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Exhibition at Grimaldi Forum Monaco celebrates the splendour of the last Chinese imperial dynasty

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MONACO.- Chaque été, le Grimaldi Forum Monaco produit une grande exposition thématique, consacrée à un mouvement artistique majeur, à un sujet de patrimoine ou de civilisation, à une collection publique ou privée, à tout sujet où s’exprime le renouvellement de la création. Une occasion de mettre en valeur ses atouts et ses spécificités : offrir un espace de 3 200m² pour créer en toute liberté, mettre au service de la scénographie les outils technologiques les plus performants, s’appuyer sur les meilleurs spécialistes dans chaque domaine afin d’assurer la qualité scientifique de ses expositions.

En 2001, le Grimaldi Forum Monaco honorait « la Chine du Premier Empereur »à travers une exposition restée dans toutes les mémoires… Eté 2017, place à la dernière dynastie impériale chinoise, les Qing (1644 - 1911), pour célébrer ses fastes, ses goûts et sa grandeur.

MONACO.- Each summer, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco produces a major thematic exhibition devoted to an important artistic movement, a subject of heritage or civilisation, a public or private collection, or any subject in which the renewal of creativity is expressed. It offers an opportunity to highlight its strengths and specificities, with a space of 3,200 square metres to create in complete freedom, placing the best technological tools at the service of the scenography, making use of the best specialists in each field to ensure the scientific quality of its exhibitions. 

In 2001, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco honoured “China of the First Emperor” with an exhibition that has remained in everyone’s memory... For the summer of 2017, the exhibition moves to the last Chinese imperial dynasty, the Qing (1644 - 1911), to celebrate its splendour, its tastes and its greatness. 

Ensemble de céramique, Terre cuite, Dynastie Tang, (600-800)

Ensemble de céramique, Terre cuite, Dynastie Tang, (600-800), tente : H. 20 cm, diam. 23,3 cm; joueur de luth : H. 10,3 cm ; cheval : H. 17,5 cm, L. 18 cm ; cavalier : H. 17,5 cm. Bruxelles, Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, CH.2092© MRAH, Brussels

Ceramic group, Terracotta, Tang dynasty, (600--800), Yurt: H. 20 cm, diam. 23.3 cm; lute player: H. 10,3 cm; horse: H. 17.5 cm, L. 18 cm; horseman: H. 17.5 cm. Brussels, Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, CH.2092© MRAH, Brussels 

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Casque et armure des troupes des Huit Bannières mandchoues, Soie ornée de cuivre, cuir, Dynastie Qing, période Qianlong (1736-1795), veste : L.74 cm, jupe : L. 76 cm ; casques : H. 60 cm, diam. 23 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 171991-1/73110 © The Palace Museum

 Helmet and armour of the Manchu Eight Banner troops, Silk decorated with copper, leather, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736--1795), Jacket: L.74 cm, skirt: L. 76 cm; helmet: H. 60 cm, diam. 23 cm Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 171991--1/73110© The Palace Museum 

« La Cité Interdite à Monaco. Vie de cour des empereurs et impératrices de Chine », dont le commissariat a été confié conjointement à M. Jean-Paul DESROCHES, Conservateur général honoraire du Patrimoine et M. WANG Yuegong, Directeur du département des Arts du palais au sein du musée du Palais Impérial, réunira un choix de plus de 250 pièces d’exception, provenant de l'ancien palais des souverains chinois, ainsi que des prêts issus de grandes collections européennes et américaines (musée Cernuschi, musée du Louvre, Victoria & Albert Museum de Londres, Musées royaux d'Art et d’Histoire de Bruxelles, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery de Washington). C’est au cœur d’un lieu emblématique, ancré dans la mémoire collective et riche d’un patrimoine inestimable, que le public sera invitéà pénétrer. 

“The Forbidden City in Monaco. The court life of Chinese Emperors and Empresses”, curated jointly by Mr. Jean-Paul Desroches, Honorary General Curator of Heritage, and Mr. Wang Yuegong, Director of the department of Palace Life and Imperial Ritual, the Palace Museum, Beijing, bring together a selection of more than 250 exceptional pieces from the former palace of the Chinese sovereigns, as well as loans from major European and American collections (musée Cernuschi, musée du Louvre, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Musées royaux d'Art et d’Histoire of Brussels, and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington). The public is being invited to penetrate the very heart of an emblematic place, anchored in the collective memory and rich in an inestimable heritage.

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Instrument d’astronomie, Cuivre doré, Dynastie Qing, période Qianlong (1736-1795). H. totale : 72 cm ; Diam. : 39 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 141709 © The Palace Museum

Astronomical instrument, Gilt copper, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736--1795), Overall h.: 72 cm; Diam.: 39 cm Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 141709© The Palace Museum 

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Les Astronomes ou Les Jésuites enseignant les mathématiques et l’astronomie aux Chinois (troisième pièce de la Tenture de l’histoire de l’Empereur de Chine), Tapisserie, laine et soie, Manufacture de Beauvais, 1722-1734, 320 x 398 cm, Le Mans, musée de Tessé, Inv. 1928.18.1.19.0 © Musées du Mans

 The Astronomers or Jesuits teaching mathematics and astronomy to the Chinese (Third in the series of Hangings of the history of the Chinese Emperor), Wool and silk tapestry, Manufacture de Beauvais, 1722-1734, 320 x 398 cm, Le Mans, musée de Tessé, Inv. 1928.18.1.19.0© Musées du Mans

La Cité interdite est l'un des ensembles palatiaux les plus prestigieux qui existent et le site le plus visité au monde avec quelque 10 millions d'entrées par an. A la fois palais et musée, c'est autour de lui que la nouvelle capitale de Pékin s'est ordonnée. La Cité interdite a surgi ex-nihilo de la volonté du 3ème des empereurs des Ming et fut construite d'un seul jet entre 1406 et 1420. Elle deviendra le berceau du pouvoir où se succéderont les empereurs Mandchous sur près de trois siècles. 

The Forbidden City is one of the most prestigious palace complexes in existence and the most visited site in the world with some 10 million visits per year. Both palace and museum, it was around this complex that the new capital of Beijing was laid out. The Forbidden City arose ex-nihilo at the behest of the 3rd of the Ming emperors and was built in a single go between 1406 and 1420. It would become the cradle of power in which the Manchu emperors succeeded each other for nearly three centuries. 

Shang Kexi

Portrait de Shang Kexi (m.1676), Encre et couleurs sur soie, Dynastie Qing, (1644-1911) 248,9 × 117,5 cm (image), 386,7 × 140 cm (rouleau) © Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.: Purchase — Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program and partial gift of Richard G. Pritzlaff, inv. S 1991.81.

Portrait of Shang Kexi (dec.1676), Ink and colours on silk, Qing dynasty, (1644--1911), 248,9 × 117,5 cm (image), 386,7 × 140 cm (rouleau)©Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.: Purchase — Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program and partial gift of Richard G. Pritzlaff, inv. S 1991.81 

Portrait d’une princesse mandchoue

Portrait d’une princesse mandchoue (dame d’honneur de l’impératrice), Encre et couleurs sur soie, Dynastie Qing, (1644-1911), 188,9 x 98,4 cm (image), 353 x 135 cm (rouleau)© Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.: Purchase — Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program and partial gift of Richard G. Pritzlaff, inv. S 1991.76.

 Portrait of a Manchu princess (the empress’s lady of honour), Ink and colours on silk, Qing dynasty (1644--1911)n 188.9 x 98.4 cm (image)n 353 x 135 cm (roll)©Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.: Purchase — Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program and partial gift of Richard G. Pritzlaff, inv. S 1991.76

La personnalité des empereurs Qing est au centre de ce projet et plus particulièrement les souverains Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng (1723-1735) et Qianlong (1736-1795), qui entendent être des parangons de la culture chinoise. En tant que représentant du Ciel sur terre, l'empereur, dit le « Fils du Ciel », est un être omnipotent, à la fois chef militaire, chef religieux et à la tête des lettrés. 

The personality of the Qing emperors is at the centre of this project, with a particular focus on the Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng (1723-1735) and Qianlong (1736-1795) sovereigns, who saw themselves as the paragons of Chinese culture. As representative of Heaven on earth, the emperor, known as the “Son of Heaven”, was an omnipotent being, simultaneously military leader, religious leader, and at the head of the ranks of scholars.  

Kangxi

Portrait de l’empereur Kangxi en robe de cérémonie, Encre et couleurs sur soie, Dynastie Qing, période Kangxi (1662-1722), Peinture : H. 267,5 cm, l. 190 cm; Rouleau : H. 405 cm, l. 265 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 6400© The Palace Museum

Portrait of the Kangxi Emperor in a ceremonial robe, Ink and colours on silk, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662--1722), Painting: H. 267.5 cm, l. 190 cm; Roll: H. 405 cm, l. 265 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 6400© The Palace Museum 

concubine

Attribuéà Jean-Denis Attiret, Portrait en buste d'une concubine, Huile sur papier, Vers 1750-60 53 x 41 cm, Dole, Musée des Beaux-Arts, inv. 2001.5.1© Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dole, cl. Jean-Loup Mathieu 

 Attributed to Jean--Denis Attiret, Portrait bust of a concubine, Oil on paper, Circa 1750--60, 53 x 41 cm, Dole, Musée des Beaux--Arts, inv. 2001.5.1© Musée des Beaux--Arts de Dole, cl. Jean-Loup Mathieu

Le public découvrira des témoignages insignes liés à ces différentes fonctions : portraits, costumes d’apparats, mobilier, objets précieux, instruments scientifiques, ... dont certains comptent parmi les « trésors nationaux ». Dans la tradition du peuple Mandchou, dont la puissante armée des « Huit Bannières » va se rendre maître de la Chine à partir de 1644, les conquêtes militaires des empereurs Qing seront également représentées à travers divers objets et des gravures illustrant leurs campagnes victorieuses. 

