"Praying Virgin Mary". Polychromed wooden relief. Granada School. First quarter of the 18th century. Measurements: 72 x 57 cm. This is a truly exceptional piece and not only because of the very high quality of its carving and polychrome, but also because of the rarity of seeing a bas-relief from the Spanish school in which the praying Virgin Mary is portrayed. It is probable that originally this relief, which is likely to owe its composition to the imitation of a painting or engraving –disciplines in which it is more common to depict the Virgin Mary in this guise– was conceived of as a pendant together with another relief that showed Christ. This is, however, only a supposition based on other known specimens of this typology, which are, moreover, very rare. The relief is carved in a bas-relief style reminiscent of the Italian technique of schiacciato or flattened relief according to which the illusion of depth and corporeality is achieved through minimal variation. This fact, together with the delicacy of the carving, denotes a very skilled sculptor. The Virgin Mary occupies most of the panel and appears on a completely gold background, a colour that alludes to divinity. She has been conceived as a bust extended to the waist, approximately. The composition is triangular due to the lines drawn by the edge of the cloak that is thrown over her head and which is polychromed with lavish and dense multicoloured plant decoration executed with a brush on the outside and with a bluish color with silver touches on the inside. Underneath, she wears a white garment, of which the ends of the sleeves can be seen, and a red tunic with a round neck and accordion folds. The folds of the cloak are soft, with little projection and a rounded profile, in such a way that they contribute to the compositional balance of the relief. The hands, arranged in prayer, are very elegant and have very elongated fingers with delicately joined fingertips. The right hand is particularly well resolved, in which the torsion of the wrist has been skilfully carved. The face, with a highly polished surface, has symmetrical features and a hairstyle reminiscent of the classical style. The sculptor has managed to individualize the locks that make up the hair with light touches of the gouge. Due to the grace and delicate beauty of her face, with small facial features (curved eyebrows, half-open eyes with heavy eyelids, a sharp nose and small, full lips), details that seem to anticipate the Rococo, it is clear that this is an outstanding sculpture from the Granada workshops of the first quarter of the 18th century, in which José de Mora (1642-1724), José Risueño (1665-1732) and Pedro Duque Cornejo (1679-1757) were the most influential characters. They lived in Granada for varying amounts of time between 1713-1719. This Virgin Mary is definitely not by Mora, but it could well be the work of one of the last two. We would like to thank Dr. Javier Baladrón, PhD in Art History, for identifying and cataloguing this work.
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Possibly Valencian School. First third of the 17th century. "The embrace of Saint Francis and Saint Dominic" Oil on canvas. 119.5 x 100cm. The theme of the embrace of Saint Francis and Saint Dominic, founders of the Franciscans and Dominicans, respectively, was widespread iconography in the monasteries of both orders, both in pictorial and sculptural representations. Legend has it that Saint Dominic coincided with Saint Francis at mass in a church in Rome and that he told him: “You are my companion. We will work together, supporting one another toward the same end, and no one will prevail against us." Therefore, the aforementioned embrace, whether historical or legendary, came to represent the twinning of both missionary orders, apostolic and mendicant. The painting depicts this episode, but not as usual with the two saints standing up embracing, but with the peculiarity that both saints are kneeling and between them is the Cross of Christ, which both served wholeheartedly. Undoubtedly, this iconographic rarity adds extra value to the canvas. The anonymous painter has arranged the monumental effigies of both kneeling saints in the foreground (Saint Dominic on the left, which could indicate that it was commissioned by a monastery or a private individual with particular affection for the cause of the Preachers, and Saint Francis on the right), and embracing each other. Between them is a cross that takes up the entire height of the canvas. The shape that both saints make up is triangular, this geometric shape is reinforced through inclined planes delineated by the trees that close the composition at the sides. In between, a cloudy sky can be seen, and below, in the distance, what appears to be a hill crowned by ruined architecture that provides the canvas with a vanishing point and the sensation of depth. Both saints are dressed in the habits of their respective Orders – Saint Dominic wears the two-toned habit made up of a white tunic and scapular and a black cloak, and Saint Francis wears a simple brown serge sackcloth tied at the waist by a Franciscan cord. The figures have rounded shapes, quasi-sculptural in appearance, and are constructed with precise and correct drawing. They place their hands on each other's shoulders, and it is possible to observe the stigmata on Saint Francis' hand. The stylized fingers are meticulously painted, as are the heads, with small, tight brushstrokes that define the facial features and hairstyles, or rather tonsures. The faces, with angular features and pointed profiles, are accurately captured, although their countenances are expressionless. The painter has used earthy colours with warm tones, in which browns and dark blues predominate, as well as white and black. Due to the way both figures have been conceived, the leaves of the trees, and some details such as the landscape that is lost in the distance, it could well be a canvas produced in a Valencian or Aragonese workshop, from the first Realist period, dateable therefore to the first third of the seventeenth century. We would like to thank Dr. Javier Baladrón, PhD in Art History, for identifying and cataloguing this work.
Attributed to Francisco Lacoma Sans (Barcelona, 1784 - Madrid, 1812)"Siege of Taranto"Oil on canvas. 166 x 126 cm.This painting was awarded first prize by the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in 1808.The scene shows the siege of Taranto in 1501, which took place during the Second War of Naples. Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (Montilla, 1453 - Granada, 1515), known as "El Gran Capitan" (the Great Captain), besieged the Italian city by land with Spanish troops.Quoting the Royal Academy in its inventory of pieces from 1804 to 1814, folios 32v and 33r: "When the "Gran Capitan" besieged Taranto, his troops, impatient due to the shortage of food and money, mutinied and armed themselves, threatening his life. The unarmed hero listened serenely to their cries, an angry soldier aimed a pike at his chest and the Great Captain gently deflected it, telling him with a peaceful and majestic smile, "look, you accidentally hurt me." Painted by Don Francisco Lacoma y Sanz, who obtained first prize in the first class in 1808." This text also appeared in the Gazeta de Madrid, on Friday, January 15th, 1808, no. 5.On the back is a label with an explanation of the painting and another indicating its seizure and inclusion in the General Reparations Fund during the Civil War.
YVES KLEIN (1928-1962)Anthropométrie suaire sans titre, (ANT SU 31) 1961 signé et daté 1961 ; inscrit main du futur pénétrant dans le passé au reverspigment pur et liant indéterminé sur gazesigned and dated 1961 ; inscribed main du futur pénétrant dans le passé on the reversepure pigment and undetermined binder on gauze23 x 13 cm. 9 1/16 x 5 1/8 in.Footnotes:Cette œuvre est enregistrée aux Archives Yves Klein sous la référence ANT SU 31. Un certificat des Archives Yves Klein pourra être obtenu par l'acquéreur, sur simple demande. ProvenanceCollection Taramesco, France (acquis directement auprès de l'artiste)Collection particulière, France (puis par descendance) Acquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuelIl est une aura singulière qui se dégage des œuvres d'Yves Klein, de celles qui portent en elles un savoir presque sacré. Invisible et intangible sont sans doute les deux premiers adjectifs qui nous viennent à l'esprit (à l'exception de sa couleur de prédilection) lorsque nous sommes confrontés à une œuvre de cet artiste, dont la simple évocation du nom fait renaître l'éternelle énigme, apanage de sa destinée achilléenne. Si l'artiste a en lui l'héritage la Poétique de la rêverie de Bachelard, c'est à Assise, dans la basilique de Saint-François, qu'il est bouleversé par la vision des fresques monochromes bleues qu'il attribue à Giotto. Sans doute pressent-il déjà ce que l'absolu peut avoir de visible. Une, indivisible, immuable couleur ; la révélation comme une profession de foi.Après s'être partagé le monde au bord d'une plage avec Arman et Claude Pascal, Yves Klein et ses amis souhaitent ardemment muer leur rêve en réflexion et se passionnent pour la Cosmogonie des Rose-Croix de Max Heindel, dont certains passages ont marqué d'une empreinte certaine l'art d'Yves Klein. Pour celui qui s'est octroyé le ciel, la trilogie des couleurs, bleu-rose-or, devient sa propre mythologie. Quant à sa rencontre avec le critique d'art Pierre Restany, elle scellera son art d'une dimension nouvelle. Le verbe rejoint la présence.Comme l'apeiron à l'aube de la philosophie grecque, l'univers est pour Yves Klein le principe originel et l'enveloppe de tout. La perception et l'action, quant à elles, sont une extension du concept d'immatérialité. A cet égard, les anthropométries, à ses yeux, sont autant de paysages de liberté. Nées du mythe de la caverne, un soir de 1960, dans l'atelier de l'artiste, situé au 14 rue Campagne-Première, celles-ci se concentrent sur le corps féminin, enduit de son célèbre IKB. Les femmes pressent alors leurs corps sur du papier, qui épouse et capture leurs ombres. Le vernissage inaugural de leur première exposition, le 9 mars 1960 à la Galerie nationale d'Art Contemporain, resta célèbre. Ce soir-là, devant un public en tenue de soirée (exigée), trois modèles nus arrivèrent, un pot de