London Sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art exceeds pre-sale estimate

Étiquettes

Amitayus, ‘Quail and Millet’ Ruyi Sceptre, gilt-bronze figure, Imperial Gilt-Bronze, Kangxi period, Manshuri, pale celadon jade, Qing dynasty, Yongle mark and period

A pair of rare Green-Ground Famille-Rose Bottle Vases, Qianlong Seal Marks and Period, tripled the pre-sale low estimate to bring £782,500 / $1,248,948 (est. £200,000-300,000). Photo: Sotheby’s.

LONDON.- Sotheby’s Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art sale brought a total of £8,912,000 / $14,224,443. The auction took place during ‘Asian Art In London’, the annual ten-day celebration of the finest Asian art.

Robert Bradlow, Head of Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Sotheby’s London, commented: “There was a tremendous buzz in the saleroom today – seats were filled with collectors who had made the trip to London to discover all that ‘Asian Art In London’ has to offer and partake in our sales. A busy viewing period translated into enthusiastic bidding, much of it coming from new faces. The lion’s share of the sale was bought by collectors in the room, who had travelled from as far afield as Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.”

Strong demand for Imperial Porcelain and Song Dynasty ware:

A pair of rare Green-Ground Famille-Rose Bottle Vases, Qianlong Seal Marks and Period, tripled the pre-sale low estimate to bring £782,500 / $1,248,948 (est. £200,000-300,000). These vases exemplify the Qianlong Emperor’s pursuit of innovative designs

(cf. my post of october 24th.)

A ‘Longquan’ Celadon Cong Vase, Song Dynasty, achieved £242,500 / $387,054, a price almost 10 times above the pre-sale low estimate (£25,000-30,000). Photo: Sotheby’s.

(Cf. my post of october 24th.)

Continued popularity of gilt-bronze pieces:

An Imperial Gilt-Bronze Figure of Amitayus, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period, sold for £542,500 / 865,884 against an estimate of £200,000-300,000. Photo: Sotheby’s.

seated in dhyanasana on a high double-lotus pedestal base, with hands folded in dhyanamudra, wearing a shawl and dhoti, the borders incised at the hems with lotus, its loose folds falling over his crossed-legs in undulous folds, with a billowing celestial scarf around his shoulders and arms, richly adorned with elaborate jewellery inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli and coral, the face with benevolent expression surmounted by an elaborate five-point diadem surrounding a high chignon, engraved to the underside hem with the characters reading qishisi (seventy-four); 42.5cm., 16 ¾in.

PROVENANCE: Acquired by the father of the present owner in China in the 1960s.

Notes: This figure of the Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, is remarkable for its size and impressive weight. Cast from a mould comprising several sections, its surface is entirely covered in a rich fire-gilding. Furthermore, the figure’s face, torso, arms and legs are enhanced with red and gold lacquer gilding softly worn in places, while inlays of semi-precious stones add splashes of colour. Such portrayals are characteristic of imagery from Tibet. The Buddha Amitayus, associated with the rites that ensure long life, is especially worshipped by Tibetans, who believe that life can be extended through long lineages, faith and compassion. It is also believed that one can achieve self-enlightenment and cater to the welfare of other with the help of Amitayus.

Commissioned by the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722), this figure was possibly created as a gift for his grandmother who was a devout Buddhist. Figures of this type are known to have been made in 1686 in the Imperial foundry, cast on the orders of the Kangxi emperor for his grandmother’s birthday in 1686; see one illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Hong Kong, 1992, pls 1-2; and another published in Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 152, pls 152A and 152B, where it is noted that these figures were originally part of one and the same group, which may have comprised as many as 108 examples.

Several related figures of the Buddha Amitayus have been sold at auction; two were sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 5^thOctober 2011, lot 1983, and, 9^th October 2007, lot 1547; three were sold in these rooms, the first, 10^th November 2010, lot 233, the second, 9^th November 2011, lot 187, and the third, 16^th May 2012, lot 218; and a further example was sold in our Paris rooms, 9^th June 2010, lot 161.

Gilt-bronze figures of Buddha Amitayus continued to be made in a similar style under the Qianlong Emperor; see one sold in our New York rooms, 22^nd September 2005, lot 50.

A Gilt-Bronze Figure of Manshuri, Yongle Mark and Period, sold for £266,500 / $425,361. Photo: Sotheby’s.

Stylistically this figure displays the influence of the art of Tibet, and was probably made as a gift from the Ming emperor who sought to maintain good relations with the Tibetan religious hierarchy

(cf. my post of October 27th)

Enduring allure of top quality jade:

A Fine Pale Celadon Jade ‘Quail and Millet’ Ruyi Sceptre, Qing Dynasty, 18th/19th Century, sold for £278,500 / $444,514, almost six times over the pre-sale low estimate (£40,000-60,000).

The ruyi sceptre became a talisman that was presented to bestow good fortune and was the perfect imperial gift

(cf. my post of October 30th.)

