Dragon
See also : China Southern Song and Yuan Early Ming Early Qing Qianlong Chinese art Ming porcelain Qing porcelain Imperial seal Chinese furniture Furniture 18th century furniture 20th century furniture Modern French furniture Chairs and seats Women artists
Chronology : 1000-1300 1430-1459 1720-1729 1760-1769 1780-1789 1920
Chronology : 1000-1300 1430-1459 1720-1729 1760-1769 1780-1789 1920
1244 Six Sons of the Dragon King
2017 SOLD for $ 49M including premium
The dragons, symbols of the emperor and his family, know how to confront the forces of nature. Their sinuous bodies sail like in weightlessness amidst clouds and waves. The varied expressions of their faces are always vigorous.
The hand scroll is an art much more refined than a mere drawing. The image is read from right to left as it is unfolded, offering the scene of a real action. The paper should also be exquisite in the touch.
Towards the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, the artist Chen Rong pushed his ink pictures of dragons to the rank of masterpieces. His scrolls were much admired by the Qianlong emperor who commented on the colophons and stamped his seals.
The drawing of the fabulous beast by Chen Rong is sharp and detailed, in contrast to its wet surrounding realized by an original method of ink spraying. In the Taoist tradition, such a scene is a magical summon to rain.
The Boston Museum retains a scroll starring nine young sons of the Dragon King, 46 cm high for 15 m long, including on the painting two autograph inscriptions that provide an estimate of the date of the artwork at 1244 of our calendar.
On March 15 in New York, Christie's sells a scroll featuring six dragons in a style similar as in the Boston specimen. Signed by one seal of the artist, it is 35 cm high with a length of 4.40 m for the image and 83 cm for the calligraphy. De-accessioned from the Fujita Museum in Osaka, this artwork is estimated $ 1,2M, lot 507. It is handled for our pleasure in the video shared by the auction house.
The hand scroll is an art much more refined than a mere drawing. The image is read from right to left as it is unfolded, offering the scene of a real action. The paper should also be exquisite in the touch.
Towards the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, the artist Chen Rong pushed his ink pictures of dragons to the rank of masterpieces. His scrolls were much admired by the Qianlong emperor who commented on the colophons and stamped his seals.
The drawing of the fabulous beast by Chen Rong is sharp and detailed, in contrast to its wet surrounding realized by an original method of ink spraying. In the Taoist tradition, such a scene is a magical summon to rain.
The Boston Museum retains a scroll starring nine young sons of the Dragon King, 46 cm high for 15 m long, including on the painting two autograph inscriptions that provide an estimate of the date of the artwork at 1244 of our calendar.
On March 15 in New York, Christie's sells a scroll featuring six dragons in a style similar as in the Boston specimen. Signed by one seal of the artist, it is 35 cm high with a length of 4.40 m for the image and 83 cm for the calligraphy. De-accessioned from the Fujita Museum in Osaka, this artwork is estimated $ 1,2M, lot 507. It is handled for our pleasure in the video shared by the auction house.
Six Dragons handscroll attributed to Chen Rong, from the Fujita Museum sold for $48,967,500 against high estimate of $1.8m #AsianArtWeek pic.twitter.com/rbMbIyub5P
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) March 15, 2017
Ferocious Dragons for the Xuande Emperor
2016 SOLD for HK$ 158M including premium
The mastery of porcelain in the Ming dynasty is achieved in three phases : a restart to the top quality under Yongle, an approach to touching perfection under Xuande and the masterpieces for the palace of Chenghua.
The use of underglaze cobalt blue on the white porcelain had reached under the Yuan a refinement which continued under Yongle. In the reign of the Xuande emperor the chemists significantly improved this technique for shading the blue. An extreme care is taken in the homogeneity of the cobalt solution and in the control of the kiln atmosphere. The sharpness of the line is also improved.
The image of the dragon, appreciated by the Yuan, becomes popular again in the Xuande porcelain, with a fierce expression. Dark blue dragons move in an environment of lighter figures. This contrast reinforces the power of the imperial symbol.
A stem bowl 15.4 cm in diameter was sold for HK $ 113M including premium by Sotheby's on April 4, 2012. The drawing of the dragons is exquisite.
