Fluorite on Sphalerite, Minerva No.1 Mine, Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois, USA

Fluorite crystal on matrix from a mine in Russia

Lot 318. A magnificent Type IIa diamond ring of 51.35 carats, D color, VVS1 clarity, potentially Internally Flawless. Estimate USD 5,000,000 - USD 7,000,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

Set with a rectangular-cut diamond, weighing approximately 51.35 carats, ring size 6, mounted in platinum

Accompanied by report no. 5172734522 dated 15 July 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is D color, VVS1 clarity, accompanied by a working diagram indicating that the clarity of the diamond is potentially Internally Flawless

With a supplemental letter from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond has been determined to be a Type IIa diamond. Type IIa diamonds are the most chemically pure type of diamond and often have exceptional optical transparency. Type IIa diamonds were first identified as originating from India (particularly from the Golconda region) but have since been recovered in all major diamond-producing regions of the world. Among famous gem diamonds, the 530.20 carat Cullinan I and the 105.60 carat Koh-i-noor, are examples of Type IIa

Christie's. Magnificent Jewels, 7 December 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Lot 213. An exceptional 12.88 carats, VS2 fancy intense orangy pink diamond and diamond ring, by Harry Winston. Estimate $3,500,000-4,500,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

Set with a rectangular-cut fancy intense orangy pink diamond, weighing approximately 12.88 carats, to the marquise-cut diamond cluster shoulders, ring size 5, mounted in platinum, in a Harry Winston black box. Signed Winston for Harry Winston, with maker’s mark

Accompanied by report no. 5151834877 dated 10 October 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is fancy intense orangy pink, natural color, VS2 clarity.

Christie's. Magnificent Jewels, 7 December 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Lot 3218. A fine and highly important falangcai ruby-ground ‘prunus’ cup, Yongzheng four-character mark in blue enamel and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate HKD 40,000,000 - HKD 50,000,000 (USD 5,181,884 - USD 6,477,355). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

The cup is delicately enamelled to the exterior in soft tones of yellow, green and sepia to depict two bees hovering above a flowering branch bearing prunus blossoms, intertwined with clusters of bamboo around the foot, all against a vivid ruby-red ground. The interior and base are covered with a clear glaze. The countersunk base is inscribed with a Yongzheng reign mark in blue enamel. 2 ½ in. (6.3 cm.) diam., Japanese double wood boxes.

Provenance: The Zandelou Collection

Exhibited: Min Chiu Society, Min Chiu Society Thirtieth Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 30 November 1990-10 February 1991

Ethereal Blossoms on A Ruby Ground – A Rare Yongzheng Falangcai Cup
Rosemary Scott, International Academic Director Asian Art

This exceptionally rare falangcai cup is both exquisitely potted and exquisitely decorated. Its shape suggests that it was created in the early part of the Yongzheng reign, since small, deep, footless, tub-shaped, cups of this form – with straight mouth rims – are more characteristic of the Kangxi reign. A Kangxi cup of similar shape and size, with a Kangxi reign mark in rouge enamel and decorated with ruyi-shaped panels reserved against a ruby ground is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (see Porcelains with Cloisonné enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, The Complete Collection of Treasure of the Palace Museum, 39, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 11, no. 9) (fig. 1). Two cups of this size and shape, both almost identically decorated with flowers against an egg-yolk yellow ground – one with a blue enamel Kangxi mark and the other with a blue enamel Yongzheng mark – are in the collections of C. P. Lin and Sir Percival David, respectively (see R. Scott, Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration – Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain, London, 1992, p. 119, nos. 129 and 130). The closeness of form and decoration of these two yellow-ground cups also suggests that the Yongzheng example was made in the early years of the reign – shortly after the Yongzheng Emperor succeeded his father, the Kangxi Emperor. While the majority of the small tub-shaped cups of the Yongzheng reign appear to be slightly shallower, the deeper form was revived in the Qianlong reign. 

fig. 1 A ruby-ground ‘peony’ cup,  Kangxi reign mark in rouge enamel and period. Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

Two Yongzheng falangcai cups of the deeper type, slightly larger than the current cup, but also decorated with plum blossom against a ruby ground, are in the Palace Museum, Beijing. They are both badly damaged and so are in the study collection (illustrated in the Palace Museum Research Centre, Gugong Bowuyuan cang – Gu taoci ziliao xuancui (Highlights of Ceramic Research Material in the Collection of the Gugong Museum), vol. 2, Beijing, 2005, nos. 134-135)(no. 134, fig. 2); also discussed and illustrated by Wang Jianhua, ‘Gugong Bowuyuan gu taoci ziliao yanjiu’, Gugong Bowuyuan bashi huadan, gu taoci guoji xueshu yantaohui: lunwenji (80th Anniversary of the Palace Museum, Proceedings of the International Conference on Academic Ceramic Research) Beijing, 2007, pp. 184-85). A pair of the shallower falangcaiYongzheng cups, with almost identical decoration to the current cup, are in the collection of Mr. Alan Chuang (illustrated in The Alan Chuang Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Hong Kong, 2009, pp. 278-281, no. 116). An additional motif on the current cup is the inclusion of a small spray of bamboo at the lower edge on one side. While the plum blossom symbolises beauty, the coming of spring, and represents the five blessings of longevity, health, wealth, happiness, and a peaceful death, the bamboo symbolises integrity, especially that of the scholar who will not deviate from his principles. Another charming detail of the current cup, which is not shared by the Chuang cups, is the inclusion of two well-painted bees, which hover above the blossoms on one side of the vessel (fig. 3). The word for bees or wasps in Chinese is feng, which is a homophone for feng meaning to confer (as in to confer a rank or blessing), and also feng meaning harvest – a good harvest being a constant desire. The slightly deeper sides of the current bowl allow space for this additional detail, while the shallower ones do not.

fig. 2 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

fig. 3

The current cup and the Chuang cups are painted in a very distinctive and elegant style with refined use of the enamel colours. The dark outlines of the individual flowers are extremely fine, so as to define the shape without detracting from the delicacy of the petals. The petals themselves are very subtly shaded with pale greenish-yellow towards the centre, and the tiny stamens of the flowers are depicted in egg-yolk yellow enamel which stands impasto on the surface. Interestingly the entire decoration is painted on the colourless glaze, which has been reserved against the ruby ground, with the exception of one detail. On both the current cup and the two Chuang cups, the lichen on the branches of the plum tree has been painted over the ruby ground. This effectively adds to its texture. 

The ruby ground of these cups, which appears only to the outside of the vessels, has a soufflé-like texture and it seems likely that it has been applied by blowing the pink enamel through a tube with gauze over the end. This is a technique used for the application of so-called ‘powder-blue’, but would have required even greater breath control for the pink enamel. A ruby ground of similar colour and texture to that on the current cup can be seen on a Yongzheng four character marked bowl in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (see Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, op. cit., pp. 24-25, no. 21) (fig. 4). This bowl has three white circular panels reserved against the ruby ground and decorated with overglaze enamels, as well as scattered multi-coloured flower heads between and around the panels. 

fig. 4 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

Decoration of plum blossom on a ruby ground can already be seen on vessels of the late Kangxi reign, although the blossoms are usually larger in scale than those on the current cup and the Chuang cups. A falangcai cup with a four-character Kangxi mark in pink enamel, from the Paul and Helen Bernat collection, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is decorated with plum blossom depicted against a ruby ground (illustrated in The World’s Great Collections, Oriental Ceramics, vol. 10, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Tokyo, 1980, colour plate 90). A Kangxi bowl with plum blossom on a ruby ground in enamels on metal is in the collection of the British Museum (illustrated in By Imperial Command: An Introduction to Ch’ing Painted Enamels, Hong Kong, 1976, pl. 10).  

