Asian Art Society: February catalogue

Thursday February 15th 2024

Online Catalogue XXXVIII

FEBRUARY issue

WHO WE ARE The Asian Art Society features an online catalogue every month listing quality works of Asian art that have been thoroughly vetted by our select members, who are the in-house experts.

By bringing together a group of trusted dealers specializing in Asian art, our platform offers a unique collection of works of art that collectors will not find anywhere else online. To ensure the highest standards, gallery membership is by invitation only and determined by a selection committee of influential gallerists. /AsianArtSociety

Cover Image: Detail of a gold bracelet presented by Sue Ollemans on p.86.

TABLE OF CONTENTS JAPAN SOUTH ASIA INDIA CHINA TIBET GANDHARA

TAS selection

6 34 40 58 90 92

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SALE

FEBRUARY ARTWORKS

Pieces are published and changed each month. The objects are presented with a full description and corresponding dealers contact information Unlike auction sites or other platforms, we empower collectors to interact directly with the member dealers for enquiries and purchases by clicking on the e-mail adress.

In order to guarantee the quality of pieces available in the catalogues, objects are systematically validated by all our select members, who are the in-house experts. Collectors are therefore encouraged to decide and buy with complete confidence. In addition to this the Asian Art Society proposes a seven-day full money back return policy should the buyer not feel totally satisfied with a purchase. Items are presented by categories please check the table of contents.

Feel free to ask the price if the artwork is listed with a price on request.

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01

The Fox Spirit

by Ogata

Seal “Ogata shi shoga shirusu” (Painted and inscribed by Ogata) Inscribed on the painting “Ro ko kefu zu” (A painting of an old fox turning into a woman) Japan Late Edo period 19th century Silk, ink, paint pigments, hanging scroll textile and mount, bone (jikusaki) Overall: 186 cm x 51 cm Painting: 98 cm x 34 cm Box : Kiribako Price: 2.600 euros

Object Presented by: Galerie Mingei M: +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68 E: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com W: www.mingei.gallery

A hanging scroll painting depicting the Fox Spirit (Daji in Chinese) turning into a beautiful woman whose image is reflected in river.

During the Han dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD; 25–220 AD), the development of ideas about interspecies transformation had taken place in Chinese culture. The idea that nonhuman creatures with advancing age could assume human form is presented in works such as the Lunheng

by Wang Chong (27–91). As these traditions developed, the fox's capacity for transformation was shaped.

Describing the transformation and other features of the fox, Guo Pu (276–324) made the following comment: ""When a fox is fifty years old, it can transform itself into a woman; when a hundred years old, it becomes a beautiful female, or a spirit medium, or an adult male who has sexual intercourse with women. Such beings are able to know things at more than a thousand miles' distance; they can poison men by sorcery, or possess and bewilder them, so that they lose their memory and knowledge; and when a fox is thousand years old, it ascends to heaven and becomes a celestial fox.""

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02 Aori

Japan Circa 17th/ 18th century 70 cm (L.) x 50 cm (w.)

Price: 1.400 GBP

Object Presented by: Brandt Asian Art M: +44 (0)7774 989 661 E: brandt@nildram.co.uk W: www.brandtasianart.com

A pair of early tan leather formal horse regalia (saddle guards) with gilt surrounds.

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03

Two skeletons relaxing

Signed: Gyosen (漁仙) at the age of 73 Japan Sorori Shinzaemon II (1842-1923) Meiji-Taishō period, Early 20th century Scroll, ink on colour on silk, mounting on silk 102 cm (h) x 32 cm, 168 cm (h) x 44 cm Price: 4.300 euros

Two skeletons are relaxing, as one drinks sake while the second plays a shamisen with a plectrum (bacci). This painting is accompanied by a poem: Nozarashi ya mina tsuki hana no yume no ato, nanajū-san.

Ryōsen ga Alas! Skeletons, the moon and flower, the aftermath of dreams.

At the age of seventy-three Painted by Ryōsen The poem appears to have taken inspiration from the famous travelogue essay titled The Nozarashi Diary (Nozarashi kikō) by Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694). Bashō canonised the Buddhist notion of impermanence and the rule of fate over the existence of all living creatures in this work.

