Imperial Presentation Men's Ring, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1915. Fabergé, workmaster Vladimir Solovyov. Photo by Romanov Russia

A unique Russian Imperial Award men's ring by Faberge, given by the Empress Maria Feodorovna (mother of Tsar Nicholas II) in 1915. The ring comes with a copy of its original award certificate. The certificate is signed by the head of the Cabinet Chamberlain of His Majesty's Court with an ink seal of the Cabinet of Empress Maria Feodorovna - "... gold ring with the State Arms embellished with diamonds".

56 zolotniks (14K) gold with matte finish, bluish gray guilloche enamel, brilliant and rose diamonds. Weight 12 g. diameter: 22,5 mm (55.88 cm). Price on request

The ring is designed in Russian MODERN style of the 1910s with a medieval Byzantine double headed eagle. 

After the fall of the Byzantine empire in the 15th century, Russia adopted the Byzantine double headed eagle as its state emblem. Over the following centuries, the state eagle was modified several times, but in the 1910s, the original Byzantine eagle was revived in decorative arts. 

The ring was made in St. Petersburg by Faberge's workmaster Vladimir Solovyov.

Romanov Russia. PO Box 14085. Chicago, IL, 60614 - Phone: 312.335.3937 - E-Mail: romanovrussia@aol.com

Antique Russian Monogrammed Amethyst Gold Mens Ring, Russia, c. 1908. Photo by Romanov Russia

This finely modeled and well crafted vintage Russian gold ring was made in Moscow between 1908 and 1917. The pale purple oval amethyst is inlaid with a gold monogram 'M', embellished with six tiny rose cut diamonds. The chased gold shank is designed as an Art Nouveau olive wreath. The ring is marked with 56 zolotnik old Russian gold standard (14K) / Moscow assay stamp. Height - 15 mm (5/8 in.). Price on request

Romanov Russia. PO Box 14085. Chicago, IL, 60614 - Phone: 312.335.3937 - E-Mail: romanovrussia@aol.com

A Russian Imperial Presentation Crested Gold and Diamond Antique Men's Ring. Russia, 1908-1917. Photo by Romanov Russia

A 56 zolotniks rose gold ring is applied with a silver gilt Russian double headed Imperial eagle. The eagle is set with an antique cut brilliant diamond (approximately 0.65 ct). Made in Moscow between 1908 and 1917. Width 14 mm. Price on request

Jewelry emblonized with Russian Imperial eagle or crown was exclusively commissioned by the Cabinet of His Majesty. Such jewels were never sold in jewelry shops to general public. Similar to medals and orders, jewels with Imperial insignia were given by the Tsar in appreciation of loyal service, and every piece was accompanied with an award certificate. It was the highest horner for a serviceman to receive a diamond ring from the Tsar.

Rings are the rarest category of the Russian Imperial presentation jewelry.

Here is a passage from The Russian Imperial Award System 1894-1917 by Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm (page 196): "Very few of the rings presented from the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty during the reign under study have survived... Presentation rings decorated with imperial double-headed eagles in diamonds ranged in price from 30 to 530 rubles. The costliest were set with brilliant-cut diamonds, whereas the lower priced ones had only minimal decoration in rose-cut diamonds... The following table illustrates the various types of rings presented, their value, and the ranks or positions held by the various persons who received them. Rings Presented from the Cabinet, 1909-16 price 450-530 r. Gold ring (перстень) with eagle and brilliants Major-general, state counsellor"

Romanov Russia. PO Box 14085. Chicago, IL, 60614 - Phone: 312.335.3937 - E-Mail: romanovrussia@aol.com

Pavel Bure Russian Imperial Presentation Gold Pocket Watch, Switzerland / Russia, circa 1916. Photo by Romanov Russia

 14K rose gold, enamel; diameter: 1 15/16 in. (4,9 cm) (2.54 cm). Price on request

Russian Imperial presentation rose gold pocket watch by Paul Buhre (Pavel Bure) with enameled double headed Imperial eagle. Imperial watches with multi-color enameled eagle are very rare.
Russian engraved inscription reads - Pavel Bure Supplier to His Majesty's Court. The watch comes with its original Imperial presentation red leather case with applied gilt bronze eagle. The Paul Buhre firm was founded in 1815 in St. Petersburg. In 1874, the firm acquired a large watch factory in Le Locle, Switzerland.

