saving the Tang dynasty by repressing the An Shi rebellion. The subject was a popular one the visual arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties and often depicted in paintings and other media.The lengthy inscription on the reverse of the screen states that the screen was made during the 61st year of the Kangxi reign (1722), a birthday present to a high official. A screen made in the 9th year of the Kangxi reign (1670), depicting a similar scene, is in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco (accession no. B69M52). Compare also with another coromandel lacquer screen decorated with the same subject, sold Christie's New York, 24-25 March 2011, lot 1367.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: WW Lot is located in the Bonhams Warehouse and will only be available for collection from this location.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 47
AN IMPORTANT ARCHAIC BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, YA CHOU FU XIN GUILate Shang dynasty/early Western Zhou dynasty, ca. 11th century BCheavily cast with a deep rounded body raised on a high splayed foot, rising to a flared rim, the sides set with a pair of handles issuing from streamlined flat-eared bovine heads, and issuing short hooked tabs, the body cast on east side with a large taotie mask flanked by a pair of taloned and quilled dragons, below a narrow neck band containing two beaked single-bodied dragons centering on a raised animal head in axial position on each side, the foot similarly decorated with two beaked confronting dragons on either side of a ridge with a taotie shield, the inside cast with a four-character inscription reading 'ya chou fu xin', the bronze a smooth, dark brownish-red colour.30cm (11 3/4in) wide; 15.8cm (6 1/4in) high.Footnotes THE PROPERTY OF A LADY 女士藏品商晚期/西周早期，約公元前十一世紀 亞醜父辛簋Provenance:Collection of Huang Jun (1880-1951), Zungu Zhai, Beijing, by 1936Collection of Hans-Jürgen von Lochow (1902-1989), Beijing, by 1943Dr. Ernst Hauswedell & Co., Hamburg, 5 May 1958, lot 3A German private Collection since 1958, and thence by descentPublished, Illustrated and Exhibited:Huang Jun, Zungu zhai suojian jijin tu , Beijing, 1936, chapter 1, fol.47Luo Zhenyu, Sandai jijin wencun, Beijing, 1936, chapter 6, fol.17Gustav Ecke, Sammlung Lochow: Chinesische Bronzen, Beijing 1943, pl.XI a-dYin Chih-yi, 'Shandong Yidu Subutun mudi de Ya Chou tongqi', in Kaogu xuebao, 1977 (2), pp.23-33, p.24, fig.5, and p.25Vadime Elisseeff, Bronzes Archaïques Chinois au Musée Cernuschi. Archaic Chinese Bronzes , Vol. I - Tome 1, Paris, 1977, p.141Yan Yiping, Jinwen zongji (Corpus of Bronze Inscriptions), Taipei, 1983, vol.3, no.1049Minao Hayashi, In Shū Jidai seidōki no kenkyū: In Shū seidōki souran (Research on Bronze ware of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties), Tokyo, 1984, p.94, no.113Jessica Rawson, Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1990, vol.1, p.362, fig.38.1Zhongguo shehui kexueyuan kaogu yanjiusuo, Yin Zhou jinwen jicheng shiwen, Hong Kong, 2001, vol.3, p.58, fig.3332Shandong Museum, Shandong jinwen jicheng, Jinan, 2007, p.262來源：黃濬 (1880-1951）舊藏，尊古齋，北京，1936年入藏馮洛侯（1902-1989）舊藏，鐃齋，北京，1943年入藏Dr. Ernst Hauswedell & Co.，漢堡，1958年5月5日，編號3德國私人收藏，1958年入藏，並由後人保存迄今出版：黃濬，《尊古齋所見吉金圖卷》，北京，1936，卷1，圖版47羅振玉，《三代吉金文存》，北京，1936, 卷6，圖版17艾鍔風，《鐃齋吉金錄》，北京，1943年，圖版XI a-d殷之彝（张长寿）：《山東蘇埠屯墓地和"亞醜"銅器》，《考古学报》1977年第2期，頁23-33，頁24-25，圖25， 頁25Vadime Elisseeff，《塞努奇博物館藏中國古代青銅器》，巴黎，1977年，卷1，頁141嚴一萍，《金文總集》，臺北，1983，卷3，編號1049林巳奈夫，《殷周時代青銅器的研究》，東京，1984年，頁94，編號113杰西卡·罗森，《赛克勒所藏西周青銅禮器》, 華盛頓，1990年，卷1，頁362, 圖38.1中國社會科學院考古研究所編, 《殷周金文集成釋文》， 香港，2001年，卷3， 頁58，圖三三三二山東省博物館，《山東金文集成》，濟南，2007年，頁262Cast in Brilliance: The von Lochow 'Ya Chou Fu Xin Gui'This archaic bonze gui, which may be referred to as the Ya Chou Fu Xin gui, was acquired by the father of the present owner in 1958 when he bought it at auction from Dr. Ernst Hauswedell & Co., a long-established auction house in Hamburg, Germany (Dr. Ernst Hauswedell, Hamburg, 5th May 1958, lot 3). In the 1950s, the market for Chinese art in Germany was insignificant yet between 1955 and 1959 Hauswedell in Hamburg sold several important Chinese archaic bronzes. Like the present gui , quite a few of these vessels had illustrious late 19th and early 20th century provenances, at least one bronze vessel had been in the Imperial collection, see Dr. Ernst Hauswedell & Co, Hamburg, 9th December 1957, lot 4. Similarly, the provenance of this bronze gui can also be traced back to the first half of the 20th century.The 1958 Hauswedell catalogue entry notes that the Ya Chou Fu Xin gui had first been