Cartier, Carved Chimera bangle,  Paris, 1954. Coral, 24 cabochon emeralds, yellow gold and 116 mixed-cut diamonds, 8.4 x 7.1 x 2 cm (3.3 x 2.8 x 0.8 in.). Signed 'Cartier Paris', numbered N6648 and with French assay marks © Siegelson

A bracelet designed as two carved coral chimera heads set with round and oval cabochon emeralds and square, round, and circular-cut diamonds, the hinges set with round diamonds in yellow gold and each swivels open in the opposite direction; mounted in platinum and yellow gold,

In 1923, Louis Cartier created a cliquot pin with a pink coral chimera head studded with diamonds and emeralds set in gold and platinum. This important pin was the first of the Art Deco chimeras and what would become an iconic Cartier form. The Chimera is a mythological figure with roots in many ancient civilizations typically depicted with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a dragon. The Chinese chimera, the figure that most closely relates to the Cartier form, is a symbol of longevity and success interchangeable with a dragon. Cartier went on to create several chimera bracelets from 1927 to 1929.  

In 1933 Jeanne Toussaint took over as director of the luxury jewelry department. She moved the company away from the structured jewels of the Art Deco and into more figurative pieces that brought playfulness to the dark times of World War II. Toussaint remained deeply connected to the design roots of the company—after all she was the inspiration for the panthère—and looked back to the important chimera bangles, reviving the design in the late 1940s when the Duchess of Windsor purchased a pink coral chimera bangle very similar to this one. Daisy Fellowes purchased an example in 1961 that is now in the Cartier Collection.  

Designed as a cuff with two chimera heads, this piece recalls the antique form of bangles terminating in animal heads found in many ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean civilizations from Assyria to Greece. Louis Cartier combined the ancient bracelet form with the Chinese chimera mythology, and Toussaint modernized the design with oversized decorative motifs of Indian inspiration encrusted with diamonds and emeralds providing pops of color. According to Hans Nadelhoffer, this bracelet would have taken 250–300 painstaking hours for skilled artisans to create. Cartier designers created precise drawings for the Durand lapidary workshop where the bangle was carved from a particular pink coral stalk available from Japan only through the Italian dealer Borelli. The bracelet was then taken to the Lavabre workshop for jewel setting and the swivel mechanism. The completed jewel, uniting mythology, precious materials, and fine craftsmanship is a magnificent piece created for a woman of self-assurance and refinement.

Cartier, Art Deco Boxby, Circa 1925. A box composed of panels of Orthoceras fossils (an ancient cephalopod related to the squid) banded by straps of polished sterling silver and with sterling silver feet, 9.7 x 23.6 x 16 cm (3.8 × 9.3 × 6.3 in.). Stamped 'Cartier' and with assay marks © Siegelson

Following the First World War a revolution in design occurred that allowed for an illustrious period of enlightenment and creativity. The ideal jewels and objects of the late 1920s rejected mass-production, strived for originality, and introduced the use of symmetry, geometry, and boldness in color and form.

The 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes became the platform for all major jewelry firms to contribute to the definitive style of the Art Deco movement. For this exposition Cartier produced some of their greatest pieces and embraced modernism not only in their jewelry but in their objects as well. 

For this casket, Cartier created a sleek rectangular form that embodies the Art Deco style of geometry and boldness in form. The box is created from the unusual hardstone material of orthoceros fossils. An ancient cephalopod related to the current-day squid, the fossils present with a unique needle-like geometric pattern. The polished sterling silver straps and feet embellishing the box pick up on the shimmering grey of the fossils and play against the texture of the stone.

Prior to the Art Deco era, Cartier created exquisite objet d’art from hardstones in the form of miniature plants and animals that were delicate and meant for display. After the war, discerning collectors sought out items that were functional as well as beautiful. By 1925, a more modern aesthetic required small useful pieces such as boxes, clocks, vanity cases and cigarette cases, seen as functional yet sophisticated with bold textures and clean lines. Cartier focused on including these items in their repertoire and Louis Cartier believed, “We must make it our business to build up our inventory that responds to the mood of the public by producing articles which have a useful function but which are also decorated in the Cartier style.” With this orthoceros box, Cartier created an exquisite functional object, a true work of art.

Suzanne Belperron, Hindu Necklace, Paris, circa 1948. 9 Emerald-cut sapphires, 6 cabochon-cut emeralds, 40 pear-shaped rubies, 14 pear-shaped emeralds and 1 baguette-cut emerald. Lenght 38.1 cm (15 in.). With maker’s mark and certification, Olivier Baroin Certificate of Authenticity, no. 161221d Belp/PG/LS, dated December 21, 2016, stating the Hindu. © Siegelson

A necklace composed at the front of a graduated line of emerald-cut sapphires alternating with cabochon emeralds and set with pearshaped rubies at the corners of each stone, the back of the necklace completed with graduated pear-shaped emeralds and pear-shaped rubies, and a baguette-cut emerald on the clasp; mounted in yellow gold. The necklace was manufactured by Groené& Darde workshop for Suzanne Belperron.

India’s influence on European jewelry grew out of the country’s position as the center of the global gem trade during the Mughal period. Until the 18th century, India was the world’s only source of diamonds, and the central hub for Columbian emeralds, Burmese rubies, and Sri Lankan sapphires. Traveling to India was a treacherous journey undertaken only by explorers and merchants, until after World War I, when advances in technology improved to accommodate affluent travelers from the West. In the early 20th century, Maharajahs brought their extraordinary gems to Parisian jewelers for mounting in modern designs. This interaction inspired many jewelers to incorporate the exotic motifs, vibrant color combinations, and ancient gem-cutting techniques of India in their designs.

Jewelry houses such as Cartier, Boucheron and Suzanne Belperron created outstanding jewels in the Indian style that are highly coveted today. Composed of a graduated series of sapphires and emeralds complemented with rubies, this Belperron necklace explores the aesthetic influences of India while modernizing the traditional approach. The color combination of blue and green was popularized in the 1920s by Cartier in their pieces incorporating Indian stones, but Belperron asserted her own style by juxtaposing the shapes and cuts of the stones in unexpected ways. The faceted sapphires and cabochon emeralds, stunning in color and texture, are enclosed by the leaf-like collet-set rubies, evoking the Indian boteh (paisley) form, based on the cypress tree, adding a hint of nature and alluding to the Tree of Life. 

Belperron’s design combines bold color and simplicity of shapes without over embellishment. The essence of India is felt in this necklace combined with Art Deco-era geometry and Belperron’s signature use of bold curvaceous forms. Belperron, one of the most important jewelry designers of all time, created jewels for the most fashionable women from the Duchess of Windsor to Grace Kelly and Elsa Schiaparelli. She had her choice of commissions, and, once accepted, she worked closely with the workshops to make sure her vision for each client was perfectly realized. Her unusual style is still sought after by the most fashionable and knowledgeable collectors.

Literature: Raulet, Sylvie, and Olivier Baroin, Suzanne Belperron. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Antique Collectors’ Club, 2011, p. 224.

Bulgari, Serpenti bracelet-watch, Italy, circa 1960. Coral, onyx and 98 diamonds, 7.1 x 5.8 cm (2.8 × 2.3 in.). Signed 'Bvlgari no. 585307' © Siegelson

A coiled snake bracelet of flexible sprung form composed of scales set with marquise-shaped diamonds and cabochon onyx and coral sections, the eyes set with pear- shaped diamonds and the hinged jaw opening to reveal a circular dial with baton and dot hour markers, within a diamond bezel; mounted in 18-karat gold; mechanical movement; with signed Bulgari leather case.

Considered one of Bulgari’s most iconic designs, the Serpenti snake jewels are a stunning reinterpretation by the Italian jewelry rm of a ancient motif that embodies many notions such as power, wisdom, rebirth, healing, and eternity. Continually reworking the design, Bulgari began creating Serpenti jewels in the 1940s with their innovative tubogas links solely made of gold with their heads and tails encrusted in diamonds. By the 1960s, their designs evolved into more realistic creatures with scale links and they introduced the use of polychrome enamel and gemstones that quickly became highly sought after. Diana Vreeland, editor to Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, owned a Serpenti snake belt of cream and pink enamel, and Elizabeth Taylor wore a Serpenti bracelet- watch of gold and diamond in photo taken of her on set in her lm Cleopatra in 1962.

For this bracelet-watch by Bulgari, the sinuous reptile is a brilliant combination of goldsmithing, watch making, and the use of gem-set stones. Set throughout with diamonds, coral, and onyx, the array of materials is quite unusual and bold for a Serpenti. e complexity of the design requires each scale to be hand sculptured, gem-set and assembled together by gold pivots screwed together around a white gold spring resulting in the highly exible body. e Serpenti quickly coils around the wrist as though alive, which is achieved by the use of the spring inside. e watch face is cleverly hidden under the head and hinged jaw opens to reveal the dial. Each element of this jewel is exquisitely designed and impeccably made producing a wearable work of art.