All watches sold by Buhre in Russia, through firm's two shops in St. Petersburg and Moscow, were made at that factory in Switzerland.

The firm received two Grand Gold medals - one in 1896 in Geneva, another in 1900 at the Paris World Fair.

Watches with Russian Imperial eagle were made strictly by the order of the Czarist Court. Such watches were never sold to general public and they were not featured in the firm's price lists of the period.

Romanov Russia. PO Box 14085. Chicago, IL, 60614 - Phone: 312.335.3937 - E-Mail: romanovrussia@aol.com

Kanô Gyokuraku, Hotei, der lachende Gott des Glücks, Tusche auf Papier © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen

NEUSS.- The Langen Foundation is presenting an exhibition titled The Life of Japanese Paintings, which has been created in collaboration with Melanie Trede, professor of Japanese art history at the University of Heidelberg. 

In contrast to the approach taken in Western culture, the Japanese painting is treated as a modifiable object that may be cut apart and reassembled, thus repeatedly embarking on a new life, be it in the form of a hanging scroll, an album sheet, or a folding screen. This chequered history of Japanese painting is vividly demonstrated by example of approx. twenty works of art from the Viktor and Marianne Langen Collection. 

According to our modern conception of art, the act of fragmenting and reformatting represents an (inappropriate) intervention into the integrity of an artwork. Yet a different approach has been pursued in the history of Japanese art and culture. Here fragmentation does not signify the terminus of a picture. Instead, a newly formatted section might foster other perspectives; it can be assigned new functions and enter into a different web of social and political relations. Still today, paintings are reassembled for conservational purposes: for example, works of art that have deteriorated due to wear and tear, such as fan paintings and sliding-door paintings, are attached to hanging scrolls as a protective measure. 

The Life of Japanese Paintings has been decisively influenced by Western viewing habits. In the second half of the nineteenth century, this led to a shift in the reception of pre-modern art. For the first time museum exhibitions were initiated in which the typical Japanese formats – horizontal scrolls, albums, or even fan paintings – were presented in display cases. The works were no longer accessible by hand, and they were reduced to a particular image detail. Serving as an example for the presentation of art were the framed panel pictures of European painting. Since the hanging scroll most closely resembles such panels, it soon became the favoured image format for acts of fragmentation and reassembly. 

In the Viktor and Marianne Langen Collection there are numerous examples of mounted fragments of what had originally been horizontal scrolls, fan paintings, and album sheets. Horizontal scrolls in particular were cut apart, with their individual motifs (painting or calligraphy) then mounted onto hanging scrolls. In this new form the works could be shown in other contexts. Economic considerations even played a role in such fragmentation practices, since significantly larger sums could be procured from the divided works. While the subsequent montage served both to protect the fragments and to provide an avenue for presentation, it also offered new aesthetic possibilities in terms of composition. In addition to the traditional mounting styles, a number of collectors each developed, based on the selection of material available for assembling, an individual style according to which the paintings in their collection may be recognised. 

The fan paravent reflects a special practice of artistically reinterpreting works of art. In Japan, elaborately painted folding fans were utilitarian objects that were replaced once a year. However, especially lovely and treasured specimens were retained, collected, and sometimes even attached to the panels of folding screens. The resulting arrangements of various styles and subjects were so popular that quite a few painting studios started producing folding screens with fans directly painted onto them. Precisely such a valuable fan paravent is located in the Viktor and Marianne Langen Collection, displaying a variety of combined painting techniques and themes. 

