Palazzo Bernardo in Venice. Photo: Massimo Listri

Palazzo Bernardo in Venice.

A carved 'Qingbai''Twin Fish' dish, Song dynasty. Estimate 2,000 — 3,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

he rounded sides rising to a gently everted rim, the interior freely carved with a lively pair of addorsed carp on a combed wave ground, applied overall with a translucent pale bluish-green glaze, the footrim and recessed base unglazed. Diameter 7 1/4  in., 18.4 cm

Provenance: Acquired in the 1970s or 80s. 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 sept. 2015

A 'Qingbai''Dragon' ewer and cover, Yuan dynasty. Estimate 3,000 — 5,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

of flattened baluster form, the body with a coiled dragon medallion to either side flanked by a curved spout and a dragon-fish form strap handle, the fitted cover with a recumbent lion-form knop (2). Height 11 in., 27.9 cm

Provenance: Acquired in the 1970s or 80s. 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 sept. 2015

A large 'Qingbai' ewer and cover, Yuan dynasty. Estimate 15,000 — 25,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the pyriform body rising to a tall gently flaring neck, supported on a splayed foot, the body set with a slender curved spout issuing from the mouth of a dragon, connected to the body by an elaborate S-shaped strut set opposite a high arched handle formed by the scaled body of a dragon-fish, its serpentine horn forming a small loop for attaching the cover terminating in radiating scales reinforcing the base, the body applied and incised to either side with a phoenix in flight, above a band of upright lappets containing ruyi heads, the neck collared by a key-fret band and slip-painted upright petal lappets below the rim, fitted with a stepped domed cover and a small eyelet for attachment to the ewer, surmounted by a seated playfully-ribbon-entangled lion-form knop, all beneath a pale blue transparent glaze (2). Height 12 3/4  in., 32.4 cm

Provenance: Acquired in the 1970s or 80s.  

Note: A very similar ewer and cover from the Meiyintang Collection was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 39. A ewer of the same form and decoration but lacking a cover in the Tokyo National Museum is illustrated in Yutaka Mino, Hakuji [White Porcelain], vol. 5, Tokyo, 1998, col. pl. 79.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 sept. 2015

A pair of glazed white stoneware bowls, Northern Song dynasty. Estimate 15,000 — 25,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

each of conical form with everted sides rising from a short foot, the lobed body with a slightly flared rim, covered overall in a transparent glaze stopping irregularly above the foot revealing the white body (2). Diameter 4 5/8  in., 11.7 cm

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 sept. 2015

Fluorapatite avec inclusion cristalline de Rutile. Collection et photo Gianfranco Ciccolini

Fluorite. Rocche Grana quarry, Montoso, Bagnolo Piemonte, Cuneo Province, Italie. Collection et photo Giuseppe Finello

Spinelle. Monte Somma, Somma-Vesuvius Complex, Naples Province, Campania, Italie. Collection Fulvio Iurcotta / Photo Matteo Chinellato.

Stolzite. Proprietary Mine, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australie. Collection Domenico Preite  / Photo Matteo Chinellato.

Fluorapatite. Collection et photo Giuseppe Finello

Paris au Moyen-Âge - A gauche, le Marché-neuf et ses deux halles © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Au fond, le Louvre - A droite, la pointe de l‘île de la Cité et les habitations des chanoines de la Sainte Chapelle © Grez productions. 

Paris au Moyen-Âge - L’hôtel Dieu a été le premier hôpital de Paris. Situé sur l'Ile de la Cité, il a été fondé en 651. © Grez productions. 

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Le Pont au Change - qui existe toujours - Et le Pont aux Meuniers devant la tour de l'Horloge du Palais de la cité. Au fond, il est possible de distinguer l'abbaye Saint-Germain-des-Prés. © Grez productions. 

Paris au Moyen-Âge - L'entrée du Châtelet se trouvait du coté de la rue Saint-Denis. Au Moyen Age, il s'agissait d'un sinistre bâtiment de Justice aux cachots redoutés. A l'arrière plan, sur la gauche de l'image, apparaît Notre-Dame de Paris. © Grez productions. 

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Le Louvre, l'Hôtel de Ville ou Notre-Dame présentaient des visages différents au Moyen Age. © Grez productions. 

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Le Louvre. A l'arrière plan, sur la gauche de l'image, apparaît Notre-Dame de Paris. © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Notre-Dame était vraisemblablement polychrome mais l'on est hélas incapable aujourd'hui de déterminer de quelle manière. Les couleurs et les parties peintes ne sont donc ici qu'une vue d'artiste © Grez productions. 

Paris au Moyen-Âge - La Bastille et à droite la Porte Saint-Antoine © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - En 1550, la Place de Grève, qui est aujourd'hui la Place de l'Hôtel de ville, était un port commercial important. Mais aussi le lieu de fêtes et d'exécutions © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Le Palais de la Cité dans sa version médiévale. Il fut la résidence des rois de France du Xe au XIVe siècles © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Le jardin du roi sur l‘île de la Cité, son verger s'étendait devant ses appartements © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Il s'agit ici du premier bâtiment qui remplace la "Maison aux piliers“ et prendra le nom d'Hôtel de la ville © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Le Petit-Pont - qui existe toujours - et qui relie l‘île de la Citéà la rive gauche © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Notre-Dame © Grez productions.

