Christies Asian Art In London 2015, Chinese Bronzes and Decorative Art
Posted by: plcombs Dealers Chinese Art – Antiques
Two Auctions: Chinese Ceramics and Fine Bronzes
Status & Ritual Chinese Archaic Bronzes from an Important Private European Collection 尊典復禮: 歐洲重要私人珍藏青銅器
AUCTION Tuesday 10 November 2015 at 10.00 am (Lots 1-24)
8 King Street, St. James’s London SW1Y 6QT
A superb small auction comprising 24 fine early bronzes from European collections.
Fine Bronzes and Rare Ming 15th C. Sculpture of a Luohan
This sales catalog for Christies Asian Art In London 2015 on early bronzes is complete with a great seven page, quite scholarly, introduction to early bronzes by Robert D. Mowry 毛 瑞 the Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus, Harvard Art Museums, and Senior Consultant, Christie’s. This catalog will serve as a key reference long after this sale is over. Text in ENGLISH and CHINESE.
An excerpt from the bronze collection catalog by Robert D. Mowry
We appreciate works of art for their beauty and for the invaluable information that they convey about the peoples and cultures that produced them. We often forget, however, that many works can tell us as much about a civilisation’s level of technological sophistication as about its artistic and aesthetic sensibilities. In particular, those works whose creation required high temperatures, whether for firing, in the case of ceramics, or smelting, in the case of bronze, are true measures of a civilisation’s technological prowess.
Such well-known Chinese inventions as paper and the magnetic compass evince that China was among the world’s technological leaders already during the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), but the superb casting of the bronze ritual vessels of the Shang (c. 1600-c. 1030 BC) and Zhou (c. 1030-221 BC) dynasties attests to an exceptionally high level of technological prowess well before the advent of the Han. In fact, the ritual vessels created during the Shang and Zhou dynasties rank among the finest examples of bronze casting the world has ever seen; thus they speak to China’s extraordinary technological attainments already in the earliest historical periods. The fine selection of ritual bronzes in the collection that Christie’s will offer in its 10 November 2015 sale well demonstrates this phenomenon. To read and learn more about early bronzes scroll down to the catalog.
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Chinese Ceramics Currently on eBay
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Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 中國瓷器及工藝精品
Including PROPERTY FROM THE BLAIR CHARITABLE TRUST, REMOVED FROM BLAIR CASTLE, BLAIR ATHOLL, SCOTLAND
70 Lots of CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE FRANCIS GOLDING (LOTS 195-225)
Tuesday 10 November 2015 2015年11月10日
AUCTION Tuesday 10 November 2015 at 10.30 am (Lots 51-188) and at 2.00 pm (Lots 189-389)
8 King Street, St. James’s London SW1Y 6QT
Christies Asian Art In London 2015 "Chinese Ceramics" this 389 lot offering covers a wide range of exceptionally attractive objects ranging from a wide selection of fine jades, carved Ming Soapstone figures,Western Zhou to Qing dynasty bronzes and fine ceramics.
Of special interest is a recently discovered and historically important large 46"-117cm tall Ming (circa 1400) sculpture of a seated Luohan. With an excellent accompanying paper written by ROSEMARY SCOTT, INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC DIRECTOR ASIAN ART at Christie's.
An excerpt from the catalog by Rosemary Scott
The large fgure of a seated luohan in the current sale appears to have been kept, unpublished, in a private collection in England prior to its discovery by the current owner in a general antiques sale in London in 2012. Its importance was not recognized until the current owner undertook further research. In order to aid the establishment of an accurate date for the sculpture, radiocarbon measurements of the wood from which the fgure was carved were undertaken by two internationally respected research laboratories – the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, and RCD RadioCarbon Dating in Wantage. Both laboratories produced similar dates – AD 1296 to 1403.
The current owner also contacted the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, who were able to ascertain that the wood itself was of the genus Tilia – known as lime tree in Britain, and linden or basswood elsewhere. As can be seen from fgures 1, 2 & 3 (taken during conservation), when purchased in 2012, the fgure was heavily encrusted with darkened layers of shellac and bituminous varnish, which all but obscured the details of decoration and the coloured pigments applied to the fgure. After cleaning it could be seen that a signifcant proportion of these pigments had been preserved and the magnifcence of the luohan’s original appearance could be appreciated. Not only details of the face and hair, but most especially the design and colours of the robes could be seen in their full splendor. To read and learn more scroll down to the catalog.
Christie's South Kensington, November 11, 2015
As always at South Kensington some terrific choices including fine jades, bronzes, porcelains (mon0chromes), a wide range of good snuff bottles as well as some very good furniture. Its a nice sale. The monochromes come from a European collection as do the Jades.
More contact information on these fine AUCTIONS
Status and Ritual: Chinese Archaic Bronzes from an Important Private European Collection
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
- 10.00
- Christie's
8 King Street, St James's
London SW1Y 6QT - Pedram Rasti
Phone +44 (0)20 7389 2556
Email [email protected]
AUCTION
Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
- 10.30 & 14.00
- Christie's
8 King Street, St James's
London SW1Y 6QT - Pedram Rasti
Phone +44 (0)20 7389 2556
Email [email protected]
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