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Large Zoomorphic Gold Nugget, "The Rhino", Central Victoria, Australia

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Lot 1297. Large Zoomorphic Gold Nugget, "The Rhino", Central Victoria, Australia. Weighing approximately 5.37 ozt (167.2 grams) and measuring 3 x 2 x 3/4in. Sold for US$ 12,500 (€11,163). Photo: Bonhams.

Sharp with very minute traces of white quartz in tiny crevices, this is a substantial and imposing nugget. Capable of standing on its own, the shape is somewhat zoomorphic and has been stated to resemble the figure of a rhinoceros. 

Bonhams. AUCTION 23397: LAPIDARY WORKS OF ART, GEMSTONES, MINERALS AND NATURAL HISTORY - LOS ANGELES


Gold cups from Marlik, Northern Iran, ca. 1000 BC

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Golden cup from the Necropolis of Marlik, Iran, 1000 BC.

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Two headed Dragon Cup, Iran, Jam-e-Marlik, 1000 BC.

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Golden cup from the Necropolis of Marlik, Iran, 1000 BC. 

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Marlik gold cup, northern Iran, Gilan, ca 1000 BC.

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Cup with a frieze of gazelles, Marlik, Northern Iran, ca. 1000 BC. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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The Hyrcanian Golden cup. Dated first half of first millennium. Excavated at Kalardasht in Mazandaran, Iran.

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Marlik gold cup, Northern Iran, 1200- 1400 BCE. H:13.3 cm. Diam :6 cm. Miho museum, Japan.

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Goblet with Bulls, Marlik (?), Northwestern Iranian, 12th-11th century B.C.E. Gold, H. 16.5 cm. Miho Museum, Japan.

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Cup with Vultures and Gazelles, Marlik (?), Northwestern Iranian, 12th-11th century B.C.E. Gold. H. 13.7 cm. Miho Museum, Japan. 

"Crustumerium: Death and Afterlife at the Gates of Rome" opens at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

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"Crustumerium: Death and Afterlife at the Gates of Rome" 

COPENHAGEN.- The ancient city of Crustumerium was a centre for cultural exchange and played a significant role in the early history of Rome. For some 2,500 years Crustumerium was merely a recurrent reference in historical sources. When in 1975 archaeologists located the city, some 15 km north-east of the Italian capital, it was an archaeological breakthrough of the first order. Since then Crustumerium has been the object of numerous successful excavations. 

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Wine jug (amphora). Part of a banqueting set found in a male burial of ca. 730-630 BC. Fired clay (impasto). H. 23 cm. From Crustumerium, Central Italy.

Straight from the tomb 
Realised in close cooperation with on-site archaeologists from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and the Soprintendenza Speciale per il Colosseo e l’Area Archeologica Centrale, Rome, Italy, the exhibition presents significant recently excavated grave goods from Crustumerium. A total of ten tombs are being exhibited at the Glyptotek, featuring skeletal remains and spectacular treasures. Each individual tomb offers an intimate narrative that evoke human life and fate from a bygone era, making tombs much more than just relics from a distant past.   

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Bronze diadem with inlaid glass beads. Grave gift from a female burial of ca. 675-650 BC. Ø. 12 cm. From Crustumerium, Central Italy.

Death and the afterlife 
The exhibition focuses on ideas about life and death in antiquity. The many objects testify to the customs, mindsets and beliefs found in a culturally hybrid society. As such, the exhibition shows how various cultural impulses from antiquity have affected humanity’s ideas about death and afterlife, and how such ideas continue to affect and offer perspectives on our present time.  

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Container (olla) with cupholders. Part of a banqueting set from a grave of ca.730-580 BC. Fired clay (impasto). H.45.5 cm. From Crustumerium, Central Italy

Multimedia approach 
The exhibition is special for its multimedia approach that offers visitors new ways of gaining insight and interacting with the objects on display: three-dimensional photos on a touch screen, a short movie telling the story of the excavations and a virtual reconstruction of the interior of a tomb.  

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Container for jewelry or cosmetics (pyxis)with a handle in the shape of a monkey. Ca. 700-600 BC. Fired clay (impasto). H. 40 cm. From Crustumerium, Central Italy.

