Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1916), Puma mâle, bronze à patine brune, vers 1911, cachet cire perdue de A. Hébrard, numéroté«6», h. 28 cm, l. 60 cm. Adjugé : 388 120 €. Vendredi 16 décembre, salle 5-6 - Drouot-Richelieu. Jean-Marc Delvaux OVV. MM. Auguier, de Bayser, Kunicki, Lepic.
Camille Dolard (1810-après 1884), Autoportrait en fumeur de narguilé dans un décor oriental, 1845, daguerréotype pleine plaque, 16,5 x 21,3 cm (à vue). Adjugé : 196 004 €. Mardi 20 décembre, salle 1 - Drouot-Richelieu. Millon OVV et Baron-Ribeyre & Associés OVV. M. Goeury.
Aki Katayama, Guinomi, 2012. Ceramic 2.05 x 2.83 x 2.99 inches / 5.2 x 7.2 x 7.6 cm / AKi 5. Photo courtesy Cavin-Morris Gallery
Aki Katayama, Vase, 2012. Ceramic, 5.91 x 4.96 x 5.91 inches / 15 x 12.6 x 15 cm / AKi 3. Photo courtesy Cavin-Morris Gallery
Aki Katayama, Vase, 2012. Ceramic, 7.17 x 4.96 x 5.91 inches / 18.2 x 12.6 x 15 cm / AKi 4. Photo courtesy Cavin-Morris Gallery
Aki Katayama, Chawan, 2012. Ceramic, 3.19 x 4.25 x 4.49 inches / 8.1 x 10.8 x 11.4 cm / AKi 7. Photo courtesy Cavin-Morris Gallery
(Source Cavin-Morris Gallery)
The rectangular casket with domed hinged cover, decorated in gold hiramaki-e and inlaid in mother-of-pearl on a black ground, the cover and the front with birds in flight amongst tachibana and camellia, one side with kiri [paulownia] and kikyo [Chinese bellflowers], the other side with tachibana and kikyo, the back with morning glory, all bordered with the bands of geometric patterns, the interior of the cover further decorated with morning glory, gilt bronze fittings engraved with stylised flowers - 33 x 22.2 x 19cm.
Published: Sakai City Museum ed., Namban shikki - shitsugei ni miru tozai koryu [Namban lacquer wares - lacquer art and the exchanges between East and West] (Osaka, 1983), p.29, no.19.
Exhibited: Namban shikki - shitsugei ni miru tozai koryu [Namban lacquer wares - lacquer art and the exchanges between East and West], Sakai City Museum, Osaka, 23 April - 22 May 1983
Note: The Europeans began to arrive in Japan from the late 16th century for trade and Christian missions. To furnish the Christian churches in Japan and also for export, Japanese lacquer workers produced a variety of decorative lacquer chests, coffers, boxes and other furniture, as well as ceremonial religious objects. They were largely in European form but decorated using Japanese techniques and in Japanese designs, sometimes mixed with Western patterns.
Namban lacquerwares were decorated in gold hiramaki-e and shell inlay as in this present lot. Their design is related to Kodaiji lacquer, a type of lacquerware made in Kyoto during the late Momoyama and early Edo periods, which is characterised by expansive and expressive designs in gold hiramaki-e on a roironuri, or black ground, and the favoured subject was flowers and plants. Western missionaries and merchants had opportunities to see Kodaiji lacquerwares and ordered the workshops to make the objects for them using the same design and techniques in freely-painted hiramaki-e. Namban pieces, however, generally employ dazzling shell inlay, which is never found in Kodaiji works and disappears after the Momoyama period. Their decorations are also denser than those of Kodaiji pieces and often combined with some Western patterns such as geometric borders.
Christie's on line. JAPANESE ART AT THE ENGLISH COURT
Lot 2. A Lacquer Casket Commissioned by the Portuguese, Momoyama period, late 16th century © Christie's Image Ltd 2016
Decorated in gold and silver hiramaki-e and inlaid in mother-of-pearl on a black ground, the fall front with three birds amongst cherry blossoms, the top with a pair of birds and camellia trees, one side with tachibana and kikyo [Chinese bellflower] and the other with camellia trees and chrysanthemums, the back with morning glory, each panel bordered with bands of triangles, the interior of the drop front with clematis vine, the central compartment inside and eight surrounding drawers covered with various patterns including maple leaves, kikyo, hagi, tachibana, vine and shells, each knob of chrysanthemum form, the copper mounts with flowers and stylised foliage, a fitted key - 22.8cm. x 23.7cm. x 23.4cm.
