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Garnets

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All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The species names are pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular, uvarovite and andradite.

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Malaia Garnet is one of the most beautiful gemstones in Africa, featuring orange to pinkish orange to red in color which do not match the color and gemological properties of any of the other more well known varieties of garnet. The only commercial deposits of Malaya occur in the Umba Valley in Kenya, in Northern Tanzania and in South Madagascar near Bekily.

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Spessartite is a rare form of garnet and often referred to as "Mandarin Garnet". The stone was introduced to the world about 200 years ago when it was discovered in in Spessart, Bavaria.

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When Andradite (garnet) is green, it is known as Demantoid but when it is brownish, or golden yellow it is referred to as Topazolite, like this untreated Topazolite round weighing 0.510 cts from Korkodino, Ural, Russia.

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Mandarin Garnet is the trade name for Fanta colored spessartites as pictured. The Fanta color is considered to be the finest color for spessartite and the designation is relatively new dating from the discovery of pure orange material in Namibia around 1993. After that, some fine stones were unearthed in Nigeria and later some were also discovered on the Kenya-Tanzania border although few were clean.

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Juicy candies - two glowing spessartite garnets. This beautiful color is due to manganese element, which produces an orange color. Spessartite garnet is ideochromatic, meaning it is colored by a fundamental element in its composition. 

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Spessartite garnet, also known as Mandarin garnet, is ideochromatic, meaning it is colored by a fundamental element in its composition. That element is manganese, which produces an orange color. Without the manganese, the stone would no longer be spessartite. Technically, spessartite was originally identified some 200 years ago in Spessart, Bavaria. 

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Exceptional Gem Rhodolite Garnet East Africa This color of garnet derives its name from rhododendron colored garnets first discovered in North Carolina in the late 1800s. Though the present gem is from more recent discoveries in Tanzania, rhodolite garnets also occur in India and Sri Lanka. The rich reddish purple hue of this cushion-shaped gem places it into the most desirable category of garnets. Both its transparency and luster are excellent. 

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Purple rhodolite garnet heart and rough. Rhodolite is a purplish red variety of garnet that has been used since ancient times. The name rhodolite is Greek, meaning rose stone. During the Middle Ages, garnet was regarded as a gem of faith, truth and constancy. Purple or purple-red is the most expensive and sought after color for rhodolite and large clean transparent stones are uncommon and valuable. 

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Helianthos Garnet, color change garnet from Tanzania, 4.3 carats. There are unique alluvial color change garnets coming from Tanga/Umba Region of Tanzania and this gem represents some of the best available. The color changes from pink with magenta/violet flashes indoors to a rich grape coloring in natural light. A dramatic stone. A literal translation of Helianthos means flower of the sun – an astounding gem strongly influenced by the very nature of light itself.

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Cognac color changing garnet from orangy yellow to medium light red-orange, origin is East Africa.

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Hessonite is a golden orange variety of grossular garnet and an important astrological gem in Vedic Astrology known as Gomedh. Also known as cinnamon stone or cinnamon garnet, is the most common variety of grossularite. The name comes from the Greek hesson, meaning inferior which is an allusion to the lower hardness and density compared to most other garnet species. 

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Often called the Rolls-Royce of greens at Cadillac prices, tsavorite a hundred times more rare than emerald. It is also cleaner, more brilliant and not oiled or treated in any way. Although Tsavorite is the name usually associated with the darker green garnet, there is no universally accepted standard that designates which shade of green qualifies a stone as tsavorite.

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Color Change Garnet is one of the most rare, interesting, and phenomenal of all gems. The color change can be intense and equal to the color change of top quality alexandrite. Color change garnets can easily be mistaken for alexandrite. Some of the best stones are from the deposit in Bekily, Southern Madagascar. Stones from this mine are well known for their strong alexandrite like color change.

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The family name Garnet comes from the Latin word "Garanatus", which means "seedlike" in reference to a pomegranate seed size and color. But to add more confusion, garnets usually called by their trade names that represent either very specific color, like Mandarin Garnet and Color Change Garnet, or place where garnet was discovered and mined, like Bohemian garnet, Tsavorite or Mozambique Garnet.

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Rhodolite tends to be lighter in color than most other kinds of red garnets and can be easily confused with rubies from Africa, because of the similarity in color. 

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Pyrope is a widely used gemstone with numerous alternative names and misnomers, had its peak popularity in 18th century when it was known as "Bohemian garnet". 

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Tsavorite is the name usually associated with the darker green garnets, but there is no universally accepted standard that designates which shade of green qualifies a gemmy garnet as Tsavorite. 

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Hessonite, also known as cinnamon stone or cinnamon garnet, is the most common variety of grossularite. The name comes from the Greek hesson, meaning inferior which is an allusion to the lower hardness and density compared to most other garnet species. 

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One of the rarer varieties within the garnet group, Mali Garnet typically yellowish green, brownish green, brown, or minty green. Mali name is based on the country where the stones are mined in West Africa. It was discovered in 1994 and Mali is still the only known source. 

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Malaia, sometimes Malaya, is name given to garnets orange to pinkish orange to red in color which do not match the color and gemological properties of any of the other more well known varieties of garnet. Indeed, the word malaia means "out of the family" or "outcast" in Swahili. 

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From a historical perspective, Demantoid is clearly the most important variety of the Andradite species. Demantoids from the Ural mountains of Russia were discovered in 1868. Possessing an unusual green color and a dispersion even greater than diamond, demantoid quickly became a treasured and expensive gemstone and was used by the famous Russian jeweler Faberge to create jewelry. 

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Color Change Garnet is one of the most rare, interesting, and phenomenal of all gems and the only example of blue garnet. In the past, gemological literature referred to garnet as occurring in every color but blue, but this is clearly not the case anymore and some Madagascan and Tanzanian color change garnets are indeed blue under the right light conditions. 

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Almandite, also known as Almandine or Oriental Garnet, is the most common, oldest and hardest of the red garnets.

 

 

 


Erotica: Sale at Auctionata celebrates human sexuality across a range of mediums

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Physique Pictorial Magazines, Spring 1957, issue & August 1963 issue. Volume 13 No. 1 issue signed by Tom of Finland with love to Andy Warhol in 1982. Spring 1957 signed by Warhol to Tom with a signature circa 1980. Starting price $ 1,200.00Photo Auctionata

BERLIN.- The online auction house Auctionata will present its first “Erotica” art sale on August 27, 2015 at 12 pm EDT. The provocative auction will be broadcast via livestream and celebrates human sexuality across a range of mediums. The sale will offer a selection of more than 100 erotic artworks, including photographs, paintings, drawings and sculptures. Ranging from merely suggestive to flamboyantly overt, the works explore themes of desire, repression, psychology, and sensuality within art. 

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Yiannis Nomikos, Erotica Mythical Skull, U.S.A., 1975. Starting price $ 1,500.00Photo Auctionata

One of the most remarkable objects in this sale is the sculpture ‘Santa Octopussy’ by the American performance and video artist Paul McCarthy (b. 1954). The 2004 work explores one of McCarthy’s best-known themes—revealing the dark side of modern-day fairy tales, in this case stripping away the kindly veneer of a beloved Christmas figure. Made of urethane, brass and epoxy, it has a starting price of $30,000. McCarthy is widely regarded as one of the most subversive and provocative contemporary artists, whose works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Tate Modern in London. 

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Paul McCarthy, ‘Santa Octopussy’, Sculpture, 2004. Starting price $ 30,000.00. Photo Auctionata

Also of note is the notorious 1978 portfolio “X” by Robert Mapplethorpe (1946 – 1989), complete with 13 gelatin silver prints featuring homoerotic and sadomasochistic themes. With a starting price of $18,000, this famous work is extremely rare and highly sought after. The auction includes numerous other highlights as well, such as a photograph of a reclining male nude from the German-American fashion photographer Horst P. Horst, a series of drawings by Tom of Finland, and a Keith Haring collage. 

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Robert Mapplethorpe, X Portfolio, 1978. Starting price $ 16,000.00. Photo Auctionata

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Horst P. Horst, 'Male Nude I, New York', Silver Print, 1952Starting price $ 3,000.00. Photo Auctionata

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Tom of Finland, Untitled, Pastel on Paper, 1979Starting price $ 4,000.00Photo Auctionata

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Tom of Finland,‘Untitled (Locker Room)’, Graphite, 1986. Starting price $ 8,000.00. Photo Auctionata

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Tom of Finland, ‘Untitled (Working Drawing)’, Pencil, 1974. Starting price $ 4,000.00Photo Auctionata

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Keith Haring, ‘Untitled’, Collage, 1989. Starting price $ 18,000.00Photo Auctionata

The auction is curated by inveterate New York-based gallerist and art consultant Kathleen Cullen, whose extensive experience includes exhibitions that detail subversive, explicit, or otherwise provocative subjects. As an active member of the New York contemporary art scene for over 30 years, she will offer valuable insights throughout the sale. The auction can be followed live on www.auctionata.com or via the Auctionata Live iPhone App.

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George Platt Lynes, ‘Christian William (Bill) Miller(detail), 1945. Starting price $ 1,600.00Photo Auctionata

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George Platt Lynes, ‘Embrace’ (detail), Gelatin Silver Print, 1953. Starting price $ 1,000.00Photo Auctionata

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George Platt Lynes, ‘Fred (Butch) Melton & Wilbur Pippin(detail), 1953. Starting price $ 1,000.00Photo Auctionata

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George Platt Lynes, ‘Richard Kroemer’ (detail), 1947/2010. Starting price $ 1,000.00Photo Auctionata

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George Platt Lynes, ‘Ralph McWilliams’ (detail), 1952/2010. Starting price $ 1,000.00Photo Auctionata

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Vincenzo Galdi, Untitled (Male Nude Reclining), c. 1900. Starting price $ 600.00Photo Auctionata

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Wilhelm von Gloeden, Untitled (Standing Nude) detail, c. 1908Starting price $ 600.00Photo Auctionata

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Wilhelm von Gloeden, Untitled, Gelatin Silver Print, c. 1900. Starting price $ 800.00Photo Auctionata

Pair of Cinnabar Lacquer Wine Cups, Relief Décor, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)

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Pair of Cinnabar Lacquer Wine Cups, Relief Décor, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)Starting price € 10,000.00. Photo Auctionata

Cinnabar red lacquer, silver mounting. Cup-shaped, deep wine cup on a narrow base rim with a sweeping mouth rim. The outer wall with a floral décor with litchi fruits and swastika ornaments in a multistage relief. Below revolving lotus leaves at the foot. The atmospheric background is implied by small, detailed geometric pattern with flowers. The upper and the lower rim with a meander border. Each feet as well as the interior with silver mounting

The lacquer cups are in good condition with only slight signs of age and wear. Each height is c. 5 cm and the diameter measures c. 10 cm.

A nearly identical pair of wine cups with very similar decoration can be found in the collection of the Linden Museum Stuttgart. Cf. Monika Kopplin (ed.), Im Zeichen des Drachen – Von der Schönheit chinesischer Drachen, Munich 2007, p. 144, cat.no. 63.

Chinese Carved Lacquer Art
The resin used in Chinese lacquer art is extracted from the sap of the lacquer tree, which turns into a brown color after extraction and hardens during a long drying process. The lacquer gets its typical color, usually red or black, through the addition of cinnabar, charcoal or sometimes iron sulfate. During the labor-intensive manufacturing process the lacquer is applied layer by layer onto a substrate, usually wood, in up to two hundred ultra-thin layers, so that the total layer can reach a thickness of more than one centimeter. The latter is then carved with a sharp knife. The result is raised, often several millimeters deep relief and a plastic-dimensional pattern. This carved lacquer can be found primarily on vases or boxes.

