Lot 9, Situle cylindrique, thạp, Vietnam, Culture de Đông Sơn, ca 500 BCE-100 BCE. Estimation : 150 € / 300 €. Photo Cornette de Saint Cyr.

Bronze à patine archéologique, H. 18 cm 
Munie de deux anses boucle et à décor de lignes horizontales en relief et de motif d'hachures verticales.

CORNETTE DE SAINT CYR PARIS, Arts d’Asie – Art Tribal Documentation, le 23 Mars 2016 à 14h30. Expert : Cabinet Daffos-Estournel. Tel. : +33 6 09 22 55 13 – http://www.aaoarts.com – Consultant pour le Vietnam : Monsieur Philippe Truong. Tel. : +33 6 31 34 40 59

Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-Lutherstadt Wittenberg-1586), Portraits of Martin Luther and of Philippe Melanchthon. Oil on panel, 35 x 22.5 and 35 x 23.2 cm. De Jonckheere © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Portrait of Melanchthon signed with the dragon and dated '1557'

Provenance: Kolb collection, formerly Gut Pritzlow; Art trade in Hamburg in 1966; Private collection, Berlin.

Master of the Holy Blood (circa 1520), Triptych with Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine (central panel) and Saint Barbara and Saint Mary Magdalena (wings). Oil on panel, 113.5 x 170.2 cm, Circa 1520. De Jonckheere © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Collection Sir George Donaldson, London, Great Britain; Sotheby’s, London, 03.07.1929, lot 31; Private collection James Mann, Glasgow, Scotland, 1929; Christie’s, London, 01.04.1960, lot 29; Private collection Cornelis Johannes Karel van Aalst, Hoevelaken, The Netherlands, 1960; Robert Fink 1964/5; Galerie De Jonckheere, Brussels/ Paris, 2002; Private collection, Italy

Literature: M.J. Friedländer, Early Netherlandisch Painting, vol. IV, Leiden, 1969, p. 105, vol. VII, Leiden, 1967, p. 41, vol. IXB, Leiden, 1973, pp. 96-98, 118-120, 131, 191-207 

De Jonckheere (stand 342) at TEFAF Maastricht 2016

Directors: François De Jonckheere, Georges F. De Jonckheere

Flemish and Dutch schools. It is considered the premiere gallery of reference in this field. 

The Paris gallery was opened in 1984 at 100 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. Just a stone’s throw from the Elysée Palace, collectors and connoisseurs from around the globe pass through its doors. 

And now (2011) de Jonckheere Gallery is also located in a brand new space in the heart of the historical part of Geneva, the gallery offers a presentation of a selection of hitherto unseen works. 

Represented at the major international fine arts fairs, including the “Biennale des Antiquaires” in Paris, “TEFAF” in Maastricht, "Frieze Masters" in London, the gallery brings its collection to art lovers several times a year. 

From its very beginnings, Flemish painting has aroused universal interest and is showcased in the top museums throughout the world. The De Jonckheere Gallery’s reputation has been built on the rigorous standards by which the paintings are selected and for the past 40 years, the collection has been documented in one annual catalogue. 
In this way, we have had a hand in the acquisition of a significant number of the greatest works from this period of painting. 

Over the past 10 years, we have broadened our scope to include the Masters of the Italian Veduti of the eighteenth century, on which we advise numerous collectors. 
In addition, Georges and François De Jonckheere may be consulted by art lovers on the purchase and sale of any painting requiring their expertise. 
Georges and François De Jonckheere are members of the French National Antique Dealers’ Syndicate. 

Contact: 100 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France. T  +33 1 42 66 69 49 - F  +33 1 42 66 13 42 - www.dejonckheere-gallery.com - paris@dejonckheere-gallery.com 

7, rue de L'Hôtel de Ville, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. T  +41 22 310 8080 - F  +41 22 310 8081 - www.dejonckheere-gallery.com - geneve@dejonckheere-gallery.com 

Lucio Fontana (Rosario 1899-1968 Varese), Concetto spaziale, Attese. Water-based paint on canvas, 73.5 x 60.5 cm. Signed, titled and inscribed on the reverse 'L. Fontana / “Concetto spaziale”/ ATTESE / Il lago era morbido e / tranquillo', 1968. Robilant + Voena © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Milan, Nuova Brerarte, No. 93, 12 March 1990, pp. 118, 119, n. 173, ill.; Milan, A. Quarti; Milan, Bolognesi

