North-Italian, first half 16th century, Figure of a Grieving Youth, bronze, 32.3 cm (12¾ in) high. © Tomasso Brothers

LONDON.- Tomasso Brothers Fine Art will unveil an exciting new discovery by the gallery, an Italian Renaissance bronze Figure of a Grieving Youth, at TEFAF Fall New York 2018. This exceptional sculpture joins a superb 18th century carved limewood relief by the renowned French master of the genre, Aubert-Henri-Joseph Parent (1753-1835), and a rare early portrait of dogs by the Dutch still life painter Dirck de Horn (1626-c1683/8), another recent discovery, in a triumvirate of gallery highlights. 

The newly-discovered Renaissance bronze Figure of a Grieving Youth, is North-Italian and almost certainly Venetian and represents a standing young man whose left arm is raised theatrically, with a dark reddish brown patina of exquisite colour which remains in wonderful condition. The composition was inspired by an ancient Roman marble (after a Hellenistic original) known as Dead Niobid, now in Munich’s Glyptothek, and which is first mentioned in records around the year 1500. 

The elaborate pose and heightened expressive quality of the ancient Roman marble must have immediately captured the attention of artistic circles in Rome and beyond; interpretations of it appear in a circa 1500 Florentine drawing now in the Prado Museum, and the figure also appears, like the present sculpture in an upright stance, in the altarpiece of the Ten Thousand Martyrs by the Venetian painter Carpaccio (1465-1520) now in the Accademia in Venice. Carpaccio often employed small bronzes as models for figures in his paintings, which suggests a statuette of Figure of a Grieving Youth existed in Venice by the second decade of the 16th century. The rarity of the model is attested to by the fact that very few casts exist, most notably the two in The Wallace Collection, London and the Musée du Louvre, Paris. 

The present bronze is an important testimony of the artistic sensibility of early sixteenth century Italian Renaissance. Rooted in the humanist approach to the rediscovery of antiquity, the figure compositionally reinvents its ancient model, combining gesture and power of expression to create an arresting portrait of human emotion. It is offered for a price in the region of USD $275,000. 

The Wettin Still Life Relief by Aubert-Henri-Joseph Parent (1753-1835) is a superb example of limewood carving, executed at the height of French Neo-classicism. Signed and dated 1794, it is thought to have been commissioned by a member of the German House of Wettin, rulers at the time of the Electorate of Saxony 

An exquisite work of technical brilliance, straddling the realms of naturalism and trompe l’oeil, the flowers – roses, lilacs, daisies and ranunculi – are a vivid three-dimensional execution imitating a Dutch Old Master floral still life. A critic observed of Parent’s work in 1783 that “one hardly expects to see such delicacy united with elegance in such a small place”. Parent, born in Cambrai, caught the attention of King Louis XVI (1674-1793), securing the young artist a number of commissions at the French court, and he went on to enjoy a long and respected reputation. Closely comparable examples to the present relief include two works now in the J. Paul Getty Museum and a third in New York’s Metropolitan Museum, each beautiful illustrations of translating “the colour values of painting into gradations of relief” to create incredibly vivid yet elegantly composed images. The relief will have an asking price of around USD $125,000. 

Recently the relief belonged to Geoffrey MacLeod Hallowes (1918-2006), an officer in the British Special Operations Executive during World War II, whose wife Odette Brailly (1912-1995) was the first woman to be awarded both the George Cross and appointed Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur, the latter for her work with the French Resistance. Odette was immortalised in the eponymous 1950 film starring Anna Neagle and Trevor Howard. 

Another highlight on the stand will be a charming and rare early dog portrait, Spaniels and a Pointer in a Landscape, by Dutch artist Dirck de Horn (1626-c1683/8), signed and dated 1648. Only five signed still-life works by de Horn were known until now, four of which are in the Friesisches Museum, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, home town of the artist. This recent discovery by Tomasso Brothers presents an opportunity to reappraise de Horn as a highly skilled painter of animals along with his previous extant works of still lives. The painting will be offered with an asking price in the region of USD $250,000. 

Recognised as leading dealers in the field of European sculpture, Tomasso Brothers Fine Art also specialises in Old Master paintings and objets d’art. The gallery will be exhibiting at Stand 207, Second Floor, at TEFAF Fall New York, which takes place at the Park Avenue Armory from 27-31 October 2018 (Preview 26 October).