published by Huang Jun (1880-1951), a prominent Beijing dealer in Chinese antiquities and owner of Zungu Zhai, a well-known Beijing antique shop founded by his uncle. Huang Jun, also known by his literary name Huang Bochuan, had been trained in foreign languages, and was fluent in German, English and French. He was well acquainted with Western collectors and dealers living in Beijing at the time. Huang Jun handled, studied, collected, and eventually sold many important archaic bronzes. His interest was academic as well as commercial, and he published several catalogues on archaic bronzes including the Zungu zhai suojian jijin tujuan (1936) and Ye zhong pianyu erji/sanji (1937 and 1942).These catalogues were printed in small numbers and were made using the most advanced techniques. Objects were illustrated in collotype technique, a laborious photomechanical flat printing process that allowed to reproduce the fine lines and varying tones and shades of the works more accurately than traditional rubbings used to duplicate archaic bronzes in older catalogues. A collotype print of the Ya Chou Fu Xin gui appears in the Zungu zhai suojian jijin tujuan next to a rubbing of the inscription cast on the interior, see Zungu zhai suojian jijin tujuan, Beijing, 1936, vol. I, 47. Subsequently, the collotype technique was used by other collectors and researchers documenting archaic bronzes including Duan Fang and Rong Geng. Gustav Ecke, another German living and collecting in Beijing at the time also adopted the collotype technique in his publications of two important German collections of archaic bronzes, and it is in one of these that the Ya Chou Fu Xin gui reappears in 1943. It was included in Gustav Ecke's seminal catalogue of twenty-two archaic bronzes from the important collection of Hans-Juergen von Lochow (1910-1989) and is illustrated in collotype and with several detail rubbings as well as the inscription , compare Gustav Ecke, Sammlung Lochow: Chinesische Bronzen, Beijing, 1943, pl. XI a-d. Hans-Juergen von Lochow was a German railroad engineer who lived and worked in Beijing between 1921 and 1955. He formed an important collection of Chinese art which comprised modern and classical Chinese paintings, furniture, and archaic bronzes, many of which are now in the Asian Art Museum in Cologne. Von Lochow acquired many pieces in his collection in Beijing from fellow German Otto Burchard (1893-1951), a renowned Berlin Chinese art dealer who had emigrated to China in the 1932. Other pieces were bought from Huang Jun (1880-1951). Of the twenty-two archaic bronzes illustrated in his catalogue, many later found their way into Western museum collections, very few remained in private hands, the present Ya Chou Fu Xin gui being one of them.The Ya Chou Fu Xin gui that was documented in the von Lochow collection in 1943 disappeared after it was last published, and only briefly reappeared in the 1958 Hauswedell sale catalogue. When he returned to Germany in 1955, Hans-Juergen von Lochow was officially allowed bring what was left of his collection of Chinese art including the remaining archaic bronzes. There is no information whether the Ya Chou Fu Xin gui remained in the von Lochow collection or if it changed hands. The provenance information on several archaic bronzes in the Hauswedell catalogues formerly in the von Lochow collection is surprisingly detailed and matches the information noted in Gustav Ecke's catalogue, suggesting that these bronzes may have been consigned by von Lochow at the time. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 459
A late 19th century Japanese Kyo-Satsuma baluster vase, by Kusube Sennosuke (first generation Kusube) gilded and painted in bright polychrome enamels with birds and flowers within scalloped panels interspersing various lappet and diaper banding on a finely crackled buff ground, Meiji period (1868-1912) the base signed 'Kusube' in iron red, 23.5 cm high
Lot 522
Three 19th century Japanese crepe-paper children's books published by T. Hasegawa, Tokyo - 'A Day With Mitsu' by Mary G. Kimura (1894) cover type II; Japanese Pictures of Japanese Life (10 Hiyoshicho) First Edition (1895) and The Flowers of Remembrance and Forgetfulness by T.H. James c1896 No.22 Japanese Fairy Tale Series (English) (3)
Lot 1045
Cricket: an EPNS trophy modelled as three wreathed stumps to support a leather cricket ball, an ebonised plinth with engraved presentation plaque: 'Presented to Ray Coates for taking four wickets in four balls for Upminster Casuals v. Thames Board Mills Cricket Club in the first match of the club, May 10th 1938.'
