Lot 142. A small annular 'yuan' and a 'huan' disc of creamy white and gray-green jade, China, Western Zhou Dynasty (circa 1046-771 BC). D. 8,7 cm. Estimate 1500/2500 €. Lot sold 4.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Traces of age and calcification on one disc

Provenance: Property from an important German private collection, acquired from Axel Vervoordt, Antwerp, 19 Jan 1995

Note: Cf. Yang Boda, Chinese Archaic Jades from the Kwan Collection, 1994, nos. 20, 26, and 35, pp. 56, 62, and 75 as well as Loehr, Max, Ancient Chinese Jades from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, 1975, nos. 346 and 347, pp. 232-233 

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 143. A dark green jade 'bi' disc, China, Neolithic period, c. 3rd millennium BC. D. 17.5 cm. Estimate 2.000/3.000 €. Lot sold 2.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

The disc is smoothly but unevenly carved at the rim and in its thickness. Also, the outer edge is not uniform, but slightly irregular. The mostly gray jade also shows spots of very dark green jade mixed with almost white tones. Traces of age.

Provenance: Property from an important private collection, Michael B. Weisbrod Inc., New York, 10 Oct 1986.

Note: Cf. A Catalog of the National Palace Museum's Special Exhibition of Circular Jade, 1995, no. 9, p. 45. 

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 146. A bronze 'ding' with lid and two curved u-shaped handles, Eastern Zhou dynasty, late 6th to early 5th century BC. Estimate 5.000/8.000 €. Lot sold 17.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

With animal masks in high relief at the top of the legs. Interlocking C-shaped dragons, alternately upright and inverted, fill the register on both the cover and the bowl. Narrower registers, one at the perimeter of the lid, the other encircling the lower part of the basin below the bow-string, contain S-shaped dragons. All the dragons are ornamented with fine spirals and meanders. The lid is decorated with three plastic calfs. Mold marks can be seen on the bottom of the basin. The U-shaped handles with dragon and stylized wave decor. Minor chips, few small rep.spots, few spots with corrosion. 

Provenance: Property from an old Berlin private collection, acquired at Ruth Schmidt gallery Berlin in 1983.

Note: Cf. So, Jenny: Eastern Zhou ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, nos. 16 (Sotheby's, 29 Feb. 1972, Lot 143) and 18 (Sotheby's, 2 Mar. 1971, Lot 49), p. 142-151; Cf. 1936,1118.7

Lot 149. A small Ge-type lobed cup, Yuan-Ming dynasty (1279-1644); 5,7 cm. Estimate 5.000/8.000 €. Lot sold 45.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

the cup is delicately potted with deep lobed sides and indented corners, rising from a flat countersunk base, covered overall with an even cream-greenish-grey glaze suffused with a wide network of black crackles and a secondary network of pale-russet crackles. The foot is unglazed revealing the dark purplish-brown body. Good condition.

Provenance: Property from an European private collection.

Note: Compare a Ge cup of similar form from the Edward T. Chow collection was sold at Sotheby's London, 16 December 1980, lot 293.

Lot 163. In the Style of Tang Yin (1470-1523), Double Portrait of an older and a young man in a Boat on a Lotus Pond, dated 1534. Handscroll, 45 x 191 cm, ink and colors on silk. Estimate 10.000/15.000 €. Lot sold 58.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Poetic inscription by the artist and signature: "In the summer of the jiawu year (1534) I have written [this inscription], Tang Bohu". One double-seal of the artist: "Tang", "Yin". Following the painting one colophon in seal script on gold speckled paper, signed: "Written by Hetian Du Ruilian (19th century)." Three seals: "Du Ruilian yin", "renzi Hanlin" a. "mozhai". Wear, minor restorations.

Provenance: Property from an old German diplomate colection, bought in Beijing between 1915 and 1917.

Note: Tang Yin, sobriquet Bohu, was a prominent painter from Suzhou. He is called one of the Four Great Masters of the Ming Dynasty. He is especially famous for his delicate rendering of figures and exquisite landscape painting. This fine painting reminds of his style in the beautiful depiction of the lotus plants and the two extremely fine executed figures which are obviously portraits of real people. The writer of the colophon, Du Ruiliang, was an official and a prominent collector of calligraphies and paintings from Taixing in the Province Jiangsu. In 1881 he published his book on calligraphy and painting, Gufenge shuhua ji .

