A Böttger porcelain Hausmaler coffee pot and cover, the porcelain circa 1713-15. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 GBP (20,921 - 27,894 EUR). Photo Sotheby's.

modelled by Johann Jacob Irminger, the baluster body applied at the base with acanthus leaves picked out in gilding, probably painted in Augsburg by Bartholomäus Seuter, with a bird in branches observing a spider hanging from its web surrounded by scattered insects, the reverse painted with a large spray of tied flowers and insects below a moulded tasselled border, the circular foot moulded with gadroons enriched in gilding, Quantité: 2 - 22.8cm., 9 in. high

Provenance: The collection of the late Michael Moseley, Esq., Sotheby's London, 16th July 1946, lot 103;
Acquired from that sale by Delomosne;
Christie's Geneva, 13th May 1985, lot 172

Bibliography: Ulrich Pietsch, Preziosen, einer süddeutschen Kunstsammlung, 2001, p. 57

Notes: A second coffee pot of this form with similar decoration also from the collection of the late Michael Moseley was sold in the same sale at Sotheby's London, 16th July 1946, lot 102, subsequently sold Sotheby's London, 21 October 1980, lot 115; a third coffee pot decorated in this manner, with applied acanthus leaves at the foot is in the Museum of North Bohemia, Liberec, published by Gustav E. Pazaurek, Deutsche Fayence und Porzellan Hausmaler, Vol. 2, 1925, p. 262, pl. 226.

Variations of Irminger's basic form were achieved by different applied ornaments, handle forms and relief decoration; two examples without enamel decoration which illustrate these subtle differences are in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Porzellansammlung, Inventar-Nr. P.E.2825 and 2826, published by Ulrich Pietsch / Claudia Banz, Triumph der blauen Schwerter, 2010, cat. no. 23.

The small group of wares with this finely-pencilled enamelling has also been attributed to Bayreuth and to Holland in the past; certainly a German rather than a Dutch origin seems more likely.

Sotheby's. A Tale of Two Cities: Venice and Dresden Two Private Collections, Londres, 09 juin 2015, 10:30 AM

A fine and rare doucai 'Chicken' cup, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue in a double square and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate HK$8,000,000 - HK$10,000,000 ($1,100,000 - $1,300,000). Price Realized HK$9,040,000 ($1,170,725). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The cup is finely potted in imitation to its Ming prototype with gently flared sides, well-rendered around the exterior in soft translucent enamels and underglaze-blue tones to depict two cockerel-and-hen groups, each group observing their chicks foraging for food, divided on one side by iron-red roses growing from ornamental rocks, and the other by bamboo and lily, all between underglaze-blue double lines at the rim and a single line above the footless base. The reign mark is inscribed within the countersunk base. 3 1/8 in. (8 cm.) diam. 

Provenance:Sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 April 2002, lot 562
Sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 May 2005, lot 608

Homage to the Antique and Celebration of the New - A Yongzheng 'chicken cup'

Rosemary Scott, International Academic Director Asian Art

The current Yongzheng doucai 'chicken' cup reflects the fervent admiration of the 18th century court for the doucai'chicken' cups of the Chenghua reign (1465-1487), and the Yongzheng ceramic artist has been at pains to reproduce all aspects of the 15th century pieces with one exception, where new technology allowed the enamel painter to include an additional decorative flourish. 

Chenghua 'chicken cups' were regarded by later generations as exceptionally desirable 'antiques', and down the centuries doucai chicken cups were consistently the most admired Chenghua porcelains. Indeed admiration for them was expressed relatively soon after the date of their manufacture. In a late Ming-early Qing publication - the Rong Cha Li Shuo by Cheng Zhe, the author lists prized wares from the past, and also notes that the most expensive and most attractive porcelains are the Chenghua 'chicken cups'. Cheng Zhe also states that during the Wanli reign (1573-1620) the emperor liked to use such vessels, and that a pair of these Chenghua cups was already worth 10,000 cash (see Ts'ai Ho-pi, 'Chenghua Porcelain in Historical Context', The Emperor's broken china - Reconstructing Chenghua porcelain, London, 1995, p. 17). In his Biji, Shen Defu (1578-1642) noted that 'In ceramics the dearest are those of the Chenghua reign, then those from the Xuande reign. A cup used to count only several ounces [of silver], when I was a child I did not think of them as valuable treasures. A pair of Chenghua wine cups now fetches 100 ounces [of silver], and a Xuande incense burner almost as much.' (translated by Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things - Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern China, Polity Press, Cambridge, 1991, p. 136-7). 

