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Lot 1050
A CELADON AND BROWN JADE BI DISK, WESTERN HAN DYNASTYChina, 2nd-1st century BC. Each side finely carved in low relief with a dense pattern of raised bosses neatly arranged in a hexagonal grid pattern, within narrow plain borders encircling the rim and enclosing the central aperture. The translucent stone of a pale yellowish-green color pale brown shadings, cloudy inclusions, and grayish-white calcification.Provenance: Collection of Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) and thence by descent to his widow Irene Beasley. Collection of Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964), acquired from the above c. 1939 and thence by descent in the same family. Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) was a British anthropologist and museum curator who developed an important ethnographic collection during the early 20th century that is now held in various British museums. With his wife Irene, Beasley set up the Cranmore Ethnographical Museum which eventually held more than 6,000 objects of ethnographical interest. The Beasleys collected objects from across Europe, buying from auction houses and local museums to expand the collection, which contained material from the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Northwestern America. Beasley wrote numerous articles for anthropological journals and was considered an expert in his field. He died in 1939 and his collection was stored with the British Museum collections during the war, which was fortunate as the Cranmore Museum was destroyed by bombing. After the war substantial portions of the collection were passed to the British Museum, the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the University of Cambridge, the Pitt Rivers Museum, and the Merseyside County Museum. Other pieces, such as the present lot, were sold by his widow and, after her death in 1974, by their daughters. Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964) was a contributor to the Cranmore Museum and became good friends with Harry Beasley. Shortly after Harry Beasley's death, he acquired several objects from Irene Beasley, including the present lot.Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, signs of weathering and erosion, minuscule nibbling, few minor nicks, tiny losses to edges which have smoothened over time.Weight: 212.8 gDimensions: Diameter 15 cm A Confucian text likely dating to the Western Han period, the Zhou Li, or Rites of Zhou, states that the six ritual jades, or Liu Yu Liu Rue, comprise the bi, cong, gui, zhang, hu, and huang, among which, the bi disk and the cong tube were by far the most important and the longest lived. The bi, a circular disk with a circular perforation in the center, was said to symbolize the sun and to have been used in ceremonies paying homage to the sun. As a parallel, the cong - an implement square in section, open at both ends, and with a cylindrical passageway connecting the two ends - was believed to represent the earth and to have been used in ceremonies honoring the earth. Alas, the exact meaning and function of the bi and cong remain unknown, as those ritual implements originated in Neolithic times, more than 2,000 years before the Zhou Li was written. In all probability, that text thus merely states the conventional wisdom held at the time of its writing, which may or may not have anything to do with the implements' original use and significance or their evolution over the millennia.The earliest bi disks, which date to the Neolithic period, which are undecorated and were crafted in a variety of colored hardstones, tend to be large, relatively thick, and sometimes slightly irregular in shape. Occasionally slightly off-center, the central perforation typically was worked from both sides, with the result that a low ridge often encircles the middle of the perforation, indicating the point where the tools met. By the Shang dynasty, bi disks, though still undecorated but with the perforation perfectly centered, were very regular in form, were usually crafted in sea-green or bluish-green nephrite and were generally thinner than earlier examples. In the late Eastern Zhou, most bi disks were finished with a subtly raised border around the periphery and another around the central perforation; in addition, the surface of the usually pale greenish-white stone, sometimes enlivened with a splash of brown, was typically ornamented with an array of small, spiral, or comma-shaped embellishments that are regularly spaced and rise in low relief and that are known as guwen or guliwen, meaning 'grain patterns.' (For a short essay on the emergence, development, and decline of the late Eastern Zhou relief embellishment, see Marcel Loehr, Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 1975, pp. 21-28.)As demonstrated by this exquisite example, the late Eastern Zhou preference for thin bi disks in white or pale greenish white jade marked with brown persisted into the Western Han, as did the taste for subtly raised borders and ornamented surfaces. In Western Han disks, however, the relief embellishments are polygonal, rather than round or comma-shaped, and they line up in very neat, regular rows and columns, in appearance often seemingly diagonally set, that well-defined order clearly reflecting the method with which the stone was worked. (Of course, the nearly arranged and regularly spaced spiral embellishments on late Eastern Zhou jades also appear in regular rows, but usually not in both rows and columns or set on diagonals.)Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bi disk with similar decoration, dated 475-100 BC, 13.7 cm diameter, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1987.594. Compare two closely related jade disks, also dated to the Western Han dynasty, 14 cm and 14.1 cm diameter, in the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection at the Harvard Art Museums, object numbers 1943.50.545 and 1943.50.550. A jade disk of related size and decorated with a similar hexagonal grid pattern was included in the National Palace Museum exhibition and illustrated in A Catalogue of National Palace Museum's Special Exhibition of Circular Jade, Taipei, 2006, pl. 82.Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2015, lot 592Price: USD 106,250 or approx. EUR 127,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pale greenish-white and brown jade bi disk, Western Han dynasty, 206 BC-AD 8Expert remark: Note the size (15.8 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2022, lot 2711Price: HKD 226,800 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A carved jade disc, bi, Western Han dynasty 206 BC-AD 8Expert remark: Note the size (14 cm).
