A RARE AND LARGE POTTERY GROUP OF A MONKEY RIDING A CAMEL, TANG DYNASTYScientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 2 July 1997, based on sample number C97c95, sets the firing date of two samples taken at between 900 and 1400 years ago. A copy of the report, issued by Oxford Authentication, accompanies this lot.China, 618-906. The camel standing foursquare on a pierced rectangular base, the neck raised, carrying a saddle with saddle bag in the form of beast masks, coils of twisted cloth, vessels, game birds, a hare, and other provisions, surmounted by a small monkey clinging to the front hump, the buff ware highlighted in red, black, and white pigments. The saddle attached to the camel with a painted key-fret band. Provenance: Christie's New York, 18 September 1997, lot 344, sold for USD 55,200 or approx. EUR 98,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). The Harold and Ruth Newman Collection, Connecticut, acquired from the above. Harold Newman (1931-2021) earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Oklahoma, where he first developed a lifelong interest in Asian studies. He served in the U.S. Army in Strategic Intelligence for two years before beginning an investment career with Goldman Sachs. In addition to his career in finance, Newman was a trustee of the Asia Society in New York City, a board member of The Hertz Foundation and MCC Theater, and a producer of well-known plays In the Heights and Hamilton, among others. Newman established the University of Oklahoma Institute for US-China Issues and the Newman Prize, the first American award for Chinese literature. Together with his wife Ruth, they also supported the Asia Society Museum with a significant gift including works from famous East Asian artists. Condition: Some old repair as generally expected from Tang dynasty excavations. Extensive wear, soiling, losses, chips, cracks, and soil encrustations. Holes from sample taking.Dimensions: Height 73.5 cmDepictions of monkeys perched on camels are quite rare. The inclusion of a monkey on the pack may be a whimsical notion. It could also depict the trader's pet or may represent part of the trade goods carried by the camel.Camels played a crucial part in the long-distance trade along the Silk Road during the Tang dynasty. Camels were treasured for their reliability and capability of crossing the two main deserts, Gobi and the Tarim, and were specially bred in China on the grasslands of present-day Shanxi and Gansu provinces. Even though camels were not native to China, they became a common sight in the Tang capital Chang'an and large cities such as Luoyang. Literature comparison:Compare a related glazed pottery group depicting a monkey seated on a Bactrian camel, Tang dynasty, in the collection of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, vol. 8, Tokyo, 1982, no. 35. Compare also a related group depicting a camel with monkey, Tang dynasty, in the collection of the Asian Civilizations Museum, accession number 2003-00227.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 9 September 2005, lot 253Price: USD 120,000 or approx. EUR 174,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A superb 'camel-and-monkey' pottery group, early Tang dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related subject. Note the different pose and smaller size (61 cm).唐代罕見大型駱駝猴子陶俑中國，618-906年。駱駝四足站立，仰頸，背負獸面鞍袋、捻布捲、器皿、獵鳥、野兔及其他補給品，背上騎著小猴子，淺黃色陶器，彩繪，固定在駱駝上的馬鞍。科學檢測報告：牛津檢測研究所1997年7月2日出具的熱釋光報告，樣本號C97c95，確定陶俑為900-1400年前所製。隨附報告複印本。 來源： 紐約佳士得，1997年9月18日，lot 344，售價 USD 55,200 或相當於 EUR 98,000 (根據通貨膨脹率)。Harold 與 Ruth Newman，康乃狄克州，購於上述拍賣。Harold Newman (1931-2021年) 在俄克拉荷馬大學獲得了本科學位，在那裡他第一次對亞洲研究產生了興趣。在高盛 (Goldman Sachs) 開始投資生涯之前，他在美國陸軍的戰略情報部門服役了兩年。 除了他在金融領域的經歷，Newman還是紐約市亞洲協會的受託人、赫茲基金會和 MCC 劇院的董事會成員，以及著名戲劇 In the Highs 和 Hamilton 等的製作人。Newman創立了俄克拉荷馬大學美中問題研究所和Newman獎，這是美國第一個中國文學獎。他還與他的妻子Ruth一起，為亞洲協會博物館提供了重要的禮物，其中包括著名東亞藝術家的作品 品相：舊修補，大量磨損、污漬、缺損、磕損、裂縫和土壤結殼。取樣孔。 尺寸：高 73.5 厘米
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A FAMILLE VERTE SQUARE BALUSTER 'IMMORTALS' VASE, QING DYNASTYChina, 19th century. Brightly enameled to each side in yellow, aubergine, green, and black. One side depicting two courtiers in a garden pointing at two celestial court ladies framed in clouds, another side with Duowen and another guardian standing below Tongzi, the third side depicting Magu, He Xiangu, a female attendant, and a crane, and the fourth side with two heavenly kings including Zengzhang who raises his sword. The neck decorated with a pavilion hidden behind clouds, mountains, and rockwork, and the shoulders with lotus blossoms to each corner.Provenance: From the private collection of Dr. Ma Luk, Hong Kong, thence by descent in the same family. From a private collection, Arizona, USA, acquired from the above. Dr. Ma Luk (1883-1963) graduated from the Hong Kong College of Medicine and became one of the leaders of the local medical community in Hong Kong. After spending a few years working for the Chinese Public Dispensary, he had the rare distinction of being the first Chinese doctor to join a European group practice in 1908, Drs. Fitzwilliams and Allan. He later started his own clinic in Central District and gradually expanded it into a large group practice, the Ma Luk Sun Hospital. Dr. Ma was also a director of the newly formed Yeung Wo Nursing Home in 1922. He served the Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association as vice president from 1933-1934 and was also active as the Chairman of the Chinese Club. He was admitted to the Order of St. John for his long service for the St. John Association and Brigade. Dr. Ma Luk was an important art collector and patron.Condition: Very good condition with only minor old wear and some firing irregularities including glaze flaking, minor fritting, little pitting. Even from the 19th century, this piece must be considered very rare in this splendid state of preservation.Weight: 4,454 g Dimensions: Height 49.4 cmThe base with an apocryphal, underglaze-blue, six-character mark da Qing Kangxi nianzhi.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 14 September 2005, lot 688Price: USD 10,200 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of famille verte square vases, 19th CenturyExpert remark: Compare the related form, size (50.8 cm), color of the enamels, and Kangxi reign mark. Note the lot comprises two vases.清代五彩仙人圖方瓶中國，十九世紀。綠地五彩琺瑯描繪祥雲中的神仙，有瑤池仙女、麻姑，有護法天王、二郎神以及哪吒等。頸部飾亭臺樓閣，肩部纏枝蓮紋。 來源：香港Ma Luk 醫生私人收藏，在同一家族保存至今；美國亞利桑那州私人收藏，購於上述收藏。Ma Luk (1883-1963) 醫生畢業於香港醫學院，成為香港本地醫學會領袖之一。在中國公立醫局工作了幾年後，他成為 1908 年第一位加入歐洲集體執業的中國醫生。後來，他在中環開設了自己的診所，並逐漸擴展為大型團體診所，即馬六新醫院。馬醫生亦於1922年出任新成立的楊和護養院院長。1933-1934年任香港中華醫學會副會長，亦積極擔任華人會主席。由於長期為聖約翰協會和旅服務，他被授予聖約翰勳章。Ma Luk醫生是一位重要的藝術收藏家和讚助人。 品相：狀況極好，只有輕微的磨損和一些燒製不規則現象，包括釉面剝落、輕微熔塊、小點蝕。 重量：4,454 克 尺寸：高49.4 厘米 底足内青花“大清康熙年製”寄托款。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2005年9月14日，lot 688 價格：USD 10,200（相當於今日EUR 14,000） 描述：一對十九世紀五彩方瓶 專家評論：比較相近的外形、尺寸 (50.8 厘米)、琺瑯顏色和康熙款。請注意此為一對方瓶。
AN IMPERIAL GUANGZHOU ENAMEL 'LOTUS AND SHOU' SNUFF BOTTLE, YONGZHENG MARK AND PERIODChina, 1723-1735. Of ovoid form, the short waisted foot and neck each with a flat gilt-copper rim. Finely enameled on a yellow ground with formal scrolling flowers and vines as well as a circular medallion with the character shou (longevity) between a bat and a neatly detailed lotus blossom. The neck and foot enameled with bands of formalized lotus petals and line borders. The concave base with a red-enameled four-character mark Yongzheng nianzhi and of the period.Provenance: Belgian trade. Condition: Fine condition commensurate with age showing expected old wear and some manufacturing irregularities, rubbing to gilt, minor flaking to enamels, minute nicks to the copper alloy foot and lip. One small chip to the shoulder with an associated old repair. While the enamels are generally crisp and quite well preserved, the yellow background is somewhat faded.Stopper: Gilt bronze, possibly matching, good spoon Weight: 124.5 g Dimensions: Height incl. stopper 100 mm. Diameter neck 15 mm and mouth 6 mmAs noted by Hugh Moss, “extant examples of Yongzheng painted enamels on metal are almost as rare as those surviving from the Kangxi reign. [...] Of all surviving marked enamels from the Yongzheng era (there are not many), more than half are southern.” Yellow-ground enamel on copper examples of this form and from the “southern” group, e.g. from Guangzhou, are rare and vary in decoration including designs of dragons, deer in landscape, and bats, lotus and Shou, as seen on the present bottle.The Imperial Enamel Workshop which was first established in Beijing by the Kangxi Emperor utilizing the knowledge of Jesuit priests and enamellers from Guangzhou, was producing enamel works since circa 1715 as attested to by a Jesuit priest, Father de Maille, see H. Garner, The Origins of Famille Rose, TOCS, vol. 37, 1967-1969, London, 1970, page 4. However, the most important Chinese craftsmen came from Guangzhou as shown in a Court memorial dated 1716 noting the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi sent two artisans to Beijing to serve in the Enamel Workshop, see Yang Boda, Tributes from Guangdong to the Ch'ing Court, Hong Kong, 1987, page 63. By the Yongzheng period, technical challenges were gradually overcome and the painting became more refined and controlled.This bottle exhibits the Guangzhou tendency to elaborate on Beijing decorative motifs in a novel manner. Although the subject of formalized flowers on a yellow ground was common to both the Palace workshops in Beijing and on Guangzhou wares for the court, the style was generally different. The standard northern style tended to be simpler and more powerful, while its southern counterpart was more complex and ornate, often using a greater range of filling colors within outlined areas, such as scrolling vines and leaves.The lotus is a symbol of harmony in marriage as well as a Buddhist symbol of purity, because the perfect flower emerges from mud and murky waters. The overlapped lotus petals used as decorative borders in the present lot are derived from the bases of Buddhist sculptures from the sixth century onwards, which are usually surrounded by a series of registers of petals opening up to the Buddha seated above. The bat (fu) forms one of the most popular rebuses in Chinese art as it is a pun on the word for 'blessings'.Literature comparison: Yongzheng reign-marked enamel snuff bottles are extremely rare, with only a small number from the Qing court collection still preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 2003, nos. 129-133.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 261 Price: USD 73,000 or approx. EUR 96,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very rare and unusual Guangzhou enamel snuff bottle, Imperial, Guangzhou, Yongzheng four-character mark in brown enamel and of the periodExpert remark: Compare the related motif and form. Note the similar size (height 8.9 cm excl. stopper). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 10 February 2021, lot 3026 Price: HKD 604,800 or approx. EUR 73,300 converted at the time of writing Description: A Canton Enamel 'Millefleurs' Snuff Bottle Mark and Period of YongzhengExpert remark: Compare the quality of the painting, the enameling technique, and the execution of the mark.雍正款與年代御用廣州琺瑯纏枝蓮紋福壽紋鼻煙壺中國，1723-1735年。口略外撇，短頸，卵形，壺身成卵形，圈足；口部和足部邊緣包鍍金銅。淡黃色地，精美琺瑯，肩部蕉葉紋，在蝙蝠與纏枝蓮紋之間團壽紋。 圈足内紅彩“雍正年製”四字款。 來源：比利時古玩交易。 品相：品相良好，有磨損，琺瑯輕微剝落，足部和唇部包銅有微小刻痕。肩部有小磕損和相應的修補。 壺蓋：鎏金銅，可能原配，小勺精緻 重量：124.5 克 尺寸：含壺蓋高100 毫米，頸部直徑15 毫米，壺口直徑6 毫米
A BRONZE HEAD OF A MAN, GOA MADE, EAST JAVA, INDONESIA, 1ST MILLENNIUM BC - 1ST MILLENNIUM ADPublished: Claudio Giardino, Massimo Vidale, and Gian Luca Bonora (editors), Goa Made - An Archeological Discovery, Rome, 2012, page 241, no. 215.Agus Aris Munandar, Hitawasana: Studies on Indonesian Archeology, page 55, no. 6.Finely cast and modeled in the round with a hollow interior. The face with almond-shaped eyes below prominent lids and gently arched brows, centered by a long nose of trapezoidal section above a raised mouth, flanked by elongated ears.Provenance: A private collector in London, United Kingdom, and thence by descent to his daughter Amanda Torri. Alex Torri, Bologna, Italy, inherited from the above. Paolo Bertuzzi, acquired from the above in 2002. A copy of the original invoice from Alex Torri, dated 25 June 2002, showing an image of the present lot, and stating a purchase price of ITL 15,000,000 or approx. EUR 12,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies this lot. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy, and the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Some wear, minor losses, small nicks, light scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations. The head is entirely covered in a superb, naturally grown, malachite-green patina with small areas of azurite encrustation to the interior.Weight: 735.1 g Dimensions: Height 26 cmGoa (or Gua) Made (Made Cave) is a site north of the Brantas River in East Java. Its importance was first discovered by Anacleto Spazzapan, an Italian archeologist, designer, and collector of ethnographic and folk art who frequently traveled to Indonesia. He was first led to the site in 1999 and brought back fragments of fired clay, which he sent to Arcadia labs in Milan for thermoluminescence testing. The first official excavations were subsequently conducted in an underground temple by the Bureau for the Archaeological Conservation of East Java (BACEJ) in 2001 and 2006, the latter funded by Paolo Bertuzzi (the last owner of the present lot), who had developed a profound interest in the site. Finds included imported glazed pottery, Chinese copper or bronze coins, and highly distinct bronze heads such as the present lot. Thermoluminescence analysis of terracotta bricks found in the excavations indicated a date in the early 1st millennium BC. This would not only suggest the discovery of a lost civilization but also challenge widely held notions of Southeast Asian history. The earliest uncontested architectural remains in East Java are two temples dating from the 8th - 9th century AD.In 2007, larger-scale excavations were carried out by a team of Italian and Indonesian archeologists, which revealed a previously overlooked shaft, a complex subterranean structure displaying a sophisticated integrated design that would have required mass community involvement in both its construction and usage. In the following years, disagreements between archeologists involved in the Goa Made project began to emerge. A 2010 article by Andreas M. Steiner and Massimo Vidale in the renowned Italian magazine Archeo supports the dating of the bronze heads to the early 1st millennium BC. In the same year, however, Fiorella Rispoli wrote an article for World Archeology Magazine wherein she questions the accuracy of the thermoluminescence analysis and instead proposed a post-10th century AD dating for the bronze heads, suggesting that the underground temple was most likely a water control system, while the heads should rather be placed within the tradition of East Java folk practices. In his 2016 book Hitawasana, Studies on Indonesian Archeology (where the present lot is illustrated, page 55), Prof. Dr. Agus Aris Munandar from the University of Indonesia wrote that further scientific studies remain necessary, and that additional research is expected to step-by-step resolve the questions regarding this important archeological site.