The theme of the decoration on this cup - rooster, hen and chickens had already found imperial favour in the Xuande reign (1426-35), and the National Palace Museum has in its collection a Xuande painting of this subject, bearing both the Xuande Emperor's seal and an inscription from his brush (Illustrated by Ts'ai Ho-pi, 'Chenghua Porcelain in Historical Context', The Emperor's broken china - Reconstructing Chenghua porcelain, op. cit., p. 22, fig. 2). The attitude of the Chenghua Emperor to this theme is made very plain in the colophon written by him in 1486 on an anonymous Song dynasty painting of a hen and her chicks, which is also preserved in the collection of the National Palace Museum (illustrated ibid. p. 22, fig. 1). The Emperor praises the hen for guarding her chickens, responding to their cries, nourishing them, and defending them. It is likely that the nurturing aspect of this decorative scheme particularly appealed to the Chenghua Emperor, as it appear to have done to both the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors. In the case of the Yongzheng Emperor, it is probable that this exceptionally conscientious ruler was inclined to draw a parallel between the care of the hen for her chicks and his own care for the welfare of his subjects and the Empire as a whole. The way in which the fowl on both the Chenghua and Yongzheng 'chicken cups' are drawn is both lively and natural, showing the birds in a family unit with the rooster and hen watching the chickens run around and peck at their food. 

fig. 1

Very precise imperial copies of Chenghua 'chicken cups' had also been made in the reign of the Yongzheng emperor's father, the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722). A Chenghua 'chicken cup' and one from the Kangxi reign are in the collection of Sir Percival David (Illustrated by Rosemary Scott in Imperial Taste - Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, Los Angeles and San Francisco, 1989, p. 73, no. 42 and p. 75, no. 44), and interesting comparisons may be made between the Chenghua, Kangxi and the Yongzheng 'chicken cups'. The David Chenghua and Kangxi cups are of similar size to the current Yongzheng cup, and all depict hen, rooster and chicks beside rocks, roses, palm or bamboo, and daylilies. All bear six-character underglaze blue marks within double squares. The layout of the design on the Chenghua and Kangxi cups is virtually identical, and there is a known version of doucai 'chicken cups' from the Yongzheng reign which is also extremely similar to this layout. One such cup was sold by Christie's Hong Kong on 27 May 2008, lot 1587, while the current cup belongs to a small group of Yongzheng vessels which include a slight variation. 

All the Kangxi, and Yongzheng 'chicken cups' mentioned above were made with extreme care to emulate the soft blue, soft glaze and delicate enamels of the Chenghua originals, however the current Yongzheng cup adds one new element to the design. Close examination of Chenghua doucai 'chicken cups' provides a reminder of a missing enamel colour within the 15th century enamel palette - black enamel. Although the tails of the roosters on Chenghua 'chicken cups' look black at a distance, the colour is in fact created using underglaze blue covered with khaki-coloured enamel derived from iron. There was considerable difficulty in this period in producing a black enamel that was glossy and that did not rub off too easily - a problem that was not completely solved until the 18th century. In the case of the Kangxi 'chicken cups' the tails are painted in black enamel, but this enamel was neither glossy nor very stable and so had to be covered in a clear pale green or purple enamel in order to prevent it being rubbed off and to give it depth and gloss. It was not until the Yongzheng reign that a true glossy black enamel was developed - allowing the porcelain decorators to apply the colour in calligraphic styles - both for calligraphy itself, and in the painting of trees, rocks and the tails of roosters. In an apparent celebration of this new enamel, and the freedom it gave to the ceramic artists, the tails of the roosters on the current 'chicken cup' have been redesigned to emphasise the richness, fluency and movement of the birds' natural feathers. In order to do this the stance of one rooster was altered in order to present a fan-like shape to its tail. 

