Jade pendant Huang, China, Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period, 475-221 BC. Ben Janssens Oriental Art Ltd © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Jade. A pendant of arched form, Huang, terminating in well-pronounced dragonheads at both ends. The dragonheads are carved with well-defined bulging eyes, prominent ears and nose, strong jaw, pointed teeth and a short beard. The huang has a narrow ridge and is covered with a raised spiral grain pattern on both sides. Two C-shaped apertures form the dragons’ mouths. The semi-translucent stone is of even, whitish tone with partially yellowish patches. Length 16 cm 

This superbly carved jade huang pendant was originally a component part of a set of pendants, strung in rows with beads and together creating a tingling sound when worn. Various such sets of jade pendants, excavated from the tomb of the King of Nanyue, are now in the eponymous museum in Guangzhou. Such jade pendants were considered emblems of virtue and were recognised as a sign of rank. As described in the Book of Rites (‘Li ji’), “when advancing, [the king or ruler] inclined forward a little; he held himself up straight; all in all these movements, the pieces of jade emitted their tinkling….and in this way evil and depraved thoughts found no entrance into his mind.” Beginning around the eighth century BC, it was fashionable for noblemen to wear such pendant sets, sometimes made up of ten or more jades of different shapes. The majority of later Eastern Zhou huang have two holes on the sides, but many have an additional hole at the top of the arc; meaning it could either be hung horizontally in an inverted U, or vertically. A closely comparable, slightly smaller jade pendant, with identical spiral grain pattern, dragonhead ends and colour of the jade, also dated to the Warring States period, is in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Two slightly larger jade pendants with similar dragonhead ends, comparable in proportion and in decoration were unearthed from a tomb dated to the Warring States period at Yanggong, Changfeng county, Anhui province in 1977, are now in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing.

Buddha Maitreya, China, Northern Qi to Sui dynasty, 6th to early 7th century. Limestone, 64.5 x 31 x 21 cm. Ben Janssens Oriental Art Ltd © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

This exquisitely carved sculpture is an excellent example of Buddha Maitreya, represented seated on a throne in a posture known as pralambapādāsana (European pose) or Yi Zhou Fo in Chinese Buddhist iconography. The Buddha, with slightly rounded face, downcast eyes and with his feet resting on upturned lotus pods, reveals some traces of the Northern Qi (550-577) style, but also has characteristics of the later style during the Sui dynasty.

Two closely comparable limestone sculptures of Buddha Maitreya can be found in the Xiangtangshan Caves, Hebei province. One, located at cave no. 5 on the South site, is particularly similar in the design of the upturned lotus pods; the other is in the middle of cave no. 7 on the South site. See Cheng, Mingda ed. Zongguo Mei Shu Quan Ji- Diao Su Bain (Complete Collection of Chinese Art- Sculpture), Ren min mei shu xhu ban she, Beijing, 1988.

Qingbai porcelain octagonal box, China, Southern Song dynasty, 13th century. Ben Janssens Oriental Art Ltd © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Porcelain. A box of octagonal shape, supported on a recessed foot, which has a concave base. The slightly domed cover is moulded in relief with a recumbent spotted deer, its hind legs tucked underneath the body and its front legs stretched out. The deer carries a floral branch in its mouth. The exterior and interior of the box are covered in a pale bluish glaze, which stops in an uneven line just short of the base. Diameter 7 cm. Height 5 cm

This superb quality qingbai porcelain box is highly unusual, if not unique, for its vivid deer motif on the cover. The box, being formed on the wheel, is circular inside and was subsequently impressed with a mould to create the shaped section. The spotted deer (lu) is a main decorative motif on silver wares from the Tang dynasty (618-906) and, due to the similar pronunciation, often represents official emolument (lu). This motif appeared in Song ceramics mainly in Cizhou or Yaozhou wares, such as a Yaozhou dish with a carved deer in the Meiyintang collection. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds a Ding ware dish that depicts two deer. The present box is only example of qingbai ware that has a deer as its central decorative motif. Other qingbai octagonal porcelain boxes of closely comparable shape, mainly decorated with floral motifs, are respectively in the collections of the Världskultur Museerna (Swedish National Museums of World Culture) and the Meiyintang collection.