AuctionataAsian Treasures. Monday, Aug 24, 2015, 8 am EDT

Green Glazed Lidded Ceramic Bowl with Dragon Handle, China, Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)

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Green Glazed Lidded Ceramic Bowl with Dragon Handle, China, Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). Starting price € 400.00. Photo Auctionata

This lidded Chinese ceramic bowl is a true rarity from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and imitates in its shape and glaze a patinated bronze vessel. The vessel has a round base rim on which the bulbous body rises. On the side a handle in the shape of a dragon head can be seen. The dragon is an often encountered mythical creature in East Asia and a symbol of power and strength. The vessel can be closed by the matching, round lid. An ornament of grooves is visible on all sides of the wall. The body is glazed in green color and has a wonderful light green shimmer. 

The ceramic vessel is in good condition for its age with usual signs of wear as well as small chips all around and a restoration to the cover. Glaze abrasion and notches on the edges are visible. The width measures 19 cm and the height with lid is 8.5 cm.

Provenance: Private collection Belgium

AucitonataAsian Treasures. Monday, Aug 24, 2015, 8 am EDT

Landscape Bowl with Lushan Waterfall, Jiaqing Mark and Period (1796-1820)

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Landscape Bowl with Lushan Waterfall, Jiaqing Mark and Period  (1796-1820)Starting price € 20,000.00. Photo Auctionata

Porcelain with polychrome painting. Elegant bowl on a narrow foot rim. The outer wall with a finely painted, revolving landscape scene. Evocative representation of an ideal-typical mountain landscape with pagodas and temples. Inscribed on the reverse ‘Lushan waterfall’ (廬山 瀑布). In the centre a circular reserve with iron red painting of prunus, pine tree and finger citron (Buddha's hand). The edge inside with an iron red border with Ruyi ornaments. On the base the iron red six-character Jiaqing mark.

The bowl is in very good condition with hardly any signs of age and wear. The height measures 5.5 cm and the diameter 14.5 cm.

This exquisitely enameled bowl shows a detailed landscape representation. Depicted are the impressive waterfalls of Lushan (Lushan pubu), which are located near the Poyang lake under high blue-green mountains. In front of a precise crafted thatched hut, a pagoda and a temple building on the one side are visible. Opposing additional temple halls among pine trees in blue-green mountains and hikers, who climb the stone steps, can be found. The valuable bowl shows on its wall a remarkable dramatic composition by use of harmonious, polychrome enamel colors of the Famille Rose.

A set, which includes ten bowls with the depiction of famous scenic spots of the region around Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province is illustreated in the cataloge Chinese Ceramics, Tokyo, 1988-90, vol. 2, no. 672 as well as in the Weishaupt collection, illustrated in Gunhild Avitabile: Vom Schatz der Drachen. Chinesisches Porzellan des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts aus der Sammlung Weishaupt/From the dragon’s treasure. Chinese Porcelaine from the 19th and 20th centuries in the Weishaupt Collection, London 1987, no. 20.

LiteraturCf. Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London 1994-2010, Vol. 4, pp. 296ff, Nr. 1762ff. See also: Geng Baochang, Ming Qing Ciqi Jianding, Beijing 1993, p. 293.

AuctionataAsian Treasures. Monday, Aug 24, 2015, 8 am EDT

Famille Rose Blue-Ground Medallion Bowl, Daoguang Mark and Period (1862-1873)

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Famille Rose Blue-Ground Medallion Bowl, Daoguang Mark and Period (1862-1873)Starting price € 7,500.00. Photo Aucitonata

Porcelain with polychrome painting in the colors of the Famille Rose. Elegant medallion bowl on a narrow base rim. In the center a floral ornaments. The outer wall with lush floral tendrils on a lavender-blue ground, decorated in sgraffito technique. Four medallions with an idyllic landscape with figures and pavilions. Base with the six-character Daoguang mark.

The bowl is in good condition with only slight signs of age and wear. The height is 6.5 cm and the diameter measures 15 cm.

A similar piece can be found in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong 1999, no.215 and in the Weishaupt Collection, illustrated by Gunhild Avitabile, Vom Schatz der Drachen, London 1987, p.43, no.40.

LiteratureCf. J.J. Marquet de Vasselot und M.J. Ballot, Chinese Ceramics, Kang Hs'i period to our Days, Paris 1922, p. 49 and Rose Kerr, Chinese Ceramics: Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty, England 2000, no. 107.

Famille Rose 粉彩
The term Famille Rose describes a specific sort of Chinese porcelain from the 17th and 18th centuries. The name comes from the dominant pink and carmine color painting that is applied over the glaze. This type of porcelain is in China known as Yangcai 洋彩 ‘foreign color’. The painting of the Famille Rose used opaque enamel colors in contrast to the transparent colors of the Famille Verte.

AuctionataAsian Treasures. Monday, Aug 24, 2015, 8 am EDT

Doucai ‘Fruit’ Medallion Bowl with Flowers, China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)-Republic period

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Doucai‘Fruit’ Medallion Bowl with Flowers, China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)-Republic period. Starting price € 6,000.00. Photo Auctionata

Porcelain with polychrome painting. Bowl on a slightly recessed base with an outwardly sweeping mouth rim. The outer wall with medallions of flowers in dense longan foliages. In between pomegranates with sprigs and a border of peaches at the lower edge. The top rim with revolving double circles. Base with the six-character Qianlong apocryphal mark.

The bowl is in good condition with slight signs of age and wear. Manufacturing flaws are visible. The height is 7 cm and the diameter measures 16 cm. 

Doucai 斗彩
Doucai, which can be translated as ‘joined’ or ‘contrasting colors’, is a combination of underglaze cobalt blue contours with enamel colors, except blue, within the outline on the fired glaze. The blue color was applied as well as the contours under the glaze. This technique was invented in the early 15th century and perfected by the emperor Chenghua (1465-1487). In the 18th century, the technique was revived and the emperors of the Qing dynasty, such as Yongzheng and Qianlong followed Chenghua's passion for doucai objects and copied numerous pieces with the typical, sought-after pattern. 

AuctionataAsian Treasures. Monday, Aug 24, 2015, 8 am EDT

Iron red and Underglaze Blue ‘Dragon’ Dish, China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)-Republic period

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Iron red and Underglaze Blue ‘Dragon’ Dish, China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)-Republic periodStarting price € 5,000.00. Photo Auctionata

Porcelain with blue underglaze painting, accented with iron red and highlighted with gold. Elegant bowl on a flat foot rim. In the center a five clawed dragon in iron red with the golden magic pearl. Surrounded by small clouds among double circles. The outer wall also with revolving dragons with miracle pearls and cloud elements. Base with the six-character Qianlong apocryphal mark.

The bowl is in good condition with only slight signs of age and wear. The height is 3.5 cm and the diameter measures 17 cm. 

Dragon
The dragon is in East Asia one of most depicted mythical creatures with an ambivalent meaning. The oldest presentations come from the Neolithic period and show a snake-like creature. Since the Han dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) the five clawed dragon is the emblematic animal for the emperor. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279) the dragon is known as long and is a symbol of the spring, the water and the rain. It is associated with the active principle Yang and in connection with the phoenix (fenghuang), the tortoise (gui) and the Unicorn (qilin) the dragon is one of the ‘four wonders animals’ (siling). A dragon has magical powers, so it is said in the legends. The latter is extremely durable and has the gift of metamorphosis.

Blue and White Style
The blue white porcelain had its golden age in the Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), but it believed that this porcelain type was first made in the Tang Dynasty (618-906). Especially the proverbial ‘Ming vase’ characterizes mainly the European idea of the Chinese porcelain art. The blue color is caused by a mixture of cobalt oxide and water. The color has been painted onto the porcelain before glazing and firing. After that it is coated with a transparent glaze.

AuctionataAsian Treasures. Monday, Aug 24, 2015, 8 am EDT


WU Changshuo, Album with Ink Paintings and Calligraphy, 1920s

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Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), Album with Ink Paintings and Calligraphy, 1920sStarting price € 20,000.00. Photo Auctionata

Ink and color on paper. Ink paintings and calligraphy. The folding book with silk brocade cover contains 9 double pages in silk brocade frame. Each motif inscribed and shows artist’s seals. In the original silk brocade cover. Inside with gilt speckles.

The folding book is in very good condition with only a few signs of age and wear. The silk cover is slightly rubbed. The total size is 39 x 25.5 cm.

Provenance: Private collection, Netherlands

The double pages in order of the album are as follows:

1. ‘They have the best color, heavenly scent and unique pose. The time Guyu has arrived when they are blooming and it is already late spring. The rich and noble people regret that they missed the flowering season. By chance I have painted after the idea of Li Futang (artist name of Li Shan, Qing dynasty), the paint application has an ancient elegance and the technique is similar to works from the Song and the Yuan periode. This really is a fantastic item. After I finished writing, I have also looked at it, I think it is very elegant and I am very happy. Wu Changshuo from Anji’ (国色天香绝世姿,开当谷雨得春迟。 可怜富贵人争羡,未见名华结果时。 偶拟李复堂笔意,设色古逸,笔法直接宋元,真奇品也。 写毕自视尚赏冷隽可喜安吉吴昌硕。), artist’s seal ‘Cangshuo’ (仓硕)

2. ‘The dew in Chicheng is chanced into one or two drops. Spring Jidong Wu Changshuo from Anji’ (赤城露一点化为一二下 春 季冬安吉吴昌硕), artist’s seal ‘Kutie’ (苦铁) and ‘Guirenli-min’ (归仁里民)

3. ‘Last night the east wind came just right, it has blown a pale golden ribbon. (I want to) pick one to give away, the fragrant dew made the dress wet. Fou’ (昨夜东风巧,吹开金带围。折花欲以赠,香露沾罗衣。 缶), artist’s seal ‘Cangshuo’ (仓硕)

4. ‘The flowers and the falling dew are hanging like pearls and the brilliant blue leaves open up and embrace the spring breeze. Jidong Wu Changshuo from Anji’ (花垂明珠滴香露,叶张翠蓝团春风。 季冬安吉吴昌硕。), artist’S seal ‘Kutie’ (苦铁) and ‘Cangshuo’ (仓硕)

5. ‘Chrysanthemums under the wall, Wu Changshuo’(墙根菊花。吴昌硕。), artist’s seal ‘Cangshuo’ (仓硕) and ‘Shirenzi-shi’ (the room of the cairn) (石人子室)

6. ‘This vegetable is a typical home cooking. I miss my home, when I paint. After Zhang Beiping’ (三冬此味是家常,写到琼芽忆故乡。拟张北平季冬老否), ‘Jidong Laofou’ ( 季冬老否。), artist’s seal ‘Cangshuo’ (仓硕), ‘Shirenzi-shi’ (the room of the cairn) (石人子室) and ‘Guirenli-min’ (归仁里民)

7. ‘Clear air between heaven and earth Jidong Wu Changshuo from Anji’ (乾坤清气。 季冬安吉吴昌硕。), artist’s seal ‘Kutie’ (苦铁), ‘Cangshizi’ (苍石子) and ‘Congratulations and Health’ (美意延年)

8. ‘The old osmanthus) tree on the moon Jidong Wu Changshuo from Anji’ (月中老桂 季冬安吉吴昌硕), artist’s seal ‘Kutie’ (苦铁), ‘Cangshizi’ (苍石子) and ‘Congratulations and Health’ (美意延年

9. ‘After the model Changshuo’ (依样 昌硕), artist’s seal ‘Cangshuo’ (仓硕) and ‘Banricun’ (半日邨 )

Wu Changshuo (1844-1927)
WU Changshuo, born WU Junqing, was an outstanding painter, calligrapher and poet of the late Qing period. He served before the collapse of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) as an imperial official in Liaoning and primarily devoted himself to poetry and calligraphy with a strong interest in early writings. Later he considered himself as a painter of the ‘Shanghai school’ and tried to rejuvenate the art of flowers and bird painting. WU Changshuo’s works made him very famous in China and Japan.