It is significant that these Kangxi and Yongzheng 'chicken cups' adopt not only the general style of the Chenghua decoration, but also the style of the Chenghua reign marks. While some Qing dynasty 'chicken cups' were undoubtedly made with the dishonest intention to satisfy the burgeoning antiques trade in these wares, and bear spurious Chenghua marks, those described above do not. They bear the correct Qing dynasty reign names rather than adopting the Chenghua name. This makes it clear that these 'chicken cups' were not made as copies with any intention to deceive, but were commissioned as homage to the porcelains of the earlier reign. Not only the collection of antiques, but the commissioning of pieces in archaistic style was a major feature of the arts of all three of the great Qing emperors. The famous ceramicist Tang Ying, who was appointed from the Imperial household staff to take the role of resident assistant at Jingdezhen in 1728, became famous for his exemplary copies of ancient wares, which were praised as being of similarly high quality as the original wares, and it is tempting to see his influence in the production of cups such as the current example. 

Since Song times, archaism has played an important part in shaping the Chinese arts. A leading scholar has noted that: 'Interaction with the past is one of the distinctive modes of intellectual and imaginative endeavour in traditional Chinese culture (Craig Clunas, Superfluous Things Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern China, Polity Press, Cambridge, 1991, p. 91, n. 91; Murck, 1976, p. xi). Indeed as early as the Confucian Analects it was stated that: 'A man who can gain new insights through re-studying what has already been learned may serve as a teacher.'(Wei Zheng, Analects of Confucius, Book II). The new insights in enamel technology applied to knowledge through study of antique Chenghua porcelains have, in the case of the current Yongzheng 'chicken cup', produced a porcelain vessel of exceptional beauty. 

Notes: Compare with three Yongzheng-marked cups sold at auction: the first is a pair sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2014, lot 3109; and a single doucai cup was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1587. 

CHRISTIE'S. THE IMPERIAL SALE & IMPORTANT CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 3 June 2015, Convention Hall

A fine and very rare doucai and famille rose 'Nine peaches' dish, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate HK$2,000,000 - HK$3,000,000 ($260,000 - $390,000). Price Realized HK$2,680,000 ($347,073). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The dish is finely painted to the interior with a central medallion enclosing a peach tree bearing nine ripe friut highlighted in delicate shades of pink and green, beside rocks and lingzhi. The reverse is decorated with eight cranes in flight, each in a different position, their crests picked out in iron red. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm.) diam. 

Provenance: Sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, 27 October 2003, lot 657 

Notes: Peaches have traditionally been associated with Daoism and longevity. In mythology, the goddess Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the Western Paradise, owned a vast peach orchard, and it was said that anyone who ate the fruit would become immortal. As such, peaches are considered sacred and auspicious, and when used as a decorative motif, convey wishes for longevity and good fortune. Vessels decorated with luxuriant peach branches were very popular in the Qing dynasty, and might have been commissioned as birthday gifts or as a form of commemoration for an imperial birthday.

Compare to two other dishes of this pattern and palette are known. One was included in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., exhibition, Joined Colors, Ceramics from Collectors in the Min Chiu Society, Hong Kong, 1993, no. 61, and subsequently sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 April 1997, lot 58; another was in the Goldschmidt Collection, and later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 13 November 1990, lot 36.

Compare also a Yongzheng-marked blue and white dish of this pattern in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection number guci-008899. 