A small number of Yongzheng bowls and dishes are known decorated with plum blossom on a ruby ground. A Yongzheng falangcai bowl with four-character mark in blue enamel from the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in Harmony and Integrity – The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, p. 196, no. 11-24 (fig. 5). A smaller Yongzheng bowl with similar design is in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art (illustrated in By Imperial Command: An Introduction to Ch’ing Painted Enamels, op. cit., pl. 56. Two Yongzheng dishes decorated with plum blossom on a ruby ground have also been published. The bowl and the dishes all have proportionally larger flowers than the current cup. The larger of the two dishes is illustrated in Special Exhibition of Ch’ing Dynasty Enamelled Porcelains of the Imperial Ateliers, Taipei, 1991, pp. 178-79, no. 88. The smaller dish is illustrated in Qingdai hua falang tezhan mulu (Special Exhibition of Qing dynasty painted enamels catalogue), Taipei, 1984, no. 57, while the larger dish is also illustrated in that volume in black and white as no. 56. A Yongzheng imperial snuff bottle with plum blossom against a ruby ground in enamels on copper from the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, was illustrated in the exhibition catalogue China – The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.204, no. 101. The design of plum blossom against a white or coloured ground clearly found considerable favour at court in the Yongzheng reign since all are represented on dishes in the National Palace Museum, Taipei and illustrated in Special Exhibition of Ch’ing Dynasty Enamelled Porcelains of the Imperial Ateliers, op. cit., pp. 160-61, no. 79 (white ground), pp. 176-77, no. 87 (yellow ground), and p. 195, no. 97 (blue ground).

fig. 5  Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei

The current cup was formerly in one of the most prestigious Chinese private collections of the 20th century. It belonged to the Shanghainese connoisseur and collector J. M. Hu (Hu Jenmou, also known as Hu Huichun 1911-1995), who took as his studio name Zande Lou (The Studio of Transitory Pleasure). The name of his studio derived from a section of Lanting Xu (Preface to the Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion), written by the famous calligrapher Wang Xizhi in AD 353: (I am content with whatever happiness comes to me, however transitory, I am satisfied). J. M. Hu had a keen sense of the educational role of collections and an important group of ceramics from his collection was donated to the Shanghai Museum, while he also supported institutions such as the Art Gallery of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and was a founder member of the Min Chiu Society in Hong Kong. 

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 November 2016, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

Lot 3219. A fine and very rare famille rose chrysanthemum dish, Yongzheng six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate HKD 18,000,000 - HKD 25,000,000 (USD 2,331,848 - USD 3,238,678). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016. 

The dish is moulded with twenty-four flutes rising from a straight foot ring, and finely enamelled to the centre with two peony blossoms in pink and iron-red borne on branches with leaves in green enamels of graduated tones, amid magnolia branches and asters. 9 in. (23 cm.) diam.

Provenance: Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 April 1997, lot 60

Notes: The current dish belongs to a very small group of finely enamelled dishes from the Yongzheng period, which are of chrysanthemum form and are painted with variously arranged flowers within a roundel to the centre. Two types of dishes from this group exist, one is moulded with twenty-four lobes, which are found in two size groups, with the present dish belonging to the larger group measuring 23 cm. in diameter, and a smaller group ranging between 15.5-16.5 cm. in diameter. Only one other example in this size is known, which was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 26 April 1998, lot 510, and may have formed a pair with the current dish. Dishes of the smaller size include a pair with almost identical composition sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1546; two single dishes in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, nos. 58 and 59 (figs. 1 and 2), which have a simpler composition with only one, but larger peony in full bloom in adjacent to a half-open bud; and another in The Tianminlou Collection, illustrated in Chinese Porcelain: The S. C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong, 1987, no. 96, which has a similar composition to the Palace Museum examples.

fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

fig. 2 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

The second type is moulded with narrower fluted lobes rising to a flat and everted rim with chrysanthemum to the centre, see for example, a single dish in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included by Wang Zhu-ping in “Examination of Iron-red in Jingdezhen Yangcai during the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods”, The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, Issue No. 358, January 2013, Taipei, pp. 46-57, fig. 19, where the author captions it as yangcai, ‘foreign enamels’. 

Compare also to a Yongzheng-marked dish-mouth vase painted with peonies in the Palace Museum, Beijing, op. cit., p. 56, no. 46 (fig. 3), which shares a very similar painting style as the current dish, especially in the painterly treatment of the petals using white and pink enamels and the depiction of leaves in different tones of green.  

fig. 3 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

The use of the term yangcai, ‘foreign colours’, first appeared during the Yongzheng period. Tang Ying, the superintendent of the Imperial Kilns at Jingdezhen from 1728-1756, describes yangcai in his 1743 publication Taoye tushuo [Illustrated Albums of Porcelain Production] as ‘vessels that are painted in a Western style…using the same enamels as falangcai’.  

Experimental yangcai pieces may have first appeared during the Kangxi reign, as exemplified by a red-ground bowl (op. cit., fig. 5) which very much follows the painterly style of its falangcai counterpart (op. cit., fig. 4) but remains largely limited by its famille verte palette with the exception of the use of white enamels around the edges of the petals. This bowl is inscribed with an underglaze-blue mark and has been ascribed by the author as one of the earliest yangcai pieces made in Jingdezhen. The Palace Museum, Beijing, also has a polychrome-enamelled dish and a water pot bearing Kangxi marks, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, vol. 36, nos. 41 and 43, respectively, which see the use of pink, white, blue and other newly developed enamel colours, but are rather naive in their depiction and have a very simple composition without the depth and three-dimensionality associated with a Western painting. 

