Archaic China
See also : Ritual bronzes Chinese art Early Buddhist sculpture Horse Jade Glass and crystal Glass II Musical instrument Musical instrument II
Chronology : Origin 600 BCE - CE 1-1000
Chronology : Origin 600 BCE - CE 1-1000
Shang - Ritual Bronzes from Anyang
2017 SOLD for $ 37M including premium
Chinese history emerges from the mists of legend with the Shang dynasty that lasted more than five centuries. Bronze comes in supplement to the pottery and is used especially for ritual vessels. For the excitement of the archaeologists the Shang and Zhou bronzes have preserved a perfect condition thanks to a sufficient content of tin. Their finely incised decoration of tight mystical figures and motifs in reserves is neither corroded nor worn.
The long reign of Wu Din marks the culmination of the Shang around 3250 years ago. He resides in the new capital Yinxu which is today in the territory of the city of Anyang.
The tomb of Fu Hao, discovered in 1976, had never been visited by looters. This wife of Wu Din had a considerable political influence, even becoming the supreme general of the armies. Her tomb is a complete catalog of the art of the Shang, including 1800 pieces mainly in jade, bone, bronze and stone, not forgetting 6,900 cowry shells that served as money and 16 skeletons of sacrificed slaves.
The ritual bronzes of the Shang had a wide variety of shapes suitable for storage and cooking. The rites defined the quantities of sacrificial vessels authorized according to the social position. Under the Zhou who overthrew the Shang the king could use 9 ding and 8 gui while a nobleman was limited to 3 ding and 2 gui. The tomb of Fu Hao contained the incredible quantity of 200 ritual bronzes.
On March 15 in New York, Christie's disperses the Chinese art collection of the Fujita Museum in Osaka, including four Shang bronzes. The catalog indicates for each of these pieces an acquisition prior to 1940 by the museum. Their similarity to the bronzes of Fu Hao and the comparable or sometimes superior quality of their technique and of their mystical decoration suggests that these four vessels came from a same royal tomb. They have kept their cover, except of course the zun which never has one.
Lot 523, estimated $ 6M, is a 52 cm high vessel with a complex three-body shape. By its large flared mouth (zun) of square section (fang), it is a fangzun.
Lot 524, estimated $ 5M, is a fanglei 63 cm high including its cover. By comparison the Father Ji's fanglei, sold for $ 9.2M including premium by Christie's on March 20, 2001, is 64 cm high without its lid which is lost and is dated from the Shang-Zhou transition two centuries later.
Lot 525, estimated $ 4M, is a pou 57 cm high. Its two-body shape with a round belly on a truncated cone base is archaic but its decoration is comparable to the other pieces in the sale.
Lot 526 is the sensational zoomorphic gong that was the subject of a previous discussion in this column.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's to introduce the sale.
RESULTS including premium :
Fangzun : $ 37M
Fanglei : $ 34M
Pou : $ 27M
The long reign of Wu Din marks the culmination of the Shang around 3250 years ago. He resides in the new capital Yinxu which is today in the territory of the city of Anyang.
The tomb of Fu Hao, discovered in 1976, had never been visited by looters. This wife of Wu Din had a considerable political influence, even becoming the supreme general of the armies. Her tomb is a complete catalog of the art of the Shang, including 1800 pieces mainly in jade, bone, bronze and stone, not forgetting 6,900 cowry shells that served as money and 16 skeletons of sacrificed slaves.
The ritual bronzes of the Shang had a wide variety of shapes suitable for storage and cooking. The rites defined the quantities of sacrificial vessels authorized according to the social position. Under the Zhou who overthrew the Shang the king could use 9 ding and 8 gui while a nobleman was limited to 3 ding and 2 gui. The tomb of Fu Hao contained the incredible quantity of 200 ritual bronzes.
