We found 1942 price guide item(s) matching your search

Ca. 2000–800 BC. Western Asiatic/ Amlash culture. Beautiful bronze pendant of a standing mother cradling a baby, her sex has been worked out elaborately. The back is flat apart from a suspension loop to the rear of the head for a string to wear around the neck. The Amlash culture, also known as Marlik culture, is found in Northern Iran, enduring for many centuries. It was one of the most distinctive Iranian cultures of the late second and early first millennia BC which had cultural contacts with the Assyrian Empire. Items like this may attest to religious practice in Amlash culture societies. For more information on Amlash culture, see R. Ghirshman (1967). The Arts of Ancient Iran, New York, 31-38. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1990s. Size: L:62mm / W:25mm ; 15.4g

Ca. 2000–800 BC. Western Asiatic/ Amlash culture. A bronze figurine depicting a female figure standing in a frontal pose; her hair styled in two characteristic knots above the temples, her right arm held out beside her body with open palm; truncated at the waist. The Amlash culture, also known as Marlik culture, is found in Northern Iran, enduring for many centuries. It was one of the most distinctive Iranian cultures of the late second and early first millennia BC which had cultural contacts with the Assyrian Empire. Items like this may attest to religious practice in Amlash culture societies. For more information on Amlash culture, see R. Ghirshman (1967). The Arts of Ancient Iran, New York, 31-38. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1990s. Size: L:63mm / W:40mm ; 24.5g

Ca. 386–534/535 AD. Northern Wei Dynasty. A terracotta tile featuring a beautiful depiction of a seated Buddha wearing garments whose red and green pigment is marvellously still preserved as is the black of the hair and the red drapery above the Buddha and behind his head. Buddha has a raised right hand, with the palm facing outwards and the fingers downwards while the left arm is held close to the body. In Buddhism and Hinduism, this is one of the 'Mudra' ("seal", "mark" or "gesture"), symbolic gestures of the hands and fingers used either in ceremonies and dance or in sculpture and painting. The Wei dynasty was the longest-lived and most powerful of the northern Chinese dynasties that existed before the reunification of China under the Sui (581-618 AD) and Tang (618-907 AD) dynasties. The Wei rulers were great patrons of Buddhism. They fostered Buddhism as a state religion, although the dynasty took particular care to control the religious hierarchy, trying to avoid any church-state conflicts. Buddhism held a great appeal for the Wei rulers, as it gave their leadership a legitimate base in a multiethnic society. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:330mm / W:165mm ; 3.4kg

Ca. 386–534 AD. Northern Wei Dynasty. A rectangular ceramic brick featuring a seated Buddha with a plump face, elegantly curved almond-shaped eyes beneath sharply defined and arched brows, a well-formed nose and full lips recessed into fleshy cheeks, drooping ears, the hair and ushnisha (the knot of hair on the top of the head) carved with curls. The modelling of the facial features is articulated with vivid realism, the serene expression of the Buddha endowed with the uttermost spirituality. The leaf-shaped halo behind Buddha is painted in a deep blue hue, which matches the long flowing garment of the Buddha, completed by a red upper garment. The Buddha's right hand is in the abhaya mudra, i.e. upright with the palm facing outward, all fingers are pointing up towards the heavens. In Buddhism and Hinduism, this specific 'mudra' (“seal,” “mark,” or “gesture”) symbolises wisdom, calmness, and fearlessness. His left hand, with the palm facing outwards and fingers pointing down, is in the 'varada mudra' (favourable mudra), which indicates, charity, compassion and sincerity. The Wei dynasty was the longest-lived and most powerful of the northern Chinese dynasties that existed before the reunification of China under the Sui (581– 618 AD) and Tang (618–907 AD) dynasties. The Wei rulers were great patrons of Buddhism. They fostered Buddhism as a state religion, although the dynasty took particular care to control the religious hierarchy, trying to avoid any church-state conflicts. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s. Size: L:330mm / W:170mm ; 4.4kg

Ca. 800–500 BC. Western Asiatic. An outstanding Western Asiatic / Achaemenid bronze wine bowl with a flaring rim; a lustrous bronze surface persists on the interior, while a brilliant black patina enhances the entire surface. This gorgeous piece attests to the highly skilled craftsmanship of ancient Western Asia, where artisans worked to create intricate tableware for use in elaborate banquets. Banqueting was a major part of the aristocratic culture in antiquity and required a range of specialised utensils and vessels such as this one. Such items could also have religious purposes, used when making offerings to the gods. Excellent condition, beautiful patina. Provenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s. Size: L:60mm / W:170mm ; 200g

Ca. 1200–700 BC. Western Asiatic. Cast axe head comprising of a tubular socket with ribbed borders, a scroll to the upper edge and bulb below, collar above the lower rim. A short blade with a wedge-shaped cheek. Bronze weaponry production flourished from the 2nd millennium BC to about 700 BC when it was gradually replaced by iron. Swords, mace heads, spears and arrows were exchanged via trade and war and are discovered in both civic and ritual contexts. An axe head such as this one would have been an important symbol of rank, and have served a purpose in warfare, but also in religious contexts as mace heads were common votive offerings in shrines. Provenance: Private UK collection; Formerly acquired on the European art market from pre-2000 collections. Size: L:110mm / W:70mm ; 215g

Charles Hossein Zenderoudi (Iran, born 1937)DAL+DAL+DAL acrylic on canvas, framedsigned 'Zenderoudi' and dated '70' (lower left) in English and Farsi, executed 1970212 x 124cm (83 7/16 x 48 13/16in).Footnotes:Provenance:Property from a private collection, ParisNotes: This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Charles Hossein Zenderoudi archives and will be included in the forthcoming Charles Hussein Zenderoudi catalogue raisonée.'To create a painting, I begin with the preliminary study, which consists of sketches on paper, followed immediately by the painting of letters and colouring on canvas... I am thus able to immediately express my spontaneous feelings on canvas. Sometimes I leave a canvas to work on another, this is like improvisation in music, for I treasure freedom more than anything else. I couldn't be what I am if I didn't have freedom to express my lyricism. I don't believe in teaching painting, since I do not believe that technical training is required to make one a great painter. Painting can be done with any tool or any piece of equipment, I believe all schools of fine art, all over the world, should be shut down'- Charles Hossein Zenderoudi, Midi Libre, No 9401, 9 April 1971Provenance:Property from a private French collectionCharles Hossein Zenderoudi is one of Iran's most accomplished modern artists, as a founding father Iranian neo-traditionalism Zenderoudi is a master of blending traditional Persian motif's within a distinctly avant-garde aesthetic.His choice of subject matter, calligraphy, has historically been the most established mode of formal artistic expression prevalent in Iran, but, by emphasising form over meaning, and by stripping the written word down to its aesthetic, structural, fundaments, Zenderoudi subverts the traditional values of Persian calligraphy. Zenderoudi's text is intentionally illegible and carries no literal meaning, freeing it from the constraint of linguistic limitation, and imbuing it with a sense of universality which rescues the archaic practice of calligraphy from obscurity, giving it renewed relevance in a contemporary context.Zenderoudi's compositions pay homage to centuries of Persian religious imagery and employ a systematic repetition of letter-forms that finds its genesis in the mystical practice of Sufi numerologists, who believed in the spiritual significance of singular letters and worked these principles into hugely intricate talismanic charts. Zenderoudi's methodical compositions, whilst not accurately following the grammar or axioms of numerology, capture the aesthetic and conceptual qualities of its cryptic nature.Zenderoudi's early works focused on dense talismanic imagery, mixing iconography, freehand script and numerals. The density of these compositions sought to capture the visual intensity of popular religious expression in Iran, where banners, standards, altars, murals and mosques exuberantly adorn the urban landscape.Works from the present series, composed in the 1970's, mark a shift towards a more avant-garde, patterned, technical and measured approach to calligraphy. The crowded iconography of the early works is replaced by a greater focus on singular and recurring letter-forms, which exhibit a formal refinement lacking in their earlier counterparts. The present work also marks a conceptual shift away from the more overtly traditional subject matters and more towards a pure, patterned aesthetic which emphasises the meditative and visual elements of letter depiction over their linguistic connotation.Measured but spontaneous, technical yet effuse, Zenderoudi' manipulates Persian calligraphy with effortless ease, boasting a visual scope which faithfully captures the salient elements of Iran's traditional popular religious aesthetic. Rendered with the use of rich and vibrant colours, his canvases replicate the tonal and textural qualities of the votive art so common to the Iranian urban landscape.Almost rhythmic in its grace, balance and composition, the present work is one of the finest examples of Zenderoudi's work from this period.Saleroom noticesThis lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

An Italian polychrome and gilt 'Cartapesta' arched figural relief of the Virgin and Christ Child mounted in a contemporary carved and decorated wood and stucco frameprobably Sienese or Florentine, late 15th centurythe Virgin clad in an incised and richly decorated floral robe, her downcast head with fair hair and draped headdress, holding the draped nude Christ Child before a blue background and surmounted by three bell flower hung fleur-de-lis motifs within an arched moulded rectangular frame with bead and roll narrow border, the upper corners with twin grotesque mask and cornucopia decoration, the base with a matching frieze of three mask heads and cornucopia united by leafy motifs, the arched relief, 67cm x 34cm, the outer rectangular frame, 92cm high, 53cm wide, 10cm deepFootnotes:Although the medium of Cartapesta, created from paper and cloth as a material for the plastic arts in Italy in 15th century is not intrinsically a valuable material, the process of its production is arguably a more complex and rarer one than the more familiar modern technique of papier-mâché which is made more simply using strips of paper and flour glue. As such it was held in equally high esteem to marble and bronze by Renaissances sculptors, evidenced by the Cartapesta figural relief of the Virgin Child by Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570) which exists in versions at the Louvre and the National Gallery of Art, Washington.Using a pestle and mortar, the Cartapesta pulp would be created from scraps of paper and linen or cotton cloth and water. A protective layer of wax was added to the mould. Canvas backing was then needed to strengthen the relief; dampened, so that it could be stretched over the mould and applied with either flour paste or animal glue. The finishing process involved applying gesso in layers to create a smooth fine surface, which was then painted and gilded.Renaissance workshops developed their own secret methods and materials to make highly decorative objects for both secular and religious use including mirror frames and devotional reliefs of the Virgin and Child such as the present lot. Some Cartapesta objects were also made for more ephemeral use including civic festivals and religious feast days.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Rodney Winfield (American, 1925-2017) 'Renaissance' Oil on Board 1963, signed lower left, a surrealist vision of a religious scene having a iconographic landscape, in a gilt frame with white border and plaque Property from: a Chicago, Illinois (Gold Coast) estate Height: 19 inches, Width: 11 inchesFrame Size: 20 inches by 12 inches Condition: Very Good, light wear; some lines from another frame around edges, light dirt accumulation Disclaimers: not examined out of frame Category: Fine Art > American Paintings Estimated Sale Time: 12:28 pm (America/Chicago) Shipping Status: Leonard Auction Shipping Quote Sales Tax (United States Only): Kansas (6.5%), New Jersey (6.625%), Pennsylvania (6%), Washington (10.5%) Download High Resolution Photographs:Photograph #1Photograph #2Photograph #3Photograph #4

Artwork Assortment (5) items including Tom Hayward (American, 20th century) abstract oil on canvas; Medieval illuminated hymn on vellum; Kohegyi Gyula (Hungarian, b.1933) “Oszeres (Junk Man)†etching, 1972, signed lower right margin, #9/15 lower left margin; Peruvian folk art Cusco-style religious oil on canvas; and 20th century watercolor street scene; all framed Property from: a Chicago, Illinois (Andersonville) estate Height: 36 inches, Width: 36 inches (Hayward canvas)Frame Size: 37 inches by 37 inches Condition: Very Good, buckling and creases to Medieval hymn; light dirt accumulation; wear to frames; no other condition issues noted Disclaimers: not examined out of the frames Category: Fine Art > Other Estimated Sale Time: 1:49 pm (America/Chicago) Shipping Status: Leonard Auction Shipping Quote Sales Tax (United States Only): Kansas (6.5%), New Jersey (6.625%), Pennsylvania (6%), Washington (10.5%) Download High Resolution Photographs:Photograph #1Photograph #2Photograph #3Photograph #4Photograph #5Photograph #6Photograph #7Photograph #8Photograph #9Photograph #10Photograph #11

TW Camm Stained glass Art studios, Smethwick. 3 panelled pencil & watercolour window design of 3 religious figures. Design number 9155. Attributed to Florence Camm. Mounted on card with Thomas William Camm ink stamp to bottom right and numbered in pencil. Mount size approx. 34cm x 24cm.