The public can discover outstanding testimonies touching on these different functions: portraits, ceremonial costumes, furniture, precious objects, scientific instruments... some of which are listed as “national treasures”. In the tradition of the Manchu people, whose powerful army of the “Eight Banners” became master of China from 1644, the military conquests of the Qing emperors will also be represented through various objects and prints illustrating their victorious campaigns.  

robe

Robe, Soie brodée, fils de soie et d'or, coraux et perles, Dynastie Qing, c. 1870-1911, 144,7 x 199,5 cm, Londres, Victoria & Albert Musuem, inv. T.253-1967 © Victoria and Albert Museum.

Robe, Embroidered silk, silk and god threads, coral and pearls, Qing dynasty, c. 1870--1911, 144.7 x 199.5 cm, London, Victoria & Albert Musuem, inv. T.253--1967© Victoria and Albert Museum

Les robes de Cour ne sont pas simplement décoratives : ce sont des robes symboliques, liturgiques qui attestent de la fonction de celui qui les porte. Ici, il s’agit d’une robe de l’empereur. Ses motifs sont assez proches de ceux du trône. On y retrouve les flots qui sont à l’origine de l’univers et au sommet différents symboles dont la chauve-souris, dont le nom se prononce en Chinois comme le caractère « longévité». La robe est ainsi porteuse de vœux, d’un destin, et pourrait-on dire d’un programme politique. La couleur jaune, qui est la couleur impériale à l’époque des Qing (peut-être liée à l’idée de la terre), atteste de la fonction suprême de cet habit. La dynastie précédente, celle des Ming, (qui a pris fin en 1644) avait choisi pour couleur impériale le rouge.

L’empereur portait cette robe lorsqu’il exerçait son pouvoir.

Court robes are not simply decorative: they are symbolic, liturgical robes that attest to the function of the wearer. Here, we see a robe for the emperor. The motifs are quite similar to those of the throne. There are the waves that are at the origin of the universe and, at the top, various symbols including the bat, whose name in Chinese sounds similar to the character for “longevity”. The robe is thus the bearer of vows, of a destiny, and even, one might say, of a political programme. Yellow, which is the imperial colour during the Qing period (perhaps linked to the idea of the earth), attests to the supreme function of this garment. The previous dynasty, that of the Ming, (which ended in 1644) had chosen red as the imperial colour.

The Emperor wore this garment when he was exercising power. 

Sceau

Sceau « Trésor de l’empereur suprême » en jade vert et à poignée en double dragon, Dynastie des Qing, période Qianlong (1736 – 1795), Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 16671© The Palace Museum

“Treasure of the supreme emperor”, green jade and with the double dragon as grip, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736 – 1795), H.: 12.7 cm; l.: 12.7 cm Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 166714 © The Palace Museum

Le pouvoir en Chine ne s’exerce pas par la parole. Nous ne sommes pas dans l’univers de l’agora grec, du forum romain ou de la démocratie occidentale. Le gouvernement impérial s’exerce par le pinceau. L’empereur exerce son pouvoir par des rapports écrits, par des commentaires. Homme studieux, il passait une grande partie de sa matinée à lire des rapports d’organisation de son pays. Pour entériner ces rapports, il était extrêmement important d’apposer le sceau impérial à l’encre rouge. On apposait le sceau au début du rapport et lorsqu’on reliait deux feuilles ensemble. Les sceaux variaient selon les fonctions. Par exemple, le sceau « Respecter les ancêtres et honorer le ciel » servait aux décrets religieux. Les sceaux étaient liés au moment de leur utilisation mais également aux lieux. Il y avait donc un sceau dédié au Palais du Yuanmingyuan, au Palais des trois Clartés pures, etc. Le sceau évolue et l’empereur au cours de son règne se fera appeler « Fils du ciel », « Honoré du ciel », etc. La titulature et le sceau apposé permettent donc aux historiens de dater les évènements. Enfin, élément absolument fondamental, le sceau ne pouvait être fabriqué que dans un matériau sublime : le jade.

Power in China was not exercised by words. We are not in the world of the Greek agora, the Roman forum or Western democracy. The Imperial Government worked through the brush. The emperor exercised his power by written reports and by commentaries. A studious man, he spent much of his morning reading reports about the organisation of his country. To endorse these reports, it was extremely important to affix the imperial seal in red ink. The seal would be placed at the beginning of the report and when two sheets were joined together. These seals varied according to function. For example, the “Respect the ancestors and honour heaven” seal was used for religious decrees. The seals were linked to the time of their use but also to the places. There was therefore a seal dedicated to the Yuanmingyuan Palace, another to the Palace of the Three Pure Clarities, and so on. The seal evolved and the emperor during his reign had himself called “Son of Heaven”, “Honoured by Heaven”, and other terms. The title used and the seal affixed thus enable historians to date the events. Finally, as an absolutely fundamental element, the seal could only be made from a sublime material: jade. 

Sous le règne des Qing, la part belle revient à la culture. Illustrant le goût officiel à l’une des périodes d’apogée de l’histoire de la civilisation chinoise, les diverses formes d’expression de l’art chinois, qui exercent à l’époque une influence notoire sur l’Occident, seront mises en exergue : les arts du pinceau, à travers la calligraphie et la peinture, l’univers des arts décoratifs, avec un cabinet des porcelaines et un cabinet des laques, la musique et l’opéra. 

During the Qing era, culture moved to centre stage. Illustrating official taste during one of the finest periods of the history of Chinese civilisation, the various forms of expression of Chinese art, which at the time exercised a celebrated influence on the West, are highlighted in the exhibition: the arts of the brush, through calligraphy and painting, the world of decorative arts, with a cabinet of porcelain and a cabinet of lacquer, music and opera.

Xiao Zhuangwen

Portrait de l’impératrice douairière Xiao Zhuangwen, Encre et couleurs sur soie, Dynastie des Qing, (1644 – 1911), H. : 383 cm ; l.: 243,5 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 6379 © The Palace Museum

Portrait of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, Ink and colours on silk, Qing dynasty, (1644 – 1911), H.: 383 cm ; l: 243.5 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 6379 © The Palace Museum

C’est l’un des plus beaux portraits de l’histoire de la peinture académique. Les portraits officiels étaient souvent réalisés pour les anniversaires et servaient ensuite dans le temple des ancêtres pour les cultes post mortem. Il s’agit là d’un portrait d’une très forte personnalité : la mère du premier fondateur de la dynastie des Qing. Devenue impératrice douairière, elle s’occupe de l’éducation de son petit-fils Kangxi, deuxième souverain Qing, qui régna 61 ans, de 1661 à 1722.

D’origine mongole, elle lui apportera une éducation très originale pour l ‘époque. L’empereur Kangxi va assimiler l’héritage militaire des Mandchous, civilisation semi-nomade qui vit de la chasse et qui possède une forte tradition guerrière, en même temps que l’héritage chinois à travers l’administration, l’éducation, la culture et le savoir. Compte-tenu de son ouverture d’esprit exceptionnelle, il va accepter l’entrée des jésuites à la cour et ceux-ci vont lui apporter la connaissance et la technologie occidentale. A ces sensibilités s’ajoute la spiritualité de la tradition mongole, transmise par son aïeule.

This is one of the most beautiful portraits in the history of Chinese academic painting. Official portraits were often made for birthdays and then served in the temple of ancestors for post mortem cults. This is a portrait of a very strong personality: the mother of the first founder of the Qing Dynasty. After becoming Empress Dowager, she took care of the education of her grandson Kangxi, the second Qing ruler, who reigned 61 years from 1661 to 1722.

Of Mongolian origin, she gave him a highly original education for the time. The Kangxi Emperor assimilated the military legacy of the Manchus, a semi-nomadic civilisation that lived from hunting and had a strong warrior tradition, along with a Chinese heritage through administration, education, culture and knowledge. Thanks to his exceptional openness, he accepted the entry of Jesuits to the court and these brought him Western knowledge and technology. Added to these sensitivities, was the spirituality of the Mongol tradition conveyed by his grandmother. 

Yinzhen

Le prince Yinzhen (futur empereur Yongzheng) lisant un livre, Dynastie Qing, (1644-1911), H. 42 cm, l. 34,2 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 6447 © The Palace Museum

Prince Yinzhen (the future Yongzheng Emperor) reading a book, Qing dynasty, (1644--1911), H. 42 cm, l. 34.2 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 6447 © The Palace Museum

Cette image est très peu connue. On y voit l’empereur Yongzheng représenté avant son règne sous les traits du jeune Prince Yinzhen. Il est assis sur un kang, ce lit spécifique réservéà la vie intime de l’empereur pour l’étude, la lecture, la consultation des objets anciens, etc. Intimiste, ce portrait le figure comme un lettré. Il est en train de lire, vêtu d’un costume d’une grande simplicité.

This image is very little known. It shows the Yongzheng Emperor before his reign, as the young Prince Yinzhen. He sits on a kang, the special bed reserved for the private life of the emperor for study, reading, studying antiques, and so on. Intimate in style, this portrait portrays him as a scholar. He is reading, dressed in a simple garment. 

Beautés

Beautés à leurs loisirs peintes pour le prince Yinzhen (futur empereur Yongzheng), Encres et couleurs sur soie, Dynastie Qing, période Yongzheng (1723-1735), H. 183 cm ; l. 98 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 6458-2 9/12 © The Palace Museum

Beauties at leisure, painted for prince Yinzhen (the future Yongzheng Emperor), Ink and colours on silk, Qing dynasty, Yongzheng period (1723--1735), H. 183 cm ; l. 98 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 6458--2 9/12 © The Palace Museum

Le Prince Yinzhen est un des fils de Kangxi. Héritier du trône, il prend le pouvoir en 1722 sous le nom de Yongzheng. Ces portraits de concubines sont réalisés à une époque qui correspond au plus haut degré de raffinement dans l’histoire de la civilisation chinoise. Les arts sont au zénith de leur raffinement et de leur élégance, et cela se manifeste notamment dans la représentation de l’élégance féminine. Les empereurs ou les princes impériaux avaient une ou plusieurs épouses officielles et un certain nombre de concubines qui étaient connues pour leur élégance, leur beauté physique mais aussi pour leur grande éducation. A travers cet ensemble de peintures extraordinaires, on peut observer l’élégance de ces femmes à la fois dans leurs parures, dans la beauté de leurs vêtements, dans les traits de leur visage et également dans leur cadre de vie. On aperçoit dans leurs intérieurs des objets antiques qui montrent que ce sont des femmes de culture. Les concubines savaient jouer de la musique, écrivaient des poèmes. Cette série comprend douze peintures qui rivalisent d’élégance.