Two porcelain pieces with the mark of Xuande come for sale in Hong Kong. On the theme of the dragon, both are great examples of the Xuande perfection in blue and white that will never be equaled even under Chenghua.
On May 30, Christie's sells a jar 48 cm high, lot 3012 estimated HK $ 60M. The empowered dragon deploys its undulating body throughout the circumference.
On May 31, Lyon and Turnbull in association with Freeman's sells a stem cup 10 cm in diameter, lot 84 estimated in excess of HK $ 22M. I invite you to watch the video introducing this lot.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Jar at Christie's : HK$ 158M
Stem cup at Lyon and Turnbull : HK$ 41.5M
The use of underglaze cobalt blue on the white porcelain had reached under the Yuan a refinement which continued under Yongle. In the reign of the Xuande emperor the chemists significantly improved this technique for shading the blue. An extreme care is taken in the homogeneity of the cobalt solution and in the control of the kiln atmosphere. The sharpness of the line is also improved.
The image of the dragon, appreciated by the Yuan, becomes popular again in the Xuande porcelain, with a fierce expression. Dark blue dragons move in an environment of lighter figures. This contrast reinforces the power of the imperial symbol.
A stem bowl 15.4 cm in diameter was sold for HK $ 113M including premium by Sotheby's on April 4, 2012. The drawing of the dragons is exquisite.
Two porcelain pieces with the mark of Xuande come for sale in Hong Kong. On the theme of the dragon, both are great examples of the Xuande perfection in blue and white that will never be equaled even under Chenghua.
On May 30, Christie's sells a jar 48 cm high, lot 3012 estimated HK $ 60M. The empowered dragon deploys its undulating body throughout the circumference.
On May 31, Lyon and Turnbull in association with Freeman's sells a stem cup 10 cm in diameter, lot 84 estimated in excess of HK $ 22M. I invite you to watch the video introducing this lot.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Jar at Christie's : HK$ 158M
Stem cup at Lyon and Turnbull : HK$ 41.5M
What makes this large 15th-century 'dragon' jar so rare — and so special? https://t.co/QLNIYOqVal pic.twitter.com/3fOW2SxJrB
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 16, 2016
Once used as an umbrella stand, this Ming Dynasty 'Dragon' jar sold for over $20 million pic.twitter.com/BT3lTth3vU
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) July 22, 2016
Xuande - Cobalt Blue for the Early Ming
2012 SOLD 113 MHK$ including premium
Art was flourishing in China 600 years ago, during the reigns of Yongle and his grandson Xuande, the third and the fifth emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Between them, the reign of Hongxi had only lasted one year.
On April 4 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's auctions the third part of the Meiyintang collection. The first two parts in April and October 2011 already fueled our column with fabulous porcelains.
The two major pieces of this new sale demonstrate the extreme artistic quality in the use of cobalt deep blue on white Chinese porcelain. Each one is estimated HK $ 50M. They were produced, of course, in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen.
A very large Yongle charger, 60 cm in diameter, is decorated with an elegant long-tailed bird in branches loaded with lychees, bending to swallow an insect. The composition is perfectly balanced. Here is the link to the catalog.
A Xuande stembowl 15 cm high is decorated with a pair of dragons swimming in the waves. The artist, playing with the thickness of the line, obtained several shades of blue. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Starting with the same estimate, these two pieces had an opposite destiny. The nice Yongle bird was not sold. More in line with Chinese tradition, the Xuande dragon reached HK $ 113M including premium, doubling its lower estimate.
As ever in this sector of the art market, the buyer is the best placed to judge the quality of a lot.
On April 4 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's auctions the third part of the Meiyintang collection. The first two parts in April and October 2011 already fueled our column with fabulous porcelains.
The two major pieces of this new sale demonstrate the extreme artistic quality in the use of cobalt deep blue on white Chinese porcelain. Each one is estimated HK $ 50M. They were produced, of course, in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen.
A very large Yongle charger, 60 cm in diameter, is decorated with an elegant long-tailed bird in branches loaded with lychees, bending to swallow an insect. The composition is perfectly balanced. Here is the link to the catalog.