peinture à la main. Yves Klein, vêtu d'un costume sombre, orchestra un rituel inattendu, sur fond de Symphonie Monoton : les femmes en pinceaux vivants se virent transformer. Le ballet pictural put alors commencer.Ces transpositions de l'existence humaine, du réel vers l'immatériel, trouvent sans doute leur inspiration lors d'un voyage que l'artiste fit au Japon en 1953 où il découvrit les empreintes négatives des victimes de la bombe atomique d'Hiroshima. Où d'aucun verrait la disparition, l'artiste pressent l'appartenance à une nouvelle réalité : la survie immatérielle.La naissance de ces anthropométries sera le point d'ancrage des tous premiers happenings et les disciples à sa suite seront innombrables, tant ses propositions d'avant-garde feront date : Epoca blu, Propositions Monochromes, le Saut dans le Vide etc. Kosuth, Heinz Mack, Otto Piene, Jiri Kolar, Günther Uecker, Anish Kapoor, et tant d'artistes contemporains se réclament de son influence. Ses œuvres ont rejoint, depuis de nombreuses années, les plus grands musées internationaux. Dans les temps qui suivirent la célèbre exposition, une trentaine d'Anthropométries suaires virent le jour. Rares et convoitées, certaines d'entre elles sont des empreintes négatives (l'artiste vaporisait autour du modèle, la forme physique restant vierge de peinture), comme celle que nous présentons, datée de 1961.Introuvables sur le marché (très peu furent réalisés), ces petits formats portent en eux une grande puissance d'évocation chère à l'artiste, qui fut l'un des plus grands génies du XXe siècle (selon les mots de Pierre Restany). Cette œuvre, dont il émane réelle présence, porte en elle la quintessence de l'art d'Yves Klein : l'immatérialité, que sous-tend l'absence du geste créateur, la couleur pure et l'empreinte intelligible (et non sensible) qu'incarne à la perfection cette anthropométrie, au charme talismanique.Immaculée, la chair, diaphane, s'est ici évanouie pour n'en laisser que sa trace. Naît de cet affleurement pigmentaire le frisson de la beauté, comme un sentiment de vie inattendu. « Le véritable moment pictural né d'une illumination par l'imprégnation de la vie elle-même. » (Yves Klein). Et ce mot, testamentaire, écrit au dos par l'artiste « main du futur pénétrant dans le passé » : la métamorphose devient lieu du mystère. De ce suaire à l'espérance fragile émanent une présence, que cristallise l'absence d'une main que l'on devine, et la contemplation pénétrante que l'on ressent devant tout chef-d'œuvre, car sa beauté est un rayonnement silencieux. A unique aura emanates from Yves Klein's works as if they held some sacred knowledge. Invisible and intangible are undoubtedly the first two adjectives that come to mind—other than his preferred colour—when we contemplate a piece by Klein. His very name awakens the eternal enigma that is the hallmark of his Achilles-like destiny.Indeed the artist has assimilated the legacy of Bachelard's Poetics of Reverie, however it was his discovery of the blue monochrome frescos—he attributed to Giotto—, at the Basilica of Saint Francis, in Assisi, that affected him to the core. At the time he probably had sensed that perfection might be revealed. One, indivisible, immutable colour: revelation as a manifesto.After Yves Klein, Arman and Claude Pascal had each chosen a piece of the world as they sat on the beach, he and his friends were eager to theorize their dreams and became fascinated by Max Heindel's Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, certain passages of which left a definite mark on Yves Klein's art. Since he had chosen the sky for himself, the trilogy of colours, blue-pink-gold, became his personal mythology. Meanwhile, when Pierre Restany encountered Klein, the art critic saw the scope of the oeuvre: thus bringing together theory and practice.Like the apeiron (infinity) at the dawn of Greek philosophy, to Yves Klein theuniverse was the all-encompassing original principle. As for perception and action, they were an extension of the concept of immateriality. Therein he sees his Anthropometries as an abundance of liberated landscapes.One evening in ... This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
AGOSTINO BONALUMI (1935-2013)Bianco 1967 signé, daté 67 et inscrit N.Y. au revers toile de forme et tempera vinylique signed, dated 67 and inscribed N.Y. on the reverseshaped canvas and vinyl tempera 127.5 x 176 x 30.5 cm. 50 3/16 x 69 5/16 x 12 in.Footnotes:Cette œuvre est enregistrée sous le n° 67-015 auprès de l'Archivio Bonalumi, Milan ; un certificat signé par l'artiste sera remis à l'acquéreur.ProvenanceGalleria Fumagalli, BergameAcquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuel en 2006ExpositionNew York, Galleria Bonino, Agostino Bonalumi painting – constructions, 1967BibliographieWolbert Klaus, Agostino Bonalumi, Parme 2003, p. 152, illustré en noir et blanc Renato Barilli, Lia Durante, Agostino Bonalumi. Premio 'Artista dell'anno 2006', Milan 2006, p. 53, illustré en couleurs Fabrizio Bonalumi, Marco Meneguzzo, Agostino Bonalumi. Catalogo Ragionato, Milan 2015, Vol. II, p. 406, n° 332, illustré en noir et blancAgostino Bonalumi est né en 1935 à Vimercate, en Italie. Artiste autodidacte, il a étudié le design technique et la mécanique. Il a passé la majeure partie de sa vie en Italie, à l'exception d'une période d'étude et de travail en Afrique méditerranéenne et en 1967 aux Etats-Unis. Bonalumi est surtout connu pour ses toiles monochromes enduites de vinyle façonné.Alors qu'il visite l'atelier du peintre Enrico Baj, il rencontre Piero Manzoni et Enrico Castellani, avec lesquels il exposera à Rome, Lausanne et Milan en 1958. Leur questionnement autour de l'art et de leur époque les amène à repenser leur peinture vers une forme de peinture-objet : pittura-oggetto concept qui plut aussitôt à Bonalumi. Un an plus tard, Bonalumi et Castellani fondent la revue Azimuth et commencent à fréquenter l'atelier de Lucio Fontana. En effet au contact de Lucio Fontana, Bonalumi a étudié le concept d'espace et a réalisé ses premières Estroflessioni, consistant à étirer et à déformer les toiles à travers des structures et des cadres construits derrière elles créant ainsi l'illusion d'une force invisible poussant par dessous. Dans les années 1960, l'artiste introduit de nouveaux matériaux dans ces peintures construites tels que l'aluminium, et il a agrandi l'échelle de son travail, créant finalement des installations.Le travail de Bonalumi a été présentée dans de nombreuses grandes expositions individuelles et collectives, notamment aux Biennales de Venise et de São Paulo, et fait partie des collections de plusieurs musées, dont la Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea de Turin, la Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea de Rome, le Museu Coleçao Berardo de Lisbonne, la Peggy Guggenheim Collection de Venise et le Walker Art Center de Minneapolis. Des rétrospectives de l'œuvre de l'artiste ont été organisées à l'Institut Mathildenhöhe de Darmstadt, en Allemagne, en 2003, au Musée d'art moderne de Moscou en 2011 et au Palazzo Reale de Milan en 2018.Le public américain a pu découvrir, Bianco et le travail de Bonalumi lors de son exposition dédiée par la Galleria Bonino à New York en 1967. Cette œuvre de 1967 est extrêmement importante étant donné cette composition extraordinaire qui sont l'une des plus recherchées par les collectionneurs et que le marché n'a que trop peu l'occasion de pouvoir voir sur le marché. Grand Artiste de son vivant, Agostino Bonalumi, nous éblouit à nouveau avec ses extroflexions semi circulaires sur les trois angles et joue avec une plus petite estroflessione pointue dans l'angle supérieur gauche, défiant avec les limites de la toile qui lui sont imposées. Son habileté et cette vision si particulière de l'espace nous amène vers la contemplation et l'introspection. Légère, aérienne, puissante, ce pur pittura-oggetto présenté est l'exemple parfait de la capacité de l'artiste à jouer avec les trois dimensions qui enrobe le spectateur. Cet architecte de la toile met en scène ici la lumière tel un réflecteur sensoriel ; les volumes dans l'espace captent avec force l'œil du spectateur et lui donne une dimension physique et tactile.Agostino Bonalumi was born in 1935 in Vimercate, Italy. A self-taught artist, he studied technical drawing and mechanics. He spent most of his life in Italy, except for a period of study and work in Mediterranean Africa and 1967 in the USA. Bonalumi is best known for his monochrome canvases covered with shaped vinyl.While visiting the studio of the painter Enrico Baj, he met Piero Manzoni and Enrico Castellani, with whom he exhibited in Rome, Lausanne and Milan in 1958. Their questioning of art and of their current times led them to rethink about their painting as a form of object painting: pittura oggetto, a concept that immediately appealed to Bonalumi. A year later, Bonalumi and Castellani founded the magazine Azimuth and began to visit Lucio Fontana's studio. Inspired by Lucio Fontana, Bonalumi studied the concept of space and made his first Estroflessioni, which consisted of stretching and deforming canvases through structures and frames built behind them, thus creating the illusion of an invisible force pushing from below. In the 1960s, the artist introduced new materials into these constructed paintings, such as aluminium, and expanded the scale of his work, eventually creating installations.Bonalumi's work has been shown in numerous major solo and group exhibitions, including the Venice and São Paulo Biennales, and is included in the collections of several museums, including the Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Turin, the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome, the Museu Coleçao Berardo in Lisbon, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Retrospectives of the artist's work were held at the Mathildenhöhe Institute in Darmstadt, Germany, in 2003, the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow in 2011 and the Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2018.The American public first discovered Bianco and Bonalumi's work at his solo exhibition at Galleria Bonino in New York in 1967. This 1967 work is extremely important due to the extraordinary composition, one of the most sought after by collectors, and which rarely surfaces on the market. A great artist during his lifetime, Agostino Bonalumi dazzles us again with his semi-circular extroflexions on 3 angles, playing with a smaller sharp estroflessione in the upper left corner, defying limits imposed by the canvas. His skill and unique vision of space lead us to contemplation and introspection. Light, airy, powerful, this pure pittura-oggetto here on show is the perfect example of the artist's ability to play with the three dimensions that engulf the viewer. Here, this architect of the canvas stages the lighting as if it were a sensory reflector; the volumes of the space, giving it a physical and tactile dimension, forcefully capture the eye of the spectator.... This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