Live archaeology at the Glyptotek … 
Last but not least, the exhibition offers rare first-hand insight into the processes that take objects from being archaeological finds to becoming exhibition artefacts. An archaeological laboratory allows visitors to witness restorers work on microexcavation of block lifts been removed as single, undisturbed pieces from a tomb complex in Crustumerium and transported to Copenhagen for this occasion. In addition to witnessing the actual excavation work, visitors can also see and ask the experts about how archaeological finds are treated, preserved, analysed and interpreted. 

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Block lift from a female burial of ca. 800-600 BC. The skeleton of a woman with grave goods consisting of bronze jewelry. L. 80 cm. From Fidenae, Central Italy.

… and live from Crustumerium 
The excavation work currently undertaken at the city of Crustumerium itself will also be broadcast to Copenhagen. On selected days throughout the summer, the exhibition will facilitate live streaming featuring archaeologists at work in Italy, presenting their most recent discoveries to Copenhagen exhibition visitors.

A rhinoceros horn 'chilong' libation cup, 17th-18th century

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A rhinoceros horn 'chilong' libation cup, 17th-18th century

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Lot 105. A rhinoceros horn 'chilong' libation cup, 17th-18th century. Sold for £17,500 (€22,850). Photo Bonhams.

Skilfully carved in the form of a lotus leaf finely detailed with y-shaped veins, the exterior decorated in relief with three sinuous chilong with bifurcated tails, variously writhing, clambering and emerging from a ground of breaking waves wrapping the foot and extending to the base. 12cm (4 7/8in) wide

Provenance: a European private collection, acquired between 1960-70, and thence by descent

NoteFinely carved with chilong dragons rising above crashing waves, the cup yields an impressive evocation of the Emperor's majestic and benevolent rule. Capable of flying high in the sky and diving back in the sea, dragons were, since the earliest phases of Chinese history, empowered with supernatural, auspicious powers that mirrored those of the ruler, master of all under heaven and centre of the universe. A related cup, from the collection of Thomas Fok is illustrated in Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p.50, pl.3. Another, dated to the 17th century, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2011, lot 2709.

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A stained ivory 'lingzhi' brushwasher, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

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A stained ivory 'lingzhi' brushwasher, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

Lot 106Y. A stained ivory 'lingzhi' brushwasher, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate £5,000 - 8,000 (€6,500 - 10,000). Unsold. Photo: Bonhams.

Finely carved in the form of a shallow section of a large lingzhi fungus with two cloudlike swirls, issuing further lingzhi and green leafy tendrils that curl into the interior, naturalistically carved with two crawling beetles and a delicate orchid. 19cm (7 1/2in) wide

Provenance: a European private collection, acquired between 1960-70, and thence by descent 

NoteCompare with a related stained ivory brush washer in the Palace Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Small Refined Articles of the Study, Shenzhen, 2009, p.128, no.99. Compare another one also in the Palace Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, p.202, no.166.

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A rare 'Guangzhou imperial tribute' stained ivory 'peony and pomegranate' ruyi sceptre, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

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A rare 'Guangzhou imperial tribute' stained ivory 'peony and pomegranate' ruyi sceptre, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

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Lot 107Y. A rare 'Guangzhou imperial tribute' stained ivory 'peony and pomegranate' ruyi sceptre, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Sold for £35,000 (€45,700)Photo: Bonhams.

Exquisitely carved in relief and openwork as a gnarled tree branch bearing auspicious lingzhi fungus and naturalistically rendered sprays of flowering narcissus with long leafy stems to one end, the arched shaft entwined with subsidiary branches and gracefully curling leaves stained in bright green, scattered with small blossoming peony flowers and buds, raising to a large interweaved cluster of blooming peonies, flower buds and splitting pomegranates forming the ruyi head.35cm (13 3/4in) long 

Provenance: a European private collection, acquired between 1960-70, and thence by descent 

NotesThe meticulous carving of the present ruyi is exceptionally rare. It demonstrates the high level of craftsmanship available in the 18th century and distinguishes this example from many other sceptres carved as plants.

The word 'ruyi' (如意) can be translated as 'as you like', which symbolises the wishes of good fortune and longevity. The Qianlong emperor highly rated ruyi sceptres as auspicious gifts, made in various materials including jade, wood, hardstones, lacquer and other materials. Several ruyi sceptres are also included in the famous Guwan tu painting (Pictures of Ancient Playthings) in the Victoria and Albert Museum no.E.59-1911, which illustrates the Qing Court interest in ruyi sceptres. 