Sorori Shinzaemon II (1842-1923), whose original name was Isato Jūjiro was active in Osaka (Kansai) under the artist's name (gō) Ryōsen. He was a well-known master of rakugo, a form of Japanese verbal entertainment. He was a descendant of Sorori Shinzaemon I who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) as a jester and whom some consider the founder of rakugo in Japan. There are however many legendary stories about him, and others maintain he was a fictitious figure that never actually existed. Shinzaemon II studied painting under Kubota Beisen (1852-1906) who was one of the founders of the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting.

Object Presented by: Galerie Mingei M: +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68 E: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com W: www.mingei.gallery

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04 Hōju

by Sakai Shise dojin Japan Taishō period (1912-1926) or early Shōwa (1926-1989) Ink on paper, silk mounting 193 cm x 69 cm, 127 cm x 55 cm Price: 3.400 euros

至誠天地一家春 Shisē Tenchi ikka no haru Sincerely, spring covered the whole world The theme is taken from a Chinese poem by Yang Juyuan, active the end of 8th to the mid-9th century in the Tang dynasty. The poem blessing the arrival of spring, 雲 山九門曙 天地一家春: The sunrise arrived on the misty mountain to the city, spring covered the whole world.

The jewel depicted here is called Cintamani in Sanskrit, hōju in Japanese Buddhism. It symbolizes the Buddha preach, also it is considered to be the jewel grants the wish.

We don’t have any details about the calligrapher, however the brush strokes are filled with energy for welcoming the spring.

Object Presented by: Galerie Mingei M: +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68 E: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com W: www.mingei.gallery

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05

Karatsu chawan with kintsugi repairs

Japan Momoyama - Edo period 16th-17th century 7 cm (h) x 14 cm x 13,5 cm Kiribako Price: 2.200 euros

Object Presented by: Galerie Mingei M: +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68 E: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com W: www.mingei.gallery

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06

A wood Kyōgen mask of Oto (Otafuku)

Inscribed: Fukurai saku (made by Fukurai) and Mitsunao with kao (cursive monogram) Japan Muromachi period 15th century 18 cm (h) x 15 cm (w) x 17 cm (d) Price: 22.000 euros

Fukurai (act. late 14th to 15th centuries) was a master mask maker of the Muromachi period (1333-1573) from the Echizen region (present-day Fukui prefecture).

There are several theories who Fukurai was – it is said that the Noh mask master Fukurai Ishiobyoe Masatomo was his full name; another theory suggests that Fukurai and Ishiobyoe were two separate Noh mask makers.

In some records, Fukurai is counted as one of Rokusaku (six masters of mask making of the time, who were identified and selected by later generations).

During the medieval period, masks were rarely signed or sealed – most of the surviving examples by the old masters were authenticated by later masters, as with this example. On this present Kyogen mask, the attestation on the reverse is by Deme Mitsunao (d.

1750, artist name Hokan, the sixth generation of the Ono Deme Family) from the mid-Edo period. The Ono Deme family continuously produced Noh masks from the Momoyama period (16th century) and was one of three main hereditary Noh mask ateliers from 16th to 19th century: Echizen Deme family, Omi Iseki family and Ono Deme family.

Kyogen theatre (lit. wild words) is thought to stem from Sarugaku, a form of Chinese entertainment brought to Japan around the 8th century. It was a popular form of entertainment which included elements like mime, acrobatics and magic encompassing both drama and comedy. By the 14th century, these contradictive forms of Sarugaku had become known as Noh and Kyogen, respectively.

Object Presented by: Gregg Baker Asian Art M: +32 (0) 468 00 56 85 E: info@japanesescreens.com W: www.japanesescreens.com

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The mask of Oto (also called Otogoze, Otafuku and Okame, etc.) represents a young woman wearing a smiling, cheerful expression with large full cheeks.

The origin of this mask character Oto is considered as Amenouzume, a goddess and the oldest dancer in Japanese mythology. Throughout the long history of Kyogen, the mask of Oto has been used in various plays, as an auspicious woman (a lucky goddess), a demon princess or an ugly woman, depending on the stories or periods.

For more about the artist, see Nakanishi Toru and Konma Kiyonori, Nohmen (Noh masks), (Osaka, 1981), p.136.