On March 15 in New York, Christie's disperses the Chinese art collection of the Fujita Museum in Osaka, including four Shang bronzes. The catalog indicates for each of these pieces an acquisition prior to 1940 by the museum. Their similarity to the bronzes of Fu Hao and the comparable or sometimes superior quality of their technique and of their mystical decoration suggests that these four vessels came from a same royal tomb. They have kept their cover, except of course the zun which never has one.
Lot 523, estimated $ 6M, is a 52 cm high vessel with a complex three-body shape. By its large flared mouth (zun) of square section (fang), it is a fangzun.
Lot 524, estimated $ 5M, is a fanglei 63 cm high including its cover. By comparison the Father Ji's fanglei, sold for $ 9.2M including premium by Christie's on March 20, 2001, is 64 cm high without its lid which is lost and is dated from the Shang-Zhou transition two centuries later.
Lot 525, estimated $ 4M, is a pou 57 cm high. Its two-body shape with a round belly on a truncated cone base is archaic but its decoration is comparable to the other pieces in the sale.
Lot 526 is the sensational zoomorphic gong that was the subject of a previous discussion in this column.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's to introduce the sale.
RESULTS including premium :
Fangzun : $ 37M
Fanglei : $ 34M
Pou : $ 27M
A Late Shang Dynasty Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel from the Fujita Museum sold for $37,207,500, a #worldauctionrecord for an archaic bronze. pic.twitter.com/VcxYG3BPkF
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) March 16, 2017
Shang - Fanglei
2017 SOLD for $ 34M including premium by Christie's
Narrated above
A Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel & Cover, Fanglei, from the Late Shang Dynasty from the Fujita Museum sold for $33,847,500 #AsianArtWeek pic.twitter.com/FIfq9JsYxm
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) March 16, 2017
Shang - Pou
2017 SOLD for $ 27M including premium by Christie's
Narrated above
A Late Shang Dynasty Massive Bronze Ritual Wine Vessel and Cover, Pou, from the Fujita Museum sold for $27,127,500 #AsianArtWeek pic.twitter.com/v1HPYtI9BA
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) March 16, 2017
Shang - The Ritual Ram
2017 SOLD for $ 27M including premium
The bronze art for Chinese vessels was diversified at the end of the Shang dynasty, from 3300 to 3050 years ago. The various shapes are adapted to their ritual uses. Li, yi, lei, fangyi, fanglei and hu examples were previously discussed in this column.
The gong and the zun may both become zoomorphic with a high degree of three-dimensional realism. The zun is designed for its ease of pouring, with a spout lined with broad lips. The gong or guang is an open vessel equipped with a removable lid over its entire upper surface.
On March 15 in New York, Christie's sells a gong in the form of a ram 22 cm long, lot 526 estimated $ 6M. This piece is de-accessioned from the Fujita Museum in Osaka.
The back of the beast consists of the lid which is elongated to the superb head with its C-shaped horns. The body including the cover is embellished in shallow relief with the same traditional motifs as in the geometrically shaped vessels : taotie, stylized beasts. The thick legs ensure the stability of the vase. The back is surmounted by a dragon and a bird positioned like a handle.
The catalog of the auction house considers twelve other complete quadruped gong or zun examples of Shang period, all of them kept in museums : buffalos, elephants, fabulous animals, a boar, an elephant. The last one offered at auction was a buffalo zun in 1988.
Considering the sacred or sacrificial use of some of these animals, the extreme rarity of these pieces may surprise. It is probably due to a high difficulty of execution.
The gong and the zun may both become zoomorphic with a high degree of three-dimensional realism. The zun is designed for its ease of pouring, with a spout lined with broad lips. The gong or guang is an open vessel equipped with a removable lid over its entire upper surface.
On March 15 in New York, Christie's sells a gong in the form of a ram 22 cm long, lot 526 estimated $ 6M. This piece is de-accessioned from the Fujita Museum in Osaka.
