Warring States Period

  Lot 160. A bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, you, Late Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC). 13 in (33 cm) high. Estimate 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 105,600 - USD 158,400). Price realised GBP 248,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017. Michael Michaels (Born: Magdeburg, Germany 1907 - Died: London, England 1986) In 1933, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, Michael Michaels fled to Britain as a penniless refugee. His first job was working in a raincoat factory owned by the Hammerson... [Lire la suite]

Lot 1116. A large 'proto-porcelain' jar, Warring States period, 4th-3rd century BC, 12 ¾ in. (32 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 4,000 - USD 6,000. Price realised USD 12,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017 The compressed globular body is set with two loose ring handles on the sloping shoulder above two ribbed bands circulating the body. The exterior is covered with a mottled olive-toned glaze.  Provenance: Acquired in New York prior to 1999. Peter Scheinman (1932-2017) Collection, New York. The... [Lire la suite]

Dragon-shaped pendant ornament (pei), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 1/2 in x W. 3 3/8 in x D. 3/16 in, H. 1.3 cm x W. 8.6 cm x D. .5 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J664 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. The suspension hole for this long slender dragon-shaped pei is drilled directly in the center of the body, providing balance for the continuation of the parts of the pendant that were suspended from each end. The central abdomen rises in a... [Lire la suite]

Dragon-shaped pendant (xi), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 1 3/4 in x L. 6 1/8 in x D. 3/16 in, H. 4.4 cm x L. 15.6 cm x D. .5 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J663 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. The xi is normally a dragon with a pointed end thought to be the bottom-most piece in the pendant assemblies of the late Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Although described as a xi by most experts, this piece may instead... [Lire la suite]

Pendant of stylized birds (xian), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 15/16 in x W. 1 11/16 in. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J639 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. Similar to the piece described above (#40), this piece features bird decoration; in this case a pair of bird heads attached to a flattened oval ring. The holes cut under the beaks of the bird and one on the side indicate that this piece functioned as part of a pendant. The central hole is outlined... [Lire la suite]

Belt hook (daigou), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 2 1/4 in x W. 1 1/8 in x D. 3/8 in, H. 5.7 cm x W. 2.9 cm x D. .95 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J630 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. Recent excavations indicate that from at least the late Shang dynasty the Chinese wore loose fitting gowns that folded over in the front and were secured by a belt. The belts themselves could be quite broad and, in some cases, were held in place by a narrower piece... [Lire la suite]

Sword pommel, China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. Diam. 1 15/16 in. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J621 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. This sword pommel has a slightly beveled ridge around its outer edge. A field of raised comma spirals defined by incised lines fills the exterior region, and the grid used by the carver to arrange the whorls is slightly visible. This "sprouting grain" pattern is the culmination of the development of textured surfaces that... [Lire la suite]

Pendant with dragon, China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 3 1/2 in x W. 9 3/4 in x D. 1/4 in, H. 8.89 cm x W. 24.77 cm x D. .64 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J549 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. Exhibition History: "Stones of Eternity: Chinese Jades from the Asian Art Museum", Tooley & Company, The Hibernia Bank Building (201 California Street, San Francisco), 2/10/1986 - 2/1987"Magic, Art and Order: Jade in Chinese Culture", Palm Springs... [Lire la suite]

                      Bead (guan), China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. H. 2 1/2 in x Diam. 1 5/8 in, H. 6.3 cm x Diam. 4.1 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J589 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture. Long tubular beads of this sort were a key part of the pendant ensembles worn by high ranking officials during the late Warring States and on into the Han dynasty. Worn vertically, they provided... [Lire la suite]

Ring, China, Warring States Period (approx. 480-221 BCE). Nephrite. Diam. 1 7/16 in x D. 1/8 in, Diam. 3.65 cm x D. .32 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60J569 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.