Lot 3621. An outstanding huanghuali couch-bed, luohan chuang, Late Ming dynasty, 16th – 17th century; 78.5 by 199 by 95.3 cm, 30 7/8  by 78 3/8  by  37 1/2  in. Estimate 10,000,000 — 15,000,000 HKD (1,273,900 - 1,910,850 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

of superb quality, the rectangular seat frame of standard mitre, mortoise and tenon construction, supported on a straight, constricted waist exquisitely carved with bamboo-form dividers on the sides and at the corners, depicting on the long front three rectangular cartouches enclosing a pair of chilongs confronting stylised cloud scrolls, between a pair of archaistic phoenix, the short sides each with a further pair of chilongs, the reverse with three abstract begonia-shaped panels, all above a wide, beaded, curvilinear apron carved with interlocking lingzhi scrolls, foliate tendrils and ruyi-shaped corners, mitred, mortise and tennoned into and half-lapped onto four thick square-sectioned cabriole legs terminating in scrolled feet, the back and arms each of standard mitre, mortoise and tenon construction, the side panels each gently curved and finishing with a shaped spandrel carved with an archaistic kui dragon medallion in openwork.

Exhibited: Splendor of Style: Classical Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1999, p. 107.

Literature: Grace Wu Bruce, Chinese Classical Furniture, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 21

A Rare High-Waisted Huanghuali Luohan Chuang
Curtis Evarts

Twenty-five years ago, a collector asked me to evaluate a huanghuali luohan chuang that he had been offered in Hong Kong. After making arrangements to see the piece, I was guided to a small storage facility located on a narrow side street just off Hollywood Road. Interestingly, the chuang was completely disassembled in pieces that were laid out on the floor. Nonetheless, after looking over the various components, it was apparent that it was a high-waisted form with cabriole legs, and the railings were of an unusual style fitted with plinth-like bases. Without the proper tools to assemble the entire piece, I could only loosely place legs together with the apron, waist elements, and railings to get sense of the overall proportion (fig. 1). At that time, I recognised a unique form with excellent workmanship; and not only was it in original condition with undisturbed surfaces, there didn’t seem to be a single piece missing! Understandably, my collector did not hesitate to acquire the piece. A few years later in 1999, we selected this chuang to be included in the exhibition and catalogue Splendor of Style: Classical Chinese Furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties organised by the National Museum of History, Taipei. Now, after all these years, I have been given another opportunity to review this rare high-waisted huanghuali luohanchuang. The following article will explore a few of its unique characteristics. 

Detail of lot 3621 huanghuali luohan chuang components, photo taken by author, October 1993

Although the high-waist pattern is often associated with various types of cabriole-leg furniture, luohan chuangs of high-waisted form are very rare. Many cabriole-leg stands and stools are of high-waisted style. And it was also a standard convention for the canopy bed; such is the iconic moon-gate canopy bed in the Palace Museum collection, which also features relief-carved floral panels set between short vertical struts shaped as bamboo (fig. 2). This general construction pattern – with plain or decorative taohuan panels separated with short struts that rest upon additional (tuosai) moulding – can be considered an archaistic style associated with the ancient xumi pedestal platform. Nevertheless, most luohan chuangs are fashioned with the streamlined narrow waist. But when the high waist is adapted to the form as with the Sotheby’s piece, the overall style approaches the dignity of a throne chair.

Detail of huanghuali moon gate canopy bed, Ming dynasty. Image Courtesy of Palace Museum, Beijing.

The stylistic variation of a high waist with narrow decorative (taohuan) panels separated with bamboo-shaped struts is a relatively early convention that pre-dates the Ming period. Amongst architectural relics, stone column bases with such ornamentation are found amongst Song and Yuan dynasty constructions. And the Nine Dragons Screen Wall at Datong, which was constructed for the residence of the emperor Hongwu’s 13th son (Prince Zhu Gui) in 1392, also reveals this well-established decorative pattern adapted to the standards of imperial architecture. Made of glazed pottery tiles, the lower section of the screen has two long rows of rectangular panels depicting auspicious dragons and other mythical beasts, and each is separated with short bamboo-shaped pillars (fig. 3). This early architectural decorative style was also adapted as furniture-making technique and often appears in high-waisted constructions. Such is the Sotheby’s luohan chuang, which also feature auspicious chi dragons decorating the high-waist panels.

Amongst hardwood luohan chuangs, the railings of this piece are also of unique style. The bottom of the railings are fitted with an architectural plinth-like base, and the side railings terminate with decorative standing spandrels. Although the plinth base is rare for hardwood chuangs, the technique was common to lacquer constructions during the Ming period. The Palace Museum collection houses two such examples including a gold-filled tianqi lacquer chuang with a Chongzhen period inscription dated to 1631 (fig. 4) as well as a black lacquer chuang with mother-of-pearl inlay decoration; similar railings on other Ming dynasty lacquer chuangs belonging to private collections are also known. The plinth base provides a secure ground for the railing as well as a visually pleasing transition from the narrow panel to the massive base. And similar to the railings on the Chongzhen period luohan chuang, the side panels of the Sotheby’s huanghuali luohan chuang also terminate with bracket-like standing spandrels with round open-work chi dragon motifs. Thus, this huanghualipiece clearly borrows its pattern from the earlier lacquer furniture tradition, and it also incorporates the decorative carving techniques that flourished throughout the late Ming and early Qing periods when hardwood furniture was in its relatively early stage of development.

