Tea Bowl with Russet Hare's Fur Markings, Song dynasty, 12th-13th century. Jian ware: dark gray stoneware with dark brown glaze, the markings in iron oxide. From the Jian kilns at Jianyang, Fujian province. H. 6.0 x Diam. 12.5 cm (2 3/8 x 4 15/16 in.). Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Edmund Chi Chien Lin, 2010.460 © President and Fellows of Harvard College. 

The small, circular foot and lightly indented, vertical lip of this large yankou wan, or funnel-shaped bowl, are connected by steeply sloping walls that show a well defined, angular cut approximately three quarters of an inch above the foot. Thin at the lip, the walls thicken as they descend, the added weight at the bottom lending stability to the bowl. The short foot is of standard Jian type, with a flat bottom and straight walls of intermediate thickness; also standard is the flat, exceptionally shallow base. Appearing bluish black, a deep brown glaze covers the bowl, stopping in a thick welt at the angle above the foot. Because the molten glaze crawled downward in firing, the lip is unglazed. A subtle pattern of russet hare's-fur streaks enlivens the glaze inside and out, visible more on the upper than on the lower portion of the bowl. The bowl was wheel thrown, its foot and base shaped with a knife. After it had dried, the bowl was dipped in the glaze slurry; following a second period of drying, the bowl's lip was immersed in the iron-laden slip. The bowl was fired right side up, seated in its saggar on a small biscuit-shaped clay cushion. The slip not only caused hare's-fur markings to form where it settled on the glaze surface, but caused the exposed body clay at the lip to fire rust brown; by contrast, the body clay on the bowl's unglazed, unslipped lower portion fired a deep purplish brown. It is often said that yankou wan bowls were created with steeply pitched walls to make them easy to hold when drinking tea; it is also often said that they were given indented rims to make them comfortable for drinking, the indentation nicely accommodating lips and index fingers alike. In fact, recent research in Northern Song texts on tea suggests that the bowls owe their distinctive shape to the need for a deep bowl in which tea-competition contestants could prepare whipped tea. 

Provenance: Edmund Lin (1928-2006; Professor, Harvard Medical School), Boston; by bequest to the Harvard Art Museum 

Lot 79. A 8.87 carats Fancy Brownish Yellow diamond and diamond pendant necklace. Estimate US$ 60,000 - 80,000 (€50,000 - 66,000). Photo: Bonhams. 

centering a round brilliant-cut Fancy Brownish Yellow diamond, weighing 8.87 carats, within a surround of similarly cut diamonds, to a graduated line of round brilliant cut diamonds; estimated remaining diamond weight: 10.65 carats; mounted in 14k gold; length: 17 1/4in.

Accompanied by GIA report # 2183211775 dated March 7, 2017, stating the diamond as: Fancy Brownish Yellow color, SI1 clarity.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 19 Sep 2017, 13:00 EDT, NEW YORK

Lot 160. An Art Deco diamond ring, circa 1930. Estimate US$ 50,000 - 70,000 '€41,000 - 58,000). Photo: Bonhams. 

centering an emerald-cut diamond, weighing 4.35 carats, flanked by baguette-cut diamonds; mounted in platinum; size 5 1/4

Accompanied by GIA report # 2185489439, dated June 9, 2017, stating the diamond as: F color, VS2 clarity.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 19 Sep 2017, 13:00 EDT, NEW YORK

Lot 120. A natural pearl, cultured pearl and diamond necklace, Cartier. Estimate US$ 50,000 - 70,000 '€41,000 - 58,000). Photo: Bonhams. 

centering an emerald-cut diamond, weighing 4.35 carats, flanked by baguette-cut diamonds; mounted in platinum; size 5 1/4

Accompanied by GIA report # 5182587634, dated July 24, 2017, stating the pearls as: Natural, Saltwater, no indications of treatment.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 19 Sep 2017, 13:00 EDT, NEW YORK

Lucio Fontana, Crocifisso, Polychrome ceramics, © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, by SIAE 2017, Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve Cologne/Paris/St Moritz

OLOGNE.- Galerie Karsten Greve announces Lucio Fontana. Crosses, presenting the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated entirely to a group of crucifixes from the ceramic works of Lucio Fontana, with 20 small-scale sculptures, whose figurative composition draws on motifs of Christian iconography, as its focal point. 

For more than 40 years, Galerie Karsten Greve has displayed the works of Lucio Fontana (1899 – 1968). It was in 1977 when Galerie Karsten Greve – at the time in its original Lindenstraße location in Cologne – first exhibited thirty works of seminal importance – found today in some of the most prestigious museums, foundations and collections. Soon after in 1980, the exhibition Plastiken und Bilder 1953-1962 presented a selection of Concetti spaziali, Buchi and Tagli. In 1994, Galerie Karsten Greve Paris extensively displayed Fontana´s sculptural works before dedicating another substantial solo-exhibition titled Io sono uno scultore e non un ceramista to these in 2012, a body of work constituting a central element to the artist’s oeuvre. In its numerous publications the gallery also examines Fontana’s artistic output with academic rigour. The latest publication Crosses, accompanying the most recent exhibition and featuring texts by Choghakate Kazarian, Musée d´Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, and Prof. Ugo Perone, Humboldt-University, Berlin, provides a detailed overview of the range of depictions of cross-motifs in Fontana´s work. 

