Lot 422. A white-glazed flask, Liao dynasty, 26.5 cm, 10 3/8  in. Estimate 30,000 — 40,000 HKD. Lot sold 75,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.   

of 'pouch' form with the rounded lower body tapering to a vertical tubular spout and a flat bracket-lobed handle, covered overall with a white slip and a translucent glaze

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 01 Jun 2017

CALAIS - Plongez dans la haute couture parisienne des années 50 aux années 90.

Toute sa vie, il a habillé une fidèle clientèle cosmopolite, dont des célébrités comme Jacqueline Kennedy et Audrey Hepburn, sa muse et amie. Les pièces présentées donnent la mesure d’un sens aigu de l’élégance et d’une grande culture. Entre autres sources d’inspiration, on reconnait l’évocation d’artistes chers au couturier tels Miró, de Staël, Delaunay ou Rothko, mais également les fastes du XVIIIesiècle à travers des couleurs profondes, des matières précieuses et des drapés somptueux. 

Des «séparables» de 1952 aux vaporeuses robes de mariée en tulle et dentelle de ses dernières années de création, 80 pièces rendent hommage à l’un des plus grands couturiers du XXe siècle. Elles sont issues de prestigieuses garde-robes privées, des archives de la maison Givenchy ainsi que des collections des musées européens, dont l’important fonds Givenchy de la Cité de la dentelle et de la mode.

L'exposition est placée sous la direction artistique de M. Hubert de Givenchy

Du 16 juin au 31 décembre 2017

Ensemble de jour composé d'une blouse dite "Bettina" en coton et d'une jupe en lin, été 1952. Photo Luc Castel © Givenchy

Détail d’un déshabillé du soir en dentelle Leavers sur fond de faille, hiver 1963 © Collection Cité de la dentelle et de la mode - Photo Luc Castel

Robe fourreau du soir portée par Audrey Hepburn dans le film Breakfast at Tiffany's (Diamants sur Canapé) de Blake Edwards, 1961. Photo Luc Castel © Givenchy

Robe fourreau du soir portée par Audrey Hepburn dans le film Breakfast at Tiffany's (Diamants sur Canapé) de Blake Edwards, 1961. Photo Luc Castel © Givenchy

LONDON.- Dulwich Picture Gallery presents the first major UK exhibition of watercolours by the Anglo-American artist, John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), since 1918. 

A key selection of works from over 30 lenders, including The lady with the umbrella, 1911, on display in the UK for the first time, offer an alternative perspective on Sargent, demonstrating a technical brilliance and striking individuality. 

John Singer Sargent, Blind Musicians, 1912, watercolour on paper, on preliminary pencil, 39.4 x 53 cm, Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections. Purchased in 1927,half the auction price met by Sir James Murray

‘Sargent: The Watercolours’ brings together 80 works from arguably Sargent’s greatest period of watercolour production between 1900 and 1918. Renowned as the leading portraitist of his generation, Sargent mastered the medium of watercolour during his painting expeditions to Southern Europe and the Middle East, where he developed a distinctive way of seeing and composing. Whilst these watercolours have often been dismissed as simple travel souvenirs, they were an integral part of Sargent’s artistic production. 

Arranged thematically, the exhibition showcases Sargent’s landscapes, architectural structures and figurative scenes. It will draw attention to the most radical aspects of his oeuvre, in particular his use of the close-up to focus attention on a specific motif, his unusual use of perspective and the arresting and dynamic poses of his figures. The show also serves as a startling reminder of Sargent’s mastery of the visual complexities of light, the effects of which are present in almost every one of his works. 

John Singer Sargent, Bed of a Torrent, c. 1904, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, 36 x 51cm, Royal Watercolour Society, London. Image © Justin Piperger

Richard Ormond, co-curator of the exhibition, said: “In Sargent’s watercolours we see his zest for life and his pleasure in the act of painting. The fluency and sensuality of his paint surfaces, and his wonderful command of light, never cease to astonish us. With this exhibition we hope to demonstrate Sargent’s mastery of the medium and the scale of his achievement”. 

