Lucio Fontana (1899 - 1968), Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino - Sotheby's

signed and titled on the reverse, waterpaint on canvas and lacquered wood, 175 by 202cm. 68 7/8 by 79 1/2 in. Executed in 1965. Estimation: 800,000 - 1,200,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Helme Prinzen, Kaarst
Alexander Iolas Gallery, New York
Galerie Reckermann, Cologne
Sale: Sotheby's, London, Contemporary Art, Part I, 26 June 1996, Lot 51
Galerie Karsten Greve, Cologne. Acquired from the above by the present owner

LITTERATURE: A. Modonesi and A. C. Spinola, Artecasa, November 1965, p. 52, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogue raisonné des peinteures et environments spatiaux, Vol. II, Brussels 1974, p. 172, no. 65 TE 45, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. II, Milan 1986, p. 600, no.65 TE 45, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. II, Milan 2006, p. 789, no.65 TE 45, illustrated

NOTE: Spanning nearly two metres in height and two metres across, the monumental Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino from 1965 is among the very largest and most elegant works ever to issue from Lucio Fontana’s iconic oeuvre. Hailing from the teatrini - literally, ‘little theatres’ - series, the present work was executed during a period of intensely concentrated production between 1964 and 1966. Extraordinarily immersive in scale, only one teatrino is larger, and resides in the permanent collection of the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. One further teatrino in the exact same scale of the present work is found in a private collection, while another very slightly smaller is in the permanent collection of the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Rome. While Fontana’s feverish pace of work saw him produce nearly 180 teatrini in total, Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino and the handful of teatrini manifesting comparable grandeur, constitute the museum pieces and crowning achievements of the series. Exhibiting Fontana’s preferred colour combination for the teatrini - the minimalist chic of black lacquer on charcoal painted canvas - the dark surfaces of the present work plumb the spatial depths that Fontana so urgently wished to penetrate.

Fontana referred to the teatrini as “realist Spatialism” because of their unusually representative imagery (the artist quoted in: Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana: Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. I, Milan 2006, p. 79). Advanced in five manifestos published from 1947 to 1952, Spatialism articulated Fontana’s ideas regarding the Infinite and man’s existence in multiple dimensions. His famous tagli (cuts) and buchi (holes), like those which adorn
the present work, were revolutionary acts to liberate the canvas from two-dimensional illusionism and incorporate the third and fourth dimensions: depth and time. Opposed to figuration, Fontana nevertheless conceived the teatrini to resemble theatres occupied by mysterious and pseudo-organic forms. Scholar Enrico Crispolti has evocatively described these allusive shapes: “waves… rounded forms, sometimes with a deep slash at the top, mountains or atomic mushroom clouds, or otherwise humanoid and alien figures… serpents… trees… or a low, tiny, indistinct horizon, whose low edge gives way to an infinite sky” (Ibid., p. 79). His rapprochement with figuration, via the silhouette, may have been inspired by a trip that Fontana took to Egypt in 1964. Previously, Fontana had said that he regarded ancient Egypt as the birthplace of the profile, and thus the second dimension in art (Pia Gottschaler, Lucio Fontana: The Artist and His Materials, Los Angeles 2012, p.118).

Whereas many teatrini possess a single horizon along the lower edge, Crispolti has observed that “the more imaginative ones suggest a photographic ‘fish eye’ effect” (Encrico Crispolti, Op.cit., p.79). With its elements floating along the top and right, Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino is clearly one such ‘fish eye’ composition where the theatrical and frontal organisation of space gives way to a more encompassing, celestial view. For Fontana, the vastness of space represented the final frontier of man’s technological advancement, and it appeared soon to be conquered. His artistic innovations were driven by a belief that: “the man of today… is too lost in a dimension that is immense for him, is too oppressed by the triumphs of science, is too dismayed by the inventions that follow one after the other, to recognize himself in figurative painting. What is wanted is an absolutely new language” (the artist quoted in: Anthony White,Lucio Fontana: Between Utopia and Kitsch, Cambridge 2011, p. 260). Fontana’s concern with humanity’s nascent inability to depict itself is addressed by the teatrini, and is recalled by Anthony White’s astute observation that the 1960s “saw a major change of focus in Fontana’s work… the artist shifted attention away from the problem of the authorial body to refocus on the body of the spectator” (Ibid., p. 249). Whereas earlier works focused on transgressing the pictorial surface, the teatrini reveal Fontana’s desire to confront the human individual and their changing place in the universe. Depicting a long and undulating line of bucchi streaming across a black canvas - the present work’s Milky Way - thus amounted to pondering the unknowable vastness of empty space, which contained an electrifying power to transform man and his own self-image.

