One featured item of the upcoming Important Chinese Art auction, offered by Sotheby’s, is a gold, silver, and glass-embellished bronze vessel from the Warring States period. The piece was likely created for a royal patron. Due to its uncommon style, the auction house indicates that the method for its creation is unknown. Only three other bronze vessels are known to exist with similar glass inlays, and only one of them has been made public. The piece at auction has also not been published or exhibited since 1938.
Other key pieces in the sale include a painting of flowers, fruits, fish, and vegetables by Li Shan. Recognized for a dramatic and confident style, Li and seven other painters became known as the “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou.” Though the piece in the sale comes from his more subdued later period, it nevertheless reflects his training as a student of Jiang Tingxi, who was known for his paintings of birds and flowers. Other works in the auction include a jade “Red Cliffs” table screen from the Qing dynasty, blue and white porcelains from the Ming dynasty, a pair of cloisonné enamel dragon ewers from the 17th century, and more. View any of these lots and register to bid on the Sotheby’s website.
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva (a being committed to attaining Buddhahood) who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. One of the noteworthy lots at the upcoming Indian, Himalayan, Southeast Asian Works of Art auction, presented by Sotheby’s, is a gilt copper figure of Avalokiteśvara from 9th or 10th-century Nepal. The bodhisattva is seated on a wide lotus petal throne, wearing a shawl and dhoti. The head is encircled in an aureole decorated in swirling flames. Avalokiteśvara outstretches a hand in a gesture of charity. Another highlight is a Tibetan thangka depicting Amitabha. The thangka belongs to a group of paintings associated with Trehor Namkha Gyan, known as Lankajie, a renowned artist working in Kham during the 18th century. According to oral history, Namkha Gyan worked for Gelug establishments in the Kangdze region, as well as the Ngorpa Sakya monastery of nearby Dongtog.
The sale also features several illustrations, including a late 18th or early 19th-century piece belonging to a Ragamala series. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Sotheby’s.
Christie’s will present 56 lots of South Asian contemporary and modern art during the upcoming Asian Art Week. Vasudeo S. Gaitonde’s untitled 1983 painting is among the lots coming to auction for the first time. This green and blue piece grew out of Gaitonde’s exposure to Abstract Expressionism in the 1960s and was one of the last large paintings he completed before a debilitating car accident. Several other prominent South Asian artists are also represented, including Maqbool Fida Husain and Francis Newton Souza. The sale also features rising contemporary artists, from a lighted installation by Shilpa Gupta to miniature painting by Imran Qureshi.
Opening the sale is a portfolio of seven prints from prominent Indian-American artist Zarina. Active through the 20th century, she experienced temporary displacement early in life due to the Partition of India. The available portfolio continues the artist’s career-long discussion of the concept of ‘home,’ something she felt she never found. “I do not feel at home anywhere,” she said, “but the idea of home follows me wherever I go.” Seven prints, each paired with a short line of text, are included in the portfolio. Find out more information about Zarina in this Auction Daily article. Visit Christie’s for the complete auction catalog and to place a bid.
Under a powerful spell, Hercules killed his wife and children. Upon realizing, he was filled with guilt and went to the Oracle at Delphi and asked for her help. The oracle commanded Hercules to visit and serve his cousin, King Eurystheus, who would give him 12 tasks that Hercules must successfully complete to be forgiven. Upon reaching, Eurystheus tasked Heracles to kill a lion that was the cause of suffering in Nemea’s land. The lion would roam the hills of Nemea, killing people and their livestock. When Hercules found the lion, he tried to kill it with his bows, which proved useless. Then, Hercules clutched the lion in his muscular arms and strangled it, finally choking it to death. A bronze figure depicting Hercules wearing a hood and cloak made from the Nemean lion is the highlight of the upcoming event, presented by Artemis Gallery.
Another highlight of this auction is a black Etruscan Bucchero amphora. Bucchero wares are a shiny dark grey to black pottery produced by central Italy’s Etruscans from the 7th to 4th century BC. Also available is a Native American war shield. Made from buffalo hide, the shield is decorated with turquoise, vermilion, black, lavender circles, and snake-like figures. View the full catalog at Bidsquare.
A painting titled Chat-Chat-Chat from Roberto Matta will be offered by Simpson Galleries in the upcoming Fine Art & Antiques sale. Believed to be a portrait of the Chilean artist and his wife Germana Ferrari, the pastel and oil painting from around 1997 shows a courting couple. Matta began his career as an architect but soon realized his love for painting. He eventually joined with Surrealists like André Breton, Gertrude Stein, Marcel Duchamp, and Salvador Dalí.
Raised to be a proper young lady, Dorothy Hood (1918 – 2000) found refuge in drawing. Her painting titled Abstract in Red and Icy Blue is available in this sale. The artist states that when something is acute to her heart or her memory, a shade of it appears on her work. Art historian Robert Hobbs had identified elements of Texas, Mexico, and New York-style art in her drawings. Pieces from artists such as Porfirio Salinas, Frederic Remington, Édouard Cortès, François Gall, Charles Russell, and others are also up for bid. The first two sessions combine 698 lots that will include documents, timepieces, and French, English, and American furniture. View and bid on the entire catalog on Bidsquare.
