Lot 7. Rare vase couvert de style moghol en jade vert épinard, Dynastie Qing, époque Qianlong. Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 €. Lot sold 68,750 €. Photo: Sotheby's.

de forme d'un vase meiping, la partie supérieure bombée finement et richement sculptée en relief d'un décor foisonnant de fleurs de lotus dans les branchages feuillagés, la partie inférieure fuselée ornée de quatre lotus dans des rinceaux, l'épaulement rythmé de quatre anses ajourées en forme de fleurs de lotus épanouies soutenant des anneaux mobiles, le col resserré en corolle à pétales épanouis, le couvercle  au même décor surmonté d'une prise en forme de bouton de lotus (2), 22 cm 

A WELL-CARVED MUGHAL-STYLE SPINACH-GREEN JADE VASE AND COVER, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD,  8 5/8  in.

Provenance: Acquired in Paris, November 1969 (No. 150 according to the collectors' files). 

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie Paris, 22 Jun 2017

Lot 148. Boîte couverte en laque rouge sculptée, Dynastie Ming, XVIe-XVIIe siècle. Estimate 18,000 — 24,000 €. Lot sold 72,500 €. Photo: Sotheby's.

de forme rectangulaire, le couvercle finement sculpté d'un dignitaire escorté de deux soldats et accompagné de trois serviteurs dans un paysage valloné planté de pins, les côtés sculptés de branches de prunus, l'intérieur et la base laqués noir (2),  13,4 x 23,4 x 8,9 cm

A WELL-CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER BOX AND COVER, MING DYNASTY, 16TH/17TH CENTURY,  5 1/4  by 9 1/4  by 3 1/2  in.

Exhibited: Chinesische Lackkunst. Eine deutsche Privatsammlung, Museum fuer Lackkunst, Muenster, 30th May - 29th August 2010, no. 23.
Lack - Meisterwerke chinesischer Handwerkskunst des 12.-18. Jhdts., Museum fuer Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, 19th May - 29th August 2011.
In Lack getraenkt. Eine deutsche Privatsammlung chinesischer Lackkunst, Museum fuer Asiatische Kunst, Berlin, 5th October 2012 - 13th January 2013. 

Literature: Patricia Frick, Chinesische Lackkunst. Eine deutsche Privatsammlung, Muenster, 2010, cat. no. 23

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie Paris, 22 Jun 2017

Lot 239. Importante statuette de Guanyin en porcelaine Dehua, Dynastie Qing, XVIIIe-XIXe siècle. Estimate 70,000 — 90,000 €. Lot sold 87,500 €. Photo: Sotheby's.

se tenant debout sur un socle circulaire formé de nuages vaporeux recouvrant des vagues tourbillonnantes, vêtue d'une longue et ample robe retombant jusqu'aux pieds et nouée sous la poitrine ornée d'une parure de perles élaborée, la main gauche tenant un rouleau, le visage plein aux yeux mi-clos et aux traits fins, la chevelure soigneusement détaillée et retenue en un haut chignon par une épingle en forme de sceptre ruyiderrière une tiare ouvragée et deux ornements en lotus, marque en cachet Boji Yuren au dos, 94 cm

A MASSIVE, WELL-MODELLED DEHUA FIGURE OF GUANYIN, IMPRESSED BOJI YUREN MARK, QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY,  37 in. 

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie Paris, 22 Jun 2017

Magdalene Odundo, Untitled, 1989. Burnished and oxidized terracotta. Private collection, CA

ATLANTA, GA.- The High Museum of Art presents an extraordinary group of terracotta vessels and related works by Magdalene Odundo (British, born Kenya, 1950) in “Universal and Sublime: The Vessels of Magdalene Odundo” (June 24 through Oct. 15, 2017). 

The exhibition traces the trajectory of Odundo’s work over the course of three decades, from its genesis in the early 1980s through her most recent innovations, including new works created especially for the exhibition. Over the years, Odundo’s art has become immediately recognizable for its distinctive, sensuous forms, some of which suggest the human figure. Odundo builds her vessels by hand using a coiling technique and often fires them repeatedly, which results in burnished, silken surfaces ranging from bold orange to smoky, iridescent black.  

Magdalene Odundo, Symmetrical Variegated Form, 1990. Burnished and carbonized terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Odundo’s technical achievements fuse with a distinctly personal style, influenced by sources from across the globe and throughout time. Her ceramics synthesize artistic traditions ranging from Greek and Roman pottery, to Elizabethan costumes, to the art of modern masters Henri Matisse and Amedeo Modigliani, to the spherical vessels African women have made throughout the centuries to carry and store water. 

“We are so pleased and honored to present Odundo’s truly transcendent work. Her inventive approach to art making combines a mastery of materials and innovative techniques to create a body of work that honors the past but remains very relevant to today’s world,” said Carol Thompson, the High’s Fred and Rita Richman curator of African art. “Odundo’s ceramics resonate with works in the Museum’s historical African art collection, such as an exquisite Mangbetu vessel—a form that Odundo acknowledges has inspired her practice.” 

Magdalene Odundo, Untitled, 1990. Burnished and carbonized terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

To provide insights into Odundo’s artistic process, the exhibition includes sketches and select works on paper. A frequent visitor to Atlanta for many years, Odundo has made repeat trips to sketch in the High’s galleries. Drawings from a 2011 sketchbook present several views of an ancient terracotta sculpture in the Museum’s collection, which was made by an artist working during the height of the medieval Empire of Mali in the region of Djenne, one of the oldest cities in sub-Saharan Africa. The ca. 13th–15th-century sculpture shows a female torso wrapped in snakes. “The sculpture’s graceful female form looks so animated that it nearly seems to dance. Similarly, Odundo’s works feature flowing, dynamic forms that are full of life,” said Thompson. 