CHRISTIE'S. THE IMPERIAL SALE & IMPORTANT CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 3 June 2015, Convention Hall

A fine pair of famille verte 'Dragon and Pheonix' bowls, Kangxi six-character marks in underglaze blue within double circles and of the period (1662-1722). Estimate HK$800,000 - HK$1,500,000 ($110,000 - $190,000). Price Realized HK$1,960,000 ($253,830). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

Each bowl is finely decorated to the exterior with two five-clawed dragons chasing flaming pearls separated by two stylised phoenix, all surounded by various floral sprays, below a band of The Eight Buddhist Emblems, Bajixiang. The interiors are decorated with a central roundel enclosing a further dragon in the upright position. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm) diam. (2)

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16 May 1989, lot 334 (one)
Sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 April 1998, lot 822  

CHRISTIE'S. THE IMPERIAL SALE & IMPORTANT CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 3 June 2015, Convention Hall

A doucai conical 'Dragon' bowl and cover, Yongzheng six-character marks in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1723-1735).  Estimate HK$400,000 - HK$600,000 ($52,000 - $77,000). Price Realized HK$1,000,000 ($129,505). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The conical bowl and domed cover are similarly decorated in a rich doucai palette with two writhing five-clawed dragons chasing flaming pearls amidst multi-coloured stylised clouds and flames, above a band of swirling waves. 8 1/4 in. (20.9 cm.) diam. 

Provenance: A Montreal private collection, acquired in the early 1980s

CHRISTIE'S. THE IMPERIAL SALE & IMPORTANT CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 3 June 2015, Convention Hall

A fine and extremely rare wucai 'Dragon and Phoenix' bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate HK$3,000,000 - HK$5,000,000 ($390,000 - $650,000). Price Realized HK$7,240,000 ($937,616). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The bowl is enamelled on the exterior with two dragons amidst flower sprays chasing flaming pearls divided by two descending phoenixes below a narrow band of alternating double-fish and chimes interspersed with Shou characters at the mouth. The interior is decorated with a dragon chasing a flaming pearl amidst flame scrolls. 5 7/8 in. (15 cm.) diam., box 

Provenance: The Paul and Helen Bernat Collection of Important Qing
Imperial Porcelain and Works of Art, sold at Sothebys Hong Kong, 15 November 1988, lot 28
Sold at Sothebys Hong Kong, 26 October 1993, lot 139
Marchant, London
European private collection 

Exhibited: London, Important Chinese Porcelain from Private Collections,
Marchant, 2012, p. 67, no. 27 

Notes: Yongzheng-marked bowls of this design are extremely rare. Compare to a similar Yongzheng-marked example gifted by the B.Y. Lam Foundation to the Art Gallery, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, illustrated in Qing Imperial Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995, no. 53.
The Art Gallery bowl is designed with a different type of floral bloom to the present bowl as well as ruyi-heads within the bajixiang band below the mouth rim. The current bowl has be-ribboned Shou medallions within a band under the mouth rim. Another Yongzheng-marked bowl of this pattern but with more pronounced tapering sides, from the same Bernat Collection, was sold at Sothebys Hong Kong, 15 November 1988, lot 27. 

CHRISTIE'S. THE IMPERIAL SALE & IMPORTANT CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 3 June 2015, Convention Hall

A fine famille rose wall vase, Qianlong four-character seal mark in iron red in a line and of the period (1736-1795). Estimate HK$800,000 - HK$1,200,000 ($110,000 - $150,000). Price Realized HK$3,160,000 ($409,236). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The vase is decorated to the body with a central cartouche enclosing several leafy flowering chrysanthemum and aster stems, surrounded by elaborate brightly-enamelled lotus scrolls to the sides and neck. The neck is applied with two archaistic stylised dragon handles. The flat reverse is enamelled in iron red with delicate floral designs and is pierced with four small circular apertures and a square fitting for hanging. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm.) high 

CHRISTIE'S. THE IMPERIAL SALE & IMPORTANT CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 3 June 2015, Convention Hall

A gilt-decorated blue-ground famille rose square-section 'Landscape' vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark in iron red within a square and of the period (1736-1795). Estimate HK$1,800,000 - HK$2,500,000 ($240,000 - $320,000). Price Realized HK$3,880,000 ($502,479). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

he vase is painted to each side with a panel depicting mountainous landscapes, each of a different season, all reserved on a dark blue ground decorated with gilt scrolling borders and elaborate lotus scrolls to the neck. The base is enamelled turquoise. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm.) high 

CHRISTIE'S. THE IMPERIAL SALE & IMPORTANT CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 3 June 2015, Convention Hall

Michael Thompson, Carmen as Zurbarán´s Santa Isabel, 2000.

