Lot 832.  A rare pair of painted pottery goose-form vessels and covers, Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220);13 ½ in. (34.3 cm.) high. Estimate USD 15,000 - USD 25,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019.

Each vessel is modeled as a plump, seated goose, with neck curved in an S-shape and the head of bird is pierced with a circular aperture to fit a separately-modeled cover decorated with three bears. 

Property from the Collection of Frederick A. and Sharon L. Klingenstein

Provenance: Eskenazi Ltd., London, 1998.

Literature: Eskenazi Ltd., Animals and animal designs in Chinese Art, London, 1998, p. 43, no. 11.

Exhibited: New York, Eskenazi Ltd., Animals and animal designs in Chinese art, 24 March-4 April 1998.

Note: Compare the smaller (21 cm.) pair of painted pottery ducks dated to the Han dynasty, 1st century BC or 1st century AD in the Meiyintang Collection, illustrated by Regina Krahl in Chinese Ceramics in the Meiyintang Collection, London, vol. 1, London, 1994 p. 49, fig. 14. Like the present pair of goose-form vessels, the Meiyintang vessels also have apertures for stoppers, but their stoppers are now missing.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 13 September 2019.

Lot 752. A painted gray pottery figure of a mythical beast, Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Length 14 in., 35.6 cm. Estimate USD 8,000 — 12,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

striding forward with head lowered, the mouth pulled back in a fierce snarl, the arched neck ridged with three pointed horns, three compressed bosses along the spine, a pair of stylized wings over the powerful forelegs, the tail raised and curling over the back, traces of white slip.

Collection of Alfred Speelman (1907-2004).

Lot 833. A bronze ritual wine vessel, hu, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8); 12in (30.5cm) high. Estimate US$ 3,000 - 5,000 (€ 2,700 - 4,500). Courtesy Bonhams.

The rounded baluster-form body rising to a gently waisted neck with a flared galleried mouth, supported on a low pedestal foot ring, the sides of the body encircled by three raised bands, the shoulder set with a pair of opposing taotie masks suspending loose rings, the surfaces with polished ferrous, azurite and malachite encrustation.

Provenance: A New York private collection, acquired prior to 1999 

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art.  New York, 9 September 2019

lOT 627. A small grey and buff jade figural pendant, Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8).1 3/8 in. (3.6 cm.) high. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019.

The pendant is carved as a standing figure wearing a long, wide-sleeved robe and a hat, and is pierced on each side through the waist. The now opaque jade is of grey and buff color.. 

Provenance: J. T. Tai & Co., New York, 1964.
Arthur M. Sackler Collections.
Else Sackler.
Elizabeth A. Sackler.

Note: Compare the similarly rendered jade figure of a man dated to the Han dynasty, 2nd-1st century BC and of comparable small size (3.9 cm.) illustrated by Jessica Rawson in Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, p. 285, fig. 19:7.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 13 September 2019.

Lot 810. An gold 'mask' plaque, Eastern Han dynasty (25--220). Height 2 3/4  in., 7 cm. Estimate USD 8,000 — 12,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the gold sheet hammered with repoussé and cut-out details, the circular face with openwork eyes and mouth, a broad nose, pronounced cheeks and forehead, and oval ears, framed by openwork curls on all sides and a rosette surrounded by further curls at the chest, stand (2).

Provenance: Collection of Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939).
Collection of Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964), acquired circa 1939, and thence by descent.

Lot 808. A gilt-bronze 'mythical beast' weight, Han-Six Dynasties. Length 2 1/4  in., 5.7 cm. Estimate USD 30,000 — 50,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

crouching with the muscular body twisting sharply and the head turned to one side, the face with a menacing expression with the mouth open, the lips curling back in a snarl, and the eyes wide, a pair of ridged horns pressing against the neck, tufts of fur covering the body and sweeping outward from the elbows, a pair of feathered wings tucked against the torso, wood stand (2).

Provenance: Von Bergen Auction, Scranton, 1958.
Collection of Robert L. Shalkop (b. 1922), and thence by descent.