Compare a related stained ivory ruyi sceptre, Yongzheng/Qianlong, exhibited in the Hong Kong Museum of Art and illustrated in Splendour of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1992, pl.270. See also related examples of sceptres in the form of gnarled leafy branches made in different materials in the Palace Museum, illustrated by E.Rawski and J.Rawson, China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, pp.366-369, nos.273 and 275. Compare also a carved openwork stained ivory ruyi sceptre, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3351.

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A large banded agate bowl, 18th-19th century

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A large banded agate bowl, 18th-19th century

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Lot 108. A large banded agate bowl, 18th-19th century. Sold for £4,750 (€6,202). Photo: Bonhams.

Rising from a short, splayed foot to an irregular blossoming flower head, the stone of various tones ranging from pale beige to deep reddish brown. 20.5cm (8 1/8in) diam. 

Provenance: a European private collection, acquired between 1960-70, and thence by descent 

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

An exceptional rock crystal vase, waterpot and lingzhi group with ivory stand, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

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An exceptional rock crystal vase, waterpot and lingzhi group with ivory stand, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

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Lot 109. An exceptional rock crystal vase, waterpot and lingzhi group with ivory stand, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate £50,000 - 80,000 (€65,000 - 100,000). Unsold. Photo Bonhams.

Boldly carved as an archaistic hu vase with scrolling kui dragon handles flanking the waisted neck, and a well-fitted cover with gently-sloping edges, beside a globular water pot, all surrounded by entwining gnarled lingzhi stems and leafy branches of peaches, 22cm (8 5/8in) wide; the ivory stand meticulously carved with openwork designs of interlocking chilong surrounded by branches of lingzhi and peaches. 23.7cm (9 3/8in) wide (3) 

NotesA rock crystal vase, waterpot and lingzhi group of high artistry and craftsmanship, such as the present lot, is extremely rare. The accomplishment of Qing imperial craftsmen is exemplified in a related rock crystal vase group, carved with phoenix, bat and auspicious plants, illustrated by S.Bushell, Chinese Art, vol 1, London, 1921, pl.102. See also a similar crystal vase with lingzhi illustrated in Qing dai yu diao zhi mei, Taipei, 1997, pl.128.

Inspiration was also drawn from jade carvings, compare with a jade vase group with auspicious animals, Qianlong mark and of the period, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 10, Beijing, 2010, p.57, pl.30, which highlights the similar exquisite quality and form of carving.

The ivory stand that supports the rock crystal vase is no less exceptional and is typical of eighteenth century Qing imperial craftsmen. The fine mastery of the carving can be compared to that on an ivory screen, Qianlong period, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, pp.220-221, pl.179.

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET


An embroidered blue-ground silk 'dragon' robe and collar, 19th century

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Lot 263. An embroidered blue-ground silk 'dragon' robe and collar, 19th century. Sold for £5,000 (€6,492). Photo: Bonhams.

Worked in satin stitch and 'Peking knot' in shades of blue, green, red and violet and couched gold threads with eight five-clawed dragons chasing flaming pearls amidst clusters of clouds interspersed with bats, the Eight Buddhist Emblems and peonies, all reserved on a rich blue ground above the terrestrial diagram with lishui stripe at the hem, with dark ground cuffs, collar and sleeve bands decorated with further dragons and clouds, 145.5cm (56 7/8in) long; together with a shoulder collar, piling, embroidered with similar designs of dragons and lishui stripes in satin stitch and gold thread.76.5cm (30 2/8in) long (2).

Provenance: an English private collection

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A blue-ground silk embroidered 'dragon' robe, jifu, 19th century

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Lot 265. A blue-ground silk embroidered 'dragon' robe, jifu, 19th century Sold for £3,750 (€4,869). Photo: Bonhams.

Finely worked in satin stitch and dense couched gold threads with nine writhing four-clawed dragons amidst Auspicious Emblems and clusters of vaporous clouds, all above the terrestrial diagram interspersed with 'Peking knot' peonies and lishui stripe at the hem, all picked out in shades of blue, grey, yellow and bright purple, with a black-ground border at the collar and cuffs. 139cm (54 6/8in) long

Property from the Mr. and Mrs. C. Lefebvre Collection of Chinese Robes

NotesTHE LEFEBVRE COLLECTION OF CHINESE ROBES. 