AuctionataAsian Treasures. Monday, Aug 24, 2015, 8 am EDT

Largest Rodin exhibition ever presented in Canada on view at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), The Age of Bronze, 1876. Bronze, Alexis Rudier Foundry, 1911, 181.6 x 50.8 x 52.1 cm. Buffalo, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Elizabeth H. Gates Fund. Photo Albright-Knox Art Gallery / Tom Loonan / Art Resource, NY

MONTREAL.- The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is presenting Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio from May 30 to October 18, 2015. Produced and circulated in the United States by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with the Musée Rodin in Paris, this exhibition features close to 300 works. The largest Rodin exhibition ever presented in Canada, it includes masterpieces that are being shown for the first time in North America. 

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), The Thinker, large version, 1903; Patinated plaster for bronze casting, 182 x 108 x 141 cm. aris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Christian Baraja) 

MAJOR LOANS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NORTH AMERICA 
Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio includes special loans from the Musée Rodin, including original studio plasters of the masterpieces The Thinker and The Walking Man, along with Eve and the large Meditation, and a number of splendid vessels and flowers.  

Through the generous support of the Musée Rodin and its director Catherine Chevillot, Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio includes 171 sculptures; these include, in particular, nearly a hundred precious plasters, rarely lent (94 plasters which stand as very special and fragile witnesses from a bygone era to the master’s work). Plaster is the material best suited to perceiving Rodin’s manner of working. As the original works in raw clay could not be preserved, the plasters remain the most faithful stamp of his art. 

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), Mask of Hanako, Type E. Between 1907 and 1910. Terracotta, plaster, 18 x 12 x 14.4 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Christian Baraja)

Among the other loans from our generous Canadian and international collaborators is the marble The Hand of God from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Additional lenders include some fifteen institutions and private collectors in Canada, France and the United States (among them the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Legion of Honor and the Los Angeles County Museum). Finally, a few sculptures by contemporaries and students of Rodin, such as Bourdelle, Carriès, Claudel and Desbois, inform visitors about life in the studio. 

The exhibition also includes a few rare pieces in terracotta, glass paste, porcelain and stoneware, fourteen precious marbles and a major selection of bronze castings of both older and more recent vintage, along with a number of drawings and watercolours (shown in rotation because of their fragility, with 23 in Montreal) and old photographs (86). Finally, a recent acquisition of the Museum’s, an important collection of 70 photographs taken by Eugène Duet, a close collaborator of Rodin, is being unveiled here.

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), The Hand of the Devil, 1903. Plaster, 23.3 x 34 x 21 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Christian Baraja)

AN EXHIBITION THAT SHOWS RODIN IN A NEW LIGHT 
Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio reveals how Rodin worked with his materials – clay, pencil, watercolours, plaster, marble, bronze – with his collaborators, models, practitioners and casters while being watched by documenters, photographers and writers. The theme of metamorphosis plunges viewers directly into the privacy of his studio, pulling back the curtain on this revolutionary sculptor’s creative process, which was always in constant motion. 

We are workers whose days are never done,” Rodin said. The Museum’s Director and Chief Curator, and also exhibition Curator, Nathalie Bondil, explains: “While the work of this brilliant sculptor, recognized in his lifetime, is famous the world over, sculptural practices in general and those of his own studio in particular are little known. Still today the public’s lack of understanding is nourished by a great deal of confusion. How can we accept that the original works in clay by this brilliant modeller have been lost? Are people well enough aware that the modest plasters are in fact the most direct material evidence of his talent? What are we to make of the marbles, which were never carved by the master himself? And what can be said of the patchwork of fragments he assembled? What is the status of older castings compared to the posthumous versions? How can we distinguish between the original and a copy? In short, sculpture poses many questions which only technical and cultural knowledge of studio practices makes it possible to analyse.” 

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), The Kiss, reduction No. 1, master model, 1898. Bronze, Barbedienne Foundry, cast 1898,  71.1 x 42.5 x 45 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Christian Baraja)

While Rodin changed studios often in the course of his career, acquiring as many as six addresses in 1908, the Dépôt des marbres studio lent to him by the French government in Paris remained his main studio during his lifetime. Today this site, the handsome Hôtel Biron in Paris, is home to the Musée Rodin. While it is the most popular destination, the imposing studio full of plasters at his home in Meudon on the outskirts of Paris provides the most eloquent illustration of his methods. 

Catherine Chevillot, Director of the Musée Rodin in Paris, presently undergoing major renovations to be unveiled this fall, remarks: “For the Musée Rodin this exhibition is a way to fulfil its fundamental mission, that of making Rodin’s work widely accessible. The French state is the legatee of his entire output, but also of the collections, archives, grounds at Meudon and copyright. This exhibition enables the Museum of Fine Arts to offer its audience an unusual view of the sculpture, one that is more private and also more moving.” 

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), Assemblage: Standing Female Nude in an ancient tripod vessel, 1895-1905. Plaster, terracotta, 27 x 12.4 x 15 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Christian Baraja)

The studio is understood as an artistic community working for and around Rodin the sculptor, one of the last artists to have a studio in the great tradition of the masters of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Under the artistic direction of the master, who was part artist and part entrepreneur, this little world busied itself transferring his models in raw clay to other materials, because it was the artist who invented the form and his assistants who executed it. Today sculptors such as Richard Serra and Anish Kapoor work in the same manner. 

In the nineteenth century, the era of “statue-mania,” sculpture was an art of reproduction and editions. It is a physically demanding and technically complex discipline, made onerous by virtue of its materials and assistants. Rodin employed some fifty people around 1900, many of whom lived on-site at Meudon in buildings around his Villa des Brillants. Various trades and professions were found there: models, workers who beat the clay, mortar-plashers, casters, “metteurs aux points,” stone carvers and practitioners, in addition to bronze casters and patinators and, in Rodin’s case, photographers. Rodin had worked long years in the great studio of another sculptor, named Carrier-Belleuse, and was quite familiar with its organization and hierarchy. 

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), Meditation, without arms. About 1894-1896. Patinated plaster, 148 x 73 x 61 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Christian Baraja)

RODIN’S REVOLUTIONARY PRACTICES 
Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio shines light on Rodin’s experimental practices assembling, fragmenting, enlarging – whose innovations would revolutionize the language of sculpture, and provides a new perspective on his interactions with his many collaborators. The treatment of materials is examined with a view to their specificity and the innovative quality Rodin imparted to them. 

The exhibition seeks to highlight Rodin’s impressive experimental labours, alone or with his collaborators, as he constantly took apart his compositions and put back them together as disjecta membra, as so many lexicological elements making up an endless narrative and giving new life to the status of the artist and that of the artwork, each of which is in a state of constant mutation. 

By 1896, Rodin had begun to reuse his work as a personal lexicon, proceeding by unexpected turns, metamorphoses and even transgressions, each a way of leavening the “concentrated life” that would throw our understanding of sculpture into upheaval. The theme of metamorphosis, a deliberate borrowing from the language of mythology, is directly tied to Rodin’s demiurge-like toil in the studio, a secret site where works underwent constant transformation. The ceaseless play of the accidents and chance events of the labour involved, the fragmentation to the point of taking sculptures produced at an earlier date and stripping them down to their essentials in order to retain only their essential features, was a brilliant “patchwork” process through which Rodin was constantly assembling, mixing and combining his complete or partial figures to give them new meaning.  

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), Ecclesiastes. Before 1889. Plaster, 25.6 x 26.8 x 28.3 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Christian Baraja)

CREDITS AND CURATION 
The exhibition is produced by the MMFA in collaboration with the Musée Rodin. It is being circulated by the MMFA to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (November 21, 2015 – March 13, 2016) and to the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem (May 16 – September 5, 2016). The exhibition was curated by Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, with the assistance of Sylvain Cordier, Associate Curator and Curator of early decorative arts, and, under the direction of Catherine Chevillot, Head Curator and Director of the Musée Rodin, by Sophie Biass-Fabiani, Curator of the Graphic Arts and Painting. 

The exhibition design is by Sandra Gagné, Head of Exhibitions Production at the MMFA, and Nathalie Crinière of Agence NC, Paris. We would also like to acknowledge the collaboration of the Société des arts technologiques (SAT). 

The partners for the circulating exhibition are, at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, its director Alex Nyerges and Mitchell Merling, Paul Mellon Curator and Head of the department of European art; and at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem its Director and Chief executive officer Dan Monroe and Priscilla Danforth, Director of Exhibition planning.  

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), Adam (for The Gates of Hell), 1881. Bronze, Alexis Rudier Foundry, cast 1928-1929, 197 x 76 x 77 cm. Toronto, Art Gallery of Ontario, purchased 1929 © 2015 AGO

TOUCHING RODIN: A TACTILE GALLERY FOR THE PARTIALLY SIGHTED 
The Museum’s Department of Education and Community Programmes presents an installation for persons with severe or slight sight impairment, conceived by Iris Amizlev. 

This tactile experience enables the sight impaired, along with the rest of the Museum’s visitors, to better understand the master’s work. Replicas of his pieces are exhibited in the installation in resin and a variety of other materials – potter’s clay, plaster, bronze and marble – in various stages of completion, from rough textures to finely polished surfaces. In this immersive installation, projected images and a sound track created by the Société des Arts Technologiques (SAT) create the ambiance of a real sculpture studio.  

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), Left foot of The Thinker on a fluted pedestal with scrolling foliage decoration. After 1880. Plaster, 144 x 47.4 x 27 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Adam Rzepka)

A CONTEMPORARY VIEW OF RODIN: ADAD HANNAH AND DENYS ARCAND 
Museum Director Nathalie Bondil has invited a new joint video installation by Adad Hannah, a photographer and video maker working in Vancouver, and the Quebec filmmaker Denys Arcand in Montreal. It is being presented here in a North American premiere.  

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), The Walking Man, large version, 1907. Patinated plaster, 218.3 x 160.2 x 74.9 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Adam Rzepka)

AN ABUNDANT DOCUMENTARY PUBLICATION 
Edited by Nathalie Bondil and Sophie Biass-Fabiani, an abundant 304-page documentary volume containing more than 475 illustrations is being published by the publishing department of the MMFA, the principal publisher, and 5 Continents Éditions, the associate publisher. The English edition is distributed by Harry N. Abrams of New York and by Yale University Press in London. The graphic design is by the Montreal agency Paprika. 

This volume includes essays by Musée Rodin experts with, in alphabetical order, François Blanchetière on marble, Sophie Biass-Fabiani on the creative process, Catherine Chevillot on plaster, Véronique Mattiussi on life in the studio, and Hélène Pinet on the question of Rodin’s models and on Eugène Druet.  

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), The Sirens. Before 1887. Marble, Jean Escoula practitioner, between 1889 and 1892, 44.5 x 45.7 x 27 cm. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, gift of the Huntly Redpath Drummond family. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière

Other contributors to the volume include the National Gallery of Art restorers Daphne Barbour and Lisha Deming Glinsman in Washington, with a new study of the patina of works in bronze based on a selection of works in Canadian collections, Nathalie Bondil on the profile method, Sylvain Cordier on Max Stern and Rodin, and finally Antoinette Le Normand-Romain on the Sirens. 

An abundant anthology of nearly twenty-five eyewitness accounts from Rodin’s time, translated into French for the first time in the French edition, and ten articles published in The American Architect and Building News in 1889, written by a historical figure, the American Truman Howe Bartlett, round out these studies. 

An interview with the filmmaker Denys Arcand and the artist Adad Hannah by Catherine Bédard about their installation The Burghers of Vancouver completes the publication. 