Lot 164. Attributed to Wang Yuan (Active 1328-1349), Quails and Autumn Flowers, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century, handscroll, 26,5 x 592,5 cm, ink and colors on silk. Estimate 4.000/6.000 €. Lot sold 36.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Unsigned. Five collectors' seals: "Weisa shi" (On the mounting in front of the picture and on the title label on the outside), four no more legible. Five seals of the Qianlong emperor (reg. 1736-1795): "Shiqu baoji", "Yizisun", "Qianlong jianshang", "Qianlong yulan zhi bao", "Sanxitang jingjian xi". One square seal of the Jiaqing emperor (r. 1796-1820) in the upper right corner: "Jiaqing yulan zhi bao". At the outside of the scroll title label by Weisa shi with attribution to Wang Yuan: "The Painting 'Year after Year Peace and Health' by Wang Yuan of the Yuan Dynasty". Wear, minor restorations, stains, the painting seems to have been reduced.

Provenance: Property from an old German diplomate collection, assembled in China between 1915 and 1917.

Note: Wang Yuan was a prominent painter of the Yuan dynasty. He came from Hangzhou and was a student of Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322) who advocated a style of literati painting referring back to antique models. In his paintings of flowers and birds Wang Yuan also based his composition and subject matter on masters of the tenth century like Huang Quan (903-968) and Huang Jucai (933- after 993). The realistic description of the quite humble subject of twenty eight quails amidst grasses and flowers, millet and bamboo in this scroll reminds to such an early style. The painting is of a fine quality with a quite realistic depiction of the quails, grasses and leafs. The Chrysanthemum flowers in the second part of the picture are done beautifully in full detail in heavy white pigment as is a single yellow lily and an orchid at the beginning. The scroll may be a copy after a painting by Wang Yuan based on a still earlier composition. It was executed probably in the Ming dynasty.

Lot 165. A lavender-glazed small Jun dish, Song-Yuan dynasty (1160-1366). D. 11,9 cm. Estimate 1.500/2.500 €. Lot sold 1.500 €. Courtesy Nagel

Good condition, one glaze pin hole.

Provenance: Property from an old Berlin private collection, bought from Gallery Ruth Schmidt, 1988.

Lot 167. A fine lavender-glazed Junyao tripod censer, Yuan-early Ming dynasty. D. 14 cm. Estimate 5.000/8.000 €. Lot sold 14.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Good condition.

Provenance: Property from an European private collection.

Note: A Junyao tripod censer of similar form, raised on slightly taller feet issuing from animal masks is illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1977, p. 72, no. 63. See, also, the related Junyao tripod censers illustrated by J. Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. 1, Geneva, 1968, nos. A 37 and 38, and a purple-splashed example with unusually tall cylindrical neck, no. A 35.

Lot 168. A fine celadon-glazed Longquan bowl, Song dynasty (960-1279). D. 8,5 cm. Estimate 2.500/3.500€. Lot sold 10.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Minor wear, stand very slightly chipped.

Provenance: Property from an European private collection.

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 169. A fine lavender-glazed Junyao bowl, Song-Jin dynasty (960-1234). D. 8,6 cm. Estimate 2.500/3.500 €. Lot sold 6.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

the rounded sides are covered in a thick glaze of greyish-blue color paling to a mushroom tone at the slightly inverted rim and stopping unevenly above the buff foot. Good condition.

Provenance: Property from an European private collection.

Note: Cf. A similar bowl of comparable size is illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, Vol. 1, Tokyo, 1976, p. 138, pl. 406.

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 171. A large Longquan celadon plate, Yuan-early Ming dynasty. D. 49,7 cm. Estimate 4.500/6.500€. Lot sold 4.500 €. Courtesy Nagel

Wear, traces of use, very minor chips to the bottom, small unglazed part on outer wall.

Provenance: Property from a European private collection, acquired before 1990.

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 173. A rare Longquan celadon-glazed mallow-shaped cup, Zhejiang province, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty (1160-1368). D. 8,1 cm. Estimate 900/1.200€. Lot sold 2.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Few very tiny chips to unglazed section at the stand.

Provenance: Property from a Bavarian private collection, bought at the Grosvenor Antique Fair London prior 1992.

