Lot 392. A famille-rose 'Hundred bats' vase, Guangxu mark and period (1875-1908). Height 13 1/4 in., 33.7 cm. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 USD. Lot sold 35,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's

with a broad pear-shaped body rising to a cylindrical, slightly tapered neck, painted overall with iron-red bats flitting amid multi-colored clouds, between a lappet band around the foot and a ruyi band around the rim, six-character mark in iron red.

Note: Technical innovation and finesse in porcelain production were both expected and encouraged during the Qianlong emperor's reign. Therefore it is not surprising that revolving vases appear to have been introduced during this time, under the supervision of Tang Ying, the ingenious supervisor of the imperial factory, who raised the standard of Jingdezhen porcelain to its highest level. Revolving vases such as the present lot are amongst the most complicated porcelain produced in Jingdezhen and would have been the perfect demonstration of the technical virtuosity of the craftsmen at Jingdezhen.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, New York, 11 september 2012

Lot  398. A large pair of famille-rose vases, Qing dynasty, 19th century. Height 25 1/4 in., 64.3 cm. Estimate 12,000 — 18,000 USD. Lot sold 15,000 USD. Photo Sotheby's

each of almost cylindrical form tapering towards the foot and rising to a high angled shoulder, surmounted by a trumpet neck with everted, lipped rim, enameled in a subtle famille-rose palette with a lively depiction of artists, poets and sages engaged in scholarly pursuits amidst foliage, rockwork and pavilions below a band of confronting dragons on a stippled ground with a pair of applied lion-mask handles, the neck with further scenes below a ruyi band (2). 

Lot  396. A famille-rose circular box and cover, Republican period (1912-1949). Diameter 8 3/4 in. 22.2 cm. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 USD. Lot sold 8,750 USD. Photo Sotheby's

the cover painted with five boys in a mock procession, one riding a ram and holding a ruyi, the others all holding objects symbolic of scholarly success and good fortune, with three bats hovering overhead, the rim decorated with a floral scroll, repeated on the rim of the box, above evenly spaced leafy branches of the 'Three Abundances', the base centered with a iron-red mark reading linzhi chengxiang (the qilin's footprints foretell good fortune) (2). 

Provenance: Acquired in China in the 1960s and thence by descent.

David Drake (ca. 1801–1870s). Stony Bluff Manufactory (Edgefield District, South Carolina). Storage jar, 1858. Alkaline-glazed stoneware. H: 22 5/8 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Ronald S. Kane Bequest, in memory of Berry B. Tracy, 2020.

NEW YORK, NY.- The Metropolitan Museum of Art has purchased a rare stoneware storage jar by the enslaved African American potter and poet David Drake (ca. 1801–1870s), it was announced today. Made at the Stony Bluff Manufactory pottery site in Old Edgefield District, South Carolina, in 1858, the alkaline-glazed vessel is signed, dated, and inscribed by Drake. There are currently approximately 40 known "poem vessels" signed or attributed to him.

"This acquisition celebrates the importance of David Drake and his creation of extraordinary, impressive, poetic objects. This vessel is truly transformative for our collection, as it will enable us to present a more nuanced and complex narrative not only of the Edgefield stoneware industry and the contributions of the enslaved potters, but of slavery in the American South," said Max Hollein, Director of The Met.

"Drake's masterwork is the kind of powerful object that helps us reckon with America's complicated past in truthful and inclusive ways," commented Sylvia Yount, the Lawrence A. Fleischman Curator in Charge of the American Wing.

"David Drake was the only literate enslaved African American potter with a known body of work in this country. This remarkable jar, which bears a date, signature, and an original 4-line verse by Drake, was made a few years before the Civil War, during a time when it was illegal for enslaved African Americans to read or write. Signing and inscribing the jug was both a bold act of creativity and a declaration of authorship on Drake's part," noted Adrienne Spinozzi, Assistant Research Curator of Decorative Arts in the American Wing, who is currently organizing an exhibition on this material.

Vast quantities of utilitarian vessels—such as bowls, crocks, jugs, jars, pitchers, churns—were made in Edgefield, South Carolina, the center of the 19th-century alkaline-glazed stoneware industry in the American South. Drake wares stand apart due to their monumental size and textual embellishments. The Met's example measures just over 22 ½ inches (57.5 cm) in height, with a capacity of about 25 gallons (94.6 liters). The large size and graceful form of the storage jug reveal the artist's strength and dexterity as a potter and his exceptional facility with stoneware.

