Lot 10. Lucie Rie, Large bowl, circa 1970. Stoneware, matte white glaze with golden manganese lip. 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm) diameter. Impressed with artist's seal. Estimate $30,000 - 50,000. Sold for $52,500. Photo courtesy Philipps

PROVENANCE: Gift from Dame Lucie Rie to her cousin Kurt Braun, on the occasion of his 50th wedding anniversary, 1970
Thence by descent to the present owner

LITERATURE: Issey Miyake Meets Lucie Rie, exh. cat., Sogetsu Gallery, Tokyo, 1989, pp. 27, 114 for similar examples 
Tony Birks, Lucie Rie, Yeovil, 1994, p. 167 for a similar example
Lucie Rie: A Retrospective, exh. cat., The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 2010, p. 231, fig. 178 for a similar example.

Philipps. DESIGN - NEW YORK AUCTION, 9 JUNE 2016 

Sorelle Fontana gown from the 1950s

'Francis Bacon, Monaco and French Culture'. Photo JC Vinaj

MONACO.- The Grimaldi Forum, Monaco is presenting a major exhibition, Francis Bacon, Monaco and French Culture from 2 July to 4 September 2016. The exhibition, curated by Martin Harrison, editor of the forthcoming Francis Bacon Catalogue Raisonné (publication 30 June 2016), takes place with the support of The Estate of Francis Bacon in London, and the Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation based in Monaco. 

Francis Bacon’s cultural orientation was, to an extraordinary degree, towards France, and The Grimaldi Forum exhibition explores the artist’s work from this unique angle: the important influence of French art and culture on Bacon’s work, and his years in Monaco that had a crucial impact on his oeuvre. Major triptychs as well as famous and less well-known paintings are being displayed thematically and show direct and indirect relationships to France and Monaco. One of the features of this exhibition is to cross-reference major works of the masters who inspired the artist. 

Francis Bacon, Watercolour, 1929. Pencil, black ink, watercolor and gouache, 21 x 13 cm. MB Art Collection. © The Estate of Francis Bacon / DACS London 2016. All rights reserved.

The exhibition brings together more than sixty paintings by Bacon himself alongside works by leading artists who inspired him, including Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Giacometti, Léger and Soutine. Major loans from public collections around the world include Head VI (1949) from the Arts Council England, the extraordinary Fragment of a Crucifixion (1950, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven), and Pope I (1951, Aberdeen Art Gallery). There are also a number of works, many rarely if ever displayed, from private collections, including the triptych, Studies of the Human Body (1970), Turning Figure (1962), and Portrait of a Man Walking Down Steps (1972), Bacon’s most poignant tribute to George Dyer, painted shortly after his death. 

Francis Bacon, Head VI, 1949. Oil on canvas, 93,2 x 76,5 cm. Arts Council Collec:on, Southbank Centre, London © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights.

The exhibition includes – for the first time – Francis Bacon’s first work, Watercolour (1929, Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation) and Bacon’s last painting, completed in 1991, the never-before-exhibited Study of a Bull. 

Tate dedicated two retrospectives to the artist during his lifetime, in 1962 and 1985, but Francis Bacon regarded the retrospective at the Grand Palais in 1971 as the most significant of his career. Only Picasso had the similar honour of a retrospective held during his lifetime at the Grand Palais, in 1966.

Francis Bacon, Fragment of a Crucifixion, 1950. Oil and cowon wool on canvas, 158,4 x 127,4 cm. Collec:on Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven© The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights.

Francis Bacon, Study of a Dog, 1952. Oil on canvas, 198,1 x 137,2 cm. Presented by Eric Hall 1952, Tate, London© Tate, London 2016.

Francis Bacon, Sea, 1953. Oil on canvas, 155 x 117,5 cm © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2016.

Francis Bacon, Study for a Portrait of Van Gogh, 1957. Oil on canvas, 198,1 x 142,2 cm, Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2016. 

Francis Bacon, Lying Figure, 1958. Oil on canvas, 153.5 x 119.5 cm, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Germany. © The Estate of Francis Bacon / DACS London 2016. All rights reserved.