Note: Cf. Southeast Asian Society 'Chinese Celadons and other related Wares in Southeast China', Singapore 1979, no. 163

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 174. A Longquan celadon 'Twin fish' dish, Yuan dynasty (1115-1368). D. 16,9 cm. Estimate 3.000/5.000 €. Lot sold 2.600 €. Courtesy Nagel

the dish is potted with deep lobed sides rising to a flat everted rim. The interior has a pair of sprig-moulded fish detailed with fins and scales. The dish is covered with a celadon glaze of sea-green tone thinning to whitish at the extremities with the exception of the unglazed foot rim. Good condition

Provenance: Property from an old South German private collection, bought in Asia in the 1970s.

Note: The present dish, notable for its desirable soft bluish-green colour, is a fine example of its kind. Dishes of this type, known as 'twin fish' dishes, were popular products of the Longquan kilns during the late Southern Song to early Ming period. Similar dishes have been recovered from Southern Song kilns in the Longquan region, such as the bowl unearthed at Jincun, illustrated in Longquan qingci yanjiu, Beijing, 1989, pl. 36:3. Longquan moulded fish dishes of this type were recovered from the cargo of a trading vessel that sank off the coast of Sinan, South Korea, in the 1320s, and were included in the Special Exhibition of Cultural Relics Found off the Sinan Coast, National Museum of Korea, Seoul, 1977, pl. 28. Paired fish symbolize fertility and connubial bliss, and they are also one of the Eight Buddhist symbols.

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 176. An archaistic dark green jade disc with phoenixes, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). D. 21,9 cm. Estimate 3.000/5.000 €. Lot sold 3.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Very slightly chipped.

Provenance: Property from an important German private collection.

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 177. A carved jade bi disc with nine chilong and a carved dragon pendant, Ming-early Qing dynasty. D. 6/19,8 cm. Estimate 2.000/3.000 €. Lot sold 9.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Bi disc with chip to rim.

Provenance: Property from a Bavarian private collection, bought at the Grosvenor Antique Fair, London, in the 1990s.

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Lot 178. A rare Longquan model of a seated Budai, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). H. 16 cm. Estimate 4.000/6.000 €. Lot sold 10.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

Small gold lacquer restoration to the panel, stand very slightly chipped.

Provenance: Property from an old Berlin private collection, bought in the early 1970s in Berlin.

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst - Salzburg", 06.12.2017

Cloisonné jar, Ming dynasty, Xuande period (AD 1426-35). © The Trustees of the British Museum.

LONDON.- The Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia opened on 14 December after a full renovation and refurbishment (some sections of the gallery have been accessible from the 10 November 2017). The display includes a new narrative for China and South Asia which brings the story up to the present day. This renovation means the British Museum can include and rotate different types of objects such as paintings, prints and textiles which need regulated conditions for display. The gallery introduces new research that will enable visitors to engage with these extraordinarily important parts of the world. With new lighting and design, the display takes visitors through the fascinating histories of a large part of the globe. 

China: 
The gallery presents the histories of China from 5000 BC to the present with the space divided into bays that explore Chinese history through its material culture. China’s unique and highly unusual culture provides new avenues of understanding of the rich and intricate history of a quarter of the world’s population. Research has now shown that early China was joined to the rest of Eurasia across the steppe and by sea, as well as along the famous Silk Roads. The new environmental conditions means that China’s principal arts of calligraphy and ink painting can be shown in regularly changing displays. The spectacular modern work of the experimental calligrapher Gu Gan can be appreciated alongside the earliest scroll to reach Britain, which came at the end of the 1700s. Materials unique to China, such as jade, silk and porcelain are of exceptionally high quality and are discussed in terms of their historical contexts. 

Bronze bo bell, Houma, Shanxi province, China, 600–400 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

Lacquer ewers, Beijing Palace workshops, Qianlong mark and period, 1736–1795. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

Yang Yongliang (b. 1980), Phantom Landscape III, leaves 1 and 2. Digitally manipulated photographs on paper, 2017. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

A set of magnificent Ming dynasty dragon tiles is the first object that you see. These beautiful, large, high-relief tiles were made in sets to form a series of friezes showing blue-and-yellow dragons among lotuses. For many years, they were part of a garden screen, but originally they ran along the ridge of a building in Shanxi province, supposedly protecting it from fire, as dragons are associated with control of the water supply. 

