13th Oct, 2023 11:00
THREE-DAY AUCTION - Fine Chinese Art / 中國藝術集珍 / Buddhism & Hinduism
540
A PAIR OF LARGE RUBY-GROUND FAMILLE ROSE BUDDHIST EMBLEM ALTAR ORNAMENTS, QING DYNASTY
清代一對大型寶石紅地粉彩佛教八寶供器
Sold for €11,700
including Buyer's Premium
China, 19th century. Each finely modeled and enameled in brilliant tones in the form of an open worked ruby-red medallion enclosing one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems (bajixiang), one the Parasol (san), representing spiritual authority, reverence, and purity, and the other the Vase (ping), symbolizing eternal harmony, the receptacle for lustral water, the nectar of immortality. The turquoise-glazed bases each with an iron red six-character seal mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi.
Provenance: Collection of Milton Drexel Rutherford (1894-1976), acquired in China between c. 1930 and 1940, and thence by descent within the same family. The storage boxes padded with Russian and Chinese newspaper clippings from the period. Each altar stand inscribed in black ink to the base, ‘China’. Milton Drexel (Rex) Rutherford was a US veteran and engineer. He lived and worked in the city of Chicago, excavating the tunnels for the city’s subway. His proliferate collection began when a client gifted him an artifact from eastern Asia igniting a passion for collecting Asian art, including Kangxi ceramics as well as Japanese metalwork and lacquers.
Condition: Superb condition with expected old wear, minor rubbing and flaking to enamels, occasional light scratches. Small glaze touchups inherent to manufacture, and other firing irregularities. The boxes worn, soiled and with minor damages.
Weight: 1,934 g and 2,020
Dimensions: Height 38.5 cm and 38.3 cm
Please click here to read the full description
Each emblem sits atop a lotus pod with recessed seeds nestled in a lotus blossom raised on a stem of chevrons flanked by openwork curling leaves, the whole raised on a domed base neatly enameled on a ruby-red ground with lappets framed by bands of ruyi-heads and key-fret, lappets, and covered in turquoise enamel on the interior.
Each with an old fitted wood stand, finely carved with lotus lappets between two key-fret bands, dating to the late 19th century.
Each with an old compartmented storage box, dating ca. 1930-1949. (6)
The present lot belongs to a group of important altar ornaments placed in temples and chapels in front of Buddhist deities. The complicated openwork panels required a manual dexterity in handling the clay and testify of the technical virtuosity of the Jingdezhen potters at the kilns in Jiangxi province. Richly painted in the famille-rose enamel palette, they reflect the eclectic and ornate style of the period. As a serious student and active practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795) commissioned thousands of ritual implements and sacrificial utensils to furnish the renovated and newly built monasteries and temples as well as the numerous chapels and shrines in the palaces in the Forbidden City, Yuanmingyuan summer palace and the Chengde summer residence. Religious objects formed also part of the presents offered to family and court members. He is known, for example, to have lavished these on his beloved mother, the Empress Dowager Xiaosheng (1691-1771), who was a pious Buddhist. They equally played an essential role in the interchange of gifts to honor religious and diplomatic relations with the Dalai and Panchen Lamas who came to Chengde to pay homage to the Emperor.
A complete set of the bajixiang, similar in design to the present lot, can be seen on an altar in front of a statue of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, in the Fanzonglou (Hall of Buddhism), a private chapel in the Forbidden City, see Qing gong Zang chuan fojiao wenwu/Culltural relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, pl. 99-1, where related sets of altar ornaments in gilt copper and silver gilt are also illustrated, pls. 138 and 139. A complete set of altar emblems is depicted in an official Court portrait, illustrated in Court Paintings of the Qing Dynasty of the Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1992, pl. 14, where the emblems are arranged on a low table in front of Emperor Kangxi holding a string of beads.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2007, lot 414
Price: USD 43,000 or approx. EUR 56,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of famille rose Buddhist emblem altar ornaments, Qianlong seal marks in iron-red and of the period.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration, with one of the emblems also being the parasol, as well as the Qianlong reign marks. Note the closely related size (38.1 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 April 2002, lot 535
Price: HKD 3,594,100 or approx. EUR 612,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A magnificent set of eight famille rose Buddhist emblems, iron-red Qianlong four-character seal marks and of the period.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and Qianlong reign marks, albeit with four characters. Note the smaller size (24 cm) and that this lot comprises a complete set of eight Buddhist emblems.