Detail of qiangjin and tianqi lacquer luohanchuang, Ming dynasty, Chongzhen period, dated in accordance with 1631. Image Courtesy of Palace Museum, Beijing.

The carved decoration is unified around a central theme of winged chi dragons and luxuriant flowering grass. Advancing chi dragons appear on front and side waist panels as well as coiled embryonic forms within the side rail terminal spandrels. Chi dragons were popular decoration during the Warring States period and Han dynasty. Illustrations of ancient jades published in Yuan and Ming dynasty texts often depict chi dragons (c.f. fig. 5), which may have well inspired wood carving artisans during the late Ming period. Chi dragons are an immature form said to be offspring from the Nine Dragons; chi dragons with wings are an even more distinguished breed, and may perhaps intimate the rise of a majestic winged ying dragon. In this regard, the theme of winged chi dragons on this huanghuali piece may also indicate an association with an aspiring official, or perhaps even with a princeling of imperial rank.  

Lot 3622. A pair of huanghuali high yokeback armchairs, Late Ming dynasty, late 16th – early 17th century; 121.3 by 60.4 by 45.3 cm, 47 3/4  by 23 3/4  by 17 7/8  in. Estimate 10,000,000 — 15,000,000 HKD (1,273,900 - 1,910,850 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

 each with the shaped top rail with a small head-rest and gently everted ends, the plain S-shaped back splat tongue-and-grooved into the underside of the top rail and tenoned to the back member of the seat frame, the two black splats with active patterns cut from the same piece of wood, the stiles tenoned into the top rail and, like the front posts, pass through the seat forming the legs, the elongated S-shaped arms, mortised and tenoned into the stiles and pipe-joined to the posts, supported by tapering S-shaped braces of circular section, the mitred, mortised and tenoned seat frame with exposed tenons on the short rails and with two transverse braces underneath, the edge of the seat frame moulds downward and inward to end in a narrow flat band, drilled for soft seat construction fitted with old matting, all above a plain straight apron butt-joined to the underside of the seat, tongue-and-grooved into the legs and tenoned to the footrail, the side aprons similarly constructed whilst the back apron left plain and high, the legs joined by a shaped footrail in front, with rectangular side stretchers and an oval one in the back, all with exposed tenons, the footrest and stretchers with plain shaped aprons below.

Provenance: Collection of Mr and Mrs Robert P. Piccus.
Christie's New York, 18th September 1997, lot 40 (one of the pair).
Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong 

The present pair of chairs combines an extending top rail with continuous arms, of which surviving examples are relatively rare; a closely related chair, attributed to the 17th century, is illustrated in Karen Mazurkewich, Chinese Furniture. A Guide to Collecting Antiques, Rutland, 2006, pl. 84; and a pair, but with shorter backs and attributed to the 17th/18th century, from the Robert H. Ellsworth collection, was sold at Christie’s New York, 18th March 2015, lot 106. The type is captured as a design of the Ming period, as depicted in wood block prints of the period; see an illustration to the drama written by Xu Fuzuo, Story of the Red Pear, illustrated in the catalogue to the exhibition Chinese Furniture. Wenfang Works of Art, Grace Wu Bruce, The International Asian Art Fair, New York, 2003, cat. no. 3 (fig. 1).

The remarkable level of carpentry is evident in the skilful construction of these chairs: the two plain S-shape back splats are carved from the same piece of wood and tongue-and-grooved into the underside of the top rail and tenoned to the back member of the seat frame. The stiles are tenoned into the top rail and pass through the seat to become the back legs, while the elongated S-shape arms form the front legs. These arms are mortised and tenoned into the stile and pipe-joined to the posts, supported by tapering S-shaped braces of circular section. Mitred, mortised and tenoned, the seat frame has exposed tenons on the short rails and two transverse braces underneath, while its edge moulds down and in to end in a narrow flat bend. Below the seat is a plain straight apron butt-joined to the underside of the seat. The legs are joined by a shaped footrail in front, rectangular side stretchers, and an oval one in the back, all with exposed tenons.

