The Chinese and Asian Art Forum. For Fans, Collectors and Dealers.
Basic Rules For the BidAmount Asian Art Forum: Talk about whatever you want. You can even discuss and offer things that are for sale if they are authentic. Maximum image file size per post is 2 MB. Images of 700pxl x 700pxl are optimal if saved at a medium resolution. Be respectful of others and enjoy yourself. Click the YouTube link for a brief tutorial on using the forum. You can also EMBED Videos by cutting and pasting from You-Tube, Vimeo etc.
NOTE: To post an item or add a new post, click open the category title from the FORUM LIST, and CLICK the Blue ADD TOPIC button.
I love reading your stories, Tim. Being only a collector they sound fantastic to me.
As to the lady, I think she resembles the 1710 lady from the book. Note the similar hair decoration. Kangxi would also be in accordance with the depiction of the foreigners, though their clothes seem somewhat older. Tommy Eklöf says in the 18th century European subjects were popular.
Birgit
Hi Tim -
Attached images and descriptions of two different auspices/mythical creatures seen on both Chongzhen and Shunzhi ceramics, both pieces from the Butler Coll …
The enamelled example is a ‘xiezhai’, the blue and white example shows a qilin alongside a ‘baize’ which, possibly, is the creature depicted in the first image you posted as this has no body scales and the qilin is always drawn with such …
All three creatures continue into the Kangxi period, although the drawing of such is very different …
It is possible that one of foreign gentleman’ shown could be Spanish, as they had the silver trade monopoly, vital to the late Ming economy, brought from South American on the Manila gallon …
Stuart
@shinigami Thanks, Birgit! I see the facial similarities are similar. However, one thing that appears quite different is that the soapstone carving's hair has a large loop with an open space, while the book reference shows the hair knotted tightly to the head. So, I do think stylistically is favors earlier 17th c. style (Ming) more than 18th c. (Qing), but it's awfully close either way. Does the book only show depictions from porcelain?
@ming1449 Stuart, many thanks! I was away from my computer yesterday, and my phone makes it tricky to read the text you posted, so I waited until this morning to read and respond.
I think you have identified the beasts correctly. I'm wondering... do you have any information on the reason why this was a chosen design of the mid 17th c.? It appears that by the 18th c., other than the most popular beasts (Qilin, dragon, Buddhist lion), the more obscure beasts all but disappear.
I'll note that there are still a few more different beasts depicted on my screen that I did not post.
I also think it is intersting to learn, as Mark (@imperialfinegems) suggested, that you feel the European figures might be Spanish. Have you seen any Chinese depictions of the Spanish during the 17th c. (on porcelain or other)? Any theory why they'd be paired with mystical beasts on leashes? The depictions are fascinating, and to me, but seem to suggest a strange message of Europeans domesticating Chinese culture.
Any thoughts on that?
For the record, I have still not come across a similar screen in a museum collection, or auction house. Such discoveries are much like a bad itch in the center of your back, and no matter the effort, you just can't reach it to scratch.
All the help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Birgit
Hi Tim -
I’ll go through/read my database/library references tomorrow to see what I can find …
I suspect the combinations of auspicious creatures seen on such pieces could either by a direct reflection of or influenced by the political climate/situations encountered during the collapse of the Ming and subsequent invasion/establishment of the Qing, in both cases possible alluding to service and/or loyalty to the Emperor/dynasty …
Stuart
@shinigami That's a very interesting image... so from 1630-1710... I'll take it!
I came across some paintings of Europeans from the 18th c. I couldn't find any Chinese depictions from the 17th only Japanese ones. Also there is the Governor Duff porcelain pattern which may be of use. Obviously, all these are after 1710, but it may be the screen has been decorated in what may have been considered a traditional style harking back to the Ming period and the figures are painted in the same style possibly with more modern-looking Europeans if source material for their older look was not available.
At first I thought your European had a ruff, but it is actually a wide collar; with that and the earring he looks like a pirate.
Here is the info anyway. The link shows a Portuguese, Spaniard (the one with the cloak) and a Dutchman with hair tied back. The painting is by Zhang Rulin 1735. Not sure why the Dutch are associated with red hair.
To see 16th c figures you could look at some European paintings like the artist Franz Hals who the museum in the second link is named after. Even if the links aren't useful, I hope they are interesting to see.
http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2017/03/25/35092448.html
I may have found my first close comparitable object, held at the MET museum... take a look!
AND.... seems that the Dutch tried to build a trade relationship with the Chinese in 1667 by coming to China and offering horses and oxen as tribute to the then 13 year old Kangxi emperor. The young emperor then commission a painting which depicts Dutch merchants with horses/oxen on tethers (leashes)....looks quite similar to the manner of the depictions on my screen of 'Dutch' merchants with mysthical Chinese beasts on tethers.
Perhaps this suggests the screen was a reciprication of tribute to the Dutch by a Chinese merchant in favor of trade? (Although, while Kangxi excepted the horses and oxen, he did not accept the convoy, and no trade commenced.)
I captured this image from an online PDF titled, Heavenly Horses from Holland: A Tribute Painting of Dutchmen Offering Oxen and Horses at Kangxi Court in 1667 and a Failed Dutch Embassy.
Not sure this will work, but here's a link (you might have to log in): file:///C:/Users/GREENO/Downloads/Heavenly_Horses_from_Holland_A_Tribute_P%20(1).pdf
Latest Post: square bowl & lid with peach on top not sure what it is . Our newest member: James Close Recent Posts Unread Posts
Thanks for visiting "The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art"
If you sell on eBay, or have a shop feel free to post images and descriptions and links.
