Coupe et brûle-parfum en grès émaillé junyao Chine, Dynastie Jin/Yuan, XIIIème-XIVème siècle
Coupe et brûle-parfum en grès émaillé junyao. Chine, Dynastie Jin-Yuan, XIIIème-XIVème siècle. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012
La coupe de forme circulaire est rehaussée d'une belle glaçure bleue grisée, la bordure légèrement brune. Le brûle-parfum tripode est agrémenté d'une glaçure bleue très pâle. On y ajoute un petit rince-pinceaux polylobé à glaçure bleu-lavande ; deux petites égrenures. Diamètres: 15 cm. (5 7/8 in.) et 5.8 cm. (2¼ in.), Hauteur du brûle-parfum: 6,5 cm. (2 5/8 in.) (3). Estimate €2,500 - €3,500. Price realized €20,000
Provenance: Property of the late Baroness Marie-Louise von Callenberg (1901-1982), Switzerland
The daughter of an Austro-Hungarian diplomat, the Baroness Marie-Louise von Callenberg was born in Smilkau, Bohemia in 1901, and grew up between Vienna and Smilkau in a wealthy aristocratic family. In 1938, she moved to Britain, where she lived for more than twenty years and became the manager of a large estate. She soon became friends with the owner of the house, Mrs May McComb, who had inherited the Lily Hill manor (Bracknell, UK) from her husband. This meeting was a decisive moment in the creation of the Baroness's collection.
Mrs McComb was a wealthy woman with a strong taste for art, particularly Chinese art. She exhibited in her manor house her collection of porcelains and jades, which guests could admire when they visited. Through the contact with her, the Baroness grew interested in this particular field and, already a very educated woman, she took advantage of the many books Mrs McComb had at her disposal. The two women collaborated for many years on continuing to build the collection, with acquisitions that would always come with thorough research and supporting documentation. Most of these items were acquired with John Sparks Ltd., and the Baroness became friends with its directors in time, sharing her impressions from her research and on the items she saw.
When Mrs McComb passed away, the Baroness von Callenberg inherited the collection. She moved to Switzerland in 1967, taking along the collection to her new home, where it was displayed in cabinets as a part of her everyday life, and dedicated the rest of her life to continue the passionate work the two women had started.
Christie's. Art d'Asie, 19 December 2012, Paris.