July catalogue : Asian Art Society

JULY iss U e

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

Cover image: A snuff bottle presented by Clare Chu Asian Art LLC on p.78

Kitsune -fox priestnetsuke 19th century Signed Wakyosai.

FRIENDS

Since 1962, the Association Française des amis de L'Orient has offered a selection of trips that lead to the heart of Eastern and Asian civilisations. . The travel itineraries are renewed each year and are designed in close collaboration with their lecturers, all recognized specialists in their field of expertise.

ASSOCIATION FRANCAISE DES AMIS DE L'ORIENT

22, avenue du Président Wilson

75 116 Paris - France

T.: 01 53 70 18 77

E. : secretariat.afao@gmail.com

W.: https://afao-asso.fr/

L aos : 28.11 - 11.12 2022

Lecturer : Françoise Capelle

Former student of the Ecole du Louvre, with a degree in art history, a doctorate in archeology from the University of Paris I, Françoise Capelle has been a lecturer at the Association Française des Amis de l'Orient since 1995.

Passionate about travel and cultures, she has traveled the world for forty years with a predilection for Southeast Asia: Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Yunnan. She regularly returns to Luang Prabang, which has become her favourite city.

Publucation :

• Capelle, F., Luang Prabang, la cité du Bouddha d'or et du flamboyant (Éditions Thalia, 2006).

Find the complete information about this trip on: https://www.afao-asso.fr/voyages-et-escapades

Day 1 Paris – Bangkok

Day 2 Bangkok – Chiang Rai

Day 3 Chiang Rai – Chiang Khong – Houessay – Pakbeng

Day 4 Pakbeng – Luang Prabang

Day 5 Luang Prabang

Day 6 Luang Prabang

Day 7 Luang Prabang

Day 8 Luang Prabang – Phonsavanh

Day 9 Phonsavanh – Plaine des jarres – Vientiane

Day 10 Vientiane

Day 11 Vientiane – Pakse – Champassak – Si Phan don

Day 12 Si Phan Don – région des 4000 îlesChampassak

Day 13 Champassak – Chongmek – Ubon Ratchatani –Bangkok

Day 14 Bangkok – Paris

JULY a RT W o RK s

Pieces are published and changed each month. The objects are presented with a full description and corresponding dealer's 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.

For a study about Safavid blue and white ceramic pieces, see: Crowe, Y. (2002) Persia and China, Safavid Blue and White Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Ed. La Borie.

Kendi

Iran

Safavid dynasty

17th century, Stonepaste body with blue and white decoration under a transparent glaze

Height 20,5 cm

Price: 8.000 euros

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Alexis Renard

T.: + 33 1 44 07 33 02

E.: alexis@alexisrenard.com

W: www.alexisrenard.com

b od H isaTT va Maï TR e Ya H ead

Ancient Gandhāra region

1st-3rd century

Schist

Height: 24 cm

Provenance: French private collection, before 1970.

Price: 28.000 euros

The Bodhisattva, an image of compassion

This schist sculpture depicts the Bodhisattva Maïtreya, one of the most popular in the Buddhist tradition. The Bodhisattva is recognisable by his lākṣa a or Great Man signs, which equate him with a Buddha of the future. These include his cranial protuberance, the uṣ īṣa, as well as his tuft of hair in the middle of his eyebrows, called the ūr ā. 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.

A new art

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Christophe Hioco

M.: +33 (0) 1 53 30 09 65

E.: info@galeriehioco.com

W: www.galeriehioco.com

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.

The syncretism of images

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 Kuṣā a 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 Kuṣā a 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 neighbourssuccessors 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.

sTaTU e of bU dd H a Śākyamuni

Ancient Gandhāra region

3rd century

Grey shale

Height: 66 cm

Provenance:

English private collection.

Price: 32.000 euros

The Śākyamuni Buddha

This superb sculpture comes from the ancient region of Gandhara (Afghanistan, Pakistan), and represents the Buddha standing. The Blessed One can be recognized by his monastic costume covering both shoulders here, and the circular mandorla behind his head; but especially by the lakṣa a, distinctive marks or signs of the Śākyamuni Buddha, including the cranial protuberance (uṣ īṣa), the tuft of hair between the eyes (ūr ā), and his distended earlobes, revealing his former wealth. The right arm is fragmentary, but his hand would have been sketching the gesture of fearlessness (abhaya mudrā), palm facing outward and fingers extended. This iconography is conventional for depicting the historical Buddha and becomes fixed in the early centuries of our era, when the anthropomorphic representation of the Buddha appears.

