Upcoming Sale
Asian Arts
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Spotlight on the Sale's Favorites
Tibet, 15th-16th century
Gilded bronze statuette of Shakyamuni.
The Buddha is depicted seated in vajrasana on a double lotus base, with hands in bhumisparsha mudra.
The base is sealed. With a later natural wood stand.
Height: 13.5 cm
This piece is inspired by models from Eastern India, particularly those of the Pala period, as seen in the broad-shouldered canon accentuated by a slender waist, the fan-shaped folds of the monastic robe, and the pronounced lines of the eyebrows. The robe's panel falling in a fishtail shape over the shoulder, along with the broad forehead and delicately curved lips, evoke the works of Newari artisans, notably from the Malla dynasty.
Japan
Edo Period, 18th Century
Kano School
Important six-panel folding screen from the Kano School, depicting a landscape centered around a pond where a pair of Mandarin ducks play. To the left, hinoki cypresses and red maple trees extend their branches toward the center of the composition. On the right, another duck stands beside a grove of peonies and chrysanthemums. The entire scene is set against a rich background of golden clouds, with an opening revealing a mountainous landscape.
Black lacquered mounting.
The Kano School, founded in the 15th century by Kano Masanobu, is one of the most influential painting schools in Japan, shaping Japanese art history until the 19th century. Its distinctive and refined style is based on a skillful fusion of Chinese artistic techniques and motifs, combined with purely Japanese decorative elements. Kano artists excelled in large-scale decorative projects, such as fusuma (sliding door panels) or folding screens for castles, temples, and palaces, featuring vibrant depictions of nature—flowers and birds, trees, and plants—set against lavish gold-leaf backgrounds, with strong, precise brushwork.
Rich in symbolism, Kano School artworks celebrate the harmony between nature and humanity and were highly prized by the Japanese aristocracy and the shogunate. Beyond their decorative function, they served as conveyors of spiritual and moral values, reinforcing the power and prestige of the ruling class.
In this particular screen, the presence of Mandarin ducks (oshidori) symbolizes eternal love and marital fidelity, as these birds are believed to remain with the same partner for life.
Discover our "Celestial Horse" in the Asian Arts sale
China, Han Dynasty (220 BC - 206 AD)
Important wooden mingqi horse
Dimensions: 75 x 65 x 14 cm
Carbon-14 dating certificate from the ASA laboratory, dated November 23, 2001.
Mingqi, or funerary substitutes, are figurines and objects specifically crafted for funerary purposes. Made of terracotta, bronze, or wood, they were placed in tombs from the late Zhou period (1045-256 BC) to replace the animals and humans previously sacrificed in the burials of Shang and Zhou elites. Wooden horse figures are particularly rare due to the challenges of preserving this material underground. These sculptures were sometimes enhanced with polychrome decorations and/or dressed in leather and silk. The horses are distinguished by a simple yet powerful rendering of the body, contrasting with the expressive modeling of the head.
The abundance of horses in Han funerary furniture reflects the empire’s fascination with elite, swift steeds, which were imported at great cost from Transoxiana starting in the 1st century BC. These horses were meant to counter the Xiongnu cavalry, which posed a threat to China. Known as "celestial horses," they were considered divine apparitions and became symbols of heavenly favor—highly auspicious companions for the afterlife.
Bhutan, 19th-20th Century
Important Throne Cover (Tikhep) in Wool with Applied and Embroidered Decoration
The center features a swirling motif surrounded by lotus petals. The entire composition is framed by a garland of pearls and kirtimukha masks alternating with flaming jewels. The spandrels are adorned with intertwined scrollwork. Two sides are accentuated with fringes.
Dimensions: 128 x 122 cm
Made from fabrics imported from India, China, or Tibet, these throne covers were placed on cushions used by high-ranking lamas as well as the Bhutanese elite during official ceremonies or Buddhist rituals. A throne cover with a very similar design is preserved in the collections of the Textile Museum, Washington (No. 1999.9.1).
China
Ming Dynasty, 16th Century
Rare "Kinrande" Porcelain Ewer
The pear-shaped body is decorated in red, green, turquoise, and black enamels, rising into a tall neck adorned with banana leaves and garlands of pearls. The long, high spout is connected to the neck by an "S"-shaped brace. The body features two large drop-shaped reserves in iron-red and quadrilobed reserves housing peonies against a geometric lattice background. The "S"-shaped handle, the upper part of the neck, and the lid are made of a metal alloy.
Height: 30 cm
This "kinrande" ewer is a striking example of the global trade exchanges of the 16th century. The shape of this piece, with its tall-necked ewer form, derives from Islamic and Persian metalwork models imported into China and adapted to porcelain. These wucai decorated porcelains, enhanced with gold leaf, were produced during the reigns of the Ming emperors Jiajing (1521–1566) and Wanli (1573–1620) and gained immense popularity in early Japan. The term "kinrande," derived from Japanese and meaning "gold brocade," became the widely used designation for these pieces.
"Kinrande" porcelains were also highly prized in the Ottoman Empire, and the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul houses the world's largest collection, with over 50 preserved pieces. Many of these porcelains were fitted with elaborate mounts and embellishments, much like the one seen on the ewer presented in this sale.
ASIAN ARTS SALE
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Auction Schedule
First session from lot 1 to 165 : 10:00 AM
Second session from lot 166 to 391 : 2:30 PM
Public Exhibition
Aguttes Neuilly | 164 bis, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle
Monday, March 3 – Wednesday, March 5
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM & 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
For more information or to include a lot in our upcoming sales, please contact :
Clémentine Guyot +33 (0)1 47 45 00 90 - guyot@aguttes.com