The back of the beast consists of the lid which is elongated to the superb head with its C-shaped horns. The body including the cover is embellished in shallow relief with the same traditional motifs as in the geometrically shaped vessels : taotie, stylized beasts. The thick legs ensure the stability of the vase. The back is surmounted by a dragon and a bird positioned like a handle.
The catalog of the auction house considers twelve other complete quadruped gong or zun examples of Shang period, all of them kept in museums : buffalos, elephants, fabulous animals, a boar, an elephant. The last one offered at auction was a buffalo zun in 1988.
Considering the sacred or sacrificial use of some of these animals, the extreme rarity of these pieces may surprise. It is probably due to a high difficulty of execution.
Christie’s NY to Offer Rare Chinese Art from Fujita Museum at 2017 Spring Sale https://t.co/Ag1ow96cfp #Auctions pic.twitter.com/5puxLHtGHv
— ARTINFO HongKong (@ARTINFOHongKong) October 23, 2016
Shang-Zhou The Masterpiece of Father Ji
2001 SOLD 9.2 M$ including premium by Christie's
2014 Withdrawn
PRE 2014 SALE DISCUSSION
1
On March 20 in New York, Christie's sells one of the most outstanding Chinese archaic vases which have survived until now, characterized by its monumental size, 64 cm high, and by the superb quality of its bronze casting.
This ritual wine vessel is a fanglei with square section, one of the most prestigious types that reached its apogee 3100 years ago in the transitional period between the Shang and the Western Zhou. It does not have its cover.
Its decoration in high relief over multiple registers meets a classic iconography but is particularly abundant and expressive : taotie, animals, dragons, masks. It includes an inscription in six characters: Father Ji made on commission (or commissioned) this sacred vessel.
This exceptional piece had already been featured at auction. On 20 March 2001, it was sold for $ 9.2 million including premium by Christie's.
2
The masterpiece of Chinese archaic art was removed from auction and sold to a group of collectors in favor of the Hunan Provincial Museum.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's :
1
On March 20 in New York, Christie's sells one of the most outstanding Chinese archaic vases which have survived until now, characterized by its monumental size, 64 cm high, and by the superb quality of its bronze casting.
This ritual wine vessel is a fanglei with square section, one of the most prestigious types that reached its apogee 3100 years ago in the transitional period between the Shang and the Western Zhou. It does not have its cover.
Its decoration in high relief over multiple registers meets a classic iconography but is particularly abundant and expressive : taotie, animals, dragons, masks. It includes an inscription in six characters: Father Ji made on commission (or commissioned) this sacred vessel.
This exceptional piece had already been featured at auction. On 20 March 2001, it was sold for $ 9.2 million including premium by Christie's.
2
The masterpiece of Chinese archaic art was removed from auction and sold to a group of collectors in favor of the Hunan Provincial Museum.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's :
Bronze Age for the Western Zhou
2013 SOLD 6.7 M$ including premium
The Western Zhou overthrew the Shang but continued their traditions, at least initially. At this time of transition, the preferred ritual piece is the bronze vessel holding the sacred food or the millet wine.
Often made for princely usage, these objects were however not uncommon and many of them have survived. They are very finely decorated, usually including mythical beasts, and their inscriptions invite the decoding of the beginnings of Chinese civilization.
Their use was perhaps funeral but certainly ceremonial. Almost all of them are adorned with several Taotie, these pairs of eyes whose obsessive gaze enables a ritual communication between the living and the dead.
The Gui vessels of the Western Zhou have a complex shape with two bodies. The upper part is bellied, between two large handles. The base is a parallelepiped with sharp right angles. The entire surface is decorated on both parts.
A beautiful specimen is estimated $ 2M, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on September 17, lot 3. Executed 3000 years ago, this zuo bao yi gui food vessel has a peculiarity: the Taotie eyes of the base are all on both sides of the edges, increasing the hypnotic power.
This is the top lot among ten Chinese archaic bronzes from the collection of an Austrian architect. Other pieces from the same collection, from Zhou to Han, will be sold by Nagel in Stuttgart between October 30 and November 2.