Francis Bacon, Turning Figure, 1962. Oil on canvas, 198 x 144,5 cm. Private Collection © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2016. 

Francis Bacon, Studies of the Human Body, 1970. Oil on canvas, 198 x 147,5 cm. Private Collection, Courtesy Ordovas © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2016

Francis Bacon, Portrait of a Man Walking Down Steps, 1972. Oil on canvas, 198 x 147,5 cm. Private Collection © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2016 

Francis Bacon, Portrait of Michel Leiris, 1976. Huile sur toile, 35,5 x 30,5 cm. Donation Louise et Michel Leiris, 1984. Centre Pompidou, Paris - Musée na:onal d'art moderne/Centre de création industrielle © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS 2016.

 Francis Bacon, Study of a Bull, 1991. Oil on canvas, 198 x 147,5 cm. Private Collection© The Estate of Francis Bacon All rights reserved, DACS 2016

Francis Bacon at Vaux-le-Vicomte in 1977. Copyright Eddy Batache

Francis Bacon in Nice in March 1979. Copyright Eddy Batache

Francis Bacon in Monaco in 1981. Copyright Eddy Batache

Francis Bacon and Reinhard Hassert in Monaco in 1981. Copyright Eddy Batache 

Installation view. Photo JC Vinaj 

Installation view. Photo JC Vinaj

Installation view. Photo JC Vinaj

Installation view. Photo JC Vinaj

Installation view. Photo JC Vinaj 

Installation view. Photo JC Vinaj 

Installation view. Photo JC Vinaj

Installation view. Photo JC Vinaj 

Greenware bowl with animal masks, Yue kiln-sites, 4th century AD, Western Jin Dynasty (AD 265 - 316) - Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317 - 420) - Six Dynasties Period (AD 221 - 589); stoneware, with incised, impressed, and applied decoration under a green glaze; unglazed base; glazed rim; 5.8 cm (height), 16.5 cm (diameter). Presented by Sir Herbert Ingram, 1956. EA1956.233. © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Greenware saucer dish with lotus leaves, Yue kiln-sites, late 9th century - early 10th century AD, Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 907); stoneware, with green glaze; glazed base; glazed rim; 2.5 cm (height), 13.1 cm (diameter), at foot 5.9 cm (diameter). Presented by Sir Herbert Ingram, 1956. EA1956.324. © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Greenware bowl with inscription, 10th century, Yue kiln-sites, Five Dynasties Period (AD 907 - 960) - Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960 - 1127); stoneware, with green glaze; glazed base; glazed rim; 4.7 cm (height), 12.4 cm (diameter). Presented by Sir Herbert Ingram, 1956. EA1956.735. © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

White ware bowl with thick rolled rim, late 8th century - early 9th century AD, Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 907); stoneware, with white glaze; unglazed base; glazed rim; 4 cm (height), 12.2 cm (diameter). Presented by Sir Herbert Ingram, 1956. EA1956.1150. © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Greenware five-lobed dish, Shaoxing kiln-sites, 10th century (AD 901 - 1000); stoneware, with green glaze; glazed base; glazed rim; 3.6 cm (height), 10.6 cm (diameter), at foot 4.2 cm (diameter). Presented by Sir Herbert Ingram, 1956. EA1956.235. © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471-1528, Sudarium Held by Two Angels, 1513, engraving, 4 x 5 1/2 inches, Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly.

GLENS FALLS, NY.- The Hyde Collection presents Dürer & Rembrandt: Master Prints from the Collection of Dr. Dorrance Kelly in its Charles R. Wood Gallery. At the same time, The Hydes & Rembrandt will be on view in the adjacent Whitney-Renz Gallery. Both shows open on July 10 and continue through October 2. 

Dürer & Rembrandt features 82 prints, showcasing 29 superb engravings and woodcuts by the German printmaker, Albrecht Dürer, and 35 exceptional etchings by the Dutch Master, Rembrandt van Rijn. In addition, the exhibition features 18 printed works of their contemporaries, including Hendrick Goudt, Lucas van Leyden, Aegidius Sadeler, and a rare engraving by Lucas Cranach. 

