A rare bronze tapir stand, Song to Ming dynasty
A rare bronze tapir stand, Song to Ming dynasty. Photo Bonhams
Cast with hollowed interior visible from the circular enclosure at back, the animal with its head raised high and ears swept backwards, the collared neck above four stumped hoofed feet, decorated with spiral and archaistic motifs, all ending in a short tail, original zitan stand. 7.8cm long. (2). Estimate US$ 6,400 - 10,000
Notes: The finely carved zitan stand on this miniature treasure demonstatates that it was revered during the Qing dynasty. For a similar example, see a bronze animal with hooves and elongated ears, but with inlaid gold and silver, preserved in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, acquired by the museum through Salting Bequest in 1927, see Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, London, 1990, p.50, pl.40. See also another closely related example of an archaistic tapir in the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat collection, illustrated by Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no.127, and recently sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2013, lot 171.
Bonhams. 26 May 2013. Hong Kong. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
A large Imperial circular lacquer 'dragon' box, Yongle six-character mark and of the period
A large Imperial circular lacquer 'dragon' box, Yongle six-character mark and of the period. Photo Bonhams
Of large circular form, the straight sides boldly carved with four five-clawed dragons in flight amidst wispy clouds on a thick layer of red lacquer, the interior and base lacquered black, the base with a Xuande six-character mark carved and painted above the original Yongle six-character mark. 31.6cm diam. Estimate: US$ 39,000 - 64,000
Notes: It is extremely rare to find a Yongle lacquer box in such well preserved condition, where the carving of Imperial five-clawed dragons is displayed to such a high level. Although the box has been separated from its cover, it still remains an outstanding example of early Ming lacquer art.
Yongle reign-marked lacquerwares were clearly treasured in the Xuande period, which accounts for the number of examples preserved in museum and private collections, where the original Yongle incised marks have been carved over and painted with a Xuande mark. For a similar Yongle box and cover carved with cloud and dragon pattern from the Qing Court collection, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, where the base has an almost idential Xuande mark carved over the original Yongle incised mark, seeLacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, 2006, pg. 68, no. 47.
For a Yongle lacquer box and cover carved with five-clawed dragons in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, similarly carved with Xuande mark, see Gugong qiqi tezhan, Taipei, 1981, cat. no.17. For an example sold at auction, see a smaller box carved on the cover with a five-clawed dragon and on the sides with clouds, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29 October 2001, lot 665, and again 31 October 2004, lot 16 and more recently 4 April 2012, lot 3200, and illustrated inSotheby's Thirty Years in Hong Kong:1973-2003, Hong Kong, 2003, pl. 402.
Bonhams. 26 May 2013. Hong Kong. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
A fine coral-ground reverse-decorated 'bamboo' bowl, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period
A fine coral-ground reverse-decorated 'bamboo' bowl, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period. Photo Bonhams
Of gently rounded form, the exterior covered in a striking coral-red enamelled, decorated in reverse to the glazed white body, featuring bamboo shoot growths in brilliant contrast, the outlines further highlighted by pencilled iron-red, the interior and the base plain. 11.8cm diam. Estimate: US$ 52,000 - 77,000
Provenance: Collection of Iver Munthe Daae (1845-1924), Norwegian member of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service 1867-1888
S. Marchant & Son, London
A Swiss private collection
Illustrated: S. Marchant & Son, Recent Acquisitions, London, 2003, no. 15.
Notes: For a similar Qianlong reign-marked example, see Wonders of the Potter's Palette. Qing Ceramics from the Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1984, Catalogue no. 77. For a Jiaqing reign-marked example in the Nanjing Museum, see Xu Huping (ed.), Treasures in the Royalty. The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p.365.
Iver Munthe Daae (1845-1924) was a Norwegian who served for over twenty years in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service. In 1868, he sailed for China and was appointed as a clerk working under Sir Robert Hart, Inspector General of Customs at that time. Intelligent and ambitious, he was swiftly promoted to Commissioner for several Chinese cities and Taiwan. Daae was one of the rare foreigners who were awarded the honorary title of Mandarin of the Third Degree by the Guangxu Emperor in 1878. In 1878-9, he became the Secretary in charge of the Inspectorate General, later holding the post of Inspector General from 1885-7. During his final days in China, Daae was influential in government politics and worked closely with the famous statesman Li Hongzhang. His distinguished reputation and long term friendship with China allowed him to amass a great collection of Chinese ceramics and works of art, before retiring and returning to Norway in 1907. For other examples of his Imperial porcelain sold at auction, see a Kangxi wucai month cup and a Yongzheng blue and white vase, sold in these rooms, 27 May 2012, lots 2 and 4.