A POWDER-BLUE GLAZED DISH, KANGXI PERIODPublished & Exhibited: Jan Wirgin, Kang-Hsi porcelain: selected objects from Swedish collections, Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, 1974, no. 67, page 94, plate 15a.China, 1662-1722. The shallow rounded sides with molded ribs as well as a flared and barbed rim, overall covered in a vibrant powder blue glaze save for the rim and underside. The base with an artemisia leaf mark within a double circle painted in underglaze blue.Provenance: From the collection of Professor Jan Wirgin (1932-2020). The base with an old label from the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities 'OEstasiatiska Museet Utst. 1973, Nr 67'. Jan Wirgin studied Classic Chinese and History of Art at Stockholm University. Later, he joined the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm, serving first as a curator and then between 1981-1998 as its director. Furthermore, he published numerous articles during his time as the editor of the Museum's Bulletin. One of his most famous works is the book "Chinese Art history" (1972), which is still one of the most-read books for students of Chinese art history in Sweden.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, the rim with a minuscule hairline and microscopic frits. Manufacturing flaws including dark spots, pitting, and kiln grit.Weight: 325.1 g Dimensions: Diameter 20.3 cmAuction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams San Francisco, 19 June 2012, lot 6298AEstimate: USD 4,000 or approx. EUR 5,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A small powder blue glazed porcelain dish, 18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related powder-blue glaze. Note the slightly smaller size (16 cm) and the fact that this dish is not barbed.康熙粉青釉葵口盤中國，1662-1722年。淺圓盤，葵口，折沿，圈足内施白釉，盤身覆蓋粉藍色釉。圈足青花雙圈蒿葉紋。出版&展覽：Jan Wirgin，《Kang-Hsi porcelain: selected objects from Swedish collections》，瑞典斯德哥爾摩東亞博物館，1974年，編號67，頁94，圖15a。 來源：Jan Wirgin (1932-2020) 教授收藏。底部有斯德哥爾摩東亞博物館標籤 “OEstasiatiska Museet Utst. 1973，Nr 67” 。Jan Wirgin先生曾在斯德哥爾摩大學學習古典漢語和藝術史。之後，他進入斯德哥爾摩東亞博物館，先是擔任策展人，然後在 1981 年至 1998 年間擔任博物館館長。此外，他在擔任東方博物館公報的編輯期間，發表了大量文章。其中，最著名的是《中國藝術史》（1972）一書，至今仍是瑞典中國藝術史學生最重要的書籍之一。 品相：狀況非常好，輕微磨損，邊緣有細小的細紋和微小的熔塊。製造缺陷，包括黑點、麻點和窯砂。 重量：325. 尺寸：直徑 20.3 厘米拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：舊金山邦瀚斯，2012年6月19日，lot 6298A 估價：USD 4,000（相當於今日EUR 5,000） 描述：十八世紀小型粉青釉盤 專家評論：比較相近的粉青釉。請注意尺寸稍小(16 厘米) ，以及此盤盤沿沒有葵口。
'PLUM BLOSSOMS', BY QI BAISHI (1864-1957), DATED 1923China. Ink on paper, with a Japanese silk brocade mounting. Exquisitely painted with a flowering plum tree in the winter, the branches and twigs mostly upright with few hanging down, the blossoms and buds neatly detailed, the thicker branches executed with bold, dynamic brushstrokes.Inscriptions: Lower left, signed 'Baishi weng' (old man Baishi), inscribed 'The winter plum blossoms and the rest of the year, a thousand-year friendship with the rest of the year', and dated 'in the Winter of the Year of Guihai' (corresponding to 1923). The last character (託) indicates that this work was painted by Qi Baishi in order to entrust it to the recipient.Provenance: Kono Shuson, Japan, acquired directly from the artist. A private collection, acquired from the above, and thence by descent. The back with an old Japanese paper label from Kono Shuson, stamped and inscribed 'Dai yonhyaku-ju-roku-go, Sai Hakuseki sensei, Kono Shuson sei' (Number 416, Painting of Winter Plum Blossoms by Master Qi Baishi, compounded by Kono Shuson). Two further paper labels, each inscribed '7541'. Kono Shuson (1890-1987) was a Japanese painter and a pivotal figure in promoting the Nanga (Chinese literati) school of paintings in Japan. With Tomioka Tessai (1836-1924) as a consultant, he founded the Nihon Nanga-in (Japan Literati Painting Academy) and visited China frequently, including his first documented visit in 1923, the year the present work was painted. This is when he probably met Qi Baishi for the very first time, shortly after Qi's initial exhibition in Japan (see lot essay below). He then began to import Qi Baishi's works to Japan, together with the paintings of other contemporary Chinese artists, selling them at the Takashimaya Department Store and other notable places. He always mounted such paintings on Japanese kakejiku scrolls. For a work bearing a similar label from Kono Shuson, see for example Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 March 2022, lot 29, by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Scholar under Willow Tree. Condition: Good condition with some wear, soiling, and few minor abrasions.Dimensions: Image size 106.5 x 56 cm, Size incl. mounting 144 x 68 cmQi Baishi painted plum blossoms in several styles, including copies of those painted by Jin Nong (1687-1763), which the present lot shares some affinities with, including the absence of colors. Qi Baishi's later plum paintings are primarily inspired by Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), who preferred bright colors and introduced an epigraphic aesthetic to the art of painting. Here however, Qi depicts the plum tree with its upward trunk and branches in calligraphic strokes of somber ink. The present painting can therefore be said to reflect an earlier style in painting plum blossoms for Qi Baishi, whose earliest works depicting this subject are dated by inscription to the year 1921, two years before the present work was executed. Qi's paintings are, first of all, reflections of things and feelings that he had personally experienced in life. In the case of plum blossoms, his fondness of this subject resulted from nostalgia for his hometown in Hunan, where his dwelling, named 'Studio of Hundred Plums', was surrounded by a plum grove.Qi Baishi (1864-1957) is one of the world's most important artists of the 20th century and has received countless honors and awards like no other painter in the People's Republic of China. He began his career as a carpenter, though he taught himself to paint using a manual from the Qin dynasty period. His style, which Qi Baishi developed in the second half of his life, is characterized by a powerful, spontaneous brushstroke. He expanded his subject matter to insects, birds, figures, animals, vegetation, and landscapes, and began to incorporate rich color into his compositions, painting in an ever-freer style. His works are focused on the spiritual, ephemeral, and mystical qualities of the human condition. In 1953, he was elected president of the China Artists Association, and one year later he was elected to the National People's Congress.Qi Baishi moved to Beijing in 1916 and earned his living there by selling paintings. However, his painting style was not welcome in Beijing at that time. Taking the advice of Chen Shizeng, Qi Baishi began his famous "initiating self-art-reform in senile age", which finally led Qi Baishi to tremendous success. In 1922, Chen Shizeng visited Japan. He brought some works by Qi Baishi for exhibition and sale. This was the first time that Qi Baishi's paintings were shown in Japan, and anywhere outside China. It is probable that Kono Shuson (the first owner of the present work) saw Qi's work at this exhibition and was inspired to make his first trip to China less than a year later in 1923, meeting with the master for the first time. As recalled by Qi Baishi: “After Chen Shizeng returned to Beijing, I was told that all my paintings sold at very nice prices! Each of my paintings sold for at least 100 silver coins, and the landscape paintings were even more expensive, 250 silver coins for one that was only 60 inches long! I never imagined such prices in China! And I was also told that the French planned to exhibit my works and those of Shizeng in the Paris Art Expo. The Japanese were going to film my life and work for a movie! All this was just amazing! Afterwards, many foreigners came to Beijing to purchase my paintings, and I have been better off since then. It was Shizeng who helped me in my career and life - I will remember this forever.” (Baishi Laoren Zishu, Shandong Huabao Publishing House, 2000, pp. 131-133)Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Beijing Council International Auctions, 4 December 2013, lot 984 Price: CNY 632,500 or approx. EUR 110,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: Qi Baishi, The ink plum blossom (1923)Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting with mostly upright branches and using only ink. Note that the work was painted in the same year (1923) as the present lot. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Poly International, Beijing, 17 December 2017, lot 1930 Price: CNY 862,500 or approx. EUR 142,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: Qi Baishi, Plum blossom (1924) Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting, also using only ink, but with more hanging branches than the present lot. Note that the work was painted one year later (1924) than the present lot.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 9 December 2020, lot 48 Price: USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 20,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: Qi Baishi (with signature of, 1863-1957), Plum BlossomsExpert remark: Note the much smaller size (26.5 x 19 cm) of this work and the low estimate of only USD 300-600, which was clearly overruled by the market, with bidding eventually ending at USD 18,750.1923年齊白石款《寒梅圖》
A FAMILLE VERTE 'GALLOPING HORSES' BALUSTER JAR AND COVER, LATE QING DYNASTYChina, 19th century. Of stoutly potted baluster form, painted in bright enamels with horses leaping through auspicious objects and flowerheads amid waves crashing against mountain peaks, all reserved on a spiral-covered emerald-green ground, the domed cover similarly decorated.Provenance: From the estate of Joseph Rondina, New York, USA. Joseph Rondina (1927-2022) was born into a first-generation Florentine American family in Auburn, upstate New York. Returning to the U.S. after being stationed in Berlin at the end of the Second World War, he studied at the Whitman School of Design before opening Joseph Rondina Antiques on Madison Avenue in Manhattan's Upper East Side in 1957. In the beginning, his interests focused primarily on European 18th-century decorative arts and furniture, over time developing further to include Indian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese art. His clientele consisted of stars from stage and screen, royalty, notables, dignitaries, and denizens of the social register from the United States and abroad. Condition: Excellent condition with some old wear and expected firing irregularities, few minuscule glaze flakes here and there.Weight: 8.1 kg Dimensions: Height 45.5 cmIt is said that some of Vincent van Gogh's most important 'swirling' self-portraits were directly inspired by the spiral-ground motif as seen on the present jar, of which the origins date back to the early Kangxi period.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's Paris, 6 July 2022, lot 189Price: EUR 21,420Description: A Famille Verte 'Horse' Baluster Jar and CoverExpert remark: Compare the closely related design. Note that this lot dates from the Kangxi period.清末五彩奔馬紋將軍罐中國，十九世紀。罐身為直口，豐肩，斂腹，附寶珠頂高圓蓋。罐身綠地五彩描繪奔騰駿馬圖，點綴花卉江崖紋。 來源：美國紐約Joseph Rondina收藏。Joseph Rondina (1927-2022年) 出生於紐約州北部奧本的第一代佛羅倫薩美國人家庭。第二次世界大戰結束後駐紮在柏林，後回到美國。之後他在惠特曼設計學院學習，於 1957 年在曼哈頓上東區的麥迪遜大街開設了 Joseph Rondina 古董店。一開始，他的興趣主要集中在歐洲十八世紀的裝飾藝術和家具。隨著時間的推移，他開始收集印度、中國、韓國和日本的藝術。他的客戶包括來自美國和國外的銀幕明星、皇室成員、名人、政要和社會名流。 品相：狀況極佳，有一些磨損和預期的燒製不規則性，很多極小的釉面開片。 重量：8.1 公斤 尺寸：高 45.5 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2022年7月6日，lot 189 價格：EUR 21,420 描述：清康熙五彩奔馬紋將軍罐 專家評論：比較非常相近的設計。請注意此罐為康熙時期。
A PAIR OF EGGSHELL FAMILLE ROSE FOLIATE-RIMMED 'CHICKEN' CUPS, YONGZHENG TO EARLY QIANLONGChina, 1723 - c. 1750. Delicately potted, each with deep rounded sides supported on a tapered foot and rising to a gently everted petal-lobed rim, the exterior finely decorated in bright enamels with a rooster perched on craggy rockwork beside a cricket amid leafy peony blossoms and aster, the interior with a peony spray. (2)Provenance: From a private collection in North London, United Kingdom, and thence by descent within the same family. The previous owner ran a Chinese grocery store in the 1970s and 1980s, which notoriously had a cabinet of fine Chinese porcelain. Condition: Good condition with minor wear and firing irregularities. The first cup with two minor hairlines. The second cup with one minor hairline and few tiny nicks to the foot.Weight: 46.8 g and 44.3 g Dimensions: Diameter 8.8 cm (each)Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 15 September 2016, lot 931 Price: USD 12,500 or approx. EUR 14,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A famille rose cup and saucer, Yongzheng-Qianlong periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration with similar enamels, subject, and size (8.7 cm). Note that the lot comprises only one cup, along with a similarly decorated saucer.雍正至乾隆早期一對粉彩小鷄杯中國，1723 - 約1750年。薄胎緊致，花口略外撇，弧腹，圈足。杯外壁琺瑯精心描繪，一隻公雞站立在岩石上，旁邊是一隻蟋蟀，周圍牡丹花和紫苑盛開，杯内纏枝牡丹紋。 來源：英國倫敦北部私人收藏，在同一家族保存至今。前任藏家在七十年代和八十年代經營著一家中國雜貨店，以擁有精美的中國瓷器櫃而聞名。 品相：品相良好，有輕微磨損和燒製不規則。一個杯子有兩條細裂紋，第二個杯子有一條細裂，足部有一些細小的刻痕。 重量：分別爲46.8克與44.3克 尺寸：直徑分別為8.8 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2016年9月15日，lot 931 價格：USD 12,500（相當於今日EUR 14,500） 描述：清雍正/乾隆粉彩牡丹公鷄圖盃連托盤 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形，飾有相似的琺瑯彩、主題和尺寸 (8.7 厘米)。請注意此杯和一件相似裝飾的醬碟。
A PAIR OF 'QIANJIANG CAI' ENAMELED 'PEACOCK AND CRANE' VASES, BY MA QINGYUN, DATED 1920China. Each of bottle form with bulbous body surmounted by a cylindrical neck with straight rim, painted in bright enamels with a peacock and a pair of cranes perched on craggy rocks, with peonies and a gnarled pine tree. One side with a poetic inscription and signature. The bases with iron-red maker's marks. (2)Inscriptions: To one side, signed 'by Ma Qingyun in Changjiang', dated 'in the Summer of the Year of Gengshen' (corresponding to 1920), inscribed 'The most beautiful woman compares to a peony, the Emperor glanced at her with pleasure, the beauty just, like a gentle wind in spring, removed of all resentment, in Chenxiang pavilion the Emperor and his concubine lean against the fence', and 'the poem titled Qingbingdiao by Li Qinglian'. To the base, 'Ma Qingyun xie hua Yawan'.Provenance: From a noted Hungarian private collection. Condition: Very good condition, minor wear, light scratches, and manufacturing flaws including firing cracks, dark spots, and minuscule fritting. One vase with a hairline along the base.Weight: 3,762 g and 3,892 g Dimensions: Height 34.6 cm and 34.5 cmThe inscription on the present vases is an excerpt from the poem Qingbingdiao, written by Li Qinglian, also known as Li Bai (701-762), one of China's most famous poets from the Tang dynasty. The poem comprises three sections and illustrates the supposed love story between Emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. According to some historical accounts, the Emperor and Yang Guifei would enjoy a nighttime celebration of peony viewing whenever the peonies were in full bloom. During one celebration, the Emperor was displeased with the selection of music and called for Li Bai to write a song. Li Bai, who was supposedly drunk during this time, rapidly composed this poem that pleased the Emperor.Ma Qingyun was a painter, poet, and literary artist who was active from the late Guangxu period into the Republic period.Qianjiang is a term used to describe a type of over-glaze enameled ware that was very popular during the Late Qing/Early Republican Period. The term Qianjiang cai (enamels) or Qianjiang porcelain was only coined in the 1950s. Prior to that, annals or commentaries in the late Qing and Republican periods did not classify it as a new distinctive type of over-glaze enamel decorative technique on porcelain. The term was initially used to describe a distinct style of landscape painting by the Yuan master Huang Gongwang. It is typified by the use of a particular color scheme: varying ink tones for outlines and reddish-brown for other aspects such as foliage, flowing water, mountain shades etc. The term was subsequently used to describe a porcelain painting style that used similar techniques but with additional colors such as aquamarine, moss green, pale blue, red and light pink.The relationship between qianjiang and fencai painting has caused quite a bit of confusion. In terms of the decorating medium, qianjiang utilizes fencai enamels. The main difference is actually the source of inspiration for the painting because the Qianjiang school draws its inspiration from the Chinese literati style, whereas the typical fencai work is more akin to gongbi painting. For fencai painting, the areas within the outlines of the motif are first applied with an arsenic-based opaque white pigment. The deeper and lighter tones are then obtained by mixing the enamels with different amounts of this opaque substance. For Qianjiang, the enamels are applied directly without the opaque white pigment. Hence, the enamels are thin and lack tonal gradations, especially on the early qianjiang works.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams San Francisco, 13 March 2012, lot 3464Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of polychrome enameled porcelain baluster vases, Republic periodExpert remark: Compare the related Qianjiang style, motif, poem, and seal mark. Note the different form and sizes (58 cm).馬慶雲款一對淺絳彩花鳥賞瓶，1920年中國，長頸瓶，溜肩鼓腹，圈足外撇。淺絳彩描繪孔雀和一對仙鶴站在松下假山上，牡丹盛開。另一面書寫李白詩。圈足鈴印“馬慶雲畫雅玩”。 款識：名花傾國兩相歡，常得君王帶笑看。解釋春風無限恨，沉香亭北倚闌干。庚申夏右？李青蓮 清平調 則于昌江客邸馬慶雲寫之意 。 來源：知名匈牙利私人收藏。 品相：狀況非常好，有輕微磨損、劃痕和製造缺陷如燒製裂紋、黑點和微小的熔塊。其中一個花瓶底部有冲線。 重量：分別為3,762克與3,892克 尺寸：高34.6 厘米與 34.5 厘米 馬慶雲是活躍於光緒末年至民國時期的畫家、詩人、文學家。拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：舊金山邦瀚斯，2012年3月13日，lot 3464 價格：USD 15,000（相當於今日EUR 17,500） 描述：民國一對淺絳彩賞瓶 專家評論：比較相近淺絳彩、主題、詩和印。請注意不同的外形和尺寸(58 厘米)。
A RARE AND IMPORTANT BRONZE RITUAL WINE VESSEL, EASTERN ZHOU DYNASTY, SHANXI OR HEBEI, CHINA, 7TH-5TH CENTURY BCPublished: Friedrich Georg Zeileis, Von Shang bis Qing - Dreieinhalb Jahrtausende Chinesischer Bronze (From Shang to Qing - Three and a Half Millenia of Chinese Bronze), 1999, pages 252-253, no. 86. Superbly cast, the globular body rising to a short waisted neck with an everted rim, densely decorated with rectangular panels full of archaic scrolls divided by rope-twist bands, all neatly incised in fine relief. The bronze with a rich, solid, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustation.Provenance: A noted private collection in New York, assembled since the 1920s. E & J Frankel Ltd., New York, early 1990s. Friedrich Georg Zeileis, acquired from the above, according to his publication. E & J Frankel was a major New York gallery specializing in Asian Art since 1967. Run by Edith (1939-2012) and Joel Frankel (1937-2018), it was one of the oldest galleries in the United States focusing exclusively on Asian art. Leaders in their field, the Frankels traveled the world in search of Asian art treasures and educated the general public about their shared passion. Their gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City became a local institution, best known for its regular schedule of innovative thematic exhibitions, and frequently visited by the biggest names in the field, such as Eskenazi, Ellsworth, Junkunc, and the Alsdorfs. Dr. Friedrich Georg Zeileis (b. 1939) is a retired physician who built an important collection of ancient Chinese jades and bronzes. He was also a pianist and composer, and published several books, as well as catalogs of his substantial art collections, including fine Chinese jades and bronzes. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age, displaying spectacularly. Extensive old wear, minor dents, small nicks, light scratches, minute losses, signs of weathering and erosion, soil encrustations. Absolutely original with no fills or repairs whatsoever! A Zhou-dynasty bronze in such a well-preserved state must be considered exceedingly rare.Weight: 2,628 g Dimensions: Height 23.5 cmSeveral names have been given to vessels of this shape. A variety of designations, including lei, ling, fou, and pou, appear in inscriptions cast on the everted rims of some of these bronzes, even vessels closely comparable in shape. This type first appeared in the late Shang/early Western Zhou period, and the first versions typically had a long neck and sharply angled shoulders. By the end of the eighth century, the necks on these vessels had become proportionately shorter, and the shoulders more rounded. With its sharply angled shoulders and short neck, the present vessel would appear to represent a transitional period in the vessel's development.Expert's note: According to the Zeileis publication, the present lot was judged by Dr. W. Thomas Chase, retired Head Conservator of the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art, as a “doubtless genuine bronze”, while it was with E & J Frankel. According to the same publication, the present lot was examined in 1998 by Dr. Anna Bennett, an archeological scientist and conservator, who found it to be irreproachably authentic as well as unusual in this form, and extremely rare.Literature comparison: Compare a related bronze fu with similar decoration, also without handles, illustrated by Jenny So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, 1995, page 217, no. 34. The author notes that vessels with 'twist-rope' panels can be found from the provinces Shanxi to Hebei. Compare a related bronze pou, 20.5 cm high, dated to the Eastern Zhou dynasty, 7th century BC, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.277, illustrated by Jenny So, ibid., p. 210-213, no. 32. A lei without handles and with related dragon scroll cast on the shoulder, but undecorated on the lower body, from Henan Xinyang Guangshan Baoxiangsi G1, is illustrated by Jenny So, ibid., p. 134, fig. 13.2, where it is dated to the second quarter of the 6th century BC.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 19 September 2013, lot 1113 Price: USD 663,750 or approx. EUR 771,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A fine and rare bronze ritual wine vessel, lei, Spring and Autumn period, early 7th century BCExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and related decoration. Note the slightly larger size (29.5 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 6 November 2007, lot 334 Price: EUR 86,650 or approx. EUR 125,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An archaic bronze ceremonial wine vessel, fou, Eastern Zhou dynastyExpert remark: Compare the related form and decoration. Note the animal handles and slightly larger size (29.7 cm).西元前七至五世紀重要青銅酒器，山西或河北敞口外翻，束頸，豐肩，斂足，圈足。器身地飾鳥紋與繩紋帶。豐富、堅固、自然的銅銹，帶有孔雀石色和赤銅色結殼。造型美觀，紋飾謹嚴，鑄造精良。出版：Friedrich Georg Zeileis，《Von Shang bis Qing - Dreieinhalb Jahrtausende Chinesischer Bronze (From Shang to Qing - Three and a Half Millenia of Chinese Bronze)》，1999年，第252-253頁，圖 86。 來源：知名紐約私人收藏，建立於上世紀二十年代；紐約E & J Frankel Ltd.藝廊，上世紀九十年代初；Friedrich Georg Zeileis購於上述藝廊，並收編於他的出版物。 品相：品相極好，大量磨損、輕微凹痕、小刻痕、輕微劃痕、微小缺損、風化和侵蝕跡象、土壤結殼。無任何填充或維修！如此保存完好的周代青銅器，實屬難得一見。 重量：2,628 克 尺寸：高 23.5 釐米
