Lot 394. A Cizhou sgraffiato 'peony' vase, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127); 34.6 cm, 13 5/8 in. Estimate 70,000 — 100,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.
the pear-shaped body surmounted by a tall trumpet neck, the lower body carved through a white slip to the buff-coloured body with a peony scroll below a band of detached floral sprays, all beneath a translucent milky glaze.
Lot 273. A 7.34 carats brilliant-cut diamond single stone ring. Estimate GBP 140,000 - GBP 180,000 (USD 185,920 - USD 239,040). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
The pear brilliant-cut diamond, weighing approximately 7.34 carats, to triangular-cut diamond shoulders, ring size M½.
Accompanied by report no. 8537901 dated 3rd August 2017 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is D colour, VS2 clarity.
Lot 272. A 12.31 carats Fancy Yellow diamond single stone ring. Estimate GBP 90,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 119,520 - USD 159,360). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
The cut-cornered square modified brilliant-cut Fancy Yellow diamond, weighing approximately 12.31 carats, to triangular-cut diamond single stone shoulders, ring size M½.
Accompanied by report no. 8430071 dated 3rd August 2017 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is natural Fancy Yellow, VVS2 clarity, also with a working diagram indicating that the clarity of the diamond is potentially Internally Flawless.
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
Lot 255. A diamond bracelet, by Van Cleef & Arpels. Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 100,000 (USD 106,240 - USD 132,800). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
Designed as a highly articulated bombé strap set throughout with brilliant-cut diamonds, 1984, 17.5cm. Signed VCA for Van Cleef & Arpels, no.NY54387.1.
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Van Cleef & Arpels dated 3 March 2017.
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
Two late 19th century gothic revival hat pins, by Louis Wièse, after 1890. Estimate GBP 10,000 - GBP 12,000 (USD 13,280 - USD 15,936). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
Each terminal modelled as the torso and head of a gargoyle perched on a corbel, after 1890, 2.9 and 3.1cm, pins 22.3cm, French marks, in maker's case. Both signed Wièse with maker's mark for after 1890
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
Lot 59. A late 19th century conch shell parure. Estimate GBP 12,000 - GBP 15,000 (USD 15,936 - USD 19,920). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
Comprising: a necklace designed as a series of alternating carved stylised dolphin and shell links, suspending alternate graduated carved cherub and classical female bust cameos in shell shaped frames, interspersed with graduated carved shell drops, 40.0cm; the bracelet composed of a carved classical female bust in a shell frame applied on a carved shell and dolphin ground to a carved reeded panel link bracelet, the other terminal a carved merchild blowing a conch, 16.0cm; with matching brooch and earrings en-suite, earrings with hook fittings; circa 1870; with additional links.
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
Lot 71. A mid 19th century enamel and rose-cut diamond-set cyrillic 'N' for Tsar Nicholas I, bangle. Estimate GBP 20,000 - GBP 30,000 (USD 26,560 - USD 39,840). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
The octagonal plaque with applied rose-cut diamond-set cyrillic 'N' for Tsar Nicholas I (reigned 1825-1855) beneath a similarly-set coronet on a cobalt blue enamel ground to a two-tiered rose and old-cut diamond cluster border and further elaborately chased hinged bangle half decorated with blue guilloché enamel, plaque circa 1840, bangle circa 1860, internal diameter 5.1cm, mounted in silver and gold.
Tsar Nicholas I from a portrait miniature by Iwan Winberg
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
Lot 76. An Art Nouveau pearl and enamel brooch, by Lalique, circa 1900. Estimate GBP 5,000 - GBP 7,000 (USD 6,640 - USD 9,296). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
Of stylised foliate spray design with pearl berries, shaded green plique-a-jour enamel leaves and blue enamel stems, suspending a single pearl drop, circa 1900, 6.2cm, French marks, in maker's case. Signed Lalique.