Paris au Moyen-Âge - Le Parvis de Notre-Dame de Paris au Moyen Age. Plus étroit qu'aujourd'hui, il accueillait fêtes et marchés © Grez productions.

Un bond dans le temps. Au 14ème siècle, Paris comptait 200000 habitants. Les images de synthèse sont réalisées par Grez productions.

Exquisitely illustrated with new photography, this hardcover volume (80 pages, 75 color illustrations; 7 1/8 x 7 1/8 inches, $19.95, member price $17.96) is published by the Frick in association with D Giles Limited.

NEW YORK, NY.- Limoges enamels, named after the town in central France in which they were was produced, are one of the most distinctive art forms of the French Renaissance. Director Ian Wardropper has authored the first book dedicated fully to the important collection of Limoges enamels housed at The Frick Collection. Reflective of the jewel-like character of these exquisite objects, the publication shows the broad range of applications to which this brilliant but delicate medium was applied in fifteenth-, sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century France: from secular objects, such as portraits, caskets and tableware, to objects of religious association, such as devotional triptychs. Featured in the publication are major examples by some of the leading masters of the art, including Jean I and Nardon Pénicaud, Léonard Limousin, Pierre Reymond, and the Master of the Large Foreheads. In addition to full-page images of 43 key pieces from this collection—each accompanied by a brief commentary and illustrated with new photography—the volume includes an illustrated essay by Wardropper on the wider artistic significance, stylistic qualities, and consummate craftsmanship of the collection, its history, and re-display at the Frick, together with an illustrated glossary of terms by Associate Conservator Julia Day. 

Comments Wardropper, “I have very much enjoyed the chance to spend time studying these brilliantly colored and quite personal works. The French Renaissance was my first specialty, and I hope that this book will entice others to enjoy the art of this period.” In honor of the publication, which is co-published by D Giles Limited, London, the Frick is creating a special installation in the Enamels Room that will open in mid-September. Works that have not been on view in several years will be shown along with major highlights. 

Enamels are composed of powdered glass fused to a metal substrate. Created by adding metal oxides to clear glass when molten, color is affected by both the composition of the glass and the concentration of the metal oxide used, as well as the atmospheric conditions in the kiln. A translucent blue is produced when copper oxide is mixed with an alkali glass composition, while green is produced when it is combined with lead glass. An artist’s palette is restricted to those materials that can survive high temperatures in the kiln. 

Sixteenth-century-Limoges enamels have their roots in the Middle Ages but were unmistakably a Renaissance phenomenon. Artists evolved techniques that permitted an approach closer to painting on wood panel or canvas, and classical mythology and portraits became subjects in addition to religious themes. The growing circulation of woodcuts, engravings, and etchings furnished models to the Limoges artisans who were less innovators in composition than exquisite craftsmen. The craftsmen worked in close family circles within Limoges but their work was exported throughout Europe. 

Limoges Enamels at The Frick Collection - Double page spread.

HENRY CLAY FRICK AS A COLLECTOR OF ENAMELS 
Collecting decorative arts came late in the life of industrialist Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919). When he moved in 1905 to New York from Pittsburgh (where he had made his fortune in coke and steel), his passion was Old Master paintings. Crowning this activity was the West Gallery of the house he was building on Fifth Avenue, which would be NYC’s largest private space for showing paintings. As plans for the house developed, Frick acknowledged the need to furnish it with works of art comparable to his paintings; and so he set out to acquire them. Italian Renaissance chests (cassoni), French eighteenth-century marquetry and veneered furniture, and Sèvres porcelain began to enter the collection. In 1916, two years after moving into his newly constructed mansion, Henry Clay Frick vacated his personal office to make room for a collection of painted enamels. 

The majority of Frick’s enamels were actually assembled by the American financier and art collector John Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913). In the first decade of the twentieth century, Morgan purchased enamels from several art dealers, including Murray Marks, a partner in Durlacher Brothers, and Charles J. Wertheimer, both in London; the French dealer Jacques Seligmann; and Duveen Brothers in London, New York, and Paris. Morgan’s enamels collection rapidly became one of the most important of its kind in private hands and was on loan to the Victoria & Albert Museum until 1912. In orchestrating the dispersal of this extraordinary collection after the financier’s death, Joseph Duveen played an important role in the selection of objects for his clients. In June 1916, Frick acquired from Duveen forty works―the greatest in number and most valuable―from Morgan’s collection. 

Morgan and Henry Walters in Baltimore were among the first to collect Limoges in America. When Frick was acquiring his enamels, fellow American collectors included William Randolph Hearst (whose works are now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art), Philip and Robert Lehman (The Metropolitan Museum of Art), Peter A. B. Widener and his son Joseph (Philadelphia Museum of Art), and Charles Phelps and Anna Sinton Taft (Taft Museum, Cincinnati). Along with museums in London, Paris, and a few other centers, The Frick Collection stands today as one of the major museums housing important Limoges enamels. Representing most of the notable artists and covering many of the characteristic types and subjects, this New York collection constitutes a comprehensive survey of painted enamels at a distinguished level of quality. 

