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Click here to subscribeNeolithic, 5th-3rd millennium BC. A pair of knapped stone axeheads comprising: one tongue-shaped with straight edge; one substantial, square in section with curved edge and square butt. 719 grams total, 10-17cm (4 - 7"). Property of an Essex gentleman; acquired on the UK art market. [2] Fine condition.
7th millennium BC-14th century AD. A mixed group of stone arrowheads comprising: A Jack's Reef Pentagonal No.1 from Mississipi Valley; a Vesburg point from the Mississipi; a Snyders point from Mississipi Valley; a Hopewell Dart Point from Mississipi Valley; a St. Charles (Dovetail) Point from Upper Mississipi Valley; a Gibson point from Upper Mississipi Valley; each with old dealer's card. 30 grams total, 23-31mm (1 - 1 1/4"). Ex Stone Science Museum, Bryn Eglwys, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with old identification sheets; all found Mississippi, USA. [6, No Reserve] Very fine condition.
3rd-4th century AD. A gold ring with tapering shank, slightly angled at the shoulders which have openwork pelta design; bezel set with onyx cameo with bust of woman with hair pulled back into a bun. 8 grams, 24.12mm overall, 20.74mm internal diameter (approximate size British W, USA 11, Europe 25, Japan 24) (1"). From a private collection; formed 1965-1975. Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. Cameos first became popular during the Hellenistic period and continued to flourish under the Roman Empire with a mixture of images mostly comprising religious symbolism or busts of private individuals and members of the Imperial family. Cameos were produced with the same basic tools and techniques as intaglios, though inverted, that is to say by cutting away excess stone around the image to create a raised relief. The time and effort needed to carve a cameo is considerably greater than that required to produce an intaglio, not just because more stone must be cut away but also in fashioning a cameo in relief there is considerably less surface contact between the rotating circular tool and the convex surface of the gem. [A video of this lot is available on the TimeLine Auctions website] Very fine condition. A large wearable size.
Neolithic, 6th-5th millennium BC. A finely polished green jadeite axe with oval section, tapered sides, rounded butt with slightly convex and blunt 'cutting' edge. See MacGregor, Arthur, Antiquities from the Europe and Near East in the Collection of the Lord McAlpine of West Green, Ashmolean Museum, 1987, nos.5.11-5.15 for similar specimens from Europe. 113 grams, 70mm (2 3/4"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired from a major Mayfair gallery; acquired on the London art market before 2000. Jadeite axes are thought to have been votive or ceremonial rather than serving as practical tools due to the rarity of the material; their 'cutting' edges are often quite blunt, never intended for actual use. The surfaces of this piece clearly show crossed lines running top to bottom and side to side where it has once been held in a wire frame, at a much later date after manufacture, as an amuletic pendant; similar cases are well known for Stone Age arrowheads (Elf Shot) being worn as pendants from the Viking era to the 17th century AD. Very fine condition; rare.
Archaic, 9000-1000 BC and Danish Mesolithic periods, 9000-4000 BC. Three groups in old card trays with old labels comprising: three triangular points in grey chert with inked label 'Texas, Tortgas Culture, c. 4000 BC - 1000 AD Chert Arrowheads'; two leaf points in white quartz with inked label 'White quartz arrowheads Texas Dr Stanley Copeland'; group of three small points - one leaf, one triangular with notched sides and one with long tapered tang, in chert with inked label 'Bird points Yell Co. Arkansas'; group of three points, one hollow based, one leaf in mottled chert and one with long single side notch in black stone with inked label 'Amazon Basin Brazil'; group of three points, one with notched base and sides and serrated edges in mottled chert, one triangular with side notches and one triangular with bottom edge notches of barbed-and-tanged form, both in brown-grey chert with inked label 'Neolithic and Bronze Age Implements'; group of seven Danish Mesolithic microliths formed from thin blades, generally of trapezoidal shape, all carefully retouched to the incurving edges, in brown flint with inked notation to each and label 'Danish Kitchen Middens microliths'; each group in a card tray. 95 grams total, 15-50 mm (1/2 - 2"). Ex Pickard collection, Surrey, UK; thence by descent 1978; formerly in the collection of Dr. Stanley Copeland in the early 1930s; found Ohio, USA and Denmark, in the 1930s. Dr Stanley Copeland was a well known US collector (some of whose material was acquired by Walter Sims and, subsequently, by Cliff Bauer"). [21] Very fine condition.