Craig Clunas in Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, p. 20, describes yokeback armchairs as being made in pairs, suggesting Chinese room arrangements aimed for symmetry. He further notes that Ming and Qing period literature illustrations characteristically show them used at dinner tables, in reception halls for guests and at the writing table in the scholar’s studio, and illustrates a woodblock print of the 1616 edition of The Golden Lotus (Jing Ping Mei), p. 22, fig. 8. This scene shows the main male figure and his principal wife seated on guanmaoyi while dining with his secondary wives and concubines who are seated on stools. For a general discussion on the basic model and decorative vocabulary of these armchairs see Curtis Evarts, ‘From Ornate to Unadorned’, Journal of the Chinese Classical Furniture Society, Spring 1993, pp. 24-33.

Lot 3401. An Imperial Moulded Gourd 'Shou' Medallion Bowl, Shangwan Mark and Period of Kangxi (1662-1722); 11.3 cm, 4 1/2  in. Estimate: 650,000 — 750,000 HKD (82,810 - 95,550 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the rounded sides supported on a short foot rising to a slightly everted rim, the exterior crisply moulded with four shou medallions interspersed with meandering lotus scrolls, all between key-fret borders encircling the mouth-rim and foot, the interior decorated in gilt with a central lotus medallion encircled by five further lotus sprays on a black lacquer ground, the naturally formed underside moulded with a four-character Kangxi shangwan reign mark ('Appreciated by the Kangxi Emperor'), the gourd of a warm honey-brown tone.

Provenance: Galerie Eymery, Paris, 15th April 1943.
Collection of Professor Robert de Strycker (1903-1968).

Lot 3609. A Rare Large Imperial Moulded Gourd Bowl, Shangwan Mark and Period of Qianlong (1735-1796); 17.7 cm, 7 in. Estimate: 900,000 — 1,200,000 HKD (114,651 - 152,868 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the deep rounded sides skilfully moulded on the exterior with a repeated pattern of four butterflies, the wings made up of a pair of arched kui dragons, interspersed by pairs of peony sprays, all set between key-fret bands at the mouth and the foot, the mouth bound with a bone band, the interior lacquered in black and painted with randomly arranged gold medallions enclosing flowers, rocks-and-waves, bats, butterflies, and peaches, the underside moulded with a four-character Qianlong shangwan mark, the smooth patina of a warm russet brown tone.

Provenance: Yung Feng Co., Hong Kong, December 1982.
Collection of Water, Pine and Stone Retreat.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th October 2009, lot 1815.

Lot 104. A superb and finely carved white jade 'Longevity'ruyi sceptre, Qing dynasty, late 18th century – 19th century; 47 cm, 18 1/2  in. Estimate: 1,800,000 — 2,500,000 HKD (229,320 - 318,500 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the large ruyi-shaped terminal worked in relief with two succulent peaches borne on curved stems issuing leaves around the sides, framed above and below by a pair of flying bats, their wings outstretched embracing the large fruits, the reverse decorated with a leafy meander in shallow relief, the elongated arched shaft similarly decorated in the middle and end with further flying bats and peaches, amidst densely worked undulating lotus scrolls in the round, the stone of an even white tone with faint milky inclusions, wood stand.

Exhibited: Ip Yee, Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1983, cat. no. 221.

Lot 137. A spinach-green jade archaistic ruyi sceptre, Qing dynasty, 18th century; 45.3 cm, 17 7/8  in. Estimate: 400,000 — 600,000 HKD (50,960 - 76,440 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

Lot 3304. An exceptional white jade 'Catfish'ruyi sceptre, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795); 36.8 cm, 14 1/2  in. Estimate: 2,000,000 — 3,000,000 HKD (254,820 - 382,230 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

Lot 134. A highly important blue and white Iznik pottery charger, Turkey, circa 1480; 44.5cm. diam., 8.3cm. depth. Estimate £300,000 - £500,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.

of large, deep, rounded form, with an everted flat rim, the interior decorated in reserve within a central roundel against a blue-black ground with an intricate arabesque of interlacing split-palmette ‘rumi’ motifs in two shades of blue and white emanating from a small central rosette, the cavetto displaying a thick band of corresponding design surmounted by a thin band of interlocking key fret motifs, the flat rim ornamented with a band of scrolling floral ‘hatayi’ flowers in white, the reverse decorated with a wide band of ‘hatayi’ lotus scrolls in blue on a white ground, thin double blue lines and a single bracketed line embellishing the underside of the rim.

Provenance: Ex-collection Max Debbane (1893-1965), Alexandria, Egypt. 
Acquired from Max Debbane’s daughter in 1968. 
Private Collection, North America.

Note: The bibliophile and businessman Max Debbane was born into an Syrian-Lebanese family, and was educated in both Alexandria and Paris prior to the First World War. He patronised many leading cultural institutions in the town of his birth including the Greco-Roman Museum and Conservatoire, and was served as President of the Archaeological Society. He was a passionate defender of the archeological heritage of Alexandria to the Society as well as local and foreign scientific publications seeking his collaboration.  

