Gianguan Auctions sale highlights early Buddhist art, historic paintings & jade carvings
NEW YORK, NY.-Gianguan Auctions will hold its online auction sale this October 11. Presenting top tier Buddhist art in its splendid forms with an outstanding collection of jade, crystal and ceramic devotional statues, reflecting regional and highly personal interpretations of the deities, creating an aesthetic that is both sacred and decorative.
The strength of the spiritual philosophy is portrayed in this Northern Wei Dynasty, Buddhist Stele, Lot 26, Of pointed arched form, finely carved in high relief with a figure of Buddha standing on a pedestal, the feet emerging from the overlapping folds of the long robes, with serene expression beneath a high ushnis between two bodhisattva, standing on upright lotus blossoms guarded by dragons, all below a stupa, against a ground of foliate scrolls, with a flaming Mandorla, flanked on each side by five flying apsara, each with their musical instruments. Est. $20,000 – $30,000
Of exceptional quality is Lot 31, A Northern Wei very Rare Jade Carving of Sakyamuni Maitreya (with a Separate Lotus Seat). Carved seated with right hand raised in abhaya mudra and left hand in varda mudra, wearing robes falling in loose folds around the body. The face with long thin nose and full lips drawn in a tender smile, the eyes cast downward in serene contemplation, all framed by elongated earlobes and prominently carved swirling pattern usnisa topknot. Est. $15,000 – $20,000
Equally sublime is Lot 30, the Northern Wei Dynasty, Jade Carving of a Standing Sakyamuni Maitreya. Carved standing with right hand raised in abhaya mudra and left hand in varda mudra, wearing robes falling in loose folds around the body. The head with deeply arching eyebrows, narrow eyes and nose and small pursed lips, the hair with characteristic concentrically coiled strands arranged around the usnisa. Est. $10,000 – $15,000
The porcelain marquee item, Lot 72, is A Magnificent Underglazed Blue and Copper-red Gilt Decorated Nine-Dragon Vase, Meiping from Qianlong’s reign. Among the most difficult of glazes for artisans to conquer was copper red, as exemplified here. Superbly potted with a tapering body sweeping up to a broad rounded shoulder surmounted by a waisted neck and everted gold rim. The exterior brilliantly painted in underglazed blue with copper-red gilt decorated nine five-clawed dragons writhing amidst flaming clouds with one rendered larger and in a dominant position. Each dragon is skillfully drawn with a ferocious expression accentuated with piercing eyes, windswept mane and scales meticulously defined. The neck and foot rim painted with a band of turbulent crashing waves. The recessed base inscribed with a blue reign mark. Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Six Character Mark and of the Period Est. $80,000 – $150,000
Another ceramic highlight is Lot 81 Qing, A Refined Wucai Powder-Blue Ground Vase Incised with Crane and Plum Blossoms Motifs Intricately painted with cranes swooping in various positions and altitudes amidst scrolling plum blossoms, all with great precision and fine details. Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Six-Character Double Circled Seal Mark and of the Period Est. $15,000 – $20,000
At the dawn of history, the age resistant properties of bronze made it the perfect medium for the fruit and foods that assisted the deceased in their eternal journey. An excellent example is Lot 41, the Warring States, Bronze Ritual Tripod Vessel and Cover, Ding. The deep spherical body raised on three cabriole legs and flanked by a pair of upright rectangular handles. The shallow doomed cover decorated with three applied recumbent beasts finials, cast with concentric bands of interlaced kui dragon scrolls with a central whorl motif ring. The sides are similarly cast with tightly arranged scrolls and separated with a rope band above the Leiwen inscriptions. The surface is mottled with malachite encrustations. Est. $6,000 – $8,000 A later progeny, Lot 43, Ming, Yongle, A Rare Bronze Figure Guanyin. The slender deity is seated with eyes partially closed in meditation giving a serene expression, the hair swept back behind a diadem, dressed in a topknot, wearing a flowing shawl draped over the shoulders and a dhoti tied at the waist falling in graceful folds around the lower body and with arms tucked inside the sleeve and resting on a stand. Ming Dynasty, Yongle Six Character Mark and of the Period. $3,000 – $5,000
Of excellent values include an array of four unique translucent Tianhuang Seals: Lots 155 – 158 with rich translucent caramel tone and natural brownish-red veins surmounted by dragon or other auspicious symbols carved by notable artists. Est. $3,000 to $6,000
Jade carvings, the art of lapidary large and small, are well represented in this catalog. From Lot 121, A Zoomorphic Mask from Neolithic period Est. $15,000 – $30,000 to Lot 125, A Liangzhu Culture Large Ritual Jade Ax Est. $6,000 – $20,000 to Lot 48, A contemporary depiction of the Story scene from the Romance of the Three Kingdom Est. $2,000 – $3,000
Gianguan’ October sale will also feature a collection of fine Chinese paintings. Among these scrolls, realism, symbolism and calligraphy depict the epic themes of Chinese life. Lot 74 Wu Qingxia’s Lotus Pond Fish, a longing for poetic freedom. Est. $8,000-15,000
Another offering is Lot 99, Kwong Lam’s Unconstrained Freehand Cursive Script, Poem by Mao Zedong, A Father’s Encouragement to Son. Breaking away from writing in the traditional sense Lam creates calligraphic writing into free-flowing pictorial signs by relinquishing the conscious structure behind ideographic signs. Est. $3,000-4,000
For details on Gianguan Auctions upcoming 10/11 online sale, please view the catalog at www.gianguanauctions.com. The catalog is also on line www.liveauctioneers.com and www.invaluable.com For inquiry, contact Gianguan Auctions at [email protected] or calling 212 867-7288.