点此阅读中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
清代一對大型寶石紅地粉彩佛教八寶供器
中國，十九世紀。這對粉彩蓮台上分別為寶瓶與法幢，其底座呈覆盤式，置花葉形支柱，上承以蓮蓬式座，座上置圓框鏤雕扁形寶瓶與法幢，蓮蓬内可見蓮子。施粉彩，寶石紅地，器底施松石綠釉，中心留白處以礬紅彩書“大清乾隆年製” 三行六字篆書款。
來源：Milton Drexel Rutherford (1894-1976) 收藏，在中國購於1930至1940年間，在同一家族保存至今。盒子填充了當時俄羅斯和中國的剪報。Milton Drexel (Rex) Rutherford是一位美國退伍軍人和工程師。 他在芝加哥生活和工作，為該市的地鐵挖掘隧道。一位客戶送給他一件來自東亞的文物，激發了他對亞洲藝術品收藏的熱情，他的收藏中包括康熙陶瓷以及日本金屬製品和漆器。
品相：狀況極佳，有磨損和釉面剝落、局部有輕微劃痕。製造過程中固有的小釉面修補，以及其他燒製不規則之處。盒子磨損、污漬，並有輕微損壞。
重量：分別爲1,934 克與2,020克
尺寸：分別高 38.5 厘米與38.3 厘米
每一個供器都有一個老木架，倒蓮式，其歷史可以追溯到十九世紀末。儲物盒内有隔間，約爲1930-1949年。 (6)
清皇室崇信藏傳佛教，清宮廷中設有藏傳佛教殿堂，供有佛像、佛塔、供器、法器等，質地有瓷、金、銀、銅等，均製作精工。乾隆時期景德鎮御窯廠開始生產瓷質藏傳佛教用器，有些專為蒙藏民族所製，反映了內地與少數民族的交流和融合。此類供器工藝複雜，集鏤空、堆貼、彩繪於一身，展示出這一時期精湛的製瓷技藝，是一件美觀與實用完美結合的藝術品。而且此類宗教類瓷作，還是滿漢蒙藏文化交流的重要見證，具有重大的歷史意義。佛教認為佛、菩薩都是有大功德的聖者，是眾生的皈依處，尊重佛、菩薩必須有所表示，供器表示對佛、菩薩的恭敬、禮拜，目的是弘揚佛法。八寶通常用木、銅、玉、瓷、銀等材料製成立體形象供於佛像前供桌上，也被用於吉祥圖案裝飾於寺廟建築、法器、供器等。在乾隆生母崇慶皇太后做壽之時，官員恭進的壽禮中出現了“金嵌寶石八寶”。
紫禁城内廷的梵宗樓裏文殊菩薩像前的佛壇上可見一整套與本拍品相似的八吉祥供器。參見《清宮藏傳佛教文物》，北京， 1992年，圖版115， 99-1，其中還附有相關的鎏金銅和鎏金祭壇裝飾品組，請參閲 138 和 139頁。官方宮廷肖像中描繪了一套完整的祭壇徽記，參見《故宮博物院藏清代宮廷繪畫》，北京，1992 年，圖 14。這些供器被放置在康熙皇帝面前的一張矮桌上，康熙拿著一串珠子。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2007年9月19日，lot 414
價格：USD 43,000（相當於今日EUR 56,500）
描述：乾隆款及年代一對粉彩佛教供器
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、裝飾 和乾隆款。請注意非常相近尺寸 (38.1 釐米)。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2002年4月29日，lot 535
價格：HKD 3,594,100（相當於今日EUR 612,000）
描述：乾隆及年代一組八件佛教供器
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、裝飾 和乾隆款。請注意尺寸較小 (24 釐米)，此為一組八件供器。
China, 19th century. Each finely modeled and enameled in brilliant tones in the form of an open worked ruby-red medallion enclosing one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems (bajixiang), one the Parasol (san), representing spiritual authority, reverence, and purity, and the other the Vase (ping), symbolizing eternal harmony, the receptacle for lustral water, the nectar of immortality. The turquoise-glazed bases each with an iron red six-character seal mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi.
