Lot 62. A fine and rare silk kesi part of a collar, 19th Century. Estimate 400.00€ - 600.00 €. Photo Czerny's. 

Lot 71. A rare silk dress embroidered with gold dragons, 19th Century. Estimate 1200.00 € - 1500.00 €. Photo Czerny's. 

Lot 73. A fine fragment of silk embroidered fabric, 17th Century. Estimate 500.00 € -800.00 €. Photo Czerny's.

 Medal shape, finely embroidered with a five-nail dragon chasing the flaming pearl among flowers, lingzhi mushrooms and stones on a ground embroidered with gold thread; another dragon jaws at the top, on the right side; the back is made of blue silk and the medal features an old lining. The silk at the back is very worn; diameter 25 cm;

Czerny's. CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART

Lot 66. A fine pair of powder blue and gold porcelain cups, 19th Century. Estimate 400.00 € -600.00 €. Photo Czerny's.

 On two ring-feet, with slightly-flared border; on blue powder ground are painted two gold dragons, chasing the flaming pearl; featuring a small, blue, undeglaze mark on each base; diameter 6.5 cm.

Czerny's. CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART

Lot 65. A fine pair of blue and white porcelain cups, 19th Century. Estimate 800.00 € -1200.00 €. Photo Czerny's.

Decorated at the outside with two, fine dragons chasing the flaming pearl among clouds; the inside part is painted with stylized waves enclosed in a double circle; featuring the blue, apocryphal, underglaze, six-character mark of the Emperor Kangxi; diameter 6.5 cm.

Czerny's. CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART

Lot 67. A fine pair of blue and white porcelain small dishes, Guangxu mark and of the period (1875-1908). Estimate 600.00 € -1000.00 €. Photo Czerny's.

Depicting two white dragons chasing the flaming pearl among clouds on a blue ground; featuring two, blue circles on the external border, the external part of the foot with one circle; blue, underglaze, six-character mark of the Emperor Guangxu at the center of the base. One of the two dishes with a chip at the border; diameter 11 cm.

Czerny's. CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART

Lot 68. A fine pair of blue and white porcelain dishes, Guangxu mark and of the period (1875-1908). Estimate 600.00 € -1200.00 €. Photo Czerny's.

Depicting a five-nail, blue dragon with the flaming pearl at the center, surrounded by section decorated with a blackthorn, a bamboo, an iris and a peony; decorated with eight bats at the back; the external feet surrounded by a band made of stylized, chrysanthemum leaves; featuring the blue, six-character, mark of the Emperor Guangxu. One dish in perfect conditions, the other one with a restored breakage at the border; diameter 18.5 cm.

Czerny's. CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART

Lot 69. A nice pair of blue and white porcelain bowls, Guangxu mark and of the period (1875-1908). Estimate 700.00 € -1400.00 €. Photo Czerny's.

Précieux vélins : trois siècles d'illustration naturaliste. Affiche. © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

PARIS - Pour la première fois depuis sa création en 1793, le Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle présente au public près de 150 vélins sur trois mois, aquarelles naturalistes exceptionnelles, choisis parmi les 7000 vélins de la collection hors du commun de l’institution.

Présentés à l’occasion de la sortie du beau livre « Les Vélins du Muséum » (coédition Muséum - Citadelles & Mazenod), la sélection exposée en reprend le découpage chronologique du XVII^e siècle à nos jours. Chaque mois, les vélins seront renouvelés en raison de leur fragilité ne permettant pas une exposition trop longue… l’occasion de visiter non pas une, mais trois expositions inédites.

Selenicereus grandiflorus (Linné), Britton & Rose (Cactacées), Claude Aubriet, Cereus scandens minor polygonus articulatus, Par Bat 120, Cactus grandiflorus, Linné, Vélin, portefeuille 49, folio65 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

UNE COLLECTION UNIQUE DE VÉLINS AU MUSÉUM

Sept mille illustrations représentant fleurs et animaux forment la collection des vélins du Muséum. Cet impressionnant ensemble est composé de dessins naturalistes, qui, certes diffèrent par leur sujet mais partagent tous une technique invariable : une représentation à l’aquarelle ou à la gouache sur une peau de veau mort-né. Ici, l’art et la science se partagent ce patrimoine exceptionnel traduisant l’importance de l'observation et de la description dans les sciences de la nature.

Tigre – Panthera tigris, Linné (Félidés), Pierre François de Wailly, Le Tigre mâle – Felis tigris, 15 messidor an 11 [4 juillet 1803]. Presque le cinquième de la grandeur, Vélin, portefeuille 71, folio 50 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

LA GENÈSE

Gaston d’Orléans, frère de Louis XIII, est à l'origine de cette collection. Grand collectionneur, passionné de plantes, il entretient avec l'aide des savants Abel Brunyer puis Robert Morison, un remarquable jardin botanique au château de Blois. Pour compléter le catalogue des plantes rares que ces derniers rédigent, Gaston d’Orléans engage vers 1630 environ le peintre et graveur Nicolas Robert pour les représenter d'après le naturel.

À la mort de ce dernier en 1660, la collection compte déjà plusieurs grands portefeuilles in-folio remplis de peintures sur vélin, représentant fleurs, plantes rares et oiseaux. La série est léguée à Louis XIV et attire l’attention de Colbert qui convainc le roi de faire continuer la collection ; les sujets sont désormais pris au Jardin royal des plantes médicinales, ancêtre du Jardin des Plantes.