Fontana approached the creation of the teatrini holistically, taking care to integrate the buchi and the silhouettes into a single design. He most probably fixed the painted canvas onto the lacquer frame before piercing the neat, evenlysized holes into its surface, in order to observe a formal harmony between the two portions. At first Fontana placed the holes randomly and liberally, but from 1965 they evince a greater rarity, and a proclivity towards patterns, shapes, and undulating lines, as in the present work. Generally he would create a small preparatory sketch to achieve the ideal design, occasionally creating large 1:1 plans on paper for his master wood-workers to reference. Perhaps most significantly, however, Fontana left a gap between the frame and the canvas of a few centimetres, which allows the silhouette to cast shadows on its backdrop and enhance the perception of depth. The contrast between the opulently shiny lacquer and the deep matte of the canvas further divides Concetto Spaziale (Teatrino) into receding planes.

Scholar Pia Gottschaler believes the teatrini also respond to “Pop Art’s contoured figures” and has shown that contemporary Italian critics immediately perceived the Pop references within this series (Gottschaler, Op.cit., p. 117). Following the 1964 Venice Biennale, where Robert Rauschenberg was awarded the Grand Prize of the Jury, American Pop was subject to increased attention in Italy. Artists responded, germinating such iconic works as Pino Pascali’s finte sculture, a series of canvas sculptures depicting prehistoric and imaginary animals initiated in 1966, whose stylistic emphasis on the silhouette shares an affinity with the concise metonymic language of the comic book. While Fontana’s primary theoretical commitment was to Spatialism, he valued Pop Art’s rejection of Abstract Expressionism’s theatrical gestures and rebellion against conventional figuration.

By focusing upon the act of looking, the teatrini also echo Pop’s conceptual emphasis on the ascendance of visual imagery in post-war Western culture. Although the teatrini’s diminutive name belies the imposing scale of the present work, their title bespeaks the miniaturisation of objects for mass consumption. They are reminiscent also of temporary theatres in the street or on travelling caravans, where smaller frames with puppets or players would be employed. While Fontana’s concerns differed from those of American Pop artists, he would have appreciated that alluding to popular culture contributed to dismantling false and precious ideologies surrounding ‘fine art’ and the sanctity of pictorial surfaces. The teatrini thus evince a period of rich experimentation and self-examination, when Fontana wished to extend his Spatialist practice and did so by using varied means - including elements of the popular - to highlight the tension between the viewer, the observed, and the space between.

Describing the teatrini, Enrico Crispolti wrote: “[t]he sharpness of the lacquered shaped frames and the clean grounds of sky traversed by ordered constellations of holes indicate a new desire to create an objectified configuration of a kind of spatial ‘spectacle’, which Fontana presents with an almost classical imaginative composure” (Encrico Crispolti, Op.cit., p.79). Crispolti’s analysis recalls Fontana’s chosen phrase “Spatialist Realism”, which suggests that the teatrini represent a picture or illustration of Spatialism itself. More than merely implementing Fontana’s theories, the teatrini literally depict them and the problems that Fontana sought to address in a spectacle that draws the viewer within his model of the universe. Breathtakingly expansive and black as the reaches of space itself, Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino magnificently realises Fontana’s vision.

Sotheby's. Contemporary Art Evening Auction. London | 26 juin 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Lucio Fontana (1899 - 1968), Concetto Spaziale - Sotheby's

oil and coloured glass on canvas, 41 by 51cm. 16 1/8 by 20 1/8 in. Executed in 1956. Estimation: 600,000 - 800,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: McRoberts & Tunnard, London
Galerie Pierre, Stockholm
Galerie Bonnier, Geneva
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner circa 1967

EXHIBITED: Leverkusen, Städtisches Museum, Schloss Morsbroich, Lucio Fontana, 1962, no. 32, illustrated
Minneapolis, Walker Art Center; Austin, University of Texas Art Museum, Lucio Fontana. The Spatial Concept of Art,1966, no.11

LITTERATURE: Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogue raisonné des peintures et environments spatiaux, Vol. II, Brussels 1974, p.38, no. 56 P 22, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. I, Milan 1986, p. 143, no.56 P 22, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. I, Milan 2006, p. 284, no.56 P 22, illustrated

NOTE: Concetto Spaziale belongs to Lucio Fontana’s illustrious pietre (or ‘stones’) series, produced between 1951-2 and 1958, and named for their gem-like elements of Murano glass affixed to the canvas. Executed at the height of Fontana’s concentration upon the pietre series in 1955, the present work boasts two abstracted archipelagos of rich amethystine purple and pure uncoloured stones, respectively, alongside a rippling line of buchi (or ‘holes’).
Possessing a prestigious exhibition history, and masterfully articulating Fontana’s ground-breaking theory of Spatialism – the pursuit of a modern art encompassing all four dimensions of space – Concetto Spaziale epitomises the timeless elegance that Fontana ineffably imparted upon his highly radical and avant-garde works.

