 UNGLAZED POTTERY EARTH SPIRIT Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 12.UNGLAZED POTTERY EARTH SPIRITCHINATANG DYNASTY, 618 – 907H. 54 CMS, 21 INSA dynamic, unglazed pottery earth spirit, superbly carved in a rampant posture of defiance, with his right hand raised and his left grappling with a poisonous toad, the ferocious looking guardian beast sporting long flame like spikes all along its spine rising above a face with bulging eyes and curly beard, its muscular body and legs suppressing the movement of a supine boar at his feet, the whole group resting on a rock said to represent the Buddhist celestial mountain, Mount Sumeru, finely painted pigments to the chest and lower body in the form of large leafy white flowerheads remaining. Earth spirits were placed in pairs inside the entrance of a tomb acting as guardian beasts. Early, Sui dynasty examples were simply modelled but by the 8th century of the Tang dynasty, as is seen here, the expressions and accoutrements had become more exaggerated. For a closely related example see page 53, plate 42, J. Baker, Seeking Immortality, Santa Ana, California, 1996. See also number 152 in Selected Tang Tomb Figurines Excavated in Shaanxi Province, Beijing, 1958. Age verified by Oxford thermoluminescence test.
|  Two handled jade cup
Two handled jade cup.Chinese, 17th/18th century.Length: 12.5 cm, 4 7/8 inches.A small round jade cup of archaic form, the pierced handles carved as stylized dragons, their faces appearing towards the top, the exterior of the cup decorated with small circular scrolls, the jade an even celadon tone.Provenance: Private Collection, originally purchased from John Sparks Ltd.
|  STANDING LIMESTONE BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
11 STANDING LIMESTONE BUDDHA. CHINA, SHANDONG PROVINCE.NORTHERN QI DYNASTY, 550-557 AD.H. 127 CMS, 50 INS.An exceptional white limestone figure of Buddha standing on a lotus pedestal with his right hand raised in abhayamudra and his left lowered in varadamudra, carved in the round with a raised usnisha and elongated earlobes, the face serene with eyes cast downwards in meditation, the corners of the lips drawn up into a faint smile, the expression benevolent and tranquil; the sanghati covering both shoulders with a broad collar and descending to a double-hem, the surface of the stone with extensive pigmentation, gilding and plant residue.The celebrated Qingzhou hoard, a large group of Buddhist statues of exceptional quality, was accidentally unearthed in 1996 by workers levelling a school sports field in Qingzhou, a small city in Shandong Province on China's northeast coast. Created during a 50-year period spanning the Northern Wei (386–534), Eastern Wei (534–550) and the Northern Qi (550–577) dynasties, the sculptures illustrate the dramatic stylistic changes that occurred during that time. The unusual quantity of remaining gilding and vibrant red, green and other pigments on their surfaces provide an opportunity for the viewer to experience the impact of brightly decorated sculpture - the norm in ancient China. Note: The stone colour, patination, plant residue and pigments are identical on both the main figure and the lotus pedestal; evidence that both parts of the sculpture belong together. There are also extensive traces of a painted monk’s robe on both the front and back of this sculpture.For a similar example from the Qingzhou horde, please see no. 17 in the exhibition catalogue for Royal Academy of Arts, Return of the Buddha: The Qingzhou Discoveries, 2002. Provenance: Private Scottish collection.
|  Pair of stucco heads Current and Past Exhibitions
Pair of stucco heads.China, probably from Shanxi province.Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD. H. 8 ins, 20cm.A striking pair of female stucco heads, their faces calm with eyes peering brightly from beneath arched brows; the hair painted blue and modelled into coils, with gilt headdresses elaborately rendered with curling tendrils and brightly painted shapes representing jewels.The mountainous, rugged terrain and dry climate of Shanxi province, with its numerous monasteries and temples, helped to preserve many such sculptures from damage by war and nature.
|  Pair of lacquer panels Current and Past Exhibitions, Current and Past Exhibitions
Pair of lacquer panels.Chinese.Kangxi period, 1662-1722.H. 26 ½ ins, 67.5 cm. W. 14 ins, 35.5 cm. A pair of black lacquered wooden panels, each brightly painted in polychrome and gilt enamels with a garden landscape of people seated in pavilions among lakes, bridges and mountains; each framed in its original gilded lacquer frame with brass fittings.Provenance: Collection of Derek Clifford.
