Diane et Apollon.Travail parisien, XVIIe siècle. Photo Brussels Art Auctions
Paire de statuettes sur socle. Ebène sculpté; panneau cintré en placage d'ivoire. H. 36,5 cm. Estimation : 5 000 / 7 000 €
Brussels Art Auctions. Mardi 23 octobre 2012. 7 & 9, Rue Ernest Allard (Sablon). Tel: 00 322 511 53 24.
Torse masculin. Photo Brussels Art Auctions
Marbre blanc d'après l'antique. Colonne à cannelures en bois à décor marmoréen. H. 66 cm (torse/torso); H. 82,5 cm (colonne/kolom). Estimation : 5 000 / 7 000 €
Brussels Art Auctions. Mardi 23 octobre 2012. 7 & 9, Rue Ernest Allard (Sablon). Tel: 00 322 511 53 24.
Tapisserie de Bruxelles, XVIIe siècle. Photo Brussels Art Auctions
Armoiries de la famille van Reynegom de Buzet: blason d'azur à trois fleurs-de-lis au pied coupé flanqué par deux lions tenant chacun une bannière. Deux angelots portant la devise: "Rien sans envie". 273 x 155 cm. Estimation : 3 000 / 4 000 €
Brussels Art Auctions. Mardi 23 octobre 2012. 7 & 9, Rue Ernest Allard (Sablon). Tel: 00 322 511 53 24.
Elegante au dragon. Photo Brussels Art Auctions
Corail taillé, travail chinois (socle en bois sculpté). H. 10 cm (hors socle / zonder sokkel). Estimation : 2 000 / 3 000 €
Brussels Art Auctions. Mardi 23 octobre 2012. 7 & 9, Rue Ernest Allard (Sablon). Tel: 00 322 511 53 24.
Ecole flamande, Le cabinet de l'alchimiste, fin XVIIe siècle. Photo Brussels Art Auctions
Huile sur toile. 57 x 82,5 cm. Estimation : 2 000 / 3 000 €
Brussels Art Auctions. Mardi 23 octobre 2012. 7 & 9, Rue Ernest Allard (Sablon). Tel: 00 322 511 53 24.
Ecole flamande, Panier de fruits et coupe de framboises sur une table partiellement drapée, fin XVIIe s. Photo Brussels Art Auctions
Huile sur toile. 65 x 83 cm. Estimation : 2 000 / 3 000 €
Brussels Art Auctions. Mardi 23 octobre 2012. 7 & 9, Rue Ernest Allard (Sablon). Tel: 00 322 511 53 24.
Grande flasque à deux anses en forme de chauve-souris. Chine, XIXe siècle. Photo Brussels Art Auctions
Décor polychrome, en émaux de la famille verte, de sages et enfants dans un jardin sur fond de treillis losangés avec branches fleuries.
H. 49 cm. Estimation : 1 200 / 1 500 €
Brussels Art Auctions. Mardi 23 octobre 2012. 7 & 9, Rue Ernest Allard (Sablon). Tel: 00 322 511 53 24.
A rare underglaze blue polychrome enamelled 'magpie and prunus' moonflask Qianlong seal mark and period. Estimate: 300,000-500,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.
LONDON.- Sotheby’s London will present for sale an exceptional range of over 400 Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on Wednesday, 7th November 2012. The auction will include an exemplary selection of important Chinese ceramics, jades, metalwork, furniture and scholar’s objects dating from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) to Republican China (began 1912) - displaying the wide variety of styles and media for which Chinese works of art are celebrated. Alongside this biannual auction, Sotheby’s will offer two single owner sales - 'Treasures from the Qing Court, A Personal Perspective', a selection of 22 works all produced for the Imperial court during the Qing dynasty from the collection of Cameel Halim, and ‘Chinese Ceramics from the Collection of Peter and Nancy Thompson’.
TREASURES OF THE QING COURT: A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE FROM THE COLLECTION OF CAMEEL HALIM
SOLD TO BENEFIT THE HALIM TIME AND GLASS MUSEUM
A selection of 22 works, all produced for the Imperial court during the Qing dynasty, come to the market from the collection of Chicago-based collector Cameel Halim. Although the Halims were always fascinated by antiques, it was on buying their first clock – an 18th century musical striking clock – that their collecting became increasingly focused and scholarly. After falling in love with clocks, and with ornate Chinese timepieces, Cameel’s love for wider Chinese art and culture prompted him to assemble a collection of Beijing glass, ceramics, cloisonné and enamel - a selection of which are being presented for auction at Sotheby’s London.
When Rockford’s Time Museum collection was put up for auction at Sotheby’s in 2001, The Halim’s purchased one third of this horological collection, in the hope that one day they would be able to continue its legacy, founding their own museum. Their dream has now come true – proceeds from this single-owner sale will benefit The Halim Time and Glass Museum which the family are opening in Chicago. The sale will both help augment the collection and support the museum during its early stages, and showcase a little of what the art world should expect when it opens its doors next year, in the summer of 2013.
