antiques trade gazette User: IVAN Issue No: 2169 Issue Date: 06/12/14 File Name: NE01-03 PROOFED: Issue 2169 | 6th December 2014 UK £2.25 – USA $6.50 – Europe €3.95 SYMBOLS OF GOOD FORTUNE Thangka brings Nantwich auctioneers Peter Wilson set a new house record on November 27 with this large Qianlong (1736-95) mark-and-period doucai ‘lotus and bats’ jar and cover. Auctioneer Robert Stones brought down the new HK$310m gavel at £350,000 (£420,000 including the 20% buyer’s premium) after almost nine minutes of bidding. Four phone bidders from Mainland China and London competed against a lady Asian art high sitting in the saleroom who had flown from China to attend in person. She left empty-handed when ■ After an intense bidding battle on it sold to a bidder on the Yongle textile shows ten-fold the phones which lasted 22 minutes, telephone. increase in value over 12 years the thangka (pictured on page 3) was The jar was offered for knocked down to Liu Yiqian, the well- sale by the Shropshire Gabriel Berner known Chinese collector who was bidding descendant of a reports via the phone of Jinqing Cai, president Liverpool shipping of Christie’s China. After the sale, Mr Liu merchant who had AMONG the most important said he had purchased it for his recently brought it back from opened Long Museum in Shanghai. China. Admired for Asian works of art to come The large 11ft x 7ft (3.35 x 2.13m) its 18in (46cm) body to market in the modern thangka – recently on view in London’s decorated in doucai collecting era, an Imperial King Street – was created over five enamels outlined in gilt with centuries ago during the reign of the foliate lotus scrolls and iron Ming dynasty embroidered Ming dynasty’s third ruler, the Yongle red bats in flight – respectively silk thangka sold for HK$310m emperor who was in power from symbols of enlightenment and (£27m) at a Christie’s Chinese 1402-24. Embroidered in gold and good fortune – no other closely art sale in Hong Kong on brilliantly coloured silk threads, it depicts related vase appears to have been Raktayamari, the red Conqueror of Death, published. In 2011 it had failed to sell November 26. embracing his consort, Vajravetali. at Sotheby’s in London but was offered This hammer price – HK$348.4m Yongle was a devout Buddhist who in Cheshire with a substantially lower (£30.6m) with premium added – became the devoted disciple of the fifth estimate of £150,000-200,000. effectively counts as a new auction record Karmapa of the Karma Kagyu lineage. The price was the highest realised for an for Chinese art. It also exceeds at a single The emperor is known to have Asian work of art among a raft of regional stroke the aggregate of all the Oriental bestowed many favours and gifts on the specialist sales. These, and sales in London, are works of art sold at auction during the reported in this issue. recent Asian Art in London series. continued on page 3 Koopman Rare Art Paul Storr Antiques Trade Gazette: Harlequin Building, 65 Southwark Street, London SE1 0HR. PRINTED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM PAGE 001-003 2169.indd 1 11/28/2014 10:00:00 AM antiques trade gazette anti User: IVAN Issue No: 2169 Issue Date: 06/12/14 File Name: NE01-03 PROOFED: Use 2 6th December 2014 contents news Yo Dealers’ Diary The seal of the JOHN SMART: A GENIUS MAGNIFIED A German collection at Philip Mould Page 32-34 cont Karm London Selection Page 14-17 Bruce returns… thang the W Auction Reports Page 18-24 IT is, say Timeline Auctions, “probably the of Sik most important medieval seal to come to Tashi Page 32-34 Auction Previews Page 28-29 market” and certainly the most important Its object the firm have ever offered for is rem Art Market Page 36-38 sale, according to CEO Brett Hammond. consi In the year of the 700th anniversary of Only Antiquarian Books Page 40-43 Bannockburn they are offering the seal of both Robert the Bruce at around 2.30pm on in Lha International Events Page 47-60 December 4 with an estimate of £80,000- Ch 100,000. an Am Subscription Form Page 62 The ‘King Robert the Bruce of Scotland witho and Dunfermline Abbey cokete seal matrix Fir Index of Auction Advertisers Page 63 pair’ was commissioned on July 10, 1322. since Cokete seals were used where certain and la Auction Calendar Page 63-68 rights had been assumed or conferred – in when this case the right of Dunfermline Abbey ($4m Page 52-57 Fairs & Markets Page 69-72 to collect and use revenues from customs textile duties or taxes. mark Classified Page 73 Follow us on Twitter Like many large and important seals, since it comprises two elements and was used Th Letters to the Editor Page 74 as a press to form the large wax seal hold impression that was then attached to a Above: the