† A SILVER- AND GOLD-OVERLAID IRON PEN CASE, DERGE, EASTERN TIBET, DERGE, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Lot 280 - FAS1025

Of cylindrical form and masterfully worked with a hexagonal diapered pattern filled with tiny circles ranging from one to three, framed by bands of ruyi-heads and wan-key-fret, and terminating in a lotus bud encircled by petal lappets, all meticulously overlaid in silver and gilt wire, the design mirrored on the cover, each piece with a lug.

Provenance: The collection of Cindy Elden, New York, United States. Cindy Elden, philanthropist and collector, belongs to a lineage of distinguished art patrons that includes her great-uncles—David Archibald Smart (1892–1952) and Alfred Smart (1895–1951)—renowned Chicago publishers and art patrons whose legacy is commemorated in the naming of the Smart Museum of Art. Her father, Richard Elden (1933–2018), the visionary hedge-fund pioneer who founded Grosvenor Capital Management, upheld that legacy through decades of leadership as Governor of the Museum. As a current Board member of the Museum, Cindy Elden has supported acquisitions and exhibitions spanning antiquities to modern art, with a special emphasis on South and Central Asian sculpture. She is the President and Co-Founder of the Usher III Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to curing the rare genetic disorder that causes both hearing and vision loss. Condition: Good condition with expected wear, traces of use, and manufacturing irregularities, encrustations and little corrosion, light warping and minute dents, rubbing and losses to inlays.

Weight: 492.7 g
Dimensions: Length 37 cm

This fine example of Tibetan overlaid metal work is from the Derge kingdom of eastern Tibet. The elongated form, enriched with a crisply diapered design inlaid in contrasting metals, reflects both the refinement of Derge craftsmanship and the central role of writing in Tibetan monastic and aristocratic culture. Pen cases such as this, prized by scholars and monks alike, embodied both status and devotion, serving as portable companions for the copying of sacred texts and the recording of knowledge. By the 17th century, the Derge court and its famed printing house were at the forefront of Tibetan literary production, and luxury writing implements like the present piece stood at the intersection of artistry, piety, and intellectual prestige.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related silver and gold-overlaid iron pen case from Derge, Eastern Tibet, dated 17^th-18^th century, 31.5 cm long, offered by Michael Backman, London, inventory number 8690. Compare a related earlier gilt-steel pen case from Derge, Eastern Tibet, dated 15^th-16^th century, 33.8 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1992.257.1.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 31 March 2005, lot 146
Price: USD 3,360 or approx. EUR 4,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A silver damascened iron seal and a silver and gold damascened pen case, Tibet or Mongolia, 17^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the size (34.8 cm) and that the lot further comprises a small iron seal.