Melanie Trede is a professor of Japanese art history at the University of Heidelberg (since 2004). Following her studies in Berlin, Heidelberg, and Tokyo, she taught at Columbia University and in the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. Her publications include Hiroshige: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (2007/2010), Kunst aus Japan: Die John C. Weber Sammlung, New York (2006), and Image, Text and Audience: The Taishokan Narrative in Visual Representations of the Early Modern Period in Japan (2003). 

In parallel to this most recent exhibition in the Japan Room, the museum is presenting “Homage to Marianne Langen” through 17 February 2013. Conceived in commemoration of the 100th birthday of the collector and benefactress Marianne Langen (7.12.1911 – 14.2.2004), it is the first show to provide a comprehensive overview of all facets of the Viktor and Marianne Langen Collection. 

Unbekannter Künstler, Berühmte Ansichten von Kyôto: Goldener Pavillion (Detail), 19 Jh., Tusche, Farben auf Seide © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen

Unbekannter Künstler, Falkenjagd im Frühling und Sommer (Detail), 18. Jh.,  Tusche und Farben auf Papier © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen 

Unbekannter Künstler, Falkenjagd im Frühling und Sommer (Detail), 18. Jh., Tusche und Farben auf Papier © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen 

Yosa Buson, Haiku-Bild und ein Tänzer, 18. Jh., Tusche und Farben auf Papier © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen 

Sesshū Tōyō, Die zwei glücklichen Mönche Kanzan und Jittoku, Muromachi Zeit, Tusche auf Papier © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen 

Hanabusa Itchō (zugeschrieben), Neunzehn Szenen mit Kobolden (Detail), Farben auf Papier © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen 

Hanabusa Itchō (zugeschrieben), Neunzehn Szenen mit Kobolden (Detail), Farben auf Papier © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen 

Hanabusa Itchō (zugeschrieben), Neunzehn Szenen mit Kobolden (Detail), Farben auf Papier © Sammlung Viktor und Marianne Langen

Balenciaga. Veste courte en velours de soie bleue, ornée d’un cordonnet et de minuscules perles en pâte de verre, 1947.

Elle a appartenu à la marquise de Llanzol, Madame Sonsoles de Icaza y de León.

Veste courte à l’encolure ronde. Pans avants se terminant en pointe prononcée. Manches trois-quarts. Garnie d’un cordonnet et de minuscules perles en pâte de verre formant des motifs floraux et en forme de coeur. Le devant et les manches sont ornés de franges (« caireles »). 

Confectionnée en Espagne, Balenciaga s’inspire des vestes courtes des toreros, caractérisées par leur confection et leur décoration élaborée de passementerie et perles fantaisie héritée de l’habit du XVIIIe siècle, typique des majos. Cette veste, dénommée aussi « torera » ou boléro, est un bel exemple de la collection hiver présentée par Balenciaga en 1947. 

Bibliographie : Catalogue de l’exposition Genio et figura. La influencia de la cultura española en la moda, Saitama, The Museum of Modern Art, Sociedad Estatal para Exposiciones Internacionales (SEEI), 2005, 155.

Source http://cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com

Balenciaga. Robe en satin de rayonne bleu et transparence en dentelle mécanique de soie noire, avec décoration en velours lisse et broderie de chenille, Ca 1947.

Elle a appartenu à Madame Blanca Fernández de Rivera, marquise de Garcillán.

Longue jusqu’à mi-mollet et découpée à la taille. Corsage près du corps ferméà l’avant avec des boutons recouverts du même tissu, avec col et rabat. Manches japonaises. Jupe confectionnée avec trois pièces à l’avant et dans le dos. Avec fermeture à glissière métallique dorée sur le côté gauche. Ornée de riches broderies à motifs floraux et végétaux, davantage concentrés sur les rabats, les épaules et le bas de la jupe. 

Réalisée en Espagne pour la collection hiver 1947 (modèle nº 7), selon l’esthétique des années 1940 : jupe longue, taille fine, épaules marquées et armées. Les collections de Balenciaga de cette décennie se distinguent par leurs nombreuses réminiscences goyesques.