A Rare Underglaze-Blue Polychrome-Enamelled ‘Magpie and Prunus’ Moonflask, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period, is estimated at £300,000-£500,000. Delicately painted in underglaze-blue and enamelled in shades of green, yellow, iron-red, pink and white, each face of this moonflask depicts a bird perching on a gnarled branch of prunus blossom, accompanied by bamboo. It is inscribed to the base with a six-character Qianlong seal mark in underglaze blue.
A Fine Silvered, Gilt-Brass and Blue Glass Quarter Striking Musical Automaton Table Clock by Francis Perigral was made in London circa 1790. Perigal, Master of the Clockmakers Company and clockmaker to the King, specialised in musical automaton clocks for the Chinese and Turkish markets. This magnificent clock, estimated at £300,000–£500,000, with performing figures, music and chiming bells, combines the creativity, opulence and novelty that characterises so many of the finest works of art destined for use by the Chinese emperors in the 18th century. Indeed, an example similar to this by Perigral is held in the Palace Collection, Beijing. The provenance of this clock, once held in the collection of Gustave Loup, is perhaps as interesting as the clock itself. Born in the later 19th century to a Swiss watchmaking family living in China, Loup was famed in horological circles for his expertise and for impressive Chinese market collection - reversing the trade of European watches and clocks to China, bringing these masterpieces back to the West.
A Rare Cloisonné Enamel Ice-Chest and Covers, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period is estimated at £100,000-£150,000. This piece, so impressive for its magnificent size and superb quality of enamelling and workmanship, would have been intended for use in the private residence of the emperor and his family. Ice-chests were an important part of palace furnishing. Both functional and decorative, they had two practical uses – for cooling food and drink, and also for releasing cool air into the surrounding rooms and hallways during the hot summer months. A related imperial ice-chest can be found at the Palace Museum Beijing.
A Elaborate Paste-Set and Gilt Silvered-Brass Quarter Chiming Table Clock with Alarm, estimated at £100,000-£150,000, was also destined for the Chinese market. Applied with the mount of King George III, it was made around the year 1785 by Robert Ward, a renowned maker of musical clocks, who worked on Abchurch Lane, London. Although no direct documentation exists, the presence of Royal insignia on the clock suggests that this clock was part of an extensive tribute made by King George III through the embassies (diplomatic missions) to China in the late 18th century. It is likely that this was part of the Macartney Embassy of 1793, the first official diplomatic mission of the English Crown to China, which was known to have presented clocks to the Emperor.
CHINESE CERAMICS FROM THE COLLECTION OF PETER AND NANCY THOMPSON
Peter and Nancy Thompson were scholarly, methodical collectors of Chinese Art. They selected their pieces with care and precision, developing a collection which showcased all different facets of Chinese porcelain – from different eras, categories, displaying diverse motifs and craftsmanship. Their extensive collection was formed in two parts - the first part comprising 17th century blue and white porcelain and wares of the Dehua kiln, traditionally known in Europe as ‘Blanc de Chine’, and the second part consisting of pottery and porcelain from the Tang to the Qing Dynasties, with a strong emphasis on the Imperial Qing wares of the Kangxi, Yonzheng and Qianlong periods. Always keen to share their collection and passion with others, these pieces have been on loan to Hull University since 1985.
A Fine and Rare Doucai ‘Dragon and Phoenix’ Box and Cover, Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng Period is estimated at £40,000–£60,000. The box is unique for its decoration which was inspired by the celebrated Southern Song painting Nine Dragons by Rong Chen (active c.1235 -60). The use of this specific scene on porcelain can be attributed to the creative genius of Tang Ying (1682-1756), Superintendent at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen. As a descendent of a bondservant, and belonging to one of the threee Banners directly under the control of the emperor, Tang Ying started his career at the Neiwufu (Imperial Household Department) at the age of 16. The palace presented him with the opportunity to study the imperial collection of paintings and decorative objects which provided an essential foundation from which he could produce classical yet innovative designs for ceramic pieces. The Qing craftsman’s command over his materials is evident in the varying use of cobalt blue, from the fine and precise outlines of the composition to the vaporous clouds that naturalistically billow around the dragon and phoenix.
A Rare Celadon-Glazed Cuspidor, Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng/Qianlong Period, is estimated at £40,000-£60,000. The interest in antiquity permeated the arts of China from the Song dynasty and reached its peak in the 18th centuries. This rare piece, glazed in a pale sea-greeen, takes its form from spitoon vessels which appeared in China from the Tang dynasty for use in the court and produced in silver, ceramic and glass. The base of the work is inscribed with a four-character mark reading Jingwei Tang zhi (Made for the Hall of Veneration and respect) within a double-square. Jiangwei Tang was the studio name of Li Hu (alias Duanren, style name Zuncun) a native of Cixi, a city within Zhejiang province.