Lucio Fontana, Crocifisso, 1955-57, Polychrome ceramics, 43 x 35,5 x 11 cm, © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, by SIAE 2017, Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve Cologne/Paris/St Moritz

Lucio Fontana´s primary concern concentrates on three-dimensionality and spatial questions, substantiating his artistic self-conception as a sculptor. Influenced by his father’s profession as a stonemason and sculptor specialized in producing headstones and after temporarily working in his studio, Fontana began creating ceramic works in 1935. In 1936 he collaborated with the Sèvres manufacture to produce porcelain works. Fontana described his conception of ceramics as “the endeavour to create pure art – shape, colour and oscillating light – anti-decorative, if one assumes decorative art to be decadent.” 

Fontana’s early chromatic aniline paintings, whose composition is not only determined by the application of colour but mainly through actual interference with the integrity of the surface of the image carrier, were a means for him to explore concepts of three-dimensionality. The way in which Fontana lacerates the traditional canvas is firmly anchored in a revolutionary understanding of art in keeping with the spirit of the post-war age, which, being informed by Futurist ideals, turns towards a radical dynamism after 1947. Already in 1946, Fontana underlines in his Manifesto bianco the need to eradicate all art that is static, to overcome the fixed and inert, advocating instead for the primacy of time and movement within space. This new aesthetic was defined by “seizing the space by disengaging with the earth and the horizon, two elements which for millennia had constituted the basis of aestheticism and proportion.”(Lucio Fontana) 

Lucio Fontana, Crocifisso, 1950-55, Céramique polychrome, 36 x 19,5 x 12 cm, © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, by SIAE 2017, Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve Cologne/Paris/St Moritz

A group of Milanese artists, among whom Fontana played a leading role, founded the movement of Spazialismo in 1946, gaining wider recognition during the 1948 Venice Biennale. With the traditional painting or image carrier deemed as “old fashioned” by the artists and therefore obsolete, their objective was to abate the “virtual”, illusory space of pure depiction and establish the spatial experience in concordance with scientific findings in a synergy of time, direction, sound and light at its apex. 

Upon realizing that natural elements such as particles, rays or electrons impact surfaces uncontrollably and with great force, Fontana – in a dynamic execution of this knowledge and in order to achieve a distinctive plasticity – began piercing “old” canvases with cuts and holes. Led by this ambition to challenge painting in its flatness and thereby the ability of the representative image to transcend beyond itself, Fontana’s revolutionary gestures precipitate the permeability of the canvas, illustrating its interaction with space as a „continuum that unfolds freely und endlessly“, at the same time dissolving the line between painting and sculpture, as both media culminate in a consummate, an absolute Concetto spaziale. 

Lucio Fontana, Crocifisso, 1950-55, Céramique polychrome, 36 x 19,5 x 12 cm, © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, by SIAE 2017, Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve Cologne/Paris/St Moritz

Concurrent with innovations to promote spatial and purely abstract art within Spazialismo, Fontana created figurative works, which were - for the most part - crosses and crucifixions. In them, he applied the spatial concept of the Concetto spaziale to thematically bound works. Fontana created most crosses and crucifixions during the height of his preoccupation with spatial concepts between 1947 and the mid-1950s. Lucio Fontana’s material contribution to the 1948 Venice Biennale was a set of four sculptures, among them the work Crocifissione (1948), also displayed in this exhibition. The appropriation of the space through expressive and dynamic gestures is visible in the upward movements of the figures, in the surging loincloth of Christ and in the expansive folding of the garments on his figures. Here Fontana attempted a “complete annihilation of volume” to allow for the opening and expansion of space in an almost baroque style: the configurations are, with the exception of the distinctive silhouette of the cross, dissolved in a turbulent structure, transformed into unadultered, aerodynamic fluctuation and speed, to then be abstracted as an expression of the “drama of movement.” 

The works exhibited in Crosses are therefore Fontana‘s expression of a new space-consuming approach to art and at the same time exist within a tradition of iconography that includes crucifixions, the deposition from the cross, ascent into heaven and Madonna with child. They exude a captivating energy as Fontana’s spatial concept becomes accessible in a tantalisingly sensual way. Their surface lustre and iridescent colouration, the voluptuous crescendo of expanding shapes, incorporating the airy surroundings of the figurines – acts as an embodiment of the atmospheric Ambienti spaziali, in which the fast-paced and spontaneous manipulation of the clay is visibly inscribed into the works through cuts and gashes. Transient technique takes the place of intricate moulding, visualising the process of creation and the encroachment of space itself.