"Dorrance Kelly has assembled one of the most distinguished print collections in the country," noted Erin Coe, the Museum's Director. "Not only are we grateful he agreed to share his treasures with the public, but we are proud to bring this esteemed collection to Glens Falls and the broader region. This is an unparalleled opportunity to see up close some of the finest prints by Dürer and Rembrandt that you would otherwise have to travel to New York or Boston to view. " 

Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471-1528, Lamentation over Christ, 1507, engraving, 4.5 x 2.75 inches, Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly.

Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt van Rijn are unrivaled as printmakers. Their contemporaries marveled at their virtuosity and creativity. As a woodblock carver, Dürer (1471 - 1528) achieved an incomparable subtlety of line and complexity of image. Capable of creating intricate lines, details, and shading, he raised the status of the woodcut, more commonly used to produce unsophisticated outline illustrations, to new heights. Rembrandt (1606 - 1669), in turn, excelled at etching and drypoint. He had such command of the mechanical processes that he could calibrate the depth and density of his line, and thus translated his fluid, expressive drawing style directly into print. In their hands, the print became a primary medium for artistic expression. 

"This is an extraordinary collection, both in terms of quality and number of prints," said Jonathan Canning, The Hyde's Curator. "From them, we get a real sense of these two artists as individuals. Dürer was self-confident and assured. At times irreverent, he was clearly a man of faith who created iconic religious images. Rembrandt's humanity pervades his prints. Family is represented with tenderness, the suffering with empathy, and those on society's fringes with compassion."

Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606-1669, The Descent from the Cross: second plate, ca. 1633, etching and burin (State ii/v), 20 13/16 x 16 1/8 inches, Collection of Dr. Dorrance T. Kelly.

The Hydes & Rembrandt 
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many American art collectors fervently desired to acquire a work by Rembrandt -- Museum founders Charlotte and Louis Hyde were among them. 

Alongside Dürer & Rembrandt, The Hyde will present a companion exhibition that tells the fascinating story of Louis and Charlotte Hyde's quest to secure a painting by the Dutch Master. The Hydes & Rembrandt features materials from the Hyde Archive, including correspondence with their adviser William Valentiner, diaries, photographs, and documents that shed light on their pursuit. 

The Museum's famed Rembrandt, Christ with Arms Folded, will be on display in the Whitney-Renz Gallery, where visitors will have the opportunity to see the work outside of its usual setting in the Library of Hyde House. 

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Dutch, 1606-1669, Christ with Arms Folded, c. 1655-57, oil on canvas, 43 x 35 1/2 in., 1971.37, The Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY

Carefully assembled over the course of sixty years from 1955 to 2015, represent the private collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber of Portland, Oregon. After meeting in medical school and marrying in 1954, the couple spent two years in Germany where Seymour served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps; it was during this period that they began to collect art objects. They traveled and moved many times over the coming years, adding to both their collection and their knowledge along the way, before settling permanently in Portland in 1965. This extraordinary collection is the result of their passion for decorative arts, a good eye, and impeccable taste. The devoted couple had a special affinity for and understanding of contemporary ceramics and glass, as is evidenced in the following pages. They were also avid supporters of the arts – serving as donors to the Portland Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Craft – and were friends with many of the artists they collected, including Otto Natzler and Hans Wegner. The Habers understood the importance of a vibrant craft community and their legacy lives on in the Haber Study Room at the Gilkey Center for Graphic Arts in the Portland Art Museum.

Lot 1000. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Large vase, Los Angeles, CA, 1956; Signed NATZLER, tape label H052; 12 1/2" x 8 3/4". Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000. Sale Price: $43,750. Photo courtesy Rago. 

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1001. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Early bottle, Los Angeles, CA, 1948; Signed NATZLER, original paper label NATZLER 9558; 6" x 4 1/4". Estimate: $2,750 - $3,250. Sale Price: $4,063. Photo courtesy Rago.