A Blue and White Pear-Shaped Vase, circa 1640-1660, is estimated at £20,000-£30,000. When the late-Ming court suspended its commissions of porcelain production in the mid-seventeeth century, the introduction of new patrons freed potters and painters to explore a wide range of styles beyond those previously prescribed by the court. This vase represents the experimental cermaics of ceramics during this time. The dramatically long waisted neck and proportionately small body, coupled with the two unrelated designs of birds amongst flowers and a landscape scene that are given equal importance, reflect the atypical porcelain of the period.
A Blue and White ‘Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove’ Brushpot, Bitong, Qing Dynasty, Early Kangxi Period is estimated at £20,000-£30,000. The brushpot depicts the popular motif of the The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, a group of eminent scholars of the Wei dynasty (250-265) who renounced their official status and career in protest against corruption. Advocates for the freedom of individual beliefs and inspired by Daoist philosophy, the Seven Sages came to represent scholars disenchanted with official policies and became symbols of an incorruptible scholar. This brushpot is notable for the confident style of brushwork which is reminiscent of Ming dynasty painting - indeed the treatment of the figures and rocks, with their clearly defined outlines and washes of colour can be compared to a fan painting by Qiu Ying.
FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART
VARIOUS OWNER SALE
A Magnificent and Rare Blue and White ‘Dragon and Phoenix’ Jar, Yuan Dynasty, estimated at £400,000-£600,000, was acquired from Japan by a European diplomat prior to World War II. The stoutly potted jar, painted in bright inky shades of cobalt-blue, depicts two scaly dragons chasing flaming pearls beneath a frieze of flying phoenixes. Applied with a metal rim and cover, the jar is flanked by a pair of ornate animal mask handles. The neck is encircled by a band of undulating lotus scrolls and the foot with a lappet band.
A Monumental and Rare Khotan Green Jade Water Buffalo from the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Jiaqing Period, is estimated at £300,000- £500,000. Carved from a massive boulder, this reclining buffalo, of rich green colour with some russet veining and opaque celadon mottling, measures 30.5cm long.
This various-owner sale also includes a selection of important Qing Monochromes from a Private European Collection - comprising bowls, saucers and cups glazed in rich blues, yellows, reds, turquoise and greens (Lots 250–274). Highlights include an extremely rare Clair-de-Lune Glazed Jardinière, Yongzheng seal, mark and period (est. £60,000– £80,000) and a fine and Rare Pale Turquoise-Glazed Cup, Yongzheng Mark and Period (est. £60,000- £80,000).
A Spinach-Green Jade ‘Landscape’ Brushpot, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period, dexterously carved to show an idyllic rural scene, is estimated at £100,000-£150,000. The brushpot was an essential item for the scholar’s desk in the Imperial court, offering not only a utilitarian vessel, but also a means of escape from the regulated court life, a source of reflection and inspiration. This particularly impressive brushpot, depicting a rustic retreat away from the order of the Imperial court, has an otherworldly quality. The exterior of the brushpot has been deeply carved in relief; the undercutting of the rocky crags cast dramatic shadows, creating a sense of depth. The decoration follows in the tradition of Chinese painting with the surface of the jade treated as a horizontal handscroll. With each turn of the brushpot the scene is unravelled, inviting the viewer to enter and explore the landscape before them. Similar examples are held in the national Palace Museum, Taipei, and in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
A spinach green jade 'landscape' brushpot Qing Dynasty period, 14.5cm., 5 3/4 in. Estimate: 100,000-150,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.
A suit of armor laced in orange. Helmet by Yoshisada, Muromachi period (16th century), armor 18th century. Est. US $25,000-35,000. Sold US $43,750. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.
NEW YORK, NY.- With impressive results for Samurai swords and armor, the Bonhams October 16 Arts of the Samurai sale proves Samurai culture has lasting appeal. Absentee, telephone and online bidders were particularly well-represented, revealing interest in this specialized field reaches far beyond the usual perimeters of the art market. Bidders from the US predominated, doubtlessly drawn to the sale by Bonhams Madison Avenue window display of Samurai armor, as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition celebrating curator Bashford Dean and the creation of the museum’s Arms and Armor department. That said, the UK, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong also vied for success.