Concetto Spaziale was impressively included in the historic 1966 exhibition Lucio Fontana: The Spatial Concept of Art, held at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and later travelling to the University of Texas Art Museum in Austin, which was crucially Fontana’s first retrospective at a public American art museum. Curatorially devoted to Fontana’s conceptual advances, the exhibition was confined to the Spatialist period with “its perforations, incisions, and lacerations (Fontana’s three ‘Spatialist’ gestures) programatically presented” (Jan van der Marck, Lucio Fontana, Walker Art Center Website, 2005, available online). Spanning eighty works, this ambitious staging included strong examples from the Fine di Dio, Teatrini, Venezie, and Natura series, alongside the present work. Whereas throughout the early 1960s Fontana had become a mainstay of American and international group exhibitions on Italian and contemporary avant-garde art, and moreover was represented in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, the artist had yet to receive the unmitigated institutional recognition conferred by an American museum retrospective. Concetto Spaziale thus belongs to an important moment in the history of Fontana’s emerging renown, which heralded his status as a defining protagonist of post-war European art.

As illustrated by Concetto Spaziale, Fontana frequently preferred to leave his finished canvases unpainted, producing examples across a variety of series including the buchi, pietre, and tagli. Scholar Pia Gottschaler, who has studied Fontana’s materials in significant depth, believes that Fontana applied a very thin layer of polymer solution to the surface of these pietre, providing an “overall tonal unity” (Pia Gottschaler, Lucio Fontana: The Artist and His Materials , Los Angeles 2012, p.42). The present work possesses such a near-imperceptible and fine coating, which preserves the rich earth tones of the linen canvas while mediating between its roughest fibres. Throughout, the stability that Fontana achieved between the liberal glass fragments and tensely pulled canvas evinces his physical mastery over the materials – often experimental – involved in his facture. Fontana recognised that pioneering novel practices was crucial to generating an updated art with contemporary resonance. In 1953, Fontana had written: “I can’t conceive of a new art being made with traditional means, canvases, colours, and sculptures – we can use these means in a transitional way, in order to prepare us for a new aesthetic, but we will achieve a real transformation only if we enter into the dominion of modern techniques” (the artist quoted in: Ibid., p.42).

The pietre series followed naturally from Fontana’s earlier use of lustrini, tiny particles of glitter which appear in certainbuchi. Both represent a Spatialist attempt to activate the surface of the canvas, piercing its two-dimensional plane with the unpredictable interplay of light and shadow. Light and beauty were inextricably intertwined for Fontana, and the pietre justly reflect his great admiration for the illuminating gems set within the Byzantine Pala d’Oro housed in the Basilica di San Marco in Venice. In keeping with Fontana’s radically modern sensibility, however, Concetto Spaziale does not evince an ordered and symmetrical placement of polished jewels in Byzantine fashion. Instead, its stones are jagged and randomly-hewn, their unpredictable arcs and curvatures clearly the product of a violent collision; their scattered forms mimicking the natural distribution of meteors in the night sky or sinuous mountain ranges. Fontana often smashed the Murano glass pieces into smaller fragments using a hammer. No mere ornamentation, the stones thus function as indexes of the force and aggression characterising modernity. Concetto Spaziale testifies to Fontana’s careful selection and arrangement of these elements, which artfully coalesce into two distinct and angular forms. Beautifully wrought in crystal and deep mulberry purple, the pietre of the present work harmoniously compliment the textured linen canvas and punctured buchi, announcing Concetto Spaziale not as a traditional painting, but as belonging to a new class of rarefied Spatial object.

Sotheby's. Contemporary Art Evening Auction. London | 26 juin 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Ilbery, London. A fine enameled gold duplex watch for the Chinese market, No. 6195, first quarter 19th century, 58mm. Sold for US$ 86,500 inc. premium. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

NEW YORK, NY.- Global online bidding fueled Bonhams June 18 Fine Watches & Wristwatches auction, which registered more live internet bidders than any other watch auction held at the Madison Avenue salesroom. The auction, which was simulcast at Bonhams San Francisco, was sold 80% by lot. US bidders were the slight majority, with the UK, Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, South Asia, and South America all represented. Telephone bidders and focused attendees on both coasts competed vigorously with the unprecedented online interest. 

“Fine watches and wristwatches are highly desirable all over the world, so it makes sense that bidding via the internet would be exceptionally popular,” explained Jonathan Snellenburg, Bonhams Director of Fine Watches & Clocks. “We are very pleased to be connecting so effectively with our international clientele.” 

The auction saw strong results for the large selection of pocket watches on offer, proving the market for these classic timepieces remains solid. The auction’s top lot was an Ilbery enameled gold pocket watch, which sold for $86,500, more than double its pre-auction estimate. Made for the Chinese market at the beginning of the 19th century, the pocket watch will be headed home to China after being purchased by a private buyer in Beijing. 