Source http://cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com

Icy jadeite, ruby and diaamond 'Snake' bangle. Photo Sotheby's

The icy jadeite bangle of highly translucent celadon tone, rounded to the outside and flattened to the inside, embraced partially by a snake motif pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds together weighing approximately 3.20 carats, highlighted by ruby-set eyes, mounted in 18 karat white gold. Bangle diameter, width and thickness approximately 57.28, 11.30 and 8.85mm respectively. Estimate: 150,000 - 200,000 HKD - LOT SOLD. 212,500 HKD

Accompanied by Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory report numbered SJ 48872, dated 6 June 2012, stating that the jadeite is natural, known in the trade as "A Jade".

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite. Hong Kong | 09 Oct 2012 www.sothebys.com

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Double Ducks Jar. Vietnam (Annam), 15th century, porcelain with underglaze blue and iron spots. The Cleveland Museum of Art

Bird-Shaped Jar. Vietnam (Annam), 15th century, porcelain with underglaze blue. The Cleveland Museum of Art

Gold ring, the oval bezel with indented border encloses a garnet cameo bust of Charles I, (1600-1649) wearing lace collar, facing three quarters towards the front. The arcaded sides of the bezel are filled with black enamel dotted with white spots, and there is a "memento mori" skull and cross bones enamelled on the back. Plain hoop with forked foliate and scrolled shoulders. Ring and cameo, English, after 1649.

This ring would have been made for a supporter of the royal House of Stuart, to express sorrow at the execution in 1649 of Charles I by the Commonwealth established by Oliver Cromwell. Since, during his last days the King conducted himself with astonishing dignity and self-possession; it also demonstrates admiration for his royal qualities. There were many such commemorative rings and pendants, but most were either medallic or miniature portraits, and not cameos or intaglios, hence the rarity of this example. The engraver was probably Thomas Rawlins (1620-1670), and the bust is derived from the portrait of the king by Anthony Van Dyck. It is an elegant evocation of seventeenth century English political history. Diana Scarisbrick

Stuart Coronation ring, possibly 1660 or earlier, with later additions. English. Gold, silver, ruby, diamonds, 2.3 cm x 2.2 cm; bezel: 1.7 x 1.9 cm ruby: 1.3 x 1.5 cm. RCIN 441925 The Royal Collection© 2012, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Charles I(?); Charles II(?); James II; Mary of Modena; thence by descent to Prince Henry Benedict Stuart, Cardinal York; by whom bequeathed to George, Prince of Wales, later George IV, 1807.

This ring was bequeathed, to George, Prince of Wales, by Henry Benedict, Cardinal York (1725-1807), the younger brother of the Young Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart. It was described in the Cardinal’s will as ‘a ruby ring surrounded by brilliants. On the ruby a cross is engraved. It was used on the coronation day of the Kings of Scotland’.

The engraved ruby is from the coronation ring with which James II and VII, the Cardinal’s grandfather, was invested at his coronation in Westminster Abbey on 23 April 1685. In an account of the ceremony the ring is described as ‘being a plain Gold Ring, with a large Table Ruby Violet wherein a plain Cross, or Cross of St. George, was curiously Enchased’.

Although the ring was included in a warrant to the Master of the Jewel House dated 19 March 1685 for items to be supplied for the coronation, it is curiously absent from the coronation accounts. This was perhaps because coronation rings were considered the personal property of the sovereign and were paid for privately. Alternatively, James II may have used Charles II’s ring. That ring was included in the warrant of 1660 for coronation regalia to Sir Gilbert Talbot, Master of the Jewel House, but it does not appear in the warrant for payment to Robert Vyner, Royal goldsmith, nor does it appear in the list of items made for Charles II’s coronation, drawn up for James II’s Coronation Committee in 1685. Sir Edward Walker, Garter King of Arms, sketched the coronation regalia in 1661; his drawing of the ‘Ring with the Ruby’ appears to show a plain stone lacking a cross but Walker’s sketches are not reliable so this does not necessarily preclude the possibility that James II used his brother’s ring.

