Cinq fixés sous verre @ Maître Olivier LASSERON et LASSERON et As

Chine. Fixé sous verre représentant l'empereur Daoguang (1782-1850) de face. Photo Lasseron & Interenchères

Haut : 58 cm - Larg 40.5 cm - Estimation : 80/100€

Chine. Fixé sous verre représentant un dignitaire à cheval venant à la rencontre d'un autre. Photo Lasseron & Interenchères

Haut : 50 cm - Larg : 60 cm - Estimation : 100/150€

Chine. Fixé sous verre représentant des dignitaires dans un paysage architecturé et animé. Photo Lasseron & Interenchères

Haut : 56 cm - Larg : 77 cm - Estimation : 100/150€

Chine. Fixé sous verre représentant une femme apportant le thé dans un paysage animé. Photo Lasseron & Interenchères

Haut : 50 cm - Larg : 69.5 cm - Estimation : 100/150€

Maître Olivier LASSERON et LASSERON et Associés.  LUNDI 20 JUIN à 13H30. DROUOT RICHELIEU SALLE 10  75009 PARIS. CONTACT: Julien  Duché. Tél. : 01.49.95.06.84 - Fax : 01.49.95.06.77 - Email :  contact@lasseron-associes.com

Rare vase en porcelaine bleu blanc, gu. Chine, dynastie Ming, marque à six caractères et époque Wanli (1573-1619)

Rare vase en porcelaine bleu blanc, gu. Chine, dynastie Ming, marque à six caractères et époque Wanli (1573-1619). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2011

Le col et le pied évasés à décor de dragons, la panse globulaire ornée de faisans parmi des fleurs, marque à six caractères de l'Empereur Wanli en bleu sous couverte à la base ; fêles, col réduit. Hauteur: 32 cm. (12 5/8 in.). Estimate €20,000 - €30,000 ($29,295 - $43,943)

Provenance: From a French private collection

Notes: For another Wanli gu vase decorated in wucai palette, see lot 240 of the present sale belonging to the same collector.
Compare also with a blue and white vase offered in our Hong Kong Rooms, 27 May 2008, lot 1862.

Christie's. Art d'Asie, 7 June 2011, Paris www.christies.com

Rare vase double-gourde en porcelaine bleu blanc. Chine, dynastie Ming, marque à six caractères et époque Wanli (1573-1619)

Rare vase double-gourde en porcelaine bleu blanc. Chine, dynastie Ming, marque à six caractères et époque Wanli (1573-1619). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2011

Entièrement décoré de rinceaux feuillagés et lotus épanouis, marque à six caractères de l'Empereur Wanli en bleu sous couverte à la base. Hauteur: 23,2 cm. (9 1/8 in.). Estimate €50,000 - €70,000 ($73,238 - $102,533)

Notes: Double gourds are symbols of longevity and immortality, and are believed by some to have the power to absorb evil vapors, safe-guarding those who carry them. They are often seen in the possession of Daoist immortals, and can represent the juxtaposition of heaven and earth, represented respectively by their upper and lower bulbs.

See another very similar Wanli blue and white double gourd-form vase sold in our Hong Kong Rooms, 27 May 2008, lot 1852.

Christie's. Art d'Asie, 7 June 2011, Paris www.christies.com

The Yongzheng Emperor (1678-1735), Calligraphy in Running Script

The Yongzheng Emperor (1678-1735),  Calligraphy in Running Script. Photo Bonhams

Ink on paper, hanging scroll . Inscribed and signed Yubi, with two seals of the Yongzheng Emperor .Dated fourth month of the second year of the Yongzheng reign (1724), 106.7cm x 48.5cm (42in x 19in). Sold for HK$660,000

Provenance:: Butterfields, San Francisco, 4 November 1993, lot 930
An American private collection

With the original letter of Professor Feng Erkang in 1994
With the original letter of Professor Chen Jiexian in 2003

This calligraphy was written by the Yongzheng Emperor to award General Yue Zhongqi for suppressing the Rebellion of Qinghai in the second year of Yongzheng period (1724). Both Professor Feng Erkang from China and Professor Chen Jiexian from Taiwan confirm and share the same view after further research. The Yongzheng period only lasted for 13 years and only very few of his calligraphy works have been found. This current lot in our auction is large in size and with good provenance; truly rare in the current market.

雍正皇帝 御筆行書五言詩 水墨紙本 立軸 一七二四年作

款識：一掃欃槍淨，師旋蜀道中。錦城休戰馬，玉塞集飛鴻。
智勇原無敵，忠誠實可風。丹書褒偉績，還與錫彤弓。
雍正二年（1724）四月，御筆。
鈐印：雍正宸翰、朝乾夕惕

來源：
購自美國舊金山伯得富公司1993年11月4日拍賣，拍品930號
現為美國私人收藏

附1994年馮爾康教授對此作品看法的來信原文
附2003年陳捷先教授對此作品看法的來信原文

這幅雍正皇帝的御筆行書五言詩，寫於雍正二年（1724年），為嘉獎四川提督岳鍾琪平定青海之亂有功，由雍正皇帝特別御筆親賜。國內史學家馮爾康教授和台灣清史專家陳捷先教授研究之後，均肯定這一說法的正確性。馮爾康為1985年北京人民出版社發行《雍正傳》一書作者，陳捷先則是2001年台北遠流出版公司發行《雍正寫真》一書作者。雍正在位時間僅十三年，所留親筆墨跡不多，像這樣大型完整又來源有序的書法作品，更屬難得。