“Universal and Sublime: The Vessels of Magdalene Odundo” is presented on the second floor of the High’s Anne Cox Chambers Wing.  

Magdalene Odundo, Vessel Series II, no.1, 2005–2006. Burnished and carbonized terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Magdalene Odundo, Vessel Series II, no.3, 2005–2006. Burnished and carbonized terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Magdalene Odundo, Untitled, 2013. Burnished and carbonized terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Magdalene Odundo, Untitled, 1995. Burnished and reduced terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Magdalene Odundo, Orange Narrow Necked, 1987. Burnished and oxidized terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Magdalene Odundo, Kigango Series, 2000. Burnished and oxidized terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Magdalene Odundo, Untitled 14, 1994. Burnished and reduced terracotta. Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1950, Odundo lived her early life in both Kenya and India and moved to England in 1970. She studied ceramics at the West Surrey College of Art and Royal College of Art and has traveled the world studying and researching ceramic techniques, speaking, and conducting workshops. Her art is represented in major museum collections worldwide, including those of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and The British Museum. In addition to her many awards, the artist was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List for Services to the Arts in 2008.

Odundo's ceramics are hand built, using a coiling technique. She does not use the wheel, preferring instead to shape her vessels without its restraints of rotational symmetry. Similarly, the surfaces on her vessels are not glazed but instead laboriously burnished, covered with slip, and burnished again. When thoroughly dry the pots are fired in a gas kiln, first in an oxidizing atmosphere, which turns them a naturally bright red-orange, and, as in this case, often a second time, enclosed in a special container filled with wood chips and shavings, so that the combustion of the wood fuel in an oxygen-poor, "reduced" atmosphere causes the clay to chemically alter and turn black or, as in the present vessel, a deep, varied anthracite coloring.

Odundo's work is represented in over 40 public collections worldwide, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The British Museum, London, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The National Museum of African Art and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (both at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.), Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Lot 97. Magdalene Odundo, Vase, 1982, glazed ceramic, signed Odundo, 24.1 H cm. (9 1/2 in.). Estimate 2,500 — 3,500 GBP. Lot sold 11,875 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

Provenance: Rosenthal Studio-Haus, Hamburg
Private Collection, 1982
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Exhibited: Hamburg and London, Rosenthal Studio Haus, Solo Exhibition, 1982-1983

Note: This lot was exhibited very soon after Odundo's Royal College of Art Show.  An early production with a subdued form, this work demonstrates the core form from which her later works derive.  A lovely early example, the piece is signed to the base with a simple signature.  Odundo confirmed these early works were undated to the underside as is characteristic with her later works.

Lot 1. Magdalene Odundo (n. 1950), Sans Titre, 1994; Signé et daté"Odundo 1994", haut. 50,5 cm (19 7/8 in). Estimate 35,000 — 50,000 €. Lot sold 195,000 €. Photo: Sotheby's.

Provenance: Collection privée, acquis en 1994

Exhibited: 's-Hertogenbosch, Het Kruithuis, Stedelijk Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst, Magdalene Odundo, 1994

Literature: Joris, Picton et al., Magdalene Odundo, 1994, p. 65, n° 33

Note: "Si nous étiquetions Magdalene Odundo et ses œuvres comme "africaines" - ce qu'elles sont - comme si cela en identifiait le fondement ou peut-être même le seul critère d'évaluation, nous passerions à côté de l'essentiel : que Magdalene Odundo est une artiste [...]. La seule étiquette qui compte est celle "d'artiste", une identité qui transcende le temps et l'espace en Afrique, en Europe et en Amérique." John Picton (Joris, Picton et al., Magdalene Odundo, 1994, p. 45). 

Si l'on ne connaît plus le nom des artistes dont les sculptures illustrent ce catalogue de vente, celui de Magdalene Odundo est aujourd'hui célèbre, et identifiéà l'une des œuvres les plus inspirées de la création contemporaine en Angleterre. Née à Nairobi en 1950, Magdalene Odundo puise son inspiration dans la céramique traditionnelle de ses racines, aux confins de l'Ouganda et du Kenya, ou encore, comme ici, dans l'art Mangbetu. Elle en transcende l'esthétique et, en écho à l'œuvre de Brancusi et de Arp, concentre sa recherche sur la perfection formelle. 

Ses céramiques sont façonnées à la main, évitant ainsi la symétrie du tour; les surfaces ne sont pas vernies mais brunies, couvertes d’un engobe, et brunies à nouveau, puis souvent recuites dans un contenant rempli de copeaux de bois et pauvre en oxygène, offrant à la patine ses profondes nuances noires et anthracite.  

Le travail d’Odundo est représenté dans plus de quarante collections publiques à travers le monde, parmi lesquelles le Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York, le British Museum de Londres, l’Art Institute de Chicago, le Museum of Fine Arts de Houston, le National Museum of African Art et le Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (Smithsonian Institution, Washington), le Los Angeles County Museum of Art, et le Victoria and Albert Museum de Londres.

Sotheby's. Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie, Paris, 24 Jun 2015

Lot 37. Magdalene Odundo, Untitled, 1990, signed on underside of foot: "Odundo 1990". Height: 13 7/8 inches (35.2 cm). Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 USD. Lot sold 34,375 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

Provenance: Private English Collection, acquired directly from the artist
By descent to the present owner

Note: Much of Kenyan-born (1950, Nairobi) Magdalene Odundo's inspiration is drawn from the ceramic tradition of her roots on the Ugandan/Kenyan border.  In keeping with modern sculptors (such as Brancusi and Arp) she focuses on the search for perfection in form.  Odundo's ceramics are hand built, using a coiling technique.  She does not use the wheel, preferring instead to shape her vessels without its restraints of rotational symmetry.  Similarly, the surfaces on her vessels are not glazed but instead laboriously burnished, covered with slip, and burnished again.  When thoroughly dry the pots are fired in a gas kiln, first in an oxidizing atmosphere, which turns them a naturally bright red-orange.