As Bonhams Japanese Specialist Caroline Gill sees it, Samurai arts occupy a unique space that appeals directly to individual connoisseurs, both established and emerging. This was particularly evident with the armor on auction – every piece of armor Bonhams offered sold after competitive bidding, almost exclusively to private collectors interested in integrating the aesthetics and history of these pieces into their personal spaces. For this reason, these thrilling examples attract lots of attention when they come to market. An 18th century suit of armor laced in orange with a Muromachi period helmet by Yoshisada was not only the top armor lot, but also the oldest example included in the auction. The stunning and complete suit, with its striking orange lacing, brought $43,750, easily exceeding its high estimate of $35,000. The sale’s cover lot, a Myochin school iron eccentrically shaped helmet (kawari kabuto) from the 18th century also did very well. The remarkable helmet, referencing a mythical kappa or tengu (mischievous Shinto spirit creatures thought to inhabit the human realm) achieved $37,500, versus a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-$30,000.
While the armor featured in the sale capitalized on the tremendous private interest, the auction’s formidable collection of swords appealed primarily to the most knowledgeable of arms collectors and dealers. Bidders interested in both blades and Japanese arms flocked to the diverse selection. As Ms. Gill explains, “Arms appreciation is an intensely academic pursuit, and it takes complex understanding of the field to truly evaluate any given piece.”
Happily, Bonhams was able to please the most discerning individuals and trade representatives with the high-quality swords on offer. The auction’s top lot, an extremely rare 14th century Sekishu Juyo katana by Naotsuna from the Nanbokucho period, in excellent condition and featuring a lively temper line, sold for an impressive $134,500. But it was not exclusively six-figure swords that attracted attention. Selling at 2.5 times its high estimate, a later Mihara katana with mounts from the Muromachi period also brought a notable result at $20,000. According to Bonhams Director of Japanese Works of Art, Jeff Olson, “Samurai swords will always hold their allure. With their unique construction, distinctive steel tempering and composition, they have always been highly prized for both efficacy in combat and their physical beauty.”
Enthusiasts can look forward to more art of Samurai in Bonhams upcoming Japanese Works of Art sale, scheduled for March of 2013.
A Myochin iron eccentrically shaped helmet (kawari kabuto) By Myochin Muneyasu, dated 1789. Est. US$20,000-30,000. Sold US$37,500. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.
La Jambe, signed and numbered ‘Alberto Giacometti 3/6’ (on the top of the base); inscribed with foundry mark ‘Susse Fondeur. Paris’ (on the side of the base) bronze with brown and green patina. Height (including base): 85 13/16 in. (218 cm.). Conceived in 1947 and cast in 1958. Estimate: $10,000,000-15,000,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.
NEW YORK, NY.- Among the many captivating highlights of Christie’s upcoming Evening Sale of Impressionist & Modern Art is Alberto Giacometti’s La Jambe (The Leg), a seven foot tall depiction of a disembodied human leg. Modeled in the thin, elongated form for which the artist is best known, La Jambe is the artist’s final statement in a series devoted to depictions of isolated body parts – a vision inspired by Giacometti’s harrowing memories of wartime causalities and the lingering angst that permeated post-war Paris during the late 1940s. Estimated at $10-15 million, La Jambe is offered from a distinguished private European collection, and is among the top examples of modern sculpture to be featured in Christie’s November 7 sale in New York.
Giacometti first conceived of the body parts series in 1947, the year in which he embarked on the first of the famously thin, attenuated figures of standing women and walking men that would become icons of the post-war zeitgeist. Zeroing in on individual anatomical features, Giacometti modeled the first three forms in the series: a hand (La Main), a nose (Le Nez), and a head on a rod (Tête sur tige; estimate: $6-8 million, also featured in the November 7 sale).
Giacometti had always envisioned a fourth sculpture – the leg – to complete the series, but it would be nearly ten more years before he finished the work and cast it in bronze in 1958. Art historians believe the severed look of the work was inspired by distressing events in Giacometti’s past: in 1938, he was struck down by a speeding vehicle on a Paris street, leaving him with a crushed and broken foot and a slight limp for the rest of his life. Later, in 1940, the artist and his brother Diego were forced to flee Paris ahead of advancing German tanks. In the exodus, the two witnessed the gruesome aftermath of earlier attacks, and the images of human body parts strewn across the debris-filled streets never left his mind.
La Jambe is unique among Giacometti's works in that it is neither walking nor standing; it exists in an intermediate state between stillness and motion. Slightly bent at the knee and purposefully flexed, the leg appears ready to push off and set itself in motion, despite its oversized, firmly planted foot. In scale, La Jambe matches the legs of his enormous Grandes femmes debouts, the tallest figures he had ever created and which were originally intended for exhibition on the Chase Manhattan Plaza in lower Manhattan – a project left unfulfilled when the artist died in January 1966.
Upon its completion in 1958, La Jambe was featured in a solo exhibition of Giacometti’s newest works at the Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York. Six signed and numbered bronzes were created, and the version to be offered at Christie’s this fall was featured in the major 1965 retrospective at London’s Tate Gallery. It has now been in the same private collection for over 35 years, since its acquisition by the present owner from Galerie Beyeler in 1976.
