Quantcast
Channel: Alain.R.Truong
Viewing all 36084 articles
Browse latest View live

An incised green and yellow 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Daoguang seal mark and period

0
0

An incised green and yellow 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Daoguang seal mark and period

3

4

Lot 1447, An incised green and yellow 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Daoguang seal mark and period. Estimate USD 5,000 ~ 7,000. Lot sold 10,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

the steeply rounded sides rising from a short straight foot, the exterior decorated with two dragons chasing flaming pearls separated by two phoenix amongst cloud and flame motifs, the interior with a shou medallion, seal mark in underglaze blue. Diameter 4 3/4  in., 12 cm

Sotheby’s. Saturday at Sotheby’s: Asian Art New York, 19 mars 2016


A small apple-green-glazed bottle vase, Qing dynasty, 18th century

0
0

A small apple-green-glazed bottle vase, Qing dynasty, 18th century

Lot 1448, A small apple-green-glazed bottle vase, Qing dynasty, 18th centuryEstimate USD 3,000 — 5,000. Lot sold 3,750 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

the ovoid body rising to a tall cylindrical neck, all covered in a bright green crackled glaze, the mouth and foot rims applied with dark brown wash. Height 6 in., 15.3 cm

ProvenanceCollection of Richard Ronald John Copeland (1884-1958).
John Sparks Ltd., London, 8th November 1982. 

Sotheby’s. Saturday at Sotheby’s: Asian Art New York, 19 mars 2016

A rare peachbloom-glazed dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period

0
0

A rare peachbloom-glazed dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period

3

Lot 1451, A rare peachbloom-glazed dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi periodEstimate USD 4,000 — 6,000. Lot sold 6,875 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

the shallow rounded sides with lipped rim resting on a footrim of narrow wedge-shaped section, covered overall with a copper-red glaze of a mottled grayish-pink suffused in the center with pale green flecking, the white-glazed base with a six-character apocryphal Xuande mark in underglaze blue within a double circle. Diameter 8 1/8  in., 20.5 cm

ProvenanceCollection of Henry Payne Bingham (1887-1952), New York.
Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc., New York, 1980s.

NoteHenry Payne Bingham built a large and important art collection. He was a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York to which he left several paintings and other works of art. 

Sotheby’s. Saturday at Sotheby’s: Asian Art New York, 19 mars 2016

Balenciaga. Evening Ensemble, 1965

0
0

Balenciaga

Balenciaga. Evening Ensemble, 1965

Anthropomorphic face mask "kifwebe" from the Luba people of DR Congo, ca. mid 1900s

0
0

3

Anthropomorphic face mask "kifwebe" from the Luba people of DR Congo. Wood, paint, ca. mid 1900s.

A famille-rose 'landscape' plaque, 20th century

0
0

A famille-rose 'landscape' plaque, 20th century

Lot 1478, A famille-rose 'landscape' plaque, 20th centuryEstimate  USD 3,000 ~ 5,000. Lot sold 37,500 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

finely painted with view of Penglai, the island abode of the immortals, shrouded in mist and rising from a turbulent sea, inscribed with a poem describing the scene, and painted with three Qianlong seals, framed. Height 15 in., 38 cm; Width 10 in., 25.4 cm

Sotheby’s. Saturday at Sotheby’s: Asian Art New York, 19 mars 2016

A large famille-rose 'peach' vase, late 19th-early 20th century

0
0

A large famille-rose 'peach' vase, late 19th-early 20th century

Lot 1473, A large famille-rose 'peach' vase, late 19th-early 20th centuryEstimate  USD 4,000 ~ 6,000. Lot sold 37,500 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

of tianqiuping form, the globular body rising to a tall cylindrical neck flaring slightly at the rim, brightly enameled to the exterior with gnarled leafy branches issuing nine ripened peaches and flowering blossoms, the recessed base with an apocryphal six-character Qianlong mark. Height 20 3/4  in., 52.7 cm

Sotheby’s. Saturday at Sotheby’s: Asian Art New York, 19 mars 2016

An impressive diamond fringe necklace, by Cartier

0
0

3

Lot 157, An impressive diamond fringe necklace, by Cartier, circa 1940. Estimate £100,000 - £150,000 ($187,000 - $280,500) Price Realized £195,650 ($365,866). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

