Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and Lucy Truman Aldrich: Sisters, Confidantes, and Collectors

by Adriana Proser, John H. Foster Curator of Traditional Chinese Art at the Asia Society Museum, New York.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Asia Society by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, the Asia Society has organized `A Passion for Asia: The Rockefeller Family Collects'. The exhibition, which includes important works on loan from public and private collections, explores the collecting interests of three generations of Rockefeller family members. In this article, the author gives an account of the special bond between Abby Rockefeller, wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and her sister Lucy Aldrich enriched by their love of Asia and Asian art. Their thirst of knowledge, love of art, travels and philanthropy in turn inspired the Rockefeller children who also grew up to be avid collectors of Asian art and to foster in others an appreciation for the diversity and artistically prolific peoples of Asia.

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller flank Xu Shicang, President of the Republic of China, at a reception at the Winter Palace Beijing, 1921 The Rockefeller Archive Center, The Rockefeller University, Sleepy Hollow, New York

Kariginu Japan, Edo period, first half of the 19th century Silk, gold-leafed paper Length 163 cm Rhode Island School of Design, Museum of Art Lucy Truman Aldrich Collection (35.459)

In anticipation of his 80th birthday, James Cahill, with his characteristic candour and sense of fun, subjected himself to Orientations' version of a Proust questionnaire. When fleshed out by the more substantial tributes that follow this feature, Cahill's thumbnail self-portrait ultimately reveals how `real' he was to his students and colleagues, and how much of the spirit of Chinese painting and scholarship he was able to transmit to them.

James Cahill, 1950s

James Cahill, 1980s

by Howard Rogers, owner of Kaikodo in New York and Restaurant Kaikodo in Hilo.

In the introduction to his sketch of the life of James Cahill, Howard Rogers comments that for more than five decades Cahill has investigated painting history with new perspectives, bringing unknown dimensions into view, and describing their interactions in ways that render the field ever more accessible and intelligible to the rest of us. He concludes with a tribute to this extraordinary teacher, scholar and collector as follows: `During his long and awesomely productive career Jim may seem to have moved from the humanistic world of letters and the artistic culture of music, through the academic world of the university with its emphasis on teaching, pleasing and persuading, and then to have embraced the prophetic tradition of proclamation. In fact his models and value system have remained virtually unchanged from beginning to end, and his style - a Berkeley style, if you please - is in reality the ultimate expression of his very being.'

James Cahill and Hsingyuan Tsao at a Mongol encampment north of Hohhot, early 1990s

Some excerpts from a tribute by Julia F. Andrews, Bliss M. and Mildred A. Wiant Professor in History of Art at Ohio State University: `Jim Cahill dazzled me with the first talk I heard him give: a paper for the University of Michigan's 1976 `Art of Wen Cheng-ming' symposium. I was amazed by the lucidity and order he brought to the complexity of mid-Ming painting, and immediately decided I had to leave Harvard, where I was a first-year graduate student, to study with him.....He set an extremely high standard for us in his own teaching and writing....I only hope I can succeed in passing on at least a fraction of the sunny outlook and intellectual excitement Jim gave his students. Two lectures he presented to my students here at Ohio State last spring reminded me of how impossible it is to walk in his big footsteps, but how worthwhile it is to keep trying.'

James Cahill and Yoshiaki Shimizu at the History of Art commencement, Berkeley, 1976

An excerpt from a tribute by Arnold Chang, an artist, scholar and independent consultant specializing in Chinese painting and calligraphy, reads as follows: `The thorough training in stylistic analysis that I received as Cahill's student has been extremely useful to me not only as a connoisseur but also as an artist. Knowing how to break a painting down into its basic structural components - seeing what makes a successful painting work and an unsuccessful one fail - is a skill that is equally valuable when the process is reversed and I am trying to create my own compositions. From Cahill I also learned that traditionalism and originality are not mutually exclusive. He helped me to recognize that the past can be a source of creativity and that in the right hands a healthy respect for tradition can be a liberating force.'