Tulipa gesneriana Linné (Liliacées) et Anemone (Renonculacées) (cultivar), Nicolas Robert, Tulipae et anemonae, Tulipa gesneriana, Linné, Orient, Vélin, portefeuille 7, folio 20 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

LES VÉLINS AU SERVICE DE LA SCIENCE 

A la création du Muséum nationale d'Histoire naturelle en 1793, la collection est transportée dans le nouvel établissement qui s'engage à la continuer moyennant quelques évolutions notables, notamment la spécialisation des peintres entre la botanique et la zoologie. La création de la Ménagerie un an plus tard, en 1794, va d’ailleurs renforcer la présence des sujets zoologiques variés et exotiques dans la collection. Les vélins sont plus que jamais de véritables outils au service de la science et la collection connaît une croissance importante : de 5 321 pièces en 1809, elle passe à plus de 6 000 en 1850.

Ce sont les scientifiques, réunis en Assemblée des professeurs, qui décident des sujets à traiter et de l’entrée ou non d’un vélin dans la collection. Mais en raison de l’évolution des méthodes et de la pensée scientifique, la production des vélins se ralentit à partir de la seconde moitié du XIX^e siècle, puis s’interrompt complètement au début du XX^e siècle, malgré quelques tentatives de reprise dans le courant de ce siècle.

Amazone à front bleu – Amazona aestiva, Linné (Psittacidés), Nicolas Robert, Psittacus viridis capite cyanocroceo – Perroquet verd, Vélin, portefeuille 80, folio 77 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

UNE EXPOSITION UNIQUE AU CABINET D’HISTOIRE DU JARDIN DES PLANTES

A travers cette exposition, c’est l’une des plus somptueuses facettes des collections documentaires du Muséum qui est dévoilée au public. Répartis au sein de deux salles, plus de 40 vélins originaux sont exposés, renouvelés chaque mois en raison de leur fragilité, soit près de 150 vélins durant les trois mois d’exposition. 

La première salle fait la part belle aux oeuvres du pionner de cette technique, Nicolas Robert, tandis que la deuxième salle met à l’honneur les oeuvres produites après l’ancien régime, en particulier au sein du Muséum. Enfin, le corridor extérieur met en avant les techniques utilisées (aquarelles, pigments…) et présente les grands peintres associés aux vélins. Les commissaires se sont attachées à choisir des oeuvres remarquables, représentatives des auteurs et des thèmes scientifiques de la collection.

Du 28 septembre 2016 au 2 janvier 2017. Jardin des Plantes - Cabinet d'Histoire.

Capsicum annuum, Linné (Solanacées), Anonyme, Capsicum Capsicum annuum Linné, var., Amérique méridionale, Vélin, portefeuille 24, folio 36 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

Solanum melongena, Linné (Solanacées), Claude Aubriet, Melongena non spinosa fructu violaceo longiori, Solanum melongena Linné, var., Amérique méridionale, Vélin, portefeuille 24, folio © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

Scadoxus multiflorus (Martyn), Rafinesque (Amaryllidacées), Pierre Joseph Redouté, Haemanthus multiflorus Wildeman, 1808, Vélin, portefeuille 10, folio 25 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

Passiflora quadrangularis, Linné (Passifloracées), Pierre Joseph Redouté, Passiflora quadrangularis, Linné, Amérique méridionale, Vélin, portefeuille 61, folio 72 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

Schotia speciosa Jacquin (Fabacées), Pierre Joseph Redouté, Schotia speciosa Jacquin Icones, Vélin, portefeuille 54, folio 51 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

Koalas – Phascolarctos cinereus, Goldfuss (Phascolarctidés), Nicolas Huet, Koala, Novembre 1814, D’après M. Lewin, Vélin, portefeuille 71, folio 97 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

Spondyle américain – Spondylus americanus Hermann (Spondylidés), Jean Gabriel Prêtre, Genre Spondylus Linné. 1-4 : Spondylus americanus Lamarck, 1843, Vélin, portefeuille 99, folio 06 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

Toucan de Cuvier – Ramphastos cuvieri Wagler (Ramphastidés), Édouard Traviès, Ramphastos cuvieri Wagler, no 5, des rives de l’Amazone, 1862, 1862, n° 6, Vélin, portefeuille 68, folio 7 © MNHN, Dist. RMN/Tony Querrec

Lot 1079. Nawa Kohei (B. 1975), Pixcell-Model-Leopard, executed in 2009, mixed media, work: 80 (H) by 148 by 84 cm; 31½ (H) by 58¼ by 33 in. Estimate 1,500,000 — 2,500,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's

Provenance: SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Tokyo
Acquired by the present owner from the above

Crystalline Illuminations
Nawa Kohei

Art as self-expression has been already over-exploited by former generations. I think we're heading for a different type of art.-- Nawa Kohei

PixCell-Model-Leopard (Lot 1079) is the first leopard from Nawa Kohei’s extraordinary PixCell series ever to emerge at international auction. Ensconced entirely in glittering orbs of crystal glass, the toy leopard is transformed into an exquisite otherworldly creature that seems to hover weightlessly like an ephemeral mirage. The artist first conducts an extensive search for his desired object from various internet sources. He then acquires the object and adorns it in crystal beads of varying sizes, painstakingly mapping out the specific location of each individual sphere. “There is no arbitrariness to this method”, the artist notes in a catalogue for his exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in 2011. The different sized orbs reflect, morph and mutate the textures of the animal in enthralling ways, resulting in infinite magnifying and distorting lens that create an alluring visual experience.

Nawa’s internationally esteemed and highly representative PixCell series was developed over the course of more than a decade. The first prototype, a series of glass-covered taxidermy deer, captivated audiences at Scai the Bathhouse in Tokyo in 2010. The aesthetically and conceptually sophisticated sculptures sought to destabilize the phenomenon of human sense and perception, reminding viewers of the ambiguity that underlies their relation between truth and reality. At the same time Nawa engages critically with the nature of taxidermy: according to the artist, when we doubt our realities and find cause to question it, we struggle to ‘possess’ truth and certainty much in the same way taxidermy ‘possesses’ or ‘captures’ movement. Be it taxidermy deer or toy leopard, ensconcing the animal under glass beads destabilizes our ability to ‘store’ the object, blurring our understanding and perception.