Composed of twenty-one slightly graduated rectangular-cut diamonds, the five central diamonds weighing (from left to right) 1.79, 2.36, 3.06, 2.86 and 2.64 carats, the two smallest rectangular-cut diamonds weighing 1.55 and 1.72 carats, with brilliant-cut diamond surmounts suspended from a brilliant-cut diamond line, circa 1940, 38.1 cm. long, with French assay marks for gold (1940-43), in original Cartier red leather fitted case. Signed Cartier Paris 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street


An important antique two strand natural pearl necklace

0
0

An important antique two strand pearl necklace

Lot 251, An important antique two strand natural pearl necklace. Estimate £60,000 - £80,000 ($112,200 - $149,600). Price Realized £162,050 ($303,034). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

Comprising twenty-eight and twenty-nine graduated pearls, total weight, excluding clasp, approximately 1,852 grains (463 carats), measuring 6.8 to 15.5 mm. with seed pearl spacers and diamond foliate terminals to the vari-cut diamond cluster clasp, pearls 18th century or earlier, clasp later, 40.5 cm. long

Accompanied by report No. 975498 dated 5 July 2004 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that the pearls were found to be natural 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

An exceptional antique natural pearl pendant

0
0

An exceptional antique natural pearl pendant

Lot 255, An exceptional antique natural pearl pendant, 18th century or earlierEstimate £100,000 - £150,000 ($187,000 - $280,500). Price Realized £150,850 ($282,090). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

The drop-shaped pearl of 257.41 grains (64.35 carats) to the rose-cut diamond foliate cap, 18th century or earlier

Accompanied by report No. 975497 dated 5 July 2004 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that the pearl was found to be natural 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

A very fine antique natural pearl pendant, 19th century or earlier

0
0

An very fine antique natural pearl pendant

Lot 250, A very fine antique natural pearl pendant, 19th century or earlierEstimate £40,000 - £60,000 ($74,800 - $112,200). Price Realized £150,850 ($282,090). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

The elongated pear-shaped pearl drop weighing 91.17 grains (22.79 carats) to the rose-cut diamond cap and suspension loop, 19th century or earlier

Accompanied by report No. 975552 dated 13 July 2004 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that the pearl was found to be natural 

Notes: Cf. Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Precious Stones, Moscow 1925, No. 143, plate 77, for two similar pearls from the Russian Crown Jewels weighing 99.64 grains (24.91 carats) and 93.60 grains (23.40 carats) 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

A pair of important natural pearl and diamond earclips

0
0

A pair of important pearl and diamond earclips

Lot 254, A pair of important natural pearl and diamond earclipsEstimate £20,000 - £30,000 ($37,400 - $56,100). Price Realized £122,850 ($229,730). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

Each button pearl of 79.74 (19.93 carats) and 88.72 grains (22.17 carats) to the brilliant-cut diamond surmounts

Accompanied by report No 975553 dated 13 July 2004 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that the pearls were found to be natural (2)

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

A fine antique natural pearl necklace

0
0

3

Lot 252, A fine antique natural pearl necklaceEstimate £25,000 - £35,000 ($46,750 - $65,450). Price Realized £50,190 ($93,855). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

Comprising twenty-four graduated pearls measuring 6.8 to 13.2 mm. with seed pearl spacers to the two-stone old-cut diamond clasp, pearls eighteenth century or earlier, clasp later, 40.2 cm. long

Accompanied by report No. 975499 dated 5 July 2004 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that the pearls were found to be natural 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

An antique natural pearl necklace

0
0

3

Lot 253, An antique natural pearl necklaceEstimate £8,000 - £12,000 ($14,960 - $22,440). Price Realized £26,290 ($49,162). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

Comprising twenty-four graduated pearls measuring 7.6 to 11.5 mm. with seed pearl spacers to the emerald and diamond clasp, one emerald deficient, pearls eighteenth century or earlier, clasp later, 34.0 cm. long

Accompanied by report No. 975500 dated 5 July 2004 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that one 'pearl' was found to be a beaded cultured pearl and the remainder were found to be natural pearls 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

Isabella II, Queen of Spain single-row natural pearl necklace, circa 1850

0
0

3

Lot 248, Isabella II, Queen of Spain single-row natural pearl necklace, circa 1850Estimate £30,000 - £40,000 ($56,100 - $74,800). Price Realized £39,435 ($73,743). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