Lucio Fontana, Crocifisso, 1961, Polychrome ceramics, 39,5 x 21 cm, © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, by SIAE 2017, Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve Cologne/Paris/St Moritz

Lucio Fontana, Crocifisso, 1948, Polychrome ceramics, 42 x 27 x 11,5 cm, © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, by SIAE 2017, Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve Cologne/Paris/St Moritz

Lucio Fontana, Deposizione della Croce, 1959-60, Polychrome ceramics, 53 x 35 cm, © Fondazione Lucio Fontana, by SIAE 2017, Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve Cologne/Paris/St Moritz

Installation view of Lucio Fontana Crosses at Galerie Karsten Greve (photo by Nikolai Saoulski, courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve)

Lot 1121. A small carved Yaozhou bowl, Northern Song dynasty, 11th century, 4 ¼ in. (10.7 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 4,000 - USD 6,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The deep bowl is deftly carved on the exterior with two flowers, and the interior is applied with six lines of slip that radiate from the circular center to the rim. It is covered overall with a glaze of olive-green color. 

Provenance: Peter Scheinman (1932-2017) Collection, New York.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14 - 15 September 2017, New York

Lot 1123. A carved Yaozhou 'Chrysanthemum' bowl, Northern Song-Jin dynasty, 12th-13th century, 7 ¼ in. (18.8 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 8,000 - USD 12,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Potted with rounded, conical sides, the bowl is carved on the interior with three chrysanthemum blossoms borne on a leafy scroll, and is covered overall with a glaze of attractive olive-green color, with a clear brown-tinted wash on the base. 

Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 24 March 1998, lot 594.
Peter Scheinman (1932-2017) Collection, New York.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14 - 15 September 2017, New York

Lot 1124. A carved Yaozhou foliate dish, Northern Song-Jin dynasty, 12th-13th century, 6 ¾ in. (17 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 8,000 - USD 12,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The dish with widely flared sides lobed as six petals is carved in the center of the interior with a duck swimming amidst carved and combed waves repeated in an encircling band in the interior well, and is covered overall with a glaze of olive tone. 

Provenance: Peter Scheinman (1932-2017) Collection, New York.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14 - 15 September 2017, New York

Lot 1124. A rare carved Yaozhou 'Peony' bowl, Northern Song dynasty, 11th-12th century, 8 ¾ in. (22.2 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 15,000 - USD 25,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The widely flared, shallow sides rise to the petal-notched rim. The interior is carved with a stem bearing graceful leaves that frame a large peony blossom borne on the central stem, and the center has a recessed medallion incised with a peony spray. The bowl is covered inside and out with a deep olive-green glaze.

Provenance: Zetterquist Galleries, New York, September 2002.
Peter Scheinman (1932-2017) Collection, New York.

Note: It is rare to find a Yaozhou carved bowl of this general peony design with an incised central medallion. Compare, however, the virtually identical Yaozhou bowl sold in our London rooms, 10 December 1990, lot 111. Other comparable Yaozhou bowls carved with similar peony designs, but lacking the central incised medallion, include the example illustrated in The Masterpieces of Yaozhou Ware, Osaka, 1997, p. 51, no. 65; the bowl illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 12, Sung Dynasty, Tokyo, 1977, p. 204, no. 196; and the bowl from the collection of Robert E. Barron III, sold at Christie's New York, 30 March 2005, lot 273.

A rare Yaozhou celadon carved shallow bowl, Northern Song Dynasty, 11th century, 8¼ in. (21 cm.) diam. Sold for USD 38,400 at Christie's New York, 30 March 2005, lot 273. © Christie's Images Ltd 2005 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14 - 15 September 2017, New York 

Lot 1127. A rare small molded Yaozhou conical bowl, Northern Song dynasty, 11th century; 4 ¼ in. (10.7 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 7,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The bowl is molded on the interior with two petal-rimmed jardinièresholding lotus bouquets, divided by two flower vases holding peony sprays, and is covered overall with a lustrous glaze of deep olive-green tone. 

Provenance: Kaikodo Ltd., New York, 6 September 1993.
Peter Scheinman (1932-2017) Collection, New York.

Note: The design of flower-filled jardinières on this conical bowl is very rare. Although there appear to be no published comparable examples, this design can be seen on a biscuit model of a larger bowl found in a Yaozhou kiln site in Huangpu Township, Tongchuan City, and illustrated in Zhongguo chutu ciqi quanji (Complete Collection of Ceramic Art Unearthed in China), Beijing, 2008, vol. 15, p. 148.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14 - 15 September 2017, New York 

Lot 1128. A carved Yaozhou 'Lotus' dish, Northern Song-Jin dynasty, 12th-13th century; 7 ½ in. (18.6 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 8,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The body flares widely to the shallow, upright sides that rise to a lipped rim, and the interior is well carved with a scrolling stem bearing a large lotus blossom and leaf within a line border. The dish is covered overall with a glaze of olive-green tone.

Provenance: Blitz Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Amsterdam, 1998.
Peter Scheinman (1932-2017) Collection, New York.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14 - 15 September 2017, New York

Lot 1148. A rare small carved Yaozhou ewer, Northern Song-Jin dynasty (AD 960-1234); 3¼ in. (8.2 cm.) across. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The upright sides of the cylindrical body are well carved with two peony sprays below a band of overlapping petals on the canted shoulder that radiate from the base of the small mouth which is flanked by a short spout on one side and a looped, strap handle on the other. The vessel is covered with a clear glaze of dark olive-green color that falls to the edge of the flat, unglazed base.