Lot 1053
Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph (1849) Grand Cross Set, First Type, pre 1870, by Gebruder Resch of Vienna. Grand Cross set consisting of Sash Badge in 18ct gold and enamels (23g all-in) on its dark red sash. Breast star in silver with 18ct gold and enamels (65.5 g all-in) In original case of issue. "Nearly Extremely Fine" (One point of breast star slightly bent, otherwise "Extremely Fine"). Rare.
Lot 109
TANGKA REPRÉSENTANT LE PORTRAIT DE DAMARUPATIBET CENTRAL, MONASTÈRE DE NGOR, VERS 1600 Distemper on cloth; with original blue cloth mounts inscribed on the reverse along the top in Tibetan, identifying the painting's subject, and also with original red lacquered, gold painted dowel rod; verso inscribed in black ink with 'om, ah, hum' incantations behind each figure and many lines arranged into the form of a stupa, comprising Sanskritized and Tibetan prayers and mantras consistent with a formula repeated throughout the Ngor lamdre lineage set of paintings; the painted recto with Tibetan inscriptions in gold identifying the majority of figures, and two separate lines of inscription along the bottom red painted border, the second identifying the secondary 'Chandali Perfection Stage Lineage' sequence of figures within the painting, the first an homage to the central subject, translated:'Seeing the excellent meaning of reality,By releasing from worldly practiceAnd remaining in the conduct of accomplishment;To Damarupa, I bow.'Himalayan Art Resources item no. 88707 Image: 78.5 x 67 cm (30 7/8 x26 3/8 in.); With silks: 126 x 68 cm (49 5/8 x 26 3/4 in.)Footnotes:A PORTRAIT THANGKA OF DAMARUPACENTRAL TIBET, NGOR MONASTERY, CIRCA 1600藏中 俄爾寺 約1600年 達瑪如巴肖像唐卡 Published:Pratapaditya Pal, Tibetan Painting, Basel, 1984, pl. 40.Wisdom Calendar of Tibetan Art, Schneelowe Verlagsberatung und Verlag, Haldenwang, 1987 (October).Pratapaditya Pal, Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure, 2003, p. 262, no. 174.Rob Linrothe, Holy Madness: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas, New York, 2006, pp. 300-1, no. 51.David Jackson, The Nepalese Legacy in Tibetan Painting, New York, 2010, pp. 22 & 41, fig. 2.23. Exhibited:Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure, Art Institute of Chicago, 5 April – 17 August 2003; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 18 October 2003 – 11 January 2004. Holy Madness: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 11 February – 3 September 2006.The Nepalese Legacy in Tibetan Painting, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 3 September 2010 – 23 May 2011. Provenance:Schoettle Ostasiatica, Stuttgart, 1982Michael Henss Collection, ZurichOne of the best-preserved paintings from the famous Ngor lamdre lineage set, this near-pristine composition depicts Mahasiddha Damarupa, 'The Drummer'. According to traditional accounts, Damarupa trained under Kanha at every potent charnel ground and site of tantric power in India, prompting his zestful depiction. In addition to being the third mortal master of the lamdre tradition, Damarupa is a renowned adept of the important Chakrasamvara Tantra, which the composition alludes to through the pair of Chakrasamvara deities from differing teaching traditions in the corners at either side of his ornate throne-back. His eponymous damaru, a double-sided hand drum, embodies one of three principal ritual instruments of a tantric practitioner, alongside the vajra and ghanta (bell). Formed by attaching two craniums of enlightened masters, the drum, in the context of Chakrasamvara Tantra, is the Prajna (wisdom) to which the male applies his skillful means (i.e. compassion) activating the union of these two highest Buddhist principles (Huntington & Bangdel, The Circle of Bliss, 2003, no. 106). With modulations from soft to loud and slow to rapid beats, Damarupa, as the drum's archetypal practitioner, is able to produce a single tone that summons all Buddhas, inspiring them with supreme joy (Beer, The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, 1999, p. 258).At the center of the painting, Damarupa whips the pair of golden clappers against the drum with a flick of his wrist. The drum's long tassel of jade beads, gems, gold fastenings, and tri-colored silk streamers trail in countermovement. The painter repeats its flurried arc with the extension of Damarupa's left leg, which, coupled with a half-cocked elbow gingerly cradling a skull cup full of nectar, deftly conveys the peripatetic drummer in a half-seated-half-dancing liminal posture. Airy crimson sashes twirl around his arms and knees, and spiral before his feet. Damarupa's piercing, bloodshot brown eyes and excited grin invite the viewer to hear the 'sound of great bliss' he has produced for all those that can perceive it. He wears a crown of five emblazoned gems borne alternately from Indian lotuses and Chinese peonies. The colored order of each gemstone correlates to the surrounding structure of green, red, and blue aureoles of perfect Newari scrollwork. Meanwhile, his black hair wrapped in an intricate bone lattice is pulled up into a trilobed bun that echoes the edge of the throne-back above him, further harmonizing with the mahasiddha's visage.Twenty-six vividly executed portraits comprising the 'Chandali Perfection Stage Lineage' surround Damarupa in formal rows along the top and side registers. This secondary lineage within the painting is one of over thirty traditional Sakya tantric lineages for which Ngor claimed to excel. Delightful details abound throughout the depicted succession of masters, including Vajra Ghantapa's mid-air tantric sexual congress with his consort (3), and the founder of the Sakya tradition, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo's, aqua cloak and strigine tufts of hair (12).