Chalcolithic, 3300-2500 BC. A mixed group of carved stone 'stargazer' figurine heads. See von Bothmer, D. Glories of the Past: Ancient Art from the Shelby White and Leon Levy Collection, New York, 1990. 86 grams, 25-40mm (1 - 1 1/2"). Property of a German gentleman; acquired before 1989. [5] Fine condition.
1st century AD. A Romano-Celtic, fossiliferous limestone head of a youthful male with hair pulled down to fillet across the head, the hair below falling around the neck in deeply drilled curls; traces of fossils in the stone. See Henig, M (ed), Roman Sculpture from the Cotswold Region, with Devon and Cornwall, Corpus Signorum Imperii Romani, Corpus of Sculpture of the Roman World, Great Britain, Vol. 1, Fascicule 7, Oxford, 1994. 4 kg, 20cm (8"). Private collection, Bath, Avon, UK. The head shows many similarities to Romano-British sculptures of deities, such as the hunter-god found in London, identified as the Celtic god Maponus, as well as sculptures found in the Cotswolds and the area around Bath. There was a flourishing school of sculptors based in the South West of Britain during the Roman period who supplied the large villas and temple sites with statues and reliefs and display a blend of Roman and Celtic styles. Fair condition. Very rare.
7th century AD. A bronze bow brooch comprising a rectangular headplate with horizontal ribbed decoration in the upper field, lateral cabochon mounts and a rhomboid panel above the shallow, plain bow; a central piercing to accommodate a separate disc casting with geometric ornament; the footplate a central column with ridged detailing, flanked by two opposed birds’ heads on drooping necks emerging below the bow and rejoining at the base of the column above a discoid terminal with recess for a cabochon stone or organic inlay. Cf. Smith, A. The British Museum Guide to Anglo-Saxon Antiquities, London, 1923, p.165, fig. 219; Hawkes, S.C. The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Bifrons in Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, vol.11, Oxford, 2000, grave 41, item 4. 23 grams, 36mm (1 1/2"). From an old English collection; acquired in the early 1990s. Fine condition.
6th-7th century AD. A D-section gold hoop with expanding shoulders, the bezel an openwork balustered arcade with granule detailing, discoid plaque with inset cabochon garnet. See Ross M.C. Catalogue of the Byzantine and Early Mediaeval Antiquities in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection, Volume 2: Jewelry, Enamels and Art of the Migration Period, Washington, 2005, plate XIV (E"). 5.44 grams, 27mm overall, 17.31mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13) (1"). Property of a European gentleman living in the UK; formerly in a private collection formed in the 1990s. The stone was examined in detail by Dr. Bonewitz who observed: 'A fine quality garnet with a slight purple cast to the red.' Very fine condition.
9th-12th century AD. An Elfshot amulet with silver cap securing a Neolithic flint arrowhead; suspension ring above. Cf. Evans, J. The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain, London, 1897, p.365; and Korshun, V.E. Yazcheskye Priveski Drevnei Rusi X-XIV Vekov, volume I, Moscow, 2012, item A.2.01. 1 gram, 33mm (1 1/4"). Property of an American collector; acquired 1980-2000. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
Late Cretaceous period, 100-66 millions years BP. A group of six polished dinosaur coprolite slices from Hell Creek Formation, Montana, USA. 418 grams total, 7.5-11cm (3 - 4 1/4"). From an old Bristol paleontological collection, acquired 1950s-1960s. Coprolites are fossilised droppings turned to agate stone. [6, No Reserve] Fine condition.