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
Lot 77. An Art Nouveau enamel and diamond bracelet, by Vever, circa 1905. Estimate GBP 5,000 - GBP 7,000 (USD 6,640 - USD 9,296). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
Of openwork foliate design, modelled as a series of blue and frosted colourless plique-à-jour enamel triple flowerheads with metallic foil inclusions, to further shaded green plique-à-jour enamel leaves, circa 1905, 17.6cm, with French marks for gold. Signed Vever Paris.
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
TAIPEI - The appreciation is a lifestyle, a fashion, an art, and a culture; it is a shared language of tea connoisseurs. The originated in China, and methods of tea making have undergone centuries of change, as have the equipment and the manner in which the tea has been enjoyed.
In ancient times, tea was used both to quench the thirst, and also for its perceived medicinal qualities; during the Tang and Song dynasties, it was brewed by boiling then it was sipped gently. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, tea was brewed by infusing tea leaves in extremely hot water, and appreciated in leisurely surroundings. Following the introduction of tea by Chinese diplomats and traders to Mongolia and Tibet, tea consumption became a part of everyday life there too. As a result of increased demand for tea in these regions, a network of caravan paths known as the Ancient Tea Horse Road developed. These nomadic groups also developed their own tea equipment and culture.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, Japanese diplomatic missions to China, student monks in China, and travelling merchants, introduced the appreciation of tea to Japan where it was integrated into local culture. Japanese tea ceremony etiquette thus developed, giving rise to sadō, a meticulous form of tea ceremony practiced there. In the late Ming dynasty, monks from Fujian introduced Fujian-style tea tradition and Yixing tea ware to Japan. The combination of tea drinking and scholarly conversation soon became popular among intellectuals, and developed into tea ceremony known as senchadō.
Immigrants from China to Taiwan and to Southeast Asia during the late Ming and the early Qing dynasties carried tea culture to those regions. Today, Taiwanese society not only preserves the tradition of the gongfu tea ceremony from Fujian and Guangdong but has also created a new local tea culture which reaches to the realm of art. According to the Zhuluo Xianzhi (Gazetter of Zhuluo County), there were uncultivated tea trees in central and southern Taiwan, suggesting that the climate of Taiwan was suitable for their cultivation. Tea merchants brought tea seeds and production methods from southern Fujian, and continued to improve the methods of cultivation. The 1980s saw the yielding of gaoshan (high mountain) tea, and it was largely planted in central Taiwan’s mountainous areas.
This exhibition follows the course of development outlined above. It is divided into three sections, "The Homeland of Tea: Chinese Tea Culture,""The way of tea: Japanese Tea Culture," and "The Enjoyment of Tea: Taiwanese Gongfu Tea." Selected artifacts from the collection of the National Palace Museum are showcased to illuminate Asia’s many unique tea cultures and approaches to tea appreciation. Through the situational of the Ming teahouse, the Japanese tearoom, and the modern tea presentation table, the visitor is introduced to the atmosphere of tea appreciation in different settings. This exhibition is intended to inform viewers of the dissemination and interchange of tea practices among different Asian regions, and to demonstrate their distinct yet related tea cultures.
Part1. The Homeland of Tea: Chinese Tea Culture
1. The Taste of Tang and Song
Tea drinking and its associated culture have a long history in China. Tea became popular throughout the country during the 7th century. By the 8th century, Lu Yu (ca. 733-803) had published his seminal The Classic of Tea (761), a book providing details on tea varieties, equipment, and teabrewing technique; it structured tea practices and the equipment to be used.
During the Tang Dynasty, tea was ground into powder and boiled in a cooking pot called a fu. The tea would then have been poured into tea bowls to be drunk; Yue ware celadons and Xing ware white porcelain tea bowls, known as "ice porcelain snow bowls", were the most popular at the time.
During the Song Dynasty preparation techniques changed. At this time, tea powder was placed into tea bowls, and boiled water was poured over it from a ewer. The method is called diancha (whisking tea). In the 11th century, Cai Xiang (1012-1067) wrote in his book Tea Note that, “Tea drinking involves the appreciation of color, fragrance, and taste”. Nine types of tea service items were introduced in the book, among which ewers, tea bowls, and saucers are the most common still seen today. Tea culture in the Song Dynasty involved not only tea tasting but also tea contests. At a tea contest, tea was beaten with a spoon or whisk in order to form a foam. Tea bowls in black glaze were often used to better complement the foam; on other occasions, celadon tea bowls or those with white glaze were commonly used.