Lot 117P
STATUETTE D'AMITAYUS EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉATTRIBUÉ À SONAM GYALTSEN (A. XVE SIÈCLE), SHIGATSE, TIBET CENTRAL, VERS 1430-40Himalayan Art Resources item no. 16792 43 cm (17 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMITAYUSATTRIBUTED TO SONAM GYALTSEN (A. 15TH CENTURY),SHIGATSE, CENTRAL TIBET, CIRCA 1430-40 日喀則 藏中 約1430-1440年 銅鎏金無量壽佛像 應為索南堅贊之作 Provenance:Sotheby's Parke-Bernet, New York, 23 May 1979, lot 85 Navin Kumar, New York A French Private Collection, Paris, acquired from the above on 31 August 1984 Christie's, Paris, 19 December 2012, lot 209 An Important Asian Private Collection Published: Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 446, no. 121A.This magnificent gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus bears all the hallmarks of the exceptional master-craftsmanship of one of the greatest known artists in Tibet, active during the first half of the 15th century, namely, the master craftsman Sonam Gyaltsen. The attribution to Sonam Gyaltsen is demonstrated in the evident similarities to the gilt-copper alloy figure of Avalokiteshvara Sahasrabhuja Ekadasamukha, circa 1430, identified by inscription to have been made by Sonam Gyaltsen, which was sold at Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3033. These close similarities are manifest in the comparable facial features, the turquoise-inset jewelry, the incised decoration, and lotus lappets: Gyaltsen completes his bronze's lotus petals in the round with symmetrically curling plump inner corolla on top of swelled outer petals with pointed tips. Gyaltsen lightly engraves Amitayus' silks with auspicious symbols. He models Amitayus with slender physiognomy. The hair is distinctively arranged into a fringe of rounded curls before the crown. Gyaltsen apportions the jewelry with restraint, such that small turquoise settings brilliantly lead the eye over the body without distracting from its alluring suppleness. Lastly, in the handsome face, Gyaltsen elegantly captures the benevolent and restful essence of Amitayus. As noted in the inscription of the Sonam Gyaltsen Avalokiteshvara, the master craftsman had the patronage of the Rinpung dynasty and more specifically the third monarch, Norbu Zangpo (1403-66) who ruled between 1435 and 1466. The dynasty's seat of power was in Shigatse, Tsang Province in Central Tibet, and its rulers mostly patronized the Sakya order. This figure was created at the culmination of the foundation or enlargement of Jamchen Chode monastery near Shigatse, circa 1430. It is therefore possible that the present figure of Amitayus was also created as part of the project for the Jamchen monastery. While the Bonhams Avalokiteshvara remains the only known inscribed figure identified by inscription to be by Sonam Gyaltsen, it allows us to attribute other important sculptures in public and private collections to the great master. Compare with images of Guhyamanjuvajra and Vajrabhairava in the Rietberg Museum, Zurich (Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, 1995, pp. 170-1, nos. 113 & 114), which closely match the present sculpture's lotus petals, rich gilding, and densely encrusted jewelry. Also see an image of White Tara wearing a similar peaceful expression and cloud-collar over her shoulders (HAR 21448). Attributed to Sonam Gyaltsen: A Magnificent Figure of Amitayus by Jeff Watt, Director and Chief Curator of Himalayan Art Resources (HAR)
Lot 110
