Alain.R.Truong

A rare 'Qingbai' carved ewer, Yuan dynasty

A rare 'Qingbai' carved ewer, Yuan dynasty. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

the compressed globular body rising from a flat base to a short neck with lipped rim, set with a flat grooved handle and a loop on top, the curved spout applied with a stylized phoenix head, the body decorated with two bands of stylized ruyi cloud scrolls, covered overall with a light blue glaze pooling in the recesses, stopping neatly above the foot to reveal the pale white body. Height 3 3/8  in., 8.5 cm

Notes: It is rare to find a qingbai ewer of this form and decoration, and no other examples appear to have been published. Compare a related ewer with this molded ruyi cloud decoration published in Jingdezhen Wares: The Yuan Evolution, Hong Kong, 1984, no. 48, where Margaret Medley notes in her introductory essay (p. 25) that during the early Yuan years, compartmented decoration and rigid restriction to bands, such as the one seen on this present piece, became an increasingly popular stylistic feature.  

See another ewer of related form also applied with a stylized phoenix head on the spout, excavated from the Jinyucun hoard in Suining City in 1991, published in Suining Jinyu Cun Nan Song jiao cang / Jinyucun Hoard of Southern Song Dynasty in Suining, Beijing, vol. 2, 2012, pl. 119; and another, attributed to the Southern Song dynasty, excavated in 1976 at Changyi, Xinjian county and now in the Jiangxi Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo chutu ciqi quanji / Complete Collection of Ceramic Art Unearthed in China, Beijing, 2008, vol. 14, pl. 78.

Sotheby's. Song Tradition: Early Ceramics from the Yang De Tang Collection. New York, 17 mars 2015, 11:00 AM

A small 'Qingbai' ewer and cover, Song dynasty

A small 'Qingbai' ewer and cover, Song dynasty. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

the ewer of broad melon shape, rising from a slightly recessed base to a small cylindrical neck, set on one side with a curved spout and a flat handle on the other, the body with lobed sides and a raised scalloped band to resemble a ewer sitting in a warming basin, the neck with a row of lotus petals radiating from the base, the cover similarly molded with a mandarin duck finial, covered overall with a pale blue glaze pooling in the recessed areas, stopping just above the foot to reveal the white body (2). Height 4 1/2  in., 11.4 cm

Notes: See a related example, but with a different molded cover in the Muwen Tang collection and included in the exhibitionSong Ceramics from the Kwan Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1994, cat. no. 108; and another from the Kai-Yin Lo Collection, included in the exhibition Bright as Silver, White as Snow, Hong Kong, 1998, cat. no. 52.

Sotheby's. Song Tradition: Early Ceramics from the Yang De Tang Collection. New York, 17 mars 2015, 11:00 AM

Gerhard Richter presents new hanging of his work in galleries at the Albertinum

Photographs by Abstract Paintings (937-1 to 4), 2014/15, photographs on Alucobond. Copyright SKD, Gerhard Richter Archive, Photo : Oliver Killig

DRESDEN.- Following the reopening of the Albertinum in June 2010, Gerhard Richter reinstalled both of the exhibition rooms that have been dedicated to him. At the centre of the presentation, which opened to the public on 28 February, is a series of four large-format 'Abstrakten Bildern (937/1-4)' that were created in the last 12 months. Gerhard Richter is also displaying four photo versions of the painting in the original format. The pieces trace back to four photographs taken by a prisoner at the Birkenau Concentration Camp in August 1944. Gerhard Richter had already been studying the pictures for a number of years before he decided to use them as the basis for new paintings last year. In the end, he took an abstract approach to the subject. He had previously explored the National Socialist Holocaust in 1967 and 1997. The materials for these non-realised projects are documented in ATLAS. 

This dialogue between painting and photography has been complemented by further images, mirrors and photographic editions. While the first room contains reflections, sequences and reproductions, the second exhibition room in Dresden initially showcases the '180 Farben (301/1-20)' colour chart from 1971. The artist presented this 20-part work to the Gerhard Richter Archive as a gift in 2013. Other exhibits, including the recently created 'Ella' piece from 2014, which depicts Richter's daughter and the still life 'Tulips' from 1995, illustrate the range of Richter's œuvre. 

The rooms containing the works by Gerhard Richter are an integral part of the New Masters’ Gallery walking tour on the second floor of the Albertinum. 

Gerhard Richter at the Albertinum before the new paintings Abstract paintings (937-1 to 3), 2014. Copyright SKD, Gerhard Richter Archive, Photo: Oliver Killig

The Gerhard Richter Archive is intended as a centre for research and communication concerning the works of this artist and as such it collects and documents all books, catalogues, journals and articles, photographs, videos and CDs that are published about Gerhard Richter or contain relevant information and contributions about him and his artistic context. An important section of the Archive’s holdings contains unpublished writings and documents, correspondence and photographs. In addition, the Gerhard Richter Archive works both independently and in cooperation with other institutions to organise exhibitions and symposia, and it is also producing its own series of publications. The most important research project is the compilation and publication of an academic catalogue raisonné of all of Gerhard Richter’s paintings and sculptures, which will be richly illustrated and will include information about provenance, exhibitions and literature. 