Lot 163. A pair of diamond cluster ear pendants, by Harry Winston and a photograph, by Cecil Beaton. Estimate $300,000-400,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

Each suspending a cluster of marquise and pear-shaped diamonds, to the circular and pear-shaped diamond surmount, two of the marquise brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 4.06 and 3.64 carats, and two of the pear brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 2.87 and 2.36 carats, 1 √ ins., mounted in platinum; and a signed gelatin silver print by Cecil Beaton of Betsy Bloomingdale wearing the ear pendants. With maker’s mark for Harry Winston

Accompanied by report nos. 1172852267 and 2173852257 dated 12 September 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that two of the pear brilliant-cut diamonds, weighing approximately 2.87 and 2.36 carats, are G and F color, VS2 and VS1 clarity, respectively

With by report nos. 5171849875 and 5172852240 7 September 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that two of the marquise brilliant-cut diamonds, weighing approximately 4.06 and 3.64 carats, are E color, VS1 and VS2 clarity, respectively 

Christie's. Magnificent Jewels, 7 December 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Lot 164. A diamond cluster brooch, by Harry Winston. Estimate $100,000 - USD 150,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

Suspending a detachable waterfall spray of pear-shaped diamonds, the largest five weighing approximately 3.91, 3.19, 2.99, 2.78 and 2.66 carats, to the scrolling pear-shaped, marquise and baguette-cut diamond surmount, 3 1/4 ins., mounted in platinum 

Accompanied by five reports dated 8 September 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that five of the pear brilliant-cut diamonds, weighing from approximately 3.91 to and 2.66 carats, are D to H color, VS2 to I1 clarity

Property of Betsy Bloomingdale

Lot 165. A diamond cluster necklace, by Harry Winston and a photograph by Cecil Beaton. Estimate $400,000 - USD 600,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

Designed as a graduated pear, circular and marquise-cut diamond cluster necklace, the largest twelve pear-shaped diamonds weighing from approximately 4.10 to 2.17 carats, 16 ins., mounted in platinum; with hidden pendant hoop for suspension, front may be separated and worn as a bracelet of 7 ins., in a Harry Winston black case, accompanied by a signed gelatin silver print by Cecil Beaton of Betsy Bloomingdale wearing the necklace.

Accompanied by ten reports dated from 13 September to 14 September 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that ten of the pear brilliant-cut diamonds, weighing from approximately 4.10 to 2.17 carats, range from D to F color, and from VVS2 to SI2 clarity 

(Lot 165 shown suspending the waterfall spray from Lot 164)

Christie's. Magnificent Jewels, 7 December 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Lot 166. Property of Betsy Bloomingdale. A 29.01 carats pear brilliant-cut diamond ring, by Harry Winston. Estimate $1,300,000 - USD 1,800,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

 Set with a pear brilliant-cut diamond, weighing approximately 29.01, flanked on either side by three tapered baguette-cut diamonds, ring size 7 1/4, mounted in platinum 

Accompanied by report no. 1172850159 dated 7 September 2016 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is F color, VVS2 clarity

Christie's. Magnificent Jewels, 7 December 2016, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Lot 118. A calcified jade 'chilong' hairpin, signed Lu Zigang, Ming dynasty. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

Notes: In Zun sheng ba jian by the Ming scholar Gao Lian published in 1591, it was described that jade pieces by Lu Zigang from Wuzhong as archaistic, smooth, warm, charming, meticulous, and stated that Lu’s carvings were copied by contemporaries already at the time. Taicang zhou zhi published in 1642 mentioned that Lu Zigang, lived fifty years ago in the province, excelled at unprecedented jade carving technique and jade hairpins carved by him costed 50-60 units of gold. Lu’s jade pieces were said to be sought after by the Ming Court. 

Lot 38. A superbly carved russet jade figure of a recumbent mythical beast, Ming dynasty or earlier. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

Notes: The development of sculptures of mythical creatures occurred during the Han dynasty when they began to appear in large numbers in durable materials, such as stone and jade. They were placed along the path to, and inside, tombs to pacify the elemental and supernatural forces of the world. This tradition further flourished during the Six Dynasties when immense fabulous beasts drawn from the spiritual world were produced on a grand scale outside the tombs near Nanjing. Simultaneously, an artistic tradition of creating jade animals of this type, but on a smaller scale, emerged. In contrast to the earlier two-dimensional jade carvings made for the afterlife or to adorn the individual, these creatures were modelled in the round as artistic objects and to provide the owner with a constant and concrete realisation of the powerful supernatural forces in the world. As a result, carvings of mythical creatures continued to abound throughout Chinese history. 

Tenue correcte exigée : quand le vêtement fait scandale.

PARIS - À chaque saison de la mode, comme dans l’actualité sociale et politique, difficile d’échapper à la question du code vestimentaire. « Tenue correcte exigée, quand le vêtement fait scandale », présentée au musée des Arts décoratifs du 1er décembre 2016 au 23 avril 2017, invite à revisiter les scandales qui ont présidé les grands tournants de l’histoire de la mode du XIVe siècle à nos jours. Cette exposition originale et inattendue propose d’explorer à l’appui de plus de 400 vêtements et accessoires, portraits, caricatures et petits objets, les prises de libertés et les infractions faites à la norme vestimentaire, aux codes et aux valeurs morales. Robe volante, pantalon féminin, jupe pour homme, smoking pour femme, mini-jupe, baggy, ou blue jeans, devenus emblématiques, ont tous marqué une rupture, provoquant à leur apparition de virulentes critiques, voire des interdictions. Parce qu’ils étaient trop courts ou trop longs, trop ajustés ou trop amples, trop impudiques ou trop couvrants, trop féminins pour l’homme ou trop masculins pour la femme, ces vêtements ont transgressé l’ordre établi. Ce projet s’articule autour de trois thématiques fortes : le vêtement et la règle, est-ce une fille ou un garçon ? et la provocation des excès, dans une scénographie confiée à la designer Constance Guisset.

 Le vêtement et la règle

De la Bible et ses premiers interdits vestimentaires dans la culture occidentale aux blogs internet conseillant telle ou telle tenue, en passant par les lois somptuaires, les ordonnances royales, les traités de civilité et de savoir-vivre ou encore les émissions télévisées de relooking, tous illustrent la permanence des règles vestimentaires au fil des siècles. Dans la culture judéo-chrétienne, le vêtement est intimement lié au péché originel. Au Paradis terrestre, Adam et Ève vivaient nus, menant une vie faite de délices, et reçurent au moment de leur expulsion un vêtement pour cacher leur nudité. Du Moyen Âge jusqu’au XVIIIe siècle, les lettrés n’ont eu de cesse de répéter que le vêtement rappelle à tout jamais la faute. Pour cette raison l’habit se devait d’être le plus sobre et le plus discret possible. Les règles en vigueur depuis sont multiples. Notons tout d’abord celles de circonstances imposées à tout individu à l’occasion de célébrations ou d’événements précis tels le baptême, la communion, le mariage et le deuil ou lors d’une soirée. Il existe aussi des règles vestimentaires qui s’appliquent aux personnes de pouvoir. Le portrait de Marie-Antoinette vêtue d’une robe chemise peint par Élisabeth VigéeLebrun a fait scandale, et dut être remplacé par un autre la représentant dans une robe plus conventionnelle. La poli tique con tempo raine n’e s t pas en reste : les cas de critiques vestimentaires sont fréquents. On se souvient du costume signé Thierry Mugler avec son col Mao, porté par Jack Lang en 1985 à l’Assemblée nationale ou, plus récemment, la robe à fleurs de Cécile Duflot qui lui a valu d’être sifflée par des députés.

Concours de maillot de bain, piscine Molitor, 1946, Micheline Bernardini en bikini Louis Réard. © AFP photo

Marlon Brando dans « Un tramway nommé désir », 1951 © Bridgeman images

Est-ce une fille ou un garçon ?