Robert the Bruce of Scotland and landm The Back Page Page 74-75 document on a strip of parchment. Dunfermline Abbey cokete seal matrix pair. of art Housed in a Victorian hinged wooden – care @ATG_Editorial box, the obverse matrix (with locating containing Bruce’s heart were returned to Nove posts) shows St Margaret, founder and Scotland in 1331 and the heart buried in at Su CONTACTS benefactress of the abbey, while the Melrose Abbey. Th Antiques Trade Gazette, reverse (counterseal) matrix depicts the This pair of seals are described as to pa Harlequin Building, 65 Southwark Street, London SE1 0HR royal arms of Scotland and has a border being “in extremely fine condition” save confi 020 3725 5500 with the Lombardic legend Robertvs Dei signs of usage wear and the beginnings Bonh Gracia Rex Scotorvm (Robert, by the Grace of cracking at the edges that might little MANAGING DIRECTOR Anne Somers INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING of God, King of the Scots). have seen them ‘retired’ and replaced Nadia Brice +44 (0) 20 3725 5607 King Robert I, who died in 1329, before the end of King Robert’s reign. Editor Ivan Macquisten [email protected] had a longstanding connection with It was purchased in the 19th century by Deputy Editor Roland Arkell Dunfermline Abbey and was buried erstwhile owner Dr Ebenezer Henderson Philip Hebard +44 (0) 20 3725 5608 Commissioning Editor Anne Crane [email protected] there (his tomb was lost for centuries but (1800-79) whose Annals of Dunfermline News Editor Tom Derbyshire rediscovered in 1818). His heart, however, were published in the last year of his life. Phoebe Armstrong +44 (0) 20 3725 5613 was taken on crusade by Sir James Timeline’s vendor is ‘a London gentleman’. Dealers’ Diary Anna Brady [email protected] Douglas, his closest friend. After Douglas Timeline Auctions’ sale will be held at Fu Editor at Large Mark Bridge was killed in Spain (throwing the heart The Swedenborg Hall in Bloomsbury Way. Sales Director Simon Berti SUBSCRIPTIONS 020 3725 5501 before him, he supposedly charged into See Around the Auction Houses on page Polly Stevens the enemy shouting “Lead on brave heart, 74 for more about Timeline’s special guest Yo Head of Sales Sharon Davies [email protected] I’ll follow thee”) his corpse and the casket auctioneers for the sale. Office Manager Bea Barber A PRO Print & Production Director Justin Massie-Taylor ATG PRODUCTION 020 3725 5620 …and so does Cromwell’s coffin plate catalo Production Editor Muireann Grealy collec EDITORIAL 020 3725 5520 Workflow Manager Clair Perera Right: this copper-gilt coffin plate, bearing pledg [email protected] an inscription in Latin with the dates of Oliver It ADVERTISING ONLINE SERVICES Cromwell’s birth, death and inauguration as Catal [email protected] Lord Protector and the arms of the Protectorate proje www.antiquestradegazette.com to the reverse, was found when his body Th AUCTION ADVERTISING 020 3725 5602 Web Content Manager Alex Capon Emma McCann [email protected] was exhumed from the Henry VII chapel at with [email protected] Westminster Abbey on January 26, 1661. Two over 2 www.the-saleroom.com years after he had been buried with pomp and institu Operations Manager Carl Nestor NON-AUCTION ADVERTISING ceremony, he suffered a Royalist posthumous stora 020 3725 5605 [email protected] Daniel De’Ath execution – his head placed on a spike above natio [email protected] www.i-bidder.com Westminster Hall where it remained for 20 recor Head of Operations George Wade years. According to contemporary accounts, this Th [email protected] FAIRS & MARKETS 020 3725 5603 plate was ‘found in a leaden canister, lying on of the Tamsyn Mason the breast of the corpse’ by the man in charge build [email protected] ONLINE SUPPORT LINES of exhuming Cromwell’s body – James Norfolke, and S CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 020 3725 5604 the-saleroom.com: +44 (0) 20 3725 5555 Serjeant of the House of Commons. add t i-bidder.com: +44 (0) 20 3725 5550 Meegan Hill Sotheby’s will offer the ‘relic’ for sale on from [email protected] December 9. Estimated at £8000-12,000, it has online Antiques Trade Gazette is published and originated by Metropress Ltd been in the collection of the Harcourt family grant trading as ATG Media Ltd and printed by Buxton Press Ltd SK17 6AE atgmedia since the 19th century. take f PAGE 001-003 2169.indd 2 11/28/2014 9:51:14 AM antiques trade gazette User: IVAN Issue No: 2169 Issue Date: 06/12/14 File Name: NE01-03 PROOFED: Antiques Trade Gazette 3 Yongle thangka brings HK$310m Asian art record Young Guns continued from front page head Stateside Karmapa, and it is thought that this impressive ANTIQUES Young Guns (AYG) is to launch thangka was among them.