JOSÉ BENLLIURE GIL (Valencia, 1855 - 1937)."The beggars, Basilica of Assisi".Oil on panel.Signed in the lower right corner.Measurements: 37 x 53 cm; 61 x 77 cm (frame).José Benlliure cultivated the costumbrista theme and the portrait. In the present case, we are in front of a scene in the interior of the Basilica of San Francisco de Asís. In it, some beggars appear seated on the bench of the basilica under the serious gaze of the parish priest, while praying the rosary. The scene plays with the light and the backgrounds, creating several spaces. The main part of the piece is the one that frames the beggars next to the parish priest, illuminated by a candle; while the secondary scene is played by two altar boys, at the back of the parish priest, who talk to each other. The background of this second scene is almost black. It is not arbitrary that the scene is represented in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, since he went from being the son of a rich merchant of the city in his youth, to live under the strictest poverty and observance of the Gospels. His religious life was austere and simple, so he encouraged his followers to do the same. In short, we find a piece with exceptional detail, where each face, each architecture and each detail are worked to the millimeter.José Benlliure began his artistic studies with Francisco Domingo in Valencia, to later continue his training in Madrid, where he settled in 1869. From an early age he enjoyed the patronage of the King of Savoy and in 1879 he moved to Rome, where he was discovered by the important art dealer Martin Colnaghi, who financed his studies in the city.In 1897 he made several trips to Tangier, Algeria and Morocco where he approached through a realistic, luminous and loose painting to the daily world of the places visited. From 1900 onwards his work depicts popular themes. He took part in the National Exhibitions of Fine Arts, obtaining third medals in the editions of 1876 and 1878 and first in 1887. He belonged to the Academies of San Fernando (Madrid), San Lucas (Rome), San Carlos (Valencia), Brera (Milan) and Munich. Between 1904 and 1912 he directed the Spanish Academy in Rome. The most important part of his production is preserved in Valencia, in his House Museum and in the Museum of Fine Arts San Pío V. He is also represented in the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Palace of Charles V in Granada, among others.

A GEORGE IV SCOTTISH FOLK ART NEEDLEWORK SCHOOL SAMPLER BY ELIZABETH VENABLES worked with various techniques and stitches on a linen ground, depicting a shepherdess seated on a bench in a parkland setting with her sheep and a horse, with a pond, with a Gothic style country house and trees, the top with initials, religious verses and signed and dated 'Elizabeth Venables sewed this piece in Miss Youngs School 1824, in a later glazed bird's eye maple frame 41 x 47.5cm Provenance Upper Slaughter Manor, The Collection of Micheál and Elizabeth Feller.

Various collectibles to include a 19th century brass tobacco jar with lead lined inner and lead inner weight, the lid decorated with a moulded Classical design and the word 'Tobacco' engraved within scrolls to the front, a Dennison gold plated full hunter pocket watch, the white enamelled dial set with Arabic numerals and lower seconds subsidiary dial, two small bottles with cork stoppers and crown finials, etched with 'Holy Water' on each, a silver watch fob, a silver Art Deco compact, various studs and cufflinks and various religious related fobs, etc.

Sevillian school; second half of the seventeenth century."Ecce Homo".Oil on canvas. Relined.Measurements: 53 x 40 cm; 72 x 59 cm (frame).In this devotional canvas, painted for an altar or private chapel, the theme of Ecce Homo is represented, very common in this type of paintings. Of simple and clear composition, with the face of Christ in the foreground, the absence of narrative details deepens the expressive power and pathos, designed to move the soul of the faithful who pray before the image, within a tremendist sense very typical of the baroque in Catholic countries. The theme of Ecce Homo belongs to the cycle of the Passion, and precedes the episode of the Crucifixion. Following this iconography, Jesus is presented at the moment when the soldiers mock him, after crowning him with thorns, dressing him in a purple tunic (here red, symbolic color of the Passion) and placing a reed in his hand, kneeling and exclaiming "Hail, King of the Jews!". The words "Ecce Homo" are those pronounced by Pilate when presenting Christ before the crowd; their translation is "behold the man", a phrase by which he mocks Jesus and implies that Christ's power was not such in front of that of the leaders who were judging him there. Formally this work is dominated by the light treatment, very contrasted and dramatic, based on a spotlight that falls directly on the figure of Christ.The dramatism that stands out in the scene reflected in the blood of the body that falls on the body of Christ, contrasts with the austere attitude and of recollection that denotes the posture of the body. It is this body composition that brings the artist closer to the work of Murillo. Considered by some as the painter who best defines the Spanish Baroque, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo exerted a remarkable influence among his Sevillian contemporaries and, after his death, his wake can be found in other schools even to this day, especially in religious art. In the 18th century his language and iconographic formulas were widely followed and repeated, and during Romanticism numerous copies of his works were made. However, it will be in the Baroque of the eighteenth century when the importance of his influence is most appreciated, spread by his numerous disciples and followers. In fact, in that century he was the best known and most appreciated Spanish painter outside Spain, the only one of whom Sandrart includes a biography in his "Academia picturae eruditae", a work of the late seventeenth century. In the last decades of the 17th century, the emotional, sweet and delicate sentimentality of Murillo prevailed in Seville over the more dramatic one of Valdés Leal, and hence the predominance of his influence in the following century. However, as time progresses, we will find ourselves before an increasingly superficial influence, which focuses on the imitation of models and compositions, but leaving aside his plastic language, in favor of formulas more typical of the new century.

Andalusian school of the second half of the seventeenth century."The adoration of the shepherds".Oil on canvas. Relined.Presents repainting, restorations and jumps.With frame of the twentieth century.Measurements: 169 x 126 cm; 193 x 151 cm (frame).This canvas represents a classic theme in the History of Art, that of the shepherds adoring the newborn baby Jesus in the portal of Bethlehem. It is a scene that, as in this case, lends itself to be interpreted as a large composition with numerous characters, worked in a costumbrista key, so it was very much to the taste of the Baroque painters, who sought above all a natural and close art, which moved the mood of the faithful and made them feel close to what was represented on the canvas, to the sacred story. In this way, the divine elements are reduced to a minimum, only to a breaking of Glory in the upper part, with two child angels attending the event. As is typical of the first baroque, this celestial space appears clearly differentiated from the earthly, a clear separation that, however, will disappear in the second baroque. As for the rest of the characters, all are arranged in the lower part of the composition, and stand out for the gestural emphasis and the individualized clothing of each one. All of them are presented around the Child Jesus, arranged in the center of the composition as the absolute protagonist, directly illuminated by a divine light. In short, we see in this canvas a theme very repeated throughout the History of Art, and that during the Andalusian baroque knew a remarkable boom. The humanity that permeates the scene made the faithful identify with it, an intention that would characterize Spanish religious art from the Counter-Reformation onwards.

A RARE YELLOW-GROUND SILK KESI ROBE 'DRAGON' PANELWanliThe panel finely woven with a lively side-facing five-clawed horned dragon chasing a flaming pearl beneath an oval canopied lantern decorated with a rabbit and striding amidst wispy ruyi clouds interspersed with the Auspicious Emblems, all on a rich yellow-ground above the terrestrial diagram rising above rolling waves and ruyi clouds, mounted.122cm (48in) long x 61cm (24in) wide.Footnotes:明萬曆 黃地緙絲龍紋袍料Provenance: Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., London, 2007An English private collection來源：倫敦古董商Jacqueline Simcox Ltd.，2007年英國私人收藏Finely woven in gold and multi-coloured threads with elegant designs of a side-facing five-clawed dragon, writhing amidst clouds and a lantern decorated with a rabbit, the present panel would have formed the front right half of an Imperial robe which would have been worn by the Emperor on the occasion of the Lantern Festival celebrations. The Lantern Festival was held over a period of ten days centering on the 15th day after the New Year Festival, which was the time of the first full moon of the new year. It appears to have been introduced during the Han dynasty, probably in relation with the spread of Buddhism in China. Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD) had heard that Buddhist monks prayed to Buddhist relics on the 15th day of first lunar month, lighting lanterns to pay respect to the Buddha. Taking a liking to the custom, he ordered that lanterns be lit throughout the Imperial palace and all the temples on the same day. The custom of hanging lanterns quickly became widespread among the population; see G.J.Melton, Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations, Goleta, CA, 2011, pp.514–515. A colourful scroll painting titled 'Xianzong Enjoying Pleasures', in the History Museum, Beijing, depicts the ruler at several moments in time including his tour of the palace surveying the elaborate festivities he ordered for the Lantern Festival, which included several rows of brilliantly-blazing lanterns lining the archway leading up to the Imperial palace; see J.Stuart, 'Timely Images: Chinese Art and Festival Display', in Proceedings of the British Academy, vol.167, 2009, pp. 295–348.The Emperor, Imperial family and high-ranking wealthy courtiers wore costumes woven or embroidered with themed decoration for the festive event. While the Ming dynasty official colour was red, the Emperor wore yellow for his official Court dress. Robes made to be worn for the occasion were probably restricted for use by the upper ranks at the Court of the Wanli Emperor, known for its demand for luxurious silks. Compare with a silk gauze embroidered panel from a dragon robe made for the Lantern Festival, Wanli, depicting a side-facing dragon riding amidst clouds and lanterns, illustrated by J.Vollmer and J.Simcox, Emblems of Empire, Edmonton, AB, 2009, pp.50-51.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A FINE UNCUT 'MIDNIGHT-BLUE' GAUZE SILK 'GOLDEN PHEASANT,' BUFULate 19th century Elegantly fashioned from rich midnight-blue gauze silk with front, back and side vents and a front opening, finely embroidered on the front and back rank badges finely made of colourful thread, each depicting a golden pheasant for the Second Civil Rank, the bird standing atop a rock arising from foaming waves interspersed with bats and vaporous clouds, all above rolling waves, all within a border decorated with stylised chi long on a key-fret and Shou symbols ground. 186cm (73 2/8in) wide x 126cm (49 1/2in) long.Footnotes:十九世紀晚期 藏藍地納紗繡錦雞紋二品文官補服Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth, London, early 1980's.來源：二十世紀八十年代早期，倫敦Linda WrigglesworthQing Court officials could be recognised by their Court surcoat, or outer coat bufu, such as the present example. A pair of identical insignia badges buzi, were embroidered directly on the back and chest of the garment, indicating the high rank of the wearer. The fact that the badge is embroidered directly into the silk ground further reinforces the high status and wealth of the wearer. This feature in fact made it impossible for the rank badge to be substituted with another as the wearer received a promotion, which happened often amongst the lower ranks of officialdom.When the Qing dynasty was established in 1644, regulations concerning rank badges were among the first edicts enacted by the Manchu government. The shapes of the badges conveyed religious and philosophical concepts that were themselves tied to the maintenance of social order.Following the publication of the 'Imperial Regulations', edited in 1759 by the Qianlong Emperor, calf-length, centre-fastening surcoats became mandatory for formal occasions. All who appeared at Court were required to wear a bufu, which was made of either dark blue or purple-black silk. It was loose-fitting, opening down the centre front, and had side and back vents. The three-quarter-length sleeves and the mid-calf length of the garment enabled the official to show off the sleeves extensions, the horseshoe-shaped cuffs and the lishui hem of the 'Court' or 'dragon' robes underneath. In addition, the simple shape of the coat made it an ideal 'canvas' for the badges of rank attached to the front and back, clearly defining their rank for all to see; see V.Garrett, Chinese Dress From the Qing Dynasty to Present, North Clarendon VT, 2008, p.75.The golden pheasant, shown in a finely-delineated terrestrial diagram, corresponds to the Second-Rank civil official. Although the Manchu, on assuming power, made a break in Chinese tradition and retained their own national costume, in 1652 they brought back the Ming custom of indicating rank by insignia squares, demarcating the nine ranks of civil officials by birds embroidered on the squares and the military rank grades by animals.Compare with a very similar dark-blue gauze silk surcoat, late 19th century, illustrated by J.Vollmer, 'Clothed to Rule the Universe: Ming and Qing Dynasty Textiles at The Art Institute of Chicago', in Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, vol.26, no.2, p.20, pl.III. See also a pair of related kesi 'goose' badges, 19th century, which was sold at Christie's London, 15 May 2013, lot 727.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

slate44.5cm high, 11.5cm wide, 15cm deep (17.5in high, 4.5in wide, 6in deep)Footnote: Boaz Vaadia was an internationally renowned sculptor known for hand-cutting slabs of bluestone and slate and then stacking them thus, creating male and female forms. In 1985 he created Adam, named after a guest who was staying in his loft, which was his first such figural sculpture. This would mark a significant moment in his oeuvre, and a development into a distinct new sculptural style that would become synonymous of his work. It set him on a path to international prominence and his personal totems, evoking ritual and primal forces, with an instinctive nod to his homeland but without overt religious connotations, grace prominent private and public collections around the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, the Time Warner Building, New York, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem and the private collection of Elton John.