Literature: E. Crispolti, Fontana. Catalogo generale, vol II., Milan, 1986, p. 697; E. Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogo ragionato di sculture, dipinti, ambientazioni. Vol II, Milan, 2006, p. 889, 68T114 

Lucio Fontana (Rosario 1899-1968 Varese), Concetto spaziale. Water-based paint on canvas, 33 x 24 cm. Signed, titled and inscribed on the reverse 'I. Fontana/"Concetto Spaziale"/ATTESA/ La giostra girava, / girava.......', 1967. Robilant + Voena © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Galerie Pierre, Stockholm; Fred Wennerholm, Stockholm; Collection Carl G. Bonde, Eslöv

Literature: E. Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogue Raisonné, Brussels, 1974 Vol II, p. 188 illus; E. Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogo generale, Milano, 1986, vol. II, p. 653; E. Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogo ragionato di sculture, dipinti, ambientazioni, Milan, 2006 Vol II, p. 653, illus; no. 67T2

Exhibitions: Galerie Pierre 1967, Stockholm 

Lucio Fontana (Rosario 1899-1968 Varese), Concetto Spaziale. Attesa. Water–based paint on canvas, 81 x 65 cm. Signed, titled and inscribed on the reverse 'l fontana / Concetto spaziale / “Attesa” Oggi piove / 1+1 = 666'. The work is registered in the archive of the Fondazione Lucio Fontana, Milan, Archive No. 1796/13, 1960. Robilant + Voena © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Galleria Blu, Milan (with stamp on the stretcher); Private collection, Cologne; Galerie Handschin, Basel (with label on the stretcher); Private Collection, Basel; Galerie Reckermann, Cologne; Private collection, Essen

Literature: E. Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogue Raisonné des peintures, sculptures et environments spatiaux, Bruxelles, 1974, vol. II, pp. 92-93; E. Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogo generale, Milan, 1986, vol. I, p. 319; E. Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogo ragionato di sculture, dipinti, ambientazioni, Milan, 2006, vol. I, p. 489, no. 60 T 37

Exhibitions: Tokyo, Fuji Television Gallery, Lucio Fontana, 7–23 March 1986

Robilant + Voena, London-Milan-St. Moritz (stand 384) at TEFAF Maastricht 2016

Directors: Marco Voena, Edmondo di Robilant

One of the world's leading old master galleries, based in London, Milan and St Moritz, dealing also in classic modern and contemporary art.

ROBILANT+VOENA deal in fine art from the fifteenth century to the twenty first, encompassing Old Master and nineteenth century painting with a particular focus on the Italian and French schools; classic modern, Italian post-war and contemporary art. 
Reflecting this breadth of specialism, critically acclaimed exhibitions at the gallery have included shows on Italian vedute, Antonio Joli and Gaspar van Wittel; as well as surveys of Italian mid-century modernism and artists such as Lucio Fontana, Enrico Castellani, Paolo Scheggi, Agostino Bonalumi and Gianni Colombo amongst others. 

Over the years, ROBILANT+VOENA have worked with numerous institutional clients including Tate Britain, the National Gallery of Scotland, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Museo di Capodimonte, Naples, Galleria Sabauda, Torino, Galleria Nazionale, Parma and the Museum of Fine Arts, Nantes. More recently the gallery has sold works to the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, National Museum, Stockholm, the Brooklyn Museum and the Metropolitan Museum, New York, and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Contact: 38 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NL, United Kingdom. T  +44 20 7409 1540 - F  +44 20 7409 1565 - www.robilantvoena.com - art@robilantvoena.com 

Via Fontana 16, 20122 Milan, Italy. T  +39 02 805 6179 - http://www.robilantvoena.com/ - info@robilantvoena.com

Via Serlas 35, CH-7500 St Moritz, Switzerland. T  +41 81 833 34 36 - www.robilantvoena.com - art@robilantvoena.comf

Balenciaga 1960's Haute Couture Silk Gazar Cocktail Dress. Photo courtesy Katy Kane

Chic and elegant, this flirty little black silk gazar cocktail dress designed by Cristobal Balenciaga is completely timeless. The dress has a round neckline, long sleeves with deep ruffles, a dropped waist and a full skirt over a tight straight skirt. It snaps up the center back and it is fully lined in black silk. There is a copious amount of hand stitching in the couture manner. The dress is in excellent condition. Measurements: Shoulders 15" - Bust 38" - Dropped Waist 38" - Sleeve 20" - Length 40". Sold.