Note: The present chimera-form weight has a richly textured coat and an animated expression that characterizes cast-bronze animal-form figures in the Han to Six Dynasties period. Bronze weights of this type include a pair in the collection of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (coll. no. B60B808 and B60B821); one from the Schoenlicht Collection and another from the Stoclet Collection, both illustrated in H. F. E. Visser, Asiatic Art, New York, 1952, pl. 68; one from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Bernat exhibited in Art of the Six Dynasties, China Institute, New York, 1975, cat. no. 39; one exhibited in Ancient Chinese and Ordos Bronzes, Oriental Ceramic Society and Hong Kong Museum of Art, New York, 1990, cat. no 117; and a more elaborate version illustrated in Arts of Ancient China, J. J. Lally & Co., March-April 2006, cat. no. 18. Compare also examples sold at auction, including one from the collection of S. E. Monsieur Jean Daridan, sold in our London rooms, 11th December 1979, lot 49; one sold in these rooms, 7th November 1980, lot 9; and two from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Bull, sold in these rooms, 6th December 1983, lot 59 and 61.

Lot 213. A rare gilt-bronze finial, Han - Six Dynasties. Length 2 1/4  in., 5.7 cm. Estimate USD 6,000 — 8,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

cast in the form of a phoenix head, detailed with hooked beak forming a small loop, large protruding eyes and small ears pinned back, all surmounted by a large crest, the hollow cylindrical socket slightly tapered with a lipped rim, wood stand (2).

Provenance: Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

Note: Compare a related gilt-bronze finial, cast in the form of a dragon head, from Han to Six Dynasties period, from the Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Bull Collection, sold in these rooms, 6th December 1983, lot 55; and another from the collection of Ch. Vignier, exhibited in Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst, Berlin, 1929, cat. no. 92; one without gilding, modeled with a bird head, in the British Museum, London, published in Orvar Karlbeck, 'Selected Objects from Ancient Shou-chou', Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, no. 27, Stockholm, 1955, pl. 42, fig. 5; and a larger bronze bird-head finial, set with a small loop, from the Han dynasty, exhibited in op. cit., Berlin, 1929, cat. no. 66.

Lot 735. A large and rare pair of painted gray pottery figures, Northern Wei dynasty (386-534). Height of taller 25 1/2  in., 64.8 cm. Estimate USD 50,000 — 70,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

each slender figure modeled in high relief, standing with hands clasped, wearing a full jacket with wide sleeves terminating in elegantly undulating folds, a breastplate with buckled fasteners at the shoulders, voluminous trousers falling in rhythmic pleats puddling at the base revealing the pointed tips of shoes, the head gently bowed and the face sensitively modeled, the benign expression articulated with finely incised features, one figure with a small frontal cap, the other with a tall hat textured simulating stiff gauze, the reverse flat-backed, traces of pigment (2).

Provenance: Collection of Russell M. Tyson (1867-1963).
Gifted to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, in 1943 (acc. nos 1943.1137 and 1943.1138).

Note: The present pair of rare flat-backed figures exemplify the elegant artistry that marked the latter period of the Northern Wei dynasty, when the capital city moved from Datong to Luoyang in 494. Figural sculpture of the late 5th and early 6th century shifted from a somewhat static, simplified aesthetic to one imbued with more Central Asian influence manifesting fuller three-dimensionality of form, starkly different use of proportion, and greater overall attention to detail. There is an emphasis on frontal articulation which seems to be inspired by stone and metalwork Buddhist imagery of the period. Additionally, these figures feature a wide range of extravagant apparel resulting in a distinctive mix of Xianbei Tuoba and traditional Han-style clothing, hairstyles and headwear. A variety of new headdresses are featured during this period. For instance, the tall hat with visor and 'ear muffs' seen on one of the present figures is discussed in Ezekiel Schloss, Ancient Chinese Ceramic Sculpture, vol. I, Stamford, 1977, p. 155, who notes that this style of hat was worn by both male and female members of the aristocracy. It is also possible that it denotes military officers, as suggested in the catalogue to the exhibition China. Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2004, p. 234, where a ceramic head with a similar hat, recovered from the Yongning temple, Luoyang, is published, cat. no. 130d.  Whereas the smaller forward-tilting cap or guan, is traditional Chinese court attire, prominently poised atop and secured to a topknot, and only used by men.  

Two nearly identical figures to the present pair from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts were exhibited and illustrated in Art of the Six Dynasties, China Institute of America, New York, 1975, cat. no. 23. In the accompanying entry, Annette Juliano suggests that with their flattened backs, the figures were attached to a wall, possibly functioning as guardian figures and flanking an entranceway (ibid., p. 49), similar to figures both painted and in low relief illustrated in Annette Juliano, 'Teng-Hsien: An Important Six Dynasties Tomb', Artibus Asiae, Ascona, 1980, figs 54-56. Whether guardians or civil officials, these figures are high-ranking attendants modeled in a formal pose and of great symbolic importance.