Note: This present lot is believed to be one of the smallest known examples of a Namban cabinet with a fall front.
The Europeans began to arrive in Japan from the late 16th century for trade and Christian missions. To furnish the Christian churches in Japan and also for export, Japanese lacquer workers produced a variety of decorative lacquer chests, coffers, boxes and other furniture, as well as ceremonial religious objects. They were largely in European form but decorated using Japanese techniques and in Japanese designs, sometimes mixed with Western patterns.
Namban lacquerwares were decorated in gold hiramaki-e and shell inlay as in this present lot. Their design is related to Kodaiji lacquer, a type of lacquerware made in Kyoto during the late Momoyama and early Edo periods, which is characterised by expansive and expressive designs in gold hiramaki-e on a roironuri, or black ground, and the favoured subject was flowers and plants. Western missionaries and merchants had opportunities to see Kodaiji lacquerwares and ordered the workshops to make the objects for them using the same design and techniques in freely-painted hiramaki-e. Namban pieces, however, generally employ dazzling shell inlay, which is never found in Kodaiji works and disappears after the Momoyama period. Their decorations are also denser than those of Kodaiji pieces and often combined with some Western patterns such as geometric borders.
For a similar, but slightly larger example, see James C.Y. Watt and Barbara B. Ford, East Asian Lacquer: The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, (New York, 1991), p. 226-7, no. 105.
For a larger example in the Oita City Historical Museum collection, go to Cultural Heritage Online (Japanese): http:/bunka.nii.ac.jp/SearchDetail.do?heritageId=75682; and further examples, see Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, Art Namban: Les Portugais au Japon / Nambankunst: Portugezen in Japan, (Brussels, 1989), p. 85, 142, no. 51; Fundação Oriente, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Arte Namban: os portugueses no Japão, (Lisboa, 1990), p.53, 54 and 98, no. 49.
For another larger example, see Kyoto National Museum ed., Japan makie – kyuden wo kazaru toyo no kirameki – [Export Lacquer: Reflection of the West in Black and Gold Makie] (Osaka, 2008), p. 92, no. 46 (the Suntory Museum of Art collection).
For a further example in the Tokyo National Museum collection,
For more information on the Namban lacquerware, see James C.Y. Watt and Barbara B. Ford, op. cit., p. 169-173; and for Namban cabinets, see Oliver Impey and Christiaan J. A. Jörg, Japanese Export Lacquer 1580 - 1850, (Amsterdam, 2005), p. 120-139.
Christie's on line. JAPANESE ART AT THE ENGLISH COURT
Lot 3. A Lacquer Casket Commissioned by the Portuguese, Momoyama period, late 16th century © Christie's Image Ltd 2016
The rectangular casket with domed hinged cover, decorated in gold hiramaki-e and inlaid in mother-of-pearl on a black ground, the cover with tachibana and vine, the front with chrysanthemum, vine and cherry blossom, one side with morning glory and kikyo [Chinese bellflowers], the other side with tachibana and vines, the back with further tachibana, vines and another flowering tree, all bordered with the bands of geometric patterns, copper gilt fittings engraved with stylised flowers - 22.4cm. wide
Note: The Europeans began to arrive in Japan from the late 16th century for trade and Christian missions. To furnish the Christian churches in Japan and also for export, Japanese lacquer workers produced a variety of decorative lacquer chests, coffers, boxes and other furniture, as well as ceremonial religious objects. They were largely in European form but decorated using Japanese techniques and in Japanese designs, sometimes mixed with Western patterns.