Ian Wardropper has been Director of The Frick Collection since 2011. He has written numerous books and articles and coorganized more than twenty exhibitions, among them, Bernini: Sculpting in Clay (2012) and Cast in Bronze: French Sculpture from Renaissance to Revolution (2009). In 2012, he received the prestigious award of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France. Julia Day is Associate Conservator at The Frick Collection and has been involved in the conservation of its enamels collection since 2008. She is an active member of the enamels specialty group of the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation in addition to making enamels herself. She has also published technical studies on bronzes and preventative conservation.

Limoges Enamels at The Frick Collection - Double page spread

A Ninety-Six Piece Sèvres-Style Porcelain Service, 19th century. Marks: (imitation Sèvres marks) Offert par le Duc de Richelieu a Mme. de Lamballe; signed F. AULDET to painted cartouches. Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

DALLAS, TX.- Treasured objects from fresh-to-market private collections, including a 96-Piece Sèvres-Style Porcelain Service (est. $30,000+) will cross the block in Heritage Auctions' Fine & Decorative Arts Including Estates Auction Sept. 12-13 in Dallas. The auction presents a richly diverse selection of than 1,000 lots, ranging from a Moorish Revival Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Mantle Clock for Tiffany & Co., New York, New York, circa 1884, (est. $15,000+) to a 40-inch-tall Blanc de Chine, Gilt and Silvered Bronze Figural Clock titled Scholar, Ruler and Wise Man (est. $15,000+). 

A Ninety-Six Piece Sèvres-Style Porcelain Service, 19th century. Marks: (imitation Sèvres marks) Offert par le Duc de Richelieu a Mme. de Lamballe; signed F. AULDET to painted cartouches. Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

9 x 12 x 10 inches (22.9 x 30.5 x 25.4 cm) (large covered tureen). The service comprising:
39 dinner plates;
19 luncheon plates;
11 soup plates;
2 large covered tureens;
2 covered vegetable tureens;
2 sauceboats with attached underplates;
4 high compotes;
4 low compotes;
2 open serving bowls;
1 large oval serving platter;
1 medium oval serving platter;
2 small oval serving platters;
1 large round serving platter;
6 sweetmeat dishes.
96 Total.

A Moorish Revival Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Mantle Clock for Tiffany & Co., New York, New York, circa 1884. Marks to dial: TIFFANY & CO. 29-1/2 inches high x 14-1/2 inches wide x 11-1/4 inches deep (74.9 x 36.8 x 28.6 cm). Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

The clock constructed of mahogany and gilt bronze, surmounted by onion finial on gilt dome, incised designs to dome and finial with quintuple mahogany banding, down to carved foliate frieze banding on stepped base, matching gilt onion finials with incised designs to four corners, to case with gilt acanthus leaf cornice, central frieze panel with incised repeating trefoil pattern, carved molding to architrave above inset columns with scrolling incised designs to abacuses, Corinthian order capitals, plain shafts to rounded base mounts on square stylobates, clock face framed with locking trefoil window with paneled corners, tracery to window opening, and inset columns to door base, clock face of mounted silver metal frame in trefoil window form, four dials for time, chime control, speed, and chime selection, reticulated giltwork between three subsidiary dials, radiating leaf and sunburst engraving to dials, raised gilt numbers to clock face with fleur-de-lis style hands, side panels containing rounded-arch windows and gilt foliate reticulated gating on cloth background, to lower raised pediment with reticulated blocks supporting columns, central frieze panel with incised repeating trefoil pattern, scrolled and foliate gilt banding to stylobate above carved block feet on gilt mounts.

Notes: The clock features three double fusee driven barrels fitted in a rectangular movement. The clock is fitted with the unusual and innovative alternating Westminster/Whittington movement that master clock maker, Joseph Lindauer, patented in 1882 for Tiffany & Co. A similar tall case example resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no. 06.1206. 

A Blanc de Chine, Gilt and Silvered Bronze Figural Clock: Scholar, Ruler and Wise Man, 40 x 22-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches (101.6 x 57.2 x 26.7 cm). Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

The Roman numeral clock surrounded by gilt bronze grapevines with porcelain flowers with flanking silvered parrots, vines surrounding a blanc de chine group of the Scholar, Ruler and Wise Man in a dragon-form boat on a gilt base with curtain swags, all raised on the backs of four silvered camels. 

Important private collections are the cornerstone of the two-day event and feature art and furnishings from the private Beverly Hills, California, home of poet, singer-songwriter and musician Rod McKuen. Among the home’s furnishings offered in the Sept. 12 session include a German Roman Catholic Stained Glass Depicting Sacred Heart Jesus, Joseph, & Mary (est. $10,000+) and the well-documented poster Les Vieilles Histoires, 1893, signed by artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (est. $3,000+). With the parade of famous names and faces in and out of the home over 40 years, perhaps it was Frank Sinatra or Phyllis Diller who relaxed over drinks in a Pair of classic Ray and Charles Eames 670 Armchairs and 671 Ottomans (est. $2,500+). 