A Xuande stembowl 15 cm high is decorated with a pair of dragons swimming in the waves. The artist, playing with the thickness of the line, obtained several shades of blue. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Starting with the same estimate, these two pieces had an opposite destiny. The nice Yongle bird was not sold. More in line with Chinese tradition, the Xuande dragon reached HK $ 113M including premium, doubling its lower estimate.
As ever in this sector of the art market, the buyer is the best placed to judge the quality of a lot.
Yongzheng - An Archaic Dragon
2019 SOLD for RMB 147M including premium
From the 6th year of his reign matching 1728 CE, the Yongzheng emperor managed a direct control over the production of imperial porcelain. Under the supervision of Superintendent Tang Ying, most of the traditional techniques were restarted and quickly raised to a new level of perfection.
On June 5 in Beijing, Poly sells as lot 5552 a magnificent vase 51 cm high with a round body and a thick neck which is a technological feat without any relationship with the new enamel paintings brought by the foreigners.
This piece flawlessly combines an underglaze in cobalt blue and a red copper glaze which nevertheless required an extremely dissimilar firing profile. The recipe was lost very soon afterward and the Qianlong emperor himself will not get comparable porcelains despite his insistence with the same Superintendent.
The bright red dragon wraps its sinuous body in the blue clouds, in a contrast of superb brilliance. The blue is made in several shades, matching the quality of the Xuande porcelain of the Ming. The glaze becomes invisible over blue and white.
The wide open mouth and the bulging eyes of the dragon express a great fury. This mythical animal has only three claws per leg and cannot be confused with a Qing imperial dragon.
It is a copy of the dragons drawn under the Southern Song dynasty by Chen Rong, assessing Yongzheng's care to promote the best from Chinese graphic art of all times. Copies on silk in the same style were executed in the same period.
Let us remind that a drawing 35 x 440 cm scrolling six dragons executed by Chen Rong in 1244 CE was sold for $ 49M including premium by Christie's on March 15, 2017.
On June 5 in Beijing, Poly sells as lot 5552 a magnificent vase 51 cm high with a round body and a thick neck which is a technological feat without any relationship with the new enamel paintings brought by the foreigners.
This piece flawlessly combines an underglaze in cobalt blue and a red copper glaze which nevertheless required an extremely dissimilar firing profile. The recipe was lost very soon afterward and the Qianlong emperor himself will not get comparable porcelains despite his insistence with the same Superintendent.
The bright red dragon wraps its sinuous body in the blue clouds, in a contrast of superb brilliance. The blue is made in several shades, matching the quality of the Xuande porcelain of the Ming. The glaze becomes invisible over blue and white.
The wide open mouth and the bulging eyes of the dragon express a great fury. This mythical animal has only three claws per leg and cannot be confused with a Qing imperial dragon.
It is a copy of the dragons drawn under the Southern Song dynasty by Chen Rong, assessing Yongzheng's care to promote the best from Chinese graphic art of all times. Copies on silk in the same style were executed in the same period.
Let us remind that a drawing 35 x 440 cm scrolling six dragons executed by Chen Rong in 1244 CE was sold for $ 49M including premium by Christie's on March 15, 2017.
Yongzheng - An Amphora for the Qing
2017 SOLD for HK$ 140M including premium
The Manchus who overthrew the Ming dynasty are foreigners. When their Qing dynasty is politically stabilized, they are paying an intense attention to relying on the whole of the more than four-thousand-year-old tradition of the Chinese empire. From the reign of Kangxi some workshops in Jingdezhen realize porcelain pieces imitating the antique.
Jingdezhen's chemists and thermal engineers are highly skilled and there is no question of going back to the ancient manufacturing processes. A special effort is made to improve the green glaze imitating the color and transparency of jade, which is named qingci in Chinese and celadon in Europe. During the reign of Yongzheng several hues of celadon glaze are listed.
An amphora vase bearing the imperial mark of Yongzheng appears as a culmination of that development. It was sold for HK $ 17.4M including premium by Christie's in Hong Kong on November 1, 2004, a very high price at that time for a monochrome porcelain, and returns in the same venue on May 31, lot 2888.