Namban lacquerwares were decorated in gold hiramaki-e and shell inlay as in this present lot. Their design is related to Kodaiji lacquer, a type of lacquerware made in Kyoto during the late Momoyama and early Edo periods, which is characterised by expansive and expressive designs in gold hiramaki-e on a roironuri, or black ground, and the favoured subject was flowers and plants. Western missionaries and merchants had opportunities to see Kodaiji lacquerwares and ordered the workshops to make the objects for them using the same design and techniques in freely-painted hiramaki-e. Namban pieces, however, generally employ dazzling shell inlay, which is never found in Kodaiji works and disappears after the Momoyama period. Their decorations are also denser than those of Kodaiji pieces and often combined with some Western patterns such as geometric borders.
For similar examples, see Sakai City Museum ed., Namban shikki - shitsugei ni miru tozai koryu [Namban lacquer wares - lacquer art and the exchanges between East and West] (Osaka, 1983), p.37, 39; and Sezon Museum of Art and Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, eds., ‘Porutogaru to Nanban bunka’ ten: mezase toho no kuniguni [‘Portugal and Namban culture’ exhibition : Via Orientals], (Japan, 1993), p. 194-195, no. 168 (the Confraria de Nossa Senhora da Luz collection, Arraiolos)
For a larger example in the Kyoto National Museum
Flowers and birds Maki-e, Raden Yohitsu, Momoyama, 51.9 cm, Kyoto National Museum © The Agency for Cultural Affairs.
For information on lacquer caskets commissioned by Europeans,
Travelling chest Lacquer with shell inlay, Momoyama period, Late 16th-17th century, 22.3 centimetres. British Museum, 1956,0215.1 © Trustees of the British Museum
Christie's on line. JAPANESE ART AT THE ENGLISH COURT
The step-cut emerald weighing approximately 9.50 carats set within a double frame of circular-cut diamonds, highlighted by similarly-set shoulders, to a pierced scroll gallery, size 52.
Accompanied by Gübelin report no. 0608027, stating that the emerald is of Colombian origin, with no indications of clarity enhancement.
Literature: Cf: Famous Jewelry Collectors, Stefano Papi and Alexandra Rhodes, Thames & Hudson, London, 1999, page 140 for an illustration of this ring.
Note: This ring was included as lot 14 in the catalogue of The Magnificent Jewels of the late Countess Mona Bismarck, sold in Geneva on 13th May 1986.
Born Mona Travis Strader in Louiseville, Kentucky, in 1897, her third marriage in 1926 to the extremely wealthy industrialist Harrison Williams, placed her at the fore of American and European society. As a couple they were feted and much admired, they lived a highly glamourous and charmed lifestyle. They owned palatial residences, located both in the USA and Europe, which included their breathtaking villa on the island of Capri. She was regarded as one of the most elegant and beautiful women of her times and her jewellery collection certainly reflected her exquisite style and taste and her love for the finest gemstones: indeed this emerald was the finest in her collection.
As Diana Vreeland (1903-1989), chief editor of American Vogue, stated in her introduction to that May 1986 Sotheby's catalogue :
" Mona Bismarck was an extraordinary beauty who all her life surrounded herself with gaiety, vitality and mirth. She lived among objects of perfection in her superb house. But perhaps her most lovely surroundings were her endless mediterranean gardens. I remember them as acres of bewilderment, riots of colour which in the evening would produce that intense smell of night-blooming jasmin or the warm scent of roses left behind by the sunshine
Mona Bismarck loved her gardens, and she adored her outdoor life, especially tennis and swimming. Sometimes she would disappear into the sea for hours; swimming, floating, totally absorbed in the glory of the sky, the sun... Her eyes amazing in their size and shape and of an extreme blue which when falling on you would absorb you into her wonderful vivacity and beauty
In a rather miraculous way, everything that was hers was out of the ordinary. By day, I never saw her without her enormous pearls gleaming on her immaculate skin. By night her superb jewels, sometimes a magnificent diamond necklace, sometimes a chain of emeralds or her parure of rubies, would be a backdrop to her unforgettable elegance.
She lived a life which would be difficult for anyone to repeat today, but her ageless jewels survive to adorn other beauties in other settings".
Emerald and diamond demi-parure. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 CHF. Sold 217,000 CHF at Sotheby's Geneva, 14 Nov 2007, lot 188. Photo Sotheby's
The fringe necklace of stylised floral design, millegrain set throughout with brilliant-cut diamonds, decorated at the front with seven step-cut emeralds, accompanied by a pair of pendent earrings en suite, mounted in yellow gold, necklace length 390mm.