KEITH HARING (1958-1990)Sans titre 1984 signé et daté 84feutre sur tôle signed and dated 84felt tip pen on metal67 x 128.5 x 14 cm.26 3/8 x 50 9/16 x 5 1/2 in.Footnotes:Provenance Offert par l'artiste à Madame Françoise Boisrond (épouse de l'artiste François Boisrond) Puis par descendance au propriétaire actuel Exposition Calais, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Libres figurations années 80, 11 juin 2021 au 2 janvier 2022François Boisrond et Keith Haring se rencontrèrent pour la première fois en 1982, lors d'une exposition organisée par Otto Hahn « Statement One », à New York. Leur amitié fut telle qu'à chaque fois que Keith Haring venait à Paris dans les premières années, il logeait chez François et Françoise Boisrond. Celle-ci rendait souvent service à l'artiste américain en l'accompagnant à ses rendez-vous dans sa Fiat 500. Pour la remercier de faire tous ces déplacements, un jour de 1984, Keith Haring lui fit la surprise de lui dessiner sur son capot un flying angel.Cette œuvre fut exposée au Musée des Beaux-Arts de Calais, lors de la grande exposition Libres Figurations année 80 qui a eu lieu du 11 juin 2021 au 2 janvier 2022.François Boisrond and Keith Haring met for the first time in 1982, during the exhibition 'Statement One' organized by Otto Hahn in New York. Their friendship was such that each time Keith Haring visited Paris in the early years, he always stayed with François and Françoise Boisrond. The latter often helped the American artist by accompanying him to his appointments in her Fiat 500. To thank her for all these trips, one day in 1984 Keith Haring gave her the surprise of drawing a flying angel on her car bonnet.This work was exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts of Calais in the major exhibition Libres Figurations of the 80s, which took place from June 11th, 2021 to January 2nd, 2022.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
CHU TEH-CHUN (1920-2014)Profondeurs veloutées 1991 signé, signé en chinois 朱德群 et daté 91 ; signé, signé en chinois 朱德群, titré et daté 91 au revershuile sur toilesigned, signed in Chinese 朱德群 and dated 91 ; signed, signed in Chinese 朱德群, titled and dated 91 on the reverse oil on canvas88.6 x 115.8 cm. 34 7/8 x 45 9/16 in.Footnotes:Cette œuvre est accompagnée d'un certificat d'authenticité de la Fondation CHU Teh-Chun (https://chu-teh-chun.org). ProvenanceGalerie du Luxembourg, LuxembourgCollection particulière, LuxembourgAcquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuel BibliographiePierre-Jean Rémy, Chu Teh-Chun, Paris 2006, p. 185, illustré en couleursChu Teh-Chun naît à Baitu Zhen, district de Xiao, dans la province du Jiangsu en 1920 en Chine. Son père et son grand-père, médecins traditionnels, collectionnent les peintures chinoises, l'amenant sans nul doute très tôt vers cette vocation artistique via la calligraphie et la poésie classique chinoise. Encouragé par son père, il est inscrit puis reçu à l'académie des Beaux-Arts de Hangzhou, dont le directeur est le peintre Lin Fengmian qui restera un ami et mentor pour Chu.Après avoir suivi un enseignement de la peinture chinoise classique, il devient à seulement vingt et un ans professeur-assistant à l'académie des Beaux-Arts de Chongqing et s'applique désormais à peindre sous l'influence des grands peintres français avant de pouvoir venir définitivement en France en 1955. Ce pays le fera d'ailleurs entrer comme membre de l'académie des Beaux-Arts : l'artiste devient ainsi aussi immortel que son Œuvre. Il y rencontre tout d'abord des artistes chinois exilés comme Pan Yuliang, Sanyu, le sculpteur Xiong Bingming et retrouve Zao Wou-Ki, son camarade d'école. L'année 1956 sera pour lui un tournant artistique majeur. Il abandonne l'aspect figuratif de son art pour l'abstrait et rencontre un écho intense à travers ses nombreuses expositions en Europe avant sa première consécration à la 10ème Biennale de Sao Paulo au Brésil où un stand lui est consacré pour représenter la Chine en 1969.La reconnaissance de son travail devient très vite internationale et Chu Teh-Chun est très souvent appelé à retourner en Asie dont il continuera de s'inspirer tout au long de sa carrière.La légende et la notoriété de ce peintre - également officier de l'Ordre National du Mérite -, ses encres, ses toiles et ses céramiques n'ont de cesse d'impressionner son public. D'une extrême poésie et d'une grande délicatesse, ses œuvres sont le cheminement d'une recherche perpétuelle de l'expression de son imagination et de ses émotions grâce une palette de couleurs toujours plus riche et nuancée. Il est l'artiste chinois qui a su le mieux intégrer et sublimer la tradition chinoise et l'art occidental.Profondeurs veloutées, peint en 1991, est probablement un des tableaux réalisés dans son nouvel atelier de Vitry dans lequel il peut travailler sereinement au son de la musique classique. On y perçoit l'omniprésence de la nature, indissociable de son œuvre. Il y fait pénétrer une lumière douce, mais indispensable à sa composition, avec justesse. Cette œuvre est le parfait exemple de l'excellence de Chu Teh-Chun, alliant la maîtrise de la calligraphie rythmée avec précision, l'organisation d'une image sur la toile et la richesse des couleurs au profit de la lumière.Chu Teh-Chun was born in Baitu Zhen, Xiao district, Jiangsu province in 1920 in China. His father and grandfather, both traditional doctors, collected Chinese paintings, which undoubtedly led him early on to this artistic vocation through calligraphy and classical Chinese poetry. Encouraged by his father, he was enrolled and accepted at the Hangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, whose director was the painter Lin Fengmian, who would remain a friend and mentor to Chu.After studying classical Chinese painting, he became an assistant professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Chongqing at the young age of 21. At that time, he turned to the great French painters for inspiration until he could move permanently to France in 1955. His new country would even welcome him as a member of the Academy of Fine Arts: the artist thus becoming as immortal as his oeuvre. At first he met exiled Chinese artists such as Pan Yuliang, Sanyu, the sculptor Xiong Bingming, even reuniting with his old schoolmate Zao Wou-Ki. 1956 was a major artistic turning point for him. He abandoned figurative art for an abstract pictorial approach soon rewarded by numerous exhibition proposals throughout Europe, leading to consecration in 1969 at the 10th Biennial of Sao Paulo in Brazil where he was offered his own booth to represent China.Recognition for his work would soon spread on an international level, henceforth Chu Teh-Chun was often called upon to return to Asia which would remain a primordial source of inspiration throughout his career.The legend and notoriety of this painter—also an officer of the National Order of Merit— his inks, his paintings and his ceramics have never ceased to impress. Highly poetic and extremely refined, his works testify to his constant quest to express the depth of his creativity and his emotions using a rich, nuanced, ever expanding palette of colours. He is the Chinese artist who has best integrated and sublimated Chinese tradition and Western art.Profondeurs veloutées (velvet depths), painted in 1991, is probably one of the paintings produced in his new studio at Vitry where he could work serenely to the sound of classical music. There, Nature, inseparable from his work, is omnipresent: sifted by vegetation the soft lighting is essential to the accuracy of the artist's compositions. This work is a perfect example of Chu Teh-Chun's excellence, combining his mastery of the calligraphic cadence and flow, with the art of composing upon the canvas using a wealth of colours to reveal light.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
HAMISH FULTON (Né en 1946)Night Bird Songs A walk to the summit of Dranga Jokull at the time of the full moon Holmavik to Holmavik northwest iceland the first seven days of June 1985 titré et daté de façon tapuscrite 1985 photographie en noir et blanc dans cadre d'artistetitled and dated in typescript 1985black and white photograph in the artist's frameDiamètre de l'image : 49.5 cm. Image diameter : 19 1/2 in. Feuille : 104 x 99 cm. Sheet : 40 15/16 x 39 in. Encadré : 113 x 108 cm.Framed : 44 1/2 x 42 1/2 in. Cette oeuvre est unique.Footnotes:Cette œuvre est accompagnée d'un certificat de l'artiste. ProvenanceGalerie Gillespie - Laage - Salomon, Paris Acquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuelExpositionsKerguehennec, Centre d'art Contemporain du domaine de Kerguehennec, Hamish Fulton : des pierres levées et des oiseaux chanteurs en Bretagne, 1988Le Havre, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Vies d'artistes, 1991Paris, Centre National de la Photographie, L'Amérique furtivement, 1991-1992BibliographieBeaux-Arts Magazine, novembre 1988, p. 14, illustré en noir et blancMichel Poivert, La photographie Contemporaine, Paris 2002, p. 19, illustré en noir et blancFor further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Two Edwardian silver stamp holders modelled in the form of envelopes, the first example detailed 'Stamps', hallmarked Crisford & Norris Ltd, Birmingham 1903, the second of plain form, hallmarked Crisford & Norris Ltd, Birmingham 1902, approximate total weight 0.38 ozt (11.8 grams)Condition Report:General wear commensurate with age and use, including surface scratches and nicks.The first example with a few small indentations.Second example with knocks to suspension ring mounted heart.Hallmarks clear and legible.