MADRID - Opening on 30 June, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is presenting the exhibition on photography Vogue like a painting. It features around seventy images inspired by paintings, selected from the archives of the magazine Vogue and taken by some of the leading names in photography of the past three decades.

Tim Walker, The dress lamp tree, 2004.

The photographs in the exhibition have been selected on the basis of their essentially pictorial qualities. Some make use of sculptural relief, while in others the light acquires a painterly quality. There are examples of photographs inspired by the Renaissance and Rococo, while perhaps the finest look to the Pre-Raphaelites. Many of the selected photographs bring to mind specific paintings and artists including Vermeer, Hopper, Millais, Balthus, Van Eyck, Botticelli, Zurbarán, Degas, Sargent, Dalí, Hogarth, Rossetti and Magritte. 

Grant Cornett, Untitled, 2014.

Some photographs imitate specific genres, for example British 18th-century group portraits, which are symbolically narrative, or women en deshabillé. Others illustrate the exhibition’s principal theme in a literal manner through the presence of models whose bodies are painted or by reproducing pictorial textures, as with Nick Knight’s hand-produced prints. There are also direct references to iconic works in the history of art such as Erwin Blumenfeld’s Girl with the pearl Earring, which is a version of Vermeer’s celebrated painting of that title, Grant Cornett’s still lifes and Pieter Lindbergh’s shots, the latter inspired by paintings by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Paul Gauguin. As the curator of the exhibition Debra Smith notes, the guiding thread is a type of slowing down: “an a-temporality in the pose of the models: a kind of mental time lapse in which everything is very, very still.” 

Peter Lindbergh, One Enchanted Evening, 2012.

The exhibition is structured around the principal pictorial genres, including portraiture, landscapes and interiors, with the result that the influence of painting on photography becomes particularly clear. 

Visitors will be seduced by Irving Penn, master of pure lines and of the exquisite; Annie Leibovitz, an icon herself and the official portraitist of icons; Peter Lindbergh, a veteran of dramatic images in black and white; Paolo Roversi, portraitist of purity; Mario Testino, the master of light; Tim Walker’s theatricality and compelling power of Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott; Patrick Demarchelier, a classic figure and one always in demand; Steven Klein with his cinematographic vision of fashion photography; Sheila Metzner’s colours and spontaneity; Nick Knight with his all-powerful images; the startling magic of David Sims and Deborah Turbeville, a woman who has captured other women’s souls; the intriguing spirit of Camilla Akrans; the magnetism of Glen Luchtford; Michael Thompson, photographer of the soul; Erwin Olaf and his contemporary gaze; Erwin Blumenfeld, a visionary and creator of Vogue’s most iconic front covers; Mariano Vivanco with his warmth and energy; William Klein, photographer of the emotions; Yelena Yemchuk with her delicate, modern vision; Cecil Beaton’s perfect technique; Edward Steichen and his perfect balance of mystery and beauty; the delicacy of Clifford Coffin; the ground-breaking vision of Horst P. Horst; and David Seidner with his simultaneously traditional and modern spirit. 

Clifford Coffin, Untitled, 1954.

Yolanda Sacristán, editor-in-chief of Spanish Vogue, explains that: “Vogue was the forerunner of fashion photography when, in the 1920s, it began to replace illustrated front covers with photographic images by artists as revolutionary as Edward Steichen, who had been experimenting with fashion photography since 1911. It was he, together with other great Vogue photographers – principally Cecil Beaton, Horst P. Horst and Irving Penn – who transformed the genre into an exceptional art form, paving the way for modern photography.” 

Camilla Akrans, A single woman, 2010.

The exhibition is benefiting from the sponsorship and support of the prestigious jewellers Bulgari, again reflecting the close connection and passion for art and culture that has characterised this firm over the course of its 130 years of existence. Founded in Rome in 1884, Bulgari is a symbol of Italian excellence. Masters in the use of coloured gems, the firm of Bulgari is characterised by its stylistic daring, sensual volumes, love of line and Greco-Roman inspiration. All the firm’s creations, be they jewels, watches, accessories or perfumes, embody timeless and contemporary Italian luxury.

Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, 30 June to 12 October 2015

Paolo Roversi, Stella, Paris, 1999.

Clifford Coffin, Untitled, 1949.

Sheila Metzner, Uma Potou, 1986.

Importante coupe libatoire en corne de rhinocéros sculptée, Chine, dynastie Qing, fin du XVIIe-début du XVIIIe siècle. Estimation: 60 000 € / 80 000 €. Photo courtesy Artcurial

La coupe évasée, sculptée sur les parois extérieures, de maisons, fortifications, et pavillons dans un paysage montagneux traversé par une rivière sur laquelle navigue une grande barque, nombre de personnages et cavaliers figurés à leurs diverses occupations, un arbre, des rochers et des pins aux branches noueuses formant l'anse et revenant vers l'intérieur de la coupe ; restauration ancienne sur un côté de la coupe, quelques petits manques et la base descellée et recollée. H. : 16,5 cm (6 ½ in.) - L. : 16,9 cm (6 ¾ in.) - Poids : 422 gr.

La plupart des coupes sculptées de paysages et personnages sont inspirées de légendes ou de peintures célèbres. Cette coupe, d'une taille exceptionnelle, et particulièrement bien détaillée, vient certainement d'une de ces peintures. 

Des objets similaires sont illustrés dans l'ouvrage de Thomas Fok : Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, pl. 147 et pl. 164. Une coupe très proche datée du début de l'époque Qing, XVIIème siècle, est publiée dans The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, pl. 145, p.167.  

Conformément à la législation en vigueur, aucun document d'exportation ou permis CITES ne sera délivré pour ce lot. 

AN IMPORTANT CARVED RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP, CHINA, QING DYNASTY, LATE 17th CENTURY-EARLY 18th CENTURY 

Most of the cups with landscape and figure motif derive their themes from legends or famous paintings. This cup, exceptionally large size and well detailed, is certainly inspired by one of these paintings. 

Similar pieces are illustrated in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, pl. 147 and pl. 164. A very similar example, dated early Qing dynasty, 17th century, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, pl. 145, p.167.  

According to regulations in force, no export documents or CITES certificate will be delivered for this lot. 

ARTCURIAL - BRIEST-POULAIN-F.TAJAN, Art d'Asie, le 08 Juin 2015 à 14h00

Grande coupe libatoire en corne de rhinocéros sculptée, Chine, dynastie Qing, fin du XVIIe siècle. Estimation : 40 000 € / 60 000 €. Photo courtesy Artcurial

La coupe évasée, sculptée sur les parois extérieures, d'arbres émergeants de rochers encadrant une cascade et un torrent, un grand pin aux branches noueuses formant l'anse et revenant vers l'intérieur de la coupe ; deux fentes verticales dues à l'âge sur les côtés. H. : 11,5 cm (4 ½ in.) - L. : 18,5 cm (7 ¼ in.) - Poids : 444 gr. 

Pour des coupes libatoires similaires, voir l'ouvrage de Thomas Fok : Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, pl. 131 et pl. 143. 

Conformément à la législation en vigueur, aucun document d'exportation ou permis CITES ne sera délivré pour ce lot. 

A LARGE CARVED RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP, CHINA, QING DYNASTY, LATE 17th CENTURY 

For similar libation cups, see Thomas Fok : Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, pl. 131 et pl. 143. 

According to regulations in force, no export documents or CITES certificate will be delivered for this lot. 

ARTCURIAL - BRIEST-POULAIN-F.TAJAN, Art d'Asie, le 08 Juin 2015 à 14h00

Grand bol en grès à glaçure noire tachée de brun, Chine, dynastie Song, XIIe siècle. Estimation : 6 000 € / 8 000 €. Photo courtesy Artcurial

De forme hémisphérique, reposant sur un petit pied, l'intérieur et l'extérieur recouverts d'une belle glaçure noire et parsemée de petites taches brunes. D. : 18,5 cm (7 ¼ in.) 