Baba Deep Singh by Shankar Lal (India, 20th Century), circa 1950-60oil on board, signed lower right, painted white border painting 71.5 x 49 cm.; board 76 x 61.5 cm.Footnotes:Baba Deep Singh (1682-1757) is a famous Sikh hero, who was initially a close companion of Guru Gobind Singh. He combined religious life and devotion to the scriptures with military duties in the Khalsa army. He fought under Banda Singh Bahadur against the Mughals, but his best-known actions were against the Afghans during their incursions into India under Ahmad Shah Durrani. At the battle of Amritsar in 1757 (which the Sikhs fought in part to avenge the desecration of the Golden Temple), Baba Deep Singh (who had come out of scholarly retirement in his old age) was decapitated in combat, but according to legend fought on.For another depiction of his exploits, see the sale in these rooms, Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 30th March 2021, lot 120.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Assorted volumes - (one box) Copping, Harold 'Canadian Pictures - 36 plates in colour illustrating Canadian life and scenery, reproduced from original drawing by Harold Copping, with descriptive letter press by EP Weaver', The Religious Tract Society (1912), colour plates throughout, blue cloth with gilt titles and decoration, small folioGardiner, Samuel Rawson 'The School Atlas of English History', Longmans, Green & Co (1905)'With the Flag to Pretoria', two volumes'The Strand' magazine December 1903 to include Conan Doyle, A 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes' Chapter three', 'The Adventure of the Dancing Men', brown clothBound copies of 'Bow Bells; a magazine of general literature and art' Vol 26, published by John Dick, binding loose, back strip almost disappeared, with also Moore, Thomas 'Songs from scripture: the symphonies and accompaniments', John Goss, published Cramer, Addison and Beale, bound music scores with engraved titles, half leather over marble boards (rather bumped and rubbed)

Ludwig Deutsch (Austrian, 1855-1935)Calling the Faithful signed and dated 'L. Deutsch Paris 1893' (lower right)oil on panel49.5 x 31.7cm (19 1/2 x 12 1/2in).Footnotes:ProvenanceIrving Putnam Rexford (1884-1955).Olive Edna May Carson Rexford (1888-1977).Thence by family descent.Private collection, Canada.In 1893, the Société des Peintres Orientalistes Français was created in Paris to reinvigorate a genre that had begun to stale after half a century of dominating the European art world. Many of the giants of Orientalism had passed away or become interested in subjects beyond the Middle East, while the most influential artist in the field, Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904), was now focusing almost exclusively on sculpture, often with classical themes. There were some Orientalist painters, however, who were still captivated by the region, and whose works proved that Orientalism had something left to give. Ludwig Deutsch was one of them, and his pictures from the 1890s were among the finest of his career, with themes that would become the most recognisable and coveted in Orientalist art. His meticulously painted images of Arab men at prayer or, as here, silhouetted or placed just in front of the doorway of an Egyptian religious school or mosque, were particularly successful, finding ready buyers in Paris, London, New York, and Cairo - markets that continue to embrace Deutsch's works today.  In the present painting, completed just one year after winning a gold medal at the 1892 Paris Salon, Deutsch demonstrates the power of the art he created during these pivotal years. Specific yet iconic, topical yet timeless, the subject and site of Calling the Faithful reappear often in Deutsch's oeuvre, like stills from a sweeping cinematic series. The setting, in fact, was a favourite of the artist, and was likely visited in person during one of his many trips abroad (see fig 1). The distinctive bronze medallions adorning the wooden doors of the late 14th century Fatimid Mosque of al-Barquq, located in Cairo's Al-Moez Street, had been appreciated by scores of other artists as well, notably Pascal Xavier Coste (1787-1879) and Owen Jones (1809-1874). Jones reproduced similar medallions, decorative details, and architectural elements in his epic The Grammar of Ornament, published in London in 1856 and frequently used by Deutsch as an aide memoire for his Orientalist compositions. Deutsch's extensive collection of Orientalist photographs served much the same purpose. The jewel-like tones and miniaturists' technique, however, as well as the creative reconfiguration of historically accurate parts, were Deutsch's own, unique contribution to the field. The male figure in the composition, clad in a red striped qumbaz and a white turban, holds his index finger to his left ear.  This gesture – performed during the call of Adhan, or invitation to pray - allowed him to project his voice with the appropriate control, modulation, and force, while also protecting his hearing. His outer robes and scarf feature metallic gold threads, suggesting that they may have been woven in the nearby village of Kerdassa, famous for its luxurious striped textiles. Such ethnographic touches were typical of Deutsch, and contributed to the astonishing realism of his art. Ironically, given this level of precision and clarity, the details of Deutsch's own life remain obscure, with only the most basic biographical information being known. It is left to his pictures to reveal who he encountered during his wide-ranging travels, what intrigued him about Egypt specifically, how he chose to paint it, and why. We are grateful to Emily M. Weeks, Ph.D. for writing the catalogue note. The painting will be included in Dr. Weeks's concise catalogue of Deutsch's works, currently in progress.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Attributed to JUAN DE ESPINAL (Seville, 1714 - 1783)."St. Michael the Archangel.Oil on canvas. Re-drawn.Size: 41 x 27 cm.Juan de Espinal was able to overcome the then predominant Murillo spirit prevailing in local painting, opening to other trends from Europe, among which the Rococo style predominated. He possessed an elegant sense of chromatism, a light brushstroke and an agile and vibrant drawing, as we see in this San Miguel Arcángel. Among the attributions, we can mention the Immaculate Conception preserved in the Lázaro Galdiano Museum in Madrid and the tempera decoration of the vault of the Church of San Francisco de Utrera, on the theme Apotheosis of the Jesuit Order. He has also been attributed a series of thirteen paintings of circular format, now conserved in the Santa Casa de Loyola in Guipúzcoa, possibly copies of the series of Jesuit stories that the Flemish Jesuit Ignacio Raeth painted for the Novitiate of Madrid.Son of the painter Gregorio Espinal, Juan de Espinal must have received his first artistic teachings from his father. He apprenticed in the workshop of Domingo Martínez, where he probably met his master's daughter, Juana Martínez, whom he would later marry. In 1749, after the death of his father-in-law and master, he inherited his father's workshop and presumably his clientele, enjoying a prestigious position. Proof of this are the various commissions he received, both from the city council and the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Another of his facets was teaching, being one of the main promoters of the art school known as Real Escuela de las Tres Nobles Artes de Sevilla and director of the painting section of this school since 1775. His first work of which we have evidence is the tempera decoration of the vault of the Church of El Salvador (Seville). It is a representation of the heavenly Glory presided over by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. In 1759 he was commissioned by the City Council of Seville to paint a picture of Saints Justa and Rufina, a theme already treated by Murillo. The result was a splendid work in which Espinal introduced iconographic novelties in the representation of these saints. Other of his most brilliant works are the Alegoría de la pintura Sevillana, currently on display at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (Madrid), and San Carlos Borromeo dando la comunión a los apestados de Milán (Church of San Nicolás de Bari in Seville). His best set of works is undoubtedly the series of fifteen paintings on religious themes commissioned by the Archbishop of Seville Don Francisco Javier Delgado y Venegas and currently housed in the Archbishop's Palace of this city, among them are: The Archangel St. Michael, St. Gabriel, The Sacrifice of Isaac, Jacob's Dream and The Angel announcing the plague to David. It is known the existence of paintings on profane themes, such as Venus and Vulcan, but none of them has been preserved.

MARIANO SALVADOR MAELLA (Valencia, 1739 - Madrid, 1819). "Holy Family with Saint Teresa of Jesus". Oil on canvas. Relined. Attached certificate of authenticity issued by the Amatller Institute of Hispanic Art. Measurements: 215 x 157 cm; 239 x 183 cm (frame). Faithful to his style, Mariano Salvador Maella offers us a canvas that combines the last traces of eighteenth-century baroque with the novelties of neoclassicism, always marked by academicism and rigour in the drawing. This is a tremendously narrative work, with the Holy Family in the centre of the composition and Saint Teresa of Jesus in the lower right corner. In an exceptional interplay of gazes, gestures and symbolism, Maella immortalises Saint Teresa as if she were a donor, in the manner of a portrait, idealised both in the treatment of her face and her clothing. Thus, the Carmelite habit, far from being represented as a mere garment, is worked with great subtlety and determination, as if it were a delicate transparent veil. The saint looks at the Child Jesus, personified by the Valencian artist as Cupid. With the help of his parents, the little boy points his arrow at Teresa of Jesus, an allusion to the ecstasy experienced by the saint herself, in which she felt God's love piercing her heart. Maella completes the composition with the representation of the Holy Spirit, from whose beak emanate the rays that inspire the saint in her writing. In relation to this last point, it is worth mentioning how Saint Teresa is considered one of Spain's most celebrated writers. On the heavenly plane, in the manner of a typically Baroque break in glory, God the Father Almighty is depicted, relegated to the background, albeit with a firm and decisive line, a faithful reflection of her religious condition. This exceptional composition, which embodies the powerful artistic work of Salvador Maella, denotes the Valencian artist's taste for classical antiquity, a characteristic of neoclassicism reflected in the personification of the Christ Child as Cupid, in the foot of the classical column that rises in the background of the work and in the tonsure of flowers that crowns the Saint (in the manner of a laurel wreath). A painter, engraver and illustrator, Maella began his training in Madrid, in the drawing studio of the sculptor Felipe de Castro. He later continued his studies at the recently created San Fernando Academy, where his teacher was Antonio González Velázquez, from whom he learned the elements of the late 18th-century Baroque. After completing his studies and having won several Academy competitions, he moved to Rome in 1757. There he began his professional career, following the Baroque style of his master. However, on returning to France he entered the sphere of Anton Raphael Mengs, leaving the Baroque influence behind him for good. From then on he carried out important work as a fresco painter in the decoration of the Royal Palace in Madrid and other royal sites. In 1774 he was appointed chamber painter, and from then on he combined his service to the king with his post at the Santa Bárbara Tapestry Factory, where he was responsible for supervising the work of the young painters. He was also a member of merit of the Royal Academy of San Fernando from 1765, replacing Mengs as professor there from 1769, before finally being appointed director in 1772. At the height of his career, Charles IV awarded him the title of first painter to the king, shared with Goya, in 1799. Maella is currently represented in the Prado Museum, the National Heritage collection, the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Valencia Fine Arts Museum, among others.

Spanish or Italian school; ca. 1700"The Arrival of the Virgin and St. Joseph in Bethlehem".Oil on canvas. Relined.Presents repainting and restorations.Size: 119 x 165 cm.In a dramatic illuminated scene, some characters lean out of the window, to listen to the supplications of Joseph and Mary, who are outside. Joseph with his back to the viewer and looking directly at the characters in the window, seems to adopt an imploring attitude, pointing to Mary, who stands out for her tired gesture, with a distressed face and her hand resting on her belly. This development of the scene invites us to think that it is the moment in which St. Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem, because by decree of King David, all children must be registered in that city. The moment that the work captures shows how they were denied accommodation, so that they had to resort to a manger. It is a previous moment, where the author does not try to show the joy of the birth of Christ, which takes place moments later. Therefore, it is a moralizing scene that invites the viewer to reflect on the human condition, on humility and charity, values proper to Christianity.Baroque painting, both Italian and Spanish, is one of the most authentic and personal examples of art, because its conception and form of expression arose from the people and the deepest feelings that nestled in it. With the economy of the State broken, the nobility in decline and the high clergy burdened with heavy taxes, it was the monasteries, parishes and confraternities of clerics and laymen who promoted its development, the works sometimes being financed by popular subscription. Sculpture was thus compelled to embody the prevailing ideals in these environments, which were none other than religious ones, at a time when the counter-reformist doctrine demanded from art a realistic language so that the faithful would understand and identify with what was represented, and an expression endowed with an intense emotional content to increase the fervor and devotion of the people. The religious subject is, therefore, the preferred theme of Spanish painting of this period, which in the first decades of the century starts from a priority interest in capturing the natural, to progressively intensify throughout the century the expression of expressive values, which is achieved through the movement and variety of gestures, the use of light resources and the representation of moods and feelings.