Lot 3660. An underglaze-blue and puce-enamelled 'Dragon' brush, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795); handle 16.8 cm, 6 5/8  in. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 HKD (25,478 - 38,217 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the bulbous body with a long cylindrical handle surmounted with a globular finial, brightly enamelled in puce with two ferocious five-clawed dragons and flying bats, the mythical creatures each with a scaly body terminating in muscular legs and sharp claws, writhing amongst stylised scrolling clouds in underglaze blue.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2018, 03:00 PM

L0t 3616. A fine and rare famille-rose'Dragon' brush, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); handle 17.1 cm, 6 3/4 in. Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,800,000 HKD (152,868 - 229,302 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the bulbous body with a long cylindrical handle surmounted with a globular finial, brightly painted with a ferocious iron-red dragon, his facial features, scales and flowing mane picked out in gilding, the beast writhing amidst multi-coloured scrolling lingzhi-shaped clouds against a milky-white ground, the tip of the terminal with an iron-red six-character seal mark.

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25th April 2004, lot 64.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2018, 03:00 PM

Lot 3631. An imperial gilt-bronze hilted knife and white jade scabbard, Qing dynasty, 18th century; overall 35 cm, 13 3/4  in. Estimate 600,000 — 800,000 HKD (76,434 - 101,912 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the slender sharp blade fitted with a gilt-bronze hilt skilfully cast with a thin key-fret band below dense lotus scrolls and terminating with a jade pommel incised with a further key-fret band, the white jade scabbard finely worked in low relief with dense floral blooms borne on leafy scrolls between two thin key-fret bands, one side with a raised shou character below a gilt-bronze band mounted to the opening.

Provenance: Collection of Millicent Rogers (1902-1953), thence by descent to her second son Arturo Peralta Ramos II (1928-2015).

Note: It is very rare to find a white jadeite scabbard with a gilt-bronze handle, which represents a fine example of the high standards of artistic production achieved in the 18th century. Another imperial gilt-bronze knife with a white jadeite scabbard, but with a green jadeite pommel, was sold in our New York rooms, 23rd September 1997, lot 11, and again in these rooms, 8th April 2009, lot 1704. Compare a knife of this type with a jade handle and an intricately carved wood scabbard depicting a flowering lotus scroll, from the collection of Dr Ip Yee, included in the exhibition Bamboo and Wood Carvings of China and the East, Spink and Son Ltd, London, 1979, cat. no. 277 and sold in these rooms, 19th November 1984; another with jade handle and diaper-carved bamboo scabbard, sold at Christie's New York, 21st September 2004, lot 76; and a pair of slightly smaller knives with carved jade handles and scabbards, sold in our London rooms, 7th June 1994, lot 138. A similar gold knife with a white jade handle and inlaid gold sheath was included in the exhibition Splendours of China's Forbidden City, The Field Museum, Chicago, 2004, cat. no. 248, and is pictured in situ, cat. no. 250. 

A very rare imperial gilt-bronze knife and white jadeite scabbard, Qing dynasty, early 18th century; 33 cm., 13 in. Sold for 1,220,000 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th April 2009, lot 1704. Courtesy Sotheby's.

Cf. my post: A very rare imperial gilt-bronze knife and white jadeite scabbard, Qing dynasty, early 18th century

Lot 3638. A large Guan-type vase, seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 31.5 cm, 12 1/2 in. Estimate 1,000,000 — 1,500,000 HKD (127,390 - 191,085 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

of archaistic hu form, the pear-shaped body supported on a short spreading foot and rising to a tall neck flanked by a pair of tubular handles below the everted rim, covered overall with a rich bluish-grey glaze suffused with a matrix of gold and grey crackles .

Provenance: Collection of Vernon Wethered, inventory no. 230, by repute.
Christie's London, 13th December 1982, lot 612.
Sotheby's London, 20th June 2001, lot 19.
Sotheby's London, 12th July 2006, lot 133.
An important American private collection.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th October 2009, lot 1637.

Note: It is rare to find a guan-type vase of this form and of Yongzheng mark and period, although a similar piece with a more densely crackled grey-green glaze of ge-type was sold in these rooms, 26th October 1993, lot 96.

Another Yongzheng vase of this shape but with a flambé glaze, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 180.

Lot 3639. A fine large relief-decorated 'Bat and Shou' bottle vase, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 39.2 cm, 15 3/8  in. Estimate 800,000 — 1,200,000 HKD (101,912 - 152,868 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the pear-shaped body rising from a straight foot to a tall cylindrical neck, finely moulded to the exterior with four stylised shou character medallions, each encircled by five archaistic kui dragons, interspersed with flying bats in various orientations, above a band of wavy lappets, the shoulder and neck encircled by stiff plantain leaves, key-fret and ruyi bands, bordered by further key-fret bands at the rim and foot, covered overall in a transparent glaze pooling at the recesses, the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue.