Bonhams. 26 May 2013. Hong Kong. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
A pair of Imperial yellow-glazed dishes, Zhengde six-character marks of of the period
A pair of Imperial yellow-glazed dishes, Zhengde six-character marks of of the period. Photo Bonhams
Each with a short hollowed circular footrim, the curved body rising to a flaring rim at the tip, plainly enamelled in a rich egg-yolk yellow tone all over, the base with a six-character mark. Each: 17.6cm diam. (2). Estimate US$ 190,000 - 320,000
Notes: In the Ming dynasty, yellow-glazed porcelains were usually not allowed to be produced other than at the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen, among which pieces produced during the Hongzhi and Zhengde reigns were of the finest quality in terms of glazing and colour. See an identical Zhengde reign-marked yellow-glazed dish from the Qing court collection, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, p.46, pl.41; and another yellow dish illustrated by Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.IV, London, 2010, pl.1676. For two other dishes from the collection of the British Museum, see Jessica Harrison-Hall, Catalogue of Late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p.205, pls.8:27 and 8:28.
Bonhams. 26 May 2013. Hong Kong. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Alix Angèle Marguerite AYMÉ / (1894-1989), Rêverie sous le cèdre argenté
Alix Angèle Marguerite AYMÉ / (1894-1989), Rêverie sous le cèdre argenté. Photo Maîtres SCHMITZ & LAURENT
Exceptionnel paravent à cinq feuilles, réunies par un parquetage, en laque polychrome rehaussé d’'or et d’argent. Signé en bas à droite. 104 x 157 cm. Estimation: 20 000 € - 25 000 €
Bibl. : Etude préparatoire pour le personnage de droite reproduite sous le numéro 1 p. 28 de l’'ouvrage de Pascal Lacombe et Guy Ferrer, Alix Aymé, une artiste peintre en Indochine 1920-1945. Ed. Somogy, Paris 2012.
Hist. : A rapprocher du meuble en laque à deux portes présenté au Musée Cernuschi lors de l'’exposition Du Fleuve Rouge au Mékong, Visions du Vietnam du 20 septembre 2012 au 27 janvier 2013, reproduit p. 62 du catalogue de l’exposition.
Maîtres SCHMITZ & LAURENT. Dimanche 9 juin à 14h30 à Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Tél. : 01 39 73 95 64 - Fax : 01 39 73 03 14 - contact@sgl-encheres.com
Bouddha en bois laqué polychrome et doré à la feuille de cuivre assis en lotus. Vietnam, Fin XIXème siècle
Bouddha en bois laqué polychrome et doré à la feuille de cuivre assis en lotus. Vietnam, Fin XIXème siècle. Photo Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo
Hauteur total : 80 cm. Estimation : 500 / 700 €
Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo. Samedi 8 juin 2013. Hôtel des ventes de Monte-Carlo, 10 - 12 Quai Antoine 1er - 98000 Monaco. Tel. 00 377 93 25 88 89
A very rare Pair of Imperial Inscribed Cloisonne Enamel Peach-Shaped Wall Vases, Qianlong period (1736-1795)
A very rare Pair of Imperial Inscribed Cloisonne Enamel Peach-Shaped Wall Vases, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Photo Christies Image Ltd 2013
Each vase is of peach shape with a gilt flat back, decorated in brightly coloured enamels with leafy branches bearing blossoming peach flowers, on a graduating pistachio-green, white, pink and red ground, superimposed with lines of gilt poetic inscriptions, one written in lishu script and the other in zhuanshu script. Both poems are surmounted by the characters Yuzhi. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm.) wide (2). Estimate $258,854 - $388,281
Provenance: A Swedish private collection, Stockholm
Sold at Bonhams London, 14 May 2009, lot 164
Literature: Reverence and Perfection: Magnificent Imperial Cloisonné Enamels from a Private European Collection, Hong Kong, 2013, no. 34
Notes: This pair of unusual peach-shaped wall vases may have been intended for use in a room, but may also have been intended for the inside of a carriage or sedan chair. Wall vases were popular in a number of different materials in the Qianlong reign, and pairs of porcelain wall vases are known to have been commissioned in 1742 to bear imperial inscriptions stating that they were for use in an imperial sedan chair. An example of such a porcelain sedan-chair vase is preserved in the Percival David Foundation, illustrated and discussed by Rosemary Scott in For the Imperial Court - Qing Porcelain from the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, New York, 1997, pp. 18-19 and 52-3, no. 3.
This attractive pair of cloisonne enamel peach-shaped wall vases, is very rare, not only in their form, but also for the fact that they bear inscriptions forming part of the design, and the two characters Yu zhi which indicate imperial manufacture. The choice of peaches with branches and leaves was a popular one in many media, since the peach was a symbol of longevity, and two peaches thus symbolised doubled longevity. As such this vase would have been an ideal gift on the occasion of an imperial birthday.