Green glazed single handled pot, Changsha ware, Tang dynasty (618-907). Ht (including lid): 18.5 cm, mouth: 4.9 cm, base: 7.4 cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Pots with horizontal handles were popular during the late Tang dynasty. Ewers of this type are found in both Yue ware (from Zhejiang) and Changsha ware (from Hunan). The Changsha kiln produced many types of everyday tea ceramics such as ewers, tea jars, tea bowls, and tea powder caddies; from this it can be clearly seen that tea drinking was popular in Hunan at the time. Pots with horizontal handles were used to pour boiling water into teacups, in order to make whisked tea.
Black glazed tea bowl with leaf pattern, Jizhou ware, Song dynasty (960-1279). Ht: 5.0 cm, mouth: 14.5 cm, foot: 3.5 cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei
Li-shaped tea bowl glazed in black with a copper inlaid rim. The interior of the bowl is decorated with leaf patterns, thought to be mulberry. These can be related to the tea ceremony of the Baizhang Zen temple in Jiangxi.
Cream glazed tea bowl stand with incised key design, Ding ware, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Ht: 6.8 cm, mouth: 11.0 cm, base: 8.2 cm © National Palace Museum, Taipei
This is a typical Song dynasty tea bowl stand, it has the appearance of a cup and saucer; hollow on the inside with a foot at the bottom. The tea bowl would be placed in the cup and would be supported on the rim; the depth of the cup would accommodate the bowl. The rim of the saucer and the bottom of the foot are inlaid with copper.
In the Southern Song both the tea bowl and the stand would have been held in the hand when drinking the tea. The combination of contrasting bowl and stand such as a white bowl with a black stand, or a black bowl with a red stand was common in the Song dynasty.
2. The Elegant Pursuits of the Ming Literati
The Hongwu Emperor of Ming banned the production of tea cakes and promoted the use of leaf tea. This policy (1391) changed tea drinking habits and hugely influenced tea culture. Tea leaves were brewed in teapots much as they are today, and the tea was then poured into cups to be drunk. Teapots and teacups became the principal items in the tea service. White porcelain teacups were the most popular, as it was considered that those “white as jade were best able to show the color of the tea”. Blue and white ware tea cups were also quite popular. Besides the usual porcelain wares, teapots made from zisha purple clay and zhuni red clay from Yixing were also popular. The literati of the Ming Dynasty placed emphasis on the environment in which the tea was drunk. In this section of the exhibition, a model of a Ming teahouse has been constructed based on Wen Zhengming’s painting, inviting visitors to experience the essence of Ming dynasty tea appreciation.
Blue-and-white porcelain teapot with phoenix décor, Ming dynasty, Yongle reign (unmarked). Ht: 11.4 cm, mouth: 4.1 cm, base: 13.0 cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei.
This teapot has a squat rounded form and a flat bottom; it has three loop fastenings on the shoulder. At the shoulder and around the base appear double rows of banana leaf decoration and on each side of the body are a pair of phoenix and lotus decorations. The underglaze blue has a rich color.
Another pot, Teapot in sweet white glaze in the collection of the National Palace Museum, is similar in style. After the Hongwu Emperor banned the production of tea cakes in the Ming Dynasty, tea leaves came into common use and teapots thus became important in the brewing of tea.
Ruby red glaze teacup and stand, (1426-1435). Cup: Ht: 5.2 cm, mouth: 10.2 cm, base: 4.3 cm. Stand: Ht: 1.2cm, mouth: 6.8cm, base: 11.3cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei
The cup is a typical teacup with flared rim. It is glazed in red except for the foot. There are white bands around the rim and the base. The Qianlong Emperor loved this teacup so much that he picked a Neolithic yellow jade bi to be used with it as a cup stand. The jade bi is incised with a poem written by the emperor in 1769. The emperor had a passion for creatively combining ancient and modern objects in this way, something tea connoisseurs continue to do today.