Fierce bidding on rare objects:

A rare and important Canton painted enamel Armorial Tea Chest, Qing Dynasty, circa 1745, sold for £422,500 / $674,352, more than 20 times the pre-sale low estimate (£20,000-30,000).

of rectangular form, finely decorated in the famille-rose palette, the hinged cover with a shaped cartouche enclosing the Royal Arms of Sweden flanked by supporters and surmounted by a crown, framed by fruit-shaped panels enclosing landscapes, all reserved on a delicately entwining floral scroll ground, the sides variously decorated with shaped cartouches enclosing birds and flowers, reserved on meandering leafy scrolls bearing composite floral blooms and fruits, all divided by floral bands and set with two gilt-bronze loop handles, the interior divided into twenty-one lined compartments each accomodating a square pewter tea canister and cover. Quantity: 43 – 25.3 by 47.7 by 24.5cm., 10 by 18¾ by 9 5/8 in.

PROVENANCE: Sotheby’s London, 7th March 1978, lot 23.

EXHIBITED: A Tale of Three Cities, Canton, Shanghai & Hong Kong, Sotheby’s London, 1997, cat. no. 199.

Notes: The present chest is notable for its remarkably fine enamelling which indicates it is likely to have been commissioned specifically for Swedish royalty. The Royal Arms are those of Frederick, King of Sweden (r. 1720-1751). It retains all the twenty one original tea canisters, which are plain except for the floral decoration on the covers, and each fitting into a pewter-lined partition. The brass carrying handles are possibly European; however the lock plate is likely to be Chinese as evidenced in the careful outline on the surrounding enamel decoration.

Last offered at auction over 30 years ago

Appeal of artefacts created 3,000 years apart which illustrate timelessness of form:

An Archaic Bronze Ritual gu Wine Vessel dating from the late Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC, of a type that only the wealthiest of patrons could afford, brought £242,500 / $387,054 (estimate £100,000-200,000).

(cf. my post of October 30th.)

An 18th century monochrome porcelain fine and rare Ru-type Beaker Vase, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period, sold for £362,500 / $578,586 (estimate £100,000-200,000).

(cf. my post of october 24th.)

Bronze shapes and design elements entered the general repertoire of Qianlong porcelain and provided a stimulus for vessels otherwise unrelated to the ancient metal versions.

By stripping back all the decorative elements, the vase highlights the elegance of the archaic form while also signifying the emperor’s all-encompassing role as preserver of Chinese cultural traditions.

Archaic bronze ritual wine vessel and 18th century Qing Dynasty porcelain vase to be offered at Sotheby’s

Étiquettes

13th-11th Century BC, 18th-19th Century, Archaic Bronze, ‘Quail and Millet’ Ruyi Sceptre, beaker vase, bottle vase, Collection of Dr Ernst Winkler, Collection of T.Y. King, gilt-bronze figure, green-ground famille-rose, gu, Late Shang Dynasty, Manjushri, pale celadon jade, Qianlong seal marks and period, Qing dynasty, ritual wine vessel, ru-type, Ruyi Sceptre, Seal Mark And Period Of Qianlong, Yongle mark and period

Left: A Fine and Rare Ru-Type Beaker Vase, Gu, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period, Estimate £100,000-200,000. Right: An Impressive Archaic Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel, Gu, Late Shang Dynasty, 13th-11th Century BC, Estimate £100,000-200,000. Photo: Sotheby’s.

LONDON– On 5 November 2014 in London, Sotheby’s will sell two revered and equally sought after Chinese artefacts that although produced over 3,000 years apart, are in direct dialogue with each other across the intervening dynasties in their timelessness of form.

An archaic bronze ritual gu wine vessel dating from the late Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC, is of a type that only the wealthiest of patrons could afford. These vessels are one of the oldest forms in the Chinese archaic bronze repertoire and were produced specifically for rituals. They were originally glittering and golden brown in colour, and their robust shapes and bold designs were purposefully created to increase the dramatic effect in which they would appear from the billowing smoke during rituals performed by the priest from the front altar. The crisp decoration on this particular piece is remarkably preserved.

In the eighteenth century, such exquisite bronze vessels inspired artistic production during the Qing dynasty, particularly under the Yongzheng (1723-1735) and Qianlong (1736-1795) emperors who were avid collectors. Bronze shapes and design elements entered the general repertoire of Qianlong porcelain and provided a stimulus for vessels otherwise unrelated to the ancient metal versions. The example presented for sale is a rare Ru-type Beaker Vase from the Qianlong period, which also references a further celebrated tradition in its glaze, that of Ru ware of the Song dynasty, the finest, rarest and most prized ware produced for the court.

Monochrome vessels required the highest level of skill and precision in every stage of their production. The slightest irregularity would result in the rejection and destruction of the piece, thus pushing the craftsmen to the limits of their abilities in the pursuit of perfection. By stripping back all the decorative elements, the vase highlights the elegance of the archaic form while also signifying the emperor’s all encompassing role as preserver of Chinese cultural traditions.

Both the bronze vessel and the porcelain vase were acquired by a European Vice Consul in Shanghai in the early 1940s. Collectors today pursue such objects with equal passion and the two examples to be offered in Sotheby’s sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art are each estimated at £100,000-200,000.