The series’ name ‘PixCell’ is an amalgamation of the words ‘pixel’, which describes digital image resolution, and the biological ‘cell’—the simplest forms of both the digital and organic worlds. Finding inspiration in life’s tiniest building blocks, Nawa puts forth a shrewd commentary on the contemporary world’s obsession with viewing and filtering the world through pixels—via cameras, smartphones and surveillance technology—which both distorts and illuminates the world we live in. The fact that he first encounters the objects he eventually works on as an image on the internet is significant; as the artist explains in an interview: “At [the initial] stage I first encounter the motif as an image (a group of pixels) appearing on the computer screen. I then acquire the actual object and give it a skin of a large, indeterminate number of cells”.1 Re-constructing virtual image as actual skin, Nawa’s PixCell series interrogates the binaries between form and content, interior and exterior, vision and touch and illusion and truth. In equal parts contemplative and iridescently mesmerizing, PixCell constitutes a truly iconic magnum opus in 21st century contemporary art. 

1 Nawa Kohei, quoted in “Kohei Nawa: A Japanese Artist Beyond Cultural Stereotypes”, Digicult, 2015 

Sotheby's. Modern and Contemporary Asian Art Evening Sale, Hong Kong, 02 oct. 2016, 05:00 PM

Lot 5. An Exquisite White Jade ‘Birds and Rockwork’ Group, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period. Est. HK$1 – 1.5 million / US$129,000 – 194,000. Photo: Sotheby's.

the lustrous white stone exquisitely worked in the form of a pair of birds, possibly mandarin ducks, against layers of pierced and jagged rockwork, one bird partially concealed behind the other, each meticulously rendered with a short beak and a shapely and finely incised crest atop the head, the plumage picked out with precision, one webbed foot of the bird at the front further realistically portrayed, boxwood stand: 11.1 cm, 4 3/8  in.

Notes: This charming piece is impressive for the exceptional luminous and even tone of the stone from which it has been fashioned, the quality of which has been accentuated through the exquisite carving of the two birds, possibly ducks, and the lustrous finish. By restricting the intricate carving to their feathers, the carver draws attention to the quality of the stone. This piece may have once adorned a table in one of the Qianlong Emperor’s many studios and served various purposes, such as a paperweight, brushrest, or purely for aesthetic enjoyment. Both the style and quality of the carving, together with its boxwood stand which has been finely carved in openwork with crashing waves, suggest an imperial provenance.

See related small jade pebbles carved with animals and rocks, such as two sold in our New York rooms, the first carved with chickens, 11th/12th April 1990, lot 290, and the second with a pair of cranes, from the collection of William and Robert Arnett, 20th March 2012, lot 221; another modelled with monkeys, from the De An Tang collection, included in the exhibition A Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 56, and sold in our London rooms, 7th June 2000, lot 57; and a fourth with a tiger, sold in these rooms, 21st May 1987, lot 650. Compare also a brushrest carved in openwork with phoenix, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, cat. no. 224; another, attributed to the Ming dynasty, from the Guan-fu collection, included in the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch’ing, The Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 112; and a third carved with a crane and a deer, sold in our London rooms, 17th October 1978, lot 299, and again in our New York rooms, 27th February 1981, lot 475.

The birds depicted on this piece appear to be mandarin ducks, which are notable for their auspicious meaning. From the Yuan dynasty onwards, depictions of ducks swimming in pairs represented fidelity, marital bliss and happiness, as ducks are said to mate for life. Ducks are also associated with official life, as the name for duck, ya, is written with the radical for jia (first or best), and during the Qing dynasty, mandarin ducks were indicative of civil officials of the seventh rank.

Sotheby's. Roger Keverne - 50 Years in the Trade, Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 62. A pale celadon jade 'immortals and landscape' table screen and original gilt-bronze stand, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the rectangular slab of pale celadon colour mottled with icy inclusions, one side worked with two immortals in loose flowing robes and an attendant in a rocky landscape set with a pavilion and detailed with running river streams, one immortal rendered holding a lingzhi stem, the other tending a deer, the attendant depicted tugging a branch of a tall peach tree in the background, all below lingzhi-shaped clouds bordering the upper edge, the reverse decorated in low relief with an overhanging prunus tree issuing from rugged cliffs, the gilt-bronze stand exquisitely cast and reticulated with stylised scrollwork as well as floral and foliate motifs; panel 24.7 cm, 9 5/8  in.; overall 34.4 cm, 13 1/2  in.

Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 12th March 1982, lot 29.

Notes: Screens such as the present piece were seldom created before the Qianlong period due to the rarity of large flawless pieces of jade. Such screens were fashioned from carefully chosen highly-translucent stones, which would enhance the differing depths of the carved pictorial scene. The particular challenge presented to the carvers of jade table screens was to compose two different designs on each side that would not interfere with but rather enhance the other when light shone through. Thus the viewer could easily be transported into the tranquil and inviting landscapes.

The Qianlong Emperor advocated that jade mountains and carved panels should carry the spirit of paintings by famous past masters. It is recorded that a number of classical paintings from the Emperor's own collection were ordered to be reproduced in jade, such as the celebrated painting Travellers in the Mountains, by the eminent Five Dynasties painter Guan Tong (907-960). The sense of harmony and ethereality captured through the figures in the idyllic landscape is a good example of the type of carving the Qianlong Emperor envisioned.