Bulgari created fewer than 100 of these jewels from the 1940s to the 1960s, emphasizing the rarity of each one. While typical examples feature enamel, the most unique variations including hardstones command the highest prices and are highly coveted. is Serpenti bracelet-watch of coral, diamond and onyx is incredibly rare and exempli es the signature style of Bulgari.

Literature: Martin Chapman and Amanda Triossi, Art of Bvlgari: La Dolce Vita and Beyond, 1950–1990, New York 2013, pp. 60, 64–67, 124.

Siegelson is the most important dealer of 20th-century jewelry design in the world. A third generation American gallery, Siegelson has amassed the most beautiful and important collection of iconic works of art, attracting the best and most discerning institutional and private clients. Vogue Paris proclaimed “Lee Siegelson, New York’s King of Jewelry.”

The only gallery bridging the gap between fine art and jewelry design, Siegelson attracts an emerging generation of international buyers. The Financial Times said that “Lee Siegelson is at the vanguard . . . bringing antique and period jewelry out from its exquisitely carved ivory tower, and presenting it in a contemporary context . . . making it more relevant to fashion, style and today’s international design and art?collecting community.” President of Christie’s Asia Francois Curiel said, “Siegelson demonstrates that at this level, the traditional barriers between jewelry and art disappear, and jewels which are one-of-a-kind become true works of art.”

Siegelson is the jeweler museums turn to when mounting their most prolific shows, loaning more than 100 pieces to 25 museum exhibitions in the past decade, more than any other dealer in the world. In the exhibition “The Jazz Age” at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, more than 17 seminal examples of Art Deco design were loaned by Siegelson, or had been sold by the company to private or museum collection.

With a century of experience and an unparalleled collection of masterpieces, Siegelson represents uncompromising quality and design presented in a fresh way.

Siegelson at TEFAF New York Fall 2017, Stand 79. Primary Address: 589 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1501, New York, NY 10017, United States. T  212-832-2666 - info@siegelson.com - https://www.siegelson.com

Lot 8. A fine and exquisite pair of 'famille-rose''sanduo' cups, Yongzheng marks and period (1723-1735), 8.7 cm, 3 1/2  in. Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,800,000 GBP. © Sotheby's.

each finely potted with steep rounded sides rising from a short foot to a slightly flared rim and delicately painted in bright enamels with the sanduo fruits, a plump yellow and pink peach, borne on a branch surrounded by curling leaves, a large pomegranate split open revealing its bright red seeds, and a spray of loquat fruits of a bright yellow colour, the interior with three cherries in iron-red with short green stalks, the base with an underglaze-blue six character mark within a double circle. Quantité: 2

Provenance: Collection of Edward T. Chow 
Sotheby's London, 9th July 1974, lot 407.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29th October 2001, lot 595.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25th April 2004, lot 247.

Bibliography: Sotheby's, Thirty Years in Hong Kong: 1973-2003, Hong Kong, 2003, pl. 329.

‘Three Abundances’ from the Edward T. Chow Collection

Regina Krahl

This pair of cups – absolute masterpieces of the fencai (famille-rose) colour scheme – appears to be unique. It embodies to perfection the subtlety in the rendering of colour nuances that became possible with the new range of enamels introduced from Europe in the last years of the Kangxi reign (1662-1722). An opaque white, rose-pink and lemon-yellow enamel were first used on Chinese porcelain in the imperial palace workshops of the Forbidden City, but very quickly reached the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen, where they were immediately composed to the new and distinct fencai palette. The full possibilities they offered to achieve sophisticated shading in pastel tones were exploited early in the Yongzheng period (1723-1735), under the tenure of the painter, poet and artisan Tang Ying (1682-1756) as supervisor of the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen.

It is during this early moment in the imperial production of fencai wares, that the finest famille rose porcelains, such as the present cups, were created. In this period, the enamels were applied with the utmost care, with individual attention to detail on every piece; by the Qianlong reign (1736-1795), the palette had already been formalised to a custom-made colour range, ready to be employed for larger series production.

Not only the material was new in the Yongzheng period, however; the porcelain painters also aspired to new goals in representation: new emphasis was put on shading to achieve the impression of three-dimensionality even with the classic enamels, perhaps inspired by acquaintance with Western painting techniques, as seen here on the iron-red cherries inside the cups. 

Pieces such as this pair of cups, with their subtle tonal variations, where individual leaves required several different enamel shades to pass imperceptibly into each other to create a natural effect, clearly could not be produced in series. And while fruiting peach branches became a classic motif of both the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods and appear on bowls, dishes, vases, and other shapes, pomegranates – clearly the most complicated fruit to render – are otherwise extremely rarely seen. The burst-open fruits revealing a dense array of juice seeds and the thin enveloping skins separating them into pockets are masterfully rendered. The painters’ employment of new materials and painting styles made possible a degree of naturalism that could not be achieved before, but eventually lead to an idealised rendition surpassing nature. 

The Yongzheng Emperor is known to have been enamoured with auspicious symbols, which surrounded him everywhere. The present design, with sprays of fruiting pomegranate, peach and loquat, represents a variation of the auspicious sanduo(‘three abundances’) motif, the loquat here replacing the more common finger citron, as harbingers of endless long life, an abundance of offspring and plentiful blessings. The pomegranate bursting with seeds symbolises the wish for plentiful offspring; the peach, as the fruit taking 3,000 years to blossom as well as to ripen in the garden of Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, bestows immortality, or at least an abundance of long life; and the loquat, called pipa in Chinese and thus evoking the musical instrument of that name, is a general emblem of luck and, because of its golden skin, a basic image of plenty. 

The three cherries haphazardly scattered on the inside of each cup are reminiscent of the loose arrangement of fruits on the inside of cups that are covered on the outside with ruby-red enamel, which are among the earliest pieces done at Jingdezhen in the fencai colour scheme and come with both Kangxi and Yongzheng reign marks; see the pair of Kangxi cups from the T.Y. Chao collection, and now in the collection of K.M. Lui, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 18th November 1986, lot 131; and a pair of Yongzheng counterparts illustrated in Julian Thompson, The Alan Chuang Collection of Chinese Porcelain, Hong Kong, 2009, pl. 94. 

The reign marks on the present cups, both inscribed in six kaishu (regular script) characters and enclosed within a double square, take up a style of marking introduced in the Chenghua reign (1465-1487), and in the Yongzheng period generally endorse the most exquisite pieces. 

No other cup of this design appears to be recorded, but a pair of Yongzheng cups decorated with a similar motif, but the branches holding several smaller fruits, from the A.E. Hippisley collection, was sold in our New York rooms (Anderson Galleries), 30th January 1925, lot 194; another pair of cups of that design, or perhaps the Hippisley pair, is in the Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Cologne, and was included in the Museum’s exhibition Glanz der Kaiser von China, Cologne, 2012, catalogue p. 200, no. 8 (fig. 1). Only one other pair of bowls with a related design appears to have been published, of larger size and with the Yongzheng reign mark enclosed within the more common double circle, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2007, lot 808. 

A pair of famille-rose cups, Yongzheng mark and period (1723-1735), 8,6 cm, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Köln, Inv.-Nr. F 76,5 a + b (OS) © 2017 Rheinisches Bildarchiv, Köln.

Lot 17. An important and rare relief-carved white-glazed 'lotus' vase, Qianlong seal mark and period (1736-1795), 34.2 cm, 13 1/2  in. Estimate 400,000 — 600,000 GBP. © Sotheby's.

the pear-shaped body rising from a spreading foot to a tall waisted neck and flaring rim, delicately carved in relief with large lotus blooms borne on meandering scrolling stems, the petals and leaves delicately incised and all covered in a milky-white glaze, the base with an impressed six-character seal mark

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 10th December 1991, lot 280. 
Collection of Robert Chang.
Christie's Hong Kong, 2nd November 1999, lot 528.

Exhibition: An Exhibition of Important Chinese Ceramics from the Robert Chang Collection, Christie’s London, 2nd-14th June 1993, cat. no. 45.

During the Qing dynasty, three types of white wares are recorded to have been produced: the traditional high-fired wares with a transparent glaze, first created during the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty, which formed the majority of white wares; soft-paste type wares which were characterised by a yellowish-ivory tinge; and Ding-type wares, which were fired at a higher temperature than the original (see the catalogue to the exhibition Qing Imperial Monochromes. The Zande Lou Collection, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 82). According to the archival records, while some Ding-type wares produced duplicated the colour, form and size of certain Ding wares of the Song dynasty, others only borrowed aspects of their predecessors (ibid, p. 80).

In creating these Ding-type wares, huashi replaced kaolin, allowing the vessel to be fired at a lower temperature to avoid warping of the material and to create a white glaze that could be used for both contemporary designs as well as making objects imitating Ding wares. Its slightly thicker and milky consistency heightens the sculptural effect of the vessel, as evident on this piece.

