Lot
1261, figural stand, bronze, Han Dynasty, 6 3/4 inches long
By Carter B. Horsley
This March 24, 2011
auction at Christie's of Chinese Works of Art is highlighted by a very
fine stone head of Buddha, a superb gilt bronze figure of Acuoye
Guanyin, a fine bronze figural stand from the Han Dynasty and a glazed
mermaid.
Lot 1261 is perhaps the most animated work in the auction. It
is a bronze figural stand from the Han Dynasty that is 6 3/4 inches
long and depicts "a foreigner with arms outstretched holding a conical
receptable in his right hand, wearing a loin cloth and seated atop a
chimera standing in an aggressive pose with its mouth open in a fierce
roar above its long, trailing beard, its curved horns curled back
behind the ears and the tufts of hair that sprout from the cheeks, the
details of its short wings finely incised and its bony tail curled
around its rear left leg, the smooth surface with some milky green
malachite encrustation. The lot was once with the Tsui Museum
of Art and has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $98,500.
Lot 1296, head of Buddha, stone,
Northern Wei Dynasty, 6th Century B.C., Longxian Grotto, Hunan
Province, 17 inches high
Lot
1296 is a very beautiful stone head of Buddha from
the Northern Wei
Dynasty, 6th Century B.C., Longxian Grotto, Hunan Province.
It is 17
inches high and was once in the Alphonse Khan collection in Paris.
It
has a modest estimate of $150,000 to $250,000. It sold for $338,500.
Lot 1294,
Gilt bronze figure of Acuoye Guanyin, Dali Kingdom, Yunnan Province,
12th Century, 17 7/8 inches high
Lot
1294 is a very lovely and quite restrained gilt bronze figure of Acuoye
Guanyin, Dali Kingdom, Yunnan Province, 12th Century. The
tall and slender statue is 17 7/8 inches high and comes from
the Walter and Phyllis Shorenstein Collection of Chinese Art.
Mr. Shorenstein was a major real estate developer in San
Francisco. The lot has an estimate of $500,000 to $800,000. It sold for $4,002,500.
Lot 1241,
Ritual food vessel and cover, bronze, Early Western Zhou Dynasty, 9 7/8
inches in diameter
Lot
1241 is a "very rare" bronze ritual food vessel and cover from the
Early Western Zhou Dynasty. It is 9 7/8 inches in diameter
and has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It was formerly
in the Tsui Museum of Art. It sold for $302,500. The long
handles issue from bovine masks with pronounced horns and interrupt a
band of alternating whorls and descending dragons.
Lot 1254,
large bronze bell, Bo Zhong, Spring and Autumn Period, 16 1/2 inches
high
Lot 1254 is a large and
impressive bronze bell, Bo Zhong, from the Spring and Autumn Period,
Early 5th Century B.C. It is 16 1/2 inches high and has an
estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $314,500.
Lot
1236, Ritual tripod food vessel, bronze, (ding), Shang Dynasty, 12th
Century B.C., 11 1/2 inches high
Lot
1236 is a very handsome and rare Shang Dynasty bronze ritual tripod
food vessel. It is 11 1/2 inches high and has an estimate of
$90,000 to $120,000. It
sold for $314,500. The vessel has very
decorative "flat" legs rather then columnar ones.
Lot 1270,
Large gilt-bronze dragon head terminal fitting, Tang Dynasty, 9 3/4
inches long
Lot
1270 is a wonderful, large gilt-bronze dragon head terminal fitting
from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is 9 3/4 inches long and
has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 1315,
group of nine straw-glazed female musicians and attendants, Sui
Dynasty, (581-618), 8 1/4 inches high
Lot 1315 is a
very attractive group of nine straw-glazed female musicians and
attendants from the Sui Dynasty (581-618). The figures are 8
1/4 inches high. The lot has a modest estimate of $15,000 to
$20,000. It sold for $30,000.
Lot 1299, Figure of a seated Maitreya Buddha, limestone, Northern Wei
Dynasty (386-534), Longmen Caves, 17 inches high
Lot 1299 is a
very lovely limestone figure of a seated Maitreya Buddha from
the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), Longmen Caves.
It is 17 inches high and was once in the Mathias
Komor Collection. It has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.
Curiously, it
passed.
Lot
1347 is a very bold and impressive, albeit undated, cloisonne
enamel-embellished gilt-lacquer wall panel that is 39 1/2 inches wide.
It depicts a lake scene with lotus leaves and kingfishers.
It has an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000. It failed to sell.
Lot
1360, "Massive" 12-panel inlaid hardwood screen, 123 3/16 inches long
Lot 1360 is very
dramatic and "massive" 12-panel inlaid hardwood screen. It is
123 3/16 inches long. The catalogue notes that "each panel
inlaid on a laqquer ground in stained bone and hardwoods with a scene
that forms part of the overall, fantastic, panoramic mountainous
landscape replete with numerous immortals and other figures at various
pursuits." It has a modest estimate of $80,000 to $120,000.
It sold for
$446,500.
Lot
1288, Sancai-glazed ewer, Liao Dynasty, 4 3/4 inches long
Lot
1288 is certainly the cutest work of art in this auction. A
"rare and unusual" sancai-glazed ewer from the Liao Dynasty (907-1125)
it depicts a mermaid. It is 4 1/2 inches long and was
formerly in the Simon Dwan Collection and it was exhibited twice at the
Hong Kong Museum of Art. It has an estimate of $25,000 to
$35,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 1218,
bronze "hill" censer and cover, Han Dynasty, and bronze animal head
fitting, Zhou Dynasty
The
auction begins with 30 items, Lots 1201-1230, from the Arthur M.
Sackler Collections.
Lot 1218 consists of a Han Dynasty bronze "hill" censer and cover that
is 5 1/2 inches high and a Zhou Dynasty bronze animal head fitting that
is 4 1/4 inches high. The censer was formerly in the Ruth
Dreyfus Collection and the animal head was formerly with J. T. Tai
& Co. The lot has an estimate of $3,000 to $5,000. It sold for $3,500.
Lot 1210,
Greyish-green and opaque bugg jade "toothed" pendant fragment,
Neolithic Period, Honshan Culture, circa 3500-3000 B.C., 3 1/2 inches
long
Lot 1210 is a
wonderful greyish-green and opaque buff jace "toothed" pendant fragment
from the Neolithic Period, Honshan Culture, circa 3500-3000 B.C.
It is 3 1/2 inches long. It has been offered at the
September 20, 2010 auction at Christie's New York with an estimate of
$30,000 to $50,000 when it was passed. This auction it has an
estimate of $15,000 to $18,000. It
sold for $43,750.
Lot 1217,
Gilt-copper death mask, Liao Dynasty, (907-1125), 8 3/4 inches across
Lot 1217
consists of two gilt copper death masks from the Liao Dynasty, both
about 8 3/4 inches across. Both objects came from J. T. Tai &
Co., and the lot has an estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. It sold
for $4,000.
Lot 1211,
three lacquered wood court figures, Warring States Period (475-221
B.C.)., 20 inches tall highest
Lot 1211
consists of three lacquered wood court figures from the Warring States
Period (475-221 B.C.) The tallest of the pieces is 20 inches
high. They call came from J. T. Tai & Co.
The lot has an estimate of $3,000 to $5,000. It sold for $12,500.
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