Lot 38. Magdalene Odundo, Untitled, 1999, signed on underside of foot: "Odundo 1999". Height: 15 inches (38.1 cm). Estimate 15,000 — 25,000 USD. Lot sold 17,500 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

Provenance: Private English Collection, acquired directly from the artist 
By descent to the present owner

Sotheby's. African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art, New York, 16 May 2013

Lot 64. Magdalene Odundo (born Nairobi, 1950), Untitled (Anthropomorphic Sculpture), 1991, signed and dated under foot: Odundo 1991.. Height: 16 7/8 (42.9 cm).  Estimate 40,000 -- 60,000 USD. Lot sold 134,500 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

Provenance: Anthony Ralph Gallery, New York
Werner Muensterberger, New York, acquired from the above on April 25, 1991

Exhibited: Anthony Ralph Gallery, New York, Magdalene Odundo, 1991

Note: Much of Kenyan born (1950, Nairobi) Magdalene Odundo's inspiration is drawn from the ceramic tradition of her roots on the Ugandan/Kenyan border. In keeping with modern sculptors (such as Brancusi and Arp) she focuses on the search for perfection in form. Working within a highly personal and meaningful artistic idiom, Odundo's sculptures assume the shape of vessels only superficially. In fact, they represent spiritual containers and mirror certain ideas and concepts, in the Muensterberger sculpture female beauty. 

Odundo's ceramics are hand built, using a coiling technique. She does not use the wheel, preferring instead to shape her vessels without its restraints of rotational symmetry. Similarly, the surfaces on her vessels are not glazed but instead laboriously burnished, covered with slip, and burnished again. When thoroughly dry the pots are fired in a gas kiln, first in an oxidizing atmosphere, which turns them a naturally bright red-orange, and, as in this case, often a second time, enclosed in a special container filled with wood chips and shavings, so that the combustion of the wood fuel in an oxygen-poor, "reduced" atmosphere causes the clay to chemically alter and turn black or, as in the Muensterberger sculpture, partially anthracite. 

Sotheby's. Masterpieces of African Art from the Collection of the Late Werner Muensterberger, New York, 11 May 2012

Lot 1. Magdalene Odundo, 1993. Height 15 5/8 in. 39.5 cm. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 USD. Lot sold 33,750 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

rising from a small circular bottom, the spherical body surmounted by a cylindrical neck with two rings to the sides leading to a horizontally flaring end; 'Odundo 1993' engraved on bottom; fine polished and carbonized surface.

Provenance: Anthony Slayter-Ralph Fine Art, Santa Barbara
Acquired from the above, ca. 1994

Literature: Anthony Slayter-Ralph (ed.), Magdalene Odundo, Hampshire and Burlington, 2004, p. 118, cat. 109

Note: Much of Kenyan born (1950, Nairobi) Magdalene Odundo's inspiration is drawn from the ceramic tradition of her roots on the Ugandan/Kenyan border. In keeping with modern sculptors (such as Brancusi and Arp) she focuses on the search for perfection in form. Working within a highly personal and meaningful artistic idiom, Odundo's sculptures assume the shape of vessels only superficially. In fact, they represent spiritual containers and mirror certain ideas and concepts, in the Muensterberger sculpture female beauty. 

Saint John the Baptist, c. 1500. Attributed to Jan Crocq (Netherlandish, Antwerp, active at the Court of René II, Duke of Lorraine, at Nancy and Bar-le-Duc, 1486–1510). Limestone; 163 x 59 x 40 cm (64 1/4 x 23 3/8 x 15 3/4 in). The Cleveland Museum of Art.

CLEVELAND, OH.- The Cleveland Museum of Art’s recent acquisitions include a medieval limestone sculpture of Saint John the Baptist by Jan Crocq, six Pre-Columbian objects from the South American Andes, three Japanese Edo period porcelain dishes, and a monumental photograph by contemporary Irish artist Richard Mosse. 

Saint John the Baptist An extraordinary example of Late Burgundian art 
Saint John the Baptist, much beloved and widely venerated during the Middle Ages, is depicted in this sculpture in a formal manner typical of Netherlandish art of the 1400s and early 1500s. The sculpture is impressive for the deeply undercut folds of drapery as well as the saint’s curling hair and beard that achieve an almost photographic realism characteristic of Burgundian and Netherlandish art of this period. 

Clear stylistic traits link this sculpture to Jan Crocq, an attribution supported by a consensus of scholars. A native of Antwerp, Crocq is known from documentary sources as a sculptor of wood and stone, active in Barle-Duc and Nancy at the court of René II, Duke of Lorraine, from 1486 to 1510. 

The sculpture is reputedly from the Sainte-Chapelle of Dijon, seat of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a chivalric order founded by Duke Philip the Good in 1430. Jan Crocq’s patron, René II, Duke of Lorraine, was himself a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece and is documented as having contributed embellishments to the Sainte-Chapelle. 

Given the museum’s strength in early Burgundian art, the acquisition of Crocq’s superb Saint John the Baptist adds to the collection an example of late Burgundian sculpture in its final evolutionary stage. The sculpture will be on view in the museum’s late medieval galleries by the end of June 2017. 

Pre-Columbian Group Six artworks from the central Andes 
This group of artworks—ranging from artistically elaborate ceramic vessels and textiles to a small sculpture made of bone—represents the artistic achievements of six ancient cultures that flourished between about 2200 BC and AD 1460 in the central Andes, a region today occupied mainly by Peru.

Vessel with Reclining Figure and Birds Elaborate ceramic vessels are the most copious surviving art form of the Cupisnique (coo-piz-knee-kay), the earliest people of Peru’s north coast. The small size and sculptural complexity of this intriguing example give it the power of a miniature to draw the viewer close. Beneath the spout’s arch is a supine human pecked by the two birds perched on the vessel’s doughnut-shaped chamber; the mythical creatures on the vessel’s spout situate the scene in a cosmic context. 