Vases belonging to this group were produced in various forms and designs; one of baluster form, also with an impressed Qianlong sealmark and of the period, modelled with four handles at the shoulders and decorated with a flower scroll, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 239; and a pomegranate-form vase carved with a scrolling lotus and bat design, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in the Museum's exhibition Qingdai danse you ciqi tezhan [Special exhibition of monochrome glazed porcelain of the Qing dynasty], Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 64. Further vases, but with incised marks, include a baluster vase with two deer head-shaped handles and carved on the body with cranes amongst clouds, from the collection of Dr Joseph and Donna Lee Boggs, sold in our London rooms, 7th November 2012, lot 110; another, depicting a lotus pond with egrets, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th November 2012, lot 2129; an archaistic hu vase carved with two confronting phoenixes, included in the exhibition Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 141; and a bottle vase decorated in relief with a dragon among clouds, offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd October 2017, lot 3603. Compare also a bottle vase decorated with a lotus pond motif, from the collections of L. Allen Lewis, J. Pierpont Morgan and Marsten J. Perry, sold at Christie’s London, 24th and 25th June 1974, lot 108, and again, 11th June 1990, lot 217; and a meiping, richly decorated in high relief with bats, peaches and shou characters, from the collection of Edward T. Chow, sold in these rooms, 19th May 1981, lot 518, and again, 11th April 2008, lot 2507.

 A Rare White-Glazed Relief-Carved Vase, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period; 29.6cm., 11 5/8 in. Sold for 193,250 GBP at Sotheby's London, 7th November 2012, lot 110. Photo Sotheby's

Cf. my post: A Rare White-Glazed Relief-Carved Vase, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period

A rare relief-decorated white-glazed baluster vase, Qianlong incised six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795), 8 1/16 in. (20.5 cm.) high, stand. Sold for HKD 1,940,000 at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th November 2012, lot 2129. © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

Cf. my post: A rare relief-decorated white-glazed baluster vase, Qianlong incised six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795)

A rare relief-carved white-glazed 'Dragon' bottle vase, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795), 28.7 cm, 11 1/4  in. Sold for 2,000,000 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3rd October 2017, lot 3603. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. my post: A rare relief-carved white-glazed 'Dragon' bottle vase, seal mark and period of Qianlong

A rare white-glazed relief-carved vase, meiping, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795), 33cm., 13in. Sold for 2,407,500 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 11th April 2008, lot 2507. Photo Sotheby's.

 Cf. my post: A rare white-glazed relief-carved vase, meiping, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795)

The lotus design is rich in auspicious symbolism and reflects the Qianlong Emperor’s strong support of Buddhism. Known in Chinese as hehua or lianhua, the lotus represents qualities associated with Buddhism such as purity and perfection, as the flower rises undefiled from impure muddy waters. It also embodies harmony, summer, longevity, nobility, elegance, curative powers and, when depicted together with buds, marriage and fertility. The eight petals of lotus flowers represent the Eightfold Path of Buddha’s teachings, and Guanyin is often depicted holding a lotus flower with a vase to form the rebus ‘peace’. The choice of white glaze for this has clearly been carefully selected as the colour is associated with the spiritual world and thus divinity and immortals.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, London, 08 nov. 2017, 11:00 AM

Lot 4. A copper-red 'Dragon and Phoenix' lantern vase, Qianlong seal mark and period (1736-1795), 25.5 cm, 10 1/16  in. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 GBP. © Sotheby's.

well potted with the cylindrical body rising to a short waisted neck and supported on a straight foot, superbly painted around the exterior with a lively writhing dragon and flying phoenix gazing at each other with claws and wings outstretched, their respective scales and feathers finely detailed, amidst an elaborate continuous meandering peony scroll, the foot skirted with a band of keyfrets and upright lappets, the neck and shoulder with a border of leaves and ruyi heads, the base with a seal mark in underglaze blue.

Provenance: European private collection, purchased in London between 1950 and 1975, by repute.

Note: The finely potted cylindrical body is endowed with a vitality through the superbly painted five-clawed dragon and phoenix, which represent the Emperor and Empress. The motif is rendered with extremely fine, almost pencilled, lines in underglaze red, which displays the technical advances made at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen from the early Qing dynasty through to the Qianlong reign. A notoriously difficult pigment to apply and fire with success, copper red required extremely precise control of the firing temperature and the atmosphere inside the kiln. The resulting tone of the red was particularly important to the Qianlong Emperor, possibly due to the auspicious connotation of the colour, as evidenced in a court record of 1738, where the Emperor rated the colour of a copper-red meiping with dragon design, as not good enough (Feng Xianming, Annotated Collection of Historical Documents on Ancient Chinese Ceramics, Taipei, 2000, p. 232).

In both its decoration and form, this vase references China’s glorious porcelain tradition. The dragon and phoenix rank as one of the earliest symbolic motifs from antiquity which continue to have resonance until today. These motifs of rank, importance and auspiciousness were formalised in the Yuan period (1279-1368) when three-clawed (princely), and five-clawed (imperial) dragons were used to decorate imperial objects. By the Ming dynasty the dragon and phoenix were joined in a symbolic imperial union, an image that continued to prevail at the Qing court and was commonly used on vessels made in various media. The cylindrical form derives from an early-Ming prototype, which was painted with a geometric design in underglaze-blue, such as one in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., discussed by John Alexander Pope in Chinese porcelain from the Ardebil Shrine, Washington, 1956, pl. 138A, where he mentions its similarity to the ceramic ‘albarello’ shape first found in the Near East in the eleventh century.  

Lot 102. An extremely rare copper-red pear-shaped vase (yuhuchunping), Ming Dynasty, Hongwu period, 12 5/8 in. (32 cm). Estimate 300,000 — 500,000 USD. Lot sold 2,032,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

of elegant classic pear shape, supported on a short footring rising to a generous rounded body surmounted by a waisted neck flaring at the mouth, painted in deep violet-red tones with a broad band of undulating stems of peony baring four large blooms alternatively depicting in profile and full-faced, the flowers crowned by characteristically large and pointed foliage, each arched stem ending in a small subsidiary blossom, all between upright lappets at the base and a collar of ruyi-head pendants dangling from a band of lingzhi scrolls, all beneath a keyfret border and upright overlapping plantain leaves at the neck, the inner mouthrim painted with a band of classic scroll. 

Provenance: From a prominent South American estate. 

Note: It is extremely rare to find any copper-red decorated yuhuchun bottle of the Hongwu period with its neck intact, as most comparable pieces have the neck either cut down or replaced. The present piece is also of very good color, unlike many underglaze-red pieces of this period, which tend to be discoloured to a pale grey or dark blackish red. Bottles of this form, decorated with a large peony scroll were made with a variety of different designs around the neck, of which the present one, with the classic scroll reserved in white on red, is particularly satisfactory.  

The bottle is very similar to one from the Qing court collection, still preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red, vol.I, Shanghai, 2000, pl.197. The Palace Museum collection also includes another similar piece with a different design on the neck and apparently fired to a darker tone, illustrated together with a cover, ibid., pl.196, as well as a red-painted bottle with a lotus scroll as its main design, ibid., pl.198, and a piece of the same design but painted in underglaze cobalt-blue, ibid., pl.14.

An underglaze-blue decorated bottle of this form is also in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, published in Minji meihin zuroku (vol.1), Tokyo, 1977, pl.2. 

Very little underglaze-red painted Hongwu material appears to have been excavated from the imperial kiln site at Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, although the peony scroll, key-fret, classic scroll and petal panel borders can all be seen on copper-red painted Hongwu bowls excavated from the Zhushan site in Jingdezhen and included in the exhibition Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1996, cat.nos.7-10. 

Hongwu red-decorated porcelains are discussed in J.M. Addis, 'A Group of Underglaze Red', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol.31, 1957-59, pp.15-37, where a similar piece from the collection of Sir Harry Garner is illustrated, pl.1b, which later was sold in our London rooms, 21st November 1961, lot 24. Four other bottles of this type, all with different designs on the neck are illustrated in Mayuyama: Seventy Years, Tokyo, 1976, pls.721-4. 

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 60. A rare copper-red 'peony' vase, yuhuchunping, Ming dynasty, Hongwu period (1368-1398), 32.7 cm, 12 7/8  in. Estimate 100,000 — 150,000 GBP. © Sotheby's.

of elegant classic pear shape supported on a short foot rising to a generous rounded body surmounted by a waisted neck flaring at the mouth, painted in copper-red with a broad band of undulating stems of peony bearing four large blooms alternatively depicted in profile and full-faced, the flowers crowned by characteristically large and pointed foliage, each arched stem ending in a small subsidiary blossom, all between upright lappets at the base and a collar of trefoil pendants dangling from a band of lingzhi scrolls, all beneath a band of overlapping waves, a keyfret border, and upright plantain leaves at the neck, the inner mouthrim painted with classic scroll.

Note: Freely painted with a rhythmic peony scroll and bands of stylised motifs, the present piece is a rare and excellent example of 14th century red-decorated porcelain. Copper as a colouring agent is particularly unstable in the firing process, thus it carries a high possibility of becoming runny and leaving indistinct outlines or resulting in weak shades of red and pale grey tones. The strong copper tones and clearly-pencilled designs of this vase sets it apart as a highly successful and skilfully manufactured piece.