Exceptional 9.15 carats Colombian emerald and diamond ring. Estimate 150,000 — 220,000 CHF. Sold 199,000 CHF at Sotheby's Geneva, 14 Nov 2007, lot 292. Photo Sotheby's
The step-cut emerald weighing 9.15 carats, set between trapeze diamond shoulders, mounted in platinum, size 51.
Accompanied by SSFE report no. 49617 stating that the emerald is of Colombian origin, with no indications of clarity modification.
Vase with peony scroll and landscape panels, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century. Carved red lacquer. H. 18 1/2 in. (47cm); Diam. 13 1/2 in. (34.3cm); Diam. of rim: 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); Diam. of foot: 8 1/4 in. (21 cm). John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913, 13.100.139 © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Box with camellia, Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), 14th century. Carved red and green lacquer.H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); Diam. 4 in. (10.2 cm). Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891, 91.1.666© 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The stylized flowers depicted in Chinese lacquer are often difficult to identify precisely. However, the large blossom on this box is probably a camellia, a flower associated with winter and endurance. This box is one of several, most found in Japan, which bear the name Zhang Cheng (here, carved into the base). He is one of only two fourteenth-century lacquer artists whose names are recorded.
Rice measure with Daoist deities, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Jiajing period (1522–66), 16th century. Carved red, green, and black lacquer. H. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm); W. 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm); D. 12 7/8 in. (32.7 cm). John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913, 13.100.140© 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lot 3790. A rhinoceros horn ‘Prunus tree’ libation cup, Qing Dynasty , 17th-18th century. Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 HKD. Lot Sold 2,320,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby’s.
carved on the exterior with burls and knots simulating a tree trunk, the handle formed by two branches issuing thin twigs bearing prunus buds and blossoms, the flowering twigs and branches extending across the sides of the vessel and onto the interior of the vessel, the surface of a lustrous patinated warm amber tone, wood stand; 17.6 cm., 7 in.
Notes: The linearity of the prunus design adorning this cup, seen in the angular branches and the bold form of the prunus flowers that stretch around the exterior, suggests the design was inspired by woodblock prints of the Ming dynasty. An effective visual and tactile contrast is achieved through the high relief flowering branches and the smoothly polished ground. One of the ‘Three Friends of Winter’, together with the pine and bamboo, the prunus represents strength and endurance.
A similar cup was sold in these rooms, 22nd May 1985, lot 281, and again, from the collection of Franklin Chow, 8th October 2013, lot 3238; another, in the Chester Beatty Library, is illustrated by Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 214; and a slightly smaller cup was sold at Christie’s London, 12th May 2009, lot 28.
Sotheby’s. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 08 oct. 2014, 03:00 PM
A large rhinoceros horn ‘Pine and River’ libation cup, Qing Dynasty , 17th-18th century. Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD. Lot Sold 1,720,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby’s.
the tapered horn carved on the exterior around the mouthrim with jagged rockwork and branches issuing clusters of leaves, the lower section of the vessel decorated in low relief with tempestuous waves, the openwork handle formed on one side with intertwining branches issuing further pine blossoms and extending onto the interior of the cup, the horn patinated to a dark brown tone, wood stand; 19 cm., 7 1/2 in.
Notes: Rhinoceros horn cups of this type, finely carved with scenes from nature devoid of human figures, were particularly sought after by scholars as they served as sources of inspiration for reflection and escape from the duties of officialdom. The present piece is notable for the craftsman’s ability to capture different textures, from the craggy rocks that hang from the top to the waves of crashing water below, which stylistically is reminiscent of that seen on blue and white porcelain.
Related examples include two of slightly smaller size, decorated with a riverscape, from the Songzhutang collection, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 31st May 2010, lots 1811 and 1816; another, carved with a cliff face embedded with pine and wutong trees, sold in our London rooms, 17th October 1978, lot 160; and a fourth cup, sold in these rooms 20th May 1986, lot 174, and again, from the collection of Franklin Chow, 8th April 2011, lot 2717.