A PARCEL-GILT SOLID SILVER FIGURE OF SHADAKSHARI LOKESHVARA, PALA REVIVAL, TIBET, 17TH-18TH CENTURYOpinion: This is probably a rather important commission because during the Pala revival era, Buddhist images that were cast in solid silver were extremely scarce. Most only contain a small amount of silver inlay instead. This may also suggest that this is an early example, as solid silver images were more prevalent in Tibet before the 17th century.Seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base with beaded rim, his principal hands in anjali mudra, the secondary hands holding a lotus flower and forming the vitarka mudra. Dressed in a diaphanous dhoti, richly adorned with fine beaded jewelry. The cold-gilded face with a serene expression and downcast eyes below gently arched brows, centered by an urna, flanked by elongated earlobes suspending two circular earrings, the hair tied in a high chignon secured by a foliate tiara. Note the finely gilt inlay work to both legs.Provenance: From a private collection in Belgium.Condition: Very good condition with old wear and casting irregularities, expected tarnishing to the silver, few minuscule nicks, rubbing to gilt, one of the celestial scarves possibly with a minor old repair.Weight: 301.8 gDimensions: Height 13 cmThis figure follows Indian Pala period bronze prototypes, of which various examples were in the Chinese Imperial collection and which inspired the production of revival pieces during the first half of the Qing dynasty not only in Tibet, but also at the workshops of the Qing Imperial Court. It is an image of Shadakshari Lokeshvara, a form of the merciful and compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. This form of the deity is the 'patron saint' of Tibet and is known as the Lokeshvara of the Six Mystical Syllables: om mani pad me hum (Hail to the jewel in the lotus). All Dalai Lamas are believed to be reincarnations of Shadakshari Lokeshvara. In the 17th century in Tibet, silver was seen as more precious than gilt bronze, and the process of obtaining silver was considerably more laborious than that for obtaining gold. As such, statues cast in solid silver were viewed as lavish, and were almost certainly commissions to accompany prayers for the favorable rebirth of an important loved one.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 Oct 2018, lot 77Estimate: HKD 300,000 or approx. EUR 38,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A silver figure of Amitayus, Tibet, 17th/18th centuryExpert remark: This comparable shows a figure, while of arguably lower quality, that dates to the same era in Tibetan history, and is of a related scale. Note the slightly smaller size (10.5 cm).十七至十八世紀西藏局部鎏金四臂觀音銀橡，帕拉復興時期四臂觀音結跏趺坐，雙手合十，副手拿著一朵蓮花；頭戴五葉寶冠；面部鎏金，面相端莊祥和，眼睛微閉，雙眉之間有白毫，眉彎連著鼻脛，長耳垂；衣飾瓔珞雕刻簡潔，頸、臂、手、腳均飾有裝飾鍊珠和釧環。形象典雅優美，充分錶現觀音慈悲與智慧的特質。腿上有精美的錯金紋飾。 專家注釋: 這可能是一個相當重要的委託，因為在帕拉復興時期，用純銀鑄造的佛像極為稀少。 大多數只含有少量的銀鑲嵌代替。 這也可能表明這是一個早期的例子，因為在十七世紀之前，純銀造像在西藏更為普遍。 來源：比利時私人收藏。 品相：狀況極好，有磨損和鑄造不規則現象，銀表面失去光澤，有一些微小的劃痕，鍍金有摩擦，其中一條披巾可能有輕微的修復。 重量：301.8 克 尺寸：高 13 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港邦瀚斯，2018年10月2日，lot 77 估價：HKD 300,000（相當於今日EUR 38,000） 描述：銀質無量壽佛像，西藏，十七/十八世紀 專家評論：此比較顯示一件造像，雖然品質較低，但可以追溯到同一時代的西藏，並且具有相近的規模。請注意尺寸稍小(10.5 厘米)。
AN APPLE-GREEN JADEITE SNUFF BOTTLE, 1718-1860China. Well hollowed, of flattened globular form with tapering foot, surmounted by a straight cylindrical neck with concave top. The translucent stone dramatically patterned with areas of icy white, opaque green, and brilliant emerald-green tone.Provenance: Ago von Maltzan, acquired in Beijing between 1912 and 1916, and thence by descent within the same family. A collector's number '18' to the base. Adolf Georg Otto “Ago” von Maltzan, Freiherr zu Wartenberg und Penzlin (1877-1927), was a preeminent German diplomat of the Weimar Republic, who served in Beijing between 1912 and 1916, after posts in Kristiania (1909), St. Petersburg (1911), and Rio de Janeiro (1907). As the Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, he was a signatory of the Treaty of Rapallo (1922) between Germany and Soviet Russia, under which both countries renounced all territorial and financial claims against each other and opened friendly diplomatic relations. From 1924, he served as Ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C. The Vossische Zeitung, a nationally known Berlin newspaper that represented the interests of the liberal middle class and was generally regarded as Germany's national newspaper of record, described Maltzan as the most competent diplomat that Germany ever had. Condition: Very good condition with minor nibbling. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into thin hairline cracks over time. The stopper with a smoothened chip, the gilt-copper collar with light wear, small nicks, and minuscule losses.Stopper: Tourmaline with gilt-copper collar, good tortoiseshell spoonWeight: 66.9 gDimensions: Height including stopper 53 mm. Diameter neck 17 mm and mouth 6 mm.Jadeite comes from a remote part of Burma and first became a readily available material probably between 1784 and 1800 when relations between Burma and China improved with the opening up of regular trade. It is likely that bottles such as this example represent the earliest popular use of jadeite in China. With the imperially inspired snuff-bottle craze at its height during the late eighteenth century, there can be no question that a striking new material arriving on the scene would promptly be carved into bottles. Porcelain bottles made to imitate jadeite during the Daoguang period attest to its well-established popularity.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 27 September 2022, lot 780Price: USD 8,820 or approx. EUR 8,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A jadeite snuff bottle, Qing dynasty, 19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related form, color, and texture of the stone, and size (54 mm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 19 September 2013, lot 1240Price: USD 10,000 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Two mottled jadeite snuff bottles, 1780-1900Expert remark: Compare the related form, color, and texture of the stone. Note the size (57 mm). Note the lot comprises two snuff bottles.1718-1860翡翠素面鼻煙壺中國，掏膛良好，呈扁平球形，足部逐漸下斂，直圓柱形頸，頂部呈凹形。 半透明翡翠，打磨細緻柔滑，通體透亮，色澤嬌翠，顏色鮮豔活潑。來源： Ago von Maltzan1912年至1916年間購於北京，在同一家族保存，底部可見收藏編號“18”。Adolf Georg Otto „Ago“ von Maltzan，Freiherr zu Wartenberg und Penzlin (1877-1927) 是魏瑪共和國傑出的德國外交官，1912 年至 1916 年在北京任職，此前曾在克里斯蒂安尼亞（1909 年）、聖彼得堡（1911 年）和里約熱內盧（ 1907 年）任職。作為外交部常任副國務卿，他是德國和蘇俄之間拉帕洛條約（1922 年）的簽署人。根據該條約，兩國放棄了對彼此的所有領土和金融要求，建立了友好的外交關係。從 1924 年起，他擔任駐華盛頓特區的駐美大使。代表自由派中產階級利益的知名柏林報紙 Vossische Zeitung ，稱 Maltzan 是德國曾經有過的最能幹的外交官。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磕痕。具有天然裂隙的翡翠，其中一些可能隨著時間的推移發展成細小的裂縫。壺蓋上有一個光滑的缺口，鎏金銅托片有輕微磨損和極小的損失。 壺蓋：碧璽，鎏金銅托片，玳瑁小勺 重量：66.9 克 尺寸：含壺蓋高53 毫米，頸部直徑17 毫米與壺蓋直徑6 毫米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2022年9月27日，lot 780 價格：USD 8,820（相當於今日EUR 8,200） 描述：清十九世紀翠玉鼻煙壺 專家評論：比較相近的外形、顏色、石頭的質地和尺寸 (54 毫米)。
A GUAN-TYPE LONGQUAN TRIPOD CENSER, LIAN, SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTYPublished: Song Ceramics, the Eight Kiln Groups at a Glance, Examples from the Jiyuanshanfang Collection, 2008, page 332.China, 1127-1279. The cylindrical body is encircled by three sets of raised bow-string bands, comprised of two ribs above the three foliate-molded ruyi-head supports, three encircling the mid-body and three below the flat inward-canted mouth rim. The censer is covered overall with a rich, finely crackled, bluish-green glaze which thins slightly on the rim and raised decoration, the unglazed edge of the tapering rim on the underside burnt orange in the firing.Provenance: The Jiyuanshanfang Collection. Currently housed on New York's Upper East Side and originally founded upon an old family collection, a comprehensive catalog of the Jiyuanshanfang collection titled “Song Ceramics: The Eight Kiln Groups” was published in 2008 with a foreword written by Li Zhiyan, Research Fellow at the Beijing Palace Museum. Another contributor to this catalog was Martin Lorber, formerly Director of Sotheby's New York. Jiyuanshanfang's first exhibition was held in 2012 at the Morris Museum in New Jersey. In 2015, Jiyuanshanfang lent early Chinese ceramics to a large-scale exhibition at the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach, Florida, titled “High Tea: Glorious Manifestations - East and West”.Condition: Good condition commensurate with age, showing expected old wear, traces of usage and shallow surface scratches. Some firing irregularities, the rim with a short hairline and associated microscopic loss, the foot rim with a tiny crack, one ruyi foot with an old kintsugi repair. The interior with remnants of calcification and russet discoloration to the crackle, consistent with temporary use as a jardiniere.Weight: 808.3 g Dimensions: Diameter 14 cmThe shape of the present censer originates from archaic bronze lian vessels, which were among the ritual implements aimed to present food and drink offerings to the ancestors during the Han dynasty. This archaistic shape was also produced in the Ruyao glaze during the Northern Song period as exemplified in a related Ruyao tripod incense burner from the Qing Court collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, p. 2, no. 1. Ceramic vessels of this form are often molded with bow-strings around the body, such as the well-known Northern Song Ru censer in the Percival David Collection, illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1977, p. 70, no. 62.Expert's note: The glaze on this censer is a particularly good example of the attractive bluish-green tone characteristic of the finest Longquan glazes of the guan type.Literature comparison: A closely related Longquan tripod censer, in the collection of the Hangzhou Archaeological Bureau, is illustrated by Zhu Boqian (ed.), Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, p. 149, no. 116. A small Longquan censer of similar form was discovered in 1991 in Suining, Sichuan province, amongst a cache of ceramics dating from the late Southern Song period, and is illustrated in Newly Discovered Southern Song Ceramics, A Thirteenth-Century “Time Capsule”, Tokyo, 1998, p. 32, no. 23.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2018, lot 527 Price: USD 62,500 or approx. EUR 71,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Longquan celadon tripod censer, Southern Song dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, with similar bow-string bands, ruyi feet, inward-canted rim, and bluish-green glaze. Note the similar size (14.7 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 21 March 2002, lot 151 Price: USD 204,000 or approx. EUR 325,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare Longquan celadon ribbed censer, Southern Song dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, with similar bow-string bands, ruyi feet, inward-canted rim, and finely crackled bluish-green glaze. Note the similar size (14.3 cm).南宋龍泉窯仿官釉弦紋三足爐中國，1127-1279年。爐口沿較寬，直壁，圈足，足下承三個雲頭形足，三足與圈足在同一平面。器身凸起弦紋。通體施青釉，釉面開片，沿口略薄，圈足端無釉，呈橙色。出版: 《宋瓷八大窯系一覽——吉緣山房藏品》，美國加州，2008年，頁332。 來源：吉緣山房收藏；美國知名私人收藏購於上述收藏。 品相：品相良好，可見磨損與使用痕跡，表面有淺劃痕。一些燒製不規則現象，邊緣有短細裂紋和相關的細微缺損，足部邊緣有微小裂縫，一個如意足有金繼修復。內部有鈣化殘留物和裂紋的黃褐色變色，表明此器可能曾被用作花盆。 重量：808.3 g 尺寸：直徑14 厘米
AN IMPORTANT BUDDHIST VOTIVE PAINTING DEPICTING BUDDHA, EARLY MING DYNASTY, 1400-1450Published: Roderick Whitfield et al., Classical Chinese Art - Selected Catalogue of the Paintings and Calligraphy, Wou Lien-Pai Museum, Hong Kong, 2011, pages 16-17, elaborately discussed in Roderick Whitfield's essay “Paintings of Distinction from the Wou Lien-Pai Museum of Chinese Art”, and page 109, no. 6 (note that the size is erroneously noted as 136.5 x 68 cm).Expert's note: According to Roderick Whitfield in his essay “Paintings of Distinction from the Wou Lien-Pai Museum of Chinese Art”, written in 2008, the present lot exhibits numerous features which are typical of Buddhist paintings on silk dating from the first half of the fifteenth century, some originating from the capital and others from Shanxi province. Roderick Whitfield (b. 1937) is a British scholar and art historian who was the Percival David Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, as well as Assistant Keeper at the British Museum between 1968 and 1984 and head of the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art between 1984 and 1993.China, first half of the 15th century. Ink and watercolors on silk. Depicting the Buddha seated on a double lotus over an elaborate hexagonal tiered throne supported by two striding guardian figures centered by a lion, his left hand holding a small flask and his right held above his lap, wearing loose-fitting robes and adorned with jewelry, backed by a circular halo of multi-colored rays of light. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes and pursed lips, his blue hair arranged in spiral curls around the central ushnisha. Provenance: From the collection of Dr. Wou Kiuan. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. P.38. The frame with an old label, 'KW P38', as well as further old labels to the back. Dr. Wou Kiuan (1910-1997) was a Chinese diplomat and noted scholar of Chinese art. His father, Wou Lien-Pai (1873-1944), was one the leading political figures of early 20th century China, remembered for his role as speaker and leader of parliament during the turbulent years of the Republican era. Dr. Wou himself embarked on an illustrious career in diplomacy until his retirement in 1952, when he settled in London and devoted the rest of his life to the study of Chinese art. It was no doubt fortuitous that Dr. Wou's years of collecting coincided with an abundant availability of exceptional Chinese art on the London market. From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s he was able to form a collection of well over 1,000 works that together represented virtually every category of Chinese art. At the heart of Dr. Wou's drive to collect was a burning desire to preserve the relics of China's rich historical past scattered across Europe, and to promote Chinese art and culture. It is unclear when Dr. Wou conceived of the idea to create a place to house his collection, but in 1968 he opened the doors to the Wou Lien-Pai Museum, named in honor of his father. Over the years the Museum became a 'must see' destination for collectors, academics, and visiting dignitaries, and Dr. Wou would delight in leading his visitors through the galleries, recounting stories of China's glorious history.Condition: Extensive wear, creasing, losses, tears, and soiling. Minor old touch-ups here and there. The wood frame with wear, chips, and losses.Dimensions: Image size 148 x 70 cm, size incl. frame 157.5 x 80 cmWith a finely carved old gilt wood frame. (2)The present image is a symbolic representation placed on a wall during Buddhist rituals. From the Buddhist perspective, paintings and calligraphy belong to Silpakarma-vidya, one of the five types of knowledge and wisdom. Over time monks and laymen painted and practiced calligraphy and Buddhist-themed works became more sophisticated during the Song and Yuan dynasties. By the early Ming dynasty, votive paintings, such as the present example, were used within private chapels and side pavilions of major temple monasteries.As explained in Caroline Gyss-Vermandes' pioneering article about the sets of Shuilu (Water and Land) paintings obtained by Paul Pelliot from “a library in the Imperial Palace” and now in the Musee Guimet (Demons et Merveilles: vision de la nature dans une peinture liturgique du XVe siecle, Arts Asiatiques 43, 1988, pages 106-122), such paintings were not objects of worship, but rather illustrations of the pantheon invoked in the Water and Land rituals, hung up in a prescribed order on the left and right walls of the sanctuary, while the main deities, in a larger size, were hung slightly higher on the north wall. Literature comparison: Compare a related painting of the Medicine Buddha, dated 1477, in the University of Oregon Museum of Art, illustrated in Marsha Weidner, Latter Days of the Law: Images of Chinese Buddhism 850-1850, cat. no. 5, pl. 3.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's New York, 17 March 2016, 1110 Price: USD 112,500 or approx. EUR 130,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Buddhist Figure, ink and color on silk, anonymousExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of painting. Note the smaller size (95.7 x 50.4 cm).1400-1500年明初重要還願佛陀坐蓮像中國，十五世紀上半葉，絹本水墨設色。出版：Roderick Whitfield et al.，《Classical Chinese Art - Selected Catalogue of the Paintings and Calligraphy》，吳蓮伯美術館，香港，2011年，頁16-17，Roderick Whitfield的文章 “Paintings of Distinction from the Wou Lien-Pai Museum of Chinese Art”，頁109，圖 6 (請注意，錯誤尺寸136.5 x 68 厘米)。 來源：吳權博士收藏；吳蓮伯美術館，館藏編號 P.38。框上和背面有老標籤。 品相：大量磨損、摺痕、缺損、撕裂和汙跡，多處輕微的小修補，木框有磨損、刻痕和缺損。 尺寸：畫面148 x 70 厘米，含框 157.5 x 80 厘米 描金雕刻木框 (2)
A WHITE JADE 'ZHANG QIAN' COVER OF A BOX, CHINA, 18TH CENTURYWhile the white jade cover dates from the 18th century, the hardstone base and wood stand are probably from the late Qing dynasty. Of padlock form, the cover is finely carved in shallow relief and incised with Zhang Qian paddling on his raft along a shore surrounded by rockwork and clouds, pierced to the interior rim with two small apertures. The stone is of a beautiful and translucent white color with icy white inclusions.Provenance: Swedish trade. Condition: The white jade cover is in very good condition with minor wear and minuscule nibbling to the rim. The hardstone base is a later replacement, broken in two pieces and repaired with associated minor losses. The hardwood stand is in good condition with expected old wear, few small nicks, and natural tiny age cracks.Weight: 93.3 g (excl. stand) and 125.6 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Length 6.4 cmThe hardwood stand decorated with a key-fret band and a reticulated apron with a floral design. (3)Zhang Qian (died c. 114 BC) was a Chinese official and diplomat who served as an imperial envoy to the world outside of China in the late 2nd century BC during the Han dynasty. He was one of the first official diplomats to bring back valuable information about Central Asia to the Han dynasty imperial court, then ruled by Emperor Wu of Han. In Chinese art, he is often depicted on a floating raft.十八世紀白玉張騫乘槎蓋盒白玉盒蓋可追溯至十八世紀，而硬石底座和木座則可能是晚清時期的。盒蓋成掛鎖形，淺浮雕張騫坐船沿著劃槳的場景，兩個小孔刺穿到內緣。玉石呈美麗的半透明白色，內含冰白色絮狀物。 來源：瑞典古玩交易。 品相：白玉蓋狀況極好，邊緣有輕微磨損和刻痕。硬石底座是後來的替代品，斷成兩塊並修復，硬木底座狀況良好，有磨損和小劃痕以及自然的微小老化裂縫。 重量：93.3 克 (不含底座) 與125.6克 (含底座) 尺寸：長 6.4 厘米 硬木底座飾有雷紋並鏤空雕刻。 (3)
A FAMILLE ROSE 'IMMORTALS' BALUSTER VASE, JUREN TANG MARK, REPUBLIC PERIODChina, 1912-1949. The slender ovoid body rising to a waisted neck. Superbly painted in bright enamels with five immortals in a garden, each holding auspicious objects including a peach, finger citron, lingzhi, and gourd, one carrying a gnarled pine staff and another a bamboo stick, each wearing long flowing robes decorated with roundels and diapered designs, framed by a gnarled pine and wisteria tree to one side, and craggy rockwork to the other side, with a crane flying above.Inscriptions: To the base in iron red, 'Juren Tang zhi' (The Hall where Benevolence Resides).Provenance: French trade. Condition: Good condition with minimal wear, a thin hairline to the mouth rim, and a barely visible star-crack below the shoulder.Weight: 3,959 g Dimensions: Height 24.9 cm The Juren Tang (The Hall where Benevolence Resides) in Zhongnanhai was the building in which Yuan Shikai (1859-1916) lived and also where he had his office around 1915. Yuan Shikai was the first President of the Republic of China and Emperor of the short-lived Empire of China (1915-1916), taking the era name Hongxian. In 1916, Guo Baochang, an antique dealer with a good relation to the court, was appointed to oversee Hongxian's new imperial porcelain production. The intent from the outset was that the items produced were to be of excellent quality. The biscuit used was very thin, the enamels were sent from the Imperial Workshops and the mark used was a red seal reading Juren Tang zhi. The quality of items produced was reputed to be excellent. Unfortunately, during production, because of the very thin biscuit, many objects were damaged. The remaining few perfect pieces were given to the most favored officials and are exceedingly rare today.Yuan Shikai stood down as Emperor on 22 March 1916 and resumed his presidency, dying shortly afterward in June 1916. After his death, production was halted and the kilns were destroyed, but the enamels were stolen by workers who then proceeded to copy the Juren Tang production, marking their pieces Hongxian nianzhi (also Hongxian Yu Chih or Hongxian Yuan Nian), mostly with Kaishu script. The first copies produced were apparently of extremely high quality, as they were still using the imperial biscuit and enamels, but quality fell as the quantity increased and, presumably, the imperial resources were depleted. One opinion has it that all Hongxian marked pieces are made after the actual period, and that the only possibly genuine mark of the Hongxian period is the Juren Tang if any. Still, from extant pieces it is clear that the porcelain industry was much stimulated at this time and for decades to come, and that pieces of very high quality were made, some of which bear the Hongxian mark while others are marked Juren Tang.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's London, 13 May 2014, lot 402Price: GBP 37,500 or approx. EUR 61,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A famille rose 'immortals' vase, Republic period, four-character iron-red Juren Tang zhi markExpert remark: Compare the form, fine enamels, figural motif, and mark. Note the size (28.2 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's London, 9 November 2012, lot 1137Price: GBP 7,500 or approx. EUR 13,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A slender famille rose baluster vase, Republic period (1912-1949), Juren Tang zhi iron-red seal markExpert remark: Compare the related form, fine enamels, figural motif, and mark. Note the size (34.5 cm). 民國居仁堂款粉彩《五仙圖》賞瓶中國，1912-1949年。瓶口略外撇，頸微束，豐肩，修長瓶身。粉彩描繪山中五仙圖，壽老持桃、祿星持佛手、靈芝、白鬍仙人手持掛著葫蘆的松杖；身著飄逸長袍，周圍可見松樹和紫藤，另一側是崎嶇的岩石，空中仙鶴飛舞。 款識：圈足内“居仁堂製” 來源：法國古玩交易。 品相：品相良好，極少磨損，口緣處有細冲線，肩部下方輕微星形裂紋。重量：3,959 克 尺寸：高24.9 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2014年5月13日，lot 402 價格：GBP 37,500（相當於今日EUR 61,000） 描述：民國居仁堂款粉彩仙人圖瓶 專家評論：比較的外形、精美的琺瑯、人物主題和款識。請注意尺寸(28.2 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2012年11月9日，lot 1137 價格：GBP 7,500 EUR 13,000（相當於今日） 描述：民國居仁堂款粉彩高士詩文圖瓶 專家評論：比較相近的外形、精美的琺瑯、人物主題和款識。請注意尺寸(34.5 厘米)。