This collection of Royal women's dress from the Imperial Court of the Qing dynasty was gathered from sources that spanned both Asia and the West. 

Women's dress at the Qing court was elaborate, ethereal and elegant. Wonderful garments were created through the ingenious adaptation of the newly-introduced vibrant dyes from the West to the delicate hues of the vegetable dyes already available in the East. The dazzling flowers and symbols decorating these costumes were imbued with auspicious symbolism that conveyed the cultural values and aspirations of their wearer, such as longevity, success and fertility. 

Women became butterflies shimmering amongst the heavenly gardens of the palaces, embodying cherry blossoms, prunus, peony and chrysanthemum flowers that symbolised the Four Seasons. The changyi or changfu informal dresses included in this collection were worn on the occasion of festivities such as court rituals, seasonal changes, birthdays and New Year celebrations. One such festivity includes the Double Ninth Festival, considered auspicious because of the homophonic nature of the number nine with the word 'forever'. On this occasion, women wore chrysanthemum blooms in their hair and on their garments as they attended a ceremony that paid homage to their ancestors. 

The Institute of Indulgences, Ruyi guan, 如意館, designed the courtly garments through the creation of painted templates that conformed to the court regulations, Huangchao liqi tushi, 皇朝禮器圖示, or the fashion style of the moment as it was selected by the Empress. The templates were then sent to the imperial workshops of Suzhou for the production of the finest satin stitch or to Nanjing for the weaving. The workshops worked long hours and often men were the most accomplished embroiderers. Time and precision, elaborate designs, silk threads of exquisite quality and dyes of spectacular colours, showed the power and beauty of the 'butterfly' courtesans of the Qing court. 

Women's dress provides a rare insight into the romance and secret court life of the royal ladies, 'a rare chance to peep behind the silk curtain of the court' and own an important aspect of Chinese history.

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

An orange-ground silk woman's 'butterfly' robe, changyi, 19th century

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Lot 266. An orange-ground silk woman's 'butterfly' robe, changyi, 19th century. Sold for £3,750 (€4,869). Sold for £3,750 (€4,869). Photo: Bonhams.

Delicately embroidered in satin stitch and 'Peking knot' with a profusion of butterflies flitting around bunches of melons growing out of leafy vines and tendrils, all meticulously executed in three-blue silk threads on a rich orange brick ground within cream and black borders decorated with further butterflies picked out in mauve, turquoise and green. 128cm (50 3/8in) long

Property from the Mr. and Mrs. C. Lefebvre Collection of Chinese Robes

NoteEmblematic of summer, beauty, romance and dreams, butterflies are a homophone with the word 'repeatedly', thus underscoring the wish for many descendants if combined with seed-bearing gourds, such as in the present example. A related orange-ground robe, embroidered with flowers and butterflies in the multiple shades of blue, is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, no.1971.90.

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A sky-blue-ground silk woman's padded winter robe, Late Qing Dynasty

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Lot 267. A sky-blue-ground silk woman's padded winter robe, Late Qing Dynasty. Sold for £3,625 (€4,707)Photo: Bonhams.

The light-blue damask intricately woven with the Eight Daoist Emblems on a ruyi ground, richly embroidered in satin stitch with vibrant silk threads depicting hovering butterflies amidst sprays of peonies, prunus, chrysanthemums and orchids, the design repeated on the pale-pink-ground cuffs, with black-ground ruyi borders delicately embroidered with cranes and peacocks within a fenced garden defined by flowering shrubs and rocks, padded. 133cm (52 3/8in) long

Property from the Mr. and Mrs. C. Lefebvre Collection of Chinese Robes

NotesWishes concerning the attainment of immortality, conveyed by the Emblems of the Eight Immortals, notorious group of legendary figures possessing semi-divine powers, are reinforced on this robe with the occurrence of cranes, vehicle of the immortals, and the peacocks inhabiting the heavenly realms advocated in Buddhist scriptures. 

A related robe, albeit embroidered on a red-ground silk, is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated by V.Wilson, Chinese Dress, London, 1986, no.241-1963, front and back cover. 