Provenance: Hong Kong Associated Auctioneers, 1990s, by repute.

Note: risply carved with an auspicious design of four shou character medallions, each surrounded by five archaistic kui dragons and bats hovering between them, this vase belongs to a distinct group of carved porcelain wares of the Qianlong reign. During the Qing dynasty, three types of white wares are recorded to have been produced: the traditional high-fired wares with a transparent glaze, first created during the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty, which formed the majority of white wares; soft-paste type wares which were characterised by a yellowish-ivory tinge; and Ding-type wares, which were fired at a higher temperature than the original (see the catalogue to the exhibition Qing Imperial Monochromes. The Zande Lou Collection, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 82). According to the archival records, while some Ding-type wares produced duplicated the colour, form and size of certain Ding wares of the Song dynasty, others only borrowed aspects of their predecessors (ibid, p. 80). In creating these Ding-type wares, huashi replaced kaolin, allowing the vessel to be fired at a lower temperature to avoid warping of the material and to create a white glaze that could be used for both objects imitating Ding wares as well as contemporary design, such as the present piece.

Vases belonging to this Ding-type group were produced in various forms and designs and were more commonly produced with an impressed or incised reign mark; vases with impressed marks include a pear-shape vase with flared neck, carved with foliate lotus flowers, from the collection of Robert Chang, sold in our London rooms, 10th December 1991, lot 280, again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 2nd November 1999, lot 528, and a third time in our London rooms, 8th November 2017, lot 17; one of baluster form, modelled with four handles at the shoulders and decorated with a flower scroll, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 239; and a pomegranate-form vase carved with a scrolling lotus and bat design, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Qingdai danse you ciqi tezhan [Special exhibition of monochrome glazed porcelain of the Qing dynasty], Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 64. Vases with incised marks include a baluster vase with two deer head-shaped handles and carved on the body with cranes amongst clouds, from the collection of Dr Joseph and Donna Lee Boggs, sold in our London rooms, 7th November 2012, lot 110; another depicting a lotus pond with egrets, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th November 2012, lot 2129; an archaistic hu vase carved with two confronting phoenixes, included in the exhibition Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 141; and a bottle vase decorated with a dragons striding amongst flames and waves, sold in these rooms, 3rd October 2017, lot 3603. 

An important and rare relief-carved white-glazed 'lotus' vase, Qianlong seal mark and period (1736-1795), 34.2 cm, 13 1/2 in. Sold for 489,000 GBP at Sothebys London, 8th November 2017, lot 17. © Sotheby's.

Cf. my post: An important and rare relief-carved white-glazed 'lotus' vase, Qianlong seal mark and period (1736-1795)

From the collection of Dr Joseph and Donna Lee Boggs. A Rare White-Glazed Relief-Carved Vase, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period; 29.6cm., 11 5/8 in. Sold for 193,250 GBP at Sotheby's London, 7th November 2012, lot 110. Photo Sotheby's

Cf. my post: A Rare White-Glazed Relief-Carved Vase, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period

A rare relief-decorated white-glazed baluster vase, Qianlong incised six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795), 8 1/16 in. (20.5 cm.) high, stand. Sold for HKD 1,940,000 at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th November 2012, lot 2129. © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

Cf. my post: A rare relief-decorated white-glazed baluster vase, Qianlong incised six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795)

A rare relief-carved white-glazed 'Dragon' bottle vase, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795), 28.7 cm, 11 1/4 in. Sold for 2,000,000 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3rd October 2017, lot 3603. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. my post: A rare relief-carved white-glazed 'Dragon' bottle vase, seal mark and period of Qianlong

VIENNA.- At the beginning of October, the Kunsthistorisches Museum will open the first-ever major monograph show dedicated to the greatest Netherlandish painter of the sixteenth century: Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30‒1569). The exhibition commemorates the 450th anniversary of his death. 

During his lifetime, Pieter Bruegel the Elder was already among the period’s most sought-after artists, with his works achieving exceptionally high prices. Only about forty paintings and sixty prints by him are all that has come down to us. The twelve panels in the Kunsthistorisches Museum are by far the largest collection of Bruegels in the world, a fact we owe to 16th century Habsburg connoisseurs who already appreciated the exceptional quality of his works and strove to acquire these prestigious paintings. 

Bruegel revolutionised landscape and genre painting, and his compositions continue to elicit varied and controversial interpretations. The depth and breadth of his pictorial world and the perceptive powers of observation he employs in his depictions of quotidian life continue to fascinate all who encounter his works. 