The practice of investing the sovereign with a ring on the fourth finger of the right hand, following the crowning but before receiving the sceptre, was continued after the Restoration. A contemporary description relates how, during the coronation of James II, the Archbishop of Canterbury put the ring ‘on the fourth finger of His Majesties right hand, saying, Receive the ring of Kingly Dignity and the seal of Catholick Faith, that thou are this day consecrated head and prince of this kingdom and people’. The King was then presented with a richly decorated glove which he wore on his right hand over the ring.

The absence of Charles II’s coronation ring from the accounts raises the intriguing possibility that he used his father’s ring. Certainly Cardinal York believed that this ring was Charles I’s: in a letter written to the Cardinal in January 1800, Thomas Coutts recalled how he had afforded the youngest Miss Coutts ‘the distinguished honour’ of putting on ‘the ring which Charles I wore at his Coronation’. The ring was ambiguously described as ‘King Charles’s Coronation Ring’ when it was listed at Windsor Castle in 1830.

James II took his coronation ring with him into exile in 1688. It is listed in his posthumous inventory drawn up at Saint-Germain on 20 July 1703 as ‘One Ruby Ring having a Cross ingraved on it wth which the Late King was crowned’. In 1715 the ring was included in an inventory of the goods of his widow, Mary of Modena, dispatched from Paris . Following her death in 1718, the ring appears to have remained with the exiled Stuarts until it was bequeathed in the will of Cardinal York to the Prince of Wales in 1807. The Prince received other bequests: the Sobieski Hours, a fifteenth century Book of Hours which is in the Royal Library at Windsor and a badge of the Order of the Thistle. After remaining hidden in Italy, at considerable risk to their keepers from the occupying French, the pieces were finally delivered to the Prince Regent at Carlton House in June 1815.

The thin flat-cut ruby is probably one half of a medieval bead that has been cut away and polished to remove the drill hole. The engraved cross is probably seventeenth century. The border of brilliants is a later addition, first referred to in Cardinal York’s will; the type of setting supporting the brilliants was in use by 1780. The style and workmanship of the remainder of the ring suggest that it was extensively remodelled for the Prince Regent in the early nineteenth century.

In 1830 William IV deposited the ring on loan to be displayed with the Honours of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle.

Text adapted from Ancient and Modern Gems and Jewels in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, London, 2008

Undated photo of a section of a rare Japanese painting by Furuyama Moromasa, made available by City of Edinburgh Council, Scotland Friday Jan. 4, 2013, depicting early 18th century street life which has been discovered in a library's special collections. The 44ft scroll was donated in the 1940s but its significance has only just been realised by experts in Edinburgh. It is believed to be the largest of his works anywhere in the world. Two other examples of his work are held by the British Museum. The scroll depicts a street scene from Edo, which became Tokyo, showing shops, theatres and domestic life. A funding application has been made to the Japan-based Sumitomo Foundation for conservation funding, with a result expected in March. AP Photo/ City of Edinburgh Council.

EDINBURGH.- A rare Japanese handscroll painting, dating back to the early 1700s, has been discovered in the special collections of Edinburgh’s Central Library. 

Gifted to Edinburgh City Libraries in the 1940s by a relative of Henry Dyer, a Scottish engineer who played a major part in the industrialisation of Japan, the scroll has only recently been realised to be of particular significance. 

Now Edinburgh City Libraries and National Museums Scotland have submitted a joint application to the Sumitomo Foundation for conservation funding with the result expected in March. 

Councillor Richard Lewis, the city's Culture and Sport Convener, said: "For many decades this scroll has been held in the Central Library special collections without anyone realising its true significance. It is only through the passion of our library staff and the knowledge of National Museums Scotland experts that this beautiful work has been brought to light. If we are successful in getting funding to restore this painting to its former glory, then we are very much hoping that it can go on display to the public in Edinburgh at a later date." 

The scroll, by Japanese painter Furuyama Moromasa, is over 44ft in length and depicts an extended street scene in C18th Edo, or Tokyo, showing the shops and theatres and domestic detail of life at that time. 