Renaissance school, the first third of the sixteenth century. Master of the environment or workshop of FELIPE DE BIGARNY (Langres, France, 1475 - Toledo, 1543)."The Annunciation", "The Visitation", "The Nativity" and "The Adoration of the Kings".Set of four important reliefs in carved, polychrome and gilded wood, which come from the same altarpiece.Measurements: 77 x 66 x 8 cm, 77 x 66 x 6 cm, 77 x 66 x 7 cm and 76.5 x 63.5 x 6 cm.Due to its physical and formal characteristics, the important group of four reliefs that we present fits within the remarkable sculptural focus developed in Burgos at the beginning of the 16th century, which had Felipe de Bigarny as one of its greatest exponents. We can highlight, among other aspects, the extraordinary state of conservation of the original polychromy, the gilding, the stew and the carving in general, which, over the years, has remained practically intact.Within the arrival of the new Renaissance doctrines in Spain, specific centers such as Aragon, Burgos or Granada stood out. Specifically, the Burgos focus counted with the presence of Diego de Siloé, who worked extensively in the cathedral of Burgos, elaborating the chapel of the Constables together with Felipe Bigarny, in the lateral altarpieces and in the Golden Staircase. His good work as a Renaissance sculptor was evident throughout the province of Burgos. From the artistic point of view, 16th century Spain underwent a process of transformation towards the new art of humanism implanted in Italy, much slower due to the need to learn the new techniques and, of course, to change the taste of the clientele. Sculpture reflects, perhaps better than other artistic fields, this eagerness to return to the classical Greco-Roman world. Anatomy, the movement of the figures, compositions with a sense of perspective and balance, the naturalistic play of the folds, the classical attitudes of the figures soon began to be valued; but the strong Gothic tradition maintains the expressiveness as a vehicle of the deep spiritualist sense that informs our best Renaissance sculptures. This strong and healthy tradition favors the continuity of religious sculpture in gilded and polychrome wood, which accepts the formal beauty offered by Italian Renaissance art. In the first years of the century, Italian works arrived in our lands and some of our sculptors went to Italy, where they learned first hand the new norms in the most progressive centers of Italian art, whether in Florence or Rome, and even in Naples. Upon their return, the best of them, such as Alonso Berruguete, Diego de Siloé and Bartolomé Ordóñez, revolutionized Spanish sculpture, even advancing the new mannerist, intellectualized and abstract derivation of the Italian Cinquecento, almost at the same time that it was produced in Italy.Felipe Bigarny, was a master sculptor and carver from Burgundy living in Spain, considered one of the most distinguished of the Spanish Renaissance. He also presented some projects as an architect. In his works coexist Flemish, Burgundian and Italian Renaissance features. He achieved great prestige and became the master of sculpture and carving of the Cathedral of Burgos. He also intervened in important works throughout the Crown of Castile, managing several workshops simultaneously, which gave him a good socioeconomic position.

Castilian school; first quarter of the sixteenth century."Virgin imposing the chasuble to San Ildefonso".Oil on panel. Cradled.Brushed board, has restoration.Size: 149 x 101 cm; 169.5 x 121 cm (frame).Devotional scene, in which the author presents the Virgin, accompanied by a saint, kneeling before her, and three angels arranged in the upper part of the composition, carrying the crosier, the chasuble and the mitre. This symbolism indicates that it is the representation of a passage from the life of Saint Ildefonso, specifically the one that refers to the night of December 18, 665. When Saint Ildefonso went to the church to sing hymns in honor of Mary, accompanied by his clerics and some other people. However, when they entered, they found the chapel shining with such a dazzling light that they were afraid. All fled except Ildefonso and his two deacons, who entered and approached the altar. Before them stood the Virgin Mary, seated on the bishop's chair, surrounded by a company of virgins singing heavenly songs. Mary beckoned the saint to approach and, having obeyed, she fixed her eyes upon him and said, "You are my chaplain and faithful notary. Receive this chasuble which my Son sends you from his treasury." Having said this, Our Lady herself invested him, instructing him to wear the chasuble only on feast days designated in her honor. St. Ildefonso of Toledo (Toledo, 607-667), son of Visigoth parents and nephew of St. Eugene III, was archbishop of Toledo between 657 and 667, and is one of the Fathers of the Church. He studied in Seville under the tutelage of St. Isidore, and entered the order of St. Benedict fleeing from his parents, nobles who were opposed to his priestly life. He would later be elected abbot of Agalia, near Toledo, and finally archbishop. St. Ildefonso unified the liturgy in Spain, and wrote numerous works of liturgical and dogmatic character, particularly on the Virgin Mary.Spain is, at the beginning of the 16th century, the European nation best prepared to receive the new humanist concepts of life and art due to its spiritual, political and economic conditions, although from the point of view of the plastic forms, its adaptation of those implanted by Italy was slower due to the need to learn the new techniques and to change the taste of the clientele. Soon the anatomy, the movement of the figures, the compositions with a sense of perspective and balance, the naturalistic play of the folds, the classical attitudes of the figures began to be valued; but the strong Gothic tradition maintains the expressiveness as a vehicle of the deep spiritualist sense. This strong and healthy tradition favors the continuity of religious painting by adding a sense of balance that avoids its predominance over the immaterial content that animates the forms. In the first years of the century, Italian works arrived in our lands and some of our artists went to Italy, where they learned first hand the new norms in the most progressive centers of Italian art, such as Florence or Rome, and even in Naples.

Flemish school; XVI century."Saint Jerome".Oil on panel.Requires cleaning and has restoration band on the back.Measures: 64 x 48 cm.In this work the artist reveals an exceptional sense of drawing through which he has described the anatomy of the saint, showing great precision. Especially achieved in the anatomical capture that is revealed through thin but defined muscles, which give a glimpse of the saint's life as a hermit. His anatomy presents a certain elongation of the forms, which makes the hands stand out in particular, rotund, but at the same time defined and refined. The face also reveals this technical care, which is determined by the treatment of the wrinkles and bags that can be seen under the saint's expressive eyes. The detail with which the hair has been painted stands out, and each hair that forms part of the beard can be seen. This shows the artist's interest in capturing an almost microscopic reality. This prominence of details and qualities is a characteristic feature of the Flemish school. This statement added to the hieratism and rotundity of the figure, invite us to think of aesthetic compositions close to the painter Ambrosius Benson (Region of Lombardy?, ca. 1490-1500 - Bruges, January 1550), whose Saint Jerome in the collection of the Mayer van den Bergh Museum in Antwerp, has great similarities with this work. In both pieces the saint is immersed in a rocky interior, which opens slightly to the landscape in the upper left area. Located in the center of the composition, St. Jerome, dressed in a grayish tunic that reveals his torso, holds a cross with the body of Christ in his hands. It is at this point where the two works differ since, in the painting of the museum, the saint only holds the cross. Finally, the work is completed with the iconographic attributes typical of St. Jerome, such as the lion and the skull. Ambrosius Benson was one of the so-called masters of the tradition, successor of Van der Goes, and showed the influence of Van Eyck, Van der Weyden and the Flemish primitives in general. However, in his work we can appreciate features already typical of the 16th century, coming from Italy, such as the triangular composition that we see in this work. Originally from Lombardy, more Italian features can be appreciated in his painting. As we can see in this workshop work, especially important was his personal use of color, with a predominance of maroon tones in contrast to the whites and light tones of the flesh tones, which are thus very highlighted in the composition. Also typical of his work is the velvety quality of the cloaks. Benson was a painter of religious subjects and portraits, and trained with Gerard David in Bruges from 1518, the year he became a citizen there.The representation of St. Jerome has been one of the most represented subjects in the art world. Whether as a penitent or as a sage, the saint's biography has served to connect with the faithful and transmit the values of the Church. Saint Jerome was born near Aquileia (Italy) in 347. Trained in Rome, he was an accomplished rhetorician, as well as a polyglot. Baptized at the age of nineteen, between 375 and 378 he retired to the Syrian desert to lead an anchorite's life. He returned to Rome in 382 and became a collaborator of Pope Damasus. The accumulation of books and parchments next to the saint alludes to the saint's translation of the Bible into Latin, which was considered the only official translation since the Council of Trent. The theme of St. Jerome hearing the trumpet of the Last Judgment would become fashionable in Counter-Reformation Europe, and would gradually impose itself, displacing the previous interpretations of the saint as a sage or as a penitent.

enamel with foil in copper, within white metal mount5cm acrossFootnote: Literature: Cumming, E. Phoebe Anna Traquair 1852-1936 National Galleries of Scotland 1993, p. 85, no. 121, p. 82, no 101 Note: Traquair learned the craft of art enamelling from her friend Lady Carmichael in 1901, and over the coming decade her enamels would be set either as jewellery (notably pendants and necklaces) or ‘architectural’ formats such as triptychs in stands often designed by her architect son Ramsay. They were exhibited both in Scotland and in London with the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. Her fine enamels soon became the craft for which she was best known south of the Border, with The Studio critic commenting in 1906 that ‘the qualities which are attained in enamel by a worker with a sensitivity to colour make it peculiarly a medium which satisfies an artistic nature ... that enamelling is Mrs Traquair’s medium we do not doubt’. Her subjects, painted on copper or more occasionally silver or gold, were taken from classical or religious subjects, the latter often popularised as angels comforting or watching over female figures. A pendant, necklace or the occasional brooch, set to her design by John Maitland Talbot, Hamilton & Inches, Brook & Sons or (after 1909) Henry Tatton would sell for two or three guineas.Traquair the artist always gave her craft pieces titles, and The Dream copies the central plaque of a 1906 necklace of the same name. Enamels that were admired or which she herself found particularly satisfying were duplicated, with a number remaining unset in her studio. One such unmounted piece is The Dream, given to the V&A by her granddaughter and dated 1909. The enamel is from the same date: the setting may be by Brook. The dream concept was one that greatly appealed to her, and was introduced to her Mansfield Place Church mural where Joseph’s dream is central to the Old Testament narrative on the nave’s south wall (1900). A dream image was also present on the Lorimer piano painted for Frank Tennant as part of her illustrations of The Song of Solomon (National Museums Scotland).With thanks to Elizabeth Cumming for her footnote for this lot

CHILDREN'S BOOKS (13) - titles include 'Little Songs of Long Ago' and 'Our Old Nursery Rhymes' illustrated by H Willebeek Le Mair, 'The Nursery Song Book', London George Routledge & Sons Ltd illustrated by May Sandheim, 'The Baby's Opera', Frederick Warne & Co London, Walter Crane engraved and printed in colours by Edmund Evans, 'Lady Talavera', Faber & Faber, written and illustrated by V H Drummond, 'A Child's Religion' by Robert Bird, Longmans, Green & Co London 1895, stuck down typed letter from the author dated 1906 to the interior, 'Tales and Fairy Stories' by Hans Christian Andersen translated by Madame De Chatelain, G Routledge & Co London 1852 illustrated by Henry Warren, 'In the Devil's Alley' by May Quinlan, illustrations by the author Art & Book Company Ltd Westminster 1907 with interior letter from the author, 'Plain Frances Mowbray & Other Tales' by The Honourable Emily Lawless, John Murray London 1889 with tipped in written postcard from the author, 'St Christopher and Other Poems' by Elizabeth Wordsworth, direct descendant William Wordsworth, Longmans Green & Co London 1890, the interior inscribed 'Ruth Florence Verney with the author's love, Oxford March 13 1902', 'The Snow Garden and other Fairy Tales for Children' by Elizabeth Wordsworth, Longmans, Green & Co, London, New York and Bombay 1897 New Edition with interior inscription from the author, 'Margaret Craven or Beauty of the Heart, the Religious Tract Society London', inscribed to the interior 'Margaret M Hay Williams from the Christmas tree at Plas Heaton January 1857 and 'Mother Goose or The Old Nursery Rhymes', Frederick Warne & Co London, illustrated by Kate Greenway inscribed to the interior 'Mary Rachel Verney from father and mother Christmas 1919

