Christ en ivoire sculpté, XVIIIème s. Photo courtesy Claude AGUTTES SAS
Avec la plaque INRI. H: 26 cm (acc aux doigts). Estimation 150 € - 250 €
Claude AGUTTES SCP. CABINET D'UN AMATEUR. Mardi 11 mars à 14h00 à Lyon Cedex 06. Contact : Nelly STROHL de POUZOLS. Tél. : 04 37 24 24 23 - Fax : 04 37 24 24 25
Crucifix en ivoire. Photo courtesy Claude AGUTTES SAS
H total : 36,5 cm. Estimation 150 € - 200 €
Claude AGUTTES SCP. CABINET D'UN AMATEUR. Mardi 11 mars à 14h00 à Lyon Cedex 06. Contact : Nelly STROHL de POUZOLS. Tél. : 04 37 24 24 23 - Fax : 04 37 24 24 25
Memento Mori en ivoire. Photo courtesy Claude AGUTTES SAS
H. 2.5 cm. Estimation 60 €
Claude AGUTTES SCP. CABINET D'UN AMATEUR. Mardi 11 mars à 14h00 à Lyon Cedex 06. Contact : Nelly STROHL de POUZOLS. Tél. : 04 37 24 24 23 - Fax : 04 37 24 24 25
Peinture à l'encre et gouache sur papier, Chine, époque Kangxi (1662-1722). Photo courtesy SVV Laurent BERNARD
représentant une scène où deux chefs militaires se rencontrent en vue de préparer une stratégie d'attaque, attendant les ordres. Inscription décrivant la scène en chinois et en mandchou. Dim. à vue : H. : 42,4 cm - L. : 42,5 cm (Encadrée sous verre). Estimation 1 500 € - 2 000 €
Maître Laurent BERNARD. 2, rue du Gué aux Anes, 28100 Dreux. Samedi 15 mars à 14h00 à Dreux. Tél. : 02 37 46 04 22 - Fax : 02 37 42 88 97
Pendentif en jade vert brun à décor de dragon gravé. Photo courtesy PESTEL-DEBORD
Hauteur : 8 cm. Estimation 600 € - 800 €
PESTEL-DEBORD. Vendredi 28 mars à 14h00 à PARIS. Hôtel des Ventes Drouot, 9 rue Drouot - salle 3, 75009 Paris. Tél. : 01 76 21 55 00 - Fax : 01 76 21 55 01
Pendentif en jade vert brun à décor de crabe et poisson gravé. Photo courtesy PESTEL-DEBORD
Hauteur : 6 cm. Estimation 500 € - 600 €
PESTEL-DEBORD. Vendredi 28 mars à 14h00 à PARIS. Hôtel des Ventes Drouot, 9 rue Drouot - salle 3, 75009 Paris. Tél. : 01 76 21 55 00 - Fax : 01 76 21 55 01
Collier lien de coton orné d’un pendentif en jade vert clair gravé d’'un dragon. Photo courtesy PESTEL-DEBORD
Hauteur : 5 cm. Estimation 300 € - 400 €
PESTEL-DEBORD. Vendredi 28 mars à 14h00 à PARIS. Hôtel des Ventes Drouot, 9 rue Drouot - salle 3, 75009 Paris. Tél. : 01 76 21 55 00 - Fax : 01 76 21 55 01
Pendentif en jadéite gravéà décor de souris et de végétaux. Photo courtesy PESTEL-DEBORD
Bélière en or jaune. Hauteur : 6,5 cm. Poids brut : 24,3 g. Estimation 150 € - 200 €
PESTEL-DEBORD. Vendredi 28 mars à 14h00 à PARIS. Hôtel des Ventes Drouot, 9 rue Drouot - salle 3, 75009 Paris. Tél. : 01 76 21 55 00 - Fax : 01 76 21 55 01
China, Head of Buddha, Northern Qi-Sui Period, Marble, ca. 550-618 CE, H: 12 in. Photo: Throckmorton Fine Art.
NEW YORK, NY.- To coincide with Asia Week in March, 2014 Throckmorton Fine Art is presenting a special exhibition titled, “ Celestial Deities: Early Chinese Buddhist Sculpture CA 500 – 1100 CE”. A detailed catalogue has been published to accompany this New York show which will remain on view through April 26th.