A single figure of this type of the same dimensions wearing the smaller type of courtier cap from the Avery Brundage Collection is in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, illustrated in René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Sculpture: the Avery Brundage Collection, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Tokyo, 1974, pl. 51. Another of this same form from the collection of Earl and Irene Morse, illustrated in Spirit and Ritual, The Morse Collection of Ancient Chinese Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1982, cat. no. 24 was sold in these rooms, 24th March 1998, lot 551. This figure, like the pair in the Minneapolis Museum of Art, grasps a long sword indicating that the present pair also may have once had swords. A related group of flat-backed figures, comprised of two torsos and six heads, excavated at Yongningsi, Luoyang, Henan and exhibited in China Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD, op. cit., cat. nos 129 and 130, is also considered to have originated as wall sculpture and possibly in place as early as 419 when a visit by the temple’s patron, the Dowager Empress Hu, is recorded (ibid., pp 233-234)

Similar pottery figures are more commonly found modeled in the round. While usually of smaller dimension, larger examples of the same size of the present pair are known. A similar pair of this type is in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, and illustrated in Homage to Heaven, Homage to Earth, Chinese Treasures of the Royal Ontario Museum, Hong Kong, 1992, pl. 73. See also a figure wearing the tall style of headdress sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd April 2019, lot 3005 and an example with the smaller cap, illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol. I, Tokyo, 1975, pl. 155, and sold in these rooms 19th March 2013, lot 18.

Lot 848. A rare well-carved white marble figure of a pensive bodhisattva, Sui dynasty (AD 581-618); 8 ¼ in. (21 cm.) high. 1 3/8 in. (3.6 cm.) high. Estimate 60,000 - USD 80,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019.

The bodhisattva is shown seated in a pensive pose, with the right leg drawn up to support his elbow and the left hand holding a sacred petal-shaped object. The body is draped with long bead necklaces, and the head is backed by a lotus-form aureole with floral scroll border, hongmu stand, Japanese wood box. 

Provenance: In Japan prior to 1995.
Kochukyo, Tokyo, 2006.

Literature: Matsubara Saburo, Chugoku Chokokushi ron (The Path of Chinese Buddhist Sculpture), Tokyo, vol. 2, 1995, pl. 532b.

Note: This finely carved white marble figure represents a pensive, or contemplative, bodhisattva, termed Banjia Siwei Pusa Xiang in Chinese. This posture originates in the Gandharan region during the Kushan period, and was first introduced to China during the fifth and sixth centuries. This type of pensive bodhisattva image, shown with one-leg-crossed, is usually identified as Maitreya, and became a very popular representation from the second quarter of the fifth century into the Sui period. A slightly larger carved stone pensive bodhisattva dated Northern Zhou (AD 557-581) is illustrated by S. Mizuno, Chugoku Ho Chokoku (Bronze and stone sculpture of China: from the Yin to the Tang dynasty), Tokyo, 1960, p. 64. See, also, p. 65, for a similar carved marble pensive bodhisattva with a lotus-form aureole dated Northern Qi (AD 550-577) in the Freer Gallery of Art. Two seated stone bodhisattva with similar expressions and of comparable size, dated Sui dynasty (AD 581-618), are in the Shanghai Museum and the Eisei Bunko Museum, both illustrated by Matsubara Saburo, Chugoku Chokokushi ron (The Path of Chinese Buddhist Sculpture), Tokyo, vol. 2, 1995, pl. 532a and c.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 13 September 2019

Lot 854. Asancai glazed pottery figure of a camel, Tang dynasty (618-907); 15in (38.1cm) high. Estimate US$ 8,000 - 12,000 (€ 7,200 - 11,000). Courtesy Bonhams.

Finely modelled standing on a rectangular plinth, depicted with braying head, two humps and saddle, covered all over in a straw color glaze attractively accented with amber and camellia-leaf green. 

The dating of this lot is consistent with the results of an Oxford Authentication Thermoluminescence test, sample C202b32, dated 28 January 2003.

Lot 855. A sancai-glazed pottery model of a horse, Tang dynasty (618-907); 4 3/4in (37.5cm) high. Estimate US$ 15,000 - 20,000 (€ 14,000 - 18,000). Courtesy Bonhams.

Equipped in elaborate saddle and caparison, the stalwart equine standing four-square on a rectangular plinth holding its head slightly to his left, all surfaces but the base and hooves covered in a rich ocher liberally splashed in patches of green and cream glazes.

Provenance:  From an East Coast Private Collection
Acquired Thiel's Oriental Antiques and Works of Art, Los Angeles, 16 December 1978. 