雍正元年（1723年），青海蒙古族羅卜藏丹津舉兵叛清，岳鍾琪等部在年羹堯調度下分路征討。雍正二年二月，岳鍾琪受封為奮威將軍，率精兵五千，一晝夜行馳三百里，直搗賊巢；出師十五天，大敗叛軍，收復失地，青海事態因此快速得以平息。雍正剛登基即打一勝仗，他欣喜地認為，這是十年以來未曾建立的奇功。同年四月，雍正晉封岳鍾琪為三等公，賜黃帶及御筆五言律詩二首（參見馮元魁新撰《二十五史新編﹕清史》，中華書局，香港，1998年）。其中一首詩有句云﹕「智勇原無敵，忠誠實可風。」正與此作雍正五言詩內文相合無誤（參見安致遠和張弘合著《康熙雍正乾隆全傳﹕雍正皇帝》，中國畫報出版社，北京，2002年，頁352）。

如將此作御筆五言詩和另一雍正手稿〈御錄經海一滴序〉（載自黃全信主編《歷代帝王墨寶：清朝皇帝墨寶》，中央民族大學出版社，北京，1998年，頁123-124，見附圖）相加比較，發現兩件作品筆跡吻合。無論字形結構或是筆鋒轉折，兩者風格統一。若逐字對照，「無」、「一」、「城」、「雍」、「御」和「筆」等字體寫法，兩者也如出一轍。

「康熙的字逸美，雍正的字放達，乾隆的字甜麗。」一般學者咸認為，雍正的書法造詣，實在康熙和乾隆之上。《世宗本紀》記載雍正「書法遒雄，妙兼眾體」。雍正早年受其父康熙影響，推崇董其昌，後期取法趙孟頫，書法流美秀麗之外，兼又豐腴飽滿。其用筆爽快，點面厚重，結體自然，柔媚之中含有剛強之氣，這也正體現出了他的自身個性。康熙書法，平整溫和，順暢有餘而起伏不足。乾隆書法，圓潤婉轉，但稍過妍媚，沒有雍正書法中的雄強骨力。雍正書法，結體上有收有放，用筆中有緩有急，個性和意趣的表達更為舒展自然，為清代帝皇書法成就上最高者。

"L'heure du bain" Fixé sous-verre. Chine, vers 1850.

"L'heure du bain" Fixé sous-verre. Chine, vers 1850. Photo MAY et ASSOCIES

64 x 42,5 cm. Estimation : 300/400€

Sarl MAY et ASSOCIES. Vente du lundi 6 juin à 10h. 59100 ROUBAIX. Tél. : 03.28.33.70.33 - Fax : 03.28.33.70.39 - Email :  contact@mayduhamel.com

Deux gravures sur papier de Chine représentant deux vues de bâtiments dans le style européen du Palais d'Eté (Yuanmingyuan)

Deux gravures sur papier de Chine représentant deux vues de bâtiments dans le style européen du Palais d'Eté (Yuanmingyuan)

construits sur demande de Qianlong auprès des jésuites. 86 x 50 cm. Estimation : 6 000/8 000€

Ces gravures furent commandées par l'empereur Qianlong en 1783 aux disciples chinois de Giuseppe Castiglione (chin. Lang Shining), elles font partie d un recueil de 20, appelé originairement Changchun Yuan shuifa tu et furent tirées à un très petit nombre d'exemplaires. 

Deux exemplaires de ce recueil ont été envoyés par le père Bourgeois en France.

Provenance: proviendrait de la Vente Etienne Ader et Maurice Reims, le 7 mai 1952, n°106

Osenat Fontainebleau. Dimanche 29 mai 2011 à 14h.  rue Royale 77300 Fontainebleau. Tél. : 01.64.22.27.62. Fax : 01.64.22.38.94. Email :  contact@osenat.com

The Q Collection - Exquisite Soapstones on sale @ Bonhams Hong Kong

A large carved 'huang furong' figure of a luohan.  Early Qing dynasty. Photo: Bonhams

HONG KONG.- The Q Collection is arguably the greatest collection of soapstone figures ever to be offered at auction. The 78 figures represent the personal journey of the collector, who showed remarkable vision in collecting these figures, starting in the late 1970s. They were purchased from top art dealers in USA, Europe and Japan, and also from street markets. One of the rarest examples was purchased for a token sum in Cat Street in the late 1970s.

Soapstone, or shoushan stone, is produced in South East China near to Fuzhou city. Prized throughout Chinese history, attractive to the eye and highly tangible, it was somewhat overlooked by collectors of Chinese art in the 20th century, who focused on porcelain and jade. Now however, there will be great interest from new Chinese collectors looking for pieces of quality and provenance.

Julian King, Head of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, comments:“This is an unparalleled opportunity for collectors to acquire soapstone figures of the highest quality with impeccable provenance”.

Highlights include:

A large carved 'huang furong' figure of a luohan.  Early Qing dynasty. Photo: Bonhams

The exquisite stone of a rich orange-beige colour, sumptuously carved in the form of a luohan depicted seated with a ruyi sceptre in his right hand, his face sensuously rendered with full naturalistic attention, depicted in a serene, slightly humorous expression, with long pendulous ears, gently incised shaven hair, elaborate moustache and prominent brow, adorned in sumptuous robes tied with a long cord at the front, slightly open at the neck, intricately etched at the collar and hems with a broad frieze of meandering floral scroll against a wave ground, the sides and reverse with additional circular florettes enclosing additional floral scroll, interspersed by stylised cloud scroll, the head of the ruyi sceptre carved with a stylised taotie mask, the handle carved with gently incised scroll lines and inlaid with semi-precious stones, all resting on an elaborate russet and ochre dais simulating rockwork. 20.2cm high. Estimate: HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000, US$ 260,000 - 390,000

清初 壽山黃芙蓉石雕執如意羅漢坐像

Provenance來源: Douglas J.K. Wright, London, 23 July 1980

The extraordinary size and quality of the carving on this luohan marks it out as among the most outstanding figural carvings of the early Qing dynasty. To find a boulder of such magnitude and such fine colour would have been difficult, making the figure an expensive commission. The skill of the artisan is apparent in the exquisite naturalistic attention on the luohan's face, and in the high quality foliate decoration on the robes.