|  Pair of Guardian Figures Current and Past Exhibitions
Pair of Guardian Figures.China, probably from Ningxia province.Western Xia (Xixia), Tangut Kingdom, circa 12th century.H. 13 ½ ins, 34cmAn exceptionally rare pair of red sandstone tomb guardians, each with bulging eyes and a humorous expression, crouching with lotuses balanced upon their heads. From the time of their establishment as an independent state in 982, until their subjugation by the Mongols around 1227, the Xixia (Western Xia or Tanguts) flourished as a commercial power. Their revenues were derived from taxes, levied upon merchants travelling along the section of the Silk Road within the great curve of the Yellow River- a large part of modern Gansu province. The Xixia were devout Buddhists, their artistic creations heavily influenced by Tibet. Examples of Tangut tomb guardians are scarce but a pair of similar figures- one male and one female- are illustrated in Shi Jinbo, Xi Xia Wen Wu, 1988 [ISBN no. 7-5010-0049-2].
|  LIMESTONE TORSO OF BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 4.LIMESTONE TORSO OF BUDDHA.CHINA.FROM THE VICINITY OF QINGZHOU, SHANDONG PROVINCE.NORTHERN QI, 550-577 AD.H. 77.5 CMS, 30.5 INS.A magnificent grey limestone torso of the Buddha, the right hand (now missing) raised in abhayamudra (the gesture of dispelling fear) and the left hand (also missing) probably in varadamudra (the granting of wishes); the figure draped in a simple close fitting kasaya robe falling from both shoulders with simple incised U-shaped folds, the back with similarly incised folds.The establishment of the Northern Qi period in 550 AD brought with it an integration of Indian and Chinese Buddhist arts. In general, the slender modelling of the Northern Wei gave way to a figure with full rounded face, broad shoulders and protuberant chest, covered with light clinging garments. Looking at this torso, the way in which the kasaya garment clings to the body in a light and subtle manner suggesting the beauty of the figure beneath, shows the direct influence of Gupta art. For two very similar examples see plate 82, Zhao Pu-Chu, Buddhist Imagery Art at Longxing Temple of Qingzhou, 1999 and plate 115, exhibition catalogue, Treasures of Ancient China, Tokyo National Museum, 24th October – 17th December, 2000. Other similarly rendered figures were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 2002 and illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, plates 25 and 26, Royal Academy of Arts, Return of the Buddha: The Qingzhou Discoveries, 2002. PROVENANCE: Private English Collection.
|  ELMWOOD SHRINE Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 47.CHINA, PROBABLY SHANXI PROVINCE.19TH CENTURY.H. 49 CMS, 19 ¼ INS.W. 48 CMS, 19 INS. D. 35 CMS, 13 ¾ INS.A lacquered Elmwood (yumu) shrine of rectangular proportion, the sides plain, the front comprising four openwork carved panels, the two central panels opening as doors on dowel hinges, all behind an open carved overhang.Shrines of all sizes were used throughout the Shanxi region, in temples and in the home. This delicately carved shrine would have been placed on an altar table in the house of a middle class family. Inside there would have been a small Buddha and other symbolic objects for worship. The wooden tassels decorating the overhang are typical of the Shanxi regional style. An exhibition entitled Friends of the House: Furniture from China’s towns and villages, organised by Nancy Berliner and held at the Peabody Essex Museum in 1996, brought provincial Chinese furniture to the attention of mainstream collectors for the first time.
|  Chicken Wing Wood (jichimu) table Current and Past Exhibitions
Chicken Wing Wood (jichimu) table.China.Qing dynasty, 18th century.L. 55 ins, 140 cm.H. 32 ½ ins, 82.5 cm.W. 14 1/8 ins, 36 cm.A double sided Chicken Wing Wood (jichimu) table of rectangular form, the plain board top dovetailed to the end sections each of which has two rectangular openings decorated, inside and outside, with highly stylised dragons and geometric scrolling motifs; the legs finishing in scrolled feet, the spandrels elaborately designed with geometric cloud and dragon motif and the apron exquisitely carved with twisted ‘rope and ring’ design.Provenance: Private English Collection.Purchased at Spink and Son in 1995.The realistic carving of the ‘rope and ring’ design can be compared to a table illustrated as plate 76 in Tian Jiaqing, Classic Chinese Furniture of the Qing dynasty, London, Philip Wilson, 1996.
|  Bronze comb decorated with mythical beasts Current and Past Exhibitions
17. Bronze comb decorated with mythical beasts. China, Eastern Zhou, 770-221 BC.H. 8.7 cms, 3 3/8 ins.Provenance: Private English Collection.Reference: See cat. No. 14, p. 93, in J. M. White and E. C. Bunker, Adornment for Eternity: Status and Rank in Chinese Ornament, Denver Art Museum, 1994.
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