The inscription reads: "this jar is to Mr Segler who keeps the bar in orangeburg / for Mr Edwards a Gentle man — who formly kept / Mr thos bacons horses / April 21 1858"
[on opposite shoulder] "when you fill this Jar with pork or beef / Scot will be there; to get a peace, - / Dave" [and 25 slashes]

The verse—the longest known poem by this potter—serves as a portal into Drake's 19th-century milieu. Notably, some of the individuals and places inscribed on the jar have been identified, and the vessel's utilitarian purpose clearly stated—to fill with pork or beef—a reference to the likely intended use for food storage on a plantation.

This important example of Drake's work comes from the private collection of Dr. Arthur and Esther Goldberg, long-time supporters of the American Wing. Funding for the purchase was provided by the Estate of Ronald Kane.

Selections from the Goldbergs' noted American stoneware collection were exhibited at The Met in 1985. Examples of Drake's poem vessels can also be found at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Smithsonian Institution; High Museum of Art; and the Charleston Museum, among others.

Currently on view in the American Wing's "Civil War and Reconstruction Eras and Legacies" gallery (Gallery 762), the vessel will be featured in The Met's upcoming exhibition on Edgefield stoneware, scheduled for early 2022.

Storage Jar, 1859. Made by David Drake (Dave the Potter), American, 1800 - c. 1870. Made at the Lewis J. Miles Pottery (Miles Mill), Edgefield district, South Carolina, c. 1830 - 1879. Alkaline-glazed stoneware, 26 1/2 × 23 1/2 inches (67.3 × 59.7 cm). 125th Anniversary Acquisition. Purchased with funds contributed by Keith and Lauren Morgan and with the gifts (by exchange) of John T. Morris, Mrs. John D. Wintersteen, and the bequest of Maurice J. Crean, and with the Baugh-Barber Fund, the Haas Community Fund, and other Museum funds (by exchange), 1997. © 2020 Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Storage jar, 1857, Dave Drake (or Dave the Potter) (American, about 1800–about 1870). Made for: Lewis J. Miles Pottery, Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States. Stoneware with alkaline glaze. Height: 48.3 cm (19 in.);Diam.: 45.1 cm (17 3/4 in.). Harriet Otis Cruft Fund and Otis Norcross Fund, 1997.10. © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Jar Made by "Dave", 1862-05-03, United States: South Carolina, Lewis Miles Plantation. Stoneware 20 1/2 in x 18 in; 52.07 cm x 45.72 cm, National Museum of American History, 1996.0344.01. © Smithsonian Institution.

Storage Jar by David Drake (c. 1781 – c. 1870), 1858, Edgefield County, South Carolina. Alkaline-glazed stoneware.HOA: 24 1/4”, WOA: 22”, DIA: 17 9/16”, MESDA Purchase Fund (4317). © MESDA, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Barrel-shaped blue-and-white stool, Ming dynasty, Wanli period, AD 1573–1620. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration, 46 x 34,5 cm, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. On loan from Sir Percival David Foundation, PDF B660. © The Trustees of the British Museum lent by kind permission of the Trustees of the Sir Percival David Foundation.

LONDON.- One of the largest porcelains in the Sir Percival David Collection held at the British Museum, a beautiful glazed blue and white garden seat dating from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), is set to tour the UK in 2020. This marks the first time that the seat has been lent to an external venue in the UK, presenting a rare opportunity to view the object outside of London as part of the British Museum’s National Programmes.

Travelling to museums in Manchester, Newcastle and Exeter, a variety of programming will be on offer at each venue to coincide with the British Museum Spotlight Loan, ranging from bespoke workshops to community engagement and lectures for university students. Each venue will display A Ming Emperor’s seat in a different context, ranging from the seat’s botanical connections to other cultures from around the world, utilising each museum’s own collections.

The garden seat was made for the court of the Wanli Emperor (r.1573–1620), one of the longest reigning of all the Ming dynasty emperors. Crafted in Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of China for over a thousand years, the seat gives an invaluable insight into Chinese court culture. Measuring nearly half a metre high, the large hollow seat may have been moved from inside court to the surrounding gardens, reflecting the needs of court life. The object features blue dragons surrounded by clouds, waves and a flaming jewel. Dense patterns of leaves and flowers ornament the sides which are pierced with intricate rings. The use of a dragon is significant because in China, dragons are used as an auspicious motif and as a shorthand symbol for the emperor himself. 