Katy Kane. P.O. Box 176, New Hope, PA 18938, United States - 215 862 9091

1960s Balenciaga Black Silk Couture Cocktail Dress. Photo courtesy MRS Couture

1960s Balenciaga black silk couture cocktail dress. Sleeveless with large ruffle hem. The dress fastens with a side zipper and hook-n-eye/ snap closure. One of the straps also fastens with hook-n-eyes. Modern Size 6. €2.193,66

Lot 258, A ribbed brown-glazed jar, Northern Song-Jin Dynasty. Estimate 15,000 — 25,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

the compressed globular body with short straight neck and wide mouth, set to the shoulders with four X-pattern slip-decorated strap handles, the sides applied in white slip with eight clusters of three vertical ribs under a rich brownish-black glaze stopping neatly above the short foot. Length 6 in., 15.2 cm

Provenance: Collection of Carl Kempe, Sweden.
J.J. Lally & Co., New York.

Sotheby's, Important Chinese Art, New York, 16 mars 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 259, A black-glazed russet-splashed vase, Northern Song-Jin Dynasty. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

the pear-shaped body rising from a flared foot to a slender neck and everted rim, the lustrous black glaze painted in rust-brown with a stylized floral bloom, the glaze stopping at the foot revealing the buff colored body. Height 11 1/8  in., 28.3 cm

The dating of this lot is consistent with the C-Link Research and Development Ltd thermoluminescence test, report no. 3315CK73.

Sotheby's, Important Chinese Art, New York, 16 mars 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 260, A russet-splashed black-glazed 'partridge-feather' bowl, cover and tea bowl, Jin Dynasty. Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

the bowl of deep U-shaped form, supported on a slightly splayed foot, the exterior covered with a lustrous dark-brown glaze irregularly splashed in russet-brown similar to 'partridge-feather' mottles, stopping unevenly above the foot to expose the buff-fired ware, the domed cover surmounted by a stalk-shaped knob, similarly glazed, with a brown glaze applied to the both the interior of the bowl and underside of the cover, together with a similarly-glazed teabowl of broad form (3). Diameter of bowl 5 1/4  in., 13.5 cm

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 14th November 2001, lot 73.

Notes: Partridge-feather glazes were produced at a number of Cizhou-type kilns in Henan, Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong provinces in the Northern Song and Jin dynasties, and various versions of these covered bowls are found within the Cizhou tradition.

A small number of similar russet-splashed ‘partridge-feather’ covered bowls are known, with variations in their form, finials, application of glazes and slip suggesting various locations of production. A related bowl and cover, formerly in the Falk Collection, is raised on a shorter foot with the inside of the cover entirely unglazed and was included in the exhibition Hare’s Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers. Chinese Brown- and Black-Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 1995, cat. no. 39. Two covered bowls in the Meiyintang Collection are each raised on a foot similar to the present example but also have the interiors of the covers unglazed, see Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 1, London, 1994, pl. 462. Further covered bowls of this type are found in the Tokyo National Museum, see Tōkyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan zuhan mokuroku: Chūgoku tōji hen / Illustrated Catalogues of Tokyo National Museum: Chinese Ceramics, Tokyo, 1988-90, vol. I, pl. 617; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, published in Oriental Ceramics, The World’s Great Collections, vol. 10, Tokyo, 1980, pl. 161; and another formerly in the Alfred Clark collection was included in the exhibition Sung Dynasty Wares: Chün and Brown Glazes, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1952, cat. no. 118. See also another formerly in the collection of Frederick M. Mayer first sold in our London rooms, 13th December 1977, lot 379 and again in the same rooms, 15th July 1980, lot 61.

Sotheby's, Important Chinese Art, New York, 16 mars 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 262, A rare 'Jizhou''tortoiseshell'-glazed meiping, Song Dynasty. Estimate 120,000 — 150,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

the slender ovoid body rising from a recessed base with a slanting foot ring, surmounted by a short neck and everted lipped rim, covered overall with a dark chocolate-brown glaze liberally applied with sandy-brown splashes in imitation of tortoiseshell, the base applied with a pale brown slip, Japanese wood box (3). Height 8 1/8  in., 20.7 cm

Notes: Situated in central Jiangxi province, the Jizhou kilns are renowned for having developed highly creative and technically challenging decorative techniques, including the ‘tortoiseshell’ glaze. Known in Chinese as daimei wen and daipi wen, which refer to its resemblance to the shell of a turtle, this attractive mottled glaze is believed to have been achieved through splashes of wood ash mixed with white slip, applied on the body over the dark brown glaze (see the catalogue to the exhibition Hare’s Fur, Tortoiseshell and Partridge Feathers. Chinese Brown and Black-Glazed Ceramics, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 1995, p. 36).