TANGKA REPRÉSENTANT LE PORTRAIT DE KANHATIBET CENTRAL, MONASTÈRE DE NGOR, VERS 1600 Distemper on cloth; with original blue cloth mounts inscribed on the reverse along the top in Tibetan, identifying the painting's subject, and also with restored original red lacquered, gold painted dowel rod; verso inscribed in black ink with 'om, ah, hum' incantations behind each figure and many lines arranged into the form of a stupa, comprising Sanskritized and Tibetan prayers and mantras consistent with a formula repeated throughout the Ngor lamdre lineage set of paintings; recto with two separate lines of Tibetan inscription in gold along the bottom red painted border, the second identifying the secondary 'Crooked Made Straight Lineage' sequence of figures within the painting, the first an homage to the central subject, translated:'With the profound advice, release my mind,Performing the benefit of othersWith the practice of vows;To Kanha, I bow.'Himalayan Art Resources item no. 1443 Image: 74.5 x 62.8 cm (29 3/8 x 24 3/4 in.); With Silks: 124 x 66 cm (48 3/4 x 26 in.)Footnotes:A PORTRAIT THANGKA OF KANHACENTRAL TIBET, NGOR MONASTERY, CIRCA 1600藏中 俄爾寺 約 1600 年 坎哈巴肖像唐卡 Published:Marion Boyer, La peinture bouddhiste tibétaine, Paris, 2010, p. 132. Provenance:Private German Collection, acquired in Nepal, 1970sMichael Henss Collection, Zurich, acquired from the above in 2008 A frequent praise of the widely published Ngor lamdre lineage set of paintings that includes this portrait of Kanha is the insightful, nuanced capturing of each central subject's character and legacy. Here, the mahasiddha's soft wispy eyebrows and facial hair frame a calm, encouraging expression befitting Kanha's standing as the principal exponent of the lamdre tradition's 'gradual method'. He is one of the most popular of the 84 Indian tantric great adepts and his epithet (Tib. Nagpopa; 'The Black One') is ascribed to numerous tantric teachings. Kanha occupies a prominent role in the lamdre tradition as the primary disciple of the tradition's first mortal master, Virupa. Before meeting Virupa, Kanha was a Hindu Shaivite yogin and upon the completion of his training was dispatched to convert a lustful Hindu king and court.The artist portrays Kanha cradling a human skull-cup (kapala) before his chest, which is a fairly ubiquitous attribute used when depicting the early Indian masters of Buddhist tantra. Similar to Kanha's own story, the kapala is rooted in Buddhism's repudiation of the Hindu caste system, its Brahmanical hierarchy, and its seemingly inflexible doctrine of spiritual evolution. The punishment for inadvertently killing a brahmin in Kanha's time was a severe ostracism in which the penitent was banished for twelve years to a desolate crossroads (like a charnel ground) and forced to beg for food with a human skull as an alms bowl, as well as the skull of the brahmin they had slain mounted on a wood staff as a banner (Beer, The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, 1999, p. 249). A profound expression of Tantric Buddhism's antinomian nature, in which things that would be regarded as polluting in Indian culture are put to use to overcome dualities and transcend the fetters of existence, the kapala serves as a seminal ritual implement in tantric practice. Painted in royal-yellow swells, the artist depicts the elixir of immortality that tantric treatises (sadhanas) often say is contained within the inverted cranium. Kanha balances the kapala with effortless poise while articulating his fingers in the dharmachakrapavartina mudra of 'progressing the Dharma', which is likely another allusion to his role as the principal exponent of the 'gradual' lamdre method.Unlike the depiction of his disciple, Damarupa, or any other mahasiddha in the Ngor lamdre lineage set of c. 1600, Kanha's matted locks are piled up in the form of an ushnisha surmounted by a lotus-borne, wish-fulfilling gem (cintamani). This feature likens Kanha to the peaceful supremely enlightened Amitabha and Amitayus Buddhas located over his shoulders. Similarly, the painter clads Kanha in fine garments and jewelry that are essential features in the depiction of a buddha's samboghakaya form, its celestial 'reward body' resulting from advanced spiritual attainment. The delicate gold floral sprays patterning the crimson lower garment are redolent of luxurious embroidered silks. Nonetheless, the archetypal tantric trainee, Kanha, having achieved Buddhahood through tantric means, is bedecked, not in gold, but intricate lattices of human bone and a crown of dried skulls.
