Miroir en bronze. Bayon, XIIe s.

Miroir en bronze. Bayon, XIIe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

D: 19 cm - Estimation : 300 - 400 €

Néret-Minet & Tessier. Lundi 16 mai à 14h00. Drouot-Richelieu Salle 6 9, rue Drouot 75009 PARIS. EMail : mail@neret-tessier.com - Tél. : 01 40 13 07 79

Poignards rituel «Phurbu», Couperet «kartrika», Trompe d'appel «kang-gling» & Coupe crânienne «Kapala" ,Tibet, XVIIIe & XXe s.,

Poignard rituel « Phurbu », Tibet, XVIIIe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

au manche composé d'une vajra, de trois visages de Mahakala surmonté d'une demi-vajra, la lame sort de la gueule d'un monstre mythique « makara » En fer et bronze doré.L: 27 cm - Estimation : 3 600 - 4 000 €

Poignard rituel « Phurbu », Tibet,  XVIIIe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

à l'extrémité du manche figure trois visages de Mahakala, la lame sort de la gueule de « Makara » En fer et bronze doré. . L: 175 cm - Estimation : 3 600 - 4 000 €

Poignard rituel « Phurbu », Tibet, XVIIIe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

au manche composé d'une vajra, de trois visages de Mahakala surmonté d'une tête de cheval, la lame ornée de deux serpents sortant de la gueule d'un oiseau En argent. L: 145 cm - Estimation : 3 600 - 4 000 €

Couperet « kartrika », Tibet, XIXe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

la lame semi-circulaire en fer, et sommet du manche en forme de demi-vajra H: 15 cm - Estimation : 1 700 - 1 900 €

Trompe d'appel « kang-gling » . Tibet, XXe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

à décor floral et de deux dragons. En os et cuivre doré, avec incrustation de turquoise et corail. L: 335 cm

Coupe crânienne « Kapala » avec couvercle sur un support triangulaire. Os et cuivre. Tibet, XIXe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

H: 20 cm L: 17 cm - Estimation : 1 000 - 1 200 €

Néret-Minet & Tessier. Lundi 16 mai à 14h00. Drouot-Richelieu Salle 6 9, rue Drouot 75009 PARIS. EMail : mail@neret-tessier.com - Tél. : 01 40 13 07 79

Tiare et chapeau de lama, paure pectorale, Ladakh, XXe s et Briquet et bourse, Tibet, XXe s,

 

Tiare de lama. Tissu, turquoise et pierres. Ladakh, XXe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

Estimation : 1 300 - 1 500 €

Chapeau de lama. Tissu, turquoise, corail et ambre. Ladakh, XXe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

Estimation : 1 300 - 1 500 €

Bracelet se terminant par deux têtes de dragon, aux yeux incrustés de turquoise. XIXe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

En métal argentifère.  L: 85 cm - Estimation : 900 - 1 000 € 



Parure pectorale ornée de cabochons, de perles de corail et de turquoise. Ladakh, début du XXe s  Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

L: 20 cm - Estimation : 250 - 350 €

Briquet. Tibet, XIXe s.

composé d'un cercle de fer et d'une bourse en cuir enluminé de métaux repoussé serti de turquoise et corail, servant à contenir le silex et l'étoupe.  L: 7 x 125 cm - Estimation : 150 - 180 €

Bourse en cuir, métal, corail et turquoise. Tibet, XXe s. Photo Néret-Minet & Tessier

L: 8 x 12 cm - Estimation : 120 - 150 €

Néret-Minet & Tessier. Lundi 16 mai à 14h00. Drouot-Richelieu Salle 6 9, rue Drouot 75009 PARIS. EMail : mail@neret-tessier.com - Tél. : 01 40 13 07 79

Miroir circulaire décor de cercles concentriques. Khmer. Cambodge. 12ème-13ème siècle.

