Under the Hammer
Benedetta Mottino's Top Picks from Fine Chinese Art
Bonhams is delighted to offer an exceptional selection of Chinese furniture, ceramics and works of art for sale in our Fine Chinese Art auction on 5th November. Ahead of the sale, Director of Chinese Art in London Benedetta Mottino shares her favourite objects coming under the hammer.
This November, Asian Art in London returns to Bonhams with a series of four sales celebrating centuries of Asian artistry and ingenuity. The four auctions comprise: Asian Art, Fine Netsuke from a French Private Collection, Fine Chinese Art and Fine Japanese Art.
Featuring a remarkable collection of huanghuali furniture, archaic bronzes, Imperial dragon robes and more, the flagship New Bond Street sale of Fine Chinese Art will present an exceptional selection of Chinese furniture, ceramics and works of art from collections across the UK and Europe.
Benedetta Mottino, Director of the Chinese Art Department in London, New Bond Street
Benedetta Mottino, Director of the Chinese Art Department in London, New Bond Street
Lot 101
A Very Rare and Large Court Painting of Ladies Playing Chess
Lot 101. A Very Rare Large Court Painting of Ladies Playing Chess, Yongzheng/Qianlong Estimate £60,000 - 80,000
Lot 101. A Very Rare Large Court Painting of Ladies Playing Chess, Yongzheng/Qianlong Estimate £60,000 - 80,000
From a remarkable selection of classical Chinese furniture, jades, porcelain and other works of art, all sourced from private collections, my favourite piece would have to be a delicate Imperial painting of two court ladies playing chess from an important Italian private collection.
Dating from the early 18th century, the painting bears striking stylistic similarities with the famous Screen of the Twelve Beauties at Leisure, executed during the Yongzheng reign (1722-1735) currently in the Imperial collection in the Forbidden City. Indeed, it may have been executed by the same court artists. The painting is also important in that the game of chess was usually, and certainly up until shortly before the 18th century, reserved exclusively for male scholars. The fact that two ladies are delicately portrayed enjoying the game of chess may reflect interesting changing models of feminine identity by the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, when women were probably considered almost equal to male literati in terms of cultural finesse.
Lot 4
A Rare Archaic Bronze Ritual Food Vessel, Gui
Lot 4. Rare Archaic Bronze Ritual Food Vessel, Gui, Early Western Zhou Dynasty, 11th-10th century BC. Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000
Lot 4. Rare Archaic Bronze Ritual Food Vessel, Gui, Early Western Zhou Dynasty, 11th-10th century BC. Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000
From a UK Private collection boasting an impressive pre-1978 provenance including eminent names, such as Earl Morse and Richard and Jean D. Salisbury, this vessel was included in the Spirit and Ritual Exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, in 1982. Another wonderful piece to watch on 5th November!
Lot 6
A Very Rare Grey Limestone Head of Buddha Shakyamuni
Lot 6. A Very Rare Grey Limestone Head of Buddha Shakyamuni, Tang Dynasty, Longmen Caves, 7th century AD. Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000
Lot 6. A Very Rare Grey Limestone Head of Buddha Shakyamuni, Tang Dynasty, Longmen Caves, 7th century AD. Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000
This large and strongly carved head bears features from the transitional phase of development at the grottoes of Longmen in North China as the site activity resumed after a long hiatus following the fall of the Northern Wei dynasty. Official sponsorship and further expansion began with renewed energy at the end of the Northern Qi to the early Tang period, and indeed, this incredible piece shows stylistic traces inherited from the early Tang sculptural experimentation.
Lot 103
A Pair of Very Rare Imperial Gilt-Lacquer and Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Display Cabinets
Lot 103. A Pair of Very Rare Imperial Gilt-Lacquer and Mother-Of-Pearl-Inlaid Display Cabinets, Yongzheng/Qianlong. Estimate £50,000 - 80,000.
Lot 103. A Pair of Very Rare Imperial Gilt-Lacquer and Mother-Of-Pearl-Inlaid Display Cabinets, Yongzheng/Qianlong. Estimate £50,000 - 80,000.
This pair of display cabinets are exquisitely decorated with paper-thin mother-of-pearl inlays of foliage and lotus blossoms on a rich gold ground. The spectacular visual effect, resulting from the combination of the brilliant gilding and the endless shades of pink, purple and greek iridescences of the mother-of-pearl inlays, reveals the exceptional dexterity of the imperial craftsmen.
I love how the cabinets, pictured here, showcase the original context in which Imperial Works of Art would have been displayed for enjoyment by the members of the Chinese Imperial family.
Lot 155
A Magnificent Large Very Pale Green Jade 'Stag and Young' Group
Lot 155. A Magnificent Large Very Pale Green Jade 'Stag and Young' Group, Qianlong. Estimate £30,000 - 50,000
Lot 155. A Magnificent Large Very Pale Green Jade 'Stag and Young' Group, Qianlong. Estimate £30,000 - 50,000
And last but not least is this magnificent jade which is of unusually large size for an animal carving from this period. Skilfully modelled in the round, the sturdy animals effectively contrast with the finely carved branches of lingzhi fungus that scroll around the larger deer to create a sense of movement. The quality of the carving and polish is also of the highest standard.
Deer have a number of auspicious meanings in Chinese culture. Shoulao, the Star God of Longevity, is usually depicted accompanied by a spotted deer, crane, peach and pine tree. Thus each of these, including the deer, has come to represent long life. Deer are also believed to be the only animals that can find the fungus of immortality. In addition, deer may represent Luxing, the God of Rank and Emolument.
Benedetta is Director of the Chinese Art Department in London, New Bond Street. She can be reached at benedetta.mottino@bonhams.com
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