15th Jun, 2021 10:00

Asian Art Discoveries - China and Southeast Asia

 
  Lot 275
 

275

A POLYCHROME STUCCO FRESCO FRAGMENT, YUAN TO MING DYNASTY
元至明代壁畫石膏浮雕殘片

Sold for €5,056

including Buyer's Premium


Lot details

China, 1279-1644. The rectangular panel painted with two celestial maidens, one playing the pipa and the other the cymbals, wearing elaborate headdresses and long flowing robes, richly adorned in jewelry, the arm and flute of a third musician can be seen towards the left edge, all painted in polychrome pigments highlighting the gilded ornamentation with gesso relief.

Provenance: From an old Canadian private estate. A noted collector, acquired from the above.
Condition: Laid down on a wooden base, otherwise in original and unrestored condition. Losses, wear, weathering, cracks and erosion.

Dimensions: Size 113.5 x 52 cm

The style of painting in this fresco recalls that of the mid-eighth century temple painting style. Largely ignored by the court and literati circles, this 'flowing water and scudding clouds' (xingyun liushui) manner, reminiscent of the Tang dynasty painter Wu Daozi, was ideal for painting religious figures. Unlike earlier modes stressing precise contours, the whirling spiritual energy of this brushwork gives the impression of qi, or inner life. This animated style has been popular with builders and decorators of Buddhist temples ever since.

Literature comparison: Compare the sculpture and murals in Cave 57 of the Mogao grottos at Dunhuang, illustrated in Roderick Whitfield et. al., Cave Temples of Mogao, Art and History on the Silk Road, Los Angeles, 2000, p. 37, as well as the murals of bodhisattva in caves 172 and 199, illustrated in Chang Shuhong, The Art Treasures of Dunhuang, Hong Kong and New York, 1981, paying close attention to the garments and ornamentation of the figures.

Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related, but smaller fresco fragment with a single celestial maiden, at Sotheby’s New York, Important Chinese Art, 11 September 2019, lot 816, sold for USD 37,500.

元至明代壁畫石膏浮雕殘片
中國,1279-1644年。長方形殘片上描繪著兩位天女,一個在演奏琵琶,另一個在演奏鈸。她們身著飾有精美的珠寶的長袍,頭戴珠冠。從左邊緣可以看到第三位音樂家的手臂和長笛。色彩明艷,突出了帶有浮雕的金彩裝飾。

來源:加拿大私人遺產。一位知名藏家,購於上述收藏。
品相:木底裝幀,除此之外為原始未修補狀態。缺損,磨損,風化,裂縫和腐蝕。

尺寸:113.5 x 52 厘米

拍賣結果比較:一件相近但更小的、並只有一位天女的殘片見紐約蘇富比Important Chinese Art拍場2019年9月11日 lot 816, 售價USD 37,500.

 

China, 1279-1644. The rectangular panel painted with two celestial maidens, one playing the pipa and the other the cymbals, wearing elaborate headdresses and long flowing robes, richly adorned in jewelry, the arm and flute of a third musician can be seen towards the left edge, all painted in polychrome pigments highlighting the gilded ornamentation with gesso relief.

Provenance: From an old Canadian private estate. A noted collector, acquired from the above.
Condition: Laid down on a wooden base, otherwise in original and unrestored condition. Losses, wear, weathering, cracks and erosion.

Dimensions: Size 113.5 x 52 cm

The style of painting in this fresco recalls that of the mid-eighth century temple painting style. Largely ignored by the court and literati circles, this 'flowing water and scudding clouds' (xingyun liushui) manner, reminiscent of the Tang dynasty painter Wu Daozi, was ideal for painting religious figures. Unlike earlier modes stressing precise contours, the whirling spiritual energy of this brushwork gives the impression of qi, or inner life. This animated style has been popular with builders and decorators of Buddhist temples ever since.

Literature comparison: Compare the sculpture and murals in Cave 57 of the Mogao grottos at Dunhuang, illustrated in Roderick Whitfield et. al., Cave Temples of Mogao, Art and History on the Silk Road, Los Angeles, 2000, p. 37, as well as the murals of bodhisattva in caves 172 and 199, illustrated in Chang Shuhong, The Art Treasures of Dunhuang, Hong Kong and New York, 1981, paying close attention to the garments and ornamentation of the figures.

Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related, but smaller fresco fragment with a single celestial maiden, at Sotheby’s New York, Important Chinese Art, 11 September 2019, lot 816, sold for USD 37,500.

元至明代壁畫石膏浮雕殘片
中國,1279-1644年。長方形殘片上描繪著兩位天女,一個在演奏琵琶,另一個在演奏鈸。她們身著飾有精美的珠寶的長袍,頭戴珠冠。從左邊緣可以看到第三位音樂家的手臂和長笛。色彩明艷,突出了帶有浮雕的金彩裝飾。

來源:加拿大私人遺產。一位知名藏家,購於上述收藏。
品相:木底裝幀,除此之外為原始未修補狀態。缺損,磨損,風化,裂縫和腐蝕。

尺寸:113.5 x 52 厘米

拍賣結果比較:一件相近但更小的、並只有一位天女的殘片見紐約蘇富比Important Chinese Art拍場2019年9月11日 lot 816, 售價USD 37,500.

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. 

Create an Account

  

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.

Telephone Bidding Form

 

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.