Prices for Giacometti’s best works have soared in recent years, in keeping with increasing appreciation and interest among collectors for superb examples of modern sculpture. Within the global auction market, 19 works by the artist have sold above the $10 million mark, and all five of the artist’s top prices at auction have been set within the last five years. In May 2010, Christie’s New York sold a 1948 cast of La Main – the elongated arm with an outstretched hand from the artist’s same series – fetching $25.8 million against a pre-sale estimate of $10-15 million.
A rare and very large blue and white Eight Immortals bowl, China, underglaze blue seal mark and period of Jiaqing. Photo Nagel
inside with a dragon medallion. Good condition. D. 44,8 cm. Estimate 40 000/60 000 €
Nagel. "Asian Art". 2012/11/02 http://www.auction.de/
Iznik. Plat aux deux tulipes et aux tiges de jacinthes. Turquie, Art Ottoman, circa 1560-1580. Photo Aguttes
Plat rond, tabak, en céramique siliceuse, à décor peint en polychromie sous glaçure incolore. Au centre, une composition de tiges de jacinthes encadrant deux larges tulipes élancées aux pétales éffilés, surmontée d'un motif de mandorle. Sur l'aile, galon à décor de vagues et de rochers stylisés bleu marine. Le revers décoré. Sous la base, numéro d'inventaire en rouge P 2130, ancienne étiquette triangulaire avec monogramme et inscription VENTE DAVILLIER, 2 mai 1887 RHODES. D : 27, 5 cm. Etat : deux trous de suspension sur l'aile et sur le talon. légers éclats sur la bordure. Quatre infimes sautes d'émail d'origine dans le rouge du décor dus à la cuisson. Bon état général
Ancienne collection du Baron Jean-Charles DAVILLIER (1823-1883)
La faïence de RHODES
C'est en 1883, que le nom de LINDOS port de l'île de RHODES, apparaît pour la première fois dans le catalogue du MUSEE des THERMES et de L'Hôtel de Cluny rédigé par EDMOND du SOMMERARD à propos d'un groupe de céramiques jusqu'alors inconnues ou mal répertoriées, le plus souvent sous l'étiquette “vieillles faïences de Perse”.
En effet, un lot de 532 pièces de ceramiques constituées à LINDOS, venait d'être acquis à RHODES par le gouvernement français pour ce musée. A cette époque, personne ne mettait en doute cette origine rhodienne.
L'île possédait un passé prestigieux dans le domaine des arts du feu car c'est ici qu'au VIème siècle que furent fabriquées les briques et les tuiles employées à la construction de la Basilique Sainte-Sophie et qu'il existait de nombreuses series de ceramique à décor gravé et engobé datant des croisades.
Il fallut attendre le début du XXème siècle pour que des historiens d'art remettent en cause la présence d'ateliers à LINDOS, dont aucune découverte archéologique ne permettait d' affirmer l'existence.
Le premier a réfuter cette domination de “faïence de Rhodes” est Otto Von FALKE en 1907. deux ans plus tard, le nom d'IZNIK est proposé pour la première fois par F.R MARTIN consul de Suède à Constantinople.
Puis, en 1923, GASTON MIGEON et ARMENAG BEY SAKISIAN, s'appuyant sur des sources européennes et ottomanes critiquant à leur tour l'attribution des ceramiques anatoliennes à RHODES, tout comme à la même époque le spécialiste allemand Enrst KÜHNEL qui dénonce “la théorie extravagante née de l'achat accidentel d'un grand nombres de pièces effectué dans l'île de RHODES par le musée de CLUNY.
Cependant, ce n'est que dans les années 1950 que les spécialistes, alertés par les historiens et les archéologues, prirent conscience du rôle d'IZNIK et commencèrent à, rejetter l'appellation “RHODES”.
A la suite de nombreuses campagnes de fouilles menées par les Turcs à IZNIK entre 1963- 1969 et 1981- 1988 vinrent peu à peu etayer ce raisonnement.
Toutefois, en dépit de ces avertissements et des preuves apportées par les fouillles entreprises à IZNIK , l'appellation continua de survivre, surtout auprès des amateurs occidentaux.
C'est sous l'étiquette de “faïence de RHODES” que beaucoup de ces céramiques figurent dans les catalogues d'exposition ou de ventes aux enchères.
Aguttes. Jeudi 25 octobre 2012. Hôtel des Ventes Lyon Brotteaux - 13 bis, Place Jules Ferry - 69006 Lyon. Tel. 04 37 24 24 24.