Les échanges entre les vestiaires masculins et féminins ont parfois suscité des réactions virulentes. Depuis « le travestissement » de Jeanne d’Arc jusqu’à l’apparition de la mode unisexe des années 1960, les femmes se sont appropriées des pièces de la garderobe masculine : chapeau, veste, pantalon. Les femmes précurseurs de cette « androgynie » sont apparues dès le XVIIe siècle avec les aristocrates anglaises qui aiment se vêtir d’habits masculins. Les « garçonnes », et autres figures des années 1920 et 1930 dont Marlene Dietrich avec le smoking qu’elle porte dans Cœurs brûlés en 1930, tout comme Gabrielle Chanel, dans les années 1920, avec ses tailleurs dépouillés de tout artifice, toutes ont contribuéà masculiniser la silhouette. Elsa Schiaparelli est, quant à elle, devenue célèbre en empruntant aux hommes les combinaisons pantalons. Enfin, le smoking pour femme créé par Yves Saint Laurent en 1966, valide définitivement l’entrée du pantalon dans le vestiaire féminin. Toutefois, il fallut attendre le décret de 2013, abrogeant la loi de 1800, autorisant officiellement les femmes à le porter en toute circonstance ! De leur côté, les hommes ont également tenté d’adopter des attitudes et des tenues considérées comme féminines dont certaines ne sont toujours pas entrées dans les mœurs. Pourquoi l’homme maquillé dérange-til encore ? La jupe pour homme remise au goût du jour par Jacques Esterel, dans les années 1960, puis médiatisée par Jean Paul Gaultier, et aujourd’hui, par certains jeunes créateurs n’est toujours pas entrée dans le vestiaire masculin courant ou quotidien. La crainte de l’efféminement qui renvoie au pluriséculaire statut inférieur de la femme a restreint les exemples de transfert du vestiaire féminin vers le masculin.

Walter Von Beirendonck, prêt-à-porter automne-hiver 1996-1997. © Guy Marineau

Thierry Mugler, haute couture, Automne-hiver 1997-1998. © DR

La provocation des excès

Les excès relevés à leurs époques respectives sont multiples et variés et sont évoqués par une suite de « trop ». Le « trop haut », s’agissant des talons et des coiffures au XVIIIe siècle ; le « trop court » pour les minijupes de Mary Quant, André Courrèges, Rudi Gernreich, Pierre Cardin ou Paco Rabanne ; le « trop large » pour l’évolution des culottes masculines de 1600 aux baggys des années 1990 ; le « trop transparent » pour les vêtements laissant voir les corps et décolletés plongeants du XVIIIe siècle à nos jours tout comme la robe portée par Lady Diana en 1981 lors de sa première apparition ; le « trop moulant » des chausses du Moyen Âge à la mode du Slim, le « trop de couleurs » ou le « trop sombre ». Le « manque de tenue » est aussi à souligner avec les vêtements froissés, négligés et déchirés. Le thème de la fourrure, mais aussi des plumes, a fait l’objet de divers scandales dès le XVIIIe siècle, époque où l’on prend conscience de la présence de l’animal dans la parure.

L’exposition s’achève avec les « défilés chocs », ceux qui, de 1980 à 2015, ont défrayé la chronique. Citons, entre autres, les créations de Yohji Yamamoto et de Rei Kawakubo qui ont véritablement bousculé, au début des années 1980, les codes de la couture française avec l’esthétique japonaise du « non fini ». La collection Highlang Rape ( a u t om n e / h i v e r  1 9 9 5 - 1 9 9 6 ) d’Alexander McQueen, qui a réveillé les traumatismes de l’histoire écossaise, la collection (printemps/été 2000) de John Galliano pour Dior qui s’est inspirée des sans-abris, ou encore, plus récemment la collection Sphinx de Rick Owens (printemps/été 2015) dévoilant l’anatomie masculine.

Dior par John Galliano, Inspiration « sans abris », haute couture printemps-été 2000 © Guy Marineau

Rick Owens, prêt-à-porter homme, 2015. © DR

« Comment doit-on s’habiller ? », telle est la question à laquelle l’exposition tente de répondre en apportant un éclairage nouveau quant aux enjeux soulevés par les choix vestimentaires et ce qu’ils révèlent de ses valeurs et de ses tabous. Enfin, entre passé et présent, elle démontre que les fragments peu connus de l’histoire de la mode prouvent à nouveau leur actualité sous l’impulsion de personnalités et de créateurs de mode d’aujourd’hui. 

Les Arts Décoratifs. 1 décembre 2016- 23 avril 2017

Adonis Bosso, New York City, 2016 © DR

Jusepe de Ribera, Saint James the Lesser, ca. 1632.

SAN DIEGO, CA.- The San Diego Museum of Art announced the acquisition of Saint James the Lesser (ca. 1632) by Jusepe de Ribera. This 17th-century work by the renowned Spanish Baroque master builds on the Museum’s prestigious collection of Spanish art. The painting is currently on display in the European galleries alongside other masterpieces in the collection by Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and El Greco. 

Considered the first great Old Master of the Spanish Baroque, Jusepe de Ribera is known for his detailed, unflinchingly hyperrealistic depictions of the human body. 

Born in Spain, Ribera moved to Italy seeking prominence as a young artist. Known for signing his paintings “Jusepe de Ribera, español,” Ribera used his nationality as a marketing tool to connect to wealthy Spanish patrons in Naples; this is also what led to his nickname “Lo Spagnoletto” or “little Spaniard.” It was in Italy where Ribera secured his fame and produced his most legendary works, including Saint James the Lesser. Several large religious institutions commissioned works from him, including the Certosa di San Martino. 

“Since the inception of this institution, The San Diego Museum of Art has had a deep connection to Spanish art and we’re delighted to welcome Jusepe De Ribera’s Saint James the Lesser into the permanent collection,” said Roxana Velásquez, Maruja Baldwin Executive Director of The San Diego Museum of Art. “The work is a significant addition to the Museum’s collection, and further contributes to the recognition of our collection of Spanish holdings as among the finest in the world.” 

Michael Brown, Ph.D., the associate curator of European Art at The San Diego Museum of Art, said, “Ribera was one of the most innovative artists of his day, a true pioneer of a new realistic approach to painting. His scenes connect so powerfully because he depicted a recognizable world - his saints look as though they've been plucked from the gritty streets of Naples.” 

This life-sized representation of Saint James shows him gazing upward and holding an excerpt of the Apostles’ Creed. The piece features dramatic lighting and intense highlights, characteristics of Ribera’s best works. This saint was a particular favorite of Ribera’s, as was the recognizable model, who appears in other works by Ribera, which are on display across the globe including at the Thyssen-Bornemisza and The Prado, both in Madrid, Spain. 

The work’s quality is on par with those found at the world’s finest museums, including the Louvre, the National Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and will be the singular painting by Ribera in the Museum’s permanent collection. 

Spanning the centuries from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism, the Museum is acclaimed for its collection of Spanish masterpieces. The façade of the Museum itself includes life-sized sculptures of Murillo, Zurbarán, and Diego Velázquez as well as reliefs in tondo of Ribera and El Greco. The Museum now has paintings within its collection from each of the artists on the façade, except for Velázquez. 