A PAIR OF COPPER REPOUSSE FIGURES OF DEER, TIBET, 18TH-19TH CENTURYThe deer, one male and female, with their attentive demeanor, symbolize the audience of Shakyamuni Buddha's first teaching at the deer park of Sarnath after attaining enlightenment. He preached the eight-fold path towards liberation from the suffering of unenlightened life. The deer would have flanked an eight-spoked wheel of dharma, symbolizing the Buddhist teaching or 'turning of the wheel', and are generally placed above the front gates of Buddhist monasteries, allowing for the path toward liberation and happiness to progress.Each modeled in a recumbent pose atop an incised lotus base, the legs tucked underneath the body, the face with an alert expression marked by slightly raised heads and pricked ears, one with a short single horn with rounded tip. The faces well detailed and picked out in red, black, pink, and green pigments. (2)Provenance: Collection de Monsieur E., a private collection of Tibetan bronzes in France, and thence by descent. Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, few nicks, small dents, light scratches, few minuscule cracks, and remnants of lacquer. Ancient pigments. Fine, naturally grown patina overall.Weight: 641.8 g and 637.1 g Dimensions: Height 19.2 cm and 19.7 cmAuction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 24 September 2020, lot 735Price: USD 21,250 or approx. EUR 22,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of bronze deer, China or Tibet, 19th centuryExpert remark: Note the significantly larger size (36.2 cm)十八至十九世紀一對西藏錘鍱銅鹿臥鹿臥於蓮花座上，雙腿收於身下，面部神情警惕，頭微揚，雙耳豎立，尖端圓潤。細節豐富，並以紅色、黑色、和綠色顏料勾勒。(2)鹿一公一母，神情專注，象徵著釋迦牟尼佛得道後在鹿野苑第一次開示的聽眾。他宣揚八正道，以從未開悟的生活痛苦中解脫出來。鹿的兩側是八輻法輪，象徵著佛教教義或“轉法輪”，通常被放置在佛教寺院的正門上方，讓通往解脫和幸福的道路得以推進。 來源：Monsieur E.私人收藏，法國一個西藏銅器私人收藏，保存至今。 品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損、少許刻痕、小凹痕、輕微劃痕、少許細小裂紋、殘漆。整體呈細膩自然的包漿。 重量：分別641.8克與637.1克 尺寸：分別高19.2 厘米與19.7 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：紐約佳士得，2020年9月24日，lot 735 價格：USD 21,250（相當於今日EUR 22,000） 描述：一對十九世紀西藏或中國銅鹿 專家評論：請注意明顯尺寸較大(36.2 厘米)。
A BLUE AND WHITE POURING BOWL, YI, YUAN DYNASTYChina, 1279-1368. Well potted with rounded sides resting on a slightly concave base, one side set with an outward flaring spout above a small loop handle, the interior painted with a central medallion enclosing a lotus blossom surrounded by leaves, encircled by a diapered band below the rim, the exterior with a broad band of flowerheads borne on sinuous leafy vines, the spout with a cloud, the base left partly unglazed to reveal the ware burnt to orange in the firing. Provenance: From the collection of Felix Tikotin, and thence by descent within the family. Felix Tikotin (1893-1986) was an architect, art collector, and founder of the first Museum of Japanese Art in the Middle East. Born in Glogau, Germany, to a Jewish family, his ancestors had returned with Napoleon from Russia from a town named Tykocin. He grew up in Dresden and after World War I, he traveled to Japan and immediately fell in love with the culture. In April 1927, he opened his own first gallery in Berlin. The entire family survived the holocaust, and in the 1950s Tikotin slowly resumed his activities as a dealer in Japanese art. He became, once again, very successful and prominent, holding exhibitions all over Europe and the United States. When he first visited Israel in 1956, he decided that the major part of his collection belonged in that country. In 1960, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art was opened in Haifa. Condition: Very good condition with some old wear, traces of use and shallow surface scratches, and firing irregularities including kiln grit and some glaze pooling and recess at the rim, the latter smoothened in the manufacturing process.Weight: 223.4 g Dimensions: Length 15.5 cmBowls of this form are known as yi and appear to have been used as pouring vessels together with yuhuchun vases. Chiumei Ho in 'Social Life Under the Mongols as Seen in Ceramics', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 59, 1994-95, p. 44, notes that in archaeological contexts they are often found together with such vases and wine cups. This pairing is also depicted in a wall painting from the tomb of Zhang Andabuhua and his wife, which has been dated to 1269 AD and is illustrated in the catalog of the exhibition The World of Khubilai Khan. Chinese Art in the Yuan Dynasty, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2010, p. 83, fig. 115.These bowls were also used by Mongols in Iran, as exemplified by the bowl painted in the Enthronement Scene, part of the album Jami al-tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles), which was commissioned between the reigns of Ghazan (r. 1295-1304) and his brother, OEljeitue (r. 1304-1316), included in the exhibition The Legacy of Genghis Khan, Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, (1256-1353), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2002, cat. no. 19, fig. 84. The shape was probably copied from metal prototypes and a very similar silver pouring bowl was found together with a silver yuhuchun ping in a hoard at Hefei, Anhui province, which contained items inscribed with a name written in Phagspa characters as well as a date equivalent to 1333, both now in the Anhui Museum Provincial Museum, published in the exhibition catalog 'The World of Kublilai Khan, Chinese Art in the Yuan Dynasty', The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2010, p. 83, fig. 115.Literature comparison: Several pouring bowls of this form and decorated with various floral designs are illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 11, Shanghai, 2000, pls. 213-217. One depicting a hare, in the British Museum, is published in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2000, pl. 1:22.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's London, 6 November 2019, lot 137 Price: GBP 50,000 or approx. EUR 66,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A blue and white pouring bowl, yi, Yuan dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the slightly larger size (18.3 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26 May 2021, lot 332 Price: HKD 126,000 or approx. EUR 15,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A blue and white 'lingzhi' pouring vessel, yi, Yuan dynastyExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and size (15.4 cm).元代青花纏枝蓮紋匜中國，1279-1368年。圓腹，口微歛，平底。沿有流，形呈長方，與腹相連，流下著一小系；流上有一朵雲；器心飾纏枝蓮紋，上；外壁有一圈纏枝花卉紋；白地釉色泛青。口沿無釉。底部部分未上釉，露出在燒製中燒成橙色的器皿。來源：Felix Tikotin收藏，在同一家族保存至今。 品相：品相極好，有一些磨損、使用痕跡和表面淺劃痕，以及燒製不規則，包括窯砂和邊緣的一些釉池和凹槽。 重量：223.4 克 尺寸：長15.5 厘米
A LURISTAN BRONZE AXE HEAD, IRAN, CIRCA 1350-1000 BCThe axe with a rimmed, fan-shaped blade. The cylindrical socket extending into four molds terminating in spikes, with bands crossing over and merging above the blade. Overall with a rich, naturally grown, solid patina with distinct areas of encrustations.Provenance: Galerie Persepolis, Brussels, exhibited from 28 October to 13 November 1971. Collection Monsieur H., Brussels, acquired from the above. Collection Madame D.T., acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, few nicks, light scratches, minor losses, signs of weathering and corrosion, and encrustations.Weight: 385.5 g (excl. stand) Dimensions: Length 23.5 cmWith a modern metal stand. (2)Luristan bronzes are small cast and decorated objects from the Early Iron Age (first millennium BC) which have been found in large numbers in Lorestan province and Kermanshah in western Iran. They include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, horse fittings, and a smaller number of vessels including situlae and are characterized by a wide range of idiosyncratic forms and a highly stylized conception of human and animal representation. Those from recorded excavations were generally found in burials. The ethnicity of the people who created them remains unclear, though they may well have been Iranian, possibly related to the modern Lur people who have given their name to the area. Luristan bronze objects came to the notice of the world art market from the late 1920s onwards. They were excavated in considerable quantities by local people and are found today in many of the world's most important museums.Literature comparison:Compare a related bronze axe, 22.5 cm long, dated circa 1350-1000 BC, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.76.97.457. Compare a related bronze axe, 25.3 cm long, dated to the 9th century BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1973,1220.17. Compare a related bronze axe, 19.3 cm long, 1000-800 BC, in the Louvre, inventory number AO 20399. Compare a related bronze axe, illustrated in Alexis Cabrol, Bronzes prehistoriques de Perse. Bulletin de la Societe prehistorique de France, 1932, vol. 29, no. 9, pp. 429-432.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 12 April 2022, lot 53Price: USD 21,420 or approx. EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Luristan bronze axe head surmounted by an ibex, circa 1200-900 BCExpert remark: Note the similar size (25.4 cm)
A RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF A RAT, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, 500 BC to 300 AD. Well cast standing foursquare with the head slightly raised and ears pricked, the tail pointing upwards, the face with bulging eyes and open mouth.Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Some repair and touchups as generally expected from ancient Dong Son excavations. Losses, fissures, erosion, and corrosion. Minor casting flaws. Overall, still good condition, especially for such a rare piece. Fine malachite-green patina with brown encrustations overall.Weight: 164.8 g Dimensions: Length 12 cmDong Son (named for Dong Son, a village in Thanh Hoa) was a Bronze Age culture centered at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam from 1000 BC until the first century AD. Vietnamese historians attribute it to the states of Van Lang and Au Lạc. Its influence spread to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Maritime Southeast Asia, throughout the first millennium BC. The culture long remained a mystery to western archaeologists, and it was known only through its bronze objects, many of which were taken from burial sites. Dong Son bronze objects were exhibited in Europe for a century before their original location was even determined, and several theories and speculations over the dating methodologies of the culture continue to this day.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 10 March 2022, lot 285Price: EUR 3,539Description: A rare bronze fish and mythical beast, Dong Son culture東山文化罕見銅鼠擺件越南，公元前500 至公元300 年。銅鼠呈站姿，四足着地，頭略微抬起，耳朵豎起，尾巴朝上，眼睛張開。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。 他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：一些修復，正如古代東山文化挖掘所普遍預期的那樣。缺損、裂縫、侵蝕和腐蝕，輕微鑄造缺陷。總體而言，品相良好。精美的孔雀石綠銅鏽，整體呈棕色結殼。 重量：164.8 克 尺寸：長 12 厘米 東山文化是位於越南北部紅河河谷的一個鐵器時代史前文化。它約繁盛於公元前1000年到公元前後，它影響的區域包括東南亞其他地區乃至以及印度-馬來亞群島。越南歷史學家將其歸因於範朗州和悠樂州。公元前1000年，它的影響了東南亞的其他地區，包括海上東南亞。長期以來，這種文化對西方考古學家來說一直是個謎，人們只能通過青銅器了解它，其中許多通過考古墓地挖掘。東山青銅器在其原始位置被確定之前就在歐洲展出了一個世紀，關於文化年代測定方法的幾種理論和推測一直持續到今天。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：維也納Galerie Zacke，2022年3月10日，lot 285 價格：EUR 3,539 描述：東山文化魚與神獸青銅擺件
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND SIGNED GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, EARLY MING DYNASTYPublished: Svenska Hem i Ord och Bilder (Swedish Home in Words and Pictures), Stockholm, 1922, page 109. Note that this information is according to the family of the previous owner, as the present lot cannot be identified beyond any doubt on the ancient image in the publication.China, early 15th century. Finely cast, seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with beaded edges, his hands lowered in dhyanamudra above his lap, wearing a richly pleated robe with neatly incised foliate hems. The serene face with heavy-lidded eyes, gently arched brows, a circular urna, and full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes. The hair arranged in tight snail-shell curls, the high ushnisha surmounted by a jewel. Magnificent, naturally grown patina overall.Inscriptions: Signature to the back, 'Made by the lay follower Guo with the maiden name Huiming'.Provenance: From the collection of Inez Utter (nee Bonnier, 1890-1968) and Tore Utter (1880-1953), and thence by descent within the same family. Condition: Excellent condition commensurate with age, with well-preserved gilt, some old wear and expected casting flaws, including one to the back of the head with an associated small loss. The base resealed with ancient remnants of soldering, otherwise absolutely original with no restoration or repair of any kind. Presenting exceptionally well.Weight: 2,841 g Dimensions: Height 27.5 cmThis exquisite figure is notable for its fine casting and gilding, as evidenced in the naturalistically modeled folds of the robes and in the figure's serene facial expression. Stylistically it follows in the tradition established in the Yuan period, when Tibetan Buddhism became the court religion, and a new sculptural style began to appear. The full, yet somewhat squared facial features, robust body and stylization of the boldly cast lotus lappet base all indicate a rather early 15th-century date.Expert's note: Figures with gently smiling faces, full rounded bodies and tiered thrones are depicted in the early 14th-century woodblock prints made for the monastery of Yanshen Yuan, Hangzhou, and illustrated in Heather Stoddard Karmay, Early Sino-Tibetan Art, Warminster, 1975, pls. 26, 29, and 30. It is possible that these images, which reflect the style favored in Tibet at the time, were used for inspiration by craftsmen active in the early 15th century.Literature comparison:Compare a related gilt-bronze figure of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, dated to the first year of the Jingtai reign (1450), illustrated in Gems of Beijing Cultural Relics Series: Buddhist Statues (I), Beijing, 1999, page 153, no. 115.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's London, 8 November 2017, lot 67 Price: GBP 187,500 or approx. EUR 258,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, Ming dynasty, early 15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting, pose, robe, face, base, and size (27 cm). Note that this bronze is also signed. Note that the gilt is even better preserved than on the present lot. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Amsterdam, 23 March 2011, lot 161 Price: EUR 133,000 or approx. EUR 179,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Chinese Ming period gilt bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, indistinct mark, 15th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related manner of casting, pose, robe, face, base, and size (27 cm). Note this bronze is also marked. Also note that the gilt is not as well preserved as on the present lot.明初鎏金銅釋迦牟尼坐蓮像中國，十五世紀初。釋迦牟尼坐於仰覆蓮座上，結全跏趺坐，雙手施禪定印。肉髻高隆呈塔形，螺髮，寶珠頂嚴。寬額豐頤，雙耳垂肩，彎眉細長與鼻脛相連，雙眉之間有白毫，雙目微合下視，嘴角微露笑意，法相莊嚴。頸施三道弦紋，胸膛寬闊，腰部收束，著袈裟，陰刻卷草紋。衣紋轉折流暢自然，富有層次感。蓮座上緣各飾一道連珠紋。座下封底。通體自然包漿。 出版：Svenska Hem i Ord och Bilder (Swedish Home in Words and Pictures)，斯特哥爾摩，1922年， 第109頁。請注意，此信息是根據前任藏家的家人提供的，無法根據出版物中的圖片確認當前拍品。款識：信女郭氏惠名造 來源：Inez Utter (nee Bonnier，1890-1968) 與 Tore Utter (1880-1953)收藏，在同一家族中保存至今。 品相：狀態極佳，鎏金保存完好，有一些磨損和鑄造缺陷，包括頭部後面的一個缺陷以及相關的小缺損。底座曾重新密封，沒有任何形式的修復或修理。 重量：2,841 克 尺寸：高27.5 厘米
A BLUE AND WHITE 'RIVER LANDSCAPE' BRUSHPOT, BITONG, MID-QING PERIODChina, 18th to mid-19th century. Of circular section, painted in underglaze blue with a continuous mountain and river landscape scattered with farmers carrying their harvest, plowing, and pulling an outsized buffalo, fishermen on boats, and observers in pavilions.Provenance: Sotheby's Melbourne, 29-30 November 2005. Professor Jocelyn Chey, Sydney, Australia, acquired from the above. Jocelyn Chey is a Professor at the University of Sydney. She formerly served as China Relations Officer in the Department of Overseas Trade before being posted to Beijing as the first Australian Cultural Counsellor. Influenced by her husband Moon Lin Chey, who was a collector himself, and a close friend of the noted Chinese artist Huang Yongyu, the pair assembled a fine collection of Chinese works of art over a period of more than three decades. Condition: Good condition with some old wear, traces of use, the mouth rim smoothened, the foot with a hairline crack and small chip with associated minuscule losses, and manufacturing irregularities including firing flaws, kiln grit, pitting, and dark spots.Weight: 1,562 g Dimensions: Diameter 17.3 cm Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's Hong Kong, 4 April 2017, lot 127Price: HKD 52,500 or approx. EUR 6,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A blue and white 'landscape' brush pot, bitong, 18th-19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related form, landscape, and figures. Note the similar size (18.5 cm).Expert's note (added 5.3.2023): We possess a copy of the Sotheby’s Melbourne, 29-30 November 2005, auction catalogue in our archive, which unfortunately does not depict the present Bitong. However, it is worth noting that several items in this catalogue lack illustrations, and some of these consist of multiple items. Thus, we cannot conclusively determine whether the Bitong is one of them. Moreover, we have been informed that Sotheby's in Melbourne conducted sales beyond those documented in the printed catalogue. As a result, the only available evidence we have for the provenance mentioned above is the label affixed to the Bitong's base, which we can confirm is authentic and has not been transferred from another piece based on its appearance.清代中期青花山水景觀筆筒中國，十八至十九世紀中期。圓口，筒腹，圈足，器施白釉，通體運青花作飾，主題紋飾青花山水人物，村子裏一天的生活場景，如拱橋之上樵夫擔著木材，河上漁夫捕魚；畫面採用山石草木做過度轉景，銜接極為自然，兩岸開闊，江水茫茫，整圖青花髮色濃淡相宜，將山水與人文景觀巧妙結合。 來源：墨爾本蘇富比，2005年11月 29-30日；澳大利亞悉尼Jocelyn Chey教授，購於上述拍賣。Jocelyn Chey是悉尼大學的教授。她曾擔任海外貿易部中國關係官，之後被派往北京擔任第一任澳大利亞文化參贊。她的丈夫也是收藏家 Moon Lin Chey ，是著名中國藝術家黃永玉的密友。兩人在三十多年的時間裡收集了一批精美的中國藝術品。品相：狀況良好，有一些磨損、使用痕跡、口緣平滑、足部有衝線和小缺口、相應的微小缺損，以及製造瑕疵。重量：1,562 克 尺寸：直徑17.3 厘米 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港佳士得，2017年4月4日，lot 127 價格：HKD 52,500（相當於今日EUR 6,800） 描述：十八/十九世紀 青花山水人物圖筆筒 專家評論：比較相近的外形 、山水和人物場景。請注意相似的尺寸(18.5 厘米)。專家註釋（於 2023 年 3 月 5 日新增）：我們有一份 2005 年 11 月 29 日至 30 日墨爾本蘇富比圖錄的副本，很可惜的是該圖錄並未有此筆筒的插圖。 但值得注意的是，該圖錄中的有許多拍品沒有插圖，且一個拍品編號可能包含多件拍品，所以我們無法篤定此筆筒是否為其中一件拍品。 此外，我們獲悉，墨爾本蘇富比實際上的銷售額多於圖錄中記錄的銷售額。因此，我們唯一能證明此筆筒來源的證據是貼在筆筒底座上的標籤，且此標籤的可信度極高。
A PALE CELADON JADE FIGURE OF A PERSIAN FALCONER, 18TH CENTURYChina. Finely carved, clad in a long cloak hanging over the shoulders and loose robes tied at the waist, wearing a large hat, a falcon perched on his right hand, and holding a treasure in his left hand, his square face with a broad mouth and short beard, flanked by elongated earlobes. The finely polished stone of translucent quality showing an even, pale celadon color with only scattered cloudy-white inclusions.Provenance: British trade. Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear and few minuscule nicks to the rim of the hat. Good, unctuous feel overall.Weight: 143.4 g Dimensions: Height 8.4 cmThe costume of this well-carved figure identifies him as a foreigner, while the treasure held in his hand suggests he is a tribute bearer. The falcon in his right hand also indicates that he is a falconer, most likely of Persian descent. Small jade figures of this type were first made during the Tang dynasty when figures of foreigners were produced in various materials, representing the cosmopolitan society of the period.Falcons and falconry have been part of the religious and ideological tradition of the Persianate world from remote antiquity to the pre-modern period. The falcon has been important as a symbol of royal ideology and political legitimation. Already from the earliest Zoroastrian hymns, the Avesta, to manuals on falconry in the nineteenth century, the importance of this bird and the sport is detailed. As the privileged hobby of sovereigns and high dignitaries, falconry seems to have flourished in pre-Islamic Iran, as evidenced by various legends relating to hunting parties. In Islamic Iran, the expensive sport of hunting with falcons continued to be a favorite entertainment of the rulers and high dignitaries, enabling them to parade military prowess in times of peace. The prestige of such sport was enhanced because the Arab overlords in Baghdad and their provincial deputies, after having encountering the Persians, Byzantines, and others, had developed a keen enthusiasm for falconry.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's London, 18 May 2018, lot 455Price: GBP 5,000 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A carved pale celadon jade figure of a foreigner, Qing dynasty, 17th/18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related robe, facial features, and color of the jade. Note the slightly smaller size (7.5 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 17 March 2016, lot 950Price: USD 93,750 or approx. EUR 111,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare small pale greenish-white jade figure of a foreigner, late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 16th-18th centuryExpert remark: Compare the related robe, pose, and near-identical size (8.9 cm).十八世紀青白玉波斯馴鷹人 中國，人物身披長氅，寬袍束腰，頭戴暖帽，右手上停著一隻鷹，左手執寶，方臉闊口短鬚。表面拋光細膩，玉料成均匀的半透明青色，白色絮狀物。 來源：英國古玩交易 品相：品相極好，磨損，帽子邊緣有細小的劃痕。整體包漿瑩潤。 重量：143.4 克 尺寸：高8.4 厘米 這個雕刻精美的人物的服裝表明他是外國人，而他手中拿著的寶物表明他是貢品。他右手的獵鷹也表明他是一名馴鷹者，很可能是波斯血統。這種小玉人最早出現在唐代，當時用各種材料製作外國人的形象，代表了那個時期的國際化社會。 從遠古到近現代時期，獵鷹和馴服獵鷹一直是波斯世界宗教和意識形態傳統的一部分。獵鷹是重要的皇家意識形態和政治合法性的象徵。從最早的瑣羅亞斯德的讚美詩阿維斯塔，到 19 世紀的獵鷹手冊，都詳細介紹馴服獵鷹的重要性。馴服獵鷹似乎盛行於伊斯蘭時代以前的伊朗，也是君主和達官貴人的特權和愛好，有許多關於狩獵派對的各種傳說。在伊斯蘭化後的伊朗，以獵鷹舉行昂貴的狩獵運動仍然是統治者和達官貴人最喜歡的娛樂活動，用來在和平時期炫耀其軍事實力。 由於巴格達的阿拉伯霸主及其省級代表在與波斯人、拜占庭人和其他國家接觸後，對馴服獵鷹產生了濃厚的興趣，因此提高了這項運動的聲望。
AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE PAIR OF INCISED YELLOW-GLAZED 'FLORAL MEDALLION' BOWLS, KANGXI MARKS AND PERIODChina, 1662-1722. Each bowl is incised on the exterior with four floral roundels divided by cloud scrolls above petal lappets around the foot, the interior with another floral medallion in the center enclosed within a double circle, covered inside and out with an egg-yolk yellow glaze, save for white base. Each bowl with an underglaze-blue six-character mark within a double circle da Qing Kangxi nianzhi and of the period. (2)Provenance: The VWS Collection, acquired by the previous owner's father (1890-1977) in China during the 1930s and thence by descent within the family. Each bowl with an old collection label, 'VWS'. One bowl with an old label, '62'. French trade, acquired from the above. The VWS collection tells the extraordinary story of a family fleeing the Tsarist Empire in Russia. Their journey began in 1903 as the Chinese Eastern Railway, the eastern branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway, was completed. Fleeing, like others, a climate of political persecution and anti-Semitism, the family settled in Harbin, the most northerly city in China and started to develop its businesses from 1906 onwards. Like many others, they were attracted to this cosmopolitan place, then a major economic and cultural center in Manchuria, because of its large Jewish community. In Harbin, the father, a cultured, open-minded and multilingual man, felt at home and his early successes in business earned him respect. By 1932, he and his family were forced to flee again, following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and found a new home in Shanghai. From there, his businesses took him to Hong Kong, North America, and other Asian countries, where the family would remain for many years. They began collecting art in China during the 1930s and these artworks have remained with the family heirs ever since.Condition: Superb condition with only minor wear and firing irregularities: The first bowl with a faint glaze line to the rim, the second bowl with three faint glaze lines to the rim, all of which are inherent to the manufacture. None of these glaze lines are visible to the naked eye, or even under the strongest blue light. Also, they are not noticeable to the touch.Weight: 162.1 g and 147.6 g Dimensions: Diameter 12 cm (each)Literature comparison: Compare a closely related yellow-glazed incised bowl, 12 cm high, also with a Kangxi mark and of the period, sold at Christie's London, 13 December 1976, lot 55, and illustrated by Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Gulexuan Collection, p. 128, no. 97. A bowl of this design from the Elphinstone collection in the Percival David Foundation, London, is listed in the Foundation's Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares, London, 1989, no. A599. Another bowl of this design from the Kostolany collection was included in the exhibition Monochrome Porcelain of the Ming and Manchu Dynasties, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1948, cat. no. 188.Auction result comparison: Type: Near identical Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 26 November 2014, lot 3291 Price: HKD 325,000 or approx. EUR 46,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An incised yellow-enameled 'floral medallion' bowl, Kangxi six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, Kangxi mark, and size (11.8 cm). Note that the lot comprises only one bowl.康熙款及年代一對黃釉暗刻團花碗中國，1662-1722年。碗直口，深腹，圈足略高，器型規整。內外滿施黃釉為地。口沿外及足牆均飾兩道弦紋，外壁以暗刻技法飾四朵團花，間以如意雲紋，近底足刻變體蓮花瓣紋，紋飾簡潔生動。圈足內白地青花雙圈“大清康熙年製”款。 (2) 來源：VWS 收藏，前主人的父親 (1890-1977)於上世紀三十年代在中國購得，保存在同一家族至今。每個碗上都有一個收藏舊標籤 'VWS'；一個碗上有標籤 '62'；法國古玩交易，購於上述收藏。 品相：品相極佳，只有輕微磨損和燒製不規則：一個碗的邊緣有一條微弱的釉裂，第二個碗的邊緣有三條輕微的釉裂，這些釉紋沒有一條是肉眼可見的，甚至在最強烈的藍光下也是如此。此外，它們觸摸起來並不明顯。 重量：分別爲162.1克與147.6克 尺寸：直徑12 厘米 (每個)
A MOLDED AND ENAMELED CICADA-FORM PORCELAIN SNUFF BOTTLE, 1800-1850China, Jingdezhen kilns. The bottle molded in the round with realistic detail, the insect's eyes and legs painted in black, its wings in blue enamel and its thorax highlighted with brown enamel stripes.Provenance: From an old private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired in Shanghai and Hong Kong from the 1930s onwards, and thence by descent. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and firing flaws, little rubbing to enamels.Stopper: JadeiteWeight: 44.6 gDimensions: Height incl. stopper 82 mm. Diameter mouth 7 mmThe cicada is a symbol of immortality because it has a long life cycle of up to seventeen years. It also became a symbol of extended youth and of happiness on account of its joyous chirping.Literature comparison: The group of molded porcelain cicada-form snuff bottles to which this example belongs first appeared in the early nineteenth century. For another very similar example from the Caretti Collection, see H. Moss, Chinese Snuff Bottles No. 5, p. 59, fig. 43. See other examples and versions in Chinese Snuff Bottles No. 4, p. 5, top, center; and R. Hall, Snuff Bottles IX, no. 8. The molded porcelain model may have evolved from jade cicada-form bottles which were popular at the Court during the eighteenth century. See Moss, Graham and Tsang, The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection, nos. 7 and 8; and Moss, Graham and Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 1, Jade, nos. 58 and 59.Auction result comparison:Type: Near identical Auction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 245 Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An enameled molded porcelain cicada-form snuff bottle, Jingdezhen kilns, 1800-1850 Expert remark: Note the size (7.5 cm), which is the same length as the present snuff bottle excluding the stopper.1800-1850年堆塑彩繪蟬形鼻煙壺中國，景德鎮。瓶身為蟬形，細節逼真，蟬的眼睛和腿塗成黑色，翅膀為藍色琺瑯，胸部則用棕色琺瑯條紋描繪。 來源：英國私人收藏，藏品為上世紀三十年代購於上海和香港，保存至今。 品相：品相極佳，有輕微磨損和燒製缺陷，琺瑯有輕微磨損。 壺蓋：翡翠 重量：44.6 克 尺寸：含壺蓋高82 毫米，壺口直徑 7 毫米 蟬自古是長生不老的象徵，因為它的生命週期長達十七年之久。而它歡快的鳴叫聲，也使它成為青春和幸福的象徵。 文獻比較： 本例所屬的瓷製蟬形鼻煙壺群，最早出現於十九世紀初。其他相似的例子來自Caretti Collection，見H. Moss，《Chinese Snuff Bottles No. 5》，頁59，圖43。見另一件例子《Chinese Snuff Bottles No. 4》，頁5；R. Hall，《Snuff Bottles IX》，編號8。堆塑瓷器可能是從十八世紀宮廷流行的玉蟬形瓶演變而來的。見Moss，Graham和Tsang，《The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle: The J & J Collection》，編號7和8; 以及見Moss，Graham和Tsang，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles》，卷1，〈Jade〉，編號58和59。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：幾乎相同 拍賣：紐約佳士得，19 3月 2008年，lot 245 價格：USD 9,375 EUR 12,500 （相當於今日） 描述：1800-1850年堆塑彩繪蟬形鼻煙壺 專家評論：請注意尺寸(7.5 厘米)，幾乎和我們的拍品一樣長。
'SCHOLAR UNDER A WUTONG TREE', BY ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983)Exquisitely painted with a bearded scholar seated on a bamboo chair, wearing loose-fitting robes and a tall cap, under two blossoming wutong trees, their leaves painted in shades of blue with virtuosic skill, all above a squatting attendant fanning a small oven to prepare some tea.China. Ink and watercolors on paper, with a silk brocade frame and mounted as a hanging scroll.Inscriptions: Upper right, signed 'Zhang Daqian Yuan', and titled 'Scholar under a Wutong Tree', two seals of the artist, 'Zhang Yuan siyin' and 'Daqian Jushi'. Lower left, one seal.Provenance: The Oliver Impey Collection of Modern Paintings. Oliver Impey (1936-2005) was the President of the Oriental Ceramics Society (1997-2000), a noted curator at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and a leading authority on the arts of Japan. He studied at the University of Oxford, completing his thesis while working in London at Sotheby's, where his connoisseurship and remarkable breadth of knowledge began to develop, as well as his intimate knowledge of the art trade and vigilant eye for a bargain. In 1967, he was appointed Assistant Keeper for Japanese Art at the Ashmolean, and was able, as a Sotheby's colleague put it rather bluntly, to move “straight from the whorehouse to the nunnery”. For nearly four decades, Impey was a tireless acquirer of fine objects, vastly expanding the Museum's holdings. He designed and raised the funds for a new Japanese Decorative Arts gallery to house these treasures and he also befriended several generous benefactors, who made important donations to the Museum. The respect with which he was held in Japan was marked by the award of the Koyama Fujio Memorial Prize in 1997. His personal collection contained works by major masters from Japan, China, and several other Asian countries, of which many were sold by Christie's in Hong Kong in the late 2000s.Condition: Good condition with some wear, creasing, soiling, small losses, minor touchups, the roller caps lost. Dimensions: Image size 98 x 51 cm, Size incl. mounting 208 x 62.4 cmZhang Daqian (1899-1983) was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally active as a guohua (traditionalist) painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned as a modern impressionist and expressionist painter. In addition, he is regarded as one of the most gifted master forgers of the twentieth century. After the Communist Revolution in 1949, he left China and spent years living in South and North America, extensively touring Northern California. Zhang's first California solo exhibition in 1967 at Stanford University attracted an opening reception crowd of a thousand. Finally, he settled in Taipei, Taiwan in 1978. During his years of wandering, he had several wives simultaneously, curried favor with influential people, and maintained a large entourage of relatives and supporters. He also kept a pet gibbon and affected the long robe and long beard of a traditional Chinese scholar.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2021, lot 1127Price: HKD 275,000 or approx. EUR 33,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Scholar Looking for Inspiration Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject with a similarly painted tree. Note the size (107 x 41.2 cm).張大千(1899-1983)《梧桐樹下翁》中國，紙本水墨設色，掛軸。梧桐樹下，老翁坐在竹椅上，身穿寬鬆長袍，頭戴高帽，一旁蹲著的小童正扇著小爐燒水，準備茶水。筆墨灑脫，工寫結合。 款識：高梧三雙玉，綠蔭如秋水，下有兀坐翁，妙在澄懷裏。爰。鈴印：張爰之印，大千居士。 來源：Oliver Impey 現代繪畫收藏。Oliver Impey (1936-2005) 曾任東方陶瓷學會會長（1997-2000），牛津阿什莫林博物館著名策展人以及日本藝術領域的權威。他曾就讀於牛津大學，在倫敦蘇富比工作期間完成了論文。在蘇富比，他的鑑賞力和非凡的知識得以發展，以及他對藝術貿易的深入了解和對交易的警惕眼光。1967 年，他被任命為阿什莫林日本藝術助理管理員。在近四十年的時間裡，Impey 孜孜不倦地收購精美物品，極大地擴大了博物館的藏品。 他為一個新的日本裝飾藝術藝廊設計並籌集了資金來收藏這些珍品。他還結交了幾位慷慨的捐助者，他們為博物館提供了重要的捐贈。 他在日本受到的尊重並於1997 年獲得小山富士夫紀念獎。他的個人收藏包括日本、中國和其他幾個亞洲國家的主要大師的作品，其中許多作品於2000年後期香港佳士得拍賣會上售出。 品相：狀況良好，有一些磨損、摺痕、污漬、小缺損、小修補、掛軸蓋丟失。 尺寸：畫面98 x 51 厘米，總208 x 62.4 厘米
A RARE SANCAI GLAZED 'BOVINE' RHYTON, KANGXI PERIODChina, 1662-1722. Well modeled in the form of a bovine head with two horns joined by a raised rope leading to the animal's nostrils. Further detailed with large eyes and splashed with aubergine, green, and ochre glazes, all typical for this ware and as expected for the period.Provenance: Stefanos Lagonico, Alexandria, and thence by descent over several generations in the same family. Stefanos Lagonico was a member of the wealthy Greek community of Alexandria whose family settled in Egypt in the late 19th century. His collection of important Iznik ceramics was formed after the First World War, comprising mostly plates and jugs from the classic period (post 1570). At least six pieces from this collection were included in the important 1925 Exposition d'Art Musulman in Alexandria. Lagonico eventually left Egypt for Switzerland, just before the rise of nationalism and the abolition of the Capitulations in May 1937. His son Jean, an importer of dried fruits and nuts from the Levant, inherited most of the collection, and kept it in obscurity at his house in southern France until its dispersal at auction beginning in 1991.Condition: Fine wear overall. Some firing irregularities, minuscule hairlines, the horns with small old repairs, a minute chip with associated fill to the rim.Weight: 161.5 g (excl. base) and 225.5 g (incl. base) Dimensions: Length 11.7 cm (excl. base) and 11 cm (the base)With a fitted huali wood base from the late 19th century. (2)康熙罕見三彩牛頭杯中國，1662-1722年。牛頭形，牛頭有兩個角，兩角之間有一根交叉的白色繩紋。大眼炯炯，五彩釉，十分典型的的特徵，並且符合該時期的特點。 來源：亞歷山大港Stefanos Lagonico，在同一家族保存了幾代。每一個盤底都有一個打印並手寫的標籤No. 4603。 Stefanos Lagonico是富有的亞歷山大希臘社區的成員，他的家人在十九世紀後期定居在埃及。他的重要伊茲尼克陶瓷收藏是在第一次世界大戰後建立的，主要包括古典時期（1570 年後）的盤子和水壺。該系列中至少有六件作品曾在 1925 年亞歷山大港藝術博覽會中展覽。後來，Lagonico 離開埃及前往瑞士，就在 1937 年 5 月民族主義興起和投降條約廢除之前。他的兒子 Jean 是黎凡特干果和堅果的進口商，他繼承了大部分藏品，並一直默默無聞地保存在他法國南部的房子裏，直到 1991 年開始被拍賣。 品相：整體品相良好。一些製造瑕疵、細小的裂紋，兩角有小修，邊緣有一個微小的開片與其小修充。 重量：161.5 克 (不含底座)，225.5 克 (含底座) 尺寸：長11.7 厘米（不含底座) ，11 厘米 (底座) 十九世紀末花梨木底座。(2)
A MONUMENTAL SANDSTONE HEAD OF BUDDHA, NORTHERN WEI DYNASTY, CHINA, 386-534Opinion: The head is carved from buff sandstone that has the appearance of granite from a distance. The style and material are typical of examples from the Yungang caves and surrounding area.Published: Stephen Little, Images of the Buddha from the Michael Phillips Collection, Arts of Asia, Jan-Feb 2013, page 112, no. 29.The rounded face deeply carved with small, pursed lips, broad flattened nose and thin, sharply cut eyes, flanked by long pendulous ears, all beneath the simply rendered hair and tall ushnisha. The stone of reddish-brown tone with some crystalline flecks.Provenance: An American private collection. Christie's New York, 15-16 September 2011, lot 1360, estimate of USD 60,000 or approx. EUR 72,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). The private collection of Michael Phillips (born 1943), who is an Academy Award-winning film producer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his parents were Lawrence and Shirley Phillips, noted New York dealers in Asian fine arts, selling to the Met, the LACMA, the Chicago Art Institute, and the British Museum among others. Michael Phillips is a collector of Asian art himself, particularly Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan sculpture. His most important films include The Sting (winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1973), Taxi Driver (winning the Palme d'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival), and Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, losses, nicks, scratches, signs of weathering and erosion.Scientific Analysis Report: A scientific and technical examination was conducted by John Twilley, art conservation scientist. A copy of the examination report, dated 20 September 2007, accompanies this lot. The report concludes that “the evidence strongly supports a history of natural weathering of the stone, on a scale of centuries rather than decades, subsequent to its carving”. Note that this report is also mentioned in the catalog entry by Christies from 15-16 September 2011.Dimensions: Height 43 cm (excl. stand) and 65 cm (incl. stand)Mounted on an associated stand. (2)The first of the formative phases of Buddhist sculpture in China, to which the current sculpture dates, lasted until roughly 495 AD and is represented by the cave temples in the north at Yungang. Over 50,000 statues lay within the Yungang Grottoes and surrounding area. Constructed during the Northern Wei dynasty by the imperial order of Emperor Wencheng, carving in the area began in 460 AD as an act of reparation for the Buddhist persecution of 445-452, and lasted until 494 AD when the capital was moved to Luoyang. The Yungang cliff is formed of horizontal layers of buff-colored sandstone, which lends itself well to sculpture, as well as to the excavation of large caves with horizontal ceilings. The sandstone of this head of Buddha is typical of that found in the Yungang region.Literature comparison:Compare a polychromed figure of Buddha still in place in Cave 9 of the Yungang Grottoes. Compare a related sandstone head of Buddha with similar features and carved of the same type of stone in The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, illustrated in the Handbook of the Collection, Kansas City, 1993, p. 303. Also compare with a 'yungang' sandstone head of a bodhisattva, Northern Wei dynasty, at Sotheby's London, 13 May 2015, lot 18. The use of this comparable, which is rather smaller in size (7 cm), serves as solid proof in tying our example to the Yungang area. The sandstone is of an identical color and texture, and the face has very similar features. It therefore almost certainly places our example amongst the most important Buddhist carvings from the Northern Wei period. Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1 April 2018, lot 3029Price: HKD 3,120,000 or approx. EUR 396,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare and large sandstone head of a Buddha, Northern Wei dynastyExpert remark: This comparable shows numerous similarities with our example, from the domed ushnisha above the simple outlined hair to the long pendulous ears. Note the related size (40 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 April 2016, lot 2814Price: HKD 625,000 or approx. EUR 82,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A large 'yungang' sandstone head of Buddha, Northern Wei dynastyExpert remark: Note the closely related size (43 cm).13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.386-534年北魏砂岩佛陀頭像 出版：Stephen Little，〈Images of the Buddha from the Michael Phillips Collection〉，《Arts of Asia》，2013年1-2月，第112頁，圖 29。 來源：美國私人收藏；紐約佳士得，2011年9月15-16日，lot 1360，估價USD 60,000；Michael Phillips (出生於1943)私人收藏 品相：條件良好，大面積磨損、缺損、刻痕、劃痕、風化和侵蝕。 科學檢測報告：藝術保護科學家John Twilley對此頭像進行了科學檢測。本拍品附有一份日期為 2007年 9 月 20 日的檢驗報告複印本。該報告得出結論，“證據有力地支持了石頭在雕刻之後的自然風化歷史，其規模為數百年而不是數十年”。請注意，佳士得 2011年 9 月 15 日至 16 日的圖錄中也提到了這份報告。 尺寸：高 43 釐米 (不含底座) 與65 釐米 (含底座) 配置底座。 (2)
A MONUMENTAL SANDSTONE FIGURE OF NARASIMHA, KHMER EMPIRE, 10TH-12TH CENTURYFinely carved to depict an imposing anthropomorphic guardian with a fierce gaze, displaying the head of a lion and body of a man, kneeling on a square plinth, wearing a pleated sampot, holding a vajra in his right hand. Note the unusually elaborate coiffure, especially at the backside of the head.Provenance: An old collection in the United States, formed between the 1970s and 1990s, by repute acquired as part of a deaccession from an American museum. A private collection in California, United States, acquired from the above.Condition: Overall good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, some losses, dents, structural cracks with associated old fills, signs of weathering and erosion, drilled to underside of platform. Fine, naturally grown patina.Dimensions: Height 84 cmSuch imposing figures, a symbol of both caution and importance, once served as guardians at the gates and entrances of sacred temple sites throughout Southeast Asia. The mythical composition of the figure, in addition to the presence of a celestial weapon, alludes to this being a divine being with powers far greater than that of any mortal. The iconography, an evolutionary mix of lion imagery with fierce deities, is one repeated throughout the ancient world, from the Gates of Ishtar to the Temple of Todaiji.Expert's note: The figure compares well against closely related examples that have come on the market in the last century, however also exhibits subtle stylistic differences from each that make connecting it to any specific temple site or region difficult. This is further confounded by the fact that many known sites are in varied states of disarray and near complete ruin. For example, if compared with the Banteay Srei guardians, we see that the vajra is proportionally much larger, and the style of the face is much more rectangular. The two are clearly from different areas. In addition to the old restorations, the figure exhibits other attractive signs of weathering, including complex organic growth in the form of black algae (upper torso) and crustose lichens (left knee), and is decidedly ancient. We must conclude that the figure is from a yet unknown site somewhere else in the vast ancient Khmer empire, an empire that at its peak was larger than the Byzantine Empire.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related sandstone figure of Narasimha, 82.5 cm high, Banteay Srei style, dated to the late 10th century, in the CB National Museum, inventory number Ka.786. Note the difference in gaze, being downward facing versus straight-on, the noticeably smaller vajra, and the thicker platform. Interestingly, note the very similar damage to the right arm and right thigh, damage that is also shared to some extent with a comparison from Christie's below. The figure in the CB National Museum appears to exhibit fewer characteristic signs of surface weathering than the present lot and in comparison has the feeling of being a younger figure.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's Paris, 6 June 2011, lot 381Price: EUR 97,000 or approx. EUR 115,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: An important sandstone figure of a lion-headed guardian, Khmer, Koh Ker style, mid-10th centuryExpert remark: The figures share several characteristics. The Christie's example, however, attributed to Koh Ker, has a style that is somewhat fleshier and more playful. It also has a platform adorned with lotus petals. Note the identical size (84 cm) and similar areas of damage to the right arm and thigh.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely RelatedAuction: Christie's Amsterdam, 20 November 2001, lot 215.Price: EUR 19,975 or approx. EUR 31,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Khmer, Angkor Vat style, sandstone figure of a lion-headed guardianExpert remark: Stylistically, the body is similar at first appearance, but the Christie's figure has significantly less detail. The lack of finer carving work is most notable on the face, with less teeth, larger swirls on the muzzle, and plain convex eyes. It is also significantly smaller (55 cm).