Compare a meiping of this type, from the collection of Mr and Mrs Janos Szekeres, first sold in our New York rooms, 7th December 1983, lot 210, and subsequently included in op. cit., cat. no. 91; a slightly larger vase, but potted with a straight rim, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 216; another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, included in the exhibitionTreasures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, China House Gallery, New York, 1979, cat. no. 36; and a slightly smaller vase, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd December 2015, lot 269.

Sotheby's, Important Chinese Art, New York, 16 mars 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 265, A Cizhou-type brown-glazed painted teabowl, Jin dynasty. Estimate 5,000 — 7,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

of conical form, the straight flaring sides terminating in a slightly everted rim, covered overall in a lustrous greenish-brown teadust glaze, the interior painted with an iron-oxide slip of a purplish-silver color depicting four feathery leaves, the footrim and base unglazed revealing the gray stoneware body. Diameter 5 1/8  in., 13.2 cm

Sotheby's, Important Chinese Art, New York, 16 mars 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 264, A 'Cizhou' black-glazed sgraffiato vase (meiping), Jin dynasty. Estimate 6,000 — 8,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

the ovoid body swelling broadly at the shoulder and set with two tab handles before the short straight neck and wide everted mouthrim, applied overall with a lustrous black-glaze transmuting to russet-colored striations, boldly cut through with a broad band of two blossoms borne on leafy stems enclosed within a triple and a single incised line border, the glaze stopping above the base revealing the buff-colored stoneware body. Height 9 3/4  in., 24.8 cm

Sotheby's, Important Chinese Art, New York, 16 mars 2016, 10:00 AM

Abel Grimmer (1570-Antwerp-1619), The Tower of Babel, Antwerp, 1595. Oil on panel, 72 x 92 cm. Signed and dated Antwerp, 1595. Galerie Florence de Voldère © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Professor Fr. Wilhelm, Freiherr von Bissing, Munich (egyptologist)

Literature: C. Kramm, 1857, I, p. 605; H. Nasse, 1912, p. 325, ill. pl. 37; A. Laes, 1938, p. 37; H. Minkowski, 1960, p. 61, no. 189;H. Minkowski, 1991, pp. 172, 187, no. 257, ill. p. 186; R. de Bertier de Sauvigny, Jacob et Abel Grimmer, Brussels 1991, p. 189, no. I 

All literature is to be completed with titles of the books 

Abel Grimmer (1570-Antwerp-1619), January, Antwerp, 1609. Oil on oak (six tondi). Diameter 25 cm. Galerie Florence de Voldère © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Drouot Collection, probably from the beginning of the 17th century, until now 

Galerie Florence de Voldère (stand 368) at TEFAF Maastricht 2016

Directors: Florence de Voldère, Cyril SAYEGH, Daphné DOREL, Raphaël VILLEDIEU

Flemish old master paintings

Why Flemish painting? Because of the joy it brings, for it reflects the optimism of the Renaissance, its confidence in the human, and its aesthetic. To be a collector is to be curious, to discover works of art, strive after beauty and talk painting whenever possible: to collect is the essence of life itself. For the collector, a visit to an exhibition or museum is pure pleasure, pure emotional stimulation. A new acquisition provokes questions from children and friends alike; it's a shared gift. To be a gallery owner involves tireless research in museums and libraries and intensive study of paintings, for the aim is not only to meet but to surpass the collector's need for information and inspiration. This is a trade devoted to glorifying the painter, and we aim to perpetuate and share the joy it brings by publishing books and catalogues devoted to our finds.

