July catalogue: Asian Art Society

J u ly i SS ue

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: Japanese Jubako presented by Kitsune gallery on p.

M u S ee C e R nu SCH i CONTRIBUTION

Dear Friends of the Cernuschi museum, We bring to your attention the museum's enterprise regarding THE REBIRTH OF THE TWO BEAUTIFULLY CARVED DRAGONS OF OUR COLLECTION

The two golden-eyed dragons are surrounded by clouds and flames in a crimson scenery and decorate two twelve meters long wooden carved panels. Conjuring up the rain, the dragons are meant to bring a good omen to avert fires.

The delicacy of the execution, the technical skill of these panels strongly suggest the work of Takeshi Nobuyuki (1751-1824), a famous sculptor of the Edo era highly sought-after by well-informed collectors for his renditions of waves and dragons.

This beautiful work, an outstanding witness of Japanese architecture of the Edo era was offered by Mr. Sosthene de Turenne, the first diplomatic representative of France to Japan.

Henri Cernuschi chose to place it behind the great Buddha, in the atrium (Kwok room) of the elegant mansion that he built to house the 5000 masterpieces from China and Japan.

As you well know, Henri Cernuschi (1821-1896) was a gifted and visionary collector to whom the museum will dedicate a major exhibit in 2023.

The cost of this important undertaking has been precisely budgeted at 135 000 USD.

In the hope you can bring your support to this precious project, please receive our heartfelt appreciation for your attention.

Rene Abate, Chairman Societe des Amis du Musee Cernuschi

TO DONATE :

https://amis-musee-cernuschi.org/en/adopter-une-oeuvre/

Detail of the frieze before its restoration

J uly a R t WORKS

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.

SCHO la R’S ROCK

China

A large grey stone overhanging scholar's rock reminiscent of an eagle, wood stand

Height: 40 cm, 49.5 cm with stand

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com

W: www.rastifineart.com

t e M ple S t Rut

Nepal

Late Malla period

Circa 17 th century

Wood, pigments

67 cm x 17 cm x 11 cm

81 cm x 16 cm x 10 cm

Provenance:

Private Collection New York acquired 1980's

Publication:

Art of Nepal, Pal Pratapaditya, 1985, Los Angeles County Museum, p.138

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Farah Massart

M.:+32 495 289 100

E.: art@famarte.be

W.: www.famarte.com

These two temple structures would have served as a strut supporting the overhanging roof in the Hindu temples of the Kathmandu region. The first strut may represent the crowned and bejewelled Hindu deity Vishnu, wearing the lotus bud and rosary, with a seated ascetic below. The second strut may represent Chamunda, one of the Mothergoddesses. She wears a garland of skulls and her eight arms used to hold a drum, trident, sword, snake, skull-mace, thunderbolt, a severed head and drinking vessel or skull-cup filled with blood. She wears abundant jewellery and a crown of skull ornaments. Flags stick out of each side of her head, above which are the flowersof the tree. She is standing on the back of a sea animal with scales, at the bottom two worshippers are praying in devotion.

Dan C ing Gaṇeśa

Madura region, South India

12th century

Sandstone

Height: 58 cm

Provenance:

German private collection established in the 1980s

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Christophe Hioco

T: +33 (0) 1 53 30 09 65

E: info@galeriehioco.com

W: www.galeriehioco.com

This work represents the god Ganesh, finely sculpted in a graceful dancing pose. On his left side, we can see his four arms and two of his hands. One of them delicately holds the hem of his garment, the other supporting his tusk which appears to be broken. His elegantly drawn trunk is rolled up on itself and also extends towards the left side of the deity.

The son of Śiva and Pārvatī, this elephant-headed god enjoys great popular fervour, and is venerated in the various streams of Hinduism. He is the one who removes obstacles and contributes to the prosperity of any enterprise. A greedy god, his devotees honour him with offerings, particularly sweets, which are placed at the foot of the god's statues.