For other examples by the same artist, see: Mitsui Memorial Musuem ed., Mitsui Kinen Bijutsukan shozo, kyu Kongo soke denrai nohmen (Noh masks previously in the collection of the head family of Kongo School, housed in the collection of the Mitsui Memorial Musuem), (Tokyo, 2008), p98-99, no. 32; Kongo Noh-gakudo (The Kongo Noh Theatre) ed., Kongo soke no nohmen to nohshozoku (Noh masks and costumes in the collection of the head family of Kongo School), (Kyoto, 2018), p.52, 116, 131, no. 45; Toru Nakanishi, The Beauty of Noh, (2001, Hyogo), p.41, 72, no.39.

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A six-fold screen depicting a large sakura (cherry) tree in full bloom hanging over a riverbank, with applied shikishi (poem cards) Japan Edo period Late 17th century, 1691 Ink, colour, gold, silver and gold leaf on paper 106 cm (h) x 282 cm (w) Price on request

The shikishi were executed by the kugyō (court nobles) in 1691 and rest against a painting of a weeping cherry tree, spring flowers and dandelions. Various birds are flying or perched on the tree branches; a stylised gold river bank runs diagonally across the screen beside a silvery river.

Shikishi are square sheets of paper used for calligraphic poems or paintings. During the mid-Heian and Kamakura periods, such papers, termed shikishigata, were inscribed with poetic calligraphy and attached to screens or sliding door panels. Later, shikishi came to be used independently for calligraphy and paintings.

Often these squares are highly decorated with mica, gold or silver cut into small pieces or sprinkled like mist or finely painted with various motifs, as exemplified by the current example.

On this screen, each shikishi is accompanied by a slip inscribed with the name and title of the nobleman who executed the corresponding calligraphy. *According to the inscriptions of the names and titles of the court nobles beside each shikishi paper, 1691 is the only year when the titles of all the noblemen correspond and therefore it is most likely that the calligraphy of each shikishi was executed in 1691.

Calligraphers of shikishi on the screen are as follows (from right to left).

Object Presented by: Gregg Baker Asian Art M: +44 (0) 20 7221 3533 E: info@japanesescreens.com W: www.japanesescreens.com

Panel 1 - Konoe Motohiro (1648-1722), Kanpaku (Chief adviser to the Emperor) - Takatsukasa Kanehiro (1660-1725), Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) - Ōinomikado Tsunemitsu (1638-1704), Udaijin (Minister of the Right)

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Panel 2 - Nakamikado Sukehiro (1636-1707), Dainagon (Major Counsellor) - Sono Motoyoshi (1622-1699), Gidōsanshi (the government position equivalent to the Chief Minister, the Minister of the Left and the Minister of the Right) - Kanroji Katanaga (1649-1694), Dainagon (Major Counsellor)

Poems on this screen were taken from the classical masterpieces of the Heian period (794-1192), such as Kokin-wakashū (Collection of Japanese Poems Ancient and Modern, compiled in the early 10th century), Gosenwakashū (Later Collection of Japanese Poems, compiled in late 10th century) and Shūi-wakashū (Collection of Gleanings, compiled in circa 1005), which includes the following poems.

Panel 3 - Daigo Fuyumoto (1648-1697), Dainagon (Major Counsellor) - Koga Michitomo (1660-1719), Dainagon (Major Counsellor) - Chikusa Arikore (1638-1693), Dainagon (Major Counsellor)

- Poem by Ki no Tsurayuki (872-945), written by Takatsukasa Kanehiro

Panel 4 - Nanba Munekage (date unknown), Chūnagon (Middle Counsellor) - Higashibōjō Tsunenaga (1622-1700), Dainagon (Major Counsellor) - Aburanokōji Takasada (1622-1699), Chūnagon (Middle Counsellor) Panel 5 - Nakayama Atsuchika (1656-1716), Chūnagon (Middle Counsellor) - Uramatsu Okimitsu (1652-1707), Saishō (Associate Counsellor) - Seikanji Hirosada (1662-1707), Chūnagon (Middle Counsellor) Panel 6 - Nakanoin Michimi (1668-1739), Saishō (Associate Counsellor) - Kazehaya Sanetane (1632-1710), Zen-saishō (Former Associate Counsellor) - Hamuro Yorishige (1669-1705), Saishō (Associate Counsellor)