Contact: 34 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris, France. T  +33 1 40 15 93 26 - M   +33 6 80 38 85 37 - F  +33 1 40 20 07 14 -fdevoldere@orange.fr 

Albrecht Bouts (1450-Leuven-1549), Christ crowned with thorns, Circa 1495. Oil on panel, gold ground, 36 x 26 cm. Adam Williams Fine Art Ltd © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Otto O'Meara, Brussels; Sold from his collection, Brussels Galerie Giroux, 15 October 1928, lot 33; Acquired from the above sale by Baron Coppée; Thence by descent 

Literature: M. Comblen-Sonkes, 'Albert Bouts', in Bulletin de l'Institut Royal du Patrimoine artistique, V, 1963, pp. 249–51; W. Schöne, Dieric Bouts und seine Schule, Berlin–Leipzig 1938, p. 197, no. 107/12, 15 and 16; L. Van Puyvelde, Les primitifs flamands, Paris, 1941, p. 29, reproduced plate 48; M. Comblen-Sonkes, Le Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, in Les primitifs flamands. I. Corpus de la peinture des anciens Pays-Bas méridionaux au quinzième siècle, vol. XIV, Brussels, 1986, p. 62, no. 7; S. Leclercq et al., La Collection Coppée, Liège, 1991, pp. 8–9, ill. (as by Bouts); M. Wilmotte, exh. cat. The World of Bruegel. The Coppée Collection and Eleven International Museums, Tokyo, 1995, pp. 160–61, no. F4, ill.(as by Bouts); V. Henderiks, Albrecht Bouts (1451/55–1549), Brussels, 2011, p. 386, cat. no. 121, ill.; To be included in a forthcoming article by Valentine Henderiks, as a fully autograph work by Albrechts Bouts dating to 1495?

Exhibitions: Antwerp, Exposition internationale, coloniale, maritime d'art flamand: section d'art flamand ancien. I: peintures, dessins, tapisseries, June-Sept. 1930, no. 24; Brussels, Exposition universelle internationale, Cinq siècles d'art, I: Peintures arts anciens bruxellois et sections étrangers, 24 May-13 Oct. 1935, no. 80; Worcester, Worcester Art Museum and Philadelphia, John G. Johnson Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Worcester Philadelphia Exhibition of Flemish Paintings, 25 March-26 April 1939, no. 40; Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, Exposition des Primitifs Flamands, 1947, no. 11; Tokyo, Tobu Museum of Art, The World of Bruegel. The Coppée Collection and Eleven International Museums, 29 March-25 June 1995, no. F4

Jan Weenix (1642-Amsterdam-1719), A grouse, kingfisher, and other game birds with a hare and a basket of fruit at the foot of a carved stone urn, an Italianate garden with a fountain beyond. Oil on canvas, 123 x 99.8 cm. Signed and dated center right 'J. Weenix. f / 1706'. Adam Williams Fine Art Ltd © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Mr. N. Armstrong, London; Sotheby's, London, 10 July 2003, lot 28; Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 7 July 2004, lot 12; with Noortman Fine Art, Maastricht, 2006; Private collection, where?, since 2012

Adam Williams Fine Art Ltd (stand 354) at TEFAF Maastricht 2016

Director: Adam Williams

Contact: Adam Williams Fine Art Ltd, 24 East 80th Street, New-York, NY 10075, United States. T  +1 212 249 49 87 - M   +1 917 495 9490 - F  +1 212 755 07 92 - www.adam-williams.com - adammwilliams@msn.com 

Luis Egidio Meléndez (Naples 1716–1780 Madrid), Still life with oysters, plate of eggs, garlic and receptacles, 1772. Oil on canvas, 40 x 65 cm. Signed in black on the edge of the table at the right 'LS EO MZ. D.O ANO 1772'. Colnaghi © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Private collection, Europe 

Pedro de Mena (Granada 1628–1688 Málaga), Infant Jesus Christ. Polychrome wood and glass, 80 x 34 x 32.5 cm. Signed in black on the edge of the table at the right 'LS EO MZ. D.O ANO 1772'. Colnaghi © TEFAF Maastricht, 2016

Provenance: Gómez-Morán collection, Madrid 

Colnaghi (stand 306) at TEFAF Maastricht 2016

Director: Konrad O. Bernheimer

Contact: 15 Old Bond Street, London, W1S 4AX, United Kingdom. T  +44 207.491.7408 - F  +44 207.491.8851 - www.colnaghi.co.uk - contact@colnaghi.co.uk 

ROMA (AFP) - Bulgari is paying homage to the snake with a glittering new reptilian-themed exhibition in Rome.

The luxury jewelry house has teamed up with the Museo di Roma-Palazzo Braschi on the "SerpentiForm" exhibition, which opened on Thursday and will run through April 10.