Sargent practiced the art of watercolour from a young age and continued to use it throughout his career, his style developing in tandem with his work in oils. By 1900, aged 44 and at the height of his career, he had grown restless, seeking escape from the confines of his studio and the pressures of portrait commissions. Working en plein air, he explored subjects of his own choosing, travelling to remote spots where he could work undisturbed. For this purpose, he regularly turned to watercolour, a medium that allowed him to paint, rapidly and without much preparation, a scene that caught his eye.  

John Singer Sargent, A Turkish Woman by a Stream, c. 1907, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, with touches of body colour, 35.9 x 50.8 cm, Victoria and Albert Museum. Bequeathed by Miss Dorothy Barnard.© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The show opens with some of the best examples of Sargent’s fragments and close-ups. Sargent rarely painted buildings as complete and coherent entities; his sliced angles and perspectives and the unorthodox viewpoints require the spectator to imagine their complete form. In Rome: An Architectural Study, c. 1906-7, Sargent records a corner of a building, concentrating on the effect of daylight on the stone using contrasting warm and cool tones. In The Church of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, c. 1904-9, the domes of the great church are obscured by the rigging of ships in the canal so that they become part of a pictorial pattern. 

The show goes on to explore Sargent’s depictions of cities, in particular, his paintings of everyday life in Venice, which he often captures from canal level - the city seen from the gondola perspective. Works also depict the less glamorous side canals, with their narrow passageways, their strange geometries and the mysterious play of light and shade. Painting some of the most famous sites in other cities, Sargent only gives a glimpse of their grandeur, concentrating more on the pattern and form surrounding as in the earlier work, Constantinople, 1891, in which he depicts a strikingly horizontal view of the historic center of Istanbul. 

After the turn of the twentieth-century, Sargent painted more landscapes than any other subject. His scenes are often unconventional, opting for closely cropped details rather than full, panoramic views. Sargent focused on form and surface pattern, particularly in his mountain landscapes such as Bed of a Torrent, c. 1904. He transforms mossy rocks and flowing brooks into a complex arrangement, rejecting distance and scale. Similar to photographic snapshots, his landscapes, with their informal compositions and abrupt cropping, capture a moment in time. 

The exhibition culminates with a selection of Sargent’s figurative paintings, including depictions of his travel companions, fellow artists and working people as in Group of Spanish Convalescent Soldiers, c. 1903. In many of these works Sargent rejects the primacy of the figure. In The lady with the umbrella, 1911, for example, his subject is foreshortened and contorted, an avoidance of the obviously pretty and picturesque.  

John Singer Sargent, A Street in Spain, c. 1880, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, 23.8 x 32.1 cm, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Presented by Miss Mabel Price, 1935. Image © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

he show has been curated by Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray, widely accepted as the UK reigning experts in this field. Richard Ormond is Sargent’s grand-nephew. He was previously director of the National Maritime Museum, London. Elaine Kilmurray is an art historian, author and curator. She has worked with Richard on numerous publications and co-curated exhibitions on Sargent’s work in London, Washington, D.C., Boston, Ferrara and Los Angeles. 

Loans come from UK institutions including Tate, The British Museum, The Fitzwilliam, The Imperial War Museum and The Ashmolean, alongside works rarely seen from numerous private collections. Key loans also come from European institutions; Museu de Montserrat, Abadia de Montserrat, Barcelona; the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon and the Petit Palais, Musee de Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris. 

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated colour exhibition catalogue and features fascinating new research into Sargent’s watercolour oeuvre with lead essays from the curators.

