Years 1 to 1000
See also : Roman Empire Ancient sculpture Jade Silverware Bust Archaic China Islam Religious texts Manuscript India Buddhism Early Buddhist sculpture Coin Gold coins Antique coins Musical instrument
Germanicus for Lord Elgin
2012 SOLD 8.1 M$ including premium
Portraits of Roman emperors and of their immediate family display an admirable realism. Their role is to promote the image of the man to better enforce the respect to him.
Augustus established a new autocratic regime, thus raising the Emperor's succession as a critical issue. He adopted Tiberius as his successor and then forced Tiberius to adopt Germanicus, in the year 749 of Rome, 2016 years ago.
These two potential successive heirs hated one another. Germanicus was young and beautiful. He was also one of the best generals in the history of Rome, and not interested in politics. When dying at the age of 34, he announced being certain that he had been poisoned.
Some years later, in 790 of Rome, the very unpopular Tiberius also dies, and his successor is the son of Germanicus : Caligula.
The popularity of the father is a good excuse to promote the son, whose criminal fantasies are not yet predictable. Marble portraits of Germanicus are then reissued from a model made at the time of his glory.
One of these marbles, 52 cm high, was purchased in Rome in 1799 of our calendar for the collection of Lord Elgin. This purchase was regular, unlike the removals of the Parthenon marbles made at the same time by the same Lord abusing his position as ambassador to Constantinople.
This portrait is impressive and in very good condition. The aquiline nose has an almost photographic accuracy, and very long sideburns and somehow rebellious curls attest the fashion of Julio-Claudian hairstyles.
It is estimated $ 3M, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on December 6. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
The catalog was convincing about the exceptional quality of this marble bust. Its price, $ 8.1 million including premium, far above the higher estimate, is well deserved.
Augustus established a new autocratic regime, thus raising the Emperor's succession as a critical issue. He adopted Tiberius as his successor and then forced Tiberius to adopt Germanicus, in the year 749 of Rome, 2016 years ago.
These two potential successive heirs hated one another. Germanicus was young and beautiful. He was also one of the best generals in the history of Rome, and not interested in politics. When dying at the age of 34, he announced being certain that he had been poisoned.
Some years later, in 790 of Rome, the very unpopular Tiberius also dies, and his successor is the son of Germanicus : Caligula.
The popularity of the father is a good excuse to promote the son, whose criminal fantasies are not yet predictable. Marble portraits of Germanicus are then reissued from a model made at the time of his glory.
One of these marbles, 52 cm high, was purchased in Rome in 1799 of our calendar for the collection of Lord Elgin. This purchase was regular, unlike the removals of the Parthenon marbles made at the same time by the same Lord abusing his position as ambassador to Constantinople.
This portrait is impressive and in very good condition. The aquiline nose has an almost photographic accuracy, and very long sideburns and somehow rebellious curls attest the fashion of Julio-Claudian hairstyles.
It is estimated $ 3M, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on December 6. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
The catalog was convincing about the exceptional quality of this marble bust. Its price, $ 8.1 million including premium, far above the higher estimate, is well deserved.
Reign of Hadrian - Marble Bust of Antinous
2010 SOLD for $ 24M including premium by Sotheby's
Link to catalogue.
A Young Faun with the Mask of an Old Satyr
2013 SOLD 3.5 M$ including premium
In 1620, Cardinal Ludovisi, later Pope Gregory XV, began the preparation of his Roman villa on a ground that was known as Gardens of Sallust in antiquity. A marble statuette unique of its kind surfaced at that time, certainly during this work.
This statuette from the beginning of the Roman Empire, 60 cm high, shows a naked putto wearing an oversized mask of satyr covering his head and shoulders.
The attitude of the putto is threatening, as also his old bearded head with wide open eyes. Indeed this child is not a putto but a faun with a small tail in the middle of the back. This fantastic juxtaposition of the extreme ages of life on a single individual is fascinating.
This masterpiece of antique surrealism made 2000 years ago has two particularly notable features : a hand coming out of the mouth of the mask, and the well chiselled head of child visible through the eyes of the mask. This monster was acting with a frightened child also known in the Ludovisi collection but lost since a long time.