PAIR OF ROCK CRYSTAL AND GEM-SET PHOTO FRAMES, CIRCA 1920Each rock crystal frame containing a tinted photograph on card of an infant, the first accented by circular-cut ruby and rose-cut diamond floral motifs at each corner, the reverse containing a concealed lock of blonde hair with a handwritten note, 'Marjorie aged/ 17½ months/ January '25/ Hair cut at/ 2yrs 10½ mths/ as first cut/ taken', the second accented by circular emerald and rose-cut diamond floral motifs at each corner, the reverse engraved, June 15th 1922, containing a concealed lock of dark blonde hair with a handwritten note, 'Robert aged/ 15 months./ August 1922./ Hair cut on/ Nov 27th 1922.' frame dimensions 4.7cm x 5.4cm, fitted cases by Collingwood & Co., 46 Conduit St, London (2)For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
SEAMAN SCHEPPS: ART DECO DIAMOND AND ROCK CRYSTAL CLASP, CIRCA 1935-40The openwork rectangular plaque set throughout with old brilliant-cut diamonds, between diamond-set semi-cylindrical rock crystal batons, to a four-row imitation pearl choker necklace, clasp signed Seaman Schepps, diamonds approximately 9.00cts total, lengths: clasp 6cm, necklace 26cm shortestFootnotes:Seaman Schepps (1881-1972) opened his first store in California in 1904 before relocating to his native New York in 1921. Schepps expanded his business and acquired a second location a few years later but the economic crisis of 1929 forced him to close his doors. He used this time to reassess his strategy and focus on new designs, eventually reopening at a prestigious address on Madison Avenue in 1934 with renewed energy and direction.His imaginative designs featured a bold combination of precious, semi-precious and organic gems that would define his style and earn him a loyal following amongst high profile socialites and cultural icons. Beloved by Katherine Hepburn, the Roosevelts, the Rockefellers, the Duchess of Windsor and Andy Warhol, Seaman Schepps came to be crowned, 'America's Court Jeweller'. Upon his death in 1972, his daughter, Patricia Schepps Vaill took over the running of the business, honouring her father's distinctive flair for creating bold statement jewels of which the present lot is a fine and rare early example.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
MOSHEH OVED: SILVER PARROT RING, CIRCA 1950Modelled standing, the displayed wings and neck engraved to resemble plumage, with hammered legs and talons forming the shank, ring size MFootnotes:ProvenanceA gift from Cycill Tomelry, manager of the Design Council in the 1950s Descent to the current ownerMosheh Oved (1885-1958), the charismatic owner of Bloomsbury antique shop, Cameo Corner, was an authority on cameos, antique watches and clocks as well as being a writer, sculptor and poet. Whilst sheltering in the basement of Cameo Corner during the blitz, he modelled the first of his animal ring designs out of wax - a lamb on wobbly legs - in order to steady his trembling hands. Later he would add many more animals to his menagerie of rings in both gold and silver.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
DIAMOND EARRINGS, FIRST QUARTER OF THE 19TH CENTURYThe earrings of Eastern inspiration and stylised pagoda design, each old brilliant-cut diamond collet surmount, suspending graduating articulated crescent links, pavé-set throughout with old brilliant-cut diamonds, diamonds approximately 3.75 carats total, length 4.2cm, fitted case by Collingwood Jewellers Ltd, 46 Conduit St WFor further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
NATURAL PEARL, ONYX AND DIAMOND BROOCH, FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURYOf floral spray bouquet design, set with old brilliant-cut diamonds, calibré-cut onyx and two natural pearls, principal diamonds approximately 0.85, 0.75 and 0.75 carats, diamonds approximately 4.95 carats total, length 6.5cm Footnotes:Accompanied by a report from The Gem and Pearl Laboratory stating that the pearls are natural saltwater. Report number 22211 dated 7th October 2022.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND CLUSTER RINGThe cushion-shaped sapphire, weighing 5.493 carats, within a surround of similarly-shaped and old brilliant-cut diamonds, diamonds approximately 1.40 carats total, ring size L½Footnotes:Accompanied by a report from SSEF stating that the sapphire is of Kashmir origin, with no indications of treatment. Report number 124017 dated 9th August 2022.Accompanied by a report from AGL stating that the sapphire is of Kashmir origin with no indications of heat treatment. Report number 1126983 dated 17th October 2022.Sapphires from Kashmir were first discovered in the late 1870s/early 1880s high up in the snow-clad Great Himalayas of north-western India where a landslide revealed hitherto unknown deposits in a rock valley 4500m above sea level. By 1882 the Maharaja of Kashmir had taken control of the mine that could only be worked from July-September each year due to the high altitude and near perpetual heavy snowfall. Because of its remote location mining techniques were always primitive. This first mine, known as the Old Mine, was really just a series of shallow pits sunk into the rock. Apparently, the first specimens were so huge and abundant, they were studded in places as thick as 'plums in a pudding' and could be plucked from the rock. By 1887 the Old Mine was nearly exhausted and a New Mine, on the valley floor 250m below, gave up some fine sapphires but they were generally of lesser quality, size and quantity. The area was worked sporadically until the late 1920s/early 1930s but the glory years of the 1880s were never repeated.Legend says that the finest stones from this 30 to 40-year period were all acquired by the Maharaja and jealously guarded in the chambers of the Kashmir State Treasury. British geologist, Charles Stewart Middlemiss, Superintendent of the Mineral Survey of Jammu and Kashmir State from 1917 until 1930, recorded seeing some of this fabled hoard, describing the sacks of rough and cut gems as a 'king's ransom', with some sapphires the size of polo balls.Today, Kashmir sapphires set the standard against which all other sapphires are measured and are avidly sought by collectors who are prepared to pay princely sums for top-quality specimens.For further reading see, Hughes, R. W., 'Ruby & Sapphire', RWH Publishing, 1997 and Ramsay, A. (with Sparkes, B.), 'Bright Jewels of the Mine', 1934.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ΩΩ VAT on imported items at the prevailing rate on Hammer Price and Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
KIESELSTEIN-CORD: AMETHYST BEAD NECKLACE, CIRCA 2003Alternately-set with spherical amethyst beads and a fringe of polished amphorae links, signed B.Kieselstein-Cord, length 41cm Footnotes:Born in Manhattan in 1948 and educated at Parsons School of Design and the American Craft Institute, Barry Kieselstein-Cord worked as an art director in advertising before pursuing a career as an artist-jeweller and founding his eponymous company in 1972. His jewellery is characterised by tactile matt-gold sculptural forms inspired by antiquity, Native American art and the natural world. Kieselstein-Cord designed his first sterling silver collection that same year, and in 1973, the collection was presented for sale at Georg Jensen's Manhattan flagship store. Through this partnership with the legendary Danish silverware firm, Kieselstein-Cord's work reached an international audience. It was also around this time that he began working with Calvin Klein. By the late 1970s, Kieselstein-Cord had begun to integrate gold and gemstones into his work and in 1977, he won his first award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Some of his most sought-after collections from the 1980s including 'Crocodile', 'Pompeii' and 'Borgia' are enjoying a resurgence today. Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Sir Elton John, Jack Nicholson, Barack Obama and Giorgio Armani are all known collectors of Kieselstein-Cord's work. His designs have found their way into the Louvre in Paris and his 'Women of the World' cuff bracelet is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (accession number 1995.380.2).Lots 36-42 are from a Private Collection of Artist Jewellery.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
KIESELSTEIN-CORD: 'ANGEL IN MY WINDOW' CUFF, CIRCA 1997The openwork cuff with central rectangular window containing the figure of an angel amongst diamond-set scrolls, signed B. Kieselstein-Cord, diamonds approximately 0.40cts total, internal diameter 5.3cm Footnotes:Born in Manhattan in 1948 and educated at Parsons School of Design and the American Craft Institute, Barry Kieselstein-Cord worked as an art director in advertising before pursuing a career as an artist-jeweller and founding his eponymous company in 1972. His jewellery is characterised by tactile matt-gold sculptural forms inspired by antiquity, Native American art and the natural world. Kieselstein-Cord designed his first sterling silver collection that same year, and in 1973, the collection was presented for sale at Georg Jensen's Manhattan flagship store. Through this partnership with the legendary Danish silverware firm, Kieselstein-Cord's work reached an international audience. It was also around this time that he began working with Calvin Klein. By the late 1970s, Kieselstein-Cord had begun to integrate gold and gemstones into his work and in 1977, he won his first award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Some of his most sought-after collections from the 1980s including 'Crocodile', 'Pompeii' and 'Borgia' are enjoying a resurgence today. Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Sir Elton John, Jack Nicholson, Barack Obama and Giorgio Armani are all known collectors of Kieselstein-Cord's work. His designs have found their way into the Louvre in Paris and his 'Women of the World' cuff bracelet is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (accession number 1995.380.2).Lots 36-42 are from a Private Collection of Artist Jewellery.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