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), The Defense or The Call to Arms, 1879. Bronze, Léon Perzinka Foundry, cast 1899, 111.7 × 64.5 × 43 cm. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, purchase, Horsley and Annie Townsend Bequest. This work was sold by Max Stern, Dominion Gallery, Montreal (1961). Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière

NEW AT THE MUSEUM: DIDACTIC TEXTS ONLINE 
With the exhibition Metamorphoses, the MMFA is launching a practical mobile site for visitors. This new feature enables visitors to easily consult on their cell phone or tablet the explanatory wall texts and commentaries on the work in the gallery. Available in English and French, these texts were for the most part written by Nathalie Bondil and Sylvain Cordier. MBAMRODIN.com

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), I Am Beautiful Assemblage of The Falling Man and Crouching Woman (for The Gates of Hell), 1882. Patinated plaster for bronze casting, 69.5 x 36.3 x 36.2 cm. Paris, Musée Rodin © Musée Rodin (photo Christian Baraja)

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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), The Hand of God. About 1896-1902. Marble, practitioner Louis Mathet, 1906-1907, 73.77 x 58.4 x 64.1 cm. New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of Edward D. Adams © The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Art Resource, NY

 

 

Big cats by Colin Langford

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North Chinese Leopard by Colin Langford

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Black Jaguar by Colin Langford

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Jaguar by Colin Langford

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Serval by Colin Langford

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Caracal by Colin Langford

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White Lion by Colin Langford

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Tiger by Colin Langford

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White Tiger by Colin Langford

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Amur Leopard by Colin Langford

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Black Jaguar by Colin Langford

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Amur Tiger by Colin Langford

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White Lion by Colin Langford

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White Lion by Colin Langford

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Rusty Spotted Cat by Colin Langford

"Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture" at Tate Modern

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Alexander Calder in his Roxbury studio, 1941.  Photo credit: Calder Foundation, New York / Art Resource, NY © 2015 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS, London.

LONDON - Tate Modern presents the UK’s largest ever exhibition of Alexander Calder (1898-1976). Calder was one of the truly ground-breaking artists of the 20th century and as a pioneer of kinetic sculpture, played an essential role in shaping the history of modernism. Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture will bring together approximately 100 works to reveal how Calder turned sculpture from a static object into a continually changing work to be experienced in real time.

Alexander Calder initially trained as an engineer before attending painting courses at the Arts Students League in New York. He travelled to Paris in the 1920s where he developed his wire sculptures and by 1931 had invented the mobile, a term first coined by Marcel Duchamp to describe Calder’s motorised objects. The exhibition traces the evolution of his distinct vocabulary - from his initial years captivating the artistic bohemia of inter-war Paris, to his later life spent between the towns of Roxbury in Connecticut and Saché in France.

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Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976), Black Frame, 1934. Calder Foundation, New York, NY, USA. Photo credit: Calder Foundation, New York / Art Resource, NY © 2015 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS, London.

The exhibition will feature the figurative wire portraits Calder created of other artists including Joan Miró 1930 and Fernand Léger c.1930, alongside depictions of characters related to the circus, the cabaret and other mass spectacles of popular entertainment, including Two Acrobats 1929, The Brass Family 1929 and Aztec Josephine Baker c.1929. Following a visit to the studio of Piet Mondrian in 1930, where he was impressed with the environment-as-installation, Calder created abstract, three-dimensional, kinetic forms and suspended vividly coloured shapes in front of panels or within frames hung on the wall. Red Panel 1936, White Panel 1936 and Snake and the Cross 1936 exemplify the artist’s continuous experimentation with forms in space and the potential for movement to inspire new sculptural possibilities. They will be shown together with a selection of other panels and open frames for the first time, illustrating this important moment in Calder’s development. 

The exhibition will include a selection of his most significant motorised mobiles. Black Frame 1934 and A Universe 1934 reveal the ways in which Calder made use of his training as an engineer and his fascination with the dynamism of the cosmos. By 1932, Calder’s suspended sculptures would begin to move without motors, animated by just the lightest of air currents. In Snow Flurry I 1948, Calder demonstrates his masterful expertise in constructing large-scale mobiles whose equilibrium and reduced palette awards them their sublime quality. 

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Alexander Calder, Red and Yellow Vane, 1934. Calder Foundation, New York, NY, USA. Photo credit: Calder Foundation, New York / Art Resource, NY © 2015 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS, London

Calder reinvented the possibilities of sculpture in parallel with avant-garde developments in theatre and dance. He incorporated elements of choreography and sound to fundamentally change the principles of traditional sculpture, creating mobiles which chime and resonate such as Red Gongs 1950, Streetcar 1951 and Triple Gong 1951. The exhibition will close with Calder’s large scale mobile Black Widow c.1948, shown for the first time ever outside Brazil, demonstrating how his art in motion turned global after WWII and came to serve as a visual metaphor for a new and free social order. 

Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture is curated by Achim Borchardt-Hume, Director of Exhibitions, Ann Coxon, Curator, and Vassilis Oikonomopoulos, Assistant Curator and organised in close collaboration with the Calder Foundation. The architectural design of the exhibition is a collaboration with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue presenting new research and by a programme of talks and events. 

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Alexander Calder, White Panel, 1936. Calder Foundation, New York, NY, USA. Photo credit: Calder Foundation, New York / Art Resource, NY © 2015 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS, London

LONDRES - La Tate Modern présente la plus importante exposition encore jamais consacrée au Royaume-Uni à Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976). Pionnier de la sculpture cinétique, Calder fut l’un des artistes les plus innovants du 20ème siècle et joua un rôle essentiel dans le développement de l’art moderne. Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture rassemble plus d’une centaine d’œuvres qui mettent en lumière le processus par lequel Calder fit passer la sculpture d’objet statique àœuvre d’art à expérimenter en temps réel et perpétuel mouvement.

Alexander Calder reçut initialement une formation d’ingénieur avant de suivre des cours de peinture à l’Arts Students League de New York. À partir des années 20, il séjourne à Paris et commence à créer des sculptures en fil de fer. Dès 1931, il crée ses premiers « mobiles », un terme conféré par Marcel Duchamp aux objets motorisés de l’artiste. L’exposition retrace ainsi les évolutions du parcours artistique de Calder – depuis les années de formation au sein de la bohème artistique du Paris de l’Entre-deux-guerres jusqu’aux années de la maturité où il se partagera alors entre Roxbury dans le Connecticut et sa maison de Saché en Indre-et-Loire. 

L’exposition débute avec les portraits en fil de fer d’autres artistes - Joan Miró (1930) ou Fernand Léger (c.1930) - que Calder réalise aux débuts des années 30 aux cotés de personnages de cirque, de cabaret ou d’autres spectacles liés au divertissement populaire dont : Deux Acrobates (1929), The Brass Family (1929), Aztec Josephine Baker (c.1929). À la suite d’une visite dans l’atelier de Piet Mondrian en 1930, où le concept d’environnement/installation le marque profondément, Calder se met alors à créer des formes abstraites, tridimensionnelles et cinétiques ainsi que des motifs suspendus de couleurs vives devant des panneaux ou au sein de cadres fixés au mur. Red Panel (1936), White Panel (1936), et Snake and the Cross (1936) illustrent l’expérimentation continuelle de l’artiste pour les formes dans l’espace et les potentialités du mouvement en vue d’ouvrir des voies nouvelles en sculpture. Ces œuvres sont pour la première fois présentées aux cotés d’une sélection de panneaux et de cadres ouverts, illustrant ce moment clef dans le développement de la pratique artistique de Calder. 

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Alexander Calder,  Triple Gong, c.1948. Calder Foundation, New York, NY, USA. Photo credit: Calder Foundation, New York / Art Resource, NY © 2015 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS, London

L’exposition présente également une sélection des plus importants mobiles motorisés de Calder dont Black Frame et A Universe de 1934. Des pièces qui témoignent de la façon dont il sut mettre à profit sa formation d’ingénieur et sa fascination pour la dynamique cosmique. À partir de 1932, ses suspensions commencent à s’animer sans l’aide de moteur, s’aidant uniquement des plus légers flux d’air pour s’animer. In Snow Flurry/1948, Calder montre de toute l’étendue de sa maîtrise technique en réalisant des mobiles de très grande dimension dont l’équilibre et la palette réduite de couleurs leur confèrent une sublime légèreté. 

Calder nourrit alors ses recherches dans le champ de la sculpture en s’intéressant aux innovations avant-gardistes qui métamorphosent le théâtre et de la danse de son époque. Il incorpore des éléments de chorégraphie et de son dans ses œuvres en vue de changer fondamentalement les principes de la sculpture traditionnelle, en créant notamment de grands mobiles qui sonnent et résonnent comme Red Gongs (1950), Streetcar (1951) et Triple Gong (1951). L’exposition se clôt avec le grand mobile Black Widow (c.1948) qui est présenté pour la première fois en dehors du Brésil. Celui-ci témoigne du rayonnement planétaire de son art après la Seconde guerre mondiale tout en servant de véritable métaphore visuelle à un nouvel et libre ordre social. 

Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture a pour commissaire Achim Borchardt-Hume, directeur des expositions de la Tate, Ann Coxton, commissaire, Vassilis Oikonomopoulos, commissaire-assistant. Elle a été organisée en étroite collaboration avec la Calder Foundation. La scénographie de l’exposition est le résultat d’une collaboration entre la Tate et les architectes suisses Herzog & de Meuron. Un catalogue illustré - ainsi qu’un programme de débats et d’événements - accompagnent l’exposition en vue de présenter les recherches les plus récentes sur le travail de l’artiste.

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Alexander Calder, Antennae with Red and Blue Dots, c.1953. Aluminium and steel wire, 1111 x 1283 x 1283 mm. Tate© 2015 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS, London

Freshwater Pearls

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Freshwater pearls can be grown in every conceivable shape and exhibit an unparalleled palate of pastel colors ranging from dark purple, to light pink and white, as well as uncommon exotic and metallic colors. © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

Freshwater pearls are quite possibly the most versatile variety of pearls produced today and they are special because of the exotic shapes and colors in which they occur, the large quantities in which they are produced, and their consequent affordable prices. Their growth rates are faster than their salt water cousins and the insertion processes are easier. An amazing selection of shapes are always available because the pearl’s growth just follows the shape of the inserted nucleus. Spheres, buttons, drops, and crosses are the most common shapes. The round or near-round freshwater pearls makes up only a small percentage of all pearls produced.

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Cultured Freshwater Pearl Round - reddish orange color with green overtone and excellent luster. © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

In general, freshwater pearls are not as lustrous as saltwater pearls, but they are less expensive and have a wider variety of shapes and colors. And because they don’t have a bead nucleus, they are solid nacre and hold up better against chipping and other wear. 

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Cultured Freshwater Pearl Round - white color with rose overtone and excellent luster© Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

Contrary to popular belief, oysters do not produce freshwater pearls. Freshwater pearls are cultured in freshwater mussels belonging to the family Unionidae. They are similar in shape to common marine mussels but grow much larger and live far longer than their marine relatives. Chinese Unionids include H.cumingi ("triangle shell") and C. plicata ("wrinkle shell" or "river shell".) A freshwater mussel can accept up to 50 pieces of mantle tissue and it can yield up to 40 tissue-nucleated freshwater pearls from those implants. The growth period for freshwater cultured pearls ranges from two to six years and many mussels succumb to pollution and disease before the pearls have reached their peak. 

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Cultured Freshwater Pearl Round, 9.230 cts - red (pink) color and excellent luster. © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

The Chinese were the first to culture freshwater pearls and used their techniques to produce mabe type pearls in the shape of a Buddha. The first actual cultured freshwater pearls were produced in Lake Biwa, Japan and the initial production appeared in the 1930’s. The production thrived for almost 50 years and finally began to decline because of pollutants from the farms, resorts and industries around the lake. 

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Cultured Freshwater Pearl Round, 7.730 cts - reddish purple color with rose overtone and excellent luster. © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

The bulk of today’s freshwater pearl production occurs in China. With plentiful and inexpensive labor along with innovative technologies and a huge landmass with countless available lakes, rivers and irrigation ditches China has moved to the forefront of freshwater pearl production. The shapes, luster, and colors of the most recent Chinese production often matches an even surpass the original Lake Biwa quality. 