Sotheby’s. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 08 oct. 2014, 03:00 PM
Lot 3793. A rhinoceros horn ‘Figural Landscape’ libation cup, Qing Dynasty , 17th-18th century. Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 HKD. Lot Sold 1,480,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby’s.
the tapered horn meticulously carved on the exterior with a continuous scene depicting several figures amidst an idyllic riverscape laden with large overhanging wutong and pine trees, the tranquil setting quaintly accented with a few bridges, pavilions and pagodas, the rippling waters detailed with swirl motifs, the openwork handle formed on one side with gnarled towering trees and branches extending onto the interior of the cup and issuing pine and wutong blossoms, the horn of a warm reddish-brown tone, wood stand; 15.5 cm., 6 1/8 in.
Notes: Deftly carved with a scholar in a riverscape, rhinoceros horn cups decorated with figural scenes were inspired by painted handscrolls, whereby the continuous scene was ‘unravelled’ as the cup was turned. Compare two rhinoceros horn cups, similarly decorated with figures in craggy landscapes and fashioned with a handle carved in the form of pine trees, sold in our London rooms, the first, from the collection of Marcel Lorber, 24th April 1987, lot 281, and the second, 29th October 1982, lot 94.
Sotheby’s. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 08 oct. 2014, 03:00 PM
Wen Zhengming (Chinese, 1470 - 1559), Landscape in Rain, c. 1500-1559, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Fan. Ink on paper. H. 5 3/4 in x W. 16 1/2 in, H. 14.5 cm x W. 42 cm (image); H. 13 1/4 in x W. 24 in, H. 33.7 cm x W. 61 cm (overall). Museum purchase, B79D20 © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture
This scene depicts a quiet river landscape. The details of the distant mountains and the boat are intentionally softened to make them look as if they were being viewed through a veil of mist. Such effects captured the characteristic lush environment surrounding the southern city of Suzhou. The craggy pine in the right foreground is the only element executed with bold application of dark ink.
Wen Zhengming (Chinese, 1470 - 1559), After Ni Zan's Spring in Jiangnan, 1536 or 1537, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Fan. Ink and colors on gold-surfaced paper. H. 6 7/8 in x W. 21, H. 17.4 cm x W. 53.3 cm (image); H. 13 in x W. 24 in, H. 33 cm x W. 61 cm (overall). Gift of Mr. Jean-Pierre Dubosc, B81D30 © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture
In this scene of spring in Jiangnan province (south of the Yangzi River) is a traveling man on a donkey crossing a bridge, followed by a servant on foot. Elegantly drawn willows and trees draw the eye up to a wide landscape of islands and fishing villages. The articulation of space, the variety of brushstrokes, and the softness of tones are all stylistic qualities of Wen Zhengming, who was a leading figure in a group of scholar-artists from the southeast. According to a poetic inscription that Wen wrote on this work when he was sixty-eight, it is a study of a classic landscape by the monk-artist, Ni Zan (1301–1374). In the poem inscribed above the painting, Wen expressed his contradictory feelings about nature's beauty and life's complications.
Responding to Spring in Jiangnan by Ni Yuanzhen [Ni Zan].
. . . frost blankets blue bamboo shoots,
Life is full of emotions as well as complications.
On riverbanks, spring thunder resounds over delicate
bamboo shoots,
Falling thick and fast, spring rain obscures the landscape.
In the distance, the sky longs for blue clouds at twilight,
Sighing in despair for aging, beauty succumbs to melancholy.
Other inscriptions, by three scholar-artists of his time, confirm this lyrical theme.
Wen Zhengming (Chinese, 1470 - 1559), Landscape with Two Figures, 1470-1559, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Fan. Ink and colors on gold-flecked paper. H. 13 in x W. 24 1/4 in, H. 33 cm x W. 61.6 cm (overall). Museum purchase, C. Barry Randell Bequest Fund, B81D40 © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture
Superb and extremely rare unmounted brilliant-cut diamond weighing 84.37 carats. Sold 18,193,000 CHF at Sotheby'sGeneva, 14 Nov 2007, lot 382.
Accompanied by GIA report no. 15692749 stating that the diamond is D Colour, Flawless Clarity and that the cut, polish and symmetry are excellent.
