12th Oct, 2023 11:00
Chinese Archaic Jades from Old Collections / 舊藏中國古玉
1041
A CELADON AND BROWN JADE BI DISK, EASTERN ZHOU TO WARRING STATES PERIOD
東周至戰國青玉穀紋璧
€2,000
€4,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
China, 770-221 BC. Neatly carved on both sides in low relief with raised bosses in the form of comma spirals within finely incised lozenges formed by a grid of intersecting lines, within incised line borders encircling the rim and enclosing the central aperture. The translucent stone of a pale green tone with brown shadings, icy and cloudy inclusions, and dark veins and specks.
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. The presentation box with three labels, reading ‘On[e] antique jade. China, 19[… 19]5053 750 […],’ ‘North China - along the Yellow River - classics,’ and ‘Ask me to interpret the symbolism.’ 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 several objects from Irene Beasley, including the present lot.
Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, signs of weathering and erosion, minuscule nibbling, and tiny losses to edges which have smoothened over time. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into hairline cracks.
Weight: 178.5 g
Dimensions: Diameter 15.7 cm
Please click here to read the full description
With an old presentation box and glass cover. (2)
Literature comparison:
Compare a similar bi disk dated to the 3rd century BC, 17.5 cm in diameter, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Museum, accession number F1917.85. Compare a similar bi disk dated to the 3rd century BC, 17.5 cm in diameter, at the Art Institute Chicago, reference number 1950.591.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 14 July 2021, lot 2100
Price: HKD 189,000 or approx. EUR 23,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A celadon and russet jade disk, bi, Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period
Expert remark: Note the size (21 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 3 December 2021, lot 2728
Price: HKD 250,000 or approx. EUR 31,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pale celadon and russet jade disk, bi, mid Warring States period, c. 400-300 BC
Expert remark: Note the size (12 cm).
点此阅读中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
東周至戰國青玉穀紋璧
中國，西元前770-221 年。圓形璧，體扁平，內、外邊緣處凸起，兩面紋飾相同，均飾顆粒狀穀紋。斜邊由相交線網格形成。玉璧呈斑駁青綠色，帶有褐色斑點和白色內沁。
來源：Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939)收藏，他逝世後由其遺孀Irene Beasley保存；Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964)，約於1939年購於上述收藏，之後在同一家族保存至今。盒上有三個標簽，可見‘On[e] antique jade. China，19[… 19]5053 750 […]’ ,‘North China - along the Yellow River - classics,’與 ‘Ask me to interpret the symbolism.’ 等字樣。Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) 是一位英國人類學家和博物館館長，他在二十世紀初建立了一個重要的民族志收藏，現在收藏在英國的各個博物館中。Beasley和他的妻子Irene一起建立了Cranmore民族志博物館，該博物館最終收藏了 6,000 多件民族志方面的物品。Beasley 收集了來自歐洲各地的物品，從拍賣行和當地博物館購買以擴大收藏範圍，其中包含來自太平洋、亞洲、非洲和美國西北部的資料。Beasley為人類學期刊撰寫了大量文章，被公認爲是該領域的專家。他於 1939 年去世，他的藏品幸虧在戰爭期間被存放在大英博物館裏，而Cranmore博物館被轟炸摧毀。戰後，大部分藏品被轉移到大英博物館、愛丁堡皇家博物館、劍橋大學考古與人類學博物館、Pitt Rivers博物館和Merseyside County博物館。其他收藏，例如現在的拍品，由他的遺孀出售，在她 1974 年去世後，由他們的女兒出售。Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964) 曾是Cranmore 民族志博物館重要支持人，也曾是 Harry Beasley的好友。在Harry Beasley去世不久，他從Irene Beasley 處購買了一些收藏，包括此件拍品。
品相：狀況極佳，有磨損、風化和侵蝕跡象、微小的磕損、一些小刻痕，以及隨著時間的推移而變得光滑的邊緣的微小缺損。石料有天然裂隙，有的可能發展成細裂紋。
重量：178.5 克
尺寸：直徑15.7 釐米
玻璃蓋老盒 (2)
文獻比較：
比較一件相似的公元前三世紀玉璧，直徑17.5 厘米，收藏於史密森學會國立亞洲藝術博物館，收藏編號 F1917.85。比較一件相似的公元前三世紀玉璧，直徑17.5 厘米，收藏於芝加哥藝術博物館，館藏編號1950.591。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2021年7月14日，lot 2100
價格：HKD 189,000（相當於今日EUR 23,500）
描述：東周戰國青玉穀紋璧
專家評論：請注意尺寸(21 厘米)。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2021年12月3日，lot 2728
價格：HKD 250,000（相當於今日EUR 31,000）
描述：戰國中期鑲嵌用穀紋玉璧
專家評論：請注意尺寸(12 厘米)。
China, 770-221 BC. Neatly carved on both sides in low relief with raised bosses in the form of comma spirals within finely incised lozenges formed by a grid of intersecting lines, within incised line borders encircling the rim and enclosing the central aperture. The translucent stone of a pale green tone with brown shadings, icy and cloudy inclusions, and dark veins and specks.
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. The presentation box with three labels, reading ‘On[e] antique jade. China, 19[… 19]5053 750 […],’ ‘North China - along the Yellow River - classics,’ and ‘Ask me to interpret the symbolism.’ 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 several objects from Irene Beasley, including the present lot.
Condition: Excellent condition, commensurate with age. Old wear, signs of weathering and erosion, minuscule nibbling, and tiny losses to edges which have smoothened over time. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into hairline cracks.