Prince Yinzhen was one of the sons of Kangxi. Heir to the throne, he took power in 1722 under the name of Yongzheng. These portraits of concubines were produced at a time when Chinese civilisation was reaching the height of refinement. The arts were at the zenith of their refinement and elegance, and this is manifested especially in the depiction of feminine elegance. The emperors or imperial princes had one or more official wives and a number of concubines who were known for their elegance, physical beauty, but also for their great education. Through this set of extraordinary paintings, one can observe the elegance of these women in their ornaments, in the beauty of their clothes, in the features of their faces and also in their lifestyle. In their interiors, we can see antique objects attesting to the fact that they are women of culture. The concubines knew how to play music, and also used to write poems. This series includes twelve paintings that compete in terms of elegance. 

hongli

Hongli chasse le cerf, Encre et couleurs sur soie, Dynastie Qing, période Qianlong (1736-1795), H. : 258 cm ; l. : 171,8 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 6495 © The Palace Museum

Hongli hunting deer, Ink and colours on silk, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736--1795), H.: 258 cm ; l: 171.8 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 6495 © The Palace Museum

C’est une grande peinture sur soie avec des rehauts en couleurs représentant l’empereur Qianlong (souverain qui régna de 1736 et 1795, un des règnes les plus longs). D’origine Mandchoue, passionné de chasse, il participait régulièrement, à l’automne, à de grandes battues. Sur ce rouleau, on le voit en train de chasser le grand cerf dans un cadre typique du nord de la Chine. C’est une peinture à la fois poétique, descriptive et qui idéalise la personnalité de l’empereur.

This is a large painting on silk with highlights in colour, depicting the Qianlong Emperor (who was sovereign from 1736 to 1795, one of the longest reigns). Of Manchu origin, he was a keen hunter and in the autumn would regularly participate in great beats. On this scroll, we see him hunting a great stag in a typical northern Chinese setting. This work is at once poetic, descriptive and idealises the personality of the emperor: elegantly dressed, slender, he preserved a perfect youth throughout his reign. 

Cheval céleste

Cheval céleste, Jade, Dynastie Jin, H. 4.2cm, l.7.8cm, L. 2,6 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 8709© The Palace Museum

Celestial horse, Jade, Jin dynasty, H. 4.2cm, l.7.8cm, L. 2.6 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 8709© The Palace Museum

Portrait de Hongli

Portrait de Hongli (empereur Qianlong) examinant des antiquités, Atelier du Palais, Encre et rehauts de couleurs sur papier, Dynastie Qing, période Qianlong, (1736-1795), Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 6491© The Palace Museum

Portrait of Hongli (Qianlong emperor) examining antiques by Yao Wenhan, Ink and colour highlights on paper, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, (1736--1795), H.: 47.2 cm; L.: 76.5 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 6491 © The Palace Museum

La Chine est une civilisation de la mémoire pour laquelle les origines sont aussi importantes que l’actualité. L’une des fonctions des empereurs est de maintenir le lien avec les ancêtres et les Qing étaient particulièrement attachés aux traditions anciennes.

L’empereur recueille dans son Palais tous les témoignages de l’histoire. Grâce à sa collection d’antiques, il se remémore l’histoire de ceux qui l’ont précédé et cela l’aide à bien gouverner. Les objets d’art, des objets anciens, sont chargés de la richesse du passé. Ils sont des éléments de pouvoir fondamentaux qui attestent du mandat céleste de l’empereur. Sur cette œuvre, Qianlong est représenté assis sur un kang comme on le faisait traditionnellement au temps des Song. On lui présente des objets - des jades anciens, des porcelaines, des bronzes -et le serviteur lui sert du thé. La mise en scène reprend une peinture qui avait été réalisée sous la dynastie Song (XIème - XIIème siècle).

Les objets qui figurent sur cette peinture sont tous identifiables à travers les collections actuelles du Palais impérial. Cette peinture a beaucoup plu à l’empereur ; si bien qu’il l’a fait copiée à sept reprises. Il existe des versions plus ou moins colorées. Celle présente dans l’exposition est la version d’origine, la plus réputée.

China is a civilisation based on memory for which origins are as important as actuality. One of the functions of the emperors was to maintain the link with the ancestors and the Qing were particularly attached to ancient traditions.

The emperor collected all the testimonies of history in his palace. Thanks to his collection of antiques, he was able to recall the history of those who preceded him and this helped him to govern well. Works of art, antique objects, were loaded with the richness of the past. They were fundamental elements of power attesting to the heavenly mandate of the emperor. In this work, Qianlong is shown sitting on a kang as was traditionally done at the time of the Song. He is presented with objects – antique works of jade, porcelain, bronze – and the servant serves tea. The composition borrows from a painting that had been realised during the Song dynasty (eleventh - twelfth century).

The objects in this painting are all identifiable through the current collections of the Imperial Palace. This painting greatly pleased the emperor, to the extent that he had it copied seven times. There are more or less coloured versions, but the one in the exhibition is the original and most highly regarded version. 

Oreiller en céramique de Cizhou orné d’un poème de l’empereur Qianlong et d’un décor de fleur en verre nacrée, Dynastie Song

Oreiller en céramique de Cizhou orné d’un poème de l’empereur Qianlong et d’un décor de fleur en verre nacrée, Dynastie Song, H. : 12,6 cm; Ouverture : 33,4 x 29,9 cm; Base : 29,9 x 25,7 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 143144 © The Palace Museum

Cizhou ceramic pillow decorated with a poem by the Qianlong Emperor and a pearly glass decor of flowersn Song dynasty, H.: 12.6 cm; Upper part: 33.4 x 29.9 cm; Base: 29.9 x 25.7 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 143144 © The Palace Museum

L’empereur Qianlong est, avec Kangxi, l’un des empereurs les plus importants de la dynastie Qing. Il a non seulement fait travailler un nombre considérable de lettrés pour répertorier les archives du Palais, et leur a commandé de collectionner et cataloguer les objets de ses collections.

Sur les objets qu’il trouvait les plus valorisants, il a fait graver des inscriptions personnelles et souvent des poèmes. Passionné par cet art, il a écrit quarante-deux mille poèmes tout au long de sa vie. Cet oreiller du XIIème siècle est un objet d’origine populaire. Réalisé en grès et imitant la porcelaine, il possède un revêtement du type de celui utilisé pour la faïence stannifère. L’empereur a été séduit par cette représentation d’un lotus gravé, et y a donc fait apposé un poème témoignant de l’intérêt qu’il portait à l’objet.

The Qianlong Emperor was, together with Kangxi, one of the most important emperors of the Qing Dynasty. Not only did he employ a considerable number of scholars to catalogue the archives of the Palace, but also ordered them to collect and catalogue the objects in his collections. 

On the objects he found most appealing, he had personal inscriptions and often poems engraved. A passionate fan of poetry, he himself wrote some 42,000 poems during his lifetime. This pillow from the twelfth century is an object of popular origin. Made of stoneware in imitation of porcelain, it has a coating of a type used for tin-glazed faience. The emperor was charmed by this depiction of an engraved lotus, and had a poem added testifying to the interest he had in the object.

Boîte rectangulaire, Porcelaine, Dynastie Ming, période Longqing (1567 - 1572)

Boîte rectangulaire, Porcelaine, Dynastie Ming, période Longqing (1567 - 1572), H.: 12.5 cm; l. : 32.5 cm; prof. : 23 cm Paris, Musée Cernuschi, M.C. 2720© Musée Cernuschi, Musée des Arts de l'Asie de la Ville de Paris / Roger-Viollet

Rectangular box, Porcelain, Ming dynasty, Longqing period (1567 -- 1572), H: 12.5 cm; l.: 32.5 cm; d.: 23 cm Paris, Musée Cernuschi, M.C. 2720© Musée Cernuschi, Musée des Arts de l'Asie de la Ville de Paris / Roger--Viollet 

Belles dames au jardin

Belles dames au jardin, Atelier du Palais Dynastie Qing, période Qianlong (1736-1795) Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite© The Palace Museum

Ladies in a garden, Palace workshop, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736–1795), Beijing, Museum of the Forbidden City © The Palace Museum

Cette peinture illustre une scène émouvante. Il existe peu de témoignages d’instants de vie privée à la Cour, celui –ci en est précisément un. Il dépeint l’aspect quotidien de la vie. On est dans une illusion d’optique sans doute héritée de l’influence occidentale de par la construction des architectures en perspective. Intimiste, la scène représente de jeunes Princes impériaux et deux femmes élégantes. On a l’impression de pénétrer dans un palais au milieu du XVIIIème siècle, c’est un moment rare. Cette œuvre inédite est offerte au public comme un instantané, un moment de vie immortalisé.

This painting illustrates a moving scene. There are few testimonies of private moments at court, but this is one of them. It depicts the everyday side of life. We are in an optical illusion no doubt inherited from a Western influence through the construction of perspective architecture. Intimate in tone, the scene depicts young imperial princes and two elegant ladies. The impression is that of entering a palace in the middle of the eighteenth century; a rare moment. This unpublished work is offered to the public like a snapshot, an immortalised moment of daily life.

plat

Plat à décor de fleurs de mauves en émaux peints, Dynastie Qing, période Kangxi (1662-1722) Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite© The Palace Museum.

Plate decorated with mallow flowers in painted enamel, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Beijing, Museum of the Forbidden City © The Palace Museum

Cette œuvre est en métal émaillé. Dès le XIIIème et XIVème siècle, la Chine hérite du travail occidental de Byzance. Les Chinois apprennent à maitriser le travail de l’émail sur métal, que l’on appelle le cloisonné. A la fin du XVIIème siècle et au début du XVIIIème, du fait de la présence des jésuites à la Cour, sont introduites de nouvelles couleurs venues d’Occident : le blanc d’arsenic et le pourpre de Cassius, sorte de rose qui vient de Hollande. Ce plat, par sa beauté et l’éclat des couleurs, témoignage de ces influences. La rencontre entre le savoirfaire occidental et la technique chinoise a produit ici un véritable chef-d’œuvre. L’objet est représentatif d’une phase qui va durer très peu de temps à partir de 1700, et qui débouche dès 1730, sur une surcharge des décors.

