18 avril 2017

Ritual Basin Inlaid with Two Flying Phoenixes, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), gold, undated, mouth diameter: 43 cm, bottom diameter: 32.7 cm, height: 9 cm © The Palace Museum. Item used in the Qing court The basin is made of metal alloy which is eighty percent pure gold. The artists hammered and embossed twelve auspicious patterns along the rim, which include a pair of rhinoceros horns, auspicious vases, silver ingots, pomegranates, auspicious clouds, pearls, wheels of Dharma, double coins, double scrolls, canopies,... [Lire la suite]

Gilded Silver Inkstone Container with Enamel Inlays, Qianlong reign (1736-1795), Qing dynasty (1644-1911), gilded silver, length: 27.2 cm, width: 22.1 cm, height: 22.5 cm © The Palace Museum.  Made of silver, the rectangular container has a cover and eight feet in the form of heads of ruyi scepters. The bottom bears a six-character Qianlong reign mark in seal script (zhuan shu). Both the body and the cover are gilded with gold floral patterns and inlaid with blue enamel panels depicting two dragons... [Lire la suite]

Ewer in Form of Tibetan Vase with Sanskrit Patterns (Yin zanhua fanwen pengba hu), Qianlong reign (1736-1795), Qing dynasty (1644-1911), silver, overall height: 21.2cm, mouth diameter: 1.3 cm, bottom diameter: 9.8 cm © The Palace Museum.  The ewer is characterized by a small mouth, flat belly and a long spout which is connected to the body with a relief animal's head. Its cover and stand are shaped like lotus blossoms. The center of the belly is decorated with gilded Sanskrit seed characters. On the neck and... [Lire la suite]

Gourd-shaped Ewer with Gold Floral Patterns, Qianlong reign (1736-1795), Qing dynasty (1644-1911), silver and gold, height: 48 cm, mouth diameter: 7.5 cm © The Palace Museum.  In the form of a gourd, the silver ewer has a pagoda-shape cover and a long spout decorated with a dragon extending from the lower segment of the gourd. Its cover is embossed with many lotus. The body of the gourd is incised with three sets of patterns from the top to the bottom. Each features a larger gilded stylized lotus surrounded by... [Lire la suite]

Gold Tea Bowl with Characters for Longevity and Happiness, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Gold, height: 6 cm, mouth diameter: 9.5 cm, foot diameter: 5.1 cm © The Palace Museum.  The tea bowl is made of a metal alloy that is eighty percent pure gold. Both the exterior lip and the foot ring are rimmed with meandering patterns. The stomach is incised with four medallion characters for longevity (shou) and four double happiness (xi) characters. The area above the foot ring is decorated with a circle of lotus. The foot bears... [Lire la suite]

Gourd-shaped Ewer with Dragons in Clouds, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Gold and semi-precious stones. Height: 28.8 cm, mouth diameter: 5.3 cm, foot diameter: 10.1cm © The Palace Museum.  The gourd-shaped ewer is made of an alloy which is seventy percent pure gold. Its spout is decorated with a beast and linked to the body by a dragon. The exterior is incised with a motif depicting two dragons competing for a pearl. The ewer has inlays of various semi-precious stones including pearl, ruby, turquoise, coral, and... [Lire la suite]

Gold Cup with Jewel Inlay: Eternal Territorial Integrity, Qianlong reign (1736-1795), Qing dynasty, height: 12.5 cm, mouth diameter: 8 cm © The Palace Museum.  This gold cup in the shape of a round tripod has a straight mouth rim with a band of rectangular spiral patterns around it. The four characters for "Eternal Territorial Integrity" are carved on one side of the cup, and the four characters for "Made in the Qianlong reign," on the other side. Rosette designs cover the entire outside surface of the cup with the... [Lire la suite]

Jade Bowl with Floral Design and Turquoise Inlays (Jin zanhua gaozu baiyu gaiwan), Qianlong reign (1736-1795), Qing dynasty. Height: 26cm, Mouth diameter: 14.5cm © The Palace Museum.  This bowl has a jade body complemented by a gold cover and pedestal stand. The four characters at the bottom indicate that it was made by an imperial studio during the Qianlong reign. Its gradually flaring foot is embossed with patterns of interlocking lotus and clouds, and is inlaid in turquoise with crabapple blossoms and clouds.... [Lire la suite]

Bwami Mask,  Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lega, 19th century. Wood, Kaolin. Height 29.2 cm. Courtesy Tambaran Gallery Provenance: Collection Joseph Herman, Suffolk  Sulka Headdress Helmet With Dog On Top, New Britain Island, South Pacific, 19th century. Wood with pigments. Courtesy Tambaran Gallery  Provenance: Ex Ithica State College Museum, New York Dan Go Ge Mask, Ivory Coast, late 19 century. Wood and fiber. Height 20.3... [Lire la suite]

Lot 310. A rhinoceros horn 'auspicious birds' libation cup, 17th-18th century, 15.5 (6 1/8in) long. Estimate £10,000 - 15,000 (€12,000 - 18,000). Sold for £ 60,000 (€ 68,042). Photo: Bonhams. Finely carved around the exterior with pairs of cranes, phoenix, magpies, sparrows, and mandarin ducks, all amidst landscape with bamboo, prunus and pines with two gnarled pine trees forming the handle, the horn of rich caramel-brown tone. Provenance:  a Scottish private collection Note: Pairs of birds... [Lire la suite]