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A rare Yueyao celadon ewer and cover, Five dynasties-Song dynasty (907-1127)

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A rare Yueyao celadon ewer and cover, Five dynasties-Song dynasty

Lot 82. A rare Yueyao celadon ewer and cover, Five dynasties-Song dynasty (907-1127). 16.5 cm, 6 1/2  in. Estimate 50,000 — 70,000 GBP. Lots sold 162,500 GBP. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the rounded lobed sides rising from a short slightly spreading foot to a straight neck with an applied ear-shaped strap handle, opposite an elegant outward turned spout, the body delicately incised to each side with a design of two cranes below trailing clouds, with a band of scrolling foliage at the shoulder, the domed cover incised with ruyi, below a bud-shape finial. Quantity: 2.

ProvenanceHirano Kotoken, Tokyo, 1990 (by repute).

NoteThis charming piece is striking for its elegant lobed form and freely carved motif of cranes and clouds. It belongs to a group of finely potted vessels covered in a glossy olive-green glaze, that were made in the region formerly known as Yuzhou in Zhejiang province, during the Five Dynasties period. Yue wares of this type have been unearthed in temples and at royal tombs together with other treasured objects in silver, precious stone and glass, denoting their importance.

A ewer and cover of this lobed form but incised with figures, unearthed in the west of Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji. Tang Wudai [The complete works of Chinese ceramics. Tang and Five dynasties], vol. 6, 2000 pl. 153, together with two further examples, the first incised with floral medallions, and the second undecorated and lacking the cover, pls 147 and 164 respectively. See also another globular ewer incised with floral medallions included in the exhibition Early Chinese Ceramics. An American Private Collection, J.J. Lally & Co. Oriental Art, New York, 2005, cat. no. 47.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, London, 08 Nov 2017


A rare 'Cizhou' sgraffiato 'peony' vase, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

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A rare 'Cizhou' sgraffiato 'peony' vase, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

Lot 81. A rare 'Cizhou' sgraffiato 'peony' vase, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). 32.3 cm, 12 3/4  in. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 GBPLot sold 68,750 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the compressed globular body vibrantly painted with a pair of sinuous five-clawed dragons, one in underglaze blue and one in iron-red, in pursuit of 'flaming pearls' amongst scrolling clouds, all between a band of multi-coloured lotus petals at the shoulders and rolling green crested waves divided by blue craggy rocks encircling the countersunk base, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character mark.

Provenance: Collection of Joseph Homberg.
Sotheby's London, 19th July 1949, lot 16. 

NoteSome of the most attractive Cizhou ware produced at the Cizhou kilns in northern China are arguably those decorated in this impressive and vividly contrasting black-and-white sgraffiato style, which was created through the application of two layers of slip. A layer of black slip was applied over white slip, which was later carefully incised and cut away to reveal the pristine white layer beneath and then covered by a layer of clear glaze. The confident bold lines of carved design, together with the colour scheme, are reminiscent of calligraphy and ink paintings and thus vessels such as the present would have been highly sought after by the literati.

Compare three slightly smaller vases of this form and similarly decorated with a peony scroll sold in these rooms: the first from the collections of William C. Alexander and Alfred Clark, 25th March 1975, lot 14, now in the Matsuoka Museum of Art, Tokyo, the second, 3rd July 1956, lot 17, and the third, 9th June 1992, lot 135.

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

A 'Longquan' celadon 'Twin Fish' dish, Song Dynasty (960-1127)

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A 'Longquan' celadon 'Twin Fish' dish, Song Dynasty (960-1127)

Lot 79. A 'Longquan' celadon 'Twin Fish' dish, Song Dynasty (960-1127). 13 cm, 5 1/8  in. Estimate 12,000 - 15,000 GBPLot sold 15,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the gently rounded sides carved with lotus petals and rising from a short tapering foot to an everted rim, the interior applied with a pair of sprig-moulded scaly fish swimming in opposite directions, covered in a deep olive-green glaze.

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

A carved 'Ding' lobed dish, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

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A carved 'Ding' lobed dish, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

Lot 88. A carved 'Ding' lobed dish, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). 19.3 cm, 7 5/8  in. Estimate 8,000 - 12,000 GBPLot sold 15,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

the flared sides rising from a short tapered foot to a six-lobed rim, the interior freely carved with a single lotus bloom borne on leafy stems, covered overall in a creamy ivory glaze, the rim bound with copper.

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

Flower Power by Robert Peek

$81.3 million painting by Vincent Van Gogh kicks off New York art auction season

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Lot 28A. Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), Laboureur dans un champ, oil on canvas, 19 7/8 x 25 ½ in. (50.3 x 64.9 cm). Painted in Saint Rémy, early September 1889. Estimate on RequestPrice realised USD 81,312,500© Christie’s Images Limited 2017.