Comprising ninety-four graduated pearls measuring 5.9 to 9.2 mm. diameter, circa 1850, 78.0 cm. long

Accompanied by report No. 974992 dated 2 April 2004 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that the pearls were found to be natural 

Provenance: Isabella II, Queen of Spain (1830-1904) 

1858-isabel-ii-by--lutgm-2

Isabella II, Queen of Spain (1830-1904)

Notes: Isabella II of Spain (1830-1904) was the eldest daughter of Ferdinand VII, King of Spain, and his fourth wife, Maria Christina. Her life and reign were dominated by continual political upheavals and her personal life too was full of intrigue. Although proclaimed Queen at the age of three on the death of her father in 1833, she was not officially crowned until 1843. This was following the regency of her mother, a seven year battle by her uncle Don Carlos pretending to the throne, and a further 2 years' regency of Esperato, the army general. At the age of sixteen she was forced into a political marriage with her cousin, and despite his rumoured impotence, bore twelve children. Her constant and unscrupulous interference in politics led to her exile in 1868, and finally an enforced abdication in Paris on 25th June 1870 in favour of her son, Alfonso XII. As a result of her continual political meddling, Isabella was forbidden from returning to her homeland and died abroad in April 1904. 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street


Has France finally reclaimed famous historical martyr Joan of Arc's ring?

0
0

1

A 15th century ring believed to have been owned by the French heroine Joan of Arc is seen on a cushion during a ceremony on March 20, 2016 at the Puy du Fou historical theme park in Les Epesses, western France. The Puy du Fou foundation announced in early March 2016 to have bought the ring attributed to Joan of Arc and valued at 376,883 euros in Great Britain, but whose "authenticity could not be certified" by the L'Historial Jeanne d'Arc museum in Rouen. JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD / AFP. 

ROUEN (AFP).- A ring thought to belong to France's most famous historical martyr, Joan of Arc, was unveiled on Sunday at a theme park, even as historians remained sceptical about its authenticity. 

The Puy du Fou historical theme park in the western Vendee region spent 376,833 euros ($425,000) to buy the ring, which is thought to have been in Britain for almost six centuries, at a controversial auction last month in London.  

The gold-plated silver ring was dated to the 15th century by an Oxford laboratory, but the trove of historical documents that came with it have yet to prove it belonged to the famous French martyr. 

"They are only at the start of the exploration. It's a lot of work but a beautiful adventure," said expert Vanessa Soupault, who observed the ring recently and confirmed traces of gold were visible under the surface.  

The bulky piece of jewellery features three engraved crosses and the inscription "JHS-MAR", signifying "Jesus-Maria".  

That fits a description recorded at Joan of Arc's trial in 1431, where she told the court the ring had been given by her parents.

Puy du Fou says the ring was probably enlarged and modified at some point in the last 200 years.  

Joan of Arc, who fought against the English occupation of France during the Hundred Years War, was burned alive at the stake but became a symbol of French resistance and was later made a saint by the Catholic Church. 

Not the first time 
The difficulty of tracing the ring's path through the centuries has left many historians sceptical.  

It was thought to have been confiscated by her Burgundian captors shortly before they handed her over to the English, and may have ended up in the hands of the archbishop of Winchester, Henry Beaufort, who was present at her trial, and stayed in Britain ever since. 

But it is not the first time the ring has supposedly returned to France, said Olivier Bouzy, head of the Joan of Arc archives in Orleans. 

In the 1950s, a French-English doctor called James Hasson said he had bought the ring and presented it around France. Experts at the time cast doubt on its authenticity, said Bouzy.  

Part of the problem is the number of copies in circulation. There was even a tombola in the early 20th century in which prizes included versions of the ring. 

"Around Joan of Arc, we already have several cases of false objects," said Bouzy.  

One of the more famous was when a fragment of an Egyptian mummy was mistaken for one of Joan of Arc's ribs, recovered from the stake.  

The Museum to Joan of Arc in Rouen chose not to participate in last month's auction, fearing another fake.  

But medieval historian Philippe Contamine, while not yet convinced, said he had not given up all hope. 

"It's unlikely -- there are too many unknowns," he said.  

"But unlikely can still turn out to be real.". © 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse

3

Christie's Asian Art Week totals US$37.2 million

0
0

 A large cast and repousse gilt-bronze figure of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, Qianlong period

Lot 1425, A large cast and repousse gilt-bronze figure of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, Qianlong period. Estimate $100,000 - $150,000. Price Realised $2,853,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016. 

NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s concluded its Spring Asian Art Week with a combined total of $37,239,438 (£25,724,757 /€33,046,995/ HK$288,779,460) achieved over four days of eight sales, March 15-18. 

SALE RESULTS: 
The Van der Wee Collection of Himalayan Paintings
 
March 15, 2016 
Sale Total: $648,500 (USD) 
The top lot for the sale was :

9

Lot 114. A painting of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, Nepal, dated 1513Estimate $200,000 – $300,000. Price Realized $545,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

(Cf. my post: A painting of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, Nepal, dated 1513)

SALE RESULTS: 
The Lahiri Collection: Indian and Himalayan Art, Ancient and Modern
 
March 15, 2016 
Sale Total: $2,376,500 (USD) 
The top lot for the sale was

9

Lot 59. A fine and rare silver-and-copper-inlaid bronze figure of Maitreya, Northeast India, Pala period, 12th century. Estimate $250,000 – $350,000. Price Realized $341,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 

(Cf. my post: A fine and rare silver-and-copper-inlaid bronze figure of Maitreya, Northeast India, Pala period, 12th century)

SALE RESULTS: 
Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art
 
March 16, 2016 
Sale Total: $3,517,375 (USD) 
The top lot for the sale was

A sandstone relief of Durga Mahishasuramardini

Lot 284, A sandstone relief of Durga Mahishasuramardini, India, Gujarapratihara or Madhya Pradesh, late 8th-early 9th century. Estimate $80,000 ~ 120,000Price Realized $725,000Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The goddess beautifully modeled with one foot atop the buffalo as her lion mount bites into his hindquarters, her face with a beatific smile as she pierces the demon with a trident so that he may be released from his animal form, wearing multiple beaded necklaces, armlets and festoons, holding various weapons in her multiple arms and flanked by devis above; 24¾ in. (62.8 cm.) high

Provenance: Collection of Guy and Marie-Hélène Weill, New York, acquired from Spink & Son, Ltd., London, 18 August 1980

Notes: Mahishasura was a pious devotee to Brahma and was rewarded with a boon that no man or god would be able to conquer him. Thus invincible, he battled the gods and took over the heavens. Helpless against Brahma's boon, the gods appealed to the goddess Parvati, who agreed to harness the shakti of all female celestial beings to fight Mahishasura. She assumed the form of Durga and borrowed weapons from each god. After nine days of fighting, she vanquished Mahishasura and his army and restored the heavens to the gods. 

This sculpture depicts the final moments of the duel between the goddess and the demon. The bull demon shows his war wounds – an arrow is impaled into his hindquarters and the discus is imbedded in his side. Durga stands on the buffalo, one hand grasping his snout as she plunges her trident into the animal to pull the demon out from the neck and send him to the netherworlds. Her lion prepares to bite into the rump for good measure.

The worship of a mother goddess as the source of life and fertility has ancient roots, but the composition of the text Devi Mahatmya ("Glory of the Goddess") during the fifth to sixth century led to the dramatic transformation of the female principle into a Great goddess of cosmic powers. Durga is the cosmic Magna Mater, and this popular iconic type encapsulates the struggle between the goddess and the demon Mahishasura, who symbolizes ignorance, disorder, chaos, and evil. Later textual sources generally refer to the subject as Mahishasuramardini, or "killer of the buffalo demon." She remains the most important and popular form of the great goddess known generically as Devi or Shakti.

SALE RESULTS: 
The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff Bottles: Part II
 
March 16, 2016 
Sale Total: $989,750 (USD) 
The top lot for the sale was

A yellow jade snuff bottle, 1770-1850

Lot 410, A yellow jade snuff bottle, 1770-1850Estimate $3,000 - $5,000Price Realized $62,500Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The rounded rectangular, semi-transluscent bottle is of even, yellow tone. 2 3/8 in. (6 cm.) high, hardstone stopper

ProvenanceRuth and Carl Barron Collection, Belmont, Massachusetts, no. 2249.
Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd., Hong Kong, 4 October 1996.

