Sketch by Cristobal Balenciaga, 1958

Basin with Lotus Decoration, Northern Song dynasty (960–1127). Porcelain with carved and incised decoration under ivory glaze (Ding ware). H. 4 1/2 in. (11.5 cm); Diam. 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm). Gift of Mrs. Samuel T. Peters, 1926 (26.292.98) © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The lively lotuses, leaves, and stems that fill the interior of this basin were carved and incised by hand prior to the glazing and firing of the basin. Because of their thinness, these wares are often fired upside down to spread weight and prevent distortion. The metal rim covers the part of the bowl that was left unglazed for firing.

Musical Stone with Theme of the "Hundred Antiques", Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95). Jade. H. 13 7/16 in. (34.2 cm); W. 9 7/16 in. (24 cm); D. 1 15/16 in. (5 cm). Gift of Heber R. Bishop, 1902, 02.18.644 © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The association of bells and stone chimes with ancient ritual made them ideal subjects for reproduction as decorative objects. In the late eighteenth century, when the supply of jade was plentiful, archaistic bells and fanciful stone chimes were made from the precious material. The fashion for this type of jade object probably began in the imperial workshops during the Qianlong reign (1736–95) and continued in commercial enterprises through the nineteenth century.

Ladle with Handle in the Shape of a Dragon's Head, Three Kingdoms period (220–280). Gilt bronze. L. 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm); W. 3 7/8 in. ( 9.8 cm). Charlotte C. and John C. Weber Collection, Gift of Charlotte C. and John C. Weber, 1994, 1994.605.90 © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This sinuously curved ladle terminates with an open-mouthed dragon's head at the handle. The creature has two long horns, pointed ears, bulging eyes, and an attenuated snout. A small ball-like object—possibly an allusion to the flaming pearl often chased by images of dragons in later Chinese art—is caught between the two protruding teeth in the dragon's mouth. Under his chin, which curls into the suggestion of whiskers, is a small ring attached to an appendage, presumably for hanging the utensil. Similar ladles with full cups and dragon-headed handles have been excavated in tombs from the kingdom of Wu. Located in the central and lower Yangzi River valley and further south, Wu, which was supported by landowning immigrants from the north and had mercantile ties to Southeast Asia, was one of the three kingdoms that controlled China during the third century.

Ma Yuan (Chinese, active ca. 1190–1225), Viewing plum blossoms by moonlight, early 13th century, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on silk. Image: 9 7/8 x 10 1/2 in. (25.1 x 26.7 cm). Gift of John M. Crawford Jr., in honor of Alfreda Murck, 1986, 1986.493.2 © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Crafted as carefully as the regulated verse of a Tang dynasty quatrain, Ma Yuan's Viewing Plum Blossoms by Moonlight is a visual poem evoking a complex sense of time, place, and mood. The browns and blacks in the trees and rocks contrast with the light grayish hues of the cliff and mountain to suggest the mist-filled, moonlit atmosphere of an early spring evening. The thatch roof of a pavilion identifies the place as a garden setting. The white-robed gentleman, framed by the dark angular forms of the landscape, perfectly counterbalances the moon in its setting of limitless space. Recalling a yin-yang cosmic diagram with its implication of positive within negative, light within dark, solid within void, the painting may be read as an emblem of man's dual nature: tied to the physical world, man's spirit is not contained by it but, like the plum, reaches upward to partake of the infinite.

Bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin), ca. 550–560, Northern Qi dynasty (550–577). Sandstone with pigment. H. 13 ft. 9 in. (419.1 cm); H. with base 14 ft. 9 in. (449.6 cm). The Sackler Collections, Purchase, The Sackler Fund, 1965, 65.29.4 © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Large-scale sculptures of bodhisattvas wearing extraordinary jewelry epitomize stylistic and iconographic innovations in Chinese sculpture from the second half of the sixth century. The astonishing jeweled harness adorning this bodhisattva is made up of two long strands of pearl-like clusters and multifaceted beads. Some elements, such as the triangular pendants, have Chinese precedents. Others, such as the pearl cabochons, derive from Central Asian traditions. The appearance of such elaborately figural sculptures, which later became standard in Chinese Buddhist art, attests to a growing devotion to Avalokiteshvara in the second half of the sixth century. It is possible that the jewels refer to a passage in the Lotus Sutra in which the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and another bodhisattva extol Avalokiteshvara’s great compassion and presents him with a pearl necklace as a symbol of his benevolence. 

Lot 218. An exceptional rhinoceros horn Libation Cup, late Ming, c.1600. Sold for £200,000. Photo courtesy Sworder's Fine Art auctioneer.

STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET.- This highly carved c.1600 late Ming Dynasty libation cup has sold for £200,000 hammer at Sworders Fine Art auctioneers of Stansted Mountfitchet. 