An art at the crossroads of civilizations

Ob

J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Christophe Hioco

M.: +33 (0) 1 53 30 09 65

E.: info@galeriehioco.com

W: www.galeriehioco.com

This sculpture is characteristic of the art of the Gandhāra region, notably by the drapery with concentric folds, held in one hand by the Buddha, which shows a Hellenistic influence testifying to the exchanges and contacts of civilizations. This is what the historian Alfred Foucher has established as Greco-Buddhist art: a syncretic art born in Gandhāra, thanks to the encounter between the Greek, Persian and Indian worlds, notably through the caravan trade and the Silk Road. We thus find all the characteristic qualities of this region, combining the finesse of Hellenistic realism and the iconographic codes of the Buddhist religion.

A remarkable know-how

The round and full face, of great gentleness and serenity, the half-closed eyelids, the straight nose, the small fleshy mouth as well as the use of schist testify to an art perfectly mastered in its making, underlined by its excellent state of preservation. This remarkable sculpture probably took place in one of the two spaces of Gandhāra monasteries: a courtyard accessible to devotees and cluttered with all sorts of ex-voto monuments, such as reliquary mounds (stūpa) and chapels, and, beyond that, a space reserved for monks only. It is therefore a unique and powerful work, carrying a thousand-year-old history.

a To R so of a bU dd H a Thailand Ayutthaya period

17th century

Bronze Height: 29,5 cm

Provenance:

Dr. Otto Schwend (1892-1951), collected in Thailand between 1926 and 1938, and since then continuously in the family's possession.

Price: 14.000 euros

M.:+32 495 289 100

E.: art@famarte.be

W: www.famarte.com

The upper body is decorated with a finely worked necklace and bracelets, hic face displaying a serene expression with downcast eyes below arched eyebrows, running into his nose bridge, smiling lips, elongated earlobes carrying pendeloque earrings. His head is decorated with a crown terminating in a tapering finial secured with a tiara finely cast with an intricate floral design around a central stylized flower-head.

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Farah Massart

a so L id G o L d R in G

W i TH o P en L oTU s

Central Java, Indonesia

9-12th century

Size: US 6,5

Price: 2.500 euros

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Sue Ollemans

M.: + 44 (0) 7775 566 356

E.: sue@ollemans.com

W: www.ollemans.com

a G o L d P endan T

Central Java, Indonesia

8-10th century

Width: 2 cm

Price: 3.500 euros

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Sue Ollemans

M.: + 44 (0) 7775 566 356

E.: sue@ollemans.com

W: www.ollemans.com

An ear pendant in the form of a tapered rod bent into a double-scroll with applied filigree decoration along the rod.

Similar Example: Miksic,1990. Habsburg Feldman catalogue 1990.

M UGH a L Tondo

India, probably Agra

Mughal dynasty

First half of the 17th century

Pietra dura inlaid marble

Diameter 37 cm

Provenance:

Private English collection

Price: 15.000 euros

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Alexis Renard

T.: + 33 1 44 07 33 02

E.: alexis@alexisrenard.com

W: www.alexisrenard.com

This impressive architectural element is reminiscent of the decorative work found on such Mughal buildings as Itimad-ud-Daula's mausoleum in Agra, completed in 1628.

Its inlaid marble technique is emblematic of the decorative details seen in Mughal cities such as Delhi, Agra and Lahore. This unusually shaped piece was made using the Italian technique of pietra dura, which was adopted by Mughal artists during the reign of Jahangir in the early 17th century, and which found its most superb expression during the reign of Shah Jahan.

The medallion features a floral motif, and both the flowers and the composition reflect the perfection of the gardens of paradise – a very popular aesthetic during the Mughal period.

A fragment of a frieze in Agra bears a similar decoration, and is held in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (Inv. 1534-1855).

For a piece using the same technique see: Curatola, G. (1993), Eredità dell’Islam: Arte islamica in Italia, Milan: Skira, p. 449.

Ta LW a R en GR aved

W i TH i M a G es of TH e T en avaTa R s of v is H n U

Rajasthan, India

19th century

Length: 87 cm (sword), 92 cm (in scabbard)

Price on request

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by: Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

E.: info@kapoors.com

W: www.kapoors.com

The Indian saber or talwar consists of a curved blade and an all-metal hilt with disc-shaped pommel and integral quillons. This distinctive Indo-Muslim hilt has its origins in medieval western India, while the curved blade can be traced to the influence of the TurcoMongol dynasties in the late medieval period. The marriage of these arms practices gave rise to the talwar, which became the most popular sword on the Subcontinent by Mughal times.