The shape of this vase 52 cm high imitates vessels made of metal or porcelain in the Tang period, which are no longer amphorae of the antique type since the pointed lower end used to catch the vessel in its lower part for pouring the liquid has been replaced by a usual flat base for installation. He retains from these Tang models the two lateral handles in the shape of dragons biting the rim. The ornament of the neck simulating bamboo rings is a reference to the Northern Song.
Celadon is also an ancient symbol reminding the development of that glaze in the Longquan kilns under the Southern Song dynasty. The bluish-green glaze of this amphora, thick and translucent and leveled in the recesses, is indeed an achievement directly attributable to the engineering of the Qing.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's.
Jingdezhen's chemists and thermal engineers are highly skilled and there is no question of going back to the ancient manufacturing processes. A special effort is made to improve the green glaze imitating the color and transparency of jade, which is named qingci in Chinese and celadon in Europe. During the reign of Yongzheng several hues of celadon glaze are listed.
An amphora vase bearing the imperial mark of Yongzheng appears as a culmination of that development. It was sold for HK $ 17.4M including premium by Christie's in Hong Kong on November 1, 2004, a very high price at that time for a monochrome porcelain, and returns in the same venue on May 31, lot 2888.
The shape of this vase 52 cm high imitates vessels made of metal or porcelain in the Tang period, which are no longer amphorae of the antique type since the pointed lower end used to catch the vessel in its lower part for pouring the liquid has been replaced by a usual flat base for installation. He retains from these Tang models the two lateral handles in the shape of dragons biting the rim. The ornament of the neck simulating bamboo rings is a reference to the Northern Song.
Celadon is also an ancient symbol reminding the development of that glaze in the Longquan kilns under the Southern Song dynasty. The bluish-green glaze of this amphora, thick and translucent and leveled in the recesses, is indeed an achievement directly attributable to the engineering of the Qing.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's.
#AuctionUpdate This incredibly rare Yongzheng-period celadon-glazed amphora just sold for US$18,129,688 in HK https://t.co/7B1k4RqKrU pic.twitter.com/5GkAzM45fT
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 31, 2017
1766 The Duties of the Grandfather
2021 SOLD for HK$ 146M by Sotheby's
1722 CE was the 61st and final year of Kangxi's reign. He had devoted his entire life to his role as a political leader, continually concerned with the well-being of his people. This competent emperor did not want his work to disappear with him.
In the third month of that 61st year, he asked to meet one of his many grandsons, the ten-year-old Prince Hongli. The boy indeed had promising gifts, both intellectually and physically. The old emperor, aged 69, took a personal and intensive responsibility for the martial and literary education of the prince. When he died a few months later, a hitherto secret letter was opened, designating Hongli's father as his successor.
Hongli in turn ascended to the throne in 1735 with the reign name Qianlong. His short relationship with his grandfather marked him for life. Kangxi will remain his model, for his attitude and his commitments. An emperor must relentlessly do good by applying the highest virtues day after day. Qianlong's piety for his grandfather was so intense that he would abdicate in the 61st year of his own reign, in a decades-long premeditated tribute to Kangxi.
Qianlong may be the Son of Heaven, but he is also a human being. His father's accession to the empire came at the expense of another prince and his own legitimacy could be challenged. In 1742 he wrote an essay on his justification, for the use of the Imperial Palace.
In 1766 the question remains valid. Qianlong reworks his essay which is inscribed on a tablet for the use of Ji'entang, the Hall of Grace Remembrance. The emperor explains how and why his grandfather passed on his beneficent influence to him, and the daily efforts he never ceased to make to be worthy of this trust. He takes care to detail how an emperor of the Zhou dynasty organized his own succession by dismissing a virtuous but unambitious heir.
A white jade seal is made in the same year for use in the same room, with the three characters for impressing the word Ji'entang in archaic script. The sides are inscribed with the full version of the essay. The knob is a pair of entwined dragons. The sacking of the Summer Palace in 1860 left some veining in the perimeter but the mark and the dragons are not damaged.
This 10.4 cm square seal with a total height of 7.8 cm was sold for HK $ 146M by Sotheby's on April 22, 2021, lot 3603. It is the third seal with strong historical significance narrated by Nicolas Chow in the video shared by Sotheby's.
