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

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

Lot 4248. A Longquan celadon pear-shaped vase, Yuan-Ming dynasty, 14th century, 10 1/4 in. (26.2 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 450,000 - HKD 550,000Price realised HKD 475,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

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

NoteSeveral vases of this form without added decorative motifs are published. 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. One in the Metropolitan Museum is illustrated in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The World's Great Collections Oriental Ceramics vol. 12, fig. 63. Two other vases were sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3812, and 30 November 2011, lot 3008. 

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

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

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

A rare Longquan celadon pear-shaped vase, Yuan dynasty, 14th century, 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) high. Sold for HKD 860,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3812. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

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A rare Longquan celadon pear-shaped vase, Yuan dynasty, 14th century, 10 in. (25.5 cm.) high. Sold for HKD 350,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3008. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

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


A rare early Ming Longquan celadon 'Lotus' bowl, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

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A rare early Ming Longquan celadon 'Lotus' bowl, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

Lot 4243. A rare early Ming Longquan celadon 'Lotus' bowl, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century, 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 300,000 - HKD 400,000Price realised HKD 375,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

, Standing on a small cylindrical foot, the bowl is carved to the exterior of the flaring sides with two bands of upright lotus petals below a classic scroll near the mouth rim, the centre of the interior with a lotus blossom at the medallion and a keyfret band below the mouth rim. The bowl is covered by a lustrous celadon glaze of sea-green tone, the base with an unglazed ring burnt orange during the firing, Japanese wood box.

Note: It is interesting to note that the double petal pattern on the current bowl can be seen on blue and white wares made in the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen during the Yongle and Xuande periods, see one example with a Xuande mark in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (I), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 162, no. 154. The same double petal design also appears on white wares of the early Ming period such as the bowl, dated to the Yongle period from the Kempe Collection, offered in the Imperial Sale, 30 May 2012, lot 3979. A Longquan celadon bowl of identical design and size to the current bowl is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei and illustrated in Green- Longquan Celadon of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 2009, p. 36, no. 9. 

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

A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century

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A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century 

Lot 1134. A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century, 13 3/8 in. (34 cm.) diamEstimate USD 12,000 - USD 18,000Price realised USD 47,500 © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

With shallow rounded sides rising to an everted rim, the center of the interior decorated in relief with a scaly four-clawed dragon leaping in pursuit of a flaming pearl, below scrolls carved in the well, the exterior carved with chrysanthemum petals, all under a glaze of sea-green color, an unglazed circle on the base burnt orange in the firing, wood stand.

ProvenanceFrank Caro Co., New York, 21 May 1974. 

NoteThe shape of the dragon and position of the pearl on this dish appear to be very similar to a dish of slightly larger size (14 in. diam.) in the Sedgewick Collection, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition, Celadon Wares, 20 October - 20 December 1947, pl. I, no. 40. Other related dishes are illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. I, London, 1986, pp. 255-6, nos. 58-62. 

Christie's. Magnificent Qing Monochrome Porcelains and Earlier Works of Art from the Gordon Collection, 24 March 2011, New York

A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Late Yuan-Early Ming dynasty, 14th century

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A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Late Yuan-Early Ming dynasty, 14th century

Lot 3817. A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Late Yuan-Early Ming dynasty, 14th century, 14 in. (35.5 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 150,000 - HKD 200,000Price realised HKD 400,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

Sturdily potted with shallow rounded sides rising to an everted rim, the center of the interior decorated in relief with a scaly four-clawed dragon leaping in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', below scrolls carved in the well, the exterior carved with chrysanthemum petals, all under a glaze of sea-green colour, an unglazed circle on the base burnt orange in the firing, box.

Provenance: Frank Caro Co., New York, 21 May 1974. 

NoteA number of these dishes with an upright dragon in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl' are known. Compare with a dish of this same size in the Sedgewick Collection, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition, Celadon Wares, October - December 1947, and illustrated in the Catalogue, pl. I, no. 40. Other related dishes are illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. I, London, 1986, pp. 255-6, nos. 58-62; and a slightly smaller example from the Gordon Collection (34 cm. diam.) was sold at Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1134.  

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

A Longquan celadon 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368)

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A Longquan celadon 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368)

Lot 3020.  A Longquan celadon 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), 13 1/4 in. (33.5 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 250,000 - HKD 350,000Price realised HKD 275,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

The gently rounded sides flaring outward to a flat everted rim, moulded in the centre with a writhing scaly dragon, encircled by a freely carved foliage scroll around the cavetto, the exterior carved and moulded with lobed lotus petals radiating from the footring, covered overall with an olive-green glaze except for the footrim showing the biscuit burnt orange in the firing, box.