Sakura chiru ko no shita kaze wa samukarade sora ni shirarenu yuki zo furikeru Beneath cherry trees where blossoms scatter no chill in the wild yet snow falls unknown to the sky - Poem by Ariwara no Narihira (825-880), written by Koga Michitomo Yo no naka ni taete sakura no nakariseba haru no kokoro wa nodoke karamashi If this world had never known the ephemeral beauty of cherry trees, people’s hearts in spring would have been calm and tranquil - Poem by Sosei (844-910), written by Chikusa Arikore

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Miwataseba yanagi sakura o kokimazete miyako zo haru no nishiki narikeru Seen from the distance willow green and cherry pink woven together, forming a delicate brocade of the springtime capital - Poem by Minamoto no Kintada (889-948), written by Hamuro Yorishige Yukiyarade yamaji kurashitsu hototogisu ima hitokoe no kikamahoshisa ni During the journey on the mountain path I couldn’t help staying overnight as I just wished to hear one more song of the little cuckoo

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08

Scabbard

Japan Ainu 22,8 cm x 6,3 cm x 5,7 cm Price: 2.800 USD

Object Presented by: Thomas Murray M: + 1 415.378.0716 E: thomas@tmurrayarts.com W: www.tmurrayarts.com

The Ainu are an ethnically distinct Paleomongoloid people living in the far north of Japan. They carry forward an ancient Siberian hunting and fishing culture and are known for the beauty of their traditional artistic expressions. Although the Japanese government outlawed knives, we are pleased to offer this extraordinary Ainu scabbard with traditional motifs.

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09

Seated Buddha

Thailand Lan Na period 16th century Bronze Height: 39 cm Provenance: Private collection, USA Price on request

Lan Na, also known as Lanna, was once a kingdom in northern Thailand. Founded in the 13th century, it prospered for several centuries before becoming part of the kingdom of Siam, which is now modern Thailand.

Bronze statuary production was extremely prosperous in this region between the 13th and 18th centuries, particularly with regard to Buddhist culture. The lostwax casting technique was popular, enabling the creation of high-quality works. Buddha is represented here in the so-called ""noble"" attitude (sattvaparyaṅka), with the right leg folded over the left, and only the sole of the foot visible. In countries where Mahāyāna and esoteric Buddhism flourish, the Blessed One is best represented in the lotus (padmāsana) or diamond (vajrāsana or vajraparyaṅka) attitude. With his right hand hanging down, palm turned inwards, he brushes the ground with his fingertips. ""Taking the earth as witness"" (bhūmisparśa mudrā) is one of the six canonical gestures (mudrā) made by the Buddha at the major events of his life.

The aesthetics of the Lan Na kingdom are characterized by elegance and refined detail. Here, we particularly appreciate the supple modeling of the body, as well as the characteristic roundness of the face, from which emanates a serene gentleness.

Object Presented by: Christophe Hioco T: +33 (0) 1 53 30 09 65 E: info@galeriehioco.com W: www.galeriehioco.com

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Hand of Buddha in the bhumisparsha mudRa (earth touching gesture)

Thailand Sukhothai period 14-15th century Bronze Height: 18 cm with custom-made pedestal Provenance: Private Belgian collection Price on request

Object Presented by: Farah Massart M.:+32 495 289 100 E.: art@famarte.be W: www.famarte.com

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Figure of Jambhala

Java, Indonesia Circa 9th century Bronze Height: 11,4 cm Provenance: Carter Burden Sotheby's New York, 27 March 1991, lot 111 Christie’s New York, 27 September 2023, lot 594 Price on request

Object Presented by: Kapoor Galleries M: + 1 (212) 794-2300 E: info@kapoors.com W: www.kapoors.com

Jambhala emerges from Tantric Buddhism making him a widely worshiped deity among the for good fortune and wealth. Jambhala is considered to be one of the four heavenly kings of Buddhism. Here he can be seen in the most ubiquitous form of Jambhala, the one-face and twoarm iconography seated in the Ardhaparyanka posture (where one leg is lifted, and the other is on the ground, indicating a joyous and passionate Buddha nature).