In the third month of that 61st year, he asked to meet one of his many grandsons, the ten-year-old Prince Hongli. The boy indeed had promising gifts, both intellectually and physically. The old emperor, aged 69, took a personal and intensive responsibility for the martial and literary education of the prince. When he died a few months later, a hitherto secret letter was opened, designating Hongli's father as his successor.
Hongli in turn ascended to the throne in 1735 with the reign name Qianlong. His short relationship with his grandfather marked him for life. Kangxi will remain his model, for his attitude and his commitments. An emperor must relentlessly do good by applying the highest virtues day after day. Qianlong's piety for his grandfather was so intense that he would abdicate in the 61st year of his own reign, in a decades-long premeditated tribute to Kangxi.
Qianlong may be the Son of Heaven, but he is also a human being. His father's accession to the empire came at the expense of another prince and his own legitimacy could be challenged. In 1742 he wrote an essay on his justification, for the use of the Imperial Palace.
In 1766 the question remains valid. Qianlong reworks his essay which is inscribed on a tablet for the use of Ji'entang, the Hall of Grace Remembrance. The emperor explains how and why his grandfather passed on his beneficent influence to him, and the daily efforts he never ceased to make to be worthy of this trust. He takes care to detail how an emperor of the Zhou dynasty organized his own succession by dismissing a virtuous but unambitious heir.
A white jade seal is made in the same year for use in the same room, with the three characters for impressing the word Ji'entang in archaic script. The sides are inscribed with the full version of the essay. The knob is a pair of entwined dragons. The sacking of the Summer Palace in 1860 left some veining in the perimeter but the mark and the dragons are not damaged.
This 10.4 cm square seal with a total height of 7.8 cm was sold for HK $ 146M by Sotheby's on April 22, 2021, lot 3603. It is the third seal with strong historical significance narrated by Nicolas Chow in the video shared by Sotheby's.
Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao
2016 SOLD for € 21M including premium by Pierre Bergé et Associés
narrated in 2020
A great personal lover of all forms of literature and art, the Qianlong emperor affixed a seal to the work he had just consulted. For the pieces that did not deserve the creation of a specific poem, the choice of the seal recorded the degree of satisfaction of the emperor.
One of the most prestigious was the Qian Long Yu Lan Zhi Bao, meaning The Treasure Carefully Examined by the Qianlong Emperor. For example, the scroll of the Banquet of the Victory, sold for € 6.1M including premium by Christie's on November 22, 2005, had been awarded this mark.
Even higher in that hierarchy, there was the Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao, the Treasure from the Imperial Brush of Qianlong, reserved for paintings and calligraphy made by the emperor himself. This mark was equivalent to a signature.
On December 14, 2016, the Pierre Bergé et Associés auction house sold for € 21M including premium a Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao seal. Please watch the video shared by Hôtel Drouot.
This large seal 10.5 x 10.5 cm with an overall height of 9 cm was made of beige and red steatite from Shou Shan. Its decoration is a work of art loaded with symbols.
The upper part, 5 cm high, shows a knot of no less than nine closely entwined dragons pursuing the sacred pearl which is clearly visible and accessible right in the middle of the group. This figure symbolizes the imperial authority at its highest level. It surmounts a 4 cm carved base made up of a frieze of stylized dragons in the archaic style.
One of the most prestigious was the Qian Long Yu Lan Zhi Bao, meaning The Treasure Carefully Examined by the Qianlong Emperor. For example, the scroll of the Banquet of the Victory, sold for € 6.1M including premium by Christie's on November 22, 2005, had been awarded this mark.
Even higher in that hierarchy, there was the Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao, the Treasure from the Imperial Brush of Qianlong, reserved for paintings and calligraphy made by the emperor himself. This mark was equivalent to a signature.
On December 14, 2016, the Pierre Bergé et Associés auction house sold for € 21M including premium a Qian Long Yu Bi Zhi Bao seal. Please watch the video shared by Hôtel Drouot.
This large seal 10.5 x 10.5 cm with an overall height of 9 cm was made of beige and red steatite from Shou Shan. Its decoration is a work of art loaded with symbols.