Ilbery, London. A fine enameled gold duplex watch for the Chinese market, No. 6195, first quarter 19th century, 58mm. Sold for US$ 86,500 inc. premium. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

Gilt chased and partly skeletonized bridge caliber movement, standing barrel with blued stopwork, duplex escapement, three arm balance with tapered steel weights, flat spring, diamond endstone, engraved gold cuvette, white enamel dial with roman chapters, subsidiary seconds, gold arrow hands, bezels of the case chased and enameled with running leafy scrolls and paterae, the back with well painted pastoral scene of family musicians in rustic setting; 58mm. 

A 17th century English verge pocket watch from Isaake Symes also doubled its pre-auction estimate, realizing $30,000. Made circa 1620, the pocket watch was engraved at some point in the 18th century with the name of the gruesomely executed last Abbot of Glastonbury, Richard Whiting, and fraudulently dated 1536. No doubt the private American buyer who took home the pocket watch will appreciate both its exceptional age and colorful provenance. 

Isaake Symmes, London. A remarkable silver and gilt early English verge watch, Circa 1620, engraved with the spurious date 1536. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

 Octagonal gilt gut fusee movement with engraved border, tapered baluster pillars, four wheel train, ratchet and pawl mainspring set up, floral pierced pinned cock, two arm steel balance, the gilt dial chased and engraved with cockatrices flanking the similarly chased and engraved roman chapter disc, blued steel baluster hand, molded gilt case band, the silver lids chased and engraved with panels of figures and foliage; 32mm by 47mm excluding pendant. Sold for US$ 30,000 inc. premium

Notes: Isaac Symmes is one of the earliest recorded watch makers working in London. Born in 1580, he was apprenticed in 1594 in the Goldsmiths' Company. (The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers would not be granted a charter until 1631.) He finished his apprenticeship on 27 January 1603/04 and two months later, married Emma Howe. He made an elaborately engraved gilt watch shortly thereafter, with alarm and one-at-the-hour striking, which is now in the Collection of The British Museum. He died in 1622, but not before he signed the unsuccessful first petition by the clock and watch trade to King James I to establish a City livery company for clock and watch makers.

The present watch is noteworthy not only for its early date of manufacture, but also for being an antiquarian fraud dating to the 18th century.

At some point in its history, the watch lid was engraved with the name of Richard Whiting, last Abbot of Glastonbury, and with the date 1536. Whiting had been gruesomely executed by Henry VIII in 1539 when the King confiscated church lands. Clearly, no one at the time knew that the watch had been made almost a century after the death of the Abbot. 

The watch was acquired in 1783 by a certain Reverend John Bowen of Bath, whose wife, Elizabeth, claimed descent from the unfortunate Richard Whiting. 

When Bowen bought the watch from a watchmaker named Howe, he was told that the watch had belonged to a Reverend Mr. Paine "who had lived to the advanced age of one hundred years...a tradition was preserved that the watch had been successively worn by himself, his father, and his grandfather, and that it had been purchased by an ancestor of the latter at the sale of Abbot Whiting's personal property after his execution and the dissolution of his monastery."

Bowen added a further inscription to the watch:

"Repaired By order of the Rev. J. Bowen of Bath 18 Nov. 1801 who married Elizth. Dr of 'Wm Jeanes of Shroton Dorset Esq. who was lineally descended from Jno Jeanes of East Tennard who married Eliz. sister of R' Whytinge, the last Abbot of Glastonbury."

A drawing of the watch and Bowen's story was published in the 1826 An History of the Abbey of Glaston. by Richard Warner. This story is repeated in Curiosities of Clocks and Watches from the Earliest Times. by Edward J. Wood, an early collectors' handbook, published in 1866.

After the death of Mr. Bowen the watch entered the collection of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773 -1843), sixth son of George III. His collection of clocks and watches was dispersed at auction by Christies in 1843.

In all of this, it would seem that no one relating the tale has examined the watch and no mention is made of the maker, Isaac Symmes.

By the end of the 19th century, it was apparent that the watch could not be as old as claimed. However, the watch and its remarkable story still appeared in collectors' literature. To his credit, when a skeptical F. J. Britten reproduced Warner's drawing, he noted "... I confess I do not believe such a watch was made so early as 1536."

Literature: Britten, F. J. Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers, Third Edition, 1911. Reprinted 1977 with additions, fig 190.

Thompson, David. The History of Watches. The British Museum (2008) pp 26-27.

Warner, Richard. An History of the Abbey of Glaston; and of the Town of Glastonbury. Bath (1826).

Wood, Edward J. Curiosities of Clocks and Watches from the Earliest Times. London, (1866)

A private single-owner collection of American pocket watches performed extremely well, selling 94% by lot. A Bonhams specialist spotted the rare group by chance in Portland OR, saving it from being sent to a gold refinery. A notable highlight was a Waltham anchor presentation pocket watch that realized $8,750. Bonhams will offer a second portion of this remarkable collection in the Fall. 