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A midnight-blue-ground silk lady's informal three-quarter-length robe, 19th century

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Lot 268. A midnight-blue-ground silk lady's informal three-quarter-length robe, 19th century. Sold for £3,750 (€4,869). Photo: Bonhams.

Vibrantly embroidered in satin and 'Peking knot' stitch with multi-coloured butterflies hovering amidst shrubs of blossoming peonies, camellias, prunus and chrysanthemum in three-blue silk threads above foaming lishui waves interspersed with further peonies, also depicted on the matching turquoise-ground sleeve bands. 
110cm (43 2/8in) long

Property from the Mr. and Mrs. C. Lefebvre Collection of Chinese Robes

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A teal-green silk woman's robe with butterflies, changyi, 19th century

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Lot 269. A teal-green silk woman's robe with butterflies, changyi, 19th century. Sold for £3,750 (€4,869). Photo: Bonhams.

Finely worked in satin stitch with multi-coloured butterflies and cranes flitting amidst the Eight Daoist Emblems and a profusion of blossoming peonies, chrysanthemums, orchids, narcissus, prunus, magnolias, lotus and ruyi, all within further butterflies on a cream border and flowers embroidered in three-blue silk threads on a black ground, the same patterns picked out in vibrant shades of pink, blue, red and yellow on the cream cuffs. 141cm (55 1/2in) long

Property from the Mr. and Mrs. C. Lefebvre Collection of Chinese Robes

NotesSeveral studies suggest that the soft-green silk colour of the robe was reserved for a princess, imperial daughter-in-law or consorts. Replete with auspicious meaning, the decoration on the robe represents wishes for 'long life' and may have thus been worn by a noblewoman for her birthday celebrations. As a homophone with 'septuagenarian', butterflies occur in conjunction with cranes, vehicle of the Immortals, the attributes of the much-celebrated group of the Eight Immortals, the long-lasting lingzhi fungus, prunus and chrysanthemums, all highly symbolic of longevity. Together with lotus, bamboo and orchid, chrysanthemums also symbolise the 'Four Gentlemen of flowers' while lotus symbolises purity.

For reference, see L.Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, London, 1990. Compare with a similar robe in the Museum of Art, Philadelphia, no.1971-61.1.

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

Nevers. Plat à décor au chinois, XVIIème siècle

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Lot 1. Nevers. Plat à décor au chinois, XVIIème siècle. Estimation 1 000 € / 1 500 €. Photo Métayer.

Plat à décor en camaïeu bleu et manganèse d'un cavalier chinois tenant un cheval, et d'un chinois aux bouteilles sur l'aile, dans un paysage extrème-oriental. Armoiries polychromes sommées d'un heaume de chevalier. D_24,2 cm

METAYER MAISON DE VENTES AUX ENCHÈRES, 58000 NEVERS. Collection d'un Amateur Etranger : Faiences Françaises dont Collection de Décors au Chinois (NEVERS), le 21 Mai 2016 à 14h00


Nevers. Plat à décor au chinois, XVIIème siècle

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Lot 2. Nevers. Plat à décor au chinois, XVIIème siècle. Estimation 500 € / 800 €. Photo Métayer.

Plat à décor en camaïeu bleu et manganèse d'un chinois offrant un bouquet de fleurs à une chinoise, dans un paysage architecturé. D_25,2 cm. 

Porte au revers un cachet de cire armorié et des numéros d'inventaire. 

METAYER MAISON DE VENTES AUX ENCHÈRES, 58000 NEVERS. Collection d'un Amateur Etranger : Faiences Françaises dont Collection de Décors au Chinois (NEVERS), le 21 Mai 2016 à 14h00

British Museum launches first major exhibition of underwater archaeology

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Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds will be at the British Museum from 19 May to 27 November 2016.

LONDON.- The British Museum is staging a major exhibition on two lost Egyptian cities and their recent rediscovery by archaeologists beneath the Mediterranean seabed. On view for an extended run of six months, The BP exhibition Sunken cities: Egypt’s lost worlds is the Museum’s first large-scale exhibition of underwater discoveries. It shows how the exploration of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus – submerged at the mouth of the River Nile for over a thousand years – is transforming our understanding of the relationship between ancient Egypt and the Greek world and the great importance of these ancient cities.  