An exceptional design for such a piece, the 7½ wide by 5½in high (19 x 14cm) cup sold to a Chinese buyer in the room battling it out against ten phone bidders on Tuesday (November 8). 

Made from rhinoceros horn, the 400-year-old carving is subject to strict international laws, drawn up to protect endangered species, that allow for the sale and export of such pieces under highly restricted conditions. 

The sale at Sworders, which included a number of other highlights, is part of a wider celebration of works of art from China, Japan, Korea and India that has grown up the ten-day Asian Art in London festival of auctions, gallery shows, museum exhibitions and talks that bring in collectors and academics from all over the world. 

Sworders’ libation cup, which had carried a top estimate of £50,000, is just the latest in a series of exceptional Chinese works sold by the Essex auction house. In April 2014, they took £150,000 hammer for a very large, carved Zitan wood ‘Hundred Boys’ bitong or brushpot, dating to the late 18th or early 19th century, that had been used as a doorstop in a Hertfordshire cottage for over 40 years. 

“We have taken a special interest in Asian art – and particularly Chinese works of art – for a number of years, and are privileged to have native Chinese speaker among our specialist staff who has been of invaluable help in developing this area of expertise for us,” said Sworders managing director Guy Schooling. 

“Together with the expert knowledge of our other specialists in this field, this has led to a number of outstanding sales of this type at our Essex saleroom."

Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Wedding Dance in the Open Air, 1607-1614, oil on oak panel. © The Holburne Museum.

BATH.- The Holburne Museum announces the UK’s first exhibition devoted to the Bruegel dynasty, including recent attributions for two paintings from the Museum’s own collection. Bruegel: Defining a Dynasty will unravel the complex Bruegel family tree, revealing the originality and diversity of Antwerp’s famous artistic dynasty across four generations through 35 works, including masterpieces from the National Gallery, Royal Collection Trust, the National Trust, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. 

Jennifer Scott, the Holburne’s Director and co-curator of the exhibition notes, ‘This exciting new exhibition not only shines a light on the quality of the Holburne Museum’s Flemish paintings, but also on the wealth of paintings by the Bruegel dynasty in the UK.’ 

A key work in the exhibition will be Wedding Dance in the Open Air, an oil painting from the Holburne’s own collection which, following conservation work and technical examination, can be attributed firmly to the hand of Pieter Brueghel the Younger. Previously thought to be the work of a copyist or follower of Brueghel, it now takes its place as the only version of this popular scene in a UK public museum. Together with Robbing the Bird’s Nest and the Visit to a Farmhouse, also featured in the exhibition, this new discovery makes the Holburne Museum the primary collection of Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s work in the UK. 

The exhibition will also show the David Teniers the Younger’s Boy Blowing Bubbles from the Holburne’s own collection. Previously ascribed to ‘Imitator of David Teniers the Younger’, recent research undertaken by the Holburne Museum has revealed a new attribution to Teniers himself.  

David Teniers the Younger, Boy Blowing Bubbles, c.1640. Photo ©Holburne Museum.

Bruegel: Defining a Dynasty is curated by the Holburne’s Director, Jennifer Scott, and Dr Amy Orrock, independent art historian and Bruegel specialist, and will provide the opportunity to understand and reimagine the Bruegel familial relationships, investigating the developments of the artists’ individual styles and the way in which they asserted both their artistic heritage and their independence. Visitors can compare the development of ‘Bruegelian’ iconography over 150 years, through works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, his sons Pieter Brueghel the Younger and Jan Brueghel the Elder, their direct descendants (Jan van Kessel the Elder) and artists that married into the family (David Teniers the Younger). In particular, the exhibition will highlight Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s artistic talents, reinstating him as an important artist in his own right. 

A book to accompany the exhibition Bruegel: Defining a Dynasty is written by Amy Orrock and published by Philip Wilson and will be on sale in the Holburne’s Gift Shop for £16.95. 

Amy Orrock said, ‘Undertaking research for the exhibition and accompanying book has provided a wonderful opportunity to explore and celebrate the Bruegel dynasty in addition to making new discoveries.’

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, Self-portrait, wearing a Feathered Bonnet, 1635, National Trust, Buckland Abbey, gift from the estate of Edna, Lady Samuel of Wych Cross. © National Trust/Chris Titmus.

LONDON.- Am I Rembrandt? (8 Nov – 5 March 2017), the final display in Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Making Discoveries series brings the Dutch Master’s flamboyant Self-Portrait, Wearing a Feathered Bonnet, 1635, (on loan from Buckland Abbey, National Trust) to London for the first time. The display also delves deeper into the Gallery's own works by the painter with Girl at a Window, 1645, shown for the first time with its surviving preparatory study. 

