Lot 387. Cinnabar Vase, detail, China, 18th-19th century. Estimate $3,000-5,000. Photo Skinner.

BOSTON, MASS.- Skinner, Inc. will present an Asian Works of Art auction of over 700 lots on Friday, September 16, 2016 at 11AM, coinciding with Asia week auctions in New York City. The auction features several important private collections, including early Middle Eastern ceramics and manuscripts, tomb pottery from the Han and Tang periods, and an exceptional collection of early monochrome miniature ceramics from the Tang to the Qing dynasty. 

The Estate of Marion E. James 
The auction opens with an excellent selection of Middle Eastern ceramics, manuscripts, and metal work from the estate of Marion E. James, former Chair of the Department of History at the University of New Hampshire. Professor James’s interest in Middle Eastern history led her to travel to Iraq, Afghanistan, India, and Syria in the 1960s. While traveling she began collecting works of art that interested her and could be used as teaching materials. Many pieces from her collection were bequeathed to the University of New Hampshire and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Outstanding offerings from the estate include Persian ceramics dating from the 11th to 18th centuries; featuring a large beige-glazed bowl with hippopotamuses (Lot 34); a green-glazed Nishapur high bowl decorated in high relief with a molded calligraphic band and bird and flower motifs (Lot 35); and a turquoise and black Kashan deep bowl decorated with a central female figure and an interior border of animals (Lot 37, all estimated between $2,000-$3,000).

Lot 34. Large Beige-glazed Bowl with Hippopotamuses, Persia, possibly 17th century or earlier. Estimate $2,000-3,000. Photo Skinner.

conical, with angled bottom on a slightly splayed foot, the interior decorated with four hippopotamuses against a foliate scroll band, the exterior with a floral and foliate scrolls, all embossed with white slip clay, fine allover crackling, bisque base, ht. 4 3/8, dia. 10 1/2 in.

Provenance: The estate of Marion E. James.

Lot 35. Green-glazed Nishapur High Bowl, Persia, possibly 12th century. Estimate $2,000-3,000. Photo Skinner.

with slightly everted rim, on a splayed stem foot, decorated with a molded calligraphic band in high relief against a ground with molded bird-and-flower design in bas-relief, between molded pattern bands, allover crackling, ht. 4 1/2, dia. 5 3/8 in.
Provenance: The estate of Marion E. James.

Lot 37. Turquoise and Black Kashan Deep Bowl, Persia, possibly 12th/13th century. Estimate $2,000-3,000. Photo Skinner.

with softly rounded sides, on a short raised bisque foot, the interior decorated with a seated female figure, below a patterned band of animals alternating with figures and scrolls, a border of Nastaliq calligraphy around rim, the exterior with a scrolling band, ht. 4 1/2, dia. 10 in.

Provenance: The estate of Marion E. James.

Lot 39. Brown-glazed Low Bowl, Persia, possibly 13th century. Estimate $2,000-3,000. Photo Skinner.

Early Chinese Tomb Pottery 
For collectors of Chinese tomb pottery, the auction offers an excellent selection of warriors, entertainers, animals, and villages from the Han and Tang periods, many with thermo-luminescence certificates. A large black lacquer horse from the Han Dynasty (Lot 55, $10,000-$15,000) and a sancai-glazed horse from the Tang Dynasty (Lot 57, $15,000-$20,000) are two pieces of particular interest. Not to be missed is an exceptional pair of large, white marble lions with dragon heads of Ba Xia (Lot 84, $40,000-$60,000) possibly from the Tang dynasty. In Chinese mythology, Ba Xia is known as one of the nine sons of dragon king, sculptures with his likeness were typically placed at the entrance of bridges to ensure safety. 

Lot 55. Black Lacquered Wood Horse, China, Han dynasty. Estimate $10,000-15,000. Photo Skinner.

the horse standing with head raised, allover black lacquer with traces of red pigment at the nostrils, mouth, eyes, and ears, ht. 28 in.

Note: Radiocarbon test consistent with suggested date. Similar examples found at a Shuangbaoshan tomb excavated in 1993, see article “Delicate and lovely, unique and strange: Art of Sichuan Province, Second Century B.C.E to Third Century C.E.,” Orientations 28, no. 8, September 1997, pp. 78–84.

Lot 57. Sancai-glazed Caparisoned Horse, China, Tang dynasty. Estimate $15,000-20,000. Photo Skinner.

standing horse with all four legs resting on the square base, the body glazed with a deep amber glaze, the face with a cream glaze, and the saddle with unglazed seat, with green saddle cloth and details at the hooves, ht. 18 7/8 in.

Note: TL test consistent with suggested date.

Lot 73. Pottery Figure of an Entertainer, China, possibly Han dynasty. Estimate $800-1,000. Photo Skinner.

red earthenware with traces of pigment, ht. 7 in.

Lot 84. Pair of White Marble Lions with Dragon Heads, Ba Xia, China, possibly Tang dynasty. Estimate $40,000-60,000. Photo Skinner.

legendarily known as one of the nine sons of dragon king, depicted reclined on a rectangular base with one of their forelegs forward, their horned heads turned to a side and looking down so as the long tails and one of the forelegs and hind legs, the overall white marble with light to dark gray veins, 17 1/2 x 41 in.

