Important
Chinese Archaic Bronzes from a Distinguished Private Collection
Christie's New
York
Sale
3439
10AM, September 19, 2013
Lot
1105, Important and very rare bronze ritual wine vessel and
cover, fangyi, late Shang Dynasty, 11th Century B.C., 8 5/8 inches high
By Carter B.
Horsley
The
September 19, 2013 auction at Christie's New York of an Important
Chinese Archaic Bronzes from a Distinguished Private Collection
contained only 16 lots, all of which sold for a total of $6,269,000.
The
highlight of the auction is Lot 1105, an "important and very rare"
bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, fangyi, from the late Shang
Dynasty, 11th Century B.C. It is 8 5/8 inches high and has a very
smooth and seemingly soft dark brown patina. The lot was the
cover illustration of the catalogue. It was formerly in the
Richard C. Bull Collection, Eskenazi of London and the Bella and P. P.
Chiu Collection, and again Eskenazi. It has an estimate on
request and sold for $2,363,750.
After the auction, Michael Bass, the head of Christie's Department of Chinese works of
art, said:
“Outstanding results were achieved at Christie’s New York for a rich
diversity of Chinese works of art, including archaic bronzes, fine jade
carvings, classical furniture and ceramics. All three sales realized
outstanding sold-through rates, which, together with a packed sale
room, affirmed the depth of the market. The sale of Important
Chinese Archaic Bronzes from a Distinguished Private Collection
was 100% sold and set the tone for the rest of the sales.
Lot 1103, "Superbly cast bronze ritual food vessel," liding, Late Shang Dynasty, 11th Century B.C., 8 1/2 inches high
The back-cover illustration of the catalogue was Lot 1103,
a "superbly" cast bronze ritual food vessel, liding, also from the Late
Shang Dynasty, 11th Century B.C. It is8 1/2 inches high. It
was formerly in the collections of the Akron (Ohio) Art Museum,
Eskenazi of London, the Bella and P. P. Chiu Collection and Eskenazi
again. It is in excellent condition and similiar lidings are in the
Freer Collection and the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The
lot has a modest estimate of $300,000 to $400,000. It sold for $1,563,750.
Lot 1101, "unusual" bronze ritual wine vessel, Late Shang Dynasty, Anyang Period, 12th-11th Century B.C., gu, 11 3/8 inches
Lot
1101 is a fine and "unusual" bronze ritual wine vessel of the Late
Shang Dynasty, Anyang Period, 12th-11th Century B.C. It is 11 3/8
inches high. The catalogue notes that the "trumpet-shaped neck is
decorated with four upright blades cast in relief with inverted and
attenuated taotie masks...and bisected by slender flanges that also
separate the four cicadas in a band below. A similar work is in
the collection of the Crown Prince of Sweden. The lot has a
modest estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $219,750.
Lot
1107, "fine and rare" bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, you, Early
Western Zhou Dynasty, 11th-10th Century B.C, 13 3/4 inches high
Lot
1107 is a "fine and rare" bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, you,
from the Early Western Zhou Dynasty, 11th-10th Century B.C. It is
13 3/4 inches high. Its arched handle has dragons separated by
diamond studs and terminates at either end with bottle-horn dragon
heads attached by loops to lugs projecting from the vessel's body near
where a band of paired segmented dragons are joined by a single annimal
head. The lot has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $543,750. A similar vessel is in the Arthur M. Sackler Collection and the Shanghai Museum.
Lot 1111
is a rare water pot and dropper in the form of a frog from the Eastern
Han Dynasty, A. D.25-220. It is five inches long.
Lot
111 is a rare water pot and dropper in the form of a frog from the
Eastern Han Dynasty, A.D. 25-220. It is five inches long and has
a leaf-shaped cup below its mouth and a pair of short tubes rising up
from behind the front legs. It has an estimate of $15,000 to $18,000. It sold for $15,000.
Lot
1109, "unusual" bronze belt hook in the form of a tiger, North or
Northeast China, 6th-4th Century B.C., 7 1/8 inches long
Lot
1109 is an unusual bronze belt hook in the form of a tiger from North
or Northeast China, 6th-4th Century B.C. It is 7 1/8 inches long.
It has a modest estimate of $8,000 to $12,000. It sold for $6,875.
Lot 1112, Bronze tiger belt hook, North or Northeast China, 6th Century B.C., 5 1/8 inches long
Lot
1112 is a fine bronze belt hook in the form of a tiger from North or
Northeast China. It is dated to the 6th Century B.C., and is 5
5/18 inches long. It has a modest estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. It sold for $4,375.
Lot
1114, "rare" gold andsilver inlaid bronze ceremonial finial, Late
Warring States Period, 4th-3rd Century B.C., 4 7/8 inches long
Lot
1114 is a fine, "rare" gold and silver inlaid bronze ceremonial finial
from the Late Warring States Period, 4th-3rd Century B.C. It is4 7/8
inches long and has extensive malachite and some azurite encrustation
that give it an alluring and colorful charm,. The finail is
decorated with an openwork dragon biting the curved end of the blade
while standing atop a bird facing the opposite direction as it grips
the ovoid socket with its feathered legs and talons. It has a modest
estimate of $8,000 to $12,000. It sold for $8,750.
Use
the Search Box below to quickly look up articles at this site on
specific artists, architects, authors, buildings and other subjects