The result of Daybreak Archaeometric Laboratory Services thermoluminescence test no. 389A267 dated 30 December 2000, is consistent with the dating of this lot.

Lot 856. A large sancai-glazed pottery guardian figure, Tang dynasty (618-907); 37 1/8in (94.5 cm) high. Estimate US$ 6,000 - 8,000 (€ 5,400 - 7,200). Courtesy Bonhams.

The imposing non-buddhist tomb heavenly king stands proudly on a recumbent ox, elegantly dressed in full armor, his leggings, breast plate and serpent-headed shoulder guards glazed in chestnut, cream and deep green, his left hand outstretched and right hand grasping a trident, his elaborate phoenix form helmet setting off his fierce, well modeled features.

The dating of this lot is consistent with the results of an Oxford Authentication Thermoluminescence test, sample C299h38, dated 28 November 1999. 

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art.  New York, 9 September 2019

Lot 247. An exceptionally rare gilt-bronze dragon, Six Dynasties (221-559). Length 5 1/2  in., 13.9 cm. Estimate USD 100,000 — 150,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

well cast in a striding posture, its arched body raised on four powerful limbs terminating in three-clawed paws, trailed by a long curling tail, the ferocious head detailed with a single horn above protruding eyes and a long upturned snout exposing its sharp fangs.

Provenance: Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

Note: The present dragon is notable for its arched body and lowered forearms, as if preparing to pounce. Only three other examples appear to be recorded. One from the Avery Brundage Collection, now in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, attributed to the end of Six Dynasties, is published in Réne-Yvon Lefebvre d'Argencé ed., Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sculpture in the Avery Brundage Collection, Tokyo, 1974, pl. 28; the second in the Bristol City Art Gallery, attributed to probably Wei dynasty, is illustrated in P.J. Donnelly, The Animal in Chinese Art, London, 1968, pl. I-c; the third attributed to the Han dynasty, was sold in our London rooms, 2nd December 1974, lot 31. 

Another type of gilt-bronze dragon from the Six Dynasties, characterized by the slender form and striding posture, include one from the collection of Stephen Junkunc, III, sold in these rooms, 19th March 2019, lot 116; one from the Grenville L. Winthrop Collection, now in the Harvard Art Museums, included in the exhibition, Grenville L. Winthrop: Retrospective for a Collector, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969, cat. no. 54; one in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, illustrated in Ross E. Taggart ed., Handbook of the Collection in the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Kansas City, Missouri, 1959, p. 176 (bottom right); and three reputedly discovered at the Jincun tombs in Luoyang, Henan province, in 1928 and documented by Bishop William Charles White in his book Tombs of Old Lo-yang, Shanghai, 1934, pl. LIV, no. 133.

Other related examples include a gilt-bronze dragon with finely incised scales detailing the body and a thin serrated edge following the spine, formerly in the collection of Frederick Mayer, included in the exhibition Mostra d'arte cinese [Exhibition of Chinese art], Venice, 1954, cat. no. 159, and subsequently sold at Christie's London, 24th-25th June 1974, lot 143; one exhibited in Animals and Animal Designs in Chinese Art, Eskenazi, London, 1998, cat. no. 15; a larger example without gilt, included in the exhibition Six Dynasties Art from the Norman A. Kurland Collection, Eskenazi, London, 2018, cat. no. 10; and another modeled with the head and right forearm raised, in the Princeton University Art Museum, exhibited in Art of the Six Dynasties, China House Gallery/China Institute in America, 1975, cat. no. 38.

For Tang dynasty examples, see a slightly larger gilt-bronze dragon, modeled in a striding stance, with finely incised scales and a serrated dorsal fin, exhibited in Gilded Dragons. Buried Treasures from China's Golden Ages, British Museum, London, cat. no. 53, together with one supported on its forearms, excavated in Caochangpo, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, cat. no. 52; a larger example modeled in a climbing pose, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, exhibited in Arts of the T'ang Dynasty, Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, 1957, cat. no. 102; a smaller example with a simpler casting, in the Metropolitan Museum of art, acc. no. 30.37.2; and another from the Szekeres Collection, exhibited in Chinese Art: The Szekeres Collection, J.J. Lally & Co., New York, 2019, cat. no. 30.

Sotheby's. Junkunc: Arts of Ancient China II, New York, 10 September 2019

Lot 203. A very rare parcel-gilt silver box and cover, Tang dynasty (618-907). Diameter 2 1/4  in., 5.8 cm. Estimate USD 20,000 — 30,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

delicately fashioned in a six-lobed form, the domed cover finely decorated to the top in repoussé and parcel-gilt with a ferocious lion grasping in its mouth and powerful foreclaws a fallen deer, the box similarly decorated to the underside with a lion pouncing on a deer (2).

