37
A pair of Louis XVI gilt-bronze mounted Chinese porcelain vases, the porcelain Kangxi period third q
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Description
A pair of Louis XVI gilt-bronze mounted Chinese porcelain vases, the porcelain Kangxi period third quarter 17th century, the mounts late 18th century
the scrolled handles terminating with a grotesque mask, one side painted with a planter from which issues foliage, the other side with a cockerel and a mythical animal on a lattice-fenced terrace surrounded by rockwork and foliage, on a square base with canted corners, restorations
25.5cm high, 14cm. wide, 11cm. deep;
10 in., 5 1/2in., 4 1/3in.
Provenance
The Collection of Mme. Camille Lelong; Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 27 April - 1 May 1903, lot 229 (illustrated).
Catalogue note
The present vases mounted with neoclassical mounts showcase rare and exciting Chinese Export ‘famille verte’ porcelain adapted from puzzle jugs of the Kangxi period. Of European invention, puzzle jugs were used especially in the 17th, 18th and 19th century for drinking games in taverns and pubs. Whilst English, Dutch and Italian examples are widespread, fewer examples from China have been produced and little have survived to this day, especially in pairs.
Puzzle jugs challenged someone to drink from them without spilling the contents, a mission that proved to be quite difficult given the holes they contained. However, an ingenious solution featured these jugs: a secret hole was added below the handle, and when all but one of the spouts/holes were covered, suction was created, and only then can the person drink successfully without leaning the jug and spilling the jug's contents. The present porcelain is consistent with the production during the Kangxi period and would have been especially made to cater the clientele in the West. A similar pair of jugs, with their handle, similar painted decoration to the neck and feet and also with a scene near a lattice-fenced terrace was sold at Christie’s, London, 23 January 2008, lot 18 ($39,400).
Both a popular form in Europe and a testament of the fascination for Chinese and ‘exotic’ porcelain, it is not surprising that this porcelain’s preciousness and rarity was elevated and protected with French mounts influenced by the neoclassical style rooted in Antiquity.
The Lelong Collection
Camille Lelong (born Laurentine-Françoise Bernage, 1840-1902) was a distinguished Parisian collector and dealer in art and antiques including Chinese and Japanese porcelain. At her Hôtel Rouillé de Meslay on the Quai de Béthune in Paris, she was known to have acquired a vast amount of magnificent works from European, Chinese and Japanese porcelain to 18th century furniture and decorative arts. She has been variously described as a merchant, a collector and a hoarder (see Émile Dacier, 'L’antiquaire de l’île Saint-Louis', Revue de l’art ancien et moderne, April 1903, p. 243). While she did part with some of her objets d’art (if rightly compensated) prior to her death, most of her collection was sold posthumously in the spring and summer of 1903 by Galerie Georges Petit over the course of at least six sales.
These sales were written about extensively both in France and abroad, and were very popular—part of the burgeoning trend of fashionable society auctions, which performed extremely well and drove up prices. In 1903 French art historian Émile Dacier predicted that: “Undoubtedly, most of [the objects] will take their place in a few palaces on Fifth Avenue, but we would be hard pressed to regret it beyond measure; since they will tell grandsons of billionaire trustmen how we too have been rich, rich in grace, distinction, elegance, refinement, rich in taste, rich in spirit” (see ibid., p. 254).
These vases have for a long time been accompanied by a carboard sheet with on one side a black and white photograph of the vases, and on the reverse a stamp for William E. Gray (1864-1935), a Fine Art Photographer based in London and a handwritten text reading:
2963
Priced £tbr1815
£crss
A pair of small old Chinese famille verte Vases with perforated necks decorated with flowers., on rouge de fer ground, richly mounted with ormolu of Louis XVI period the handles formed of grotesques masks with foliage.
[From the Lelong Collection.]
Height 24 ½ cms.
The prices above the description indicate that these vases were with a dealer, who not only asked Mr. Gray to photograph them, but also accordingly priced them - it was a common practice for dealers at the time to share their prices amongst coded letters.
The Guinle family
The Guinle family of Rio de Janeiro occupied a prominent position in Brazilian high society throughout the 20th century. With roots tracing back to the 19th century, the Guinles were renowned for their immense wealth and influence, shaping the city’s cultural and political landscape significantly. Their mansion, Parque Lage, served as a hub for artists and intellectuals, fostering a vibrant cultural scene. The family’s legacy is intertwined with the development of iconic landmarks in Rio de Janeiro, including the luxurious Copacabana Palace hotel, which they established in 1923. Through the decades, Guinle family became a symbol of elegance, shaping Rio de Janeiro’s 20th-century society.