Provenance: Raymond A. Bidwell (1876-1954) Collection. 
The Springfield Museums, Springfield, Massachusetts, accessioned 1962. 
Christie's New York, 21-22 March 2013, lot 1170.

Literature: The Raymond A. Bidwell Collection of Chinese Bronzes and Ceramics, Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1965, p. 71.

The present ewer illustrated in The Raymond A. Bidwell Collection of Chinese Bronzes and Ceramics, Museum of Fine Arts, Springfeld, Massachusetts, 1965, p. 71. Image courtesy of Springfeld Museums, Springfeld, Massachusetts.

Exhibited: New York, China Institute in America, Early Chinese Miniatures, 15 March - 29 May 1977, no. 204. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14 - 15 September 2017, New York

Shari Mendelson makes handmade sculptures that are constructed from discarded plastic bottles and inspired by ancient vessels. Her interest lies in the balance between emulating the ancient objects that she loves and creating original sculptures.

Mendelson spends hours studying ancient artifacts across various museums, especially drawing inspiration from collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While looking at these works, she considers what they were used for, the great civilizations that made them, and what the remaining objects from our time— primarily plastic waste— will communicate about us to future civilizations.

Shari Mendelson, Blue Syrian Vessel with Long Neck, USA, 2016, 15″ H x 5.5″ W x 5.5″ D  © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Back in her Brooklyn studio, Mendelson reinterprets these ancient pieces using discarded plastic water, soda, and juice bottles. Mendelson collects, cuts into pieces, and hot-glues or sews the plastic parts into new sculptures. The artist’s newest collection of handmade objects are layered, drippy, whimsical forms that serve as unique contemporary relics. At first glance, her work may resemble the glass or ceramic upon which it is modeled, yet upon closer inspection a logo, recycling stamp, or bottle expiration date reveals its actual material. Using recycled trash to make works that reference elegant objects of the past offers Mendelson a space to playfully explore the transformation of form and material while reflecting on issues of history and culture. 

Shari Mendelson, Blue Urn with Found Greek Key, 2016, 33.5” H x 11” W x 11” D © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Mendelson’s vessels reside in various museums, including The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston,  and The Museum of Old and New Art. Mendelson’s newest sculpture commissioned by the RISD Museum entered its permanent collection in 2015.

Shari Mendelson, Ennion-like Vessel with Ten Handles, 2015,  11.5″ H x 6″ W x 6″ D © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Shari Mendelson, Large Purple Vessel with Yellow, 2016, 28″ H x 16″ W x 16″ D © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Shari Mendelson, Vessel with Blue Green Neck and Six Handles, USA, 2016, 23″ H x 13″ W x 13″ D. © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Shari Mendelson, Shell Vessel, USA, 2016, 25″ H x 13″ W x 13″ D. © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Shari Mendelson, Blue Vessel with Decorative Long Neck, USA, 2016, 12.5″ H x 5.5″ W x 5.5″ D. © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Shari Mendelson, Green Vessel with Three Double Handles, USA, 2016, 29” H x 12.5” W x 12.5” D.© 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Shari Mendelson, Glitter Vessel with Blue Neck and Semicircles, USA, 2016, 19.5” H x 11” W x 12” D. © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Shari Mendelson, Yellow-Green Heart Shaped Vessel, USA, 2016, 19.5” H x 16” W x 16” D. © 2017 Todd Merrill Studio

Shari Mendelson

An Art Nouveau ‘wasp’ pendant necklace, by René Lalique. Estimate: SFr.80,000-120,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

New York/Geneva/Paris – As announced at the end of July, Christie’s has been entrusted with the sale of masterworks from an important European private collection, Beyond Boundaries: Avant-Garde Masterworks from a European Collection which will be offered throughout the second half of 2017 in New York, Geneva and Paris. This ground-breaking collection was assembled by a couple with a keen eye for rare exceptional works of arts and design. Expected to achieve around $30,000,000 and comprising around 180 works from five categories: Impressionist and Modern Art, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Magnificent Jewels, African Art and Design.

“What a surprise for me, after more than forty years, to see this jewellery I bought, then proposed to this couple who had the taste, courage and vision to keep the pieces together and preserve them, though it would have been simpler for them to purchase beautiful stones and have them custom-set, or buy pieces from the major Place Vendôme jewellers. For them though, it was an expression of their shared interests.”, Michel Perinet, owner of the former Galerie Michel Perinet, Paris

Each of the 110 Art Nouveau and Art Déco jewels is a treasure in itself and reflects the passion of a collector, who surprised his wife with beautiful jewels from the beginning of the 20th century.

