11th Oct, 2023 11:00
THREE-DAY AUCTION - Fine Chinese Art / 中國藝術集珍 / Buddhism & Hinduism
48
A CAMEO AGATE ‘NOBLE PROFESSIONS’ SNUFF BOTTLE, ZHITING SCHOOL, SUZHOU, CHINA, 1760-1850
1760-1850年蘇作芝亭派瑪瑙人物鼻煙壺
€4,000
€8,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
Well hollowed, the ovoid body supported on a flat foot rising to a tall neck with a flat lip. Superbly carved, cleverly utilizing the darker brown markings in the stone, to one side with a farmer sitting with his goat under a pine tree and to the other with a scholar and his boy attendant by a pond with two ducks, all amid neatly detailed serrated rockwork, a hallmark of the Suzhou school. The shoulders carved with beast mask handles suspending mock rings.
Provenance: The VWS Collection, acquired by the previous owner’s father (1890-1977) in China during the 1930s and thence by descent within the family. The VWS collection tells the extraordinary story of a family fleeing the Tsarist Empire in Russia. Their journey began in 1903 as the Chinese Eastern Railway, the eastern branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway, was completed. Fleeing, like others, a climate of political persecution and anti-Semitism, the family settled in Harbin, the northernmost city in China and started to develop its businesses from 1906 onwards. Like many others, they were attracted to this cosmopolitan place, then a major economic and cultural center in Manchuria, because of its large Jewish community. In Harbin, the father, a cultured, open-minded and multilingual man, felt at home and his early successes in business earned him respect. By 1932, he and his family were forced to flee again, following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and found a new home in Shanghai. From there, his businesses took him to Hong Kong, North America, and other Asian countries, where the family would remain for many years. They began collecting art in China during the 1930s and these artworks have remained with the family heirs ever since.
Condition: Very good condition with only minor wear and few tiny nicks.
Stopper: Apple and emerald-green jadeite stopper
Weight: 64.7 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 74 mm. Diameter neck 11 mm and mouth 7 mm
Please click here to read the full description
Expert’s note: The present lot belongs to a group of masterfully carved and rare Suzhou snuff bottles depicting the popular subject of the ‘Four Noble Professions’: scholar, farmer, woodcutter, and fisherman. The present bottle depicts two of these professions, namely the scholar and the farmer.
Auction comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 March 2013, lot 1092
Price: USD 37,500 or approx. EUR 44,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A finely carved cameo agate snuff bottle, Zhiting School, Suzhou, 1760-1850
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, also depicting the Four Noble Professions, color with similar dark inclusions, and manner of carving with similar serrated rockwork. Note the size (4.8 cm).
Auction comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 Sep 2005, lot 442
Price: USD 33,600 or approx. EUR 47,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine and unusual cameo agate snuff bottle, school of Zhiting, Suzhou, 1750-1850
Expert remark: Compare the related form, manner of carving, and color with similar dark inclusions. Note the size (5.4 cm).
点此阅读中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
1760-1850年蘇作芝亭派瑪瑙人物鼻煙壺
掏膛良好，圓柱頸，壺身修長，扁平足。雕刻精美，巧妙地利用了瑪瑙深棕色紋理雕刻了人物場景。一面農民和他的山羊坐在松樹下，另一面是一位學者和他的侍者在池塘邊，兩隻鴨子在池中戲耍。周邊樹木岩石，場景如開光一般，是蘇州畫派的一大特色。雙肩各有一個獸面啣環輔首。