A FINE LARGE 'OIL SPOT' BOWL, CHINA, SONG DYNASTY, 12th CENTURY 

ARTCURIAL - BRIEST-POULAIN-F.TAJAN, Art d'Asie, le 08 Juin 2015 à 14h00

Grand vase en porcelaine bleu blanc, Chine, dynastie Ming, XVIe siècle. Estimation :4 000 € / 6 000 €. Photo courtesy Artcurial

La panse ovoïde, décoré de sept sages dans une forêt de bambou (Zhu Lin Qi Xian), l'épaulement orné de cartouches de fruits sur fond géométrique, la base, de pétales stylisés. H. : 41,5 cm (16 ¼ in.) 

A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE VASE, CHINA, MING DYNASTY, 16th CENTURY

ARTCURIAL - BRIEST-POULAIN-F.TAJAN, Art d'Asie, le 08 Juin 2015 à 14h00

Grand plat en porcelaine à fond jaune et décor de dragons aubergine et vert, Chine, dynastie Qing, marque et époque Kangxi (1662-1722). Estimation :6 000 € / 8 000 €. Photo courtesy Artcurial

Circulaire, reposant sur un petit pied, la bordure arrondie, décoré, sur fond jaune, au centre, de deux dragons vert et aubergine poursuivant la perle sacrée au milieu de nuages et flammèches, l'aile ornée de bouquets de pivoines, lotus, prunus, chrysanthèmes, camélias, pommiers et roses, le revers, émaillé de quatre dragons, la base blanche portant la marque à six caractères de l'empereur Kangxi ; cassé et restauré . D. : 35,3 cm (14 in.) 

Bibliographie : Un plat similaire est publié dans l'ouvrage d'Hobson, The George Eumorfopoulos Collection, Catalogue of Chinese Ceramics and Persion Pottery and Porcelain, vol. V, 1927, pl. XXXVIII, no. E199 ; un autre plat identique a été vendu à Christie's New York, 20-21 mars 2014, lot 2177 

A LARGE YELLOW GROUND, GREEN AND AUBERGINE-GLAZED 'DRAGON' DISH, CHINA, QING DYNASTY, KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD (1662-1722) 

A similar dish is illustrated in Hobson, The George Eumorfopoulos Collection, Catalogue of Chinese Ceramics and Persion Pottery and Porcelain, vol. V, 1927, pl. XXXVIII, no. E199 ; another dish was sold at Christie's New York, 20-21 March 2014, lot 2177  

ARTCURIAL - BRIEST-POULAIN-F.TAJAN, Art d'Asie, le 08 Juin 2015 à 14h00

Bol en porcelaine bleu blanc à fond jaune, Chine, marque et époque Kangxi (1662-1722). Estimation :4 000 € / 6 000 €. Photo courtesy Artcurial

La bordure évasée, reposant sur un petit pied, l'extérieur à décor de deux dragons et des caractères fu (bonheur) et shou (longévité) sur fond de nuages et flammes, la base orné d'une frise de pétales de lotus, l'intérieur décoré au centre d'un dragon à cinq griffes, marque à six caractères Kangxi à la base ; fêles. H. : 6 cm (2 ¼ in.) - D. : 13,2 cm (5 ¼ in.) 

A BLUE AND WHITE YELLOW GROUND PORCELAIN BOWL, CHINA, KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD (1662-1722) 

ARTCURIAL - BRIEST-POULAIN-F.TAJAN, Art d'Asie, le 08 Juin 2015 à 14h00

Aiguière en porcelaine bleu blanc, zhihu Dynastie Ming, époque Yongle. Estimation 60,000 — 80,000 €. Photo Sotheby's

l'élégante panse piriforme au col cintré se prolongeant vers des bords évasés, flanquée d'un fin bec verseur arqué relié au col par une traverse aux contours mouvementés et d'une grande anse galbée surmontée d'un petit anneau se terminant en pointe agrémentée de trois petits boutons, vivement peint des deux côtés en bleu de cobalt profond d'une large pivoine épanouie entourée de feuillage, sous une bande continue de lingzhidans des rinceaux, l'anse décorée de lotus et le bec peint de chrysanthèmes, accidents et restaurations. 27,9 cm; 11 in.