A TRANSLUCENT AQUAMARINE GLASS 'COSMIC EGG', HAN DYNASTYChina, 202 BC to 220 AD. The ritual object of ovoid form, the deep-blue glass of high translucency.Provenance: Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, small losses, nicks, scratches, cracks, extensive signs of weathering and erosion. Displaying remarkably well overall.Weight: 852.2 gDimensions: Height 9.5 cmIn Chinese history, glass played a peripheral role in arts and crafts when compared to ceramics and metal work. The limited archaeological distribution and use of glass objects are evidence of the rarity of the material. Literary sources date the first manufacture of glass to the 5th century AD. However, the earliest archaeological evidence for glass manufacture in China comes from the Warring States period. The Chinese learned to manufacture glass comparatively later than the Mesopotamians, Egyptians and Indians. Imported glass objects first reached China during the late Spring and Autumn and early Warring States periods, c. early 5th century BC, in the form of polychrome 'eye beads'. These imports created the impetus for the production of indigenous glass beads. During the Han dynasty, the use of glass diversified. The introduction of glass casting in this period encouraged the production of molded objects, such as bi disks and other ritual objects.The cosmic egg is a mythological motif found in the cosmogonies of the Proto-Indo-European culture and several other major civilizations. Typically, the world egg is a beginning of some sort, and the universe or some primordial being comes into existence by "hatching" from the egg, sometimes lain on the primordial waters of the Earth. Eggs symbolize the unification of two complementary principles (represented by the egg white and the yolk) from which life or existence, in its most fundamental philosophical sense, emerges.In the myth of Pangu, developed by Taoist monks hundreds of years after Lao Zi, the universe began as an egg that symbolizes the primordial state of Taiji. A primeval hermaphroditic giant named Pangu, born inside the egg, broke it into two halves: the upper half became the sky, while the lower half became the earth. As the god grew taller, the sky and the earth grew thicker and were separated further. Finally Pangu died and his body parts became the sun, moon, different parts of the earth and living things. The first writer to record the myth of Pangu was Xu Zheng during the Three Kingdoms period. Recently his name was found in a tomb dated AD 156, during the later Han period.Literature comparison: Compare a related “glob” of glass, 3.5 cm high, in the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2012.9.698. Compare a related glass bi disk, 17.8 cm diameter, dated to the Western Han dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2006.404. Compare a glass bowl, 8.3 cm diameter, dated to the Western Han dynasty, excavated from Tomb 70 at Wenchangta, Hepu county, Guangxi, 1987, lent by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Museum, exhibited in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties, 3 April to 16 July, 2017.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 5 March 2021, lot 48Price: EUR 7,584 or approx. EUR 8,600 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An aquamarine green glass bi disk, Han dynasty Expert remark: Note the size (14.3 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Remotely related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2010, lot 2902 Price: HKD 620,000 or approx. EUR 108,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very rare early translucent aqua glass cup, Han dynasty Expert remark: Note the diameter (7.7 cm)漢代海藍寶石色玻璃蛋中國，公元前202 年至公元 220 年。半透明海藍寶石色玻璃，橢圓形禮器。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：狀況良好，磨損、輕微的缺損、刻痕、劃痕、裂縫、風化和侵蝕跡象。 重量：852.2 克 尺寸：高9.5 厘米
A RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF A RECUMBENT BUFFALO, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, 500 BC to 300 AD. Well cast in a recumbent position with the legs tucked underneath the body, the head raised and flanked by horns, the head and body incised with numerous characteristic spiral designs.Provenance: From the private collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy, and the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Minor old repairs and fills as generally expected from ancient Dong Son excavations. Some losses, fissures, signs of weathering and erosion, and casting flaws. Overall, still in very good condition commensurate with age. Fine malachite-green patina with brown encrustations overall.Weight: 394.5 g Dimensions: Length 11.8 cmDong Son (named for Dong Son, a village in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam) was a Bronze Age culture in ancient Vietnam centered at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam from 1000 BC until the first century AD. Vietnamese historians attribute it to the states of Văn Lang and Âu Lạc. Its influence spread to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Maritime Southeast Asia, throughout the first millennium BC. The culture long remained a mystery to western archaeologists, and it was known only through its bronze objects, many of which were taken from burial sites. Dong Son bronze objects were exhibited in Europe for a century before their original location was even determined, and several theories and speculations over the dating methodologies of the culture continue to this day.Literature comparison: Compare a related elephant-shaped vessel with similar spiral designs, 16 cm long, dated 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD, in the Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, accession number 2007-56439.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's London, 30 January 2019, lot 149Price: GBP 5,250 or approx. EUR 7,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Four Cambodian Dong Son buffalo bells, Battambang province, probably 300 BC-300 ADExpert remark: Compare the related spiral decorations and curled horns東山文化罕見銅牛擺件越南，公元前500至公元300年。臥牛雙腿夾在身體下方，頭部抬起，兩側有角，頭部和身體表面有許多典型的螺旋圖案。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 私人收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。 Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。 他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：小修和填充，一些缺損，裂縫，風化和侵蝕的跡象，鑄造缺陷。綠色銅鏽包漿細膩，有棕色結殼。 重量：394.5 克 尺寸：長 11.8 厘米 東山文化是位於越南北部紅河河谷的一個鐵器時代史前文化。它約繁盛於公元前1000年到公元前後，它影響的區域包括東南亞其他地區乃至以及印度-馬來亞群島。越南歷史學家將其歸因於範朗州和悠樂州。公元前1000年，它的影響了東南亞的其他地區，包括海上東南亞。長期以來，這種文化對西方考古學家來說一直是個謎，人們只能通過青銅器了解它，其中許多通過考古墓地挖掘。東山青銅器在其原始位置被確定之前就在歐洲展出了一個世紀，關於文化年代測定方法的幾種理論和推測一直持續到今天。
'A PORTRAIT OF AUTUMN', BY ZHOU SICONG (1939-1996), DATED 1978China. Ink and watercolors on paper. Depicting two young boys playing with bowls, framed by banana leaves which are suggested by vivid brushstrokes. Note the gently graduated intensity of the black ink, adding depth and three-dimensionality to the work, one of the widely acclaimed skills of Zhou Sicong.Inscriptions: Top left, inscribed 'A Portrait of Autumn', dated 'First month of the year wuwu (1978)'. One seal of the artist, 'Sicong'.Provenance: From a British private collection, acquired between 1978 and 2000, and thence by descent. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear.Dimensions: Size incl. frame 62.5 x 47 cm, image size 34.5 x 27.5 cmFramed behind glass. (2)Zhou Sicong (1939-1996) was a Chinese painter born in Ninghe, Hebei Province. She graduated in 1963 from the Chinese painting department of the Central Art Academy and later worked at the Beijing Painting Institute. Zhou is well-known for her figurative watercolor and oil paintings. Her work won the first prize in the prestigious Fifth National Fine Arts Exhibition in 1979, only one year after the present work was painted, and is now in the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts, among other public collections. Her paintings have been exhibited across China, Japan, and other parts of Asia, as well as in Europe and the US.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: China Guardian, Beijing, 25 March 2012, lot 1706Price: CNY 402,500 or approx. EUR 70,500 converted at the time of writingDescription: Children and Banana Leaves (1979), Zhou Sicong (1939-1996)Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif and composition. Note the size (68 x 45 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: China Guardian, Beijing, 19 March 2011, lot 543Price: CNY 230,000 or approx. EUR 41,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Children Playing (1981), Zhou Sicong (1939-1996)Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif and composition. Note the size (66 x 45 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: China Guardian, Beijing, 13 January 2018, lot 69Price: CNY 172,500 or approx. EUR 23,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: Children playing (1979), Zhou Sicong (1939-1996)Expert remark: Compare the closely related motif and composition. Note the size (68 x 46 cm).1978年周思聰《秋趣圖》中國 ，紙本設色。兩個小童在芭蕉樹下斗蛐蛐兒。小兒一派天真無邪，十分惹人喜愛。筆墨清新、灑脫，富有表現力。 款識：秋趣圖，戊午正月；鈴印：思聰 來源：英國私人收藏，購於1978 至2000年間，保存至今。 品相：品相極好，輕微磨損。 尺寸：總62.5 x 47 厘米，畫面34.5 x 27.5 厘米 玻璃裝框 (2) 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：北京嘉德，2012年3月25日，lot 1706 價格：CNY 402,500（相當於今日EUR 70,500） 描述：周思聰《秋趣圖》 專家評論：比較非常相近的主題和佈局。請注意尺寸(68 x 45 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：北京嘉德，2011年3月19日，lot 543 價格：CNY 230,000（相當於今日EUR 41,500） 描述：周思聰《童玩》 專家評論：比較非常相近的主題和佈局。請注意尺寸(66 x 45 厘米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：北京嘉德，2018年1月13日，lot 69 價格：CNY 172,500（相當於今日EUR 23,500） 描述：周思聰《秋趣圖》 專家評論：比較非常相近的主題和佈局。請注意尺寸(68 x 46 厘米)。
A RARE 'PENSIVE MONKEY' BRONZE VESSEL, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, 500 BC to 300 AD. The vessel in the form of a seated monkey with slender elongated arms and legs, one elbow resting on his knee, the left hand lowered toward his waist and touching his prominent member. The face of almond shape with bulging eyes and a broad nose, the incised mouth forming a subtle smile, flanked by two tubular ears, the mouth of the vessel at the top of his head. The body incised with vertical lines, the recessed base decorated with a characteristic spiral design.Provenance: From the private collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy, and the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Minor old repairs and fills as generally expected from ancient Dong Son excavations. Some losses, fissures, signs of weathering and erosion, casting flaws. Overall, still very good condition commensurate with age. Fine malachite-green patina with brown encrustations overall.Weight: 663.8 g Dimensions: Height 20 cmDong Son (named for Dong Son, a village in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam) was a Bronze Age culture in ancient Vietnam centered at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam from 1000 BC until the first century AD. Vietnamese historians attribute it to the states of Văn Lang and Âu Lạc. Its influence spread to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Maritime Southeast Asia, throughout the first millennium BC. The culture long remained a mystery to western archaeologists, and it was known only through its bronze objects, many of which were taken from burial sites. Dong Son bronze objects were exhibited in Europe for a century before their original location was even determined, and several theories and speculations over the dating methodologies of the culture continue to this day.Literature comparison: Compare a related seated male figure, though of much smaller size (8.9 cm), in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2000.287.Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Galerie Zacke Vienna, 16 October 2021, lot 579Price: EUR 15,168 or approx. EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare male bronze figure, Dong Son cultureExpert remark: Compare the nude man with prominent member and related incised decoration. Note the size (28 cm).東山文化罕見坐猴銅管越南，公元前500至公元300年。器形為坐猴狀，手腳細長，一肘擱膝，左手垂向腰部。杏仁形臉，雙眼圓睜，闊鼻，咧開的嘴露出笑意，兩側耳朵。器皿的口在頭頂。主體刻有垂直線條，圈足，全身有螺旋狀圖案。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 私人收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。 他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：小修和填充，一些缺損，裂縫，風化和侵蝕的跡象，鑄造缺陷。綠色銅鏽包漿細膩，有棕色結殼。 重量：663.8 克 尺寸：高20 厘米
AN AMBER-GLAZED POTTERY VASE AND COVER, HU, HAN DYNASTYChina, 202 BC to 220 AD. The compressed globular sides rising from a short, splayed foot to a waisted neck and everted rim surmounted by a domed cover. The shoulder and body each with a narrow band carved with wave designs enclosed by recessed line borders. Covered overall in an even and finely crackled, golden amber glaze, the interior of the cover with a greenish tint. (2)Provenance: The base with an old label, 'Han Dynasty. Amber glaze. Covered jar. 25-220 AD.' From the collection of Joseph Rondina (1927-2022), who was born into a first-generation Florentine-American family in Auburn, upstate New York. Returning to the U.S. after being stationed in Berlin at the end of the Second World War, he studied at the Whitman School of Design before opening Joseph Rondina Antiques on Madison Avenue in Manhattan's Upper East Side in 1957. In the beginning, his interests focused primarily on European 18th-century decorative arts and furniture, over time developing to include Chinese, Korean, Indian, Thai, Cambodian, Persian and Japanese art, bringing a more esoteric and exotic style to the market. His clientele included stars of the stage and screen, royalty, notables, dignitaries, and denizens of the social register from the United States and abroad.Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. The foot chipped with an associated old fill, minor old repairs and touchups as generally expected from Han dynasty excavations. Wear, firing flaws, intentional glaze crackling, glaze abrasions, kiln grit, small losses, encrustations.Weight: 1,396 gDimensions: Height 25.8 cmLiterature comparison: Compare a related amber-glazed hu, decorated with taotie masks suspending mock ring handles and lacking the cover, 40.6 cm high, dated to the Eastern Han dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1994.605.123. Compare a related amber-glazed hu, decorated with taotie masks and lacking the cover, 34.5 cm high, dated 2nd century BC to 1st century AD, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, accession number EA1956.909.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's London, 18 May 2018, lot 284A Estimate: GBP 4,000 or approx. EUR 5,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A large amber-glazed pottery vase, hu, Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and amber glaze. Note the lacking cover and the larger size (47.5 cm).漢代褐釉弦紋壺中國，公元前202 年至公元220 年。口外撇，束頸，鼓腹，足外撇。有一個圓頂蓋。肩部和身體各有一條弦紋，上面刻有由凹線邊框包圍的波浪圖案。通體施褐色釉，釉色均勻，裂紋細密，蓋內泛綠。 來源：底部有標籤 'Han Dynasty. Amber glaze. Covered jar. 25-220 AD.'。Joseph Rondina (1927-2022年) 私人收藏。Joseph Rondina (1927-2022年) 出生於紐約州北部奧本的第一代佛羅倫薩美國人家庭。第二次世界大戰結束後駐紮在柏林，後回到美國。之後他在惠特曼設計學院學習，於 1957 年在曼哈頓上東區的麥迪遜大街開設了 Joseph Rondina 古董店。一開始，他的興趣主要集中在歐洲十八世紀的裝飾藝術和家具。隨著時間的推移，他開始收集印度、中國、韓國和日本的藝術。他的客戶包括來自美國和國外的銀幕明星、皇室成員、名人、政要和社會名流。 品相：品相好，足部有小填充、小修補。有磨損、燒製缺陷、釉面裂痕、開片、窯砂、小損失、結殼。 重量：1,396 克 尺寸：高 25.8 厘米 文獻比較： 比較一件相近的東漢褐釉弦紋壺，飾有饕餮輔首啣環，沒有蓋子，40.6 厘米高，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號1994.605.123。比較一件相近的公元前二至一世紀釉弦紋壺，飾有饕餮輔首啣環，沒有蓋子，34.5 厘米高，收藏於牛津Ashmolean Museum，館藏編號EA1956.909。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2018年5月18日，lot 284A 估價：GBP 4,000（相當於今日EUR 5,500） 描述：漢褐釉弦紋壺 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和褐釉。請注意沒有蓋子和尺寸較大(47.5 厘米)。
A BRONZE DEATH MASK, DONG SON CULTUREVietnam, 500 BC to 300 AD. Cast as the face of a man with arched brows above deep eye sockets, pierced almond-shaped eyes, a broad nose, and full lips, the mouth slightly open.Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Condition: Fine condition commensurate with age and displaying remarkably well given its high age. Some losses, dents, nicks, scratches and old wear. Expected signs of weathering, erosion and corrosion. Minor structural cracks, old fills and repairs. Magnificent, naturally grown patina overall with extensive malachite and cuprite encrustations.Weight: 315.9 gDimensions: Height 20.8 cmDong Son (named for Dong Son, a village in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam) was a Bronze Age culture in ancient Vietnam centered at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam from 1000 BC until the first century AD. Vietnamese historians attribute it to the states of Van Lang and Au Lạc. Its influence spread to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Maritime Southeast Asia, throughout the first millennium BC. The culture long remained a mystery to western archaeologists, and it was known only through its bronze objects, many of which were taken from burial sites. Dong Son bronze objects were exhibited in Europe for a century before their original location was even determined, and several theories and speculations over the dating methodologies of the culture continue to this day.Literature comparison: Compare a related Dong Son bronze face mask, lacking most of the patina because of extensive restoration and conservatory work, illustrated by Danny Tan, Assistant Curator of the Asian Civilizations Museums, Singapore.東山文化銅面具越南，公元前500至公元300年。面具成男人面容，眉毛深邃，眼窩深邃，大眼圓睜，鼻樑寬闊，嘴唇豐滿，嘴巴微微張開。 來源：Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022年) 私人收藏。Paolo Bertuzzi是來自義大利博洛尼亞的時尚造型師。他是 Hettabretz 的創始人 Enrichetta Bertuzzi 的兒子，Hettabretz 是一家著名的義大利時裝公司，客戶包括羅斯柴爾德家族、奧黛麗赫本和伊麗莎白泰勒。Paolo Bertuzzi 後來接手了他母親的生意並設計了獨家作品，其中一些作品在美國紐約大都會博物館服裝學院展出。六十多年來，他還是一位狂熱的古董收藏家。他的收藏包括古代和當代藝術，他編輯了兩本關於亞洲藝術的重要書籍，《Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery》-關於義大利和印度尼西亞政府合作的大規模考古項目，以及《滿者伯夷-來自被遺忘王國的傑作》。 品相：品相良好，有一些缺損、凹痕、刻痕、劃痕和磨損，並可見風化、侵蝕和腐蝕的跡象；輕微的結構裂縫、填充物和維修。大面積自然包漿與綠色銅紅色結殼。 重量：315.9 克 尺寸：高20.8 厘米 東山文化是位於越南北部紅河河谷的一個鐵器時代史前文化。它約繁盛於公元前1000年到公元前後，它影響的區域包括東南亞其他地區乃至以及印度-馬來亞群島。越南歷史學家將其歸因於範朗州和悠樂州。公元前1000年，它的影響了東南亞的其他地區，包括海上東南亞。長期以來，這種文化對西方考古學家來說一直是個謎，人們只能通過青銅器了解它，其中許多通過考古墓地挖掘。東山青銅器在其原始位置被確定之前就在歐洲展出了一個世紀，關於文化年代測定方法的幾種理論和推測一直持續到今天。 文獻比較： 比較一件相近東山文化面具，由於廣泛地修復，因此沒有包漿，圖見新加坡亞洲文明博物館助理館長Danny Tan。
A RARE MARBLE LINGA WITH FOUR FACES, PANCHAMUKHALINGA, HINDU SHAHINorthwestern India, c. 8th century. Finely carved with four faces of Shiva around a central domed shaft, all supported on a square base, each head with a slightly different hairstyle, headdress, and jewelry.Provenance: From the collection of Anthony d'Offay. Christie's New York, 19 September 2002, lot 127. A private collection in the United States, acquired from the above. Copies of two handwritten labels, confirming provenance and dating, accompany this lot. Georges Anthony d'Offay (b. 1940) is a retired British art dealer, collector, and curator. In 1965, at the age of 25, he opened his first gallery in London. His personal art collection, valued in excess of £100 million, was donated jointly to the National Galleries of Scotland and the Tate in 2008 with the assistance of the Scottish and British Governments. The various exhibitions of his pieces have been seen by a total of over 29 million visitors. Anthony d'Offay has received The Prince of Wales Medal for Arts Philanthropy (2011).Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear and weathering as expected, some losses, nicks and scratches. Signs of erosion, minor fissures and encrustations. Nicely grown natural patina with a beautiful ivory tone overall.Weight: 3,684 g Dimensions: Height 16.5 cmLingas such as the present lot are extremely rare and were produced under the Shahi dynasties (6th-11th centuries), which ruled in the lands formerly known as the ancient region of Gandhara under the Kushan empire. The most recent analysis of this subject is found in Michael Henss, The Mystery of the 'Hund Statues': An Unknown Chapter of Central Asian Statuary, Arts of Asia, January 2016, pp. 28-43. As exemplified in this sculpture, the hair and regalia still echo the visual apparatus of Gandhara, while the rounder facial features are informed by the Gupta style.The linga is the sign of Shiva, a column connecting heaven and earth representing creative power. This form is thought to indicate a five-faced linga (panchamukhalinga), but the fifth face is invisible as it cannot be comprehended by mortals, so lingas of this type always show just four faces. The linga is the main object of worship in Hindu temples.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3069 Price: USD 75,000 or approx. EUR 83,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A marble mukhalinga, Hindu Shahi, circa 9th centuryExpert remark: Note the larger size (25.9 cm)
A PAINTED TERRACOTTA FIGURE OF A ZEBU, MATURE HARAPPAN PERIODIndus Valley Civilization, ca. 2600-1900 BC. The humped bull standing foursquare, its head with large eyes, a short muzzle, and long curved horns, the animal further modeled with a tail. The eyes, horns, neck, and back encircled by brown-painted stripes.Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minuscule nicks, minor smoothened losses, expected old fills and repairs, signs of weathering and erosion, and encrustations.Weight: 651.4 gDimensions: Length 16 cmThe Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age culture in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilizations of the Near East and South Asia, and of the three, the most widespread. Its sites spanned an area from northeast Afghanistan and much of Pakistan to western and northwestern India. The civilization flourished both in the alluvial plain of the Indus River, which flows through the length of Pakistan and along a system of perennial monsoon-fed rivers that once coursed in the vicinity of the Ghaggar-Hakra, a seasonal river in northwest India and eastern Pakistan. The cities of the ancient Indus were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and techniques of handicraft and metallurgy. Both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa likely grew to a size of 30,000 and 60,000 individuals, and the civilization may have contained between one and five million total population during its florescence. It is also known as the Harappan civilization, after its type site Harappa, the first to be excavated early in the 20th century in what was then the Punjab province of British India and is now Punjab, Pakistan. The discovery of Harappa and soon afterwards Mohenjo-Daro was the culmination of work that had begun after the founding of the Archaeological Survey of India in the British Raj in 1861. There were earlier and later cultures called Early Harappan and Late Harappan in the same area. The early Harappan cultures were populated by Neolithic civilizations, the earliest and best-known of which is Mehrgarh in Balochistan, Pakistan. Harappan civilization is sometimes called Mature Harappan to distinguish it from the earlier cultures.Terracotta figures such as the present lot have been unearthed at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, suggesting a commonality of style and purpose throughout the Indus Valley during the mature Harappan period (ca. 2600-1900 BC). In one excavated example from Chanu-daro a hole was poked in the belly, indicating that it would have been attached to a stick for use as a puppet or a small standard of the kind carried in the processions depicted on some seals. In others, the hole was indeed placed on the back of the animal, thus suggesting an alternative function, perhaps as part of a larger ensemble.Zebu cattle are thought to be derived from the Indian bos primigenius namadicus, a subspecies of the aurochs. Wild Asian aurochs disappeared during the time of the Indus Valley Civilization from their range in the Indus River basin and other parts of the South Asian region possibly due to interbreeding with domestic zebu and the resultant fragmentation of wild populations due to loss of habitat. Believed to have first been bred in northwestern South Asia, between 7000 and 6000 BC, they are understood to have been dispersed by 4000 BC and spread across much of South Asia by 2000 BC.Literature comparison: Compare a related painted terracotta figure of a unicorn, also dated ca. 2600-1900 BC, illustrated by Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, Cities of the Indus Valley, in Joan Aruz (ed.), Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus, 2003, no. 276, p. 390. Compare a related serpentine figure of a bull, 14.7 cm long, also dated ca. 2600-1900 BC, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1986.280. Compare two related terracotta models of a humped ox, 9 cm long, dated ca. 2500 BC, used to draw a toy chariot, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession numbers 37.96 and 37.97.