Lacquer circular lotus box, China, early Ming dynasty, first half of the 15th century. Ben Janssens Oriental Art Ltd © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Lacquer, a cinnabar box of circular form, the domed cover and box both carved with a central design of a hexagonal lotus seedpod containing seven round seeds, which is encircled by fine hairline stamina and garland-like stamen. The sides are carved with a band of eight lotus petals. The rims are plain. The interiors of both the box and the cover are covered in black lacquer. Diameter 7.5 cm. Height 3.8 cm

Provenance: Private collection, New England.

This exquisite box shows the fine carving technique found in early Chinese lacquer workmanship. It is interesting to note that the carving on both sides of the box is of the same fine quality. The main decorative motif is very traditional in Chinese art; the aquatic lotus is one of the most important floral decorations for its symbolic significance in Buddhism; it is the embodiment of purity and perfection, as it rises undefiled from impure muddy waters. The lotus itself is unusual; its seed-bearing stage comes earlier than other plants; the early appearance of the seedpod when the lotus flower blossoms represents fertility and rapid conception. Two nearly identical lacquer boxes, of similar size and carved with the same lotus seedpod decoration, were originally in the Qing Court collection. One is currently in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, where it is dated to the 15th century. The other box is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, where it is dated to the early Ming dynasty. The precise dating of this group of lacquer boxes is a subject of too much debate. Two closely comparable examples with similar lotus decoration to the cover are in the Fritz Low-Beer collection, now in the Linden Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. One box is of similar size and is engraved with a Yongle reign mark (1403–1424) on its black lacquered base. The other box is smaller and bares a Xuande reign mark (1426–1435). One can be certain however that the boxes can be dated to the first half of the 15th century. The stylised lotus design can also be observed on several cloisonné enamel wares produced in the Xuande period, such as a small disc and three cylindrical boxes in the Pierre Uldry collection. 

An armrest, China, early Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, 1662-1722. Cloisonné enamel on copper, 7.2 x 27.5 x 42 cm. Ben Janssens Oriental Art Ltd © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

This exquisitely made and extraordinarily rare cloisonné enamel armrest has a strong scholarly context. Its shape resembles a partly opened hand scroll and the decoration of scholar’s objects adorning the top, also known as the ‘hundred antiquities’, highlights the lifestyle of scholars and their leisurely pursuits.

Literature: Chinese Cloisonné Enamel- Art Sous Les Arcades, Asian Art Singapore Pte Ltd, Singapore, 2009, no. 29; Exh.cat. The Exhibition of Chinese Bronze and Cloisonné Enamel Wares from the Pierre Mercier and Overseas Collections, Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 2011, no. 87, p. 178; B. Qiette ed., Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, Bard Graduate Centre, New York, 2011, fig. 6.26, p. 117 and no. 67, p. 257

Exhibitions: A closely related early Qing dynasty cloisonné enamel armrest, of comparable size, shape and a mirrored arrangement of scholar’s objects in its decorative scheme, formerly in the Pierre Mercier collection, was exhibited in the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris in 2003 and in the Poly Art Museum, Beijing in 2011. Another closely comparable cloisonné enamel armrest with raised sides, also dated to the Kangxi period, is in the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

Ben Janssens Oriental Art Ltd (stand 202) at TEFAF Maastrich 2016

Director: Ben Janssens

Ben Janssens Oriental Art was established in London in 1996 and deals in antique Chinese and Japanese works of art. 

Our main specialisation is Chinese Art, which falls into two broad categories. The first category consists of early pottery, bronzes and sculpture, ranging in date from the Neolithic period (circa 3000 BC) to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). It includes Han and Tang dynasty pottery tomb sculpture, Shang and Zhou period bronze ritual vessels, archaic jade, Buddhist sculpture, and porcelain and stoneware from the Song period. 

The second category of Chinese art in which we specialise concerns later works of art in a variety of materials, including porcelain, metal, jade, ivory, lacquer, enamel and glass. The majority of these objects date from the Ming and Qing dynasties. 

Ben Janssens Oriental Art also deals in Japanese works of art. We stock mainly pieces made for the Japanese domestic market, including sculpture, lacquer, metal and porcelain.

Contact: 91C Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6JB, United Kingdom. T  +44 20 79 76 18 88 - F  +44 20 79 76 25 88