Upon excavation, the statuette was a sensation. It is known from a drawing and an engraving of the period, and was repaired in 1628 by Alessandro Algardi for a payment of 12 scudi. It is estimated $ 3M, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on December 12. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
This fantastic sculpture was sold for $ 3.5M including premium.
This statuette from the beginning of the Roman Empire, 60 cm high, shows a naked putto wearing an oversized mask of satyr covering his head and shoulders.
The attitude of the putto is threatening, as also his old bearded head with wide open eyes. Indeed this child is not a putto but a faun with a small tail in the middle of the back. This fantastic juxtaposition of the extreme ages of life on a single individual is fascinating.
This masterpiece of antique surrealism made 2000 years ago has two particularly notable features : a hand coming out of the mouth of the mask, and the well chiselled head of child visible through the eyes of the mask. This monster was acting with a frightened child also known in the Ludovisi collection but lost since a long time.
Upon excavation, the statuette was a sensation. It is known from a drawing and an engraving of the period, and was repaired in 1628 by Alessandro Algardi for a payment of 12 scudi. It is estimated $ 3M, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on December 12. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
This fantastic sculpture was sold for $ 3.5M including premium.
193 The Auction of the Roman Empire
2019 SOLD for $ 4.8M including premium
On April 29 in New York, Christie's sells a Roman marble bust 71 cm high in superb condition keeping some original surface polish, lot 191 estimated $ 1.2M.
This figure is the oversized portrait of a man in his mature age with an abundant beard and curly hair, in the fashion of the transition period between the Antonines and the Severans. He is a soldier, wearing a cuirass over his tunic.
The comparison with the coins identifies Didius Julianus, recognizable by the bump on the bridge of his nose and his protruding upper lip. This man was emperor for 9 weeks in 946 Ab urbe condita corresponding to 193 CE before being murdered or executed. He was hated during his reign as explained below and this bust cannot be posthumous.
The emperor Pertinax had just been assassinated by the Praetorian guard for attempting to reorganize the finances after the catastrophic reign of Commodus. The guards were awaiting retribution from any new emperor. Pertinax's father-in-law, Sulpicianus, promised to each man a bonus worth eight years of wages. Arriving at that time to try his luck, Didius Julianus gives way to the pressure of the guards and promises even more than his rival.
This way of taking power is considered by the armies as a shameful auction of the Roman Empire. It immediately triggers the civil war that will be won by Septimius Severus.
Raised by the mother of Marcus Aurelius, Julianus had hitherto made a successful career. The story of his short reign was told by Cassius Dio who worked for the Severans. It is certainly not objective.
This figure is the oversized portrait of a man in his mature age with an abundant beard and curly hair, in the fashion of the transition period between the Antonines and the Severans. He is a soldier, wearing a cuirass over his tunic.
The comparison with the coins identifies Didius Julianus, recognizable by the bump on the bridge of his nose and his protruding upper lip. This man was emperor for 9 weeks in 946 Ab urbe condita corresponding to 193 CE before being murdered or executed. He was hated during his reign as explained below and this bust cannot be posthumous.
The emperor Pertinax had just been assassinated by the Praetorian guard for attempting to reorganize the finances after the catastrophic reign of Commodus. The guards were awaiting retribution from any new emperor. Pertinax's father-in-law, Sulpicianus, promised to each man a bonus worth eight years of wages. Arriving at that time to try his luck, Didius Julianus gives way to the pressure of the guards and promises even more than his rival.
This way of taking power is considered by the armies as a shameful auction of the Roman Empire. It immediately triggers the civil war that will be won by Septimius Severus.
Raised by the mother of Marcus Aurelius, Julianus had hitherto made a successful career. The story of his short reign was told by Cassius Dio who worked for the Severans. It is certainly not objective.
#AuctionUpdate 'A Roman Marble Portrait Bust Of Emperor Didius Julianus' achieved $4,815,000 against a high estimate of $1,800,000 today in our Antiquities sale in #NewYork https://t.co/2EbXzYPxRM pic.twitter.com/N3ghOYDLs2
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) April 29, 2019
The God with the Curly Beard
2015 SOLD for $ 3.1M including premium
The sculptor Vincenzo Pacetti was a specialist in the restoration of antique marbles. His skill helped to preserve outstanding items of ancient imagery such as the Barberini Faun on which he worked in 1799.