Art Nouveau was a brief moment (1895-1910) but it had a lasting impact on jewellery and examples from this period are treasured for their originality and design excellence rather than their intrinsic value. It was a complete new style based on original ideas, innovative materials and entirely different principals. In reaction to increasingly machine-made, mass-produced jewellery, free-floating forms from the natural world were explored as never before. Great artist-jewellers like Georges Fouquet and Henri Vever chose semi- and even non-precious materials for their creations. The undisputed master of this genre was René Lalique, whose genius oeuvre embodied the very essence of French Art Nouveau. His use of exotic and often fragile materials, particularly moulded glass and enamel, was revolutionary, as was his choice of iconography. 

René Lalique (1860-1945) pushed the boundaries of his art in jewellery designs and his palette was much more diverse than of any painter or sculpture of this time and his work is a synthesis of all these arts. At first Lalique did not work under his own name and designed mostly for the major Parisian jewellery houses, such as Cartier and Boucheron, and finally in 1885 he started his own business. He then designed Sarah Bernhardt’s stage jewellery for the theatre, which gave him much acclaim. It must be remembered that, at that time, Art Nouveau was an innovative artistic movement reserved for the Parisian intelligentsia.

Whether it was magnificent creations for Mr. Calouste Gulbenkian or smaller jewellery pieces, all Lalique items could easily be worn since none were rigid, and they were almost invisibly supple. Lalique thought first and foremost of the person who was to wear his pieces – his creations are always soft against the skin, with the back as beautifully mastered as the front.

Beside the 45 pieces signed by Lalique the collector’s couple was also fascinated by jewels designed by Georges Fouquet (1862-1957). Georges joined his father’s business in 1891 and by 1900 he opened a new Boutique Fouquet at 6 rue Royale in Paris. For the interior design, he called on Alfons Mucha (1860-1939), Czech painter and decorative artist.

The collection contains several Art Nouveau jewellery pieces by Henri Vever, Eugène Feuillâtre, Léopold Gautrait, Vican, and Lucien Gaillard, beside the works of Fouquet and Lalique.  

The abstract compositions and essential geometry of Art Déco (1915-1935) jewellery were daring and liberated, accompanied by vibrant chromatic contrasts and the innovative use of materials – coloured gemstones carved in the Indian style as flowers and leaves, or calibré cut in exotic shapes. Jewellers united East and West and formed with colour a synthesis of pure art and lasting luxury. Abstract, industrial shapes became increasingly massive and almost architectural in form as colour crept away from jewels to leave entirely white expanses of platinum, diamond and rock crystal or clean contrast of diamond and just one other colour. Sleek geometry gradually softened into more sculptural, three-dimensial shapes, rounded pleats, scrolls and spirals displayed the beginnings of volume and movements to complement the returning curves of femininity.

Raymond Templier and La Maison Templier spans over three generations. The founder, Charles Templier opened a jewellery shop in Paris in 1849. His son Paul succeeded him and the company flourished under his direction. Paul’s son Raymond joined after graduating from the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and he was the true artist of the family. Sketching at every moment, he would have filled his office floor by midday with sketches which would be evaluated in the afternoon.  Raymond Templier’s talent was celebrated, earning him the title of the “architect of Jewellery” and many articles on him appeared in applied art journals.

Templier liked to juxtapose matte and glossy, black and white, full and empty, curve and straight lines. He said “Jewellery is above all about light and shadow, not just about glitter.”, as can be perfectly discovered in the above illustrated diamond and lacquer brooch made in 1929 (estimate: $45,000-65,000).

Lot 66. An Art Nouveau aquamarine, garnet and enamel ring, by Georges Fouquet. Estimate CHF 9,000 - CHF 13,000 (USD 9,546 - USD 13,788). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Set with a rectangular-cut aquamarine within a rectangular bombé panel of green and blue window enamel of stylised pine design, applied with six pear-shaped spessartite garnets, circa 1900, ring size 4 ¼, with French assay mark for gold, in Georges Fouquet case. Signed G. Fouquet, no. 11788, with maker's marks for Georges Fouquet.

Provenance: Michel Perinet

Lot 72. An Art Nouveau opal, diamond and enamel 'cedars' pendent necklace, by Georges Fouquet. Estimate CHF 120,000 - CHF 180,000 (USD 127,276 - USD 190,914). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Modelled as an openwork diamond-set cascade between opal panels, to the textured gold cedar surmount, suspending a baroque pearl, with cable-link chain, 1901, pendant 11.5 cm, chain 52.0 cm, mounted in gold, in Georges Fouquet fitted case. Signed G. Fouquet The pearl has not been tested for natural origin. 

Provenance: Michel Perinet

Literature: :Les Modes, 'La Mode et les Modes', Manzi, Joyant et Cie, 1902, p. 14
M.-N. de Gary, Les Fouquet Bijoutiers & Joailliers à Paris 1860-1960, Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1983, p. 83

Georges Fouquet, Study for the ‘Waterfall’ pendant, Paris, Les Arts Décoratifs, Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs © Paris, Les Arts Décoratifs

Note: Christie's Geneva, 27 May 1993, lot 291 for a similar pendant.