來源：VWS 收藏，前主人的父親 (1890-1977)於上世紀三十年代在中國購得，保存在同一家族至今。VWS收藏講述了一個家庭逃離沙皇俄羅斯帝國的非凡故事。他們的旅程始於 1903 年，當時西伯利亞大鐵路東部支線中東鐵路竣工。和其他人一樣，為了逃離政治迫害和反猶太主義的環境，全家定居在中國最北端的城市哈爾濱，並從 1906 年開始發展業務。像許多其他人一樣，他們被這個國際化的城市吸引，因為這裡有龐大的猶太社區，當時這裡是滿洲的主要經濟和文化中心。在哈爾濱，父親是一個有教養、思想開放、會說多種語言的人，他早年在商業上的成功為他贏得了尊重。1932 年，日本入侵滿洲後，他和家人再次被迫逃離，並在上海找到了新家。從那裡開始，他的生意將他帶到了香港、北美和其他亞洲國家，他的家人在那裡待了很多年。他們於 1930 年代開始在中國收藏藝術品，這些藝術品自此一直由家族繼承人保管。
品相：狀況極好，只有輕微磨損和一些小劃痕。
壺蓋: 翡翠
重量：64.7 克
尺寸：含蓋高 74 毫米，頸部直徑11毫米，壺口 7 毫米
拍賣比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2013年3月21日，lot 1092
價錢：USD 37,500（相當今日EUR 44,500）
描述：1760-1850年蘇作瑪瑙巧雕漁樵耕讀鼻煙壺
專家註釋：比較非常相近的漁樵耕讀主題、相似的顏色和黑斑，雕刻風格有相似的岩石雕刻。請注意尺寸 (4.8 厘米)。
拍賣比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2005年9月20日，lot 442
價錢：USD 33,600（相當今日EUR 47,500）
描述：1750-1850年蘇作芝亭派浮雕瑪瑙鼻煙壺
專家註釋：比較相近的外形，雕刻風格，以及相似的顏色和黑斑。請注意尺寸 (5.4 厘米)。
Well hollowed, the ovoid body supported on a flat foot rising to a tall neck with a flat lip. Superbly carved, cleverly utilizing the darker brown markings in the stone, to one side with a farmer sitting with his goat under a pine tree and to the other with a scholar and his boy attendant by a pond with two ducks, all amid neatly detailed serrated rockwork, a hallmark of the Suzhou school. The shoulders carved with beast mask handles suspending mock rings.
Provenance: The VWS Collection, acquired by the previous owner’s father (1890-1977) in China during the 1930s and thence by descent within the family. The VWS collection tells the extraordinary story of a family fleeing the Tsarist Empire in Russia. Their journey began in 1903 as the Chinese Eastern Railway, the eastern branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway, was completed. Fleeing, like others, a climate of political persecution and anti-Semitism, the family settled in Harbin, the northernmost city in China and started to develop its businesses from 1906 onwards. Like many others, they were attracted to this cosmopolitan place, then a major economic and cultural center in Manchuria, because of its large Jewish community. In Harbin, the father, a cultured, open-minded and multilingual man, felt at home and his early successes in business earned him respect. By 1932, he and his family were forced to flee again, following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and found a new home in Shanghai. From there, his businesses took him to Hong Kong, North America, and other Asian countries, where the family would remain for many years. They began collecting art in China during the 1930s and these artworks have remained with the family heirs ever since.
Condition: Very good condition with only minor wear and few tiny nicks.
Stopper: Apple and emerald-green jadeite stopper
Weight: 64.7 g
Dimensions: Height including stopper 74 mm. Diameter neck 11 mm and mouth 7 mm
Please click here to read the full description
Expert’s note: The present lot belongs to a group of masterfully carved and rare Suzhou snuff bottles depicting the popular subject of the ‘Four Noble Professions’: scholar, farmer, woodcutter, and fisherman. The present bottle depicts two of these professions, namely the scholar and the farmer.
Auction comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 March 2013, lot 1092
Price: USD 37,500 or approx. EUR 44,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A finely carved cameo agate snuff bottle, Zhiting School, Suzhou, 1760-1850
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, also depicting the Four Noble Professions, color with similar dark inclusions, and manner of carving with similar serrated rockwork. Note the size (4.8 cm).
Auction comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 Sep 2005, lot 442
Price: USD 33,600 or approx. EUR 47,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine and unusual cameo agate snuff bottle, school of Zhiting, Suzhou, 1750-1850
Expert remark: Compare the related form, manner of carving, and color with similar dark inclusions. Note the size (5.4 cm).