Two of Furuyama Moromasa's paintings are currently held by the British Museum, but this is thought to be the largest of his works discovered anywhere in the world. 

Dr Rosina Buckland, Senior Curator of National Museums Scotland's Japanese collections, has worked with Edinburgh City Libraries to help interpret the scroll using her knowledge of the period. 

She said: "This handscroll is a fascinating and important work. It presents a wealth of amusing and entertaining scenes of life in Edo (today's Tokyo) around 1700, as well as plentiful information on the lively world of the popular theatre, and is the only known large handscroll painting by this artist. 

"We very much hope that our funding application for specialist conservation work will be successful, so that the painting can be enjoyed by many people in Scotland, and beyond." 

A rare Japanese painting by Furuyama Moromasa. AP Photo/ City of Edinburgh Council.

Huang Yan, Spring, from “The Four Seasons” series, 2005. Chromogenic print; 39 x 31 5/16 inches. Collection of Doug & Dale Anderson.

SAN JOSE, CA.- The San Jose Museum of Art will present an exhibition of photography that illustrates China’s astounding social and economic transformation in the 21st century. Rising Dragon: Contemporary Chinese Photography, on view February 2-June 30, 2013, showcases images by photographers working in mainland China between the years 2000 and 2012—both Years of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac. The exhibition includes more than one hundred photographs by 36 Chinese artists. Many of these photographers revive social-documentary photography and experiment with new, digital photographic processes to explore common concerns such as the alteration of the natural environment or the erosion of cultural heritage in an increasingly globalized society. Several of the artists have long careers and established names, but have only recently been discovered by museums and galleries in the United States. 

The exhibition includes works by Adou, Cao Fei, Chen Qiulin, Chen Wei, Huang Yan, Jiang Pengyi, Li Lang, Li Wei, Liu Ren, Liu Zheng, Liyu & Liubo, Lu Guang, Lu Hao, Maleonn (Ma Liang), Muge, O Zhang, Peng Rong, Qiu Zhijie, Rong Rong, Sun Ji, Tamen, Tian Taiquan, Wang Jin, Wang Qingsong, Wang Wusheng, Weng Fen, Xu Zhen, Yang Yi, Yao Lu, Yu Haibo, Zhang Huan, Zhang Lijie, Zhang Xiao, and Zhou Hai. 

“Undercurrents of China’s rich artistic legacy are present in many of the portraits, landscapes, cityscapes, and scenes of daily modern life,” said Rory Padeken, curatorial assistant at SJMA. “Yet these images also often seem to fast-forward into the future with a very “now” visual style filled with humor, artifice, and pop excess.” 

The exhibition is organized by the Katonah Museum of Art, New York. It is sponsored by Applied Materials, McManis Faulkner and Trina Solar. 

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

Encompassing a wide range of subject matter and styles, Rising Dragon provides a broad look at what is happening in Chinese photography today. Artists such as Weng Fen and Zhou Hai represent a documentary approach. In his series “Sitting on the Wall” (2000–2010), Weng documents a decade of gradual yet radical transformation of a city skyline with an annual photograph. Zhou captures the environmental impact of untrammeled economic growth in the series “The Unbearable Heaviness of Industry” (2005). Others, like Wang Wusheng, reach back into China’s artistic past: Wang depicts the Yellow Mountains in photographs that recall traditional landscape paintings of the of the Song dynasty (960–1279). Other artists use artifice or even humor. For example, the duo Liyu + Liubo imagine surreal scenes based on real tabloid headlines, as in Chutian Golden Paper 2006-04-30, Hair Salon Wonder—Hairdressing while Smashing (2006). 

Maleonn (Ma Liang), Days on the Cotton Candy No. 1, 2006. Digital chromogenic print; 23 ½ x 35 ¼ inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Zhang Huan, Family Tree, 2000 (ed. 13/25). C-print on Fuji archival paper 9 photographs, each 21 × 16 ½ inches. Courtesy of Friedman Benda, New York © Zhang Yuan