 

Costume d'opéra

Costume d'opéra en satin, Dynastie Qing, (1644-1911), Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 215542© The Palace Museum

Opera costume: amber-coloured satin overgarment, Qing dynasty, (1644--1911), H.: 149 cm ; L.: 174 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 215542 © The Palace Museum

La calligraphie, la musique, la peinture et l’opéra sont les quatre piliers de la culture traditionnelle chinoise. L’opéra chinois, très populaire, se distingue de l’opéra occidental par son absence de décors. C’est la force du costume et le jeu de l’acteur qui vont permettre de faire entrer le public dans l’histoire. Celui présenté est d’une extrême beauté, il fait de l’acteur qui le porte une créature à mi-chemin entre le tigre et l’homme.

La culture chinoise est nourrie d’êtres hybrides et de chimères. Ce costume fantastique dégage une force onirique et imaginaire très forte. C’est une pièce qui n’a jamais été montrée dans une exposition à l’étranger auparavant et qui démontre la faculté d’invention de l’opéra chinois, appelé aussi Opéra de Pékin. 

Calligraphy, music, painting and opera were the four pillars of traditional Chinese culture. Chinese opera was very popular and differs from Western opera by its lack of sets. It is the strength of the costumes and the acting that makes it possible to bring the audience into the story. The robe presented here is of great beauty, and makes the actor wearing it a creature halfway between tiger and man. 

Chinese culture is nourished by hybrid beings and chimeras. This fantastic costume emanates a strong dreamlike and imaginary force. It is a piece that has never been shown in an exhibition abroad before and which demonstrates the inventive strength of Chinese opera, also known as Beijing Opera.

Banquet du Nouvel An

Yao Wenhan, Banquet du Nouvel An au pavillon de la Clarté Pourpre, Dynastie des Qing, période Qianlong, (1736 – 1795). Image : H. : 45,8 cm, L. : 486,5 cm; rouleau : 47.2 x 580 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 8242© The Palace Museum.

Yao Wenhan, New Year banquet at the pavilion of Purple Clarity, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, (1736 – 1795), Image: H: 45.8 cm, L.: 486.5 cm; roll: 47.2 x 580 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 8242© The Palace Museum

Cette œuvre fait partie des grands rouleaux de reportage que commandait régulièrement la cour. Il y avait un service de peintres dont la mission était de traduire en images les grands épisodes de la vie de la cour sur des rouleaux qui pouvaient mesurer entre 5 et 20 mètres. Qu’il s’agisse des voyages dans le Sud de l’empereur ou des chasses à Mulan en automne. Sur ce rouleau, on observe l’une des plus importantes fêtes de l’année chinoise : la fête du Nouvel An. Composé de manière cinétique comme un film, le rouleau se déroule sur près de 5 mètres. On y observe une très belle scène de patinage mettant en scène des soldats des Huit Bannières. Portant le drapeau de leur Bannière, ils patinent devant la cour et les officiels. 

This work is one of the great reporting scrolls that the court regularly commissioned. The court could draw on a department of painters whose mission was to record the great episodes of court life on rolls that could measure between 5 and 20 metres in length. Subjects might include the emperor’s travels in the south or hunting Mulan in the autumn. On this particular scroll, one can observe one of the most important celebrations in the Chinese year: the New Year. Composed in like manner to a film, it rolls out the event over a length of nearly 5 metres. It includes a beautiful skating scene featuring soldiers from the Eight Banners. Carrying the flag of their Banner, they skate before the court and the officials.

Daoguang

L'empereur Daoguang (petit-fils de Qianlong) à cheval en armure de parade, Atelier du Palais, Encre et couleurs sur soie, Dynastie des Qing, (1644 – 1911), Image : H. : 347 cm, l. : 282 cm; rouleau : 410 x 329cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 6570© The Palace Museum

The Daoguang emperor (grand-son of Qianlong) on horseback wearing ceremonial armour, Palace workshop, Ink and colours on silk, Qing dynasty, (1644 – 1911), Image: H.: 347 cm, l.: 282 cm, Roll: 410 x 329cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 6570© The Palace Museum

Habit militaire de parade de l'empereur Qianlong

Habit militaire de parade de l'empereur Qianlong, Acier, laiton, or, soie, velours, pierreries et fourrure, 1758, H. : 220 cm ; l. : 80 cm, Paris, musée de l’armée, G 749, Service presse/Musée de l’Armée© Paris -Musée de l'Armée, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais/ Emilie Cambier / Pascal Segrette

Military parade uniform of the Qianlong emperor, Steel, tin, gold, silk, velvet, stones and fur, 1758, H.: 220 cm ; l : 80 cm, Paris, musée de l’armée, G 749 Press office/Musée de l’Armée© Paris --Musée de l'Armée, Dist. RMN--Grand Palais/ Emilie Cambier / Pascal Segrette 

Poignard

Poignard à manche sculpté orné d’une fleur et son fourreau, Jade, plaqué or, Dynastie des Qing, (1644 – 1911), L. : 35,9 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 170610© The Palace Museum

Dagger with sculpted handle decorated with a flower and its sheath, Jade, gold plate, Qing dynasty, (1644 – 1911), L: 35.9 cm, Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 170610© The Palace Museum

Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva, Bronze doré, Dynastie des Ming, période Yongle, (1403-1424), H. : 133 cm ; l. : 66,5 cm ; prof. : 44 cm, Paris, Musée Cernuschi, M.C. 5173© Musée Cernuschi, Musée des Arts de l'Asie de la Ville de Paris / Roger-Viollet

Bodhisattva, Gilt bronze Ming dynasty, Yongle period, (1403--1424), H.: 133 cm ; l: 66.5 cm ; d.: 44 cm, Paris, Musée Cernuschi, M.C. 5173© Musée Cernuschi, Musée des Arts de l'Asie de la Ville de Paris / Roger--Viollet

Pièce d’autel

Pièce d’autel, Email cloisonné, Dynastie Qing, période Qianlong (1736-1795), Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 200662-1-5/5© The Palace Museum

 Altar object, cloisonné enamel, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736--1795), Beijing, Palace Museum, inv. 200662--1--5/5© The Palace Museum

Paysage

Prince Yongrong (1744 - 1790), Paysage, Encre et couleurs sur soie, 1779, image : 214 x 56 cm; rouleau : 265 x 70 cm, Zürich, Museum Rietberg, don de Charles A. Drenowatz, RCH 1166© Museum Reitberg Zurich / photo : Rainer Wolfsberger

Prince Yongrong (1744 - 1790), Landscape, Ink and colours on silk, 1779, Image: 214 x 56 cm; Roll: 265 x 70 cm, Zürich, Museum Rietberg, gift of Charles A. Drenowatz, RCH 1166© Museum Reitberg Zurich / photo: Rainer Wolfsberger

Cixi

Cixi, impératrice douarière de Chine (1835 – 1908), Photographies de 1903-1904© Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., Purchase, FSA A. 13 SC-GR-259 

Cixi, empress dowager of China (1835 – 1908), Photographs of 1903--1904© Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., Purchase, FSA A. 13 SC--GR--259

Rince-pinceaux en porcelaine de Dingzhou à glaçure blanche, orné d'un poème de l'empereur Qianlong, de motifs de dragons lovés et de tiges feuillagées, Dynastie des Song du Nord

Rince-pinceaux en porcelaine de Dingzhou à glaçure blanche, orné d'un poème de l'empereur Qianlong, de motifs de dragons lovés et de tiges feuillagées, Dynastie des Song du NordPékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

gfm143

Bol en agate en forme de fleur de mauve, marque de l'ère Jiaqing, Dynastie SongPékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Bol en céramique de Yaozhou sous couverte céladon estampé de motifs floraux, Dynastie Song

Bol en céramique de Yaozhou sous couverte céladon estampé de motifs floraux, Dynastie Song, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Bol en porcelaine guanyao à glaçure blanc-bleutée, Dynastie Song

Bol en porcelaine guanyaoà glaçure blanc-bleutée, Dynastie Song, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum 

Pot à fleurs en céramique de Junzhou à glaçure pourpre, en forme de pommier à bouquets (Malus spectabilis), Dynastie Song

Pot à fleurs en céramique de Junzhou à glaçure pourpre, en forme de pommier à bouquets (Malus spectabilis), Dynastie Song, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum 

Brûloir à encens à trois pieds à décor de tiges entrelacées et fleurs d’hibiscus, Porcelaine de Longquan sous couverte céladon, Dynastie Song

Brûloir à encens à trois pieds à décor de tiges entrelacées et fleurs d’hibiscus, Porcelaine de Longquan sous couverte céladon, Dynastie Song, H. : 15,8 cm; Diam. de l’ouverture : 21,1 cm; Diam. de la base : 18 cm, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite, inv. 143048© The Palace Museum 

Vase meiping à glaçure bleu clair, Dynastie Yuan, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase meipingà glaçure bleu clair, Dynastie Yuan, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase benba en céramique de Longquan avec couverte céladon, Dynastie Yuan, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase benba en céramique de Longquan avec couverte céladon, Dynastie Yuan, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Chandelier octogonal en porcelaine bleu et blanc à décor de fleurs et riges enroulées, Dynastie Ming, période Yongle (1403-1424), Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Chandelier octogonal en porcelaine "bleu et blanc"à décor de fleurs et riges enroulées, Dynastie Ming, période Yongle (1403-1424), Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase yuhuchun, rouge sous couverte, décor de fleurs de lotus et tiges entrelaçées, Dynastie Qing, période Kangxi, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase yuhuchun, rouge sous couverte, décor de fleurs de lotus et tiges entrelaçées, Dynastie Qing, période Kangxi, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase arrosoir en porcelaine bleu et blanc décoré de motifs floraux, marque de l'ère Yongzheng, Dynastie Qing, Empereur Yongzheng, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase arrosoir en porcelaine "bleu et blanc" décoré de motifs floraux, marque de l'ère Yongzheng, Dynastie Qing, Empereur Yongzheng, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase zun sans fond en porcelaine bleu et blanc portant une inscription en sanskrit, Dynastie Qing, empereur Qianlong, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase zun sans fond en porcelaine "bleu et blanc" portant une inscription en sanskrit, Dynastie Qing, empereur Qianlong, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Vase sengmao en porcelaine blanche à décor émaillé dit 'couleurs liées' doucai, motifs de dragons lovés, marque de l'ère Qinalong, Dynastie Qing, empereur Qianlong, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace

Vase sengmao en porcelaine blanche à décor émaillé dit "couleurs liées"doucai, motifs de dragons lovés, marque de l'ère Qinalong, Dynastie Qing, empereur Qianlong, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum

Tasse à pied haut, décor rouge de nuages et dragons sur fond blanc, poignée en forme d'oiseau fabuleux, marque de l'ère Qinalong, Dynastie Qing, empereur Qianlong, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace M

Tasse à pied haut, décor rouge de nuages et dragons sur fond blanc, poignée en forme d'oiseau fabuleux, marque de l'ère Qinalong, Dynastie Qing, empereur Qianlong, Pékin, Musée de la Cité interdite © The Palace Museum 


A world of εmotions opens at Acropolis Museum

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Wall painting with scene from the sacrifice of Iphigeneia, ca. 62–79 AD, Pompeii, Casa del Poeta Tragico, Fresco on Plaster © Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, 9112© Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli / Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo

ATHENS.- Τhe Acropolis Museum joins forces with the Onassis Foundation, an organization which has been contributing to Culture and Education for 42 years, in a rare and significant partnership. The end result is co-staging in Athens the “εmotions” exhibition, which scored such a huge success at the Onassis Cultural Center, New York. 

"εmotions" is a narrative exhibition which sheds light on the unseen world of emotions in the personal, social and political life of antiquity. To view the exhibition is to embark on a tumultuous voyage into the soul of Man, whose passions are here expressed through the filter of ancient art. Exhibits from the world's greatest museums tell stories of emotions in ancient Greek art through the gaze of the Acropolis Museum. Many of the exhibits are unique art-works which are on display in Greece for the first time. Many more from Greek museums are basking in the light of international interest for the first time. 

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Head of Penthesileia, Marble, Roman copy of a Hellenistic original, Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, inv. no. BS 214© Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig

A huge spiral of vertical vinyl banners in various shades of red (from light red to the deepest crimson) guide visitors through the exhibition while simultaneously symbolizing the range and intensity of the emotions on display. The spiral joins the two main exhibits: the glorious light-bathed statues of Eros and Pothos and, opposite them, the dimly-lit wall painting depicting the sacrifice of Iphigenia, its dark niche accentuating the powerful emotions of guilt, despair and anticipation. The remaining 126 exhibits are displayed between the red spiral and a grey backdrop, whose colour serves to balance the intensity of the red, and which corresponds symbolically to the rational side of the soul. 

The exhibition is divided into five main sections: The first is entitled "The Art of Emotions—Emotions in Art". The second section, "The Spaces of Emotions" is divided into five sub-sections: "Private space", "The Battlefield", "Public space", "Sacred spaces" and "The place of Death". The remaining three sections are as follows: "Conflicting Emotions", "Uncontrolled Emotions" and "Medea". The exhibition also includes 11 videos which accompany exhibits and use text and images to narrate the complex, dramatic myths depicted on the pottery and help fill in the background for visitors.

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Statue of Smiling Kouros with Dedication to Apollo, ca 500 BC, Parian marble, Height: 96 cm; Width: 37 cm; Depth: 20 cm Athens, National Archaeological Museum, 20© Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports - Archaeological Receipts Fund.

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Statue of a Koré, 520–510 BC, Marble © Acropolis Museum, Athens, Αcr. 670

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Statue of a Boy with a Goose, 3rd century BC, Marble, National Archaeological Museum, Athens, 2772© Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports–Archaeological Receipts Fund

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Statue of Eros stringing his bow, 2nd century AD, Rome, from the Palatine Hill, Marble, Height: 122 cm; Width: 85 cm; Depth: 57 cm © Louvre Museum, MA 448 (MR 139) © RMN–Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY

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Funerary Stele with Scene of Greeting, Early 3rd century BC, Marble, Archaeological Museum of Thera, 321© Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports–Archaeological Receipts Fund, Photography Kostas Xenikakis

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Inscribed votive relief with ears, 2nd century AD, Marble © Thessaloniki, Sarapeion Thessaloniki, Archaeological Museum

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Funerary Stele for a Lovable Pig, Victim of a Traffic Accident​, 2nd–3rd century AD, Marble © Ephorate of Antiquities of Pella, ΑΚΑ 1674

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Amphora with scene of Achilles and Ajax playing a board game, ca. 540 BC, Vulci, Terracotta, Black-figure, Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig © Basel, Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig

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Cup with Achilles Slaying Penthesileia, attributed to the Penthesileia Painter, ca. 470–460 BC, Terracotta, Red-figure, Staatlichen Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, Munich, NI 8705© Staatlichen Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, Munich, photograph by Renate Kühling

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Neck amphora with Menelaos and Helen, attributed to the Kleophon Painter, ca. 430–420 BC, Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, LU 57© Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig

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Dinos with the Symposium of the Gods, Attributed to the Dinos Painter, 420-410 BC, Terracotta, Red-figure, Archaeological Collection of Acharnes, MM 818© Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports–Archaeological Receipts Fund.

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Tragic Mask, 4th century BC, Copper alloy, Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, ɀɅ4649© Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports–Archaeological Receipts Fund

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Entrance View of A World of εmotions 

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Maria Callas as Medea, Installation View of A World of εmotions 

 

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Installation View of A World of εmotions 

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Installation View of A World of εmotions 

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Installation View of A World of εmotions 

An important and rare large wucai fish jar, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566)

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An important and rare large wucai fish jar, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566)

Lot 4063. An important and rare large wucai fish jar, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566), 13 1/2 in. (34.1 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 5,000,000 - HKD 7,000,000Price realised HKD 7,820,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The globular jar is stoutly potted and painted around the sides with a continuous scene of eight golden carp depicted in different positions as they swim amidst floating aquatic plants above a band of lotus plants in shades of green and yellow and further water weeds in underglaze blue. The carp are set between a band of overlapping leaf tips in underglaze blue below and a band of petals lappets in yellow, iron-red and blue with blue outlines at the shoulder, Japanese wood box. 

ProvenanceAcquired from Mayuyama Ryusendo, Tokyo

ExhibitedTokyo National Museum, circa 1970
Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, circa 1970-1980 

NoteJars of this type are among the most admired of all the imperial porcelain of the Jiajing reign, since the wucai palette is particularly effective for the depiction of this theme and the large scale of the jar provides an excellent 'canvas' on which the ceramic decorator could arrange the undulating composition of fish and aquatic plants. Several jars of this type are to be found in major international museum collections in Europe, Japan and America. Five are preserved in China, including one which was excavated in 1967 in Hepingli, Chaoyangqu, Beijing, published in Wenwu, 1972: 6, p. 64, and inside back cover. Two others are preserved in Beijing. One in the collection of the Palace Museum (fig. 1) is illustrated in Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colors, The Complete Treasures of the Palace Museum, Vol. 38, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 16, no. 15. The other, excavated in Beijing in 1955, in the Chinese History Museum is illustrated in Zhonggguo wenwu jinghua daquan, Taipei, 1993, p. 395, no. 772. Similar jars are also in the collections of the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Liu Liang-yu in Ming Official Wares, Survey of Chinese Ceramics, Vol. 4, Taipei, 1991, p. 212, lower left image, and the Tianjin Museum, illustrated in Porcelain from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 198, pl. 116.

Wucai fish jar, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566), Palace Museum, Beijing

Wucai fish jar, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566), Palace Museum, Beijing.

Wucai ware, a covered jar decorated with goldfish and aquatic plants, Ming dynasty, reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566)

Wucai ware, a covered jar decorated with goldfish and aquatic plants, Ming dynasty, reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566). Porcelain with overlay enamels, H: 46 cm. National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing.

Other examples are in major museum collections around the world. One from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is illustrated in Gems of Chinese Art from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1983, no. 33. Sherman E. Lee illustrates another example in Asian Art: Selections from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd, The Asia Society, New York, 1970, p. 68, no. 57. The example in the Musee Guimet is illustrated by D. Lion-Goldschmidt in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, vol. 7, 1981, pl. 151 and colour pl. 22. Y. Mino and J. Robinson illustrate a jar of this type in Beauty and Tranquility: The Ely Lilly Collection of Chinese Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1983, pp. 252-3, pl. 100. An example from the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore is published in Ming Porcelains, China Institute in America, New York, 1970, no. 42.

Jar with a scene of fish in a lotus pond, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Jiajing mark and of the period (1522-1566)

Jar with a scene of fish in a lotus pond, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Jiajing mark and of the period (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze and overglaze polychrome decoration, wucaiH. 9 1/2 in x W. 9 1/2 in. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P17. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

Jarres formant une paire, panneaux de lotus sur l'épaule, poissons nageant parmi les algues et les plantes aquatiques sur la panse

Jarres formant une paire, panneaux de lotus sur l'épaule, poissons nageant parmi les algues et les plantes aquatiques sur la panse. Chine, dynastie Ming, Règne de Jiajing (1522-1566), porcelaine wucai, Fours de Jingdezhen. Hauteur : 0.48 m. Diamètre : 0.39 m. Collection Ernest Grandidier. G4117a;G4117b. Paris, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques. Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Thierry Ollivier

Covered jar with carp design, Ming dynasty, Jiajing (1522-1566)

Covered jar with carp design, Ming dynasty, Jiajing (1522-1566), porcelain with underglaze blue and overglaze enamels, 18 x 15-1/2 (diam.) in. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Lilly, 60.88A-B © Indianapolis Museum of Art

Wine Jar with Carp among Water Weeds and Lotuses, Ming dynasty, Jiajing (1522-1566)

Wine Jar with Carp among Water Weeds and Lotuses, Ming dynasty,  Jiajing (1522-1566), porcelain with underglaze blue and overglaze enamels. H with lid: 17 11/16 x Diam: 15 13/16 in. (44.9 x 40.1 cm). Acquired by Henry Walters, 49.1917 © Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore

Large jars with this impressive decoration have also been greatly appreciated in Japan, and examples are found in several Japanese collections, including that of the Idemitsu Collection, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, no. 192, and the Matsunaga Kinenkan, illustrated by Ryoichi Fujioka et al., in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 14, Ming, Shogakukan, 1976, p. 75, no. 76. The considerable esteem in which these jars are held was demonstrated in 1992, when a jar of this type from the J.M. Hu Collection was sold at Sotheby's New York 2 December 1992, lot 282 for what was, at that time, a record price for a piece of Chinese porcelain.