A LARGE AND HEAVY GILT-LACQUERED WOOD FIGURE OF BUDDHAInscribed to base: 'Wan'an Temple, first year of Gia Long, April 5th' - corresponding to 1802 Vietnam, dated 1802. Seated in dhyanasana on a rounded plinth atop a separately carved lotus base. His raised right hand holding a lotus stem and his lowered left resting on his lap and holding a jewel, wearing long flowing robes with voluminous folds. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes, finely textured beard, and full lips, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, the hair arranged in strikingly modeled snail-shell curls. The figure finely lacquered in reddish-brown and gilt, the plinth and lotus base lacquered red with gilt accents. (2) Provenance: From the private estate of Maj and Carl-Axel Persson, antique dealers in Malmoe, Sweden.Condition: Good condition commensurate with age. Old wear and weathering, flaking to lacquer, expected age cracks and splits, some losses, the underside with two drilled holes. Good ancient patina overall. Weight: 11.3 kg (excl. base) and 16.3 kg (incl. base)Dimensions: Height 60 cm (excl. base) and 70.5 cm (incl. base)The Wan'an temple was built in 1279 under the orders of Emperor Kublai Khan and was originally named Dashengshou Wan'an Temple. The White Pagoda is the oldest and largest Buddhist pagoda in China. There were temples built on the site since the Liao dynasty. However, the present building dates to the Ming dynasty as well as its given name, "Miaoying Si", meaning "Temple of Marvellous Response".Literature comparison: Compare with two related gilt-lacquered wood figures of Buddha from Vietnam, dated c. 1600, in the Pacific Asia Museum, accession numbers 1996.28.2 and 1996.28.3.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 25 April 2020, lot 456 Price: EUR 15,168 or approx. EUR 17,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gilt-lacquered wood statue of Buddha, Vietnam, 17th-18th century Expert remark: Note the size (51 cm) and lacking lotus base.大型鎏金漆佛陀坐蓮木像越南，1802年。佛陀結跏趺座坐在蓮座上。右手高舉，持蓮花莖；左手低垂，擱在膝上，持寶珠；身著飄逸僧袍，線條流暢；面容安詳，雙眼微垂，嘴唇豐滿，頭髮呈螺髻。造像上紅棕色漆並美漆，底座和蓮花底座漆成紅色並帶有鎏金點綴。蓮座與佛像分開雕刻。(2)款識：萬安寺；嘉隆源年肆月拾五日造 來源：Maj 與 Carl-Axel Persson私人收藏，瑞典馬爾默古玩經銷商。 品相：狀態良好，有磨損和風化，漆面剝落，年代裂縫，一些缺損，底面有兩個鑽孔。整體包漿。 重量：11.3 公斤 (不含底座) ，16.3 公斤 (含底座) 尺寸：高 60 厘米 (不含底座) ，70.5 厘米 (含底座) 文獻比較： 比較兩件相近的約1600年越南鎏金漆木佛像 ，收藏於Pacific Asia Museum，館藏編號1996.28.2和1996.28.3。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：維也納Galerie Zacke，2020年4月25日，lot 456 價格：EUR 15,168（相當於今日EUR 17,500） 描述：十七世紀至十八越南鎏金漆木佛像 專家評論：請注意尺寸(51 厘米) ，以及沒有蓮座。
AN EXTREMELY RARE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESHVARA IN ROYAL EASE, YONGLE INCISED SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIODChina, 1402-1424. Superbly cast seated in rajalilasana, with swaying torso and head inclined, the left leg drawn up and the right folded in front, the left hand raised and held in vitarka mudra and the right elegantly resting on the rear of the double-lotus pedestal base with beaded rims. The front left corner at the top of the base is neatly incised with the six-character mark Da Ming Yongle nianzhi and of the period.Provenance: From the private collection of a gentleman in the United Kingdom. Condition: Superb condition with only minor wear, minimal casting flaws, minuscule nicks, and remnants of old varnish. The base retains the original sealing.X-Ray Images: Available upon request.Weight: 1,441 g Dimensions: Height 17 cmExpert's remark: The present figure was in private ownership for a long time. Until just recently, it was covered entirely by a thick layer of old varnish, which had blackened completely over the years. The six-character mark was unrecognizably hidden under this coating, and the owner was unaware of its presence. A significant portion of the varnish has now been removed to reveal the magnificent original gilding hidden below. Needless to say, this was done in a most sensitive manner, without scratching the gilding, using only pure alcohol and cotton. There are still some remains of varnish, mostly in the many corners and recesses, which may also be removed if one wishes. Prospective bidders are encouraged to study our high-resolution images in full detail. These will confirm that most of the black areas remaining are ancient varnish, under which the gilding is well preserved.The bodhisattva is wearing a finely detailed foliate tiara, a profusion of beaded jewels around the neck, arms, waist and ankles, a diaphanous scarf billowing at either side, and a voluminous lower garment gathered at the waist with a jeweled girdle and spreading onto the lotus pedestal. The face is exquisitely modeled to provide a benevolent expression with downcast eyes, gently arched brows, circular urna, and smiling lips. The neatly incised hair is drawn up into a knotted jatamakuta topped by a cintamani jewel and elegantly falling in tresses over the shoulders.Bronzes in the Tibetan-Chinese style produced during the reign of Emperor Yongle in the first quarter of the 15th century and bearing his reign mark are highly distinguished for their unsurpassed craftsmanship, overall refinement and gracefulness. Executed by the Imperial ateliers, they display a highly consistent and uniform style, which evolved out of the influence of the Nepalese artist Anige (1244-1306) at the Yuan court and the close links with Tibet established by the Yongle Emperor. The distinct Imperial style includes double-lotus bases with beaded rims and characteristic facial features with broadened outline, gently arched brows above the lidded eyes and subtle smile, all finished with great attention to detail.The future Yongle Emperor was likely introduced to Tibetan Buddhism and became interested in it around 1380, when he was enfeoffed in Beijing, and of course he had strong ties to the Mongol military elite, who were also adherents of lamaist Buddhism, so it appears that he continued to practice this form of Buddhism for the rest of his life. Certainly more works of art depicting lamaist Buddhist deities and imagery were produced during his reign period than under any other Chinese emperor, with the exception of the Qing Emperor Qianlong. For further discussion of this topic see J.C.Y. Watt and D.P. Leidy, Defining Yongle: Imperial Art in Early Fifteenth-Century China, Yale University Press, 2005.In 1406, the Yongle Emperor sent a mission to Tibet inviting the famous hierarch of the Karmapa monastery, Halima, to Nanjing, to take part in the memorial services for the Hongwu Emperor and Empress Ma. Halima first sent a tribute mission, and then in the Spring of 1407 came to the Ming court in person. There he was received with great honor, given the title Dabao Fawang (Great Precious Religious Prince) and asked to perform religious ceremonies for the Emperor's deceased parents. After his return to Tibet, Halima continued to exchange gifts with the Emperor. The Yongle Emperor also invited the hierarch of the Sakyapa to the court at Nanjing in 1413 and treated him too with great honor. Thereafter missions were sent from Sakya abbots until the 1430s. A high-ranking representative of the Yellow Sect was invited to Nanjing in 1413 and was also greatly honored and returned to Tibet in 1416 with many gifts. Gifts and missions continued to be exchanged with the Yellow Sect until the 1430s.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related figure of Avalokiteshvara, also with the Yongle mark incised to the front left corner at the top of the base, below Avalokiteshvara's left knee, at exactly the same place where it is found on the present lot, in the Norbulingka Palace in Lhasa, recorded by von Schroeder in his survey of the holdings of Tibetan monastery collections, illustrated in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, pp. 1270-1, pl. 353D, and in E. F. Lo Bue (ed.), Tesori del Tibet: Offetti d'arte dai Monasteri di Lhasa, 1994, p. 110, no. 70. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby's London, 7 November 2007, lot 362 Price: GBP 546,900 or approx. EUR 939,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare and extremely fine gilt-bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara, erased mark of Yongle and of the period Expert remark: Compare the regal pose, bodhisattva jewelry, smiling expression, double-lotus pedestal base with beaded rims, and near identical size (18 cm). Note that this figure has an erased Yongle reign mark.永樂款罕見銅鎏金觀音中國，1402-1424年。蓮台座面上題刻“大明永樂年製”，為明宮廷風格的作品。 來源：英國一位紳士私人收藏。 品相：狀況極佳，只有輕微磨損、極小的鑄造缺陷、劃痕和舊清漆殘留。底座保留了原來的密封。X光檢測圖片:如有需可經詢問提供。 重量：1,441 克 尺寸：高17 厘米
A JAIN SANDSTONE STELE OF THREE JINAS, WESTERN INDIA, RAJASTHAN OR GUJARAT, 10TH-12TH CENTURYFinely carved in high relief with three nude Jinas standing side by side in kayostarga, each on a rectangular plinth with small figures of worshippers and vyalas, the central Jina flanked by two small figures, the top carved with a seated deity flanked by elephants. Provenance: From the collection of Jean-Marc Andral, acquired 1990 in Belgium. A copy of a provenance statement, written and signed by Jean-Marc Andral, dated 10 December 2022, accompanies this lot. Jean-Marc Andral is a Belgian manager based in Brussels and active in the healthcare industry for over 25 years.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minor losses, nicks and scratches, signs of weathering and erosion, structural cracks, encrustations.Dimensions: Height 51 cm (excl. stand) and 52 cm (incl. stand)With a modern metal stand.Jinas are depicted in only two poses: Kayostarga, standing, or dhyani, seated in meditation, and due to the identical poses and expressions they are distinguished mainly by their vahanas, or vehicles, appearing at the feet of the figures or carved on to the pedestals. In the present example, an exact identification of the Jina is not possible. However, Mahavira is the most commonly represented of the tirthankaras in the kayostarga attitude, and therefore an attribution seems appropriate. Another reasonable attribution would be the second tirthankara, Ajitanatha, whose emblem is the elephant, two of which are carved at the top of this stele. The earliest extant Jain images date to the first century C.E. and were created in the area around Mathura, the center of much religious activity. Jainism is India's third great ancient religion and was founded contemporaneously with Buddhism, from which it differed by its advocating the attainment of a spiritual life through asceticism. This may account for the conventional depiction of tirthankaras in a rigid frontal pose. The term Jina, meaning “Conqueror” or “Victor of over Life” is applied to one who, like the Buddha, has attained perfect knowledge. Tirthankara meaning “He who has crossed the Ford” of rebirth and attained perfect freedom, is equivalent to Jina. In many respects, and more particularly in the seated poses, the Jina figure has many parallels to the Buddha image with the exception that, among the Digambara sect of Jains, the figure is always nude and the chest bears the srivasta.The nudity of Jain saints was a practice of both asceticism and their belief in non-possession, dating back to the days of Mahavira. However, a schism arose in around 79 C.E., extensively recorded in literature, about what constitutes total renunciation. At the time, Jain monks separated into rival factions, the Digambaras “clothed with the sky” or nude and the Svetambaras, “clothed with white”, who partially clad themselves with white cloth. According to inscriptions the Svetambaras worshipped the nude image without objection and for both sects the Jinas and the saint Bahubali are represented naked while all other deities are clothed and even ornamented.The present sculpture symbolizes mankind disregarding the material world and his animal nature. The figure is a human being transformed into a god-like state and the worship of it is not a two-way interaction but a meditation, where the deity is not expected to grant favors but rather to exemplify a state of being attainable by all.Literature comparison: Compare a related marble stele of Ajitanatha and his divine assembly, dated 1062, 149.9 cm high, in the Norton Simon Museum, accession number M.1998.1.S.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Paris, 7 June 2011, lot 353 Price: EUR 46,600 or approx. EUR 55,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A fine sandstone figure of a Jain tirthankara, India, Rajasthan or Gujarat, 11th centuryExpert remark: Note the significantly larger size (100 cm)
A 'FIRE AND FOUR-PETAL LEAVES' BRONZE RITUAL FOOD VESSEL, GUI, EARLY WESTERN ZHOU DYNASTYChina, 11th century BC. The deep body of slight S-profile raised on a spreading foot with a tall straight foot rim below a band of leiwen divided by four flanges, cast below the everted rim with a band of alternating fire and four-petal leaves centered on two sides with a small animal mask, flanked by a pair of loop handles with an animal mask at the top and a hooked tab projecting from the bottom. The bronze with a superb, naturally grown, rich, brown patina with distinct malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Gottfried and Helga Hertel, Cologne, Germany. The property of a gentleman in the United States, acquired from the above. Gottfried Hertel (1925-2019) was the Executive Director of the German Nuclear Reactor Insurance Association in Cologne. Together with his wife, Helga (1928-2013), he formed a substantial collection of Asian art, antiquities, and Old Master paintings, over many decades, beginning in 1970. Parts of the Egyptian art and classical antiquities collection were sold at Bonhams in London, 3 July 2019. Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Old wear and shallow surface scratches, losses, small nicks and dents. One side of the wall and an area of the foot rim sympathetically restored. The interior of the foot rim with minor flaking. Superb, naturally grown patina overall and thus displaying exceptionally well.X-Ray imagery: X-Ray images of the present lot are available on request.Weight: 1,447 g Dimensions: Width 25.5 cm (across)Literature comparison: Compare a related early Western Zhou dynasty gui, illustrated by Wu Zhenfeng, Shangzhou qingtongqi mingwen ji tuxiang jicheng (Compendium of Inscriptions and Images of Bronzes from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties), Shanghai, 2012, pl. 3862. The decoration on the present gui, resembling fire and four-petal leaves, belongs to a distinct type which first appeared in the Western Zhou dynasty, see Shang Zhou qingtongqi wenshi (Decorative Patterns on Shang and Zhou dynasties Bronzes), Beijing, 1984, p. 248, pl. 703-708 for a related discussion and study carried out by the Shanghai Museum Bronze Research Group on this design. Compare the similar gui, also dated early Western Zhou, illustrated by J. Rawson in Western Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. IIB, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1990, p. 385, fig. 43.1. See, also, the similar gui in the collection of the Danish National Museum, illustrated by M. Boyer, Some Chinese Archaic Bronzes in the Danish National Museum, BMFEA, No. 27, Stockholm, 1955, pp. 1-10, pl. 5 (b).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1247 Price: USD 194,500 or approx. EUR 233,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze ritual food vessel, gui, early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BCExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, handles, and decoration with similar animal masks and alternating fire and four-petal leaves (described here as “stars and whorls”), as well as the related size (26.7 cm). Note the five-character inscription.西周初期青銅簋中國，公元前十一世紀。侈口，垂腹，半環耳，圈足外撇，近底處起淺臺。腹兩側為獸首半環耳，下皆垂珥，口沿下飾一紋飾帶，以浮雕小獸面為中心，兩側為交替的火焰紋和四葉草紋。圈足飾一周雲雷紋襯地。青銅器具有極好的、自然生長的、豐富的棕色銅綉，帶有明顯的孔雀石色和赤色結殼。 來源：德國科隆Gottfried 與Helga Hertel收藏；美國紳士收藏，購於上述收藏。Gottfried Hertel (1925-2019年) 曾是德國科隆核反應堆保險協會的執行董事。自1970 年起，他與妻子 Helga（1928-2013年）建立了亞洲藝術、古物和古典大師繪畫收藏。部分埃及藝術和古典古物收藏於2019年7 月3日在倫敦邦瀚斯拍賣行出售。 品相：狀況極佳，有磨損和表面淺劃痕、缺損、小刻痕和凹痕。一側和腳緣的區域得到了修復。足緣內部有輕微剝落。自然生長的整體包漿。 X光射線檢測: 可詢問獲取X射線檢測圖。 重量：1,447克 尺寸：寬 25.5 厘米 (雙耳之間)
A PAIR OF GILT-LACQUERED WOOD ALTAR EMBLEM STANDS, QING DYNASTYChina, 18th-19th century. Each supported on a domed lotus-petaled base bordered with lappet bands, the scrolled openwork standard rising to a large lotus pod enclosed by layered petals, the body lacquered in a thick layer of gilt. (2)Provenance: Collection of Frederick W. Hinke, and thence by descent in the same family. Frederick William Hinke (1900-1960) was an American diplomat and the son of Dr. William John Hinke, a prominent scholar and close friend of many of Washington D.C.'s politicians, including the well-known Dulles family. Frederick Hinke became politically active and served as U.S. Vice Consul from 1926-1929 and as U.S. Consul in Guangdong Province, China in 1932, before moving to Tianjin in 1938. His work allowed him to build a collection of Chinese works of art which was kept in the family for around 70 years before it first entered the art market.Condition: Some old wear, chips, light scratches, few losses here and there, expected age cracks, flaking to the lacquer, one stand with losses to the scroll-form supports.Weight: 1,486 g and 1,488 g Dimensions: Height 36.3 cm and 35.9 cmEmblem stands such as the present pair are usually found in Buddhist altars where they are used as bases to hold the Seven Emblems of Imperial Power (qizhengbao), which according to the Buddhist Sutra, are the accessories of the universal monarch, the Chakravartin. The Seven Emblems represent the different abilities or aides that a king must possess in order to stay in power and can be symbolically offered to the Buddha. The Seven Emblems include the Precious Wheel, the Precious Jewel, the Precious Queen, the Precious Minister, the Precious General, the Precious Elephant and the Precious Horse. For a related gilt-lacquered wood ceremonial vessel, see lot 284 in this catalog.Closely related sets of gilt-lacquered wood emblem stands are in situ in various halls of the Yonghegong Lama temple in Beijing. It was built in 1694 on the site where originally stood an official residence for court eunuchs of the Ming dynasty, and converted into the residence of Prince Yong, who would later become the Yongzheng Emperor. In 1711, Hongli, the fourth son of Yongzheng, the future Qianlong Emperor, was born in the East Academy of the building. In 1744, the Qianlong Emperor issued an edict converting the Palace of Peace and Harmony into a lamasery. Subsequently, the monastery became a residence for large numbers of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Mongolia and Tibet, and so the Yonghe Lamasery became the national center of Lama administration. Since 1792, with the foundation of the Golden Urn, the Yonghe Temple also became a place for the Manchu government to exert control over the Tibetan and Mongolian Lama reincarnations.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams San Francisco, 29 June 2016, lot 9282Price: USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 21,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of gilt lacquered wood lotus stands with Buddhist emblems, late Qing/Republic periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and lacquer. Note the emblems on top of the stands and the sizes (55 and 53 cm).Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby's New York, 24 March 2018, lot 1784Price: USD 6,875 or approx. EUR 7,400 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of gilt-lacquered carved wood altar emblem stands, Qing dynasty, 19th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and lacquer. Note the size (50.2 cm).一對清代木雕漆金蓮花供座中國，十八至十九世紀。仰覆蓮花供座，四重蓮瓣組成，瓣葉飽滿規整，蓮瓣端頭尖挺有力。供座通體施一層厚厚的金漆。(2) 來源：Frederick W. Hinke收藏, 在同一家族保存至今。Frederick William Hinke (1900-1960) 是美國外交官，William John Hinke 博士的兒子。William John Hinke博士是一位著名學者，也是華盛頓特區許多政客的密友，其中包括著名的杜勒斯家族。 Frederick Hinke 在政治上十分活躍，曾於1926 年至 1929 年擔任美國副領事，並於 1932 年擔任美國駐中國廣東省領事，之後於 1938 年移居天津。這件拍品在其家族中保存了大約 70 年。 品相：一些磨損、缺口、輕微的劃痕和缺損，老化裂縫，漆面剝落。一個供座在鏤空裝飾有缺損。 重量：分別為1,486克與1,488克 尺寸：高 36.3 釐米 and 35.9 釐米
A NECKLACE WITH FOURTEEN AGATE AND CARNELIAN BEADS, PYU, 9TH - 10TH CENTURYPyu city-states. Of tubular, biconical, and globular form, etched with pentagons, lines, and other geometric patterns. Four stones of opaque black color, one of translucent reddish amber, the remaining of a pale gray and brown color with bands of light gray and white. Provenance: From the collection of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022), who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Condition: Good condition with some wear, minuscule chips, and natural fissures.Weight: 27.6 g Dimensions: Length 30.8 cm (the necklace) and 2.1 cm (the largest bead)Etched carnelian beads were first produced in the Indus Valley around the middle of the third millennium BC. Trade with Mesopotamia during this period probably sparked their local production. They then spread across the world, with archaeological examples found in various places, such as Myanmar, China, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and Russia. Their shapes, sizes and etched patterns are very diverse, and their wide geographical distribution is striking evidence of their ubiquity.Literature comparison: For a discussion of Pyu beads with related examples, see Elizabeth Moore and Terence Tan, Eyes on the Past: Samon and Pyu Beads in Myanmar, Arts of Asia, vol. 38, no. 1, January-February 2008, p. 134-141. See also Terence Tan, The Journey through Beads: from Prehistory to the Pyu States in Myanmar, Arts of Southeast Asia, vol. 2, no. 1, January-February 2021.
