Catalog (556)

Belt hook, or fibula, made of glass, with a finely detailed decoration in relief, largely influenced by the Warring States Period style, and representing, from top to bottom, first a large dragon head, then two chimeras side by side, then, at the end, a large tiger head. Nicely incised knob at the back. China, Qing Dynasty, 18th century, maybe earlier. Length: 19.8 cm. Remnants of soil encrustations. Very good condition. A very rare object.

Large mask representing the face of Mahakala with its typical terrifying expression, the features being carved in relief and the mouth in openwork showing teeth . At the top of the back of the head a small cylinder has been carved on a small platform. This cylinder was meant to contain a horse hair (often of white coulour), to decorate the mask. Wood, with obvious signs of great age and remains of woodworm attack (no more danger). Old accidents and old and local restorations on top of mask. Bhut...

Statue of Duowen Tian Wang, the Heavenly King of the North, elaborately dressed, wearing a diadem, holding the end of a ribbon with his left hand and a Buddhist scepter resting on a lotus in his right hand. The statue is standing on an square pedestal. The piece was originally lacquered, painted and gilt. Part of the lacquering is flaked, revealing the bronze oxydation. The statue was cast in China during the early Qing Dynasty, in the 18th century. Height: 37 cm. Very good condition.

Statue of Hindu goddess Shridevi, one of the two consorts ("shakti") of god Vishnu, standing on an elevated square base, holding a lotus flower in her left hand. Bronze, with fine patina. India, 18th century. Height: 6.2 cm. Some abrasion due to age, otherwise very good condition.

Statue of a Taoist deity --- maybe a judge in Hell --- in mandarin attire, sitting on a throne, his hands in praying posture. Lacquered and gilt wood. China, Qing dynasty, 18th century. Height: 20.2 cm. Old woodworm attacks (no more danger) lacquering and gilding partly flaked, otherwise very good condition.

Statue of Buddha Amithaba or Amitayus, wearing an unusual diadem, jewelry and dhoti, sitting cross-legged on an elevated throne backed by a flaming mandorla, holding the elixir of immortality in his hands. Bronze, with a fine reddish-green patina. This statue is a Sino-Tibetan work, dating late 18th century/early 19th century. Height: 18.5 cm. Very good condition. Provenance: acquired from a Hong Kong antique dealer in 1978.

Miniature altar representing Hindu god Shiva and his wife Parvati, standing, and backed by a mandorla. Bronze, with strong abrasion due to age and fine patina. India, 17th/18th century. Height: 83 mm. Very good condition. Provenance: old Berlin collection.

Statue of Buddha, in monk's robes, standing on an elevated rounded stand, his hands in abhaya and varada mudra (symbolizing protection, peace, charity and compassion). Wood, with fine patina. Japan, mid Edo period, 18th century. Height: 18 cm. Slight abrasion due to age, otherwise very good condition.

Finely cast statue of Buddha, in monk's robes, sitting cross-legged on a double lotus throne, his hands in bhumisparsa mudra. The lotus throne is nicely sculpted partly in openwork, on its lower part. Bronze, with fine age patina. Burma, Ava Style, 18th century. Height: 13 cm. Very good condition. Provenance: old Dutch collection.

Porcelain cup, blue and white, with a decoration inside representing concentric floral designs surrounding a chimera located in the center. On the outside, a floral decor of same type as inside. China, apocryphal mark beneath. Early Qing dynasty period, 18th century. Diameter: 22.8 cm. Very good condition.

Statue of a guardian, with a large mustache, wearing a turban --- suggesting that the man belongs to the Sikh community --- and a uniform. Wood, with strong abrasion due to great age. India, 18th/19th century. Height: 37 cm. The statue is mounted on a custom stand. Arms and feet missing, otherwise good condition.

Small statue of Buddha, in monk's robes, sitting cross-legged on an elevated lotus throne, holding a bowl in his left hand, his right hand in protecting and blessing posture (abhaya mudra). The statue was cast in the style of the Liao dynasty Buddha images. Bronze, with fine age patina. Qing Dynasty, 18th century. Slight abrasion due to age, otherwise very good condition.

Sutra book clasp cast in the shape of an H, with a Tibetan "dorje" (or "vajra") placed horizontally at its center. Square opening at top and bottom for attachment. Bronze, with partly encrusted greenish patina. Tibet, 17th century, maybe earlier. Height: 1 5/8" (4,2 cm). The piece is nicely mounted on a custom wood stand. Erosion due to great age, otherwise good condition. Note: such implement was used to lock the straps that kept a "sutra" book (a book containing Buddhist texts) closed.

Statue of crowned Buddha, in royal attire, his hands in "bhumisparsa mudra" (taking the Earth as a witness of the veracity of his sayings), sitting cross-legged on a tall throne. A hole at the top of the crown suggests the presence originally of a finial, now gone, while a hole at the back means that the statue was held firmly in a niche via a tenon. Marble, with numerous remnants of the original pigments. Burma, 17th century. Height: 10 1/4" (26,5 cm). Despite chips in some areas and obvious si...

Small statue of Buddha wearing a diadem, in a meditative posture ("dhyana mudra"), holding a stylized beggar bowl in his hands, sitting cross-legged on a double lotus throne. Bronze, with thick encrusted green patina. Tibet, 16th century. Height: 5 1/2" (14 cm). Diadem partly chipped, a few tiny casting defects, otherwise very good condition. A rather unusual aspect of the Buddha image.

Jarlet or bottle, with two ring handles, carved footring with dropped base, celadon glaze on brownish body. Traces of soil encrustations in some areas. Thailand, Sawankhalok kilns, ca. 14th to mid-16th centuries. Height: 4 1/2" (11,2 cm). Very good condition.

Small bowl of rounded shape, carved decoration of stylized lotus petals outside, with a short footring. Celadon, rather thick ceramic, with traces of light brown colour coming from a long stay underground. China, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Diameter: 5 3/8" (13,5 cm), height: 1 7/8" (4,8 cm). Slight glaze erosion in some areas around the rim, small chips at base, shape slightly warped, otherwise very good condition.

Head of a lohan (or arhat), its striking expression reflecting a profound inner happiness, with a third eye appearing on its forehead. Terracotta, with a plaster coating on which a white (for the whole face and neck), dark (for the eyebrows), and red (for the lips and mouth) pigment is applied. China, Ming Dynasty Period, maybe earlier. Height: 9" (23 cm). The head is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Some and small flaking on forehead and top of head, old and fine restoration at the base ...