NoteA dish of this type with a very similar dragon applied to the centre is illustrated in Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. I, p. 256, no. 62. Another almost identical dragon chasing a 'flaming pearl' from the British Museum is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections, vol. 5, Tokyo, 1981, no. 132.

'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty, circa 13th-14th century

'Dragon' dishYuan dynasty, circa 13th-14th century, Longquan ware, Longquan region, Zhejiang province. Stoneware, porcelain-type, with carved and applied moulded decoration and celadon glaze. Diameter: 14.5 inches. Bequeathed by Henry Blackwall Harris, 1929,0722.5 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Christie'sImportant Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 November 2011, Hong Kong

Serving dish with dragon and clouds, Yuan dynasty, about 1280–1320

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Serving dish with dragon and clouds, Yuan dynasty, about 1280–1320

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Serving dish with dragon and clouds, Yuan dynasty, about 1280–1320, Longquan ware, Longquan region, Zhejiang province. Stoneware, porcelain-type, with carved and applied moulded decoration and celadon glaze. Height: 8,3 cm - Diameter: 38,1 cm. Sir David Percival Collection of Chinese Art, PDF A219 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

The dish has a fine pale grey body and thick grey-green glaze. There is a foliage scroll incised and carved around the cavetto, a sprig-moulded four-clawed dragon pursuing flaming pearl among clouds in the centre of the interior, and lotus panels carved on the exterior. The foot rim is unglazed. 

Potters working in the Longquan reign during the Yuan dynasty fired large numbers of these serving dishes. They were made in dragon kilns, so called as they followed the undulating contours of the hillsides. Longquan celadons were exported to the Middle East and Southeast Asia in great quantities. This dish has a prancing dragon applied in the centre and the outer walls are scored to evoke lotus petals before covering in a green glaze and firing.

A Longquan celadon carved and sprig moulded 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, 14th century

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A Longquan celadon carved and sprig moulded 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, 14th century 

Lot 4249. A Longquan celadon carved and sprig moulded 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, 14th century; 13 5/8 in. (34.7 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 350,000 - HKD 450,000Price realised HKD 325,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The dish is sturdily potted with shallow rounded sides rising to an everted rim. The interior is decorated in relief with a scaly four-clawed dragon leaping in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', surrounded by scrolls carved in the well. The exterior is carved with chrysanthemum petals. The dish is covered overall in a glaze of sea-green colour, except an unglazed circle on the base burnt orange in the firing, box.

Note: A number of these dishes with an upright dragon in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl' are known. The earliest examples dated to the Song dynasty include one in the Sedgewick Collection which was exhibited at the Oriental Ceramic Society, London, Celadon Wares, 1947, Catalogue, pl. I, no. 40. Other related dishes are illustrated by J. Ayers and Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. I, London, 1986, pp. 255-6, nos. 58-62. An example showing similar scroll designs in the well from the Gordon Collection was sold at Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1134. Other examples were sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3817 and 30 November 2011, lot 3020. 

A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century 

A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century, 13 3/8 in. (34 cm.) diam. Sold for USD 47,500 at Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1134. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Late Yuan-Early Ming dynasty, 14th century

A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Late Yuan-Early Ming dynasty, 14th century, 14 in. (35.5 cm.) diam. Sold for HKD 400,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3817 © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

A Longquan celadon 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368)

A Longquan celadon 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), 13 1/4 in. (33.5 cm.) diam. Sold for HKD 275,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3020.  © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

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

A rare Longquan celadon moulded trumpet-necked baluster vase, Yuan-Ming dynasty, 14th century

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A rare Longquan celadon moulded trumpet-necked baluster vase, Yuan-Ming dynasty, 14th century

Lot 4244. A rare Longquan celadon moulded trumpet-necked baluster vase, Yuan-Ming dynasty, 14th century, 14 1/2 in. (37 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 250,000 - HKD 350,000Price realised HKD 225,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The sturdily-potted body is decorated in relief with meandering stems bearing peony blossoms above a band of upright leaves. The neck rises to a trumpet mouth and moulded with raised bowstring bands. It is covered overall with an olive green glaze thinning to the carved extremities. The foot rim is burnt orange in the firing, Japanese wood box.

NoteLongquan trumpet-neck vases with bowstring bands on the neck and upright leaves around the foot are relatively rare. An example with scrolling chrysanthemum on the body is illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1976, p. 166, fig. 482. Two vases with lotus designs are known, one from the shipwreck off Sinan and included in the Special Exhibition of Cultural Found off Sinan Coast, National Museum of Korea, Seoul, 1977, Catalogue, no. 23; another was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25 April 2004, lot 282. See also two other examples with a plain body, one was included in the Illustrated Catalogue of a Special Exhibition of Sung Porcelain, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1978, Catalogue, p. 82, no. 65; the other was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 15 November 1988, lot 111. 