Vessel with Reclining Figure and Birds. Central Andes, north coast, Cupisnique people, 2200–200 BC. Ceramic and pigment (cinnabar?); 14.3 x 14.9 cm (5 2/3 x 5 7/8 in). The Cleveland Museum of Art. 

Textile Fragment with Cotton Goddess The style of Chavín, an impressive temple center in the central Peruvian highlands, is acclaimed for its early development and cerebral complexity. Examples of Chavín textiles are rare, and this fragment, which may derive from a ceremonial hanging, is famous within the corpus. The image—a standing figure holding staffs of authority to either side of its body—makes copious use of fanged heads, a favored Chavín motif. The white cotton bolls that edge the staffs have caused the figure to be dubbed the Cotton Goddess and to be associated with nature’s fertility. 

Double-Spouted Vessel The Paracas style, the earliest of Peru’s south coast, focuses on geometric abstraction and polychromy, the latter achieved in ceramics with resin-based paints applied after the vessel was fired. This example is embellished with two monkey- or feline-like creatures with curvilinear forms that indicate the vessel was made in the late stages of the Paracas sequence. 

Double-Spouted Vessel. Central Andes, south coast, Paracas people, 750–1 BC. Ceramic and resin-based paint; 19.7 x 20.7 cm (7 ¾ x 8 1/8 in). The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Thumb Rest of a Spear Thrower Made by an artist of the Wari Empire, this beautifully carved small bone object was lashed to the shaft of a spear thrower, serving as the weapon’s thumb rest or grip. The subject matter echoes the function: a supernatural creature with the fanged mouth of an apex predator throttles a small human victim. Depressions were once inlaid with colored stone and shell. 

Thumb Rest of a Spear Thrower. Central Andes, Wari people, 600–1000. Bone; 7.1 x 2.1 x 2.6 cm (2 ¾ x 7/8 x 1 in). The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Head Cloth The Chancay, who focused their artistic energies mainly on textiles and ceramics, were a major late pre-Hispanic culture of Peru’s central coast. The textile’s size, shape, and two-panel construction indicate it is a head cloth, an important item of women’s wear. This panel is a particularly beautiful example due to its colors, which are reminiscent of twilight when the sky turns a luminous, dark blue and a shimmer of orange light appears on the horizon. 

Bound Deer Effigy Vessel Chimú rulers created the first empire on the Peruvian coast. Chimú art forms range from fine textiles to works of wood, bone, shell, and precious metals, but most common are ceramics, which typically were mold-made of unpainted, burnished blackware. Bound stag effigy vessels are a distinct genre within the Chimú corpus, and this is a beautifully realized example.  

Bound Deer Effigy Vessel. Central Andes, north coast, Chimú people, 1000–1460s. Ceramic; 18.7 x 24 x 13 cm (7 1/3 x 9 ½ x 5 1/8 in). The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Japanese Edo Porcelain Group 
Nabeshima porcelain of the 17th and 18th centuries 
Nabeshima porcelain was produced in Hizen Province in Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost island, for the exclusive use of the Shogun in Edo (present-day Tokyo) and his retinue. The finest Japanese porcelain ever produced, Nabeshima represents the pinnacle of Japanese aesthetics as expressed in the medium. The superior quality of Nabeshima ware is related to the highly regulated environment and strict quality controls under which it was produced; the designs were intended to appeal to the uppermost echelon of Japanese society. 

Dish with Ginkgo Leaves This shallow dish on a raised, high ring foot is decorated with a complex, abstracted design of ginkgo leaves and “Chinese grasses” (karakusa) that is among the most interesting of the underglaze blue designs of its era. Dishes like this one were produced in sets of five, to be used as part of a larger dining service including sake cups as well as smaller and larger dishes. 

Dish with Ginkgo Leaves. Japanese, Edo period (1615–1868), Genroku era (1688−1704). Porcelain with underglaze blue (Hizen ware, Nabeshima type); diameter 20 cm (8 in). The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Dish with Maple Leaves in Waves This shallow dish on a raised, high ring foot is decorated with maple leaves floating on the rough waters of a fast-flowing stream. The foot is decorated with a pattern of three clusters of six-tasseled Chinese coins above a typical comb-tooth design. The dish’s design has been associated with the motif of maple leaves floating on the Tatsuta River found in famous Japanese classical poetry. 

Dish with Maple Leaves in Waves. Japanese, Edo period (1615–1868), Genroku/Shōtoku eras (1688−1716). Porcelain with underglaze blue and overglaze color enamel (Hizen ware, Nabeshima type); diameter 19.7 cm (7 3/4 in). The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Dish with Sweet Osmanthus and Cloud This shallow dish on a raised, high ring foot is decorated with a flowering sweet osmanthus (olive tree). A band of mist or clouds floating across the tree completes the composition. The osmanthus tree was imported from China to southern Japan.  

Dish with Sweet Osmanthus and Cloud. Japanese, Edo period (1615–1868), Genroku/Shōtoku eras (1688−1716). Porcelain with underglaze blue and overglaze color enamel (Hizen ware, Nabeshima type); diameter 20 cm (7 7/8 in). The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Contemporary Photograph by Richard Mosse 
Visually arresting work addresses the current refugee crisis 
The fourteen-foot-long photograph Moria Camp, Lesbos, 2016, is part of Richard Mosse’s series Heat Maps, which looks at the much-documented current refugee crisis in Europe from a new perspective. Mosse’s monumentally scaled images of refugee camps and their settings combine multiple genres of photography, from social documentary and manipulated photography to technological innovation and formal exploration. This is the first work by the artist to enter the museum’s collection. 