In the early 1780s Pacetti had in hand a monumental marble head 41 cm high of a bearded god, which he used as a model to complete headless statues of Jupiter and Aesculapius. This head was also copied in marble, plaster and terracotta. Such a prolific use suggests that Pacetti was the sole owner of the antique marble.
The trend is to recognize Zeus in this bust with pure face lines, very long hair and curly beard that will be much later a symbol of antiquity in the surrealist compositions of De Chirico.
The marble recovered by Pacetti is the only known example of this type. A similarity of facial structure with a portrait of Alexander the Great leads to conclude that it is a copy of a Hellenistic statue. Made in Rome around the second century of the empire, the head has been carefully restored, certainly by Pacetti himself. The shoulders and the base are additions, probably by his workshop.
This antique bust on its socle from the late eighteenth century is estimated $ 800K, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on June 3, lot 34.
In the early 1780s Pacetti had in hand a monumental marble head 41 cm high of a bearded god, which he used as a model to complete headless statues of Jupiter and Aesculapius. This head was also copied in marble, plaster and terracotta. Such a prolific use suggests that Pacetti was the sole owner of the antique marble.
The trend is to recognize Zeus in this bust with pure face lines, very long hair and curly beard that will be much later a symbol of antiquity in the surrealist compositions of De Chirico.
The marble recovered by Pacetti is the only known example of this type. A similarity of facial structure with a portrait of Alexander the Great leads to conclude that it is a copy of a Hellenistic statue. Made in Rome around the second century of the empire, the head has been carefully restored, certainly by Pacetti himself. The shoulders and the base are additions, probably by his workshop.
This antique bust on its socle from the late eighteenth century is estimated $ 800K, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on June 3, lot 34.
#AuctionUpdate: This Monumental Roman Bust from the 2nd Century A.D. sold for $3.1 million pic.twitter.com/K1tQnbICLl
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) June 3, 2015Eastern Han - Nephrite Bear
2011 SOLD 8 M$ 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.
Asceticism in Gandhara
2011 SOLD 4.45 M$ including premium
Buddhist iconography offers a full range of symbolic gestures and postures of Buddha. 1600 to 1800 years ago, the artists of the Gandhara, this crossroads of civilizations in the upper basin of the Indus, were particularly interested in his asceticism.
When he discovered the suffering and gave up his social status, Siddhartha tried to reach nirvana by a total asceticism. After six years of this life of renunciation, he realized that this extreme practice did not bring the solution and he achieved the awakening that enabled him to provide his teaching. Buddhism was born.
A schist figure of Gandhara 80 cm high, for sale by Christie's in New York on March 22, shows Siddhartha during this period. The body is skeletal, but the attitude shows that his powers are exacerbated by fasting. He sits cross-legged on the sacred grass. Below him, in a frieze, his followers pray.
Farther than asceticism, this realistic statue has a universal value by its representation of the self-control. It is a masterpiece, estimated $ 4M.
POST SALE COMMENT
I had no doubt about the importance of this work. Sold $ 4.45 million including premium, it has however not exceeded the expected price.
When he discovered the suffering and gave up his social status, Siddhartha tried to reach nirvana by a total asceticism. After six years of this life of renunciation, he realized that this extreme practice did not bring the solution and he achieved the awakening that enabled him to provide his teaching. Buddhism was born.
A schist figure of Gandhara 80 cm high, for sale by Christie's in New York on March 22, shows Siddhartha during this period. The body is skeletal, but the attitude shows that his powers are exacerbated by fasting. He sits cross-legged on the sacred grass. Below him, in a frieze, his followers pray.
Farther than asceticism, this realistic statue has a universal value by its representation of the self-control. It is a masterpiece, estimated $ 4M.
POST SALE COMMENT
I had no doubt about the importance of this work. Sold $ 4.45 million including premium, it has however not exceeded the expected price.
526 Northern Wei marble Buddhist Triad
2017 SOLD for $ 5.8M including premium by Christie's
Link to catalogue.