点此阅读中文翻译 (Chinese Translation)
1760-1850年蘇作芝亭派瑪瑙人物鼻煙壺
掏膛良好，圓柱頸，壺身修長，扁平足。雕刻精美，巧妙地利用了瑪瑙深棕色紋理雕刻了人物場景。一面農民和他的山羊坐在松樹下，另一面是一位學者和他的侍者在池塘邊，兩隻鴨子在池中戲耍。周邊樹木岩石，場景如開光一般，是蘇州畫派的一大特色。雙肩各有一個獸面啣環輔首。
來源：VWS 收藏，前主人的父親 (1890-1977)於上世紀三十年代在中國購得，保存在同一家族至今。VWS收藏講述了一個家庭逃離沙皇俄羅斯帝國的非凡故事。他們的旅程始於 1903 年，當時西伯利亞大鐵路東部支線中東鐵路竣工。和其他人一樣，為了逃離政治迫害和反猶太主義的環境，全家定居在中國最北端的城市哈爾濱，並從 1906 年開始發展業務。像許多其他人一樣，他們被這個國際化的城市吸引，因為這裡有龐大的猶太社區，當時這裡是滿洲的主要經濟和文化中心。在哈爾濱，父親是一個有教養、思想開放、會說多種語言的人，他早年在商業上的成功為他贏得了尊重。1932 年，日本入侵滿洲後，他和家人再次被迫逃離，並在上海找到了新家。從那裡開始，他的生意將他帶到了香港、北美和其他亞洲國家，他的家人在那裡待了很多年。他們於 1930 年代開始在中國收藏藝術品，這些藝術品自此一直由家族繼承人保管。
品相：狀況極好，只有輕微磨損和一些小劃痕。
壺蓋: 翡翠
重量：64.7 克
尺寸：含蓋高 74 毫米，頸部直徑11毫米，壺口 7 毫米
拍賣比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2013年3月21日，lot 1092
價錢：USD 37,500（相當今日EUR 44,500）
描述：1760-1850年蘇作瑪瑙巧雕漁樵耕讀鼻煙壺
專家註釋：比較非常相近的漁樵耕讀主題、相似的顏色和黑斑，雕刻風格有相似的岩石雕刻。請注意尺寸 (4.8 厘米)。
拍賣比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2005年9月20日，lot 442
價錢：USD 33,600（相當今日EUR 47,500）
描述：1750-1850年蘇作芝亭派浮雕瑪瑙鼻煙壺
專家註釋：比較相近的外形，雕刻風格，以及相似的顏色和黑斑。請注意尺寸 (5.4 厘米)。
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Auction: THREE-DAY AUCTION - Fine Chinese Art / 中國藝術集珍 / Buddhism & Hinduism, 11th Oct, 2023
Join Zacke for a three-day live auction event featuring 741 works of art from countries as large as China, India, or Indonesia, from the Himalayan valleys and plateaus of Tibet, Nepal, Kashmir, and Pakistan, from the Southeast Asian peoples of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, as well as from the steppes of Central Asia to the plains of Mongolia, and from the Northern Indian basin to the island of Sri Lanka.
A pinnacle event of our autumn calendar – the flagship auction – will take place on Day 1 of the sale (lots 1-247), featuring many important pieces from renowned collections, among them an Imperial Falangcai miniature vase (lot 102), the Ming Dynasty’s largest surviving Zitan figure (lot 187), and an Imperial robe made for the Empress Dowager Cixi (lot 201).
The general auction will follow on Day 2 (lots 248-436) and on Day 3 (lots 437-748), offering items for avid art collectors and first-time buyers alike.
Notable Collector’s Provenances include the Zande Lou Collection, built by J.M. Hu, one of the world’s greatest connoisseurs of Chinese ceramics; James J. Lally, New York, a preeminent scholar of Asian art; Dr. Wou Kiuan, diplomat and founder of the Wou Lien-Pai museum; Zhang Boju, China’s celebrated art collector who was also known as one of the ‘Four Young Princes’; as well as many prestigious names such as Anton Exner, Adolphe Stoclet, Adrian Maynard, Dr. Elsa Graser, Charles Oswald Lidell, George Hathaway Taber, the Chasseloup-Laubat Family, Madame Safia Sassi, John Marsing, Leonardo Vigorelli, American tattoo artist Ed Hardy, and Academy Award winners Michael Phillips and Anthony Powell.
Historic Gallery and Dealership Provenances include Spink & Son, Galerie Jacques Barrère, Michel Beurdeley, E&J Frankel, Hugh Moss, Clare Chu, the Bernheimer Collection, Bluett & Sons, John Sparks, Marsha Vargas, Robert Kleiner, S. Bernstein & Co, Cohen & Cohen, and Michael Goedhuis.
Museum Deaccessions include the Cranmore Ethnographical Museum, the Norton Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, the Wou Lien-Pai, the Idemitsu, and the Zelnik István Asian Gold Museum.
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