Museum deaccession number to base. Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1002. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Cylindrical vase, fine microcrystalline glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER, 5 3/4" x 3 1/4". Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sale Price: $2,125. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1003. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Tall bottle, Los Angeles, CA, after 1967; Signed NATZLER, original paper label O505; 15 1/4" x 5 1/2". Estimate: $12,500 - $17,500. Sale Price: $31,250. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1004. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Teardrop bottle, volcanic glaze, Los Angeles, CA, 1965; Signed NATZLER, original paper label N516; 5 1/2" x 4 1/2". Estimate: $2,750 - $3,750. Sale Price: $2,250. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1005. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Teardrop bottle, fine mahogany and amber glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER; 5 1/4" x 3 3/4". Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sale Price: $2,750. Photo courtesy Rago

Museum deaccession number to base. Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1006. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Flaring vase, matte chartreuse glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER; 5 1/4" x 5 1/2". Estimate: $1,500 - $2,000. Sale Price: $1,875. Photo courtesy Rago

Museum deaccession number to base. Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1007. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Thick-walled bowl, turquoise volcanic glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER; 3 3/4" x 7 3/4". Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sale Price: $3,250. Photo courtesy Rago

A few minor flecks, mostly due to glaze bubbles.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1008. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Fine and large vase with melt fissures, Los Angeles, CA, after 1967; Signed NATZLER, original paper label O611; 8 3/4" x 8 3/4". Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000. Sale Price: $30,000. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1009. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Small bowl, uranium red glaze, Los Angeles, CA, 1958; Signed NATZLER, original paper label J362; 2 3/4" x 6". Estimate: $1,250 - $1,750. Sale Price: $1,750. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1010. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Flaring bowl, pale blue glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER; 4" x 8". Estimate: $1,250 - $1,750. Sale Price: $1,750. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1011. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Small footed bowl, amber and celadon glaze, Los Angeles, CA, after 1967; original paper label O364; 3 1/2" x 4 1/2". Estimate: $1,500 - $2,000. Sale Price: $1,875. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1012. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Small bowl, Mustard Hare's Fur glaze, Los Angeles, CA, 1970; Signed NATZLER, original paper label O382; 3 1/2" x 5 1/2". Estimate: $1,750 - $2,250. Sale Price: $1,500. Photo courtesy Rago

Provenance: Gump's, San Francisco, CA, 1974. Copy of original receipt available.

Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1013. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Bowl, brown volcanic glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER; 4" x 9 1/2". Estimate: $3,000 - $4,000. Sale Price: $3,125. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1014. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Coupe, celadon crystalline glaze, Los Angeles, CA, 1957; Signed NATZLER, original paper label H633; 5" x 8 1/2". Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000. Sale Price: $10,625. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Lillian Nassau Ltd., New York, NY, 1985. Original letter from Lillian Nassau available. 

Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1015. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Flaring bowl, Mossereen Hare's Fur glaze, Los Angeles, CA, 1965; Signed NATZLER, original paper label N708; 4 1/4" x 6 1/4". Estimate: $1,500 - $2,000. Sale Price: $2,250. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Gump's, San Francisco, CA, 1973. Original receipt available.

 Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1016. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Fine bowl, ochre and verdigris hare's fur glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER; 3" x 10 3/4". Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sale Price: $2,250. Photo courtesy Rago

3/4" chip to foot ring.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1017. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Flaring bowl, turquoise glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER; 4 3/4" x 6 3/4". Estimate: $1,500 - $2,000. Sale Price: $3,000. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition.

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1018. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Small vessel, blue, gray, and brown hare's fur glaze, Los Angeles, CA; Signed NATZLER; 4 1/4" x 4 1/4". Estimate: $1,750 - $2,250. Sale Price: $3,125. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1019. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Straight-walled vessel, blue crystalline glaze with melt fissures, Los Angeles, CA, after 1967; Signed NATZLER, original paper label O545; 5" x 5 1/2". Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000. Sale Price: $3,000. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1020. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Small teardrop bottle, ivory crystalline, Los Angeles, CA, 1965; Signed NATZLER, original paper label N414; 4 3/4" x 4 3/4". Estimate: $1,750 - $2,250. Sale Price: $2,500. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 1021. Gertrud & Otto Natzler, Two slab-built vessels, turquoise and blue glazes, Los Angeles, CA, 1977; Both stamped ON, signed, and dated with X paper labels; Larger: 6 3/4" x 4 1/2". Estimate: $1,750 - $2,250. Sale Price: $2,500. Photo courtesy Rago