Lot 108. An emerald ring, by Georges Fouquet. Estimate CHF 18,000 - CHF 25,000 (USD 19,091 - USD 26,516). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Set with a cabochon emerald within a platinum mechanical surround, 1920s, ring size 6, with French assay mark for platinum
Signed Jean Fouquet, with maker's mark for Georges Fouquet

Accompanied by report no. 92640 dated 7 June 2017 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the origin of the emerald is Colombia, with moderate amount of oil.

Lot 81. An Art Déco multi-gem vanity case, by Van Cleef & Arpels. Estimate CHF 45,000 - CHF 65,000 (USD 47,728 - USD 68,941). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Of Indian inspiration, the lid as a mother-of-pearl and coral inlay, within a black enamel scrolling surround, with jade and diamond accents, the black enamel back with red glass accents, the similarly designed sides applied with cabochon rubies and jade, opening to reveal a mirror, two compartments and a lipstick holder, 1927, 9.0x5.0x1.0 cm, with French maker's marks for gold. Signed Van Cleef & Arpels, with maker's mark for Strauss, Allard et Meyer, no. 28937 (case) and 7240 (lipstick holder). 

Provenance: Michel Perinet

Note: S. D. Coffin, Set in style The jewellery of Van Cleef & Arpels, Thames & Hudson, London, 2011, p. 157 for a photograph of a similar vanity case
The Spirit of beauty Van Cleef & Arpels, Xavier Barral Éditions, Paris, 2009, p. 204 for a photograph of a similar vanity case.

The sapphire’s octagonal-cut is sublime on lot 102 and the 1925 platinum work is characteristic of Templier, the metal is worked on multiple planes and forms waves, that give the piece a vibration, a rhythm (estimate: $25,000-35,000). The collection of Art Déco jewellery offers pieces signed by Jean Fouquet, son of Georges Fouquet, both innovative jewellers in Art Nouveau and Art Déco, as illustrated on the first page, a hexagonal onyx plaque pendant set with cabochon-cut emerald – representing the essence of Art Déco jewellery, made in 1925  (estimate: $90,000-130,000). The collection incorporates several works by Janesisch, founded in 1835 in Trieste, with a second and very active branch in Paris; clocks and watches by Cartier, jewels by Ostertag, a house which was only productive from 1920-1940; two rings by René Boivin and Paul Brandt, a Swiss jeweller who settled in Paris and who became famous for his extremely modernist geometric jewellery., as well as an extraordinary vanity case by Van Cleef & Arpels of Persian inspiration, which opens to reveal a mirror, two compartments and a lipstick holder, made in 1927 (estimate: $45,000-65,000).

Lot 102. An Art Décosapphire ring, by Raymond Templier. Estimate CHF 25,000 - CHF 35,000 (USD 26,271 - USD 36,780). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Set with an octagonal step-cut sapphire to the asymetrical reeded surround, circa 1925, ring size 5 ¼, with French assay marks for platinum. Signée Raymond Templier, with maker's mark for Templier

Accompanied by report no. 92639 dated 7 June 2017 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the origin of the sapphire is Ceylon (Sri Lanka), with no indications of heating.

Lot 110. An important emerald, onyx and diamond pendent necklace, by Georges Fouquet. Estimate CHF 90,000 - CHF 130,000 (USD 95,457 - USD 137,882).  © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The hexagonal onyx plaque pendant set with a cabochon emerald, with diamond-set corners and pendant hoop, to the diamond and enamel-set chain, 1925, pendant 6.8 cm, chain 66.0 cm, with French marks for platinum. Signed G. Fouquet, no. 19600, with maker's mark for Georges Fouquet. 

Accompanied by report no. 92642 dated 7 June 2017 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the origin of the emerald is Colombia, with moderate amount of oil. 

Provenance: Michel Perinet 

Literature: M.-N. de Gary, Les Fouquet, Bijoutiers & Joailliers à Paris 1860-1960, Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1983, p. 162, ill. 113 for a photograph of this jewel. 

Exhibited: Paris, International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, April - October 1925

Lot 939. A rare imperial embroidered silk brocade military officer’s ceremonial uniform, Late Qing dynasty. Estimate USD 30,000 - USD 50,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The uniform is decorated with dragon roundels reserved on an embroidered gold brocade ground decorated throughout with round brass studs on a Y-shaped geometric ground, and trimmed with black velvet. It comprises a waist-length jacket with long sleeves terminating in hoof-shaped cuffs, an apron set with a hexafoil-shaped panel embroidered in metal threads with a stylized dragon head and dragon carp at the bottom, epaulettes trimmed with gilt-metal appliques, underarm protectors, a round metal chest plate, a matching helmet, a red velvet and leather quiver and bow holder, and a pair of black silk boots. The jacket 27 in. (68.6 cm.) long; the apron 37 ½ in. (95.3 cm.) long

Note: Although the purpose of this uniform was purely ceremonial, its construction is based on armor used for protection in battle. The legs were covered with aprons for protection, but the seat was left free to allow the wearer to mount a horse.  