His fine face is also to be noted, his refined eyes are chiseled in the shape of an almond, as is often the case according to the canons of the time. The eyes are overhung by arched eyebrows and very clearly engraved. Finally, a crown with elaborate and very harmonious motifs is placed on top of his head.

a Ra M’S Hea D S H a MSH i R

Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, Northeastern India

19th century

Height: 47,7 cm

Provenance:

Acquired on the UK art market

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY: Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

E.: info@kapoors.com

W: www.kapoors.com

The shamshir’s name comes from the radical curve of its blade, translating to ‘lion's claw' or ‘lion's tail.' The blade itself is forged from wootz steel; the carbon deposits within the iron ingots forming intricate wave-like patterns known as ‘damascus.' A modern scabbard of tooled black leather, attached with shell-shaped brackets for suspension, accompanies the sword.

The present shamshir is a beautiful example of the famed silver metalware produced in Lucknow during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The diamondshaped quillion is made from engraved silver with fine blue and green champleve and basse-taille enamelling particularly characteristic of Lucknow. In the center is a Hyderabadi poppy in aquamarine blue–a distinctive motif in the Lucknow vocabulary which demonstrates the fusion of Deccani opulence and Mughal naturalism. (see Mark Zebrowski, Gold, Silver & Bronze from Mughal India, 1997, p. 87, pl. 74.)

Perched above is a bird in blue and cherry red, its head bowed and wings spread wide. A spiral of bristling green leaves encircles the scene, and is flanked by two birds in flight. On the border appears a quatrefoil floral pattern on a blue ground, another characteristic motif of Nawabi enamel. The quillon's tapered ends mirror the splendid offset pommel, which is formed into a ram's head. The fine etchings in the ram's fur and curling horns shine through the vibrant blue and orange enamel, contrasting the animal's brilliant silver smile. The grip–extending as if the curving neck of the ram–is made of translucent rock crystal, secured to the tang with small pins.

Compare the present example to another fine ram's head shamshir from Lucknow currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc. 36.25.1302a, b). The scabbard exhibits similar enameled metal work motifs such as the Hyderabad poppy, the scrolling green foliage, and the quatrefoil floral border.

Vi S nu S tele

Eastern India Pala period

11th-12th century Black stone

Height: 61 cm

Provenance:

Collection of a Japanese diplomat assembled in the early 1970s Price on request

This superb stele, dating from the Pala era, depicts the god Visnu.

This work features iconography characteristic of the powerful Viṣ u Vasudeva, supreme Hindu god wearing the royal tiara (kirīta), who is depicted here. We recognize his attributes, finely represented in accordance with classical iconographic codes: in his raised hands, the mace (gadā) and the wheel (cakra), a particularly formidable throwing weapon.

We particularly appreciate the multitude of rich details on this black stone stele, typical of Pala art. Indeed, the god is adorned with heavy jewels, and a large number of finely sculpted figures are present on either side of Visnu: his wives or celestial creatures on the top of the stele. Small figures and floral ornamentation are also elegantly chiselled on the lower part of the stele.

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Christophe Hioco

T: +33 (0) 1 53 30 09 65

E: info@galeriehioco.com

W: www.galeriehioco.com

p iet R a-Du R a Ma RB le ga M e S ta B le

Agra, India

19th century

62,2 cm (sq) x 57 cm (h)

Provenance:

Sotheby's New York, 28 October 1991, lot

182.

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY: Kapoor Galleries

M.: + 1 (212) 794-2300

E.: info@kapoors.com

W: www.kapoors.com

This pietra-dura inlaid masterpiece from nineteenth century Agra was created with a painstaking and precise technique of stone marquetry. The elaborate inlay is reminiscent of the great Taj Mahal, with rich white marble and semiprecious stones, including serpentine, carnelian, red porphyry, breccia, granite, agate, lapis lazuli, blood-stone, onyx, jasper, and slate.

a Prince with a Falcon

Kishangarh, India

18th century

Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper

22,9 cm x 14,6 cm

Provenance:

The collection of Helen and Joe Darion, New York, acquired from Lawners by February 1968 (no. 41)

Price on request

O

Kapoor

M.:

E.:

W:

The present portrait may have been a noble commission to demonstrate status, as the inclusion of a falcon in the composition makes reference to the archetypal prince's skill in hunting. This enigmatic portrait and others like it were typical of Kishangarh, particularly around the lifetime of the artist Nihal Chand (c. 17101782), whose training in the imperial Mughal workshops at Delhi helped him create a popular new style of portraiture that combined Mughal naturalism with the traditional romantic and poetic idealization previously beloved in Kishangarh. The signature Kishangarh style began to develop under the patronage of Raj Singh (r. 1706-1748), and reached full-fledged actualization under Sawant Singh (r. 1748-1764). As the present painting dates to the latter part of the eighteenth century, it stands as an example of this Mughal-infused style at its most evolved.