Provenance: Collection of Milton Drexel Rutherford (1894-1976), acquired in China between c. 1930 and 1940, and thence by descent within the same family. The storage boxes padded with Russian and Chinese newspaper clippings from the period. Each altar stand inscribed in black ink to the base, ‘China’. Milton Drexel (Rex) Rutherford was a US veteran and engineer. He lived and worked in the city of Chicago, excavating the tunnels for the city’s subway. His proliferate collection began when a client gifted him an artifact from eastern Asia igniting a passion for collecting Asian art, including Kangxi ceramics as well as Japanese metalwork and lacquers.
Condition: Superb condition with expected old wear, minor rubbing and flaking to enamels, occasional light scratches. Small glaze touchups inherent to manufacture, and other firing irregularities. The boxes worn, soiled and with minor damages.
Weight: 1,934 g and 2,020
Dimensions: Height 38.5 cm and 38.3 cm
Please click here to read the full description
Each emblem sits atop a lotus pod with recessed seeds nestled in a lotus blossom raised on a stem of chevrons flanked by openwork curling leaves, the whole raised on a domed base neatly enameled on a ruby-red ground with lappets framed by bands of ruyi-heads and key-fret, lappets, and covered in turquoise enamel on the interior.
Each with an old fitted wood stand, finely carved with lotus lappets between two key-fret bands, dating to the late 19th century.
Each with an old compartmented storage box, dating ca. 1930-1949. (6)
The present lot belongs to a group of important altar ornaments placed in temples and chapels in front of Buddhist deities. The complicated openwork panels required a manual dexterity in handling the clay and testify of the technical virtuosity of the Jingdezhen potters at the kilns in Jiangxi province. Richly painted in the famille-rose enamel palette, they reflect the eclectic and ornate style of the period. As a serious student and active practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795) commissioned thousands of ritual implements and sacrificial utensils to furnish the renovated and newly built monasteries and temples as well as the numerous chapels and shrines in the palaces in the Forbidden City, Yuanmingyuan summer palace and the Chengde summer residence. Religious objects formed also part of the presents offered to family and court members. He is known, for example, to have lavished these on his beloved mother, the Empress Dowager Xiaosheng (1691-1771), who was a pious Buddhist. They equally played an essential role in the interchange of gifts to honor religious and diplomatic relations with the Dalai and Panchen Lamas who came to Chengde to pay homage to the Emperor.
A complete set of the bajixiang, similar in design to the present lot, can be seen on an altar in front of a statue of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, in the Fanzonglou (Hall of Buddhism), a private chapel in the Forbidden City, see Qing gong Zang chuan fojiao wenwu/Culltural relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, pl. 99-1, where related sets of altar ornaments in gilt copper and silver gilt are also illustrated, pls. 138 and 139. A complete set of altar emblems is depicted in an official Court portrait, illustrated in Court Paintings of the Qing Dynasty of the Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1992, pl. 14, where the emblems are arranged on a low table in front of Emperor Kangxi holding a string of beads.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2007, lot 414
Price: USD 43,000 or approx. EUR 56,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of famille rose Buddhist emblem altar ornaments, Qianlong seal marks in iron-red and of the period.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration, with one of the emblems also being the parasol, as well as the Qianlong reign marks. Note the closely related size (38.1 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 April 2002, lot 535
Price: HKD 3,594,100 or approx. EUR 612,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A magnificent set of eight famille rose Buddhist emblems, iron-red Qianlong four-character seal marks and of the period.