Waltham. A very fine and rare 18K multi color gold hunter case presentation watch. Signed Am'n Watch Co., Movement No. 871864, the case by American Watch Case, Co., inscribed 1877. Sold $8,750. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

16-jewel M1872 16 size nickel finished lever movement with jewels in gold settings, bimetallic balance with flat spring, cam regulator, also signed Woerd's Patent, gold cuvette, signed white enamel dial with roman chapters, blued steel spade hands, subsidiary seconds, the case representing a ship's anchor, the lids with applied multicolored gold wreath enclosing an applied multicolor paddle wheel steamer under sail, the reverse engraved with a lighthouse; 51.5mm

Notes: The inner lid of the case is inscribed:

"Presented to
CORNELIUS L. KELLY
Superintendent at Mechanics Mill
By his
Employees as a memento of their
Esteem and high appreciation
Of which he is held by them.

Fall River Mass.
Mar. 10th 1877"

Cornelius L. Kelly served as Fall River City Councilman from 1870 to 71 and in 1882.

Wristwatches also performed well, with excellent results achieved by a variety of esteemed makers, including Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Breguet. A Rolex fine 18 karat gold automatic center seconds diver's watch and bracelet was one of the many fine examples purchased by a live online bidder in the auction, selling for $20,000, more than double its pre-auction estimate. 

Rolex. A fine 18K gold automatic center seconds diver's watch and bracelet, Submariner, Ref:116618, Case No.V527578. Sold for US$ 20,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

31-jewel Cal. 3135 self winding movement adjusted to temperature and five positions, blue dial with luminous dot and baton numerals, date aperture, luminous skeleton hands, tonneau case with unidirectional rotating calibrated blue bezel, screw down back and crown, gold Oyster bracelet with locking deployant clasp, case, dial and movement signed, accompanied by display box, tag and outer packaging; 40mm. 

Also of particular note from the wristwatches section, an A. Lange & Söhne platinum wristwatch achieved $17,500, more than double its pre-auction estimate. The Lange, called the "AUF and AB" model in German, featured a special power reserve that warns the wearer if the watch needs to be rewound based on the position of the hands. 

A. Lange & Söhne. A fine platinum wristwatch with power reserve, "1815", Case No.130670, Movement No.20747, 1990's. Sold for US$ 17,500. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

 27-jewel ¾ plate manual winding position adjusted movement, gold chatons, shock resistant suspension to monometallic balance, swan's neck precision regulator, circular silvered dial with arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds at 4 o'clock, 48 hour winding indicator at 8 o'clock, blued steel hands, conforming case with glazed back secured by six screws, maker's leather strap (worn) and platinum buckle, case, dial and movement signed. 36mm

Notes: The German name of this Lange is "AUF and AB" in accordance with the inscription on the power reserve indicator. When the hands point to "AUF", the mainspring of the watch is fully wound. When the hands point to "AB", this warns the wearer that the watch needs to be rewound. The UP and DOWN display has a long tradition at Lange and Söhne, as seen in their pocket watches, marine chronometers and finally in their "Pour le Mérite Tourbillon."

“We had some very fine wristwatches on offer, which attracted fierce global bidding driven by the excellent online participation,” said William Rohr, Bonhams Consulting Specialist for Fine Watches & Wristwatches. “It’s a very positive indication for the market going forward.”

Bonhams next New York auction of Fine Watches & Wristwatches will take place in December. 

Bloom Day Scans Flower Art by Craig Cramer. Images courtesy of Bloom Day Scans.

Chine de commande. Tasse et soucoupe peintes en grisaille, XVIIIème siècle, vers 1745-1750. Photo courtesy Thierry De Maigret

les personnages de couleur chair, représentant un serviteur préparant le bain d'une femme nue, assise dans un fauteuil, en lui versant de l'eau dans un grand bassin. A droite des pots à onguents posés sur une table. (Un cheveu à la soucoupe.). H de la tasse: 6,5 cm. Estimation : 300 - 500 €

D'après une gravure de Duflos intitulée "le bain".

Une tasse et soucoupe à même décor dans la collection Mottahedeh (New York).

Thierry De Maigret. Mercredi 26 juin à 13h00. Hôtel Drouot - Salle 139, rue Drouot - 75009. EMail : contact@thierrydemaigret.com - Tél. : 01 44 83 95 20

Chine de commande. Tasse et sa soucoupe peintes en grisaille, XVIIIème siècle, vers 1750. Photo courtesy Thierry De Maigret

d'une scène galante représentant un jeune amoureux jouant de la mandoline auprès d'une jeune femme qui tient une partition. Derrière eux, un amour décoche une flèche vers eux. H de la tasse: 4,5 - D de la soucoupe: 12 cm. Estimation : 300 - 500 €

Une soucoupe dans la collection Hervouet classée "très rare".