B ODH i S att 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

O B j ECT P RESENTED 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 front-facing 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 earlyseventh-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.

a FOOte D BOW l

Cambodge

Post Bayon style

Period Khmer

Gold with incised decoration

Height: 7,6 cm

Diam: 11,5 cm

Provenance:

Renee and Robert Beningson Family collection, New York

Price on request

O

M.:

W: www.ollemans.com

a Pectoral with Kala h ead

East Java. Found in Tamimbar Circa 14th century

Gold

Height: 7,5 cm

Width: 15,5 cm

Weight: 39,4 grs

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY: Sue Ollemans

M.: + 44 (0) 7775 566 356

E.: sue@ollemans.com

W: www.ollemans.com

tigeR tOOtH penDant WitH CuBiC BeaDS

Minangkabau, Sumatra, Indonesia

19th century

33 cm x 5,7 cm (claw)

Weight: 43,1 grs

Price: 6.000 USD

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Sue Ollemans

M.: + 44 (0) 7775 566 356

E.: sue@ollemans.com

W: www.ollemans.com

C H ie F’S Hei R l OOM

O R na M ent, Mase

Tanimbar, Southeast Maluku, Indonesia

19th century or earlier Gold alloy

11,5 cm

Price: 22.000 USD

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY: Object Presented by: Thomas Murray

M.: + 1 415.378.0716

E.: thomas@tmurrayarts.com

W. : www.tmurrayarts.com

This nobleman's gold pendant is well documented in a photograph dating from a century ago by the Missionary Petrus Drabbe (1887-1970)

We recognize the masquette and see the horn was already broken and rejoined with a local repair at the time of the photo.

C H ie F ly O R na M ent

Ornament with Ancestor Motifs

Leti island, Indonesia

19th century or earlier

Gold alloy, metal, yarn

6,35 cm x 7 cm

Price: 12.000 USD

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Object Presented by:

Thomas Murray

M.: + 1 415.378.0716

E.: thomas@tmurrayarts.com

W.: www.tmurrayarts.com

This necklace speaks to a brilliant cultural fusion. It combines the Taoist Immortal Shou Lau holding the fungus of longevity and riding his crane mount, taken from a Peranakan bride's headdress, plus a pair of exceptionally rare Leti ancestor figures in classical cubist style suspended from stylized clouds. Leti is located in the far eastern Maluku Islands of Indonesia where Chinese have maintained a presence for centuries trading porcelain for fat sea cucumbers and spices.

l a R ge e a RR ing pai R

Sumbek Talingo, with Wood Box

Minangkabau

West Sumatra, Indonesia

19th century

Gold, diamonds, metal

Each 7,5 cm x 7,5 cm

Price: 9.500 USD O

M.:

An important pair of heirloom gold ear ornaments worn by Minangkabau women of noble class; The diamonds are rough cut, traded into Sumatra from Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.

YUK inoshita-d Ō GUS o KU

Myôchin school.

Kabuto signed Myôchin Munenori. Japan

Mid-Edo period

17th century

Iron, rawhide, lacquer, silk, copper, gold

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

David Thatcher

M.: + 44 (0) 7971955214

E.: davidt@davidthatcher.co.uk

W.: www.davidthatcher.co.uk

This is an impressive Yukinoshita-dô gusoku armour style famously used by the samurai serving daimyo Date Masamune from Sendai. The five sturdy russet iron sections of the cuirass are designed to provide strong protection against bullets and edged weapon impacts. This armour type originated in the momoyama period around 1570, and this particular piece is believed to have been created during the early edo period. Due to its weight, yukinoshita armour was mainly worn by mounted warriors, hence the numerous gessen sections that hung down to shield the wearer's legs.