The works in Heat Maps are manipulated photographs rather than “straight,” produced by digitally stitching together almost a thousand individual frames into a single panoramic scene. The individual images were taken with an extremely high-resolution camera created for militaries to track and target their enemies in border surveillance and combat. It records thermal radiation rather than light, and can detect a human body from 30.3 kilometers away. Through the camera’s eye, humans become biological traces rather than individuals, a condition that echoes the dehumanizing treatment of the refugees. 

Mosse chose to output his digital compositions as chromogenic (color photographic) prints on metallic paper. The result is a seemingly monochrome image in which the people and objects have a ghostly presence on the shimmering background. Mosse brilliantly employs a technology of covert surveillance and destruction, using it to broadcast evidence of a global societal ill and encourage constructive action

Moria Camp, Lesbos, 2016. Richard Mosse (Irish, b. 1980). Digital chromogenic print on metallic paper; framed: 50 x 167 1/4 x 2 in. The Cleveland Museum of Art. 

Moria Camp, Lesbos, 2016. Richard Mosse (Irish, b. 1980). Digital chromogenic print on metallic paper; framed: 50 x 167 1/4 x 2 in. The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Johnson Hartig, American, born 1962; for Libertine, “Ensemble” (detail), Fall/Winter 2009-10; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Johnson Hartig. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA.

SAINT LOUIS, MO.- The Saint Louis Art Museum is presenting Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015, an exhibition that celebrates a rich history of restraint and resplendence in menswear. The ticketed exhibition is on view from June 25 through Sept. 17. 

Featuring more than 150 looks, Reigning Men traces cultural influences over the centuries, examines how elements of the uniform have profoundly shaped fashionable dress, and reveals how cinching and padding the body was—and is—not exclusive to women. 

Reigning Men is drawn primarily from the renowned collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which organized the exhibition. When it premiered last year, The Los Angeles Times praised the exhibition as a “deep dive into the forces that have literally and figuratively shaped men’s fashion in a different—and delightful—way.” 

“Fashion has not been a major collecting area for the Saint Louis Art Museum, so we felt a project based on scholarship and objects of exceptional quality would be an appropriate and exciting addition to our schedule,” said Brent R. Benjamin, Barbara B. Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum. “Because of the extraordinary collection and curatorial expertise of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Reigning Men is an exhibition we were eager to bring to St. Louis.” 

The exhibition explores the history of men’s fashionable dress while re-examining the equation of “fashion” with “femininity.” 

Beginning with the 18th century, the male aristocrat wore a three-piece suit conspicuous in make and style, and equally as lavish as the opulent dress of his female counterpart. The 19th-century “dandy” made famous a more refined brand of expensive elegance which became the hallmark of Savile Row. The mid-20th-century “mod” relished in the colorful and modern styles of Carnaby Street, and the 21st-century man—in an ultra-chic “skinny suit” by day and a flowered tuxedo by night—redefines today’s concept of masculinity. 

The presentation at the Saint Louis Art Museum is co-curated by Genevieve Cortinovis, assistant curator of decorative arts and design, and Zoe A. Perkins, textile conservator. 

The Saint Louis Art Museum will offer an array of exhibition-related programming, including lectures, gallery talks and family programs that expand on the themes of Reigning Men.

Macaroni Ensemble: “Suit”, Italy, probably Venice, c. 1770; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume Council Fund; Waistcoat, France, c. 1770; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Suzanne A. Saperstein and Michael and Ellen Michelson, with additional funding from the Costume Council, the Edgerton Foundation, Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer, Maureen H. Shapiro, Grace Tsao, and Lenore and Richard Wayne; Sword with Sheath, France, late 18th century; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Mary H. and Martin B. Retting. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

“Coat, Vest, and Breeches”, France, c. 1790; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Suzanne A. Saperstein and Michael and Ellen Michelson, with additional funding from the Costume Council, the Edgerton Foundation, Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer, Maureen H. Shapiro, Grace Tsao, and Lenore and Richard Wayne; Hat (Tricorne), Netherlands, c. 1790; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume and Textiles Acquisition Fund. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

“Coat, Vest, and Breeches” (detail), France, c. 1790; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Suzanne A. Saperstein and Michael and Ellen Michelson, with additional funding from the Costume Council, the Edgerton Foundation, Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer, Maureen H. Shapiro, Grace Tsao, and Lenore and Richard Wayne; Hat (Tricorne), Netherlands, c. 1790; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume and Textiles Acquisition Fund. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Incroyable Ensemble: “Coat, Breeches, Lorgnette, and Walking Stick (Hercules Club)”, France, 1790’s; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Suzanne A. Saperstein and Michael and Ellen Michelson, with additional funding from the Costume Council, the Edgerton Foundation, Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer, Maureen H. Shapiro, Grace Tsao, and Lenore and Richard Wayne; Vests, France, 1790’s; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume Council Fund. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

“Army Uniform Ensemble”, England, 1799-1800; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Michael and Ellen Michelson. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

“Coat”, France, c. 1800; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of B. Rich; Vest (detail), France, c. 1800; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Suzanne A. Saperstein and Michael and Ellen Michelson, with additional funding from the Costume Council, the Edgerton Foundation, Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer, Maureen H. Shapiro, Grace Tsao, and Lenore and Richard Wayne. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

“Coat”, France, c.1800; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of B. Rich. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

"Coat” (detail), France, c. 1800; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of B. Rich; Vest (detail), France, c. 1800; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Suzanne A. Saperstein and Michael and Ellen Michelson, with additional funding from the Costume Council, the Edgerton Foundation, Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer, Maureen H. Shapiro, Grace Tsao, and Lenore and Richard Wayne. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

“Naval Uniform Ensemble” (detail), England, c. 1820; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Michael and Ellen Michelson. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