According to Spencer Throckmorton,“The thirty-one Early Buddhist Sculptures are rare survivors of Buddhist purges in the past; many were buried for centuries. They have been carefully cleaned, revealing their sublime beauty and refined elegance. Each piece has been carefully studied by Chinese scholars, with photographs and analyses included in an accompanying catalogue prepared under the guidance of Dr. Qing Chang and Dr. Elizabeth Childs-Johnson.
“This monumental group, collected over the past twelve years, suggests the diversity of Chinese Buddhist sculptures from the Northern Wei through the Tang and Song eras, and thus from the sixth through the twelfth centuries. All of the pieces attest to the patience and skill of Chinese artisans. The scale of the figures varies – many are monumental, others more intimate. The material employed includes limestone, sandstone, and white marble. Marble images are particularly important in Buddhist sculpture as marble was known as“white stone,” with white symbolizing the color of purity, and as a consequence was held to be precious and favored for imperial Buddhist rituals. The exhibition features outstanding examples of marble Buddhist figures.”
Other notable images include a sandstone Buddha seated on a lotus supported by a cylinder of winged horses. Taken together, the sculptures in the exhibit allow for a comparison of the changing portrayal of Buddhism, and Buddhist deities, in Chinese culture. One example is the evolution of the bodhisattva’s tiara-style crown. What begins as a simple three-pronged lotus of the sixth century becomes a flamboyant multi-tiered and multi-layered crown by the twelfth century.
Spencer Throckmorton adds that, “Individually and collectively, the Buddhist sculptures transcend time and belief systems; they radiate peace and harmony, and invite contemplation. This exhibit is not to be missed – it is unlikely to ever be matched in quality and depth.”
For 25 years, gallery founder Spencer Throckmorton has pursued a long held interest in pre-Columbian art, Chinese jades, Asian sculpture and Latin American photography. Throckmorton has continually staged important exhibitions and published numerous publications on those subjects.
Throckmorton Fine Art has also specialized in both vintage and contemporary photography of the Americas, with a primary focus on Latin American talents. The gallery has featured the work of Edward Weston, Tina Modotti, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Martin Chambi, Lucien Clergue, Ruven Afanador, Marilyn Bridges, Graciela Iturbide, Flor Garduno, Mario Algaze, Javier Silva-Meinel, Valdir Cruz, and Christian Cravo.
Chinese Standing Buddha, 550-577CE. Limestone,, Shandong Province ,Northern Qi, 74 inches. Photo: Throckmorton Fine Art.
Tang Period Buddha seated on lotus blossom supported by horses, sandstone 31. Photo: Throckmorton Fine Art.
Jules Olitski, Beauty of the Queen of Sheba, 1989, water-based acrylic on canvas, 56 1/4 x 56 inches, 142.9 x 142.2 cm © Estate of Jules Olitski/Licensed by VAGA, New York NY
NEW YORK, NY.- Paul Kasmin Gallery presents Jules Olitski: Mitt Paintings, March 6 – April 19, 2014 at 515 West 27th Street, New York. The exhibition is comprised of ten “mitt pictures” made between 1988 and 1992 that showcase Olitski’s groundbreaking, tactile approach to painting. Many of the works have never been exhibited. Olitski created his mitt pictures by using his hands to spread paint across canvases in fluid movements that blended colors and created textural imprints that recorded his active gestures.
Known throughout his career for exploring new materials and techniques in painting, Olitski began making his mitt paintings in the late 1980s when Golden Artists Colors sent him a new kind of paint they had recently developed. Using painter's mitts left in his Bear Island studio by his wife Kristina he mixed the new paint with thick acrylic gels, and the mitt pictures were born. Much like the brooms, squeegees, and spray guns previously used by Olitski, the mitts quickly became an important tool, and one that proved to be a harbinger of further curiosity and experimentation.
The works were neither planned nor sketched in advance; they document the spontaneous and visceral decisions the artist made with his paint-soaked mitts. The iridescent pigments and many shades of shimmering colors shift with the viewer’s position and in response to light.
In an interview, Olitski explained “I never wanted to make… paintings to be seen at a single glance.” The essence of a “mitt picture” cannot be grasped in one look; the canvases’ surfaces and color must be viewed from different angles to experience the evocative illusions they form when merged together by Olitski’s hand.