The status of the self-portrait as an authentic work by Rembrandt has been questioned in the past, but following extensive technical analysis and investigative work by the National Trust and leading Rembrandt specialists, it was firmly attributed to the Master in 2014. The self-portrait inspires a wider display, exploring how curators and conservators worked together to authenticate the painting. It also examines the authorship of other works by Rembrandt, acquired by the Gallery's founders in the late 18th century. 

Dulwich’s paintings Jacob de Gheyn III, 1632, and Girl at a Window are undisputed works by Rembrandt that are often used as a standard by which to judge unsigned paintings from the same periods. Conversely, A Young Man, perhaps the Artist’s Son Titus, 1663, was previously doubted as a genuine Rembrandt due to its degraded condition, whilst Jacob’s Dream, 1710-15, was once a much admired Rembrandt until the restoration process revealed the signature of Rembrandt’s last pupil, Aert de Gelder. Seen together these works and accompanying analysis offer a special insight into the often challenging practise of attributing Old Master works, drawing upon a curator’s knowledge of the artist’s style; surviving documentation relating to the work’s history; and analytical investigations that reveal the artist’s materials and techniques.

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, Girl at a Window, 1645, oil on canvas, DPG163. By Permission of the Trustees of Dulwich Picture Gallery, London. 

Girl at a Window, one of the Gallery’s most celebrated works by Rembrandt, is being displayed next to the only known preparatory study for the work, on loan from The Courtauld Institute of Art (Count Antoine Seilern Bequest). This is the first time both painting and study have been displayed together, revealing how Rembrandt transformed a quick graphite sketch, made from life, into the finished painting. Seen together, the works offer a unique insight into the artist's creative process. 

Am I Rembrandt? is the final of four displays in the Making Discoveries: Dutch and Flemish Masterpieces series, which has thus far explored works by Van Dyck, Rubens and Dou in Dulwich’s collection. Bringing together recent historical and scientific research, the series has revealed intriguing discoveries, shedding new light on these familiar works. This research has been achieved through the recently published catalogue of the Dutch and Flemish paintings collection at Dulwich Picture Gallery, which was launched on 10 October 2016. It is the first comprehensive catalogue covering this part of the collection and includes over 220 paintings, detailing their provenance and historical significance. It is available to buy online and from the Gallery shop. 

The Making Discoveries series is curated by Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Arturo and Holly Melosi Chief Curator Dr Xavier Bray with support from Assistant Curator, Helen Hillyard.

Anthony van Dyck, Samson and Delilah, c. 1618-20, oil on canvas, 152.3 x 232 cm. By Permission of the Trustees of Dulwich Picture Gallery, London.

Peter Paul Rubens, Samson and Delilah, c. 1609-1610, oil on panel, 185 x 205 cm. © The National Gallery, London.

Jacob Maltham (printmaker), after Peter Paul Rubens, Samson and Delilah, c. 1612, engraving © The British Museum, London.

 Peter Paul Rubens, Venus, Mars and Cupid, c.1630-1635, oil on canvas, 195.2 x 133 cm, DPG285. By Permission of the Trustees of Dulwich Picture Gallery, London.

Peter Paul Rubens, Minerva Protects Pax from Mars (“Peace and War”), 1629–30, oil on canvas, 203.5 × 298 cm (The National Gallery, London, presented by the Duke of Sutherland, NG46). © The National Gallery, London.

Gerrit Dou, A Woman Playing a Clavichord, c. 1665, oil on panel, DPG56. By Permission of the Trustees of Dulwich Picture Gallery, London.

Gerrit Dou, Young Lady playing the Virginal, c. 1665, oil on panel, Private Collection, USA. © DR.

Lot 74. A rare miniature doucai bottle vase, Qianlong four-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795). Estimate GBP 18,000 ~ 25,000. Price Realised  GBP 365,000 (USD 452,965). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The bottle is finely decorated with the 'hundred boys' design in garden scenes. The neck is applied with two gilt bracket handles. The interior and base are turquoise enamelled. 3 1/8in. (8cm) high.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 96. Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), Trees on a hillside. Estimate GBP 15,000 ~ 25,000. Price Realised  GBP 233,000 (USD 289,153). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

Folding fan mounted as an album leaf. Ink on gold-dusted paper. Signed with two seals of the artist. Six collector's seals including one of Pan Zhengwei (1791-1850) and five of Wu Hufan (1894-1968); 20 ¾ x 7 ½ in. (52.7 x 18.6 cm.) 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 201. A pair of rectangular huanghuali stools, changfangdeng, Ming Dynasty, 17th century. Estimate GBP 40,000 - GBP 60,000 (USD 49,640 - USD 74,460). Price Realised GBP 233,000 (USD 289,153). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

