On 12 December, the Asian Art department will present its second sale of the year. This sale, gathering 238 lots for a global estimate between 5 and 7 million euros, offering many exceptional objects of prestigious provenances as well as numerous Asian decorative works of art. One of the remarkable highlights of this sale is a twelve-panel Coromandel lacquer screen from the Kangxi period. Coming from a French private collection and acquired in 1967, it has been published and exhibited many times due to its major historical relevance. The Nan’ao Island off the Chinese coast towards Taiwan is represented in this work. This screen was offered to the island’s governor, General Zhou Hongsheng, for his sixtieth birthday. It’s an extremely rare example of a screen executed as a geographical map on which the names of each location are indicated. This work, recalling the ones from Coco Chanel’s collection, is a rare opportunity to acquire a large piece which shows a great savoir-faire combined to a perfect aesthetic (estimate: €200,000-400,000). The Asian Art department is also pleased to present a beautiful section of Chinese paintings including the collection of Zinovi Pechvoff, former ambassador of Free France in China. During his stay, he gathered a very important collection of Chinese modern paintings including works by Guan Shanyue, Li Xiongcai, Sun Zongwei, and Xu Beihong such as this ink representing a Horse, estimated at €50,000-70,000. Two other artworks, Owl and Sparrows by Li Xiongcai (estimate: €25,000-35,000) and Tiger by Guan Shanyue (estimate: €20,000-30,000, ill. on the left) have been gifted to him by Chinese politicians, demonstrating his prestige in Chongqing’s political and cultural circles. |
| We can also mention an important painting by the artist Li Keran, evoking a Giulin Landscape, a sacred place for Chinese people and a great source of inspiration for the artist. Contrasts between shapes and black and white are rhythmed by color zones reflecting this place’s atmosphere and soul while echoing the artist’s state of spirit (estimate: €200,000-300,000, ill.on the right) Among Chinese art objects, the specialists have chosen a rare and important red lacquer box with a delicately carved lid showcasing three big embossed peonies among lush leaves on an ochre background. The edges of the lid and the box itself have symmetrical details of flowers from the four season: peonies, lotuses, chrysanthemums and camellias. This box is estimated at €80,000-120,000. The Chinese art’s refinement and poetry is also expressed through a rare pair of imperial boxes covered with red lacquer lids, from Qianlong period (€60,000-80,000) coming from a French private collection. |