Excellent condition

Provenance: Collection of Dr. Seymour and Carol Haber, Portland, OR

Lot 38. Francesco Guardi (Venice 1712-1793), Piazza San Marco, Venice, with the Basilica and the Campanile, with figures in carnival costume, oil on canvas, 13 ½ x 18 1/8 in. (34.4 x 45.8 cm.). Estimate £150,000 - £250,000 ($193,650 - $322,750). Price Realized £164,500 ($213,192). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

Provenance: Alfred Beit (1853-1906), 26 Park Lane, London, by 1904, and by inheritance to his brother,
Sir Otto Beit, 1st Bt. (1865-1930), and by descent to his brother,
Sir Alfred Lane Beit, 2nd Bt. (1903-1994), Russborough, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Property from the Alfred Beit Foundation 

Literature: G.A. Simonson, Francesco Guardi: 1712-1793, London, 1904, p. 89, no. 87.
W. von Bode, The Art Collection of Mr. Alfred Beit at his Residence 26 Park Lane, London, Berlin, 1904, pp. 27 and 51.
W. von Bode, Catalogue of the collection of pictures and bronzes in the possession of Mr. Otto Beit, London, 1913, pp. 35 and 96, no. 121.
F.J.B. Watson, ‘The Collections of Sir Alfred Beit: 1’, The Connoisseur, CXLV, April 1960, pp. 161and 163, fig. 8.
A. Morassi, Guardi, I dipinti, Venice, 1975, I, p. 373, no. 331; II, fig. 359.

Note: This view and the following lot show two of the most celebrated sights of Venice, the Piazzetta, flanked by two of the great secular buildings of Venice, the medieval Doge’s Palace on the left and Sansovino’s Libreria on the right, with the Molo, and, across the Bacino, the façade of Palladio’s great church of San Giorgio Maggiore; and the Piazza San Marco looking towards the Basilica, the religious centre, although not originally the cathedral of the city. Inevitably both were subjects for which there was a considerable demand. Morassi lists no fewer than eighteen variants of the Piazzetta seen from a roughly central view point, and twenty-eight of the Piazza (op. cit., nos. 314-41 and 361-72). Of these the majority are on canvas, with a handful on panel. Though the dimensions of both Beit pictures match precisely, and they hung as a pair in the Music Room at Russborough, Morassi lists them separately in his catalogue. He dates the present lot to 1760-70, and the following picture (lot 39) to 1775-80.

Christie's. OLD MASTER AND BRITISH PAINTINGS EVENING SALE, 7 July 2016, London, King Street

Lot 39. Francesco Guardi (Venice 1712-1793), The Piazzetta, Venice, with the Doge’s Palace and the Libreria, San Giorgio Maggiore beyond, oil on canvas, 13 ½ x 18 1/8 in. (34.4 x 45.8 cm.). Estimate £150,000 - £250,000 ($193,650 - $322,750). Price Realized £164,500 ($213,192). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

Provenance: Alfred Beit (1853-1906), 26 Park Lane, London, by 1904, and by inheritance to his brother,
Sir Otto Beit, 1st Bt. (1865-1930), and by descent to his son,
Sir Alfred Lane Beit, 2nd Bt. (1903-1994), Russborough, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Property from the Alfred Beit Foundation

Literature: G.A. Simonson, Francesco Guardi: 1712-1793, London, 1904, p. 89, no. 88.
W. von Bode, The Art Collection of Mr. Alfred Beit at his Residence 26 Park Lane, London, Berlin, 1904, pp. 27 and 51.
W. von Bode, Catalogue of the collection of pictures and bronzes in the possession of Mr. Otto Beit, London, 1913, pp. 35 and 96, no. 122.
F.J.B. Watson, ‘The Collections of Sir Alfred Beit: 1’, The Connoisseur, CXLV, April 1960, p. 161.
A. Morassi, Guardi, I dipinti, Venice, 1975, I, p. 381, no. 375.