A table screen carved with a similar landscape, in the De An Tang collection, was included in the exhibition Romance with Jade, Palace Museum, Beijing, 2004, cat. no. 67; a pair was sold in these rooms, 25th November 1981, lot 417; another pair, from the collection of R. Matthews, was sold in our London rooms, 7th November 1961, lot 354; and a third example was sold in our London rooms, 7th December 1993, lot 113. See also three jade screens carved with a similar motif, also inscribed with imperial poems, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition The Refined Taste of the Emperor. Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch’ing Court, Taipei, 1997, cat. nos. 62, 65 and 67.

Sotheby's. Roger Keverne - 50 Years in the Trade, Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 70. An imperial inscribed white jade paperweight, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, dated jiawu year (in accordance with 1774). Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the translucent white rectangular panel inscribed on each short end with four characters respectively readingQianlong jiawu (jiawu year of the Qianlong reign [1774]) and zhongqiu yuti ('imperially inscribed in the second month of autumn'), flanking four evenly spaced Tang dynasty poems denoting autumn by Qian Qi, Li Jiayou, Li Bai and Zhang Wei respectively, the inscription all incised and filled in with gilt; 28.1 cm, 11 in.

Provenance: Acquired by a Swedish diplomat resident in Beijing, circa 1900, by repute.

Notes: Outstanding for its delicate thinness and exceptional purity of the stone, its luminous beauty has been complemented by the simple use of perfectly incised text that has been filled with gilt. Long and thin jade objects of this type are exceptionally rare, likely due to the fragility of the material when worked to these dimensions. Two similarly long and thin jade panels, minutely engraved with figures inhabiting mountain landscapes, but mounted in wooden frames, from the Baron and Baroness von Oertzen collection, illustrated in S. Howard Hansford, Jade. Essence of Hills and Streams, London, 1969, pl. D49, were offered at Christie’s London, 4th November 2008, lot 132. Compare also a thicker long rectangular white jade scroll weight, of slightly smaller size, from the collection of Gerald Godfrey, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th October 1995, lot 839. 

The inscription on this paperweight reveals the revival of the Five Classics and Tang poetry among literati in the late Qianlong period. The style of poetry reflects the regulated verse in five characters and eight rhymes, (wuyan bayun) which was formally reintroduced as a required literary form in 1756. This took effect in the 1757 metropolitan examination and was then extended to the 1759 provincial examinations. Thus, within ten years, publication and republication of Tang and Song poetry anthologies increased, and Tang poetry was favoured by Han Learning scholars for its pre-Song ties to ancient learning.

Sotheby's. Roger Keverne - 50 Years in the Trade, Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 50. An imperial inscribed large pale green jade 'Wang Xizhi and goose' boulder, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate 600,000 — 800,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

the substantial boulder boldly worked on one side with the bearded scholar, Wang Xizhi, next to a kneeling attendant holding a goose, all amidst a rocky landscape arboured with wutong trees and portrayed with mountainous cliffs forming the background, the upper right section incised with an imperial poem titledyuti Xizhi wan e yuqi ('Imperial poem on jade ware of Xizhi playing with goose') in regular script, the reverse similarly rendered with rugged rock faces and centred with a tall pine tree, further decorated with river streams and animals, including a deer and two cranes, one swooping downward, the other perched near a waterfall and sprouting lingzhi blooms, the stone of a pale celadon colour with natural icy inclusions, wood stand; 26.3 cm, 10 3/8  in.

Provenance: Acquired by a Swedish diplomat resident in Beijing, circa 1900, by repute.

Notes: This charming piece is carved with Wang Xizhi (303-361 AD) and his attendant holding a goose. Wang was one of China’s most celebrated calligraphers and a favourite of the Qianlong Emperor, who placed Wang’s Kuai xue shi qing tie[Sudden clearing after a lively snowfall], in the Sanxitang, the Hall of rarities, alongside two further great masterpieces of calligraphy, Zhongqiu tie [Mid-autumn], by his son Wang Xianzhi (344-386) and Boyuan tie [Letter to Boyuan], composed by his nephew Wang Xun (350-410).

Jade boulders carved with historical figures are unusual, although one carved with a scene from Su Shi’s Red Cliff, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 8, Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 97; and another, with a Qianlong mark and of the period, was sold at Christie’s New York, 3rd June 1993, lot 46. See also jade boulders of similar shape, carved with immortals and attendants: three sold in our New York rooms, the first from the collection of Walter Stein, 26th February 1982, lot 462, the second, 27th February 1981, lot 523, and the third, 10th November 1979, lot 109; a fourth, sold in these rooms, 9th October 2012, lot 3147; and a further example sold at Christie’s London, 12th November 2002, lot 46.

Wang Xizhi is here depicted with a gentle expression and in a relaxed pose, accentuated by his attendant and the goose. Wang’s fondness for geese is reflected in the famous story where he copied the Daoist classic Daodejing [the classic of the Dao and of virtue] for a priest in exchange for a white goose, which is mentioned in the imperial poem here. Wang is also known to have acquired inspiration from natural forms, including the graceful necks of geese. Thus, this carving would have been a rich source of reflection and enjoyment to its owner through its symbolic association of the goose with Wang, coupled with the contentment embodied by the figure.

Sotheby's. Roger Keverne - 50 Years in the Trade, Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, 10:00 AM

Lot 3033A. Abel Grimmer, (ca. 1570 Antwerp 1620), Allegory of February. Oil on wood. Diameter 25 cm. Inscribed lower center, signed and dated: MARC 1.1. ABEL GRIMMER FECIT 1609 and inscribed: ABEL GRIMMER 1609 and with a red wax seal. Estimate CHF 90 000/140 000 (€ 83,330 / 129,630). Sold for CHF 126 000. Photo Koller

Lot 3033B. Abel Grimmer, (ca. 1570 Antwerp 1620), Allegory of March. Oil on wood. Diameter 25 cm. Lower center called: MATT. 21 and inscribed: MARS Abel Grimmer. 1609 and with a red wax seal. Estimate CHF 90 000/140 000 (€ 83,330 / 129,630). Sold for CHF 126 000. Photo Koller.