350-100 million years BP. A large fossil ammolnite Glaucolithites gorei, from Tisbury Stone at Kingston Deverill Farm, UK; accompanied by catalogue card. 8.5 kg, 34cm (13 1/2"). Ex Colin White collection, UK; collected from various sites in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s; thence by descent. [No Reserve] Very fine condition.
5th-4th century BC. A mixed group of amuletic stone beads comprising: a crescent with integral plaque; a foot; a jar with rolled rim; a broad axehead; a club(?); a waisted spacer with piercing for two threads. 4.02 grams total, 11-17mm (1/2 - 3/4"). Property of a North West London gentleman; formerly with a central London gallery in 1990. [6] Fine condition.
Northern Wei Dynasty, 386-534 AD. A rectangular stone carved with a recess with pointed arch; within the standing figure of Buddha on a lotus base, pointed nimbus around head; wearing long, lose robes and hands held at chest in prayer. 3.13 kg, 29.5cm (11 3/4"). From an important London collection, acquired in the 1990s. Fine condition.
10th-12th century AD. A carved stone panel with ledge to the base supporting a facing female with right hand raised to the shoulder, left hand supporting a frond, two flanking pots to the base; mounted on a custom-made stand. See Harle, J.C. & Topsfield, A. Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1987 for discussion. 1.8 kg, 21cm (8 1/4"). UK art market, acquired prior to 2000. The Apsaras were water spirits who first appeared during the Vedic period of Hindu India. As heavenly beings they are associated with the celestial musicians, the Ghandarvas. They are also associated with fertility and good fortune, but also had a dark side in that they could cause madness. Fine condition.
Upper Palaeolithic, 50,000-10,000 years BP. A museum card with three important stone axes attached, each with pencilled annotation of origin, the upper and lower from Thebes, the median from Kous. 569 grams, card: 24cm (9 1/2"). Ex Dr M. G. Weller collection, Cornwall, UK; formerly with R A Smith (Keeper at British Museum), Henry Dewey (British Geological Survey) and Sir Arthur Evans collections, acquired Cairo Archaeological Museum, Egypt, 1895; found Thebes region, Egypt, before 1895. The axe group was obtained from the Cairo Archaeological Museum by Sir Arthur Evans in support of his hypothesis, based on geological evidence, of a Nubian origin for early Egyptian culture. Fine condition.
Chalcolithic, 3300-2500 BC. A carved stone 'stargazer' idol upper section with D-shaped head, slender neck, and stub arms. See von Bothmer, D. Glories of the Past: Ancient Art from the Shelby White and Leon Levy Collection, New York, 1990. 35 grams, 52mm (2 1/4"). Property of a German gentleman; acquired before 1989. Fine condition, nose and lower body absent.
Chalcolithic, 3300-2500 BC. A mixed group of stone 'stargazer' figurine heads. See von Bothmer, D. Glories of the Past: Ancient Art from the Shelby White and Leon Levy Collection, New York, 1990. 146 grams, 35-42mm (1 1/2 - 1 3/4"). Property of a German gentleman; acquired 1980-1990. [5] Fine condition.