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 Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds will be at the British Museum from 19 May to 27 November 2016. 

300 outstanding objects have been brought together for the exhibition including more than 200 spectacular finds excavated off the coast of Egypt near Alexandria between 1996 and 2012. Important loans from Egyptian museums rarely seen before outside Egypt (and the first such loans since the Egyptian revolution) are supplemented with objects from various sites across the Delta drawn from the British Museum’s collection; most notably from Naukratis – a sister harbour town to Thonis- Heracleion and the first Greek settlement in Egypt. 

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 Colossal … a five-metre pharaoh found at Naukratis’s sister port, Thonis-Heracleion. Photograph: Christoph Gerigk/Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation. 

Likely founded during the 7th century BC, Thonis- Heracleion and Canopus were busy, cosmopolitan cities that once sat on adjacent islands at the edge of the fertile lands of the Egyptian Delta, intersected by canals. After Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt in 332BC, centuries of Greek (Ptolemaic) rule followed. The exhibition reveals how cross-cultural exchange and religion flourished, particularly the worship of the Egyptian god of the afterlife, Osiris.  

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 A bronze Pharaoh in akhepresh crown at Thonis-Heracleion. Photograph: Christoph Gerigk/Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.

By the 8th century AD, the sea had reclaimed the cities and they lay hidden several metres beneath the seabed, their location and condition unclear. Although well-known from Egyptian decrees and Greek mythology and historians, past attempts to locate them were either fruitless or very partial.  

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 ‘So this is Naukratis!’ … British Museum archaeologists following in the footsteps of Flinders Petrie at Naukratis. Photograph: British Museum. 

Thanks to the underwater setting, a vast number of objects of great archaeological significance have been astonishingly well preserved. Pristine monumental statues, fine metalware and gold jewellery reveal how Greece and Egypt interacted in the late first millennium BC. These artefacts offer a new insight into the quality and unique character of the art of this period and show how the Greek kings and queens who ruled Egypt for 300 years adopted and adapted Egyptian beliefs and rituals to legitimise their reign.  

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 Lying in state … the statue of a Ptolemaic pharaoh travels through the streets of Alexandria. Photograph: British Museum. 

The exhibition features a number of extraordinary, monumental sculptures. A 5.4m granite statue of Hapy, a divine personification of the Nile’s flood, greets visitors as they enter the space. Masterpieces from Egyptian museums such as the Apis bull from the Serapeum in Alexandria are being shown alongside magnificent recent finds from the sea. One such piece is the stunning sculpture from Canopus representing Arsinoe II (the eldest daughter of Ptolemy I, founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty). The Greco-Macedonian queen became a goddess beloved to both Egyptians and Greeks after her death and is depicted here as the perfect embodiment of Aphrodite, a goddess of beauty ‘who grants fortunate sailing’.  

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 ‘Kallias dedicated me to Aphrodite’ … the sixth-century hunter and his piglets, a Naukratis find. Photograph: Trustees of the British Museum. 

The exhibition also covers the arrival of Greeks in Egypt, when they were hosts and not rulers; privileged but controlled by the pharaohs. A complete stela from Thonis-Heracleion advertises a 380BC royal decree of the Egyptian pharaoh Nectanebo I. It states that 10% of the taxes collected on all goods imported from the ‘Sea of the Greeks’ into Thonis-Heracleion and on all trade operations at Naukratis were to be donated to an Egyptian temple.  

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 Fish food … a third century pharaoh head on the ocean floor at Thonis-Heracleion. Photograph: Christoph Gerigk/Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation. 

A wide range of objects, from modest to grand and costly, bears witness to the piety of both inhabitants and visitors at these major religious centres. Lead models of barges uncovered in the sacred waterway linking Thonis-Heracleion to Canopus are unique and moving finds. They are associated with the Mysteries of Osiris, the most popular festival celebrated annually across Egypt during the month of Khoiak (mid-October to mid- November). Ranging in size from 6 to 67cm, these reproduce in metal a flotilla of 34 papyrus barges that would have been displayed on a waterway to celebrate the first sacred navigation of the festival. According to religious texts, each barge was to measure 67.5 cm and to bear the figure of an Egyptian god, and would have been illuminated by 365 lamps. The lead barges are lasting testimonies possibly left by people who, long ago, celebrated this festival in the Canopic region.  