SCHLUMBERGER FOR TIFFANY & CO: GEM-SET SALAMANDER BROOCH, CIRCA 1960The stylised salamander with textured decoration, set with step-cut tourmalines and turquoise eyes, accented with brilliant-cut diamonds to the claws, signed Schlumberger Studios and Tiffany & Co, length 6.0cmFootnotes:Jean Schlumberger (1907-1987), the French artist-jeweller par excellence was born in Alsace to a family of prosperous textile industrialists. His Meissen flowers mounted as clips caught the attention of Elsa Schiaparelli who commissioned him to design costume jewellery during the 1930s. After establishing workshops in New York and Paris, Tiffany appointed Schlumberger Vice President of the firm in 1956. While at Tiffany, Schlumberger was given total artistic freedom with his own department on the mezzanine of their Fifth Avenue store, and he was the first designer at Tiffany permitted to stamp his creations with his name. Through exceptional draughtsmanship and remarkable imagination, Schlumberger translated the inspiration he drew from the flora and fauna of the natural world into the vibrant and whimsical jewels that are his trademark. His choice of materials and textures creates a beautiful balance, even in his most unconventional designs.Within European folk tradition, the salamander is symbolic of immortality. Said to be born from flames and invulnerable to fire, salamanders have been hailed by occultists as the 'elemental spirit of fire'.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Whittington Press.- Taylor (Michael) & Brocard Sewell. Saint Dominic's Press: A Bibliography 1916-1937, number 90 of 100 specially-bound copies with portfolio of additional material and signed by the authors, from an edition limited to 400, original morocco-backed pictorial boards, portfolio and facsimile in original cloth-backed boards, together in slip-case, 1995 § Cave (Roderick) Chinese Ceremonial Papers: An Illustrated Bibliography, number XXIX of 50 specially-bound copies with an additional 20 samples, from an edition limited to 200, tipped-in samples, many colour, some heightened with gold, one folding sheet in pocket at end, original half morocco, uncut, spine slightly faded, additional samples tipped into original half cloth volume and another loose in card folder, together in slip-case, 2002, 4to & folio, Risbury, Whittington Press (2)⁂ The first contains a specimen page from Horae Beatae Virginis featuring a wood-engraving by Eric Gill and a facsimile copy of Daisy and Marguerite illustrated by David Jones.
Whittington Press.- Craig (John) Britten's Aldeburgh, number IV of 28 deluxe specially-bound copies with an additional suite of engravings and signed by the author/artist, from an edition limited to 440, printed in ochre and black, wood-engraved illustrations and 3 tipped-in folding colour linocuts by Craig, bound in half pale turquoise morocco with transparent vellum over seascape-printed boards and thin vertical onlaid red morocco lines and lettering in silver, by James and Stuart Brockman to a design by John Craig and James Brockman, yapp edges, concave spine lettered in silver, silver edges, vellum slightly marked and yellowed, spine a little faded, 11 additional wood-engravings all signed and dated in pencil, one hand-coloured, loose as issued in printed wrappers, together with binder's printed note on binding in cloth drop-back box with wooden edges, 4to, Risbury, Whittington Press, 1997.⁂ James Brockman's note describes the binding design, "...The red onlaid leather lines and endbands are similar in colour to the boat marker buoys found at Aldeburgh. The colour and use of materials is intended to suggest the atmosphere of the East Coast...I invented the rigid concave spine in 1994 and this is the first time it has been used on an edition of special bindings".
Whittington Press.- Craig (John) Venice, number XIX of 60 specially-bound copies with an additional portfolio of prints (Edition B) signed by the author/artist with small sketch, from an edition limited to 285, wood-engravings and colour lino-cuts by Craig, some folding, original half morocco over pictorial boards, uncut, additional prints loose in wrappers in cloth-backed board folder, together in slip-case, 2015 § Macgregor (Miriam) Midwinter, number VIII of 55 specially-bound copies with an additional set of proofs and signed by the author/artist (Edition B), from an edition limited to 265, wood-engravings by Macgregor, original morocco-backed pictorial boards, uncut, spine faded, additional prints with prospectus in original cloth-backed board folder, together in slip-case, 2012 § Phipps (Howard) Interiors, number 7 of 35 copies with an additional suite of prints and signed by the author/artist, from an edition limited to 175, wood-engraved illustrations by Phipps, a few printed in colours, original silk sewn in Japanese style, additional engravings all signed in pencil by the artist and loose in original cloth folder, small stain to spine of the first, together in slip-case, 1985, 4to, Risbury, Whittington Press (3)
Great Exhibition.- Illustrated London News (The) Grand Panorama of the Great Exhibition All Nations 1851, presenting parallel views of both sides of the exhibition hall, with text beneath, wood-engraving with original hand-colouring, on 11 sheets joined, total approx. 280 x 6,280 mm. (11 x 247 in.), mounted on linen, first metre with minor nicks and tears to edges with small amounts of loss, thereafter occasional small nicks, some handling creases and surface toning, one end with wooden roller, with other with red cloth flap, creased, [1851-52].⁂ Scarce in coloured state, most copies appear without.
Martin (John) Paradise Lost: By John Milton, first edition in the original 12 parts, Imperial Quarto issue containing the larger set of mezzotint plates, with the complete set of 24 plates (2 to each part) as issued, platemarks each c. 355 x 255 mm (14 x 10 in), sheets c. 385 x 276 mm (15 1/4 x 10 7/8 in), tissue-guards, some scattered marginal foxing, 2 small puncture marks to both plates of part 11, not affecting image but within platemark, original roan-backed grey-blue wrappers, part 1 sympathetically rebacked, upper wrapper chipped at upper corner, part 3 spine faded with wear to foot, part 11 upper wrapper torn at head with very small loss, some light general soiling or faint spotting to covers, occasional rubbing to spine ends, untrimmed and partially unopened, the 12 parts preserved in a custom drop-back box, folio, Septimus Prowett, 1825-26.⁂ Very rare in the original parts. The mezzotint process entails a considerable application of ink on the page, often resulting in heavy foxing; but the mezzotints in this copy are remarkably clean. Publication took nearly two years, the parts issued as Martin's mezzotints were completed, the order of images not necessarily correlating with the text. The engravings were greeted with outstanding critical acclaim, prompting the release of 4 further editions by the end of 1827. The critic for The Literary Gazette proclaimed: "we know no artist, whose genius so perfectly fitted him being the illustrator of the mighty Milton; and in what we have seen of his conceptions he has more than realised the highest of our hopes. There is a wildness, a grandeur, and a mystery about his designs which are indescribably fine:- the painter is also a poet." [The Literary Gazette, April 2nd 1825].Provenance: Robert H. & Donna L. Jackson (book-label to inside of drop-back box).Literature: Campbell & Wees, 1992, nos. 26-49.
*** Please note, the description of this lot has changed ***Rembrandt van Rijn.- Hamerton (Philip Gilbert) Etching & Etchers, first edition, half-title, title in red & black with vignette copy of Rembrandt's "Self-portrait in flat cap", 35 etchings or drypoints, including an impression of Rembrandt's "Three Oriental Figures (Jacob and Laban?)", and others, 6 double-page or folding, occasional light foxing, hinges weak, original roan-backed cloth, rubbed, small loss to spine head, joints split at head and foot, g.e., 4to, 1868.
δ Fleece Press.- Miniature Binding.- James (Angela) The Art of Binding Books, one of 10 specially-bound copies, from an edition limited to 300, wood-engraved illustrations by Anthony Christmas, bound in grey goatskin over speckled boards edged in blue, citron, green and pink goatskin, spine with raised bands of green and blue, by Angela James, speckled doublures & endpapers, preserved in felt-lined grey goatskin tray and slip-case, slip-case edged in citron and with onlaid citron and blue goatskin label, c.50 x 70mm., Wakefield, Fleece Press, 1991.⁂ Angela James (b.1948) is a Fellow and past President of Designer Bookbinders. She trained at the Glasgow School of Art and was then apprenticed to Sydney Cockerell in 1970 where she worked with James Brockman. She won the Thomas Harrison Memorial Award with her first binding in 1974 and continues to exhibit regularly. Her work is held by many private and public collections.This lot is sold subject to Artists Resale Rights, details of which can be found in our Terms and Conditions.δ This lot is sold subject to Artists Resale Rights, details of which can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
Gillray (James) The Wounded Lion, etching with original hand-colouring, on wove paper without watermark, sheet 262 x 362 (10 1/4 x 14 1/4 in), thread margins, two small repaired splits to lettered margin, residual album leaf support verso, small nick to the lower right corner, unframed, published by Hannah Humprhey, 1805Literature:BM Satires 10421⁂ Parody of Aesop's Fable depicting Melville, the embattled First Lord of the Admiralty, as a wounded lion under fire from St Vincent's 'Whitbread' cannon, and attacked by 'the sculking herd of the forest' including a fox, a snake with the head of Grey, and rats in legal wigs.