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


A large Longquan celadon bowl, Yongle period (1402-1424)

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A large Longquan celadon bowl, Yongle period (1402-1424)

Lot 4247. A large Longquan celadon bowl, Yongle period (1402-1424), 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 150,000 - HKD 200,000Price realised HKD 225,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The shallow bowl is thickly potted with rounded sides supported on a short tapering foot, carved to the interior with a large peony bloom within a foliate panel at the centre, and a wide band of undulating peony scroll on the well, the pattern repeated on the exterior. It is covered in an even celadon glaze of sea-green tone, with an unglazed ring on the base burnt orange in the firing, box.

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

Exhibition at Prince Eugene’s Winter Palace focuses on Polish king John III Sobieski

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Roman Painter (?), Portrait of John III on horseback, around 1704. Oil on canvas© Warsaw, Royal Castle – Museum

VIENNA.- The Polish king John III Sobieski (1629–1696) is inextricably linked to the history of Vienna. As the commander-in-chief of united armed forces, he liberated the city from the Ottoman siege that lasted several weeks in 1683. With this victory, he secured a place in world history and in the collective Austrian memory. Developed in cooperation with four major Polish residences, the exhibition at Prince Eugene’s Winter Palace offers the first opportunity in the German-speaking realm for visitors to become acquainted with the monarch as a private individual and to learn about his work as a statesman, an army general, and a patron of the arts and sciences. 

Curators Maike Hohn (Belvedere) and Konrad Pyzel (Wilanów Palace) have traced Jan III. Sobieski’s life and work. With the help of almost one hundred paintings, precious objects, art objects, militaria, and memorabilia, visitors are given a comprehensive and lively picture of the Polish king and his time. 

Belvedere General Director Stella Rollig emphasizes, ‘the exhibition John III Sobieski. A Polish King in Vienna offers the opportunity to get to know this important figure of European Baroque as a sovereign, a war hero, and as an individual. The wide-ranging presentation is owed to a comprehensive cooperation between Austria and Poland.’ 

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Daniel Schultz the Younger, John III. Sobieski (1629–1696), Polish King, 1677-1680, National Museum in Warsaw © National Museum in Warsaw 

Sobieski’s origins and his journey to the throne as an elected Polish king will be addressed in the first section of the exhibition. His abilities and successes as a military general were, above all, what earned him the Polish crown. By the age of twenty, Sobieski had already stood his first time on the battlefield. The 1673 triumph of the Polish-Lithuanian army at Chocim (Khotyn) over Ottoman troops and the simultaneous death of the reigning king galvanized his election to monarchic rule by the Polish aristocracy in 1674. 

Sobieski’s cultural background was characterized by Sarmatism – an all-encompassing worldview held by the Polish noble class, the origin of which was genealogically derived from the ancient Sarmatian people. This frame of mind found its most striking expression in clothing, which was based on oriental dress and which can be observed in certain portraits within the exhibition.  

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Jerzy Eleuter Szymonowicz-Siemiginowski, Portrait of Queen Marie Casimire with her children, around 1684, Warsaw, Wilanow Palace Museum © Wojciech Holnicki

A further section of the show is devoted to Sobieski’s role as a patron of the arts. ‘The monarch commissioned talented artists, who would later be employed under various European rulers. Among [these artists] was Martino Altomonte, who, after his time as a battlefield painter and portraitist for Sobieski, came to Vienna to create the frescoes for Prince Eugene in the Lower Belvedere. Austrian painting of the High Baroque would be unthinkable without Altomonte,’ according to Maike Hohn. Other important artist personalities who were also commissioned with furnishing the royal residence of Wilanów Palace were Jerzy Eleuter Szymonowicz-Siemiginowski and Jan Reisner, whose works are also on display in the exhibition. 

Situated at the gates of Warsaw, Wilanów Palace can be described as the heart of Sobieski’s artistic patronage. Vincenzo Agostino Locci was entrusted with the architectural transformation of a simple country house into a Baroque regal estate. The exhibition presents important views of the palace captured in paintings by Bernardo Bellotto, which are works that have left their permanent home in the Canaletto Hall of the kingly residence in Warsaw specifically for this occasion.  

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Daniel Schultz, Portrait of Johannes Hevelius, the astronomer, beer brewer and city council man of the old town of Gdansk, 1677 © Gdansk, Polish Acadelmy of Sciences, Gdansk Library.

Not only did he promote the visual arts, Sobieski also showed interest in science and research. He supported scholars such as the Gdańsk astronomer Johannes Hevelius, an impression of whose character and scientific works is conveyed by exhibition. “Hevelius received an annual salary from Sobieski. For his work in breweries, the Polish king granted him a tax exemption. Sobieski also provided adequate funds for the reconstruction and re-equipping of the [astronomer’s] burned-out workshop,” says Konrad Pyzel. 