Purchased by the Museum from Rafael Valls, LTD and Helena Mola, Ribera’s Saint James the Lesser joins the collection following the recent acquisitions of Sorolla’s By the Seashore, Valencia, Zurbarán’s Saint Francis in Prayer in a Grotto, and Pedro de Mena’s San Diego de Alcalá, a Spanish baroque sculpture. These works now complement an impressive collection of art by Francisco de Goya, El Greco, Sánchez Cotán, Valdés Leal and more.

GENEVA.- This year Piguet Auction House will hold its Christmas sale from 12 to 15 December, offering a selection of 3100 lots with a global estimate of CHF 3.5-4.5 million. This winter, the focus is on Chinese art with an exceptionally rare collection of Ming/Qing (17th century) dynasty huanghuali wood furniture from a private Swiss collection, an unseen painting from the internationally renowned Chu The-Chun (1920-2014) and original bound lithographs signed Zao Wou-ki (1921-2013). 

The Fine Jewellery and Watches sales echo the quality of the recent auctions held in Geneva this November. Piguet Auction House will present important sets of jewellery, collector’s watches from the big names including a collection of over twenty vintage Rolex watches. The modern and antiquarian Books sale will also take place this December, alongside Russian art, luxury handbags, art glass and Old Masters. 

An important ensemble dedicated to the masters of Chinese works of art 
Ø The Carpenter collection: a collection from a family of diplomates 
Piguet Auction House will present an exceptional and extremely rare ensemble of 17th century huanghuali furniture from a private Swiss collection. These pieces of furniture were acquired directly in China by Gardner Clarence Carpenter (1913-1952) during his assignment in the country during the 1940s. Part of the collection was then inherited by his son, Christopher Jenns Carpenter (1940-2015), diplomate under the UNHCR at the time it was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1981 and for which he was commended. He kept the collection in Switzerland and continued to enrich it until this day (over 100 lots come from this family’s collection, of which 6 are huanghuali furniture). The pure and simplistic lines of the designs make this 300 year old furniture seem timeless. These well preserved pieces in this rare and precious wood will appear on the market for this first time and will be sold by Bernard Piguet on Wednesday 14 December. Two examples of these lots are the hua’an painting table and 2 yuanjiaogui cabinets - lots 573 and 574 each estimated at CHF 100,000-150,000). 

Lot 573. A pair of huanghuali yuanjiaogui tapered cabinets, China, 17th-18th century. Estimate: CHF 100,000-150,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Paire de cabinets trapézoïdaux yuanjiaogui, en huanghuali, XVII - XVIIIe s. 

ouvrant par deux vantaux à pivots intégrés séparés par un montant vertical et deux tiroirs dans le registre inférieur, tablier prolongé en ailerons enserrant les montants de section circulaire en façade et sur les côtés, surmonté par la moulure en tore de la traverse inférieure, 125x64x42 cm

Provenance: collection Carpenter, Suisse

En dépit de la popularité de ce type de meuble à charnières sur pivots de bois et montant central amovible, dont l'existence est attestée dès le millieu de l'ère Ming par de délicats modèles réduits découverts dans la tombe de Pan Yunzheng, datant d'environ 1600 (Berliner, 1996, p. 150, No 30 c, cit. in. Jacobsen & Grindley, op. cit. p. 148), les exemplaires à tiroirs en façade sont relativement rares à notre connaissance. Ils font cependant l'objet d'une mention dans le Xian Qing Ou Ji ("Notes rédigées à des Moments perdus") de l'érudit décorateur du XVIIe siècle Li Yu (1611-1680), qui fait l'éloge de la simplicité en condamnant l'ostentatoire et l'affecté, et décrit la manière d'optimiser la capacité des cabinets de petite taille par l'usage de rayonnages et tiroirs (ibid. p. 150). Cette source ne saurait cependant exclure absolument l'hypothèse de l'aménagement de ce dispositif à l'occasion d'une transformation postérieure au bâti original de ces meubles.

Lot 574. A huanghuali hua'an painting table, China, 17th century, 80x160 cm. Estimate: CHF 100,000-150,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Table de peinture hua'an en huanghuali Chine, XVIIe s.

épais plateau au cadre à tranche en quart de rond et angles assemblés à l'onglet solidarisé aux montants divergents de section circulaire par un tablier descendant en ailerons, les montants couplés de chaque côté par des doubes traverses de section ovale, le plateau doublé au revers de quatre renforts aux extrémités biseautées, le tenon de tête de l'un des montants visible à fleur de la surface du cadre de plateau. Légère corrosion de la surface des sabots due à l'humidité.

Pour des commentaires sur la typologie et la destination d'usage de table structurellement comparables, voir Jacobsen, Robert D  et Grindley, Nicholas, Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1999, No 40, pp. 122-3 et Wu Bruce, Grace, The Dr. S. Y. Yip Collection of Chinese Furniture, Hong Kong, 1991, No 22, pp. 66-7.

Provenance: collection Carpenter, Suisse.

Une table stylistiquement comparable à la nôtre a été vendue chez Christie's New York, 19 sept. 1996, lot 16. 78x162X51,5 cm.

Ø Chinese Contemporary art 
After the success of the June sale when a signed work by Chu Teh-Chun (1920-2014) changed hands for a mere CHF 790,000, the artist is back again at Piguet Auction House. An unseen and untitled oil painting known as « Composition, hiver » will be exhibited for the first time at the sale preview on 9, 10 and 11 December and will be auctioned with an estimate of CHF 200,000-300,000 (lot 1025 page 1). 

Lot 1025. Chu Teh-Chun (1920-2014), Composition, hiver, huile sur toile, signée et datée (19)87, contresignée et datée 2 décembre 1987 au verso, 73x92 cm. Estimation CHF 200,000-300,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Provenance: acquis à Paris en 1987 directement de l'artiste à Paris en 1987 par les actuels propriétaires (collection privée, Suisse)

«L’art abstrait, loin d’être séparé de la nature, lui est plus intimement lié que ne le fut jamais l’art dans le passé» disait Wassily Kandinsky.

Chu Teh-Chun, forméà la peinture et à la calligraphie chinoise, fut désigné comme un «peintre de la dynastie des Song au XXe siècle après la série de ses "Paysages français" de 1960 où de profondes réminiscences chinoises pouvaient être ressenties. Cependant, cette désignation ne saurait suffire pour décrire le style de l’artiste qui n’a pas encore trouvé sa pleine expression poétique.

Entre les années 1960 - 1970, Chu Teh-Chun se détache de l’influence – certes modeste - de Kandinsky et pousse la création d’un monde particulier qu’il fait naître sur ses peintures. Son enseignement par la copie des grands maîtres ’a probablement pas manqué d’ancrer en lui – et dans ses toiles- les grands principes de la peinture dictés par Xie He (420-479) : Le Souffle ou la «vie» autonome de l’œuvre, en mouvement et en rythme, la relation entre objet, idée et forme, la correspondance des couleurs, l’importance de la composition et, bien sûr, le travail du trait. 