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Cultured Freshwater Pearl Round - cream color with rose overtone and excellent luster. © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Cultured Freshwater Pearl Round, 15.440 cts - Reddish orange (pinkish orange) color with yellow overtone and excellent luster © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater loose pearls. Many people prefer pearls to diamonds and color stones, because they believe that pearls compliment a woman’s beauty rather than upstage it© Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater Pearl Drop, 39.380 cts - Purple color with purple, yellow, pink and  green overtone with good luster© Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater Pearl Drop, 39.110 cts - Yellow color with yellow, pink, green and  purple overtone with good luster© Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater Pearl Drop, 47.310 cts - Yellow color with yellow, pink, green and  purple overtone with good luster© Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater Pearl Drop, 23.620 cts - Purple color with yellow, pink, green and  purple overtone with good luster© Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater Pearl Drop, 26.070 cts - Pink color with yellow, pink, green and  purple overtone with good luster © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater Pearl Drop, 47.210 cts - Yellow color with yellow, pink and  green overtone with good luster © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

 

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Freshwater Pearl Drop, 43.160 cts - Purple color with purple,yellow, pink and green overtone with good luster © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater Pearl Drop, 47.750 cts - Pink color with yellow, pink, green and purple overtone with good luster © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Freshwater baroque pearl from China © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Extravagant baroque Freshwater pearl choker necklace by David Wein © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Fancy shaped lot of natural (not cultured) pearls is destined to be a collector's item, or set as the centerpiece in a very unique and truly high fashion statement jewelry. Quality natural baroque pearls are very rare, each pearl has its own unique skin color which is a result of complex interactions between the environment and host organism, but only the ones with a thick nacre and certain irregular shape will reveal an outstanding luster and iridescent shades© Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Natural Freshwater Pearl Fancy, 57.590 cts - Gold color with purple, yellow, pink, and green overtone with good luster © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001

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Natural Freshwater Pearl Fancy, 71.400 cts - Purple color with purple, yellow, pink, and green overtone with good luster © Multicolour Gems Ltd, 1998-2001 

Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily collection

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Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily necklace. White gold, diamonds, onyx.

A new tribute to this nature-loving Queen and friend of the avant-garde artists, the Night Lily & Eden Rose collections adorn these pieces with polished gold and miniature bells of onyx. They are the hallmark of a novel and contemporary version of lily of the valley and the wild rose, whose different and so ephemeral stages of life have been captured, then immortalised, in gold, diamonds and precious stones.

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Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily Collection. Trois clochettes ring. White gold, diamonds, onyx.

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Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily ring. White gold, diamonds, onyx.

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Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily ring. White gold, diamonds, onyx.

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Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily "Deux clochettes" earrings. White gold, diamonds, onyx.

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Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily "Clochettes" earrings. White gold, diamonds, onyx.

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Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily "Clochettes" pendant. White gold, diamonds, onyx.

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Mellerio dits Meller. Night Lily necklace. White gold, diamonds, onyx.

Cyphopisthes monteithi, Sagra papouana, Thyreocephalus salvini, Hololepta plana, Clytellus barclayi Cerambycidae,...

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Sagra femoralis

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Ultiolemur thomsoni, Mayotte Is. Comoros

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Sagra bicolor

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Neocollyris bonelli

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Rhampholyssa Steveni

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Clytellus barclayi Cerambycidae

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Hololepta plana

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Thyreocephalus salvini

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Sagra papouana

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Cyphopisthes monteithi


Bulgari’s Italian gardens

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Bulgari. Secret Garden necklace in yellow gold with tourmaline, rubellites, tanzanite, citrine, amethyst, aquamarine, emerald beads, rubellite beads and pavé diamonds.

Spring Encounter necklace

Bulgari. Spring Encounter necklace in white and pink gold with round brilliant cut diamonds and pavé diamonds.

Blue Iridescence necklace

Bulgari. Blue Iridescence necklace in pink gold with sapphires, spinels, round brilliant cut diamonds and pavé diamonds.

Sparkling Hearts necklace

Bulgari. Sparkling Hearts necklace in white gold with a cushion shaped Colombian emerald, round shaped emeralds, fancy buff-top emeralds, round brilliant cut diamonds and pavé diamonds

Magical Reflections necklace

Bulgari. Magical Reflections necklace in white gold with pear shaped diamonds, brilliant cut diamonds and pavé diamonds.

Giardini Italiani necklace

Bulgari. Giardini Italiani necklace in pink gold with rubellites, amethysts, brilliant cut diamonds and pavé..

Giardini Italiani earrings

Bulgari. Giardini Italiani earrings in pink gold with rubellites, amethysts, brilliant cut diamonds and pavé diamonds.

Through 70 Masterworks, Met Museum Tells Story of Its Century of Collecting Korean Art

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Pensive bodhisattva, mid-7th century. Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668). Korea. Gilt bronze; H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm); W. 4 in. (10.2 cm); D. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Walter and Leonore Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 2003 (2003.222).

NEW YORK, NY.-  How The Metropolitan Museum of Art has collected Korean art over the last century is the subject of an exhibition organized in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of its Department of Asian Art. Showcasing more than 70 masterworks in a variety of media—ceramics, painting, sculpture, metalwork, and lacquerware, all drawn from the Museum’s holdings—Korea: 100 Years of Collecting at the Met highlights the individuals and trends that shaped the Metropolitan’s distinctive collection, sometimes deliberately, and sometimes accidentally.  

The exhibition is made possible by Samsung. 

When the Department of Asian Art (then called “Department of Far Eastern Art”) was established in 1915, the Museum possessed only 65 Korean works, some of which were mistakenly catalogued as Chinese or Japanese. Dubbed the “hermit kingdom,” Korea was then little known to the Western world. 

Today, Korea’s traditional arts as well as pop music, film, and drama are celebrated markers of global culture. Our collection of Korean art, too, has been significantly transformed and continues to evolve,” said Soyoung Lee, Associate Curator for Korean art in the department. “This presentation reveals the modern Western imagination of Korea, and the many ways Korean art came to be viewed and appreciated in America,” she continued. 

Ranging in date from the fourth century B.C. to the present, works on view in the exhibition exemplify both the distinctness and diversity of Korean art. Among them are a recently acquired late 18th-century portrait of a scholar-official, two rare 14th-century Buddhist paintings, a sublime mid-seventh century gilt-bronze statue of a pensive bodhisattva, an exceptional 12th-century lacquer box inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell, and the finest examples of Goreyo-period celadon. 

The Arts of Korea Gallery has been refurbished as part of this installation, and all labels have been redone to include basic information in both Korean and Chinese characters for the benefit of the Museum’s growing number of Asian visitors.

The exhibition is organized by Soyoung Lee. 
February 7, 2015 – March 27, 2016  

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Pensive bodhisattva, mid-7th century. Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668). Korea. Gilt bronze; H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm); W. 4 in. (10.2 cm); D. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Walter and Leonore Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 2003 (2003.222) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Images of the pensive bodhisattva became prevalent in East Asia between the fifth and eighth centuries. In Korea, the type emerged as an important Buddhist icon during the sixth and seventh centuries, particularly in the kingdoms of Baekje and Silla. This seated figure is among the best-preserved examples. It is infused with a subtle yet palpable energy that is articulated in such details as the pliant and lifelike fingers and toes. His crown is topped with an orb-and-crescent motif, indicating Central Asian influence. 

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Dish with inscription and decoration of chrysanthemums and rows of dotsJoseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-15th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with stamped design; H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); Diam. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Colman, 1893 (93.1.216© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The deep dish has an inscription in the center indicating that it was made in Gyeongju and sent to the government bureau Jangheunggo, which was responsible for supplying items like paper and mats to the court. In the fifteenth century, the central government collected and stored buncheong vessels from the regions for use as tableware at official functions. A ceramic type distinguished by its white-slip design, buncheong ware was produced in Korea from the late fourteenth through the mid-sixteenth century.

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Tea bowl with decoration of chrysanthemums and wavy linesJoseon dynasty (1392–1910), first half of the 17th century. Probably Korea. Stoneware with stamped, white-slip design; H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); Diam. of rim 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm); Diam. of foot 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936 (36.120.502© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The white slip, stamp technique, and chrysanthemum motif of the tea bowl indicate that it was produced specifically for the Japanese market. It was likely made in the early seventeenth century; however, it is also possible that it was a product of the so-called Busan kilns (active 1639–1718) in southeastern Korea, which manufactured and exported revivalist Korean-style ceramics designed to cater to the tastes of Japanese consumers.

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Large jar with decoration of peoniesJoseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 15th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with incised and sgraffito design; H. 15 in. (38.1 cm); Diam. 10 7/8 in. (27.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1916 (16.122.1© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The boldly rendered peony flowers and leaves capture the essence of this exuberant plant. The decorative technique of incising the outlines and carving away the background through the white slip is characteristic of buncheong vessels produced in the Jeolla Province.

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Maebyeong with decoration of cranes and cloudsGoryeo dynasty (918–1392)second half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid decoration under celadon glazeH. 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm); Diam. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Sadajiro Yamanaka, 1911 (11.8.1© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The cranes and clouds, popular motifs on Goryeo celadon, are delicately yet expressively rendered. Set against the green color of the glaze, they appear to be floating in the sky.

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Small jar and cover with decoration of chrysanthemums, cranes, and clouds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)late 13th century. Korea. Stoneware with gold and inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Sadajiro Yamanaka, 1911 (11.8.4© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This jar is a rare example of Goryeo celadon with gold decoration (several specks remain). This type of celadon became prevalent in Korea from the late thirteenth to the early fourteenth century, reflecting the tastes of the Mongols who ruled China during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and exerted political and cultural influence from Korea to Eastern Europe.

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Bowl with decoration of fish, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)second half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); Diam. 7 in. (17.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Sadajiro Yamanaka, 1911 (11.8.8© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Oil bottle with decoration of peonies and chrysanthemums, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)13th century. Korea. Stoneware with copper-red and inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm); Diam. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Sadajiro Yamanaka, 1911 (11.8.3© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The highly volatile copper-red pigment was successfully controlled during the firing to produce splashes of deep crimson against the black-and-white inlay and green glaze. The technique of underglaze copper-red decoration on celadon was likely an innovation of Goryeo potters.

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Oil bottle with decoration of peonies, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)second half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 2 in. (5.1 cm); Diam. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of R. H. Macy and Co., 1919 (19.39.22© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Basin with decoration of peonies, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), second half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm); Diam. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of R. H. Macy and Co., 1919 (19.39.3© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This deep, bowl-like basin, which would have formed a set with a tall, slender wine ewer or bottle, was filled with hot water to keep the wine warm.

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Gourd-shaped ewer with decoration of waterfowl and reeds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)early 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with carved and incised design under celadon glaze; H. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm); W. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.2© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This ewer highlights the potter’s technical sophistication and creativity in adapting a motif from nature, the double gourd, into a practical and appealing ceramic vessel. The design of ducks and geese amid reeds demonstrates an appreciation for pictorial realism.

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Bottle with decoration of chrysanthemums and lotus petals, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)13th–14th century. Korea. Stoneware with stamped and inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 13 5/8 (34.6 cm); Diam. 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.6© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This bottle is a wonderful example of late Goryeo celadon with a densely arranged, repeating decoration. The small chrysanthemums were created using stamps rather than individually inlaid, as in earlier celadon.

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Maebyeong with decoration of lotus flowers, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)late 11th–early 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with carved and incised design under celadon glaze; H. 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm); Diam. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.1© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Bowl with foliate rim and peony decoration, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)first half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with mold-impressed and incised design under celadon glaze; H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); Diam. of rim 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm); Diam. of foot 2 /38 in. (6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.3© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Maebyeong with decoration of cranes and clouds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)late 13th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm); Diam. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm); Diam. of base 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.11© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This quintessentially Korean maebyeong (plum bottle), with a voluptuous form and an eye-catching design of large cranes and clouds, was produced at the famous celadon kiln site at Buan Yucheon-ri in North Jeolla Province. The gold repair on the mouth indicates that this bottle was once a treasured piece in a Japanese collection.