Here, the finely decorated hilt incorporates pointed langets, a centrally swollen grip, and a disc pommel, all of which have been overlaid with elaborate gold floral designs. The knob protruding from the pommel is pierced to allow for a wrist strap cord that is embroidered with eight-point star designs. A deep blue velvet scabbard with gold chape accompanies the sword. For a comparable 19th-century gold-embellished hilt, see the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc. 112-1852). Note the similarities in the pointed langets, convex quillon ends, centrally swollen grip, disc-shaped pommel with knob, and intricate foliate designs.

The present wootz steel blade is engraved with the ten avatars of Vishnu: Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar), Narasimha (the manlion), Vamana (the dwarf-god), Parasurama (the Brahman warrior), Lord Rama (the perfect man), Lord Krishna (the divine statesman), Balarama (Krishna's elder brother), and Kalki (the mighty warrior prophesied to end the Kali Yuga). Although the decoration of this blade is quite unique, another example of a talwar blade diplaying Vishnu's ten avatars resides in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc. 3418&A/(IS)).

b od H isaTT va

Swat Valley or Kashmir, India 9th century Bronze with silver and copper inlay

Height: 14 cm

Provenance: Spink and Son, Ltd., London, 6 June 1980.

The James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, Chicago.

Exhibition:

The Art Institute of Chicago, “A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection,” 2 August-26 October 1997, cat. no. 176.

Publication:

P. Pal, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, Chicago, 1997, p. 136, cat. no. 176.

Price on request

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

E.: info@kapoors.com

W: www.kapoors.com

The eight-armed Bodhisattva with silver-inlaid eyes and pink copper lips dons an elaborate crown with a central petal resembling one side of a vajra. He is otherwise simply ornamented, seated in a meditative posture, holding a water pot in the lower proper-left hand and a blossoming lotus at his proper-left shoulder. He is likely a manifestation of the bodhisattva Lokesvhara, possibly Amoghapasha (the ‘Unfailing Lasso').

The present figure comes from the Swat Valley in modern-day Pakistan. As the arts of Kashmir began to flourish under the Karkota Kings (600-855), who successfully ousted the Huns, the Swat Valley began to absorb their sophisticated bronze-casting tradition. This sculpture thus shares many qualities with Kashmiri examples such as the sophisticated metal inlay techniques and the style of the lion throne. The throne style - a single row of lotus petals with an additional plinth supported by two frontfacing lions around which a textile falls with tassels on either side - is one that became standard for the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent for hundreds of years. The earliest iteration of this particular style in Pakistan is attributed by an inscription in Proto-Sarada to early-seventh-century Gilgit (Rubin Museum of Art, acc. C2005.37.2). The present figure, however, possesses other qualities that place it later in history.

This serene Bodhisattva's large silver almond-shaped eyes and long and thinly incised brows meeting at a circular urna are strikingly similar to that of a ninthcentury figure of Maitreya from the Swat Valley published by Ulrich von Schroeder in Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 95, fig. 11H. The bronze Maitreya also features the same lion throne style and simple jewelry.

While this figure was crafted in the Swat Valley or Kashmir, the small traces of blue polychromy at the hair and cold gold at the face and neck indicate that this Bodhisattva made its way to Tibet, where painting bronzes is customary. Moreover, it is incised with the Tibetan number “3” at the back of the throne, indicating the position of the bronze within a larger set, perhaps along with the aforementioned Maitreya.

The first ever Hindu text that emphasized the figure of the goddess as the primary deity was the Devi Mahatmya, a collection of poetry that composes a portion of the Markandeya Purana. Literally translating to “Glory of the Goddess,” the Devi Mahatmya portrays the goddess as the supreme power and creator of the universe, and was written sometime between 400 and 600 CE. This work defined various forms of the goddess as unified, parts of a whole that are intertwined with one another.

Leaf f Ro M TH e d evi

Ma H aTMYa: dURGa in a b aTTL e aGains T n is HUM b H a

Jaipur, India

Circa 1820-1840

Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper

20,3 cm x 30,5 cm

Provenance:

Bharany's Gallery, 14 Sunder Nagar Market, New Delhi, India.

Acquired from the above in 1978.