En effet, la création d’une peinture de Chu comptait deux temps. L’un, «la première couche», comme il l’appelait, peut être vu comme la vibration de l’idée, le fameux «souffle» posée sur la toile en quelques heures. Venait ensuite «le métier» comme le qualifiait modestement l’artiste, soit le travail du geste et des couleurs. 

Ainsi la représentation de la nature selon l’abstraction de Chu Teh-Chun est «une peinture très sentimentale», comme il le dira lui-même, à la fois peinture et poésie, une abstraction lyrique, et non synthétique. La passion pour la poésie Tang et Song ne quittera jamais Chu, et imprègne toute son œuvre. Cette littérature, éminemment sensible, nous paraît presque devenir une légende des «Pays Chu» comme Michel Ragon qualifiait les paysages abstraits de Chu Teh-Chun. Ainsi, un poème de Fan Zhongyan (989-1052), trouve un écho saisissant dans notre tableau:

"A l'abri du rideau du Sud", Fan Zhongyan (dynastie Song).

Another great Chinese contemporary artist features in the Books sale on Tuesday 13 December. Original coloured lithographs by Zao Wou-ki (1921-2013) illustrate André Malraux’s work La tentation de l’Occident (lot 91 estimated at CHF 6,000-9,000). The artist was recently honoured with an exhibition at the Gianadda foundation of Martigny. 

Lot 91. ZAO (Wou-Ki) - MALRAUX (André). La tentation de l’Occident. Sans lieu, Les Bibliophiles Comtois, 1962. Estimation: CHF 6,000-9,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Fort in-4° relié plein cuir, plats ornés d'une composition géométrique de lignes verticales mosaïquées de maroquin noir ajouré et de box gris et rouge rehaussé de filets rouge et argent, dos lisse orné en box gris encadrés de deux listels de box rouge, tr. dorées, chemise et étui en maroquin et placage de bois noir. Reliure signée Colette et Jean-Paul Miguet. Ill. de 10 lithographies originales en couleurs à pleine page (dont le frontispice) de l’artiste chinois Zao Wou-Ki. Tirage limitéà 170 ex. sur papier vélin d'Arches à la forme, celui-ci n°24, dédicacé, daté et signé au crayon par Zao Wou-Ki. Magnifique exemplaire somptueusement relié;

The high quality of the Chinese works of art presented at this December’s Asian Art sale should reinforce Geneva’s place on the international art market. 

The History of Imperial Russian returns once again to Geneva 
As is tradition in December, Piguet Auction House will hold a Russian sale. This year’s sale takes us back to time of Imperial Russia with letters from Grand Duchesses Olga and Xenia Alexandrovna Romanov, sisters of Tsar Nicholas II, addressed to their Genevan tutor, Ferdinand Thormeyer. 

Dated from 1887 to 1943, these letters tell the story of their lives at Imperial court and their struggles after the fall of the Empire. They allow us a very personal insight into family life around the last Tsar of Russia. 

Some objects, such as the silver and enamel vodka cups (charka, lots 204-206) and the oil painting by Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna Romanov (lot 203 estimated at CHF 1,500-2,000) also come from the Thormeyer collection. 

The Russian sale also includes an important oil painting by celebrated Russian artist Aristarkh Vasilievic Lentulov (1882-1843) estimated at CHF 100,000-150,000 (lot 150), a wide varity of icons, silver and works of art.  

The Christmas sale sparkles with fine jewellery and watches 
A selection of high quality fine jewellery and watches will be presented at Piguet Auction House’s Christmas sale. The most prestigious and emblematic brands such as Cartier, Chopard, IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre will be on offer, with some more rare pieces that will certainly draw more special attention. 

Ø Fine Watches Sale Highlights 
In the watches sale, Rolex dominates the scene by the sheer number of collector’s timepieces that will be put up for auction. No less than thirty models will be presented, twenty of which are from a private Swiss collector. These range from vintage models such as a 1969 Cosmograph Daytona (lot 1607 estimated at CHF 20,000-30,000) to a 2007 Cosmograph Daytona (lot 1581 estimated at CHF 20,000-30,000), with others such as a 1980 Submariner (lot 1605 estimated at CHF 8,000-12,000) and a 1986 Oyster Perpetual Day-Date (lot 1591 estimated at CHF 5,000-7,000).  

Lot 1607. Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona, rare, montre-bracelet chronographe en acier. Estimation CHF 20,000-30,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Signée Rolex, ref. 6264/6241, n°boîte 2372884, circa 1969.

Cal. 727 Valjoux, mécanique, 17 rubis, cadran argenté mat, index appliques argentés, index points luminescents, aiguilles argentées, chronographe à 2 compteurs noirs à graduation et chiffres blancs avec secondes au centre, compteur subsidiaire noir avec graduation et chiffres arabes blancs pour les secondes, lunette noire graduée jusqu'à 200., diam. 37 mm, boîte.

Inaugurée en 1963, la collection Cosmograph se voit adjoindre le nom Daytona en 1964 marquant ainsi l'attachement de Rolex pour les sports automobiles et célébrant ainsi le sponsoring de la marque qui débuta 2 ans plus tôt au profit du circuit du même nom . Cette collection est l'une des plus emblématiques de la maison Rolex. Déclinée sous différentes références, la référence 6264 fut produite de la fin des années 1960 jusqu'en 1972. Il s'agit du dernier modèle avec lunette noire dont les poussoirs ne sont pas sécurisés par le système permettant de les visser quand ils ne sont pas utilisés.

Lot 1581. Rolex, Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph, Daytona, montre-bracelet chronographe automatique en or gris 750. Estimation CHF 20,000-30,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Signée Rolex, réf. 116509, n°mouvement 0 0266017, n°boîte Z514118 et 2119, circa 2007.

Cal. 4130, automatique, 44 rubis, cadran argenté satiné, chiffres arabes appliques noirs, aiguilles luminescentes, chronographe à 2 compteurs avec graduation et aiguilles au centre rouge, compteur subsidiaire pour les secondes, lunette graduée noire pour le tachymètre, diam. 38 mm, certificat mentionnant la date d'achat le 22/06/2007, pochette, boîte

Apparue en 2000 la référence 116509 est dotée d'une boîte ainsi que d'un bracelet en or gris. Elle est déclinée dans 2 versions l'une avec un cadran noir, l'autre avec un cadran argenté mat avec index or gris appliques comme celui-ci.

Two stand out models from Patek Philippe are the rare white gold Tachymetre Chronograph estimated at CHF 40,000-60,000 (lot 1611) and the Calatrava Perpetual Calendar estimated at CHF 20,000-30,000 (lot 1610).  

Lot 1610. Patek Philippe, Rare montre chronographe tachymètre en or gris 750. Estimation CHF 40,000-60,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Signée Patek Philippe, réf. 5070G-001, n°mouvement 3147838/4254115, circa 2004

Cal. 27-70 CHR, mécanique, 24 rubis, cadran argenté, chiffres arabes oxyde noirs, aiguilles noires, chiffres arabes et graduation noirs, aiguilles noires, chronographe à 1 compteur avec secondes au centre, graduation du tachymètre sur l'extérieur du cadran, compteur subsidiaire pour les secondes à 9 heures, fond transparent laissant apparaître le mouvement, diam. 41 mm, boucle déployante PP en or gris 750, bracelet PP en croco noir, certificat d'origine mentionnant la date d'achat le 12/03/2004, documentation, boîte, kit d'horloger Patek Philippe dans sa trousse contenant 1 loupe, 1 paire de gants ainsi qu'un chiffon et produit nettoyant pour montre water-resistant.