Miroir circulaire décor de cercles concentriques. Khmer. Cambodge. 12ème-13ème siècle. photo Chevau-Légers Enchères

Bronze argentifère à patine de fouille. Diam 12,5cm - Estimation : 600 / 800 €

Chevau-Légers Enchères - Gilles CHAUSSELAT - 78000 Versailles. Vente aux enchères du Dimanche 17 avril 2011. Hôtel des Chevau-Légers - 3, impasse des Chevau-Légers. Tel: 01 39 50 58 08.

Bejeweled Indian "Pearl Canopy of Baroda" to Be Auctioned at Sotheby's in New York

The Pearl Canopy of Baroda will go under the hammer on March 24 (detail). Photo: Sotheby's.

NEW YORK (REUTERS).- A stunning, rarely seen bejeweled, nearly 150-year-old canopy from India is expected to sell for as much as $5 million when it is auctioned next month, according to Sotheby's.

The Pearl Canopy of Baroda will go under the hammer on March 24 as part of a larger auction of Indian and Southeast Asian Works of Art in New York.

It includes over 500,000 pearls, as well as numerous diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds sewn on silk. Floral "Persian-style" vines made with colored beads circle the canopy.

"The Maharaja was a great patron of the arts," said Mary Jo Otsea, the worldwide director of Sotheby's carpet department. "This piece is a continuation of the golden age of Indian art from the Mughal period, with Persian influences."

The canopy dates from around 1865, when it was commissioned by the Maharaja of Baroda, in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat. It is believed that the piece was intended to be donated as a gift to decorate the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed in Medina, in what is now Saudi Arabia.

The man who commissioned the canopy, Maharaja Khande Rao Gaekwar, was known to be particularly fond of jewels. In 1867, he bought the "Star of the South", one of the largest diamonds in the world.

The canopy is part of a set which included four large rectangular jewel-encrusted carpets, of which only one remains. One of the rectangular carpets was sold at an auction in Doha, Qatar in March 2009 for $5.4 million.

Art historians are still unsure exactly how the carpet and the canopy were arranged together, Otsea said.

"One possibility is this, that four pillars held the canopy over the carpet," Otsea explained. "Another is that it was somehow placed on a camel. But nobody knows, and the Maharajah died a long time ago."

The canopy had not been seen for more than 100 years until it was included in an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last year.

At the time the canopy was created the nominally sovereign state of Baroda was among the most prosperous in British India, with much of its income coming from cotton, rice and sugar.

Baroda state, which was founded in 1721, existed until it was incorporated into newly independent India in 1947.

"All the states of the time were under the Indian Raj. They were titular heads who led the people, and were free to appoint courts and commission workshops," Otsea said. "This Maharaja, from what I understand, got on very well with the British."

Otsea said the canopy is notable, even among the other luxurious works of art commissioned by regional rulers in Baroda and across British India.

"The Maharaja liked jewels, and it was very much a status symbol and showed wealth," she said. "But this is really something special."  (Reporting by Bernd Debusmann Jr., editing by Patricia Reaney)

The Pearl Canopy of Baroda will go under the hammer on March 24. Photo: Sotheby's.

Bronzes du Bayon, XIIe-XIVe siècle

Miroir. En bronze à patine de fouille. Bayon, XIIe s. Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

D : 17 cm - Estimation : 720 - 750 €

Paire de bracelets. En bronze. Bayon, XIIe s. Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

H : 7 cm D : 7.5 cm - Estimation : 600 - 700 €

Bracelet en bronze à patine de fouille. Bayon, XIIe s.  Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

L : 15 cm D : 7 cm - Estimation : 600 - 700 €

Bol à la panse lotiforme. En bronze. Bayon, XIIe s. Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

 (Manques). H : 13 cm D : 13 cm - Estimation : 300 - 350 €

Miroir. En bronze. Cambodge, Bayon, XIIIe - XIVe s. Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

D : 19 cm - Estimation : 200 - 250 €

Pot à bétel. En bronze à patine de fouille. Bayon, XIIe s. Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