Lot 264
12 BOTTLES SOUTH AFRICAN, SPANISH AND MOROCCAN ROSÉ WINEBruce Jack Blush Sauvignon Blanc-Shiraz 2021; Warwick Estate 2 x First Lady 2022; Chakana Nuna Vineyard Rosé 2021; Marqués de Carrión 2 x Antaño 2021; J Garcia Carrión 2 x Don Luciano Tempranillo NV; Domaine de Baccari 2 x Première 2021; Bodegas Principe de Viana 2 x Edición Rosa 2021
Lot 67
STÈLE DE GANESHA DANSANT EN GRÈS ROUGEINDE DU NORD, VERS XIE SIECLE75 cm (29 1/2 in.) highFootnotes:A RED SANDSTONE STELE OF DANCING GANESHANORTH INDIA, CIRCA 11TH CENTURY印度北部 約十一世紀 紅砂岩象神石碑Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, New York, by 1967The mischievous elephant-headed god Ganesha can clear (or create) obstacles, and is therefore propitiated before the start of almost any undertaking. His body moves in kinetic ecstasy, shifting from one foot to the other in a limber sway. Full-bodied hips swing, as he rejoices gleefully holding a bowl of sweets, while two dancers flanking his heels mirror Ganesha's rhythmic portrayal. He wears a garland crown and carries a cobra as a trophy in his upper pair of arms. As the remover of obstacles, he wields the battle-axe and hooked goad as weapons to ward off adversities. Tales of the origins and appearance of Ganesha vary, but most describe him as having been created a boy by his mother Parvati from the residue of her bathwater. Once manifest, she placed him as sentry to her bath chamber. Shortly thereafter, Parvati's husband Shiva appeared, demanding entry. When Ganesha refused the stranger's request, Shiva removed his head. Parvati insisted Shiva restore Ganesha's head immediately. The first available head was that of an elephant, which was expediently placed atop the young man's body, thus forming the unique appearance of this beloved deity. Compare with an example in the Rubin Museum of Art (C2004.14.4) where Ganesha's middle right hand is drawn back to his chest. Also compare with a related multi-armed figure of Ganesha in the James W. and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, Pal, A Collecting Odyssey, 1997, p. 60 and 287, cat. no. 70.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: WW Lot is located in the Bonhams Warehouse and will only be available for collection from this location.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 11
STATUETTE DE JNANATAPA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ AVEC INCRUSTATION D'ARGENTTIBET, XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4802 15.5 cm (6 1/8 in.) highFootnotes:A SILVER INLAID GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF JNANATAPATIBET, 14TH CENTURY西藏 十四世紀 銅錯銀鎏金迦那塔帕像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sJnanatapa ('Heat of Wisdom'), one of the great mahasiddhas (accomplished masters), is depicted here as the only known sculptural example of this subject. The lion-topped incised jewel box held in his left hand identifies his personage, though little of his mystical hagiography is recorded, unlike other depictions of the siddhas. Nevertheless, the folded legs of his yogic posture, rotund belly, intensely wide-eyed gaze, and long hair tightly pulled into a top-knot echo his Indian paragons of spiritually accomplished and eccentric trickster-saints. There are only a handful of depictions of this subject. The most poignant example is a 14th century Taklung painting identifying the central figure by inscription as Jnanatapa, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1987.144). Onpo Kama Rinpoche (1251-96), a lama from the Taklung Kagyu tradition and the first abbot of the Riwoche monastery in Eastern Tibet, was recognized as the emanation of this mahasiddha, linking the founder of this lineage to a pure and authenticated Indian source. Spiritual legitimacy within Tibetan orders was predicated on an unbroken chain of Buddhist teachings linking these tantric Indian masters as emanations of divine Buddhas. Given the time frame of this bronze and the connection of this saint to the Taklung tradition, it is possible that this sculpture was also directly connected to Riwoche monastery.The liveliness of the figure finds its aesthetic origins from the craftsmanship of Newari artists. The rounded figural form of the body and decorative beaded garlands, jewelry, and Pala-inspired flaming pendants, resemble coinciding Newari sculptures, including an image of the mahasiddha Virupa, sold at Bonhams, New York, 7 October 2019, lot 802. Newari artisans, whose metalworking traditions were widely-known and highly valued, saw a continuation of active sponsorship by Tibetans well into the 14th century.The chased details under the beaded girdle and the densely packed lotus leaves along the front of the base suggest the artistic exchanges held between Tibet and the courts of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). The decorative cadence of the floral and Buddhist emblems along the lower garment resemble the fluidity and scrollwork seen on Yuan textiles (see an example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1988.296). Similar designs are also reproduced on several sculptures attributed to the Yuan dynasty (Bigler, Before Yongle, 2013, pp. 84-95, nos. 19-21). Lastly, compare the plump, scroll-tipped petals of a bronze from the Claude de Marteau Collection, Part 2, sold at Bonhams, Paris, 4 October 2022, lot 9.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 54
STATUETTE DE JAMBHUPATI COURONNÉ EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVREBIRMANIE, XVIIIE/XIXE SIÈCLE36.8 cm (14 1/2 in.) highFootnotes:A COPPER ALLOY CROWNED JAMBHUPATIBURMA, 18TH/19TH CENTURY緬甸 十八/十九世紀 寶冠佛銅像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sSeated in bhumisparsha mudra on a deeply waisted double lotus base is a Buddha wearing an elaborate crown. Crowned Buddha images first appear in East India. However, this remarkable headdress is distinctly Burmese, emerging initially in paintings and reliefs of the late-Pagan period. A similar larger bronze can be found in the British Museum (OA.1969.2-11.1), and another published in Pal, Sensuous Immortals, 1978, p. 157, no. 92b.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 53