A German Roman Catholic Stained Glass Depicting Sacred Heart Jesus, Joseph, & Mary, 19th century, 82-1/2 inches high x 86-1/4 inches wide (209.6 x 219.1 cm). Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the estate of Rod McKuen

The hinged triptych depicting three rounded panels of Joseph, Jesus, and Mary, inside oak frames, each panel with identical foliate bouquet of a mixed palette of browns, greens, and oranges above figures, Joseph and Mary panels depicting characters dressed in flowing robes in fields, halos to each head, central Jesus panel depicting Sacred Heart version of deity, panels with framed cartouches below, one illegible, others inscribed: "Donated by John McMahon wife and family,""Donated by the Metz family in loving memory of their father Michael M." Framed panes are reinforced to rear with period iron rods. 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901), Les Vieilles Histoires, 1893. Color Poster, 17 x 24 inches (43.2 x 61.0 cm) (sheet). Ed. 100. Signed with artist monogram lower left. Inscribed in pencil at lower margin. Published by G. Ondet, Paris. stimate: $3,000 - $5,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the estate of Rod McKuen

Provenance: R.S. Johnson-International Gallery, Chicago, Illinois;
Rod McKuen, Beverly Hills, California, acquired from the above;
Estate of the above.

Literature: Wittrock 5 II/II;
Adhémar 19;
Adriani 27 III/III;
Delteil 18. 

A Pair of Ray and Charles Eames 670 Armchairs and 671 Ottomans, 20th century; 31 inches high x 33 inches wide x 31 inches deep (78.7 x 83.8 x 78.7 cm). Estimate: $2,500 - $3,500. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the estate of Rod McKuen

The chairs in classic Eames form with black leather upholstery to headrest, backsplat, armrests, and seat, with wood veneer bodies on aluminum legs, matching ottomans measuring 16-1/2 inches high x 26 inches wide 

Additional private collections include selections from the estate of Carolyn and Austin “Starke” Taylor, the civic-minded former mayor of Dallas. “We have been lucky enough to have had in our home Renoirs, Cassatts, Pissarros and a large collection of Morisot,” Carolyn Taylor said of the family’s collection. “We felt a responsibility to future generations … each piece is yours for only a moment, one day belonging to others or for the education and enjoyment of generations to come.” 

The Taylors traveled extensively for business and their treasures include a Joseph Cremer Regence-Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Mahogany Credenza with Marquetry Panels and Marble Top, 19th century, (est. $12,000); a large Bavarian Carved Wood Figural Hall Mirror (est. $6,000+); a Victorian Mahogany Secretary Bookcase, circa 1865 (est. $6,000+); a Pair of Empire Upholstered Mahogany Fauteuils with Gilt Bronze Mounts, in the Manner of Georges Jacob, 19th century, (est. $8,000+), and a Pair of Directoire Garden Sphinxes of Madame de Pompador and Madame du Barry, Damparis, France, circa 1795, (est. $5,000+). 

A Joseph Cremer Regence-Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Mahogany Credenza with Marquetry Panels and Marble. Top, 19th century. Signed to floral panels: J Cremer; 37 inches high x 88 inches wide x 26-1/2 inches deep (94.0 x 223.5 x 67.3 cm). Estimate: $12,000 - $18,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the collection of Carolyn and Austin Starke Taylor, Dallas

The serpentine-form credenza with white marble top, egg and dart gilt bronze lip, diagonal-grained veneer throughout the body, Rococo-style gilt mounts surrounding doors to the three compartments, black lacquered panels on doors with floral marquetry, conforming serpentine apron adorned with gilt bronze floral scrollwork and terminating on gilt curved feet.

Joseph Cremer (1830-1878) was one of the most renowned marquteurs of the mid-nineteenth century in France, supplying furniture to Louis Philippe in 1844 and the King of Holland. Specializing in marquetry panels for the incorporation into other cabinet makers' furniture frames, Cremer presented his work at major exhibitions, winning medals in 1839, 1844, 1849 and 1852.