Note: This view and the following lot show two of the most celebrated sights of Venice, the Piazzetta, flanked by two of the great secular buildings of Venice, the medieval Doge’s Palace on the left and Sansovino’s Libreria on the right, with the Molo, and, across the Bacino, the façade of Palladio’s great church of San Giorgio Maggiore; and the Piazza San Marco looking towards the Basilica, the religious centre, although not originally the cathedral of the city. Inevitably both were subjects for which there was a considerable demand. Morassi lists no fewer than eighteen variants of the Piazzetta seen from a roughly central view point, and twenty-eight of the Piazza (op. cit., nos. 314-41 and 361-72). Of these the majority are on canvas, with a handful on panel. Though the dimensions of both Beit pictures match precisely, and they hung as a pair in the Music Room at Russborough, Morassi lists them separately in his catalogue. He dates the present lot to 1760-70, and the following picture (lot 39) to 1775-80.

Christie's. OLD MASTER AND BRITISH PAINTINGS EVENING SALE, 7 July 2016, London, King Street

Lot 3188. A fine and rare slip decorated turquoise-glazed double vase, Seal marks and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,940,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's 

each vase of flattened baluster form, with a slightly tapering sides rising from a short foot to a waisted neck and a rounded square rim, conjoined at the shoulder, finely painted in white slip enamel beneath a bluish-green glaze, the larger vase with a lotus wreathed by feathery leaves below a shou character, set between a frieze of ruyi and key-fret at the shoulder and upright lappets skirting the foot, the neck decorated with flower sprays under a gilt mouth rim, the smaller vase similarly painted with a single hibiscus bloom borne on leafy scrolls above upright lappets and "C" motifs around the foot, below a tasseled hibiscus and a frieze ofruyi collaring the gilt mouth rim, conjoined at the shoulder with the smaller vase slightly in front, the bases with a white panel enclosing an iron-red four-character seal mark; 18.3 cm., 7 1/4 in.

Notes: It is rare to find the delicate lace-like decoration of white enamel over a turquoise ground on Qianlong vessels. A shallow bowl decorated with bats amongst a lotus scroll, in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, is illustrated in the Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 265; and a tall ovoid vase, with a six-character iron-red Qianlong reign mark and of the period, was offered at Christie's Hong Kong, 29th April 2002, lot 671. For a similarly decorated Jiaqing mark and period triple gourd vase see one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Liu Lian-yu, Ch'ing Official and Popular Wares, Taipei, 1991, p. 252 (top left); a vase of globular form and long neck flanked by handles, from the Weishaupt collection, included in the exhibition From the Dragon's Treasure, Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt Museum, 1987, cat. no. 17; and another globular bottle vase, from the Alfred Morrison collection and the Fonthill Heirlooms, sold at Christie's London, 9th November 2004, lot 54.

Lot 3107. A flambé-glazed archaistic vase, hu, Incised seal mark and period of Yongzheng. Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,700,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's

Lot 3119. A Guan-type vase, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,500,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,460,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's

the compressed globular body with flared sides rising to a waisted neck and an everted lipped rim, the high shoulder set with four small loop handles, covered overall in an even bluish-green glaze with a fine network of light brown crackles and iridescent undertones on the interior, the footrim left unglazed and dressed in dark brown, the slightly recessed base inscribed with the six-character mark in underglaze blue; 23.5 cm., 9 1/4 in.

Notes: This charming vase is unusual for its form and no other example appears to have been published. It belongs to a group of wares that were inspired by archaic ritual bronze vessels and covered in glazes resembling bronze or in imitation of celebrated glazes to result in contemporary vessels that were rooted in tradition. The form of this vase is based on the fou of the Eastern Zhou period (770-256 BC) and is covered with a lustrous glaze to resemble the official 'Guan' ware of the Song dynasty (960-1279).

This piece is also notable for the seal mark and the unusual combination of straight and curved strokes attribute it to the early Yongzheng (see Zhu Yuping, Ming Qing cikuan pinjian, Taipei, 1997, p. 86). Yongzheng marks of this type can be found on a relatively small number of various vessels, including a group in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Qingdai yuyao ciqi, vol. 1, pt. II, Beijing, 2005, pls 200, 201, 204, 206; and a bowl sold three times in these rooms, most recently, 8th April 2011, lot 3033.