1st-2nd century AD. A silver statuette of the goddess Cybele, seated on a throne with tall headdress, tympanum supported by her left hand, lion sitting at her side. Cf. Rolland, H. Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 148 for type. See Vermuele, C. Greek and Roman Sculpture in Gold and Silver, for a discussion of statues in precious metals. 15 grams, 35mm (1 1/2"). Property of a London gentleman; formerly the property of a Surrey gentleman, acquired 1970s. The polos crown, tympanum and lion by her side identify this figure as the goddess Cybele, an extremely ancient deity who originated in Anatolia, and whose worship would spread across the Roman Empire as one of the Mystery Religions. Her main temple was at Pessinus, Anatolia, now modern day Turkey. Here the goddess was worshipped in the form of a large block of stone, believed to be a meteorite, and her original ancient name would appear to be Kubaba, meaning 'Mountain Mother'. Her worship was adopted by Greek colonists in Asia Minor from where it would spread to mainland Greece in the sixth century BC. In Rome, Cybele was known as Magna Mater (Great Mother"). The Roman State adopted and developed a particular form of her cult after the Sibylline oracle recommended her conscription as a key religious component in Rome's second war against Carthage. Roman mythographers reinvented her as a Trojan goddess, and thus an ancestral goddess of the Roman people by way of the Trojan prince Aeneas. With Rome's eventual hegemony over the Mediterranean world, Romanised forms of Cybele's cults spread throughout the Roman Empire. A temple was dedicated to the goddess on the Palatine Hill close to the Imperial palace, and she also had a major shrine on the Vatican Hill close to the hippodrome of Caligula, present day site of the Vatican City. Her cult was associated with eastern exoticism and most notably the eunuch priests who served the goddess, and as such was often looked upon with suspicion by conservative Romans; the Senate banned any Roman male from joining her priesthood. However, her worship proved extremely popular and continued to flourish well after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion. Fine condition, right arm and part of tympanum absent.
Christiaan Diedericks (South African 1965-) THE SILENT EVOLUTION - CELLULAR MEMORY III two-colour stone lithograph, signed, numbered 9/15, inscribed with title and 'France 2014' in pencil in the margin and impressed with the Atelier le Grand Village chop mark PROVENANCE Printed at Atelier le Grand Village, France sheet size: 49 by 84cm
Christiaan Diedericks (South African 1965-) BENEATH THE SURFACE - CELLULAR MEMORY II two-colour stone lithograph, signed, dated 2014, numbered 10/15, inscribed with the title in pencil in the margin and impressed with the Atelier le Grand Village chop mark PROVENANCE Printed at Atelier le Grand Village sheet size: 85 by 50cm
Clément (Joseph Charles Louis) Sénèque (South African 1896-1930) PONT-LA-REDUIT signed with the artist's monogram and dated '20; signed, dated and inscribed with the title on the reverse oil on canvas PROVENANCE from the private collection of the artist's granddaughter 35,5 by 42cm Lot 735 – 739 are a selection of five fine oil paintings from the acclaimed yet brief production of the Mauritian born artist, Clément Sénèque. These works have not previously been offered on the market, having been in Switzerland in the Sénèque family collection since the early 20th century, thus providing a unique opportunity to acquire fresh works by the artist. It is appropriate that in the 21st century the work of Sénèque is enjoying renewed interest and that the impact of his short career has received the scholarly attention of two KwaZulu-Natal art historians, Dr Melanie Hillebrand and Brendan Bell. Trained in Paris at the École des Beaux Arts in architecture and town planning, Sénèque enjoyed recognition in his time as an architect and self-taught painter with a precise eye for architectural structure and details. He admired the work of Frank Brangwyn and locally that of Gwelo Goodman and Pierneef. His verdant landscapes of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, light drenched architectural studies and harbour scenes were most popular in South Africa, eventually earning him the distinction of having his work acquired by all the major local public art collections and the post of chairman of the Natal Society of Arts Sketch Club in 1926. His production was exceptionally brief in South Africa - only five years from 1925-1930 - before he died of pneumonia. “Sénèque’s importance to Natal, despite his relatively short career is immense. Numerous contemporaries and younger artists admired and copied his style, thus producing what might be described as a Natal school of the