The exhibition coincides with Alexander the Great: The Iolas Gallery 1955-1987 at Paul Kasmin Gallery’s 293 10th Avenue location. That exhibition will celebrate 20th century art dealer Alexander Iolas and the artists whose careers he helped to shape, including Olitski.
Jules Olitski, Eternity Domain, 1989, water-based acrylic on canvas, 68 x 107 inches, 172.7 x 271.8 cm.© Estate of Jules Olitski/Licensed by VAGA, New York NY
Jules Olitski, First Day, 1991, water-based acrylic on canvas, 54 1/2 x 51 1/4 inches, 138.4 x 130.2 cm © Estate of Jules Olitski/Licensed by VAGA, New York NY
Jules Olitski, Angel Belly, 1991, water-based acrylic on canvas, 46 1/4 x 66 inches, 117.5 x 167.6 cm © Estate of Jules Olitski/Licensed by VAGA, New York NY
A rare statue of the young Hercules, formerly in the Roger Peyrefitte (1907-2000) Collection in Paris. Estimate: £100,000-150,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2014.
LONDON.- The Christie’s sale of Antiquities in London on 2 April 2014 comprises 199 carefully selected lots with exceptional provenance which span the ancient world from the 3rd Millennium B.C. to the 11th Century A.D. Leading the sale is a rare statue of the young Hercules, formerly in the Roger Peyrefitte (1907-2000) Collection in Paris (estimate: £100,000-150,000, illustrated above). Peyrefitte was a French diplomat and noted novelist, whose collection, including this piece, was published in 1972. Further highlights include a pair of Egyptian alabaster canopic jars for Tau-Iert-Iru (estimate: £50,000 - 70,000) and a Roman marble Fortuna, previously in the collection at Harewood House (estimate: £25,000 - 35,000). With estimates ranging from £1,000 to £150,000 the sale is expected to realise in excess of £2 million.
Labour, and leaning on the iconic olive-wood club (now missing) (estimate: £100,000-150,000). The Romans followed the Greek taste for artistic renderings of infants, and representations of Hercules as a baby abound yet there are few depictions of the hero as a cherubically plump child evident in the present work. It is known from parallel examples that Hercules would have been holding the golden apples of the Hesperides in his outstretched left hand, which he was ordered to steal as his Eleventh Labour. This seemingly illogical marrying of a tender depiction of youth with the spoils of heroic deeds is highly unusual, attested to in only a couple of other statues, including one in green basalt in the Capitoline Museums.
A Roman marble statue of the young Hecules,, circa 2nd century A.D. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2014.
Depicted as a chubby child, standing with the weight on his right leg, the left leg advanced, leaning on his club, now missing, wearing the Nemean lion skin pulled up over his head, its gaping jaw with fangs, the tufted mane delineated over the back of his head, and falling in deep V-shaped folds down his back, his wavy hair falling onto the forehead, his face with almond-shaped eyes, apple cheeks and rounded chin, the lips parted, holding a quiver in his left arm, remains of right hand at right hip and part of bow slung on left arm; 31 ½ in. (80 cm.) high. Estimate:£100,000-150,000.
Provenance: Roger Peyrefitte (1907-2000) collection, Paris, France, acquired 1950s.
Private collection, Paris, France.
A pair of Egyptian alabaster canopic jars for Tau-Iert-Iru, Late Period, 26th dynasty, circa 664-525 B.C. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2014.
Each large rounded jar with four line hieroglyphic inscription for the lady Tau-iret-iru, one jar invoking the goddess Nephthys, who offers protection to the god Hapy, the other invoking the goddess Neith, who offers protection to the god Duamutef, each with human headed lid. Each 17.1/4 in. (44 cm.) high. Estimate: £50,000 - 70,000.
Provenance: Acquired by a French diplomat in Alexandria in the 1840s; thence by descent to the present owner.
Notes: Hapy, one of the Four Sons of Horus, was associated with and protector of the lungs. Duamutef was associated with and protector of the stomach. A third jar would have been inscribed with a invocation by Isis to the god Imsety, associated with the liver, and a fourth jar would have had an invocation by Selqet to Qebehsenuef, associated with the intestines.