Yet another portion of the exhibition focuses on Sobieski’s role as a husband and father. Letters kept to this day that were addressed to his wife, Marie Casimire, a French courtière in the Polish court, are testament to his deep affection and appreciation for his spouse and the political cooperation between the royal pair. A small selection of these letters can be viewed digitally, some of them for the first time in their English and German translations. Family portraits show the ruling couple and their children, who grew up in close contact with their parents at the court.  

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Pierre Vaneau (Vanneau), John III, 1683/87, Nussbaumholz, Königschloss - Museum Warschau © Zamek Krolewski w Warsawie - Museum. Foto: Andrzej Ring, Lech Sandzewicz

A dedicated chapter of the exhibition deals with the Battle of Vienna. After securing an alliance with Emperor Leopold I., Sobeiski went on to lead a battalion of allied troops as the supreme commander in the victory against the Ottomans. The forces under his charge consisted of imperial contingents, auxiliary troops from the Holy Roman Empire, and the Polish Crown Army. The contract illustrating this alliance with the emperor is of great importance to Austrian-Polish history. The exhibit shows central protagonists from both imperial and Polish sides of the joint enforcement. The closing point of this section of the exhibit is represented by objects associated with the Holy League and the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz. 

The penultimate section of the exhibition illuminates Sobieski’s return from Vienna, which was commemorated by royal trophies and precious textiles that he donated in part as votive gifts to churches and monasteries throughout Poland. 

 

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François de Troy, Teresa Kunegunda Sobieska, around 1694, Lemberg, Borys Voznytsky National Art Gallery of Lviv © Lemberg, Borys Voznytsky National Art Gallery of Lviv

The conclusion of the exhibition explores the glory afforded to the Polish king that immediately followed his successful liberation of Vienna. The memorial project for the Cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay is one example of this gesture of recognition, away from European royal courts. At the behest of the bishop, monuments for Sobieski were erected in several churches around the French region of Auvergne. The sculptures in the exhibition make up part of a monument, which was ultimately never fully realized. 

According to the director of the Wilanów Palace Museum, Paweł Jaskanis, ‘the exhibition brings together central works on a person, who can also be referred to as Momentum Sobescianum. The exhibition and its venue congenially complement one other. Prince Eugene of Savoy, the mastermind of the Winter Palace, would likely have met King Sobieski during the 1683 siege and liberation of Vienna.’

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Exhibition view "John III Sobieski. A Polish King in Vienna". Photo: Sandro Zanziger © Belvedere, Vienna.

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Exhibition view "John III Sobieski. A Polish King in Vienna". Photo: Sandro Zanziger © Belvedere, Vienna.

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Exhibition view "John III Sobieski. A Polish King in Vienna". Photo: Sandro Zanziger © Belvedere, Vienna.

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Exhibition view "John III Sobieski. A Polish King in Vienna". Photo: Sandro Zanziger © Belvedere, Vienna.

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Exhibition view "John III Sobieski. A Polish King in Vienna". Photo: Sandro Zanziger © Belvedere, Vienna.

A fine and very rare iron-red ground blue and white dish, Jiajing six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (15

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A fine and very rare iron-red ground blue and white dish, Jiajing six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1522-1566)

Lot 4064. A fine and very rare iron-red ground blue and white dish, Jiajing six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1522-1566), 4 7/8 in. (12.5 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 800,000 - HKD 1,200,000Price realised HKD 1,100,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The small dish is of shallow form resting on a short foot. It is finely painted within the well in purplish-blue cobalt with two Buddhist lions either side of a central beribboned brocade ball with auspicious treasures, zabao scattered around the well contained within double-line borders encircling the well and rim. The reverse is similarly decorated with four further Buddhist lions. The decoration is reserved on a vibrant tomato-red ground, box.

ProvenanceA Japanese private collection 

NoteThe theme of gamboling Buddhist lions is frequently seen on late Ming ceramics but usually less finely rendered. Compare two slightly smaller dishes in the British Museum decorated with the same decorative motif but omitting the zabao, decorated in green enamel on an iron-red ground, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics, London, 2001, p. 256, nos. 9:95 and 9:96. Another single dish of the same pattern, also with green enamel on an iron-red ground in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is illustrated by He Li, Chinese Ceramics. A New Comprehensive Survey, London, 1996, no. 457. The decoration on these three examples is much looser and less controlled than on the present dish.

Porcelain dish with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566)

 Porcelain Lion dogs dish with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566), diam 15,5 cm, height 2,9 cm. Bequeathed by Henry J Oppenheim, 1947,0712.99 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Porcelain Lion dogs dish with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566)

Porcelain Lion dogs dish with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566), diam 15,5 cm, height 2,9 cm. Donated by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, Franks.484.+ © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Dish with lions, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566)

Dish with lions, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566), China, Jiangxi province. White-glazed porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration. H. 1 1/8 in x Diam. 6 in, H. 2.9 cm x Diam. 15.2 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2308 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

Although a lot of experimentation took place with different colour combinations during the Jiajing period, the visually very pleasing combination of underglaze blue and iron-red is surprisingly rare and few extant examples are recorded.

