China, 1100-1000 BC. Well carved in a dynamic position with the legs bent underneath, the mouth open, the ears swept backward, and short tail slightly upswept. Pierced through the neck for suspension. The translucent stone of a pale celadon tone with black veins and patches. Note the neatly incised and distinct double-line grooves typical for the late Shang to Western Zhou period.
Provenance: Collection of Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) and thence by descent to his widow Irene Beasley. Collection of Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964), acquired from the above c. 1939 and thence by descent in the same family. Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) was a British anthropologist and museum curator who developed an important ethnographic collection during the early 20th century that is now held in various British museums. With his wife Irene, Beasley set up the Cranmore Ethnographical Museum which eventually held more than 6,000 objects of ethnographical interest. The Beasleys collected objects from across Europe, buying from auction houses and local museums to expand the collection, which contained material from the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Northwestern America. Beasley wrote numerous articles for anthropological journals and was considered an expert in his field. He died in 1939 and his collection was stored with the British Museum collections during the war, which was fortunate, as the Cranmore Museum was destroyed by bombing. After the war, substantial portions of the collection were passed to the British Museum, the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the University of Cambridge, the Pitt Rivers Museum, and the Merseyside County Museum. Other pieces, such as the present lot, were sold by his widow and, after her death in 1974, by their daughters. Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964) was a contributor to the Cranmore Museum and became good friends with Harry Beasley. Shortly after Harry Beasley’s death, he acquired a number of objects from Irene Beasley, including the present lot.
Condition: Excellent condition with some old wear, expected signs of weathering and erosion, minimal nibbling, losses, encrustations. Remnants of ancient pigment.
Weight: 18.5 g
Dimensions: Length 6.1 cm
China, 1100-1000 BC. Well carved in a dynamic position with the legs bent underneath, the mouth open, the ears swept backward, and short tail slightly upswept. Pierced through the neck for suspension. The translucent stone of a pale celadon tone with black veins and patches. Note the neatly incised and distinct double-line grooves typical for the late Shang to Western Zhou period.
Provenance: Collection of Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) and thence by descent to his widow Irene Beasley. Collection of Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964), acquired from the above c. 1939 and thence by descent in the same family. Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) was a British anthropologist and museum curator who developed an important ethnographic collection during the early 20th century that is now held in various British museums. With his wife Irene, Beasley set up the Cranmore Ethnographical Museum which eventually held more than 6,000 objects of ethnographical interest. The Beasleys collected objects from across Europe, buying from auction houses and local museums to expand the collection, which contained material from the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and Northwestern America. Beasley wrote numerous articles for anthropological journals and was considered an expert in his field. He died in 1939 and his collection was stored with the British Museum collections during the war, which was fortunate, as the Cranmore Museum was destroyed by bombing. After the war, substantial portions of the collection were passed to the British Museum, the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the University of Cambridge, the Pitt Rivers Museum, and the Merseyside County Museum. Other pieces, such as the present lot, were sold by his widow and, after her death in 1974, by their daughters. Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964) was a contributor to the Cranmore Museum and became good friends with Harry Beasley. Shortly after Harry Beasley’s death, he acquired a number of objects from Irene Beasley, including the present lot.
Condition: Excellent condition with some old wear, expected signs of weathering and erosion, minimal nibbling, losses, encrustations. Remnants of ancient pigment.
Weight: 18.5 g
Dimensions: Length 6.1 cm
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Auction: Chinese Archaic Jades from Old Collections / 舊藏中國古玉, 12th Oct, 2023
Join Zacke for this noteworthy sale of 53 rare archaic masterpieces carved from jade (50), soapstone (1), and ritual bone (2), without exception sourced from renowned collectors, many of whom have long since passed away.
These old provenances include preeminent scholars of Chinese art such as Harry Geoffrey Beasley, Isabelle and Robert de Strycker, Sir Percival David, Idemitsu Sazo, Dr. Wou Kiuan, Henry Dyer, and Robert Rousset.
Two exceptional jades (1004 and 1033) from the David Taylor collection deserve special mention, as similar pieces from this provenance achieved record prices quite recently during Asia Week in New York. David Taylor, a Scottish businessman based in Belfast, was known for acquiring a notable group of Chinese jades on his extensive travels in East Asia during the early 20th century. The rather spectacular collection was kept in the family for nearly a century, well beyond David Taylor’s passing in 1952, and only surfaced at a local auction house in the United Kingdom in 2020.
We take great pride in presenting this extraordinary group of 53 ancient artworks, as showcased in our hardcover catalog, and cordially invite you to explore this one-of-a-kind opportunity.
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