Chine, Objets de lettrés / Treasures of the Chinese Scholar

Lot 1469. A small finely carved white jade brush pot, bitong, 18th century; 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) high. Estimate USD 40,000 - USD 60,000. Price realised USD 482,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. Of rectangular section with cusped corners and gently tapering sides, each side finely carved in low relief with one of the 'Four Gentlemen' prunus, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, raised on four bracket feet, the elegant carving and use of space highlighting the lustrous quality of the... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1418. A zitan ruyi scepter, 19th century; 14¾ in. (37.4 cm.) long. Estimate USD 15,000 - USD 20,000. Price realised USD 15,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. The shaft finely carved in openwork as a long, gnarled, leafy branch laden with peaches and with lingzhi growing from amidst rockwork at one end, the other curving to form the reticulated head carved with two Buddha's hand citrons borne on a network of leafy, intertwined branches, box.  Provenance: Acquired in... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1412. A rare and unusual faux coral lacquered wood 'branch', 18th-early 19th century; 22 1/8 in. (56.3 cm.) high overall. Estimate USD 15,000 - USD 18,000. Price realised USD 50,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. Carved in the form of a coral 'branch' and covered in an orange-colored lacquer, issuing from amidst small coral pieces set in a gilt-copper basin cast around the exterior with two bands containing reserves of lotus plants amidst lotus scroll, with a pair of applied mask and... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1409. A cat-form green stone inkstone, Qing dynasty (1644-1911); 8¼ in. (21 cm.) long. Estimate USD 4,000 - USD 6,000. Price realised USD 10,625. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. Carved as a recumbent cat with intent gaze, its broad head resting upon its front paws, its tail curled about its rear legs, the details of its fur finely incised on both sides except for a section of its haunch which is smoothed for use as a grinding surface, box.  Provenance: Formerly J.M. Hu... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1407. Two zitan tree trunk-form brushpots, 18th century; 6 7/8 and 5¼ in. (7.5 and 13.3 cm.) high. Estimate USD 6,000 - USD 8,000. Price realised USD 11,250. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. The larger thick-walled and still retaining some of the natural knots and carved to imitate a natural tree trunk, the smaller carved and undercut with two branches and raised irregular markings indicating bark.  Property from the Collection of Philip Wood, San Francisco.  ... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1406. A rare white jade-inset zitan small table screen; jade plaque, Jin-Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century, zitan screen, 18th-19th century; 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm.) high. Estimate USD 30,000 - USD 40,000. Price realised USD 104,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. The rectangular reticulated plaque finely and deeply carved with a banana plant, flanked by a rooster standing on pierced rocks on one side and a hen and two chicks pecking at the ground on the other side, set into... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1398. An unusual silver-lined carved zitan archaistic cup, 18th-early 19th century; 4 in. (10.1 cm.) across handles. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 7,000. Price realised USD 12,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. With steep sides rising from the recessed base to the flared rim, carved around the exterior with bands of overlapping pendent blades, shallow indentations between bow-string bands and archaistic chilong confronted around whorl-shaped bosses, all interrupted by openwork... [Lire la suite]

Lot 3698. A Nanmu Burlwood Tree Trunk Sculpture, Qing Dynasty;76.5 cm., 30 1/8  in.. Estimate 120,000 — 200,000 HKD. Lot sold 187,500 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. the hollowed section of a tree trunk with irregular profile, the finely whorled grain swirling in various directions resembling animal fur, the concave back side revealing the tree bark enveloped on the sides by the burl growth, wood stand. Sotheby's. Contemporary Literati — A Gathering, Hong Kong, 07  april 2014 ... [Lire la suite]

Lot 3692. A Hibiscus tiliaceus Bonsai, circa 19th century; 130 by 55 cm., 51 1/8  by 21 2/3  in. Estimate 250,000 — 300,000 HKD. Lot sold 437,500 HKD . Photo: Sotheby's. Note: The art of penjing refers to the re-creation, or rather creation, of a miniature landscape (‘jing’) in a tray (‘pen’).  The appreciation of scholar’s rocks has been revived in the modern art world – what is worth stressing is that the practice of penjing is the... [Lire la suite]

Lot 3688. A Jade 'Rockwork' Brushrest, Ming Dynasty (136-1644): 12.5 by 44 cm., 5 by 17 1/3  in. Estimate 100,000 — 150,000 HKD. Lot sold 250,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's. the horizontally oriented grey stone streaked with dark brown veins, pierced with irregular holes throughout and jagged edges resembling a scholar's rock, finished with a smooth polish, wood stand. Note:  Small jade brushrests finely worked in the form of naturally occuring, evocatively shaped... [Lire la suite]