Austin "Starke" (1922-2014) and Carolyn married on April 7, 1973 and were active, passionate collectors during their 42 year marriage.
Dallasites remember Starke, who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II for the US Navy, as their two-time mayor from 1983 to 1987. He worked for better public housing, encouraged development in southern Dallas, led the initiative to create the DART rail system, and co-founded Austin Street Shelter to help the homeless and the mentally ill. He also gained final approval for the widening of North Central Expressway in addition to many other long-term improvement projects for the city.
Carolyn shared Starke's passion for social service, raising funds and awareness through countless charity events. At the time of Starke's mayoral tenure, Dallas had the highest infant mortality rate in the nation, attributed to a lack of education, resources, and poor prenatal care. She founded a program that worked with local agencies to curb infant mortality and allow young mothers to finish portions of their education that had been abandoned due to pregnancy.
When Starke and Carolyn married, Starke was the president of Starke Taylor & Son cotton merchants in Dallas. The global nature of the business required the couple to participate in extensive travel overseas to a variety of locations in Asia and Europe, and this travel in turn nurtured their shared passion for collecting. It was their experiences abroad that led the couple to collect items that reminded them of memory and place: "We experienced so many wonderful things-magnificent palaces and temples, many forms of craftsmanship, and some of the most famous art in the world." The collection the Taylors compiled would serve as a constant reminder of the unforgettable memories the couple shared. Each of their possessions exude a purpose to educate and enrich: "We have been lucky enough to have had in our home Renoirs, Cassatts, Pissarros and a large collection of Morisot.
"We felt a responsibility to future generations... each piece is yours for only a moment, one day belonging to others or for the education and enjoyment of generations to come."
Please enjoy the lots in this section which provide a lasting glimpse into the unending energy and dedication that characterized every chapter of the Taylors' lives together.

A Large Bavarian Carved Wood Figural Hall Mirror with Base, 19th century; 107-1/2 inches high x 85 inches wide x 9 inches deep (273.1 x 215.9 x 22.9 cm). Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the collection of Carolyn and Austin Starke Taylor, Dallas

The mirror frame with carved in-the-round putti, cornucopias, vines and citadels, raised on a conforming base with carved oak tree and hunting motifs.

A Pair of Empire Upholstered Mahogany Fauteuils with Gilt Bronze Mounts, in the Manner of Georges Jacob, 19th century; 42-1/2 inches high x 26-1/2 inches wide x 20-1/2 inches deep (108.0 x 67.3 x 52.1 cm). Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000.  Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the collection of Carolyn and Austin Starke Taylor, Dallas

The pair of upholstered fauteuil each with padded arms terminating in gilt bronze seated winged sphinxes, gilt bronze mounts to the shaped crest rail, backrest, apron and knees, raised on figural legs to front and splayed legs to verso.

A Pair of Directoire Garden Sphinxes of Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry, Damparis, France, circa 1795. Marks: Jacob Delafon et Cie Pouilly s/Saone et Belvoye; 32-1/2 inches high x 15-1/2 inches wide x 42 inches deep (82.6 x 34.3 x 106.7 cm). Estimate: $5,000 - $8,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the collection of Carolyn and Austin Starke Taylor, Dallas.

he pair of female sphinxes, depicting versions of Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry, carved from limestone. A similar pair of figures resides at the Château d'Enghien in Belgium. The pair was later retailed in the late 19th century by the Jacob Delafon company, whose company logo is incised to rear. 

Additional Dallas private collections include a collection of 19th century animalier bronzes from the private collection of noted numismatic and stamp collectors Barbara K. and Stanley G. Cohen. On offer are Élan Surprised par un Lynx, 1841, by Antoine-Louis Barye (est. $2,500+) and Le Faisan, 1889, by Paul-Édouard Delabrièrre (est. $1,000+). Within the collection is a Louis XVI-Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Tulipwood and Mahogany Vanity (est. $4,000+); a Louis XVI-Style Gilt Bronze and Mahogany Vitrine with Marble Top (est. $4,000+); and a Pair of Henry Dasson Gilt Bronze Mounted Marble Urn Lamp Bases, circa 1879 (est. $3,000+).  

Antoine-Louis Barye (French, 1796-1875), Élan Surprised par un Lynx, 1841. Bronze with brown patina; 9 inches (22.9 cm) high. Inscribed on base with Barbedienne foundry mark: Barye / F. Barbedienne Fonduer. Estimate: $2,500 - $3,500. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the collection of Stanley G. and Barbara K. Cohen

Provenance: Marshall Mitchell Inc, Springfield, Illinois;
Private collection, Texas, acquired from the above, 1973.

Stanley and Barbara Cohen began collecting in two categories familiar to many: numismatics and stamps. Barbara asked to join her neighbor who began a coin and stamp collection for her children. Each afternoon, they would place stamps in books and arrange coins in folders. Interest spread to her husband Stanley, who developed a deep interest in stamps, and created the collection which was sold in 1986 as The Stanley Cohen Collection of Classic U.S. When the Cohens decided that it was time to furnish their home in the early 1970s, Colonel Arthur and Juliet Dryfuss, clock collectors from south Texas, served as mentors guiding them to expand their collecting interest to antique furniture, and placed them in the care of Christie's Antiques in Victoria, Texas. The couple visited the shop and were enthralled with the rich selection of French antiques which perfectly suited their tastes. The first pieces purchased were personifications of their new owners: a folding card table for Stanley's interest in duplicate bridge, and a lady's roll top desk for Barbara.
Like so many, along with their great finds, the Cohens encountered a mislabeled piece. Barbara remembers purchasing a pair of chairs represented as 18th century with peeling black paint described as "alligator crackle". Shortly after, when one chair broke Stanley began to question the story behind these chairs and was led to do research which unveiled their true origins: Michigan Chair Company, 1915. While a well-regarded chair maker, it was later sold in a garage sale.
Not deterred by a bad experience, the Cohen's sought out knowledge, building an extensive research library and annually attending the Houston Theta Antique Show where they sharpened their eyes, learning from dealers across the country. Stanley and Barbara's individual taste in antiques developed as the years progressed, and possibly their most loved collection are the 19th century animalier bronzes that follow. They enjoyed the complexity their differences brought to the collection and the stories that came from their wonderful adventure, as each piece was carefully and lovingly chosen. Heritage is now pleased to offer a new opportunity for these items to continue their stories.