twenties”. - Melanie Hillebrand On offer are two Natal landscapes; lot 735 is the arresting view of an aqueduct-like stone bridge, partly illuminated in sun, set in a serene landscape of dark, reflective water against a tropical forested landscape, with wild banana fronds and weeping trees against a modulated aqua sky. Although the work is inscribed on the back, Pont-La–Reduit and dated 1920, it is unclear if the inscription is indeed by the artist, as the subject is most likely the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. The second landscape, lot 736, is Chimney Stack and Trees (1926), which presents an unusual view of a distant Durban harbour through a vista of elongated bare trees. A glowing red-orange set of chimney stacks is dramatically illuminated by an early winter sun, the entire composition set against a pale turquoise sky, affirming the artist’s pre-occupation with the sky in his African works. However, “His interest lay in the structural masses of the land and the intersecting lines established by the horizon and vertical forms of buildings.” Less familiar to local audiences are his earlier French Alps and Montagne scenes, painted while on honeymoon in the region, or shortly afterwards. The Durban Art Gallery acquired one such work, Mont Blanc from Sallaches, in 1927. Equally impressive is lot 737, a 1925 work entitled French Alps which was exhibited in the Sénèque retrospective at the Tatham Gallery, Pietermaritzburg in 1969, and was considered to be one of his finest works in notes made to the draft of the introduction to the accompanying catalogue. “In order to add textural interest Sénèque covered his canvas in sackcloth, adding depth to the composition of French Alps. Melanie Hillebrand, in her PHD dissertation argues that, “His bold use of tone gives the mountains a stereoscopic quality.” He produced many paintings, drawings and prints of the French Alps as a result of his happy memories at the time. He returned to Durban, where he encountered difficulties getting established as an architect – although highly regarded – with a young wife and child to support. Despite the challenges, this proved to be the highpoint of Sénèque’s career. Lot 739 is an enchanting vignette of Sacre Coeur (1923) - the iconic Montmartre landmark –which confirms Sénèque’s architectural training and disciplined eye. Ironically, Montmartre was the home to legendry French artists including the Impressionists, to whom Sénèqe was openly hostile, arguing against modernist tendencies. Similar to another work sold in these rooms in February 2012, Nuns Outside Sacre Coeur (c.1926) shows an almost identical view and treatment but with the addition of a passing group of nuns clad in dark habits. Finally, Still Life with Vessels (1930), lot 738, an unusual work for Sénèque so late in his career, is one of his last paintings, as the artist died on 30 April 1930 after a short but important and influential life as a landscape painter in early 20th century KwaZulu-Natal. - Berman, E., Art and Artists of South Africa , A.A. Balkema , Cape Town, 1970 - Hillebrand, M., Art and Architecture in Natal 1910 -1940, Unpublished Thesis, University of Natal, 1986, p 96. Tatham Gallery, Clément Sénèque, Pietermaritzburg, 1969 We are grateful for the kind assistance of Mr Brendan Bell in cataloguing lots 735 – 739
Clément (Joseph Charles Louis) Sénèque (South African 1896-1930) CHIMNEY STACKS AND TREES oil on board PROVENANCE from the private collection of the artist's granddaughter 32 by 19cm Lot 735 – 739 are a selection of five fine oil paintings from the acclaimed yet brief production of the Mauritian born artist, Clément Sénèque. These works have not previously been offered on the market, having been in Switzerland in the Sénèque family collection since the early 20th century, thus providing a unique opportunity to acquire fresh works by the artist. It is appropriate that in the 21st century the work of Sénèque is enjoying renewed interest and that the impact of his short career has received the scholarly attention of two KwaZulu-Natal art historians, Dr Melanie Hillebrand and Brendan Bell. Trained in Paris at the École des Beaux Arts in architecture and town planning, Sénèque enjoyed recognition in his time as an architect and self-taught painter with a precise eye for architectural structure and details. He admired the work of Frank Brangwyn and locally that of Gwelo Goodman and Pierneef. His verdant landscapes of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, light drenched architectural studies and harbour scenes were most popular in South Africa, eventually earning him the distinction of having his work acquired by all the major local public art collections and the post of chairman of the Natal Society of Arts Sketch Club in 1926. His production was