All catalogues relating to solo exhibitions, monographs and doctoral theses concerning Gerhard Richter are held in the Archive. In addition, there are numerous exhibition publications, books and journals containing articles about the artist. In particular, the collection of early catalogues and articles from the 1960s and 1970s is practically exhaustive. 

The Gerhard Richter Archive currently holds approximately 500 letters, manuscripts and other writings, most of which originate from the artist's studio and document, above all, Gerhard Richter’s relationships with his galleries and his Dresden friends in the 1960s and early 1970s. 

Gerhard Richter at the Albertinum with his work Ella. Copyright Gerhard Richter Archives, SKD, Photo: Oliver Killig

The Archive holds approximately 12.000 exhibition reviews and press references dating from between 1962 and the present day. These provide insight into the development of the reception of Gerhard Richter’s oeuvre. 

The photographic archive consists of 12.000 photos. Next to photos of his works, there are also portrait photos, photos of works in progress and of paintings which were later destroyed, views of his studio and photos documenting exhibitions, as well as preparatory photos for later paintings of the artist. 

The Gerhard Richter Archive holds approximately 600 posters, invitation cards and flyers relating to exhibitions by the artist from the early 1960s onwards. 

Meanwhile, the Archive has collected 250 media carriers that contain exhibition reports and detailed film portraits about Gerhard Richter.

Gerhard Richter at the Albertinum at the hanging of the work Ella, Edition 163, 2014 Digital inkjet printing, copyright, SKD, Gerhard Richter Archive, Photo: Oliver Killig

A bronze ritual wine vessel (gu), Late Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC

A bronze ritual wine vessel (gu), Late Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

of slender form with a wide flaring trumpet mouth and tall spreading foot, cast around the central bulb with confronting kui dragons forming taotie masks centered on vertical flanges, a pictogram on interior of foot, the greenish-gray patina with malachite encrustation. Height 8 in., 20.3 cm

Provenance: A private New York collection formed between 1945-47.
Christie's New York, 1st - 3rd October 2007, lot 631.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Works of Art New York, 17 mars 2015, 02:00 PM

A bronze ritual wine vessel (jue), Late Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC

A bronze ritual wine vessel (jue), Late Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC. Estimate 7,000 — 9,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

of a deep U-shape, supported on three splayed blade-form legs, the body cast with a pair of taotie masks against a leiwen ground, the spout flanked by a pair of capped finials, the side set with a loop handle over a single pictograph reading min, the surface with patches of malachite and ferrous encrustation. Height 7 3/4  in., 19.7 cm

Provenance: Property of Dr. Kiyoshi Hosoi of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Sotheby's Los Angeles, 13th October 1975, lot 12.
Christie's, lot 128 (according to label).

Notes: The pictograph min is likely a clan name. A similar jue was sold in these rooms 20th March 2010, lot 10.

The present lot had conservation work done to it by the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1993.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Works of Art New York, 17 mars 2015, 02:00 PM

The Quan Zu Xin Zu Gui Ding: An important inscribed bronze tripod, Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC

The Quan Zu Xin Zu Gui Ding: An important inscribed bronze tripod, Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC. Estimate 450,000 — 650,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

the deep round body supported on three cylindrical legs, the lipped rim raised with two upright large loop handles, a band below the rim filled with six serpents interspersed with whorl-roundels in relief, the central body with three large taotie motifs, with bulging eyes, intersected by flanges, all against a fine leiwen ground, the legs with scrolls and cicada blades in intaglio pattern, the interior cast on the side with a six-character inscription, the bronze covered with an attractive olive patina with areas of malachite encrustation. Height 10 1/4  in., 26 cm

Provenance: David A. Berg Collection.
Christie's New York, 21st September 2000, lot 160.
Sotheby's London, 19th June 2002, lot 73.
Private Asian Collection.

Literature: Wang Chen, Sequel of the Surviving Writings of the Shang dynasty, 1935, vol. 1, p. 21, fig. 9.
Luo Zhenyu, Surviving Writings from the Xia, Shang Zhou Dynasties, 1937, vol. 3, p. 1, fig. 3.
Yan Yiping, Corpus of Bronze Inscriptions, Taipei, 1983, no. 0753.
Institute of Archaeology, CASS, Compendium of Shang and Zhou Bronze Inscriptions, Beijing, 1984-94, no. 02113.
Wang Xiantang, A Record of Bronze and Stone Inscriptions in Chinese History, Qingdao, 2004, no. 2011-2.
Wang Tao and Liu Yu, A Selection of Early Chinese Bronzes with Inscriptions from Sotheby’s and Christie’s Sales, Shanghai, 2007, no. 60.
Wu Zhenfeng, Compendium of Inscriptions and Images of Bronzes from Shang and Zhou Dynasties, Shanghai, 2012, no. 01499.