Provenance: Frank Caro, successor to C.T. Loo, New York, 9th January 1964.
Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

Note: The present box belongs to a small group of high quality Tang dynasty silver wares characterized by the decoration of parcel-gilt animals in repoussé against a plain ground, a style which the can possibly be traced to the much earlier Scythian culture from the Siberian region. See a parcel gilt-silver vase currently in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, discovered in Kul'Oba, an ancient Scythian burial tomb near Kerch, northern Black Sea region, from the 4th century B.C., similarly decorated around the exterior in repoussé and parcel-gilt with scenes of animal combat, including lions preying on a deer and boar, exhibited in Scythians Warriors of Ancient Siberia, The British Museum, London, 2017, cat. no. 208.

Lot 205. An exceptional and rare beige and brown jade camel, Tang dynasty (618-907). Width 2 3/8  in., 6 cm. Estimate USD 200,000 — 300,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

naturalistically carved, the coiled recumbent animal depicted with the long neck elegantly curved to rest its head gently on its fore hump, its face well defined with a lipped mouth, flared nostrils and rounded eyes, its pointed ears swept back, the raised spine extending across the body, the softly polished stone with extensive russet brown veining.

Provenance: Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

Note: This endearing figure of a camel is exquisitely rendered in a lifelike manner. The animal is lying, curled in a tranquil pose, the long neck coiled and the head resting on the fore hump. The round pebble chosen for this subject was used in a highly effective way, with the natural veins highlighted by narrow striations to suggest fur and the head and face defined by simple incisions.

The present figure belongs to a select group of jade camels portrayed in this particular curled pose. Characteristic of these figures is the rounded shape and the sparse surface decoration, however the underside of the figures are sometimes more defined.

The coiled position appears to be known from earlier jade animal figures. Compare a model of a feline from the Han dynasty, similarly depicted, with minimal adornment, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum, London, 1995, pl. 26:4.  

Traditionally linked with the Tang dynasty and the Silk Road routes, camels are more commonly portrayed in ceramic as majestic figures carrying foreigners or loaded with precious goods.  Naturally, they were associated with luxury and with the exotic, thus conferring status and wealth to their owners.

A jade camel from the Avery Brundage Collection was preserved in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, included in the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, The Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 39, together with three other camels, recumbent, but in different positions: cat. no. 40 from the Brian McElney Collection, attributed to the Tang dynasty or earlier, cat. no. 41 from the collection of Victor Shaw and cat. no. 42 from the Guan-fu Collection, the latter two attributed to the tenth century. See also three jade camels in the Seattle Art Museum, illustrated in James C. Y. Watt, Chinese Jades from the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1989, nos 32a-c, Six Dynasties to Tang, Tang or earlier and Tang to Ming dynasty respectively attributed.

A curled-up camel figure in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese Jade throughout the Ages, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1975, cat. no. 201, together with  a larger example from the collection of Dr. Paul Singer, cat. no. 202, both attributed to the Tang dynasty. Another example from the collection of Sze Tak Tang, attributed to the Tang dynasty or earlier, is included in the exhibition catalogue, Zhongguo Yudiao/Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 128. Compare also a jade camel figure with its legs tucked under its body, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition, op. cit., cat. no. 258, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Bull, sold in these rooms, 6th December 1983, lot 212.

Sotheby's. Junkunc: Arts of Ancient China II, New York, 10 September 2019

Lot 209. An exceptionally rare gilt-bronze figure of Laojun, Tang dynasty (618-907). Height 3 3/4  in., 9.7 cm. Estimate USD 50,000 — 70,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

finely cast seated cross-legged with a tripod armrest encircling the front half of the torso, wearing a small scholar's cap, the face with a sincere expression and a pointed beard, the body clothed in an interior garment tied at the chest, with an outer robe open and hanging in creased folds, the hands atop the armrest and the proper right hand holding a fan, all supported on an integral waisted octagonal base.

Provenance: Nagatani Inc., Chicago, 2nd November 1953.
Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

Note: The present figure, portrayed with a full beard and a distinctive hat, holding a fan in his right hand, while his left arm rests on a three-legged armrest, appears to depict Laojun or Daode Tianzun (Celestial Worthy of the Way and Its Virtue), one of the three highest Gods in the Daoist pantheon, together with Yuanshi Tianjun (Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning) and Lingbao Tianzun (Celestial Lord of the Spiritual Treasures), forming the Three Purities. 