3. The Tea Drinking Practices in the Qing Dynasty
Tea drinking during the Qing Dynasty was similar to that in the preceding Ming Dynasty. During the prosperous reigns of the emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, the imperial kiln at Jingdezhen produced large quantities of high quality tea ware. The design and decoration techniques reached the highest level during this period. Enamel painting, introduced by foreign missionaries, was applied to the manufacturing of tea wares. The attention that the Qing emperors paid to tea equipment and their individual tastes can be seen from the tea services in the collection of National Palace Museum and the imperial court archives. The Qing imperial family, who were of Manchu extraction, retained their ethnic custom of drinking milk tea. In this section of the exhibition, milk tea service items are also exhibited to show the various facets of Qing tea culture.
Teapot in falangcai enamel with longevity symbols décor on an Yixing ware body, Qing dynasty, Kangxi reign (1662-1722). Height 6.9cm Diameter of rim 6.0cm Diameter of foot 6.5cm. Height with lid 9.3cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Lidded tea bowl in falangcai enamel with four seasons décor on an Yixing ware body, Qing dynasty, Kangxi reign (1662-1722). Height 5.9cm Diameter of rim 11.0cm Diameter of foot 4.0cm. Height with lid 8.0cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei
Both sides of the teapot are painted with peaches, peach blossom and Chinese rose, the area around the spout and handle decorated with branches of Chinese rose blossom. A transparent glaze covers the overglaze enamel colors, the inside of the pot revealing the unglazed zisha clay. The main motif is the peach and the peach blossom, symbolizing longevity, while the Chinese rose blossom was considered to be the “flower of eternal spring.” The decoration as a whole, then, was an auspicious wish for longevity and eternal youth.
The lidded tea bowl is painted on the outside with floral motifs representing the seasons of the year, with peonies, Chinese rose, chrysanthemum and camellia. The transparent glaze has not been applied to the inside of the pot, around the rims of the lid and bowl, or the ring foot. All of the painted enamel Yixing tea wares used by the Kangxi emperor were sent to the Qing court imperial workshops for the enamel paint to be applied. After the clay bodies were painted, they were fired at a low temperature. There are only 19 pieces of this kind of Yixing painted enamel known to exist, all of which are in the collection of the National Palace Museum, less even than the museum's ru ware ceramics, of which there are 21 in the collection. They are, then, one of the rarest types of Chinese ceramics.
Silver teapot with gold openwork and dragon décor, Qing dynasty (18th century)© National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Jabcjaya wooden tea bowl with iron gift box, Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (1760). Width 34.5cm Height 27cm /Diameter 20.6cm Height 5.8cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei.
A Qing court imitation ware of a Tibetan-style silver teapot. The spout and handle are decorated with gaping-jawed dragon motif in metal-worked gold engraving, while the main decoration on the body is the dragon and cloud motif, the neck adorned with a ring of lotus flowers and the eight Buddhist emblems décor, reflecting the Tibetan influence.
Jabcjaya wooden tea bowl with wide, flared mouth, shallow body, wide foot, and unique design. In addition to the fact that the Tibetans often made their vessels out of wood due to their nomadic lifestyle, jabcjaya wood was itself said to offer protection agains toxins and to ward off evil. As a result of this, many jabcjaya wooden tea bowls were included in the tribute gifts made to the Qing court, and the Qianlong emperor himself valued these bowls greatly, writing poems praising them.
1. Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility
Chinese tea culture was introduced into Japan by Japanese missions and monks who had visited Tang China in the mid-8th century. Tea cultivation and tea drinking became popular throughout the country after Myōan Eisai (1141-1215), also known as Eisai Zenji (Zen master Eisai), bought back a bag of tea seeds and introduced tea practices from Southern Song Chinese Zen monasteries. During the 15th century, Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436-1490), the 8th shogun of the Muromachi period, combined the cultures of the samurai, nobles, and Zen priests. He held tea gatherings in tearooms inside studies, known as shoincha at the time. Later, Murata Jukō (1423-1502) established tearooms that were simple and unsophisticated, arguing that the practitioners of tea should free themselves from desire and comprehend the inner spirit of sadō through self-cultivation. During the middle-tolate 16th century, Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591) advocated "harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility" as the spirit of sadō, arguing that practitioners of sadō should not stick to the karamono tea equipment from China but should use unsophisticated utensils. Simple and plain tea service items thus began to be produced in Japan.
Tea powder caddy in brown glaze. Titled “Samidare”, Seto ware, Japan, 17th century (Momoyama period – Edo period). H: 9.8cm BD: 5.6cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei.
This type of tea powder matcha caddy was made in imitation of wares from kilns throughout Fujian and Guangdong in south China. Originally used as spice jars, the Japanese tea masters expropriated them for use as tea powder caddies after they began being imported from China. During the Kamakura (14th century), the Seto and Mino kilns started producing these imitation wares.
In the late Muromachi period (16th), Japanese-made tea powder caddies became very popular, and were produced throughout the country. This tea powder caddy comes with three pouches, which were used in the tea ceremony depending on which was deemed most suitable at the time.
Ido ware tea bowl. Titled “Haru kasumi”, Joseon period (16th century), Korean. H: 8.1cm MD: 16.5cm© National Palace Museum, Taipei
The entire body is thickly covered in a yellowish glaze known as biwa-iro (loquat color) that has dripped in parts around the rim. The glaze is full of fine crackle, and the pottery body is exposed in places at the ring foot. The area around the ring foot also has cracks and traces of glaze shrinkage, known to the Japanese as kairagi. This is a classic Ido ware tea bowl.
It is believed that the Ido ware tea bowls were produced in the Joseon period (16th century) on the south of the Korean peninsula, in present day South Gyeongsang province. They were originally wares for everyday use made by an ordinary private kiln, but when exported to Japan were used as tea bowls. Following the Momoyama period they became much prized by tea drinkers in Japan, and were considered to be of the highest quality at that time.
2. Sencha Tea Ceremony and Tea Parties
During the mid 17th century, traders from China residing Nagasaki have brought Ming ideas about tea service which were influential in Japan later. Subsequently, in 1654, Yinyuan Longqi (1592-1672), a Chinese Buddhist monk from the Wanfu Temple on Mount Huangbo in Fujian, went to Japan. He brought Fujian style of tea practice and Yixing wares to Japan. Chinese natural style of tea culture with its emphasis on the enjoyment of the arts soon became popular within intellectuals in Japan. During the 18th century, Kō Yugai (1675-1763), also known as baisaō, advocated a free and unrestrained style of tea drinking that there should not be any distinction between the nobility and the civilian as well as the Buddhist and the profane. It was known as senchadō. Afterward, due to the influenced by the interests of the literati, senchadō was integrated with the appreciation of painting and calligraphy, and became an expression of refined taste. Yet today, rigorous etiquette and manners for the tea ceremony have been established.
Set of Sencha Tea Utensils, Meiji period (19th century), Japan. Basket H: 18.0cm L: 21.0cm W: 15.0cm © National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Twenty-four piece set of small sencha tea basket and tea utensils, usually stored within woven bamboo basket for portability and for taking outdoors. Square bamboo baskets were mostly produced in China during the late Qing dynasty. They were used to store all of the tea utensils, and would also perform an ornamental function during the tea ceremony. There were also a variety of incense vessels and objects for the study to enhance the ambience of the sencha tea ceremony. The individual pieces were not originally made as a set, and were assembled as such later.
Tea ware cabinet in red clay body with shili mark, Early 20 century. L: 38.4cm W: 17.1cm H: 55.4cm © National Palace Museum, Taipei.
This tea ware cabinet in red clay body was a unique feature of the Chaoshan gongfu tea drinking culture. In Chaoshan it was called a chadan. It was made of low-fired pottery, and would have been used to store and display all kinds of tea wares.