AN IMPERIAL BEIJING ENAMEL CUP STAND, KANGXI YUZHI MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1662-1722)China, c. 1700-1722. Of sixteen-lobed form, the body of heavily cast copper alloy and with the rims finely gilt. Exquisitely painted in bright enamels, the interior with eight phoenixes radiating from the central raised stand with kuilong decoration against a yellow ground. The central recessed ring, added to support a cup, with a half-open peony bloom and furled petals against a turquoise ground, the base similarly painted with radiating and overlapping flower petals, centered by a roundel enclosing a red-enameled four-character mark Kangxi yuzhi and of the period.Provenance: By repute from an old estate in London, United Kingdom. English trade, acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, presenting remarkably well with crisp colors and a subtle luster overall. Old wear and a dense crackling to the enamels, as well as minor warping, dents and nicks to the metal fittings, exactly as expected from this type of ware. Small areas of verdigris, the inner edges and corners of the well with minor yet distinct areas of calcification, indicating the piece may have been used as a jardiniere for some time. Obvious nicks and losses, no restoration or repair of any kind.Weight: 744.3 g Dimensions: Diameter 21.6 cmThe sides painted on the interior with petals against a turquoise ground and on the exterior with colorful kuilong against a yellow ground, the galleried rim with blue foliate scroll against a white ground.The rich color palette and the delicacy of the multi-colored design employed to decorate this exquisite cup stand demonstrate the superb craftsmanship of the Imperial Palace Workshops in Beijing, the Zaobanchu, and the extraordinary skill of their painters. The technique of enameling on metal was originally introduced to the Chinese craftsmen in the Guangzhou area by French Jesuit missionaries in 1684, following the lifting of restrictions at Chinese ports. Being a port city, these artisans were the first to be exposed to wares from Europe and initially developed the skills to replicate these imports. Enamored with the range of vivid and pastel tones of both the imported and tributary wares, the Kangxi Emperor recruited enamel artisans from Guangzhou and Jesuit missionaries to work in the Palace and advance the proficiency of the Enamel Workshops. Painted enamel thus became a defining art form of this period, in quality, innovation, and unsurpassed opulence.The appearance of Kangxi yuzhi marks - unframed, inside double circles, as in the case of the current cup stand - on a number of the surviving examples provides an indication of the Emperor's close personal attachment to these pieces. This exquisitely decorated cup stand can probably be dated to the latter years of the Kangxi reign, possibly to the period AD 1700-22, since a fully developed enamel palette has been used to great effect in its painted decoration on a yellow ground, which is found on the majority of enameled metal vessels from this era. The delicately-painted phoenixes are rendered in both pink and blue enamels, of types which were not successfully prepared in the imperial ateliers until around 1700. In fact, this lot can be seen as a celebration of these newly invented enamel colors and the way they could be used to create painterly, but at the same time jewel-like, decoration. A related palette can be found on a small white-ground lobed box, also with a Kangxi yuzhi mark, in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei (see Enamel Ware in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, page 172, no. 82), which also bears a blue Kangxi yuzhi mark. The painting on the current lot is, however, executed with even greater sophistication.Literature comparison: Compare a Beijing enamel plate, also of sixteen-lobed form, with a Kangxi yuzhi mark, and painted with the same design, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, image number K1E000374N000000000PBA.Also compare an almost exact reproduction of the present cup stand commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor, 22.5 cm diameter, with an enameled four-character Qianlong mark and of the period, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in Metal-bodied Enamel Ware: The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2001, pages 212-213, no. 203. The fact that only a few details were slightly reinterpreted to suit the Qianlong Emperor's taste speaks for the timeless beauty of the present cup stand. Furthermore, compare with entry I-15 in Garland of Treasures: Masterpieces of Precious Crafts in the Museum Collection. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 November 2022, lot 27 Price: HKD 885,000 or approx. EUR 107,000 converted at the time of writing Description: A superb and rare imperial Beijing enamel circular dish, Kangxi red enamel yuzhi four-character mark and of the periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related enamel decoration, yellow ground, and Kangxi yuzhi mark. Note the different form, motif, and the significantly smaller size (9.5 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2157 Price: HKD 1,230,000 or approx. EUR 186,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very rare imperial painted-enamel cup and stand, Yongzheng enameled four-character marks and of the periodExpert remark: Compare the related enamel decoration and yellow ground of the cup stand. Note the different form, motif, smaller size (15.2 cm), Yongzheng reign mark, and that the lot also comprises the matching cup.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 April 2013, lot 3028 Price: HKD 1,840,000 or approx. EUR 278,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare imperial enameled gold-bodied cup stand, Qing dynasty, Qianlong / Jiaqing periodExpert remark: This lot is another example of an imperial enameled cup stand, however of later date and unmarked. Note the related size (20.5 cm). The Sotheby's catalog note for this lot states that the Qianlong-marked cup stand in the National Palace Museum (see Literature comparison) is gold-bodied, which is contradicted by the Palace Museum's own publication, stating that the rims of the cup stand are only gilt, e.g. not made from solid gold.“康熙御製”款黃地花式鳳紋折沿杯托中國，約1700-1722年。 來源：據説來自英國倫敦私人收藏；英國古玩交易，購於上述收藏。
A LARGE IMPERIAL CLOISONNE ENAMEL ARCHAISTIC CENSER AND COVER, FANGDING, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIODChina, 1736-1795. The tapering rectangular censer has twin upright handles and is decorated to each side with massive raised flanges separating finely enameled taotie masks surrounded by and below a band of confronting kui dragons, all supported on four blade-shaped legs emerging from mythical-beast terminals. The reticulated gilt copper alloy cover is decorated with pierced foliage, enameled with angular scrolls, and surmounted by a gilt finial in the shape of a Buddhist lion. The cover is neatly incised with a horizontal six-character mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi on a gilt plaque and of the period.Provenance: Hong Kong trade. By repute acquired from an old private estate.Condition: Magnificent condition with minor wear and manufacturing irregularities, including expected pitting and tiny casting holes. The censer wobbles very slightly. No restorations or fills of any kind visible under the examination of strong UV light. Note that such a general state of preservation on a censer from this period is extremely rare.Weight: 8,338 gDimensions: Height 44.5 cm, Width 27.7 cmWith a custom fitted silk storage box. (2)The shape of this censer is based on ancient bronze vessels. The finely gilt blade-shaped legs, loop handles and flanges, along with the wide spreading taotie masks, all have their prototypes in Zhou dynasty bronzes, many of which are illustrated in Xiqing Gujian, 'Inspection of Antiques from the Zhou Dynasty', the catalogs of ancient bronzes in the Qing Court Collection compiled under the authorization of the Qianlong Emperor in 1755. Censers of this type not only served as an important part of the palace furnishing, but were also used in rituals, banquets, and imperial ceremonies.Literature comparison: Several similar cloisonne fangding-form censers have been preserved in the Qing Court Collection, which are found in varying sizes with different combinations of decorative elements. Compare the fangding with cover with a cloisonne enamel Qianlong six-character mark, similarly decorated with taotie design but with flat dragon-form legs in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, no. 59 (33.8 cm). Compare also three examples in the Palace Museum, Beijing, the first dated to the early Qing dynasty with a gilt openwork cover, lion-form finial and flat blade-shaped legs (35.6 cm), the second with a cast Qianlong six-character mark without a cover and decorated with angular chilong motifs (28.7 cm), the third with a cast Qianlong four-character mark and decorated with taotie design with blade-shaped feet (48.3 cm), illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Enamels - 2 - Cloisonne in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Beijing, 2011, nos. 68, 245 and 246, respectively. Compare also one with a lion-form finial and reticulated panels on the cover (38 cm) in the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum, illustrated in The Prime Cultural Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum - The Enamel Volume, Shenyang, 2007, pp. 146-147, no. 1.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 2 December 2015, lot 3250 Price: HKD 1,240,000 or approx. EUR 168,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A cloisonne enamel archaistic censer and cover, fangding, Qianlong periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration as well as the similar size of 48.2 cm, the difference of 3.7 cm owed solely to the fact that the Buddhist lion on top of this censer has its body raised in an alert position, while it is shown in a rather huddled position on the present lot. Note also the absence of a reign mark.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 2911 Price: HKD 4,750,000 or approx. EUR 570,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A superb imperial cloisonnne enamel 'taotie' fangding-form censer and cover, and a champleve stand, Qianlong periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration as well as the similar size (46.5 cm excl. stand). Note the absence of a reign mark and the additional champleve stand.乾隆款及時期大型掐絲琺瑯饕餮紋出戟鼎式方蓋爐中國，1736-1795年。銅胎，纏枝蓮紋鏤雕蓋，鎏金臥獅蓋鈕，拱門式立耳；立耳和口沿下飾回紋，一面口沿中央有“大清乾隆年製”，腹面中央及四角鑲稜脊，爐身饕餮紋；神獸形四足。 來源：香港古玩交易，據説購於一個老收藏。 品相：狀況極佳，有輕微磨損和製造不規則，比如微小的鑄孔。香爐有輕微搖晃。在強紫外線的檢查下，看不到任何類型的修復體或填充物。 請注意，這一時期的香爐上如此保存狀態極為罕見。 重量：8,338 克 尺寸：高 44.5 釐米，寬 27.7 釐米 配置絲襯方盒。 (2) 此爐仿青銅器造型，精美的鎏金刀狀腿、拱形耳朵、折邊，寬幅的饕餮紋，均出自周代青銅器，多見於1749年乾隆帝授意開始編撰的《西清古鑑》中關於周代古物的研究。此類香爐不僅是宮廷器物的重要組成部分，還用於祭祀、宴請和宮廷大典。
Keaton (Diane) Reservations, first English edition, 1980; Mr. Salesman, one of 4000 copies, Santa Fe, NM, Twin Palms, 1993; Local News: Tabloid Pictures from the Los Angeles Herald Express 1936-1961, New York, 1999; Clown Paintings, New York, 2002 § Keaton (D.) & Marvin Heiferman, editors. Still Life, New York, 1983, photographic illustrations, some colour, original cloth or boards with dust-jackets, the first with slight fading to spine and upper edge, 4to (5)
Klein (William) Life is Good & Good For You in New York, first edition in Italian, with stapled pamphlet loosely inserted, Milan, 1956; Rome, first English edition, 1959; Moscow, first edition, New York, 1964; Tokyo, first edition, New York, 1964, photographic illustrations, original cloth or boards, dust-jackets, very slight fraying and occasional chipping at edges, some creasing to inner flaps, Moscow slightly rubbed, 4to & folio (4) ⁂ A good set of this important quartet. New York was Klein's first book and his magnum opus, first published in France and also in England and Italy the same year, but not in America. Klein's revolutionary photographs and the book's sensational design perfectly captured the energy of the city.
Klein (William) Mister Freedom, edited by Eric Losfeld, first edition, original pictorial glazed boards, Paris, 1970; Qui êtes-vous Polly Maggoo?, Japanese exhibition catalogue, printed in black on silver paper, original pictorial black & silver wrappers, very slight bumping to corners, [Tokyo], [1993]; New York 1954-55, New York, 1995; Paris + Klein, first French edition, 2002; William Klein: Photographs, Profile by John Heilpern. An Aperture Monograph, New York, 1981, photographic illustrations, a few colour, the last three original cloth or boards with dust-jackets, and 13 others by or about Klein, 4to & folio (18)
LaChapelle (David) LaChapelle Land, key sheet loosely inserted 1996; Hotel LaChapelle, 1999; Heaven to Hell, index leaflet loosely inserted, Cologne, 2006, first editions, colour photographic illustrations, original pictorial boards, original pictorial boxes with lids; and another on LaChapelle, 4to (4).
Leibovitz (Annie) Photographs: 1970-1990, first edition, original pictorial boards, translucent dust-jacket, tiny nick to upper edge at spine, New York, 1991 § Seidner (David) Portraits, text by Richard Martin, tipped-in colour plates, one or two with slight damage at upper edge where previously adhered to facing leaf, original boards with illustration to upper cover, slightly rubbed and soiled, corners bumped, New York, [1999] § Skrebneski (Victor) Portraits: A Matter of Record, original boards, dust-jacket, slightly soiled, tear to upper edge, New York, 1978 § Shear (Jack) Four Marines & Other Portraits, one of 2000 copies, original cloth dust-jacket, Pasadena, CA, Twelvetrees Press, 1985 § Selkirk (Neil) See No Evil: Photographs, original boards, Tucson, AZ, Nazraeli Press, 2006, photographic illustrations, a few colour; and c.15 others, portrait photography, 4to & 8to (c.20)
Levinthal (David) American Beauties, original ring-bound silver wrappers, very slightly rubbed, Santa Monica, CA & New York, 1990; Mein Kampf, one of 3500 copies, signed by Levinthal on front free endpaper, Santa Fe, NM, Twin Palms, 1996; Barbie Millicent Roberts: An Original, New York, 1998; Work from 1975-1996, New York, 1997, first editions, photographic illustrations, most colour, all but the first original cloth or boards, the third with dust-jacket; and 8 others by Levinthal, 4to (12).
Madonna. Sex, Photographed by Stephen Meisel, first edition, with CD loosely inserted, original ring-bound aluminium covers stamped "Sex" on upper cover and with cut-out "(X)" on lower, sealed in original pictorial mylar envelope, slightly rubbed, New York, 1992 § Klein (Steven) X-STaTIC PRO=CeSS Madonna, original cloth-backed pictorial wrappers, with original pictorial envelope (flap almost detached), [New York], [2003], illustrations, some colour; and 2 others on Steven Klein, 4to & folio (4)
Mapplethorpe (Robert).- Rimbaud (Arthur) A Season in Hell, translated by Paul Schmidt, photographic illustrations by Robert Mapplethorpe, original cloth-backed boards, New York, Bulfinch Press, 1997 § Mapplethorpe (Robert) Early Works 1970-1974, New York, 1991; Certain People: A Book of Portraits, one of 5000 copies, Pasadena, CA, Twelvetrees Press, 1985 § Danto (Arthur C.) Mapplethorpe, 1992 § Ashbery (John) Mapplethorpe, Pistils, New York, 1996, photographic illustrations, all but the first original cloth or boards, the second very slightly rubbed and marked, the last three with dust-jackets, the last also with slip-case; and 4 others by or about Mapplethorpe, 8to & 4to (9)
McQueen (Steve).- Tanaka (Rin) & Sean Kelly, editors. Steve McQueen 40 Summers Ago...Hollywood Behind the Iron Curtain, one of 10,000 copies, text in English & Japanese, poster of McQueen on a motorbike loosely inserted, Osaka, 2004 § Gragnon (François) Steve McQueen Erfurt 1964, number 162 of 900 copies with an original signed print, this copy also signed by Gragnon on title, original print numbered & signed in ink on verso and loosely inserted, Paris, 2008 § Claxton (William) Steve McQueen, Santa Fe, NM, 2000, photographic illustrations, some colour, original cloth or boards, the first pictorial, the second with illustration mounted on upper cover, the last with dust-jacket; and 4 others on McQueen, 4to (7)
Meatyard (Ralph Eugene) The Family Album of Lucybelle Crater, first edition, New York, The Jargon Society, 1974; A Fourfold Vision, one of 1000 copies, Tucson, AZ, Nazraeli Press, 2005 § Hall (James Baker) & Guy Davenport. Ralph Eugene Meatyard, An Aperture Monograph, first edition, New York, 1974, photographic illustrations, original cloth, the first with light spotting at edges, the first and last with dust-jackets; and 3 others by or about Meatyard, 4to (6).
Michals (Duane) The Nature of Desire, Pasadena, CA, Twelvetrees Press, 1986; Album: The Portraits of Duane Michals 1958-1998, Pasadena, CA, Twelvetrees Press, 1988; The House I Once Called Home, one of 3000 copies, original pictorial boards, Enitharmon Press, 2003; Quantum & Metafisica, one of 1000 copies, Dusseldorf, 2004; The Adventures of Constantine Cavafy, one of 2000 copies, Santa Fe, NM, Twin Palms, 2007, limited editions, the first two each one of 5000 copies, photographic illustrations, all but the third original cloth with dust-jackets; & 22 others by or about Michals, a couple signed by him, v.s. (27)
Morris (Wright) The Inhabitants, first edition, original cloth, dust-jacket, a little rubbed, slightly creased at edges, nick to spine, New York & London, 1946 § Berenice Abbott, 2 vol., original cloth with illustration to upper covers, together in board slip-case, Gottingen, 2008 § Bourke-White (Margaret) Twenty Parachutes, original white satin, slightly soiled, Tucson, AZ, Nazraeli Press, 2002 § Arbus (Diane) The Libraries, folding concertina-style into original boards, with bibliography in original wrappers in pocket at end, board slip-case, San Francisco, 2004 § Strand (Paul) Sixty Years of Photographs, Profile by Calvin Tomkins. An Aperture Monograph, original cloth, dust-jacket, New York, 1976 § Outerbridge (Paul) A Singular Aesthetic: Photographs & Drawings 1921-1941. A Catalogue Raisonné, edited by Elaine Dines, original cloth with colour illustration in hinged aperture mount on upper cover with image partly obscured by cover, translucent dust-jacket, Santa Barbara, 1981, photographic illustrations, a few colour; and 9 others, early & mid-twentieth century photography, mostly American, 8to & 4to (16)
Mulas (Ugo) New York: The New Art Scene, Text by Alan Solomon, first edition, hinges cracked, New York, 1967 § Liberman (Alexander) The Artist in his Studio, New York, 1960 § Seidner (David) Artists at Work..., New York, 1999 § Namuth (Hans) Fifty-Two Artists, plates loose as issued in original board slip-case (rubbed and frayed), 1953, photographic plates or illustrations, some colour, all but the last original cloth with dust-jackets, the first also with old card slip-case (worn), New York; and 5 others, similar, 4to (9)
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