24 juillet 2016

A superb 3.81 carats fancy intense blue diamond ring. Estimate £1,300,000-1,800,000. Photo: Bonhams. LONDON.- A pair of Kashmir sapphires and a rare blue diamond are set to sparkle at Bonhams London as it kicks off the autumn auction season with its Fine Jewellery sale on Tuesday 20 September. Headlining the sale is a stunning oval-cut blue diamond. Weighing 3.81 carats, the Fancy Intense Blue diamond is accompanied by a GIA report and hails from a private British collection. It is estimated at... [Lire la suite]

Lot 21. Two sancai-glazed figures of equestrians, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 Each equestrian is wearing an official robe and riding on a caparisoned horse supported on a rectangular plinth. Both figures are decorated with amber and green glazes with traces of red and black pigments. 16 ½ in. (42 cm.) high (2). Surface wear to the pigments - the amber horse has restoration to one back leg with associated overpainting, and some flaking to the glaze, and a chip top the figure's... [Lire la suite]

Lot 20. A creamy-white crackle-glazed pouring vessel, Ming-early Qing dynasty. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 The vessel is of rounded form with one side extruded with a spout, covered overall with crackled creamy-white tone glaze. 6 in. (15.2 cm.) long. Appears to be in overall good condition. Estimation: USD 2,000 - 3,000 Provenance: Professor Jan Hellner (1917-2002) Collection, Stockholm, Sweden, 1982. Christie's on line. The Art of China.

Lot 19. Two sancai-glazed standing figures, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 The male figure is holding an amber-glazed tray, and the female figure is holding a covered box. Both figures are covered in green and amber glazes with traces of red and black pigments, and stand on hexagonal plinths. 20 in. (50.8 cm.) high (2). Both heads with surface flaking to the pigment - one head has restoration to the neck area and some loss to the extension of the neck and some chips to the top of... [Lire la suite]

Benjamin West, Queen Charlotte, 1777, oil on canvas, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection. NEW HAVEN, CONN.- When the Yale Center for British Art reopened to the public, after completing the third phase of an important multi-year building conservation project, visitors can experience not only a renewed masterpiece of modern architecture by Louis I. Kahn, but also a freshly reimagined installation of the Center’s collections. More than five hundred works from the Center’s holdings, largely the gift of... [Lire la suite]

Lot 14. A small Ding-type dish, Song Dynasty (960-1279). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 The dish has shallow flared sides and covered overall with a creamy-white glaze. 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm.) diam. Some naturally occurring crackles to the glaze - some minor glaze wear to the center of the interior - some possible infill to the rim. Estimation: USD 1,000 - 1,500 Provenance: Professor Jan Hellner (1917-2002) Collection, Stockholm, Sweden, 1982. Christie's on line. The Art of China.

Lot 15. A Junyao water dropper, Jin-Yuan Dynasty, 12th-13th century. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 The conjoined pomegranate water dropper has two small holes towards the top of each fruit and is covered overall with an milky-blue tone glaze that falls in an irregular line to the foot. 4 in. (10.16 cm.) wide. The small cup that was originally attached to this water droppers is missing with some associated glaze loss - few collection marks in black to the base of one pomegranate  - an area of glaze... [Lire la suite]

Lot 13. A small Junyao purple-splashed bowl, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 The vessel is potted with deep rounded sides and a flaring mouth rim, supported on a tall foot with concentric bands and covered in a pale olive-green glaze. 5 ½ in. (14 cm.) high. A few areas of restoration to the rim, using some composite material which has cracked, and with some associated over painting - overall surface wear to the glaze with a few burst glaze bubbles to the exterior - a... [Lire la suite]

Hans Memling (Flemish, ca. 1440–1494), The Triptych of Jan Crabbe, ca. 1467-70. Oil on panel. Center panel: Image courtesy of Pinacoteca Civica di Palazzo Chiericati, Vicenza. Left and right panels: © The Morgan Library & Museum, Photography by Graham S. Haber. NEW YORK, NY.- Bringing together the scattered elements of Hans Memling’s extraordinary Triptych of Jan Crabbe from New York, Vicenza and Bruges, this book is published to coincide with the first museum exhibition to explore the reconstructed masterpiece in... [Lire la suite]

Lot 12. A celadon-glazed stem bowl, Yuan-Ming dynasty (1279-1644). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 The vessel is potted with deep rounded sides and a flaring mouth rim, supported on a tall foot with concentric bands and covered in a pale olive-green glaze. 5 ½ in. (14 cm.) high. - a short firing crack, resulting a small area of loss on the exterior - some kiln grit adhesion and glaze degradation on the exterior near the foot - expected scratched and surface wear. Estimation: USD 5,000 -... [Lire la suite]