A closely related example from the Qing Court Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, vol. 1, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 197; and another in the Tokyo National Museum is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World's Great Collections, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 112. Compare also vases decorated with various bands of decoration on the neck, such as one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated op. cit., pl. 196; another from the collection of Sir Harry Garner, sold in our London rooms, 21st November 1961, lot 24; four bottles of this type published in Mayuyama: Seventy Years, Tokyo, 1976, pls 721-4; and another example sold in our New York rooms, 31st March 2005, lot 102.

An extremely rare copper-red pear-shaped vase (yuhuchunping), Ming Dynasty, Hongwu period, 12 5/8 in. (32 cm). Sold for 2,032,000 USD at Sotheby's New York, 31st March 2005, lot 102. Photo: Sotheby's.

Cf. my post: An extremely rare copper-red pear-shaped vase (yuhuchunping), Ming Dynasty, Hongwu period 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, London, 08 nov. 2017, 11:00 AM

Lot 60. A rare copper-red 'peony' vase, yuhuchunping, Ming dynasty, Hongwu period (1368-1398), 32.7 cm, 12 7/8  in. Estimate 100,000 — 150,000 GBP. © Sotheby's.

of elegant classic pear shape supported on a short foot rising to a generous rounded body surmounted by a waisted neck flaring at the mouth, painted in copper-red with a broad band of undulating stems of peony bearing four large blooms alternatively depicted in profile and full-faced, the flowers crowned by characteristically large and pointed foliage, each arched stem ending in a small subsidiary blossom, all between upright lappets at the base and a collar of trefoil pendants dangling from a band of lingzhi scrolls, all beneath a band of overlapping waves, a keyfret border, and upright plantain leaves at the neck, the inner mouthrim painted with classic scroll.

Note: Freely painted with a rhythmic peony scroll and bands of stylised motifs, the present piece is a rare and excellent example of 14th century red-decorated porcelain. Copper as a colouring agent is particularly unstable in the firing process, thus it carries a high possibility of becoming runny and leaving indistinct outlines or resulting in weak shades of red and pale grey tones. The strong copper tones and clearly-pencilled designs of this vase sets it apart as a highly successful and skilfully manufactured piece.

A closely related example from the Qing Court Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, vol. 1, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 197; and another in the Tokyo National Museum is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World's Great Collections, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 112. Compare also vases decorated with various bands of decoration on the neck, such as one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated op. cit., pl. 196; another from the collection of Sir Harry Garner, sold in our London rooms, 21st November 1961, lot 24; four bottles of this type published in Mayuyama: Seventy Years, Tokyo, 1976, pls 721-4; and another example sold in our New York rooms, 31st March 2005, lot 102.

An extremely rare copper-red pear-shaped vase (yuhuchunping), Ming Dynasty, Hongwu period, 12 5/8 in. (32 cm). Sold for 2,032,000 USD at Sotheby's New York, 31st March 2005, lot 102. Photo: Sotheby's.

Cf. my post: An extremely rare copper-red pear-shaped vase (yuhuchunping), Ming Dynasty, Hongwu period 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, London, 08 nov. 2017, 11:00 AM

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerpen), Self portrait, about 1638, oil on canvas, 110 × 85.5 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. GG 527 © KHM-Museum Association

VIENNA.- Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) was a star during his lifetime, and he remains a star today. His name is synonymous with an entire period, the Baroque. But his novel pictorial inventions continue to influence and appeal to artists. Now two leading museums, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien and the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, are hosting a major exhibition entitled “Rubens. The Power of Transformation”. 

The exhibition focuses on some little-studied aspects of Rubens’ creative process, illustrating the profound dialogue he entered into with works produced by other great masters, both precursors and contemporaries, and how this impacted his work over half a century. His use or referencing of works by various artists from different periods is generally not immediately apparent, and the exhibition invites visitors to discover these sometimes surprising correlations and connections by directly comparing the works in question. 

Comprising artworks in various media, the exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and objets d’art. Exemplary groups of works will demonstrate Rubens’ methods, which allowed him to dramatize well-known and popular as well as novel subject matters. This offers a fascinating glimpse into the genesis of his compositions and his surprising changes of motifs, but also how he struggled to find the perfect format and the ideal form. Rubens’ extensive œuvre reflects both the influence of classical sculpture and of paintings produced by artists - both in Italy and north of the Alps - from the late fifteenth century to the Baroque. Selected examples will help to illustrate the powerful creative effort that underpins Rubens’ compositions, and the reaction-chains they, in turn, set off in his artistic dialogue with his contemporaries.  

In addition to original marble and bronze sculptures from classical antiquity and the Renaissance, the show presents paintings and prints by Rubens’ precursors, among them key works by Titian and Tintoretto, by Goltzius, Rottenhammer and Elsheimer as well as by Giambologna, Van Tetrode and Van der Schardt. Around 120 works in total will be displayed in Vienna and Frankfurt, including no less than forty-eight paintings and thirty-three drawings by Rubens. Many of the artworks on show here are among the main attractions in their home museums; the exhibition features loans from numerous internationally renowned museums including the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the National Gallery in London, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Prado and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Vatican Museums and the National Gallery of Art in Washington. 

In the show visitors encounter well-known mythological subjects such as Venus and Adonis, the Judgement of Paris, or Prometheus chained to a rock, but also seminal stories from the Old and the New Testament such as the beheading of Holofernes or the Deposition. Rubens’ Ecce Homo from the State Hermitage Museum brilliantly illustrates his creative work process: three works by Rubens document his metamorphic evolution of the classical sculpture of a centaur. He first produced a drawing of the ancient work, which he then evolved into his exceptional depiction of the Saviour. A complete iconographic reinvention, he turned a classical depiction of a wild, feral centaur into a picture of the suffering Christ appealing to the spectator’s compassion. This recourse to classical antiquity allows the body of Jesus to be counter-intuitively posed, his athletic torso ostentatiously displayed. Just as he does here, the artist repeatedly altered his compositions. The often amazingly modern, dynamic impression of Rubens’ pictures is frequently the result of the artist’s conscious recourse to easily identifiable models, which he simultaneously tries to surpass. This process of transformation culminates in works that continue to appeal directly to the modern spectator. It is thus not surprising that Rubens continues to be regarded as the epitome of baroque painting. 

The exhibition is curated by Gerlinde Gruber, curator, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Stefan Weppelmann, Director of the Picture Gallery, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien and Jochen Sander, Adjunct director and curator, Städel Museum, Frankfurt.

17 october 2017 - 21 january 2018

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), Ecce Homo, not later than 1612, oil on wood, 125.7 × 96 cm, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage, Inv. GE 3778 © The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg 2017.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), Venus Frigida, 1614, oil on wood, 145,1 × 185,6 cm, Antwerp, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Inv. 709 © www.lukasweb.be - Art in Flanders vzw, photo Hugo Maertens.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), Frans Snyders (eagle), Prometheus, 1611 / 12-1618, oil on canvas, 242.6 × 209.6 cm, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, purchased with the WP Wilstach Fund, 1950, Acc. No. W1950-3-1 © Credit: Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), The four paradise rivers (detail), circa 1615, oil on canvas, 208 × 283 cm, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, picture gallery, Inv. GG 526 © KHM-Museum Association

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), The four paradise rivers, around 1615, oil on canvas, 208 × 283 cm, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie, Inv. GG 526 © KHM-Museum Association

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), Study of the Torso Belvedere, circa 1601/02, Rötel, on paper, 395 × 260 mm, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, 2001 Benefit Fund, 2002, Acc , No. 2002.12a / b © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Apollonius of Athens (attributed), Torso Belvedere (plaster cast), 1st cent. Marble, 159 × 84 cm, Rome, Vatican, Musei Vaticani, Inv. MV 1191. Issued in Vienna: the plaster cast from the museum of casts of classical sculptures, Munich, Inv. 224 © Roy Hessing, Museum of Castings of Classical Sculptures, Munich

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), The Lamentation of Christ, 1614, Oil on Oak, 40.5 × 52.5 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. GG 515 © KHM-Museum Association

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), Miracle of St. Ignatius of Loyola, about 1617/18, oil on canvas, 535 × 395 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. GG 517 © KHM-Museum Association

Tizian (circa 1488 Pieve di Cadore - 1576 Venice), Girl in fur, around 1535, oil on canvas, 95,5 × 63,7 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. GG 89 © KHM-Museum Association

Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - 1640 Antwerpen), Helena Fourment (The Fur), 1636/38, oil on oak wood, 178,7 × 86,2 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. 688 © KHM-Museum Association

Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - 1640 Antwerpen) Venusfest (Feast of the Venus Verticordia), 1636/37, oil on canvas, 217 × 350 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. GG 684 © KHM-Museum Association