In Daoist beliefs, Laojun incarnated as the renowned Chinese philosopher Laozi to advocate Daoism. While the first mention of Laozi is found in the Shiji (Records of Historians) by Sima Qian, depictions of the deity in sculptural form did not appear until the 2nd and 3rd century AD. It is also in this period that Laozi began to be regarded as the central deity of the cosmos. The collapse of the Han dynasty had a great impact on the development of Daoism, as it turned from a philosophical current into a religion with a specific set of beliefs and practices. The transformation is attributed in part to the spiritual leader Zhang Daoling, who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty, and claimed to have had a revelation of the deified Laozi who ordered him to organize his devotees into a movement, which later came to be known as the Tianshi Dao (The Way of the Celestial Masters).  

Compare two similar gilt-bronze Daoist figures from the Tang dynasty, each modeled with the same full beard, hat and three-legged armrest, illustrated in Saburo Matsubara, Chinese Buddhist Sculpture. A Study Based on Bronze and Stone Statues other than from Cave Temples, Tokyo, 1966, p. 312, figs. c and d. See also a stone figure of Laozi, similarly depicted and also holding a fan, attributed to the Tang dynasty, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Cologne, exhibited in Taoism and the Arts of China, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 2000, cat. no. 39; and two stone steles, each carved with Tianzun portrayed in a similar manner in the middle flanked by two attendants, one dated by inscription to the 2nd year of Linde, corresponding to 665, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the other dated either to 694 or 703, in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., published in Osvald Sirén, Chinese Sculpture from the Fifth to the Fourteenth Century, vol. III, New York, 1925, pls. 386A and B.

Sotheby's. Junkunc: Arts of Ancient China II, New York, 10 September 2019

Lot 221. A magnificent and rare gilt-bronze silver-lined stem cup, Tang dynasty (618-907). Height 2 1/2  in., 6.5 cm. Estimate USD 100,000 — 150,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

with shallow rounded sides rising to a flared rim, encircled by a raised ring dividing the cup into two sections, the upper section meticulously engraved with a band of upright petals enclosing birds and flower sprays, lower section decorated with a band of leaf-shaped petals enclosing flower scrolls and a further band of petals containing florets, the tall spreading stem foot similarly decorated with bands of petals centered by a raised foliage ring, all against a finely executed ring-punched ground, the interior and base with silver liner.

Provenance: Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

Note: Sumptuously decorated, the present stem cup exemplifies the luxuriant use of gilt-bronze and silver tableware during the Tang dynasty. The form finds its origins in Sassanian and Byzantine drinking goblets and chalices, which entered the repertoire of Chinese artisans during the Tang dynasty, who produced the form in both silver and gilt-bronze. The shape would later appear in stoneware and, eventually, porcelain. Compare a Sassanian beaten silver stem cup illustrated in Margaret Medley, Metalwork and Chinese Ceramics, London, 1972, pl. 5a, and a Byzantine silver-gilt example in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc. no. 1986.3.3. A drawing of a fragment of a Sassanian silver-gilt stem cup, missing its stem, with a petal band below a bird design is illustrated in Bo Gyllensvärd, 'T'ang Gold and Silver', The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities Bulletin, no. 29, Stockholm, 1957, fig. 25n. 

Lot 227. A superb and rare silvered-metal 'Mandarin ducks' bowl, Tang dynasty (618-907). Diameter 4 1/8  in., 10.3 cm. Estimate USD 50,000 — 70,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the shallow rounded sides rising from a flat base to a flared rim, the exterior meticulously decorated with a finely chased and engraved design of four pairs of mandarin ducks, divided by leafy lotus sprays issuing from a ring of connected ruyi heads, enclosing a formalized quatrilobed flower head centering the base, all against a very fine circle-punched ground.

Provenance: Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

Note: This exquisitely fashioned bowl is among the finest examples of metalwork made by Chinese artisans during the Tang dynasty. Bowls of this particular form and design appear to be very rare. Compare a related gilt-silver bowl of the same shape and size, but decorated with a pair of parrots and mandarin ducks, excavated in Hejia village, Henan province, currently in the Shaanxi History Museum, exhibited in Selected Treasures from Hejiacun Tang Hoard, Shaanxi History Museum, Shaanxi, 2003, cat. no. 69. 