Lot 287
A LIU QING 'KINGFISHER AND LOTUS' BAMBOO WRISTREST BY XU YAN, CHINA, DATED 1944Expert's note: The highly intricate technique of liu qing demands an exceptional level of skill, leaving absolutely no margin for error as the artist delicately carves away the negative space of the yellow-green skin to unveil the desired scene amongst the darker and more fibrous inner layer. The stunning result creates an effect of traditional Chinese brush and ink painting.Exquisitely carved on the convex side in the liu qing technique, partially reserving the bamboo skin, to depict a resting kingfisher beside a pond with a large lotus blossom as well as furled leaves, lily pads, and two fish.Inscriptions: Left, signed and dated 'Xu Yan in the Spring of 1944', and titled 'Lotus Pond Pleasure'. Two seals of the artist. Lower right, one seal of the artist.Provenance: Chicago trade.Condition: Good condition with minor old wear, expected age cracks, few tiny losses.Weight: 193.4 gDimensions: Length 32.2 cm Wristrests have been used for centuries in Chinese calligraphy and painting, and they continue to be valued by artists who practice these traditional art forms. They serve as practical tools allowing the artist to make delicate brushstrokes or intricate calligraphy, also alleviating fatigue by providing a comfortable position and reducing strain on the muscles and tendons of the hand and wrist.The pairing of a kingfisher and lotus has been a popular theme in Chinese art and literature for centuries. The kingfisher, revered for its vibrant and iridescent feathers, is seen as an auspicious symbol of prosperity and believed to possess protective qualities against evil spirits and misfortune. The lotus, with its ability to emerge from murky waters and blossom into a beautiful flower, is seen as a metaphor for resilience and strength in the face of adversity.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 26 May 2013, lot 11 Price: HKD 100,000 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A finely carved bamboo 'bird and lotus' wristrest, signed Xu Subai (1909-1975) Expert remark: Compare the closely related wrist rest form, bird and lotus subject, and liu qing technique. Note the smaller size (27 cm). 竹雕《荷塘清趣》臂擱，許炎款淺浮雕採用留青技法，部分保留竹皮，刻畫在池塘邊站在荷葉莖上的翠鳥，荷花盛開，荷葉捲曲，水中兩條小魚在戲耍。留青工藝極精，能於薄薄的青筠中區分出多個層次，表現物象的透視關係。雜以淺浮雕，多種技法的配合。 款識：荷塘清趣，甲申三月許炎刻。 來源：芝加哥古玩交易。 品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損，有老化裂紋與微小缺損。 重量：193.4 克 尺寸：長 32.2 厘米拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：香港邦翰斯，2013年5月26日，lot 11 價格：HKD 100,000（相當於今日EUR 15,000） 描述：留青柳葉荷塘情趣臂擱 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形，蓮和鳥紋，以及留青技巧。請注意尺寸較小(27厘米)。
Lot 437
A BLACK POTTERY AMPHORA WITH APPLIED COPPER BOSSES, LIFAN, HAN DYNASTYChina, 206 BC-220 AD. Elegantly potted, the lozenge-form mouth rim tapering to form two wide strap handles above the neck with a finely incised band running parallel. The ovoid body with spiral designs. Applied overall with conical copper bosses with beaded decoration.Provenance: French trade.Condition: Good condition with old wear and casting flaws, small nicks here and there, the bosses with malachite-green encrustations, some losses and scratches, all exactly as expected from an authentic piece with this age. Weight: 1,144 g Dimensions: Height 18.2 cm This type of black earthenware amphora was produced from the Warring States period and throughout the Han dynasty. The surface of the vessel has been shaped with tools and then burnished. This process of manufacture gives the jar its attractively rugged, yet carefully detailed and distinctive characteristics. The surface of the body is an amalgamation of complex curves with various convex and concave shapes. As noted by Regina Krahl in Yuegutang, A Collection of Chinese Ceramics in Berlin, 2000, page 55, amphorae of this distinct type are characteristic products of the Western Sichuan province where they were made by non-Chinese peoples. Hence, this type of vessel is known as Lifan, named after the area of Sichuan province in the far west of China, in which such jars have been found.There are obvious stylistic similarities between these Lifan vessels and objects from much earlier periods such as the Neolithic cultures of Machang (c. 3000-2000 BC) and Xindian (c. 1500-1000 BC). Similar black ware food containers with two handles have also been unearthed in Dena County, Yunan, an area that was the home of the southwestern Yi tribe during the Spring and Autumn period.