NEW YORK (AFP).- Christie's kicked off the fall auction season in New York on Monday a Vincent Van Gogh leading the way at $81.3 million with robust sales of impressionist and modern art. 

"Laboureur dans un champ," painted by the tortured Dutch genius from the window of a French asylum where he had committed himself sold to a buyer on the telephone after a frenzied four-minute bidding war having been valued at $50 million. 

Van Gogh began the painting of a ploughman tilling the soil in late August 1889 and completed it on September 2, the first time he picked up his brushes for a month and a half after an epileptic fit. He died the following year. 

Christie's said it sold for $81.3 million, including the buyer's premium, well over its pre-sale estimate of $50 million. 

It was just a hair's breath from the auction record for a Van Gogh, set in 1990 at $82.5 million in New York for "Portrait of Dr Gachet," although that price would be much higher if adjusted for today's inflation.

The other chief highlight was "Contraste de formes," a 1913 Fernand Leger abstract that scored $70 million, setting a new world auction record for the artist, the auction house said. 

Leger 1913

Lot 14A. Fernand Léger (1881-1955), Contraste de formes, signed and dated 'F. LÉGER (1913)' (on the reverse), oil on burlap, 36 3/8 x 28 7/8 in. (92.4 x 73.2 cm). Painted in 1913. Estimate on RequestPrice realised USD 81,312,500© Christie’s Images Limited 2017.

Rene Magritte's "L'empire des lumieres" -- a nocturnal bourgeois street scene -- sold for $20.56 million, which Christie's said set a world auction record for the Belgian surrealist. 

Painted in 1949, it was the first of 17 versions of the picture that Magritte produced in oil paint over the next 15 years. 

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Lot 12A. René Magritte (1898-1967), L’empire des lumières, signed 'Magritte' (lower right); titled and dated '"L'EMPIRE des LUMIÈRES" 1949' (on the reverse), oil on canvas, 19 1/8 x 23 1/8 in. (48.5 x 58.7 cm). Painted in 1949. Estimate USD 14,000,000 - USD 18,000,000Price realised USD 20,562,500© Christie’s Images Limited 2017.

Christie's said its flagship evening sale of impressionist and modern art netted a total of $479 million. 

Pablo Picasso holds the world record for the most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction. "The Women of Algiers (Version O)" got $179.4 million at Christie's in New York in 2015.  

The star lot in New York's November art auctions is "Salvator Mundi," a painting of Jesus Christ by the Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci circa 1500. It goes under the hammer Wednesday evening. © Agence France-Presse

An Art Nouveau peridot, diamond, enamel and glass pendant necklace, by René Lalique

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Lot 24. An Art Nouveau peridot, diamond, enamel and glass pendant necklace, by René Lalique. Estimate CHF 35,000 - CHF 55,000Price realised CHF 408,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The pendant modelled as two diamond-set peacocks facing each other, centering a rectangular cut-cornered peridot, to the enamelled feathers, suspending a briolette-cut green glass detachable pendant, the chain set with two single-cut peridots, 1897-1898, pendant 7.0 cm, chain 62.0 cm, with French assay marks for gold. Signed Lalique.

NoteCf. Art et Décoration, 1908, p. 23 for a similar jewel
Cf. S. Barten, René Lalique: Schmuck und Objets d’Art, 1890-1910, Munich, Prestal-Verlag, 1977, p. 288, ill. 532,1 for a photograph of a similar jewel.

Christies. Beyond Boundaries: Magnificent Jewels from a European Collection, 13 November 2017, Geneva

An Art Nouveau glass and sapphire pendant, by René Lalique

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Lot 24. An Art Nouveau glass and sapphire pendant, by René Lalique. Estimate CHF 40,000 - CHF 60,000Price realised CHF 348,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Depicting three stylised nymphs in opalescent and painted glass, within a calibré-cut sapphire surround, circa 1905, 9.0 cm, with French assay marks for gold. Signed Lalique, with maker's mark for René Lalique.

ProvenanceMichel Perinet.

Christies. Beyond Boundaries: Magnificent Jewels from a European Collection, 13 November 2017, Geneva


An Art Nouveau galalith, enamel and pearl pendent necklace, by René Lalique

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Lot 24. An Art Nouveau galalith, enamel and pearl pendent necklace, by René Lalique. Estimate CHF 45,000 - CHF 65,000Price realised CHF 348,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The galalith cameo pendant figuring the profile of a nymph, set within a spray of lavender flowers, suspending a baroque pearl, to the similarly-set chain, circa 1905, pendant 9.5 cm, chain 66.0 cm, with French assay marks for gold. Signed Lalique.

Please note that the pearl has not been tested for natural origin.

Provenance: Michel Perinet.