Gillray (James) Pacific-Overtures,-or-A Flight from St Cloud's-"Over the Water to Charley."-A new dramatic peace now rehearsing, etching with original hand-colouring, the first state (of two), with contemporary ink inscriptions identifying individuals within the crowd, on wove paper without watermark, platemark 300 x 385 mm (11 3/4 x 15 1/8 in), sheet 330 x 445 mm (13 x 17 1/2 in), minor exposure lines within the margins, affixed at the lower left corner onto paper support, small nick lower centre, unframed, 1806Literature:BM Satires 10549⁂ An excellent impression of the first state, with contemporary ink inscriptions and before the Prince of Wales was altered to Lord Derby, which was said to be on account of the offence given to the King by the Prince's association with Mrs. Fitzherbert.
Africa.- Brooks (Francis) Barbarian Cruelty. Being a True History of the Distressed Condition of the Christian Captives under the Tyranny of Mully Ishmael Emperor of Morocco ..., first edition, preliminary imprimatur ff., early owner's ink signature to early blank, publisher's advertisements at end, scattered spotting, new endpapers, contemporary calf, expertly rebacked, [Wing B4973], 12mo, for J. Salusbury and H. Newman, 1693.⁂ Rare in retail, we can find no examples of this being sold at auction. Only 4 copies in the UK, at the British Library, Cambridge University Trinity College, Oxford University Bodleian Library and Sion College Library. Only 4 copies in North America at California State Library, Harvard University, New York Public Library and the University of California. Brooks is writing from experience, having been captured in August 1681, by Algiers corsairs, who took him and his fellow captives to Salé and sold them into slavery there. English shipping was meant to be protected by a treaty at this time, however unscrupulous corsair Captains easily avoided the treaty by taking their captives elsewhere to be sold into slavery.
Africa.- Bruce (James) Travels to discover the Source of the Nile, 5 vol., first edition, half-titles, titles with engraved vignette, 58 engraved plates and 3 folding maps, 4 letterpress leaves of Ethiopian dialects in vol.1, vol.1 damp-stained to upper edge throughout, some offsetting, later half calf over marbled boards, [Blackmer 221; Nissen ZBI 671], 4to, Edinburgh & London, 1790.
Freedman (Barnett).- Sassoon (Siegfried) Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, first illustrated edition, number 57 of 320 copies signed by the author and artist, illustrations, colour plates and pictorial endpapers by Barnett Freedman, original pictorial vellum, t.e.g., others uncut, dust-jacket, spine very slightly faded, but still an excellent copy in original pictorial board slip-case (slightly rubbed), 8vo, 1931.
America.- Hooton (Charles) St. Louis' Isle, or Texiana; with additional observations made in the United States and in Canada, first edition, half-title, lithographed portrait frontispiece and 5 plates, scattered spotting, new endpapers, [Sabin 32892], 8vo, 1847.⁂ Hooton spent 9 months in Texas, where he lived an almost savage life, before attempting newspaper work in New Orleans, New York and Montreal, and returned to England broken in mind and body.
America.- Native Americans.- A Narrative of Occurrencies in the Indian Countries of North America, first edition, engraved folding hand-coloured map (with small closed tear at edge, paper repair to verso, light off-setting), p.iii small manuscript ink inscription, title with light finger-soiling, original printed wrappers, rebacked with cloth, some soiling, [Sabin 20699, ascribed to T. Douglas], 8vo, B. McMillan, 1817.⁂ Rare with map. Full title continues, "since the connexion of the Right Hon. the Earl of Selkirk with the Hudson's Bay Company, and his attempt to establish a colony on the Red River; with a detailed account of His Lordship's military expedition to, and subsequent proceedings at Fort William, in Upper Canada". This work bears testimony to the feud between the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company of Montreal, which was brought to a close by their unification in 1821. It is also important for the development of Manitoba province. Authorship attributed to several individuals: Thomas Douglas; E. Ellice (as per ink inscription in this copy); Simon McGillivray and Samuel Hull Wilcocke.
China.- Edkins (Joseph) A Grammar of the Chinese Colloquial Language, commonly called the Mandarin Dialect, first edition, ink stamp to title and 2 other ff., a few ff. with light damp-stain at lower edge, front endpaper torn away from gutter foot, contemporary morocco-backed boards, Shanghai, London Mission Press, 1857.⁂ First edition of a handbook that was essential for English speakers aiming to obtain competence in Mandarin Chinese, with the required knowledge of vocabulary, functional grammar and an awareness of the main types of verbal interaction. Edkins was a prominent English sinologue who lived in China for 57 years, publishing fourteen books on the Chinese language and culture, including a catalogue of the Chinese collection of the Bodleian Library (1876).
NO RESERVE Levant.- Belon (Pierre) Plurimarum singularium & memorabilium rerum in Graecia, Asia, Aegypto, Judaea, Arabia..., first edition in Latin, collation: *8, A-Z8, a-h8, numerous woodcut illustrations, extra-illustrated with contemporary pen-and-ink drawing captioned in French of 2-horned animal resembling an oryx ("envoye d'Etiopie au Roy") and 2 folding engraved views of Mt. Sinai and Jerusalem, Antwerp, Christopher Plantin, 1599; bound with De neglecta Stirpium Cultura, first edition in Latin, collation: A-E8 F4, Antwerp, Christopher Plantin, 1589, each work with printer's device to title, ink annotations and corrections, some light foxing and soiling, contemporary blind-stamped vellum, soiled, later paper spine label, lacking ties, 8vo⁂ Belon (1517-64) was one of the first explorer-naturalists and these two works, which originally appeared in French in 1553 and 1558 respectively, give an account of his travels in the Levant, with illustrations of the peoples and fauna and flora observed, plus his treatise on the cultivation of exotic plants and trees.Provenance: Bibliotheca Hamburgensi Wolfiana (book label)Literature: Adams B566 & 556; cf. Blackmer 115, French edition; Nissen ZBI 305, first title only.
NO RESERVE Levant.- Le Hay (Jacques) and Charles de Ferriol, Recueil de Cent Estampes representant differentes nations du Levant, 2 parts in 1, first edition, engraved title, 103 plates, including 3 double-page and one of music, some browning and water-staining, mostly marginal, a couple of short tears, contemporary mottled sheep, gilt, rubbed, extremities worn, [Atabey 429; Blackmer 591; Colas 1819-1820; Lipperheide 413, 414], folio, Paris, Jacques Collombat, 1714-15.⁂ "The plates are after drawings by J. B. Van Mour who was established in Constantinople for many years during the first half of the 18th c. It has been suggested that he came to Constantinople in 1699, possibly as part of Ferriol's entourage. He is known to have died there in 1737 at the age of 66. Much of his work was done for Cornelius Calkoen, who was Dutch ambassador to the Porte, and some of these paintings are now to be found in the Amsterdam Rijkmuseum. This publication certainly contained the most popular and influential illustrations of Turkish dress to date. Its use as a source book was wide-spread." (Blackmer).
Freedman (Barnett) Real Farmhouse Cheese, first edition, 16pp., 8 full-page colour lithographs by Freedman, stitched in original limp pictorial cloth wrappers by Freedman, small scuff to upper cover, 4to, [Milk Marketing Board], [1949].⁂ Commissioned in 1939 and written and illustrated by Barnett Freedman, it was finally published in 1949 by the Milk Marketing Board. It portrays cheese production from the cow to the dining table.
Polar.- Benham (Daniel) Sketch of the Life of Jan August Miertsching, Interpreter of the Esquimaux Language to the Arctic Expedition on Board H.M.S. "Investigator", Captain M'Clure, first edition, portrait frontispiece on India paper, scattered spotting to frontispiece and title, light offsetting onto title, yellow endpapers, original dark blue cloth, bumping and fraying to spine ends and corners, short split to head of upper joint, darkening to spine and covers, 4to, William Mallalieu and Co., 1854.⁂ A rare polar title, we can trace only 4 copies at auction in the last 50 years. Miertsching (1817-75) learnt the language of the Inuit whilst teaching as a missionary in the settlement of Okak in North Labrador. He was contacted by the British Admiralty who asked him to accompany their enterprise to fine the survivors of the Franklin Expedition. Mierstching would keep a diary of his experiences on the expedition, published in Gnadau in 1855.