Exhibition:

Lycoming College Gallery; Williamsport Pennsylvania, 1981. Price on request

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by: Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

E.: info@kapoors.com

W: www.kapoors.com

The central narrative of the Devi Mahatmya revolves around Durga, the warrior goddess, who represents the almighty wrath of the goddess when turned against the forces of evil. Durga is a form of Devi, the goddess, just as Kali and Ambika are forms of Devi. Durga was created by Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, and the lesser gods to slay the buffalo demon Mahishasura. The gods were fearful that Mahishasura could bring on total annihilation, so they endowed Durga with their powers. She was born full grown and gorgeous, typically depicted with eight or ten arms, each holding a weapon or attribute of one of the gods. Aside from Mahishasura, the Devi Mahatmya deals with a number of other asuras, such as the brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha, who could only be slayed by a female. The present painting shows Durga atop her mount, flanked by two companions, engaging in a skirmish with Nishumbha, who hurls his spear towards her. The battle with Nshumbha, Shumbha, and their army comes from chapter 9 of the Devi Mahatmya. Durga goes head to head with Nishumbha multiple times, as he will not be deterred after multiple defeats. The present work illustrates the first battle between the goddess and Nishumbha: “...the Devi quickly cut Nishumbha's superb sword with a sharp-edged arrow and also his shield on which eight moons were figured. With his shield split and his sword broken, the Asura hurled his spear; but that missile also, as it advanced towards her, was split into two by her discuss.” Durga then proceeded to take Nishumbha down, only for him to advance and be defeated time and again until he was finally slayed by the Devi

The bright colors incorporated into this image are highly characteristic of the Jaipur school, especially during the 19th century. Artists of this region were skilled in utilizing vibrant tones that contrast from yet complement one another, resulting in dynamic scenes that highlight figural detail and capture the emotional atmosphere. For a separate Jaipur illustration of Durga fighting Nishumbha that dates to 1825-1850, see the Los Angeles County Museum of Art painting, accession number M.77.118.

iLLU s TR aT ion To a

b a R a M asa s e R ies:

T H e Mon TH of PaU s H a

Attributed to Sajnu and his workshop

Mandi, India

Circa 1808

Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper

25,4 cm x 18 cm

Provenance:

In the collection of Dealer S. Bahadur Shah, late 19th century Private european collection

Price on request

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

E.: info@kapoors.com

W: www.kapoors.com

The present folio from a Baramasa series depicts the month of Pausha (mid-December to mid-January). Baramasas (songs of the seasons) were poems of love and yearning linked to the changing seasons. While Pausha is known to be a season of intense cold, it is also the season of physical and emotional union. Shown here are the idealized lovers Krishna and Radha. Krishna playfully tugs at Radha's braid, pulling her in closer as she rests a hand on his thigh. They are scantily clad despite the intense cold–their garments barely drape over their figures, and are on the verge of falling off completely. The couple, however, find sufficient warmth in each other's embrace–they do not even need to light the heat lamps that appear on either side of the terrace.

The verse that accompanies this season by Keshavdas is as follows (Dwivedi, V.P., Barahmasa; The Song of seasons in Literature and Art. 1980.):

In the month of Pausha, cold water, dress, food or house are disliked. The earth and sky have become cold. In this season, rich and poor alike enjoy oil massage, cotton (cotton filled or warm clothes), betel chewing, fire (to warm the room), sunshine and the company of young women. In this month the days are short and the nights long and dark. This is no time to quarrel with one's lover (meaning this is a time for union with one's lover). Keeping this in mind the nayika asks her beloved not to leave her in the month of Pausha.

Pes H-Kabz

India, Gujarat

17th century Steel and mother-of-pearl

Height 30,6 cm

Price: 7.200 euros

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Alexis Renard

T.: + 33 1 44 07 33 02

E.: alexis@alexisrenard.com

W: www.alexisrenard.com

The handle of this beautiful Pesh-Kabz is in steel plated with mother-of-pearl and presents a straight steel blade with a single cutting edge and one groove on each side.

For a similar mother-of-pearl handle on a 17th century Indian dagger, see: Exhibition Catalogue, Musée d'Aquitaine & Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Bordeaux (From the 11th of December 1998 to the 14th of Marche 1999) La Route des Indes, Paris: Somogy, p. 106, N°33.

a dia M ond and ena M e L ne CKL a C e

W i TH b R a C e L e T

Jaipur, India

Early 19th century

Length: 56 cm x 3 cm (Necklace), 19 cm x 3 cm (Bracelet)

Provenance:

Private collection, New York

Price: 25.000 euros

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by: Sue Ollemans

M.: + 44 (0) 7775 566 356

E.: sue@ollemans.com

W: www.ollemans.com

A fine drop necklace (har) with 10 links inset in the kundan style with a mixture of white sapphires and flat-cut diamonds interspersed with 7 lines of pearls. The necklace terminates in a large bracketed pendant with a lovely floral design set with flat-cut diamonds and mounted with pearls. The reverse is enameled with a delicate floral design in red, white green and blue enamels. There is a matching bracelet.