Christies. Beyond Boundaries: Magnificent Jewels from a European Collection, 13 November 2017, Geneva

Clark Art Institute acquires early nineteenth century French portrait

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Alexandre Jean Dubois-Drahonet (French, 1791-1834), Portrait of Achille Deban de Laborde, 1817, Oil on canvas, 59 x 39.6 in. Clark Art Institute, 2017.2.

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS.- The Clark Art Institute announced today the acquisition of Portrait of Achille Deban de Laborde (1817) by Alexandre-Jean Dubois-Drahonet (French, 1791–1834). The large oil on canvas painting of a young boy dressed in military regalia is a touching memorial to the sitter’s father, Baron Jean-Baptiste Deban de Laborde, who was killed at the battle of Wagram in 1809 when Achille was barely a year old. The portrait is currently on view in the Clark’s galleries. 

This beautiful painting enhances the Clark’s collection of early nineteenth-century portraiture,” said Olivier Meslay, Felda and Dena Hardymon Director. “It invites a close comparison to the Jacques-Louis David portrait Comte Henri-Amédée-Mercure de Turenne-d’Aynac (1816) that is in our collection, and provides a poignant juxtaposition between a Napoleonic war hero and a child honoring one who was lost on the battlefield.” 

Dubois-Drahonet primarily worked as a portraitist but also produced a number of studies of military uniforms. His work was notable for its clean lines and a command of light similar to that of his contemporary Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Drahonet exhibited at the Salon from 1812 to 1834 and was awarded a medal in 1827. The portrait of Achille Deban de Laborde combines Drahonet’s talent for portraiture with his detailed knowledge of military uniform and accoutrements. 

The Dubois-Drahonet and David portraits were created within one year of each other, and both represent bold statements of Napoleonic support in a time of staunch anti-imperial sentiment,” said Esther Bell, Robert and Martha Berman Lipp Senior Curator. “David was living in exile when he painted comte de Turenne. In painting such a daring portrait memorializing a soldier with a distinguished military career under Napoleon, Dubois-Drahonet and his patrons were taking a political risk.” 

Portrait of Achille Deban de Laborde is as much a memorial to the sitter’s father as it is a portrait of a young boy. Eight-year-old Achille Deban de Laborde is dressed in the highly embellished uniform of a First Empire Hussar (cavalryman). Surrounding him are objects that tell the story of his late father’s military service. 

Achille leans on a ceremonial sword, which was awarded to his father for his bravery and victory as the Chef d’escadron (squadron leader) in the 1800 Battle of Marengo. Jean-Baptiste’s Légion d’honneur medal, awarded in 1804, hangs in the upper left of the painting. The number 8 on the plumed shako cap and sabretache, or flat pouch that hung from a cavalryman’s belt, indicate that Jean-Baptiste was part of the Eighth Hussar Regiment. In 1805 he rose to the level of colonel. In the lower right of the portrait, Jean-Baptiste’s sabre and scabbard rest on the floor. 

Given the strong sentiment of this portrait, it is not surprising that Achille followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued a military career. He rose to the rank of colonel of the Fourth Cuirassiers Regiment in 1861. During the Second Empire, Achille also inherited his father’s baronetcy after his brother, Edouard Cesar de Laborde, died childless in 1851.

Sotheby's Dubai inaugural sale achieves $3.6m & 5 artist records

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Ali Banisadr (B. 1976, Iranian), In Medias Res,signed, oil on canvas, 167.6 by 223.5cm.; 66 by 87 3/4 in. Estimate $200,000-300,000Lot Sold $459,000Courtesy Sotheby's

DUBAI.- Tonight Sotheby's Boundless: Dubai sale achieved a total of $3.6m / £2.8m / €3.1m (pre-sale est. $2.6m – 3.6m) and a sell-through rate of 80%. Bidders in the room, on the phone and online competed to buy works spanning 20th Century and Contemporary Middle Eastern and International art, Design, Photography, Jewellery, Books & Manuscripts and Arts of the Islamic World. The sale offering attracted a broad span of regional and international participation, with 30% from the UAE alone. The top lot of tonight's sale was Ali Banisadr’s captivatingly explosive canvas In Media Res, an intoxicating mix of colour and exuberant brushstrokes inspired by elaborate Persian miniatures, was chased in an extended bidding battle by no less than six bidders to a final sum of $459,000 (est. $200,000-300,000). 

Edward Gibbs, Sotheby’s Chairman for the Middle East said, ‘Tonight's strong sale result is testament to the exciting evolution of the market here in the UAE and the international focus that has reached an all-time high. The sale's offering was sourced internationally and united by the common thread of the appeal and influence of the Middle East across artistic disciplines and eras. Having seen the number of our UAE clients buying in our sales increase by over 80% in the last five years, tonight's sale here in Dubai saw us take the next step: as much as 30% of participants in sale were from the UAE. But of equal importance is our contribution to the market here by drawing international buyers, reflecting just how engaged the art world is with the region, as well as the extraordinary quality of the works.’ 