Lot 3033C. Abel Grimmer, (ca. 1570 Antwerp 1620), Allegory of April. Oil on wood. Diameter 25 cm. Bottom right referred: LUC. 8 and inscribed: AVRIL ABEL GRIMMER. 1609 and with a red wax seal. Estimate CHF 90 000/140 000 (€ 83,330 / 129,630). Sold for CHF 126 000. Photo Koller.

Lot 3033D. Abel Grimmer, (ca. 1570 Antwerp 1620), Allegory of October. Oil on wood. Diameter 25 cm. Lower center called: MATT.21 and inscribed verso: OCTOBRE Abel Grimmer. 1609 and with a red wax seal. Estimate CHF 90 000/140 000 (€ 83,330 / 129,630). Sold for CHF 126 000. Photo Koller.

Lot 3033E. Abel Grimmer, (ca. 1570 Antwerp 1620), Allegory of December. Oil on wood. Diameter 25 cm. Inscribed lower left: LUC. 2. and signed and dated lower right: ABEL GRIMMER FECIT 1609 also inscribed verso: DÉCEMBRE ABEL GRIMMER. 1609 and with a red wax seal as well as a label presumably from the frame maker, "Bonvoisin, Maître Peintre Doreur & Marchand de Tableaux. Place du Vieux Louvre". Estimate CHF 90 000/140 000 (€ 83,330 / 129,630). Sold for CHF 126 000. Photo Koller.

ZURICH.- The Old Masters auction on 23 September was led by a very rare series of five allegorical paintings representing the months of February, March, April, October and December by Abel Grimmer (ca. 1570 – ca. 1620). The paintings had been conserved in the same private collection for over 300 years, and their rarity and beauty convinced a private collector to part with CHF 745 000 in order to obtain the series (lots 3033A – 3033E, estimate CHF 500 000 – 700 000).  

Other highlights of the paintings auctions included a Madonna and Child by Tommaso di Credi (active in Florence circa 1490-1510) which sold for CHF 96 500 (lot 3012), and a Bathing Nymph by German artist Carl Spitzweg (1808 Munich 1885) that also changed hands for CHF 96 500 (lot 3232).  

 Lot 3012. Tommaso di Credi (active in Florence circa 1490-1510), Madonna and Child. Oil on panel. 60.5 cm diameter (round). Estimate CHF 100 000 / 150 000 (€ 92 590 / 138 890). Sold for CHF 80 000. Photo Koller.

Provenance: - Christie's, New York, 27.1.2000, Lot 129.
- Galleria Moretti, Florence.
- European private collection.

Exhibited: Pittori attivi in Toscana dal Trecento al Settecento, 22.9.-24.11.2001, Galleria Moretti, Florence.

Literature: Pons, N.: Exh. Cat. Pittori attivi in Toscana dal Trecento al Settecento, Florence 2001, pp. 114-117 (with ill.).

Lot 3232. Carl Spitzweg (1808 Munich 1885), Bathing Nymph, Circa 1870. Oil on canvas. Monogrammed lower left: S in rhombus. 54 x 41 cm. Estimate CHF 70 000 / 100 000 (€ 64 810 / 92 590). Sold for CHF 80 000. Photo Koller.

Provenance: - Probably sales note No. 317. "Bathing Nymph size as 314 Ksthdler Reichardt here / 480, received 31 Merz 1873 (1 Obligation a 500 guilders)".
- Collection of L. Schmederer, Munich. 
- Hugo Helbing, Munich, 1923. 
- Acquired Directly from the above, R. Riemerschmid, Munich-Pasing. 
- private collection, Switzerland. 

Exhibited: - Bayerische Art 1800-1850, Glaspalast Munich, June / July 1906, No. 611 - Memory exhibition, Kunstverein Munich, June 1908, No. 40 

Literature: - Uhde-Bernays, H .: Carl Spitzweg. The Master's life and work. 5th ed. Munich 1919, fig. 121. 
- Ostini, Fv: From Carl Spitzweg world. Barmen 1924, p. 57. 
- Elsen, A .: Carl Spitzweg, Vienna 1948, p. 126 text plate. 56, 58. 
- Roennefahrt, G .: Carl Spitzweg. Descriptive catalog of his paintings, oil sketches and watercolors. Munich 1960 No. 464. 
- Kalkschmidt, E .: Carl Spitweg and his world. 4. ed. Munich 1966, p. 121, FIG. 86. 
- Winkler, A .: Carl Spitzweg, painter, image-teller and poet, Munich 1968, p. 72 color ill. 
- Jensen, J. Ch .: Carl Spitzweg, Cologne 1971, p. 55, color plate. X. 
- Wichmann, S .: Carl Spitzweg. Nymphs. Documentation, Starnberg-Munich, RfvuaK 1990 p. 18 f., Bayer. Staatsbibl. Munich, Inv.-No. Ana 656 b / w 27 
- Wichmann, S .: Carl Spitzweg, Munich, 1990, p. 142; p. 212, No. 91. 
- Wichmann, S .: Carl Spitzweg. Art. Costs and conflicts, Frankfurt / Berlin 1991 p. 336, No. 317. 
- Wichmann, S .: Carl Spitzweg. Nymphs. Documentation, Starnberg-Munich, RfvuaK 1998 Bayer. Staatsbibl. Munich, Inv. No. Ana 656 bw 157. 
- Wichmann, S .: Carl Spitzweg. Catalog of the works. Paintings and watercolors, Stuttgart 2002, p. 312, No. 651 with color ill. 