Lot 3120. A fine teadust-glazed bottle vase, Incised seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Estimate 700,000 — 900,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,340,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

 the body of compressed globular form rising smoothly from a short splayed foot to a straight cylindrical neck, covered overall in a bright olive-green glaze with golden speckles, the glaze stopping short of the brown-dressed footring, the base incised with a six-character seal mark, beneath a brown slip; 32.6 cm., 12 7/8 in.

Provenance: A private Japanese collection.
Christie's Hong Kong, 30th May 2006, lot 1371.

Lot 3135. A rare mother-of-pearl inlaid box and cover, Song dynasty. Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,500,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,220,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

of rectangular form, the cover lavishly inlaid with fine iridescent slivers of mother-of-pearl with a scene of an elaborate home richly decorated with floral-panel windows and lotus scrolls on the columns, with two ladies standing in the doorway looking out at the trellised enclosure, on the other side of the fence two figures stand with a shovel and a hoe possibly gathering pine cones or rocks into two baskets, in the corner stand two further servants looking out into the distance in anticipation of an arrival, all framed with a herringbone border along the edge, the sides with a composite floral scroll, the sides of the box similarly decorated with floral scroll, the interior set with a removable red lacquer tray now fitted with an Edo period iron Japanesesuiteki (water dropper) in the form of a basket with flowers, and a duan inkstone with a circular depressed ring and notches around the sides, the reverse with sloped grinding surface, the interior lacquered in red; 22.1 cm., 8 3/4 in.

Notes: Lacquer wares decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay of the Song dynasty are extremely rare.  The artist who made the present box used wafer thin shells that allowed the creation of complex pictorial scenes which include architectural details, as well as human figures with identifiable facial expressions. Much skill and ingenuity has gone into its making, with the inlay especially fine and delicate compared to that seen on later examples.

An almost identical box to the present piece was included in the exhibition Chugoku no raden (Mother-of-Pearl Inlay in Chinese Lacquer Art), Tokyo National Museum, 1981, cat. no. 25, where, at the time, it was attributed to the 14th century. The same figural scene, most probably taken from a contemporary woodblock print, although its source has not been identified, can also be found on an octagonal covered box, from the collection of Sir John and Lady Figgess, illustrated in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese Lacquer, London, 1979, pls. 163 and 164, where the author mentions the complexity of the inlay technique, with the supplement of in situ incised work of great delicacy that was done before the mother-of-pearl was mounted.

A third tiered box with the same figural decoration, attributed to the Ming dynasty, in the collection of Simon Kwan, is illustrated in Simon Kwan, Chinese Mother-of-Pearl, Hong Kong, 2009, pl. 54; and a square tiered box, from the collection of Florence and Herbert Irving and now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is published in James C.Y. Watt and Barbara Brennan Ford, East Asian Lacquer, New York, 1991, p. 129, pl. 57. Interestingly, on the Irving box the design has been slightly changed from a rural setting to one that depicts three court ladies and their pet dogs in a fenced courtyard with two ladies watching them from behind a post. On the Irving box the authors note, ibid., p. 129, that known boxes with this design are 'of varying dates, since the differences between them do not result from progressive simplification of the same composition but from the adaptation of parts of existing designs to serve the same pictorial purpose in different compositions.'

Lot 3186. A famille-rose 'Eight immortals' baluster vase, Seal mark and period of Daoguang (1821-1850). Estimate 1,000,000 — 1,500,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,160,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

Lot 3180. A small famille-verte and anhua decorated 'Three fish' cup, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 400,000 — 600,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,100,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

delicately potted, the steep sides rising from a small tapering foot to a flared rim, painted around the exterior with three long-tailed fish finely detailed in shaded tones as if they were swimming amidst clear waters, evenly spaced and interspersed with green pondweed, the interior decorated in anhua with a dragon and a phoenix, the recessed base inscribed in underglaze blue with an apocryphal six-character Chenghua mark within a double-square; 8.1 cm., 3 1/8 in.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 6th July 1971, lot 171.
Collection of Edward T. Chow.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th May 1981, lot 569.
A private Japanese collection.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th October 2006, lot 1033.