Although the chadan would come in different sizes, they would be designed to accommodate similar kinds of items.
In his book Gongfu Cha, the late Qing/ early Republican period writer Weng Hui-dong (1885-1965) lists 18 types of tea wares, including the tea pot, the tea bowl and the tea cup, and the final item on his list is the chadan tea ware cabinet. It does seem, then, that the chadan was very common in the Chaoshan area.
Lot 78. An enamel and diamond-set 'Moon crater' necklace by Roy C. King Ltd. Estimate GBP 5,000 - GBP 7,000 (USD 6,640 - USD 9,296). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
The textured tapering panel collar set at intervals with circular-cut diamonds against an abstract enamel ground of varying blue hues, 1960s, 39.5cm, in case by Garrard & Co. Designed by Roger King, made by Roy C. King Ltd. for Garrard & Co.
Note: Born in 1913, in 1927 Roy King was apprenticed to a diamond mounting firm, M J Greengross in Hatton Garden; in the evenings he attended Sir John Cass Art School. During the Second World War he worked as a planning engineer on the production line of Hurricane fighter planes. The skills and techniques he used would subsequently be transferred to jewellery and watch manufacture when he set up his own workshop in Watford after the war. In 1965 the workshop would become a factory and his focus would be more on watches than jewellery; in 1973 he bought the Swiss watch company La Montre Royale de Geneve. In 1974 he had a one man show at the Goldsmith’s hall and in the 1980s opened a shop in Mayfair. Roy King died in 2000.
Roy King’s son Roger (born 1936) joined his father’s business in 1953 and designed jewellery including the ‘Moon Crater’ series. He would later diversify into other business interests.
Literature: Cf. Graham Hughes, Modern Jewelry, Studio Books, London, 1963, pl. 137, p. 87, for an image of the necklace with the matching bracelet and earrings
The 'Moon Crater' bracelet and earrings of the same design were featured in the 1961 “International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery 1890-1961” at Goldsmiths Hall and at the Victoria and Albert Museum. They were designed by Roger King, made by Roy C. King Ltd. for Garrard & Co., and were awarded 1st prize at the 1961 De Beers Modern British Jewellery Competition at Goldsmiths Hall.
By Roger King for Garrard, London, prize winner in the De Beers British jewellery competition (bracelet and Earrings), 1961. Image courtesy of The Goldsmith’s Company.
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
Lot 92. A 5.25 carats Fancy Brown-Yellow marquise-cut diamond and diamond ring, by Andrew Grima. Estimate GBP 25,000 - GBP 35,000 (USD 33,200 - USD 46,480). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
The central Fancy Brown-Yellow marquise-cut diamond, weighing approximately 5.25 carats, to a circular-cut diamond abstract surround with bark textured sides and plain D-section hoop, ring size M. Signed Grima.
Accompanied by report no. 1182790872 dated 12th October 2017 from the GIA Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is Fancy Brown-Yellow colour, SI1 clarity
Note: Andrew Grima was born in Rome in 1921; his family settled in England when he was fve years old. After World War II, he went to work for his father-in-law who owned a jewellery manufacturing concern; in 1951, he took over the company. He was the frst jeweller to win the Queen’s Award for Export in 1966 and is the only jeweller to have won the Duke of Edinburgh Prize for Elegant Design. He was awarded twelve Diamond International Awards and, in 1970, was appointed jeweller to Her Majesty the Queen.
In 1971 he designed a collection of watches for Omega, the series entitled “About Time.” In 1966, he opened his shop on Jermyn Street with its avant-garde frontage and interior, as well as locations in Sydney and New York in 1970, Zurich in 1971, Tokyo in 1972, Lugano in 1987 and Gstaad in 1992. Upon Grima’s retirement, all of the boutiques were closed and Andrew and his wife Jojo Grima continued to design in Gstaad where they had their shop and atelier while their work was also exhibited at Hancocks in the Burlington Arcade of London. Andrew Grima died in 2007 and subsequently his widow, Jojo, and daughter Francesca continued the family business encapsulating the essence of Andrew Grima’s style.