Paul-Édouard Delabrièrre (French, 1829-1912), Le Faisan, 1889. Bronze with brown patina, 12 inches (30.5 cm) high. Inscribed on base with Medaille D'or Exposition Universelle 1889 stamp: E. Delabrierre. Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the collection of Stanley G. and Barbara K. Cohen

Provenance: Christy Donoghue Antiques, Victoria, Texas;
Private collection, Texas, acquired from the above, 1974.

A Pair of Henry Dasson Gilt Bronze Mounted Marble Urn Lamp Bases, circa 1879. Marks: HENRY DASSON, 1879; 16 inches high (40.6 cm) (without hardware mount). Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

Property from the collection of Stanley G. and Barbara K. Cohen 

The pair of urn-form bleu turquin marble lamps, berry and foliate harp finials, nude caryatid handles, banded leaf spout, with garland swags to body, on stepped bronze base marked.

Unique decorative arts from several additional private collections range from a Louis XVI-Style Bronze Mounted Mahogany and Parquetry Bureau de Ministre, 19th century (est. $7,000); a French Louis XVI-Style Marquetry and Inlaid Vitrine with Marble Top (est. $4,000+); and a Pair of Louis XVI-Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Blue John Cassolettes with Ram’s Head Handles (est. $4,000).  

A Louis XVI-Style Bronze Mounted Mahogany and Parquetry Bureau de Ministre, 19th century; 54-1/2 inches high x 36 inches wide x 73-1/2 inches deep (138.4 x 91.4 x 186.7 cm). Estimate: $7,000 - $10,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

The bureau with chest-on-table configuration, chest with reticulated brass gate to gallery, top with inlaid parquetry style floral pattern to downswept molding, hinged and stamped gilt leather drawer fronts with circular pulls, sides of case with inlaid parquetry style floral patterns, bureau plat with embossed gilt leather surface framed in bronze, two large drawers framed with bronze beading and floral parquetry, apron with gilt garland mounts and floral parquetry, molded capitals to legs, tapered legs with band and garland inlay, terminating on saboted feet.

A French Louis XVI-Style Marquetry and Inlaid Vitrine with Marble Top, 19th century; 65 inches high x 38 inches wide (165.1 x 96.5 cm). Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

Provenance: Sotheby's Auction;
Private Collection, acquired from above, 1974.

The vitrine with gilt foliate gallery, banded frieze with beaded border and foliate scrollwork, shelves to sides with pierced gallery and checkerboard quatrefoil inlay work, two-shelf central compartment with gilt flourishes, rounded glass door, and gilt border, rosso verona marble surface, three drawers with gilt and banded friezes, base with three door configuration, central door with instrument-themed marquetry, side compartments with checkerboard and quatrefoil inlay, terminating on tapered legs with stepped gilt feet.

A Pair of Louis XVI-Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Blue John Cassolettes with Ram's Head Handles, late 19th century; 12-1/4 inches high (31.1 cm). Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000. Photo Heritage Auctions

Additional highlights include, but are not limited to: 

Italian School (18th Century), Four Seasons (four works). Oil on canvas; 76-1/2 x 32-1/2 inches (194.3 x 82.6 cm). Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000.  Photo Heritage Auctions

After Giovanni Bologna (Italian, 16th century), Rape of the Sabine Women. Marble; 48 inches high (121.9 cm). Estimate: $7,000 - $9,000.  Photo Heritage Auctions

A Tiger's Eye Inlaid Table Top on Figural Bronze Base, late 20th century; 30 inches high x 72 inches wide (76.2 x 182.9 cm). Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000.  Photo Heritage Auctions

The table with butcher block-style formation of segmented tiger's eye gemstone, supported by figural horn and rope stretcher on base.

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." -- Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Pure green diamonds are extremely rare and highly valued, ranging from light mint greens to vivid grass greens. Green Diamonds can contain a yellowish, bluish or grayish modifying color. Only a handful of natural green diamonds are introduced into the market each year making green diamonds some of the most sought after of all natural color diamonds. Green diamonds are found predominately in regions of Africa and South America. The strength of color is one of the most important factors in determining the value of a natural color diamond. The value of a natural color diamond increases with the intensity of the most prominent color within the diamond. 

Image: NCDIA

Pure green diamonds are extremely rare and highly valued, ranging from light mint greens to vivid grass greens. Green Diamonds can contain a yellowish, bluish or grayish modifying color. Image: Leibish & Co. 