Ashkan Baghestani, Head of Sale said, ‘As part of this momentous week for the region, the enthusiasm that we experienced in the lead up to the sale for the range and quality of the works offered translated to strong participation. We saw as many as six bidders spanning the globe competing for a single work. This auction has been a voyage of discovery on a number of levels: for our clients in the region who have been introduced to international artists and new categories, and the connections we made with new collectors as a result of the sale's appeal globally, across generations and at all price points.’ 

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES 
Encapsulating Western artists’ fascination with the Middle East were works by major international Modern artists offered for the first time at auction in the Middle East, French artist and leading proponent of art brut Jean Dubuffet, and Polish American art deco painter Tamara de Lempicka. 

Spending a considerable amount of time with the Bedouin people of the Algerian desert, Dubuffet became fascinated with rituals that reached outside the mainstream of the European art historical tradition. A rare example from the body of early works executed on his travels, Palmiers aux Bedouins was pursued by five bidders and sold above high estimate for $137,500 (est. $60,000-80,000). Painted in vivid colours, de Lempicka’s idealised portrait of a man wearing a white turban and traditional gold-rimmed robe, Indian with a Turban soared above estimate to bring $150,000 (est. $70,000-90,000).

 

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Lot 38. Jean Dubuffet (1901 - 1985, French), Palmiers aux Bedouins, signed J.Dubuffet '48, mixed media and glue on paper, 56 by 44cm.; 22 1/8 by 17 1/2 in. Executed in January-April 1948. Estimate $200,000-300,000Lot Sold $459,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

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Lot 39. Tamara de Lempicka (1898 - 1980, Polish), Indien à turban (Indian with a turban), signed Lempicka , oil on canvas , 55.3 by 38.5cm.; 21¾ by 15⅛in. Executed circa 1939. Estimate $70,000 — 90,000. Lot Sold $150,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

One of the most influential Italian artists of the twentieth century, Alighiero Boetti’s work engaged with the changing geopolitical situation of his time, much of it made on travels to Afghanistan where he began to work with local craftswomen to create colourful embroideries. Fuso ma non confuse from 1988, a jewel-like example of this project, sold for $31,250 (est. $18,000-25,000). 

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Lot 41. Alighiero Boetti (1940 - 1994, Italian), Fuso ma non confuse (Fused but not confused), signed and inscribed on the reverse, embroidery on board, 17.4 by 17cm.; 6 7/8 by 6 3/4 in. Executed in 1988, this work is uniqueEstimate $18,000 — 25,000Lot Sold $31,250. Courtesy Sotheby's.

DESIGN 
Testament to the growth of collecting as a way of life, the sale offered examples of the cutting-edge and timeless in 20th century and Contemporary Design. Zaha Hadid’s voluptuous and highly expressive Prototype Aqua Table from the 2005 Principal Collection (est. $7,000-10,000) met competition from four bidders, selling for double its pre-sale high estimate for $21,240 (est. $7,000-10,000). Three pieces by François-Xavier Lalanne from a prestigious private collection all exceeded their pre-sale estimates, to bring a combined total of $57,500 (est. $27,000-33,500). Cultivating the idea that art and aesthetic pleasure ought to be a part of everyday life, he married the fine and decorative arts whilst infusing his objects with his fixation with birds. The group was led by an avant-garde and whimsical take on a rocking chair, as Oiseau d’Argent, A Rocking Chair sold for $30,000 (est. $18,000-20,000). 

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Lot 94. Zaha Hadid (1950 - 2016, British), Aqua Table (from the Principal Collection), moulded Established & Sons Designed by Zaha Hadid, glass-reinforced polyester, 76 by 305 by 135cm.; 30 by 105 by 53 1/8 in. Estimate $7,000 — 10,000Lot Sold $21,250. Courtesy Sotheby's.

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Lot 45. François-Xavier Lalanne (1927 - 2008, French), Oiseau d’Argent, A Rocking Chair, stamped FXL LALANNE ARTCURIAL, edited by Artcurial, sand-blasted aluminium, leather upholstery, wood, 114 by 130 by 100cm.; 45 by 51 1/4 by 39 1/2 in. Executed in the 1990s. Estimate $18,000 — 20,000Lot Sold $30,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

KHALIL GIBRAN 
The last major collection of its kind, a previously unknown series of letters and works on paper by Khalil Gibran – one of the greatest novelists of modern Arab and American literature – was hotly contested and soared to a combined total of $183,750, three times the pre-sale high estimate (est. $42,000-54,000). Testament to his importance, each of these extremely rare objects sparked bidding battles and surpassed their estimates – led by a collection of thirty three letters written to his friend and patron Madame Marie Azeez El-Khoury, that fetched a sum more than three times the pre-sale high estimate, $100,000 (est. $24,000-28,000). 

MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ARAB & IRANIAN ART 
A seminal work by pioneering poet and painter Bahman Mohasses, a haunting and powerful painting of a contorted figure from 1966 sold above estimate for $375,000 (est. 80,000-250,000). 

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Lot 58. Bahman Mohasses (1931-2010, Iranian), Untitled, signed and dated B.Mohasses '66; signed and dated on the reverse in Farsi twice, oil on canvas, 100 by 70cm.; 39 3/8 by 27 1/2 in. Estimate $180,000 — 250,000Lot Sold $375,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

In addition to Ali Banisadr’s In Media Res, a further work by the internationally-acclaimed artist, Meanwhile from 2012, sold for $118,750 (est. $100,000-150,000). 

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Lot 33. Ali Banisadr (B. 1976, Iranian), Meanwhile, oil on panel, 40.6 by 50.8cm.; 16 by 20in. Executed in 2012. Estimate $100,000 — 150,000Lot Sold $118,750. Courtesy Sotheby's.

Iranian American abstract expressionist Manoucher Yektai’s Portrait of Mrs Homa Vakil Mansour – one of the earliest portraits by the artist to appear at auction, depicting the wife of the Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations and the Vatican –sold for $81,250 (est. $65,000-80,000). 

Following the record achieved at Sotheby’s London last month and a recent exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, two works by Egyptian Surrealist Antoine Malliarakis ‘Mayo’. 

One of the earliest works by Mayo ever to appear at auction, the luminous Ismailia – an amalgamation of the artist’s Egyptian origins merged with the French style of the 1930s – soared above estimate and sold for a record price for the artist of $100,000 (est. $30,000-40,000). 

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Lot 55. Antoine Malliarakis Mayo (1905 - 1990, Egyptian), Ismalia, le marché arabe (Ismalia, ther Arab market), signed Mayo; signed, titled and dated 1934 on the reverse, oil on canvas, 96 by 130cm.; 37 3/4 by 51 1/4 in. Estimate $100,000 — 150,000Lot Sold $118,750. Courtesy Sotheby's.

FURTHER NOTABLE PRICES 

• The first lot of the sale was sought after by six determined bidders and soared to over four times its pre-sale high estimate. English-speaking footage of the pilgrimage to Mecca, from a documentary directed by Marcel Ichac in 1948 opened the sale to sell for $62,500 (est. $10,000-15,000). 

• Ahmed Mater’s Artificial Light (From the Desert of Pharan series) sold for $65,000 (est. $30,000-40,000). Shedding light on urban life in Saudi Arabia, his work chronicles how globalization has transformed the holy city. 

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Lot 2. Ahmed Mater (B.1979, Saudi), Artificial Light (From the Desert of Pharan series). C-print mounted on aluminium, 245 by 326.5cm.; 96 1/2 by 127 7/8 in. Executed in 2012, this work is number 2 from an edition of 3. Estimate $30,000 — 40,000Lot Sold $65,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

• Mahmoud Mokhtar’s maquette for his iconic statue of Egyptian nationalist revolutionary Saad Zaghoul fetched an above estimate $212,500 (est. $120,000-140,000). 

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Lot 12. Mahmoud Mokhtar (1891-1934, Egyptian), Maquette de Saad Zaghoul, Cairo and Alexandria (Maquette of Saad Zaghoul), signed MOUKTAR; inscribed Susse Fres Edts Paris and cire perdue, bronze, Posthumous, height: 39cm.; 15 1/4 in. Executed in 1937, approximately 20 works were produced. The edition number is unknown. Estimate $30,000 — 40,000Lot Sold $65,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

• Currently the subject of a retrospective at the Sharjah Art Foundation, Emirati artist Hassan Sharif’s Garden #1 sells for $23,750 (est. $12,000-18,000). 

• A record price for Fouad Elkoury whose work Sherihan (From the Egyptian Cinema Series), fetched $18,750 (est. $18,000-25,000). 

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Lot 10. Fouad Elkoury (B.1945, Lebanese), Sherihan (From the Egyptian Cinema Series), silver bromide print, 65 by 91cm.; 25 1/4 by 35 7/8 in. Executed in 1987, this work is from an edition of 13 plus 2 artist's proofs and was printed in 2001-2002Estimate $18,000 — 25,000Lot Sold $18,750. Courtesy Sotheby's.

• A record price for Taher Pourheidari when his painting Palm fetched $10,627 (est. $4,000-6,000).  

• A record price for Effat Nagui, whose Untitled (Girl With Her Goat) fetched $10,000 (est. $8,000-12,000).  