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 On show … the two-metre statue of the Apis Bull. Photograph: Christoph Gerigk/Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation. 

Only a tiny proportion of these sites have revealed their secrets. The on-going underwater archaeological mission continues to bring to light new masterpieces and further research every year as the most recent finds from 2012 show.

19 May – 27 November 2016

 

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Reclaimed from the deeps: Diver Franck Goddio poses with an inscribed tablet he found in the ruins of Heracleion in Aboukir Bay, Egypt. The slab, which is 1.9m tall, will be one of the treasures on display at an upcoming British Museum exhibition of underwater treasures. It is inscribed with the decree of Saϊs, which levied a tax on imports from Greece.

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Strapped in: A diver secures a 5.4m statue of Hapy, a divine personification of the Nile floods, to be lifted out of the waters. The colossal red granite carving will one of the exhibition's centrepieces. The six-tonne statue, which dates to the 4th Century BC is the largest known example of a Hapy statue.

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Scraping away the centuries: A diver is shown uncovering the colossal Hapy statue by torchlight.

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Ready for display: The full statue is shown to the right, having been restored after its long rest under the sea. 

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A diver is pictured above after he discovered a colossal statue of the Egyptian god Hapy, a personification of the Nile floods.

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Sunken tablet: Hieroglyphic inscriptions, such as the one pictured above, will feature in the museum display from next May.

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Reclaimed: The intact Stele of Thonis-Heracleion, is pictured being carefully lifted out of the Nile delta. The inscription makes clear that it was to be placed on the site of Heracleion, a city thought lost to the sands of time, and helped archaeologists be sure that they had found the right place.

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Heavy lifting: Divers manoeuvre a pink granite 'garden vat' discovered among the silty ruins of Heracleion.

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Digging deep: A diver brushes away remains from a cow's jaw bone found at the site of Canopus. 

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Golden: This necklace, a so-called pectoral decorated with lapis lazuli and glass, is another loan item from the Egyptian Museum which will be brought to London. The item dates from as early as 940BC and belonged to Pharaoh Sheshonk II.  

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Special delivery: This life-sizer statue of Osiris is being loaned to the British Museum from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo for the display. The Saite statue carries a dedication from daughter of the pharaoh Psamtik I. 

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Under the sea: This statue, depicting queen Ptolemaic queen Arsinoe II in the form of the goddess Isis, was found in the ruins of Canopus. 

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Gift for the gods: Divers also found several model boats, pictured above, which were metal replicas of tiny papyrus vessels which Egyptians would have set sail at the temple of Amun-Gereb as an offering. 

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Sleeping with the fishes: Huge columns lay underwater in the ruins of Canopus, which were found 2km east of the Nile delta. 

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Discovery: An Egyptian sailor watches over a Sphinx dredged up from the Delta in 2001. 

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Holy works: Picture is a bronze Osiris from around 600BC.

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A diver shows a marble statue of Osiris. Canopus, Egypt, 1st–2nd century AD. Photo: Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.

Rare works by John Singer Sargent lead Sotheby's $27.1M American Art Auction in New York

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 Lot 8. John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925), Poppies (A study of "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose"), inscribed 'Painted by John Sargent in Russell House Garden/1886 Lily Millet' on the reverse, oil on canvas, 24 3/8 by 35 7/8 inches (61.9 by 91.1 cm). Painted in 1886. Estimate 4,000,000 — 6,000,000 USD. Lot sold 6,858,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

NEW YORK, NY.- Four works by John Singer Sargent totaled $11.2 million last night, surpassing their combined high estimate of $8.7 million. The sale was led by Poppies, which Sargent completed while at work on his masterpiece Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose. Three bidders competed for the oil on canvas, which outperformed pre-sale expectations, selling for $6.9 million (estimate $4–6 million). The painting was most recently included in the museum exhibition Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse, co-organized by the Royal Academy of Arts and the Cleveland Museum of Art.  

Four bidders sought Sargent’s Stairway in Capri, driving the work to a final price of $4.1 million – well in excess of its $2.5 million high estimate. The painting was previously in the collections of Auguste Hirsch, a French artist and friend of John Sargent Sargent, as well as Pamela Harriman, the United States Ambassador to France in the mid-1990s.  