At-home Robe (Banyan)” (detail), England, c. 1880; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Suzanne A. Saperstein and Michael and Ellen Michelson, with additional funding from the Costume Council, the Edgerton Foundation, Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer, Maureen H. Shapiro, Grace Tsao, and Lenore and Richard Wayne; Slipper, probably China for the European market, c. 1870; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume and Textiles Acquisition Fund. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

“Suit” (detail), Europe, c. 1915; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Michael and Ellen Michelson; Boots, United States, 1910-20; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by James A. and Mary Jaene Edmonds; Hat (Boater), United States, 1915-25; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume Council Fund. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

“Army Tank Suit”, England, 1940-45; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume and Textiles Deaccession Fund. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

“Punk Jacket”, United States, 1978-83; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume Council Fund. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Walter Van Beirendonck, Belgian, born 1957; “Ensemble”, Fall/Winter 2000-1; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Walter Van Beirendonck. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Johnson Hartig, American, born 1962; for Libertine, “Ensemble”, Fall/Winter 2009-10; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Johnson Hartig. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Johnson Hartig, American, born 1962; for Libertine, “Ensemble” (detail), Fall/Winter 2009-10; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Johnson Hartig. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Johnson Hartig, American, born 1962; for Libertine, “Ensemble” (detail), Fall/Winter 2012-13; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Johnson Hartig. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Johnson Hartig, American, born 1962; for Libertine, “Ensemble” (detail), Fall/Winter 2012-13; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Johnson Hartig. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Rei Kawakubo, Japanese, born 1942; for Comme des Garçons, “Suit Jacket”, Spring/Summer 2013; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Ricky Serbin. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Jeremy Scott, American, born 1975; with Adidas, “Boots”, Spring/Summer 2013; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Jeremy Scott. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Kean Etro, Italian, born 1964; for Etro, “Ensemble”, Fall/Winter 2014-15; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Etro. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Kean Etro, Italian, born 1964; for Etro, “Ensemble” (detail), Fall/Winter 2014-15, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Etro. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Jeremy Scott, American, born 1975; with Adidas, “Ensemble”, Fall/Winter 2013-14; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Jeremy Scott. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA 

Jeremy Scott, American, born 1975; with Adidas, “Ensemble” (detail), Fall/Winter 2013-14; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Jeremy Scott. Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Lot 21. Willem Van Aelst (Utrecht 1625 ou 1626 - Amsterdam vers 1683), Nature morte aux pêches, raisins et aux fleurs avec un escargot et papillon. Toile, 65 x 54 cm. Signée et datée en haut à droite : … VAelst 1671. Estimation : 25 000 € / 30 000 €. Photo Millon et Associés

Restaurations anciennes 

Exposition : Maîtres Anciens et hollandais collection Galerie Baszanger Genève 28 avril au 29 juillet 194, Musée des Beaux Arts Neuchâtel, n° 1, repr. Catalogue (Willemn Van Aelst). 

Provenance : Vente anonyme, Zürich, 19 septembre 2014 (Koller), n° 3068 (atelier) ; 
Collection suisse. 

Ce lot est présenté en collaboration avec Arts Anciens

Collections & Successions - Tableaux Anciens, Mobilier et Objets d’Art du XVIIe au XIXe siècle chez Millon et Associés Paris, 75009 Paris, le 26 Juin 2017 à 14h00

Collector’s Cabinet with Miniature Apothecary’s Shop, anonymous, 1730.

AMSTERDAM.- In the last few years no fewer than 50 experts have been involved in conducting research on the only eighteenth-century miniature apothecary’s shop in the Netherlands. The Rijksmuseum is now presenting the results of this research and conservation project in an extensive publication, designed by Irma Boom and showing the miniature pharmacy and 56 secret drawers for the first time, at almost actual size. 

Collector's cabinet with miniature apothecary’s shop 
This rare collector's cabinet houses an abundance of curiosities including a fully fitted miniature apothecary’s shop containing more than three hundred Delftware pots, glass bottles, tiny wooden drawers, paintings and gilded ornaments. Concealed beside and behind the miniature pharmacy are no fewer than 56 secret drawers, all but five of which contain the collection of nearly 2000 varieties of naturalia, including seeds, flowers, roots, animal parts, rocks, minerals and fossils. 

Research 
The research has now been completed, providing a far deeper understanding of the cabinet’s origins, its purpose, the exceptional naturalia it contains, and the collectors’ world it inhabited. We can now be fairly certain that the cabinet was made in Amsterdam in 1730 for a wealthy doctor or apothecary, as a curiosity for the entertainment of a select group of friends and fellow collectors. 

The study also revealed that most of the naturalia items form the original contents of the cabinet. The naturalia even include uraninite and two other minerals containing uranium –for safety reasons, these materials are now safely stored in lead caskets in the Rijksmuseum’s depot, in accordance with the regulations and permit issued under the Dutch Nuclear Energy Act. 

The conservation and restoration work have for a large part returned the cabinet and miniature apothecary’s shop to their former glory, and this object is now one of the highlights of the eighteenth-century galleries in the Rijksmuseum.

Collector’s Cabinet with Miniature Apothecary’s Shop, anonymous, 1730.

Collector’s Cabinet with Miniature Apothecary’s Shop, anonymous, 1730.

Collector’s Cabinet with Miniature Apothecary’s Shop, anonymous, 1730.

Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594), Angel Foretelling the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (1560-1570), photo KIK-IRPA.

ANTWERP.- The Rubens House has unveiled David Bowie’s Tintoretto. The British rock star owned St Catherine by the Venetian painter Jacopo Tintoretto (1518–1594) for over 30 years. Following Bowie’s death in 2016, his exceptional art collection was auctioned on 10 November that same year at Sotheby’s in London. There was one noteworthy old master amongst the modern and contemporary works by the likes of Frank Auerbach, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Damien Hirst: Jacopo Tintoretto. 