POST SALE COMMENT
The ten lots auctioned by Sotheby's from the Julius Eberhardt collection were an exceptional group. Half of them exceeded $ 1M. The top three are bronze vessels of the Western Zhou.
As expected, the most interesting piece is the zuo bao yi gui, sold for $ 6.7 million including premium.
Let us also mention from the same period a wine pot sold for $ 3.1 million including premium and a cylindrical vase with an elegant flared neck sold for $ 2.16 million including premium.
Often made for princely usage, these objects were however not uncommon and many of them have survived. They are very finely decorated, usually including mythical beasts, and their inscriptions invite the decoding of the beginnings of Chinese civilization.
Their use was perhaps funeral but certainly ceremonial. Almost all of them are adorned with several Taotie, these pairs of eyes whose obsessive gaze enables a ritual communication between the living and the dead.
The Gui vessels of the Western Zhou have a complex shape with two bodies. The upper part is bellied, between two large handles. The base is a parallelepiped with sharp right angles. The entire surface is decorated on both parts.
A beautiful specimen is estimated $ 2M, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on September 17, lot 3. Executed 3000 years ago, this zuo bao yi gui food vessel has a peculiarity: the Taotie eyes of the base are all on both sides of the edges, increasing the hypnotic power.
This is the top lot among ten Chinese archaic bronzes from the collection of an Austrian architect. Other pieces from the same collection, from Zhou to Han, will be sold by Nagel in Stuttgart between October 30 and November 2.
POST SALE COMMENT
The ten lots auctioned by Sotheby's from the Julius Eberhardt collection were an exceptional group. Half of them exceeded $ 1M. The top three are bronze vessels of the Western Zhou.
As expected, the most interesting piece is the zuo bao yi gui, sold for $ 6.7 million including premium.
Let us also mention from the same period a wine pot sold for $ 3.1 million including premium and a cylindrical vase with an elegant flared neck sold for $ 2.16 million including premium.
The Fang Hu of the Warring States
2020 SOLD for $ 8.3M including premium
Around 400 BCE the Zhou were forced to recognize the full independence of three kingdoms around Henan. Their inexorable decline opens the Warring States period which will put up to seven major states in competition. The Qin emerge victorious in 221 BCE and found the Chinese empire.
The wording Warring States wrongly evokes anarchy. This period instead opened up China to new life styles through the development of Confucianism and Taoism. The traditional sacrificial or funeral rites persist while taking into account the observation of nature and medicine. The taotie, which expressed the mystery of the spirits, disappear from the bronze vessels.
The technological evolution of bronze becomes multidisciplinary. In very thick walls, deep grooves are filled with precious materials that bring the colors : gold, silver, copper, malachite, turquoise. Bronze handles and zoomorphic elements are added.
The baluster-shaped hu is the most common vessel at that time for the ritual use of wine. On September 23 in New York, Sotheby's sells a 35 cm high covered fang hu, lot 578 estimated $ 2.5M. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. Fang means that the bottle has a square section. It is richly decorated with gold, silver and glass.
The gold was encrusted by hammering a sheet on a pattern of protruding knobs added after casting. The glass was fitted in diamond- or half diamond- shaped plaques of nine or six beads in hollow reserves between the gold bosses. Silver volutes decorate the dark brown bronze surface inlaid with green malachite. The slightly domed cover is surmounted by four animals in the round.
The use of glass, recently introduced in China, is extremely rare. The only other example from the same period of a bronze vessel inlaid with glass is a pair of hu discovered around 1930, known from photographs of the time.
Each glass bead has the shape of an eye, in a concentric polychromy. This design, which perhaps had magical significance, was produced for a very short period of time. Examples were found in the tomb of Marquis Yi of the principality of Zeng in Hubei, dated 433 BCE.
The sale of the fang hu, which had not been seen since 1938, allows a real rediscovery by the experts of the opulence reached in the time of the Warring States by the ritual bronzes of classical form.