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp) Venusfest after Tizian, around 1635, oil on canvas, 196 × 209.9 cm, Stockholm, National Museum, Inv. NM599 © Stockholm, National Museum

Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - 1640 Antwerpen), The Annunciation, around 1609, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. 685 © KHM-Museum Association.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), The judgment of Paris, around 1639, oil on canvas, 199 × 381 cm, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, Inv. P1669 © Museo Nacional del Prado

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerpen), Head of Medusa, 1617/18, oil on canvas, 68,5 × 118 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. GG 3834 © KHM-Museum Association

Natter (natural spruce), Padua, 16th century, bronze, L. 18.6 cm, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Kunstkammer Wien © KHM-Museumverband

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerpen), A group of spectators from the "Ecce Homo" to Tizian, late 1620s, black chalk and red with feather and lavender on paper, 324 x 410 mm, Washington, DC, National Gallery of Art, Gift of Mrs. Alice Kaplan, Acc. No. 2001.121.1 © National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Tizian (circa 1488 Pieve di Cadore - 1576 Venice), Ecce Homo, 1543, oil on canvas, 242 × 361 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. GG 73 © KHM-Museum Association

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerp), Thunderstorm landscape with Jupiter, Mercury, Philemon and Baucis, 1620 / 25-1636, oil on oak wood, 146 × 208,5 cm, Vienna, Museum of Fine Arts, Picture Gallery, Inv. GG 690 © KHM-Museum Association

Sunrise with Theseusgruppe and Rubens-Sujet © KHM-Museumverband

View of the Rubens exhibition© KHM-Museumsverband

View of the Rubens exhibition © KHM-Museumsverband 

View of the Rubens exhibition © KHM-Museumsverband 

View of the Rubens exhibition © KHM-Museumsverband 

View of the Rubens exhibition © KHM-Museumsverband 

View of the Rubens exhibition © KHM-Museumsverband 

View of the Rubens exhibition © KHM-Museumsverband 

Lot 145. A Kashan pottery bottle vase with spouted neck, Persia, 13th century. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 GBP. © Sotheby's.

the fritware body of globular form, tall thin neck and splayed mouth, decorated with three paired cobalt blue trails under a transparent glaze; 29.5cm. 

Provenance: Ex-collection Harvey B. Plotnick.
Sotheby's London, 3 October 2012, lot 148.

Note: The use of fritware in Persia from the twelfth century onwards equipped craftsmen with the means to create finer ceramic wares without the need for an opaque white glaze (Pancaroğlu 2007, p.90). The cobalt blue trails form a striking, almost luminous, detail under the transparent glaze on this ewer, establishing a cohesive design across its body.  Yet it is a notably more minimalist design when compared to later wares. According to Pancaroğlu, similar dashes found on ceramics “may have been intended as an apotropaic ‘imperfection’ to protect the alluring, yet delicate, vessel from the harms of the “evil eye”” (Pancaroğlu 2007, pp.90-91, no.48). A vase with a similar paired stripe design is currently in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington D.C. (inv.no.S1997.116).

Vase, Iran, Kashan, late 12th-early 13th century. Stone-paste painted under glaze. H x W x D: 17.8 x 11.1 x 11.1 cm (7 x 4 3/8 x 4 3/8 in). Gift of Osborne and Gratia Hauge. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, S1997.116 © 2017 Smithsonian Institution

Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, 25 oct. 2017, 10:30 AM

Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali, circa 1949. Image Rights of Salvador Dali reserved. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali, Figueres, 2017.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.- Delight in the daring and breathtaking works of two celebrated artists when Dali & Schiaparelli opens at The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL, Wednesday, October 18, 2017. Running through January 14, 2018 Dali & Schiaparelli is the first exhibition dedicated to the creative relationship and masterpieces of Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali. The exhibit, presented in collaboration by The Dali Museum and Schiaparelli Paris, explores how each artist’s innovative approach both delighted and shocked the worlds of fashion and art. Sensuality and a daring beauty were trademarks of their collaborations. Dali & Schiaparelli will feature Haute Couture gowns and accessories, jewelry, paintings, drawings, objects and photos, as well as new designs by Maison Schiaparelli design director Bertrand Guyon. 

Woman’s Dinner Dress. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Mme Elsa Schiaparelli, 1969-232-52.

Elsa Schiaparelli, regarded as the most prominent figure in fashion between the two World Wars, explored bold Surrealistic themes in her designs. She was heavily influenced by artists, particularly Dali, with whom she often collaborated. Schiaparelli’s designs were like Dali’s paintings in that they combined Renaissance precision with wild imagination and dreamlike visions. Many of Schiaparelli’s devotees were the glitterati of the time, notables like The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, heiress Millicent Rogers and actresses Mae West and Marlene Dietrich. Dali, celebrated as the best-known and most prolific Surrealist, was equally comfortable with celebrity – his own and others’ – and also acknowledged influences beyond his particular artistic milieu, citing politics, religion and science as impacting his aesthetic. 

Aphrodisiac Telephone (Lobster Telephone). Salvador Dali, 1938. Worldwide rights ©Salvador Dali. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali (Artists Rights Society), 2017 / In the USA ©Salvador Dali Museum, Inc. St. Petersburg, FL 2017.

“We are honored to present this exhibition which highlights not only the bold collaborations of Salvador Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli, but conveys their kindred spirits and individual styles,” said Dr. Hank Hine, Dali Museum Executive Director and curator of this exhibit. Dali & Schiaparelli provides a look into their friendship and partnership – one of the first and most innovative in art and fashion. Visitors can expect to be both captivated and seduced by the groundbreaking works of this duo.” 

Schiaparelli telephone dial powder compact, c. 1935 Courtesy of © Schiaparelli archives.

Beyond the exhibition in the galleries, The Dali appreciates this celebration of fashion and art is an opportunity to recognize the relevance of style as a function of the universal need for personal expression, influencing self-perception as well as the impressions we make on others. A variety of corresponding events and programs will accompany the exhibition, including the popular monthly Coffee with a Curator lecture series; Artflix, the Museum’s themed movie series; activities for families in The Dali’s, free first-floor Stavros Education Room and more. Also in conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum has introduced specialty programming including: 

• “Fashion Design at The Dali” for aspiring high school fashion design students: thedali.org/fashion 

• An online educational program and fashion design contest featuring a grand prize trip to St. Petersburg, FL: thedali.org/challenge 

• A unique partnership with Dress for Success of Tampa Bay to raise awareness of, and drive accessory donations for, women working toward thriving in work and life: thedali.org/success. 

Anthropomorphic Cabinet. Salvador Dali, 1936. © Salvador Dali, Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York 2017.

The Dali & Schiaparelli exhibition is accompanied by a catalog with essays by Dilys Blum, Curator of Costume and Textiles for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dali Museum Curator of Exhibitions William Jeffett, Dali Museum Director Hank Hine, Director of Vogue Runway, Nicole Phelps, and exhibition consultant John William Barger III. Four variations of the catalog – including a deluxe boxed edition with a photogravure – are all available at The Dali Museum Store along with a wide variety of Dali- and Schiaparelli- inspired merchandise. 

The exhibition is organized by The Dali, St. Petersburg, FL in collaboration with Schiaparelli Paris with loans from the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Metropolitan Museum; the Collection of Mark Walsh & Leslie Chin, Luxury Vintage; and other private collections.

Illustration of the Bureau-Drawer Suit, Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Fall/Winter 1936-1937. © Schiaparelli.

Woman’s Evening Dress and Veil, (Tear Dress), Summer 1938. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Mme Elsa Schiaparelli, 1969-232-45a,b.

Three Young Surrealist Women Holding in their Arms the Skins of an Orchestra, 1936, Oil on canvas. Worldwide rights ©Salvador Dali. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali (Artists Rights Society), 2017 / In the USA ©Salvador Dali Museum, Inc. St. Petersburg, FL 2017.

Woman’s Evening Coat, Fall 1937, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Mme Elsa Schiaparelli, 1969-232-7.

Tristan and Isolde, 1953, 4.2 cm x 4.5 cm x 1 cm ©Salvador Dali. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali, (Artist Rights Society), 2017 / Collection of the Salvador Dali Museum, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL, 2017.

Evening Dress (Skeleton Dress), 1938 Collection of the Salvador Dali. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York 2017; Courtesy of © Schiaparelli archives.

Study of figures for Skeleton Dress, 1938. Ink on paper. Collection of the Schiaparelli archives, Paris; © Salvador Dali. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali (Artists Rights Society), 2017.

“Le Roy Soleil” magazine advertisement. ©Salvador Dali. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York 2017/ Collection of the Salvador Dali Museum, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL, 2017.

“Le Roy Soleil” perfume bottle by Schiaparelli, 1946.©Salvador Dali. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York 2017; Courtesy of © Schiaparelli archives.

Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2017.

Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Fall/Winter 2016-17.