Much of the popularity of fish as a decorative theme, especially in later dynasties, hinges on the fact that the word for fish (yu) is a homophone for the word for abundance or surplus (yu) - thus two fish represent doubled abundance and a gold fish (jinyu) symbolises an abundance of gold, or the idea of gold and jade, which represents wealth. Furthermore the word for carp is li which sounds like the word for profit, and thus two or more carp would represent multiple profit. The pronunciation of the word for carp also suggests the Confucian li of moral uprightness. In addition, the carp has another meaning, for it represents the scholar who strives to be successful in his civil service examinations and become a jinshi, and will thus gain a good official position. Legend tells of the carp swimming upstream every spring to the Dragon Gate on the Yellow River. If it succeeds in leaping over the gate, it is transformed into a dragon. 

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

 

A finely carved 'Scholars' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

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A finely carved 'Scholars' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century 

Lot 4165. A finely carved 'Scholars' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century, 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,500,000Price realised HKD 4,220,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The flaring sides are finely carved around the exterior with two pairs of scholars in a rocky river landscape, one pair preparing to cross a bridge over a stream, the other standing on a rocky outcrop beside a cascading waterfall. The handle is formed by the trunk of a large gnarled pine tree extending into the interior of the cup, opposite a maple tree issuing from pierced rockwork. The material ranges from a rich golden brown to walnut tone, wood stand, box.

ProvenanceAcquired in London, 1982

LiteratureT. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 207, no. 151 

ExhibitedHong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005 

Note: The decorative theme rendered on the present cup depicting a naturalistic landscape inhabited by scholars clearly illustrates the influence of contemporaneous paintings and the subject-matter was popularly adopted by master craftsmen for decoration on rhinoceros horn carvings. 

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

A finely carved rhinoceros horn libation cup, Late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 17th century

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A finely carved rhinoceros horn libation cup, Late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 17th century

Lot 4163. A finely carved rhinoceros horn libation cup, Late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 17th century, 8 1/4 in. (21 cm.) across. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,500,000Price realised HKD 3,860,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The cup is crisply carved in high relief around the sides to represent a steep cliff face with clusters of pine and wutong trees, above a stream in the foreground meandering through jagged rocks. The handle is formed by a large pierced and carved pine tree continuing over the rim to the interior of the cup carved with further cliffs. The material is of a rich reddish-brown colour, wood stand, box .

ProvenanceSold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 21 May 1985, lot 287

LiteratureT. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 188, no. 135 

Exhibited: Hong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005. 

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

Hu Xingyue, Cup, carved rhinoceros horn, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1650-1700

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Hu Xingyue, Cup, carved rhinoceros horn, China, Qing dynasty, ca

Hu Xingyue, Cup, carved rhinoceros horn, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1650-1700. H. 3 5/8 in. (9 cm), D. 5 1/2 in. (13.7 cm). Bequeathed by W.H. Cope, Esq., 782-1903. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2017.

Rhinoceros horn cup, carved with archaistic dragons within shaped panels around the body, round the outside of the lip and bottom of the foot lightly incised with narrow bands of fret- pattern, two chilongs crawling over the strap handle and a smaller one inside the lip, inside the foot marked with a seal in raised archaic characters. Seal mark in archaic script reading 'Hu Xing yue' at the base of the cup, name of the maker.

A finely carved 'Mythical Beasts' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

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A finely carved 'Mythical Beasts' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

Lot 4164. A finely carved 'Mythical Beasts' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century, 4 in. (10 cm.) high Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,500,000Price realised HKD 3,140,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The elegantly proportioned tapering body is carved in shallow relief around the mid-section with a band depicting two pairs of confronted archaistic kui dragons separated by serrated flanges, below a band of interlinked stylised phoenix, and above a band of further phoenix around the splayed foot. The flattened rim is carved with a key-pattern band, one end with an openwork handle comprising five elaborately entwined mythical beasts, each rendered with a beak and a single horn. The recessed base is inscribed with the maker's mark Hu Xingyue zuo in seal script. The material is of a warm honey tone, wood stand, box.

ProvenanceSold at Christie's London, 11 July 1966, lot 15; Christie's London, 16 November 1988, lot 112 

Literature: T. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 74, no. 27 

ExhibitedHong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005 

Note: The carver Hu Xingyue is discussed by J. Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, 1999, p. 129; where the author attributes an 18th century dating to the artist. Among Hu's signed work, the marks are rendered into a square four-character seal below the foot of his cups, as with the present lot, and all of Hu's carvings are decorated in the archaistic style. It has been recorded that only eight cups with his seal appear to exist: two are in the Aberdeen Art Gallery; one in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; one in the Museum voor Volkerkunde, Rotterdam, no. 29344; the others are in private collections, is illustrated ibid., p. 129.

Hu Xingyue, Cup, carved rhinoceros horn, China, Qing dynasty, ca

Hu Xingyue, Cup, carved rhinoceros horn, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1650-1700. H. 3 5/8 in. (9 cm), D. 5 1/2 in. (13.7 cm). Bequeathed by W.H. Cope, Esq., 782-1903. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2017.

Hu Xingyue, Rhinoceros horn libation cup, Museum voor Volkerkunde, Rotterdam, no

Hu Xingyue, Rhinoceros horn libation cup, Museum voor Volkerkunde, Rotterdam, no. 29344 

It is interesting to note that a similar archaistic cup carved with a more pronounced lip forming a pouring vessel and inscribed with the same four-character mark of Hu Xingyue is in the Qing Court collection. The Palace example is illustrated in Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 44, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 152, no. 134, where it is dated to the late Ming dynasty. As Palace archives were well-kept and highly regulated during the Qing period, it is possible to deduce that the artist, Hu Xingyue, must already have been active before the Qing dynasty.

The unusual mythical animal in this instance was an adaptation of mythical birds with hooked beaks and animal bodies that first appeared on early bronzes of the Zhou dynasty (1100-256 BC). By the late Ming period, this type of bird motif was revived specifically on rhinoceros horn carvings. The later Ming rendition, however, re-ermerged with an exaggerated crest and attached to a sinuous chidragon body. A related vessel with a similar striding mythical beast carved on the exterior, in the Edward and Franklin Chow Collections, is illustrated ibid., p. 154, no. 189. 

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall 

A finely carved archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

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A finely carved archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

Lot 4161. A finely carved archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century, 5 in. (12.7 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 1,200,000 - HKD 1,800,000Price realised HKD 2,780,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The elegantly proportioned tapering body is carved in shallow relief around the mid-section with a band depicting two pairs of confronted archaistic kui dragons separated by serrated flanges, below a band of interlinked stylised phoenix, and above a band of further phoenix around the splayed foot. The flattened rim is carved with a key-pattern band, one end with an openwork handle comprising five elaborately entwined mythical beasts, each rendered with a beak and a single horn. The recessed base is inscribed with the maker's mark Hu Xingyue zuo in seal script. The material is of a warm honey tone, wood stand, box.

Provenance: Acquired in Hong Kong, 1978  

LiteratureT. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 56, no. 9 

ExhibitedHong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005 

NoteThe combination of archaistic decoration and numerous high relief chilong appears to have been popular with carvers of rhinoceros horn cups. It is the contrast of the sinuous bodies and muscular movement of the dragons to the underlying formalised design of the archaistic bands that provides an attractive overall design most suited to complement the elegant shape of the cup.

Several cups of this type of decoration are illustrated by T. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, 1999, nos. 4, 9, 15, 19, 20, 22, 26 and 41. A similar archaistic cup, also with a raised base, from the Songzhutang Collection, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, Important Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings from the Songzhutang Collection, 27 May 2008, lot 1723. 

A finely carved archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, 17th century

A finely carved archaistic rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, 17th century. Sold 1,567,500 HKD at Christie's Hong Kong, Important Chinese Rhinoceros Horn Carvings from the Songzhutang Collection, 27 May 2008, lot 1723© Christie's Images Ltd 2008

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall 


A small floral-lobed rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th dynasty

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A small floral-lobed rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th dynasty

Lot 4157. A small floral-lobed rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th dynasty, 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 500,000 - HKD 700,000Price realised HKD 1,340,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The quatrefoil cup has elegantly formed flared sides ribbed and grooved in the shape of four petals, carved in shallow relief around the exterior with a continuous undulating petal design, between keyfret bands at the rim and on the conforming pedestal foot. The openwork handle formed by entwined chilong, the larger of which is grasping the rim of the cup and peering into the interior. The material of a reddish-brown tone; wood stand, box.

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby's New York, 5 June 1982, lot 334  

LiteratureT. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 52, no. 5
Art and Collection, 2001, issue 105, Yi liang xijiao san liang jin, p. 102 

ExhibitedHong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005 

NoteThe design and form of this cup is reminiscent of silverwork of the mid-Ming period.

Compare a cup in this fluted floral form from the Gerard Levy Collection, illustrated by J. Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, p. 149, no. 173. 

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall 

An unusual small carved 'Maple' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

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An unusual small carved 'Maple' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

Lot 4156. An unusual small carved 'Maple' rhinoceros horn libation cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century, 3 in. (7.6 cm.) wide. Estimate HKD 350,000 - HKD 450,000Price realised HKD 596,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The cup is of oval form with deep rounded sides carved in medium relief to the exterior with hanging branches of maple descending around the rim, borne on two gnarled trunks on either side of the cup joining at the base with the interlocking roots forming the recessed foot ring. The interior is embellished with a further small leafy branch carved to one side. The material is of a rich caramel tone, box.