The gilt rivets on this armor, known as dingjia ('armor with nails’), can be traced to military gear found on the terracotta warriors in the tomb of the Qin Emperor (260-220 BC), although suits of armor during the Qin dynasty did not incorporate luxury fabrics and were constructed with consideration of their practical use. In the Sui dynasty (AD 581-619) and Tang dynasty (AD 618-907), more elaborate suits of armor began to appear. A nearly identical Manchu military officer’s ceremonial armor, hat, and helmet are in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and are illustrated by R. Jacobsen, Imperial Silks: Ch’ing Dynasty Textiles in The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, vol. 1, 2000, pp. 346-47, nos. 137 and 138. In a discussion of the Minneapolis armor, Jacobson suggests that the Y-shaped geometric decoration (which is the same as the decoration on the present armor) has been used on military uniforms since the Tang dynasty. 

Lot 942. A rare gilt-metal and painted wood fan, Guangxu period (1875-1908). Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 946. A very rare zitan'Southern official's hat' armchair, nanguanmaoyi, late 17th-18th century. Estimate USD 200,000 - USD 300,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The top rail of round section is supported on an S-shaped back splat and curved rear posts, which continue to form the rear legs. The curved arms are supported on tapering braces and front posts which continue through the seat to form the front legs. All are above a mat seat set within a rectangular frame above plain aprons fitted on the front and sides with a lattice-work pattern above straight stretchers. The legs are joined by plain stretchers at the sides and a foot rest at the front. 36 ½ in. (92.7 cm.) high, 23 ¼ in. (59 cm.) wide, 21 1/8 in. (53.5 cm.) deep.

Provenance: Ming Furniture Ltd., New York, November 1989.

Property of the Nancy and Ed Rosenthal Collection

Literature: S. Handler, Ming Furniture In the Light of Chinese Architecture, Ten Speed Press, New York, 2005, p. 119. 
V. Bower, S. Handler and J. Burris, Brush Clay Wood: The Nancy and Ed Rosenthal Collection of Chinese Art, Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, 2008, p. 49, fig. 20.

Exhibited: Cincinnati, Taft Museum of Art, Brush Clay Wood: The Nancy and Ed Rosenthal Collection of Chinese Art, 7 November 2008 - 11 January 2009.

Note: While there are many extant examples of huanghuali ‘Southern Official’s Hat’ armchairs, there appear to be relatively few published examples in zitan. See, the zitan armchair of taller proportions constructed from rounded members but with a more dramatic curve to the crestrail, and carved with two dedicatory inscriptions published by M. Beurdeley in Chinese Furniture, New York, 1979, p. 75, pl. 93. Another zitan ‘Southern Official’s Hat’ armchair currently in the Liangyi Collection and illustrated in C. Evarts, Liang Yi collection: Zitan, Hong Kong, 2007, p. 48, is constructed with flattened rounded members and has slightly taller proportions.

Lot 947. A very rare pair of zitan continuous horseshoe-back armchairs, quanyi, 18th century. Estimate USD 300,000 - USD 500,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Each has a sweeping crestrail supported on an S-shaped backsplat and vertical rear and front posts which continue through the rectangular seat to form the legs, above humpback stretchers fitted with vertical struts. The legs are of round section and are joined by stepped stretchers and a foot rest at the front.35 ¼ in. (89.6 cm.) high, 25 1/8 in. (63.8 cm.) wide, 22 ½ in. (57.2 cm.) deep

Provenance: Chan Shing Kee, Hong Kong, November 1994.

Property of the Nancy and Ed Rosenthal Collection

Literature: V. Bower, S. Handler and J. Burris, Brush Clay Wood: The Nancy and Ed Rosenthal Collection of Chinese Art, Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, 2008, p. 48, fig. 19.

Exhibited: Cincinnati, Taft Museum of Art, Brush Clay Wood: The Nancy and Ed Rosenthal Collection of Chinese Art, 7 November 2008 - 11 January 2009.

Note: While examples of horseshoe-back armchairs are readily known, one of the rarest variations of the form is the continuous rail horseshoe-back armchair. The design of these very rare chairs was inspired by bamboo furniture. The elegantly shaped crestrail and rounded members were carved to simulate the bamboo furniture construction technique of bending long stalks of bamboo using steam or heat. The abundance of bamboo made it popular among the lower classes, as a cost-effective and more easily portable alternative to the more luxurious hardwoodfurniture. Known bamboo-inspired examples in huanghuali include a pair formerly in the Collection of Robert H. Ellsworth, sold at Christie’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 47 and a single example formerly in the Flacks Family Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2016, lot 1105 and illustrated by M. Flacks in Classical Chinese Furniture: A Very Personal Point of View, London, 2011, pp. 59-63.

A very rare pair of huanghuali bamboo-form continuous horseshoe-back armchairs, quanyi, China, Late Ming-Early Qing dynasty, 17th-early 18th century, the Collection of Robert H. Ellsworth. Sold for USD 2,629,000 at Christie’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 47. © Christie's Images Ltd 2015

A rare large huanghuali continuous horseshoe-back armchair, quanyi, 17th-18th century in the Flacks Family Collection. Sold for USD 869,000 at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2016, lot 1105. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

With contemporary sculptural forms, exquisite glazes, painstakingly intricate and challenging techniques, and refined aesthetics, these three artists have become the young leaders of the next generation of Japanese clayartists.