YoUnG WoMan CHased bY a dRaGon

India

1590 - 1610

Pigments and gold on paper

Miniature : 12,5 x 7,1 cm

Page : 29,5 x 20,2 cm

Price: 18.000 euros

A young woman is chased by a dragon coming out of the rocks, on the upper part of the painting two armed figures are looking at the scene. This manuscript page has been remounted on an album page with 19th century margins. The space devoted to the text of the manuscript has been covered with fragments of Mughal paintings of the same period.

Mughal Paintings gathered in albums or Muraqqa were often enlarged or transformed to fit the pages. The composition of the page and the treatment of the rocks can be related to manuscripts like the Anvar-I Sohaili. One of the most famous and earliest illustrated example of these animal related stories dated circa 1570 is kept at SOAS in London.

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Alexis Renard

T.: + 33 1 44 07 33 02

E.: alexis@alexisrenard.com

W: www.alexisrenard.com

G R een-bLU e VajraV idāraṇa

'T H e vaJR a

sU bd U e R of aLL' Central Tibet

Kagyü tradition

Circa 1300 - 1350 C.E.

Pigments and gold on sized cotton cloth. Surrounding top and bottom, coarse cotton homespun cloth.

15,5 cm x 12,5 cm

Price on request

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Hollywood Galleries

T.: +852 2559 8688

+852 2541 6338

E.: hollywoodgalleries@gmail.com

W: www.hollywood-galleries.com

Back inscription

O namaśca a vajrakrodhāya | o hulu hulu tiṣ ha tiṣ ha bandha bandha hana hana am te hū pha

Vajravidarana is seated on a lotus throne with a white moon coloured top (representing his ultimate purity) which in turn is supported by two green-maned Tibetan style snow lions. This style of lion is considered by Tibetans to reflect their land, their martial spirit and in the Buddhist context, as protectors of the divine image they support.

Vajravidāra a is decked in the finest silks, jewelled necklaces, and chiffon scarves as befits his magisterial person. A swag of luxurious silk hangs pendant from the front of his throne showing what might have been a golden crossed vajra similar to that held in his right hand. A crossed pair of vajras symbolizes Ultimate Power and this is an entirely appropriate motif for a deity such as Vajravidāra a. The red and blue-green stones studding his throne are also signs of his super-royal status.

His extra large ear-rings have a twofold purpose. Firstly they are completely appropriate for a Royal being and secondly their size and weight which has stretched his ear lobes, would remind the viewer of the type of massive ear-rings worn even to this day, by yogic wanderers. This is a further hint to the viewer that it is only through such mental yoga practice that even a deity such as Vajravidāra a has attained his powers.

Vajravidāra a's eyes are depicted in a state of samādhi (concentrated, focussed meditation) in which he looks inwardly at his mind and outwardly at his devotees at the same time. His head is held in a gentle attitude suggesting that the artist has ignored the text which says that he has a ‘wrathful smile' on his face. His five-pointed crown shows that he has completely mastered all aspects of the Five Aspects of Wisdom. Such crowns are worn also by ritual priests in Tibet and Nepal (as well as elsewhere in the Buddhist world) to signify that when teaching they are in fact emanations of perfect wisdom beings themselves.

At the very top corners of the painting are shown two lamas belonging to the Kagyü tradition which was

transmitted to Tibet in the 11th century by Tibetans who had studied in India under masters of the highest repute. The figure of Marpa (1012-1097) is central to this transmission. The school of transmissions which developed from Marpa gave rise to Karmapa hierarchs such as Dusum Khyenpa the First Karmapa (1110-1193) who is shown at the top left corner of the painting and the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339) who is shown at the top right of the painting, both wearing the Black Hat traditional to the tradition.

aM o GH asidd H i ‘He W H o aCCo MPL is H es T H aT W H i CH is Meanin G f UL’ s e CT ion of a Ri TUa L C Ro W n of TH e ‘f ive v i CTo R io U s o nes’

Tibet

Early mid 14th - mid 15th century Pigment on multi-layered board

18 cm x 10 cm

Price:

The form of Wisdom represented by Amoghasiddhi is regarded as a ‘summing up' of many aspects embodied in the other four Buddhas. He turns all our failings, especially greed and selfishness, into an allaccomplishing Wisdom - hence his name, ‘He Who Accomplishes That Which Is Meaningful'. Whereas certain of the other Buddhas represent very specific Wisdom aspects, such as Vairocana who embodies ‘Mirror-like Wisdom' in which delusion and ignorance are transformed into a stainless and pure wisdom, Amoghasiddhi is more ‘down to earth' and deals with the more basic mental poisons of a person greedy for anything that gives them a sense of ‘self'.