The menpo and kabuto are also made of russet iron, with the mask created in the ryûbu style that resembles a nobleman.

The sangu sections are crafted in the Oda style. This armour comes with its own storage box, which is not photographed. This is a functional armour that was made during the age of war.

Japane S e J u B a KO

jubako simulating an iron furogama Japan

Meiji/taisho period

lacquered wood

Height: 23 cm

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Kitsune gallery

M.: +32 476 87 85 69

E.: arie.vos@kitsune.be

W.: www.kitsunegaroo.com

Jubako are tiered boxes used to hold and present food in Japan. This jubako is exceptional in terms of shape and lacquering technique. A true masterpiece of trompe l'oeil. Inside, the piece is red and black lacquered. The piece is in overall good condition with some minor fine crackling to the red lacquer (inside) due to regular use.

17 Jūsanbutsu

(13 BO u DDH a S)

Japan

Momoyama-Edo

16th-17th century

Hanging scroll with copper tip and paint on silk frame

183 (h) x 53 cm [80 (h) x 35 cm]

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Galerie Mingei

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

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

W.: www.mingei.gallery

The thirteen Buddhas (Jūsanbutsu) are important deities of the Kongokai and Taizokai mandalas of Shingon Buddhism. They are five Buddhas (Nyorai), seven Bodhisattvas (Bosatsu) and one vidyaraja (Myoo), each possessing its syllable-mantra (bija).

They are often represented together, and play an important role in post-funeral ceremonies, each deity having to be invoked on a fixed date after death:

1. Fudo Myoo (Acala), on day 7

2. Shaka Nyorai (Sakyamuni), on day 14

3. Monju Bosatsu (Manjushri), day 21

4. Fugen Bosatsu (Samantabhadra), day 28

5. Jizo Bosatsu (Ksitigarbha), on day 35

6. Miroku Bosatsu (Maitreya), on the 42nd day

7. Yakushi Nyorai (Bhaisajyaguru), on day 49

8. Kannon Bosatsu (Avalokitesvara), day 100

9. Seishi Bosatsu (Mahasthamaprapta), one year after the hundred days ceremony

10. Amida Nyorai (Amitabha), two years after the hundredth-day ceremony

11. Ashuku Nyorai (Akshobhya), six years after the hundredth-day ceremony

12. Dainichi Nyorai (Vairocana), twelve years after the hundred days ceremony

13. Kokuzo Bosatsu (Akasagarbha), 32 years after the hundred days ceremony

Conversely, in the context of pregnancy, the invocation is done per month from the ninth Seishi bosatsu until Fudo Myoo at the time of delivery.

a lar G e Ja Panese traY

Japan

Late Momyama period (ca 1600)

madara ko-karatsu

Width: 30 cm

Depth: 25,5 cm

Height : 9,5 cm

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Kitsune gallery

M.: +32 476 87 85 69

E.: arie.vos@kitsune.be

W.: www.kitsunegaroo.com

A late Momyama (ca 1600) ceramic tray shaped as an abalone shell from one of the Karatsu kilns (Kyushu island). The type of glazing used, is referred to as madara. Very few madara glazed pieces survived and most are in museums today. It has a wonderful kintsugi repair confirming its importance.

a la R ge Japane S e chawan

Tea bowl

Japan

Early Edo-period (ca 1600-1620)

ko-seto

Diam.: 13,2 cm

Height: 8,5 cm

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Arie Vos

M.: +32 476 87 85 69

E.: arie.vos@kitsune.be

W.: www.kitsunegaroo.com

During the early Edo-period (the golden age of tea ceremony), chawan were rather large anough to hold sufficient tea for service of five or more guests (Edo period writings argue that entertaining 10 guests was not unusual). This tensho black Seto yaki (Seto Ware) chawan is a wonderful testemony from this specific period. We only saw a few of these on the art market in a whole career (most Seto chawan of this type are early 19th century revivals). Note the finger prints from the potter on the guchi (mouth) and in the middle of the upper dou (body).