Further highlights include a Roman marble Fortuna (estimate: £25,000-35,000). Roman goddess of chance and luck, she is shown with several of her characteristic attributes, including the cornucopia, which she holds, as the giver of abundance, a rudder, which signifies her role as controller of destinies, a ball, which indicates the uncertainty of fate, and a wheel, depicting the circle of life and fortune, all depicted on the side of her throne This marble which dates to circa 1st – 2nd century A.D, was previously in the Harewood House collection, probably acquired by Henry Lascelles, the 6th Earl of Harewood, who married Princess Mary, daughter of George V in 1922. The goddess Fortuna had many cults in Rome, and her image was used by emperors, including Augustus, for the promotion of their leadership.
A Roman marble Fortuna, circa 1st-2nd century A.D. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2014.
Depicted seated on a high back throne with tasselled cushion, her left knee tilting outwards, holding a laden cornucopia in the crook of her left arm, the shaft decorated with scrolling tendrils, a patera in her right hand, resting on her thigh, wearing a belted chiton with buttons along the right sleeve which is falling off her right shoulder, a himation draped around her waist and lower body, wearing a veil and crescentic diadem, the throne decorated with rudder and ball on the right side and wheel on the left side; 30 in. (76.2 cm.) high. Estimate: £25,000-35,000.
Provenance: Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882-1947) collection, acquired prior to 1948, at Harewood House, Leeds; and thence by descent.
THE PROPERTY OF THE LATE 7TH EARL OF HAREWOOD, K.B.E.
SOLD BY ORDER OF THE EXECUTORS
Notes: The Roman counterpart of the Greek goddess Tyche, Fortuna was not only the goddess of chance and luck, but was also associated with fertility as well as with political and military power. Fortuna enjoyed numerous cults in Rome and was employed by emperors such as Augustus for the promotion of their leadership. The above statue shows the goddess bearing a cornucopia as the giver of abundance, whilst the depiction of a rudder hails her as controller of destinies. The inclusion of a ball on her right indicates the uncertainty of fortune, whilst the wheel to her left alludes to the circle of life and the vicissitudes of fortune. For the type, cf. F. Rausa, 'Tyche/Fortuna',Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, VIII, Zurich and Munich, 1997, pp. 115-141.
THE PLESCH COLLECTION OF ANCIENT GLASS
Christie’s will be offering the second part of the Plesch collection of ancient glass, having offered part one in 2009. Peter and Traudi Plesch fell for the lure of ancient glass on their honeymoon in Israel, which sparked a shared passion for collecting ancient glass. Their one criterion for purchasing a piece of glass was that both Traudi and Peter should want the object, though not necessarily with the same passion. The frequent invitations given to Peter Plesch to lecture worldwide on Cationic Polymerisation, his specialism at Keele University, afforded the couple the opportunity of scouring antique shops in many countries for antique glass and other works of art. Traudi Plesch’s interest in ancient glass, and her lectures thereon, were a small part of her major life’s work, which was volunteering locally and spearheading fundraising for the Douglas MacMillan hospice, the British Heart Foundation and the NSPCC among others. Her work was recognised in 1988 with an MBE for ‘fundraising for charities’, and in 2000 with an OBE for ‘services to the county of Staffordshire’. A local newspaper referred to her as the ‘Robin Hood of the Westlands’, the area of Newcastle-under-Lyme where they both lived. The present selection spans Egyptian to the late Roman period, and bears testament to their desire to have beautiful but also academically meaningful pieces. Highlights include a Roman pale green-blue glass sprinkler flask, circa 4th century A.D. (estimate: £2,000 – 3,000).
THE DEREK CONTENT COLLECTION OF ANCIENT GOLD AND SILVER STATUETTES In the face of the lack of serious scholarship on the important subject of classical sculpture in the precious metals, Derek Content set out to form a collection of this material in the 1970s, with a view to eventually publishing a large enough group to allow scholars to study this miniature yet important art form in more detail. Christie’s is delighted to showcase 17 of his 160 ancient figurines, which includes Roman gods and goddesses, as well as mythological subjects, such as this rare depiction of Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guarded the entrance to the Underworld. The selection also includes a charming Roman silver mouse, nibbling on a loaf of bread, which is said to have been excavated in the UK.