Provenance: Acquired from an English collection, 2000  

ExhibitedHong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

A rare small rhinoceros horn wine cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

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A rare small rhinoceros horn wine cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century

Lot 4155. A rare small rhinoceros horn wine cup, Ming dynasty, early 17th century, 2 in. (5.2 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 150,000 - HKD 250,000Price realised HKD 300,000© Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The thick body tapers in a curved line from the broad circular footed base to the everted rim. The lustrous undecorated material is of a rich golden tone darkening to a reddish brown to the interior, wood stand, box.

Provenance: Acquired in London, 1988

LiteratureT. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 110, no. 63 

ExhibitedHong Kong Museum of Art, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth: Gems of Antiquities Collections in Hong Kong, 2002-2005

NoteThe form of this cup with its thick sides and broad foot ring is reminiscent of the yashoubei, which literally means 'fitting into one's palm', of the Ming period. As such it is markedly different to the much thinner walls and narrow foot rims found on Qing dynasty cups which are closer to those made in the ceramic form. It has been noted by the author that this streaked fibrous rhinoceros horn was known as banxi, see T. Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, 1999, p. 110. 

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibits masterpieces by painter Cristóbal de Villalpando

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Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649–1714), The Deluge, 1689. Oil on copper. Col. Propiedad de la Nación Mexicana, Secretaría de Cultura, Dirección General de Sitios y Monumentos del Patrimonio Cultural, Acervo de la Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción, Puebla, Mexico.

NEW YORK, NY.- Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649–1714) emerged in the 1680s not only as the leading painter in viceregal Mexico, but also as one of the most innovative and accomplished artists in the entire Spanish world. Opening July 25 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the exhibition Cristóbal de Villalpando: Mexican Painter of the Baroque features his earliest masterpiece, a monumental painting depicting the biblical accounts of Moses and the brazen serpent and the Transfiguration of Jesus that was painted in 1683 for a chapel in Puebla Cathedral. Newly conserved, this 28-foot-tall canvas has never been exhibited outside its place of origin. Ten additional works, most of which have never been shown in the United States, will also be exhibited. Highlights include Villalpando’s recently discovered Adoration of the Magi, on loan from Fordham University, and The Holy Name of Mary, from the Museum of the Basilica of Guadalupe. 

Born in Mexico City around mid-century, Cristóbal de Villalpando may have begun his career in the workshop of Baltasar de Echave Rioja (1632–1682). Villalpando’s rise to prominence coincided with the death of Echave Rioja in 1682, just one year before Villalpando painted his ambitious Moses and the Brazen Serpent and the Transfiguration of Jesus. Villalpando was celebrated in his lifetime, rewarded with prestigious commissions, and honored as an officer of the Mexico City painters’ guild.  

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Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649 – 1714), The Agony in the Garden, ca. 1670-1679. Oil on canvas. Col. Museo de El Carmen, INAH Mexico City, Mexico

The exhibition begins with Villalpando’s masterful Moses and the Brazen Serpent and the Transfiguration of Jesus, which was painted to decorate a chapel in Puebla Cathedral that was dedicated to a miracle-working image of Christ at the Column. In wealth and importance, Puebla Cathedral was second only to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City, for whose sacristy Villalpando also painted three monumental canvases. 

This painting—the first in a series of important ecclesiastical commissions—marks a breakthrough in Villalpando’s work, in terms of its grand scale and its audacious conception and execution. He signed it Villalpando inventor, an inscription that distinguishes the artist’s intellectual achievement from his manual skill and asserts his professional status as the learned practitioner of a noble art. 

 

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Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649 – 1714), Moses and the Brazen Serpent and the Transfiguration of Jesus, 1683. Oil on canvas. Col. Propiedad de la Nación Mexicana, Secretaría de Cultura, Dirección General de Sitios y Monumentos del Patrimonio Cultural, Acervo de la Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción, Puebla, Mexico

In a bold and erudite arrangement, Villalpando juxtaposed the Old Testament story of Moses and the brazen serpent with the New Testament account of the Transfiguration—an unprecedented pairing of subjects. The two biblical events are staged within a single, continuous sacred landscape that encompasses the wilderness of Exodus and the holy mounts of Calvary and Tabor. Life-size figures of every age and gender, clothed and nude and in an astounding variety of poses and attitudes, populate the composition. The painting’s lower half features the story of Moses making and using the image of the brazen serpent according to God’s instructions to heal Israelites bitten by poisonous serpents. This episode provides a scriptural precedent for the making and use of images in worship, while also affirming the importance of art and artists. The upper half of the composition represents the transfiguration of Jesus’s corporeal body into light, a scene that demanded nothing less than the materialization of light in paint, which Villalpando attained through shimmering color and fluid brushwork. 

Ten additional paintings by Villalpando will demonstrate his intense striving as an inventor; his great originality and skill; his ability to convey complex subject matter; and his capacity to envision the divine.

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Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649 – 1714), Moses and the Brazen Serpent and the Transfiguration of Jesus (detail), 1683. Oil on canvas. Col. Propiedad de la Nación Mexicana, Secretaría de Cultura, Dirección General de Sitios y Monumentos del Patrimonio Cultural, Acervo de la Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción, Puebla, Mexico

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Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649–1714), The Adoration of the Magi, 1683. Oil on canvas, Fordham University Collection

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Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649 – 1714), The Holy Name of Mary, ca. 1690-1699. Oil on canvas. Col. Museo de la Basílica de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Mexico

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Cristóbal de Villalpando (ca. 1649 – 1714), Annunciation, 1706. Oil on canvas. Col. Museo Regional de Guadalupe, INAH, Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico

A massive barbed rim Longquan celadon charger, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1425)

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A massive barbed rim Longquan celadon charger, Ming dynasty, Yongle period

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Lot 7. A massive barbed rim Longquan celadon charger, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1425), 62.5 cm. Estimate 1,800,000 — 2,500,000 HKD. Lot sold 4,820,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

sturdily potted on a low circular foot, the cavetto carved into sixteen equal bracket foliations below a barbed everted rim of matching form, the center left plain, covered overall with an even, thick, lustrous yellowish-green glaze, save for the wide ring on the base fired brick-red. 

ProvenanceSotheby's New York, 8th May 1981, lot 253.

LiteratureRegina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1609, and p. 3, fig. 2b.

NoteLongquan dishes of this type are among the largest ceramic dishes ever fired in China. The perfection of shape and glaze of this dish is remarkable and reflects the high quality the Longquan kilns were able to achieve during the Yongle reign, when they were producing for the imperial court under direct court control, parallel to and in direct competition with the porcelain manufactories of Jingdezhen.

Unsuccessfully fired and rejected dishes of this form, of similar and of smaller size, have been excavated from the imperial Longquan kilns at Chuzhou, Zhejiang province, see Ye Yingting and Hua Yunong, Faxian: Da Ming Chuzhou Longquan guanyao [Discovery: Imperial ware of the great Ming dynasty from Longquan in Chuzhou], Hangzhou, 2005, pp. 268-72. Another dish of this size in the National Museum of China, Beijing, is published in Zhongguo Guojia Bowuguan guancang wenwu yanjiu congshu/Studies on the Collections of the National Museum of China. Ciqi juan [Porcelain section], Mingdai[Ming dynasty], Shanghai, 2007, pl. 112; one in the Nezu Art Museum, Tokyo, is illustrated in Nezu Bijutsukan zōhin shirizu 4: Seiji [Nezu Art Museum Collection Series 4: Celadon], Tokyo, 1977 (no pl. no.); two similar dishes in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, are published in Idemitsu Bijutsukan zōhin zuroku. Chūgoku tōji/Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pls. 594 and 595; and another such dish of slightly smaller size (57 cm) is in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, see Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, ed. John Ayers, London, 1986, vol. 1, no. 245.

Sotheby's. The Meiyintang Collection, Part II - An Important Selection of Imperial Chinese Porcelains, Hong Kong, 05 Oct 2011

A fine and exceptionally large early Ming Longquan celadon barbed-rim charger, Yongle period (1403-1425)

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A fine and exceptionally large early Ming Longquan celadon barbed-rim charger, Yongle period (1403-1425) 

Lot 4241. A fine and exceptionally large early Ming Longquan celadon barbed-rim charger, Yongle period (1403-1425), 24 1/4 in. (61.5 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 2,200,000 - HKD 2,800,000Price realised HKD 2,660,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

Sturdily potted, the slightly convex centre of the dish is encircled by a flaring petal-moulded well rising to the barbed everted rim with raised edge, covered with a lustrous glaze of rich sea-green tone, continuing over the moulded foot rim onto the base. The underside has an unglazed ring burnt orange in the firing.

ProvenanceA Japanese private collection acquired in the early 1960s
Sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2538

NoteIt would have been difficult to maintain the shape of these large-sized dishes during the firing process. Similar chargers are illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. 1, Catalogue, no. 245; by M. Sullivan in Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades in the Collection of Sir Alan and Lady Barlow, pl. 103a; and in the Catalogue of the 15th Anniversary of the Idemitsu Museum, Japan, 1981, no. 873.

Two other examples of this similarly large size were sold, the first from the collection of Frederic Mueller was sold at Christie's New York Rooms, 1 June 1990, lot 168 (63.5 cm.), and the other from the Meiyintang Collection, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2011, lot 7 (62.5 cm.). A slightly smaller example from the Edward T. Chow and T.Y. Chao Collections was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 18 November 1986, lot 27 (48 cm.) 

A massive barbed rim Longquan celadon charger, Ming dynasty, Yongle period

A massive barbed rim Longquan celadon charger, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1425), 62.5 cm, from the Meiyintang Collection. Sold for 4,820,000 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2011, lot 7. Photo: Sotheby's.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

Large dated temple vase, Yuan dynasty, dated around AD1327

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Large dated temple vase, Yuan dynasty, dated around AD1327, Longquan ware

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Large dated temple vase, Yuan dynasty, dated around AD1327, Longquan ware, Longquan region, Zhejiang province. Stoneware, porcelain-type, incised, carved and with celadon glaze, Height: 72 cm. Sir Percival David Founcation of Chinese Art, PDF 237 © The Trustees of the British Museum

Longquan stoneware vase with long neck and flared mouth. The vase has grey-green glaze. There are carved petals around lower part of the exterior, concentric rings around the neck, and pomegranate scrolls around the body. There is an inscription around the lip.