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
Lot 95. An oval opal and diamond ring, by Andrew Grima. Estimate GBP 3,000 - GBP 5,000 (USD 3,984 - USD 6,640). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
The central closed back oval opal within a bark textured surround with circular-cut diamond tendril accents, to a matching bark textured hoop, 1988, finger size N. Signed Grima
Literature: Cf. Johann Willsberger, Grima, Wenschow Franzis, Munich, 1991 for the same ring, also exhibition catalogue, Grima: Retrospective, Goldsmiths' Hall, 1991, page 74.
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
PADUA.- Nothing was ever the same again after Galileo. Not only in terms of astronomical research and science, but in art as well. With him, the sky became the realm of astronomers rather than astrologists.
For the first time ever, the exhibition conceived by Giovanni C.F. Villa for the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo (Padua, Palazzo del Monte di Pietà, 18th November 2017 – 18th March 2018) relates the role of one of the leading characters of the Italian and European myth, outlining his figure in full. This art show, completely original in nature, brings together masterpieces of Western art and a variety of papers and artefacts that take us on a journey of discovery of a man that everyone has heard of, but few really know.
The exhibition reveals multiple facets of the “man Galileo”: from the scientist who invented the scientific method to the man of letters extolled by Italian authors and critics such as Foscolo and Leopardi, Pirandello and Ungaretti, De Sanctis and Calvino. From Galileo the virtuoso musician and performer to Galileo the artist, depicted by Erwin Panofsky as one of the leading art critics of the 1600s. From Galileo the entrepreneur – renowned for his telescope, he also designed a type of microscope (“occhiolino”) and compass – to Galileo in his everyday life. For the man proved just as extraordinary in his small vices and weaknesses as in his powerful intuition and scientific genius. Amongst other things: his studies in the field of viticulture and great love of the wine produced on the Euganean Hills – indeed, preferring to trade his precision instruments with “the best” of wines rather than to accept “filthy lucre” – or his production and sale of medicinal pills.
In order to supply “The Galileo Revolution” with documentary evidence, Giovanni C.F. Villa has brought an impressive amount of artwork to Palazzo del Monte di Pietà in Padua, starting from Galileo’s own magnificent watercolours and sketches, which showcase his great drawing ability. After all, the scientist was a keen observer of art, as shown by his salacious comments ranging from wood intarsias (“lacking in softness and made of sticks”) to Arcimboldo, author of “vagaries characterised by a blurry and chaotic medley of lines and colours”. The influence brought to bear by Galileo’s achievements, not to mention by modern science, on artistic culture has been recognisable since the early 1600s: from detailed depictions of nature, as attested by the stunning works by Govaerts and the Brueghel family, to a style of painting that instantly accepted the enormous impact of Galileo’s “machines”.
We can see the immediate effect of Galileo’s Sidereus Nuncius, published in 1610, in Adam Elsheimer’s famous Flight into Egypt, the first rendering of the Milky Way. And later, in a series of artists capable of depicting the moon as it appeared with the telescope; indeed, a major section of the exhibit is devoted to the “discovery” of the moon, from Galileo all the way down to modern times. Even the genre of the still life develops new compositional formulas, as vanitas symbols are replaced by documentary portrayals linked to the development of natural science. Followed by an iconographic story told by a series of masterpieces, amongst which Guercino’s painting devoted to the myth of Endymion stands out, alongside one of the earliest portrayals of the spyglass improved by the scientist from Pisa. The 1620s and 1630s saw the advent of a Galilean bottega or studio; that is, a generation of artists (Artemisia Gentileschi, Jacopo da Empoli, Stefano della Bella, etc.) able to share in the suggestions arising from the scientist’s precepts. For instance, Donato Creti’s Astronomical Observations, now housed in the Vatican Museums: a series of magnificent canvases depicting stars and planets as observed with a telescope, recalling Galileo’s discoveries.