Group of twenty glazed ceramic tiles, originally from two buildings, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

South Asia: 
The South Asia displays are also be presented chronologically, though regional variety is greater here than in China and some displays are entirely regional. The earliest material dates to 1.5 million years ago but amongst the prehistoric displays, the objects from the Indus Valley Civilisation are the most important. These include examples of the enigmatic seals with their un-deciphered script. The birth, development and arrival of South Asia's diverse religious traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity, are presented within a chronological framework through the Museum's extraordinarily rich collections. Later arrivals such as Christianity and above all Islam are included. Political and economic change is highlighted through revealing presentations of sculpture, painting, textiles and objects of everyday life. New display will focus on the Mughal period, the Rajput rulers, India under British rule and then South Asia since independence in 1947. Textiles and paintings from all these periods are also, for the first time, included. 

Steatite stamp seal. Indus Civilisation, Harappa, Pakistan, c. 2600–1900 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum. 

At the far end of the new gallery are displayed the renowned stone sculptures from Amaravati, the most important group of sculptures from Asia housed in the British Museum and the largest group of early Indian sculpture anywhere outside South Asia. The Buddhist shrine at Amaravati was founded in about 200 BC, and more than 120 sculptures from the site are on display in the Asahi Shimbun Gallery. They are among the greatest treasures in the whole Museum. 

Drum-slab, Amaravati, limestone, 1stC BC (obverse face), 3rdC (reverse face). © The Trustees of the British Museum

At the far end of the new gallery are displayed the renowned stone sculptures from Amaravati, the most important group of sculptures from Asia housed in the British Museum and the largest group of early Indian sculpture anywhere outside South Asia. The Buddhist shrine at Amaravati was founded in about 200 BC, and more than 120 sculptures from the site are on display in the Asahi Shimbun Gallery. They are among the greatest treasures in the whole Museum. 

Marble sculpture of Sarasvati. Southern or western Rajasthan, India, c. 1050–1100. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

Shiva Nataraja. Tamil Nadu, c. 1100. © The Trustees of the British Museum. 

This refurbishment has been made possible by a generous donation from The Sir Joseph Hotung Charitable Settlement. The Asahi Shimbun Gallery of Amaravati Sculptures and the Selwyn and Ellie Alleyne Gallery of Chinese Jade have also been refurbished as part of this major project. 

Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, said: ‘The Museum is hugely grateful to Sir Joseph Hotung and his fellow Trustees for the opportunity to renovate this important gallery. The refurbishment will allow us to include other material from the collection and bring the story of China and South Asia up to the present day. Understanding Asia is crucial for all our futures and this gallery will help visitors to better understand the long and significant history of these regions.'

Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia, British Museum. Installation view.

Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia, British Museum. Installation view.

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Capela das Albertas.

HELVOIRT.- The Executive Committee of The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) has awarded a total of €50,000 to the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (MNAA), Portugal and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), USA, to support their distinct restoration and conservation projects. The funds will support the conservation of ‘Capela das Albertas’, an integral part pf the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and a striking example of a Portuguese ‘gold church’. In the USA it will support the restoration of Portrait of a Woman with the Gold Chain, by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, one half of a pair of oval paintings gifted to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) in the late 19th century. The portrait has been on near constant view and has not been treated for 50 years. Each project aims to present to visitors the original beauty of each work, preserving cultural heritage for generations to come. 

The TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund was set up in 2012 to help museums and institutions worldwide restore and conserve works of art in their collections. It is one of a selection of initiatives run by TEFAF that demonstrates the Foundation’s ongoing dedication to supporting and protecting cultural heritage. Museums and institutions that have attended TEFAF Maastricht are eligible to apply for the grants, which are awarded by an independent panel of experts. 

Presentations about each project will be displayed at TEFAF Maastricht, the world’s leading fine art and antiques Fair, which takes place from the 10-18 March at the MECC (Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre), Maastricht, The Netherlands. 

Museu Nacional de Arte, Portugal 
The museum is housed in the ‘Palácio Alvor’. The oldest part of the palace complex is the socalled ‘Capela de las Albertas’, a female chapel of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites. The first of its kind, the chapel was founded between 1583 and 1598 and, together with the palace, which is linked via a sacristy, is an example of an Iberian ‘convent-palace’. Alongside these two components is a later, 20th-century extension, which comprises the whole of what is now the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga. 

‘Capela de las Albertas’, is a striking example of a Portuguese ‘gold church’, notable for the characteristic contrast between the simplicity of its exterior architecture and the sumptuous interior. The inside of the church combines gilt carvings and tiles in a strikingly harmonious whole that encompasses architecture, painting, sculpture and other decorative arts. 