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12

Heruka

North-East India, Bihār or Bengal Pāla period 11th-12th century Black stone Height: 20 cm Provenance: Danish private collection Marcel Nies, Antwerp, 20 June 2006 Price on request

Object Presented by: Christophe Hioco T: +33 (0) 1 53 30 09 65 E: info@galeriehioco.com W: www.galeriehioco.com

The miniature stone stele comes from the tradition of miniature devotional stelae created for Buddhist practitioners by craftsmen in the Pala empire in northeast India.

Heruka, the 'blood drinker', is a demonic deity from Lamaism Buddhism, haunting the world between death and rebirth and attacking the soul of the deceased, whom he strikes down on this stele.

He is depicted in the middle of flames, in Ardhaparyaṅka, a terrible dance position. We also note the presence of skulls decorating his attributes.

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A conical warrior's headdress

Northeast India Naga Circa 1950 Woven rattan, yellow orchard fiber, horse hair, wood, a boar tusk attached on each side 24 cm (w) x 24 cm (h) Provenance: Private Belgian collection Price on request

Object Presented by: Farah Massart M.:+32 495 289 100 E.: art@famarte.be W: www.famarte.com

The conical warrior's headdress is decorated with two wild-boar canine teeth and horse hair. The Naga were known for their practice of headhunting. The taking of a head was a symbol of courage and prestige, it included ritual violence, cosmological balance and the display of manhood. It was also meant as a way of securing the services of the victim as a slave in the afterlife and bringing fertility to the community. The skull of the enemy was preserved as a trophy and displayed on the walls and in doorways. The Indian government put a ban on headhunting in 1960. The Naga people are a conglomeration of several tribes inhabiting the northeastern part of India and northwestern Burma.

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Illustration from the Bharany Ramayana Series: The Monkey Army intruding upon a demon’s cave

First generation after Nainsukh or Manaku, Punjab Hills, India 1775-1780 Opaque watercolor on paper Folio: 25,1 cm x 35,6 cm Image: 19,4 cm x 29,5 cm Provenance: Dr Alma Latifi, CIE, OBE (1879-1959) Sotheby’s New York, 5 December 1992, lot 163 Christie’s New York, 27 September 2023, lot 501 Price on request

This folio originates from the Bharany Ramayana series, named after collector and dealer C.L. Bharany. The painting is attributed to the first-generation Kangra masters following Nainsukh and Manaku, earning it the moniker 'second Guler Ramayana.' Its lineage, tied to both artistry and collectors, elevates its status as a highly sought-after collectible.

The scene depicted, portrays a battle between monkey army troops and a demon within a cave. Sugriva, the benevolent monkey king of Kishkindha, witnessed Sita's abduction and, exiled at the time, saw her throwing jewels into a cave, hoping to create a trail for Rama. The painting captures Sugriva confronting a demon in that cave, intending to inform Rama and Lakshmana of the incident.

The intricate scenery, marked by airbrushed trees and flying birds, conveys a sense of passing time. The foregrounding and backgrounding of flora and fauna enhance the overall artistic richness. The iconographic and stylistic representation of the Ramayana aligns with the 'Tehri Garhwal' Gita Govinda and the 'Modi' Bhagavad Purana. According to W.G. Archer, the series was commissioned by Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra's mother for his wedding.

Other illustrations from the Bharany series are housed in esteemed institutions like the San Diego Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rietberg Museum, Philadelphia Museum, and Minneapolis Museum.

Object Presented by: Kapoor Galleries M: + 1 (212) 794-2300 E: info@kapoors.com W: www.kapoors.com

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Illustration from the Bhagavata Purana: Shishupal and his Retinue

Punjab Hills, Garwhal, India Circa 1775 Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper Image: 27,9 cmx 20,3 cm Provenance: Arthur L. Funk acquired January 2nd, 1970 Price on request

This scene from the Bhagavata Purana depicts princess Rukmini’s eldest brother Rukma welcoming Shishupal’s retinue and leading them to Kundinapura. Shishupala and his companion are astride gray mares whereas Rukma is astride an almond-coloured horse. Kundinapura is the capital of the Vidarbha kingdom ruled by the King Bhishmata who was Shishupala, the son of King Damaghosha and Srutashubha (the sister of Vasudeva and Kunti) was the king of the Chedi kingdom.