South East Asia.- St. John (James Augustus) Views in the Eastern Archipelago, Borneo, Sarawak, Labuan, first edition in book form, tinted lithographed pictorial title, 24 tinted lithographed plates, of which 3 folding, paper guards, some spotting and foxing, including to plates, cracking to gutter with a few plates and text ff. towards the beginning loose, original green cloth, blind-stamped and gilt, a few minor instances of soiling to covers, spine lightly sunned, bumping to spine ends and small tear towards head, [c.f. Abbey, Travel 548 (in parts)], folio, Thomas McLean, 1847.⁂ Scarce. Originally published in parts (see Abbey), the work lauds British influence and expansion within the Eastern Archipelago, in particular the activities of Sir James Brooke in Singapore (which is depicted in one of the plates), Borneo, Labuan and Sarawak, where he became the first governor in 1841. The tinted lithograph views are by J.W. Giles, after drawings made from life by Captain Drinkwater Bethune, Commander L.G. Heath and others.
![Switzerland.- [Lory (Gabriel)] Picturesque Tour through the Oberland in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland, hand-coloured eng](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/38b6ec3e-ae82-4ea4-b95a-af4300f97c6d/d2e1f77a-a899-4396-93e6-af430116965a/468x382.jpg)
Switzerland.- [Lory (Gabriel)] Picturesque Tour through the Oberland in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland, hand-coloured engraved map and 17 fine hand-coloured aquatint plates, bookplates of George Veitch and Michael Matantos, title with small mark in red pen, affecting one letter, short closed tear to head, not affecting text, some very light spotting and offsetting, modern half green morocco, gilt, uncut, spine slightly sunned, [Abbey, Travel 57; Tooley 26], small folio, R. Ackermann, 1823.⁂ Including an account of the first ascent of the Jungfrau and Finsteraarhorn by the Meyer brothers in 1812 (p.60).
Voyages.- Burney (Capt. James) A Chronological History of North-Eastern Voyages of Discovery, first edition, 2 engraved folding maps (1 with very small tear at inner edge), final blank leaf, title with small hole (paper repair to verso) and toning to edges, occasional minor scattered spotting, modern cloth, [Sabin 9386], 8vo, 1819.⁂ First edition of Burney's explorations, including voyages in search of the North-East Passage to Japan and China, Russian explorations in Kamchatka, Siberia, and the Kuril Islands, and important accounts of Cook's voyages along the coast of North-West America and through the Bering Straits, including material not found elsewhere.
Voyages.- Cook (James) A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, 3 text vol. only, first edition, 24 engraved plates and maps, some folding, double-page table, some offsetting, vol.1 marginal repair to one leaf, contemporary mottled calf, gilt, rebacked, worn, vol.3 with upper different (blind-stamped calf) cover, 4to, Printed by W. and A. Strahan, 1784.⁂ First edition of the official account of Cook's third and final voyage. The third volume was written by Capt. James King. Without the accompanying folio atlas.
Ashendene Press.- Berners (Dame Juliana) A Treatyse of Fysshynge with an Angle, one of 150 copies on paper, woodcut frontispiece and illustrations copied from the original edition printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1496, first initial printed in red, contemporary ink ownership name to front free endpaper, original limp vellum, yapp edges, spine titled in gilt, uncut, spine very slightly soiled, [Hornby XVI], 8vo, Ashendene Press, 1903.⁂ Beautifully-printed facsimile of the first English book on angling. This a presentation copy from C.H. St. John Hornby to T. Palmer, dated Christmas 1908 on the front free endpaper.
West Indies.- Poyntz (Captain John) The present prospect of the famous and fertile island of Tobago to the southward of Barbadoes. With a description of the scituation, growth, fertility and manufacture of the said island, second edition, title within double filet border, trimmed, affecting part of border on title, signature-marks and catchwords, and just touching the odd headline or page number, title and final f. browned and soiled, occasional spotting, lightly browned, 18th century marbled boards, rebacked in modern calf, gilt, [Sabin 64857; Wing P3131], small 4to, Printed by John Attwood for the author, and sold by William Staresmore, 1695.⁂ A 'very well informed survey' (Oxford DNB). In 1681 four ships commanded by Poyntz captured a Dutch settlement on Tobago, and thereafter he obtained 120,000 acres on behalf of a group of merchants. Two years later he published the first edition of this pamphlet promoting the benefits of the island as a place to settle. The work describes the climate, flora (including bananas, pomegranates and pineapples), fauna, and timber of the island, and outlines prospects for growing cocoa, sugar-cane, and tobacco. Poyntz granted 1000 acres to the antiquary John Aubrey as a reward for services rendered.
Birds.- Shelley (Capt. G.E.) The Birds of Africa, Comprising all the Species which occur in the Ethiopian Region, 5 vol. in 7 parts, first editions, 57 hand-coloured lithographed plates after Henrik Grunvold, ink ownership inscriptions front endpapers to 4 parts, light browning and spotting to peripheral ff., but mainly to endpapers, vol. 4.1 and 5.1 endpapers renewed, some minor cracking at hinges but all firm, original cloth, vol. 3 joint and spine ends with tears, vol. 1 and 2 spine ends a little worn, the others lightly bumped, corners lightly bumped and rubbed, t.e.g., 8vo, R. H. Porter and Henry Sotheran, 1896-1912.⁂ Vol. 5.2 completed and edited by W. L. Sclater. Provenance: Lionel E. Taylor (ink ownership inscriptions)
Blount (Thomas) A Natural History: Containing Many not Common Observations, first edition, publisher's advertisements at end, spotting, contemporary calf, sympathetically rebacked, [British Bee Books 66; Wing B3351], 8vo, for R. Bentley, 1693.⁂ Including sections on spices, chocolate, tobacco, bees, gemstones and minerals.
Shells.- Perry (George) Conchology, or the Natural History of Shells, first edition, 61 hand-coloured engraved plates, half-title paper repairs to verso, some light foxing and off-setting to text pages (including to half-title and title), later half calf, some staining to lower portion of spine, [Nissen ZBI 3134], folio, 1811.⁂ First edition of Perryman's work, which while at times has been criticised for a certain exaggeration of form and color, is now accepted as among the most attractive and colourful in the field. Similarly, despite use of derided unscientific nomenclature, many of the names utilised by Perryman here are now accepted. The study was compiled from specimens in private collections, including those of Elizabeth Bligh, the wife of Captain William Bligh of the infamous HMS Bounty.
![Darwin (Charles) [On the Origin of Species], first translation into Bulgarian, Vidin, Lozanov and Dukemedjiev Printing House,](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/38b6ec3e-ae82-4ea4-b95a-af4300f97c6d/364e467c-50c2-43de-bd0d-af430116c046/468x382.jpg)
Darwin (Charles) [On the Origin of Species], first translation into Bulgarian, Vidin, Lozanov and Dukemedjiev Printing House, 1905; bound with [The Descent of Man], 2 vol. in 1, Vidin, 1906, portrait to first work, illustrations to second, broken with a few leaves working loose, ink inscriptions to first title, later leather-backed cloth, rubbed, 8vo⁂ Rare first translation of Origin of Species into Bulgarian, from the sixth London edition, by M. Fiampova and I.H.A. Timiryazova. Freeman [632] cites the earliest Bulgarian edition as 1946; and the earliest of Descent of Man [1047] as 1927.
Dawkins (Richard) The Selfish Gene, first edition, signed by the author on title, original boards, light bumping to spine tips, dust-jacket, very light sunning to spine, light creasing to head, near-fine otherwise, 8vo, 1976.⁂ Dawkins' first book one of the most influential science books of all time, rare signed.
Hawking (Stephen) The Universe in a Nutshell, first edition, signed by the author with thumb-print, additionally inscribed and signed by Karen Sime (Hawking's Personal Assistant) "Forward to the brave new world!" and with ink stamp "Right thumb-print of S W Hawking witnessed by Karen Sime" above her signature and date "7.12.01", illustrations, original boards, dust-jacket, 4to, Bantam Press, 2001.⁂ A letter of provenance accompanies the lot.
Gibbings (Robert).- Powys (Llewelyn) Glory of Life, number 261 of 277 copies, title and initials printed in red, without the usual browning to frontispiece, original vellum-backed cloth, very light browning to boards, [Chanticleer 91], Golden Cockerel Press, 1934; The Twelve Months, number 28 of 100 copies signed by the author and artist, original green morocco, gilt, spotted, spine a little faded, 1936 § Samson and Delilah..., number 79 of 325 copies, original cream buckram, cream dust-jacket, spotted and slightly frayed at edges, [Chanticleer 30], Waltham St. Lawrence, Golden Cockerel Press, 1925, all with wood-engravings by Robert Gibbings, all uncut, v.s. (3)⁂ The first is "probably the finest example of Robert Gibbings' book illustration. His magnificent title-page engraved in wood was an innovation, and titles of this kind would enhance the beauty of many publishers' books." Christopher Sandford in Chanticleer.