A once-in-a-lifetime exhibition 
Museums and private collectors count Bruegel’s works among their most precious and fragile possessions. Most of the panels have never been loaned for an exhibition. By bringing together over 90 works by the master, the exhibition in Vienna has assembled for the very first time a comprehensive overview of Bruegel’s oeuvre: comprising around 30 panel paintings (i.e. threequarters of extant paintings) and almost half of his preserved drawings and prints, the show offers visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse themselves in the artist’s complex pictorial world, to study his stylistic development and his creative process, and to get to know his method of work, his pictorial humour and his unique narrative powers. 

The highlights in the exhibition include, for example, The Haymaking from the Lobkowicz Collections, Prague, View of the Bay of Naples from the Galleria Doria Pamphilij in Rome, Two Monkeys from the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, The Triumph of Death from the Prado in Madrid, Dulle Griet from the Museum Mayer van de Berg in Antwerp, The Tower of Babel from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, The Adoration of the Magi in the Snow from the Collection Oskar Reinhard 'Am Römerholz' in Winterthur, The Adoration of the Magi from the National Gallery in London, the drawings The Beekeepers from the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, and The Painter and the Connoisseur from the Albertina in Vienna.  

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Haymaking, 1565, oak panel, 114 × 158 cm, Prague, The Lobkowicz Collections, Lobkowicz Palace, Prague Castle © The Lobkowicz Collections.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), View of the Bay of Naples, c. 1563?, panel, 42.2 × 71.2 cm, Rome, Galleria Doria Pamphilj © Rome, Galleria Doria Pamphilj.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), Two Monkeys, 1562, oak, 19.8 × 23.3 cm, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie / Christoph Schmidt.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels),The Adoration of the Magi in the Snow, 1563, wood, 35 × 55 cm, Swiss Confederation, Federal Office for Culture, Collection Oskar Reinhart ‘Am Römerholz’, Winterthur © Collection Oskar Reinhart ʻAm Römerholzʼ, Winterthur.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Adoration of the Kings, 1564, oak, 112,1 × 83,9 cm, National Gallery, London, U.K. © The National Gallery, London 2018.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Painter and the Connoisseur, c. 1566, pen and brown ink, 203 × 309 mm, Vienna, Albertina © The Albertina Museum Vienna

Bruegel’s works will be arranged both chronologically and by theme, allowing visitors to study and appreciate his stylistic development and the impressive variety of his oeuvre. The galleries will showcase both his masterpieces and series and groups reunited for the first time in centuries; in the smaller adjoining rooms we present the findings of recent comprehensive technological analyses, offering profound insights into the works’ evolution. We look at both Bruegel’s artistic beginnings as a draughtsman and graphic artist, and his innovations and vital contributions to the evolution of landscape painting. One section of the show will focus on his religious works, bringing together numerous masterpieces including The Triumph of Death and Dulle Griet, both especially restored for this exhibition. 

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Triumph of Death, Probably after 1562, wood 117 × 162 cm, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado © Museo Nacional del Prado

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), Dulle Griet, 1563, panel, 117.4 × 162 cm,Antwerp, Museum Mayer van den Bergh © Museum Mayer van den Bergh

For the first time, Christ carrying the Cross, his largest panel and one that has also retained its original format, will be on show unframed and displayed so that both its back and front are visible – as though visitors were looking over the painter’s shoulder, seeing and appreciating the fragility of the wooden support and how it was constructed, and the outstanding quality of handling and paint layer, their perfection being one of the reasons Bruegel’s paintings have survived four and a half centuries.  

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), Christ Carrying the Cross,1564, oak panel, 124 × 170 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Conversion of Saul, 1567, oak, 108 x 156 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Suicide of Saul, 1562, oak panel, 33.5 × 55 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband

A smaller room showcases works featuring a wealth of miniaturelike details and looks at Bruegel’s training as a miniaturist; its focal point will be the first-ever confrontation of both depictions of The Tower of Babel since they were in the collection of Emperor Rudolf II.  

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Tower of Babel, 1563, oak panel, 114 × 155 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Tower of Babel, after 1563?, oak panel, 59,9 × 74,6 cm, Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen © Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Photograph: Studio Tromp, Rotterdam

A selection of contemporary artefacts depicted in Battle between Carnival and Lent invites visitors to appreciate the wealth of details included in these compositions, to comprehend the meaning of the individual scenes, and to appreciate Bruegel’s unrivalled skill in capturing the material quality of depicted objects. We also question the painting’s traditional moralistic interpretation and showcase Bruegel’s perceptiveness as a social critic. 