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

Porcelain Lion dogs dishes with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566)

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Porcelain dish with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566)

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Porcelain Lion dogs dish with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566), diam 15,5 cm, height 2,9 cm. Bequeathed by Henry J Oppenheim, 1947,0712.99 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Potted along conventional lines, this dish has shallow rounded sides, a flared everted rim and a tapering foot. An unusual combination of colours makes it rather rare. Comical Buddhist lion-dogs, pursuing brocade balls, are reserved against an iron-red ground and painted in green enamel with black enamel outlines and details following the same technique as BM 1930.0719.48. Marked on the base with a six-character underglaze blue Jiajing reign mark arranged in two vertical rows of six characters. Overglaze iron-red enamel has a tendency to wear away, hence the bald patches on the object.

Porcelain Lion dogs dish with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566)

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Porcelain Lion dogs dish with green enamel reserved on a red ground, Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period (1522-1566), diam 15,5 cm, height 2,9 cm. Donated by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, Franks.484.+ © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Potted along conventional lines, this dish has shallow rounded sides, a flared everted rim and a tapering foot. An unusual combination of colours makes it rather rare. Comical Buddhist lion-dogs, pursuing brocade balls, are reserved against an iron-red ground and painted in green enamel with black enamel outlines and details following the same technique as BM 1930.0719.48. Marked on the base with a six-character underglaze blue Jiajing reign mark arranged in two vertical rows of six characters, it has a badly chipped rim. Overglaze iron-red enamel has a tendency to wear away, hence the bald patches on the object.

Note: The Chinese word for lion, 'shi zi', is probably derived from the Persian 'sir' and it was only through contact with the West that the Chinese became familiar with the animal. Images of lions became more widespread with the introduction of Buddhism to China in the Han dynasty. Mythical lions, 'shi zi', were believed to act as a talisman against demons. Yan Suihou wrote in the Tang dynasty that the lion 'not only delights the eye with its beauty, but it also protects us against demons even a thousand miles away'. Another dish of this type is in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. Harrison-Hall 2001 9:96.

Dish with lions, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566)

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Dish with lions, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566)

Dish with lions, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566), China, Jiangxi province. White-glazed porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration. H. 1 1/8 in x Diam. 6 in, H. 2.9 cm x Diam. 15.2 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2308 © 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

Exhibition explores the competitive spirit that was a powerful element in Greek society

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Niké-winged with wind-blown clothes, c. 100 BC., Halicarnassus. Marble Statue. © The Trustees of the British Museum

MADRID.- In its cultural programme, ”la Caixa” Foundation pays particular attention to the great cultures of the past. Accordingly, the institution regularly presents exhibitions aimed at enabling audiences to discover the ways in which men and women from different places and times have sought to answer the great universal questions, and at increasing our understanding of the world through recent historical and archaeological research. 

This exhibition, jointly organised by ”la Caixa” Foundation and the British Museum within the terms established in the strategic agreement established by the two institutions, offers a unique opportunity to discover an extraordinary collection of works related to games, sports and competition in Ancient Greece. The objects on show range from marbles and dice used by children 2,200 years ago to a fragment of the frieze from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  

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The Vaison Diadumenos, 118 - 138, Roman copy of a lost Greek bronze original of about 440BC. Excavated Vaison, at the Roman theatre, 1870,0712.1© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

The competitive spirit, inherent to human nature 
The Ancient Greeks believed that the competitive spirit was inherent to human nature and could transmit positive, innovative and dynamic power. In contrast to the individualism that dominates many aspects of life today, in Ancient Greece competition represented the collective personality and was a factor in social cohesion. 

Nike, the goddess of victory who connects the world of mortals and the world gods, welcomes you to the exhibition and invites you to discover the idea of competition in Ancient Greece, where heroes, athletes and warriors illustrate the rivalry that dominated all aspects of life, including artistic creation. The Greeks aspired to attain excellence through the balance between body and spirit, through sport, on the one hand, and through philosophy, the arts and the sciences on the other. 

The Greeks were sports enthusiasts, and the Panhellenic Games, which took place at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea and Isthmia, attracted the finest athletes. The winners were considered heroes and could win great prizes, both material and in terms of fame and prestige. Sporting events drew huge crowds and provided the Ancient Greeks with a popular source of entertainment. 