An Impressive Archaic Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel, Gu, Late Shang Dynasty, 13th-11th Century BC. stimate £100,000-200,000. Photo: Sotheby’s.

the slender middle section rising from a flaring foot to a trumpet neck, crisply cast around the central bulb with stylised taotie masks centred and divided by notched flanges, the neck with four upright triangular blades decorated with dissolved taotie masks in relief against a leiwen ground above a band of angular serpents, the foot similarly decorated with taotie masks and cicadas in relief against a leiwen ground, with two bowstrings and two crosses dividing the waist and foot, the bronze with an attractive olive patina with malachite encrustations, the base with an inscription reading Hu ju (Tiger chariot); 33cm., 13in.

PROVENANCE: Purchased by a European Vice Consul in Shanghai in the early 1940s.

Notes: Outstanding for its remarkably preserved crisp decoration, which compliments the elegant silhouette of the sweeping neck, this gu is characteristic of ritual bronze vessels of the final stage of the development in Anyang. This late style is characterised by the high-relief motifs against dense ground patterns. The most refined examples, such as the present piece, feature intaglio designs on the main taotie masks and a ground interspersed with leiwen-spirals. The two pictograms cast inside the foot may be translated as hu ju (tiger chariot), and is likely to be a clan name.

A closely related gu, from the Sackler collection in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Washington D.C., is illustrated in Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collection, Washington D.C., 1987, pl. 38; another, unearthed in 2001 from Huayuanzhuang village, Anyang city, Henan province, is published in Yinxu xunchutu qingtongqi [Ritual bronzes recently excavated in Yinxu], Kunming, 2008, pl. 62; and a third, from the collections of H.E. Alexandre J. Argyropoulos and Julius Eberhardt, and included in the exhibition Mostra d’Arte Cinese, Palazzo Ducale, Venice, 1954, cat. no. 6, was sold in our New York rooms, 17^th September 2013, lot 1.

A Fine and Rare Ru-Type Beaker Vase, Gu, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period. Estimate £100,000-200,000. Photo: Sotheby’s.

cf. my post of october 24th.

Further Highlights:

A Fine Pale Celadon Jade ‘Quail and Millet’ Ruyi Sceptre, Qing Dynasty, 18th-19th Century. Estimate: £40,000-60,000. Photo: Sotheby’s.

the large ruyi-shaped terminal carved in low relief with two quails sheltered amongst leafy millet and lingzhisprays on a rocky ledge beside flowing waters, the arched shaft framed with interlocking ruyi and foliate strapwork, the reverse carved with scrolled geometric motifs near the terminal, pierced at the bottom edge for threading a tassel, the translucent stone of an even pale celadon tone with icy-white inclusions, wood stand. Quantity: 2 – 40cm., 15 ¾ in.

PROVENANCE: Collection of T.Y. King (by repute).
Collection of Dr Ernst Winkler, acquired in the 1940-1950s.

Notes: This sceptre is notable for the delicately carved scene of quails standing among millet sprays. It is rare to find depictions of birds adorning sceptres and the carver of this piece has skilfully achieved a sense of naturalism through the softly rendered features of the quails, which contrasts with the jagged ground on which they stand and the curving millet reeds. The large size of this piece is also impressive, and such high-quality boulders were only made available from the 18^th century when large boulders were presented to the Qianlong emperor as tributes from Khotan.

Symbolic of the wish suisui ping’an (‘May you have peace year after year’), the quail and millet motif is found on a white jade sceptre, encrusted with precious stones, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (III), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 30. Sceptres with scenes of birds and plants include one from the T.Y. Chao collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 18^th November 1986, lot 191; and a smaller example from the Robert H. Blumenfield collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 22^nd March 2012, lot 1229

The history of sceptres dates back to the pre-Tang (518-907) times, with its origins possibly connected to Buddhism. Originally used as back-scratchers, which are often depicted in the hands of Buddhist holy figures, the ruyi sceptre became a talisman that was presented to bestow good fortune. Its shape changed over time and from the latter half of the Tang dynasty, when there was a temporary decline in Buddhism, Daoist followers adopted it as their auspicious object. From that time onwards, the heart-shaped head was often rendered as a lingzhi fungus, a symbol of longevity. It was during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor (1722-1735), that the auspicious tradition of the ruyi (literally meaning ‘as you wish’) was revived and became an imperial object. Since the sceptre had no practical function and could take on any shape of form deemed suitable to express good wishes, it was the perfect imperial gift. For a more detailed discussion of the history of this good luck charm see the exhibition catalogue Auspicious Ju-I Sceptres of China, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1995, pp 86-90.

A Gilt-Bronze Figure of Manjushri, Yongle Mark and Period. Estimate: £100,000-150,000. Photo: Sotheby’s.

cf. my post of october 27th

A Rare Pair of Green-Ground Famille-Rose Bottle Vases, Qianlong Seal Marks and Period. Estimate: £200,000-300,000. Photo: Sotheby’s.

cf. my post of october 24th