Check back often for discussion about the latest news in the Chinese art and antique world. Also find out about the latest Asian art auctions at Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams and Tajans.
Auction results for: fine porcelain, ceramics, bronze, jade, textiles and scholar's objects. As well as Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and other Asian cultures.
Thank you,
Peter Combs
Topics and categories on The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art
Kangxi vases, Kangxi dishes and chargers, Kangxi ritual pieces, Kangxi scholar's objects, Qianlong famille rose, Qianlong enamels, Qianlong period paintings, Qianlong Emporer's court, Fine porcelain of the Yongzheng period. Chinese imperial art, Ming porcelain including Jiajing, Wanli, Xuande, Chenghua as well as Ming jades and bronzes.
Join the BidAmount Chinese and Asian art discussion board and forum today
The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art
A free Asian art discussion board and Asian art message board for dealers and collectors of art and antiques from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Linked to all of the BidAmount Asian art reference areas, with videos from plcombs Asian Art and Bidamount on YouTube. Sign up also for the weekly BidAmount newsletter and catalogs of active eBay listing of Chinese porcelain, bronze, jades, robes, and paintings.
The art of calligraphy - and for the ancient Chinese it certainly was an art - aimed to demonstrate superior control and skill using brush and ink. Calligraphy established itself as one of the major Chinese art forms during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), and for two millennia after, all educated men were expected to be proficient at it.
The Museum’s collections of Asian art span nearly five millennia and encompass the cultures of China, the Himalayas, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In 2007, the Museum launched an initiative to create dedicated galleries for the collection, beginning with a gallery for the arts of Korea ...
Chinese art is full of symbolism, in that artists typically seek to depict some aspect of a totality of which they are intuitively aware.
China Online Museum is the finest online museum of Chinese art. It features Chinese calligraphy, painting, ceramics, bronzes, carving, and other artworks.
Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. Overview Upcoming auctions Contacts Auction results ... Christie’s sales of Chinese ceramics and works of art showcase centuries of Chinese history. Held throughout the year in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong, they attract a wide audience of collectors and connoisseurs vying for pieces as diverse as ...
Explore Asian Art Week. Contact the Specialist Department. Chinese Paintings ... Senior Specialist, Head of Sale. [email protected]. Tel:+1 212 641 5760. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 September 2019 at New York. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 ...
Discover an abundance of must-see art from all corners of a vast continent at Christie’s NY Asian Art Week. From contemporary classical and Chinese paintings to works with exemplary provenance from the Art Institute of Chicago, our Rockefeller Paza galleries will be full of ancient treasures and contemporary masterworks in a salute to the vibrant arts of Asia.
Sold to benefit The Art Institute of Chicago’s Asian Art Acquisition Fund, the sale features 84 lots with a focus on Ming and Qing porcelains, and offers a rare insight into the taste for collecting Chinese ceramics and works of art in the Midwest from the end of the 19th century through the 1980s. Highlights include two Wanli wucai garlic-head vases, a Qianlong mark and period, blue and ...
Specialist, Chinese Paintings, Christie's London Dr Malcolm McNeill is a Specialist in Chinese Paintings at Christie’s, based in London. He previously worked as an assistant curator of the Chinese collections and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as a researcher at the British Museum, and as a translator and tour guide at the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
The Christie's Education 2020 Conference: The Chinese Art Market 18 Jun 2019 Christie’s Education is delighted to announce our first international academic conference in Asia which will take place in Hong Kong from 26-27 November 2020 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will run in parallel with Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn Auctions.
The summer Chinese Art sale in Hong Kong will feature works of art from several private collections, including Qing porcelains and textile from the collection of the legendary Chinese art dealer A. W. Bahr (1877–1959), fine gilt bronze Buddhist sculptures from an old Hong Kong collection, an East Asian collection of Qing dynasty wine cups and jades, and a Japanese collection of Song ceramics ...
Sotheby's Chinese Works of Art Department holds two auctions each year in London, New York, Hong Kong and Paris.
Chinese Art - View Auction details, bid, buy and collect the various artworks at Sothebys Art Auction House.
With more than 340 Chinese works of art dating from the Neolithic to the Republic periods, highlights of this sale include a selection of Qing Imperial monochromes from the collection of Arnold and Blema Steinberg, early ceramics from the Art Institute of Chicago and Chinese porcelain and works of art from the collection of Henry Arnhold.
Results: Sotheby's Asia Week achieved $52.4 million in six strong auctions, exceeding pre-sale estimates. With 76.5% of lots sold and 60.3% of lots surpassing high estimates, the Asian art sales at Sotheby's indicate continued collector interest in the finest works of art from China, India and and the Himalayas.
Today's sale of Important Chinese Art will proceed as planned with sessions at 10 AM and 2 PM EDT. Sotheby's will be monitoring the weather conditions throughout the day and will be available to coordinate alternative bidding options should conditions make it difficult for clients to attend the auction in person.
Bonhams Chinese Art department is renowned for offering the finest works of art representing the richness and breadth of China's artistic heritage, particularly Imperial porcelain, white and spinach green jades, cloisonné and Buddhist art. Specialised international auctions are held globally, including London, Hong Kong and San Francisco.
Bonhams : Chinese Works of Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Please refer to our privacy and cookie policies for more information.
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Chinese Art (US) General enquiries
Bonhams : Fine Chinese Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Please refer to our privacy and cookie policies for more information.
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars Bonhams : Asian Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site.
Bonhams are international auctioneers of fine Chinese and Japanese art. We specialise in rare Imperial and Export Chinese ceramics and works of art, as well as Japanese ceramics, fine and decorative works of art from the Neolithic Period to the 20th century. View on map
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Asian Art Bonhams. Work. 22 Queen St.