#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
Qur'an Leaf 2nd half of 1st century AH
2008 SOLD for £ 2.5M including premium by Christie's
Link to catalogue.
723 The Gold of the Commander of the Faithful
2011 SOLD 3.72 M£ including premium
One hundred years after the Hegira, the Muslim world is led by the Caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, whose capital is in Damascus. The sale in London on April 4 of two superb gold dinars from that time is an exceptional event in its category. The auction is organized by Morton and Eden in the premises of Sotheby's.
These coins are illustrated on both sides by an Arabic text, indicating in particular that they come from the mine of the Commander of the Faithful. They are dated 92 and 105 AH (711 and 723 of our calendar).
The latest coin certifies that it was made from a mine in Hejaz. Such a mine had been purchased a few years previously by one of the first Caliphs. The absence of coins of this origin between 92 and 105 could correlate such issues with pilgrimages to Mecca led by the Caliph himself.
Both are in very fine condition. They are estimated respectively at £ 250K and 300K.
POST SALE COMMENT
I had announced an event exceptional in its category. It was true.
The most prestigious of the two coins, dated 105AH (723AD), was sold £ 3.1 million before fees, 3.72 million including premium.
The photo of this exceptional dinar is shared by CoinWeek.
The other coin (92AH, 711AD) also far exceeded its estimate. It was sold £ 540K before fees, 648K including premium.
These coins are illustrated on both sides by an Arabic text, indicating in particular that they come from the mine of the Commander of the Faithful. They are dated 92 and 105 AH (711 and 723 of our calendar).
The latest coin certifies that it was made from a mine in Hejaz. Such a mine had been purchased a few years previously by one of the first Caliphs. The absence of coins of this origin between 92 and 105 could correlate such issues with pilgrimages to Mecca led by the Caliph himself.
Both are in very fine condition. They are estimated respectively at £ 250K and 300K.
POST SALE COMMENT
I had announced an event exceptional in its category. It was true.
The most prestigious of the two coins, dated 105AH (723AD), was sold £ 3.1 million before fees, 3.72 million including premium.
The photo of this exceptional dinar is shared by CoinWeek.
The other coin (92AH, 711AD) also far exceeded its estimate. It was sold £ 540K before fees, 648K including premium.
756 - Gods, Sages and Emperors
2011 SOLD 115 M RMB yuan by China Guardian
PRE 2013 SALE DISCUSSION
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.
Da Sheng Yi Yin is again announced by China Guardian in the autumn sales held in Beijing from 16 to 20 November. (see comment below)
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.
PRE 2013 SALE COMMENT
This lot is not confirmed in the catalogue. My announcement was probably a misinterpretation of an early press release.
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.
Da Sheng Yi Yin is again announced by China Guardian in the autumn sales held in Beijing from 16 to 20 November. (see comment below)
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.
PRE 2013 SALE COMMENT
This lot is not confirmed in the catalogue. My announcement was probably a misinterpretation of an early press release.
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.
Tang - Black and Roan
2013 SOLD 4.2 M$ including premium
The powerful Tang emperors admired their horses, used for both war and parade. During this dynasty lasting from 1400 to 1100 years ago, the art of representing the horse reached an unparalleled realism.
During the same dynasty, the technique of ceramic ornament lives a breakthrough with the development of sancai. After the first firing, colors are added to the pottery which is annealed again, forming a glaze.
The usual number of colors in the sancai is three, but some masterpieces are much more varied. This easy technique can be applied to large ceramic sculptures.
On September 17 in New York, Sotheby's sells a wonderful pair of sancai horses. The two pieces are made from the same model. Here is the link to the catalog.
Nearly 70 cm high, they are standing in an attitude of waiting, the head slightly turned. The proportions are of perfect realism, with extreme attention to detail such as the teeth inside the mouth and the pupil and iris of the eye. They are harnessed but withnot excessive luxury, suggesting that they are used for battle.
The color is different, being varied and nuanced for each coat, hooves, mane and accessories. Each one in its own way is a technical feat.
One of them is black, one of the most difficult shades to achieve, providing a dignified and magnificent appearance.
The other one is between red and beige with inclusions of creamy patches. The roan is a genetic singularity affecting some horses by dotting them with white hair. This very rare representation of a roan "strawberry" horse attests to an intention to record the actual look of a real animal, no doubt highlighted by the emperor himself.