John Singer Sargent, Villa Borghese, Temple of Diana, c. 1906-07, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, 35.2 x 50.3 cm, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Presented by Mrs Ormond, the artist's sister, 1937. Image © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

John Singer Sargent, Rome: An Architectural Study, c. 1906-7, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, 34.9 x 50.2 cm, Museums & Galleries, City of Bradford MDC

John Singer Sargent, Spanish Fountain, 1912, watercolour on paper, overpreliminary pencil, 53.3 x 34.6cm, © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

John Singer Sargent, Palma, Majorca, 1908,watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, with touches of body colour, 36.2 x 52.6 cm, © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

John Singer Sargent, Highlanders Resting at the Front, 1918, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, 34.3 cm x 53.5 cm, © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

John Singer Sargent, A Glacier Stream in the Alps, c. 1909-11, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, 33.3 x 49.5cm, Laing Art Gallery (Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums). Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne/Bridgeman Images

John Singer Sargent, The Lady with the Umbrella, 1911, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, with body colour, 65 x 54 cm, Museu de Montserrat. Donated by J. Sala Ardiz. Image © Dani Rovira

John Singer Sargent, The Church of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, c. 1904-9, watercolour on paper, over preliminarypencil, 36.7 x 53.8 cm, © Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon. Photo: Catarina Gomes Ferreira

John Singer Sargent, The Fountain, Bologna, c. 1906, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, with touches of body colour, 36.8 x 53.3 cm, Private Collection

John Singer Sargent, The Dogana, Statue of Fortune, c. 1909-11, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, 48.3 cm x 34.9 cm, Private Collection

John Singer Sargent, Pool in the Garden of La Granja, c. 1903, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, 30.2 cm x 45.7 cm, Private Collection

John Singer Sargent, Group of Spanish Convalescent Soldiers, c. 1903, watercolour on paper, over preliminary pencil, with body colour, 29.9 cm x 40.7 cm, Private Collection

Unknown photographer, Sargent painting a watercolour in the Simplon Pass, c. 1910-11, Sargent Archive, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Lot 423. A small sancai-glazed waterpot, Tang dynasty, 6.7 cm, 2 5/8  in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 81,250 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.   

of compressed globular form with an incurved mouth, covered with a blue glaze accentuated with amber splashes, the glaze falling short of the base to reveal the grey body.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 01 Jun 2017

Lot 426. A 'Changsha' celadon-glazed ewer, Tang dynasty, 18.1 cm, 7 1/8  in. Estimate 30,000 — 50,000 HKD. Lot sold 52,500 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.   

of ovoid form with a short polygonal spout and a loop handle, divided by a pair of lugs in between, applied on the body with four relief-moulded figural and floral appliques.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 01 Jun 2017

Lot 427. Two sancai-glazed bowls, Liao dynasty,  24.3 and 27.6 cm, 9 1/2  and 10 7/8  in. Estimate 60,000 — 80,000 HKD. Lot sold 87,500 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.   

of ovoid form with a short polygonal spout and a loop handle, divided by a pair of lugs in between, applied on the body with four relief-moulded figural and floral appliques.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 01 Jun 2017

Lot 428. An amber-glazed 'Floral' incense stick holder, Liao dynasty, 9.5 cm, 3 3/4  in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 25,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.   

the exterior of the compressed globular body densely incised with three large blooms below a stylised scroll band, the rounded top with a butterfly and further pierced with a small circular and rhombus-shaped aperture, covered overall with a glassy glaze, the base with three spur marks.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 01 Jun 2017

Lot 55. A rare white and russet jade 'mythical figure' pendant, Tang Dynasty, 4cm (1 1/2in) high. Estimate HK$150,000 - 200,000 (US$19,000 - 26,000). Sold for HK$ 3,540,000 (€406,826). Photo: Bonhams

Superbly and deftly carved as an animated mythical figure, the face vividly rendered with a ferocious expression, menacing teeth and muddled hair, kneeling on its left leg with the left hand holding the other knee while the right hand grasps its curling tail, lavishly dressed with a waisted belt, the attractive translucent stone of even white tone suffused with russet inclusions.  

Provenance: Cheung Tao Yin, Hong Kong, 1982
The Songzhutang collection, no.75

Published and Illustrated: T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pl.75

Note: Cheung Tao Yin was an eminent collector of Chinese archaic jades who was a renowned filmmaker in Hong Kong in the 1970s. One of his notable works includes Dragon Inn.

This mythical figure is particularly finely carved, displaying masterful carving in the lively depiction of the figure's expression and skilfully capturing a great sense of dynamic and fluid movement of the body.