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Maebyeong with decoration of lotus flowersGoryeo dynasty (918–1392)11th century. Korea. Stoneware with iron-brown design under celadon glaze; H. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.12© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Iron pigment typically adds a yellowish tint to the color of the celadon glaze, as seen on this maebyeong (plum bottle). The motifs and the style of the design are similar to those on iron-painted vessels from Cizhou kilns of Song China.

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Large jar with decoration of peonies, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), second half of the 19th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue and copper-red design; H. 15 in. (38.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.22© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The shape of this jar, with a globular body, long neck, and rolled rim, is typical of nineteenth-century Korean porcelain, as is the swiftly rendered, exuberant decoration. The flash of color from the copper-red pigment adds to the appeal of this robust piece.

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Standing Buddha, South and North Kingdoms period (668–935), Unified Silla8th century. Korea. Gilt bronze; H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1912 (12.37.136© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The gilt-bronze statue is a typical small icon made for private devotion in the Unified Silla kingdom and exemplifies a high point in the production of Buddhist sculpture in Korea. The Buddha's hand gesture (mudra) symbolizes the dispelling of fear and the granting of wishes.

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Standing Buddha, South and North Kingdoms period (668–935), Unified Silla, 8th century. Korea. Gilt bronze; H. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.118.53© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The gilt-bronze statue is a typical small icon made for private devotion in the Unified Silla kingdom and exemplifies a high point in the production of Buddhist sculpture in Korea. The Buddha's hand gesture (mudra) symbolizes the dispelling of fear and the granting of wishes.

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Water-moon Avalokiteshvara, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)first half of the 14th century. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk; Image: 45 1/16 x 21 7/8 in. (114.5 x 55.6 cm) Overall with knobs: 79 3/8 x 30 1/8 in. (201.6 x 76.5 cm) Overall with mounting: 79 3/8 x 28 in. (201.6 x 71.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914 (14.76.6© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Water-moon Avalokiteshvara (Korean: Suwol gwaneum) is an iconographic type that was popular in Korea during the Goryeo period. She was worshipped for her ability to prevent calamities and diseases and to safeguard travelers on their journey. This painting shows the resplendently attired bodhisattva in three-quarter view, seated on a rocky outcropping above the waves. At the top is a diminutive moon, in which a hare pounds the elixir of immortality. At the bodhisattva’s feet, the dragon king leads a group of elegantly dressed miniature figures; behind them follow sea monsters bearing precious gifts. The boy pilgrim Sudhana (Korean: Seonjae dongja) stands at the lower right; his encounter with this deity, as recounted in the Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra, provides the textual source for the scroll.

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Kshitigarbha, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), first half of the 14th century. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk; Image: 33 1/4 × 14 1/2 in. (84.5 × 36.8 cm) Overall with mounting: 79 × 25 3/8 in. (200.7 × 64.5 cm) Overall with knobs: 79 in. × 27 1/4 in. (200.7 × 69.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1929 (29.160.32© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A compassionate bodhisattva who rescues sentient beings from descending into hell or purgatory, Kshitigarbha (Korean: Jijang) became enormously popular during the Goryeo period. A key figure in Pure Land Buddhism, Kshitigarbha was often depicted singly and in the guise of a monk—with a shaved head, wearing a monk’s robe, and holding his standard attributes, a staff and a wish-fulfilling jewel (cintamani). This exquisite scroll is a well-preserved example of Goryeo Buddhist painting. Some of its hallmarks are the deity’s graceful facial features and slender fingers, the red and green colors of the robe, and the sumptuously elegant gold decoration. 

Very few Korean paintings made prior to the fourteenth century survive. Buddhist paintings of the Goryeo dynasty are renowned for their delicacy and refinement. Most, if not all, were commissioned by members of the royal family and the aristocracy and were painted by monk-painters or professional court painters.

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Illustrated Manuscript of the Lotus Sutra, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), ca. 1340. Korea. Accordion-format book; gold and silver on indigo-dyed mulberry paper; Image: 9 x 4 1/2 in. (22.9 x 11.4 cm) Overall: 13 x 4 1/2 x 7/8 in. (33 x 11.4 x 2.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1994 (1994.207© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A seminal Buddhist text, the Lotus Sutra was among the most frequently copied sutras in East Asia. Illustrated Buddhist scriptures produced at the Royal Scriptorium were highly valued not only on the peninsula but throughout northeast Asia. The volumes usually have a rectangular accordion format and calligraphy written in gold or silver pigment on indigo-dyed paper, often preceded by elaborate frontispiece illustrations, as seen here. This fourteenth-century example (volume two of the Lotus Sutra) demonstrates the standards of excellence for which Goryeo sutras are renowned.

The illustration is divided into two halves and addresses the question of universal salvation and ways to enlightenment. The book is read from right to left.

Far right: The preaching scene. Seated on a high pedestal and surrounded by bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, and two of his disciples, the historical Buddha Shakyamuni preaches to a third disciple, Shariputra.

Upper left: The parable of the burning house. A father (representing the Buddha) promises animal-drawn carts to his child (representing sentient beings) to tempt him away from poisonous insects, snakes, and the burning house (the perils of the mortal world). Once outside, the child is rewarded with one grand carriage (the “one vehicle” of Mahayana Buddhism).

Lower left: The story of the prodigal son. The destitute son (representing sentient beings) works for a rich man, whose true identity is his father (the Buddha). Starting as a laborer, the son works his way up to more prestigious jobs and, in the end, is bequeathed the wealth of the father.

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Arhat, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 13th–14th century. Korea. Stoneware with iron-brown decoration under celadon glaze; H. 7 in. (17.8 cm); W. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm); D. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Edna Bahr, 1962 (62.97.9© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The Sanskrit term arhat (Korean: nahan; Chinese: lohan) refers to enlightened beings in the Buddhist tradition. Celadon statuettes of Buddhist figures have been found in Gaeseong, the capital of the Goryeo dynasty, and at ancient temple sites in southwestern Korea.

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Covered box, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korea. Silver; H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); Diam. 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1922 (22.141.28a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The swastika incised in the center of this box is an ancient Indian symbol of auspiciousness that was introduced to Korea with Buddhism. 

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Water bottle (Kundika), Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korea. Bronze; H. 13 1/2 in. (34.2 cm); W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1923 (23.115© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

These distinctively shaped containers were used as water sprinklers for Buddhist purification rituals. In Goryeo society, bottles of this type also came to be used as water containers in both elite and common households by the twelfth century. 

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KashyapaJoseon dynasty (1392–1910), dated 1700. Korea. Wood with polychrome paint; H. 22 in. (55.9 cm); W. 9 in. (22.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, 1942 (42.25.8© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

This standing figure in a monk’s robe is Kashyapa (Korean: Gaseop), the eldest of the two principle disciples of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. His smiling face and relaxed posture convey benevolence and wisdom. According to the inscription placed with the votive offerings inside the image, the statue was made on the twenty-ninth day of the third month in 1700, together with a Buddha and arhat figures (Korean: nahan), at a temple retreat on Mount Duryun in Yeongam district, now part of Daeheung Temple in South Jeolla Province. The monk-sculptor Saengnan, whose works can be found today in Jeolla Province, was among the artists involved in this project. 

Abby Greene Aldrich Rockefeller (1874–1948), wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and a champion of modern art, donated a group of Asian sculptures to the Metropolitan Museum in 1942. The gift, primarily composed of Chinese Buddhist art, was lauded at the time as “perhaps the most important single gift the Far Eastern Department has ever had.” This charming statue was one of two late Joseon-period Korean pieces that came to the Museum as part of that group. At the time, these works were thought to date to the thirteenth century.

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Needle case and bobbin, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korea. Partially gilt silver inlaid with niello; L. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.175.34a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

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Oil bottle with decoration of peony leaves, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), late 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with reverse-inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 2 1/4 (5.7 cm); Diam. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.175.9© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The decoration on this charming bottle is an example of celadon with a reverse-inlaid design, for which the background space around the delicate peony leaves was carved away and filled with white slip.

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 Small bowl with decoration of lotus and chrysanthemum, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 12th century. Korea. Porcelain with incised design; H. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); Diam. 3 5/16 in. (8.4 cm); Diam. of foot 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm)). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1922 (22.141.35) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This delicate bowl exemplifies white ware of the Goryeo period—what might be termed “soft” porcelain because of the type of clay—of which there was limited production. Porcelain became the main type of ceramic on the peninsula from the fifteenth century under the Joseon dynasty.

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Mirror with decoration of phoenixes and flowers, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), first half of the 12th century. Korea. BronzeDiam. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1922 (22.141.1© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Mirror with decoration of figures in a landscape, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korea. Bronze; Diam. 7 in. (17.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1925 (25.219.4© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Mirror with decoration of dragons, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 11th–12th century. Korea. Bronze; Diam. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1911 (11.48.1© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Trefoil-shaped covered box with decoration of chrysanthemums, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), ca.12th century. Korea. Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell over pigment; brass wire; H. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm); L. 4 in. (10.2 cm); D. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1925 (25.215.41a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Lacquer, celadon, or bronze ensembles composed of four trefoil boxes surrounding a larger round or flower-shaped box served as containers for cosmetics or incense. Very few Goreyo-period lacquer boxes with mother-of-pearl inlay have survived; this is a particularly fine example.

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Earring (One of a Pair), Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), Silla Kingdom, early 6th century. Korea. Gold; L. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm); W. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943 (43.49.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The beauty and sophisticated craftsmanship of these gold earrings—and of the personal adornments found in the tombs of the Silla and Gaya elite generally—attest to the esteem conferred upon them by both patron and artisan.

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Earring (One of a Pair), Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), Gaya federation (42–562), end of 5th century. Korea. Gold; H. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm); W. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); D. 1/2 in. (1.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943 (43.49.5© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The beauty and sophisticated craftsmanship of these gold earrings—and of the personal adornments found in the tombs of the Silla and Gaya elite generally—attest to the esteem conferred upon them by both patron and artisan.

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Earring (One of a Pair), Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), Silla Kingdom, 5th century. Korea. Gold; L. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943 (43.49.13© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The beauty and sophisticated craftsmanship of these gold earrings—and of the personal adornments found in the tombs of the Silla and Gaya elite generally—attest to the esteem conferred upon them by both patron and artisan.

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Jar and tall stand with perforated base, Three Kingdoms period, Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), mid-5th century. Korea. Stoneware with traces of incidental ash glaze; H. 21 1/2 in. (54.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.24a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This combination of a bulbous jar and a tall stand with a perforated design is representative of high-fired, wheel-thrown gray stoneware from the Silla kingdom and Gaya federation. Such vessels seem to have functioned primarily as burial objects.

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Stand with perforated base, Three Kingdoms period, Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), 5th–6th century. Korea. Stoneware with traces of ash glaze; H. 16 in. (40.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.21© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Bird-shaped vessel, Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668)3rd century. Korea. Earthenware; H. 12 7/8 in. (32.7 cm); W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); L. 13 7/8 in. (35.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.1© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Footed bird-shaped vessels were found primarily at burial sites on the southern Korean peninsula, near the Nakdong River. Occurring in pairs, they probably served as funereal ritual vessels and burial objects. Liquid was poured into the vessel through an opening at the back and out through the bird’s tail.

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Jar, Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), 3rd century. Korea. Earthenware; H. 6 in. (15.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Covered urn with geometric decoration, South and North Kingdoms period (668–935), Unified Silla8th century. Korea. Stoneware with stamped designH. 9 in. (22.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.18a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

With the rising popularity of Buddhism in the Silla kingdom, cremation became the standard funerary practice, displacing earlier elaborate burial rites. This urn, with a stamped design of flowers and geometric patterns, is typical of Korean stoneware containers for ashes from the eighth century.