POST SALE COMMENT
This magnificent example of realism in ancient Chinese art was expected beyond $ 2.5 million. The lot was sold for $ 4.2 million including premium.
During the same dynasty, the technique of ceramic ornament lives a breakthrough with the development of sancai. After the first firing, colors are added to the pottery which is annealed again, forming a glaze.
The usual number of colors in the sancai is three, but some masterpieces are much more varied. This easy technique can be applied to large ceramic sculptures.
On September 17 in New York, Sotheby's sells a wonderful pair of sancai horses. The two pieces are made from the same model. Here is the link to the catalog.
Nearly 70 cm high, they are standing in an attitude of waiting, the head slightly turned. The proportions are of perfect realism, with extreme attention to detail such as the teeth inside the mouth and the pupil and iris of the eye. They are harnessed but withnot excessive luxury, suggesting that they are used for battle.
The color is different, being varied and nuanced for each coat, hooves, mane and accessories. Each one in its own way is a technical feat.
One of them is black, one of the most difficult shades to achieve, providing a dignified and magnificent appearance.
The other one is between red and beige with inclusions of creamy patches. The roan is a genetic singularity affecting some horses by dotting them with white hair. This very rare representation of a roan "strawberry" horse attests to an intention to record the actual look of a real animal, no doubt highlighted by the emperor himself.
POST SALE COMMENT
This magnificent example of realism in ancient Chinese art was expected beyond $ 2.5 million. The lot was sold for $ 4.2 million including premium.
Art Deco with the Tang
2019 SOLD for $ 3.5M including premium
At the very beginning of the Tang dynasty, the Silk Road brings to the Chinese through the Sogdian merchants the dishes and jewels in precious metals. Persia thus exports its techniques for the processing of hammered, parceled, mercury gilded and incised silver. Silver could become a substitute with an acceptable healthiness facing bronze, jade and ceramics.
A Tang bowl 24.5 cm in diameter and weighing 1.05 Kg was sold by Sotheby's on May 14, 2008 for £ 1.14M worth at that time $ 2.2M, these figures including the premium. It is estimated $ 2M for sale by Christie's in New York on September 12, lot 551.
The technique is foreign but the refinement is Chinese. The bowl has the shape of an opened lotus flower, decorated on its outer wall with three overlapping rows of lotus petals. Each frieze is composed of eight elements. A narrow garland separates the upper frieze from the rim of the bowl. The interior is centered with a gilt medallion showing a round dance of eight birds in blooming branches.
Each petal is a cartouche that was made in repoussé before being gilded and very finely chiseled with motifs of peonies and pairs of birds. This illustration is perhaps more decorative than symbolic although the repetition of the eight is certainly not a coincidence. The shape of the petals takes into account the curvature of the wall, more flared at the bottom.
This piece was made with a thick silver sheet rounded on a mould. It is a feat with regard to the regularity of its repoussé. The experts observed two tiny reworks made by the artist to correct the hammering.
In the same 2008 sale and coming from the same collection, a lobed bowl of similar diameter and technology was sold for £ 1.6M including premium. This piece has retained its original cover. Its foliated iconography is less dense.
These extremely rare bowls are also known in pure gold and pure silver. This type did not survive the Tang, probably because of the development of the porcelain.
A Tang bowl 24.5 cm in diameter and weighing 1.05 Kg was sold by Sotheby's on May 14, 2008 for £ 1.14M worth at that time $ 2.2M, these figures including the premium. It is estimated $ 2M for sale by Christie's in New York on September 12, lot 551.
The technique is foreign but the refinement is Chinese. The bowl has the shape of an opened lotus flower, decorated on its outer wall with three overlapping rows of lotus petals. Each frieze is composed of eight elements. A narrow garland separates the upper frieze from the rim of the bowl. The interior is centered with a gilt medallion showing a round dance of eight birds in blooming branches.
Each petal is a cartouche that was made in repoussé before being gilded and very finely chiseled with motifs of peonies and pairs of birds. This illustration is perhaps more decorative than symbolic although the repetition of the eight is certainly not a coincidence. The shape of the petals takes into account the curvature of the wall, more flared at the bottom.
