21 mars 2012

A silvery bronze circular mirror with two carps. Jin dynasty  (1115-1234) . Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012  Heavily cast in high relief with two carp swimming atop a ground of waves, their large twisting bodies filling almost the entire space surrounding the knob, the rim inscribed with four characters, Tiancheng; 7 5/8 in. (19.3 cm.) diam., 5/16 in. (.9 cm.) thick, box  - 1758.8g . Estimate $10,000 - $15,000 金 雙鯉紋鍍銀銅鏡 Provenance: Robert H. Ellsworth... [Lire la suite]

An unusual large silvery bronze octalobed mirror with flowers. Tang dynasty (618-907). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012  Of kuihua (sunflower) shape, the knob in the center of a finely cast eight-petaled flower set within a beaded border encircled by a band of leafy, budding flower scroll; 9¾ in. (24.8 cm.) across, 3/16 in. (.4 cm.) thick, box - 1664.3g . Estimate $12,000 - $18,000 唐 寶相花紋葵花式鍍銀銅鏡 Provenance: Robert H. Ellsworth Collection, New York, acquired from Alice... [Lire la suite]

Porcelain box. Meissen, 1735-1740. Photo Hampel Height: 5 cm. Length: 9.2 cm. Depth: 7.3 cm. Estimate € 5000-6000 With gold mount and Chinoiseriebemalung. Rectangular shape, slightly domed lid, lid trim with embossed wave profile. At the bottom sides, top and inside of the lid with multi-figure Chinoiserieszenen landscape islands, and Teeszenen magic priest acts. Inside of the lid showing: two Chinese worship a higher-fitting, feminine person with an umbrella and sovereignty... [Lire la suite]

 Böttger porcelain cup. Meissen, about 1725. Photo Hampel Height: 6 cm. Diameter (saucer): 13.5 cm.  Painter Gerrit van der Kaade. Estimate € 600-800 Cylindrical cup upward slightly weitend, with short base, C-arching an attached handle, cup and saucer with Chinoiserieszenen in curly cartridges, on the inner bottom of the cup and saucer in the mirror of Chinese in each park. Between the cartridge gold ground painting with white and vermilion-colored blossoms. Literature: See Wark... [Lire la suite]

A large white jade ruyi scepter. Qing dynasty, 18th century. Photo Sotheby's the ruyi-shaped head finely carved with a stylized shou character surrounded by leafy vines bearing flowers and double-gourds, the middle and end of the curved flattened stem similarly decorated with double-gourds on leafy vines, the triangular tip of the stem further enhanced with a bat and pierced with a bull-nose perforation to hold a tassel, the stone of very pale greenish-white with some opaque white inclusions; with qin-shaped wood stand, wood and... [Lire la suite]

Lot 208. An imperially inscribed finely carvd spinach jade, brushpot. Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, dated to the yimao year corresponding to 1795. Estimate 200,000-300,000 USD. Lot sold: 1,426,500 USD. Photo Sotheby's the thick walls deeply carved and undercut around the exterior with a wondrous waterscape depicting two immortals and their attendant in two rafts returning from a herb gathering trip, two sages standing on a terrace overlooking the swiftly flowing waters, the entire scene... [Lire la suite]

Pair of Meissen chocolate cups with saucers. Meissen, circa 1730. Photo Hampel Height of cups: 7 cm. Diameter of saucer: 13 cm. Swords marks in blue with blue painters mark "PE" (Mentioned by Pietzsch), painter Abraham Seuter of Augsburg (1689 - 1747). Estimate € 3000-5000 Hampel. Friday, 23 march 2012. http://www.hampel-auctions.com/

Bas-relief of a bearded man, 2nd-1st cents. BC. Hellenistic. Joseph Smith; from whom acquired by George III. The Royal Collection © 2012,Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. RCIN 65756 Sardonyx: white with brown highlights; open gold mount with quatrefoil reverse, suspension loop and ring - 3.8 x 3.4 cm, depth of relief 1.5 cm Relief of the head of a bearded man, rendered almost wholly in the round but the left eye and cheek are drawn back close to the background. He wears a wreath, which appears to be... [Lire la suite]

Zeus, 2nd-1st cents. BC. Hellenistic. Joseph Smith; from whom acquired by George III. RCIN 65600. The Royal Collection © 2012,Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Sardonyx: brown and white; open gold mount with quatrefoil reverse, suspension loop and ring - 6.4 x 4.9 cm (with loop H 7.4 cm). Bust of Zeus, mythological Greek king of the gods, facing to the right and wearing the aegis (Zeus aigiochos). The scaly feathered protective aegis lies over the dress, which shows at the right shoulder and on the... [Lire la suite]

Amber snuff bottles performed extraordinarily well, claiming two spots among the top 10 lots of the sale, including the highest-selling lot. Photo: Bonhams. NEW YORK, NY.- The Bonhams Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles auction took place this morning, selling 98% by value and realizing a sale total of $1,022,900, more than twice the pre-sale low estimate. The auction was comprised of 170 lots, drawn primarily from three private collections: The Collection of Dr. Martin Roshco, The Collection of Mrs. Fay Plohn and The Collection of Dr.... [Lire la suite]