The Spotlight Loan follows on from the tenth anniversary of the arrival on long-term loan of the Sir Percival David Collection at the British Museum. During this ten-year period, the Spotlight Loan is only the second time that an object has been lent from the Sir Percival David Collection, following a loan of one of the ‘David’ vases to the Shanghai Museum in 2012. One of the foremost assemblages of Chinese ceramics in the world, the Collection comprises some 1,700 objects, primarily ceramics dating from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, spanning a thousand years. The businessman and philanthropist, Sir Percival David (1892–1964) built up this extraordinary collection between 1914 and 1960, and was eager for his love of Chinese ceramics to be shared with a broad audience.

Jessica Harrison-Hall, Head of China Section at the British Museum says: “Thanks to the generosity of the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, we are able to turn the spotlight on to this magnificent porcelain dragon seat and share it with three wonderful museums, their visitors, local and university communities.”

Maria Bojanowska, Dorset Foundation Head of National Programmes says: “'We are very excited to be working with museums across the UK to share the highlights of the British Museum's collection. This spectacular porcelain masterpiece will utterly enchant visitors and hopefully make new connections with the excellent Chinese collections at our partner museums.”

A British Museum Spotlight Loan A Ming Emperor’s seat will be on display at Manchester Museum from 7 February until 19 April 2020, Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle between 25 April and 19 July 2020 and at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter from 25 July until 18 October 2020. Generously supported by the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art.

Lot 8. A pair of blue and white garden seats, Ming dynasty, Wanli period (1573-1619); 36.5cm., 14 3/8 in. Estimate 30,000—40,000 GBP. Lot Sold 73,250 GBP. photo Sotheby's.

each of bombe rounded form with a lion mask handle applied to each side at the centre of the body, painted with a wide central band of peacocks amongst peony issuing from rockwork, between two bands of raised bosses, above a band of breaking waves at the base and below a band of shaped cloud collar panels of peony, the upper surface with four Buddhistic lions playing animatedly with brocade balls, around a central pierced roundel in the form of a coin.

Provenance: Christie's New York, 20^th September 2002, lot 318.

Note: A related seat, in the Shanghai Museum, is illustrated in Wang Qingzheng, Underglaze Blue and Red, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 231, fig. 5, and was included in the exhibition A L'ombre des Pins. Chefs-D'oeuvre D'art Chinois du Musee de Shanghai, Musees D'art et D'histoire, Geneva, 2004, cat. no. 120; and two further examples were sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 17^th May 1988, lot 135, and 17^th November 1975, lot 195.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, 12 may 2010

© Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Paris – Dans le cadre de la Semaine du Dessin, la maison Christie’s est heureuse de proposer cette année encore ses « Journées du Dessin » qui se dérouleront le 25 pour le dessin ancien et le 26 mars, pour les œuvres modernes sur papier. Elles précéderont les ventes d’art impressionniste et moderne, comprenant également la vente de la Collection de Greta Stroeh, « Hommage à Arp », le 26 mars.

Avec plus d’une centaine d’œuvres sur papier allant du XVI^e à la fin du XIX^e siècle, cette vacation de Dessins Anciens et du XIX^e siècle offre un riche panorama de la production artistique principalement en France, en Italie et dans les pays du Nord.

Hélène Rihal, Responsable du département Dessin ancien commente : « Cette année, nous aurons un bel ensemble d’œuvres italiennes de la dynastie des Tiepolo dont le père Giovanni Battista (1696-1770), comprenant un lavis brun représentant une Sainte famille (estimée €50,000-70,000) et le fils Giovanni Domenico (1727-1804), avec une feuille d’une grande fraîcheur de la série des Polichinelles. Référencée comme perdue dans la littérature, cette étude de Polichinelle avec enfants et cheval réapparaît aujourd’hui sur le marché en provenance de l’ancienne collection du commandant Paul-Louis Weiller (1893-1993), capitaine d’industrie et protecteur des arts.

