8th century

Lot 29. A rare white marble figure of a lokapala, Tang dynasty, 8th century; 51.5cm., 20 1/8 in. Sold 96,000 GBP (Estimate 80,000 - 100,000 GBP). © Sotheby's.  the guardian finely carved standing, his body slightly twisted to the right with both hands resting atop his sword (now missing), dressed in full armour with large circular breastplates and a bow-tied cape around his shoulder falling over flowing sleeves emerging from dragon-head epaulets, all above an... [Lire la suite]

Camel, Tang Dynasty (618–907), 8th century, earthenware, sancai glaze, 54.6 (H) x 45.0 (W) x 18.0 (D) cm. Gift to the National Collection of Asian Art from Dr TT Tsui LLD JP, of the Tsui Art Foundation, HK, through the National Gallery of Australia Foundation 1995. © 2019 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

Standing horse, Tang Dynasty (618–907), 8th century, earthenware, sancai glaze, side view 73.7 (H) x 85.0 (W) x 25.0 (D) cm. Gift to the National Collection of Asian Art from Dr TT Tsui LLD JP, of the Tsui Art Foundation, HK, through the National Gallery of Australia Foundation 1995. © 2019 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

Lot 46. A Korean gilt-bronze figure of Buddha, Unified Silla dynasty, 8th century. Height 2 3/4  in., 7 cm. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 USD. Lot sold 30,000 USD. © Sotheby's. cast standing on a lotus base, wearing long robes, left hand in abhayamudra, right hand by his side holding an attribute, wood stand, Japanese wood box (5). Provenance: Kitayama Fine Arts, Tokyo.Hirano Kotoken, Tokyo, acquired in the 1970s. Note: A similar figure with the mandorla... [Lire la suite]

Amphora, China, Eastern Zhou Dynasty, period of the fighting kingdoms, 475-221 BC. Grey terracotta covered with 'noir de fumée', representing a jar with two handles intended for the conservation of cereal seeds. H 29 cm. © Eric Pouillot at BRAFA 2019, Stand 26c. Buffalo and cart, China, Northern Qi Dynasty, 550-577. Grey terracotta with traces of brown, red and white ochre pigments, representing a buffalo harnessed for the parade pulling a cart. H 30 x W 54 cm. © Eric Pouillot at... [Lire la suite]

Elegantly outftted in the sumptuous trappings of an Indian prince of old, these compelling sculptures represent bodhisattvas 菩薩,1 benevolent beings who have attained enlightenment 菩提 but who have selfessly postponed entry into nirvana 涅槃 in order to assist other sentient beings—有情 or 眾生—in gaining enlightenment.2 Bodhisattvas are presented in the guise of an early Indian prince, a reference to Siddhartha Gautama’s worldly status before he became the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni 釋迦牟尼佛, implying that... [Lire la suite]

Two stoneware cups, Tang dynasty, 8th century. Diameters: 4 1/4 inches, 10.7 cm. Heights: 3 1/4 inches, 8.2 cm. © Ben Janssens Oriental Art Two stoneware cups, each with a rounded, U-shaped body that tapers out gently towards the rim and is supported on a short, tapered foot. The thinly potted cup is entirely unadorned and covered in a finely crackled, transparent yellowish-green glaze that has iron-oxide marks. Three spur-marks are visible on the inside of each bowl as well as on the foot, indicating that... [Lire la suite]

Incense burner, cast and engraved bronze, later chain, Syria or Palestine, 8th century, H: 11; Diam: c. 10 cm, Inv. no. 7/1994. © The David Collection. In the first centuries after the hijra, the Muslims conquered extensive territories inhabited by Jews and Christians. They were largely allowed to live in peace and to keep and practice their religions as long as they paid poll taxes to the Muslim authorities. The Christian incense burner – with quite primitive depictions in relief of the Annunciation, Christ’s birth and... [Lire la suite]

Ewer, cast, engraved, and punched bronze, Near East or Iran, 8th century. H: 35 cm, Inv. no. 27/2004. © The David Collection. Not many metal objects have been preserved from the early Islamic period, making it difficult to determine their age and place of origin. This ewer belongs to a transitional type in which the features began to emerge that became typical of early Islamic metal ewers, etc. The little zoomorphic legs that imitate animal hoofs are characteristic examples. The handle with beads and especially the elegant... [Lire la suite]

Earthenware storage jar with a turquoise glaze, Western Iran or Iraq, 8th century. H: 40; Diam: c. 34 cm, Inv. no. 27/2003. © The David Collection. Green-glazed jars like this one are among the oldest known from the Islamic period, and the type goes back to Sasanian and Parthian prototypes. The decoration was made both with simple incising and with applied ornaments that form a bunch of grapes, etc. Copper oxide is one of the cheapest raw materials used to color glazes and also one of the most widespread. When copper oxide is used... [Lire la suite]