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Battle between Carnival and Lent, 1559, oak panel, 118 × 164,5 cm,Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), Children’s Games, 1560, oak panel, 118 × 161 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband

Using Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap and Massacre of the Innocents as our starting point, we look at Bruegel and his workshop. 

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Gloomy Day, 1565, oak panel, 118 × 163 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), Hunters in the Snow,1565, oak panel, 117 × 162 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband. 

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Return of the Herd, 1565, oak, 117 × 159 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband

The final gallery presents Bruegel’s late works, offering a nuanced look at the artist long called 'Peasant Bruegel'. In addition to Peasant Wedding and Peasant Dance, the show includes his 'legacy-painting' The Magpie on the Gallows. The show’s final highlight is the first-ever juxtaposition of The Birdnester and the monumental drawing The Beekeepers.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Peasant Wedding,c. 1567, oak, 114 x 164 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery© KHM-Museumsverband 

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), Peasant Dance, c. 1568, oak panel, 114 × 164 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Birdnester, 1568, oak, 59,3 x 68,3 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Picture Gallery © KHM-Museumsverband.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Beekeepers, c. 1568. Pen and brown ink, 203 × 309 mm © Foto: Kupferstichkabinett der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz Fotograf/in: Jörg P. Anders.

Pieter van der Heyden after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Big Fish Eat Little Fish, 1557. Engraving, 230 × 296 mm, first state of four, Vienna, Albertina © Albertina, Wien.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), The Temptation of Saint Anthony, c. 1556. Pen and brush and brown and greybrown ink, 215 (right) / 216 (left) × 326 mm, Oxford, The Ashmolean Museum, Bequeathed by Frances Douce, 1834 © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/30 Breugel or Antwerp? – 1569 Brussels), View of the Ripa Grande in Rome, c. 1555/56. Pen and red-brown and dark brown ink, 207 × 283 mm © Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees

Lot 3640. A rare turquoise-glazed barbed narcissus bowl, seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 23.3 cm, 9 1/8  in. Estimate 600,000 — 800,000 HKD (76,434 - 101,912 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

well potted with shallow rounded sides divided into eight bracket foliations, rising to a flat, barbed and everted rim of corresponding shape, all supported on three ruyi-shaped scrolled feet, the base incised with a six-character seal mark, covered overall with a rich turquoise-blue glaze running thin at the raised areas and pooling at the recesses.

Lot 3641. A pair of carved pale celadon-glazed washers, seal marks and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 11 cm, 4 3/8  in. Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 HKD (63,695 - 89,173 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

each delicately potted with shallow flared sides supported on a splayed foot, the interior finely carved with a central medallion formed from three beribboned charms including a double gourd, nandina berries and a ruyisceptre, surrounded by three flying bats and scrolling cloud clusters, the exterior with stylised plantain lappets radiating from the footring, covered overall in a translucent pale celadon glaze, save for the white base inscribed with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue, wood stands.

Provenance: Collection of H.M. Knight.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 18th May 1982, lot 302.

Lot 3642. An incised yellow-glazed 'Dragon' cup, mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); w. 7.8 cm, 3 1/8  in. Estimate 150,000 — 250,000 HKD (19,109 - 31,848 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

delicately potted with deep rounded sides rising from a splayed foot to a gently flaring rim, flanked by a pair of upright loop handles, the exterior incised with a horizontal band of confronted kui dragons, covered evenly in pale yellow glaze leaving the interior and base white, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle in underglaze blue, wood stand.

Note: Another Kangxi reign-marked yellow-glazed cup incised with a band of kui dragons was sold in these rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 3140.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2018, 03:00 PM

Lot 3643. A 'robin's-egg' glazed lantern vase, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 23.7 cm, 9 3/8  in. Estimate 200,000 — 300,000 HKD (25,478 - 38,217 USD). Courtesy Sotheby's.

the ovoid body supported on a straight foot and rising to a short waisted neck, applied with two flat vase-shaped mock handles, brightly covered with an opaque turquoise-blue glaze of robin's-egg type suffused overall with a finely mottled dark purplish blue, the base incised with a six-character reign mark all beneath the glaze, the unglazed foot dressed in a dark brown wash, wood stand.

Note: This so-called 'lantern' shape, with its unusual vase-shaped flanges on either side, originated in the Yongzheng period, when it was made with guan-type and ge-type glazes, but in the Qianlong period it became a characteristic form for the robin's-egg glaze; compare two Yongzheng examples in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang Qingdai yuyao ciqi [Qing porcelains from the Imperial kilns preserved in the Palace Museum], Beijing, 2005, pls. 174 and 206.  Compare also a similar vase sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 6, from the Meiyintang collection.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 03 oct. 2018, 03:00 PM