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770), The Crowning with Thorns. Estimation : €80,000-120,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770), Tête d’un jeune homme regardant vers la gauche. Estimation : €70,000-100,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727-1804), Polichinelle avec enfants et cheval. Estimation : €200.000-300.000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Parmi les maitres flamands, nous proposerons une délicate pierre noire rehaussée de craie blanche sur papier bleu d’une grande finesse réalisée à Rome en 1639 par Peter Van Lindt (1609-1690 : l’Apollon du Belvédère, estimé€20,000-30,000 ; une scène mythologique Pluton et Eurydice (€20,000-30,000) de Hans Rottenhammer (1564-1625), ainsi qu’un ensemble de Trois larges projets d’arbres généalogiques (€10,000-15,000) de Erasmus Quellinus II (1607-1678), réalisé en vue d’une série gravée.

Côté français, la partie dédiée au XVIII^e siècle s’ouvrira avec une grande sanguine de François Boucher (1703-1770) représentant une Etude femme nue (estimée €80,000-120,000) qui appartient à une série d’académies de femmes qui font écho aux deux tableaux conservés au musée Gulbenkian de Lisbonne et au décor peint de l’hôtel de Soubise. Cette section présentera également une rapide petite esquisse de Femme au masque sur papier bleu dessinée par Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766), des Gentilhommes entourés d’un Pierrot (€20,000-30,000) par Claude Gillot (1673-1722), Une mère et un enfant par Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805) ou encore une esquisse par Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (1724-1780) estimée €6,000-8,000.

François Boucher (1703-1770), Une femme nue assise. Estimation : €80,000-120,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766), Femme au masque. Estimation : €10,000-15,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

La section XIX^e sera tout aussi riche de grands noms tels que William Bouguereau (1825-1905), Théodore Chassériau (1819-1856), avec un Groupe de cavaliers, estimé€8,000-12,000 ou encore Honoré Daumier (1808-1879), dessinateur et caricaturiste prolifique qui nous plonge dans le monde juridique de l’époque, ici avec la Caricature d’un procureur au tribunal, estimée €30,000-40,000.

Honoré Daumier (1808-1879), Caricature d'un juge au tribunal. Estimation : €30,000-40,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Dans le registre des œuvres orientalistes, on évoquera la redécouverte d’un large Portrait de jeune femme noire de Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) délicatement rehaussé d’or et d’une grande fraîcheur provenant directement de la famille de l’artiste, estimé€70,000-90,000. Enfin, également restés chez les descendants de l’artiste, seront présentés une série de paysages chinois dépeignant notamment Hong Kong, Macao et des vues d’Inde par le peintre voyageur Auguste Borget (1808–1877), réalisés dans les années 1840.

 Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), Portrait de jeune femme noire. Estimation : €70,000-90,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Vente Dessins anciens et du XIXe : Mercredi 25 mars à 15h
Exposition : Du 20 au 24 mars, 10h-18h, dimanche 22 mars, 14h-18h et le 25 mars, de 10h à 14h
Christie’s : 9 avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris

Lot 45. A rare early Mexican market blue and white jar, Wanli period, circa 1600; 14 ½ in. (36.8 cm.) high. Estimate USD 30,000 - USD 50,000. Price realised USD 193,750. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

With a large double-headed Augustinian eagle beneath a row of provincial buildings, lions and peacocks on the other panels.

Literature: William R. Sargent, Chinese Porcelain in the Conde Collection, Madrid, 2014, p.115.

Note: Philip II of Spain (r. 1556-98) granted the use of these Hapsburg arms to the Augustinian order based in the Philippines. W.S. Sargent, (Porcelains With the Arms of the Order of Saint Augustine, catalogue At The Crossroads, Denver Art Museum, 2012, pp. 53-66), notes that the Spanish Augustinians had outposts in Mexico, and points out that the distinctive architectural motif in their decoration bears a strong relationship to the colonial walled church compound architecture of Mexico. The Augustinians in particular utilized the distinctive espadana, or wall-belfry, Sargent explains. These colonial outposts were richly furnished, and, indeed, these churches were "criticized by other religous orders in the 17th century for...too lavish appointments" (Sargent, The International Asian Art Fair catalogue, March 2002, p. 15). 

Lot 10. A blue and white garlic-mouth vase, Transitional period, mid-17th century; 14 7/8 in. (37.7 cm.) high. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 8,000. Price realised USD 8,125. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Painted with a continuous scene of birds in flight amidst various flowering plants.

Property from the Collection of Peter Tcherepnine.

