Lot 209. Later Chinese Bronzes from the Dr. Appelbaum Collection. A bronze tripod incense burner and a bronze lotus-form stand, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Diameter 9 cm, wood cover (3). Lot Sold 6,096 USD (Estimate 2,000 - 3,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Christie's Paris, 14th June 2006, lot 38 (part lot).

Lot 213. Later Chinese Bronzes from the Dr. Appelbaum Collection. A bronze lobed garlic-mouth vase, Late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Height 26.8 cm, wood stand (2). Lot Sold 10,160 USD (Estimate 4,000 - 6,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Elena Edwards, London, 2004.

Note: This flower vessel is elegantly cast with a garlic-shaped mouth, the elongated body attractively accentuated by delicate ribs, giving the vessel a strong organic feel. The shape evokes that of Han dynasty garlic-mouth vessels. A closely related example from the collection of Ulrich Hausmann was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2014, lot 3348.

Lot 214. Later Chinese Bronzes from the Dr. Appelbaum Collection. A gilt-bronze duck-form incense burner and cover, Ming dynasty​​​​​​​ (1368-1644). Height 14.5 cm** (2). Lot Sold 10,160 USD (Estimate 4,000 - 6,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Sotheby's Paris, 12th June 2008, lot 384 (part lot).

Lot 215. Later Chinese Bronzes from the Dr. Appelbaum Collection. An archaistic gold and silver-inlaid bronze tapir-form vessel (Zun), Ming dynasty​​​​​​​ (1368-1644). Lenght 17.5 cm, associated stand (2). Lot Sold 31,750 USD (Estimate 12,000 - 15,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Christie's New York, 5th April 2007, lot 450.

Note: The shape and inlaid decoration of this vessel are based on ancient prototypes which originated as early as the Western Zhou dynasty. For an archaic example, see one attributed to Middle Eastern Zhou dynasty, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (accession. no. F1940.23). Tapir-form bronze vessels of this type began to appear in greater numbers in the Eastern Zhou dynasty, such as one featuring intricate inlay, illustrated in [ITALICS Masterworks of Chinese Bronze in the National Palace Museum ITALICS], National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1969, pl. 25.

A closely related example, formerly in the collections of Dr. Otto Burchard and Dr. Frederick Baekeland, was sold in these rooms, 22nd September 2021, lot 223.

Lot 218. Later Chinese Bronzes from the Dr. Appelbaum Collection. An archaistic bronze 'taotie mask' tripod incense burner (Ding), Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Height 25 cm. Lot Sold 6,096 USD (Estimate 6,000 - 8,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Lot 220. Later Chinese Bronzes from the Dr. Appelbaum Collection. A large bronze openwork arrow vase, Late Ming dynasty​​​​​​​ (1368-1644). Height 54.7 cm. Lot Sold 11,430 USD (Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Collection of Philip Cardeiro.

Lot 222. Later Chinese Bronzes from the Dr. Appelbaum Collection. An archaistic bronze ritual food vessel (Dou), Ming dynasty​​​​​​​ (1368-1644). Width 17.5 cm. Lot Sold 4,826 USD (Estimate 4,000 - 6,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Nagel, Stuttgart.

Note: The archaism on this finely vase ritual bronze vessel is restrained and subtle, a common feature of the many archaistic bronze pieces of the mid Ming period. Another rare documentary bronze ritual vessel of dou form from the collection of Ulrich Hausman, dated to 1492, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2014, lot 3330. See also another vessel of archaistic dou form, dated with an incised inscription to 1485, sold at Christie's London, 22nd July 1981, lot 16.

Lot 207. Later Chinese Bronzes from the Dr. Appelbaum Collection. A bronze pear-shaped vase, 17th century. Height 29 cm. Lot Sold 12,065USD (Estimate 8,000 - 12,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

the base cast with a sixteen-character mark reading Da ning chang chen Su Hanchen jian du Jiang shi zhu Zhide tan yong (under the supervision of Officer Su Hanchen at the Da Ning workshop, Madame Jiang cast [this item] for the Zhide Altar)

Provenance: Collection of George Walter Vincent Smith (1832-1923), acquired prior to 1910.

Collection of the Springfield Museum, Massachusetts (accession no. 25.23.138). 

Christie's New York, 24th September 2021, lot 907.

Note: Bronze vases of this form, probably created for the display of flowers, proliferated throughout the Song to Ming era, but this example from the late Ming is a particularly striking example, with its gently curved form and elegant long neck. The demand for flower vessels in the late Ming grew, popularized by the scholar elite. The current example adheres to the standards demanded by the late Ming scholar Zhang Deqian, who wrote (circa 1600):

'Copper is preferred to gold and silver to avoid suggestion of opulence and vases with earrings should be avoided, as also a symmetrical arrangement in pairs, to avoid their looking as if on a temple altar' (see translation of ‘Cut Flowers and Vases’ by Lin Yu Tang in The Importance of Understanding, Cleveland, 1960, p. 243).

Lot 236. A 'qilin' bell, 17th century. Height 21.3 cm, wood stand (2). Lot Sold 17,780 USD (Estimate 4,000 - 6,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025)

Lot 238. A bronze censer, 17th century. Width across the handles 24.1 cm, wood stand (2). Lot Sold 10,795 USD (Estimate 6,000 - 12,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025)

the base cast with an apocryphal Yongle six-character seal mark.

Provenance: Washington D.C. Private Collection.

Freeman's, Philadelphia, 12th September 2010, lot 359.

New York Private Collection, and thence by descent.

Lot 239. A rare archaistic bronze 'taotie' handled vase, Seal mark and period of Wanli (1573-1620). Height 23.5 cm. Lot Sold 25,400 USD (Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025)

the base with a four-character seal mark within a recessed square.

Lot 241. A silver-inlaid parcel-gilt bronze censer (Fangding), Late Ming dynasty, 17th century. Height 29.2 cm, wood cover with jade finial, wood stand (3). Lot Sold 25,400 USD (Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Imperial Oriental Art, New York.

New York Private Collection.

Lot 413. A gilt-bronze seated figure of a luohan, Late Ming dynasty, 17th century​​​​​​​. Height 28.3 cm, wood stand (2). Lot Sold 10,160 USD (Estimate 6,000 - 8,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Susanin's Auctions, Chicago, 2008

Lot 415. A gilt-bronze figure of 'Water Moon' Guanyin, Ming dynasty, 16th century​​​​​​​. Height overall 29.2 cm, bronze stand (2). Lot Sold 63,500 USD (Estimate 50,000 - 70,000 USD). © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: Bay Area Private Collection.

Note: The present figure of Guanyin is superbly cast, notable for the softly rendered facial features and elegant drapery that hints at the body underneath. The deity is cast here in a sinicized style, evident through the rounded fleshy face, feminine features, fuller figure, and cowl draped over the tall chignon. This form of representation developed in the mid to late Ming dynasty and continued into the early Qing, before gilt-bronzes generally adopted a more Tibeto-Chinese manner.

A closely related gilt-bronze 'Water Moon' Guanyin was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2011, lot 3046. See also a figure of Guanyin, similarly depicted with right leg raised, sold in our London rooms, 15th May 2007, lot 33, from the collection of Otto Rose, Dresden.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art | New York, 18 March 2025