Yves Klein (1928-1962)Untitled Blue Monochrome (IKB 53)1959 signed and dated 59 on the reversedry pigment and synthetic resin on stonewareDiameter: 24.5 cm. 9 5/8 in.Footnotes:ProvenanceRené de Montaigu Collection, FranceSale: Tajan, Paris, Succession René de Montaigu, 13 June 1995, Lot 20 Private Collection, FranceSale: Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris, Art Contemporain, 29 January 2001, Lot 61Acquired directly from the above by the present ownerLiteraturePaul Wember, Yves Klein Catalogue Raisonné, Cologne 1969, p. 72, description of the work listedRadiant in colour and sublime in form, Untitled Blue Monochrome (IKB 53) from 1959 is a truly captivating work by the acclaimed French artist Yves Klein. Born in Nice in 1928, Klein's influence on the landscape of contemporary art has been extraordinarily profound. Despite a fatal heart attack at the young age of 34, Klein had a remarkably active career creating a vast body of work that continuously pushed the boundaries between painting, sculpture and thought-provoking performance art. Klein's exhibition The Void, at Iris Clert Gallery in 1958, held only a year before the present work was created, was a revolutionary conceptual masterpiece where the artist presented a completely empty gallery space in Paris. Thousands of visitors attended the exhibition and expected to see his latest paintings, but instead they were confronted with an empty room and provocative bare white walls. Klein's pioneering Anthropometries also shocked the art world at the time. The artist engaged nude female models covered in paint and used them as human paint brushes, creating impressions of their bodies and working their flesh directly onto the surface. Whilst incredibly controversial and daring at the time, Klein endeavoured to create a more religious, intellectual, and immersive theatrical experience in his practice.Untitled Blue Monochrome (IKB 53) was executed at a pivotal moment in Klein's career. His monochrome paintings which originally began in various colour tones - vibrant oranges, deep purples and exuberant greens – had been exhibited for the first time at the Club des Solitaires in Paris only four years earlier in 1955. Quoted in the exhibition catalogue, Klein discusses his journey to this crucial monochrome series and the assertive experience of his paintings which was achieved through uniformity: 'After passing through several periods, my pursuits have led me to the creation of uniformly monochrome paintings. Using multiple techniques, after appropriate preparation of the foundation, each of my canvases is thus covered by one or more layers of a unique and uniform colour. No drawing and no variation of hue appear there is only strictly uniform colour. In such manner, the dominant force asserts itself upon the entire painting.' (the artist in: Yves Klein Yves Peintures, Paris 1955, p. 33).Two years later in 1957, Klein finalised the fabrication of the deep and intense ultramarine pigment that he would patent in his name. It is this emotive blue that would dominate his oeuvre and form the basis of his monochrome abstraction, sublimely realised in Untitled Blue Monochrome (IKB 53). In the present work, layers of powdery International Klein Blue pigment, otherwise known as IKB, saturate the stoneware in a rich variation of colour, drawing the eye over the striations that mark the concave plane. The viewer is drawn into the surface starting from outer edges and circling inwards. Few artists have been so closely affiliated to one colour as is the case with Klein and the electric IKB. As a result, the two are inextricably linked and synonymously bound to each other. Klein believed the purpose of colour was to strip back the materiality of the canvas or the surface, creating a doorway to a higher experience that transcends the mere physical. His powdery IKB pigment represents a physical representation of a cosmic force or an otherworldly experience which is dependent on the light, the individual viewer and their own sensibility. Indeed, this cosmic energy is palpable when you are placed in front of Klein's monochromes. Regardless of the size or the form; whether applied to canvas, ceramic or to the ethereal anthropomorphic Sculpture-Eponges, you are immediately drawn to the velvety colour, losing yourself to the limitless plane and thereby experiencing infinite freedom as his works act as a conduit into a deep void, unhindered from a specific narrative. Transfixing the viewer and artist alike, IKB evoked the transcendental experience of Klein's childhood spent in Nice, from gazing up towards the luminosity of the limitless sky and out towards the endless azure Mediterranean Sea. This release of the body and mind presents a certain spirituality to Klein's work that was evident throughout his life. Before devoting himself to his artistic practice, Judo was Klein's first love. He travelled to Japan in 1952 and trained as a judoka for a period of fifteen months. Klein's interest in Eastern philosophy was also piqued on this trip, studying Zen Buddhism where the tenets of emptiness and the disavowal of the self can be seen in many of his works. With his interest in Zen Buddhism and combined with his Catholic faith, Klein was rather philosophical and interested in religious iconography. He would often use gold and rose along with his signature colour in his works, recalling the holy trinity. Gold for the Father, blue for the Son and pink for the Holy Spirit. Untitled Blue Monochrome (IKB 53) was originally held in the esteemed collection of the prominent collector and businessman René de Montaigu. Born in Paris in 1897, Monsieur de Montaigu was incredibly passionate about the arts, acquiring works by many of the leading artists of the Twentieth Century such as Ellsworth Kelly, Jean Dubuffet, Christo, Lucio Fontana, Georges Mathieu and Yves Klein. Many works from his collection have been admitted into international institutions; one such example is the Wisteria Dining Room, Paris, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. An entire room complete with walnut wall panels and intricately painted murals, the Wisteria Dining Room is a celebrated example of Art Nouveau design and architecture and was conceived by the French Symbolist artist Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer. A generous patron, René de Montaigu was a founding member of the 'Association of Friends of the Centre Pompidou' in Paris and gifted a painting by the German artist Wols to the museum in 1979.Harmonious in form and size, Untitled Blue Monochrome (IKB 53) presents a wonderful opportunity to acquire an incredibly rare work from the artist's oeuvre. Residing in the collections of prominent international institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Centre Pompidou, Paris, The Tate Modern, London, The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Klein's legacy continues to endure and mesmerise through a world of endless colour and possibilities.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * AR* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

IN THE MANNER OF MARCELINO VICENTE (1933-1968) A MEXICAN FOLK ART PAINTED POTTERY GROUP 'OCUMICHO DEVILS' modelled as a group of ten demons, some depicted eating elote, on a naturalistic base, 41.5cm high x 35cm wideDeep in the heart of Mexico’s western communities, in the state of Michoacán, you will find Ocumicho, famous for its prize-winning devil figurines that captivate people from all over the world with an enchanting universe of mischievous and playful characters. The figurines represent the collective effort and imagination of a whole tradition rich in myths and creativity. The sculptures feature strange hybrid scenes that combine everyday life, religious allegories, and local folklore and legends, leading to funny and endearing results. Legend has it that the practice comes from a single mind, that of young Marcelino Vicente, a local, eccentric artisan who dared look beyond the obvious and into the depths of the surreal. Ocumicho was a very conservative, tradition-bound place, and Marcelino Vicente was anything but.  His biographers have described him as a flamboyant cross-dresser, a homosexual, an unabashed narcissist, and an alcoholic. He became the victim of local thugs, who found him drinking alone in a bar late one evening and beat him savagely to death in 1968. Provenance: The Studio of Peter Snow (1927-2008) Peter Frederick Briscoe Snow was an English painter, theatre designer and teacher. From the 1960s to the 1990s he was head of postgraduate theatre design at the Slade School of Fine Art

Full title: Italian school, circle of Giambattista Tiepolo, grey-brown wash on paper, late 18th C.: Study of a cow and of four turbaned men's headsDescription: Dim.: 15,5 x 7,5 cmÊ On the front: the drawing is signed on the bottom right. Depicted is a bull, relatable to a drawing in the National Gallery of Art, Accession Number 1983.45.1. (link available on our website) A study of a cow with a study of a bearded man on the back was with Galleria Cortona. (link available on our website)On the back: depicted are four Venetian elder males, with a long beard and typical late baroque head dresses. Tiepolo liked to observe his subjects in daily life scenes before placing them in his religious or iconographical settings.Ê Expert: Cabinet Rene Millet.Ê Provenance: (same for lots 447, 451, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460)- A Belgian private collection.- Acquired in the art market, according to the previous owner all removed from the same late 19th C. album acquired in London.Ê Born in Venice in 1696 to a prosperous merchant, Giovanni Battista (Giambattista) Tiepolo chose to pursue a career in painting. He was taught by Gregorio Lazzarini (1655-1730), studying under him probably c. 1710. In 1717 he was inscribed in the Venetian painters guild as an independent painter. His earliest dateable works, in the Ospedaletto, Venice (1715-1716), do not display the classical compositions and smooth finish characteristic of Lazzarini's paintings, but rather the avant-garde tenebrism of Federico Bencovich (1677-1726) and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1683-1754). Much controversy surrounds the course of Tiepolo's development in the next fifteen years in which there are few dated paintings. Knowledge of his activities in the teens and twenties comes mostly from Vincenzo da Canal's biography of Lazzarini (1732), in which the author devoted several pages to the talented pupil whose popularity had soared in the previous decade. During these early years Tiepolo experimented with various styles simultaneously, and recent scholarship based on da Canal's listing of Tiepolo's paintings prior to 1732 has shown that the artist vacillated between the tenebrism practiced by many Venetian contemporaries and a lighter, more atmospheric style. As early as c. 1716 Tiepolo was practicing the art of fresco painting on the terrafirma, a technique reintroduced into the Veneto in the late sixteenth century by non-Venetian artists. His grandest decorative cycle of the period, painted for the Archbishop's Palace in Udine (c. 1726-1729), reveals his interest in Veronese's color and compositions.Ê Tiepolo's frescoes in Udine brought him immediate fame and commissions for further decorative ensembles. In the next ten years he painted and frescoed in palaces and villas in and around Milan, Bergamo, Venice, and elsewhere in the Veneto, the subjects of which derive mostly from ancient history. With the Bolognese quadrattura painter Girolamo Mengozzi-Colonna (c. 1688-c. 1766), who designed his architectural surrounds, Tiepolo revolutionized the art of fresco decoration in Venice by combining the deep perspective of Venetian cinquecento ceiling decorations with a compositional clarity that connected the diverse elements of the design into a greatly expanded pictorial space. Unlike their direct precedents in which forms were arranged haphazardly across the ceiling, Tiepolo's compositions are ordered in zig-zag patterns that expand the illusionistic view into the heavens. By 1740, after conquering towering church ceilings such as the Gesuati, Venice (1737-1739), with this method, he brought figures closer to the spectator in long, low secular rooms by distributing his deeply colored figures along the cornice and contrasting them with increasingly lighter pastel hues in the open skies (Palazzo Clerici, Milan, 1740). In the same years Tiepolo developed as an artist of religious altarpieces, in which he captured counter-reformatory devotional images in a neo-Renaissance format.Ê Tiepolo's fame and prices increased further in the 1740s. He moved several times during his career, always to grander quarters, which he shared with his wife Cecilia, the sister of Francesco Guardi and their nine children. The artist had already rejected an invitation to Sweden in 1736, and now his paintings were being requested in northern Europe. His friendship with Francesco Algarotti (1712-1764), whom he met in 1743, brought him commissions from the Saxon court of Dresden. Although always inspired by ancient history, in this period Tiepolo turned increasingly to representations of antique monuments and dress. At the same time, he took up etching, producing two sets of prints - the Scherzi di fantasia and the Capricci - both heavily laden with antique references.Ê External political forces kept foreigners from Venice in the second half of the 1740s, causing an economic slowdown in the city and compelling Venetian artists to seek employment abroad. Although Tiepolo was so active in this decade that he enlisted the help of his son Giovanni Domenico (Giandomenico, 1723-1804), he nevertheless accepted the lucrative invitation to work for Prince Bishop Carl Philipp von Greiffenklau of Wuzburg in the archiepiscopal palace, where he resided from late 1750 to 1753. There he produced what is considered his greatest triumph, the enormous ceiling fresco in the grand staircase with Olympus and the Four Continents (1752-53). Another son, Lorenzo (1736-1777), less talented than Giandomenico, also accompanied his father to Würzburg as a helper.Ê In the 1740s and 1750s, Tiepolo's expanded repertoire included literary, historical, mythological, allegorical, as well as religious works. He continued to produce masterpieces in both Venice and the Veneto, such as the story of Antony and Cleopatra in the Palazzo Labia, Venice (1746-1747), and the scenes from Tasso in the Villa Valmarana, Vicenza (1757). Commissions from abroad continued: Tiepolo sent works to the kings of France and England and the czarina of Russia. In 1761, King Charles III of Spain requested Tiepolo's services to paint in the newly completed Royal Palace in Madrid. Due to political pressures and in spite of his age and illness from the gout, Tiepolo set off on his last journey in 1762. Although his large ceiling fresco for the Throne Room in the Royal Palace, Madrid (1762-1764) has been criticized as a reworking of earlier compositions, its breadth and sophistication mark it as one of his late successes. His altarpieces for San Juan Baylon at Aranjuez (1767-1769) reveal an old age style of simply presented but deep religious meditation and emotion.Ê About the time of Tiepolo's death in Madrid in 1770, the taste for dramatic allegorical subjects and passionate religious themes had faded throughout Europe in favor of a severe neo-Classical style that reflected the new rationalism of the period. By the end of the century, with the fall of monarchic power and lessening influence of religious institutions, Tiepolo's art was outdated. Even his son Giandomenico had taken up more objectively motivated themes and a realistic style. In spite of this, Tiepolo is recognized today as one of the most brilliant and celebrated artists of the eighteenth century and the last of the great practitioners of the Renaissance and Baroque tradition. (source: National Gallery of Art - link)Condition reports and additional images:The absence of a condition report does not imply that a lot is in perfect condition. Reports are published on request, on our website www.rm-auctions.com. High resolution images, further detailed images and natural daylight images, when requested, will be made available on our website www.rm-auctions.com. Further questions are always welcome at info@rm-auctions.com