Ceramics 
A strong collection of monochrome ceramics offers a stunning array of glazes and shapes. Highlights include a rare, black ware russet, truncated Meiping bottle (Lot 99, $8,000-$10,000) and a celadon-glazed, double-bottle vase (Lot 127, $8,000-$10,000), as well as, several superb pieces from the Liao and Tang dynasties. A Ming-style bottle vase with a Qianlong mark, possibly of the period, highlights blue and white ceramics (Lot 177, $5,000-$7,000). Fine examples of Yaozhou and Ge-yao ceramics feature a celadon-glazed stoneware ewer (Lot 215, $2,000-$3,000), and a narcissus planter dating to the 18th century (Lot 227, $2,000-$3,000). The cover lot of the auction is an exceptional monumental cinnabar vase from the 18th century, decorated with four carved landscapes (Lot 387, $3,000-$5,000). 

Lot 127. Celadon-glazed Double-bottle Vase, China, 18th century. Estimate $8,000-10,000. Photo Skinner.

twin rounded high-shouldered vases with a slightly flared neck ending in a straight mouth rim, decorated with a pale celadon glaze except at the foot rim, an underglaze six-character Yongzheng mark below the mouth rim of one vase, ht. 4 3/4 in.

Note: A similar celadon vase bearing a similar Yongzheng mark sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, October 31, 2000, Lot 825.

Lot 177. Blue and White Bottle Vase, China. Estimate $5,000-7,000. Photo Skinner.

bulbous with a long flared neck, resting on a raised foot, the body decorated with floral and foliate scrolls painted in the “heaped and piled” of Ming style between two bands of a triple line and a trefoil ruyi band above and a petal lappets around foot below, the neck with an upright double leaf band at the base and a band of rolling waves at the top with a trefoil ruyi band below, six-character Qianlong mark on base, ht. 14 1/2 in.

Lot 215. Celadon-glazed Stoneware Ewer, China, Yaozhou style. Estimate $2,000-3,000. Photo Skinner.

bulbous with flattened shoulder with a wide neck, a strap handle applied to a side, a short angled spout issuing from the shoulder, the body decorated with carved lotus scrolls and a double leaf band around the shoulder, the glazed flat base with sandy spur marks, ht. 5 3/4 in.

Lot 387. Cinnabar Vase, China, 18th-19th century. Estimate $3,000-5,000. Photo Skinner.

globular form with a slightly flaring tubular neck, resting on a short waisted foot, the body decorated with four carved landscapes in circular panels, the neck with two flower-androck designs in lobed panels, against a carved ground covered with lotus scrolls and lappets, ht. 21 in.

Other featured highlights include, but are not limited to: 

Lot 395. Six-color Overlay Peking Glass Covered Jar, China, 18th-19th century. Estimate $4,000-5,000. Photo Skinner.

rounded ginger jar form, the sides decorated with a peacock and various flowers amidst scrolling vines and rockwork, in overlaid blue, pink, red, yellow and light and dark green, the cover similarly decorated, on a carved wood openwork stand, jar ht. 6, overall ht. 7 1/2 in.

Lot 525. Gilt-bronze Buddha, Tibetan China, 18th century. Estimate $8,000-10,000. Photo Skinner.

seated cross-legged in dhyanasana pose, with hands in dharmachakra mudra, on a triangular double lotus throne, chased floral and foliate scroll details along the hems of the flowing robe, (missing urna), double vajra mark on base, ht. 7 3/4 in.

Lot 594. Imperial Yellow Semiformal Dragon Robe, China, 19th century. Estimate $8,000-$10,000. Photo Skinner.

embroidered with nine gilt dragon roundels on the front, shoulders, back, and inside flap, surrounded by ruyi-form clouds, bats, shou symbols, and the “Twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority,” all above a crashing wave and lishui border, lg. 56 in.

Lot 596. Silk Brocade Semiformal Dragon Robe, China, late 19th century. Estimate $2,000-3,000. Photo Skinner.

with nine dragons woven on the front, shoulders, back, and inside flap, a large front-facing dragon on the chest, all chasing flaming pearls amidst the clouds and with bats, Buddhist emblems, and auspicious symbols over a crashing wave and lishui border, lg. 54 in.

Lot 603. Embroidered wall hanging depicting lotus blossoms interspersed with the “Eight Buddhist Symbols”. Estimate $5,000-$7,000. Photo Skinner.

long rectangular with rounded corners, decorated with lotus flowers and scrolls interspersed with various auspicious symbols, with a lotus scroll roundel in the center, surrounded with a border decorated with lotus flowers and scrolls interspersed with the “Eight Buddhist Symbols” and archaic scrolls, all embroidered in “Forbidden Stitch” against a cream beige satin, the gold satin lining, composed of four stitched pieces, all decorated with the same auspicious cloud designs, 66 3/4 x 34 3/4 in.

Previews, Catalogs, and Bidding 
Auction previews are free and open to the public and held in Boston on Wednesday, September 14from 12-5PM; Thursday, September 15 from 12-7PM; and Friday, September 16 from 9-10:30AM. The print catalog is available for purchase from the Subscriptions Department atsubscriptions@skinnerinc.com. Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. The Skinner website enables users to view all lots in the auction, leave bids, and bid live, in real-time through SkinnerLive!