Lot 172. A rare Belle Époque fancy vivid yellow diamond pendant, J.E. Caldwell and Co., circa 1910. Est: $250,000 - $350,000. © Freeman's

PHILADELPHIA, PA.- Freeman's November 1 Fine Jewelry auction features a diverse assortment of dazzling jewels from renowned makers including Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Bulgari. Comprised of 172 lots, including signed modern and antique designs, many pieces are expected to draw considerable attention and garner international interest. 

The sale features whimsical brooches, in the shape of a tennis racket (Lot 41, $2,000-3,000) and lily of the valley (Lot 82, $5,000-7,000); cultured pearls necklaces; diamond bracelets, including an Art Deco diamond and platinum bracelet accented with trapezoidal, baguette, marquise, bullet- and circular-cut diamonds estimating 14.00 carats (Lot 171, $15,000-20,000); and numerous large diamonds. Most notably, the final lot of the sale, a rare Belle Époque fancy vivid yellow diamond pendant, circa 1910, weighs 10.59 carats and is estimated at $250,000-350,000. 

Lot 41. A sapphire, diamond, black onyx and eighteen karat gold tennis racquet brooch with french-cut sapphire set "strings" with round brilliant-cut diamond set ball and frame. Length: 1 3/4 in. Est: $2,000 - $3,000. © Freeman's

Lot 171. An Art Deco diamond and platinum bracelet, circa 1930, centering an octagonal step-cut diamond, weighing approximately 1.80 carats, flanked by bullet-cut diamonds, further accented by sections of baguette, marquise and circular-cut diamonds; estimated total remaining diamond weight: 14.00 carats. Length: 7 1/4 in. Est: 15,000-20,000. © Freeman's

Held until now in a private collection, a cushion-cut diamond is set within a 2.0 carat delicate wreath of three tiers of diamonds and platinum made by famous Philadelphia jeweler J.E. Caldwell. Boasting the strongest saturation of yellow possible for a colored diamond, it is the pendant's "vivid" rating, paired with its provenance and fresh-to-the-market status, that is expected to generate a swell of interest amongst diamond enthusiasts around the world. The diamond has VVS-2 clarity and is accompanied by a working diagram stating how the clarity can be improved. 

“This is a rare and exceptional yellow diamond,” said Virginia Salem, GG, Department Head of Fine Jewelry. “The cut and the vivid color, combined with its impressive size, makes this piece truly remarkable.”  

Lot 172. A rare Belle Époque fancy vivid yellow diamond pendant, J.E. Caldwell and Co., circa 1910. Est: $250,000 - $350,000. © Freeman's

centered by a fancy vivid yellow cushion-cut diamond, weighing 10.59 carats, set within a three tiered diamond frame, estimated total remaining diamond weight: 2.00 carats, set in platinum suspended by a fine link platinumchain, completed by a circular clasp with etched design accented by circular-cut diamonds; signed J.E.C. & Co. and numbered 65911. Length: 16 in. 

Accompanied by GIA report # 2185694243, dated August 25, 2017, stating natural fancy vivid yellow, even distribution and VVS-2 clarity. Identified as ''Potential''. Also accompanied by working diagram.

The sale features other noteworthy pieces from private collections, including a diamond solitaire ring centering a marquise-cut diamond, weighing 22.85 carats and mounted in platinum (Lot 162, estimated at $200,000-$300,000), along with a diamond and platinum cluster bracelet with clusters of pear- and marquise-shaped diamonds, totaling 45 carats (Lot 163, $40,000-$60,000), both from the collection a private Philadelphia lady. A diamond solitaire ring centering a marquise-shaped diamond, weighing 5.24 carats, comes from the private collection of a Palm Beach lady (Lot 168, $40,000-$60,000).  

Lot 162. A diamond solitaire ring centering a marquise-cut diamond, weighing 22.85 carats; mounted in platinum. Est: $200,000 - $300,000. © Freeman's

Ring size: 2 1/4 (with sizing bead)

Accompanied by GIA report # 1186592698, dated July 12, 2017, stating W to X Range, light brown and SI-2 clarity.

Lot 163. A diamond and platinum cluster bracelet. Est: $40,000 - $60,000. © Freeman's

designed as a cluster of pear-shaped and marquise-shaped diamonds; estimated total diamond weight: 45.00 carats, set in a handmade platinum wire setting. Length: 6 3/4 in. 

Lot 168. A diamond solitaire ring centering a marquise-shaped diamond, weighing 5.24 carats. Est: $40,000 - $60,000. © Freeman's

flanked by tapering baguette-cut diamonds; estimated total remaining diamond weight: 0.80 carat; mounted in platinum with a fourteen karat white gold expansian shank. Ring size: 6 1/4 (expansion shank) 

Accompanied by GIA report # 5182376386, dated May 5, 2017, stating I color and VS-1 clarity. 

Collectors of signed pieces will enjoy the opportunity to bid on a Louis Comfort Tiffany pendant brooch, circa 1915 (Lot 2, $5,000-7,000). The rectangular cushion-cut black opal is surrounded by bezel-set demantoid garnet and sapphires and accented by grape leaves, suspended from a delicate removable chain. A heart-shaped opal and fourteen karat gold necklace from Tiffany & Co. (Lot 100, $7,000-9,000), features polished chevron gold links, centering three opals in a foliate motif, was designed by Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss of Newark, NJ, who designed substantial gold jewelry for Tiffany during the 1940s and 50s. 

Lot 2. A black opal, demantoid garnet and sapphire pendant brooch, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Tiffany & Co., circa 1915. Est: $5,000 - $7,000. © Freeman's

set with a rectangular cushion-cut black opal tablet surrounded by bezel-set demantoid garnets and sapphires accented by grape leaves, suspending from a removable delicate link chain accented by intricate links of sapphires and demantoids, set in eighteen karat gold. Length: 17 in. 

Lot 100. An opal and fourteen karat gold necklace, Wordley, Allsopp & Bliss, Tiffany & Co., circa 1940. Est: $7,000 - $9,000. © Freeman's

designed as polished chevron gold links, centering three opals in a foliate motif, each measuring approximately 7.04 x 2.82mm, suspending a heart-shaped opal, measuring approximately 22.06 x 24.20 x 7.81mm. 29.6 dwt.; Length: 16 in. 

The sale also showcases a collection of statement pieces by Greek designer Ilias Lalaounis, who used his jewelry to create a link between past and present, finding inspiration in many different cultures and periods. An eighteen karat gold torque necklace with a tapered design with a repoussé and textured gold finish of scrolling vine motif complete with signed box (Lot 135, $6,000-$8,000) is joined by a striking 18.0 karat gold cuff bracelet with matching earrings (Lot 106, $2,000-$3,000). These pieces are classic examples of Lalaounis’ iconic designs.

Lot 135. An eighteen karat gold torque necklace, Ilias Lalaounis. Est: $6,000 - $8,000. © Freeman's

tapered design with a repoussé and textured gold finish of a scrolling vine motif, with signed box. 123.3 dwt.; Diameter: 8 1/2 in. 

Lot 106. An eighteen karat gold cuff bracelet and earrings, Ilias Lalaounis. Est: $2,000 - $3,000. © Freeman's

the cuff in repoussé, together with matching earrings. Gross weight: 56.4 dwt.; Inside circumference: 6 in.; Earrings: 2 in. 

On October 28 and 29, Belgian auction house Rob Michiels will present a large sale of Asian art from several private collections from around the world. With 1300 lots offered, it is one of the biggest Asian art sales Europe has seen this year.

The auction will take place just before Asian Arts Week kicks off in London. The catalog contains several private collections from around the world showcasing a diverse range of pieces including: porcelain, paintings, sculptures, jade, ivory and other objets d'art from China and Japan.

With 1 300 lots, Rob Michiels boasts one of the largest Asian art auctions in Europe this year so far. The lots are of undeniable quality, such as this pair of blue porcelain bottle shape vases (lot 1094.)

Lot 1094. A pair of Chinese blue and white bottle vases, Kangxi. H.: 30 cm. Estimate: € 6000 - € 9000. © Rob Michiels

Lot 220 is signed by the Chinese painter Qi Baishi (1864-1957), known for capturing scenes of rural life. Self-taught, Qi Baishi's works combine poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal and are inspired by traditional literary painting. Yet they are resolutely modern: the energy of his brush, use of ink and vibrant colors. 

Lot 220. Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Long melons and their vines, ink and colour on paper. Dim.: 104 x 35 cm (the painting). Dim.: 143 x 53,5 cm (incl. frame). Estimate: € 15000 - € 25000. © Rob Michiels

For collectors of teapots,  lots 223 and 224 are unmissable. The first is a very rare teapot with an erotic decor and the second features a semi-erotic scene. Both date from the time of the Chinese Emperor Qianlong.

Lot 223. A Chinese famille rose teapot and cover with erotical design, Qianlong. H.: 11,5 cm - L.: 17 cm. Estimate: € 2000 - € 4000. © Rob Michiels

Lot 224. A Chinese famille rose teapot and cover with erotical design, Qianlong. H.: 12,5 cm - L.: 18 cm. Estimate: € 1500 - € 2500. © Rob Michiels

A blue and white porcelain plate from China entitled "Three Friends of the winter", is marked with the Qianlong period (lot 500). The piece comes from the collection of Soame Jenyns, an expert on Chinese porcelain.