A fine and very rare Imperial pair of lemon-yellow-glazed ‘famille rose’ porcelain bowls, China, underglaze blue six-character seal marks Daoguang and of the period. Photo Nagel
Rising from a straight foot to broad rounded sides flaring at the rim, carved on the exterior with an undulating band of camellia with feathery leaves and curled tendrils, applied with a thick enamel of rich lemon-yellow tone, the interior enamelled with a pair of large peaches suspended on a leafy stem, their skins delicately textured in mottled pink and green tinges. One bowl with small restored chip and short hairline crack to rim. D. 22,3 cm - Estimate 20 000/30 000 €
A yellow-ground bowl of very similar size and shape, also decorated with a flower scroll band on the exterior and a pair of delicately painted peaches on the interior, from the Qing court collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 179 and another was sold Sotheby’s Hongkong, 13th November 1990, lot 33. See also a white-glazed Yongzheng bowl of this form with similar moulded band decoration on the exterior but with a plain interior, from the Ira and Nancy Koger collection, sold Sotheby’s New York, 27th November 1990
A Daoguang marked bowl of that type is illustrated ‘Treasures of Royality - The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty’, p. 385
Nagel. "Asian Art". 2012/11/02 http://www.auction.de/
Attribué à Jacques François Van der Buch (1756-1803), Grande chinoiserie en camaïeu rose. Photo Aguttes
Toile. Environ 250 x 200 cm; (restaurations anciennes). Estimation : 8 000 / 12 000 €
Provenance : Hôtel particulier à Montpellier
Aguttes. Jeudi 25 octobre 2012. Hôtel des Ventes Lyon Brotteaux - 13 bis, Place Jules Ferry - 69006 Lyon. Tel. 04 37 24 24 24.
A fine lemon-yellow Imperial saucer dish, China, underglaze blue Yongzheng six-character mark and period. Photo Nagel
Good condition. D. 8,9 cm. Estimate 12 000/15 000 €
Property from an European private collection
For a similar sized Qianlong period dish from the E.T.Hall Collection (No. 425/426), London, see Sotheby’s London, 9.11.2011, Lot 78
Nagel. "Asian Art". 2012/11/02 http://www.auction.de/
Georges Clairin, Portrait de Sarah Bernhardt à l'éventail. Photo Artprecium
Huile sur toile. Signé en bas à gauche « G Clairin» Porte au dos la marque au pochoir du marchand de toile «DUBUS à A PARIS» Toile d'origine, découpée au bord du châssis à plusieurs endroits. Légères griffures. Au dos marques d'anciennes moisissures. 44 cm x 74 cm - Estimation : 4 000 / 5 000 €
Artprecium. Jeudi 25 octobre 2012. Vente en live sur le site d'Artprecium: http://www.artprecium.com/
A very fine bronze six-lobed mirror with six flower rosettes, China, 2nd half of Tang dynasty (618-907). Photo Nagel
the well cast mirror is decorated with six flower rosettes in relief three lotus flowers alternating with three mallow flowers around the central flower motif with the knob, the decorated mirror side with a thin dark grey and some green corrosion and some patches of the original shiny, silvery surface, the completely polished specular side is blackish with the brass body metal partly visible weight: 899 g. D. 17 cm. Estimate 2200 €
Property from an important private collection of Chinese art
Cf. Izumi-shi Kinen Kubosô Bijutsu-kan, Zôkyô zuroku (Catalogue of the coll. of bronze mirrors of the Memorial Kubosô Kinen Museum), Izumi-shi 1985, p. 92, no. 82, a larger mirror (19,9 cm) with an almost identical décor (3 alternating lotus and 3 mallow or similar flowers), dated to the Tang dynasty
Shanghai Museum (ed.), Ancient bronze mirrors from the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2005, nos. 101 + 103, two a bit larger and heavy mirrors (diam. 18,1 cm) of similar shape and same décor with six flower rosettes, dated to the Tang dynasty.
Nagel. "Asian Art". 2012/11/02 http://www.auction.de/
Attribué à Frans II Pourbus (Anvers 1569 ou 1570 - Paris 1622), Portrait d'homme à la fraise. Photo Tajan
Panneau de chêne teinté, une planche, non parqueté; 53 x 41 cm. Blason et date de 1586 rapportés en haut à gauche. Restaurations. Estimation : 6 000 / 8 000 €
Tajan. Vendredi 26 octobre 2012. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 7 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Contact: Romain Monteaux-Sarmiento à la Maison de Ventes au +33 (0)1 53 30 30 30.
Saint Jean (détail). ©Musée du Louvre - Photo Martine BECK COPPOLA
Le Musée du Louvre lance un appel aux dons pour réunir 800 000 euros afin d’acquérir deux statuettes médiévales en ivoire. L’appel aux dons du musée du Louvre a donc comme objectif l’acquisition de deux statuettes médiévales en ivoire redécouvertes récemment et qui font partie d’une rare Descente de croix du XIIIe siècle déjà présente dans les collections du musée du Louvre.