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 5 March 2021, lot 138 Price: EUR 56,880 or approx. EUR 67,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A black pottery amphora with applied bronze bosses, Han dynasty Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the larger size (33 cm). 漢代黑陶嵌銅泡釘雙耳壺中國，西元前206 至西元220年。縮頸，壺口外撇，鼓腹，寬大的雙耳從壺口延伸到腹部。壺上鑲嵌泡釘。 來源：法國古玩交易。 品相：狀況良好，有磨損和鑄造缺陷，大面積小刻痕，泡釘上有藍綠色結殼，還有一些缺損和劃痕。 重量：1,144 克 尺寸：高 18.2 釐米 這種黑陶雙耳壺從戰國到整個漢代都有生產。據推測，這些器皿上的泡釘，是在這個時代的巔峰時期製造的，例如漢朝上半葉。 正如 Regina Krahl 在《悅古堂-柏林中國陶瓷收藏》，2000 年，第 55 頁所指出的，這種獨特類型的雙耳瓶是四川西部省份的特有創作，以中國最西部的四川省地區命名。 這些器皿與更早時期的器物在風格上有明顯的相似之處，例如馬廠（約西元前 3000-2000 年）和新店（約西元前 1500-1000 年）的新石器時代文化，春秋時期西南彝族聚居地雲南德納縣也曾出土過類似的雙柄黑瓷食器。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：Galerie Zacke，維也納，2021年3月5日，lot 138 價格：EUR 56,880（相當於今日EUR 67,000） 描述：漢代黑陶嵌銅泡釘雙耳壺 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和裝飾。請注意尺寸較大 (33 厘米)。
Lot 58
AN IMPERIAL 'REALGAR' GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE, ATTRIBUTED TO THE PALACE WORKSHOPS, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIODChina, Beijing, 1736-1795. Swirled together of brilliant fiery orange and yellow-ochre opaque glass to resemble the realgar mineral, the tall cylindrical body with a tapered foot with flat base and rounded shoulder surmounted by a tall neck with a wide mouth. The base wheel-cut with a four-character mark Qianlong nianzhi and of the period. Provenance: From a noted private collection in Bavaria, Germany. Condition: Excellent condition with only minor old wear and expected manufacturing irregularities.Stopper: Jadeite Weight: 94.5 g Dimensions: Height including stopper 91 mm. Diameter neck 16 mm and mouth 9 mm. The naturalistic pattern achieved on realgar glass makes vessels of this type attractive and unique. Hugh Moss and Gerard Tsang in Arts from the Scholar's Studio, op. cit., p. 126, note that the “swirling patterns visible at the surface of this vessel are full of possibilities for the imaginative mind. It may read as a landscape, drifting incense smoke or a variety of strange living creatures, but it also represents the endlessly changing patterns of energy from which all phenomena emanate in the Chinese view, particularly expressed by Daoism. To the Daoist scholar it would be a work of art of subtle complexity and endless fascination, to be enjoyed like incense smoke as a meditative aid."Realgar (xiong huang), found in the southern provinces of China, was believed to contain the essence of gold and, possibly for this reason, became a source of fascination despite its poisonous qualities. It is believed that it was mixed in drugs used by Daoists in their quest for the elixir of immortality. It is the Daoist alchemy that made realgar popular to the extent that despite the material's highly toxic nature and its soft crumbly texture, which does not lend itself to the artisans' tools without great difficulties, realgar was used for the carving of Daoist figures. For example, a realgar sculpture of the Immortal He Xian Gu, in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in R. Soame Jenyns, Chinese Art, The Minor Arts, II, London, 1965, pl. 200.The attractiveness of realgar inspired copies to be made in glass such as the present snuff bottle. Richard John Lynn in 'Technical aspects and Connoisseurship of Snuff Bottles: Late Traditional Chinese Sources', JICSBS, Summer, 1995, p. 8, mentions Zhou Jixu, a late Qing connoisseur, who believed that realgar glass was among the earliest types of glass made at the Qing Imperial Glassworks. For this reason, the dating of the present snuff bottle can probably be narrowed to c. 1740-1750.Literature comparison:For further discussion on 'realgar' glass, see Moss, Graham, Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Vol. 5, Glass, where its likely Imperial origins are discussed.Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 5 March 2021, lot 15 Price: EUR 9,480 or approx. EUR 11,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An Imperial 'realgar' glass mallet vase, Qianlong mark and period Expert remark: Compare the closely related color and wheel-cut reign mark. Note the different form and the size (15.6 cm).Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 October 2009, lot 1819 Price: HKD 1,460,000 or approx. EUR 244,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A realgar glass dish, Palace Workshops, mark and period of Qianlong Expert remark: Compare the closely related color and wheel-cut reign mark. Note the different form and the size (17.2 cm). 乾隆款及年代御製仿雄黃料器鼻烟壺中國，北京，1736-1795年。直頸，溜肩，圓柱體壺身。色澤明亮，艷麗的橙色和黃色不透明料間雜旋轉而成，猶如雄黃。底座刻“乾隆年製"四字款。 來源：德國巴伐利亞知名收藏。 品相：狀況良好，只有輕微的磨損和製造缺陷。 壺蓋：翡翠 重量：94.5 克 尺寸：含蓋高91 毫米，頸部直徑16毫米，口部直徑9 毫米。 文獻比較： 關於御製雄黃玻璃的討論，見Moss，Graham，Tsang，《A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles. The Mary and George Bloch Collection》，卷五，〈玻璃〉。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：Galerie Zacke，維也納，2021年3月5日，lot 15 價格：EUR 9,480（相當於今日EUR 11,000） 描述：乾隆款與年代御製雄黃色料馬蹄式瓶 專家評論：比較非常相近的顏色和雙方框四字乾隆款。請注意不同的外形和尺寸 (15.6 釐米)。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2009年10月7日，lot 1819 價格：HKD 1,460,000（相當於今日EUR 244,000） 描述：乾隆款和年代御製雄黃盤 專家評論：比較非常相近的顏色和雙圈乾隆款。請注意不同的外形和 尺寸 (17.2 釐米)。
Lot 715
A LURISTAN BRONZE AXE-HEAD, LAST QUARTER OF 2ND TO EARLY 1ST MILLENNIUM BCIran, c. 1200-700 BC. Well cast, the axe-head with a rimmed, fan-shaped blade. The cylindrical socket extends into five molds terminating in spikes. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, solid patina with distinct areas of encrustations.Provenance: From a Royal Collection.Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, minor casting flaws, few nicks, light scratches, minor losses, signs of weathering and corrosion, and encrustations.Weight: 407.7 g Dimensions: Length 21.9 cm Luristan bronzes are small cast and decorated objects from the early Iron Age which have been found in large numbers in Lorestan province and Kermanshah in western Iran. They include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, horse fittings, and a smaller number of vessels including situlae and are characterized by a wide range of idiosyncratic forms and a highly stylized conception of human and animal representation. Those from recorded excavations were generally found in burials. The ethnicity of the people who created them remains unclear, though they may well have been Iranian, possibly related to the modern Lur people who have given their name to the area. Luristan bronze objects came to the notice of the world art market from the late 1920s onwards. They were excavated in considerable quantities by local people and are found today in many of the world's most important museums.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related bronze axe-head, 21 cm long, dated ca. 750 BC, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.91.364.34. Compare a closely related Luristan axe-head, 21 cm long, dated 1st millennium BC, in the Louvre Museum, registration number AO 18667.Compare a related Luristan axe-head dated 1000-500 BC, in the British Museum, registration number 1945,1015.3.Auction result comparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's New York, 12 April 2022, lot 53Price: USD 21,420 or approx. EUR 20,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Luristan bronze axe head surmounted by an ibex, circa 1200-900 BCExpert remark: Compare the related form and manner of casting. Note the size (25.4 cm) and the ibex surmounting the axe head.