Rukma wanted his sister Rukmini to marry the Chedi king Shishupala, and was enraged when Rukmini eloped with Krishna. The present scene is most likely the depiction of Rukma welcoming Shishupala upon his arrival to the Vidarbha kingdom to ask for the princess’s hand in marriage. The vibrant red background evokes a sense of dominance that Rukma tried to exert upon his sister princess Rukmini to influence her marriage to Shishupala before she chose to elope with Krishna.

The red border conveys the fact that the painting is a part of a larger set of similar Bhagavata Purana paintings.

Object Presented by: Kapoor Galleries M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300 E.: info@kapoors.com W: www.kapoors.com

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Bracelet with Archaic Spiral Decoration

India Naga 19th century or earlier Brass 6 cm x 9,5 cm x 5 cm Price on request

Object Presented by: Thomas Murray M: + 1 415.378.0716 E: thomas@tmurrayarts.com W: www.tmurrayarts.com

An archaic form that persisted for two millennia, these bracelets have affinities with Mekong River Bronze Age Cultures.

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Buddhist painting

China Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911) Circa 1800 Ink brush painting and color on paper, mounted as a hanging scroll Height: 152,4 cm Width: 81,3 cm Provenance: Estate of a collector in Sacramento, California Price: 3.500 USD

The central seated deity (as yet unidentified), predominately in blue, is emaciated, but has a distended belly. He is sitting cross-legged on a flat rock, and wears a blue and green loin cloth. His finger and toe nails are claw-like, and there are flame-like projections emanating from his jaw. The deity’s left hand holds a jewel-like object, and his right hand forms a mudra.

Rising from the top of his skull is a cloud form that supports a seated white-robed Guanyin, the bodhisattva of wisdom and compassion, in a female form. On either side of the central deity are pilgrims who ascend and descend mountains. Those to the right of the deity are ascending, and appear to be a variety of men and women of different social classes. Those to the left are descending, and are ghostly in appearance.

At the bottom of the painting, there is a Buddhist dignitary seated on a chair, wearing a Buddhist kashaya over his long-sleeved robe. He has a Buddhist five-lobed crown on his head, and is flanked by two standing monk attendants. There is a table with various implements set in front of him, and several supplicants of both human and ghostly/demon form are nearby. The latter could be sufferers in the Buddhist hell. On a red and blue raised platform just below the rock platform for the central deity, there are three tent-like structures festooned with Buddhist banners in various colors, surrounded by crouching ghost/demon figures.

Object Presented by: Alan Kennedy M: +1 646 753-4938 E: kennedyalan@hotmail.com W: www.alankennedyasianart.com

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A Pair of Blue / Gold Panels

China 1880 Each: 200 cm x 76 cm Price: 1.800 GBP

Object Presented by: Brandt Asian Art M: +44 (0)7774 989 661 E: brandt@nildram.co.uk W: www.brandtasianart.com

A good pair of blue/gold ground panels, with repetitive shou characters.

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Ritual Horse Comb with Magic Animals

China Sui Dynasty 581 – 618 CE Bronze 18 cm x 5,7 cm Provenance: Wenhua Liu Price on request

Object Presented by: Thomas Murray M: + 1 415.378.0716 E: thomas@tmurrayarts.com W: www.tmurrayarts.com

It is said that this remarkable object that is a study in the beauty of patina was used to comb the flanks of noble horses.

Note the dragon top, Pegasus-type winged horse and a bird in the center of a curvilinear tree.

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Jade pendant

China Warring States period (475–221 BCE) Length: 6,2 cm Provenance: Galaxie Art & Gift Co., Hong Kong, 1987 Publication: Morgan, Naturalism & Archaism: Chinese Jades from the Kirknorton Collection, no. 2.

Price on request

Object Presented by: Rasti Fine Art Ltd. M:+852 2415 1888 E: gallery@rastifineart.com W: www.rastifineart.com

A pale celadon and light russet jade xi pendant in the form of a coiled dragon.