A lot comprising a trench art wooden puzzle box - France 1914 - 1919, a metal pill box & a clay pipe bowl with religious theme Condition Report: Available upon request

Two books, both German, one religious art and one other art

George Russell Æ (1867-1935)Gathering FirewoodOil on canvas, 53 x 80cm (20¾ x 31½")Signed with monogramBorn in Co. Armagh, George Russell moved to Dublin when he was eleven. His interest in painting led him to undertake evening classes at the Metropolitan School of Art and it was here that he met and befriended William Butler Yeats. Yeats encouraged Russell in his more creative pursuits and introduced him to Theosophy, a religious study that places emphasis on the natural world and mystical experience.Russell immersed himself in these teachings and he began to write for journals such as the ‘Irish Theosophist’. It was in these articles that his pseudonym, AE, first appeared, a shortened version of Aeon and a nod towards an eternal being. His beliefs also carried through into his artwork. In some pieces, Russell blatantly made reference to supernatural occurrences, depicting imp-like figures in fairy-tale worlds. Others, such as the current lot, are more subtle in their approach, caressing everyday scenes with an arcadian cloak.Here, the birch wood is transformed into a leafy idyll. The dappled sunshine spots the ground below whilst the foliage glitters in the descending rays. Three figures move through the trees, engaged in collecting firewood. By blurring their faces, Russell creates a sense of mystery around their identity, elevating them slightly from the human realm and allowing them to pass seamlessly through this magical vista. Russell’s impressionistic approach further dulls our sense of reality, the soft textures mimicking the fuzzy warmth of dreams.It was Russell’s desire to nurture an Irish school of art, a rival to those emerging on the European continent, but, in 1928, Russell left Dublin and embarked on a series of US lecture tours. He prioritised his literary works over his painting and never quite reached the acclaim that he deserved during his lifetime.Russell died in 1935 as a poet, critic, philosopher and some-time painter, but his contribution to Irish art cannot be overlooked. Through his images, we are invited to experience an ideology that was bubbling underneath Irish society at the turn of the 20th century. Theosophy touched several well-known names at the time but it is through George Russell that we truly understand the effect that it took on their creative processes.Helena Carlyle, September 2021

Giorgio Domenico Duprà (1689-1770)Prince Francisco of Braganza, Infante of Portugal, 7th Duke of Beja and Great-Prior of the Order of Malta in PortugalOil on canvas Ca. 1730125x93 cm Special Notes:GIORGIO DOMENICO DUPRÀComing from the circle of artists that surrounded the Duke of Savoy Vítor Amadeo II (1666-1730), Domenico Duprà was born in 1689 in the city of Turin, as the son of Giuseppe Duprà and Spirita Crossatti and the older brother of the painter Giuseppe Duprà (1703-1784). In 1709, when he reached the age of twenty, he moved to the city of Rome, with a certificate authenticated by Archbishop Miguel António Vibo, which testifies to his early relationship with the Portuguese circle. In that city he was a disciple of the Italian painter Francesco Trevisani (1656-1746) – author of the large canvas on the main altar of the Basilica of the Convent of Mafra – and it was in this workshop that he met Francisco Vieira Lusitano (1699-1783) who was in Rome as a boarder of King D. João V (1689-1750). In 1719, he was awarded the title of Academic of St. Lucas, which ensured the notoriety he enjoyed in the artistic society of that city. In that same year he arrived in Lisbon, following the invitation made by the 1st Marquis of Fonte, D. Rodrigo de Sá Almeida e Meneses (1676-1733) on behalf of the King D. João V. He arrived accompanied by the architect Filippo Juvarra (1688-1736) and the painter Vieira Lusitano, joining the Brotherhood of S. Lucas on October 22nd. From the records at the Brotherhood, we learn that he lived on the balconies of Terreiro do Paço, which means that he was nominated by D. João V as a Royal painter. Duprà's career in Portugal was almost exclusively dedicated to court painting. In 1719, he painted the portraits of the King's four sons and the portrait of the Monarch with the background of the Cape of Battle of Matapão (today in the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art). In 1720, he began the cycle of celebration of the Dukes of Bragança, on the ceiling of the Tudescos room of the Paço Ducal in Vila Viçosa. These paintings, whose format adapts to the ceiling partitions, were made from pre-existing models, with three natural portraits (that of D. João V, Infanta D. Maria Bárbara, and the Prince D. José). This was followed, five years later, by the portrait of D. João V for the library of the University of Coimbra and those of the King's children, Infanta D. Maria Bárbara (1711-1758) and D. José Príncipe do Brasil (1714-1777), today in the Prado Museum and in the Palacio do Oriente, due to negotiations with the King of Spain for marriages with Spanish infants. In 1727, he painted the portrait of the 1st Duke of Cadaval. In Duprà's work we find the influence of painter Trevisani combined with French taste in the manner of painters such as Hyacinthe Rignaud (1659- 1743) and Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766), which opens a new phase in the portuguese court official portrait. In addition to portraiture, he dedicated himself to the elaboration of engravings and religious paintings. On this last theme there is a Blessed Christ, signed and dated (Dos. Dupra Pintor de Retratos de S. M. Portº o fez em Roma 1733) that was in the King D. Luís Painting Gallery in Ajuda Palace and that was lost in the fire of September 1974. In 1731, diplomatic relations with the Holy See is restored, and after eleven years working in Portugal, the painter returned to Rome and created the portrait of the new cardinal Vicenzo Bichi (known for the engraving by Rocco Pozzi) and another portrait of King D. João V. It was in this period (when it was cast in the context of Roman painting) that he began his relations with the house of the exiled Stuarts. It was in this period (when it was cast in the context of Roman painting) that he began his relations with the house of the exiled Stuarts. From then on, his orders to Portugal became part of a panorama of international orders and, in addition to the already mentioned, Christ lost in 1974, he made a portrait of Father Évora and a self-portrait, also acquired by D. João V. In the following years, there were no new Portuguese commissions, but it should be noted that his extensive production, not always datable with certainty, and sometimes attributed to his brother, is often identified by recorded reproductions. In 1750, he left Rome for Turin, where he was appointed painter at the court of King Charles Emanuel III of Sardinia (1701-1773) and ended up making a series of paintings of the royal house of Savoy, including the portraits of the Dukes of Savoy, Vítor Amadeu III (1726-1796) and his wife D. Maria Antonieta of Spain (1729-1785). The painter died in the city of Turin in the year 1770.The iconography of the Infante D. Francisco, Duke of Beja (1691-1742) The brother of King D. João V requires an in-depth study of his iconography. There are few portraits of him that are known. only one engraved and another identified by Professor Ayres de Carvalho, who is in the Palácio do Oriente, by Jean Ranc (1674-1735), made in 1739 on the occasion of the preparations for the episode of the exchange of princesses on the river Caia. It was through the comparative analysis of this painting, now brought to auction, with that one by Jean Ranc, that at the exhibition “JOANNI V MAGNIFICO: A pintura em Portugal ao tempo de D. João V” it was noticed the physiognomic characteristics of the infant are the same in the two paintings (the oval shape of the face, the same mouth, and the eyes). The good-natured look of the infant, as characterized in the respective catalogue, which appears in these portraits of D. Francisco hides the true personality of the ambitious Duke of Beja. And it is with a portrait painted by Duprà, when he was no longer in our country, that links are established with what is now up for auction. In 1745, when the painter was in Rome working for the exiled House of the Stuarts, he portrayed the pretender to the crown of England in full length. Unfortunately, the location of this painting is unknown, but the engraving opened by N.S.B. of Polly. The similarities in terms of composition and pose of the subjects stand out. The way the characters' left-hand rests on the waist, closing and leaving only the index finger to stand out, as well as the volumetry of the draperies and even the entire placement of the body facing the spectator, are strictly the same in the two portraits. If these common points do not exist, we could continue to attribute this portrait to Domenico Duprà due to the strong lighting effects that open his color palette and underline the vivid realism that seems to want to overcome the simple visuality in the detail of some physiognomic aspects which often led him to represent the dark shadow of clean-shaven male faces. A characteristic that in the 18th century was not much appreciated, but which the painter did not abdicate because he felt strongly linked to a commitment to fidelity to reality.TIAGO FRANCO RODRIGUESExhibitions: “JOANNI V MAGNIFICO - A Pintura em Portugal ao tempo de D. João V”, Lisboa, Portugal, 1994. Proveniência/Provenance: Etiqueta no verso com a inscrição: "Quadro que veio da quinta do Calhariz. Escolhido pª ficár no palácio de Lisbôa" Etiqueta de inventário nº 325 da colecção do Duque de Palmela Literature: A. de Carvalho – A galeria de Pintura da Ajuda e as Galerias do Século XIX, Lisboa, 1982. AA. VV – “JOANNI V MAGNIFICO - A Pintura em Portugal ao tempo de D. João V”, Lisboa, 1994. M. Calado – “Domenico Duprà” in Dictionário do Barroco em Portugal, Lisboa, 1989.

* ANNE REDPATH OBE RSA ARA LLD ROI RBA (SCOTTISH 1895 - 1965), CABBAGE AND KALE oil on board, signed, titled label verso image size 51cm x 61cm, overall size 64cm x 74cm Framed. Handwritten artist's label verso. Label verso: Stone Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Provenance: Sold by Sotheby's, London, 29th August 1995 lot 954. Note: Anne Redpath was born in Galashiels, Scotland, in 1895, the first daughter of a textile designer. She went on to study at the Edinburgh College of Art, where she was described as the most promising student of her year and won a travel scholarship to Italy. Her time in Italy was to have a profound influence on her career. Having spent her early years as an artist immersed in the respectable Calvinist tradition, the opulent sense of the divine in Roman Catholic art proved to be a revelation, with the religious tranquillity of the early Renaissance masters informing her subsequent paintings. In 1920 she moved to France with her husband, an architect, and her art took a back seat as she focused on raising three sons. She did not revisit painting in earnest until she returned to Scotland when the relationship ended in 1934. When she did so, however, it was with renewed vigour. From 1942 onwards, as her confidence in her abilities returned, her palette became more vibrant. She was a central figure in the group of painters known as The Edinburgh School, sometimes described as the heirs to the Scottish Colourists. Redpath was a habitual traveller in her latter years, her journeys across Europe becoming the subject of her work; she was well-known for her landscapes, still lifes and pictures of church interiors. Anne Redpath was president of the Scottish Society of Women Artists from 1944-47, working tirelessly to promote the paintings of women who had been ignored by the British establishment. In 1952 she became the first woman artist to be elected to the Royal Scottish Academy as an Academician. UK Public Collections boast 116 examples of Redpath's work including at The National Galleries of Scotland, The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow Museums & Galleries, The Hunterian, The Fleming Collection, The Tate, Kelvingrove, The National Trust and at Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Kirkcaldy, Manchester and numerous others.

* BENNO SCHOTZ RSA (ESTONIAN 1891 - 1984), WELCOME bronze sculpture on wood plinth, incised signature "Benno Schotz", titled in presentation plaque 35cm high, including plinth. Note: Benno Schotz was born to Jewish parents, Jacob Schotz, a watchmaker, and Cherna Tischa Abramovitch, in Arensburg, Russia (now Kuressaare, Estonia) in 1891. He was educated at the Boys Grammar School of Pärnu, Estonia. Later he studied at the Grossherzogliche Technische Hochschule in Darmstadt, Germany. In 1912, he immigrated to Glasgow, where he gained an engineering diploma from the Royal Technical College and from 1914–23 worked in the drawing office of John Brown and Company, Clydebank shipbuilders while attending evening classes in sculpture at the Glasgow School of Art. Schotz became a full-time sculptor in 1923 and subsequently a member of the Royal Scottish Academy, Head of Sculpture at the Glasgow School of Art (a post he held from 1938 until his retirement in 1961), and later, in 1963, Her Majesty's Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland. His pupils included Hannah Frank, Paul Zunterstein and Inge King (née Neufeld). His homes at West Campbell Street and later Kirklee Road were a focus for meetings of artists, writers, actors, and politicians. His first solo Glasgow exhibition was at Reid's Gallery in 1926 and his first in London at Alex Reid and Lefevre Ltd (Lefevre Gallery) in 1930. He was also a member of Glasgow Art Club, alongside recently arrived refugee artists Jankel Adler and Josef Herman, for whom he organised local Jewish community support. In 1942 he organised the important 'Jewish Art Exhibition' at the Glasgow Institute as an act of Jewish cultural identity during the Second World War. In 1981 Schotz was made a Freeman of the City of Glasgow and in the same year, Gordon Wright published his autobiography, Bronze in My Blood. During his career, Schotz produced several hundred portraits and compositions including figure compositions, religious sculptures, semi-abstracts and modelled portraits, the majority located in Glasgow and the surrounding area. A major retrospective exhibition of his works was held at the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh in 1971. He was Life-President of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts as well as Honorary Member of both the Royal British Society of Sculptors and the Royal Institute of Architects in Scotland. His last sculpture was executed less than six weeks before his death, aged 93. He was a committed Zionist and was buried in Jerusalem. His work is represented in numerous UK collections including The National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh City Art Centre, The Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Aberdeen Galleries, The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, BBC Scotland, The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow Museums & Galleries, The Peoples Palace (Glasgow), The Scottish Jewish Archives Centre, Ben Uri Gallery & Museum (London) and the House of Commons (London). His work is also held in various public collections in Israel. Christie's held a major Studio Sale of Benno Schotz's work in Glasgow in 1997.