Inscription around the rim: 栝倉剱川流山萬安社居奉三寳弟子張進成燒造大花瓶壹雙捨入覺林院大法堂佛前永充供養祈福保安家門吉慶者恭定四年丁卯嵗仲秋吉日謹題

Inscription Transliteration: Guacang Jianchuan Liushan Wan’anshe ju feng sanbao dizi Zhang Jincheng shaozao da huaping yi shuang sheru Juelinyuan da fatang fo qian yongchong gongyang qifu bao’an jiamen jiqing zhe gongding sinian dingmao sui zhongqiu jiri jin ti

Inscription Translation: Zhang Jincheng of the village of Wan’an by Liuhua hill at Jianchuan in Guacang, a humble believer in the Precious Trinity (ie Buddhism) has fired a pair of large flower vases to be placed for ever before the Buddha in the Great Hall of Ritual at Juelin Temple, with a prayer that the blessings of peace, happiness and prosperity may attend his family. Respectfully inscribed on an auspicious day in the second month of autumn of the dingmao year in the Taiding period’ [AD 1327]

This tall vase is carved around the ovoid body and neck with peony or camellia scrolls. Its construction is typical of the Yuan dynasty as its base is inserted separately fixed with glaze, and the foot ring left unglazed. Carved around the inner lip are sixty-one characters. This dedication is read counterclockwise 栝倉剱川流山萬安社居奉三寳弟子張進成燒造大花瓶壹雙捨入覺林院大法堂佛前永充供養祈福保安家門吉慶者泰定四年丁卯嵗仲秋吉日謹題 (Guacang Jianchuan Liushan Wan’anshe ju feng sanbao dizi Zhang Jincheng shaozao da huaping yi shuang sheru Juelinyuan da fatang fo qian yongchong gongyang qifu bao’an jiamen jiqing zhe Taiding sinian dingmao sui zhongqiu jiri jin ti ‘Zhang Jincheng of the village of Wan’an by Liuhua hill at Jianchuan in Guacang, a humble believer in the Precious Trinity (ie Buddhism) has fired a pair of large flower vases to be placed for ever before the Buddha in the Great Hall of Ritual at Juelin Temple, with a prayer that the blessings of peace, happiness and prosperity may attend his family. Respectfully inscribed on an auspicious day in the second month of autumn of the dingmao year in the Taiding period’ [AD 1327]). Hobson records that Jianchuan is an old name for Longquan where this vase was made. Guacang is close to Lishui in Zhejiang province.


An important and extremely rare Longquan celadon pomegranate-form vase, shiliu zun, Yuan dynasty, 14th century

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An important and extremely rare Longquan celadon pomegranate-form vase, shiliu zun, Yuan dynasty, 14th century

Lot 1472. An important and extremely rare Longquan celadon pomegranate-form vase, shiliu zun, Yuan dynasty, 14th century, 14 1/4 in. (32 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 2,000,000 - HKD 3,000,000Price realised HKD 2,400,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2007

The sturdily potted vessel with a globular body well carved and incised with a broad band of peony meander bearing large graceful blossoms and arched leaves reserved on a combed ground between a border of upright stiff petals rising from the foot and another of 'cash' coins at the shoulder, the waisted neck interrupted by a thick horizontal rib carved with a lingzhi scroll band below another of stylised flowers, the flat horizontal rim incised with a further band of 'cash', the wide splayed rim with a classic border and with a band of applied bosses, covered overall in a rich glaze of sea-green tone, the base countersunk and the broad foot burnt orange in the firing, old Japanese wood box and wrapper.

ProvenanceA Japanese private collection

NoteLongquan celadon vases of this shape, undoubtedly inspired by contemporaneous metal ware, are extremely rare and only three appear to have been published. The closest comparison is the vase in the Palace Museum collection, Beijing, illustrated in Yuan dai ciqi, Beijing, 1998, p. 259, pl. 447 (fig. 1). The Beijing example is carved with a classic chrysanthemum scroll, instead of a peony scroll. The two other examples are carved with alternating fruiting and flowering sprigs within rectangular cartouches around the globular body, the first is illustrated in op. cit., p. 259, no. 446 and again in Sekai Toji Zenshu, Shogakukan Series, vol. 13, Japan, 1981, p. 181, pl. 150 (fig. 2). The other is in the Palace Museum, Taipei, and was included in the special exhibition, Age of the Great Khan, Pluralism in Chinese Art and Culture Under the Mongols, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, p. 143, pl. IV-39 (fig. 3).

The decorative technique on the primary band, carved by removing the ground reserving the floral scroll in low relief is considerably more difficult and time-consuming than either incising a design onto the surface of the vessel, or applying the sides with sprig-moulded elements. An example of this same carved technique is seen on the massive Longquan vase in the Percival David Foundation, which appears to be a special commission and bears a dedicatory inscription dated to AD 1327, illustrated by R. Scott, Imperial Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, San Francisco, 1989, pp. 50-1, no. 24. 

Large dated temple vase, Yuan dynasty, dated around AD1327, Longquan ware

Large dated temple vase, Yuan dynasty, dated around AD1327, Longquan ware, Longquan region, Zhejiang province. Stoneware, porcelain-type, incised, carved and with celadon glaze, Height: 72 cm. Sir Percival David Founcation of Chinese Art, PDF 237 © The Trustees of the British Museum

Christie'sImportant Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 29 May 2007, Hong Kong

A very rare early Ming Longquan celadon globular 'Chrysanthemum' vase, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

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A very rare early Ming Longquan celadon globular 'chrysanthemum' vase, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

Lot 4240. A very rare early Ming Longquan celadon globular 'Chrysanthemum' vase, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century, 14 in. (35.5 cm) high. Estimate HKD 600,000 - HKD 800,000Price realised HKD 860,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The sturdily potted globular body is deeply moulded and carved with four foliated chrysanthemum scrolls above a band of narrow upright petals, the ribbed neck with bands of incised chevron and ruyi pattern flared upwards to a rolled-top mouth decorated with applied bosses. The vase is covered overall with a thick glaze of greenish-olive tone thinning to reveal the pale body underneath on the extremities.

ProvenanceThis item was given by the chief priest at the Nishi Honganji temple as a new year's gift in December of 1877
A Japanese private collection
Sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2539 

NoteLongquan vases of this form, undoubtedly inspired by contemporaneous metal ware, are exceptionally rare. The Palace Museum in Beijing has a very similar vase, illustrated in Ceramics Galleries of the Palace Museum, Part II, Beijing, 2008, p. 373, pl. 290. Another smaller vase without the moulded decoration is in the British Museum, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall in Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p. 474, pl.16:33 where the author mentions the unusual roll-up mouth with bosses might have taken its inspiration from the Tibetan brass and copper ewers. Another example with a carved rather than moulded primary decorative band was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1472.

An important and extremely rare Longquan celadon pomegranate-form vase, shiliu zun, Yuan dynasty, 14th century

An important and extremely rare Longquan celadon pomegranate-form vase, shiliu zun, Yuan dynasty, 14th century, 14 1/4 in. (32 cm.) high. Sold for HKD 2,400,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1472. © Christie's Images Ltd 2007

The application of sprig-moulded ornaments on Longquan celadons developed during the Yuan dyansty. This technique involved the manufacture of separate ornaments in open moulds and then applied to the clay body before glazing and firing. Incising and moulding in relief were the most common techniques used individually or in combination as seen on the present lot. 

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 May 2012, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

Vase in Shape of Ancient Bronze Vessel, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 15th–16th century

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Vase in Shape of Ancient Bronze Vessel, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 15th–16th century

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Vase in Shape of Ancient Bronze Vessel, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 15th–16th century. Porcelain with celadon glaze (Longquan ware). H. 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm). Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, 1950; 50.145.300 © 2000–2017 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The square handles and ring illustrate the metal origins of the shape of the vase. Similar examples have been excavated in Chinese tombs dating to the fifteenth and sixteenth century, suggesting that the shape was particularly popular at that time.

A rare Longquan celadon pear-shaped vase, Yuan dynasty, 14th century

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A rare Longquan celadon pear-shaped vase, Yuan dynasty, 14th century

Lot 3812. A rare Longquan celadon pear-shaped vase, Yuan dynasty, 14th century, 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 450,000 - HKD 550,000Price realised HKD 860,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

The pear-shaped body supported on a sturdy footring and surmounted by a trumpet neck flanked by a pair of large ring handles, the neck, shoulder and mid-section encircled by raised double bands, covered overall with an even light olive green glaze, Japanese double wood boxes.

Provenance: Japanese private collection

ExhibitedGotoh Museum, Tokyo

NoteVases of this form that are without added decorative features are quite rare and this example, reminiscent of earlier Song dynasty examples, beautifully shows off the luster and colour of the Longquan glaze.

For a vase of this shape, carved with flowers and with more elaborate monster-mask and mock-ring handles, see the example in the National Palace Museum, illustrated in Age of The Great Khan, Pluralism in Chinese Art and Culture Under the Mongols, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, p. 145, pl. IV-42.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 1 June 2011, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall

A rare Longquan celadon pear-shaped vase, Yuan dynasty, 14th century

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3008

Lot 3008. A rare Longquan celadon pear-shaped vase, Yuan dynasty, 14th century, 10 in. (25.5 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 300,000 - HKD 500,000Price realised HKD 350,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

The pear-shaped body supported on a sturdy footring and surmounted by a trumpet neck flanked by a pair of mythical beast head handles suspending large fixed rings, the neck, shoulder and mid-section encircled by raised bands, covered overall with an even rich olive green glaze, Japanese double wood boxes.

ProvenanceAcquired in Kyoto in the 1920s and thence by direct descent to the present owner

The Property of a Japanese Private Collector

NoteVases of this form without added decorative features are quite rare. Two undecorated vases with very similar flattened ribbed handles dated to the 13th/14th century are in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, London, 1986, pp. 220-221, nos. 200 and 201. Another similarly shaped undecorated Yuan Longquan vase was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3821.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 November 2011, Hong Kong

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