Bowie, like Rubens, was an immense admirer of the Venetian artist. Rubens not only drew inspiration from Tintoretto for his own work, he also had seven of his fellow artist’s paintings in his own collection. The monumental St Catherine altarpiece, painted in the 1560s, was purchased by a private collector who announced to the world’s press within minutes of the sale that he would be loaning the painting long term to the Rubens House – ‘a museum Bowie loved’. What David Bowie never knew is that a brilliant underdrawing lies hidden beneath the layers of painting, as discovered recently during technical examination of the altarpiece at the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) in Brussels. The underdrawing suggests that the work can be dated to roughly a decade earlier than previously thought and shows how Tintoretto developed the painting in his own hand, continually adjusting the composition as he worked. The Colnaghi Foundation, in collaboration with the Rubens House, will present a scholarly publication in October devoted to Tintoretto, Rubens and Bowie, with contributions from several international specialists. The Flemish Minister of Tourism, Ben Weyts, was so impressed by the whole story recently that he promptly gave his backing to a tentative plan to return the painting temporarily to Venice, where Tintoretto’s altarpiece will now be exhibited at the 2019 Biennale, accompanied by a raft of Flemish old masters who were amongst the Venetian artist’s admirers. 

‘The gift that a great painting gives you: it’s just there for you to marvel at, it lifts your spirits, instils you with hope and beauty, but it doesn’t expect anything in return.’ As a painter and an accomplished collector, it might easily have been Peter Paul Rubens who made this striking statement. The words are, however, those of the late David Bowie almost four centuries later. The world-famous rock star, enthusiastic collector and huge admirer of Rubens was asked, ‘if you could invent a drug, what would it be, what effect should it have?’ Bowie replied, ‘A shot of hug. Preferably from a three-year-old like my daughter, that age, that brief window of time when a child hugs you with all its might and conviction and pure, undiluted love, without it expecting a reward. The kind of gift that a great painting gives you: it’s just there for you to marvel at, it lifts your spirits, instils you with hope and beauty, but it doesn’t expect anything in return.[1] It would be hard to express the kinship between Rubens and Bowie any more clearly – two versatile, brilliant men, driven by a love of art and of their families. 

Gavin Evans, David Bowie © Gavin Evans. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Tintoretto, seen by Rubens and Van Dyck and bought by Bowie 
Tintoretto painted St Catherine around 1560–70 for San Geminiano on St Mark’s Square in Venice, a small but prestigious church designed by the architect Jacopo Sansovino, which was already famous in the Renaissance period for its exceptional interior with works by Giovanni Bellini, Paolo Veronese and Tintoretto. Rubens almost certainly saw the altarpiece there and his celebrated pupil Anthony van Dyck even sketched it in situ. Their Venetian counterpart was an important source of inspiration for both Rubens and Van Dyck, and Rubens continued to be influenced by Tintoretto’s inventions until the end of his career. 

St Catherine remained in the church until it was demolished in 1807 during the Napoleonic period. It was briefly placed in the Galleria dell’Accademia, before disappearing into private ownership. David Bowie purchased the work 30 years ago from the London art dealer Colnaghi. The musician was so fascinated by the Venetian painter that he named his record label after him. 

From Venice, via London, to ‘distinguished visitors’ in Antwerp. 
As of today, the Rubens House is presenting the painting as a long-term loan – a policy the museum has been developing for some time now. The approach is not a new one elsewhere, but the Rubens House is playing a pioneering role in this regard in Belgium. Art donations are on the rise. The museum will use this long-term loan to supplement the story of its own collection, which is why its loans – its distinguished visitors – have been integrated in the permanent display. After almost ten years intensively pursuing this loan policy, the strategy is starting to bear fruit. 

Rubenshuis © 2015 

Underdrawing 
Until a few days ago, Bowie’s Tintoretto was located at the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) in Brussels, where the altarpiece underwent technical examination on behalf of its owner, the Rubens House and the Colnaghi Foundation. Christina Currie’s expert team used radiography and infrared reflectography to reveal an exceptionally spontaneous and brilliantly executed underdrawing beneath the layers of paint. Not only does the research show how the painter developed his composition, its results help determine the attribution and date of the work. Comparison of the underdrawing with other examples from Tintoretto’s oeuvre allows the painting to be dated to a decade earlier than originally believed. The altarpiece’s underdrawing is almost identical to that of the princess in St George and the Dragon – a work by the same artist in the National Gallery in London. Another pleasing discovery was the way Tintoretto continued to adjust his composition throughout the painting process, as witnessed by the many pentimenti or painted corrections that were discovered. The study shows that the work was done entirely by the Venetian artist in person. The research will be resumed later this year, to investigate the passages of sky and architecture in more detail. The findings of the research will be published in the Bulletin of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage and the Colnaghi Studies Journal. 

Publication 
The Colnaghi Foundation is presenting a scholarly publication this October on David Bowie’s Tintoretto. The book – David Bowie’s Tintoretto: Angel Foretelling Saint Catherine of Alexandria of her Martyrdom – includes contributions by Dr Stijn Alsteens, Matt Collings, Dr Christina Currie, Nicholas Hall, Dr Jeremy Howard, Dr Riccardo Lattuada, Maja Neerman, John Julius Norwich, Dr Xavier Salomon, Serge Simonart and Ben van Beneden. It focuses not only on Tintoretto and 15th-century Venice, but also on the turbulent history of the little church on St Mark’s Square, Maerten de Vos, Rubens, Van Dyck and Bowie as a collector. 

The independent Colnaghi Foundation promotes the work of old masters to a wide audience in a contemporary manner. The Foundation works with international researchers and experts, museums and collectors to show through a variety of media and channels how inspiring and exciting early art can be. The fact that the painting belonged for many years to the personal art collection of one of the biggest pop icons of all time demonstrates that the great innovators of our own time are more than happy to seek inspiration in historical art.  