• A record price for Yto Barrada’s building blocks that evoke a city skyline or urban aerial view, Untitled (Still Life) which sold for $43,750 (est. $30,000-40,000). 

• Appearing at auction for the first time, a benchmark price was achieved for Mostafa Abdel Moity for his painting NN51 which sold for $43,750 (est. $10,000-15,000). 

• Appearing at auction for the first time, a benchmark price was achieved for Milad Mousavi when his Against Procrastination fetched $1,375 (est. $1,000-2,000). 

A pair of famille rose 'butterfly' bottle vases, Guangxu six-character marks in iron-red and of the period (1875-1908)

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A pair of famille rose 'butterfly' bottle vases, Guangxu six-character marks in iron-red and of the period (1875-1908)

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Lot 286. A pair of famille rose'butterfly' bottle vases, Guangxu six-character marks in iron-red and of the period (1875-1908). 15 in. (38.2 cm.) high. Estimate GBP 15,000 - GBP 20,000. Price realised GBP 27,500. © Christies Images Ltd 2017

Each vase is decorated with a multitude of butterflies separated by a gilt-bordered band of lotus sprays and gilt shou characters on the shoulder. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

A rare and large blue and white twin-handled ‘dragon’ vase, hu, 18th-19th century

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A rare and large blue and white twin-handled ‘dragon’ vase, hu, 18th-19th century (2)

Lot 97. A rare and large blue and white twin-handled ‘dragon’ vase, hu, 18th-19th century. 21 ½ in. (54.6 cm.) highEstimate GBP 20,000 - GBP 30,000Price realised GBP 25,000© Christies Images Ltd 2017

The vase is decorated with two tubular handles to the neck above concentric ribs to the shoulder. The body is finely decorated in varying shades of cobalt blue with nine writhing four-clawed dragons amongst dense tumultuous waves.

NoteA large bottle vase dating to the Jiaqing-Daoguang period (1796-1820) with a very similar design of nine dragons amongst waves was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1542. 

A fine large blue and white 'nine dragons' bottle vase, Jiaqing-Daoguang period (1796-1850)

A fine large blue and white 'nine dragons' bottle vase, Jiaqing-Daoguang period (1796-1850). 25 1/4 in. (64 cm.) high. Sold for 300,000 HKD at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2006, lot 1542. © Christies Images Ltd 2006

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

A pair of large blue and white 'phoenix and lotus' vases, hu, 18th-19th century

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A pair of large blue and white 'phoenix and lotus' vases, hu, 18th-19th century

Lot 213. A pair of large blue and white 'phoenix and lotus' vases, hu, 18th-19th century. 22 in. (55.8 cm.) high. Estimate GBP 20,000 - GBP 40,000Price realised GBP 25,000. © Christies Images Ltd 2017

Each vase is decorated with two tubular bamboo-form handles to the neck. The main body is decorated in reverse with two pairs of confronting phoenix amongst dense lotus scrolls, all above a wide lappet band to the foot. The shoulders are decorated with ruyi-head, wave, and geometric floral bands, all supporting a band of stiff leaves at the neck.

ProvenanceProperty of a Nordic Gentleman. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

A famille rose two-handled 'birds and flowers' vase, 19th century, four-character Shende Tang Zhi mark in iron-red

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A famille rose two-handled 'birds and flowers' vase, 19th century, four-Character shende Tang Zhi mark in iron-red (2)

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Lot 280. A famille rose two-handled 'birds and flowers' vase, 19th century, four-character Shende Tang Zhi mark in iron-red. 21 in. (53.3 cm.) high. Estimate GBP 10,000 - GBP 15,000Price realised GBP 20,000. © Christies Images Ltd 2017

The vase is decorated to one side of the body with two magpies perched upon prunus branches, surrounded by large peonies growing from rocks, and to the other side with chrysanthemum and lotus blooms and a small insect in flight above. The neck is decorated with stylised lotus scrolls bearing auspicious fruits, between a bat and a chime to either side, all on a yellow ground. It is applied with two iron-red and gilt-decorated stylised dragon-form handles. The base and interior are enamelled turquoise.

Provenance: Property of a European Collection. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London


A wucai 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795)

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A wucai 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795)

Lot 294. A wucai'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795). 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm.) diamEstimate GBP 6,000 - GBP 8,000Price realised GBP 17,500© Christies Images Ltd 2017

The bowl is decorated with two phoenix descending between two green and iron-red dragons chasing the flaming pearl on a ground scattered with floral sprigs, all below a band of Buddhist emblems alternating with ruyi heads that encircles the rim. The interior is decorated with a central medallion enclosing an iron-red dragon in pursuit of the flaming pearl, all within double blue line borders.

Provenance: Private English Collection, acquired in the 1920s, then by descent within the family

NoteA comparable Qianlong mark and period bowl in the Imperial Collection, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum 38 - Porcelain in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Beijing, 1999, p148, no.136. A comparable bowl sold at Christie's New York, 15 September 2011, lot 1498.