A green diamond rough. Image: Unknown

A 4.24-ct. natural-color Fancy green diamond surrounded by a suite of yellow to green rough diamonds. Courtesy American Siba Corp. (cut stone), Cora Diamond Corp. (rough crystals). Image: GIA

The color of this marquise-shaped natural green diamond is typical of diamonds in the green color family. Green diamonds, when fashioned as gems, very rarely have a pronounced green body color. Image: GIA

The most famous of all green diamonds is the legendary ‘Dresden Green’, a modified pear-shaped bluish apple-green diamond of 41.10 carats. Image: GIA

Legendary ‘Dresden Green’, a modified pear-shaped bluish apple-green diamond of 41.10 carats. 

The Ocean Dream Diamond. 5.51-carat, fancy deep blue-green, shield-shaped diamond.

"The Blue" diamond (L) and "The Ocean Dream" diamond (R) pictured at Christie's Auction House in New York, April 11, 2014. Christie's New York is displaying the largest flawless fancy vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction. [Image: Christie's / Agencies]

The Chopard Chameleon Diamond. The 31.32 carat oval-cut chameleon diamond is the largest documented stone in this category. 

Claw-set with a cushion modified brilliant-cut fancy vivid green diamond weighing 2.52 carats, to a plain platinum and yellow gold mount. This rare diamond appeared at Sotheby's 2009 Magnificent Jewels action. Image: Getty & Sotheby's

Fancy vivid green diamond weighing 2.52 carats. This rare diamond appeared at Sotheby's 2009 Magnificent Jewels action. Image: Sotheby's

The cushion-shaped fancy intense green diamond weighing 6.13 carats, within a brilliant-cut pink diamond surround, extending to the half-hoop, mounted in 18k rose gold. Image: Christie's

A square-shaped fancy green diamond weighing 10.36 carats, set in a ring within a pear-shaped and round cut pink diamond surround. Image: Christie's Hong Kong, 2008. 

A magnificent 3.15 carat, Fancy Intense Yellowish Green diamond. Vs1. Image: Scarselli Diamonds

An outstanding 8.14 carat Fancy Yellowish Green diamond. Image: Scarselli Diamonds  

An exceptional 1.56 carat, Fancy Vivid Green Diamond manufactured by A.A Rachminov Diamonds. Image: Ori Vechler, A. A. Rachminov Diamonds. 

Blue-green emerald-cut diamond ring by Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. Ring. A rare green diamond emerges from tiered white diamonds like a cool summer breeze. Radiant-cut Fancy Vivid Green diamond, carat weight 1.21, clarity grade SI2; rose-cut white diamonds, carat total weight 9.20; round brilliant white diamonds, carat total weight 1.25. Image: Tiffany & Co.

Pair of Radiants,  fancy green diamonds. Image: Unknown

(source: http://www.reenaahluwalia.com/)

A pair of iron-red-decorated 'Bat' dishes, Qianlong six-character seal marks in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795) . Estimate $10,000 – $12,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

Each dish has shallow, rounded sides and is painted in the interior with five bats, wufu, and with further bats in the cavetto and on the exterior. 6 1/8 in. (15.3 cm.) diameter

Provenance: Christie's London, 17 June 2003, lot 41.
The James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas, Texas.

MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE JAMES E. SOWELL COLLECTION

Over a period of twenty years James Sowell slowly assembled the best collection of Chinese porcelain birds, animals and figures in the country. Not only comprehensive, the Sowell Collection features jewels of top quality in each category it encompasses, from important, large pairs of majestic birds, courtiers and exotic animals to charming and colorful figures of laughing boys and courting couples. 

Alongside these Chinese export treasures Jim Sowell collected traditional Chinese works of art. With the same eye for quality of form and decoration, Sowell added captivating cloisonné enamel birds and animals, porcelain wares and jade carvings to the collection. All of these works of art resided happily in the Sowells’ Dallas home surrounded by classic English furniture of the Georgian period. In 2008 the export collection was published by Sowell’s dealers and advisors Cohen and Cohen in a lavishly illustrated and researched book, Mandarin and Menagerie. 

A thread running through all of the Sowell Collection is stellar provenance. With acquisitions from landmark London and Paris auctions as well as from top European dealers, the Sowell Collection represents the enduring pleasures of the finest works of art. Christie's is extremely pleased to bring the Sowell Collection to market, where it will join the panoply of historic collection auctions in the field of Chinese works of art. 

Christie's. MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II, 16 September 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

An iron-red and gilt-decorated cup, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate $4,000 – $6,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The deep cup is decorated on one side with a carp leaping from tumultuous waves scattered with prunus blossoms beneath a constellation and the moon. The reverse is inscribed with a couplet describing the scene, and two seals which read qing yi (pure pleasure), and mushi ju (the residence of wood and stone). 4 ½ in. (10.8 cm.) high

Provenance: Christie's Amsterdam, 8 May 2001, lot 404. 
The James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas, Texas. 

Christie's. MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II, 16 September 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

A 'faux bois' jardinière, 18th-19th century. Estimate $20,000 – $30,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The jardinière is sturdily potted with steep, slightly flared sides and is decorated in imitation of wood staves bound by two bands of yellow rope. 14 3/8 in. (36.7 cm.) diameter 

Provenance: The James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas, Texas. 