Thierry De Maigret. Mercredi 26 juin à 13h00. Hôtel Drouot - Salle 139, rue Drouot - 75009. EMail : contact@thierrydemaigret.com - Tél. : 01 44 83 95 20

Chine de commande. Deux curieuses et rares assiettes rondes, XVIIIème siècle, vers 1750. Photo courtesy Thierry De Maigret

décorées d'une scène en grisaille rehaussée de rose, orange et couleur chair pour les personnages. Représentation de ce qui pourrait être une visite médicale en plein air, une jeune femme buste dénudée est examinée par quatre personnages dans un jardin. (Une assiette anciennement restaurée sur l'aile). D: 23 cm. Estimation : 800 - 1 000 €

Thierry De Maigret. Mercredi 26 juin à 13h00. Hôtel Drouot - Salle 139, rue Drouot - 75009. EMail : contact@thierrydemaigret.com - Tél. : 01 44 83 95 20

Chine de commande. Exceptionnel bol à punch circulaire, XVIIIème siècle, vers 1745. Photo courtesy Thierry De Maigret

décoré sur la paroi extérieure en grisaille rehaussé d'or de deux scènes grivoises représentant un gentilhomme assis sur une chaise, son épée sur le côté, enlaçant une femme de petite vertu; pendant qu'ils s'embrassent, la femme soustrait à l'homme sa bourse. Bouquets de fleurs polychromes à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur. D: 26,5 cm. Estimation : 3 000 - 4 000 €

Un autre bol à punch avec le même sujet traité en bleu et polychromie et répertorié dans Hervouet, une montre remplaçant la bourse, Hervouet suggérant que la dame minute le temps qu'elle accorde au galant pour des amours tarifés. 

Thierry De Maigret. Mercredi 26 juin à 13h00. Hôtel Drouot - Salle 139, rue Drouot - 75009. EMail : contact@thierrydemaigret.com - Tél. : 01 44 83 95 20

ALAMEDA, CA.- Michaan’s Fine Asian Works of Art Auction held on Sunday, June 23, 2013 was a phenomenal success, drawing buyers from around the globe. Grossing over $4,670,000, it commanded the highest sales figure ever seen at the auction house, with floods of Internet, phone and absentee bids. The total was due in large part to another phenomenon in its own right, listed as lot 3080 in the sale. An exceedingly rare and important soapstone figural carving centering Qing dynasty imperial porcelain kiln supervisor Tang Ying was far and away the star of the auction. Expectations ran high for the work of art, as it was the highest estimated lot of the sale at $100,000-150,000. As bidding commenced for the piece, people rose from their seats amongst a standing room floor audience of well over 100 attendees, while all phone banks were busy with calls. Two online bidding stations took note of the activity as calls poured in from around the world. Heavy floor and phone bids pushed the selling price to $2 million, closing with a victorious phone bid and a round of applause. The carving broke auction records as it realized a price of $2,360,000, becoming the highest selling Asian soapstone carving ever auctioned in the U.S. as well as Michaan’s highest single selling lot to date. Asian Art Specialist Harry Huang remarked that the sale “...greatly exceeded my expectations. I believe that this work of Tang Ying will continue to be a powerful force in the world marketplace. I also think that this auction speaks volumes on the explosive state of the current Asian antiquities marketplace; what appears to be its very bright future is a thrilling prospect for Michaan’s Auctions.” 

Categorically, fine jade carvings dazzled at auction, with a substantial list of monumental successes found in the offered lots. Two jade double gourd-form pendants performed amazingly well, as they astonishingly sold for over 53 times their high estimate (lot 3027, $1,500-2,000). The pendants closed at $106,200, garnering expressions of elation and awe. The pair of pendants top a lengthy list of 15 additional carved jade lots to sell from over 5 times to over 33 times projected high values.

Two Jade Double Gourd-Form Pendants, Sold for $106,200. 

Additional honorable mentions from the astounding jade sales include two phoenix plaques at $64,900 (lot 3014, $2,000-3,000) and two figures of pigs at $50,150 (lot 3074, $1,000-1,500). Three jade lots also managed to realize a price of $44,250 each, greatly exceeding their estimates. The shared figure was seen in groupings of two rectangular white jade pendants (lot 3008, $2,000-3,000), four animal carvings (lot 3020, $1,500-2,000) and three white jade bird carvings (lot 3033, $4,000-6,000). 

Two Jade 'Phoenix' Plaques, Sold for $64,900. 

Two Jade Figures of Pigs, Han Dynasty, Sold for $50,150.

Three White Jade Carvings, Estimate: $4,000/6,000, Sold $44,250. 