Amoghasiddi's green colour reflects his position at the North of the ma ala of the five Buddhas. At the very top point of the painting is seen a grinning Garuda bird who is the vehicle on which Amoghasiddhi rides. In the center The Amoghasiddi is flanked with a pair of greenmaned snow lions, leogryphs, white elepants, and at the bottom there are two birds which probably are the mythical Kalavinka birds.

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Hollywood Galleries

T.: +852 2559 8688

+852 2541 6338

E.: hollywoodgalleries@gmail.com

W: www.hollywood-galleries.com

snUff boTTLe

China

1780-1850

Amygdaloidal Basalt

Height: 5,4 cm (excluding the stopper)

Price: 7.500 USD

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Clare Chu Asian Art LLC

M.:+ 1.310.980.4084

E.: clarechuasianart@gmail.com

An amygdaloidal basalt snuff bottle, well hollowed, of ovoid form with shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck and with a flat oval base, the black stone with irregular natural markings in olive-green and pink resembling flowers blossoming among leafy branches.

Snuff bottles produced from this material are usually left undecorated to allow the natural abstract inclusions to show the material at its most attractive. This example is extremely appealing with its inclusions perhaps resembling leafy peonies. For a discussion on an amygdaloidal basalt bottle that entered the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895, see Helen White, Snuff Bottles from China. The Victoria and Albert Museum Collection, p. 120. For a bottle of similar form see Moss, Graham and Tsang, A Treasury of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Vol. 3, Stones other than Jade and Quartz, pp. 94-95, no. 404.

A russet agate pebble in the form of a scholar's rock of flattened form with one overlapping section of rock, the reverse with partially covered caramel skin.

a GaT e s CH o L a R's Ro CK

China

Fitted hongmu stand

Height: 9 cm

Length: 21,5 cm

Price: 2.200 USD

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com

W: www.rastifineart.com

A deep-red russet and golden agate oval pebble naturally forming an inkstone or washer, the darker colour with bubble-like formations.

GoLden aGaTe

PebbLe

China

Length: 8,9 cm

Price: 6.500 USD

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com

W: www.rastifineart.com

Naturally formed in the shape of a turtle, the top with markings remarkably similar to the reptile's shell.

a GaT e TURTL e

China

Length: 21,5 cm wood stand

Price: 6.000 USD

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com

W: www.rastifineart.com

snUff boTTLe

China

Imperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops

1750-1800

Rock crystal

Height: 7 cm (excluding the stopper)

Price: 7.000 USD

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Clare Chu Asian Art LLC

M.:+ 1.310.980.4084

E.: clarechuasianart@gmail.com

A crystal snuff bottle, very well hollowed, of flattened double-gourd form with shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck, the almost flawless stone carved in low relief on each main side with a shou medallion in the lower bulb, the upper bulb with a bat with outstretched wings.

The double gourd form was a popular choice for snuff bottles in any material, being a highly auspicious symbol with a myriad of different meanings. Its general meaning is related to blessings and abundance, including the wish for many sons. When empty, a natural gourd was used as a vessel for medicine being associated with immortality. The Daoist immortal Li Tieguai is often depicted carrying a gourd or uncorking it, as the gourd has the potential to ingest the world's depravity.

A deep caramel coloured agate scholar's rock naturally formed resembling a heart organ.

a GaT e s CH o L a R's

Ro CK

China

Hongmu stand

Height: 10,2 cm

Price: 2.200 USD

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com

W: www.rastifineart.com

snUff boTTLe

China

Imperial, attributed to the Palace Workshops

1760-1800

Jade

Height: 6,7 cm (excluding the stopper)

Price: 12.000 USD

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Clare Chu Asian Art LLC

M.:+ 1.310.980.4084

E.: clarechuasianart@gmail.com

A nephrite snuff bottle, very well hollowed, of flattened rectangular form with shoulders sloping to a cylindrical neck and with a neatly carved oval footrim, the stone of a flawless, pure white color.