Note: A pair of similar 'faux bois' jardinières, from the collection of the Duke of Norfolk, was sold at Sotheby's Monaco, 4 March 1984, lot 170. Compare the current example to a Yongzheng-marked flower pot imitating wood grain and illustrated in Liu Liang-yu, Ch'ing Official and Popular Wares, A Survey of Chinese Ceramics, vol. 5, Taipei, 1991, p.129. See, also, a related Qianlong 'faux bois' jardinière illustrated in Catalogue of World Ceramics, Tokyo, 1956, fig.43. 

Christie's. MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II, 16 September 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza 

A pair of famille verte bowls, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate $7,000 – $9,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

Each bowl is decorated with a peony and flowering branch overlaid with persimmon-shaped panel enclosing a figure on a riverbank, watching birds in flight above the river. The opposite side is decorated with a scroll-shaped panel enclosing a lengthy inscription. The interior of the everted mouth rim is decorated with a scroll-border of four panels enclosing composite flower sprigs, each separated by dense floral scroll. The base is decorated with a seal mark in underglaze blue within a double-line border. 8 in. (20.1 cm.) diameter

Provenance: The James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas, Texas.  

Note: The bowls are inscribed with excerpts from the poem "On the Lake," by Tang dynasty poet Gu Kuang (c. AD 725-814).

Christie's. MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II, 16 September 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

A pair of export famille verte phoenix head ewers and covers, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate $25,000 – $40,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The ewers are modeled with lobed, paneled bodies, decorated with flowering plants and colorful patterning. The flower-form covers have a notched inner rim. 10 ¼ in. (26 cm.) high

Provenance: Frank Partridge & Sons, Ltd., London. 
Collection of Sir Henry Price.
Sotheby's, London, 14 November 2000, lot 347. 
The James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas, Texas.

Literature: Michael Cohen and William Motley, Mandarin and Menagerie: Chinese and Japanese Export Ceramic Figures, Reigate, 2008, pp. 242-243.

Christie's. MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II, 16 September 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

A group of three famille verte saucer dishes, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate $5,000 – $8,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The group is comprised of a pair of dishes enameled with blossoming prunus trees and enameled on their backs are four lotus sprigs, and a third dish depicting a pair of peacocks, its back with floral sprigs and a wan-fret border. 12 ¼ in. (31.1 cm.) diameter, the largest

Provenance: The James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas, Texas.

Christie's. MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II, 16 September 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

A pair of export famille verte boys riding qilins, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate $60,000 – $80,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The laughing boys are modeled in mirror image seated astride their mythical beast, each holding a peach in one hand. The qilin dragon heads are glazed a soft yellow and their lightly-molded scaly coats are green with iron-red flames. 11 in. (28 cm.) high

Provenance: With Frank Partridge & Sons. Ltd, London.
The Price Collection; Sotheby's London, 14 November 2000, lot 341.
With Frank Partridge, London. 
The James E. Sowell Collection, Dallas, Texas.

Literature: Michael Cohen and William Motley, Mandarin and Menagerie: Chinese and Japanese Export Ceramic Figures, Reigate, 2008, pp. 88-87.

Christie's. MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II, 16 September 2015, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

A 'Longquan' celadon funerary jar and cover, Southern Song dynasty. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the elongated ovoid body rising to a rounded shoulder comprised of two graduated rounded ridges and a short cylindrical neck, a large dragon modeled in high relief coiled around the shoulder and upper body, the horned head with jaws open, the body with pointed talons impressed with scales and ridged back, a row of molded upright leaves encircling the base, covered overall with a soft bluish-green glaze, the low domed cover surmounted by a recumbent dog-form knop (2). Height 8 1/8  in., 20.6 cm

Property from the collection of John F. Lewis, Jr, 

Provenance: Acquired in the 1940s or 50s and thence by descent. 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 sept. 2015

Two'Yaozhou' molded 'Peony' bowls, Northern Song-Jin dynasty.  Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

each of conical form, with rounded sides rising to a flared rim, supported on a narrow foot, the interior with lush peony blooms borne on leafy stems, all covered with an olive-green glaze pooling to a deeper tone in the recessed areas, the base and footing left unglazed (2). Diameter of larger 8 in., 20.3 cm.

Acquired in the 1970s or 80s. 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 sept. 2015

A 'Yaozhou' molded 'Boys' bowl, Northern Song-Jin dynasty. Estimate 7,000 — 9,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

of conical form, rising from a short foot to a flared rim, the interior with two small boys each grasping a meandering stem issuing a profusion of layered and furled leaves and two five-petaled flower heads, covered overall in a semi-transparent olive-green glaze pooling in the recesses of the molded design
Diameter 5 in., 12.6 cm

Acquired in the 1970s or 80s.

Exhibition: Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Ceramics, From the Collection of the Kau Chi Society of Chinese Art, University of Hong Kong, 1981 - 1982, cat. no. 22. 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 15 sept. 2015