It is rare to find a similar Tang dynasty example of such a figure; however, compare the similar carving style and the execution of the smooth body shape of the present lot to two other small white jade figures, Tang dynasty, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 5 Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pp.33-34, pls.14 and 16.

Bonhams. THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES from the Neolithic Period to the Yuan Dynasty, 30 May 2017, 14:00 HKT

Lot 54. An exceptionally rare jade mythical-bird scroll weight, Eastern Han Dynasty or later, four-character dehui yunri mark, 18th century, 6.5cm (2 1/2in) diam. Estimate HK$800,000 - 1,200,000 (US$100,000 - 150,000). Sold for HK$ 2,340,000 (€268,919). Photo: Bonhams

The domed scroll weight masterfully carved as a mythical bird with a single horn and pointed beak, surmounting a circular base with its wings outstretched as if ready for flight, the slightly flared wings flanking a bulbous body, the six grooved long tail feathers elegantly curled in various directions, all meticulously incised with a well-defined feather pattern rendering a vivid movement, the interior of the base hollowed and incised with a later added four-character 'dehui yunri' inscription encircled by a band of incised cloud scrolls, the smoothly polished stone of greenish-yellow tone suffused with russet and black inclusions.

Provenance: Acquired in Hong Kong in 1998
The Songzhutang collection, no.74

Published and Illustrated: T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pl.74

Note: The present lot is an outstanding and important example of an early jade carving which represents the pinnacle of Han dynasty jade craftsmanship. This rhythmically carved bird is remarkable for its intricate relief decoration in various depths and its finely incised details on the feathers, exhibiting the carver's exceptional technique in producing a naturalistic and dynamic three-dimensional jade animal.

During the Han dynasty, weights of this type are believed to have been used by the Imperial family and high nobility to place on mats lining the floor, which were used for sitting at the time. These were often weighted at the corners with gilt-bronze weights, or more exceptionally, prized jade carvings. These kind of weights were usually made in the shape of animals or human figures, and would have been made in sets of four. The present lot would have been associated with the animals of 'the four directions': the green dragon (East), the white tiger (West), the dark tortoise encircled by a snake (North) and the red bird or phoenix (South) as in the present lot; so the four directions symbolised the entire world. Being at the centre surrounded by the animals of the Four Directions conveyed a high social status and power of the person, suggesting the possibility that the present lot once belonged to a member of the Imperial family or a high ranking noble.  

Compare a bronze weight in the form of a mythical bird, Han dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (museum no.000333N). Although the craftsmanship of this bronze weight is less detailed, the bird is similarly depicted perched on a circular base, with a bulbous body, a pointed beak and a single horn. Also compare the modelling of Han dynasty jade carvings of turtle doves, which were typically used as staff pommels, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei; similarly depicted with a single horn and long tail feathers, illustrated in Art in Quest of Heaven and Truth: Chinese Jades through the Ages, Taipei, 2011, nos.3-3-36 and 5-4-7.

The present lot is closely related to a line drawing of a bronze weight in the shape of a mythical-bird, Han dynasty, published in Xiqing gujian 西清古鑑 (A catalogue of ancient ritual bronzes in the collection of the Qianlong Emperor), vol.38, p.46. The Qianlong emperor instructed the Court to collect drawings of antiquities, which served as sources of designs for the production of contemporary vessels, in order to reinstate the intrinsic qualities of simplicity, sincerity and happy exuberance of the ancient cultures; see Chang Li-tuan, The Refined Taste of the Emperor: Special Exhibition of Archaic and Pictorial Jades of the Ch'ing Court, Taipei, 1997, pp.49-50. The line drawing of the mythical bird shows close similarities to the present jade weight including the overall shape of the object, the depiction of the curling long tail feathers, as well as the wings and tail feathers portrayed in dense and detailed lines.  

The auspicious inscription incised on the underside of the present lot, 'Dehui yunri'德輝雲日, meaning 'Virtue is as broad as the sky', indeed reflects the Qianlong emperor's aspirations. The execution of the four characters on the present lot is typical of the fluid and elegant style of the Qianlong period jade seal-script inscriptions. 