The wording Warring States wrongly evokes anarchy. This period instead opened up China to new life styles through the development of Confucianism and Taoism. The traditional sacrificial or funeral rites persist while taking into account the observation of nature and medicine. The taotie, which expressed the mystery of the spirits, disappear from the bronze vessels.
The technological evolution of bronze becomes multidisciplinary. In very thick walls, deep grooves are filled with precious materials that bring the colors : gold, silver, copper, malachite, turquoise. Bronze handles and zoomorphic elements are added.
The baluster-shaped hu is the most common vessel at that time for the ritual use of wine. On September 23 in New York, Sotheby's sells a 35 cm high covered fang hu, lot 578 estimated $ 2.5M. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. Fang means that the bottle has a square section. It is richly decorated with gold, silver and glass.
The gold was encrusted by hammering a sheet on a pattern of protruding knobs added after casting. The glass was fitted in diamond- or half diamond- shaped plaques of nine or six beads in hollow reserves between the gold bosses. Silver volutes decorate the dark brown bronze surface inlaid with green malachite. The slightly domed cover is surmounted by four animals in the round.
The use of glass, recently introduced in China, is extremely rare. The only other example from the same period of a bronze vessel inlaid with glass is a pair of hu discovered around 1930, known from photographs of the time.
Each glass bead has the shape of an eye, in a concentric polychromy. This design, which perhaps had magical significance, was produced for a very short period of time. Examples were found in the tomb of Marquis Yi of the principality of Zeng in Hubei, dated 433 BCE.
The sale of the fang hu, which had not been seen since 1938, allows a real rediscovery by the experts of the opulence reached in the time of the Warring States by the ritual bronzes of classical form.
Eastern Han - Nephrite Bear
2011 SOLD 8 M$ including premium by Elite Decorative
Link to catalogue on LiveAuctioneers.
Eastern Han - An Archaic Jade appreciated by the Qianlong Emperor
2007 SOLD for HK$ 34.5M including premium by Sotheby's
2015 UNSOLD
PRE 2015 SALE DISCUSSION
Jade is the good stone, favored in China for 8000 years for its beauty and hardness and also for the possibility to sculpt it. Early jade discs centered by a round hole could be worn as an amulet. They are the Bi. Their symbolic decoration attracts the best auspices on the wearer. Their rarity makes them a discriminatory social attribute and their high ranked owners retained them in the grave.
The Qianlong emperor was a great connoisseur of ancient jades. His personal expertise of such pieces has been the subject of no less than 800 of his poems. On April 7 in Hong Kong, Sotheby'ssells one of the most exceptional jades from this former imperial collection, lot 3202 estimated HK $ 30M.
This bi has a complex shape for a total height of 24 cm. The wide inner ring is engraved on both sides of a tight pattern of nails. The outer ring and the protrusion are pierced and carved with dragons, chi, a phoenix and two large letters. The color varies between dark celadon and honey brown.
The emperor took a special care to highlight this piece. In the Gengyin year, 1770 in our calendar, he did assemble it into a removable table screen in zitan 31 cm high. His comment was inscribed on the rim of the bi and on the reverse side of the screen. The end of the imperial poem is questioning "to whom did you belong?" assessing that it was for the emperor a symbol of the forgotten imperial past.
The Qianlong emperor knew that this piece was created a millennium and a half before him, symbolizing longevity both in its decoration and its age. It had been executed during the second Han dynasty 1900 to 1800 years ago from our time.
This lot had been sold for HK$ 34.5M including premium by Sotheby's on April 8, 2007, lot 603.
Jade is the good stone, favored in China for 8000 years for its beauty and hardness and also for the possibility to sculpt it. Early jade discs centered by a round hole could be worn as an amulet. They are the Bi. Their symbolic decoration attracts the best auspices on the wearer. Their rarity makes them a discriminatory social attribute and their high ranked owners retained them in the grave.