ANCIENNE COLLECTION ARTISTOCRATIQUE FRANÇAISE 

A VERY RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'PEONY' EWER, ZHIHU, MING DYNASTY, YONGLE PERIOD

Provenance: Acquired in Constantinople by the French Ambassador François de Fumel under the reign of Henri II.
Thence by descent in the family.

Notes: Ewers of this form which originally had a matching cover, are considered among the classic porcelains of the Yongle period when ewer styles of the Hongwu reign (AD 1368-98) and the earlier Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279-1368) were developed and improved. Several examples recovered from the Yongle stratum of the Ming imperial kiln sites at Jingdezhen and included in the exhibition Jingdezhen chutu Ming Xuande guanyao ciqi, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1998, cat. nos. 57-59, illustrate the popularity of this form.

Ewers of this form were produced with many different flower or fruit designs. The present design with its lush peony blooms is, however, very rare. Only three other ewers of this pattern appear to have been recorded, two of them preserved incomplete: one ewer in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, with the bridge to the spout and the loop on the handle missing, is illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, ed. John Ayers, London, 1968, vol. II, no. 619; the second ewer missing part of its spout, from the Ardabil Shrine and now in the National Museum of Iran, Tehran, is published in T. Misugi, Chinese Porcelain Collections in the Near East: Topkapi and Ardebil, Hong Kong, 1981, vol. III, pl. A80; the only ewer of this design in good condition from the Meiyintang Collection, was sold in Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4th April 2012, lot 38. 

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie. Paris, 10 juin 2015, 10:30 AM

Importante vasque en porcelaine bleu blanc, Marque et époque Jiajing.  Estimation 40,000 — 60,000 €. Photo Sotheby's

es côtés arrondis peints d'un bleu cobalt profond de carpes et perches nageant sereinement parmi des algues ondoyantes et des petits îlots de fleurs de lotus, marque à six caractères en bleu sous couverte inscrite le long du bord, socle en bois (2). Diam. 73,5 cm; 28 7/8  in

A MASSIVE BLUE AND WHITE FISHBOWL, JIAJING MARK AND PERIOD

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie. Paris, 10 juin 2015, 10:30 AM

Vase en porcelaine bleu blanc Dynastie Ming, époque Wanli. Estimation 8,000 — 10,000 €. Photo Sotheby's

a panse piriforme peinte d'un bleu vibrant de grues parmi les nuages et huit trigrammes, le col cintré se terminant en bulbe rappelant une tête d'ail; 30,8 cm; 12 1/8  in.

AN UNUSUAL GARLIC-HEAD VASE, MING DYNASTY, WANLI PERIOD

Note: Compare a vase similar in shape and decorated with a continuous lotus scroll, sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 20th November 1984, lot 329.

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie. Paris, 10 juin 2015, 10:30 AM

Vase en porcelaine bleu blanc XVIIe siècle. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000 €. Photo Sotheby's

le corps tubulaire s'élargissant légèrement à l'épaulement sous un col étranglé aux bords évasés, la panse peinte de personnages parmi des rochers sur fond de montagnes, le col rehaussé de deux gerbes de lotus - 46 cm; 18 1/8  in.

A FINE BLUE AND WHITE SLEEVE VASE, 17TH CENTURY

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie. Paris, 10 juin 2015, 10:30 AM

Coupe en porcelaine à glaçure jaune, Marque et époque Zhengde. Estimation 5,000 — 7,000 €. Photo Sotheby's

reposant sur un court pied rétréci, entièrement recouverte d'une glaçure jaune brillante, marque à six caractères dans un double-cercle en bleu sous couverte à la base. Diam. 20,9 cm; 8 1/4  in.

A YELLOW-GLAZED DISH, ZHENGDE MARK AND PERIOD

 Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie. Paris, 10 juin 2015, 10:30 AM