Le musée du Louvre doit réunir 800 000 euros d’ici le 31 janvier prochain pour acheter à un particulier ces deux statuettes représentant Saint Jean et une allégorie de la Synagogue. Classées «Trésor national» par le ministère de la Culture, ce qui empêche provisoirement toute vente à l’étranger, ces œuvres délicates et raffinées mesurent une vingtaine de centimètres.
Alors que le budget total consacré à ces deux statuettes s’élève à 2,6 millions d’euros, la société des amis du Louvre accepte de verser 1,3 million d’euros tandis que Axa Art apporte 500 000 euros.
Le musée Louvre a acheté ces dernières années de nombreux ivoires gothiques. Une très importante collection française (Marquet de Vasselot) a été dispersée en 2011. Pour le Louvre, l’enjeu est important car leur acquisition permettrait de parachever la reconstitution de cette Descente de Croix en ivoire, datée de 1270, qui comprend déjà cinq personnages dont l’ensemble constitue un grand chef-d’oeuvre de l’art gothique français.
Les premiers éléments de cette œuvre – Joseph d’Arimathie soutenant le corps du Christ, la Vierge et une allégorie de l’Église – avaient été acquis en 1896 auprès d’un expert parisien qui disait les avoir ramenés d’Italie.
En 1947, heureux coup du hasard, les enfants du baron et de la baronne Robert de Rothschild offrent au Louvre une mystérieuse statuette de prophète de style très similaire. Étudiée par Danièle Gaborit-Chopin en 1988, elle se révélera être un membre du groupe, un « Nicodème travesti » par une restauration ancienne qui l’avait affublé d’un phylactère.
À cet ensemble, il manquait l’allégorie de la Synagogue faisant pendant à celle de l’Église, et le saint Jean, aujourd’hui proposés à la vente. « Il n’existe pas aujourd’hui dans le monde de groupe complet de ce type, c’est donc une opportunité rarissime » , souligne Élisabeth Antoine, conservatrice en chef du département des Objets d’art au Louvre.
À cet ensemble, il manquait l’allégorie de la Synagogue faisant pendant à celle de l’Église, et le saint Jean, aujourd’hui proposés à la vente. « Il n’existe pas aujourd’hui dans le monde de groupe complet de ce type, c’est donc une opportunité rarissime » , souligne Élisabeth Antoine, conservatrice en chef du département des Objets d’art au Louvre.
Les deux statuettes, à l’image du reste de l’œuvre, sont d’une qualité remarquable. Les plis en cornets, l’élancement et la souplesse des corps, la retenue pudique de saint Jean relevant son manteau pour essuyer ses larmes ou de la Synagogue inclinant la tête pour laisser choir sa couronne, sont typiques de l’art gothique du dernier quart du XIIIe siècle.
La finesse d’exécution est telle que l’on peut compter chaque phalange du pied de saint Jean. Et l’expressivité discrète de son visage, le front ridé, les sourcils froncés, révèle l’art d’un très grand maître, certainement issu d’un de ces ateliers parisiens qui excellaient alors dans la taille de l’ivoire.
Installée sous un dais d’orfèvrerie, l’œuvre était destinée soit à la dévotion privée d’un très grand personnage, soit à être exposée sur un autel lors de fêtes religieuses. Elle proviendrait peut-être de Savoie où aurait été acquises la statuette des Rothschild et celles de Paul Corbin, mais aucune archive n’a encore permis de confirmer cette hypothèse.
Classées Trésor national en février 2012, les statuettes sont interdites de sortie du territoire français jusqu’en février 2014 et les dons pour leur achat sont en partie déductibles des impôts (à hauteur de 66 % du don pour les particuliers et de 90 % pour les entreprises dans la limite de 0,5 % du chiffre d’affaires). Le Louvre se donne jusqu’au 31 janvier pour réaliser l’opération.
Renseignements pour le Louvre sur le site www.tousmecenes.fr
La Synagogue et Saint Jean ©Musée du Louvre - Photo Martine BECK COPPOLA
La Synagogue et saint Jean. Ivoire, H. 22,5 cm (Synagogue) et 24 cm (saint Jean) © Musée du Louvre 2012 / Martine Beck Coppola
PARIS (AFP) .- The Louvre museum in Paris will launch an appeal for a million dollars to help it pay for two medieval ivory statuettes that resurfaced recently, its director said Monday.
The museum has until January 31 to find 800,000 euros ($1.0 million) to buy the statuettes, director Henri Loyrette told AFP.
The total price asked by the private owner is 2.6 million euros, of which the Friends of the Louvre Society has raised half, while the art insurer Axa Art is chipping in 500,000 euros.
The statuettes of Saint John and the "Allegory of the Synagogue" would complete a collection titled "Descent from the Cross", Loyrette said, adding: "The ensemble is a great masterpiece of French Gothic art."