Chinese paintings were another section of the auction to hold top performers. A new international record was established by a hanging scroll titled “Mountainous Dwellings” by Li Yin (lot 3217, $25,000-35,000). The piece realized a world record-breaking price of $112,100, becoming the highest figure ever achieved at auction by a Li Yin work. Rounding out the impressive lots in the category was a collection of fan paintings and calligraphy by various artists that sold for $76,700 (lot 3218, $30,000-50,000), a hand scroll after Li Tang depicting figures on horseback for $56,050 (lot 3206, $3,000-5,000) and an anonymous album of three paintings realizing a price of $50,150 (lot 3209, $2,000-3,000). 

Li Yin (Early Qing Dynasty): Mountainous Dwellings, Sold for $112,100.

Various Artists: An Album of Thirty-Five Fan Paintings and Calligraphy, Sold for $76,700.

After Li Tang (1066-1150): Figures on Horseback, Qing Dynasty, Sold for $56,050.

A 14th century album of twelve paintings attributed to Wang Yuan (lot 3210, $6,000-8,000) and a landscape hand scroll in the style of Wen Boren (lot 3212, $4,000-6,000) each brought $47,200 as well. In addition to the substantial figures that these painting selections brought, the section also proved to be a formidable platform in obtaining solid numbers for lesser known artists. Examples are found in an ink and color on paper hand scroll after Xu Longjiu (lot 3208, $5,000-7,000, sold for $10,620) and Zhong Hui’s album of ten paintings sold as lot 3225 ($1,200-1,800, sold for $5,900). 

Zhong Hui (Late Qing Dynasty): An Album of Ten Paintings, Sold for $5,900. 

Handsome figures were also seen across numerous Asian art disciplines held in the sale. A Tibetan cloisonné enamel ewer and cover from the Qianlong period surpassed its $20,000-30,000 estimate at $53,100 (lot 3150).

A Tibetan Cloisonné Enamel Ewer and Cover, Qianlong Mark and Period, Estimate: $20,000/30,000. 

Multiple ceramic offerings saw fruitful numbers, as evidenced in a pair of famille rose porcelain plaques (lot 3310, $5,000-7,000, sold for $32,450), a famille rose vase of the Guanxu mark and period that sold for over 13 times its high estimate (lot 3292, $1,500-2,000, sold for $26,550), yet another famille rose offering in a pair of 19th century vases (lot 3294, $3,000-5,000, sold for $26,550) and a pair of enameled-porcelain plaques signed “Zou Guojun” (lot 3311, $4,000-6,000, sold for $26,550).A pair of hardwood armchairs with marble insets was another lot to realize $26,550, as it sold for over 8 times the projected high value (lot 3178, $2,000-3,000).  

Numerous private collection offerings in the auction produced excellent sell-through numbers, as did the entire sale at an over 84% sell-through. A largely jade based, private San Francisco collection saw a 100% sell-through of its 44 lots, as did a prominent collection once owned by Senator Theodore Francis Green. A collection of Chinese silk fan paintings from the Reynold Tom Collection sold out as well, as did the entire painting collection of Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Tom. 

Michaan’s Auctions Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Scott Bradley acknowledged the impact and scope of the sale. “This Asian auction has established itself as the largest and most significant event in our company’s history thus far. The sale of the Tang Ying carving was the largest single sale I have presided over in my career. It has been a thrilling and exciting time to say the least.” 

Complete results for the Fine Asian Works of Art Auction as well as future sale information and bid submission is available online at www.michaans.com. 

Nine Small Wucai Wine Cups, Wanli Marks and Period. Photo courtesy Michaan

Each of ‘ogee’ form with shallow sides, the exterior rim painted with eight lotus flower sprigs, all above elaborate lanterns interspaced with boys and pine trees, the interior floor painted with a front-facing fourclawed dragon within double blue rings, a six-character Wanli mark to the base surrounded by an unglazed foot rim. Diameter: 2 9/16 inches (6.5 cm) each. Estimate: $70,000/90,000. Unsold

Provenance: Acquired in Suzhou prior to 1950, and thence by decent within the family to the present owner

Fine Asian Works of Art Auction. Sunday June 23, 2013, 10am. http://www.michaans.com

A Blue and White Sleeve Vase, Transitional Period. Photo courtesy Michaan

The cylindrical vase decorated around the exterior in vibrant shades of cobalt blue to depict a warrior in a garden, accompanied by a lady with her child, all between incised borders and below pendent leaf tips to the waisted neck. Height: 16 3/4 inches (42.5 cm). Estimate: $7,000/9,000. Sold $4,425.00

Fine Asian Works of Art Auction. Sunday June 23, 2013, 10am. http://www.michaans.com

Three Imperial Embroidered Roundels, Qing Dynasty. Photo courtesy Michaan

The two dragon roundels worked in satin stitch and couched gold-wrapped thread to depict a five-clawed front-facing dragon; the first of slender sinuous form with finely embroidered scales entwining a ‘wanshou’ medallion at the center, surrounded by green and blue cloud florets above rolling waves; the second shown wide-eyed while in pursuit of flaming pearls amidst cloud meanders and bats; the third smaller roundel of the Yuanshikai period and executed in a blue palette, bearing five of the twelve Imperial symbols including an ax, temple cup, grains of millet, sea grass and a central ‘fu’ emblem, all enclosed by swirling clouds. Diameter of Largest: 11 1/2 inches (29.2 cm). Estimate: $3,000/5,000. Sold $11,210.00