A number of peach-form works of art are to be found among enamelled metal objects in the 18th century, although wall vases are rare. One close comparison is known, which is a cloisonné enamel double-peach wall vase also bearing imperial inscriptions and Yuzhi marks, from the Harold A. Hartog Collection and sold at Christie's London, 13 May 2008, lot 50. A cloisonné double-peach shaped box with flowering peach branch, dating to the second half 18th century is illustrated by H. Brinker and A. Lutz, in Chinese Cloisonné - The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, no. 302. A double-peach shaped jardiniere with pomegranate andlingzhi applique is in the Robert Chang Collection (illustrated in Colorful, Elegant, and Exquisite - A Special Exhibition of Imperial Enamel Ware from Mr. Robert Chang's Collection , Suzhou, 2008, p. 122).
A Yongzheng-marked painted enamel peach-shaped water pot with a smaller peach on the side, and its twig curled under it to form the base, plus two red bats painted on the large peach, is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 203, no. 194. This water pot, which is from the Qing Court Collection, has leaves curled up the sides of the peach in the same manner as can be seen on the current wall vases.
Christies. REVERENCE AND PERFECTION - MAGNIFICENT IMPERIAL CLOISONNE ENAMELS FROM A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION. 29 May 2013. Convention Hall.
A very rare Imperial Champleve and Gilt-Bronze Archaistic Vase, Hu. Qianlong period (1736-1795)
A very rare Imperial Champleve and Gilt-Bronze Archaistic Vase, Hu. Qianlong period (1736-1795). Photo Christies Image Ltd 2013
The baluster body of the hu-shaped vase is decorated on both sides in champlevé enamels of deep blue, turquoise, orange, black, white and green with interlaced scrollwork in relief issuing from stylised taotiemasks and terminating in dragon-heads, linked by mythical beast masks, all reserved on the gilt-bronze ground. The tapering neck is adorned by an undulating band filled with formal ring and hook motifs, flanked by a pair of loop handles. 15 1/2 in. (39.3 cm.) high. Estimate $323,567 - $452,994
Provenance: Gerard Hawthorn, London, 2005
Sold at Bonhams London, 6 November 2006, lot 190
Literature: Reverence and Perfection: Magnificent Imperial Cloisonné Enamels from a Private European Collection, Hong Kong, 2013, no. 17
Notes: The present vase is exceedingly rare both in terms of its motifs and the technique used, and no other example appears to have been published to date. One close comparison is known, a champlevé hu vase of very similar shape and design in the collection of the Beijing Palace Museum (illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum - Enamels (3) - Cloisonne in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Beijing, 2011, pl. 85). The motifs on the Palace Museum vase are almost identical to those on the current vase, such as thetaotie masks, dragon-heads and scrollwork between unduating bands, but are reserved on a turquoise ground densely adorned with further abstract motifs, instead of a plain gilt-bronze ground as on the current vase.
The unusual archaistic design on both vases was largely inspired by archaic bronze vessels from the Zhou Dynasty. A line drawing of a closely related bronze hu, dating to the Zhou dynasty, was published in theXiqing Gujian, 'Inspection of Antiques', a catalogue of early period bronzes collected in the imperial palace and published under the auspices of the Qianlong Emperor. Despite being largely similar, the motifs on the bronze prototype are notably more angular, while the Qing adaptations are executed with an added degree of fluidity and colourful touch, reflecting the Qianlong Emperor's archaistic pursuit accompanied by a penchant for the splendid and elaborate.
Similar designs are also applied on contemporaneous imperial porcelains. Compare for example to a Yongzheng-marked pale celadon-glazed hu vase of the same shape with similar handles, relief-decorated with an undulating band above abstract scrolling dragons, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1590.
Christies. REVERENCE AND PERFECTION - MAGNIFICENT IMPERIAL CLOISONNE ENAMELS FROM A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION. 29 May 2013. Convention Hall.
A pair of Restauration Ormolu-Mounted Chinese Porcelain Celadon-Glazed Vases, second quarter 19th century
A pair of Restauration Ormolu-Mounted Chinese Porcelain Celadon-Glazed Vases, second quarter 19th century. Photo Christies Image Ltd 2013
Each of melon-reeded inverted baluster shape, with gadrooned rim and swan-neck handles terminating in foliage, on an acanthus-cast socle and square foot with incurved corners; 11 in. (28 cm.) high (2). Estimate $10,000 – $15,000
Christies. THE CONNOISSEUR'S EYE. 7 June 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza.
A Pair of Ormolu-Mounted Chinese Export Turquoise Porcelain Ostriches. The porcelain 18th Century, the mounts circa 1820-1830
A Pair of Ormolu-Mounted Chinese Export Turquoise Porcelain Ostriches. The porcelain 18th Century, the mounts circa 1820-1830. Photo Christies Image Ltd 2013
Each modeled as an ostrich beside trees on a rocky mound; 8¾ in. (22 cm.) high (2). Estimate $5,000 – $8,000
Christies. THE CONNOISSEUR'S EYE. 7 June 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza.