The Qianlong emperor was a great connoisseur of ancient jades. His personal expertise of such pieces has been the subject of no less than 800 of his poems. On April 7 in Hong Kong, Sotheby'ssells one of the most exceptional jades from this former imperial collection, lot 3202 estimated HK $ 30M.
This bi has a complex shape for a total height of 24 cm. The wide inner ring is engraved on both sides of a tight pattern of nails. The outer ring and the protrusion are pierced and carved with dragons, chi, a phoenix and two large letters. The color varies between dark celadon and honey brown.
The emperor took a special care to highlight this piece. In the Gengyin year, 1770 in our calendar, he did assemble it into a removable table screen in zitan 31 cm high. His comment was inscribed on the rim of the bi and on the reverse side of the screen. The end of the imperial poem is questioning "to whom did you belong?" assessing that it was for the emperor a symbol of the forgotten imperial past.
The Qianlong emperor knew that this piece was created a millennium and a half before him, symbolizing longevity both in its decoration and its age. It had been executed during the second Han dynasty 1900 to 1800 years ago from our time.
This lot had been sold for HK$ 34.5M including premium by Sotheby's on April 8, 2007, lot 603.
526 Buddhist Triad of the Northern Wei
2017 SOLD for $ 5.8M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020
The Northern Wei were of foreign origin. In power in northern China since 386 CE, they had led a very long process of sinicization. After being persecuted by that dynasty, Buddhism was recognized as a state religion during the reign of Emperor Xuanwu.
Xuanwu's death in 515 CE opens a long period of civil wars in which the dominant personality is his widow the Empress Dowager Hu. Even more zealous than Xuanwu, Hu had gigantic Buddhist shrines built around the capital Luoyang. These temples are populated with countless altar figures in gilded bronze or in stone, for which an unprecedented perfection is requested. Many of them bear the date of their consecration.
Buddha is the main character, often flanked by two smaller bodhisattvas. The group in the round is positioned in front of a mandorla centered with a radiant halo. The stone carving technique is inspired by the Gandhara schists but the figurative details are different with a great care paid to the amplitude of the long robes.
A remarkably preserved 61 cm high marble triad was sold for $ 5.8M including premium by Christie's on March 15, 2017 from a lower estimate of $ 600K, lot 529 in the auction of the Fujita Museum collection.
This piece is dated to the second year of Xiaochang, the fourth era of the child emperor Xiaoming, corresponding to 526 CE. The three characters have half-closed eyes and a soothing smile. Buddha has one hand raised and the other lowered, in the blessing gesture of abhayamudra and varadamudra. In front of each of the bodhisattvas is a seated roaring lion. The top of the mandorla is missing.
Xuanwu's death in 515 CE opens a long period of civil wars in which the dominant personality is his widow the Empress Dowager Hu. Even more zealous than Xuanwu, Hu had gigantic Buddhist shrines built around the capital Luoyang. These temples are populated with countless altar figures in gilded bronze or in stone, for which an unprecedented perfection is requested. Many of them bear the date of their consecration.
Buddha is the main character, often flanked by two smaller bodhisattvas. The group in the round is positioned in front of a mandorla centered with a radiant halo. The stone carving technique is inspired by the Gandhara schists but the figurative details are different with a great care paid to the amplitude of the long robes.
A remarkably preserved 61 cm high marble triad was sold for $ 5.8M including premium by Christie's on March 15, 2017 from a lower estimate of $ 600K, lot 529 in the auction of the Fujita Museum collection.
This piece is dated to the second year of Xiaochang, the fourth era of the child emperor Xiaoming, corresponding to 526 CE. The three characters have half-closed eyes and a soothing smile. Buddha has one hand raised and the other lowered, in the blessing gesture of abhayamudra and varadamudra. In front of each of the bodhisattvas is a seated roaring lion. The top of the mandorla is missing.