Lot 717
A LURISTAN 'MASTER OF ANIMALS' BRONZE STANDARD FINIAL, IRAN, CIRCA 1000-650 BCThe tubular base surmounted by a stylized Janus-headed figure flanked on both sides by mythical beasts whose paws are placed together on the central figure's chest. The figure is boldly cast with detail work along the waist and legs. The face has a broad nose, large eyes, and prominent ears. The bronze has a naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.Provenance: Galerie Persepolis, Brussels, exhibited from 28 October to 13 November 1971. Collection of Monsieur H., Brussels, Belgium, acquired from the above. Collection Madame D.T., acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, few nicks, light scratches, minor losses, signs of weathering and corrosion, and encrustations.Weight: 263.2 g Dimensions: Height 14.7 cm (incl. stand), 12.2 cm (excl. stand) Luristan bronzes are small cast and decorated objects from the Early Iron Age (first millennium BC) which have been found in large numbers in Lorestan province and Kermanshah in western Iran. They include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, horse fittings, and a smaller number of vessels including situlae and are characterized by a wide range of idiosyncratic forms and a highly stylized conception of human and animal representation. Those from recorded excavations were generally found in burials. The ethnicity of the people who created them remains unclear, though they may well have been Indo-European, possibly related to the modern Lur people who have given their name to the area. Luristan bronze objects came to the notice of the world art market from the late 1920s onwards. They were excavated in considerable quantities by local people and are found today in many of the world's most important museums.The Master of Animals is a motif in ancient art showing a human between and grasping two confronted animals. The subject is widespread in the art of the Ancient Near East and Egypt. Although such figures are not all deities, the term may be a generic name for several deities from a variety of cultures with close relationships to the animal kingdom or in part animal form (in cultures where that is not the norm). These figures control animals and are responsible for their continued reproduction and availability for hunters. The Greek god shown as 'Master of Animals' is usually Apollo, one of the gods of the hunt. Shiva has the epithet Pasupathi meaning the 'Lord of animals', and these figures may derive from an archetype. Chapter 39 of the Book of Job has been interpreted as an assertion of the deity of the Hebrew Bible as Master of Animals.Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Luristan bronze standard finial, 19.2 cm high, also dated circa 1000-650 BC, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.76.97.91. Compare a closely related Luristan bronze standard finial, 20.5 cm high, also dated circa 1000-650 BC, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.76.97.94.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie's New York, 9 June 2022, lot 24 Price: USD 31,500 or approx. EUR 29,000 converted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Luristan bronze goddess, circa 9th-7th century BC Expert remark: Note the size (13.7 cm)Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie's New York, 4 June 2015, lot 154 Price: USD 23,750 or approx. EUR 27,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Luristan bronze goddess finial, circa 9th-7th century BC Expert remark: Note the slightly larger size (18.4 cm)
Lot 99
A wooden box with paper label inscribed “Captain Dawes …” the hinge lid opening to reveal a collection of vintage wooden handled tools to include hammers, planes, chisels etc together with a vintage Bakelite radio, the back inscribed “Bush Radio type DAC.90” together with three boxes of assorted vintage 45s and two vintage suitcases
Lot 603
A SET THREE EDWARDIAN STEEL FIRE-TOOLS AND OTHERS (8)Early 20th Century With hexagonal pommel finials, pierced lyre to shovel head, 73cm long; Together with a pair of brass mounted rope-twist steel fire-tools, pierced tulip-shaped shovel head, early 20th Century; together with three other steel pokers and hooksProvenance: The selected contents of Conderton Manor, near Tewkesbury.
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