The Louvre has a first option to acquire the statuettes, which are classified as national treasures.
They are some 20 centimetres (eight inches) tall.
Loyrette said the museum had all but given up on finding the two statuettes it needed to complete the "Descent from the Cross" collection.
"We were losing hope of finding them. Then one day, a private collector took them out of a bag in my office. He'd come to offer them for sale. It was a revelation," he said.
The statuettes had been in the private collection of an engineer, whose grandson is offering them for sale.
By: Pascale Mollard-Chenebenoit © 1994-2012 Agence France-Presse
A picture taken on October 22, 2012 at the Louvre museum shows a group of ivory sculptures representing a "Descent from the Cross" and which is displayed as part of a large fundraising operation called "Tous Mécènes". The Louvre launched a new call for donations to acquire two medieval ivory statuettes recently rediscovered and part of a rare "Descent from the Cross" from the thirteenth century. The aim of the museum is to collect by January 31 the sum of 800,000 euros to buy a particular statuette of St. John and an allegory of the Synagogue, classified "National Treasure" by the Ministry of Culture. AFP PHOTO JACQUES DEMARTHON.
Gold oval pendant surrounded by seed pearls, ca. 1830. Brown right eye with clouds. Reverse: Mourning motifs (tombstone and mausoleum with eternal flame) in mother-of-pearl, ivory, and gold against blue enamel background. Dimensions: 1 7/8 (with hanger) x 1 3/8 x 1/4 inches. Purchased from Edith Weber, New York.
ATHENS, GA.- The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia is presenting the exhibition “The Look of Love: Eye Miniatures from the Skier Collection” from Oct. 6, 2012, to Jan. 6, 2013. Organized by the Birmingham Museum of Art, this show is the first major exhibition on the little-known subject of lover’s eye jewelry and makes use of an iPad app to enhance visitors’ experience of the works of art.
This exhibition looks at the exquisite craftsmanship of small-scale portraits of individual eyes set into various forms of jewelry from late-18th- and early-19th-century England. In addition to the skilled artistry with which each of these tiny portraits was painted are enchanting stories of secret romance and love lost.
In 1784, the Prince of Wales (later George IV) secretly proposed to a Catholic commoner and widow named Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert. Because it was highly unlikely that his father, King George III, would agree to the marriage, Mrs. Fitzherbert initially rejected the prince’s proposal and fled to the Continent. Despite their year-long separation, the prince proposed a second time, sending Mrs. Fitzherbert a picture of his own eye in place of an engagement ring.
The prince’s romantic gesture inspired an aristocratic trend for exchanging eye portraits in a wide variety of settings including brooches, lockets, rings and toothpick cases.
Because the eye might only be recognized by persons of the most intimate familiarity, these customized tokens were largely commissioned by clandestine lovers, whose relationships were viewed as illicit or subject to misunderstanding.
“Visitors can marvel at the virtuosity of miniature painting and get a rare glimpse of private life in a different period of time,” said Dale Couch, curator of decorative arts at GMOA and the in-house curator for the exhibition.
The exhibition is accompanied by an iPad app created by the Birmingham Museum of Art. Visitors to GMOA will be able to check out an iPad for free to use the app while visiting the exhibition. Because these works are so small and are exhibited in cases, the app magnifies them and allows the viewer to see them from multiple angles in videos. It also provides insight on each work with informative text.
The collection from which the exhibition is drawn, put together by David and Nan Skier, is the largest in the world and contains more than 100 objects, both decorative and functional, from simple lockets to lavish rings, each of which features an eye miniature. Although the majority of the works were meant to be worn as jewelry, some were intended to be carried in the form of small boxes.
Many of the painted miniatures in the exhibition were created to memorialize and mourn a loved one who passed away. Tricia Miller, head registrar of the museum, will give a tour titled “Cult of the Dead” on Halloween (Wednesday, Oct. 31) at 2 p.m. Miller will discuss how trends in sentimentality and mourning in late-18th- and early-19th-century England influenced similar trends in the United States, permeating much of American material culture from jewelry to schoolgirl needlework to gravestone imagery and cemetery design.
Bracelet with gold clasp surmounted by oval miniature surrounded by seed pearls, restrung with eight strands of cultured pearls, ca. 1820. Gray left eye surrounded by clouds and blue background. Purchased from the collection of Edith Weber, New York. Dimensions: 1 x 1 3/8 x 1/4 inches (clasp only).
Rose gold ring with double half seed pearl surround, ca. 1800–10. Brown left eye. Purchased from Rowan and Rowan, London. Dimensions: 5/8 x 5/8 x 3/4 inches.
Rose gold brooch surrounded by garnets, ca. 1820. Card under convex glass. Brown right eye. Purchased from Rowan and Rowan, London. Dimensions: 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 x 1/4 inches.