#WorldAuctionRecord : la vente de la collection du musée #Fujita a totalisé 263 millions de dollars chez #Christies à New-York le 15 mars pic.twitter.com/D7QYaOzkcP
— Christie's Paris (@christiesparis) March 17, 2017
Tang - Horse by Han Gan
2017 SOLD for $ 17M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020
Silk painting in ink and colors already existed under the Han, before the invention of paper. As early as 550 CE, an art critic defines six principles to be considered for appreciating a figurative work. The first principle is not derogable : the artist must transfer his energy into his art. It is also the basis of calligraphic art.
The Tang are great protectors of the arts. Narrative paintings feature groups in complex situations, with picturesque detail. The Taizong emperor also inaugurates the Tang's passion for the horse, that indispensable auxiliary of the warrior. He commissions the portraits of his favorite horses to Yan Liben.
The Tang imperial horses are the subject of a selection, integrating the best foreign breeds. The peak is reached during the reign of Xuanzong. His stable is reputed to house 40,000 horses, some of which are specially trained to dance in front of the emperor. Polo, hunting and jousting are practiced with passion. The main horse painter is Chen Hong.
Around 750 CE the self-taught artist Han Gan is noted for his artistic talents and invited to collaborate with Chen Hong. Han Gan abandons stylization for realism. The portrait of a horse, sometimes with a rider or a groom, becomes his exclusive theme. Each animal is observed individually.
On March 15, 2017, Christie's sold at lot 509 for $ 17M including premium the image of a horse by Han Gan, 32 x 38 cm, very readable but heavily cracked. The animal with an elegant two-tone hair walks with a dignified slowness. The colophon of the Qianlong emperor includes no less than twelve imperial seal marks and the artwork is listed in the catalogue of his collection, the Shiqu Baoji.
Xuanzong's long reign is culturally splendid and politically catastrophic. The emperor had abandoned management to devote himself to pleasures. He was deposited in 756 CE after a short civil war. This date is probably the terminus ante quem for an original painting by Han Gan.
The Tang are great protectors of the arts. Narrative paintings feature groups in complex situations, with picturesque detail. The Taizong emperor also inaugurates the Tang's passion for the horse, that indispensable auxiliary of the warrior. He commissions the portraits of his favorite horses to Yan Liben.
The Tang imperial horses are the subject of a selection, integrating the best foreign breeds. The peak is reached during the reign of Xuanzong. His stable is reputed to house 40,000 horses, some of which are specially trained to dance in front of the emperor. Polo, hunting and jousting are practiced with passion. The main horse painter is Chen Hong.
Around 750 CE the self-taught artist Han Gan is noted for his artistic talents and invited to collaborate with Chen Hong. Han Gan abandons stylization for realism. The portrait of a horse, sometimes with a rider or a groom, becomes his exclusive theme. Each animal is observed individually.
On March 15, 2017, Christie's sold at lot 509 for $ 17M including premium the image of a horse by Han Gan, 32 x 38 cm, very readable but heavily cracked. The animal with an elegant two-tone hair walks with a dignified slowness. The colophon of the Qianlong emperor includes no less than twelve imperial seal marks and the artwork is listed in the catalogue of his collection, the Shiqu Baoji.
Xuanzong's long reign is culturally splendid and politically catastrophic. The emperor had abandoned management to devote himself to pleasures. He was deposited in 756 CE after a short civil war. This date is probably the terminus ante quem for an original painting by Han Gan.
756 Gods, Sages and Emperors
2011 SOLD 115 M RMB yuan by China Guardian
narrated post sale
The qin is the traditional Chinese plucked string instrument. The antique variants are now designated as guqin.
The guqin is the first of the four treasures of the scholar, ahead of Chinese go, calligraphy and ink painting. It was known since ancient times and the Chinese tradition likes to assign it with a pre-dynastic origin. Confucius is quoted among the sages who improved the instrument.
The classical seven-string guqin provides a music of great subtlety facilitated by the dots of harmony distributed on the surface. The wooden back is also an invitation to the inscription of poems.