Each stool has a frame top enclosing a soft mat seat, supported on gently tapered square-form legs terminating in hoof feet and joined by plain aprons and humpback stretchers. 22 in. (56 cm.) wide x 19 ½ in. (49.5 cm.) deep x 20 ½ in. (52 cm.) high 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 127. A pair of embellished cloisonné and champlevé enamel caparisoned elephants, Qianlong-Jiaqing period (1736-1820). Estimate GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000 (USD 74,460 - USD 99,280). Price Realised GBP 185,000 (USD 229,585). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

Each elephant supports a vase containing lingzhi sprigs embellished with goldstones, with stylised lotus designs on the vase, saddle and saddle cloth. The white bodies are inset with gilt cloisons imitating the wrinkled hide, and the trappings are decorated with various coloured stones. The taller 16 ¾ in. (42.5 cm.) high 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 97. Wen Zhengming (1470-1559), Running Script Calligraphy. Estimate GBP 10,000 - GBP 20,000 (USD 12,410 - USD 24,820). Price Realised  GBP 161,000 (USD 199,801). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

Folding fan mounted as an album leaf, ink on gold-dusted paper. The text is a poem written by the artist. Signed Zhengming with two seals of the artist reading Zheng Zhong Fu yin and Wu Yan shi yin. Three collectors' seals including Wu Hufan (1894-1968), one colophon by Wu Hufan written on the mounting - 7 3/8 x 22 5/8 in. (18.7 x 57.4 cm.) 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 10. A rare doucai'mythical horse' dish, Yongzheng six-character mark within a double-circle and of the period (1723-1735). Estimate GBP 15,000 - GBP 25,000 (USD 18,615 - USD 31,025). Price Realised  GBP 149,000 (USD 184,909). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The dish is painted with a mythical horse supporting a ribboned book on a saddle cloth, galloping over waves beside rocks. The exterior is decorated with further waves and rocks. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm.) diam. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 19. A dated blue and white 'bajixiang' tripod censer and stand, Daoguang period, with cyclical year of dingwei, corresponding to 1847. Estimate GBP 10,000 - GBP 15,000 (USD 12,410 - USD 18,615). Price Realised GBP 16,250 (USD 20,166). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.  

he body is painted with the Eight Buddhist Emblems, bajixiang, including the canopy which contains a fourteen-character inscription followed by a seal mark. The three feet and the pair of S-shaped handles are decorated with lotus flowers. The top of the stand is painted with the Three Abundances, sanduo, including peach, pomegranate and finger citron. The sides of the stand are decorated with ruyi-heads. 12. 1/8 in. (31 cm.) high without stand, wood cover with jade finial.  

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 27. A purple-ground painted enamel bowl, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate GBP 6,000 - GBP 8,000 (USD 7,446 - USD 9,928). Price Realised GBP 7,500 (USD 9,308). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.   

The exterior is painted with the characters ru yi fu shou (good wishes, happiness and longevity), lotus sprays and the Eight Buddhist Emblems. The interior has further emblems surrounding a shoucharacter. The base has a cai hua tang zhi mark, 'made for the Hall of Colourful Flowers', in iron-red within a double circle. 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm.) diam.   

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 28. A doucai'lanca' bowl, 18th century. Estimate GBP 6,000 - GBP 8,000 (USD 7,446 - USD 9,928). Price Realised GBP 8,750 (USD 10,859). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.   

The bowl is painted on the exterior with eight mandorlas separated by lanca characters. The interior is similarly decorated below a band of lanca characters. The base has a cai hua tang zhi mark, 'made for the Hall of Colourful Flowers', in iron-red within a double circle. 7 1/8 in. (18 cm.) diam.   

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 32. A pair of yellow-ground famille rose medallion bowls, Daoguang six-character seal marks in iron-red and of the period (1821-1850). Estimate GBP 8,000 - GBP 12,000 (USD 9,928 - USD 14,892). Price Realised GBP 10,000 (USD 12,410). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.   

The exteriors are finely enamelled with four medallions enclosing vases or lanterns, next to jardinières of flowers or fruits, accompanied by auspicious objects, divided by lotus flowers and scrolling foliage reserved on a yellow ground. The interiors have floral medallions to the centre. 5 7/8 i. (14.8 cm.) diam.   

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 40. An iron-red and gilt-decorated jar and cover, Daoguang six-character seal mark in iron-red and of the period (1821-1850). Estimate GBP 8,000 - GBP 12,000 (USD 9,928 - USD 14,892). Price Realised GBP 10,000 (USD 12,410). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.    

The jar is densely decorated with bats and shou characters amidst lotus flowers with leafy scrolls. The cover is decorated with further lotus sprays. The interior and base are enamelled in turquoise. 8 ¾ in. (22.2 cm.) high without cover.   

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street