A rare and unusual doucai'Phoenix' jar and a cover, Yongzheng mark and period. Photo Sotheby's.
of tapering ovoid form, the exterior delicately painted with two stylized phoenix with their wings outstretched, flying among scrolling foliage between double line borders around the rim and foot, the associated cover similarly decorated with floral scrolls, six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle (2). Height 6 1/8 in., 15.5 cm. Estimate 30,000 — 40,000 USD
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK -www.sothebys.com
A doucai'Shou' dish, Qianlong mark and period. Photo Sotheby's.
the rounded sides supported on a straight foot, painted to the interior with a central medallion enclosing a shou character roundel surrounded by eight further shou characters and interlocking ruyi strapwork, the exterior similarly decorated with stylized shou characters between a band of C-scrolls and interlocking ruyi scrolls, six-character seal mark in underglaze blue. Diameter 8 1/4 in., 20.7 cm. Estimate 20,000 — 25,000 USD
Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 27th April 1993, lot 188.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK -www.sothebys.com
A doucai'Floral' bowl, Daoguang seal mark and period. Photo Sotheby's.
the rounded sides painted all around with six different flowers lotus, lily, chrysanthemum, camellia, hibiscus and aster, all borne on a continuous foliate scroll, above a band of linked ruyi head encircling the foot, the interior plain, seal mark in underglaze blue. Diameter 5 3/4 in., 14.5 cm. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 USD
Provenance: C.C. Teng & Co., Taipei, 1993.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK -www.sothebys.com
A pair of doucai'Phoenix' wine cups, Yongzheng marks and period. Photo Sotheby's.
each of conical form set on a short tapering foot, painted on the interior with the head and chest of a phoenix and bamboo shoots each continuing over the rim and on to the exterior with the trailing tail and legs of the bird and further bamboo, six-character mark in underglaze-blue within a double circle (2). Diameter 3 7/8 in., 10 cm. Estimate 10,000 — 15,000 USD
Provenance: Matthias Komor, New York, circa 1955, with label on back of original fitted box stating inventory no. K622.
Note: Originating in the Kangxi period, similar examples of this form and design are typically inscribed with hallmarks or apocryphal Chenghua marks and are dated to either the Kangxi or Yongzheng periods. It is rare to find a pair inscribed with Yongzheng reign marks.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK -www.sothebys.com
Chinese Secret Garden ring by Theo Fennell (Masterwork collection).
Engraved yellow and rose gold with diamonds, a 12.53ct green tourmaline, and enamel.(Via Diamonds in the Library)
A copper-red 'Phoenix medallion' bowl, Daoguang seal mark and period. Photo Sotheby's.
with rounded sides rising from a straight foot to an everted rim, the exterior decorated with five phoenix roundels, the phoenix with stylized head and their tails curled underneath, with one further roundel in the center of the interior, seal mark in underglaze blue. Diameter 5 3/4 in., 14.6 cm. Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 USD
Provenance: C.C. Teng & Co., Taipei, 1996.
Sotheby's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART. 18 MARS 2014 - 19 MARS 2014. NEW YORK -www.sothebys.com
Buccellati turquoise and diamond ring in gold
(Via Diamonds in the Library)
A red glass overlay snuff bottle. Likely Palace Workshops, Beijing 1720-1770. Photo Bonhams.
Of pear shape, with a flat, flaring lip, and a flat foot, the body suffused with minute bubbles, with a thick ruby red overlay, powerfully carved as two fish amid water plants, the fish's fins deeply cut. 2 7/8in (7.2cm) high. Estimate US$ 8,000 - 12,000 (€5,800 - 8,600)
Property from the Collection of Emmanuel Dimitri Gran (1894-1969)
Bonhams.CHINESE ART FROM THE SCHOLAR'S STUDIO. 17 Mar 2014, New York - www.bonhams.com
A nephrite snuff bottle. Likely Palace Workshops, Beijing 1730-1780. Photo Bonhams.
Of baluster form, very well hollowed, with a flat lip and shallowly recessed foot; carved in low relief with a repeating pattern of archaistic kui dragons, the surface with overall staining. 2 3/8in (6cm) high. Estimate US$ 6,000 - 9,000 (€4,300 - 6,500)
Property from the Collection of Emmanuel Dimitri Gran (1894-1969)
Bonhams.CHINESE ART FROM THE SCHOLAR'S STUDIO. 17 Mar 2014, New York - www.bonhams.com