† A SUPERB CHALCEDONY AGATE QUATREFOIL DISH, 14TH-17TH CENTURY

拍品描述

† A SUPERB CHALCEDONY AGATE QUATREFOIL DISH, 14TH-17TH CENTURY China. Finely carved, the shallow rounded sides divided into four bracket lobes, supported on a broad and thickly rimmed foot of identical outline, and with an attractive polish highlighting the material. The translucent stone with natural banded ripples and eyes of caramel, deep amber, as well as pale gray. - A private collection in New York, acquired from the above, and thence by descent. - Bonhams New York, 15 March 2021, lot 61. - Property of a Parisian Collector, acquired from the above, and thence by descent. - Bonhams Paris, 10 December 2024, lot 17, sold for EUR 30,720 or approx. EUR 32,000 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). - The private collection of Jules Speelman, London, acquired from the above. - Poly Auction, Beijing, 5 December 2025, lot 2265, mid-estimate CNY 450,000 or approx. EUR 58,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). The leather box with a label from the Poly auction. Jules Speelman is a world-leading dealer and collector of East Asian art with 60 years of experience. In 1964 he joined his late father, Alfred, in the family business which already stretched back three generations to 19th century Holland and expanded into England around the turn of the century. Originally, A & J Speelman dealt with antiques, from European ceramics, silver, tapestries, and furniture to Chinese porcelain, and works of art. With his father, Jules gradually shifted the focus towards Asia and under Jules Speelman's skilled direction, A & J Speelman is now considered amongst the foremost dealers in Asian antiques, with a particular emphasis on figurative sculpture and works of art from the past 2000 years. Dimensions: Length 20.9 cm With an associated fitted leather box. (2) Agate has been valued in Chinese art since at least the Eastern Zhou dynasty, when its distinctive bands, cloud-like inclusions, and vibrant coloration were prized for the creation of small ornaments and personal adornments. By the Song dynasty, agate was increasingly fashioned into refined vessels, including cup stands, small trays, and cups, often adopting forms inspired by contemporary ceramics and precious metalwork. Left undecorated, these objects allowed the natural beauty of the stone, its translucency, polished surface, and unique patterns to serve as the primary ornament, creating harmonious complements to lacquer and ceramic wares. The quatrefoil and pentafoil forms appear from the Tang dynasty onward, see an agate petaled cup holder, dated Tang, in the National Museum of China (fig. 1), and reach particular prominence during the Song and Yuan dynasties. The elegant petal-shaped silhouette was adopted across a variety of media, including metalwork, lacquer, jade, and ceramics. The form was especially favored by the Ding and Yue kilns, where it became a characteristic shape among refined white wares. For a larger but near identical lozenge-shaped brown lacquer tray, with similar shallow everted rim and delicate ribs where the petals meet, dated 14th century, see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2001.535 (fig. 2). A foliate dish with petals, dated Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, was sold at Christie’s New York, 21 September 2023, lot 809 (fig. 3). A cinnabar lacquer tixi plate of similar outline and called hollyhock-form, dated Ming dynasty, is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, reference number 故漆000560N000000000 (fig. 4). Also compare a related lacquer bracket-lobed tray of similar form, dated Southern Song dynasty, at Christie’s Hong Kong, 3 June 2015, lot 2911 (fig. 5). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 3 October 2018, lot 3605 Price: HKD 1,250,000 or approx. EUR 157,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Expert remark: Compare the related stone, manner of carving, and lobed form. Note the similar size (18.5 cm) and slightly later date. 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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