The image of a luohan with a ruyi appears in literati and court paintings of the early to mid Qing dynasty, including the famous court painting by Jin Tingbiao (active in the Qianlong period), preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing (fig.1), where as with the current lot, the name of the luohan is unidentified.

此拍品為本專拍中最大的一件，石質滋潤，石中黃色自羅漢頭漸淡至其身，其面相和藹，身穿雲紋地蓮花團紋服，周邊帶錦地蓮花紋花邊，手執獅首如意，嵌以寶石三棵。

A carved 'bai furong' recumbent figure of Maitreya, by Zhou Bin. Early Qing dynasty, signed Shangjun. Photo: Bonhams

The 'furong' stone of an attractive translucent beige colour, exquisitely carved in the form of Budai depicted in a reclining position, his features naturalistically rendered with extraordinary detail, his close-cropped, stubbly hair delicately stippled, his broad smiling face finely cut and incised, his chin resting on his bare right forearm which is folded over his left arm, the hems on his plain, loose coat incised and gilded, his left, rope-sandalled foot protruding from the hem of his robe, the bundle on which he is leaning tied in a loose knot, the brocade cloth carved with a diaper and chi dragons in shaped reserves, and gilded, incised between the shoulders on the reverse in 'bafenshu' with the two- character signature 'shangjun, all supported on a thin cushion of deep maroon-purple Shoushan stone, minutely engraved with lotus scrolls on a wave diaper ground, the edge with a formal gilded lotus scroll and gilded, the underside decorated with a phoenix amidst cloud scrolls and a border of chi dragons. 9.8cm long.. Estimate: HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000, US$ 260,000 - 390,000 .

清初 壽山白芙蓉石雕彌勒佛臥像 陰刻「尚均」八分書款

Provenance來源:
The Oriental Art Gallery Ltd., London, 1993

Illustrated出版:
The Oriental Art Gallery Ltd., Oriental Works of Art, London, 1993, no. 138

As discussed by Gerald Tsang and Hugh Moss, ibid, pg. 84-86, Shangjun is the 'zi' name for Zhou Bin, a native of Zhangzhou in Fujian, historically renowned as the most accomplished of all the known soapstone carvers. Little is known of his exact dates, but it is clear that his craftsmanship was appreciated by the scholar class, and that he expressed himself within their aesthetic. Throughout the Qing period, he was admired, as can be seen from an inscription on a Zhou Bin seal by the late Qing painter Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), 'This stone was carved by Zhou Shangjun, we should especially treasure it'.

In his definitive work on soapstone, Shoushanshi zhi (Records of Shoushan Stone), Fujian, 1982, Fang Zonggui expounds that Zhou Bin's work encapsulated the technique of 'xieyi', the thin, low-relief, painterly style of carving. 'Xieyi' literally translates as 'idea painting', but in literati eyes, through its association with a free, expressionist style, it transcended the medium of sculpture and became associated with the higher art of painting, thereby assuming the potential for profundity. Rather than focusing on the sheer technical skill that is evident in the current sculpture, Fang refers to Zhou Bin's work as being in a simple and rustic style, a compliment reserved for the highest levels of literati painting and calligraphy. Fundamentally, in the eyes of the literati class, the important impression from a masterpiece of Zhou Bin, such as the current sculpture, is not the quality of the carving, but of the meaning conveyed through the profundity of his expression.

Only a small number of figural sculptures by Zhou Bin are recorded in museum and private collections, of which the current lot is arguably one of the finest. The furong stone is an exquisite colour; the carving is strong and supple, with extraordinary sensitive and naturalistic details; the incised designs on the textiles are superb in their execution.


卧佛石質純粹細嫩，豐光澤，彌勒佛面相圓潤，雙目微合帶笑，和藹可親。雙手交疊壓在布包上，布包刻金線錦地夔龍團圈紋，側臥曲膝，足穿草鞋，悠然自得。身穿袈裟刻有纏枝蓮花紋花邊，背刻「尚均」八分書款，以簡單幾刀交代出袈裟紋理，也交代出人物結構，自然流暢。蒲團正面刻金線纏枝卷草紋，背面則刻有丹鳳並輔以夔龍紋邊。與北京故宮博物院藏品相比(fig.1)，兩者在衣褶刻劃，以及人物神態上，皆渾厚古樸，如出一轍。

在壽山石藝術中，能與楊玉璇齊名的，可說是周尚均。周彬，字尚均，清康熙人，籍貫福建省漳州，擅長印鈕雕刻，有「尚均鈕」之稱。其作品常得文人歡喜，清徐子晉《前塵夢影錄》便有云：「印製鈕以尚均製作為第一。」，晚清海上派畫家吳昌碩(1844-1927)曾有周彬刻印一方，並刻上邊款，珍而重之。

All the known figural carvings by Zhou Bin are clearly individual works of art, sharing certain qualities of expression, incised designs on the robe and style of carving, but fundamentally different from each other. These include:

其他刻有「尚均」或「周彬」款的壽山石雕例子如下:

- a tianhuang figure of Maitreya in the Palace Museum, Beijing (13.5cm long), inscribed 'shangjun', illustrated by Yang Boda, Zhongguo Meishu Quanji. Diaosu Bian 6 Yuan Ming Qing Diaosu, 1988, pg. 145, pl. 158 (fig.1);