Serpenti bracelet-watch in gold with polychrome enamel and emeralds, 1967. Bulgari Heritage Collection.

Featuring ancient jewels on loan from Pompeii and the Archeological Museums of Taranto and Naples alongside creations from Bulgari's own archives, the exhibition will showcase contemporary works of art, photographs, illustrations, vintage clothes, cinema costumes and design objects -- all with the aim of exploring the artistic impact of the serpent throughout history.

Sketch of Bulgari Serpenti piece. 

Amidst the artifacts on show will be the Italian House's "Bulgari Serpenti" pieces, including stylized early models from the 1940s that were made with the Tubogas technique, resulting in a snake-like coil effect. They will appear alongside more realistic modern creations featuring gold scales or multicolored enamel. The exhibition space will include a separate section focusing on the costumes worn by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 classic "Cleopatra," drawing ties between the concepts of snake and the power of female charm. 

Serpenti bracelet in gold with jade, rubies and diamonds. 1965. Bulgari Heritage Collection

Over centuries, the snake has come to represent seduction, rebirth and transformation, capturing the imagination and sparking myths and legends all over the world. In ancient Rome and Africa, snake-shaped jewels were worn as good luck charms, while in India and China the reptile's divine powers were traditionally associated with the concepts of creation, fertility and immortality.

Serpenti bracelet-watch in gold with yellow and black enamel and diamonds, ca 1970. Bulgari Heritage Collection.

Bulgari first began to capture the expressive power of serpent in the 1940s, reinterpreting it for the first time in jewelry with supple bracelet-watches that over the decades became increasingly iconic. As the house's CEO explains: "SerpentiForm is a tribute to a particularly evocative motif that is deeply linked to the Greek and Roman roots of the Maison." 

This Bvlgari Serpenti necklace, one of two new creations being unveiled for the first time at the 2016 exhibition in Rome, blends pavé diamonds with wooden scales.

The exhibition will also see the launch of Bulagri's latest publication, "Serpenti in Art." The book follows the traces of the snake in the world of modern and contemporary art, ranging from paintings and sculpture to home décor. It also includes original sketches of the brand's Serpenti collections, many published for the first time. © 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse

The magnetic power of the eyes is the focus of this 2016 Bvlgari Serpenti necklace in platinum, set with diamonds and rare emeralds.

Bendetta Barzini wearing Bvlgari Serpenti jewellery. Photo: Gian Paolo Barbieri, Vogue US, 1968

The Coeur serpent, from Mois mondial du coeur - circa 1972, by Alexander Calder.

Gian Paolo Barbieri, For Italian Vogue, 1975

USA 19-82, 1982. Keith Haring © Haring Foundation

Estefania 2014 snake by Joana Vasconcelos. Photo: Unidade Infinitia Projectos

The Serpenti in Art, just one of many pieces of snake-inspired art on show at the Museum of Rome as part of the Bvlgari exhibition.

Serpentiform: antique jewelry from Pompeii. Photo Daniele Venturelli

Serpentiform: lithe designer watches-bracelet Bulgari. Photo Daniele Venturelli 

Serpentiform: the magnificent Snakes Bulgari creations with gold flakes or coated with polychrome enamels. Photo Daniele Venturelli 

Serpentiform: the magnificent Snakes Bulgari creations with gold flakes or coated with polychrome enamels. Photo Daniele Venturelli 

Serpentiform: the simple and intense lines of Alexander Calder and the dreamy abstraction of Paul Klee. Photo Daniele Venturelli 

Serpentiform: the section of the exhibition devoted to the costumes worn by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film Cleopatra. Photo Daniele Venturelli 

Serpentiform: the irony of Keith Haring. Photo Daniele Venturelli 

Lot 33, Jarre, Vietnam, Période Hán-Việt, 1er-3e siècle. Estimation : 150 € / 200 €. Photo Cornette de Saint Cyr.

Terre-cuite, H. 24 cm 
Jarre revêtue d'une couverte verdâtre et d'une épaisse tache verte vitrifiée. 