According to Shuowen Jiezi 說文解子, a Chinese dictionary written by the Eastern Han dynasty scholar Xu Shen, jade symbolises the five virtues of humanity: benevolence, integrity, intelligence, bravery and honesty. The Qianlong emperor regularly oversaw the entire process of jade production to ensure that the finished pieces met his standards of purpose and beauty; he also composed more than eight-hundred poems and essays about jade, demonstrating the importance of this prized and symbolic material to the emperor. 

Bonhams. THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES from the Neolithic Period to the Yuan Dynasty, 30 May 2017, 14:00 HKT

Lot 5. A rare black jade ritual vessel, cong, Neolithic Period, Liangzhu Culture; 17.2cm (6 3/4in) high. Estimate HK$400,000 - 600,000 (US$51,000 - 77,000). Sold for HK$ 1,375,000 (€158,018). Photo: Bonhams

The thick-walled vessel of slightly tapering square-sectioned tubular form, the sides divided into five registers, each carved with a stylised mask formed by raised bands and incised details, the opaque stone of rich black colour suffused with silvery-white flecks. 

Provenance: Acquired in Hong Kong in 2010
The Songzhutang collection, no.6

Published and Illustrated: T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pl.6

Note: Typical of Liangzhu Culture cong, the present lot has a square outer section around a circular inner part, decorated with stylised masks arranged neatly on each of the four corners. The beauty of the present cong is highlighted by the lustrous brilliant black tone which has been altered in the course of its long burial. 

Although the precise meaning and use of the cong is not entirely clear, it was found in extensive numbers in Liangzhu tombs and thus these are believed to be an important burial and ritual artifact. The importance and value of the present lot is further indicated by its substantial weight and solidity.

Compare an example of a jade cong also carved with five registers of stylised masks (14.8cm high), Neolithic period, Liangzhu Culture, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 1 Neolithic Age, Beijing, 2011, p.76, pl.31. See another slightly smaller jade cong (14.6cm high), also decorated with five registers, excavated in 1973 from Sidun in Wujin, Jiangsu Province, illustrated in Liangzhu wenhua yuqi, Hong Kong, 1989, p.39, pl.50.

Bonhams. THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES from the Neolithic Period to the Yuan Dynasty, 30 May 2017, 14:00 HKT

Lot 51. A rare and large yellow jade disc, bi, Han Dynasty; 3/4in) diam. Estimate HK$25,000 - 30,000 (US$3,200 - 3,900). Sold for HK$ 1,980,000 (€227,546). Photo: Bonhams

The circular disc superbly carved and finely incised on both sides with a border of four stylised taotie masks with curling horns and interlocking bodies, encircling an inner border of evenly spaced raised bosses, divided by a narrow rope-twist band, the stone of a yellow tone predominantly suffused with attractive honey russet inclusions. 

Provenance: Dr Ip Yee (1921-1984), one of the founding members of the Min Chiu Society, Hong Kong
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 22 November 1984, lot 801
Acquired from the distinguished Hong Kong art dealer Lai Loy (1926-2012) in 1988
The Songzhutang collection, no.72

Published and Illustrated: T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pl.72

Note: This remarkable type of bi disc, decorated with a border of grain-pattern surrounded by a band of animal masks, started to appear in the middle to late Warring States period. A large number of such bi were excavated from the old capital of the State of Lu in Qufu, Shandong Province. Bi discs of similar type were also found in the Han dynasty tombs of the King of Nanyue and other nobles, demonstrating the high status and rank associated with bi such as the present lot. It has also been suggested that this type of bi disc may have served as ceremonial objects for Imperial sacrifice to the sun; for fuller discussion, see Teng Shu P'ing, One Hundred Jades from the Lantien Shanfang Collection, Taipei, 1995, pp.49-50.

Compare an excavated jade bi disc of larger size but similar form and pattern, from the tomb of the King of Nanyue, excavated at Xianggangshan in Guangzhou, Western Han dynasty, illustrated by J.C.Lin, The Search for Immortality: Tomb Treasures of Han China, Cambridge, 2012, p.280, pl.156A. Another slightly larger disc, Western Han dynasty, of similar pattern was excavated from the tomb of the Prince of Chu at Shizisan in Xuzhou in Jiangsu Province, now in the collection of the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China: 7, Beijing, 2005, p.109. See also a green jade bi disc of similar design illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 4 Han, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, p.33, pl.8.