Two works by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727 Venice 1804) sold well in the Drawings auction on 23 September: an oil sketch depicting the Rest on the Flight into Egypt (lot 3425) attributed to the master was possibly made as a model for Tiepolo’s workshop. It garnered CHF 24 500. A brown ink drawing of a standing figure in Oriental dress (lot 3452), remarkable for its spontaneity, sold for CHF CHF 8 750. 

Lot 3425. Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727 Venice 1804), Rest on the Flight into Egypt, circa 1745-50. Oil on paper, laid on canvas, 39 x 30 cm. In a frame of the 18th century. Estimate CHF 20 000 / 30 000 (€ 37 040 / 55 560). Sold for CHF 20 000. Photo Koller.

Lot 3452. Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727 Venice 1804), Standing Oriental man, wrapped in a cloak. Brush and brown ink. Signed lower left: Dom. Tiepolo. 25.5 x 15.7 cm. Framed. Estimate CHF 6 000 / 9 000 (€ 5 560 / 8 330). Sold for CHF 7 000. Photo Koller.

Furniture and Decorative Arts 
The Schmitz-Eichhoff Collection: trompe-l’oeil ceramics in high demand 
The wonderful Baroque trompe-l’oeil ceramics collection of Marie Teres Schmitz-Eichhoff aroused international interest, and the 19 September auction registered a total of over 90% sold by value. The catalogue contained approximately 250 faience trompe-l’oeil wares and animal figures from the 18th century: cabbage-form tureens, covered dishes in the shape of bundles of asparagus, and plates with eggs, beans and nuts. Many of these items were the subject of an exhibition in 1999 in the Museum of Decorative Arts (MAK) in Cologne, and again at the Hetjens Museum in Düsseldorf in 2006. 

Among the highlights of the auction were a mid-18th century French trompe-l’oeil platter with eggs (lot 1751) which sold for CHF 9 375 against an estimate of CHF 4 000 – 6 000; a large mid-late 18th century cabbage-shaped terrine from Brussels (lot 1758, sold for CHF 9 375) and a Höchst porcelain covered vase decorated with insects and flowers, the bidding for which rose to CHF 10 625 (lot 1783).  

Lot 1751. Trompe-l’oeil plate with eggs, Northern France, mid-18th century. Estimate CHF 4 000 / 6 000 (€ 3 700 / 5 560). Sold for CHF 7 500. Photo Koller.

Lot 1758. Lidded tureen designed as a cauliflower, Brussels, 2nd half of the 18th century. Faience, colorfully painted in yellow and green, the cover with a bird finial. No mark. D 26 cm. Minimal restoration and chipped. (2). Estimate CHF 5 000 / 7 000 (€ 4 630 / 6 480). Sold for CHF 7 500. Photo Koller.

 Lot 1783. Lidded vase with applied insects and flowers, Höchst, ca. 1750. Faience, painted white and colors. No mark. H 45.5 cm. Flowers and edge restored and supplemented. (2). Estimate CHF 6 000 / 8 000 (€ 5 560 / 7 410). Sold for CHF 8 500. Photo Koller. 

The Furniture & Sculpture auction on 22 September featured a pair of Régence/Louis XV ormolu-mounted porcelain vases (lot 1089) of extraordinarily fine quality, which went to a new owner for CHF 156 500. A 14th/15th century northern Italian polychrome sculpture of a Madonna and Child sold for CHF 42 500 (lot 1027), and a Louis XV ormolu-mounted porcelain clock in the form of a smiling Chinese “magot” (lot 1095) changed hands for CHF 62 900. 

 Lot 1089. Pair of important vases with bronze mounts "aux têtes de lion", late Regence-Louis XV, the porcelain from a European manufactory in the style of celadon from the Yuan period (1279-1368), the bronze from a Parisian master workshop, ca. 1750. Fine porcelain, painted in the style of celadon, with matte and polished gilt bronze. H 75 cm. Estimate CHF 90 000 / 120 000 (€ 83 330 / 111 110). Sold for CHF 130 000. Photo Koller.

 Provenance: - According to historical sources, acquired from Edward Levy-Lawson, 1st Baron Burnham (1833-1913) for his estate Hall Barn in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. - Harry Levy-Lawson, 2nd Baron Burnham (1862-1933).
- William Lawson, 3rd Baron Burnham (1864-1943). 
- Edward Frederick Lawson, 4th Baron Burnham (1890-1963). 
- William Lawson, 5th Baron Burnham (1920-1993).
- Christie's Auction, London, 22 September 1969 (Lot No. 96). 
- Christie's Auction, London 11 June 1993 (Lot No. 8). 
- from a very important European private collection. 
- Koller Auction, Zurich, 2 December 2010 (Lot No. 1089).
- from a European private collection. 

Lot 1027. Mary and Child seated on a throne, Gothic, probably Upper Italy, 13th-14th century. Pine, carved all-around, hollowed and painted. Paintwork, in part heavily retouched. Both Madonna and Child are missing an arm. H 122 cm. Estimate CHF 90 000 / 120 000 (€ 83 330 / 111 110). Sold for CHF 130 000. Photo Koller. 

Provenance: from a Swiss private collection.

Lot 1095. Mantel Clock "Au Magot", Louis XV, the porcelain Blanc de Chine, 18th century, the dial and movement signed CHARLES VOISIN A PARIS (Charles Voisin, 1685-1761), Paris, ca. 1740. Matte and polished gilt bronze, and porcelain. Seated magot. Enamel dial. Fine movement with anchor escapement, striking the 1/2-hour on bell. 21x18x35.5 cm. Estimate CHF 40 000 / 70 000 (€ 37 040 / 64 810). Sold for CHF 52 000. Photo Koller. 