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Gourd-shaped bottle, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)early 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with accidental ash glaze; H. 16 3/8 in. (41.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.26© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This bottle is an elegant example of non-celadon stoneware from the Goryeo period. Its double-gourd shape evinces beautiful, harmonious proportions.

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Jar with decoration of grapevine, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)mid-18th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze copper-red design; H. 10 1/16 in. (25.6 cm); Diam. 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1979.413.2© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The sinewy vines and large leaves, almost abstract in their purity of form, depict a grape plant without fruit. This jar is a representative example of eighteenth-century porcelain painted in copper-red pigment. Porcelain objects like this one are thought to have been produced in the eighteenth century outside the circle of court-patronized kilns known as Bunwon.

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Square bottle, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), first half of the 19th century. Korea. Porcelain; H. 7 in. (17.8 cm); W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm); D. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1979.413.3© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

The clean silhouette and bluish white color of this piece are typical of undecorated porcelain produced during this period at the official court kilns known as Bunwon.

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Moon Jar, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), second half of the 18th century. Korea. Porcelain; H. 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm); Diam. 13 in. (33 cm); Diam. of rim 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); Diam. of foot 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1979.413.1© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A distinctive type of porcelain from the late Joseon period, the moon jar (Korean: dalhangari)—so called because of its evocative form—was usually made by joining two hemispherical halves. The peach hue of the glaze, unintentionally acquired during firing, adds to the charm of the jar.

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Style of An Gyeon (Korean), Evening bell from mist-shrouded temple, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), ca. 1450–1500. Korea. Pair of hanging scrolls; ink on silk; Image (each): 35 3/8 x 17 7/8 in. (89.9 x 45.4 cm) Overall with mounting (each): 78 1/4 x 24 in. (198.8 x 61 cm) Overall with knobs (each): 78 1/4 x 27 7/8 in. (198.8 x 70.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Rose and John B. Elliott Gifts, 1987 (1987.278a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This scroll was most likely part of an original set of eight depicting the scenery around the Xiao and Xiang Rivers in China (present-day Hunan Province). Majestic peaks in the distance tower over a Buddhist temple complex. The mist-filled evening air, dark expanse of water in the foreground, and impression of shimmering light, impart a lyrical, even melancholic, mood. The lack of human figures is unusual; in earlier Chinese examples of this theme, they act as listeners who hear the sound of bells ringing through the mist. An artistic convention imported from China, the Eight Views of Xiao and Xiang Rivers became popular in early Joseon Korea where innovations in format and style transformed the genre.
 
Though the work is unsigned, the artist clearly aligned himself with the style of the fifteenth-century master An Gyeon. His trademarks include powerful mountain forms, dramatic interplay of solids and voids, strong contrasts of dark and light, effective use of mists, modeling ink washes, and short brushstrokes.

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Wild geese descending to sandbar, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 15th–early 16th century. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink on silk; Image: 49 3/4 × 19 1/4 in. (126.4 × 48.9 cm) Overall with mounting: 91 3/4 × 24 1/2 in. (233 × 62.2 cm) Overall with knobs: 91 3/4 × 27 1/4 in. (233 × 69.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, John M. Crawford Jr. Bequest, and The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 1992 (1992.337© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Set in the modern province of Hunan, China, this landscape depicts a river valley and distant mountains with a flock of flying geese, the identifying marker of one of the most recognizable scenes from the Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers theme. This theme attained renown within Chinese literary and artistic circles during the Song period. Although its fame on the continent receded over time, in Korea, monochrome ink paintings of the subject reached a new height of popularity in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Indeed, early Joseon scrolls and screens illustrating the Eight Views represent Korean transformations of this classic theme.

This scroll would originally have been part of a set. The tripartite composition represents the standard iconography of this subject in early Joseon Korea. The style of the work is in the manner of An Gyeon, the preeminent fifteenth-century court artist. With its delicate and sophisticated brushwork, this painting is one of the finest extant landscapes from the period.

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Bowl, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), first half of the 16th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with white slipH. 3 1/4 (8.2 cm); Diam. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Oliver, 1983 (1983.557.2© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Joseon ceramic ware that gained widespread favor in Japan beginning in the late fifteenth century was not fine white porcelain, the main product of Korean kilns—particularly the official court kilns—at the time, but buncheong (powder green) stoneware, so-called because of its bluish green transparent glaze. This bowl, which was dipped partially in white slip and then covered with a glaze before firing, is typical of the type of buncheong ware that was especially prized by practitioners of the tea ceremony in Japan as the embodiment of the aesthetics of rusticity and naturalness.

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Bowl with inscription and decoration of chrysanthemums and tortoiseshell pattern, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-15th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with stamped design; H. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm); Diam. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm); Diam. of foot 2 3/4 in. (7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Toshiya Fujiwara Riseido, 2003 (2003.590© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The two-character inscription inside this bowl reads “naeseom,” short for naeseom-si, the Joseon government bureau that supervised tributary products to the royal palace from the provinces, liquor given to officials of second rank or higher, and food and textiles for Japanese and Manchurian visitors. 

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Flask-shaped bottle with decoration of peonies, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 15th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with incised and sgraffito design; H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); Diam. 7 in. (17.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1986 (1986.305© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The decorative technique of incising the outlines and carving away the background through the white slip is characteristic of buncheong ware produced in Jeolla Province.

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Melon-shaped ewer with decoration of bamboo, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)first half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with carved and incised design under celadon glaze; H. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Roger G. Gerry, 1996 (1996.471© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This elegant ewer demonstrates the Goryeo potter’s skill in transforming everyday motifs from nature—in this case, melon and bamboo—into a practical yet attractive vessel.

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Box with decoration of lotus scrolls, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)18th century. Korea. Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl; H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); W. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); D. 12 9/16 in. (31.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Roger Gerry, 1981 (1981.455.2a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Stationery box with decoration of peony scrolls, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 15th–16th century. Korea. Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl; H. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); W. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm); L. 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015 (2015.500.3.1a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A rare example of early Joseon lacquer, this box is inlaid with a sophisticated mother-of-pearl design. Peony blossoms of similar form can be found on inlaid buncheong ware; the stylized acanthus-like leaves are distinctive to this example and to the few other extant boxes of its type, which are nearly identical.

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Bottle with flattened side, late Unified Silla (668–935)–early Goryeo (918–1392)9th or 10th century. Korea. Stoneware with accidental wood-ash glaze; H. 9 in. (22.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Judith G. and F. Randall Smith Gift, 1994 (1994.226) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Stoneware bottles of this type were produced at the kilns in Jinjuk-ri, South Chungcheong Province, during the ninth century, and they continued to be made into the early tenth century at the Gurim-ri kilns in South Gyeongsang Province. The shape likely derives from leather water bottles carried by northern nomadic tribes of Eurasia.

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Jar, late Bronze Age (ca. 15th–ca. 3rd century B.C.)ca. 4th century B.C. Korea. Burnished red earthenware; H. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Hongnam Kim, to commemorate the opening of the Arts of Korea Gallery, 1998 (1998.212© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Probably intended for ritual use, this jar attained its lush red color from an iron-rich pigment applied to the vessel before it was burnished and fired.

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Wine cup with ear handles, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)15th century. Korea. Porcelain; H. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm); Diam. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.175.1© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This cup, used in Confucian ancestral rites, may have been placed on top of a flat-rimmed porcelain dish. It was produced at the court-patronized kilns known as Bunwon.

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Dish, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), second half of the 15th century. Korea. Porcelain;  H. 1/2 in. (1.3 cm); Diam. 8 7/16 in. (21.4 cm); Diam. of foot 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift and Seymour Fund, 2004 (2004.124© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The dish was produced at the court-patronized kilns known as Bunwon. The shape of the dish may derive from celadon ware of fourteenth-century China, and ultimately from metalwork, particularly silver dishes.

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Bottle, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), first half of the 19th century. Korea. Porcelain;  H. 13 15/16 in. (33.8 cm); W. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm) Diam. of rim: 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm) Diam. of foot: 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Anonymous Gift, 2007 (2007.481© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The bottle’s clean silhouette and unadorned surface accentuate the essence of Joseon porcelain: restrained elegance. It reflects the neo-Confucian tastes of the Joseon-period elite.

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Brush holder with lotus decoration, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-19th century. Korea. Porcelain with openwork design;  H. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm); Diam. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Hewitt Fund, 1911 (11.142.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Scholarly men of the Joseon dynasty collected and used beautiful writing implements and accoutrements, often made of porcelain. This elegant brush holder is a particularly fine example of nineteenth-century porcelain with carved openwork design.

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Ring-shaped water dropper, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 19th century. Korea. Porcelain;  Diam. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Heakyum Kim, 2004 (2004.554© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

To prepare ink for calligraphy or painting, a Joseon literatus might have used this instrument to drip water onto an inkstone for grinding an ink stick. Porcelain water droppers, often in whimsical shapes and with or without painted decoration, were fashionable during the nineteenth century.

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Water dropper in the shape of a house, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 19th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze blue;  H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); W. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm); D. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2012 (2012.177© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is a rare example of a porcelain water dropper in the shape of a traditional Korean house, with its tiled roof, lattice doors, and windows accentuated in cobalt blue.

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Bowl with floral and abstract design, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), dated 1847. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue design;   H. 4 5/16 in. (10.6 cm); Diam. 7 3/8 in. (18.9 cm); Diam. of foot 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2010 (2010.174© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The striking abstract designs on this bowl closely resemble those found on so-called Kraak ware, Chinese blue-and-white porcelain exported to Europe in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The style is unusual in Korean porcelain. Based on the Korean-character (Hanguel) inscription drilled over the glaze above the foot, we can surmise that thirty bowls were made in 1847 on the occasion of the royal wedding for use at Sunhwagung (residence of the second wife of King Heonjong, r. 1834–49). 

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Epitaph tablets (Myoji), set of thirty-four, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), dated 1736. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue design;  Each: H. 9 7/8 in. (25.1 cm); W. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Mrs. Carroll, to commemorate the opening of the Arts of Korea Gallery, 1998 (1998.486.1–.34© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

These rectangular epitaph tablets commemorate the life of O Myeong-hang (1673–1728), a scholar-official and calligrapher who served under several Joseon kings and eventually attained the position of state councilor. An important historical document, the set provides insight into the mortuary practices of the neo-Confucian society of eighteenth-century Korea, when epitaphs chronicling the life and achievements of the deceased were written on stone or ceramic tablets and placed inside graves. The tablets also offer valuable information on the manufacture of porcelain and the art of calligraphy. The text is in Chinese characters, the written language of choice for most official documents—especially for the literati—even after the invention of the Korean alphabet (Hangeul) nearly three hundred years earlier.

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Jar with decoration of flowers and insects, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-18th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue design;   H. 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm); Diam. 11 3/8 in. (28.9 cm); Diam. of base: 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); Diam. of rim: 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Parnassus Foundation/Jane and Raphael Bernstein Gift, and Diane Carol Brandt Gift, 2005 (2005.406© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In its form, color, and style of decoration, this handsome jar is representative of blue-and-white porcelain produced at court-patronized kilns in eighteenth-century Korea. The calligraphic quality and minimalism of the painted design and the abundance of white space are among the features that distinguish Korean blue-and-white porcelain—especially of this period—from its contemporary equivalents in China, Japan, and Europe.

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Dragon jar, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), second half of the 18th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue painting;   H. 17 1/4 in. (43.8 cm); Diam. 13 in. (33 cm); Diam. of rim 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm); Diam. of base 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, 2009 Benefit Fund, 2010 (2010.368© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Porcelain jars decorated with dragons painted in cobalt blue were popular from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century. Many were used as flower vases in official court ceremonies. The two four-clawed dragons chasing flaming jewels on this piece embody the dynamic strength of the auspicious beast, rendered with a touch of humor.