PAULA REGO RA (b. 1935) 'Sloth 1935' Lithograph, edition of 35 Image: 41 x 29 cms; paper: 61.5 x 47 cms Printed by Stanley Jones, Tom Martin and Anthea Fennell at The Curwen Studio, London Published by the Artist and Marlborough Graphics Guide £2,000 Courtesy of The Artist and Marlborough, New York and LondonPaula Rego RABorn in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1935 Dame Paula Rego, is a highly celebrated painter, illustrator and printmaker, whose visceral and unsettling works are notoriously challenging. Rego has lived in Britain since 1951, studying painting at the Slade School of Fine Art, London, her career as an artist spans half a century. Rego’s style has evolved from abstract towards representational, and she has favoured pastels over oils for much of her career. Her work often reflects aspects of feminism and is inspired by literature, folk-themes, myths and fairytales from her native Portugal and from Britain, as well as cartoons and religious texts.

A Selection of collectable boxes to include Religious icon box, Art Deco oak box and ink well stand.

§ Lionel Ellis, (1903-1988). The Descent from the Cross. Oil on canvas, unsigned. Labels verso from Central Institute of Art and Design Religious Art Competition. 117 x 85cm. Lionel Ellis ARCA (1903-1988) was an important twentieth-century painter, illustrator, engraver and teacher who specialised in portraits, as well as equestrian and floral subjects. He taught at Wimbledon School of Art between 1937 and 1968 and lived in Headley, Surrey. The pictures offered here were formerly in the collection of his partner, fellow artist Barbara Shaw. His work is held at the V&A Museum, the British Museum and provincial museums.Please note that Artists Resale Right may be additionally payable on top of the hammer price for this lot, where the price is above the threshold of Euros 1,000, up to a maximum of 4% of the hammer price, visit www.dacs.org for more informationPROVENANCE from the estate of the artist to the late Barbara Shaw thence to this auction. She was also an artist and the works in this sale are mostly by Lionel Ellis some signed and some not. Where unsigned the auctioneers have attributed them where appropriate but cannot guaranteed those attributions although they believe them to be correct. The proceeds of the sale will go to Ms Shaw's chosen charity

Michael Healy (1873-1941) Co. Dublin Landscape Oil on board, 20 x 26.5cm (7¾ x 10½'') Provenance: Michael Healy Studio Sale, De Vere's 23/9/03, lot 26. Born in Dublin in 1873 in humble circumstances Michael Healy had an innate interest in art and an ability in drawing which developed further with his attendance at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art in 1892. His artistic education was interrupted for a couple of years while he investigated whether he had a religious vocation. He re-enrolled in art college and on graduating secured a job as an illustrator with The Irish Rosary a new Dominican publication. Through the influence of his editor Healy travelled to Florence where he attended the Life School of the Academia di Belle Arti. He returned to Ireland in 1901 but it wasn’t until 1903 that his career really got going with Sarah Purser’s invitation to join An Túr Gloine, the stained glass studio whose other members included A.E.Child, Beatrice Elvery, Wilhelmina Geddes and Evie Hone. Initially he assisted in the painting of windows designed by others but within a year or two was designing and painting windows entirely himself. The quality of his work set him apart from many of his peers and before long he had ceased assisting others and developed his own style and ultimately a successful practice, producing windows for chapels, churches and cathedrals in Ireland and throughout the world. While stained glass is what he is best known for, we are all very familiar with his ‘Dubliners’ series, small watercolour sketches of people in his native city going about their everyday activities. He did exhibit a small number of oil paintings throughout his life, painting both portraits and landscapes. The present collection of charming and attractive oils were purchased by Homan at Michael Healy’s studio sale held by DeVere’s in September 2003.

Mid 10th-early 11th century AD. A German Ottonian long double-edged cutting sword of Oakeshott Type X with broad tapering blade, the edges bearing evidence of use on the battlefield; wide and shallow fullers to both sides of the blade, one side with an inlaid Greek cross flanked by numeral 'III', the other side with numeral 'IIIIIII' within two Greek crosses, both inlays showing traces of pattern welding; straight guard and broad grip, plain D-shaped walnut style (or Brazil nut) pommel with slightly curved lower edge. See Oakeshott, J.R.E., The Archaeology of the weapons, London, 1960; Thorbecke, J., Das Reich de Salier 1024-1125, Mainz, 1992, p.160; Nicolle, D., Arms and Armour of the Crusading Era, 1050-1350, vol. I, London, 1999; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; the sword has a good parallel with a specimen from Spain, published by Peirce (2002, p.124); with a sword of circa 1100 AD, from Germany, in the Donausländische Museum in Komárno (Thorbecke, 1992, p.105 no.20,3); with a sword in Dresden, with the name 'INGELRII' on one side and the phrase 'HOMO DEI' on the other, dated to circa 1100; finally, among other specimens (Oakeshott, 2000, cat.X.9 and X.13; Thorbecke, 1992, p.105 no.19,4), a sword once in the Oakeshott collection with the mark of Carrocium, dated to circa 11th century. 1 kg, 95cm (37 1/2"). Property of a European gentleman living in London; from his grandfather's collection by descent in 1989; formerly in the family collection since at least the 1970s; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10690-175184. The main characteristics of this typology were the wide Brazil nut-shaped pommel, a wide-spread cross, which was nearly always straight (Oakeshott style 1), and a broad blade of the same shape as the Ulfberhts and Ingelrii swords with a wide and shallow fuller. The added hilt would have given the hand considerably more protection without increasing the weight. 10th century Norsemen referred to this type of sword as gaddhjalt (or 'spike hilt'), referring to the strong taper of the tang rather than some visible characteristic of the pommel. The earlier swords of this typology were inlaid with iron letters, or patterns such as crosses and religious symbols. [No Reserve] Fine condition, cleaned and conserved.

7th-8th century AD. A flat-section bronze equal-arm cross mount, four pelta-shaped arms with a recessed panel, Insular style triquetra knotwork motif to each panel, the centre with a spiral trumpet motif. See Metropolitan Museum of Art, Treasures of early Irish art, 1500 B.C. to 1500 A.D.: from the collections of the National Museum of Ireland, Royal Irish Academy, Trinity College, Dublin / exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, New York, 1978; Hencken, H., Price, L., Start, L.E., Lagore Crannog, an Irish Royal Residence of the 7th to 10th century AD, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol.53, Dublin, 1950-1951, pp.1-247, fig.11 (decorated bronzes) and pl.XIV; Youngs, S. (ed.), The Work of Angels. Masterpieces of Celtic Metalwork, 6th-9th centuries AD, London, 1989, item 157a (two Irish motif pieces in the same decorative style); Laing, L., A catalogue of Celtic Ornamental Metalwork in the British Isles, c AD 400-1200, Oxford, 1993, item 259 (copper-alloy crozier with the same decorative style"). 4.16 grams, 24mm (1"). Property of a Cleethorpes collector; acquired from a Mr Harrison, a Lincolnshire farmer; found Lincolnshire, UK in the 1990s; accompanied by an archaeological report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. The appliqué may have formed part of a harness or bridle furniture, or used as a belt or bowl mount, or likely was a part of a religious item. The Insular Style was common to religious foundations in parts of Britain and Ireland in the 8th century. The decoration of the mount finds good parallels with the ornamentation of the central discs of the Lagore buckle (Youngs, 1989, fig.59), with spirals of decreasing size in line with the La Tène tradition. The spiral of our cross also recalls the very complicated spirals and interlaces of the Tara Brooch. The foliate design with sharp-angled interlace finds a strong correspondence with objects from Dumfries, very late (12th century AD) but this characteristic pattern of triquetra is already present on Irish decorated bones of 7th-8th century from Moynagh Lough, and visible on the well-known cross of Carndonagh (Metropolitan, 1978, p.100, fig.25"). Fine condition.

3rd-1st century BC. A substantial rectangular Nabataean or Yemenite limestone stela, carved with a stylised face of a male dignitary to the upper end; the expressive face with scaphoid slit mouth and triangular nose beneath a prominent brow-ridge, rounded eyes with lateral wedge-shaped corners, sockets to accept inserts; mounted on a custom-made display stand. Cf. similar limestone face stelae in Bienkowski, P., The Art of the Jordan, Stroud, 1996, fig.47; Wenning, R., ‘The Betyls of Petra’ in Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 324, 2001, pp.79–95; Simpson, S., Queen of Sheba. Treasures from Ancient Yemen, London, 2002, p.197, no.276, 199, nos.279-280. 32.8 kg total, 77cm including stand (30 1/4"). Property of a Kensington gentleman; acquired on the London art market in 2000; accompanied by an archaeological expertise by Dr. Raffaele D’Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no. 10733-174377. A similar carving style is demonstrated in the anthropomorphic idol from The Temple of the Winged Lions in Petra. Its shape is clearly similar to the betyls, i.e. blocks of stone representing a Nabataean god. The term ‘betyl’ derives from the Greek ???????? and from a Greek myth, according to which Ouranos created animated stones falling from the sky. Nabataean inscriptions include two terms for betyls: n?b and m?b. Both terms are related to the Semitic root y?b and describe an erected/standing stone/stela. Betyls were commonly placed on altars or platforms for religious rites being performed. The stela could be incorporated in a stone frame, with the inscription of the deceased or of the divinity, and sometimes decorated, like the stela of the goddess of Hayyan son of Nabat (Bienkowski, 2002, p.46), with specific attributes, like the laurel crown. A special type of Nabataean betyl, in Dalman’s classification, is called the eye betyl, where the high, rectangular, plain slab is represented with square eyes and a straight nose. Another special type are the face stelae, to which category our specimen belongs. Eye betyls and face stelae are of interest to scholars due to the inconsistency in what is largely understood as Nabataean aniconism. Like the Nabataean betyls, the face is carved in raised relief; the thick lips contrast with the triangular, massive nose that raises from the background. The traces of red on the eyelids and the other red and black pigments on eyebrows and eye sockets, makes clear that these stelae were originally enhanced with the colours and the insertions of precious stones for the eyes. [A video of this lot can be viewed on the Timeline Auctions website] Fine condition.

Original vintage propaganda poster insert published during the Civil War in Spain by the Republican Estudios magazine titled Octavo mandamiento: No mentiras / Eighth commandment: no lies, with a photomontage / collage of images of people's bodies covered in blood, image of a crowd overlaid with an image of bayonets, the black sign reads - Official statement: The most absolute order and tranquillity reign throughout the country. - the reverse of the poster is titled Los nuevos ouenos del mundo / The new dreams of the world, with an illustration of a hand with sharp red nails squeezing a globe in chains, and photographs of Italy, German Nazi saluting Hitler, Goebbels, Mussolini, Rockefeller, Goering, Hindenburg. The Spanish Civil War was a civil war in Spain fought from 1936 to 1939. Republicans loyal to the left-leaning Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic, in alliance with anarchists, of the communist and syndicalist variety, fought against an insurrection by the Nationalists, an alliance of Falangists, monarchists, fascists, conservatives and traditionalists, led by a military group among whom General Francisco Franco soon achieved a preponderant role. Due to the international political climate at the time, the war had many facets and was variously viewed as class struggle, a religious struggle, a struggle between dictatorship and republican democracy, between revolution and counterrevolution, and between fascism and communism. According to Claude Bowers, U.S. ambassador to Spain during the war, it was the "dress rehearsal" for World War II. The Nationalists won the war, which ended in early 1939, and ruled Spain until Franco's death in November 1975. Josep Renau Berenguer (17 May 1907 — 11 November 1982) was an artist and communist revolutionary notable for his propaganda work during the Spanish Civil War. Among his production, it is remarkable his art deco period, his political propaganda during the Spanish Civil War, the photomurals of the Spanish Pavilion in the International Exhibition of 1937 in Paris, a series of photomontages titled Fata Morgana or The American Way of Life, and murals and paintings made in Mexico such as Tropic, dated in 1945. Fair condition, fold, tears, paper losses, creasing, browning, double sided. Country of issue: Spain, designer: Josep Renau, size (cm): 37x26, year of printing: 1940s

* SIMON LAURIE RSW RGI (SCOTTISH b. 1964), IRON AGE acrylic on board, signed, further signed and titled verso image size 80cm x 90cm, overall size 103cm x 113cm Framed. Label verso: The Lemond Gallery, Glasgow. Note: Probably the most impressive and largest Simon Laurie painting to be offered at auction. Note: Simon Laurie is a contemporary Scottish landscape and still life artist, whose paintings are characterised by references to Scottish life and society, incorporating fish, boats, religious symbols and everyday items. These objects are arranged upon a rich textural ground created by the application of multiple layers of acrylic paint. He has worked with acrylic paint for almost 30 years, developing his own individual style and fundamental visual language. Laurie was born in Glasgow and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1982 to 1988. He was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours (RSW) in 1991 and the Royal Glasgow Institute (RGI) in 2000, where he served as convener for six years. He has had many solo shows, both in the UK and abroad, and has won many prestigious and major awards. His work is held in many public, private and corporate collections including Aberdeen Art Gallery, Contemporary Arts Society, London; Feren Art Gallery, Hull; Freshfields, London; Leicestershire Education Committee; Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie; Nationwide Building Society, London; Royal Bank of Scotland; TSB Headquarters, London; Unilever PLC; William Teacher and Sons Ltd; Wyse Group; Walter Scott Investments Ltd, Edinburgh; Biggart Baillie; Aberdeen Asset Management; The Whisky Society, Edinburgh; Adam and Co Bank; Provident Financial; The Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh.