- a luohan (10.1cm high.), carved from creamy-beige stone, in the National Museum of History, Beijing, signed Zhou Bin, illustrated in Zhongguo wenwu jinghua daquan: Jin yin yu shi juan, Hong Kong, 1994, pg. 83, pl.242 (fig.2);

- a luohan (11.1cm) carved from mottled grey stone, depicted seated gazing at his open hand, illustrated by Tsang and Moss, ibid, pg. 86, pl. 44, inscribed 'Gumin Zhoubin Shangjun shi zhi' ('Made by Zhou Bin, Shangjun of Gumin' (fig.3);

- the lion-subduing luohan, carved from tianhuang, illustrated in Exquisite Chinese Artifacts, Collection of Ching Wan Society, National Museum of History, Taipei, 1995, pl.191 (fig. 4);

- Avalokitesvara and acolyte (10.5cm), illustrated by Sydney Moss Ltd., The Literati Mode. Chinese Scholar Paintings, Calligraphy and Desk Objects, London, 1986, pl. 84 (fig.5);

-a luohan (9cm high), sold at Sotheby's New York, The Arts of Buddha, 22 September 2004, lot 50, inscribed 'shangjun', illustrated on www.e-yaji.com, pl. 1.4.13;

-a meditating monk, inscribed 'shangjun', illustrated on www.e-yaji.com, pl. 1.4.14.;

- a luohan (10.4cm high) with miniature lion, formerly in the collection of R. Foster Reynolds, Providence, R.I., sold at Sotheby's New York, 25 February 1983, lot 194, inscribed Zhou Bin;

- other figures by Zhou Bin, sold at Sotheby's London, 12 November 1974, lot 89; Sotheby's New York, 31 March 2005, lot 202, and 22 September 2005, lot 60.

A carved 'gaoshan' figure of Kanakabharadvāja, by Wei Rufen.  Early Qing dynasty. Photo: Bonhams

The exquisitely carved luohan depicted seated on a simulated rockwork cushion, the figure carved from 'gaoshan' stone of a mottled caramel and beige colour, highlighted with attractive russet blushes, his facial features sensitively rendered in a noble, relaxed poise, with long pendulous ears and bushy beard, adorned in a loose monastic robe truseed and tied around his shoulder, intricately incised at the hem with a minute floral scroll against a wave ground, the robe further incised around the back with a writhing dragon amidst cloud scroll, and gilded, the simulated rockwork cushion carved from 'yuewei' stone of a rich brown colour, intricately carved of quatrefoil form with eight circular medallions enclosing incised and gilded dragons, the cushion enclosed in pierced and carved simulated branches, the underside inscribed 'weiru fenjuan' in bold lishu script. 10.5cm (including cushion) high. Estimate: HK$1,500,000 - 2,500,000, US$ 190,000 - 320,000

清初 壽山高山石雕迦諾迦跋黎墮闍尊者坐像 陰刻填金彩「魏汝奮鐫」隸書款

Provenance來源:
Christie's Hong Kong, 30 October 1994, lot 338
Mary and George Bloch Collection, Hong Kong

Wei Rufen does not appear to be recorded in literature, which may be because his work was confined to figural carvings rather than seal carvings. However, the small number of known figures pay testament to a carver of outstanding skill, equal if not better than the renowned carvers Zhou Bin and Yang Yuxuan, with the ability to render naturalistic detail with exquisite detail creating what are arguably among the greatest examples of figural sculpture in Chinese art.

A figure of Bodhidharma of comparable quality is preserved in the Shanghai Museum, a gift of Hu Ruizhi, carved in brownish-green stone, marginally larger than the current figure at 10.7cm. It is illustrated by Shen Zhiyu, ed., The Shanghai Museum of Art, New York, 1983, no.208; and also by Robert D. Mowry, Objects from the Chinese Scholar's Studio. Examples from the Shanghai Museum, Orientations, August 1987, p.24, fig. 14 (fig.1).

See also figures of Nagasena and Rahula, illustrated on www.e-yaji.com, pl. 1.21.4 and 1.21.5 (fig.2 and 3); and a figure of a luohan holding a peach, carved in creamy yellow stone, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 31 October 2004, lot 125.

此石質瑩晶透澈，肌裡隱見蘿蔔紋，交集秋葵黃、桃花紅及潔白等色，變化多姿。羅漢高額長耳，面帶微笑，安詳悠然。其肩披袈裟，廣袖長袍，右手按地，右手握掃拂；左腿彎曲，右腿盤臥於股下作坐姿。其帔肩線刻雲龍紋，並帶有纏枝蓮花卉紋花邊。薄衣貼軀，衣履交代清楚，用刀流暢，整體雕刻細緻。雕像底座主體成雲形，外帶樹枝形肌理。正面十方刻有夔龍團圈，補以纏枝卷草紋；背面刻有「魏汝奮鐫」隸書款。魏汝奮，生平不詳，但其作品收藏於重要博物館如上海博物館，此拍品與上海博物館藏品有不無相似之處，刻工皆是極其精細，見期刊Orientations, 1987年8月，頁24，圖14 (fig.1)。

Auction: 25 May at 11:30am

Public Viewing : 23 May from 1pm to 9pm - 24 May from 10am to 9pm - 25 May from 10am to 11:30am

Venue: Island Ballroom, Island Shangri-La Hotel, Admiralty; Hong Kong

Rare, Important and Exceptional Works of Art Lead Christie's Hong Kong Spring 2011 Sale

Zhang Ruitu, Sutra in Cursive Script Calligraphy. Handscroll, ink on silk, 31 x 541 cm. Dated 1622. Estimate: HK$6,000,000 – 8,000,000, US$774,200 – 1,032,300.