A wucai 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795)

wucai 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795). 6 1/8 in. (15.4 cm.) diam. Sold for 16,250 USD at Christie's New York, 15 September 2011, lot 1498. © Christies Images Ltd 2011 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 7 November 2017, London

A 'Longquan' celadon 'lotus' bowl, Song dynasty (960-1279)

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A 'Longquan' celadon 'lotus' bowl, Song dynasty

Lot 78. A 'Longquan' celadon 'lotus' bowl, Song dynasty (960-1279). 18 cm, 7 1/8  in. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 GBPLot sold 15,000 GBP. © Sotheby's.

the deep rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot, the exterior carved with lotus petals, covered overall with a soft sea-green glaze, Japanese wood box.

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

"Considérer le Monde" au Musée d’art moderne et contemporain de Saint Étienne

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Candida Höfer, "Palacio Real Madrid IV 6/6", 2000. Photographie couleur sous plexiglas. Collection du MAMC+. © ADAGP, Paris 2017.

SAINT-ETIENNE - L’exposition « Considérer le Monde » au Musée d’art moderne et contemporain de Saint Étienne Métropole invite à redécouvrir ses collections à travers un parcours thématique qui mêle peinture, dessin, sculpture, installation et photographie. De médiums, de nationalités et d’époques variés, les plus de trois cents œuvres de cent soixante-dix artistes témoignent des multiples façons de restituer le monde.

 « Considérer le Monde » : les multiples façons adoptées par les artistes pour restituer le monde

A l’occasion de son trentième anniversaire, le Musée d’art moderne et contemporain de Saint Étienne Métropole propose un parcours à travers sa collection, pour en explorer toute la richesse et la diversité. L’exposition privilégie un classement des œuvres qui en soit ni chronologique ni réparti par discipline. A la place est proposé un dialogue entre des époques et des techniques différentes, qui permet de révéler des liens par ascendance, par influence et par affinité.

Le titre de l’exposition, « Considérer le Monde », renvoie à son ambition : témoigner du renouvellement permanent des façons qu’ont adoptées les artistes, du XVIe au XXIe siècles, pour restituer le monde. Le parcours fait se succéder différentes thématiques, comme autant d’angles de lecture des collections du musée. La première partie, intitulée « La Mécanique de l’Art » revient sur la forte influence qu’ont exercée les évolutions industrielles et techniques et les modes de reproduction nés de la société de consommation sur la création plastique. En témoignent les tableaux La Partie de campagne de Fernand Léger et Le dernier whisky de Bernard Rancillac et la photographie Jeune fille sur le coffre d’une automobile tchèque de Vaclav Jiru. 

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Fernand Léger, "Trois femmes sur fond rouge", 1927. Huile sur toile. 138,5 x 95,5 x 4,4 cm. Collection du MAMC+. © Adagp, Paris 2017.

Un parcours thématique fait dialoguer Bernard Rancillac et Fernand Léger, Frank Stella et Pierre Soulages

La partie intitulée « Entre quête du minimalisme et matériau en question » s’intéresse aux artistes qui, à la fin des années 1930, ont choisi de placer le matériau au centre de leur pratique. On redécouvre ainsi des tableaux de Pierre Soulages comme Peinture 10 janvier 1964 qui font de la lumière leur matériau principal. Les tableaux de Frank Stella comme Agbatana II illustre un minimalisme qui explore les relations chromatiques à travers des formes géométriques simples. 

Plus loin, c’est le retour au primitif, vecteur d’une réflexion sur la mémoire et sur la vanité du monde, qui est illustré par l’installation monumentale de Claes Oldenburg et Coosje van Bruggen intitulée From the Entropic Library tandis qu’une salle où se côtoient une huile sur toile du XIXe siècle peinte par le paysagiste lyonnais François-Auguste Ravier et des œuvres d’artistes de l’Arte Povera témoigne d’une volonté de retour à la nature.

11 Nov - 16 Sep 2018

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Bertrand Lavier, "IFAFA IV", 2004. Tubes de néon et bois. 195 x 331,5 cm. Collection du MAMC+. © Adagp, Paris 2017.

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Bernard Rancillac, "Le Dernier whisky", 1966. Peinture vinylique sur toile, 225 x 200 cm. Collection du MAMC+. © Adagp, Paris 2017.

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Pierre Soulages, "Peinture 10 janvier 1964", 10 janvier 1964. Huile sur toile, 300 x 236,3 x 4,5 cm. Collection du MAMC+. © Adagp, Paris 2017.

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Cindy Sherman, Sans titre, 1981. Photographie cibachrome. 75 x 135 cm. © Cindy Sherman.