Lot 275, A gray schist figure of Buddha, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century. Estimate $80,000 – $120,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Standing on a base centered by a diminutive image of the seated Buddha with attendants and columns, dressed in asanghati flowing over both shoulders and his dhoti visible below, the face with bow-shaped mouth and heavy-lidded eyes, the wavy locks of hair pulled over the ushnisha - 38 in. (96.5 cm.) high

Provenance: Private collection, New Jersey, acquired from Sotheby's, New York, 19 September 1996, lot 129

Notes: This figure of a bodhisattva is beautifully carved, with the drapery revealing the masterful modeling of the body beneath. This naturalistic attention to drapery is characteristic of the Gandharan period and drawn from the earlier Greco-Roman influence in the region. The figure's left knee is slightly bent, as if he has just taken a step forward, conveying a subtle yet powerful sense of moving closer to the viewer.

For a similar example, see W. Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandhara Sculpture in the British Museum, 1996, pl.9. The physiognomy is similarly carved; the proportions of the facial features are alike and the legs are modeled in the round beneath the drapery, with low bellies that protrude slightly. Although the present figure has lotuses on the side of the base instead of a floral design bordering the front, the configuration of the bases is strikingly similar. The present figure, carved with finer delineation, stands with elegant poise.

Christie's. INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 15 March 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Lot 270, A gray schist figure of a Bodhisattva, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century. Estimate $50,000 – $70,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Dressed in a flowing sanghati with the drapery falling in elegant folds, adorned with a torque, beaded necklaces, a cord with three amulets and an elaborate necklace with makara pendants, the mustachioed face centered by a raisedurna, the hair in a floppy topknot secured with a beaded headdress, the relief scene below of Buddha flanked by worshippers. 21 ½ in. (55 cm.) high

Provenance: Private collection, Italy, acquired in Milan on 11 November 1983
Acquired in Italy, 2015

Notes: The present figure would have held a water vessel in the left hand, identifying him as the bodhisattva Maitreya. This identification is reinforced by the hairstyle, which is generally reserved for this bodhisattva. Maitreya is considered the Buddha of the future - when the dharma is forgotten on Earth, he will descend from the Tushita Heaven to be born in our realm as the next Buddha. His iconic water vessel, the kumbha, is found in many different contexts within Indian sculpture, but is almost always a symbol of fertility and life. It is an apt visual icon for Maitreya's role as a progenitor of future peace and order. 

When he is born on earth, Maitreya will be of Brahmin stock, and is depicted in rich robes similar to that of the historical Gautama Buddha prior to his renunciation of worldly goods. His vestments include a foliate torque, a rope-work necklace with a makara-head pendant, and a cord with cylindrical amulet boxes of a type still in use in South Asia. The heavy folds of his sanghati display the naturalistic treatment of drapery characteristic of the Gandharan period that is a holdover from the earlier Greco-Roman influence in the region.

Christie's. INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 15 March 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Lot 269, A gray schist figure of a Bodhisattva, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century. Estimate $50,000 – $70,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Seated in dhyanasana on a cushion over a lion throne, wearing a long dhoti and low-slung flowing sash over his muscular torso, adorned with a torque, beaded multi-stranded necklace terminating in makara heads, bracelets, armlets visible under his drapers, and earrings, his elaborate coiffure caught up with a beaded and floral headdress. 22 in. (56 cm.) high

Provenance: Spink & Son, Ltd., London, 1990
Private collection, Illinois, acquired from Milan, 11 July 1990

Literature: I. Kurita, Gandharan Art II: The World of the Buddha, 1990, p.38, fig.86

Exhibited: Borders and Crossroads: The Buddhist Art of Ancient Gandhara, Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, May 08 - October 07, 2001

Notes: The present figure is a fine example of the eloquent carving at the height of Gandharan sculptural tradition. The deeply cut folds, sensitive modeling of the torso, and sophisticated rendering of the hair and jewelry are ideal achievements in the depiction of a bodhisattva. For an example bearing similar stylistic treatment of the jewelry, drapery and torso in the Hirayama Collection, see K. Tanabe, Ghandaran Art from the Hirayama Collection, 2007, pp.100-101, pl.II-10. 

Christie's. INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 15 March 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Necklace, 14th century, gold, baroque pearls, sapphires, topazes, 49.5 cm. MNMC 6037, Museu Nacional Machado de Castro.

This rare gold necklace, enriched by the contrasting colours of the precious stones, belonged to the bequest of the Queen, Saint Isabel. It consists of eight multi-lobed plates, linked by two parallel chains and accented by nine baroque pearls in groups of three. The central gems (three sapphires, one glass, one glass doublet and two topazes) are surrounded by a collar, encircled on the base with a typical medieval setting of small beads. The remaining stones are set in the same manner.