HONG KONG.- Christie’s Hong Kong will hold its Spring sales of Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy and Fine Chinese Modern Paintings on 31 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. These sales will showcase over 400 rare and exceptional works from the Chinese masters throughout history, valued in excess of HK$330 million (US$42 million). The forthcoming sales will comprise a number of important private collections from all over the world. Coming from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil, USA, and other countries, these collections testify the widely travelled lives of the modern Chinese artists. The collectors were friends, students, or families and descendants of the artists, hence directly acquired or inherited the paintings from them. Many of these works have not been exhibited in public and are being brought to auction for the first time. The Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy sale will feature important works by artists including Ming Dynasty calligraphers and painters such as Wang Duo, Zhang Ruitu, Ni Yuanlu, Xiao Yuncong and Liu Jue; the Fine Chinese Modern Paintings sale will present a body of magnificent works by renowned 19th and 20th Century masters such as Wu Guanzhong, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Fu Baoshi, Zhang Daqian and Li Keran. Showcasing a wide range of works by artists of different styles and schools, these sales cater to a variety of diverse palettes of today’s discerning collectors.

Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy
Tuesday, 31 May 2011, 10am
Chinese calligraphy is a unique and abstract symbol art form that reflects the moral character, knowledge, self-cultivation, discipline and spirits of the calligraphers. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) during its last 30 years was soon to undergo a new political regime that brought with it new ideas and ideologies which would eventually leave a legacy in the development of fine art. Christie’s Hong Kong 2011 Spring Sale of Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy presents a wide range of works from the most important calligraphers from this tumultuous period. Through their magnificent calligraphic works, we get a glimpse of the artists’ characters and the society they lived in.

Notable highlights include exceptional cursive script, running script, and running cursive script calligraphy pieces by renowned calligraphers of the Ming dynasty, such as Wang Duo (1592-1652), Zhang Ruitu (1570-1641) and Ni Yuanlu (1593-1644).

WANG DUO (1592-1652)
Wang Duo, born in Mengjin, Henan Province, was a late-Ming government official and a renowned painter and calligrapher. He was skilled at various calligraphy scripts, with strong, vigorous strokes radiating the essence of the “old school” style, while also reflecting his individual characteristics. He is best known for his rendition of the cursive script, the form considered most expressive in Chinese calligraphy. This season the Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy sale is offering Wang Duo’s Poems in Cursive Script Calligraphy (Estimate: HK$15,000,000-20,000,000/US$1,935,500-2,581,000), an exquisite satin handscroll. Over three metres in length, the scroll is a piece of performance, where Wang’s powerful and carefree brushstrokes express themselves fearlessly and effectively to its viewers. This handscroll will be among the most sought-after pieces in this season.

In another hanging scroll, Calligraphy in Running Script (Estimate: HK$2,000,000-3,000,000/US$258,100-387,100), Wang’s traditional but uniquely personal strokes, composition and use of ink present the calligrapher’s success in his passionate journey of exploration in the art of calligraphy.

ZHANG RUITU (1570-1641)
Zhang Ruitu was a famous calligrapher, painter and poet of the Ming Dynasty. He received his jinshi (advanced scholar) qualification in 1607, eventually becoming Grand Secretary in 1626. Zhang’s calligraphy greatly influenced the development of calligraphic art in China as well as in Japan. In his handscroll Sutra in Cursive Script Calligraphy (Estimate: HK$6,000,000-8,000,000/US$774,200- 1,032,300), he vented his ambition and frustration through the art of calligraphy and his script exuded the grandeur typically seen during the height of calligraphic art development.

His hanging scroll Five-character Poem in Cursive Script Calligraphy (Estimate: HK$600,000- 800,000/US$77,500-103,300), reflects the distinct personality of this renowned calligrapher through his free and extraordinary style with a remarkably strong rhythm.

Ni Yuanlu (1593-1644)
Ni Yuanlu was an important calligrapher who witnessed the last days of the Ming rule. Born in Shangyu, Zhejiang, Ni was a diligent student and had aspired to serve in politics. After three failed attempts at the imperial examinations, Ni was finally admitted to the Hanlin Academy in 1622, where elite scholars performed secretarial and literary tasks for the imperial court. Fiercely loyal, Ni felt responsible for his inability to salvage his nation in the wake of the Manchu invasion. He was among the group of court officials who chose to end their lives as a final display of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty in 1644 at the age of fifty-two.

In Ni Yuanlu’s hanging scroll, Five-character Poem in Running-Cursive Script Calligraphy (Estimate: HK$1,500,000-2,000,000/US$193,600-258,100), Ni’s calligraphy displays powerful and bold brushstrokes through an unrestrained and effortless use of wet and dry brush; leaving a lasting impression accentuated by the ample space between lines. Ni’s calligraphy came to symbolize a strong sense of virtue, pride and his intellectual power, a visual reminder of his life and his ultimate sacrifice for his nation.

Gao Kegong (1248-1310)
During the Yuan Dynasty, painters turned increasingly to express their spirit and soul in art. Scholars became leading artists in the field of painting, as they emphasized the expressive \ qualities inherent in brush and ink as a means to portraying their personalities, thoughts, and emotions. Such paintings were characterized by simplicity, transcendence and elegance. Gao Kegong was one of the most important and famous landscape painters of the Yuan Dynasty. He served in very senior positions in the imperial court and was highly respected by the common people. His paintings rarely have been seenor available ever since the late Yuan Dynasty.