L : 5,5 x 4,5 cm

 

Pot à bétel. En bronze à patine de fouille. Bayon, XIIe s. Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

H : 10 cm - Estimation : 180 - 200 €

Pot à bétel. En bronze à patine de fouille. Bayon, XIIe s. Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

H : 12.5 cm - Estimation : 180 - 200 €

Pot à bétel. En bronze à patine de fouille. Bayon, XIIe s. Courtesy Néret-Minet & Tessier

H : 14.5 cm - Estimation : 180 - 200 €

Néret-Minet & Tessier. Lundi 14 mars à 14h00. Drouot-Richelieu Salle 2. EMail : mail@neret-tessier.com - Tél. : 01 40 13 07 79

Ambikâ. Inde, Rajasthan, XIIe siècle.

Ambikâ. Inde, Rajasthan, XIIe siècle © BRAFA 2010

Marbre blanc. H 96 cm - Prix sur demande.

Dans l’iconographie hindoue, elle est considérée comme la « Grande déesse », symbolise l’énergie cosmique et combat les forces des ténèbres. Ici elle est représentée debout avec un déhanché ondulant en triple flexion, le tribhanga, qui accentue les formes de la taille et des cuisses.
Elle tient dans son bras gauche un enfant qui s’appuie sur sa hanche ; son autre main, fracturée à ce jour, devait contenir une branche de manguier. Le halo est orné d’un décor floral et sa coiffure très sophistiquée se compose de rangs perlés et de pierres précieuses qui recouvrent sa chevelure. Son visage est caractérisé par une forme ronde, une bouche charnelle, des yeux en amande et une arcade sourcilière bien définie. Richement parée, elle porte de merveilleux éléments de parure. Les canons de beauté indiens associés aux formes pleines et sensuelles sont parfaitement mis en valeur sur cette sculpture. Par son aspect bienveillant la sculpture, cette représentation serait plutôt jaïne qu’hindoue.

Provenance : collection privée, Asie

Ambika. Marble. H 96 cm. India, Rajasthan, 12th century
Ambika, who in Hindu iconography is considered to be the 'Great Goddess', symbolizes cosmic energy and fights the forces of darkness. Here she is portrayed in a curving triple-bend stance, the tribhanga, which accentuates the waist and thighs. With her left arm she holds a child on her hip. Her other hand, which is broken off, probably held a mango tree branch. On her halo is a floral design and her highly sophisticated hairdo includes pearls and precious gems. Her face is round, with full lips, almond-shaped eyes and well-defined eyebrows. Her jewelry is rich. All the precepts of Indian beauty are perfectly present in this sculpture. Probably Jain rather than Hindu
Provenance: Asian private collection

Après une carrière internationale au sein de la banque JP Morgan, Christophe Hioco s’est consacré, il y a maintenant huit ans, à sa passion de toujours: l’art asiatique. La galerie est spécialisée dans l’art ancien du Vietnam, avec notamment des bronzes de la culture de Dông Son, dans l’art bouddhique d’Asie du sud-est, l’art indien et l’archéologie chinoise. Faisant preuve d’une exigence à la fois artistique, émotionnelle et esthétique dans le choix de ses œuvres, Christophe Hioco accorde la plus grande importance à la provenance et à la qualité des pièces. Christophe Hioco participe à la Brussels Oriental Art Fair depuis 2007 et à la Brussels Antiques & Fine Arts Fair (BRAFA) depuis 2009.