Notes: The inscription on this bronze ding reads: QUAN ZU XIN ZU GUI XIANG, and is translated as 'Ancestor Xin and Ancestor Gui of Quan are sacrificed. X' The majority of Shang bronzes bear short inscriptions (ancestral names, personal names, or clan emblems). This ding vessel is of an impressive size and has a six-character inscription. The maker's name Quan (pictograph of a dog) here is also found in contemporary texts unearthed from Yinxu - the late capital of the Shang dynasty, and, apparently, was an important minister, likely a royal prince to the Shang king. On one of the large bronze tripods, a Shu Si Zi Ding, excavated at Anyang in 1959 (Kaoguxuebao 1960, no. 1, pls. 2) the inscription records the king awarding his princes with cowrie-shells for making ritual bronzes; and the recipients were Quan (dog) and Yu (fish).

According to a number of oracle bone inscriptions, Lord Quan led several royal clans into battle with the Zhou people (Heji:  6812 front); other sources record that Lord Quan made human sacrifices of the Qiang tribe men (Tunnan: 2493). There are more than twenty ritual bronzes bearing the name Quan, all dating from the Late Shang dynasty to the early Western Zhou period. On some of the Shang bronzes, Quan is associated with the official title ‘Ya’ as Ya Quan.

The style of the calligraphy here is well executed and with a strong pictographical element.

Sotheby's. Inscriptions: History as Art New York, 17 mars 2015, 01:30 PM

A carved rock crystal snuff bottle, 1750-1860

A carved rock crystal snuff bottle, 1750-1860. Estimate US$ 1,500 - 2,000 (€1,300 - 1,800). Photo Bonhams.

Carefully hollowed with walls of even thickness, the bottle of tapering form with a cylindrical neck, flat lip, its shoulders sloping outward towards the recessed base, crisply carved with two faux lion mask-and-ring handles, executed from a nearly flawless transparent stone. 2 1/4in (5.7cm) high

Provenance: Asiantiques, February, 2012

Bonhams. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Barbara and Marvin Dicker, 16 Mar 2015 10:00 EDT- NEW YORK

A carved rock crystal snuff bottle, 1750-1860

A carved rock crystal snuff bottle, 1750-1860. Estimate US$ 1,500 - 2,000 (€1,300 - 1,800). Photo Bonhams.

Well-hollowed, of compressed oval form with a cylindrical neck, flat lip and foot, boldly carved to the front and back in rounded relief with a bat with outstretching wings; the stone slightly crizzled and cloudy. 2 1/8in (5.4cm) high

Provenance: The Asian Art Studio, Inc. 
A. Klein, CA

Bonhams. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Barbara and Marvin Dicker, 16 Mar 2015 10:00 EDT- NEW YORK

A carved rock crystal snuff bottle, 1750-1860

A carved rock crystal snuff bottle, 1750-1860. Estimate US$ 2,000 - 3,000 (€1,800 - 2,700). Photo Bonhams.

Well-hollowed, of compressed globular form with a cylindrical neck, flat lip, oval foot ring, carved in relief and incised on each side with a pendulating dragon breathing out vapor forming waves; the transparent stone marked with a few darker color spots. 2 7/16in (6.3cm) high

Provenance: Robert Kleiner, Singapore Convention, October 2002

Bonhams. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Barbara and Marvin Dicker, 16 Mar 2015 10:00 EDT- NEW YORK

An amethyst 'landscape' snuff bottle, Rustic Crystal Master School, 1750-1860

An amethyst 'landscape' snuff bottle, Rustic Crystal Master School, 1750-1860. Estimate US$ 2,000 - 3,000 (€1,800 - 2,700). Photo Bonhams.

The rounded rectangular bottle standing on an oval foot ring, rising to a straight cylindrical neck beneath a very subtly concave lip, carved in low relief with a continuous scene depicting an expand of lake surrounded by tree-accented rocky banks under a group of swallows flying high in the sky; the natural cloudy inclusions in the stone well incorporated into the landscape design, creating an atmospheric misty appearance. 2 7/16in (6.3cm) high

Provenance: Asiantiques, August 1996
Hugh Moss

Notes: The attribution of a group of crystal and quartzite bottles to the 'Rustic Crystal Master' refers to a yet unplaced school of hardstone carving active in China between circa 1730-1880. The instantly recognizable decorative style bears relation to literati landscape painting, with the vast majority worked in low relief. One other feature is the clever use of the natural flaws in the stone, and the ability of masterfully incorporating them into the design. For a discussion of the distinctive decorative styles of the school see A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, The Mary and George Bloch Collection, Moss, Graham, and Tsang, Hong Kong, 1998, Vol.2, no.255.

Bonhams. Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Collection of Barbara and Marvin Dicker, 16 Mar 2015 10:00 EDT- NEW YORK