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 Black-figured kylix in 'Siana' shape, attributed to the C Painter, 575BC-550BC, Archaic Greece, Attica © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum 

Theatrical and musical contests also attracted thousands of spectators. Writers such as Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles and Aristophanes took part in these contests. 

Another field in which the competitive spirit thrived was war. The Greek city states and kingdoms were in almost constant conflict with each other or with their neighbours. Battle scenes, both real and imaginary, were popular subjects in Greek art, from small gemstones to large architectural sculptures and memorials set up in honour of dead soldiers. 

As is still the case today, people from different classes and backgrounds competed in civic life, though in the case of Ancient Greece, the arenas of competition ranged from public spaces to cemeteries. The powerful competed for greater public presence and recognition, and their disputes extended to the realm of luxury objects and continued after death, as is reflected in sumptuous tombs and mausoleums. 

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One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Frieze on a slab showing the Greeks fighting against women Amazons, c. 350 BC. Marble of the Mausoleum of Halicarnaso, present Bodrum (Turkey). © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

The sculptures from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, on loan for the first time 
Agon! Competition in Ancient Greece brings together, for the first time, a large number of masterpieces from the renowned vaults of the British Museum, where more than 100,000 objects form what is one of the largest and most complete collections of antiquities from the classical world. 

This generous selection, formed by 172 ancient works from the British Museum, ranges from around a dozen large statues to smaller figures, from finelyengraved seals to coins, all brought together for the first time. Indeed, many of these pieces are now displayed outside the British Museum for the first time as part of this exhibition, a good number of them brought here directly from the exhibition rooms in London. 

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Red-figured volute-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Apulian, Greece, circa 370BC-350BC © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

This is the case, for example, of the final section of the show, which explores death through sculptures from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the tomb of King Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Never before has the British Museum loaned out these famed, iconic sculptures, which have also been restored for the occasion. 

As usual, the exhibition is completed by a publication, co-produced by ”la Caixa” Foundation and the British Museum. Edited by the curator of Agon, Peter Higgs, the publication contains contributions by the specialists Amelia Downer, Iona Eastman, Lesley Fitton, Emma Kelly, Elizabeth Shanks and Judith Swaddling.

 

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Dionysos, Marble head, Roman version of a Greek original, circa 150-100AD© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

 

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Athlete or hero, c. 320-300 BC. Roman version in marble of a Greek original. Probably from Italy© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Relief of Greek masks, Marble, Roma, 2nd century© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Athlete with discus, Marble, Roman Period (after a lost Greek original of about 430 - 400 BC), about 160© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Portrait head of Euripides, Parian marble, Roman (Flavian copy of Greek bronze original), 1st century© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Red figures kylix (detail), Attributed to Douris, Attica, Greece, excavated at Vulci, Italia, 500BC-490BC© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Three runners in an amphora, trophy of the Athens Olympics, 333-332 BC. Black figures in an amphora-shaped trophy. Made in Athens. Found in Benghazi, in Cyrenaica (Libya)© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Gold jewel of a Greek tomb belonging to a rich people, c. 450-400 BC. Found in Acarnania, in Central Greece© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Breastplate with sculpted muscles, upper armor of the richest soldiers, c. 350-300 BC. Bronze. Found in Ruvo, Southern Italy© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Portrait statue of a wealthy Greek woman. Marble. About 130 -100 BC. Probably from Turkey© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

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Bronze figurine, 400-350 BC. Made in southern Italy© The Trustees of the British Museum

A rare archaic inscribed bronze vessel, gui, Early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BC

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A rare archaic inscribed bronze vessel, gui, Early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BC

Lot 4135. A rare archaic inscribed bronze vessel, gui, Early Western Zhou dynasty, 11th century BC, 11 in. (28 cm.) across handles. Estimate HKD 800,000 - HKD 1,200,000Price realised HKD 1,220,000© Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The compressed globular body is flanked by a pair of C-shaped handles issuing from rams' heads, and is decorated below the everted rim with a band of taotie masks reserved on a leiwen ground which is centred on each side with an animal-mask cast in relief. The splayed foot is cast with a further band of taotie masks. The interior is cast with an inscription, X X Zuo Fu Ding Bao Gui, 'X X made this treasured Gui for Fu Ding'. 