Christophe Hioco @ BRAFA (Brussels Antiques & Fine Arts Fair), Stand N°124. 21-30 january 2011

by appointment. Paris, France. T +33 (0)1 53 30 09 65 - M +32 (0)470 59 48 32 - M +33 (0)6 64 98 65 50 - F +33 (0)1 72 70 33 28 - www.galeriehioco.com - info@galeriehioco.com

Petit cabinet indo-portugais. Influence Mughal, XVIe-XVIIe siècle

Petit cabinet indo-portugais. Influence Mughal, XVIe-XVIIe siècle © BRAFA 2010

Teck, ébène, ivoire et montures en cuivre doré. H 15 x L 22 x P 17,2 cm

L’offre de la galerie AR-PAB est très large allant de l'argenterie, du mobilier, de la sculpture, des objets de curiosité, des ivoires, des bijoux, des instruments scientifiques, à l’art colonial portugais et sud-américain, de la Renaissance au XIXe siècle. Chaque pièce est sélectionnée pour sa rareté, son authenticité et son état de conservation. Tout objet a une histoire, tout objet a une âme et dans chacun d’eux on retrouve un peu de l'histoire des arts decoratifs.

AR-PAB - BRAFA (Brussels Antiques & Fine Arts Fair), Stand N°:   61

Alvaro Roquette & Pedro Aguiar Branco, Rua D. Pedro V, 69. P-1250-094 Lisbonne, Portugal. T +35 1 21 34 21 682 - M +35 1 96 74 23 311 - M +35 1 93 24 16 590 - F +35 1 22 55 08 154- www.ar-pab.com - pab@pab.pt

Courtauld Conservation Experts Undertake New Research of Wall Paintings in Bhutan

Late 17th-century painting in the Gyalsey zimchung, a private room in Tango monastery © The Courtauld Institute of Art.

LONDON.- The small and stunningly beautiful Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has for many years intrigued the West, not least on account of its geographic isolation, its hermetic reputation, and its distinct and perfectly preserved culture. The core of Bhutan’s identity is its Tibetan Buddhist heritage which, uniquely in the modern world, remains as rich and vital as it ever has been. In over two thousand thriving temples and monasteries scattered across its rugged terrain, spectacular wall paintings testify to the strength of its cultural and artistic traditions.

Many of these sites are remote and their paintings have never before been recorded. During the last three years, experts from The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, have been given unique access by the Government of Bhutan to undertake scientific research of the kingdom’s wall paintings.

Prior to the 17th century, Bhutan was indivisibly part of the Buddhist kingdom of Tibet. Its emergence as a separate state occurred under the revered leadership of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (1594-1651), himself a religious exile from Tibet. Although Tibetan Buddhism had been well established since the 7th century, the Zhabdrung unified his new country by promoting the Drukpa Kagyu school as the state religion, though other traditions such as the Nyingma also flourished. These traditions are renowned for the meditative practices of their spiritual leaders, whose distinctive lineages are portrayed in Bhutanese wall paintings alongside more traditional Buddhist iconography.

To consolidate both his temporal and religious power, the Zhabdrung also built a series of Tibetan-style fortresses, known as dzongs, at strategic locations across Bhutan. These combined administrative and monastic institutions in a system of regional governance that survives to this day. The dzongs still accommodate communities of hundreds of monks, whose religious life revolves around the many temples (lhakhangs) built within their fortified walls. Usually, each of these temples is adorned with wall painting.

Today, these paintings are vulnerable to a range of threats. The traditional buildings in which they survive are often damaged – and sometimes completely destroyed – by catastrophic fires or floods. In a harsh natural environment, gradual deterioration also takes its toll on the susceptible materials that constitute the paintings. Although continuous religious use has helped to preserve many temples and monasteries, there have been detrimental consequences too: in attempts to renew religious interiors, historic paintings have suffered from modern repainting or have been replaced with paintings on canvas.

The Department of Culture, within the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of Bhutan, is now taking steps to address these problems. Efforts include the current three-year research project with the Courtauld Institute. Following an exploratory visit in 2006 by Professor David Park, Director of the Courtauld’s Conservation of Wall Painting Department, it was decided that there was an outstanding need to investigate the materials and techniques of Bhutanese wall paintings. An understanding of how the paintings were made leads to an understanding of how they deteriorate and, ultimately, how they can be best preserved. The main purpose of the research is therefore to benefit the Department of Culture in undertaking any conservation of wall paintings in future.