Born in Kentucky, Matthew Harris Jouett was a portrait painter active between 1800 and 1825. In his lifetime, Jouett painted many portraits of prominent Kentuckian figures, including the likes of Governor Isaac Shelby and Senator John Brown. One of the leading lots in the upcoming American Furniture, Folk, and Decorative Arts event, presented by Cowan’s Auctions, is Jouett’s oil on canvas portrait of Governor Isaac Shelby, an American Revolutionary War soldier. This portrait was likely completed during the early years of his career.
Another highlighted portrait is from Patrick Henry Davenport. The artist fell under the influence of Jouett, who provided him with informal training. He later became a noted portrait artist in the 1820s. Also included in the listings is an early 20th-century lantern, advertising ‘None Such New England Mince Meat.’ The lantern has four reverse painted glass panels that depict different images on each side: a pumpkin, an American flag, None Such Mince Meat, and None Such Condensed Soup. A whale’s tooth scrimshaw piece from an anonymous 19th-century artist referred to as the ‘Banknote Engraver’ is also available. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Born into a celebrated sculptor family, French artist Louis Auguste Moreau was best known for his bronze sculptures executed in the Art Nouveau style. Moreau’s works often depicted historical figures, children, women, and cherubs adorned with floral motifs and ornaments. A bronze sculpture from Moreau is highlighted in the upcoming sale, offered by Locati, LLC. The sculpture depicts a seated young girl with a doll in her lap. Her right hand is raised as if she is about to strike the doll.
The Locati September Sale also highlights a botanical print by Basil Besler. A German botanist and apothecary, Besler is best known for his Hortus Eystettensis compilation. In 1613, the Bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria commissioned Besler to compile a codex of the plants growing in his garden. The task took Besler 16 years to complete. The collection is considered one of the most extensive works of botanical literature. Beyond fine art, the event also offers 19th-century clocks, jewelry, tea caddies, and rugs. View the entire collection and register to bid online on LiveAuctioneers.
Before Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave print became an international sensation, it was just one part of a series exploring the capacity of Japanese landscape art. Hokusai was an ukiyo-e woodblock print artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During his long career, Hokusai constantly experimented with his style to push the boundaries of the genre. Christie’s will offer an edition of his most famous print, titled in full Kanagawa oki nami ura (Under the well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa), in the upcoming Japanese and Korean Art auction. The focal point of the work is the massive, foaming wave positioned on the left side, while Mount Fuji is shrunk to a mere hill in comparison. Lots from other noted Japanese printmakers– including Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro– will be available as well.
The auction is set to include a selection of Korean and Japanese ceramics, many predating the 19th century. An iron-decorated porcelain jar is among the key items, showing the twisting body of a dragon wrapping around the globular body. This piece was created during the Joseon dynasty, which governed the Korean Peninsula from 1392 to 1910. Another vase from the Joseon dynasty shows three worthies playing a traditional game. The auction house notes the unusual placement of this scene on a ceramic, as it was typically reserved for paintings. Find more information on each of the lots and place a bid on Christie’s.
Artist Huang Binhong’s work is considered a major contribution to Chinese art. In the 1930s, he created an especially influential document discussing his various brushwork methods, which would help boost him to fame. Huang’s style emerged from close observation of Chinese tradition and Western Impressionism. The second session of the Fall Fine Asian Art and Antiques sale, presented by Oakridge Auction Gallery, highlights a hanging scroll painting by Huang. The painting shows a man climbing a path on a mountain bluff covered with pine trees. It is rendered in watercolor and ink.
The sale also showcases works from Zhang Daqian. The 20th-century painter committed his early years to the study of traditional Chinese painting and his later years exploring Expressionist concepts. The available watercolor on silk landscape work depicts a fisherman beneath a willow tree. Also offered is a painting by prominent Chinese painter, calligrapher, and seal artist of the Qing dynasty, Wu Changshuo. This ink on paper piece is mounted on a silk backing with matching dowels. Interested bidders can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Drummers were considered an essential part of the American Civil War. Beyond regulating the marching of soldiers, drums worked as communication devices in camps and on battlefields. Each drum call was assigned a specific task. Army men were mandated to learn these drum calls to aid non-verbal communication during the war. A painted Civil War drum with the seal of North Carolina is available in the upcoming auction of Jerry and Cathy Mueller’s 19th-century Americana collection. The outdoor, country-style live event is presented by Dirk Soulis Auctions.
The sale will feature a tobacconist figure from the 1880s. Attributed to master carver Samuel Robb, the unsigned statue features a Native American figure with a red dress, a yellow blanket, and tobacco leaves in hand. Other lots include weathervanes, painted furniture, accessories, gameboards, old figural windmill weights, barber poles, and more. Visit Bidsquare to view the entire catalog or register to bid.