The upper part, 5 cm high, shows a knot of no less than nine closely entwined dragons pursuing the sacred pearl which is clearly visible and accessible right in the middle of the group. This figure symbolizes the imperial authority at its highest level. It surmounts a 4 cm carved base made up of a frieze of stylized dragons in the archaic style.
Qianlong - The Third Seal
2011 UNPAID at € 12.4M including premium by Chassaing-Marambat
2012 SOLD 3.8 M€ including premium
The prices of the Qing imperial jade seals continue to increase. Since 2008, this column traces in detail their evolution. We should however be cautious, as shown in the example below.
On three times the auction house Chassaing-Marambat (previously Hervé Chassaing) has auctioned Qing seals. Their sales take place in Toulouse.
Sold € 5.5 million including premium on 14 June 2008, the first seal was outstanding for its period (Kangxi) and its dimensions. It did not return in the market to my knowledge, but I am willing to bet that it would be much more expensive today. Its success drew the other two.
Carved with a lying dragon, a Xintian Zhuren seal (a pseudonym of Qianlong after 1759) was sold € 3.3 million including premium on 17 April 2010. This one also did not reappear.
The third seal was carved of the most prestigious theme : two entwined dragons. From the Qianlong period and measuring 7.7 high with a 9.9 cm square print, it raised the bid of € 12.4 million including premium on 26 March 2011. The result was announced by the auction house as a world record.
One should not talk about world auction records. An operation is only complete when the lot is paid and delivered. This is not the case with the latter seal, which will be relisted at the same location on March 31.
It is a good opportunity to point out two exceptional prices announced by Poly from their sale in Beijing on December 6, 2011.
A small Tai Shang Huang Di cylinder seal (from the official name of Qianlong after his abdication) was sold RMB 160M including premium. The price of a Dao Guang seal, RMB 91M including premium, is also quite remarkable when considering its later date, 1831 in our calendar.
POST SALE COMMENT
The "record" is not confirmed. The seal was sold € 3.1 million before fees this year, after reaching € 12.4 million including premium one year ago.
According to the procedure of folle enchère (non-paying bidder) applicable under French law, the defaulting buyer shall pay a fine equal to the difference of the two prices, fees included. In this case involving an Asian buyer, such recovery may be difficult.
On three times the auction house Chassaing-Marambat (previously Hervé Chassaing) has auctioned Qing seals. Their sales take place in Toulouse.
Sold € 5.5 million including premium on 14 June 2008, the first seal was outstanding for its period (Kangxi) and its dimensions. It did not return in the market to my knowledge, but I am willing to bet that it would be much more expensive today. Its success drew the other two.
Carved with a lying dragon, a Xintian Zhuren seal (a pseudonym of Qianlong after 1759) was sold € 3.3 million including premium on 17 April 2010. This one also did not reappear.
The third seal was carved of the most prestigious theme : two entwined dragons. From the Qianlong period and measuring 7.7 high with a 9.9 cm square print, it raised the bid of € 12.4 million including premium on 26 March 2011. The result was announced by the auction house as a world record.
One should not talk about world auction records. An operation is only complete when the lot is paid and delivered. This is not the case with the latter seal, which will be relisted at the same location on March 31.
It is a good opportunity to point out two exceptional prices announced by Poly from their sale in Beijing on December 6, 2011.
A small Tai Shang Huang Di cylinder seal (from the official name of Qianlong after his abdication) was sold RMB 160M including premium. The price of a Dao Guang seal, RMB 91M including premium, is also quite remarkable when considering its later date, 1831 in our calendar.
POST SALE COMMENT
The "record" is not confirmed. The seal was sold € 3.1 million before fees this year, after reaching € 12.4 million including premium one year ago.
According to the procedure of folle enchère (non-paying bidder) applicable under French law, the defaulting buyer shall pay a fine equal to the difference of the two prices, fees included. In this case involving an Asian buyer, such recovery may be difficult.
Qianlong - A Masterpiece of Chinese Furniture
2013 SOLD 93 M RMB yuan including premium
The Chinese luxury furniture was using hardwoods that are among the finest in the world. The most prestigious is the red sandalwood or zitan, enabling refined carvings. The best cabinetmakers were specialized in the work of a specific wood.