This sale presents a particularly significant work attributed to Gao Kegong: Cloudy Mountains (Estimate: HK$20,000,000-30,000,000/US$2,581,000 – 3,871,000), which demonstrates skilled drawing technique, meticulous details and an elegant artistic style though vigorous brushstrokes and delicate lines. Even though the work was not signed by the artist, later important artists Wen Zhengming and Wang Shen both inscribed in the painting, proclaiming their belief in the painting’s authenticity. The painting’s significance is also testified in its inclusion in the renowned imperial collection catalogue “shi qu bao ji” in Qing Dynasty.

This masterpiece is a typical literati painting of the Yuan dynasty. The artist’s meticulous and masterful strokes depict the rich texture of the mountains and rocks, they in turn contrast with the misty clouds, river and trees, all full of spirit and vitality.

Fine Chinese Modern Paintings
Tuesday, 31 May 2011, 2pm
The sale of Fine Modern Chinese Paintings offers a fine spectrum of works, dating from the late 19th century through the 20th century. The artists featured in the sale include Wu Guanzhong, Li Keran, Fu Baoshi, Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, and Xu Beihong, each of whom made significant contributions to modern Chinese art history.

Important Chinese Paintings - Formerly the Property of the Dr. K. S. Lo Collection

Dr. K. S. Lo was born in 1910 in Guangdong, China. He began his Vitasoy business in the winter of 1937 in Shanghai, then 27 years old, and the company grew to become one of the most recognized brands in Hong Kong and Asia. Dr. K. S. Lo had a great passion for Chinese arts and culture, and donated 605 pieces of tea ware and important ceramic pieces to the Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong. These paintings represent only a small part of his collecting interests and demonstrate the depth and breadth of his passions in arts and culture.

WU GUANZHONG (1919– 2010)
Wu’s artistic career is closely intertwined with important events of his era. The May Fourth movement in 1919 instigated a re-evaluation of traditional Chinese values and in the field of fine art. It was the beginning of an era in which Chinese artists could travel to Europe with relative ease, enabling Wu’s predecessors such as Xu Beihong and Lin Fengmian, the latter Wu’s future mentor, to study in France. Wu would eventually follow the same path and unearth new dynamics from the West, creating art with a long lasting, universal appeal. His creations, “to Sinicize oil painting and to modernize Chinese painting”, remain to manifest his love for his country, grounding his work firmly in the root of Chinese culture like a “kite with an unbroken string”.

A total of 18 Wu Guanzhong paintings formerly belonged to the Dr. K. S. Lo Collection will be offered in this sale. They are among the best examples of Wu Guanzhong’s landscape paintings in the 1980s. Wu’s appreciation of the beautiful and expansive landscapes in China is depicted in Jade Pond (Estimate: HK$3,000,000 - 4,000,000/US$387,100-516,100), a spectacular painting that captures Wu’s ingenious interpretation of the inner landscape of his heart and mind. Wu pours life onto paper and gives motion to ink—everything fades into a cacophony of color and yet in that chaos exposes his long years of training, restraint, control, planning and creativity.

In Pine Trees on Mount E’mei (Estimate: HK$1,500,000 - 2,000,000/US$193,500-258,100), Wu endeavoured to assimilate modernist aesthetics in his art, incorporating western-style formal beauty with eastern spirituality, all the while sustaining the differentiation between his mode of painting and that of his western counterparts.

ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983)
Excelling in painting, calligraphy, seal-carving, and poetry, Zhang Daqian is no doubt one of the greatest Chinese artists in the 20th century. Zhang spent his early years learning and imitating from ancient predecessors, which helped him to acquire a solid foundation in traditional landscape painting. Later in life he travelled extensively, combining gongbi and xieyi, whilst innovating his unique, signature splashed ink and colour technique, which created a whole new artistic style and vocabulary of his own.

One of the highlights this season is Contemplating upon an Autumn Landscape (Estimate: HK$8,000,000-10,000,000). Zhang Daqian reached a new height in artistic development in the 1960s by mastering the semi-automatic splashed ink and colour technique. In this painting, blue and green form the foundation colours to depict a misty lake wuting, the artificial lake in the artist’s residence in Brazil; while red and gold roam profusely on the upper part of the painting, giving the foliage light and colour on an autumn mountain. The transition of colours is smooth and natural via the splashing of colour, reflecting both the artist’s emotions and the mood of nature in an abstract manner. This unique and expressive painting belonged to Zhang Daqian’s family, and for a long time was hung in the family residence in Pebble Beach, California, USA. It witnessed many loving memories shared between the artist and his family and was treasured by the artist for it constantly reminded him of the landscape of Brazil.

Lotus (Estimate: HK$6,000,000-8,000,000), formerly belonged to the Dr. K. S. Lo Collection, is a testimony to Zhang’s strength, passion, and experience, from which one can appreciate his life and his artistic transformation throughout a career spanning over 65 years. Painted in 1981 using splashed colour technique, Lotus shows two exquisite, vividly bright red lotuses; their shapes are accentuated by fine, sumptuous gold outlines. The dark lotus leaves at the back are abstract in form and appearance. Layered by different intensities of splashed ink, such a dark-toned background is softened and becomes surprisingly mellow and harmonious with the subject.

Clear Autumn in Wu Gorge (Estimate: HK$3,000,000-4,000,000/US$387,100-516,100), also formerly belonged to the same collection, is an excellent example of Zhang’s early landscape painting. The work was created at a period when Zhang initiated his creative “revival” of ancient art in the 1930s. In this painting, he attributed his inspiration to Wang Jinqing (also known as Wang Shen, 1037-ca.1093), who is celebrated for his renowned blue and green landscape painting. Zhang Daqian’s depiction of Wu Gorge enlivens it onto his paper; and through the majestic atmosphere he portrayed, viewers can journey the landscape via his fine and elegant brushstrokes.