The chapel is decorated with tiles from different periods of production, progressing from 16thcentury Spanish-made tiles to 17th-and 18th- century Portuguese ones. The sacristy is covered with single figure tiles presenting the highest quality from the last part of the 17th century. The aim of the project is to conserve and restore these tiles, enriching the offer to the public and enabling new readings of the museum displays.

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Capela das Albertas.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), USA 
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) houses an extraordinary collection that encompasses nearly 450,000 works of art. In this collection is a pair of oval portraits: Portrait of a Man Wearing a Black Hat (1634) and Portrait of a Woman with a Gold Chain (1634), both by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606 – 1669). The museum intends to restore both works by Rembrandt and with the support of TEFAF for the restoration of Portrait of a Woman with a Gold Chain, the museum has committed to the treatment of Portrait of a Man Wearing a Black Hat. 

Although Portrait of a Woman with a Gold Chain is structurally stable, the appearance of the work is problematic. The painting has not had any treatment for around 50 years, and there are now multiple uneven layers of varnish and passages of clumsy retouching which are obscuring the paint surface. In addition to being unevenly cleaned in the past, there is also a recently applied thick layer of a synthetic (PVA) varnish that has become very gray and under-saturated over time, further obscuring the portrait. 

The work can be cleaned to remove the old discolored layers of varnish and retouching that currently distort the work’s appearance. The work will be then restored with the aim of returning the portrait’s appearance to a state closer to that originally intended by the artist. 

The completion of the project will reveal the quality and beauty of this remarkable portrait. It will also reveal a great deal about the materials and techniques used in the work and its companion work, which will be shared with the public and scholarly colleagues. 

The international panel of experts which made the decision for the 2018 grant of the Fund was chaired by Professor Dr Henk van Os, former director of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, who is Chairman of the Antiquairs Vetting Committees at TEFAF. Its other members are Rachel Kaminsky, a private art dealer from New York who was formerly head of the Old Master paintings department at Christie’s, David Bull, a paintings restorer, and Dr Kenson Kwok, the former and founding director of the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Peranakan Museum in Singapore. 

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Portrait of a Woman Wearing a Gold Chain, 1634. Oil on panel. Gift of Mrs. Frederick L. Ames, in the name of Frederick L. Ames. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA).

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Portrait of a Man Wearing a Black Hat, 1634. Oil on panel. Gift of Mrs. Frederick L. Ames, in the name of Frederick L. Ames. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA).

Attilio Codognato. Gold, agate, ivory and diamond Santa Maria del Popolo pendant, 1950s. Photo courtesy press office.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The Serge Sorokko Gallery opened an exhibition: Memento Mori: Jewels by Codognato, displaying Venetian Master Jeweler Attilio Codognato’s exquisite collection of unique jewelry. The exhibition opened to the public on December 14. 

Following the remarkable success of last year’s inaugural exhibition at the Serge Sorokko Gallery, the first outside of Codognato’s salon in Venice in the House’s 151-year history, his rarely seen (and even more rarely available for sale) collection of jewelry returns to the Sorokko Gallery, giving San Francisco a rare opportunity to experience the mysterious and fantastical world of Codognato. The gallery is hosting the month-long exhibition at its temporary location at 361 Sutter Street, as it prepares its move to a new, larger location at the historic turn-of-the-20th-Century Hunter-Dulin Building, at 111 Sutter Street. 

Attilio Codognato.  Snake Bracelet in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Memento Mori: Jewels by Codognato is comprised of nearly fifty new and vintage works from the archives of Casa Codognato. Often featuring serpents and skulls in combinations of gold, silver and precious stones, Codognato’s exquisite pieces have developed a dedicated following that has included 19th and 20th century royal families of Europe and style icons such as Maria Callas, Coco Chanel, Luchino Visconti, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jackie Kennedy Onassis among others. 

Casa Codognato, founded in Venice by Simeone Codognato in 1866, has been in the hands of his great-grandson Attilio since 1958, establishing a cult following of his own. Building on the House’s classical theme of memento mori, Codognato has influenced and inspired other artists and designers over the last several decades including John Galliano and Alexander McQueen, and is collected by arbiters of style such as fashion editor Carine Roitfeld, performer Elton John, Princess Firyal of Jordan, model Kate Moss, fashion designer Tom Ford, and actors Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage, to name a few. 