On June 4 in Beijing, Poly International Auction sells an exceptional pair of zitan cabinets of Qianlong period whose achievement was a real technical feat.
3.25 m high, these cabinets are among the tallest known zitan furniture, although another one 4.40 m high is preserved in Beijing. Its depth of 74 cm is also exceptional. The conception of these cabinets included slits in the boards of doors and sides to relieve the pressure.
There is no evidence that the origin of this pair of furniture is imperial, but they are finely carved in high relief with patterns of dragons and lotus.
The estimate is not announced, but this lot is undoubtedly a masterpiece of Chinese furniture.
POST SALE COMMENT
There was no doubt that this pair of cabinets of large size and plenty carving is a masterpiece of Chinese furniture, and even of international furniture. It was sold for RMB yuan 93M including premium, corresponding to U.S. $ 15M.
On June 4 in Beijing, Poly International Auction sells an exceptional pair of zitan cabinets of Qianlong period whose achievement was a real technical feat.
3.25 m high, these cabinets are among the tallest known zitan furniture, although another one 4.40 m high is preserved in Beijing. Its depth of 74 cm is also exceptional. The conception of these cabinets included slits in the boards of doors and sides to relieve the pressure.
There is no evidence that the origin of this pair of furniture is imperial, but they are finely carved in high relief with patterns of dragons and lotus.
The estimate is not announced, but this lot is undoubtedly a masterpiece of Chinese furniture.
POST SALE COMMENT
There was no doubt that this pair of cabinets of large size and plenty carving is a masterpiece of Chinese furniture, and even of international furniture. It was sold for RMB yuan 93M including premium, corresponding to U.S. $ 15M.
1786 The Master of the New Frontier
2010 SOLD for HK$ 122M including premium by Sotheby's
2019 SOLD for RMB 94M including premium
PRE 2019 SALE DISCUSSION
Belonging to the Qing dynasty of Manchu origin, the Qianlong emperor wants to unify all the Chinese ethnic groups, certainly to escape a hegemony of the Han. His territory is separated from the Mongols and Tibetans by a rebel people, the Dzungars.
The war against the Dzungars ends with a Qing victory in the 24th year of the reign matching 1759 CE. The strategy proposed by the emperor himself had been determining. The area is emptied of its original occupants by genocide, deportation and smallpox and becomes Shintian (or Xinjiang) meaning new frontier.
Qianlong is immensely proud of his civilizing achievement on behalf of the authentic Chinese people. He agrees to add to his nicknames that of master of Shintian which is partly a homophony with Xintian Shuren meaning "the ruler who believes in heaven". In that period he has a significant quantity of seals made with that name.
Time passes. The emperor is getting older. During the 49th year of the reign, courtiers seek to reinterpret the sobriquet. Qianlong complacently writes a poem in which he is astonished that his civilizing work has been so completely supported by the heavens. New Xintian Shuren seals will be regularly created over the years to honor Shintian's master.
On October 7, 2010, Sotheby's sold as lot 2103 for HK $ 122M including premium a very large seal with that mark. It will be sold by Poly in Beijing on June 5, lot 5569.
This piece 12.9 cm square and 11 cm high in greenish white jade weighs 3.5 kg. The knob consists of a pair of superbly sculpted crossed dragons. Its production including chiseling and inscription had lasted five months. It is identified in the imperial archives during the 51st year of the reign matching 1786 CE.
Belonging to the Qing dynasty of Manchu origin, the Qianlong emperor wants to unify all the Chinese ethnic groups, certainly to escape a hegemony of the Han. His territory is separated from the Mongols and Tibetans by a rebel people, the Dzungars.
The war against the Dzungars ends with a Qing victory in the 24th year of the reign matching 1759 CE. The strategy proposed by the emperor himself had been determining. The area is emptied of its original occupants by genocide, deportation and smallpox and becomes Shintian (or Xinjiang) meaning new frontier.
Qianlong is immensely proud of his civilizing achievement on behalf of the authentic Chinese people. He agrees to add to his nicknames that of master of Shintian which is partly a homophony with Xintian Shuren meaning "the ruler who believes in heaven". In that period he has a significant quantity of seals made with that name.