For a very similar jade xi pendant from the Warring States period, see The Palace Museum (ed.), Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade, Vol. 3, Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, p. 196, no. 200; for an example of a similar jade dragon xi pendant dating from the Eastern Zhou dynasty to Spring and Autumn period, see Johnston and Chan, 5000 Years of Chinese Jade: Featuring Selections from the National Museum of History, Taiwan, and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, p. 68, no. 33; two Spring and Autumn period examples can be seen in Nanyangshi Wenwukaogu Yanjiusuo (ed.), Fine Ancient Jade from Nanyang, pp. 214-15, nos. 193 & 194; for a Eastern Zhou period dragon pendant of similar form, see Rawson, Chinese Jade: From the Neolithic to the Qing, p. 270, no. 17:11; another Eastern Zhou period xi pendant in Hansford, Jade: Essence of Hills and Streams, p.

74, no. B19; and one from the late Eastern Zhou period in Salmony, Archaic Chinese Jades from the Edward and Louise B. Sonnenschein Collection, pp. 244-45, pl. XCV, no. 2.

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Jade archer’s ring

Signed ‘Lu Zi Gang’ China Late Ming dynasty 16th to early 17th century Diameter: 3,2 cm Publication: Morgan, Naturalism & Archaism: Chinese Jades from the Kirknorton Collection, no. 77 Price on request

Object Presented by: Rasti Fine Art Ltd. M:+852 2415 1888 E: gallery@rastifineart.com W: www.rastifineart.com

A white jade archer’s ring, carved in relief continuously with a coiled dragon amongst breaking waves below clouds.

For a jade box, peach cup, nuptial wine cup and ewer in the Palace Museum, Beijing inscribed ‘Zi Gang’, see Zhou, Nanquan, et. al., The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Jadeware (III), pp. 285-90, nos 219, 220, 221 & 222; for a white jade box and cover inscribed ‘Lu Zi Gang’, see Tsang and Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, pp. 118-19, no. 83; for a white jade hairpin inscribed ‘Zi Gang’, see Wan and Jiang, Transcending Transience: Art and Culture of Late-Ming Jiangnan I, pp. 66-67, no. 1.2.

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Jade belt hook

China Qianlong period (1736–95) Length: 13,2 cm Provenance: K. M. Su & Company, Hong Kong, 1978 Publication: Morgan, Naturalism & Archaism: Chinese Jades from the Kirknorton Collection, no. 79 Price on request

Object Presented by: Rasti Fine Art Ltd. M:+852 2415 1888 E: gallery@rastifineart.com W: www.rastifineart.com

A white jade belt hook, the long-curved implement with grimacing lion-head terminal looking back at a coiled qilong dragon.

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23

A carved jade mythical beast or unicorn

China Qing Dynasty 18th century Price: 4.800 USD

Object Presented by: Sue Ollemans M: + 44 (0) 7775 566 356 E: sue@ollemans.com W: www.ollemans.com

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24

A GOLD AND RED FELT NECKLACE

Limbu Tamang Garung Nepal 19/20th century Price: 3.500 USD

Object Presented by: Sue Ollemans M: + 44 (0) 7775 566 356 E: sue@ollemans.com W: www.ollemans.com

Gold and felt necklace Worn by the Limbu community of women. Known as the Konda they are always worn for the mela, a celebration during which families display their wealth.

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25

A Fine Filigree gold bracelet with dragon head finials

China Qing Dynasty 18th century Price: 5.500 USD

Object Presented by: Sue Ollemans M: + 44 (0) 7775 566 356 E: sue@ollemans.com W: www.ollemans.com

Minor damage to the finials.

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26 Mahakala Shadbhuja Tibet 17th century Bronze with polychrome Height:15 cm Provenance: Toronto collection, acquired from Spink and Sons, c. 1995 Acquired by the current owner from a public sale, Toronto, 10 June 2013 Christie’s, New York, 14 March 2017, Lot 209 HAR item no. 35867 Price on request

Object Presented by: Kapoor Galleries M: + 1 (212) 794-2300 E: info@kapoors.com W.: www.kapoors.com

Mahakala is the primary Buddhist Dharmapala and is respected in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

In Sanskrit, Maha translates to “great” and Kala to “time/death.” All names and colors are said to melt into Mahakala, symbolizing his all-encompassing nature and lustrous black skin. He is seen as the absolute reality. Shadbhuja, the six-armed Mahakala, is a favorite amongst the Gelukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Shadbhuja is recognized as the fierce, powerful, and wrathful embodiment of the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokitesvara.