A related silver bowl of a larger size, decorated with various animals from the Carl Kempe Collection, was included in the exhibition Chinese Gold, Silver and Porcelain. The Kempe Collection, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1971, cat. no. 45, and later sold in our London rooms, 14th May 2008, lot 44. See also a gilt-silver bowl of a related shape with a flat base and a flared rim, but decorated around the side with lotus petals and to the interior with a pair of lions, exhibited in Cultural Relics Unearthed during the Period of the Great Cultural Revolution, vol. 1, Beijing, 1973, p. 55; and another slightly larger silver bowl, decorated with mythical beasts and birds, sold in these rooms, 4th December 1984, lot 69.

Sotheby's. Junkunc: Arts of Ancient China II, New York, 10 September 2019

Lot 236. An exceedingly rare gilt-bronze dragon head-form fitting, Tang dynasty (618-907). Length 2 1/2  in., 6.3 cm. Estimate USD 80,000 — 120,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

superbly cast in a tapered rectangular form with a hollow interior, the striking mythical beast head powerfully rendered with a gently curled single horn above large rounded eyes and a long upturned pointed snout exposing its sharp fangs, the mane finely detailed with neatly incised lines.

Note: Modeled with bulging eyes, menacing teeth and a ferocious expression, in which the dynamism and vigor of the dragon are conveyed to the full extent, the present lot belongs to a very small group of dragon head-form fittings, among which gilt-bronze examples of this fine quality are extremely rare. See a related gilt-bronze dragon head fitting of a slightly larger size, modeled with an extended rectangular socket, sold in our London rooms, 12th December 1989, lot 116; and another without the extended socket, offered in our London rooms, 10th December 1985, lot 35. 

Lot 833. A massive painted grey pottery figure of a horse, Tang dynasty (618-907); 33 in. (83.8 cm.) high. Estimate 60,000 - USD 80,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019.

The horse is shown standing foursquare on a rectangular base with the head turned slightly to the left. The head is sensitively modeled with alert expression and the ears pricked. There are extensive traces of red pigment and white slip on the unsaddled body. 

Property from the Collection of Frederick A. and Sharon L. Klingenstein

Provenance: Eskenazi Ltd., London, 1989.

Note: Horses in China during the Tang dynasty were admired for their speed and intelligence, and not only were they important in the realms of travel and war, they also played a significant role in the leisurely activities of the nobility. The Tang nobilities were legendary for their love of horses, so much so that the court passed a law in 667 that allowed only members of the elite to ride. Noble families might own literally thousands of horses, with different types for use in the cavalry, for hunting and polo. The present figure is exceptional for its massive size, powerful modeling and sensitively rendered head with distinctive alert expression. Painted pottery horses of this large size appear most often without trappings, most likely so that they could be outfitted with materials that have long since perished. For another example of this type, see the large pottery horse lacking trappings sold in these rooms, 24 March 2004, lot 129.

Lot 834. A sancai-glazed pottery tripod jar and a cover, Tang dynasty (618-907); 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm.) high. Estimate 30,000 - USD 50,000. © Christie's Image Ltd 2019. 

The jar of globular form, is covered with a rich, lustrous sancai glaze which stops short of the rounded base, and is supported on three lion-form feet. The flat cover has a bud-form finial.  

Property from the Collection of Frederick A. and Sharon L. Klingenstein.

Provenance: The Hardy Collection of Early Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art from the Sze Yuan Tang; Christie's New York, 21 September 1995, lot 92.
Eskenazi Ltd., London, 1995.

Jan Sadeler (Flemish, 1550-1600), after Dirck Barendsz (Netherlandish, 1534-1592). Hell, late 16th century. Engraving. Gift of Walter Melion and John Clum.

ATLANTA, GA.- The Michael C. Carlos Museum presents Through a Glass, Darkly: Allegory and Faith in Netherlandish Prints from Lucas van Leyden to Rembrandt, on view from August 31 through December 1, an exhibition of 90 prints from artists such as Lucas van Leyden, Hendrick Goltzius, Jan Sadeler, and Rembrandt. 

From 1500-1700, printmakers in the Low Countries were, as a group, the most skilled and prolific in all of Europe, and prints, often combined with text, played an important role in Netherlandish religious culture during this period. Printmakers utilized allegory, the metaphorical substitution of one set of images, objects, and ideas for another, to address the most fundamental issues binding the human and the divine—love, virtue, vice, sin, death, and salvation—as well as the post-Reformation religious turmoil that consumed the Low Countries. 