Literature: Selected Works of Ancient Chinese Art, Bronze, Sculpture, Ceramics, 'Three Thousand Years of China: The Beauty of Beauty', Mitsukoshi, Tokyo, 1973, cat. no. 80.

Notes: Bowls of this form are rare although another pair painted with very similar pattern, from the collection of Winston Guest, was sold in our New York rooms, 2nd December 1967, lot 90. A pair of bowls of more shallow shape but with related decoration, from the Collection of H.M. Knight and included in the exhibition Oosterse Schatten, 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1954, cat. no. 359, was sold in our London rooms, 12th May 1970.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong, 04 Apr 2012

Lot 3278. A green jadeite censer and cover, Qing dynasty, 19th-early 20th century. Estimate 250,000 — 350,000 HKD. Lot sold 980,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the compressed globular body raised on three cabriole legs in the form of lion paws issuing from mythical-beast heads, flanked at the sides by a pair of elaborately carved dragon-head handles suspending loose rings, the reticulated domed cover surmounted with a knop in openwork, meticulously carved with dragon coiled on a disk with four peonies around suspending loose rings, the stone of bright apple-green tone with patches of white; 16 cm., 6 5/16 in.

Provenance: An old Japanese collection, formed before the Second World War.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong, 04 Apr 2012

Lot 3150. A finely carved cinnabar lacquer 'Mythical Animals' box and cover, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Estimate 400,000 — 600,000 HKD. Lot sold 980,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

of circular form, with a flat cover deeply and meticulously carved with three frolicking beasts, two fu lions and one resembling a fox possibly a huli jing, all reserved on a dense ground of fine rolling waves, the sides of the cover and the box further carved with waves, the interior and base lacquered in black; 18.5 cm.,7 1/4 in.

Notes: The present box belongs to a small group of objects carved with dragons, lions and mythical creatures amidst tumultuous waves, such as the box in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol. 6, Fuzhou, 1993, pl. 206, together with a cylindrical box with the sides carved with a similar motif, pl. 207, both vessels attributed to the Qianlong period. Another related box, in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, is included in Hai-Wai Yi-Chen. Chinese Art in Overseas Collections. Lacquerware, Taipei, 1987, pl. 154; and one from a private collection is published in Derek Clifford,Chinese Carved Lacquer, London, 1992, p. 131, pl. 105, where the author notes that 'there are eleven examples of this type of scene in Beijing (Palace Museum, 1985) and four in Taipei (National Palace Museum, 1971)'.  An imperial box with a four-character Qianlong reign mark and of the period, the product of the Lacquer Workshop in the Forbidden City, part of the Imperial Palace Workshops, was sold in our London rooms, 16th May 2007, lot 75, carved with three scaly five-clawed dragons in pursuit of a flaming pearl amidst foaming waves.

This La Nature de Chaumet Racines Célestes Oak necklace, set with spinels, sapphires, pearls and diamonds, is convertible and can be worn in three different ways (POA).

La Nature de Chaumet Offrandes d’Eté Wheat brooch in white gold, set with a 2.21ct pear-shaped diamond and brilliant-cut diamonds (POA).

La Nature de Chaumet Offrandes d’Été Wheat ring in white gold, set with a 3.03ct pear-shaped diamond and brilliant-cut diamonds (POA).

La Nature de Chaumet Firmament Apollinien laurel ring in white gold, set with a 10.25ct cushion-cut sapphire, moonstones and diamonds (POA). 

La Nature de Chaumet Firmament Apollinien laurel necklace in white gold, set with a 34.36ct sapphire, moonstones, sapphires and diamonds (POA).

La Nature de Chaumet Promesse de l’Aube Oak earrings in white gold, set with Paraiba tourmalines, pink tourmalines, garnets and diamonds (POA). 

La Nature de Chaumet Passion Incarnat red spinel, garnet, tourmaline and diamond lily tiara. The lilies can be detached and worn as brooches (POA).

Ecole vénitienne du 19e siècle, d'après Francesco Guardi, Arcades gothiques, avec paysage et figures. Huile sur toile, 27 x 17,5 cm. Musée Cognacq-Jay, J 57 © Paris Musées

© Photos - Obut x Tournaire