During the Qianlong period (1736-1795) a trend developed for plain undecorated bottles, usually in hardstones, but predominantly in nephrite. The majority of them are very well hollowed through an unusually narrow mouth, showing the skill and dexterity of the maker. A staple of this production was in white nephrite of the highest quality and purity, which suggests a date after 1760 when the Qing dynasty extended its boundaries to include the jade producing region of Khotan in Xinjiang province. From then on vast quantities of the purest stone were provided on an annual basis as tribute to the emperor, lasting until the Daoguang period.

o K e Ga W a-do GU so KU

Full suit of japanese armour

Japan Edo period

18th century

Iron, lacquer, silk, wood, gold

Provenance:

Private collection, Japan

Exhibition:

Mononofu Katchu. Mayfair

London. 14th-15th May 2022

Code: DA0003

Price on request

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

David Thatcher

M.: + 44 (0) 7971955214

E.: davidt@davidthatcher.co.uk

W: www.davidthatcher.co.uk

A russet iron 62 plate kabuto (helmet) made by Ieoya of the Saotome school. Features a gilded five lame manjujikoro (neck guard) laced in silk in the kebikistyle. The fukigashi (turnbacks) feature the samurai family crest of the Matsura clan. Inner crêpe silk ukebari (liner) with silkcovered shinobi-no-o (helmet cord). Maedate (frontal crest device) of a shi-shi lion dog with a gilt copper kuwagata (stylized antlers). A russet iron menpo (face mask) with a yak hair hige (moustache) connected to a gilded four lame suga (throat guard) laced in the kebiki style.

The dō (body) has a russet iron go-mai (five-section) construction in the okegawa (horizontal) style. The gessen (skirt) is made of seven sections of five gilded lames and is laced in the kebiki style.

Ko-Gusoku (other parts) gilded medium size chu- sode (arm guards) of six lames laced in the kebiki style. The kote and haidate are of European chain mail with iron kirigane (cut-outs) and ikeda (small rafts) Which also display the clan crest of the Matsura clan. Five lame shino-suneate (thigh guards) with kikko-gane (hexagonal knee guard). The armour is accompanied by a large gilded twosection uma-jirushi-sashimono (herdic crest) with a gattari attachment.

Supplied with a yoroi-tate (armour display stand) and yoroi-bitsu (armour travel storage box).

Check a full presentation of this armour here:

https://davidthatcher.co.uk/db003-saotome-samurai-gusoku/

b izen C e R a M i C of K U s U no K i Masas H i G e

Konishi Tōko (1902-1954)

Japan

32 cm x 29 cm x 33 cm

Price on request

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Galerie Mingei

M.: + 33 (0)6 09 76 60 68

E.: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com

W: www.mingei.gallery

Kusunoki Masashige (楠木 正成, 1294 – 4 July 1336) was a Japanese samurai of the Kamakura period remembered as the ideal of samurai loyalty.

Kusunoki fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō War to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate and restore power in Japan to the Imperial Court. Kusunoki was a leading figure of the Kenmu Restoration in 1333 and remained loyal to the unpopular Emperor Go-Daigo after Ashikaga Takauji began to reverse the restoration in the Nanboku-chō wars three years later. Kusunoki attacked Takauji in Settsu at the command of the Emperor, an act of obedience surely to result in defeat, and died at the Battle of Minatogawa in 1336.

Hanai K e

Japan

Meiji-Taisho period

Circa 1900-1926

Lacquered bamboo vase

62,5 cm x 14 cm x 13 cm

Price on request

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Galerie Mingei

M.: + 33 (0)6 09 76 60 68

E.: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com

W: www.mingei.gallery

C H ai R e (a T ea C add Y)

Mizuno Takuzo (1927-2015)

Japan

Circa 1980-2000

Yozan Kiln, Mino ware, Gifu prefecture, Shino ware

Tomobako

9,3 cm x 6 cm

Price on request

Ob

Galerie Mingei

M.: + 33 (0)6 09 76 60 68

E.: mingei.arts.gallery@gmail.com

W: www.mingei.gallery

Biography: Mizuno Takuzo (1927-2015)

Showa 2 (1927): Born in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture.

1952 Graduated from Kyoto College of Fine Arts, Japanese Painting Department

Studied under the renowned potter Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963, a Ningen Kokuho artist)

Studied “red painting for ceramics” (Akae-tsuke) several years

1961 Established the Yozan-gama kiln

1967 Built a semi-above-ground anagama kiln in the present location and started researching Momoyama period antique pottery

1981 Presented to the Emperor and Empress of Japan

2007 Awarded the Gifu Prefecture Traditional Culture Successor Award

Awarded the Toki City Ninomiya Culture Prize in 2008

2010: Certified as the holder of the Setoguro technique, an intangible cultural property designated by Toki City, Gifu Prefecture.