SALE RESULTS: 
Fine Chinese Paintings
 
March 16, 2016 
Sale Total: $5,236,875 (USD) 
The three top lots for the sale was

Wang Duo (1592-1652), Cursive Script After Wang Xianzhi

Lot 819, Wang Duo (1592-1652), Cursive Script After Wang Xianzhi. Hanging scroll, ink on satin, 78 x 20 7/8 in. (198 x 53 cm.). Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist. One collector’s seal. Estimate $150,000 - $200,000Price Realized $881,000Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 2 November 1979, lot 117.

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF GUY AND MARIE-HÉLÈNE WEILL
Across more than half a century, the collectors Guy and Marie-Hélène Weill engaged in an inspired deeply shared journey in fine art. Early patrons of Abstract Expressionism, the couple expanded their connoisseurship over time to encompass a diversity of categories and media. From masterful examples of Chinese painting to exquisite works of Southeast Asian sculpture, their private collection stood as a tangible expression of the curiosity and zeal with which they lived. 

Guy Weill was born and raised in Zürich, Marie-Hélène Bigar in Lausanne, Switzerland. In the late 1930s, both Guy and Marie-Hélène’s families immigrated separately to the United States, where they met in 1940. During this period, Marie-Hélène Weill earned a B.A. degree in art history from Radcliffe College, while Mr. Weill enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served in Military Intelligence under General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The couple married in 1942. After the war, Guy Weill opened British American House, a menswear emporium on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue that was the first to feature Burberry and Aquascutum in the US.

In the late 1960s, Guy and Marie-Hélène Weill discovered the rich history and beauty of Asian art. While visiting one of their daughters in California, they happened upon the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. The Weills were overwhelmed by the simple forms and graceful lines of Chinese painting, porcelain, and bronzes. When they returned to Manhattan, the collectors began what they later described as a “lifelong process of self-education,” honing their united connoisseurial eye with the Asia Society and the China Institute where Marie-Hélène served as a docent. Together they studied, traveled extensively and learned everything they could about their new passion, and from the 1970s onward, Guy and Marie-Hélène Weill carefully built what would become one of New York’s premier assemblages of Asian art. 

The collectors’ devotion to Chinese painting was especially notable: “The Weills have collected at a level of excellence and with a passionate enthusiasm,” wrote former Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Philippe de Montebello, “that rival that of distinguished Chinese connoisseurs.” After being outbid by the Weills at an auction of Chinese art, Met Museum curator Wen Fong approached the couple to become involved with the institution. Over the years, Guy and Marie-Hélène Weill were devoted volunteers, benefactors, and friends to the museum’s Department of Asian Art, where Mrs. Weill lectured on Chinese and Southeast Asian Art, and Guy Weill lent his artistry as a photographer.

In addition to the China Institute, the Asia Society, and the Metropolitan Museum, the Weills were keen benefactors of the Brooklyn Museum, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian, and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard University, as well as Carnegie Hall, Young Audiences and the Metropolitan Opera. The couple donated many works to museums, including items from their superb collection of Chinese painting to the Metropolitan Museum where it was shown as the 2002 exhibition, Cultivated Landscapes: Chinese Paintings from the Collection of Marie-Hélène and Guy Weill. According to the Weills, the bequest was a message “to those who love art as much as life: to enjoy art, you must share it.”

Literature: “Overseas Paintings Collections,” Yiyuan duo ying, 1995, vol. 50, p. 30, pl. 22.

SALE RESULTS: 
Dongxi Studio- Important Chinese Jade and Hardstone Carvings from a Distinguished Private Collection
 
March 17, 2016 
Sale Total: $3,729,812 (USD) 
The top lot for the sale was

9

Lot 954, A large well-carved pale greenish-white jade carving of quince, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate $80,000 – $120,000. Price Realised $485,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016. 

(Cf. my post: A large well-carved pale greenish-white jade carving of quince, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

SALE RESULTS: 
The Ian and Susan Wilson Collection of Scholar’s Objects
 
March 17, 2016 
Sale Total: $2,243,625 (USD) 
The top lot for the sale was

9

Lot 1111,  Liu Dan (Born 1953), Tai Hu Stone. Hanging scroll, ink on paper, 15 ¼ x 14 ½ in. (38.8 x 36.8 cm.). Inscribed with a poem and signed, with one seal of the artist. Dated autumn, yihai year (1995). Estimate USD 50,000 ~ 70,000. Price Realised $269,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.  