Meyer (Cornelius) L'Arte di restituire a Roma la tralasciata Navigatione del suo Tevere, 3 parts in 1 vol., additional engraved title present in 2 states, 68 engraved illustrations & maps including 6 double-page, letterpress title with woodcut ornament, woodcut decorations and initials, one bifolium browned, light damp-stain to head of titles and dedication leaf, otherwise very good, Rome, Lazzari Varese, 1685; Nuovi Ritrovamenti..., 2 parts in 1 vol., title with engraved vignette, 49 engraved illustrations including 5 double-page, small worm-tracks affecting upper margin throughout, engraved bookplate bearing Odescalchi family coat-of-arms by Michelassi on front pastedown, Rome, Gio. Giacomo Komarek Boemo, 1696, each vol. inscribed by the author with 'ex dono authoris' ink inscription on front pastedown and front fly-leaf respectively, occasional light spotting, uniform contemporary vellum, some chipping and wear to spines, folio (2)⁂ An excellent pair of works, scarce complete thus and in such good condition and with an interesting association. The first work has a printed dedication to the then Pope, Blessed Pope Innocent XI, Benedetto Odescalchi, so it is probable considering the presence of the Odescalchi bookplate that both these volumes were presented to him directly, inscribed by the author.The first volume is a treatise on hydrology in which Meyer considers several technical solutions to the problems of navigating the Tiber. The second volume, Nuovi ritrovamenti, is a collection of various treatises on experiments, discoveries, technologies and natural phenomena, including the eclipse of Jupiter's first satellite, the sun and the Earth, and the comet that appeared in 1680, 1682 and 1684.
*** Please note, the description of this lot has changed ***Psalter, Use of Liège, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, 117 leaves (plus 2 modern paper endleaves at front and back), wanting the Beatus initial leaf from opening of main text, another single leaf from the fifth quire and some quires from the end: now ending abruptly midway through the Litany, else complete, collation: i6, ii-iv8, v7 (that originally the second leaf in quire removed), vi-xv8, text in single column of 23 lines of a good early gothic bookhand, one-line initials in red or blue, 2-line initials in gold on blue and pink grounds heightened with white penwork, twelve calendar illustrations of the occupations of the months (each of a human figure in burnished gold robes), ten large historiated initials in blue or pink with central scenes on burnished gold grounds, the whole within a gold frame and with coloured foliate extensions on thick gold grounds extending into the borders on up to three sides, a few leaves with ink flaking away and smudged, a few smudges to initials, leaves at each end slightly cockled, a few spots and stains, else in good condition, 169 x 120mm., bound by Budden of Cambridge in 19th-century red morocco over bevelled boards, each board tooled in rows of foliate designs and spine with six compartments with a single flowerbud, gilt edge and gauffered, 8vo, Southern Netherlands (Liège), [c.1270].⁂ The sequence of gold-clad figures in the Calendar and glittering historiated initials here set this apart as one of the most visually arresting Psalters to be produced in Liège in the 13th century. The atelier that produced this manuscript has been identified by Judith Oliver, and named after its principal production: a Psalter now Paris, BnF., Latin 1077. The artists who collaborated in this atelier appear to have been responsible for the importing of the French Gothic style into the Meuse valley. The historiated initials here are especially influenced by the French Gothic style, with tall and elegant figures with delicate expressive faces framed by thick hair, highly placed mouths often in smiles, and clothing edged with a thin white line. The so-called 'third hand' of the Paris Psalter was responsible for the figure painting in the present volume, and in addition notable links exist between the Calendar miniatures here and those in another Psalter from the same atelier: Princeton Art Museum, MS. 57-189, with single figures also in burnished gold robes standing on wavy lines. However, the quality of the work here is finer than that of the Princeton manuscript.The Calendar miniatures comprise: (1) fol. 1r, feasting beside the fire; (2) fol. 1v, pruning a tree; (3) fol. 2r, digging; (4) fol. 2v, a standing youth; (5) fol. 3r, youth by a tree playing a viol; (6) fol. 3v, man with a basket harvesting; (7) fol. 4r, cutting hay with a scythe; (8) fol. 4v, harvesting wheat with a sickle; (9) fol. 5r, treading grapes in a tub; (10) fol. 5v, sowing seeds; (11) fol. 12r, carrying a hog; (12) fol. 6v, slaughtering an ox. The historiated initials comprise: (i) fol. 7r, David harping; (ii) fol. 22v, Christ healing a blind man; (iii) fol. 40v, an execution; (iv), fol. 41r, King David and the fool; (v) fol. 51r, Christ above Jonah and the whale; (vi) fol. 63v, David playing the bells; (vii) fol. 74v, two monks singing; (viii) King David in prayer; (ix) fol. Christ in majesty; (x) fol. 111r, Doubting Thomas.Comparative manuscripts are published as J.H. Oliver, Gothic manuscript illumination in the diocese of Liège, 1988, pp. 148-58, ill. 12, 52, 105 and 110.Provenance: (1) written and illuminated for a wealthy patron in the vicinity of Liège: the Calendar has SS. Domitian, Servatius and Remaclus, bishops of Tongres and Maastricht in the diocese of Liège, as well as Theodardus, Hubert and Lambert (this last saint with three feasts noted), all bishops of Liège; (2) John Gilchrist Clark (1830-82) of Speddoch, Dumfries (and with a note on this manuscript with information from Francis Wormald on Speddoch notepaper included in volume), who married a daughter of William Henry Fox Talbot, the early photographer (and an albumen print of Gilchrist Clark by Camille Silvy, dated 1862, survives in the National Portrait Gallery): his ex libris dated 1851 on first modern endleaf. He also owned a French Book of Hours last appearing on the market in Swann Galleries' sale on 7 March 2019, lot 167; (3) Christie's, 29 November 2000, lot 8, evidently consigned by Gilchrist Clark's descendants, where it sold for £80,750.
Illuminated manuscript.- Substantial fragment of a Book of Hours, perhaps for Franciscan Use, in Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on vellum, 53 leaves only, wanting leaves throughout (but apparently in present state in late 19th century), single column of 17 lines of a good late gothic bookhand, capitals touched in yellow, rubrics in red, line-fillers in blue and burgundy heightened with white penwork and drops of liquid gold, one- and 2-line initials in gold on similarly coloured grounds, some of these with single-line foliage sprays in adjacent borders terminating in coloured leaves, flowerbuds and gold bezants, larger initials in same colours, enclosing scrolling foliage on gold grounds, leaves with large initials with decorated floral borders on three sides, small spots, stains and small smudges, some leaves slightly cockled in places, else good condition, 161 x 121mm., bound in 19th-century brown calf, blind-tooled with floral sprays at corners and double fillet, floral tools on spine with gilt title: "MISSAL", rubbed, corners bumped and joints with small splits, marbled endleaves, small 4to, North Eastern France or French Flanders, [c.1460].⁂ This is the first appearance of this volume on the market in nearly a century and a half. This volume opens with Vespers and Compline from the Hours of the Virgin, with parts of the Seven Penitential Psalms and a Litany, Hours of the Holy Spirit and Office of the Dead following. It ends with the Doulce dame de misericorde prayers in French, ending abruptly in the fifteenth and last prayer. Provenance: (1) Written and illuminated for a patron in north-eastern France or French Flanders: the litany includes SS. Audoin and Mellonius (4th- and 7th-century bishops of Rouen), as well as SS. Francis and Anthony of Padua, an early Franciscan preacher; (2) Charles H.L. Woodd (1821-93) of Rosslyn House in Hampstead, wine merchant, evangelical and close friend of John Ruskin: his ex libris on front endleaf dated November 1874; and by descent to present owner.
Illuminated manuscript.- Gradual, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum, 88 leaves only, wanting 4 leaves from first gathering and approximately another 4 gatherings from the opening of the volume, contemporary foliation: 1-2, 7-8, 42-124 (with occasional errors in this last part), collation: i4, ii-xi8, xii4, six lines of text in a large Iberian liturgical hand, with music on a 4-line red stave (rastrum: 43mm.), rubrics and running titles in red, initials in elaborate penwork strokes or simple red designs, one large red initial with acanthus leaves overlaid in white penwork on a blank vellum stylised acanthus leaf ground on green hatched in black penstrokes, parchment cockled in places, spots and stains, bottom section cut away from last leaf of main text, some pages with traces of glue and paper from sections of newer music once overlaid on paper strips, else good condition, 555 x 370mm., in remains of early blind-tooled binding over heavy wooden boards, tooled with repeating designs of parallel circles, and front board with remains of gilt inscription at its head, the leather here torn and partly repaired, front board once split and whole binding most probably shortened to accommodate reduced volume of leaves and leather extensively replaced in several places, two metal clasps, large folio, Spain, [16th century].⁂ This is a substantial remnant of a Gradual for the entire ecclesiastical year, opening with part of the offices for Christmas, and ending with those for Advent. To this has been added an index and further offices by contemporary hands.
Scotland.- Forbes family of Culloden.- Forbes (Isobel) Autograph Letter signed to her brother John Forbes of Culloden, 1p., Dunain, Inverness, 15th November 1663, asking for her brother's help in intervening in an action against David [?Forbes] by Philorth, and requesting that James Brown to be an advisor in matters relating to their grain, remains of seal, some staining, folds; and 3 related 17th & early 18th century Autograph Letters, including one dated 1637 from Janet Forbes, wife of Duncan, first Laird of Culloden, v.s. (4)
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