A Record-Setting Man Ray and a Vandalized 'Trump l'oeil' Mark Paris Photo Week

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Lot 8. Man Ray, Noire et Blanche, 1926, tirage argentique, image/feuille: 20.6 x 27.5 cm. (8 1/8 x 10 ¾ in.). Estimate EUR 1,000,000 - EUR 1,500,000Price realised EUR 2,688,750© Christie's Images Ltd 2017

PARIS - Paris Photo, the premier international fair dedicated to the photographic medium, closed Sunday after a flurry of activity, including rapid sales and an unsolved mystery over a vandalized work --- a Trump "Trompe l'œil."

High notes of the 21st edition of the fair, held at at the Grand Palais from Nov. 9 to 12, included the record attendance of 64,542 visitors, an increase of 4.1% over last year’s fair, along with a notable new film and video section, a focus on documentary styles, and a high volume of sales for the 189 exhibitors from 30 different countries. 

​”The 2017 edition is the best we’ve ever had," said New York dealer Howard Greenberg. "We have made great sales, with a set of works from the Farm Security Administration collection of the Hank O’ Neal Archives selling for over 200,000 euros. The various works will notably belong to French, Belgian, German, Swiss and American collections.”

We sold older works as well as modern and contemporary works," noted Françoise Paviot, of Paris. "Anna and Bernhard Blume’s collection was acquired by a Los Angeles collector and Benjamin Deroche’s series of 2 photos, produced especially for Paris Photo, completely sold out.”

Exhibitor Thomas Zander, Cologne, added, “2017 was a successful edition for our gallery which notably sold Edificio Basurto Ciudad de Mexico II, 2015, by Candida Höfer for 69,000 euros, and a photograph of Mitch Epstein for 29,000 euros. We have welcomed many European and American collectors, as well as American institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum, LACMA, SFMoMA and The Art Institute of Chicago.”

A concurrent auction at Christie's during Paris Photo week included a soaring sale of Man Ray’s 'Noire et Blanche' for 2.6 million euros, a record price for classic photography. The gelatin silver print references primitive arts, popular in early 20th century Paris, showing Man Ray's muse and lover Kiki de Montparnasse resting her head on a tabletop next to a tribal mask.

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Mishka Henner, Trompe l'oeil, 2017. Lasercut acrylic case, archival pigment print mounted to Dibond. 67x84x6cm© Bruce Silverstein

On a low note, conceptual artist Mishka Henner's 2017 work titled "Trompe l'œil" (which translates from French to "deceive the eye") sustained damage while on display during the fair. Exhibited by New York dealer Bruce Silverstein, the work featured Trump's eyes peering through a white acrylic case. A vandal "scratched the eyes out," according to Silverstein. Fair organisers are reviewing camera footage to identify the culprit.

"After everything that's been going on, I just wanted to look into Trump's eyes," explained Henner about his work. "The holes in the case are formed by my stare. Inside the case is the official White House portrait used from his inauguration until recently. It's a remarkably aggressive portrait." 

Added Henner, "Of course, it's easy to see the piece as showing him entombed in his own whiteness or buried by his own words. But he's also hiding in the walls, a constant presence lurking in the background like some kind of predator."

"I'd like to think that despite all the lies, the eyes don't lie," Henner said.

A new film and video section this year included nine films plus video works by artists including Vanessa Beecroft and Laura Henno. Another highlight was the display of 100 mostly black-and-white images chosen by Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary fashion designer and creative director of Chanel, who was "guest of honor" at this year's edition. “Today photography is part of my life. It completes the circle between my artistic and professional restlessness,” said Lagerfeld.

New York-based, French-Venezuelan photographer Mathieu Asselin won a Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation First Photobook Award for his riveting exposé, Monsanto®. A Photographic Investigation.

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Mathieu Asselin, Van Buren, Indiana, 2013, from the series Monsanto®. A photographic investigation© Mathieu Asselin

A ruby and diamond ring

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Lot 393. A 8.27 carats Burmese ruby and diamond ring. Estimate CHF 800,000 - CHF 1,200,000Price realised CHF 5,487,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Set with a cushion-shaped ruby, weighing approximately 8.27 carats, to the marquise-cut diamond twin shoulders, ring size 4 ¾, mounted in platinum.

Accompanied by report no. 94184 dated 21July 2017 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the origin of the ruby is Burma (Myanmar), with no indications of heating, that the colour may also be called 'pigeon blood red', and an Appendix letter.

Report no. 17070011 dated 7 July 2017 from the Gübelin GemLab stating that the origin of the ruby is Burma (Myanmar), with no indications of heating, that the colour may also be called 'pigeon blood red', an Appendix letter, an Information sheet on 'Unheated rubies' and a Gemmological Profile.

The property of a lady of title.

Christie's. Magnificent Jewels, 14 November 2017, Geneva

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