Through a Glass, Darkly will be the first major exhibition to systematically consider the form, function, and meaning of allegorical prints produced in the Low Countries during the 16th and 17th centuries. Contemporary viewers will find themselves face to face with highly affective allegorical images, on the same journey towards understanding that the images’ intended audience would have undertaken. Though specific to the Low Countries during the 16th and 17th centuries, a period when understanding allegory was crucial to knowing God’s truth, Through a Glass, Darkly speaks more broadly to the communicative power of allegory and the way meaning is generated, conveyed, and interpreted. 

The Carlos Museum invites the community to learn more about the art and culture of the Low Countries through public programs such as a two-day engraving workshop with artist Andrew Raftery of the RISD Museum on November 2-3, a genever tasting with expert Steef Schelke on November 14, and Sunday FUNday: Drypoint Etching on November 24 as well as lectures and a gallery talk.

Dirk Vellert (Flemish, 1480-1547). The Calling of Saints Andrew and Peter, 1523. Engraving. John Howett Fund and museum purchase in honor of Margaret Shufeldt.© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University. Photo by Bruce M. White, 2011.

A fully illustrated catalogue with essays by exhibition curators Walter S. Melion, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Art History and director of the Bill and Carol Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Emory University, and James Clifton, director of the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation and curator of Renaissance and Baroque painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, will be available for purchase at the museum bookshop.

This exhibition has been made possible through generous support from the Michael C. Carlos Museum Visiting Board, the Massey Charitable Trust, the Art Dealers Association of America Foundation, and the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York.

Dirck Voklertsz Coornhert (Netherlandish, 1522-1590), after Martin van Heemskerck (Netherlandish, 1498-1574). Man Protected by the Shield of Faith, 1559. Engraving. Gift of Walter Melion and John Clum

Lot 233. A  very rare gilt-metal 'Guardian Kings' box and cover, Tang-Liao dynasty (618-1125). Length 2 1/2  in., 6.3 cm. Estimate USD 50,000 — 70,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

of rectangular form, finely engraved to the top and bottom with the Four Guardian Kings standing on rockwork, including one holding a stupa and another holding a sword, all against a finely executed ring-punched ground, the sides with ring-punched lozenge patterns (2).

Provenance: Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

Note: Finely engraved with detailed armor and menacing faces, these four figures represent the Four Guardian Kings, who according to Buddhist philosophy, guard the four cardinal points of the world and protect the Buddhist Law (dharma). The four kings, who are believed to have been present at every critical moment in Buddha’s life including his birth and his attainment of nirvana, were originally placed on the four sides of stupas to guard the Buddhist relics inside. They include Virudhaka, ‘He who enlarges the kingdom’, the Guardian of the South; Dhrtarastra, ‘He who maintains the kingdom of the Law’, the Guardian of the East; Vaishravana, ‘He who is knowing’, the Guardian of the North; and Virupaksha, ‘He who observes all things in the kingdom’, the Guardian of the West. Each guardian is depicted as a fierce warrior, with eyes wide open and a muscular body visible through their armor, while their celestial nature is shown by their halos and flowing scarves.

Compare a parcel-gilt and silvered bronze reliquary box, from the Tang/Liao dynasty, engraved to the sides with the Guardian King of the North, depicted in a closely related style with very similar headdresses and leg armors in particular, sold in these rooms, 22nd September 2005, lot 32. See another Tang dynasty reliquary box, decorated in repoussé with engraved details around the exterior with four related Guardian Kings in a more elaborate style, discovered in the underground palace beneath Famen temple, Shaanxi province, published in Famensi digong Tang mimanchaluo zhi yanjiu[Study of Tang mandala from the underground palace of Famen temple], Hong Kong, 1998, pp 407 and 408. 

For a Liao dynasty depiction of the Guardian Kings, see a parcel-gilt silver plaque, decorated with the Guardian of the North seated on a pedestal, published in Pierre Uldry, Chinesische Gold und Silber, Zurich, 1994, pl. 262. Stylistically, the Guardian Kings on the present lot can also be compared to a pair of guardians painted on a wood door excavated from a Liao dynasty tomb in Bairin Right Banner, Inner Mongolia, each depicted in a related style standing on a rockwork with their heads backed by a circular halo, exhibited in Qidan wangchao: Neimenggu Liaodai wenwu jinghua [Treasures of the Liao dynasty from Inner Mongolia], National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing, 2002, p. 65; and a small gilt-bronze funerary door, decorated with a standing guardian holding a sword, unearthed at a Liao tomb in Balizuo Banner, Inner Mongolia, exhibited in Empires Beyond the Great Wall. The Heritage of Genghis Khan, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, 1993, p. 116, fig. 75 (right).

Sotheby's. Junkunc: Arts of Ancient China II, New York, 10 September 2019