The fieldwork has been carried out by wall painting conservators Lisa Shekede and Stephen Rickerby of the Courtauld Institute, in collaboration with staff from the Department of Culture of Bhutan. The first major phase took place in 2008, and two subsequent phases were completed in 2009 and 2010. Scores of temples and other religious sites were visited throughout the kingdom, to record their paintings and to collect small paint samples for subsequent analysis in London. This is the first time such a wide-ranging scientific study of painting has been undertaken in Bhutan, and findings have proved to be exciting.

Previously scant knowledge of the original materials and techniques of Bhutanese wall painting, and of their historical and stylistic development, has been much enhanced. Although relatively few paintings survive from before the 17th century, the study included unprecedented investigation and analysis of a rare early 16th-century scheme in central Bhutan. Other important paintings examined are those that survive from the period when the Zhabdrung and his successors established their control over the country. Under their patronage, a courtly style of painting emerged, characterized by its remarkable sophistication. In these paintings, expensive pigments, delicate organic colourants and glazes, and skillfully applied discriminating coatings have been found.

This technical complexity has not been previously recognized and it puts many Bhutanese wall paintings at a variety of new risks. The vulnerability of barely visible materials such as deteriorated organic glazes means that they can be all too easily lost in cleaning if their presence is not recognized. The degradation of original materials, such as the discolouration of original varnishes, can also be mistaken as something that should be removed rather than preserved. With ever-growing Western interest in Tibetan Buddhism – and the resources that this attracts – an alarming number of Buddhist wall paintings in India and Tibet have been irreversibly damaged by well-meaning but disastrous cleaning. Bhutan’s isolationist past protected its cultural heritage from such dangers, but the opening up of the country in recent years means that such risks cannot now be ignored.

The Courtauld’s research project is therefore a timely one and its findings have far reaching conservation implications. It is intended that the wealth of technical and other information to have emerged from the study will be used as a foundation for future conservation efforts, based on recognition of the value and vulnerability of the kingdom’s remarkable wall painting heritage.

Detail of 17th-century painting in the Lama Lhakhang in Trongsa Dzong © The Courtauld Institute of Art

Asian Art Museum Foundation Announces Proposal to Restructure Foundation's Debt

Kris hilt depicting a demonic figure, perhaps 1700–1800. Ivory. H: 5¼ in; D: 1¾ in. Asian Art Museum

SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Mayor Gavin Newsom, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, City Controller Ben Rosenfield, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and the Asian Art Museum Foundation, the private fundraising arm of the Asian Art Museum, today announced a proposal to restructure the Foundation’s $120 million bond debt. The five-party proposed agreement, coordinated by City Attorney Herrera, City Controller Ben Rosenfield, and City Public Finance Director Nadia Sesay with participation from the Foundation and its creditors, JP Morgan Chase and MBIA, Inc., provides long term stable financing to the Foundation, allowing the organization to continue to raise the funds necessary to support the Museum’s dynamic range of exhibitions and programs. The proposal will now be submitted to the Board of Supervisors, Asian Art Commission and Asian Art Museum Foundation for their consideration.

“Over the years, millions of people have experienced the Asian Art Museum’s famous collection—truly one of the City’s most valuable assets—as well as the rich array of public programs for all ages, including generations of school children,” said Mayor Newsom. “The City’s proposal for strengthening the Foundation’s financial position will make sure these efforts carry on for future generations.”

“This is a smart, carefully crafted agreement that both solves the immediate financial crisis facing the Asian Art Museum and helps guard against similar difficulties in the future,” said City Attorney Herrera. “This problem-solving effort took a great deal of creativity and hard work, and I’m especially grateful to Mayor Newsom, City Controller Rosenfield, and the museum’s management. Work outs are not easy or pleasant. I ’m also appreciative to JPMorgan Chase and MBIA for their cooperative approach here in recognizing the need to make concessions and hammering out an appropriately balanced deal. The Asian Art Museum is a world-class cultural treasure, and it deserves the enthusiastic support from City leaders and art lovers throughout the region.”