Bonhams. THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES from the Neolithic Period to the Yuan Dynasty, 30 May 2017, 14:00 HKT

Lot 65. A very rare jade carving of a foreigner riding an elephant, Yuan Dynasty; 8cm (3in) wide (2).. Estimate HK$300,000 - 400,000 (US$39,000 - 51,000). Sold for HK$ 1,125,000 (€129,288). Photo: Bonhams

Masterfully carved as a bearded Turkic foreigner with a powerful facial expression, finely detailed with protruding eyes and adorned with a pair of disc earrings and a fur hat, wearing an armoured short jacket and holding a scoop in his right hand, superbly modelled sitting on an elephant standing foursquare with one foot lifted, its head turned slightly to one side with the trunk curled to the other side, caparisoned with an elaborately embroidered saddlecloth, the stone of an attractive grey tone suffused with black inclusions, wood stand.  

Provenance: Christie's New York, 3 December 1992, lot 58
Acquired in Hong Kong in 1994
The Songzhutang collection, no.82

Published and Illustrated: Virtuous Treasure: Chinese Jades for the Scholar's Table, Hong Kong, 2008, pl.97
T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pl.82

Exhibited: Virtuous Treasure: Chinese Jades for the Scholar's Table, University Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Hong Kong, 17 November 2007 - 17 February 2008, no.97

The present jade carving of a foreigner and an elephant is an extraordinarily rare example of Yuan date, executed with superb intricacy and delicacy. The compelling sculptural quality is emphasised by the combination of the vivid facial features of the figure, the bold modelling of the elephant with sensitive attention to details including the front lifted foot as if ready to walk. The present lot demonstrates the significant development in jade craftsmanship accomplished in the Yuan dynasty, compared to earlier periods, as exemplified in a simpler modelling of a jade carving of a similar subject matter, showing a foreigner on a recumbent elephant, Tang dynasty, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 5 Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pl.15.

The facial features and clothing style of the figure in the present lot are characteristic of the Yuan period. See a jade group of a foreigner and horse, Yuan dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Gufang, The Pictorial Handbook of Ancient Chinese Jades, Beijing, 2007, p.342. 

A related jade group of a foreigner and elephant, Yuan/Ming dynasty, was sold at Christie's New York, 19 September 1996, lot 112; however, whilst the facial features of the figure are stylistically similar to the present lot, the elephant is depicted recumbent.

Bonhams. THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES from the Neolithic Period to the Yuan Dynasty, 30 May 2017, 14:00 HKT

Lot 31. A yellow jade turtle, Warring States Period; 3cm (1 1/4in) long. Estimate HK$150,000 - 200,000 (US$19,000 - 26,000). Sold for HK$ 1,025,000 (€117,795). Photo: Bonhams

Deftly carved with a protruding head and bulging eyes showing a vivid expression, the four legs stretched out, the slightly domed shell elaborately incised with a taotie motif, a threading channel drilled from the mouth to the tail with two further holes pierced on the undecorated underside, the stone of even greenish-yellow tone with traces of cinnabar.  

Provenance: Zhang Ling, member of the Kau Chi Society of Chinese Art, Hong Kong
Acquired in Hong Kong in 1984
The Songzhutang collection, no.53

Published and Illustrated: T.Fok, The Splendour of Jade: The Songzhutang Collection of Jade, Hong Kong, 2011, pl.53 

Bonhams. THE SONGZHUTANG COLLECTION OF EARLY JADES from the Neolithic Period to the Yuan Dynasty, 30 May 2017, 14:00 HKT

Lot 432. A carved Qingbai tripod incense burner, Song dynasty, 11.4 cm, 4 1/2  in. Estimate 40,000 — 60,000 HKD. Lot sold 175,000 HKD.  Photo: Sotheby's.

