ZURICH.- “Two Dancers” by Chinese artist Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) is important not only for its significance to the history of modern Chinese art, but it is also one of the few paintings by the artist from this period to have survived. Lin Fengmian is considered today to be one of the pioneers of modern Chinese art. He was one of the first major Chinese artists who sought to combine traditional Chinese art with that of the West, and he eventually became director of the prestigious China Academy of Art. In his personal life, however, he experienced great suffering. During the Sino-Chinese war in the 1930s and 40s his home was attacked by the Japanese and much of his work was destroyed. During the Cultural Revolution, Fengmian destroyed many of his works by soaking them in water and flushing them down the toilet. This did not prevent his eventual imprisonment and torture, however, at the hands of the authorities. Fengmian’s art was not always very popular with his compatriots, and by the mid-1950s he found it nearly impossible to support his family. When his French-born wife, Alice Vattant, and their daughter were given the opportunity to obtain a visa to emigrate to Brazil in 1956, he raised the necessary funds through selling some of his artworks to European collectors, including the present work. “Two Dancers” was acquired by a Swiss collector living in Hong Kong, and a year later he offered it to his step-daughter as a wedding present. It has remained in her collection ever since. In this characteristic work by the artist in ink and color on paper, the two dancers from the Peking Opera almost completely fill the space, in a clear break from traditional Chinese painting (lot 295, CHF 200 000 – 300 000 / GBP 135 000 – 200 000).

Precious divinities and a rare rhinoceros-horn cup
Among the numerous examples of Lamaistic art in the sale is an extremely rare figure of Avalokiteshvara from the Swat valley (lot 106, CHF 40 000 – 60 000 / GBP 27 000 – 41 000). The 7th/8th century figure is seated on a wonderful lion throne and bears a Mongolian inscription to the reverse. Also very rare is the 18th-century Chinese Rhinoceros horn libation cup (lot 272, CHF 15 000 – 20 000 / GBP 10 000 – 14 000). Carved in the form of an open hibiscus flower, it exhibits a beautiful openwork decoration of foliage and branches. Among the thankas offered in this auction, a representation of the Arhat Kanakavatsa is particularly stunning, with his wide-eyed expression and holding his bejeweled rope, which is supposed to confer wisdom and understanding (lot 173, CHF 30 000 – 50 000 / GBP 20 000 – 34 000).

India, Japan and Southeast Asia
Among the works in the 18 November auction is a group of Burmese figures of Buddhas from the collection of Hungarian-Swiss psychoanalyst and collector Carl Laszlo (lots 397 – 401), purchased mainly in the 1960s and 70s. Other highlights include a beautiful early 19th-century Indian miniature painting of Krishna Venugopala from the Kangra school. Depicting a young woman fainting at the sound of Krishna’s flute, the miniature was acquired by a Swiss private collector before 1953, and remained through inheritance in the present-day collection (lot 421, CHF 10 000 – 15 000 / GBP 7 000 – 10 000). A large (90 cm) stone torso of a Devi from the Chola period (12th/13th century) is estimated to sell between CHF 12 000 – 18 000 / GBP 8 000 – 12 000 (lot 409). Another quite unusual and striking object – perhaps a perfect gift for for the person who has everything – is a silver damascene horseshoe from the Ottoman Empire, circa 1800, engraved with Arabic script (lot 434, CHF 2 000 – 3 000 / GBP 1 300 – 2 000).