ProvenanceThe collection of Rong Hou (1874-1940)
A Japanese collection, circa 1940s 

LiteratureLuo Zhenyu, Sandai Jijin Wencu, 1937, 6.40.8
Wang Xiantang, Guoshi Jinshi Zhigao, 1945, p. 1538.2
Umehara Sueji, Kankaro kikkinzu, 1947, 1.21
Yan Yiping, Jinwen Zhongji, 1983, 3.2286
Institute of Archaeology CASS, Yinzhou Jinwen Jicheng, 1984, 6.03650

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


An archaic copper-inlaid bronze wine vessel and cover, bianhu, Warring States period (475-221 BC)

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An archaic copper-inlaid bronze wine vessel and cover, bianhu, Warring States period (475-221 BC) 

Lot 4136. An archaic copper-inlaid bronze wine vessel and cover, bianhu, Warring States period (475-221 BC), 14 1/2 in. (37 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 1,200,000 - HKD 1,800,000Price realised HKD 2,060,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The flattened, oval body is raised on a low rectangular foot, and is decorated with bordered panels of tight abstract scroll pattern arranged in five registers and separated by bands of copper inlay. Each narrow side is applied on the shoulder with a taotie mask that suspends a loose ring handle. The cylindrical neck is inlaid in copper with a band of upright blades, and is surmounted by a similarly decorated convex cover that is applied with three stylised dragon-form loops, box. 

ProvenanceG. Croes, Belgium, 1987
Frank Arts Collection, Belgium  

LiteratureHong Kong, The Frank Arts Collection, Christian Deydier, 2011

NoteThis type of wine vessel first appeared in the Warring States period (457-221 BC) as beverage containers and its production continued into the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). 

It is rare to find existing matching bronze lids on vessels of this type. An example with its lid is in the Compton Verney House Trust, included in the exhibition, China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005-6, and illustrated in the Catalogue p. 287, no. 203. A number of comparable bianhu have been published without their lids which may suggest that some of these covers may have been made from degradable or fragile materials such as wood or pottery. The first is dated to the Warring States period excavated in 1975 at Sanmenxia Shangcunling, Henan province, now in the Henan Provincial Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua Dacidian, Qingtong juan, Shanghai cishu chubanshe, 1995, p. 241, no. 864. An example from the Mount Trust, dated to the 4th century BC, is illustrated by W. Watson, Ancient Chinese Bronzes, Faber and Faber, London, 1962, pl. 67b; and a bianhu in the Shanghai Museum dated to the late Warring States period, 3rd century BC, and included in the exhibition, Zhongguo Qingtong Qi, Wuzhou quanbo chubanshe, 2004, p. 118. Another example was included in the exhibition, Beauty and the Selfless Mind, The 15th Anniversary Catalogue, Idemitsu Museum of Arts, 1981, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 249, no. 1075. 

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

A bronze ritual tripod vessel, jue, Late Shang dynasty, 12th-11th century BC

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A bronze ritual tripod vessel, jue, Late Shang dynasty, 12th-11th century BC

Lot 817. A bronze ritual tripod vessel, jue, Late Shang dynasty, 12th-11th century BC, 8 in. (20.3 cm.) high; Estimate USD 30,000 - USD 40,000Price realised USD 86,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2010

Well cast with a band of two taotie masks, with intaglio decoration on the detached elements, all reserved on a leiwen ground and separated by notched flanges, one mask centered on a further flange and the other centered on a three-character inscription cast beneath the handle which issues from a bovine mask, with an upper band of blades enclosing cicadas rising towards the rim below a pair of posts surmounted by domed caps cast with whorl motifs surrounding a button center, with mottled grey and milky-green patina and some malachite-green and azurite encrustation

ProvenanceEskenazi Ltd., London, 14 June 1984   

LiteratureChen Wangheng, Chinese Bronzes: Ferocious Beauty, 2001, pl. iv, no. 22a and back cover.

ExhibitedAncient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1990, no. 5.
The Glorious Traditions of Chinese Bronzes, Singapore, 2000, no. 11.
Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 2002-2006, p. 108. 

NoteThe intaglio inscription consists of three graphs, "zi", a triangle, and a foot with five toes, which may be interpreted as "Zizheng", a Shang clan name.

Jue appear to have been essential to Shang dynasty rituals, as they are one of the most numerous vessels found in Shang tombs. Their shape implies that they were used for the heating and pouring of ritual wines, and possibly for drinking the wine. The present jue is stylistically similar to one illustrated in Zhongquo Qingtongqi Quanji - 3 - Shang (3), Beijing, 1997, p. 20, no. 20. Unlike the published example, the present jue has the rare inclusion of cicadas in the upright blades. 

Christie's. The Sze Yuan Tang Archaic Bronzes from the Anthony Hardy Collection, 16 September 2010, New York

An archaic bronze ritual tripod vessel, shi jue, Late Shang dynasty, Late Anyang period, 12th-11th century BC

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An archaic bronze ritual tripod vessel, shi jue, Late Shang dynasty, Late Anyang period, 12th-11th century BC

Lot 4130. An archaic bronze ritual tripod vessel, shi jue, Late Shang dynasty, Late Anyang period, 12th-11th century BC, 7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 500,000 - HKD 800,000Price realised HKD 596,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The deep cup is raised on three triangular-section tapering legs, and the sides are cast with two taotie masks and vertical flanges reserved on a leiwen ground below a band of cicada blades and a long blade on the underside of the spout. A single graph, Shi, is cast beneath the loop handle that emerges from an animal mask. A pair of lifting posts rises from the rim which tapers to a point at one end, box. 