Lot 500. A Chinese blue and white “Three Friends of Winter” dish, Qianlong mark and period. Dia.: 17,8 cm. Estimate: € 8000 - € 12000. © Rob Michiels

Including a box. Full provenance including old catalogues and the book “Later Chinese porcelain” included with the piece.

Provenance: - The collection of P.J. Donnelly 
- The collection of Soame Jenyns
- Published in “Later Chinese porcelain”, Soame Jenyns, 1951, pl. XCV.  
- Sotheby Parke Bernett, Hong Kong, Nov. 16, 1983, Lot 514 (Illustrated on plate 8) 
- Exhibited : From the Tang to the Qing: Chinese Ceramics from circa 618-1850 A.D. 
- The collection of Dr. and Mrs. Peter Thompson, Hull University, Hull, UK, 1996, cat. no. 115 
- Sotheby’s, London, Nov. 7, 2012, “Chinese ceramics from the collection of Peter and Nancy Thompson”, Lot 78
- An English private collection.

See also: - A similar example in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in: A Contrast between Genuine and Fake Porcelain And The Porcelain Specimens from Ancient Kiln Sites Collected in the Palace Museum (Pictorial Album). Beijing, 1998 (故宫藏传世瓷器真赝对比·历代古窑址标本图录). 
Page 117, Picture 91.
- Sotheby's, New York, March 19, 2016, Lot 1412, for a similar example.

A blue and white 'Three Friends of Winter' dish, Qianlong seal mark and period, Diameter 7 1/8  in., 18 cm. Sold for 35,000 USD at Sotheby's, New York, March 19, 2016, Lot 1412. © Sotheby's

Cf. my post: A blue and white 'Three Friends of Winter' dish, Qianlong seal mark and period

This model of a soapstone Luohan signed Yu Xuan and dating from the 17th/18th century, is from a private Belgian collection and is one of the star lots of the sale. Yang Yuxuan was one of the sculptors of the Emperor Qianlong's Imperial workshop.

 Lot 765. A Chinese shoushan stone figure of a Luohan, signed Yu Xuan, 17-18th century. Estimate: € 10000 - € 20000. © Rob Michiels

H.: 9,5 cm - L.: 8 cm - W.: 6,5 cm. Presented on a fitted red velvet-lined base.

Provenance: A Belgian private collection

Yang Yuxuan was a carver for the imperial workshop of emperor Qianlong. 
Seals from his hand are published in: “Seal Impressions of Emperors and Empresses in Qing Dynasty, Collected by Palace Museum”, vol. 5, volume of Qianlong 1, p. 20, Forbidden City Publishing House, 2005.

See also: - Christie’s, London, 9 Nov. 2010, Fine Chinese ceramics and works of art, Lot 96 for another figure signed Yu Xuan

 - Sotheby’s, New York, 13 Sep. 2016, Important Chinese art, Lot 209, for another figure signed Yu Xuan 

- Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 6 Apr. 2016, Important Chinese art, Lot 3686, for another figure signed Yu Xuan

- Xiling Yinshe Auction, Zhejiang, China, 16-19 Jul. 2011, Lot 3189, for another Luohan by the artist 

- The Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong exhibition catalogue for Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 45, for a soapstone carving of a luohan figure by Yang Yuxuan. 

A signed soapstone figure of a sead luoshan, signed Yu Xuan, 18th century, 4 in. (10.3 cm.) high. Estimate GBP 15,000 - GBP 20,000. Price realised GBP 46,850 at Christie's, London, Fine Chinese ceramics and works of art, 9 November 2010, Lot 96. © Christie's Image Ltd 2010.

Finely carved seated on a rockwork base, dressed in long robes with heavy folds, the hem delicately incised with vaporous clouds, holding a ruyisceptre in his left hand, the serene face with finely incised brows and moustache, the hair neatly rendered with soft curls, the back with a two-character signature Yu Xuan.

Note: The Yu Xuan signature is generally attributed to the famous Fujian soapstone carver Yang Ji who was believed to have been active during the early Kangxi period. This superb carving shows several of the characteristics of Yang's works, the rendering of the robes, the heavy jowled face and the exquisite detail.

Compare with another luohan signed by Yang Yu Xuan with similar pronounced facial features and treatment of facial hair illustrated by G. Tsang and H. Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 87, no. 45; and another luohan signed Yu Xuan supporting a miniature pagoda above his raised knee in the Palace Museum, Beijing (unpublished). Compare also the soapstone figure bearing the same signature, sold in our Hong Kong Rooms, 27 November 2007, lot 1849. 

A soapstone figure of soapstone figure of Vajraputra, signed Yu Xuan, early Qing dynasty. Width 3 1/2  in., 8.9 cm. Estimate 30,000 — 50,000 USD. Lot sold 37,500 USD at Sotheby’s, New York, 13 Sep. 2016, Important Chinese art, Lot 209. © Sotheby's

finely carved with the luohan holding rosary beads, reclining on a pierced rocky outcrop with a resting lion cub, the face carved with a gentle smile, flanked by pendulous earlobes with circular earrings, wearing a long voluminous robe with intricate floral borders, the back incised with a two-character mark, the softly polished stone of a warm caramel color mottled with some opaque and russet inclusions, textile stand (2).

An exceptional soapstone figure of soapstone figure of Vajraputra, by  Yang Yuxuan, Ming dynasty, 17th century, width 4.8 cm, 1 7/8  in. Estimate 700,000 — 900,000 HKD. Lot sold 2,480,000 HKD at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 6 Apr. 2016, Important Chinese art, Lot 3686. © Sotheby's

exquisitely carved from 'shanbodong' stone of a rich caramel-brown colour in the form of a seated luohanleaning in a relaxed position against a recumbent lion, with a ruyi scepter resting in the crook of one arm, his countenance and serene expression naturalistically rendered, his corpulent body draped in long flowing monastic robes opening at the chest and intricately etched at the hem with swirling clouds on a wave ground and inlaid with semi-precious stones, the lion's tame expression and muscular body finely picked out, intricately incised with a Yuxuan mark between the shoulders.

Provenance: A Shanghai collection, early 20th century, and thence by descent to the current owner, by repute.

Note: Yang Yuxuan, also known by the names Yang Ji, Xuan and Yu Rei, was a native of Zhangpu, Fujian province, and worked as a stone carver in the provincial capital of Fuzhou. His work is praised by one of his contemporaries, the Fujian official Zhou Lianggong, as follows: 'the excellence of his knife work is equivalent to that done by supernatural beings'. Yang's repertoire included carvings of seal knobs, figures, birds, animals and vessels. He is known for the delicate and intricate manner of carving and the carving technique known as bo yi (intentionally thin) is said to have been started by him. The bo yi is a light surface carving where the artists cut the stone into blocks and only lightly carve the surface of the stone in order to preserve as much of the original material as possible. Although the carving remains 'skin-deep' the design can be very elaborate. Yang Yuxuan was a prolific carver but only a very small number of his works are signed. Traditionally, while literary artists, such as poets, writers and calligraphers, were highly venerated and were expected to sign their work, craftsmen such as Yang would generally not have carved their signature on a piece unless it was of particular  importance.

The type of soapstone used on the current sculpture is 'shanbodong', a stone found in the Shoushan region in a river area near Doucheng. In traditional connoisseurship on shoushan, the name reputedly derives from the story of a stone digger called Shanbo who passed away while digging for this precious stone in the Xianfeng to Tongzhi period, and the stone was then named after him. It is characterised by its lustrous transparency, with shiny sandy-type elements visible beneath the mottled caramel-brown and red surface.

Another 'shanbodong' figure by Yang Yuxuan of identical form and size from the Conner Prairie Museum, Indiana was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 25th May 2011, lot 366.  

For a soapstone figure of Avalokitesvara by Yang Yuxuan in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Yang Boda, Zhongguo Meishu Quanji. Diaosu Bian 6. Yuan Ming Qing Diaosu, 1988, p. 143, pl. 154, and, pp. 44-45, where the author points out that the style of carving the robes, and the cut of the knife itself, is exceptional, in that the cut is diagonal, as opposed to the perpendicular style of most Qing carvers, resulting in a more powerful, realistic effect.

Compare also a soapstone carving of a luohan figure by Yang Yuxuan, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong exhibition Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 45, and a tianhuang figure of a lion from the collection of Wu Pu Xin, sold in these rooms, 7th October 2006, lot 916.

An early Qing dynasty soushan stone arhat carved by Yang Yuxuan.Estimate 1,000,000-2,000,000 RMB. Price Realized 1150000 RMB at Xiling Yinshe Auction, Zhejiang, China, 16-19 Jul. 2011, Lot 3189. © Xiling Yinshe Auction

Finally, although this beautiful huanghuali wooden brush pot is modern in appearance, it dates from the 17th/18th century and is in excellent condition.