exceptionally brief in South Africa - only five years from 1925-1930 - before he died of pneumonia. “Sénèque’s importance to Natal, despite his relatively short career is immense. Numerous contemporaries and younger artists admired and copied his style, thus producing what might be described as a Natal school of the twenties”. - Melanie Hillebrand On offer are two Natal landscapes; lot 735 is the arresting view of an aqueduct-like stone bridge, partly illuminated in sun, set in a serene landscape of dark, reflective water against a tropical forested landscape, with wild banana fronds and weeping trees against a modulated aqua sky. Although the work is inscribed on the back, Pont-La–Reduit and dated 1920, it is unclear if the inscription is indeed by the artist, as the subject is most likely the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. The second landscape, lot 736, is Chimney Stack and Trees (1926), which presents an unusual view of a distant Durban harbour through a vista of elongated bare trees. A glowing red-orange set of chimney stacks is dramatically illuminated by an early winter sun, the entire composition set against a pale turquoise sky, affirming the artist’s pre-occupation with the sky in his African works. However, “His interest lay in the structural masses of the land and the intersecting lines established by the horizon and vertical forms of buildings.” Less familiar to local audiences are his earlier French Alps and Montagne scenes, painted while on honeymoon in the region, or shortly afterwards. The Durban Art Gallery acquired one such work, Mont Blanc from Sallaches, in 1927. Equally impressive is lot 737, a 1925 work entitled French Alps which was exhibited in the Sénèque retrospective at the Tatham Gallery, Pietermaritzburg in 1969, and was considered to be one of his finest works in notes made to the draft of the introduction to the accompanying catalogue. “In order to add textural interest Sénèque covered his canvas in sackcloth, adding depth to the composition of French Alps. Melanie Hillebrand, in her PHD dissertation argues that, “His bold use of tone gives the mountains a stereoscopic quality.” He produced many paintings, drawings and prints of the French Alps as a result of his happy memories at the time. He returned to Durban, where he encountered difficulties getting established as an architect – although highly regarded – with a young wife and child to support. Despite the challenges, this proved to be the highpoint of Sénèque’s career. Lot 739 is an enchanting vignette of Sacre Coeur (1923) - the iconic Montmartre landmark –which confirms Sénèque’s architectural training and disciplined eye. Ironically, Montmartre was the home to legendry French artists including the Impressionists, to whom Sénèqe was openly hostile, arguing against modernist tendencies. Similar to another work sold in these rooms in February 2012, Nuns Outside Sacre Coeur (c.1926) shows an almost identical view and treatment but with the addition of a passing group of nuns clad in dark habits. Finally, Still Life with Vessels (1930), lot 738, an unusual work for Sénèque so late in his career, is one of his last paintings, as the artist died on 30 April 1930 after a short but important and influential life as a landscape painter in early 20th century KwaZulu-Natal. - Berman, E., Art and Artists of South Africa , A.A. Balkema , Cape Town, 1970 - Hillebrand, M., Art and Architecture in Natal 1910 -1940, Unpublished Thesis, University of Natal, 1986, p 96. Tatham Gallery, Clément Sénèque, Pietermaritzburg, 1969 We are grateful for the kind assistance of Mr Brendan Bell in cataloguing lots 735 – 739
Clément (Joseph Charles Louis) Sénèque (South African 1896-1930) LA BASILIQUE DU SACRE COEUR DE MONTMATRE signed and dated 23 oil on board PROVENANCE from the private collection of the artist's granddaughter 40 by 32,5cm Lot 735 – 739 are a selection of five fine oil paintings from the acclaimed yet brief production of the Mauritian born artist, Clément Sénèque. These works have not previously been offered on the market, having been in Switzerland in the Sénèque family collection since the early 20th century, thus providing a unique opportunity to acquire fresh works by the artist. It is appropriate that in the 21st century the work of Sénèque is enjoying renewed interest and that the impact of his short career has received the scholarly attention of two KwaZulu-Natal art historians, Dr Melanie Hillebrand and Brendan Bell. Trained in Paris at the École des Beaux Arts in architecture and town planning, Sénèque enjoyed recognition in his time as an architect and self-taught painter with a precise eye for architectural structure and details. He admired the work of Frank Brangwyn and locally that of Gwelo Goodman and Pierneef. His verdant landscapes