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Lot 14. John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925), Stairway in Capri (Study of a staircase; Study of a staircase. Capri)signed John S. Sargent, dated 1878, and inscribed Capri (lower right), oil on canvas, 32 by 18 inches (81.5 by 45.5 cm). Estimate 1,800,000 — 2,500,000 USD. Lot sold 4,058,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

Liz Sterling, Head of Sotheby’s American Art Department, commented: “Last night we saw the continuation of the ‘masterpiece market’ that we have witnessed in recent seasons, with top-quality works inspiring competition and commanding strong prices. We were encouraged by international participation as well as bidding across categories, including senior members of both our Impressionist & Modern and Contemporary Art teams fielding bids from their clients. It was a particular privilege to offer not one but two oil paintings by John Singer Sargent last night, and collectors recognized and responded enthusiastically to the rarity of this occasion in the auction market.” 

Jamie Wyeth’s surreal self-portrait, Pumpkinhead, from 1972 was one of the night’s most eagerly sought-after pieces. A prolonged battle between four determined bidders drove the final price of the work to $1.7 million – more than triple its high estimate of $500,000, and three times the previous auction record for the artist. In addition to Jamie Wyeth, new artist records were established last night for: David Brega, Gloria Engelhard, John George Brown and Gregorio Prestopino. 

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Lot 25. Jamie Wyeth (b.1946), Pumpkinhead-Self-portrait, signed James Wyeth (lower left), oil on canvas, 30 by 30 inches (76.2 by 76.2 cm). Painted in 1972Estimate 300,000 — 500,000 USD. Lot sold 4,058,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

Embodying Norman Rockwell’s all-American appeal, Road Block fetched $4,730,000 (estimate $4–6 million). One of his most ambitious covers for the widely-read The Saturday Evneing Post, Road Block features no less than 25 figures, including a self-portrait and a depiction of his son, Peter. Other highlights of American Illustration included Maxfield Parrish’s Winter Sunshine from 1955, sold for $850,000 against an estimate of $400–600,000.

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Lot 24. Norman Rockwell (1894 - 1978), Road Block (Bulldog blocking truck; Traffic conditions), signed Norman Rockwell (lower left), oil on board, 30 by 23 inches (76.2 by 58.4 cm). Painted in 1949. Estimate 4,000,000 — 6,000,000 USD. Lot sold 4,730,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's.

Two rare famille verte armorial 'Province' dishes for the Dutch Market, Circa 1720

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Two rare famille verte armorial 'Province' dishes for the Dutch Market, Circa 1720

Lot 297. Two rare famille verte armorial 'Province' dishes for the Dutch Market, Circa 1720. Sold for £7,500 (€9,739). Photo Bonhams.

The dishes vibrantly painted and gilt in the centre with the coat of arms of the Dutch towns respectively of Limburgh and Zutphen, each flanked by floral sprays and birds, all surrounded on the lobed sides by foliate petal panels containing landscapes, Immortals, scholars, ladies playing with butterflies and flowers and vases, diaper ground on the edges. The larger 31cm (12in) diam. (2).

Provenance: a distinguished Belgian private collection 

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

A rare pair of verte-imari armorial dishes for the Portuguese market, Early Qianlong period (1736-1795)

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A rare pair of verte-imari armorial dishes for the Portuguese market, Early Qianlong period (1736-1795)

Lot 298. A rare pair of verte-imari armorial dishes for the Portuguese market, Early Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate £15,000 - 20,000 (€19,000 - 26,000). Unsold. Photo: Bonhams.

Painted in vibrant verte-Imari enamels and gilt to the interior with a medallion enclosing the arms of Don Luis Peregrino de Ataide, governor of Algarve, beneath a coronet and flanked by cherubs rising from architectural scrollwork, all within an elaborate strapwork border incorporating garlands, leaves and bulls' heads.

NoteDom Luis Peregrino de Ataide (1700-1758) was the 10th Count of Atouguia, a member of the Council of King Joao V. For similar dishes See N. de Castro, Chinese Porcelain and the Heraldry of the Empire, 1998, pp. 55-61.

Bonhams. AUCTION 23237: FINE CHINESE ART, LONDON, NEW BOND STREET

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