Provenance: - Collection E.T. Stotesbury, Philadelphia.
- Collection S. Sargent, USA.
- Auction Christie's London, 29 June 1972 (Lot No. 11).
- from a French collection. 

Books & Autographs 
Fossils and Erotica 
The first illustrated work on fossils ever published was sold in the Books & Autographs auction on 24 September for more than five times its low estimate, CHF 74 900 (lot 428, estimate 14 000 – 20 000). Richly illustrated by Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner, it was published in 1565-66. 

The erotica collection in this auction was a solid success, including the CHF 58 100 paid for the Marquis de Sade’s first published work, La nouvelle Justine, written while he was imprisoned in the Bastille (lot 191). 

Lot 191. [Donatien Alphonse François de Sade], La nouvelle Justine, ou les Malheurs de la Vertu. Ouvrage orné d'un Frontispice et de quarante Sujets gravés avec soin. [Bde. I-IV] UND: Suivi de l'histoire de Juliette, sa soeur [Bde. V-X]. 10 Bde. Mit gest. Frontispiz u. 99 (st. 100) Kupfertafeln. O.O. ("En Hollande"), 1797 (=Paris, um 1835). Estimate CHF  40 000 / 60 000 (€ 37 040 / 55 560). Sold for CHF 48 000. Photo Koller.

Among the more modern works in the sale, a Russian avant-garde illustration by Lyubov Popova for a 1921 exhibition catalogue, 5 x 5 = 25, sold for CHF 42 500 against an estimate of CHF 4 000 – 6 000 (lot 256).

Lot 256. Lyubov Popova, 5 x 5 = 25 [catalog of the exhibition Moscow, 1921]. With 5 original graphics (incl. Cover), supplemented with gouache, crayon and collage. Of a folded and signed. Estimate CHF 4 000/6 000 (€ 3700/5560). Sold for CHF 42 500. Photo Koller.

Lot 101. An Iznik pottery tile, Turkey, circa 1580, 33.8 x 29.2 cm. Estimate £25,000 - 35,000 (€29,000 - 41,000). Photo: Bonhams.

LONDON - A fine and rare Iznik pottery tile is one of the highlights of Bonhams Islamic and Indian sale in London on 18 October. Estimated at £25,000-35,000 it is part of an impressive selection of antique tiles from Iznik, Kashan and other major pottery centres in the Islamic World.

The tile is of rectangular form, decorated in raised red, cobalt-blue and green on a white ground with black outline with a panel containing two bands of alternating sazleaves and lotuses, the interstices with flowerheads and leafy tendrils, three edges with border containing a band of radiating palmettes.

It comes from a Private collection, Netherlands, then Christie's, Islamic art and Manuscripts, 29 April 2003, lot 169.

An interesting and unusual feature of this tile is the method by which some areas of the black outline were executed. Whilst the majority of outline was painted under the glaze, as is typical with Iznik pottery, some areas appear to have been painted on top of the glaze before it was fired. This technique relates to the application of black outline oncuerda seca pottery and is particularly visible in the heavy outline of the border palmettes.

Bonhams Head of Islamic and Indian Art, Oliver White, said, "This is a very intriguing tile. I've never seen one like it. The maker may have been aiming for a novel effect or perhaps he simply got distracted and forgot to complete the outlining before applying the glaze and then rectified his oversight afterwards. Either way, the effect is very striking."

The sale also features two other Iznik tiles from the closing decades of the 16th century. One from 1560 is estimated at £12,000-15,000; the other, from 1570, at £8,000-12,000. A fine iznik rimless pottery dish from the same period is estimated at £15,000-20,000.

Lot 100. An Iznik pottery tile, Turkey, circa 1560. Estimate £8,000 - 12,000 (€9,300 - 14,000). Photo: Bonhams. 

of square form, decorated in raised-red, cobalt-blue, and green with black outline on a white ground with a central eight-petaled flowerhead, alternately issuing four lotuses and four double split-palmette motifs, the split palmettes joining at the tips to create a large quatrefoil motif, partial lotuses to each edge; 26.3 x 26 cm.

Provenance: Private collection, Netherlands.
Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 29 April 2004, lot 220.

Note: Elements of the design of this tile, which was produced in the last decade of Sultan Suleyman's reign, compare with those on a lamp produced for the Suleymaniye Mosque in the Victoria and Albert Museum. (See Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, p. 224, no. 377.) The sparse orangey-red and turquoise-green also support this dating.

Lot 99. An Iznik pottery tile, Turkey, circa 1570. Estimate £8,000 - 12,000 (€9,300 - 14,000). Photo: Bonhams.

of square form, decorated in raised-red, cobalt-blue, green and black outline on a white ground with a large saz leaf overlaid with partial flowerheads, behind a spray of flowers and buds comprising a partial rose and carnation, the left edge with a border containing partial flowerheads and foliate motifs; 24.7 x 24.6 cm.

Provenance: Private collection, Netherlands. 

Lot 108. An Iznik rimless pottery dish, Turkey, circa 1575. Estimate £8,000 - 12,000 (€9,300 - 14,000). Photo: Bonhams.

of shallow rounded form on a short foot, decorated in raised-red, cobalt blue, green and black outline with a spray of tulips, roses and carnations issuing from a leafy tuft, the rim with a band of cloud motifs, the exterior with a band of alternating rosettes and paired tulip motifs, old collection labels to base; 29.2 cm. diam.  