 Attilio Codognato.  Skull Earrings in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

“We could not be more honored that Codognato chose, again, to showcase his works with us,” stated Serge Sorokko. “Every one of the extraordinary pieces that have come out of the century-and-a-half history of this House is a genuine work of art. It is a privilege to be presenting these works in the United States for the second time.” 

Jewelry exhibitions are more commonly found in museums; it is rare to exhibit works by a jeweler in a contemporary art gallery. Such exhibitions are more likely presented in world-renowned institutions such as the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which recently presented Cartier and Bulgari, or most notably JAR at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Attilio Codognato belongs in that company. For his outstanding contribution to the arts, the government of France bestowed upon him the prestigious honor of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2012. 

 Attilio Codognato.  Skull Earrings in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

“I have always kept my jewelry exclusively in my shop in Venice, and so have my father, grandfather and great-grandfather before me,” Codognato said. “Serge and Tatiana Sorokko, some of my most dedicated collectors, had finally convinced me, after years of trying, to exhibit my collection in the United States for the first time last year, and I am excited to share my works with American collectors again.” 

An internationally acclaimed jeweler and fine artist based in Venice, Italy, Attilo Codognato has served as the head of his firm for almost 60 years. Casa Codognato has occupied the same space near Piazza San Marco since founder Simeone Codognato first opened its doors in 1866.

 Attilio Codognato.  Skull Brooch in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato.

Attilio Codognato.  Skull Necklace in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato.  Skull Necklace in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

 Attilio Codognato.  Skull Ring in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

 Attilio Codognato.  Skull Earrings in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato.  Skull Ring in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato. Bracelet in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato.  Moretto Brooch in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato.  Moretto Brooch in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato.  Cameo Sautoir in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato.  Snake Bracelets in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato.  Skull Rings in Memento Mori: Jewels by Attilio Codognato at The Serge Sorokko Gallery. Photo: Codognato

Attilio Codognato. Gold and precious stone earrings inspired by seventeenth-century vanitas, 1950s. Photo courtesy press office.

Attilio Codognato. Double face pendant in gold and enamel with carnelian cameos and precious stones, 1950s. Photo courtesy press office.

Attilio Codognato. Moors’ head brooch in gold, enamel, pearls and precious stones, 1950s. Photo courtesy press office.

Attilio Codognato. Baroque bracelet with six blackamoors, 1950s. Photo courtesy press office.

Attilio Codognato. Gold and diamond snake bracelet, 1960s. Photo courtesy press office.

Attilio Codognato. The most famous and demanded Vanitas ring from the Codognato Atelier, in gold, enamel and rock crystal, 1980s. Photo courtesy press office.

Attilio Codognato. Gold Vanitas earrings with cabochon rubies and antique-cut diamonds. Photo courtesy press office.

Attilio Codognato. Windows of the Codognato atelier at San Marco 1295. Photo courtesy press office

Attilio Codognato. The “Salotto veneziano” where Attilio Codognato receives his clientele. Photo courtesy press office

Attilo Codognato. Photo courtesy press office

Lot 181. A rare blue and white ewer, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1424). H. 30 cm. Estimate 40.000/60.000 €. Lot sold 56.000 €. Courtesy Nagel

The pear-shaped body ends in an out-turned rim. The long spout with a curved tip is additionally attached to the body by a cloud-shaped strut. The broad and elegantly curved handle has a small loop at the top intended for the attachment of a cover. The body is painted in rich cobalt-blue with peony scrolls around the neck and body. The spout is covered in daylilies and the upper neck is painted with plantain leaves. Restored breaks

Provenance: Property from an important European private collection.

Note: During the Yongle period, these ewers were made in the imperial porcelain factory at Jingdezhen. Compare with an almost identical ewer in the British Museum, see Jessica Harrison-Hall, Catalogue of Late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, 3:16.

Porcelain ewer decorated in underglaze blue, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1424). Height: 29.2 cm. Donated by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, Franks.151. © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum. 

Another one can be found in Sekai Toji Zenshu, Shogakukan, vol. 14, p. 163, no. 143. Similar ewers with slightly different decor can be seen in J. Ayers and R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, 1986, vol. 2, no. 619, and in T. Mitsugi, Chinese Porcelain Collections in the Near East, Hong Kong, vol. 3, no. A80, illustrating that such ewers were also exported at the time.