Cette référence se distingue d'emblée par son style qui puise son inspiration dans l'âge d'or des courses automobiles et dans les anciens chronographes. La production de la référence 5070 fut limitée à 250 exemplaires annuels en raison de la complexité du mouvement faisant ainsi la rareté de ces modèles.

Another brand and model of exceptional note is the Blancpain tourbillon watch in platinum (lot 1612 estimated at CHF 12,000-18,000). 

Lot 1612. Blancpain, montre tourbillon en platine avec réserve de marche de 8 jours et indication de la date. Estimation CHF 12,000-18,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Signée Blancpain réf. 0023-3427-55, n°mouvement 537, n°boîte 164, circa 2000

saphir, indication de la réserve de marche à 6 heures, compteur à 9 heures indiquant la date, verre saphir, diam. 33 mm, boucle Blancpain en platine, bracelet Blancpain en croco noir, date "d'achat" le 26/10/2000, révision datée du 26/10/2007, manuel d'instructions, boîte et loupe Blancpain, pochette de voyage.

Blancpain s'exprime dans ce modèle au travers d'une complication d'excellence, le tourbillon, dispositif qui compense les écarts de marche dûs à la gravité dans un boîtier extrêmement plat. De plus, cette montre est dotée d'une réserve de marche de 8 jours, combinaison créée en premier par la maison Blancpain. La numérotation 164 de cette pièce suggère que ce modèle a été réalisé de manière limitée.

Ø Fine Jewellery Sale Highlights 
An opulent collection of Fine Jewellery by Adler will attract jewellery lovers with a matching set of clip earrings and necklace in white gold and diamonds with tear-drop emeralds (lot 1797 estimated at CHF 30,000-50,000) and a two-tone gold diamond and pear-cut emerald necklace with matching drop earrings (lots 1767 and 1768 estimated at CHF 30,000-40,000).  

Lot 1797. Adler, ensemble comprenant 1 collier et 1 paire de clips d’oreilles en or gris 750 à décor de trèfles serti de diamants taille brillant (total env. 59 ct) et retenant des émeraudes taille gouttes (total env. 132 ct). Estimation CHF 30,000-50,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

signés, long. 42 cm, h.7 cm, 231g, écrin.

Lot 1767. Adler, paire de pendants d’oreilles, 2 ors 750 sertie de diamants taille brillant (total env. 14 ct) retenant des émeraudes taille poire (total env. 20 ct). Estimation CHF 5,000-7,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

signée, h. 7 cm, 34g

Lot 1768. Adler, collier 2 ors 750 serti de multi-lignes de diamants taille brillant (total env. 48 ct) retenant des émeraudes taille poire (total env. 35 ct). Estimation CHF 25,000-35,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

signé, long. 39 cm, 97g, écrin

A variety of designer jewellery by the likes of Van Cleef and Arpels provides a wide choice for gifts this festive season. Other gift ideas for the more marked occasion would be this pair of clip earring by Boucheron Fine Jewellery (lot 1802 estimated at CHF 20,000-30,000) or a solitaire diamond ring by Harry Winston (lot 1765 estimated at CHF 30,000-50,000).  

Lot 1765. Harry Winston, solitaire en platine serti d'un diamant taille émeraude de 2.52 ct, D, VVS2. Estimation CHF 30,000-50,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

selon certificat du GIA n°5171882174 du 19/10/2016, épaulé de 2 diamants taille trapèze, monture dissimulant secrètement un diamant jaune taille brillant, signée, doigt 58-18.  

Over 160 lots of luxury handbags 
A vast collection of over 160 branded luxury handbags will also be presented at the December auction. A few examples of what is on offer: 

Lot 244. Hermès, sac Birkin 35 en togo gold. Estimation CHF 4,000-6,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

piqué sellier blanc, bouclerie dorée, tirette et clochette avec 2 clefs, cadenas, housse protège-pluie, housse, 26x35 cm, avec porte-accessoire pince en métal doré.

- A monogram Graffiti Speedy 30 handbag by Marc Jacobs & Stephen Sprouse for Louis Vuitton (lot 276 estimated at CHF 400-600). 

- A gilt alligator style leather jewellery chest by Gautier, Geneva (lot 230 estimated at CHF 1,000-1,500).  

Modern and Antiquarian books 
The Book sale will launch the week long December auction, starting with the antiquarian book section. 18th and 19th century travel books will be followed by luxury editions of works with modern illustrations and bindings by renowned Parisian binders and finishing with some examples of erotic publications. The Book sale’s star lot is a work illustrated with original colour lithographs by Chinese artist Zao Wou-ki (1921-2013) (lot 91).  

Old Masters Sale, the high point of the paintings and sculptures session 
Many paintings in Wednesdays evening’s Old Masters sale deserve a special mention: 

Lot 1245. Jean Etienne Liotard (1702-1789), Portrait de Pierre Pictet de Sergy (1724-1813), dessin à la sanguine et pierre noire, 23,5x17,5 cm. Estimation CHF 70,000-90,000. Photo Piguet Auction House.

Provenance: Dans la même famille depuis l'achat à l'artiste ca 1761 (ancienne collection Gustave Pictet, Genève)

Une note du registre des dépenses de Pierre Pictet, à la date du 14 novembre 1761, indiquant "Payéà M. Liotard mon portrait en craion, y compris le quadre... Livres 120" (cité par de Herdt et, ensuite, Roethlisberger-Loche) permet de dater cette oeuvre entre 1760 et 1761. Notons qu'il existe une copie contemporaine de ce portrait, faite par Jean-Michel Liotard, le frère jumeau de Jean-Etienne (repr. in Roethlisberger-Loche, fig. 902).

Lot 1246. Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755), Lévrier surveillant un trophée de chasse au lièvre,  huile sur toile, signée et datée 1731, 131x114 cm. Estimation CHF 30,000-50,000.  Photo Piguet Auction House.

Expertise: Eric Turquin, Paris, 24 juin 2004 (copie en notre possession)

Bibliographie pour comparaison: H. N. Oppermann, Jean Baptiste Oudry, vol. I, n° P481, fig. 69, p. 542

Ce n'est véritablement qu'en 1722 que Jean Baptiste Oudry, élève de Nicolas de Largillierre (1656-1746), s'affirme en tant que peintre animalier. Alors que la première partie de sa vie de peintre ne lui permet pas d'affirmer une personnalité artistique propre, c'est bien dans la représentation des natures mortes, paysages, et bien sûr des animaux qu'un style artistique personnel, original et novateur, va naître.
Entre 1722 et 1725, Oudry présente ses œuvres au Salon de la Jeunesse ce qui permet à son art d'éclater au grand jour notamment avec sa première peinture de chasse "La chasse au sanglier" de 1722. Le succès est considérable puisque 26 de ses toiles sont exposées à Versailles le 10 mars 1726, admirées par le Roi, la Reine mais aussi par toute la cour.