Lot 21. A rare blue and white two-handled vase, Transitional period, mid-17th century; 14 7/8 in. (37.7 cm.) high. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 8,000. Price realised USD 5,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

The globular body decorated on either side with scholars conversing in a garden between borders of lappets, the snake-form handles decorated with scattered clouds.

Property from the Collection of Peter Tcherepnine.

Lot 8. A blue and white baluster jar, 17th century; 11 ½ in. (29.2 cm.) high. Estimate USD 4,000 - USD 6,000. Price realised USD 6,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

In Delft style with octagonal form and a continuous scene of scholars in a landscape between leaf-tip and lotus-lappet borders.

Property from the Collection of Peter Tcherepnine.

Lot 1. A blue and white bottle vase, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 14 in. (35.5 cm.) high. Estimate USD 4,000 - USD 6,000. Price realised USD 18,750. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Painted in a lustrous cobalt blue with an overall pattern of dense lotus scroll, interrupted at the base of the neck by a border of zigzag flowerheads, this border repeated at the neck.

Christie’s. Chinese Export Art Featuring the Tibor Collection, Part II, New York, 23 January 2020

Lot 2. A set of three large blue and white vases and covers, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 14 in. (35.5 cm.) high. Estimate USD 7,000 - USD 10,000. Price realised USD 18,750. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Each decorated with three rows of molded panels alternating with potted flowers and court figures in landscapes and interiors.

Christie’s. Chinese Export Art Featuring the Tibor Collection, Part II, New York, 23 January 2020

Lot 4. A pair of blue and white ovoid jars and covers, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 11 ½ in. (29.2 cm.) high. Estimate USD 6,000 - USD 9,000. Price realised USD 6,000. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

The jars painted with floral sprays between foliate lappet borders, the domed covers painted with auspicious emblems.

Property from the Collection of Peter Tcherepnine. 

Christie’s. Chinese Export Art Featuring the Tibor Collection, Part II, New York, 23 January 202

Lot 13. A 'Chinese Imari''Soldier vase' and cover, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 53 in. (134.6 cm.) high, the porcelain. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. Price realised USD 43,750. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Exuberantly painted overall with two large phoenix hovering above flowering peony and chrysanthemum, elaborate planted jardinieres nearby, all beneath a deep lappet collar around the shoulders, the decoration repeated on the domed cover with gilt lion knop. Together with later European gilt bronze stand.

Note: Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), the porcelain-obsessed Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, traded Frederick the Great a regiment of dragoons for a collection of Chinese porcelain, including eighteen over-sized floor vases. Ever since, these towering Chinese porcelain vases have been known as 'dragoon vases' (dragonervasen) or 'soldier vases'. Extremely difficult to make, to pack and to ship, these massive vases were destined for Europe's elites, where they stood guard in ballrooms and great halls of palaces and country houses.

Lot 17. A pair of famille verte ewers and covers, Kangxi period, circa 1720; 9 ¼ in. (23.5 cm.) high, each. Estimate USD 3,000 - USD 5,000. Price realised USD 1,875. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Richly enameled on each side with flowering prunus branches.

Lot 50. A large familleverte quadrangular vase, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 19 ¾ in. (50.1 cm.) high. Estimate USD 8,000 - USD 12,000. Price realised USD 27,500. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

The flaring neck enameled with antique vases, the body with equestrian figure sin mountainous landscapes.

The Tibor Collection.

Lot 50. Two biscuit-glazed Buddhist lion vases, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 7 1/8 in. (18 cm.) high, each. Estimate USD 2,000 - USD 3,000. Price realised USD 6,250. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

The recumbent beasts in green and yellow, with black and green square vases on their backs.

The Tibor Collection.

Lot 50. A large pair of famille verte'Peacock' dishes, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 15 in. (38 cm.) diameter, each. Estimate USD 10,000 - USD 15,000. Price realised USD 12,500. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

Each with a prancing peacock and peahen standing in a chrysanthemum garden, on the rim a patterned green border edged in iron-red with prunus, blue artemesia leaf marks underneath.

The Tibor Collection.

Lot 91. A pair of large gilt-decorated powder blue jars and covers, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 24 ½ in. (62.2 cm.) high. Estimate USD 10,000 - USD 15,000. Price realised USD 32,500. © Christie’s Image Ltd 2020

With three rows of petal-shaped panels enclosing landscape vignettes, blossoming branches and baskets or planters of flowers, the domed covers decorated en suite.

The Tibor Collection.