An Art Nouveau style print of a lady and 2 religious prints

* SIMON LAURIE RSW RGI (SCOTTISH b. 1964), IRON AGE acrylic on board, signed, further signed and titled verso image size 80cm x 90cm, overall size 103cm x 113cm Framed. Label verso: The Lemond Gallery, Glasgow. Note: Probably the most impressive and largest Simon Laurie painting to be offered at auction. Note: Simon Laurie is a contemporary Scottish landscape and still life artist, whose paintings are characterised by references to Scottish life and society, incorporating fish, boats, religious symbols and everyday items. These objects are arranged upon a rich textural ground created by the application of multiple layers of acrylic paint. He has worked with acrylic paint for almost 30 years, developing his own individual style and fundamental visual language. Laurie was born in Glasgow and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1982 to 1988. He was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours (RSW) in 1991 and the Royal Glasgow Institute (RGI) in 2000, where he served as convener for six years. He has had many solo shows, both in the UK and abroad, and has won many prestigious and major awards. His work is held in many public, private and corporate collections including Aberdeen Art Gallery, Contemporary Arts Society, London; Feren Art Gallery, Hull; Freshfields, London; Leicestershire Education Committee; Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie; Nationwide Building Society, London; Royal Bank of Scotland; TSB Headquarters, London; Unilever PLC; William Teacher and Sons Ltd; Wyse Group; Walter Scott Investments Ltd, Edinburgh; Biggart Baillie; Aberdeen Asset Management; The Whisky Society, Edinburgh; Adam and Co Bank; Provident Financial; The Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh.

BORIS ANISFELD (RUSSIAN 1878-1973)Sodom and Gomorrah, circa 1962-63oil on canvas 146 x 100 cm (57 1/2 x 39 3/8 in.)signed and dated lower rightPROVENANCE Estate of ArtistAcquired from the above by the present ownerEXHIBITEDChicago, Baptist Graduate Student Center, 6th Annual Religious Art Show, 1965LITERATUREChristian Art, January 1965, p.8 (illustrated)Dr. Eckart Lingenauber and Dr. Sugrobova-Roth, Boris Anisfeld Catalog Raisonne (Dusseldorf: Edition Libertars, 2011), plate 132, page 117 (illustrated)CONDITION Observed in frame, the painting appears in age-appropriate condition. Overall fine and stable craquelure, most notably to the lighter areas. Minor flaking and losses to the perimeter of the canvas, most notably to the upper right corner. Inspection under UV shows retouching to the upper edge and center of the canvas to less than 5% of the canvas.framed dimensions: 149 x 104 cm (58 5/8 x 41 in.)N.B. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

NO RESERVE Dutch & Flemish Art.- Seilern (Antoine) Flemish Paintings & Drawings at 56 Princes Gate London SW7, 2 vol. including folder of plates, 1955 § Tovell (R.M.) Flemish Artists of the Valois Courts, Toronto, 1950 § Goossens (K.) David Vinckboons, Antwerp & The Hague, 1954 § de Jong (Leen) & others. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp: A History 1810-2007, Antwerp, 2008 § Buvelot (Q.) Mauritshuis: The Building, The Hague, 2014 § Kirschenbaum (B.D.) The Religious and Historical Paintings of Jan Steen, Oxford, 1977, plates and illustrations, some colour, original cloth or boards, the first with slip-case, the last with dust-jacket, some a little rubbed; and c.35 others on Dutch & Flemish art, 4to & 8vo (c.40)

A collection of resin and plaster religious figures, relating to the Madonna, Art Deco photograph frame with Reims Cathedral and various other items including a fine crafted musical box, a little grey rabbit musical box etc together with a quantity of figurines, including various Japanese and oriental figures of musicians, and a boxed Japanese textile

Ca. 900-1100 AD. Viking. A stunning silver pendant in the shape of a Mjölnir (Thor's hammer) decorated with typical engraved triangular marks, each with three raised dots. Good condition. Thor's hammer pendants were worn as religious amulets throughout the Viking era; they were usually made of silver and hung on silver chains. Thor was a prominent Norse god and his Mjölnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of levelling mountains. Though generally recognised and depicted as a hammer, Mjölnir is sometimes referred to as an axe or club. To find out more about the Vikings and their art, see Graham-Campbell, J. (2013). Viking Art. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. For more information on Viking Jewellery, see Arbman, H. (1940). Birka I Die Gräber. Uppsala and Hubbard, B. (2016) The Viking Warrior. Amber Books Ltd, London, 61-65. Size: L:64mm / W:35mm; 29g. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquired on the UK/European art market in the 1980s.

Ca. 900-1100 AD. Viking. A stunning silver pendant in the shape of a Mjölnir (Thor's hammer) decorated with three circles and notches above and below, hanging from a circular loop. Good condition. Thor's hammer pendants were worn as religious amulets throughout the Viking era; they were usually made of silver and hung on silver chains. Thor was a prominent Norse god and his Mjölnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of levelling mountains. Though generally recognised and depicted as a hammer, Mjölnir is sometimes referred to as an axe or club. To find out more about the Vikings and their art, see Graham-Campbell, J. (2013). Viking Art. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. For more information on Viking Jewellery, see Arbman, H. (1940). Birka I Die Gräber. Uppsala and Hubbard, B. (2016) The Viking Warrior. Amber Books Ltd, London, 61-65. Size: L:43mm / W:17mm ; 5g. Provenance: Property of a European gentleman, formerly acquired on the UK Art Market in the 1990s.

Ca. 386-534/535 AD. Northern Wei Dynasty. A terracotta tile featuring a beautiful depiction of a seated Buddha wearing garments whose red pigment is marvellously still preserved as is the green of the halo and the black of the hair. Buddha has a raised right hand, with the palm facing outwards and the fingers upwards while the left arm is held close to the body. In Buddhism and Hinduism, this is a specific 'Mudra' ("seal," "mark," or "gesture"), the Abhayamudrā, a gesture that symbolises wisdom, calmness, and fearlessness. The Wei dynasty was the longest-lived and most powerful of the northern Chinese dynasties that existed before the reunification of China under the Sui (581-618 AD) and Tang (618-907 AD) dynasties. The Wei rulers were great patrons of Buddhism. They fostered Buddhism as a state religion, although the dynasty took particular care to control the religious hierarchy, trying to avoid any church-state conflicts. Buddhism held a great appeal for the Wei rulers, as it gave their leadership a legitimate base in a multiethnic society. Excellent condition. Size: L:330mm / W:168mm ; 4.05kg. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1990s.

Ca. 386-534/535 AD. Northern Wei Dynasty. A terracotta tile featuring a beautiful depiction of a seated Buddha wearing garments whose red pigment is marvellously still preserved as is the green of the halo, the black of the hair and the red drapery above the Buddha. Buddha has a raised right hand, with the palm facing outwards and the fingers downwards while the left arm is held close to the body. In Buddhism and Hinduism, this is one of the 'Mudra' ("seal," "mark," or "gesture"), symbolic gestures of the hands and fingers used either in ceremonies and dance or in sculpture and painting. The Wei dynasty was the longest-lived and most powerful of the northern Chinese dynasties that existed before the reunification of China under the Sui (581-618 AD) and Tang (618-907 AD) dynasties. The Wei rulers were great patrons of Buddhism. They fostered Buddhism as a state religion, although the dynasty took particular care to control the religious hierarchy, trying to avoid any church-state conflicts. Buddhism held a great appeal for the Wei rulers, as it gave their leadership a legitimate base in a multiethnic society. Excellent condition. Size: L:335mm / W:155mm ; 3.78kg. Provenance: Property of a North London gentleman; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s.

Ca. 3100-2500 BC. Bactrian. A beautiful example of a column idol (sometimes called a pillar idol), hand-carved from cream coloured Alabaster. The body of the idol is highly abstract, with an hourglass form. The lower end curves out gently to a slightly convex base with a shallow, horizontal groove down it. The upper end flares outward at a steeper angle and has a flat base, also with a shallow, horizontal groove through it. Both intriguing and quixotic, this is a wonderful example of abstract anthropomorphic artistry from the ancient world. Stone idols like this example are known in a variety of fascinating forms throughout the pre-literate ancient world. They are attested across the vast expanses of Western Asia from the Caspian Sea to Afghanistan, including ancient Bactria. Their precise meaning remains elusive, but the many hours of labour required for their manufacture indicate that these were prestige items, perhaps used during religious ceremonies. For more information on Bactria, see Mairs, R. (ed.) (2020). The Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek World. London: Taylor & Francis.Size: L:110mm / W:75mm ; 1kg. Provenance: Property of an Oxfordshire art professional; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1990s on the UK / International art markets.

The Art & Science of Ernst Haeckel, TaschenThe Art & Science of Ernst Haeckel, Taschen, 2020, folio, 704 Pages, in original box, Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919) was a German-born biologist, naturalist, evolutionist, artist, philosopher, and doctor who spent his life researching flora and fauna from the highest mountaintops to the deepest ocean. A vociferous supporter and developer of Darwin’s theories of evolution, he denounced religious dogma, authored philosophical treatises, gained a doctorate in zoology, and coined scientific terms which have passed into common usage, including ecology, phylum, and stem cell.

George Blacklock Abraxas, 2021 Acrylic on Paper Signed on front and verso 10 x 15cm (3¾ x 5¾ in.) George Blacklock (b1952) was born in County Durham, England and studied at Sunderland Polytechnic for one year before going on to study painting at Stourbridge College of Art in the early seventies. He graduated from his Masters at Reading University in 1976. George has exhibited extensively in Europe and North America throughout his career and has been represented by Flowers since 1996. He has received awards from the Welsh Arts Council, the Greater London Arts Association and was a prize winner at the John Moores contemporary painting competition in the nineties. George Blacklock has work in major public collections including the Arts Council of Great Britain. The British painter has also been the Dean of Chelsea College of Art and Design, London since 2011. "A lot of my paintings have shapes and gestures that converse, or are compromised, or can be seen to co-exist, or dominate, or retreat, or expand, or to re-iterate, in other words exist in a visual narrative. This narrative is complex both in formal terms and in its associations and metaphors. I often equate my abstract forms to the metaphysical realms of religious art. I value 'touch' as an expressive function of painting as well as a major contribution to non-linguistic, non-linear narrative." Despite the abstract output of the artist's work, Blacklock doesn't see himself completely as an abstract painter. By looking closely at the curvilinear shapes that dominate his paintings, we could almost interpret these as narratives for the complex relationships that exist in his main source of inspiration: life. Not only a painter but a musician and art teacher too, George Blacklock finds his inspiration in various fields such as music, religion or simply in the observation of his peers from the Renaissance to Willem de Kooning. In 2015 Colour and Abstraction was published, in which Blacklock has comprehensively described his methods and reasoning, relating his work to the tradition of abstract painting. In 2016 George Blacklock collaborated with Gary Oldman on a two-person exhibition of paintings and photographs, exploring the mutual creative threads connecting their distinct artistic practices, following on from their joint exhibition at the Museo De Las Artes, Guadalajara.