Additional Notices & Disclaimers
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
the scrolled handles terminating with a grotesque mask, one side painted with a planter from which issues foliage, the other side with a cockerel and a mythical animal on a lattice-fenced terrace surrounded by rockwork and foliage, on a square base with canted corners, restorations
25.5cm high, 14cm. wide, 11cm. deep;
10 in., 5 1/2in., 4 1/3in.
Provenance
The Collection of Mme. Camille Lelong; Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 27 April - 1 May 1903, lot 229 (illustrated).
Catalogue note
The present vases mounted with neoclassical mounts showcase rare and exciting Chinese Export ‘famille verte’ porcelain adapted from puzzle jugs of the Kangxi period. Of European invention, puzzle jugs were used especially in the 17th, 18th and 19th century for drinking games in taverns and pubs. Whilst English, Dutch and Italian examples are widespread, fewer examples from China have been produced and little have survived to this day, especially in pairs.
Puzzle jugs challenged someone to drink from them without spilling the contents, a mission that proved to be quite difficult given the holes they contained. However, an ingenious solution featured these jugs: a secret hole was added below the handle, and when all but one of the spouts/holes were covered, suction was created, and only then can the person drink successfully without leaning the jug and spilling the jug's contents. The present porcelain is consistent with the production during the Kangxi period and would have been especially made to cater the clientele in the West. A similar pair of jugs, with their handle, similar painted decoration to the neck and feet and also with a scene near a lattice-fenced terrace was sold at Christie’s, London, 23 January 2008, lot 18 ($39,400).
Both a popular form in Europe and a testament of the fascination for Chinese and ‘exotic’ porcelain, it is not surprising that this porcelain’s preciousness and rarity was elevated and protected with French mounts influenced by the neoclassical style rooted in Antiquity.
The Lelong Collection
Camille Lelong (born Laurentine-Françoise Bernage, 1840-1902) was a distinguished Parisian collector and dealer in art and antiques including Chinese and Japanese porcelain. At her Hôtel Rouillé de Meslay on the Quai de Béthune in Paris, she was known to have acquired a vast amount of magnificent works from European, Chinese and Japanese porcelain to 18th century furniture and decorative arts. She has been variously described as a merchant, a collector and a hoarder (see Émile Dacier, 'L’antiquaire de l’île Saint-Louis', Revue de l’art ancien et moderne, April 1903, p. 243). While she did part with some of her objets d’art (if rightly compensated) prior to her death, most of her collection was sold posthumously in the spring and summer of 1903 by Galerie Georges Petit over the course of at least six sales.
These sales were written about extensively both in France and abroad, and were very popular—part of the burgeoning trend of fashionable society auctions, which performed extremely well and drove up prices. In 1903 French art historian Émile Dacier predicted that: “Undoubtedly, most of [the objects] will take their place in a few palaces on Fifth Avenue, but we would be hard pressed to regret it beyond measure; since they will tell grandsons of billionaire trustmen how we too have been rich, rich in grace, distinction, elegance, refinement, rich in taste, rich in spirit” (see ibid., p. 254).
These vases have for a long time been accompanied by a carboard sheet with on one side a black and white photograph of the vases, and on the reverse a stamp for William E. Gray (1864-1935), a Fine Art Photographer based in London and a handwritten text reading:
2963
Priced £tbr1815
£crss
A pair of small old Chinese famille verte Vases with perforated necks decorated with flowers., on rouge de fer ground, richly mounted with ormolu of Louis XVI period the handles formed of grotesques masks with foliage.
[From the Lelong Collection.]
Height 24 ½ cms.
The prices above the description indicate that these vases were with a dealer, who not only asked Mr. Gray to photograph them, but also accordingly priced them - it was a common practice for dealers at the time to share their prices amongst coded letters.
The Guinle family
The Guinle family of Rio de Janeiro occupied a prominent position in Brazilian high society throughout the 20th century. With roots tracing back to the 19th century, the Guinles were renowned for their immense wealth and influence, shaping the city’s cultural and political landscape significantly. Their mansion, Parque Lage, served as a hub for artists and intellectuals, fostering a vibrant cultural scene. The family’s legacy is intertwined with the development of iconic landmarks in Rio de Janeiro, including the luxurious Copacabana Palace hotel, which they established in 1923. Through the decades, Guinle family became a symbol of elegance, shaping Rio de Janeiro’s 20th-century society.