ProvenanceCollection of Rene Huyghe (1906-1997), former curator of The Louvre Museum, Paris, and purchased in 1960s
Christian Deydier   

Note: Compare the similar jue illustrated by R.W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Washington DC, 1987, p. 195, no. 18. The style of casting of the main elements including the cicada blade on the underside of the pouring lip is very similar, as is the shape. It is noted that the shape and decoration indicate a dating later than jue vessels that were excavated from the tomb of Fu Hao, that is, after about 1200 BC, ibid, p. 195. The Sackler jue is inscribed beneath the handle with a four-point star followed by a second bracket-form element which probably forms the maker's name. In this instance, the pictograph on the present jueindicates the maker's name as Shi.

Ritual wine warmer with taotie, Late Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca

Ritual wine warmer with taotieLate Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. early 11th century BCE, Bronze, H x W x D: 24.9 x 22.6 x 13.7 cm (9 13/16 x 8 7/8 x 5 3/8 in), Freer Gallery of Art, Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1925.3 © 2017 Smithsonian Institution

 

Also compare two similar late Shang dynasty examples, the first from the Sze Yuan Tang Collection, which was sold at Christie's New York, 16 September 2010, lot 817, is cast with a three-character inscription, Zi, a triangle, and a foot with five toes, which may form the clan name Zizheng. The second, in the Shanghai Museum, is cast with an inscription identifying the maker as Yaqi, and is illustrated in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua Dacidian, Shanghai cishu chubanshe, 1995, p. 50, no. 174. 

A bronze ritual tripod vessel, jue, Late Shang dynasty, 12th-11th century BC

A bronze ritual tripod vessel, jue, Late Shang dynasty, 12th-11th century BC, from the Sze Yuan Tang Collection, . Sold for USD 86,500 at Christie's New York, 16 September 2010, lot 817. © Christie's Images Ltd 2010

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

Ding, Shang dynasty, c. 1766-1122 B.C.

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Ding, Shang-yin dynasty, c

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DingShang dynasty, c. 1766-1122 B.C. Bronze, height, 31.4, cm; diameter, 25, cm. Bequeathed by E. Maurice B. Ingram, O.1-1941 © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Ding Caldron, bronze with black inlay, inscribed. There are three pillar like legs under a semi spherical body, with two rectangular loop handles. The body is divided by small ridges into six parts, each containing a dragon. Where their heads butt at one of the divisions, a t'ao t'ieh mask is formed. Above this, there are two in each part, forming a frieze.

A rare archaic bronze tripod censer, ding, Late Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC)

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A rare archaic bronze tripod censer, ding, Late Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC) 

Lot 4131. A rare archaic bronze tripod censer, ding, Late Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC), 7 1/8 in. (18 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 2,800,000 - HKD 4,000,000Price realised HKD 4,580,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The sides of the vessel are crisply cast in deep relief with a wide band comprising three horned taotie-masks below a narrow kui dragon band, and all against a leiwen ground in low relief. It is further decorated with six flanges. The vessel is supported on three tall cylindrical feet, and the mouth rim surmounted by two arched handles. The surface is with a dark brown patination, box. 

ProvenancePreviously offered at Christie's London, 16 November 1998, lot 142   

Note: It is interesting to note the depth of the casting with three differentiated layers in relief: the leiwen ground, the taotie masks and the upturned corners of the motifs. The intricate portrayal of the kuidragons is closely related to those traditionally categorised as style V of the Shang dynasty. This type of dragons is comparable to those on the upper and lower bands of a Yu vessel, formerly from the Alfred F. Pillsbury Collection, now in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and illustrated by M. Loehr, Ritual Vessels of Bronze Age China, Asia House Gallery, 1968, p. 89, no. 36. Compare an example with a similar two-register decoration in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, illustrated by R. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arther M. Sackler Collections, Washington D.C., 1987, fig. 86.2, where the author mentions another example excavated from Luosha Mangzhang, Henan province, illustrated in Zhongyuan wenwu, 1981.4, pl. 1:2. 

Ding food vessel, 12th century BCE

 Ding food vessel, 12th century BCE. Bronze, 8 1/16 × 6 7/16 × 6 1/4 in., 4.2 lb. (20.4 × 16.4 × 15.8 cm, 1.9 kg). Bequest of Alfred F. Pillsbury, 50.46.17 © Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ding, Shang-yin dynasty, c

DingShang-yin dynasty, c. 1766-1122 B.C. Bronze, height, 31.4, cm; diameter, 25, cm. Bequeathed by E. Maurice B. Ingram, O.1-1941 © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

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

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