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Tiger-shaped ware, Western Jin dynasty, second half of the 3rd century AD. Celadon glazed stoneware, height 19 cm, width 23 cm. National Gallery of Prague, Vu 172. Ceramic wares with beige or greenish “celadon” glaze were among the most valued vessels in China. Their early examples were inspired by ancient jars, but they were also moulded individually into unusual shapes. Zoomorphic tiger-shaped vessels can be found in various collections around the world. They could serve as drink pitchers or, allegedly, as chamber pots.

Standing man, Western Han dynasty, ca 150 BC. Polychrome painted earthenware, height 42,5 cm. National Gallery of Prague, Vp 12. In the period of the Western Han there occurred a considerable boom in the use of figures in tombs, and there was also a marked progress in the depiction of human forms. Both sculptures Vp 12 and Vp 13 are unique examples of the style which predominated in the region of the capital city Xianyang around the mid-2nd century BC and which was derived from the monumental soldiers of the terra-cotta army of the... [Lire la suite]

Hu storage jar with figural decoration, Han dynasty, 2nd–1st century BC, polychrome paint earthenware, height 44 cm. National Gallery of Prague, Vp 739. A number of Han vessels of the hu type, serving as beverage containers, are embellished by painted ornamentation. In addition to cosmological motifs, figural scenes are the most common. Several scenes can be distinguished on the vessel’s arm: a rowboat with oarsman and soldier, towards whom a horseman with sword or shield is riding, a two-wheeled cart pulled by a horse and two men... [Lire la suite]

Jar hu, Western Han dynasty, first century BC, polychrome earthenware, height 38 cm. National Gallery of Prague, Vp 33.  The jar, which is cold-painted in white, ochre yellow and vermillion red, is part of the funerary accoutrements that were widely used during the Han dynasty. Unlike many other exhibits depicting figural scenes, this one is decorated with geometric motifs, spirals and hatching. The jars could serve to store offerings or were used as merely decorative objects.

Mask, 1300–1100 BCE. Gold. H. 17.5, W. 31, D. 16 cm. Sanxingdui Pit 3, excavated in 2021. Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology © Sanxingdui Museum HONG KONG.- The Hong Kong Palace Museum announced the arrival of priceless artefacts from the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan and Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu for the upcoming special exhibition “Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan” (“Gazing at Sanxingdui”). The exhibition will be on view... [Lire la suite]

Katherine Read, Scottish, 1723–1779, Portrait of a Woman, c. 1765, Pastel on paper, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ross, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. ST. PETERSBURG, FL.- The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, has announced the reattribution of a key work in the collection. In 1969 the MFA was gifted an exceptional pastel portrait long believed to be by noted British painter Francis Cotes. The sitter, an elegant woman in a fur-trimmed coat, was identified as the artist’s wife, whom he married in 1765. This... [Lire la suite]

Mrs. Barbara Jean and Mr. Lester A. Levy  Barbara and Lester Levy were the quintessential ‘collector’ couple. She, bright and always cheerful, with a sharp eye for beauty and a love of surrounding them both with objects of fascination; he, quiet and yet acutely observant, missing nothing. Lester’s business, based in Dallas, Texas, took him around the world and Barbara often travelled with him opening his eyes to the cultural side of the exotic places they visited. In Hong Kong they visited the gallery of Patrick and Ellen Wang... [Lire la suite]

Lot 239. A sancai-glazed pottery figure of a camel, Tang dynasty (618-907). Height 55.4 cm. Lot sold 15,240 USD (Estimate 40,000 - 60,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2023 with a four-character inscription reading jun yi gao guan (wish you achieve success and prosperity). Provenance: Hartman Rare Art, New York, 1980-81. Note: The Tang dynasty, a glorious chapter in China's history, marked a period when the country embraced and admired influences from beyond its borders. The Silk Route... [Lire la suite]

Lot 221. An inscribed bronze 'phoenix' mirror, Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220). Diameter 12.8 cm. Estimate 4,000 - 6,000 USD. Lot sold 3,810 USD. © Sotheby's 2023 with a four-character inscription reading jun yi gao guan (wish you achieve success and prosperity). Provenance: Collection of Dr. Wou Kiuan (1910-1997).Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. H.8.13.Sotheby's New York, 22nd March 2022, lot 108. Literature: Rose Kerr et al., Chinese Antiquities from the Wou Kiuan Collection. Wou... [Lire la suite]

Lot 208. Property from a distinguish private collection. An archaic white jade 'phoenix' pendant (Xi), Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD). Length 10.2 cm. Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 USD. Lot sold 31,750 USD. © Sotheby's 2023 Provenance: Acquired prior to 2000.  Note: Compare a closely related pair of pendants excavated in Dabaotai, Fengtai district, Beijing, now housed in the Dabaotai Museum of Western Han Tombs, Beijing, illustrated in Gu Fang, Zhongguo chutu yuqi quanji... [Lire la suite]