Additional Notices & Disclaimers
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
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A pair of Louis XVI gilt-bronze mounted Chinese porcelain vases, the porcelain Kangxi period third quarter 17th century, the mounts late 18th century
the scrolled handles terminating with a grotesque mask, one side painted with a planter from which issues foliage, the other side with a cockerel and a mythical animal on a lattice-fenced terrace surrounded by rockwork and foliage, on a square base with canted corners, restorations
25.5cm high, 14cm. wide, 11cm. deep;
10 in., 5 1/2in., 4 1/3in.
Provenance
The Collection of Mme. Camille Lelong; Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 27 April - 1 May 1903, lot 229 (illustrated).
Catalogue note
The present vases mounted with neoclassical mounts showcase rare and exciting Chinese Export ‘famille verte’ porcelain adapted from puzzle jugs of the Kangxi period. Of European invention, puzzle jugs were used especially in the 17th, 18th and 19th century for drinking games in taverns and pubs. Whilst English, Dutch and Italian examples are widespread, fewer examples from China have been produced and little have survived to this day, especially in pairs.
Puzzle jugs challenged someone to drink from them without spilling the contents, a mission that proved to be quite difficult given the holes they contained. However, an ingenious solution featured these jugs: a secret hole was added below the handle, and when all but one of the spouts/holes were covered, suction was created, and only then can the person drink successfully without leaning the jug and spilling the jug's contents. The present porcelain is consistent with the production during the Kangxi period and would have been especially made to cater the clientele in the West. A similar pair of jugs, with their handle, similar painted decoration to the neck and feet and also with a scene near a lattice-fenced terrace was sold at Christie’s, London, 23 January 2008, lot 18 ($39,400).
Both a popular form in Europe and a testament of the fascination for Chinese and ‘exotic’ porcelain, it is not surprising that this porcelain’s preciousness and rarity was elevated and protected with French mounts influenced by the neoclassical style rooted in Antiquity.
The Lelong Collection
Camille Lelong (born Laurentine-Françoise Bernage, 1840-1902) was a distinguished Parisian collector and dealer in art and antiques including Chinese and Japanese porcelain. At her Hôtel Rouillé de Meslay on the Quai de Béthune in Paris, she was known to have acquired a vast amount of magnificent works from European, Chinese and Japanese porcelain to 18th century furniture and decorative arts. She has been variously described as a merchant, a collector and a hoarder (see Émile Dacier, 'L’antiquaire de l’île Saint-Louis', Revue de l’art ancien et moderne, April 1903, p. 243). While she did part with some of her objets d’art (if rightly compensated) prior to her death, most of her collection was sold posthumously in the spring and summer of 1903 by Galerie Georges Petit over the course of at least six sales.
These sales were written about extensively both in France and abroad, and were very popular—part of the burgeoning trend of fashionable society auctions, which performed extremely well and drove up prices. In 1903 French art historian Émile Dacier predicted that: “Undoubtedly, most of [the objects] will take their place in a few palaces on Fifth Avenue, but we would be hard pressed to regret it beyond measure; since they will tell grandsons of billionaire trustmen how we too have been rich, rich in grace, distinction, elegance, refinement, rich in taste, rich in spirit” (see ibid., p. 254).
These vases have for a long time been accompanied by a carboard sheet with on one side a black and white photograph of the vases, and on the reverse a stamp for William E. Gray (1864-1935), a Fine Art Photographer based in London and a handwritten text reading:
2963
Priced £tbr1815
£crss
A pair of small old Chinese famille verte Vases with perforated necks decorated with flowers., on rouge de fer ground, richly mounted with ormolu of Louis XVI period the handles formed of grotesques masks with foliage.
[From the Lelong Collection.]
Height 24 ½ cms.
The prices above the description indicate that these vases were with a dealer, who not only asked Mr. Gray to photograph them, but also accordingly priced them - it was a common practice for dealers at the time to share their prices amongst coded letters.
The Guinle family
The Guinle family of Rio de Janeiro occupied a prominent position in Brazilian high society throughout the 20th century. With roots tracing back to the 19th century, the Guinles were renowned for their immense wealth and influence, shaping the city’s cultural and political landscape significantly. Their mansion, Parque Lage, served as a hub for artists and intellectuals, fostering a vibrant cultural scene. The family’s legacy is intertwined with the development of iconic landmarks in Rio de Janeiro, including the luxurious Copacabana Palace hotel, which they established in 1923. Through the decades, Guinle family became a symbol of elegance, shaping Rio de Janeiro’s 20th-century society.