Au moment de l'exécution de notre tableau, Oudry est alors à l'apogée de son art. Comme peintre animalier, il est très probable que ses sources d'inspirations principales aient été les compositions des anversois Frans Snyders (1579-1657) et Jan Fyt (1611-1661), peintres animaliers et de gibiers les plus influents de leur temps. Il est intéressant de noter à ce propos que Largillierre fit copier à son élève plusieurs scènes de chasses hollandaises ainsi que l'indique le Mémoire pour servir à l'Eloge de Mr. Oudry (ca 1760, cf. H. Opperman, Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Garland, New York, 1977, vol. 1, p. 170).

Cependant, sa touche se veut plus douce et fondue, sa palette, plus chaude et contrastée. La composition, si typique des oeuvres d'Oudry, se condense autour des figures. La peinture animalière de Oudry réemprunte des figures d'animaux de son propre répertoire afin de varier les thèmes. A ce titre, notons l'exacte similitude entre la figure du lièvre de notre tableau avec celle dépeinte dans l'oeuvre "Nature morte avec un fusil, un pâté et gibier mort (Le Feu)", 1720, conservée au Palais royal de Stockholm.

Les horizontales se courbent autour de diagonales donnant un "effet naturel" sans être véritablement naturaliste. Ce jeu de lignes s'exprime particulièrement bien dans le traitement des animaux, et notamment dans la position du lévrier autour du trophée dans notre tableau. La peinture de Jean-Baptiste Oudry s'inscrit dans le style rocaille jouant sur les courbes et contre-courbes, exprimant une modernité qui le distingue de l'influence des maîtres hollandais.

Lot 1205. Cornelis Kruys (1619-1654), Nature morte au vase de Chine, ca 1650, huile sur panneau, 84x116,5 cm. Estimation CHF 20,000-30,000.  Photo Piguet Auction House.

Expertise: nous remercions Fred G. Meijer du RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History) de son avis sur cette oeuvre d'après photographies, novembre 2016

Lot 1206. Monogrammiste JHV (act. entre 1652-1663), Nature morte aux tulipes, huile sur panneau, monogrammée, 70x108 cm. Estimation CHF 15,000-20,000.  Photo Piguet Auction House.

Expertise: nous remercions Fred G. Meijer du RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History) de son avis sur cette oeuvre d'après photographies, novembre 2016.

L'identité du Monogrammiste JHV demeure inconnue à ce jour. De sa production artistique ne sont connues qu'une douzaine d’œuvres représentant des natures mortes, exécutées entre 1652 et 1663. 

Les nombreuses similitudes entre les œuvres du Monogrammiste, de Jan Davidszoon de Heem et de Michiel Simons indiquent une connaissance précise de leurs travaux réciproques, situant cette production picturale entre Utrecht et Amsterdam. 

Cette proximité de style aura poussé les experts, en 1955, à voir dans cette peinture la main de Jan Davidszoon de Heem. 

Great Christmas Gift Ideas 
With the Christmas holidays approaching, Bernard Piguet and his team of specialists suggest a few gift ideas for presents at affordable prices to slip under the tree: 

- A Speedy 30 handbag by Louis Vuitton (lot 275 estimated at CHF 300-500). 

- A signed lithograph by Georges Braque (1882-1963) (lot 1133 estimated at CHF 600-800). 

- A selection of art glass by Daum (lots 312 to 335). 

- A white gold B Zero ring by Bulgari (lot 1515 estimated at CHF 200-300). 

- 2 bracelets by Cartier which transform into a necklace (lot 1520 estimated at CHF 300-500). 

- A pair of Royal Oak cufflinks by Audemars Piguet (lot 1547 estimated at CHF 400-600) or a pair of Hublot cufflinks (lot 4255 estimated at CHF 100-200). 

- A Grace Kelly pen by Mont Blanc (lot 1641 estimé CHF 200-300). 

- And over 350 lots of luxury handbags, accessories, jewellery and watches at attractive prices to be auctioned in the silent sale (auction via written bids only);

Lot 15. An exceptional white jade 'Boy and Cat' group, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

depicting a young boy standing next to a small cat crouching by his side and looking up at the boy, the figure depicted looking at a small butterfly on his shoulder and holding a large palm leaf in his left hand, the weathered leaf extending over his shoulder and down his back, the cherubic figure accentuated with small tuffets of hair at the top of his head and loose garments picked out with small stars - 7.7 cm, 3 in.

Notes: The theme of boys playing with animals represents a traditional motif developed over a thousand years and favoured on account of its implied wish for the prosperity of male offspring. In this piece, the boy is depicted with a butterfly and a cat, both symbolic of longevity. The two form the pun maodie (‘May you live into your seventies and eighties’); hence this piece would have been an appropriate birthday gift.

Lot 134. A superb white jade 'Fisherman and Boy' group, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

Lot 158. A superb pale celadon jade 'Boy and Hobby Horse' group, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Estimate 100,000 — 150,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

depicted as a striding boy holding the reins of the hobby horse with one hand, the other holding a long leafy lotus stem, the softly polished stone of an even colour with some opaque inclusions - 8.3 cm, 3 1/4  in.

Exhibited: Auspicious Emblems. Chinese Cultural Treasures - 45th Anniversary Exhibition of the Min Chiu Society, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 75.

Notes: Exquisitely modelled in the round to depict a boy astride a hobby horse, the reins of which he lovingly clutches whilst slinging stems of lotus over his shoulder, this carving captures the playful ease and charm of the subject. Compare a similarly finely-carved figure, but holding a rattle instead of a lotus stem, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, coll. no. BATEA 1218; another, a hobby horse attached to a wheel and the boy clutching a sprig of lingzhi in his hand, sold in these rooms, 8th April 2014, lot 3172; and a figure of a boy holding a lantern on a pole, from the collection of Florence and Herbert Irving and now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, acc. no. 2015.500.5.14.

Images of boys playing with a hobby horse comprise part of the popular ‘boys at play’ and ‘Hundred Boys’ subjects that emerged from the Song dynasty. This theme is symbolic of the Confucian ideal for the education and advancement of many sons, a wish further emphasised by the lotus he carries which represents ‘May you continuously give birth to distinguished sons’. As the boy is depicted riding a hobby horse, this conveys the wish for it to come immediately or soon (mashang) which is a pun for ‘to be on top of a horse’.

Lot 100. A white jade 'Boy and Drum' carving, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Estimate 80,000 — 120,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

finely carved kneeling holding a large drum, with a beribboned musical chime in his left hand and a lotus pod in the right hand, his round face with fine features set in a merry expression, his head flanked by small tuffets of hair, the stone of even white colour - 3.9 cm, 1 1/2  in.

Notes: Jade carvings of boys playing drums include one from the E.T. Chow collection, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2009, lot 1664; two other from the Hei-Chi collection, both included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. nos. 175 and 179, the latter sold twice in these rooms, 8th April 2010, lot 2011, and 6th April 2016, lot 3698; and a further example, carved with a boy climbing on a drum, sold in these rooms, 21st May 1987, lot 699.