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and Qianlong reign marks, albeit with four characters. Note the smaller size (24 cm) and that this lot comprises a complete set of eight Buddhist emblems.
点此阅读中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
清代一對大型寶石紅地粉彩佛教八寶供器
中國，十九世紀。這對粉彩蓮台上分別為寶瓶與法幢，其底座呈覆盤式，置花葉形支柱，上承以蓮蓬式座，座上置圓框鏤雕扁形寶瓶與法幢，蓮蓬内可見蓮子。施粉彩，寶石紅地，器底施松石綠釉，中心留白處以礬紅彩書“大清乾隆年製” 三行六字篆書款。
來源：Milton Drexel Rutherford (1894-1976) 收藏，在中國購於1930至1940年間，在同一家族保存至今。盒子填充了當時俄羅斯和中國的剪報。Milton Drexel (Rex) Rutherford是一位美國退伍軍人和工程師。 他在芝加哥生活和工作，為該市的地鐵挖掘隧道。一位客戶送給他一件來自東亞的文物，激發了他對亞洲藝術品收藏的熱情，他的收藏中包括康熙陶瓷以及日本金屬製品和漆器。
品相：狀況極佳，有磨損和釉面剝落、局部有輕微劃痕。製造過程中固有的小釉面修補，以及其他燒製不規則之處。盒子磨損、污漬，並有輕微損壞。
重量：分別爲1,934 克與2,020克
尺寸：分別高 38.5 厘米與38.3 厘米
每一個供器都有一個老木架，倒蓮式，其歷史可以追溯到十九世紀末。儲物盒内有隔間，約爲1930-1949年。 (6)
清皇室崇信藏傳佛教，清宮廷中設有藏傳佛教殿堂，供有佛像、佛塔、供器、法器等，質地有瓷、金、銀、銅等，均製作精工。乾隆時期景德鎮御窯廠開始生產瓷質藏傳佛教用器，有些專為蒙藏民族所製，反映了內地與少數民族的交流和融合。此類供器工藝複雜，集鏤空、堆貼、彩繪於一身，展示出這一時期精湛的製瓷技藝，是一件美觀與實用完美結合的藝術品。而且此類宗教類瓷作，還是滿漢蒙藏文化交流的重要見證，具有重大的歷史意義。佛教認為佛、菩薩都是有大功德的聖者，是眾生的皈依處，尊重佛、菩薩必須有所表示，供器表示對佛、菩薩的恭敬、禮拜，目的是弘揚佛法。八寶通常用木、銅、玉、瓷、銀等材料製成立體形象供於佛像前供桌上，也被用於吉祥圖案裝飾於寺廟建築、法器、供器等。在乾隆生母崇慶皇太后做壽之時，官員恭進的壽禮中出現了“金嵌寶石八寶”。
紫禁城内廷的梵宗樓裏文殊菩薩像前的佛壇上可見一整套與本拍品相似的八吉祥供器。參見《清宮藏傳佛教文物》，北京， 1992年，圖版115， 99-1，其中還附有相關的鎏金銅和鎏金祭壇裝飾品組，請參閲 138 和 139頁。官方宮廷肖像中描繪了一套完整的祭壇徽記，參見《故宮博物院藏清代宮廷繪畫》，北京，1992 年，圖 14。這些供器被放置在康熙皇帝面前的一張矮桌上，康熙拿著一串珠子。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2007年9月19日，lot 414
價格：USD 43,000（相當於今日EUR 56,500）
描述：乾隆款及年代一對粉彩佛教供器
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、裝飾 和乾隆款。請注意非常相近尺寸 (38.1 釐米)。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2002年4月29日，lot 535
價格：HKD 3,594,100（相當於今日EUR 612,000）
描述：乾隆及年代一組八件佛教供器
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、裝飾 和乾隆款。請注意尺寸較小 (24 釐米)，此為一組八件供器。
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