Weight: 178.5 g
Dimensions: Diameter 15.7 cm
Please click here to read the full description
With an old presentation box and glass cover. (2)
Literature comparison:
Compare a similar bi disk dated to the 3rd century BC, 17.5 cm in diameter, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Museum, accession number F1917.85. Compare a similar bi disk dated to the 3rd century BC, 17.5 cm in diameter, at the Art Institute Chicago, reference number 1950.591.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 14 July 2021, lot 2100
Price: HKD 189,000 or approx. EUR 23,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A celadon and russet jade disk, bi, Eastern Zhou dynasty, Warring States period
Expert remark: Note the size (21 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 3 December 2021, lot 2728
Price: HKD 250,000 or approx. EUR 31,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pale celadon and russet jade disk, bi, mid Warring States period, c. 400-300 BC
Expert remark: Note the size (12 cm).
点此阅读中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
東周至戰國青玉穀紋璧
中國，西元前770-221 年。圓形璧，體扁平，內、外邊緣處凸起，兩面紋飾相同，均飾顆粒狀穀紋。斜邊由相交線網格形成。玉璧呈斑駁青綠色，帶有褐色斑點和白色內沁。
來源：Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939)收藏，他逝世後由其遺孀Irene Beasley保存；Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964)，約於1939年購於上述收藏，之後在同一家族保存至今。盒上有三個標簽，可見‘On[e] antique jade. China，19[… 19]5053 750 […]’ ,‘North China - along the Yellow River - classics,’與 ‘Ask me to interpret the symbolism.’ 等字樣。Harry Geoffrey Beasley (1881-1939) 是一位英國人類學家和博物館館長，他在二十世紀初建立了一個重要的民族志收藏，現在收藏在英國的各個博物館中。Beasley和他的妻子Irene一起建立了Cranmore民族志博物館，該博物館最終收藏了 6,000 多件民族志方面的物品。Beasley 收集了來自歐洲各地的物品，從拍賣行和當地博物館購買以擴大收藏範圍，其中包含來自太平洋、亞洲、非洲和美國西北部的資料。Beasley為人類學期刊撰寫了大量文章，被公認爲是該領域的專家。他於 1939 年去世，他的藏品幸虧在戰爭期間被存放在大英博物館裏，而Cranmore博物館被轟炸摧毀。戰後，大部分藏品被轉移到大英博物館、愛丁堡皇家博物館、劍橋大學考古與人類學博物館、Pitt Rivers博物館和Merseyside County博物館。其他收藏，例如現在的拍品，由他的遺孀出售，在她 1974 年去世後，由他們的女兒出售。Alfred William Cowperthwaite (1890-1964) 曾是Cranmore 民族志博物館重要支持人，也曾是 Harry Beasley的好友。在Harry Beasley去世不久，他從Irene Beasley 處購買了一些收藏，包括此件拍品。
品相：狀況極佳，有磨損、風化和侵蝕跡象、微小的磕損、一些小刻痕，以及隨著時間的推移而變得光滑的邊緣的微小缺損。石料有天然裂隙，有的可能發展成細裂紋。
重量：178.5 克
尺寸：直徑15.7 釐米
玻璃蓋老盒 (2)
文獻比較：
比較一件相似的公元前三世紀玉璧，直徑17.5 厘米，收藏於史密森學會國立亞洲藝術博物館，收藏編號 F1917.85。比較一件相似的公元前三世紀玉璧，直徑17.5 厘米，收藏於芝加哥藝術博物館，館藏編號1950.591。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2021年7月14日，lot 2100
價格：HKD 189,000（相當於今日EUR 23,500）
描述：東周戰國青玉穀紋璧
專家評論：請注意尺寸(21 厘米)。
拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2021年12月3日，lot 2728
價格：HKD 250,000（相當於今日EUR 31,000）
描述：戰國中期鑲嵌用穀紋玉璧
專家評論：請注意尺寸(12 厘米)。
Natural Light Images for Logged-in Users Only
You can find images of this item taken under natural daylight below. Click on an image to zoom in or save.
If there are no natural light images for this item, please email us at office@zacke.at or use the request form below.
Log in or sign up to view the natural light images.
Click here to request more information on this lot.
Zacke Live Online Bidding
Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.
To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins.
Intended Spend and Bid Limits
When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'.
Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT. For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.
Online Absentee and Telephone Bids
You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website!
Absentee Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Telephone Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form
You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page.
How-To Guides
How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online
中文版本的操作指南
创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍（免平台费）
缺席投标和电话投标
Third-Party Bidding
We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:
- 51 Bid Live
- EpaiLive
- ArtFoxLive
- Invaluable
- LiveAuctioneers
- the-saleroom
- lot-tissimo
- Drouot
Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.
Bidding in Person
You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.
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.
Classic Bidding Form Telephone Bidding Form
Viewing
2-10 October
10 AM - 6 PM
as well as by appointment
Our Terms and Conditions
As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our auctions fair and transparent, we encourage you to read our terms and conditions thoroughly. We urge you to read through §34-50) to ensure you understand them. These terms are specifically designed to protect all serious and committed buyers from bidding against non-payers who attempt to inflate prices without the intent of paying their auction bills.
For further reading about non-payers at auction, go here: https://www.zacke.at/aboutnonpayers/.
The main points include the following:
- Bidders must complete their due diligence and clarify all questions about the objects before the auction. After the auction, Zacke will not answer questions from bidders unless the purchase price has been paid in full. Of course, this does not apply to questions concerning shipping, insurance, customs, etc.
- A sale cancellation of any kind after the fall of the hammer is not possible. The only exception to this fundamental rule is our guarantee of authenticity [the Guarantee].
- A Guarantee Claim, however, can only be raised after the purchase price has been paid in full by the buyer and within 45 days after the auction day.
If you have any questions about our policies, please get in touch with us at office@zacke.at.
By placing a bid, you agree to our Terms of Auction and Terms and Conditions.