Additional Notices & Disclaimers
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
the scrolled handles terminating with a grotesque mask, one side painted with a planter from which issues foliage, the other side with a cockerel and a mythical animal on a lattice-fenced terrace surrounded by rockwork and foliage, on a square base with canted corners, restorations
25.5cm high, 14cm. wide, 11cm. deep;
10 in., 5 1/2in., 4 1/3in.
Provenance
The Collection of Mme. Camille Lelong; Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 27 April - 1 May 1903, lot 229 (illustrated).
Catalogue note
The present vases mounted with neoclassical mounts showcase rare and exciting Chinese Export ‘famille verte’ porcelain adapted from puzzle jugs of the Kangxi period. Of European invention, puzzle jugs were used especially in the 17th, 18th and 19th century for drinking games in taverns and pubs. Whilst English, Dutch and Italian examples are widespread, fewer examples from China have been produced and little have survived to this day, especially in pairs.
Puzzle jugs challenged someone to drink from them without spilling the contents, a mission that proved to be quite difficult given the holes they contained. However, an ingenious solution featured these jugs: a secret hole was added below the handle, and when all but one of the spouts/holes were covered, suction was created, and only then can the person drink successfully without leaning the jug and spilling the jug's contents. The present porcelain is consistent with the production during the Kangxi period and would have been especially made to cater the clientele in the West. A similar pair of jugs, with their handle, similar painted decoration to the neck and feet and also with a scene near a lattice-fenced terrace was sold at Christie’s, London, 23 January 2008, lot 18 ($39,400).
Both a popular form in Europe and a testament of the fascination for Chinese and ‘exotic’ porcelain, it is not surprising that this porcelain’s preciousness and rarity was elevated and protected with French mounts influenced by the neoclassical style rooted in Antiquity.
The Lelong Collection
Camille Lelong (born Laurentine-Françoise Bernage, 1840-1902) was a distinguished Parisian collector and dealer in art and antiques including Chinese and Japanese porcelain. At her Hôtel Rouillé de Meslay on the Quai de Béthune in Paris, she was known to have acquired a vast amount of magnificent works from European, Chinese and Japanese porcelain to 18th century furniture and decorative arts. She has been variously described as a merchant, a collector and a hoarder (see Émile Dacier, 'L’antiquaire de l’île Saint-Louis', Revue de l’art ancien et moderne, April 1903, p. 243). While she did part with some of her objets d’art (if rightly compensated) prior to her death, most of her collection was sold posthumously in the spring and summer of 1903 by Galerie Georges Petit over the course of at least six sales.
These sales were written about extensively both in France and abroad, and were very popular—part of the burgeoning trend of fashionable society auctions, which performed extremely well and drove up prices. In 1903 French art historian Émile Dacier predicted that: “Undoubtedly, most of [the objects] will take their place in a few palaces on Fifth Avenue, but we would be hard pressed to regret it beyond measure; since they will tell grandsons of billionaire trustmen how we too have been rich, rich in grace, distinction, elegance, refinement, rich in taste, rich in spirit” (see ibid., p. 254).
These vases have for a long time been accompanied by a carboard sheet with on one side a black and white photograph of the vases, and on the reverse a stamp for William E. Gray (1864-1935), a Fine Art Photographer based in London and a handwritten text reading:
2963
Priced £tbr1815
£crss
A pair of small old Chinese famille verte Vases with perforated necks decorated with flowers., on rouge de fer ground, richly mounted with ormolu of Louis XVI period the handles formed of grotesques masks with foliage.
[From the Lelong Collection.]
Height 24 ½ cms.
The prices above the description indicate that these vases were with a dealer, who not only asked Mr. Gray to photograph them, but also accordingly priced them - it was a common practice for dealers at the time to share their prices amongst coded letters.
The Guinle family
The Guinle family of Rio de Janeiro occupied a prominent position in Brazilian high society throughout the 20th century. With roots tracing back to the 19th century, the Guinles were renowned for their immense wealth and influence, shaping the city’s cultural and political landscape significantly. Their mansion, Parque Lage, served as a hub for artists and intellectuals, fostering a vibrant cultural scene. The family’s legacy is intertwined with the development of iconic landmarks in Rio de Janeiro, including the luxurious Copacabana Palace hotel, which they established in 1923. Through the decades, Guinle family became a symbol of elegance, shaping Rio de Janeiro’s 20th-century society.
Additional Notices & Disclaimers
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
Classic Design: Furniture, Clocks, Silver & Ceramics
Sale Date(s)
Venue Address
34-35 New Bond Street
London
W1A 2AA
United Kingdom
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