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Guercino), Atlante, 1645-1646. © Musei Civici Fiorentini - Museo Stefano Bardini
Finally, the exhibit’s vast section devoted to contemporary art ranges from Previati and Balla to Anish Kapoor, who contributed the opening artwork.
Thus, seven centuries of Western art interweave with science, technology and Galilean hagiography to fully restore the human path of Galileo in the city – Padua – that saw him play a leading role for 18 years. Fondly remembered by the scientist as the happiest in his life due to the freedom granted to him by the Paduan Studio which, at the time, represented the pinnacle of European culture. And indeed, as announced by Rector Professor Rosario Rizzuto, the Università degli Studi di Padova itself has drawn up a programme of activities, meetings and in-depth study on the figure of one of the college’s greatest teachers and Masters of all time to coincide with the exhibition.
Galileo Galilei, Osservazioni della luna, 1609. © Central National Library - Florence.
Dialogue over the Two Maximum Systems of the World, In Fiorenza, Per Gio:Batista Landini MDCXXXII, private collection.
Luca Giordano (1634-1705), Self-portrait as astronomer. Private collection.
Domenico Remps (1620-1699), Cabinet of Curiosities, 1690s. © Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence.
Donato Creti, (Cremona 1671 - Bologna 1749), Astronomical observations, Jupiter, 1711. © Musei Vaticani
Donato Creti, (Cremona 1671 - Bologna 1749), Astronomical observations, Venus, 1711. © Musei Vaticani
Cesare Benevello della Chiesa, Galileo in jail, before 1838. © Musei Civici, Pavia
Cristiano Banti, Galileo in front of the Inquisition, 1857. © Palazzo Foresti
Anish Kapoor, Laboratory for a New Model of the Universe, 2006, Acrylic, 123 x 134.1 x 132.7 cm. Photo Wilfried Petzi © Anish Kapoor, 2017
Lot 396. A black-glazed ribbed jar, Song dynasty (960-1279); 22.8 cm, 9 in. Estimate 10,000 — 20,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.
of ovoid form with a pair of lug handles, the body with vertical ribs, covered overall in a black glaze thinning to a russet colour at the raised ribs, the glaze stopping above the foot.
Lot 397. A Qingbai meiping and cover, Yuan dynasty (1279-1366); 26 cm, 10 1/4 in. Estimate 30,000 — 40,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.
the five-lobed body applied with fine beaded decoration forming the outlines of ruyi heads between double fillets, the cover with a lion finial, covered overall save for the footring in a transparent bluish glaze.
Lot 398. A Longquan celadon tripod incense burner, Song dynasty (960-1279); 15.2 cm, 6 in. Estimate 26,000 — 35,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.
the compressed globular body supported on three tapering legs, covered overall save for the feet in a greyish-blue glaze suffused with crackles.
Lot 399. A white-glazed moulded 'dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty (1279-1366); 13.5 cm, 5 1/4 in. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.
the interior moulded with a writhing dragon encircled by floral scrollwork, covered overall in a grey-tinged white glaze.
Lot 400. A Longquan celadon tripod incense burner, Yuan dynasty (1279-1366); 14 cm, 5 1/2 in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.
raised on three short cabriole feet, the exterior moulded with the 'Eight Trigrams' in relief, applied overall with a pale celadon glaze.
Lot 401. A Qingbai carved vase, Song dynasty (960-1279); 26.3 cm, 10 3/8 in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.
the exterior carved with overlapping broad leaves, between a band of foliate scroll at the shoulder and upright petals around the foot, covered overall in an ivory-white glaze.
Lot 167. A natural pearl and diamond necklace. Estimate GBP 100,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 132,800 - USD 159,360). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
Composed of five rows of 90, 93, 96, 104 and 106 natural pearls, measuring approximately 3.60 - 8.35mm, to an old-cut diamond openwork twin trefoil and scroll design panel clasp, panel circa 1910 later converted to a clasp, 52.0cm.
Accompanied by report no. 81545 dated 31st August 2015 from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute stating that the analysed properties confirm the authenticity of these saltwater natural pearls
Christie's. Important Jewels, 29 November 2017, London