Time passes. The emperor is getting older. During the 49th year of the reign, courtiers seek to reinterpret the sobriquet. Qianlong complacently writes a poem in which he is astonished that his civilizing work has been so completely supported by the heavens. New Xintian Shuren seals will be regularly created over the years to honor Shintian's master.
On October 7, 2010, Sotheby's sold as lot 2103 for HK $ 122M including premium a very large seal with that mark. It will be sold by Poly in Beijing on June 5, lot 5569.
This piece 12.9 cm square and 11 cm high in greenish white jade weighs 3.5 kg. The knob consists of a pair of superbly sculpted crossed dragons. Its production including chiseling and inscription had lasted five months. It is identified in the imperial archives during the 51st year of the reign matching 1786 CE.
<1920 Yves Saint-Laurent in an Armchair ... made by Eileen Gray
2009 SOLD 21.9 M€ including premium
In the very large sale of the collection of the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent, the furniture of the 20th century will be led by an armchair made by Eileen Gray.
It is a seat only 61 cm high. The sitting height is normal, but the back is small. It is large (91 cm), making it a comfortable chair. The press release from Christie's describes it as a Dragon armchair, certainly for the sculptures of its armrests. For this seat dating from about 1920-1922, prepare 2.5 million €.
In the work of Eileen Gray, other seats have generated one of the most remarkable results of auctions in recent years. On June 1, 2005 in Paris, Camard sold a set of six armchairs à la Sirène, for a total of nearly 9 million € charges included. Sold separately, these six lots were eventually divided between two buyers. They had belonged to Damia, the music hall singer woman with whom Eileen had a love affair. From a very different model from the chair of the Saint-Laurent collection, their sculpture of the women fish was enhanced by an open back.
Eileen Gray was renowned for the luxurious finish of her lacquered furniture.
The sale will be held at the Grand Palais in Paris from 23 to 25 February. It is jointly organized by Christie's and Pierre Bergé et Associés.
POST SALE COMMENT
This seat had it all. We imagine it perfectly in the middle of the living room of Yves Saint-Laurent, a famous person. It may equally be regarded as a work of art or as a piece of furniture.
Christie's has presented it as one of the top lots in the sale, from the first press release last September. The estimate probably took into account the results obtained at Drouot on the armchairs à la Sirène, remembered in my article above. Cautiously, the estimate had been made a little lower (2 M €) in the catalog than in the first releases.
As I have already written, the current crisis of confidence affects the sellers, not the buyers.
The chair of Yves Saint-Laurent by Eileen Gray was sold € 21.9 million including premium.
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
It is a seat only 61 cm high. The sitting height is normal, but the back is small. It is large (91 cm), making it a comfortable chair. The press release from Christie's describes it as a Dragon armchair, certainly for the sculptures of its armrests. For this seat dating from about 1920-1922, prepare 2.5 million €.
In the work of Eileen Gray, other seats have generated one of the most remarkable results of auctions in recent years. On June 1, 2005 in Paris, Camard sold a set of six armchairs à la Sirène, for a total of nearly 9 million € charges included. Sold separately, these six lots were eventually divided between two buyers. They had belonged to Damia, the music hall singer woman with whom Eileen had a love affair. From a very different model from the chair of the Saint-Laurent collection, their sculpture of the women fish was enhanced by an open back.
Eileen Gray was renowned for the luxurious finish of her lacquered furniture.
The sale will be held at the Grand Palais in Paris from 23 to 25 February. It is jointly organized by Christie's and Pierre Bergé et Associés.
POST SALE COMMENT
This seat had it all. We imagine it perfectly in the middle of the living room of Yves Saint-Laurent, a famous person. It may equally be regarded as a work of art or as a piece of furniture.
Christie's has presented it as one of the top lots in the sale, from the first press release last September. The estimate probably took into account the results obtained at Drouot on the armchairs à la Sirène, remembered in my article above. Cautiously, the estimate had been made a little lower (2 M €) in the catalog than in the first releases.
As I have already written, the current crisis of confidence affects the sellers, not the buyers.
The chair of Yves Saint-Laurent by Eileen Gray was sold € 21.9 million including premium.
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