This piece was made with a thick silver sheet rounded on a mould. It is a feat with regard to the regularity of its repoussé. The experts observed two tiny reworks made by the artist to correct the hammering.
In the same 2008 sale and coming from the same collection, a lobed bowl of similar diameter and technology was sold for £ 1.6M including premium. This piece has retained its original cover. Its foliated iconography is less dense.
These extremely rare bowls are also known in pure gold and pure silver. This type did not survive the Tang, probably because of the development of the porcelain.
On September 12 in #NewYork our Masterpieces of Early Chinese Gold and Silver sale will take place. Comprised of over 100 exquisite objects the collection, formed by Dr. Johan Carl Kempe, includes gold and silver works from the Tang period #AsianArtWeek https://t.co/Qt2FX4BOnJ pic.twitter.com/oZwbgmOVLB
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) September 5, 2019
early Song - The Partners of Amitabha
2019 SOLD for HK$ 45M including premium
Amitabha is the Buddha of supreme bliss, the guarantor of a perfect world. He is unattainable by humans. Intercession is performed by bodhisattvas. Antique Buddhist sculptures often show a triad centered by Amitabha with Avalokiteshvara on his left side and Mahasthamaprapta on his right side. They are sometimes surrounded by celestial angels.
The two bodhisattvas appear as identically dressed twins. They nevertheless have separate roles. Avalokiteshvara brings the infinite compassion and Mahasthamaprapta the power of wisdom. The main difference is the ornamentation of the frontal crown, a figure of Amitabha for Avalokiteshvara and the urn of wisdom for Mahasthamaprapta. In China they are respectively named Guanyin and Dashizhi.
Carved in the early Tang dynasty, a pair of limestone bodhisattvas 67 cm high was separated by Christie's on September 13, 2018, fetching $ 3.25M and $ 2M including premium.
Buddhism is persecuted in China from the reign of the Wuzong emperor of the Tang dynasty. The period of the five short-lived dynasties that follow each other from 907 to 960 CE after the fall of the Tang remains for Buddhism a period of weakness before its renewal under the Song. The altar figures are now made of wood, cheaper than bronze or stone. Polychromy is still applied.
On May 29 in Hong Kong, Christie's sells a pair of wooden bodhisattvas, lot 2713 estimated HK $ 40M. They are standing in an identical attitude in mirror inversion, for flanking an Amitabha that has disappeared. They are 145 cm high without including their modern stands. Traces of pigments have been preserved. Please watch the video where the sequences alternate with a monumental Qing Buddha.
Some details including the fishnet pattern of the necklace are typical of the early Song. A departure from the Buddhist canon during the dark period has lengthened the legs and slightly reduced heads and necks.
The two bodhisattvas appear as identically dressed twins. They nevertheless have separate roles. Avalokiteshvara brings the infinite compassion and Mahasthamaprapta the power of wisdom. The main difference is the ornamentation of the frontal crown, a figure of Amitabha for Avalokiteshvara and the urn of wisdom for Mahasthamaprapta. In China they are respectively named Guanyin and Dashizhi.
Carved in the early Tang dynasty, a pair of limestone bodhisattvas 67 cm high was separated by Christie's on September 13, 2018, fetching $ 3.25M and $ 2M including premium.
Buddhism is persecuted in China from the reign of the Wuzong emperor of the Tang dynasty. The period of the five short-lived dynasties that follow each other from 907 to 960 CE after the fall of the Tang remains for Buddhism a period of weakness before its renewal under the Song. The altar figures are now made of wood, cheaper than bronze or stone. Polychromy is still applied.
On May 29 in Hong Kong, Christie's sells a pair of wooden bodhisattvas, lot 2713 estimated HK $ 40M. They are standing in an identical attitude in mirror inversion, for flanking an Amitabha that has disappeared. They are 145 cm high without including their modern stands. Traces of pigments have been preserved. Please watch the video where the sequences alternate with a monumental Qing Buddha.
Some details including the fishnet pattern of the necklace are typical of the early Song. A departure from the Buddhist canon during the dark period has lengthened the legs and slightly reduced heads and necks.