TÊTE DE BOUDDHA EN GRÈSTHAÏLANDE, ÉPOQUE AYUTTHAYA, XVE SIÈCLE49 cm (19 1/4 in.) highFootnotes:A SANDSTONE HEAD OF BUDDHATHAILAND, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 15TH CENTURY泰國 大城時期 十五世紀 砂岩佛首Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1980s Retaining much of the original pigmentation and majority of the features, this Ayutthaya stone Buddha head is one of the best preserved of its kind. Illustrative of the Sukhothai styles which were adopted into the Ayutthaya period, these merging characteristics coalesced during the 15th century. The oval face, flaming ushnisha, and heart-shaped hairline echo Sukhothai features, while the abstracted bowline converging at the bridge of the nose, long nose with downturned tip, thick hairband, small nubs for hair, and fainter smile are more indicative of classic Early Ayutthaya styles. Two images from this period, both of which are now in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, include a stone head displaying the confluence of these periods (25.65), as well as a bronze example attributed to the first half of the 15th century with resembling facial features (54.2799).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: WW Lot is located in the Bonhams Warehouse and will only be available for collection from this location.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 21
YANTRA DE VAJRAVARAHI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE REPOUSSÉ ET DORÉNÉPAL, FIN DE L'ÉPOQUE MALLA, XVIE/XVIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4879 15.9 cm (6 1/4 in.) diam.Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY REPOUSSÉ YANTRA OF VAJRAVARAHINEPAL, LATE MALLA PERIOD, 16TH/17TH CENTURY尼泊爾 馬拉王朝晚期 十六/十七世紀 銅鎏金錘揲金剛亥母延陀羅Published:Arman Neven, Sculpture des Indes, Brussels, 1978, p. 248, no. 200.Exhibited:Sculpture des Indes, Société Générale de Banque, Brussels, 8 December 1978 - 31 January 1979.Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1978This yantra, a type of mandala with geometric patterns, features a central triangle surmounting six concentric tiered enclosures. Newari vowels and consonants are stamped throughout the first two rings. The central triangle standing on its tip is often associated with Vajravarahi, as commonly indicated on painted mandalas of the subject. (John Huntington, et. al., The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, Los Angeles, 2003, p. 382, no. 115.)For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 9
STATUETTE D'HEVAJRA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE AVEC INCRUSTATION D'ARGENTTIBET, PROVINCE DE TSANG, XVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4871 25.4 cm (10 in.) highFootnotes:A SILVER INLAID COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF HEVAJRATIBET, TSANG PROVINCE, 15TH CENTURY西藏 十五世紀 銅錯銀喜金剛像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThis sculpture of Hevajra trampling a quatrain of piled corpses while raising his two left legs in a passionate dance represents his form in the 'Oral Instruction' Lineage. Also known as the Lamdre (or Margapala) Instruction Lineage, this tradition is said to have been first revealed to Mahasiddha Virupa in a vision from Nairatmya, the consort of Hevajra. The Lamdre, or the 'Path with the Result', is a system of philosophical and meditation techniques based primarily on the Hevajra cycle of Tantras, which were orally passed down from teacher to student and eventually became incorporated into the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism as their most important practice. Expertly cast with intricate details, squarish features, and animated eyes inlaid with silver, this superb figure distinguishes itself as one of the most remarkable pieces to have been made in the non-gilding ateliers of Tsang. Luxurious engravings located at the back of the base, which were likely made to fit the tangs of a separately-cast prabhamandala, allude to the Chinese embroidered silks that were sent to monasteries in Tsang as gifts, reaffirming the political trade alliances that were being forged among the leaders of the Sakya and the imperial courts of the Yuan and early Ming dynasties. A Tsang portrait of the Sakya Ngor lama Sanggye Pel, which was sold at Bonhams, New York, 14 March 2017, lot 3273, shares similarly rendered floral decorations at the lower portions of his patchwork robe. The round, beaded rim of Hevajra's lotus base, in addition to Nairatmya's cross-hatched apron, by contrast, pay homage to the gilding workshops that were concurrently flourishing in Central Tibet, including a gilt bronze Hevajra following in the artistic traditions of Sonam Gyaltsen (c. 1430), sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong, 7 October 2019, lot 931. Also attesting to the rarity of Hevajra images from Tsang are two other images that are cast together with their bases, one sold at Christie's, London, 19 June 1973, lot 153, and another published in, The Light of the Buddha: Buddhist Sculptures of the Palace Museum and Zhiguan Museum of Fine Art, 2019, pp. 374-5, no. 101; HAR 8237.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 32