The Imperial guqins are of great rarity. One of them named Da Sheng Yi Yin (reminiscent of the great sage) was sold for RMB yuan 115 million by China Guardian in 2011.
It was produced for or by the Emperor Suzong of the Tang. Lacquered in black and brown, it wears a poem and a seal and its harmonics match the months of the Chinese calendar. Its date is corresponding to 756 in our own calendar. Both sides are illustrated in an article shared by China Daily.
In December 2010, Poly sold for RMB yuan 137 million including premium (US $ 20.7 million in the conversion rate of that time) an imperial Song guqin made for the Emperor Huizong in 1120 of our calendar.
The guqin is the first of the four treasures of the scholar, ahead of Chinese go, calligraphy and ink painting. It was known since ancient times and the Chinese tradition likes to assign it with a pre-dynastic origin. Confucius is quoted among the sages who improved the instrument.
The classical seven-string guqin provides a music of great subtlety facilitated by the dots of harmony distributed on the surface. The wooden back is also an invitation to the inscription of poems.
The Imperial guqins are of great rarity. One of them named Da Sheng Yi Yin (reminiscent of the great sage) was sold for RMB yuan 115 million by China Guardian in 2011.
It was produced for or by the Emperor Suzong of the Tang. Lacquered in black and brown, it wears a poem and a seal and its harmonics match the months of the Chinese calendar. Its date is corresponding to 756 in our own calendar. Both sides are illustrated in an article shared by China Daily.
In December 2010, Poly sold for RMB yuan 137 million including premium (US $ 20.7 million in the conversion rate of that time) an imperial Song guqin made for the Emperor Huizong in 1120 of our calendar.
Tang - Ten Virtues on the Face of Buddha
2013 SOLD 40.4 MHK$ including premium
In China, the art of lacquer early enabled a polychrome figuration. It came in competition with later sculpture techniques such as bronze and ceramics.
To embody the ten virtues on the face of Buddha, a new technique identified as "dry lacquer" was developed in the Tang period. The goal was to obtain a perfect carving on a piece sufficiently light to be easily moved during the processions.
A mandrel of wood is plated with clay before being covered with the layers of lacquer-imbued hemp wherein the carving is performed. The artist has all the necessary comfort to improve his work until the desired effect is achieved. Then, wood and clay are removed.
The dry lacquer made in Tang period is extremely rare. Of course, many of these fragile pieces made to be handled have been broken over the centuries. They are so rare that we may assume that the Buddha figures using this technique were performed by a single workshop, perhaps unrelated to the imperial court.
A serene Buddha head is estimated HK $ 20M, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 8. The larger than life size, 46 cm high, is accentuating the majestic look. Its symbolic expression of the perfection of virtues through facial features is a masterpiece of the art of portraiture.
Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
The unusual technique and the beauty of the face of Buddha pushed this piece up to HK $ 40.4 million including premium.
To embody the ten virtues on the face of Buddha, a new technique identified as "dry lacquer" was developed in the Tang period. The goal was to obtain a perfect carving on a piece sufficiently light to be easily moved during the processions.
A mandrel of wood is plated with clay before being covered with the layers of lacquer-imbued hemp wherein the carving is performed. The artist has all the necessary comfort to improve his work until the desired effect is achieved. Then, wood and clay are removed.
The dry lacquer made in Tang period is extremely rare. Of course, many of these fragile pieces made to be handled have been broken over the centuries. They are so rare that we may assume that the Buddha figures using this technique were performed by a single workshop, perhaps unrelated to the imperial court.
A serene Buddha head is estimated HK $ 20M, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 8. The larger than life size, 46 cm high, is accentuating the majestic look. Its symbolic expression of the perfection of virtues through facial features is a masterpiece of the art of portraiture.
Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
The unusual technique and the beauty of the face of Buddha pushed this piece up to HK $ 40.4 million including premium.