Karats U chawan

Japan

Momoyama period (1573-1603)

Karatsu-ware tea bowl with kintsugi gold lacquer restoration.

5.6 (h) x 10.6 x 10.6 cm

Awasebako (collector's box)

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Galerie Mingei

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

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

W.: www.mingei.gallery

e-Garats U chawan

Japan

Edo period

17th century

Brush decorated Karatsu-ware tea bowl

Karatsu kilns (Saga Prefecture, Kyushu Island)

Kintsugi gold lacquer repair with wave patterns

12.7 (h) x 7.2 x 7.2 cm

Price on request

O

Galerie Mingei

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

BY:

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

W.: www.mingei.gallery

Karatsu ceramics (唐津焼, karatsu-yaki) are in a style produced around Karatsu in Saga Prefecture, Japan. These sandstones pieces, produced mainly between 1597 and the 1630, helped establish an international reputation for the city and its potters. Karatsu ceramics, celebrated for their robustness and simple style, were fired in an elevated kiln and made of an iron-rich clay. They can be part of a décor called e-Garatsu, and have a transparent surface glaze, that generally gives them an earthy, simple, and natural appearance.

An old saying hierarchizes the styles of ceramics used during the chanoyu: "ichi Raku, ni Hagi, san Karatsu",meaning “first Raku, then Hagi and finally Karatsu”. During the codification of the way of tea, master Sen No Rikyū (1521-1591) sought to replace Chinese porcelain bowls with local creations. Breaking with a long tradition, he was not attracted to smooth porcelain but rather by the imperfection and sobriety of sandstone, seen as more sincere and a better fit with the spirit of the tea ceremony.

h a G i daizara

Japan

Edo period

18th-19th century

Standing Hagi-ware cup with kintsugi

gold lacquer restoration

10.9 (h) x 20.2 x 20.2 cm

Awasebako (old collector's box)

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Galerie Mingei

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

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

W.: www.mingei.gallery

a painting

Numerous vertical strokes simulating a waterfall Japan

19th century ink on paper

Height: 174 cm

Width: 95,3 cm (mounted as a hanging scroll)

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Rasti Fine Art Ltd.

M.:+852 2415 1888

E.: gallery@rastifineart.com

W.: www.rastifineart.com

Hea D OF Bu DDH a

Ancient region of Gandhara

3rd-4th century

Schist

Height: 33 cm

Provenance: Rare Art Inc, New York, 1984

Price on request

O B j ECT P RESENTED BY:

Christophe Hioco

T: +33 (0) 1 53 30 09 65

E: info@galeriehioco.com

W: www.galeriehioco.com

This Buddha figure has a face characteristic of the codes of Gandhāra “Greco-Buddhist” art, emanating a feeling of plenitude and piety. His half-closed eyelids are a sign of deep meditation. The mouth, small and fleshy, almost sensual, is characteristic of the Gandharian naturalist style, as is the hair treated in fine undulating locks brought back in a bun on the top of the skull, at the place of the uṣ īṣa.

A perfect illustration of Gandhāra art at its apogee, this head is an example of the Indo-Hellenistic artistic crossbreeding that was fully expressed under the royal patronage of the Kuṣā s or Yuezhi rulers (1st c BC-AD 240). Alongside the ancient aniconic representations, this Buddha figure deploys an iconography whose codes it permanently fixes. The classicism of this Apollonian face and its naturalism, evident in the plastic harmony of the face, bear witness to the contributions of Greek statuary, as do the Indo-Parthian influences in the stylistic codes, in particular the representation of the chignon in the image of those of the cavalry princes.

The material of choice for this Greco-Buddhist art, schist is found in various forms throughout the Gandhāra region and the surrounding area. The use of this soft stone allows for a great deal of ease in its treatment, resulting, as here, in faces with incredibly supple modelling. The mouth, with its particularly sensitive workmanship, is a fine example. The fabric of the drapery with which the Blessed Man was dressed can be made out, as can the shape of the halo, leading us to believe that this fragment belonged to a monumental ensemble.