Lot 829. A Chinese huanghuali brush pot, 17-18th century. H.: 12,5 cm - Dia.: 10,5 cm. Estimate: € 2000 - € 4000. © Rob Michiels

The public exhibitions will take place from October 21 to 26 from 10am to 6pm CET and on October 27 from 10am to 2pm CET. The auction will take place on October 28 (10am CET: Lot 1-220 and 2pm CET: Lot 221-652) and October 29 (10am CET: Lot 653-875 and 2pm CET: Lot 876-1301).

Andrea Sacchi (1599-Rome-1661), Portrait of Monsignor Giacomo Franzoni, About 1640. Oil on canvas, 71.7 x 57.5 cm (28.2 x 22.6 in.). Inscription 'Al Ill. Et Rev.mo / Monsig.r Franzone / Chierico of / Camera / For [...]. © Benappi Fine Art 

Provenance: Private collection, France, 2016

Literature: F. Petrucci, A rediscovered portrait by Andrea Sacchi , London 2017

Benappi Fine Art are leading dealers in Italian and European Old Master paintings and sculpture, working with private collectors and major institutions in Europe and the United States. We are proud to have placed works in some of the leading institutions in the world, including LACMA, The Metropolitan Museum and Museo dellOpera del Duomo in Florence.

Benappi Fine Art at TEFAF New York Fall 2017, Stand 76. Primary Address: 27 Dover Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 4LZ, United Kingdom. T  +4402038652900 - london@benappi.com - benappi.com

Lot 1. Two rare black pottery stemcups, Neolithic, Dawenkou and Longshan Cultures (2900-2400 BC and 2500-2000 BC), 12 1/2 and 10 1/2 in., 31.7 and 26.7 cm. Estimate 4,000 — 5,000 USD. Lot sold 8,400 USD. © Sotheby's.

one supported on three tall and thin incurving blade-like feet, rising to a hollow stem interrupted by a round bulb, and surmounted by a deep cup with a trumpet mouth, the burnished black surface further decorated with horizontal bands of diagonal lines and circles, the other delicately potted with eggshell-thin sides, the deep U-shaped cup with a wide everted rim, supported on a hollow stem with a bulging belly pierced with rows of small pinholes, all resting on a circular platform foot, the surface burnished black (2).

Note: It is extremely rare to find a Dawenkou stemcup with three-pronged foot, attributed to the earliest phase, and a line drawing is illustrated by KC Chang, The Archaeology of Ancient China, New Haven, 1986, fig.136. A Longshan stemcup of this type with a different treatment of the bulbous stem is illustrated Zhongguo wenwu jinghua daquan. Taoci juan, Taipei, 1993, no.075. Compare one illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.1, London, 1994, pl. 39; and another was sold in these rooms, 22nd March 2000, lot 76.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 2. Two burnished black pottery vessels, Neolithic, Longshan Culture, (2500-2000 BC), 9 1/2 and 12 3/4 in., 24.1 and 32.4 cm. Estimate 3,000 — 4,000 USD. Lot sold 10,200 USD. © Sotheby's.

the first a ewer with a compressed globular body rising to a tall wasted neck pinched on one side for a spout opposite a large loop handle, all supported on a single splayed foot finished with a rope cord on the edge, the other a dou food vessel with a waisted tubular body rising to a wide cupped mouth, the sides decorated with horizontal raised filets and two small lug handles, the slightly domed cover set with two lug handles and a flaring stemmed knop that allows for the underside to be used as a dish, both vessels covered with a lustrous black surface (2).

Note: The covered dou  shape can be seen illustrated in KC Chang, The Archaeology of Ancient China, New Haven, 1986, p. 250 and 253, pl. 206 and 210.  

The dating of the ewer is consistent with the results of a thermoluminescence test, Oxford Authentication Ltd., no. C104s54.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 5. A rare painted pottery amphora, Neolithic, Yangshao Culture, Majiayao phase, 18 in., 45.7 cm. Estimate 15,000 — 20,000 USD. Lot sold 18,000 USD. © Sotheby's.

the well-potted ovoid vessel with broad shoulders tapering to a flat foot,  the body finely painted with evenly spaced circular 'eye' spots encircled by concentric spirals radiating out from the central eye on each side, all surmounted by a tall cylindrical neck and an everted rim painted with further concentric rings below a collar of alternating pendant and upright spots.

Note: It is extremely rare to find such a large and well-preserved vessel from this early phase of the Yangshao culture, with a particularly well-executed rhythmic design. See a Majiayao cone shaped vessel decorated with related pattern of circles surrounded by radiating blades and the neck encircled by horizontal lines sold in these rooms, 9th December 1987, lot 176. Another vessel with related design in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, vol.9, Tokyo, pl. 15. A line drawing of a closely related design is illustrated, Chang, The Archaeology of Ancient China, New Haven, 1986, fig.106.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 3. An Unusual grey pottery 'Pou' vessel, Western Zhou Dynasty (circa 1046-771 BC), 10 3/8 in., 26.3 cm. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 USD. Lot sold 9,000 USD. © Sotheby's.

the compressed globular body incised with twelve pairs of hooked leiwen reserved against an impressed vertical cord ground, below four protruding lug handles and a circle-punched band interrupted by four bosses around the broad shoulders similarly repeated around the slightly flared tall foot, the surface covered with root tracks.

Note: It is rare to find early grey pottery vessels clearly modelled after bronze vessel shapes of the period, although a grey pottery gui vessel flanked by loop handles and decorated with a single band design is illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 2, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 122.  

The dating of this lot is consistent with the results of a thermoluminescence test, Oxford Authentication Ltd., no. C104y80.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 31 mars 2005

Lot 177. Tête de Buddha,Thaïlande,Style dit de U-Thong B, ca 14° siècle. Courtesy Cornette de Saint Cyr Paris.

Alliage cuivreux. H. 22 cm. Tête classique à expression sereine, et à la coiffure bouclée. On notera la belle patine d’un brun rouge profond, et une probable « reprise de fonte » visible au bout du nez.

Provenance : - Gérard Lévy (Paris) 
- acquise de ce dernier par ses propriétaires actuels le 25 janvier 1969.

Arts d'Asie chez Cornette de Saint Cyr Paris, 75008 Paris, le 31 Octobre 2017 à 14h30. Expert : Cabinet Daffos-Estournel. Tel. : +33 6 09 22 55 13 – www.aaoarts.com

Lot 181. Tête de Buddha, Thailande, Style dit de U-Thong A, ca 14°-15° siècle. Estimation 5 000 / 8 000 €. Courtesy Cornette de Saint Cyr Paris.

Alliage cuivreux. H. 30 cm. Belle tête aux traits à la fois sereins et puissants, sourcils indiqués en relief et cavités orbitales creuses ayant abrité des incrustations. La chevelure bouclée recouvre l’ushnisha (usnîsa), et la flamme est manquante. Importants restes de laque.

Provenance : - Jean-Claude Moreau-Gobard (Paris) 
- Acquise de ce dernier par ses propriétaires actuels le 4 février 1968

Arts d'Asie chez Cornette de Saint Cyr Paris, 75008 Paris, le 31 Octobre 2017 à 14h30. Expert : Cabinet Daffos-Estournel. Tel. : +33 6 09 22 55 13 – www.aaoarts.com

Lot 24. Lucio Fontana (1999-1968), Concetto Spaziale, Attese, 1967. Estimation 800 000 € / 1 200 000 €. Courtesy Cornette de Saint Cyr Paris.

De la série des Tagli. Peinture à l’eau sur toile. Signée et titrée au dos. Annotée au dos "Ho fatto una discussione col pittore Bacci c’erano anche Piero e Nova che..."; 73 x 60 cm – 28.74 x 23.62 in. 

Watercolor on canvas, signed and titled at the back 

L’annotation au dos de l’œuvre rend hommage au peintre « spatial » Edmondo Bacci.

Cette œuvre est répertoriée dans le Catalogue Raisonné de l’artiste, Catalogo Generale, volume II, établi par Enrico Crispolti, sous le numéro 67 T 56 en page 665 de l’ouvrage.

Provenance: - Galerie Pierre, Stockholm 
- Galerie Michel Couturier, Paris 
- Collection particulière, Paris 
- Collection particulière, Brescia 
- Collection particulière, Suisse 

Bibliographie: - Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogue raisonné des peintures, sculptures et environnements, spatiaux, vol II, La Connaissance, Bruxelles, 1974, pp. 192-193, reproduit 
- Enrico Crispolti, Fontana, catalogo generale, vol II, Skira, Milan, 1986,reproduit p. 665, 
- Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana. Catalogo ragionato di sculture, dipinti, ambientazioni, vol. II, Skira, Milan, 2006, p. 859, no 67 T 56, reproduit.

Art Contemporain - Art Africain Contemporain chez Cornette de Saint Cyr Paris, 75008 Paris, le 25 Octobre 2017 à 14h30