NEW YORK, NY.- Three rising stars in Japanese contemporary ceramics will make their debuts in New York City this September at Joan B Mirviss LTD. The exhibition will showcase three young artists in their first solo exhibitions in the United States. Hattori Makiko, Kino Satoshi, and Takemura Yuri have each chosen a highly independent, creative approach to clay that challenges the centuries-old, established traditions of Japanese ceramic art. In the dozen works created for Inside Out: Meditative Forms of Hattori Makiko, the artist has created a captivating body of work that commands close-up viewing with her incredibly intricate, sensuous, yet surprisingly sharp surfaces. Confronting the historically significant art of celadon-glazed porcelain, Kino Satoshi tackles this esteemed tradition with his highly original approach in Quiet Tension: The Sculptural Art of Kino Satoshi. Takemura Yuri, in Dancing Colors of Takemura Yuri, takes the concept and form of the revered Japanese teabowl in a totally new and delightful direction. With contemporary sculptural forms, exquisite glazes, painstakingly intricate and challenging techniques, and refined aesthetics, these three artists have become the young leaders of the next generation of Japanese clay artists. 

HATTORI MAKIKO (b. 1984), born in Mie Prefecture near the city of Nagoya, studied ceramics at university, where she was seduced by the softness and sensuality of clay. Her swirling, densely packed sculptures are completely covered, both inside and out, with thousands of tiny bundles of ribbon-shaped clay shavings applied with a thin needle. This exceptionally meticulous and time-consuming method requires a form of rhythmic repetitiveness in which the artist finds personal serenity. As these completed works contain a significant amount of clay, intricately adhered to all of the visible surfaces, they can take up to six months to dry properly. Hattori then chooses to leave her forms unglazed in order to highlight the intricacy of her process and artistic vision, producing sculpted surfaces that are evocative of sharply defined flower petals, coral, and even whipped cream. Her work is featured in the collections of a number of prominent museums, including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, MN; Paramita Museum, Japan; Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan; and Victoria & Albert Museum, UK. 

Hattori Makiko (b. 1984), Release, 2016. Unglazed porcelainous stoneware, 14 1/2 x 17 x 16 1/4 in. Inv# 10295. SOLD. © Joan B Mirviss LTD

KINO SATOSHI (b. 1987) was born in Kyoto, where he first began working with clay as a teenager. At Kyoto Seika University, he originally intended on studying stone sculpting until he was exposed to the powerful porcelain sculptures of Nishida Jun (1977-2005), who had attended and lectured at thatuniversity. With more exposure to the possibilities of the medium of clay, he grew fascinated by the strength of fired porcelain and began creating attenuated, billowing, ribbon-like, hand-built sculptures of porcelain that are intended to integrate with and confront their surrounding space. Kino’s use of the pale bluish-green seihakuji glaze is inspired by his fascination with the phases of the moon. His works can be found in Asian museums including the Fuping International Ceramic Museum, China; Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo, Japan: New Taipei City Yingge Ceramic Museum, Taiwan; and recently have begun to be acquired by Western museums. 

TAKEMURA YURI (b. 1980), the daughter of a graphic designer who inspired her to study art and oil painting, is from Aichi Prefecture where she attended the local university and explored painting on three-dimensional ceramic forms. After moving to the art-center of Kanazawa, she was exposed to the ancient local tradition of polychrome glazing, and soon her bold, colorful palette together with stylized patterning became her signature aesthetic. Her highly sculptural teabowls reflect the artist’s sense of playfulness and keen sense of design and color that stretches far beyond their obvious functionality. The smooth, curving surfaces complemented by geometric bands of matte color, linear designs and glistening gold or silver, separate her teabowls from the work of any other artist. Takemura sees them as a visual recording of her daily life, expressions of her inner self. Despite her young age, she has received an impressive array of awards and accolades. Her work was featured in the Japanese Kogei: Future Forward exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design, NY in 2016 and has begun to enter institutional collections such as The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan and the Portland Art Museum, OR. 

Takemura Yuri (b. 1980), Wan "Hikari no yukue": Teabowl "Whereabouts of Light", 2017. Glazed porcelain, silver and gold leaf, 4 x 4 x 4 1/2 in., Inv# 10190, $2,600. © Joan B Mirviss LTD

Takemura Yuri (b. 1980), Wan "Kaihō": Teabowl, "Ascetic (Ninja) on the thousand-day walk through the mountains", 2017. Glazed stoneware, silver leaf, 4 1/8 x 4 1/2 x 4 3/4 in., Inv# 10185, $2,250. © Joan B Mirviss LTD

Takemura Yuri (b. 1980), Wan "Mitsu no mitsu": Teabowl "Secret Offering", 2017. Glazed stoneware, 3 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 4 1/2 in., Inv# 10194, $2,250. © Joan B Mirviss LTD

Takemura Yuri (b. 1980), Wan "Amaoto no koe": Teabowl "Sound of Rain", 2017. Glazed porcelain, silver leaf, 4 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in., Inv# 10198, SOLD. © Joan B Mirviss LTD