In this elegantly cast piece, attention to fine detail is evident throughout the six-armed form. In the primary left hand is a skull cap (kapala) filled with minced remains of enemies to Dharma. In the primary right hand is a crescent shaped chopper (katrika) or curved knife, which fits to the shape of the skull cap so it can be utilized for making the “mincemeat.” The chopper is a representation of detachment from samsaric existence. Within the secondary right hand lies a damaru, an hourglass-shaped drum which arouses the mentally-clouded from their ignorant state, putting them back onto the path of Dharma. The sound which emanates from the damaru is supposed to be the same as that which manifested all of existence. A rosary of dried skulls adorns the uppermost right hand; this symbolizes the perpetual activity of Mahakala on a cosmic scale, as rings are inherently continuous.The secondary left hand holds a noose, whose function is to lasso those straying from the divine path of Dharma.

The skin of an elephant is held taut across the back of Mahakala in his upper left hand, symbolizing the ability to overcome delusion.

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27

Bodhisattva Maïtreya head

Ancient Gandhāra region 1st-3rd century Schist Height: 22,8 cm Provenance: French private collection, before 1970 Price on request

Object Presented by: Christophe Hioco T: +33 (0) 1 53 30 09 65 E: info@galeriehioco.com W: www.galeriehioco.com

This schist sculpture depicts the Bodhisattva Maïtreya, one of the most popular in the Buddhist tradition. The Bodhisattva is recognisable by his lākṣaṇa or Great Man signs, which equate him with a Buddha of the future.

These include his cranial protuberance, the uṣṇīṣa, as well as his tuft of hair in the middle of his eyebrows, called the ūrṇā. These iconographic codes become fixed in the early centuries of our era, at the same time as the first occurrences of anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha appear, thus breaking with a long aniconic tradition.

This paradigm shift originated in the development of a new religious trend, Mahāyāna Buddhism, also known as Great Vehicle Buddhism. Bodhisattvas play a major role in this religious trend, and intervene as intercessors with the faithful. These Buddhas of the future, who delay the moment of their awakening in order to help the devotees in their spiritual quest, particularly favour the growth of this religious current. The latter now reaches a larger number of followers and is no longer reserved for an austere monastic elite. Like Mahāyāna Buddhism, religious art is based on a sensitive approach to representations, playing on the connivance with the faithful. The images of the Bodhisattva embody compassion, and the gentle art thus turns away from the elite.

The statuary production of the Gāndhāra, of which this head is a part, covers the fervent religious reality of the early centuries of our era in this region. The sculptors inspire vitality in their works through a very sensitive treatment of flesh and modelling. The aim is to strike the soul of the spectators, to impress them, in a permanent search for the best way to touch the faithful, in particular through the images of the Bodhisattva, full of humanity.

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Maitreya has a regular face, a fine, straight nose, a full chin, and a delicately hemmed mouth topped by a thin, soft, curly head of hair, the strands of which are pulled back from the skull. All these elements are part of Hellenistic art, and testify to the settlement of Greeks in the region. His large eyes, with pupils incised in the form of spirals, are placed under prominent superciliary arches, thus contributing to the realism and vivacity of his gaze, in an effort to humanise the religious images.

His curly moustache, finely detailed with slight incisions, bears witness to the fashion of the Kuṣāṇa elite. The latter were often represented in the guise of Bodhisattva, becoming privileged subjects for the projection of their power. Coming from Central Asia, the Kuṣāṇa rulers (1st-3rd centuries) were the main patrons within this geographical area, and it was under their impetus that the art of the Gāndhāra underwent a formidable development. It was a real empire, which included territories from Uzbekistan to North India. This powerful kingdom was at the crossroads of many influences, notably from its Greek neighbours successors of Alexander - in Central Asia, and then from the Roman Empire, which conquered these territories.

This syncretic style, so original in Buddhist art, enjoyed great posterity in the Gāndhāra, thus ensuring its popularity.

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