Provenance: Private European Collection, purchased from Joseph Soustiel in the 1960s or 1970s.
Joseph Soustiel, Paris
Henry Bricout, F. Lair-Dubreuil, Manzi sale, Paris, 1919 (1500 Francs).
Galerie Manzi, Paris

Published: Henry Bricout and F. Lair-Dubreuil, Catalogue des Faiences Anciennes [etc.] Composant la Collection de feu M. Manzi, Paris, 20-22 March, 1919, p. 38, lot 208. 

William Stott of Oldham, La Passeur (The Ferry), 1882© Tate.

LONDON.- The painting has been bought with funds provided by Art Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and The Hintze Family Charitable Foundation and will be on display at Tate Britain in April 2017. It will then tour to three other galleries, Gallery Oldham, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum and Southampton City Art Gallery. 

The majority of Stott’s work is in Gallery Oldham, in the artist’s home town. This work will join another piece, Girl in a Meadow from 1880 in Tate's collection. 

Stott was an important member of the group of British artists who were influenced by French naturalism in the late 19th century. After training at Manchester School of Art he went to Paris where he was taught by Léon Bonnat and Jean-Léon Gérôme. He exhibited a number of paintings at The Salon which were admired by French critics. 

Le Passeur demonstrated what British Impressionism could achieve and gave the movement international recognition. It was painted in the artists’ colony of Grez-sur-Loing where Stott developed relationships with other artists from across Europe and America including Frank O’Meara and Lowell Birge Harrison. 

The work is a beautiful interpretation of the river at Grez at dusk and shows the mix of influences from the rural naturalism of Jules Bastien-Lepage to the simple geometry of Edward Burne-Jones. The pensive figures recall the work of Scandinavian artists who were among artists at the Grez colony. 

The centre of the composition is dominated by the reflections of the river, yet it exerts a sense of distance with the village in the background. This effect can also be seen by artists such as George Clausen, Henry Herbert La Thangue and John Lavery. Le Passeur also strongly influenced artists associated with the Glasgow School and it received its first full appreciation in The Scottish Art Review in 1889.

A private apartment in Florence, Italy. © Photo Francesca Pagliai

Lot 10. Chinese Porcelain Kraak Wine Ewer, China, Ming Dynasty, Wanli period (1563-1620). Estimate 4 500 € / 6 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

of ovoid lobbed shape and arched handle, blue decoration of alternating figure and flower reserves. Cf. Maura Rinaldi 'Kraak Porcelain' p.182, Pl. 237. Dim.:18,5cm. 

MARQUES DOS SANTOS, PORTO. Art de la Théière II - Collection de Théières Chinoises et Tasses, le 01 Octobre 2016 à 15h00

Lot 9. Chinese Porcelain Double walled Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 1 200 € / 1 500 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

of globular shape and arched handle, double-walled body with hexagonal openwork reserves, blue decoration of floral, Precious Object and Auspicious Emblem motifs. Dim.:15,5cm.

Lot 1. Chinese Porcelain Teapot 'Female figures', China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 1 200 € / 1 500 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

ovoid shape, decorated in blue with female beauties intercalated with flower pots. Dim.:15,5cm.

Lot 6. Chinese Porcelain 'Buddhist Emblems' Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 1 200 € / 1 500 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

Lot 4. Chinese Porcelain Teapot Miniature, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 1 200 € / 1 500 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

decoration in blue of relief lotus reserves relevados and flower pots, cover with Foo Dog shaped finial. Dim.:11cm.

Lot 11. Chinese Porcelain Wine pot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 1 000 € / 1 200 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

of baluster shape and elongated neck, decorated in blue with flower scroll peach shaped reserves, lid with lotus and peonies. Dim.:20cm.

Lot 5. Chinese Porcelain 'Buddhist Emblems' Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 750 € / 1 000 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

globular shape, decoration in blue with Buddhistic emblems and censers. Double circle with lotus mark to underbase. Dim.:17cm.

Lot 7. Chinese Porcelain Octagonal 'Lotus' Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 600 € / 900 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

baluster octagonal shape, decorated in blue with lotus and lotus scrolls. Dim.:14,7cm.

Lot 12. Chinese Porcelain 'Bell' Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 600 € / 900 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

bell shape, decorated in blue with floral motifs. Dim.:12,3cm.

Lot 13. Chinese Porcelain 'Scrollwork' Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 600 € / 900 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

of globular lobed shape, decorated in blue with lotus and flower motifs. Base with applied relief scrolwork. Dim:.15cm

Lot 2. Chinese Porcelain Octagonal 'Dignitary and lotus' Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 525 € / 700 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

of baluster octagonal form, blue decoration of alternate reserves with dignitaries on landscape and lotus scrollwork. Dim.:19cm. 

Lot 8. Chinese Porcelain Octagonal Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 450 € / 600 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

baluster octagonal shape, decoration in blue with alternating reserves of figures on a landscape and flower branches. Dim.:15cm.

Lot 3. Chinese Porcelain 'Figures' Teapot, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 400 € / 600 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

globular shape, blue decoration with lotus reserves alternating female figures and flowerpots. Dim.:11,5cm.

Lot 14. Chinese Porcelain 'Buddhist' Teacup and Saucer, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 400 € / 600 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

blue decoration with flower reserves, outside rim with 'Shu' emblems, double circle mark on underside with 'Lo' emblem. Dim.:8 and 12,5cm.

Lot 15. Chinese Porcelain 'Erotic Scene' Teacup and Saucer, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 400 € / 600 €. Photo Marques Dos Santos , Porto.

scalloped porcelain with lotus flower releif, blue and white decoration with erotic scene and lotus reserves with flowers and landscapes. Dim.:7 and 11cm.

MARQUES DOS SANTOS, PORTO. Art de la Théière II - Collection de Théières Chinoises et Tasses, le 01 Octobre 2016 à 15h00