Rubenshuis © 2015 

Back to Venice 
Tintoretto painted St Catherine for the altar of the Scuola di Santa Caterina in the Church of San Geminiano on St Mark’s Square in Venice, where it could be admired until the building was demolished in 1807. The altarpiece then disappeared into private ownership. 

Since the announcement in November 2016 that the painting would be loaned long term to the Rubens House, Ben van Beneden has worked closely with the Colnaghi Foundation on a plan to return the altarpiece temporarily to Venice during the 2019 Biennale. When the Flemish Minister of Tourism, Ben Weyts, learned of the plan, he immediately decided to support it through Tourism Flanders. The painting will be the centrepiece of an exhibition in 2019 on the demolished Church of San Geminiano and the artworks it once housed. The show will also feature works containing famous views of the city by Antonio Canaletto and Francesco Guardi, in which the church can be seen on St Mark’s Square. Flemish masters too, such as Rubens, Van Dyck and Maerten de Vos, will be represented through temporary loans by our museums. It is hard to overstate the affinity between Flemish painters and Venetian art. The Flemings absorbed and assimilated the Italian legacy during their visits to the country and through the dissemination of Italian art in the form of prints. Several Venetian works from Flemish museums, including the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, will also return to the city of the Doges for the exhibition in 2019. Minister Weyts is enthusiastic about the temporary return to Venice of Tintoretto’s altarpiece: ‘This project is not only an excellent reason to share Tintoretto’s work with the people of Venice during the 2019 Biennale, it is also a unique opportunity to show our Flemish masters to the world in the place where –more than any other – they drew inspiration from their Italian colleagues and from the classical legacy. I sincerely hope that the project will raise awareness of the unbelievable artistic quality of our heritage and will inspire an international public to come and admire it in Flanders.’

Lot 216. Grand bol en porcelaine bleu blanc, Chine, Dynastie Qing, Marque à six caractères en cachet en bleu sous couverte et époque Qianlong (1735-1796), 22.5 cm. Estimate EUR 20,000 - EUR 30,000 (USD 22,425 - USD 33,638). Price realised EUR 60,000 (USD 67,000) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Le bol aux bords largement évasés reposant sur un court pied droit, l'extérieur est délicatement peint d'une scène continue d'écureuils courant parmi les pampres et les feuilles de vigne. 

A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE 'SQUIRRELS AND GRAPES' BOWL, CHINA, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG SIX-CHARACTER SEAL MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795), 8 7/8 in.

Provenance: Private European collection, acquired in China prior to 1943, and thence by descent in the family.

Note: Squirrels climbing amidst grapevines is a motif often seen on Qing dynasty decorative objects, such us in porcelains, jades or cloisonné enamel. In Chinese, squirrels allude to a pun with pines, symbol of longevity. Grapevines signify abundance. Together, they illustrate good wishes for long life and abundance. Compare with a pair of bowls of similar size in the Art Gallery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, see Qing Imperial Porcelain from the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, pl. 76. Another with a Kangxi mark is in the Grandidier Collection of the Musée Guimet, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, 1981, vol. 7, no. 108.

Christie's. Art d'Asie, 20 June 2017, Paris

Lot 207. Aiguière en porcelaine bleu blanc, Chine, Epoque Transition, XVIIe siècle, 35 cm. Estimate EUR 8,000 - EUR 12,000 (USD 8,970 - USD 13,455). Price realised EUR 10,000 (USD 11,167) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

De forme balustre agrémentée d'une anse, la panse est décorée d'une scène continue illustrant la poursuite de Han Xin par Xiao He sous la lune dans un paysage rocailleux. Le col et le pied sont ornés de rinceaux floraux stylisés. 

A BLUE AND WHITE 'MILITARY SCENE' EWER, CHINA, TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, 17TH CENTURY, 13 ¾ in.

Provenance: Sotheby's Paris, 14 June 2007, lot 143.
Private French collection.

Note: The scene illustrated here is the pursuit of Han Xin by Han emperor-to-be Liu Bang's minister Xiao He at night. It is a motif commonly seen on transitional period porcelain. Compare to a vase sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3415.

A blue and white 'narrative' baluster vase, Kangxi period (1662-1722), 44.5 cm. Sold for HKD 400,000 (USD 51,835) at Christie's, Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3415. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

Christie's. Art d'Asie, 20 June 2017, Paris

Lot 206. Verseuse en porcelaine bleu blanc, Chine, Epoque Transition, XVIIe siècle, 21 cm. Estimate EUR 2,000 - EUR 3,000 (USD 2,243 - USD 3,364). Price realised EUR 2,500 (USD 2,792) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

De forme balustre, elle est agrémentée d'un bec verseur et d'une anse décorés de nuages stylisés. La panse est ornée de différents registres successifs de motifs géométriques et rinceaux floraux, le pied ceint de larges pétales stylisés. 

A BLUE AND WHITE EWER, CHINA, TRANSITION PERIOD, 17TH CENTURY, 8 ¼ in.

Provenance: Collection of Benoît Boland (1885-1983), a French naval captain who worked in China from 1923 to 1946, and thence by descent in the family.

Christie's. Art d'Asie, 20 June 2017, Paris

Lot 219. Grand vase rouleau en porcelaine bleu blanc, Epoque Transition, ca. 1640-1680, 48,3 cm Estimate 15,000 — 25,000 EUR. Lot sold 52,500 EUR. Photo: Sotheby's.

la panse peinte dans une subtile palette de bleu d'une scène de jardin animée de huit personnages, planté de bananiers et traversé d'un cours d'eau, le col souligné de palmes stylisées, l'épaulement incisé d'une frise de rinceaux et le pied souligné d'un double cercle incisé.

Sotheby's. Arts d'Asie, Paris, 22 Jun 2017