with the deep rounded body supported on three legs each issuing from a mythical beast head, carved to the exterior with undulating floral scrolls below a keyfret band 

Lot 434. A moulded Qingbai 'floral' bowl, Song-Yuan dynasty, 12.3 cm, 4 7/8  in. Estimate 30,000 — 40,000 HKD. Lot sold 52,500 HKD.  Photo: Sotheby's.

decorated to the interior with a central floral medallion, surrounded by six flower panels around the cavetto, covered with a translucent blue-tinged glaze

Lot 556. A carved Qingbai 'fish' bowl, Song dynasty, 19.8 cm, 7 3/4  in. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 25,000 HKD.  Photo: Sotheby's.

with a six-lobed rim, freely carved to the interior with a pair of fishes amongst combed waves, covered overall save for the base with a blue-tinted transparent glaze, Japanese wood box inscribed by Ryoichi Fujioka

Lot 45. François Garnier (vers 1600 - Paris entre 1658 et 1672), Nature morte d'abricots et de fraises dans une coupe de Delft, 38 x 52 cm. Estimation : 60 000 € / 80 000€. Photo: Tajan.

Panneau de chêne, deux planches, non parqueté. Restaurations anciennes et petits manques 

François Garnier, Still life with apricots and strawberries in a Delft’s cup, oak panel, 14 15/16x 20 1/2 in.

Note: Beau-père de Louise et d’Isaac Moillon, dont il épouse la mère, veuve, en 1620, François Garnier, peintre et également marchand de tableaux, se spécialise dans des natures mortes remarquables dans leur simplicité. Établi dans le quartier Saint-Germain où il côtoie les peintres d’origine hollandaise, il est influencé par ce courant d’une peinture décorative, mais strictement ordonnée, avec peu d’éléments décoratifs, décrivant avec exactitude, mais sans recherche illusionniste, des fruits et autres éléments de la vie quotidienne dans un cadrage intimiste. On retrouve cette virtuosité dans le traitement de la coupe de Delft, dont l’aspect lisse et froid contraste avec l’entablement de bois. Les abricots et les fraises, minutieusement dépeints, sont disposés avec naturel, une petite goutte de rosée et une feuille venant juste animer le reste de la surface. Se détachant sur un fond sombre, notre composition toute en sobriété illustre parfaitement ce terme de "vie silencieuse" qui qualifie les natures mortes du XVIIe siècle. Privilégiant les cerises et les fraises dans ses compositions, François Garnier rend à merveille la surface des fruits piquetée d’akènes. Cette variété de fraises anciennes pourrait être identifiée avec des capron-framboises, qui apparaissent vers le milieu du XVIIe siècle, s’ajoutant aux fraises des bois qui constituent alors la majorité des fraises consommées. 

Tableaux Anciens chez Tajan, 75008 Paris, le 22 Juin 2017 à 18h

Lot 52. A large 'Longquan' celadon-glazed 'lotus' bowl, Southern Song dynasty, 21.6 cm, 8 1/2  in. Estimate 60,000 -- 80,000 HKD. Lot sold 162,500 HKD.  Photo: Sotheby's.

with the deep rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot, the exterior carved with lotus petals, covered overall save for the foot rim with a soft sea-green glaze

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 01 Jun 2017

Lot 527. A small 'Longquan' celadon washer, Song dynasty, 9 cm, 3 1/2  in. Estimate 60,000 -- 80,000 HKD. Lot sold 75,000 HKD.  Photo: Sotheby's.

with the straight flared sides rising from a tapered foot, covered overall with a rich glaze of soft blue-tinged greyish-green colour, save for the foot rim left unglazed

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 01 Jun 2017

Lot 532. A 'Longquan' celadon beaker vase, gu, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century, 38.2 cm, 15 in. Estimate 20,000 -- 30,000 HKD. Lot sold 47,500 HKD.  Photo: Sotheby's.

of archaistic gu form, standing on a straight base below a spreading foot and wide everted mouth, deftly incised to the central bulb with a band of whorls, all between a diamond patterned lattice, covered overall with a celadon glaze 

Provenance: A Japanese private collection.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 01 Jun 2017