Jin Gasa

Japan

Edo period

19th century

Wood and lacquer, red lacquer

inside

Diam.: 42,5 cm

Price: 4.500 euros

SOLD

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Farah Massart

M.:+32 495 289 100

E.: art@famarte.be

W: www.famarte.com

The shape is slightly conical. The top is divided in four sections with black lacquer panels embelished with Japanese mother-of-pearl decoration (Aogai) alternating with golden tatakinuri (mat pebbly texture) panels, one with a holly branch mon for protection.

At the inside red lacquer with gyobu.

Tennyo (H eaven LY M aidens)

Japan

16th/17th century

Momoyama/Edo period

Tengai (temple canopy) wood panels, Ink, colour and gold on wood

Painting: 46,5 cm (h) x 86 cm (w)

Frame: 53,5 cm (h) x 91,5 cm (w)

Price: 16.000 euros (4 panels) / 4.500 euros (each)

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Gregg Baker Asian Art

M.: + 32 468 00 56

E.: info@japanesescreens.com

W: www.japanesescreens.com

Four Buddhist wood panels from a tengai (temple canopy) painted with Tennyo (heavenly maidens) amongst clouds, each playing a musical instrument or holding flowers

Tennyo, also called hiten, are the heavenly maidens / celestial beings often depicted in Buddhist art. They are believed to reside in and fly over the pure lands and praise Buddha by playing musical instruments, scattering flowers and burning incense. They are usually depicted as elegant, beautiful figures on temple ceilings and walls near the Buddha image.

Tengai is a coffered ceiling or a canopy hung from the temple ceiling above a Buddhist statue or sometimes an abbot's seat. It is said to be originally derived from parasols used by Indian nobles – they were highly decorated and treated as a symbol of authority, which was then adopted in Buddhist architecture. Tengai, mostly made of wood or metal in Japan, are generally highly ornamented and their shapes vary; they can be square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal and circular shapes. The present panels once composed a square canopy.

Comparable depiction of tennyo can be found on the canopy of Toji temple, Kyoto, (9th century, Heian period, National Treasure). See Tokyo National Museum ed., National Treasures of To-ji Temple: Kukai and the Sculpture Mandala, (exhibition catalogue, 2019), p. 118, no. 57.

One of the best-known examples of a canopy with heavenly beings (bosatsu on clouds) are housed at the Byodo-in Temple in Kyoto, (11th century, Heian period, National Treasure).

iW ai s CH oo L e TCHU bo Yas UR i M e M en P o

Face protection mask

Japan

Edo period

Early 17th century

Black lacquered, Moustache made from “inoshishi” hair.

Price: 9.500 euros

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Kitsune gallery

M.: + 32 476 87 85 69

E.: arie.vos@kitsune.be

W: www.kitsunegaroo.com

Ka Ga Yas UR i M e M en P o, a PR e CUR so R of U n K ai

Face protection mask

Japan

Edo period

Early 17th century

Price: 9.500 euros

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Kitsune gallery

M.: + 32 476 87 85 69

E.: arie.vos@kitsune.be

W: www.kitsunegaroo.com

bU dd H is T M on K’s

Robe Japan

Edo period (1615-1868)

18th century

Compound weave, silk and gild paper strips

Height: 112 cm

Width: 213,4 cm

Provenance:

Private collection, Texas

Price:

This Buddhist robe (kesa in Japanese) was worn by a monk for special occasions. The textiles that were used in making the garment were very costly, being made of silk and gold. However, the fabrics have been cut into smaller pieces and sewn together to make a patchwork, thereby creating a more humble final product.

The motifs that appear in the textiles, one having a green-ground color, and the other with a reddishorange ground, do not have any particular Buddhist symbolism. The green fabric has a geometric and floral pattern (shokko in Japanese) that was originally derived from Chinese textiles. The other textile used in making the kesa also has motifs of Chinese origin, including dragons, precious objects, such as conch shells and flaming jewels, flowers, and a mythical fish-like creature, known as a makara, of Indian origin.

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Alan Kennedy

M: +1 646 753-4938

E: kennedyalan@hotmail.com

W: www.alankennedyasianart.com

a b LU e and WH i T e s e To s Tand of a C i RCUL a R fo RM

Japan

Edo/Meiji period

19th century

Ceramic, Seto ware 4,2 cm (h) x 29,5 cm (Diam.)

Price:

Ob J e C t P R e S ente D by:

Gregg Baker Asian Art

M.: + 32 468 00 56

E.: info@japanesescreens.com

W: www.japanesescreens.com