RARE AND IMPORTANT PAINTINGS FROM THE KATSUIZUMI COLLECTION
QI BAISHI (1863– 1957)
Known for painting birds and flowers, insects and grasses, figures and landscapes, Qi Baishi was recognized not only for his meticulous detailing and contemplative mood, but more importantly for his unique style that is fresh and spontaneous.

The 10 exquisite paintings by Qi Baishi come from the collection of Sotokichi Katsuizumi (1889–1985). An economist, author and pacifist, Mr. Katsuizumi worked for the Yokohamo Specie Bank in Beijing from 1925 to 1932. He had a passionate interest in Chinese paintings, in particular those by Qi Baishi. During his time in Beijing, he befriended the artist through his colleague, Mr. Tanso Ito, and acquired a large number of his works. Many of the paintings were purchased directly from Qi Baishi or his wife.

Monkey Contemplating Peach (Estimate: HK$1,500,000-2,000,000/US$193,500-258,100) is imbued with blessings and symbols of longevity to the receiver, Mr. Katsuizumi. Peaches have long been symbols of longevity and are considered sacred in China, for its wood was used as a charm against evil in ancient times. The monkey is an important symbol, for its name hou is a pun for a high-ranking noble, and is also symbolic of longevity. The peach and monkey are often paired with the peach of immortality, such as this present painting. Qi positions the monkey upon a rock, a natural symbol of longevity and permanence due to its reliability and hardness. Compositionally Qi makes use of the playful gaze of the monkey who stares in wonder and amusement while hoping to gain the peach, thus de shou¸ attaining longevity.

Qi Baishi’s paintings emphasize his interchange with daily life and the nature, from which he drew his inspiration. Taking Grandson to School (Estimate: HK$1,500,000-2,000,000/US$193,500-258,100) is another highlight in the collection in which Qi depicts a humorous everyday scene of a grandson unwilling to attend school, vividly reminding viewers of their own childhoods. In a few simple strokes, Qi Baishi transformed his paintings into a masterpiece of rustic simplicity that expresses the essence of his spirit.

Apart from the Katsuizumi Collection, Christie’s HK will present many other superb works of Qi Baishi this season. One such example is Rabbit (Estimate: HKD$700,000- 900,000/US$90,300 -116,100). Simple in form, but not in technique or idea, the beautiful portrayal of a black rabbit is the result of Qi’s skill in working from direct observation of nature. Qi Baishi’s paintings are warm and uncomplicated; with harmony and simplicity that reflect the sincerity of the artist and the subject matter.

LI KERAN (1907– 1989)
Li Keran is a patriotic artist; his paintings are testimony and historical records for his beloved homeland. A Million Strong Across the Yangtze (Estimate: HK$5,000,000-7,000,000/US$645,200-903,200) was created by Li in 1964 and was inspired by Mao Zedong’s poem, which Li proudly inscribed on the painting. At that time, paintings inspired by Mao’s words were common, for his poems were permeated with optimism and were admired by literati at the time. Furthermore, as the 1950’s and 60’s were politically sensitive times, it was not always guaranteed that artists could safely use lines from Mao in their paintings for fear of political persecution. Even with these restrictions, this disguise provided an asylum for artists’ creativity during the time of political turmoil, maintaining a space to innovate artistically and balance to their emotions. [I don’t quite understand this last sentence.-B)

Starting from 1942, Li Keran started to express his emotions and spirits by painting idyllic scenes with buffalo and boys. Buffalo, Boys and Crickets (Estimate: HK$500,000-700,000/US$64,500-90,300) depicts a tranquil scene of a buffalo crouching casually, whilst several buffalo boys are enjoying cricket fighting. The painting belonged to the Collection of Madam Fang Zhaoling. Madam Fang was an artist herself and learned to paint from renowned artists such as Zhang Daqian and Zhao Shao’ang. As early as 1951 Madam Fang co-exhibited with Zhao Shao’ang in Japan; and in 1953 Fang became a student of Zhang Daqian. The forthcoming sale will feature 15 paintings from this collection, including but not limited to paintings by Li Keran, Qi Baishi and Guan Liang.

FU BAOSHI (1904-1965)
Fu Baoshi, considered one of the leading figures of Chinese Modern Painting, often used traditional poems and tales as inspiration for his paintings. One of the most important highlights this season is Fu Baoshi’s The Poet Qu Yuan and Fisherman (Estimate: HK$4,000,000-5,000,000/US$516,100-645,200), which vividly portrays the scene of the famous Southern Chu poet conversing with the fisherman.

The inscription, a fragment of the Songs of Chu (楚辞) entitled yu fu (The Fisherman 渔父), was composed by the poet himself. It differs from Fu’s numerous other portraits of Qu Yuan, in which the poet is usually shown standing alone in a vast and expansive landscape, as this painting presents a rare two-figure composition and portrays an interaction that gives extraordinary liveliness to the historical character. The meticulously rendered details display Qu Yuan’s neatly combed hair and clothes, his face an embodiment of intellect and high morals as he stood against the corruption of the society in which he lived; the fisherman’s face is tanned and rough, signs of the hard labour of his occupation. Fu Baoshi’s figure paintings manifest the best of the skills he inherited from Chinese classical art, especially from the Six Dynasties that the artist so admired, and through which he developed his unique personal style in the genre.

XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
Himalayan Forest (Estimate: HK$4,000,000 -6,000,000/US$516,100-774,200) was presented in the Kuala Lumpur anti-war fundraising exhibition held in February 1941. According to Xu Beihong’s Chronology, Xu visited Sandurphu in India in April 1940 to admire Mount Everest and a painting named Himalayan Forest was created on 1 June 1940. This matches perfectly with the inscription on this painting. Himalayan Forest demonstrates Xu’s commitment of reforming Chinese paintings through the infusion of Western painting techniques. The fir and pine wood in the foreground is realistically depicted, using both outlining method and freehand brushstrokes for the form and tonal effects of the ink for the chiaroscuro. The forest and mountain in the background is rendered through splashes of ink wash in different shades. The overall luminous effect is further enhanced by leaving the upper part of the background unpainted or liubai, a characteristic of classical Chinese paintings. Landscape is a rare painting subject for Xu Beihong and this painting of a wide and luminous view of Himalayan Forest is totally fresh to the market.

Xu Beihong was also a master at the portrayal of animals, which won him great reputation. One of the highlights in the sale is Xu’s Cat (Estimate: HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000/US$258,100-387,100), which once belonged to Alice Boney(1901-1988), a renowned New York Chinese antique collector and dealer of the 1950s (her collector’s seal was impressed on the mounting of the work). In this painting, Xu’s delicate and steady strokes bring out the tenderness and the alertness of the cat. Precise in perspective and proportion and detailed in depiction, the overall effect is a harmonious blend of Western realism and an ethereal quality seen in Chinese paintings.

Gao Kegong (1248-1310, attributed to), Cloudy Mountains. Handscroll, ink on silk, 27.3 x 107 cm. (10 ¾ x 42 1/8 in.). Estimate: HK$20,000,000 – 30,000,000, US$2,581,000 – 3,871,000.

Robe de mandarin & Partie de textile en kesi à décor d'un dragon frontal à cinq griffes

Broderie en hauteur sur soie à fond rouge à décor des huit immortels. Chine, XIXe siècle. photo Piasa - Paris

287 x 153 cm - Estimation : 600 / 800 €

Robe de mandarin en soie brodée de fils d'or et polychromes de dragons pourchassant la perle sacrée sur un fond de fleurs et bleu foncé. Chine, XIXe siècle. photo Piasa - Paris

Estimation : 300 / 400 €

Partie de textile en kesi à décor d'un dragon frontal à cinq griffes. photo Piasa - Paris

8,5 x 11,5 cm (à vue). Encadré - Estimation : 50 / 60 €

Piasa - Paris. Vente aux enchères du Lundi 4 avril 2011. Vente aux enchères du Lundi 4 avril 2011. Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 34 10 10

Giant Silk China Scroll Goes for $30 Million Plus to Anonymous Hong Kong Collector

Visitors look on a Qianlong-dynasty painting, representing a military parade, at a action house in Toulouse. AP Photo/Manuel Blondau

PARIS (AP).- A giant 18th-century Chinese silk scroll painting of a military troop review has been sold at auction for more than euro22 million ($30.8 million), the highest auction price for a Chinese work in France.

The work, found in a Paris attic and sold in Toulouse by auctioneer Marc Labarbe, is one of a series of four works of 17th-century maneuvers that mobilized some 20,000 men.

A Hong Kong collector, who asked to remain anonymous, made the winning bid Saturday of euro22,057,000 after a ferocious bidding war with seven others.

The 24-meter-long (78.7 feet) horizontal scroll was painted around 1748 under Emperor Qianlong.

One of the four scrolls is in the Palace Museum of Beijing, and another was auctioned off in 2008 at Sotheby's in Hong Kong — for $67.86 million.  Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

Visitors look on a Qianlong-dynasty painting, representing a military parade, at a action house in Toulouse, south-west of France, Wednesday, March 23, 2011.The Qianlong-dynasty scroll painting was sold Saturday March 26, 2011 in Toulouse, for a record euro22.1 million. US$ 31 million. The price of the 24 meters (79-foot ) scroll, including fees, was the most paid for a Chinese artwork at a French auction. AP Photo/Manuel Blondau

NDB: http://alaintruong.canalblog.com/archives/2011/03/12/20609577.html about this painting

Un rouleau impérial chinois a été vendu 17 millions d’euros samedi 26 mars à Toulouse, lors d’une vente aux enchères.

La pièce, qui appartenait à une famille parisienne, a été acquise par un collectionneur chinois à l’hôtel de Saint-Aubin.

Ce week-end se déroulait le « Week-end au marteau », soit deux journées d’enchères partout en France. Pour l’occasion, deux pièces chinoises d’une valeur dépassant largement le million d’euros étaient proposées à l’hôtel de Saint-Aubin de la Ville Rose par l’expert Marc Labarde.

Un rouleau impérial, datant de l’époque de l’empereur Qianlong (1736-1795) a été adjugé pour 17 millions d’euros, soit 22 057 760, frais inclus. Intitulé « Manœuvres », le rouleau mesure 24 mètres de long pour 69 cm de large. Plus de 9 000 soldats y sont représentés à l’encre et à la gouache. « Manœuvre » est le quatrième rouleau d’une série dénommée « La grande revue » produite à l’occasion du premier recensement militaire du règne de l’Empereur Qianlong. Ce rouleau est le plus important de la série, étant le seul à porter les cachets des peintres, selon l’AFP.

Le rouleau appartenait à une famille parisienne et se trouvait en parfait état. Un deuxième est conservé au musée de Pékin, un autre propriétaire privé en détient un troisième et le quatrième a été détruit. Mis à prix pour 4 millions d’euros, huit enchérisseurs se sont battus avant qu’un collectionneur chinois n’emporte la mise, quatre fois au-dessus de son prix de départ. Il s’agit de la plus haute enchère en France pour un objet chinois, d’après l’Indépendant.

 

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