Roundels of this kind appeared on court surcoats as a clear indication of rank and status. The five-clawed dragon denotes imperial ranking, with the clockwise turn of each dragon’s body designating these roundels for placement on the left shoulder.
Similarly, during the Yuanshikai Period (1912-1915), these roundels were worn by officials, with both the number of roundels on the surcoat, and the number of Imperial symbols included, signifying status.
Closely related examples of these three roundels sold at Christie’s New York, The Imperial Wardrobe: Fine Chinese Costume and Textiles from the Linda Wrigglesworth Collection, March 19, 2008, lots 11, 32 and 81, respectively

Fine Asian Works of Art Auction. Sunday June 23, 2013, 10am. http://www.michaans.com

A Lady's Red-Ground Embroidered Gauze Robe. Photo courtesy Michaan

The deep red fabric embroidered in satin stitch with large blue and white peonies, butterflies, gourds and additional floral sprigs, with vines
and branches of gilt-wrapped couched threads, all above rolling waves and a thin lishui skirt; mounted, framed and glazed. Overall: 57 1/2 x 57 1/2 inches (146 x 146 cm) including frame. Estimate: $1,500/2,000. Sold $1,003.

Fine Asian Works of Art Auction. Sunday June 23, 2013, 10am. http://www.michaans.com

A White Jade Toggle. Photo courtesy Michaan's Auctions

The even white-toned stone of ovoid form, smoothly carved to depict two catfish in opposition with a lingzhi branch in the center, one edge bordered by curling waves. Width: 2 3/4 inches (6.9 cm). Estimate: $1,000/1,500. Sold $2,360.00

Michaan's Auctions. Fine Asian Works of Art Auction. Sunday June 23, 2013, 10am. http://www.michaans.com

Emerald, diamond, platinum, 18k yellow gold necklace. Photo courtesy Michaan's Auctions

Gross Weight: 64.3 dwts. Featuring one round-cut emerald weighing approximately 25.00 cts., flanked by fifty-six marquise-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 14.75 cttw., further enhanced by one hundred and twenty-eight full-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 24.50 cttw., set in an articulated platinum and 18k yellow gold linked mounting, completed by a pressure lock, tongue and groove clasp, forming a 16 1/2 inch necklace. Sold for $141,600

Michaan's Auctions. Fine Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts and Jewelry Auction. Friday, June 7, 2013. http://www.michaans.com

Aquamarine, diamond, 18K white gold necklace. Photo courtesy Michaan's Auctions

Gross Weight: 57.2 dwts. Centering one emerald-cut aquamarine weighing approximately 63.00 cts., accented by eighteen baguette-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 1.50 cttw., further enhanced by three hundred and twenty-nine full-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 5.50 cttw., set in an 18k white gold articulated 18 inch necklace. Sold for $27,140

Michaan's Auctions. Fine Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts and Jewelry Auction. Friday, June 7, 2013. http://www.michaans.com

Cartier coral, diamond, 18k yellow gold pineapple brooch. Photo courtesy Michaan's Auctions

Size 8, Gross Weight: 9.4 dwts. Featuring two branch form coral, accented by five full-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 0.50 cttw., set in a 14k yellow gold mounting. Sold $2,360.00

Michaan's Auctions. Fine Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts and Jewelry Auction. Friday, June 7, 2013. http://www.michaans.com

Victorian pearl, diamond, enamel, 12k yellow gold, silver locket brooch. Photo courtesy Michaan's Auctions

Gross Weight: 15.4 dwts. Featuring royal blue basse-taille enamel, centering an applied pearl, rose-cut diamond, silver thistle motif, set in a 12k yellow gold, seed pearl surrounded locket brooch mounting. Estimate: $1,500 / 1,800. Unsold

Michaan's Auctions. Fine Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts and Jewelry Auction. Friday, June 7, 2013. http://www.michaans.com

Victorian Scarab Beetle Parure. Photo courtesy Michaan's Auctions

Gross Weight: 9.3 dwts. Including one iridescent green beetle measuring approximately 31 x 17 mm, framed in a 14k yellow gold leaf motif pendant-brooch frame together with a matching pair of beetle earrings accented by 14k yellow gold leaf motif mountings, completed by a French wire hook. Accompanied by original fitted pigskin leather box. Sold $5,605.00

Note: Some minor damage to the bottom of the beetle set in the pendant as well as slight overlapping of the wing on to the gold.

Michaan's Auctions. Fine Art, Furniture, Decorative Arts and Jewelry Auction. Friday, June 7, 2013. http://www.michaans.com