of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, light drenched architectural studies and harbour scenes were most popular in South Africa, eventually earning him the distinction of having his work acquired by all the major local public art collections and the post of chairman of the Natal Society of Arts Sketch Club in 1926. His production was exceptionally brief in South Africa - only five years from 1925-1930 - before he died of pneumonia. “Sénèque’s importance to Natal, despite his relatively short career is immense. Numerous contemporaries and younger artists admired and copied his style, thus producing what might be described as a Natal school of the twenties”. - Melanie Hillebrand On offer are two Natal landscapes; lot 735 is the arresting view of an aqueduct-like stone bridge, partly illuminated in sun, set in a serene landscape of dark, reflective water against a tropical forested landscape, with wild banana fronds and weeping trees against a modulated aqua sky. Although the work is inscribed on the back, Pont-La–Reduit and dated 1920, it is unclear if the inscription is indeed by the artist, as the subject is most likely the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. The second landscape, lot 736, is Chimney Stack and Trees (1926), which presents an unusual view of a distant Durban harbour through a vista of elongated bare trees. A glowing red-orange set of chimney stacks is dramatically illuminated by an early winter sun, the entire composition set against a pale turquoise sky, affirming the artist’s pre-occupation with the sky in his African works. However, “His interest lay in the structural masses of the land and the intersecting lines established by the horizon and vertical forms of buildings.” Less familiar to local audiences are his earlier French Alps and Montagne scenes, painted while on honeymoon in the region, or shortly afterwards. The Durban Art Gallery acquired one such work, Mont Blanc from Sallaches, in 1927. Equally impressive is lot 737, a 1925 work entitled French Alps which was exhibited in the Sénèque retrospective at the Tatham Gallery, Pietermaritzburg in 1969, and was considered to be one of his finest works in notes made to the draft of the introduction to the accompanying catalogue. “In order to add textural interest Sénèque covered his canvas in sackcloth, adding depth to the composition of French Alps. Melanie Hillebrand, in her PHD dissertation argues that, “His bold use of tone gives the mountains a stereoscopic quality.” He produced many paintings, drawings and prints of the French Alps as a result of his happy memories at the time. He returned to Durban, where he encountered difficulties getting established as an architect – although highly regarded – with a young wife and child to support. Despite the challenges, this proved to be the highpoint of Sénèque’s career. Lot 739 is an enchanting vignette of Sacre Coeur (1923) - the iconic Montmartre landmark –which confirms Sénèque’s architectural training and disciplined eye. Ironically, Montmartre was the home to legendry French artists including the Impressionists, to whom Sénèqe was openly hostile, arguing against modernist tendencies. Similar to another work sold in these rooms in February 2012, Nuns Outside Sacre Coeur (c.1926) shows an almost identical view and treatment but with the addition of a passing group of nuns clad in dark habits. Finally, Still Life with Vessels (1930), lot 738, an unusual work for Sénèque so late in his career, is one of his last paintings, as the artist died on 30 April 1930 after a short but important and influential life as a landscape painter in early 20th century KwaZulu-Natal. - Berman, E., Art and Artists of South Africa , A.A. Balkema , Cape Town, 1970 - Hillebrand, M., Art and Architecture in Natal 1910 -1940, Unpublished Thesis, University of Natal, 1986, p 96. Tatham Gallery, Clément Sénèque, Pietermaritzburg, 1969 We are grateful for the kind assistance of Mr Brendan Bell in cataloguing lots 735 – 739
A CHINESE JADE TRIPOD CENSER AND COVER the ovoid body raised on three paw feet surmounted by masks, the sides carved with taotie masks in shallow relief inlaid with white metal and pink hardstone, the masks interrupted by a pair of pierced upright handles, the inlaid cover with foliate lappets above bands of engraved leaves, the white stone with russet inclusions, losses to inlay, staining 12cm high
A CHINESE CARVED HARDSTONE 'BOY AND BUFFALO' GROUP the child astride a buffalo, gripping onto a rope tied through the animals nose, the boy reading a book with a wide brimmed straw-hat dangling about his back, all raised on a conforming rectangular base, the milky green stone with darker green and black inclusions, chips, minor scratches 24cm high
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