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Portrait of Yun Dongseom (1710–1795)Unidentified Artist Korean, late 18th–early 19th century, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), ca. 1790–1805. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk;   Image: 52 3/8 × 30 3/8 in. (133 × 77.2 cm) Overall with mounting: 76 × 31 in. (193 × 78.7 cm) Overall with knobs: 76 × 33 1/4 in. (193 × 84.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick and 2014 Benefit Funds; Friends of Korean Art, Locks Foundation, Hyun Jun M. Kim, and Tchah Sup and Myong Hi Kim Gifts, 2014 (2014.605© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The identification of the sitter as Yun Dongseom, a celebrated scholar, calligrapher, and civil-official, can be confirmed by two other extant portraits in Korean collections. Here, the elderly statesman, dressed in formal attire, is shown in three-quarter view seated in a high-back chair draped with a leopard skin, and against a blank background. A heightened sense of realism guides the rendering of the figure, as was the trend in portraits of the time. The detailed treatment of Yun’s face, through crisp, fluid lines and subtle shading, captures both his physical characteristics and strong personality. A quintessential example of traditional Korean ancestral portraiture, this painting would have functioned as the centerpiece of a family shrine dedicated to honoring the family’s male lineages, in accordance with the strictures of neo-Confucian philosophy.

Although there is no inscribed date, this piece is similar to dated works from the late eighteenth century. One detail that may narrow the dating is the belt: those made of rhinoceros horn and gold were reserved for officials of second rank or higher, a status Yun achieved in 1790. If painted during his lifetime, this portrait would date to 1790–95. Alternatively, the scroll may have been painted posthumously (likely within a decade of his death), a common practice for ancestral portraits. 

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Portrait of a scholar, Chae Yongsin (pen name: Seokji) (Korean, 1850–1941)dated by inscription to 1924. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk;   Image: 38 1/8 × 21 1/8 in. (96.8 × 53.7 cm) Overall with mounting: 48 × 24 7/16 in. (121.9 × 62.1 cm) Overall with knobs: 48 × 24 3/4 in. (121.9 × 62.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2012 (2012.329© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This portrait depicts a man kneeling atop a patterned straw mat in front of a folding screen. His white robe, trimmed in black and tied above the waist, and double-tiered black hat with three peaks identify him as a scholar in unofficial garb.

The inscription on the left provides the cyclical year gapja (甲子), corresponding to 1924. The artist’s pen name Seokji (石芝) is given in the seal.

A renowned portraitist, Chae Yongsin painted people from all levels of society. This scroll is from late in his career, when he worked with his son and grandson, forming what might loosely be termed a studio. The composition and such details as the folds of the robe and the patterns on the mat closely follow Chae’s signature style. The sensitively modeled face, rendered with short brushstrokes that articulate the texture and creases of the skin, is undoubtedly by the master’s hand.

Chae’s portraits incorporate the conventions of both traditional ancestral portraiture and modern photography. He often painted from photographs, and the backgrounds in many of his works replicate photo-studio sets.

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Still life with bronze vessels and flowering plants, Attributed to Jang Seung-eop (pen name: Owon) (Korean, 1843–1897)Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 1894. Korea. Ten-panel folding screen; ink on paper; Overall: 77 in. × 14 ft. 2 in. (195.6 × 431.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Anita H. Berger, in memory of Ambassador Samuel D. Berger, 2014 (2014.247© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In the nineteenth century, still-life paintings of precious vessels with flowering plants and/or fruits emerged as a distinct and popular genre (Korean: gimyeong jeoljido). The bronzes in this screen are more stylized or exaggerated versions of late Qing-period (1644–1911) Chinese examples, which were known in Korea from imported collectibles or their representation in Chinese paintings, prints, or lithographs.

The left-most panel bears the signature and seal of Jang Seung-eop, the leading court artist of the time. Since students and others signed for the illiterate master, some works attributed to Jang may in fact be collaborations or by his immediate followers. Regardless of authorship, this work is a rare and fine example of turn-of-the-twentieth-century still-life painting in the screen format.

Two inscriptions on the back of the right-most panel offer notable provenance for this screen. The first inscription states: “1964 July 9th gifted to United States Ambassador Samuel D. Berger, [from] Park Chung-hee, President of the Republic of Korea [Daehan minguk].” Ambassador Berger retired from a distinguished career in the Foreign Service in 1974. The second inscription reads: “Divine work by Jang Owon, signed by Guryongsan [Nine Dragon Mountain; Kim Jinyong, (1878–1968), artist and critic].”

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Brahma with attendants and musicians, Unidentified Artist, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 16th century. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink and color on hemp; Image: 85 × 87 in. (215.9 × 221 cm) Overall with mounting: 132 × 97 in. (335.3 × 246.4 cm) Overall with knobs: 132 × 101 3/4 in. (335.3 × 258.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1921 (21.57© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Originally a Hindu deity, Brahma (Korean: Beomcheon) was incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon and, along with the Hindu god Indra (Korean: Jeseok), became the protector of Buddhist teachings. The Brahma heaven was interpreted as a place of pleasure filled with entertainers and musicians. In this work, lithe figures playing instruments, such as a mouth organ, a long transverse flute, a two-stringed violin, a four-stringed lute with a crooked neck, wood clappers, and a triangular wind instrument made of clay, surround the towering Brahma at center. Ceremonial fans and bejeweled canopies held by assistants in the top row float above the festive scene.

Buddhist paintings on hemp were commissioned by non-royals, while members of the elite favored silk. Regardless of material, Buddhist paintings from the early Joseon period are rare because of the official suppression of Buddhism and promotion of neo-Confucian ideology.

When Mrs. Harkness gave this work to the Met in 1921, it was thought to be either Chinese or Korean. Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Harkness also collected and donated European decorative art and Egyptian art.

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Vertical flute with decoration of chrysanthemums, cranes, and clouds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)early 13th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; L. 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2008 (2008.71© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Bamboo flutes are known to have existed in Korea since at least the Unified Silla period (668–935), and clay flutes were made before the fourth century. An extremely rare example of a celadon musical instrument, this flute was probably custom-made and intended primarily as a decorative object rather than a functional instrument. The flying cranes, mushroom-shaped clouds, and miniature chrysanthemum blossoms inlaid along its cylindrical body are among the motifs most frequently used on Goryeo celadon.

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Earring (One of a Pair), Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668)Silla Kingdom, late 5th–early 6th century. Korea. Gold; L. 3 1/8 in. (7.9cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943 (43.49.3© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The beauty and sophisticated craftsmanship of these gold earrings—and of the personal adornments found in the tombs of the Silla and Gaya elite generally—attest to the esteem conferred upon them by both patron and artisan.

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Rafter finial in the shape of a dragon’s head and wind chime, early Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)10th century. Korea. Gilt bronze; Finial: L. 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm); H. 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm); W. 9 in. (22.9 cm); Chime: H. 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm); W. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 1999 Benefit Fund, and The Rosenkranz Foundation Inc. Gift, 1999 (1999.263a, b© 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This finial in the shape of a dragon’s head would originally have been attached to a corner rafter of a royal hall or a Buddhist temple building (see, for example, the photograph to the left of a model pagoda that replicates a full-size wood structure from the Goryeo dynasty).

The beast’s bulging eyes, flaring nostrils, and elaborate scales convey the fierceness and invincibility of this auspicious creature. The small holes at the sides of the neck were probably used to secure the heavy object to the roof. The bell, which functioned as a wind chime, once had a metal-plate clapper inside. The bell would have been suspended from the loop at the mouth of the dragon by a hook. The decorative panels on the lower halves of both faces of the bell feature a swastika (an ancient symbol associated with the Buddha) within a lotus-flower platform. A nearly identical set of a dragon’s head and wind chime, the only other comparable extant example, is in the collection of the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul.

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Yoon Kwang-Cho (Korean, born 1946)Chaos2007. Korea. Stoneware with white slip and ash glaze; H. 13 1/8 in. (33.3 cm); W. 26 3/8 in. (67 cm); D. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Korean Art Gifts and Parnassus Foundation/Jane and Raphael Bernstein Gift, 2011 (2011.89) © Yoon Kwang-Cho © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

While inspired by the buncheong tradition of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Yoon’s more recent works tend toward the sculptural and further exploit the dynamic tactile potentials of clay, glaze, and white slip. The drips and splashes on this piece convey the moment of energetic chaos before the birth of a new life.

 

Van Cleef & Arpels, Clapotis necklace, Vagues Mystérieuses clip, Ancône ring, Benguerra bracelet, Flamant Corail necklace

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Van Cleef & Arpels, Clapotis necklace in white gold with round and pear-shaped diamonds, sapphires, one white cultured pearl and one cushion-cut green tourmaline of 15.73 carats.

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Van Cleef & Arpels, Vagues Mystérieuses clip in white gold with diamonds, Paraíba-like tourmalines, sapphires and mystery Set sapphires.

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Van Cleef & Arpels, Ancône ring in white gold with round and baguette-cut diamonds, sapphires, turquoise beads and one octogonal-cut Colombian emerald of 3.28 carats.

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Van Cleef & Arpels, Benguerra bracelet in white gold with diamonds, blue and yellow sapphires, spessartite garnets and white cultured pearls.

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Van Cleef & Arpels, Flamant Corail necklace in pink gold with round diamonds, round and pear-shaped pink sapphires, round peridots, pink and red coral, and onyx

Chaumet, Joséphine Aigrette Impériale, Eclat Floral

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Joséphine Aigrette Impériale ring in platinum with brilliant cut diamonds and one pear shaped 5-carat diamond; earrings in platinum with brilliant cut diamonds and pear shaped diamonds; and ring in platinum with brilliant cut diamonds and one pear shaped emerald all by Chaumet.

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Chaumet. Aigrette Impériale platinum and diamond earrings.

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Belle Époque sketches by Joseph Chaumet.

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Belle Époque sketches by Joseph Chaumet.

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Chaumet. Eclat Floral Joséphine Fancy Intense Yellow diamond ring.

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Chaumet. Sketch of the Eclat Floral platinum ring with yellow and white diamonds.

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Chaumet. Sketch of the Rondes des Nuits platinum and white gold necklace with diamonds.

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Chaumet. Rondes des Nuits platinum and white gold necklace with diamonds.

1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

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1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster - Alloy Engine, Disc Brakes. Estimate $1,900,000 - $2,200,000. Photo by David Newhardt, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

A worthy heir to the renowned 300SL Gullwing coupe, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster immediately established its credentials as a world-class performer in the Grand Touring tradition. Introduced at the 1957 Geneva Salon, the Roadster’s roadholding was much improved despite the necessity to alter the sides of the frame to accommodate conventional side-opening doors, which slightly reduced the chassis’ torsional stiffness. It was also a much more comfortable car, with plusher seating and a larger trunk for GT-style road trips, but it remained outwardly unchanged except for the open cockpit and larger headlights. The 3.0L overhead cam inline-6 remained, using Bosch direct fuel injection, dual-coil ignition, a higher compression ratio and dry-sump engine lubrication to produce 225 to 250 HP and a remarkable 202 lb-ft of torque. During factory testing a 300SL Roadster with a 215 HP engine reached 143 MPH, and a Swiss magazine produced a top speed of 147 MPH with the 225 HP engine, both remarkable numbers in 1957, especially in a civilized car that surrounded its passengers in the most luxurious interior available in any high-performance GT of its time.

Further refinements came in 1961 when the standard drum brakes were replaced with more effective power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes, and beginning in 1962 engines featured lightweight aluminum blocks in place of the earlier cast-iron units. This 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster represents the model at its highest development. The car still retains the matching-numbers aluminum engine, and was restored in 1996 to its original White-on-Red color scheme, with very few miles since then. It has been maintained in excellent condition, an outstanding example of one of the great Mercedes-Benz road cars.

Mecum Monterey 2015

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