PARIS.- On December 10th, the Asian Art department of Christie’s France will offer a selection of over 200 works from private European and Asian collections, covering more than 3,000 years of Asian art. All the richness of Asian art and the different mediums in which it unfolds will highlighted, with the sale offering important works of Buddhist art, Samurai art, but also Japanese screens, ancient ceramics, porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties, jade sculptures, cloisonné enamels, huanghuali furniture, textiles and finally classical and modern Chinese paintings.

Among the highlights are two large bronze statues of Bodhisattvas from the 13th century, coming from an important private European collection (estimate:€80,000- 120,000 et €70,000-90,000). Impressive in size and delicacy, they are among the most important Tibetan sculptures ever sold by William H. Wolff, a renowned Asian art dealer whose gallery was based in New York. One appears in the catalog of the exhibition "Dieux et Démons de l’Himalaya" presented at the Grand Palais in 1977 (March 25 - June 27) and both are illustrated in Ulrich von Schroeder's reference work, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes. Hong Kong: Visual Dharma, Publications Ltd, 1981, p. 131, n° 22 C-D.

Another wonderful sculpture from a Belgian collection is an important Khmer sandstone statue of a male deity from the Angkor Wat period, 12th century, estimated at €100,000-150,000. The present figure is expertly modeled, suggesting a very large commission. The variety of geometric and ornamental forms that decorate the garments testifies to the complexity and fine detail of Khmer sculpture that persisted throughout the empire.

Another remarkable lot is a rare lacquer box and cover dating from the Yongle period (1403- 1425), from the collection of his royal highness, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, estimated €80,000-120,000. The exquisite carving and naturalistic depiction of hibiscus flowers is of a very rare quality, characteristic of lacquer carving in the early Ming period. It represents one of the most beautiful decorations to be found in the Chinese decorative repertoire and "the delicacy of its rendering echoes the blue-decorated porcelains made during the reign of Xuande," said Clarence F. Shangraw in his article "Chinese lacquers at the Museum of Asian Art in San Francisco", Orientations, April 1986, pp. 22-41.

Collectors will have the opportunity to acquire a magnificent imperial bowl of great finesse covered with painted enamel, along with its cover and saucer, dating from the Yongzheng-Qianlong period (1723-1795), estimated at €100,000-150,000. This ensemble has been exceptionally well preserved. Made of copper, the three pieces have been extremely skillfully enameled using the full range of colors available to 18th century Chinese craftsmen. Two comparable cups and saucers, are found in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Inspired by mythological scenes evoking the four seasons as well as the decorative style of the millefleurs, they reflect the fascination for the European style at the Chinese court.




Another desirable object is a rare white jade quadripod censer and cover, Tulu dating from the Qianlong period (1736-1795) that has been in La Rochefoucauld family since the 19th century. Models similar to this very particular and elegantly carved object are present in two prestigious collections, notably in the Avery Brundage collection at the Museum of Asian Arts in San Francisco and in the Leonard Gow collection. It is estimated at €40,000- 60,000.

Chinese textiles are also on display with a rare and important imperial concubine robe in apricot silk embroidered with dragons, dating from the Daoguang period (1851-61), estimated €60,000-80,000. The rarity of this dress comes from its embroidery, made on both sides, executed for a high-ranking concubine at the imperial court.

Also noteworthy in the sale is a rare and important pair of terracotta camels from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). These impressively sized camel carvings were made to go into the tombs of the Tang elite. Very expensive to make, they were symbols of wealth, but they also bore witness to how wealth had been acquired through trade, and through the endurance of camels on a grueling Silk Road. The pair is estimated at €100,000-150,000.

In the pictorial register, let us evoke a remarkable painting by the painter Fu Baoshi entitled “Three Literates” (estimate: €100,000-200,000). This painting was offered to the parents of the current collector as a wedding gift by their friend, a former French diplomat who worked at the French Embassy attached to Nanjing and Shanghai from 1948 to 1952. Here, Fu Baoshi draws inspiration from historical figures to celebrate the enduring virtues they represent and express a certain loyalty and nostalgia for the China of yesteryear. The strength of this painting lies in the free and spontaneous gesture of the brush, showing figures with rapid contours, a composition playing on the contrasts of landscape’s pale tones with the dark accents of the dresses and the solemnity of the characters.

Coming from a private French collection never before seen on the market, the Asian Art Department has selected fifty lots, among which we would like to mention a large basin in cloisonné enamels dating from the Ming Dynasty (€20,000-30,000). The richness and variety of decorative motifs echo elements of tableware in prestigious museum collections such as the Beijing Palace Museum.

Finally, coming from another French private collection, collectors will be able to acquire
remarkable Japanese armors dating from the Edo period (1615-1868) as well as helmets (estimated between €20,000 and €40,000) and beautiful sculptures from South-East Asia.