STATUETTE DE PADMAPANI LOKESHVARA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉNÉPAL, XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4815 33.3 cm (13 1/8 in.) highFootnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF PADMAPANI LOKESHVARANEPAL, 14TH CENTURY尼泊爾 十四世紀 銅鎏金蓮華手觀音像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThis Padmapani figure exemplifies a form of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara that was popular during the early Malla period (c. 1200-1479). Approachable, regally adorned, of slender proportions, 'The Lord Who Looks Down [with Compassion]', offers his right hand in a gesture of charity (varada mudra) while his left once held the lower stem of the lotus that blossoms at his shoulder. As the pure and perfect Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara willingly postpones his own highest enlightenment to save all sentient beings from suffering first.Situated between the great Himalayan range to the north and the vast Indian subcontinent to the south, the Kathmandu Valley gave rise to a unique culture that blended Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Avalokiteshvara garnered particular attention from Buddhists and Hindus alike. Images of the deity began to proliferate, adopting the leitmotif of the standing bodhisattva in a limber pose, with a bare torso, supple waist, and sheer lower garment from the Gupta period (4th-to 6th-centuries), the golden age of Indian. A famed standing Padmapani from Sarnath in the National Museum, New Delhi exemplifies this root (cf. Across the Silk Road, Beijing, 2016, pp.160-1, no.70). The Newars adopted and preserved this tradition, adding exaggerated narrow waists and swollen thighs by the 13th-century, in establishing the early Malla style.A short skirt incised with floral designs is secured around Avalokiteshvara's waist with a gem-inset belt. A sacred thread gently hangs over his left shoulder and across his right hip, drawing the viewer's attention to the sensitive treatment of Avalokiteshvara's tapered waist and powerful legs as he shifts his weight to one side. A slight bend in the left knee relaxes the formal pose. A sash covers the thighs and descends in cascading flutters at the hip and groin. He wears a necklace with inset pendant gems of red, turquoise, green, and purple. An empty channel just above the pendants was once filled with seed pearls, secured in place by fine wires. One still remains. Slightly earlier examples of Avalokiteshvara are in the Cleveland Museum of Art and in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; a much larger and somewhat later example may be seen in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, figs. 90F,90G &94B, respectively. See also an earlier example in the Rubin Museum of Art, New York [HAR 65430]). This sculpture's richly gilded copper casting, the jewelry, and the figural proportions are hallmarks of Newari style of the Kathmandu Valley. Such aesthetic achievement impelled by the veneration of these deified images was executed with the mastery of metalworking techniques, which was both a well-known and highly appreciated tradition of the Kathmandu Valley. The ability to cohesively balance the corporeal forms and decoration shows a proficiency working with the material itself. The heavy copper content of the metal alloy provided the support, for a thin layer of gilding to be laid on top, producing a warm and luxuriant glow. Whereas the figure's elegance betrays the hand of a Newari master craftsman, the gold paint applied to the face and blue pigment to the hair reflect Tibetan ritual practices, suggesting the work was worshipped in Tibet for part of its history.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 65
STÈLE DE SURYA EN GRÈS BEIGEINDE DU NORD, VERS XE SIÈCLE68.5 cm (27 in.) highFootnotes:A BUFF SANDSTONE STELE OF SURYANORTH INDIA, CIRCA 10TH CENTURY 印度北部 約十世紀 砂岩太陽神石碑Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sIdentified by his characteristic boots, breast plate, and tall cylindrical crown—as well as by the two disc lotuses he wields—this stele is devoted to the ancient Vedic sun god Surya, whose cult at one time rivaled that of Shiva and Vishnu. Surya became prominently incorporated into the Vaishnavite tradition in northern India. He is dressed according to traditional conventions that depict him as a king. His 'northern' garb is thought to resemble that of Central Asian Indo-Scythian tribesmen, such as the Kushans, who ruled northern India in the first centuries of the common era. It is also thought to reflect the influence of ancient Iranian religious ideas, where the worship of the sun occurs through a personified form (Rosenfield, The Arts of India and Nepal, 1966, p. 43). This near-complete composition includes Surya's wife, Ushas, the goddess of dawn, standing immediately before him as the herald of each new day. At either side of his feet are Surya's clerk and measurer, Pingala and Danda, carved in complementary tribhangha poses. Behind them are two further wives of Surya, possibly the shapelier Sarenu, daughter of heaven, on the right, and her shadow, Chaya, on the left (although his wives Rajni and Nikshubha are also possible). As Dye noted, in his discussion of a closely related example, Surya's bold lotus blossoms and crisp lotus halo, 'suggest both the sun itself and the boundless life it nurtures.' (Dye III, The Arts of India, Richmond, 2001, p.136). As with the present lot, the Virginia Surya has a prominent sash suspended from each elbow to form a broad flat arch across the shins which terminates with subtle pleats over the retinue figures on each side.The ornamentation of the miter follows the convention popular in the Central Indian in the 10th century as seen in a closely related head with a prominent triangular crown leaf and similar high-arching brows (Heeramaneck, Masterpieces of Indian Sculpture, 1979, no. 84. Also compare with a closely related Vishnu attributed to Uttar Pradesh in Desai & Mason (eds.), Gods, Guardians, and Lovers, 1993, p. 263, no. 70. Also see a Vamana in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (25.260).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: WW Lot is located in the Bonhams Warehouse and will only be available for collection from this location.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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