“The history and legacy that the Asian Art Museum represents will continue to be a cultural icon for many visitors around the world for many years to come because of the steps that we are taking today,” said Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, who will sponsor the legislation and shepherd it through the Board of Supervisors.

Home to a world-renowned collection of more than 17,000 artworks spanning 6,000 years, the Asian Art Museum is one of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art. The Museum is governed by a public/private partnership with the Asian Art Museum Foundation serving as the organization’s private fundraising arm. To complete the construction of the Museum’s Civic Center home in the early 2000s, the Foundation adopted a common funding model: to raise funds via capital campaign, then issue bonds against the campaign commitments to finance the construction.

More recently, the Asian Art Museum Foundation found itself in technical default of bond covenants and facing the expiration of a letter of credit required to sustain the former financing arrangement. Bond rating agencies expressed concern about the Foundation’s ability to repay the bonds.

“The Asian Art Museum Foundation’s investments and debts—like many nonprofits—have been rocked in recent years by the effects of the global financial crisis,” said City Controller Ben Rosenfield. “The proposal we’ve collaboratively crafted allows the Foundation to regain its financial stability so that it can continue to generate much-needed financial support to the Museum.”

First, there is a restructuring of the rate and term of the Foundation’s bonds. JPMorgan Chase will extend a loan at a low fixed-rate of 4.60% to replace the existing variable rate bonds. Also, the term of the bonds is extended to 30 years (versus current 23 years), and a portion of the principal on the new bonds is deferred in the first two years to allow “breathing room” while the Foundation is restored to full financial health.

A second component of the proposal includes a reduction in the total loan principal and a return of funds to the Foundation. In addition to the benefits from the restructured bond’s rate and term, the Foundation receives upfront cash concessions of $21 million, thereby reducing the outstanding principal amount to $99 million from approximately $120 million, or a reduction of 17%. Also, the current Swap agreement created in 2005 is canceled and the collateral (with a current balance of $13 million) will be returned to Foundation.

The third element requires the Foundation to launch a three-year capital campaign. The first $20 million raised in new unrestricted philanthropic commitments will be required to close the gap (assuming 6.0% return). Funds raised above and beyond this amount could be used to build the museum’s endowment or fund strategic initiatives. Through the leadership of former Mayor Willie Brown, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Carmen Chu, a committee of civic leaders will be recruited for a capital campaign that will bolster and broaden the Foundation’s fundraising capacity.

“On behalf of the Asian Art Museum Foundation, I express our deep gratitude to Mayor Newsom, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Controller Ben Rosenfield, and other City officials for their leadership in facilitating a solution toward servicing the Foundation’s debt,” stated Akiko Yamazaki, President of the Asian Art Museum Foundation. “We are now well-positioned to fulfill our role in supporting the Museum’s future endeavors. The Foundation welcomes the leadership of the City in helping us achieve our goals, and we urge the Board of Supervisors to support this proposal.”

Finally, while the Foundation remains primarily responsible for debt and pledges its assets, the City would provide an assurance agreement to replace the current MBIA insurance policy for the debt. Under this proposed agreement, the City will agree to seek funding for the Foundation’s bonds under certain conditions if the Foundation does not have sufficient funds. The proposal also strengthens the working relationship between the City and Foundation to ensure the Foundation’s debt is effectively serviced. For example, the City Controller’s Office will review and offer recommendations to the Foundation’s annual budget.

“As director of the museum, I will continue to work with both City colleagues and Foundation leadership to ensure that the public enjoyment of the museum’s offerings not only continues, but broadens and deepens for years to come,” stated Jay Xu, Director of the Asian Art Museum.

View of a gallery at the Asian Art Museum.