(Cf. my post Liu Dan (Born 1953), Tai Hu Stone, 1995)

SALE RESULTS: 
Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art
 
March 18, 2016 
Sale Total: $18,497,000 (USD) 
The top lot for the sale was

A large cast and repousse gilt-bronze figure of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, Qianlong period

Lot 1425, A large cast and repousse gilt-bronze figure of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, Qianlong period. Estimate $100,000 - $150,000. Price Realised $2,853,000Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016. 

The bodhisattva stands on a double-lotus base with the principle hands in anjalimudra, and the multitude of others outstretched around him. He wears a diaphanous dhoti inlaid with hardstones, and is adorned with beaded jewelry. The faces, mostly peaceful, are arranged in tiers, and are surmounted by the diminutive head of Amitabha. 34 ¼ in. (87 cm.) high

Provenance: Cesa Atrium, Zurich, 29 August 1969.

PROPERTY OF THE BASS MUSEUM OF ART, SOLD TO BENEFIT THE ACQUISITIONS FUND 

Notes: The present manifestation of eleven-headed Avalokitesvara was quite popular during the Qianlong period, and exhibits strong Tibetan influence. Buddhism was the state religion of the Qing dynasty, and the Qianlong Emperor was a devout practitioner of the faith. Of particular interest to Qianlong was Tibetan Buddhism, and perhaps the pinnacle of his Tibetan Buddhist activities came in 1780, the year in which he celebrated his 70th birthday, when the Panchen Lama came to both Jehol and Beijing, and bestowed upon the Emperor the Mahakala and Chakrasamvara initiations. The rituals for these coincided with his birthday and indicated that Qianlong had formally 'entered the Buddhist realm.' Qianlong's powerful devotion to Buddhism was readily carried over into works of art made during his reign.

A fine Belle Epoque diamond tiara-necklace, circa 1910

0
0

A fine Belle Epoque diamond tiara-necklace

Lot 208, A fine Belle Epoque diamond tiara-necklace, circa 1910Estimate £25,000 - £35,000 ($46,750 - $65,450). Price Realized £53,775 ($100,559). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

The nine graduated openwork panels of foliate and scroll design set with old and single-cut diamonds, with tiara fittings, circa 1910, 26.2 cm. inner circumference, in original Rood & Co. Ltd. grey leather fitted case 

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY OF TITLE 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

A Belle Epoque diamond tiara-necklace, circa 1910

0
0

A Belle Epoque diamond tiara-necklace, circa 1910

Lot 206, A Belle Epoque diamond tiara-necklace, circa 1910. Estimate £40,000 - £50,000 ($74,800 - $93,500). Price Realized £50,190 ($93,855). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

Designed as thirteen graduated openwork panels, set with old-cut diamonds, five of which are centred with rectangular-cut emerald simulants, circa 1910, 44.5 cm. wide, with French assay marks for platinum 

Note: Sold Christie's New York 24 October 1997, lot 193, together with fitted case by Chaumet 

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

An Art Deco tiara-necklace, circa 1935

0
0

An Art Deco tiara-necklace, circa 1935

Lot 204, An Art Deco tiara-necklace, circa 1935Estimate £30,000 - £50,000 ($56,100 - $93,500). Price Realized £41,825 ($78,213). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2004.

Of openwork design, the central detachable geometric panel set with old-cut diamonds and nine paste baguettes to the graduated diamond scroll and collet sides, tiara fittings deficient, fittings to wear tiara as a necklace and central panel as a brooch, circa 1935, 27.2 cm. inner circumference, in fitted case stamped J. Chaumet Jewels 22 Bruton Street, London, Paris, New York 

Provenance: Sir Walter Bromley-Davenport and thence by family descent 

NotesBy family tradition, this late Art Deco tiara was bought by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Walter Bromley-Davenport for his wife Lenette in the early 1940s from the Wakely's: the family of the English clothes designer, Amanda Wakely.

The form strongly recalls that of the famous Westminster tiara of Loelia Ponsonby, designed in the 'Oriental Style' to sit atop the head directly parallel to the face. Influenced by eastern motifs, but also by western fashions, this new style catered well to the shorter hairstyles of the 1920s and 1930s, to which the older, heavier designs were not so well suited.

CHRISTIE'S. IMPORTANT JEWELLERY, 24 November 2004, London, King Street

Viewing all 36084 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images