(From left) Arnold Chang, C.C. Wang and James Cahill at the Andamans conference, Hong Kong, 1984

Julia M. White, Curator of Asian Art at the Honolulu Academy of Arts who graduated from U.C. Berkeley with an MA in 1984 pays tribute to her professor: `In addition to the serious study that went on Jim loved to organize beach picnics for his students: Point Reyes was a favourite spot of ours. He steadfastly maintained that to be a really good art historian one also had to absolutely love food and be at least marginally able to produce a good meal out of a picnic hamper. During our year in China, I became the organizer of the less serious occasions including treks on trains, mountain climbs in Anhui, walks in Suzhou gardens. One bicycle ride from central Beijing to the morning bird market behind the Temple of Heaven was particularly memorable: braving the back hutongs and riding across town in the quiet of the dawn was nothing compared to the bustling morning commute on the way back. Jim took it in stride and as can be seen in the photo kept the bike and himself upright!'

James Cahill cycling through Beijing at dawn, 1981

Gloria W. Lannom, who graduated with an MA from U.C. Berkeley in 1983, notes that James Cahill's courses were characterized by an ability to organize class material and present it with enthusiasm and humour.

For Charles Mason, Chief Curator and Curator of Asian Art at the Samuel P. Harn Museum, University of Florida, the most valuable thing he learned from James Cahill was a practical approach to connoisseurship that he has been able to apply to other genres of art in his subsequent career as a museum curator. He goes on to say that the greatest gift a teacher can give his or her students is not information but the ability to acquire and evaluate information. Cahill was perhaps the best teacher Mason has ever had in this respect, and for all that he taught he is immensely grateful.

by Chu-tsing Li, Judith Harris Murphy Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art History at the University of Kansas.

Chu-tsing Li reflects back on how he came to art history and who assisted him in his development. Having started out entirely in Western culture, he initially had to do a considerable amount of self-study in classical Chinese history and literature. The appearance of his book in 1965, plus his short stays at Harvard and Princeton, and his study on collections at the Boston Museum, Freer Gallery, the Palace Museum in Taiwan and at the Kyoto museums and those in private hands marked his professional maturity. From then on, much of his time was spent on the Chinese painting collection of Charles A. Drenowatz of Zurich which, in addition to works from the Yuan and Qing periods, also included paintings from the modern period. He gradually gained a basic knowledge of the whole development of Chinese painting.
In 1966 he moved to Kansas City to develop a new programme of Chinese art history at the University of Kansas in conjunction with the Nelson Gallery of Art. To what he had learned in Chinese art history was added the extremely thorough knowledge, sharp eye and fine taste of Laurence Sickman. It was on this basis that he was able to build a programme of Chinese art history in connection with both academic studies at the university and museum training.

Chu-tsing Li with Arizona State University art-history graduate students (from left: Chen Cynthia Liu, Chun-yi Lee, Laura Stewart, Jennifer Chao, Pamela Corey and Rebecca Dankert) at `The Interpretive Brush: Contemporary Chinese Painting in Honor of Chu-tsing Li', Step Gallery, Arizona State University, November 2005. They are standing in front of Bursting Seed, a triptych by Chuang Che (born 1935), 1999. (Photography by Wei Meng Foo)

Thomas Lawton, a specialist in Chinese art who was director of the Freer and founding director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, tells how Professor Chu-tsing Li's courses in Asian art at the University of Iowa in 1957 inspired him to embark on a completely new career. Professor Li offered quiet, thoughtful advice as he considered the long-term implications of doing a PhD at Harvard University, the only institution in the United States offering a PhD programme in Chinese art history. At Li's suggestion, Lawton applied for a Ford Foundation Grant and was among the successful candidates. During his four years at Harvard, Professor Li kept in close touch, always providing valuable counsel as Lawton struggled to attain an understanding of Chinese art and culture. Li remained a good friend, colleague and mentor throughout Lawton's career, and Lawton will always be grateful for his patience and kindness.

Tom Lawton standing on the roof of the men's dormitory with some of the University of Iowa's buildings visible in the distance, 1957.

Robert D. Mowry, Curator of Chinese art at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum and Lecturer at Harvard University, knew from the one undergraduate course that he took with Professor Li that he wanted to do enrol in his highly structured graduate programme at Kansas. He looks back at the very high standard of academic excellence set by Dr Li and how he took a personal interest in each of his students, advising and counselling them, offering them individualized study through weekly meetings and directed readings, and always exhorting them to do their very best. And even to this day Professor Li continues to assist them in applying for fellowships, research grants and museum and academic positions, just as he always stands ready to evaluate a research proposal, review the draft of an article, or critique a painter's latest work. In short, Professor Li both taught his students and inspired them to do more than they realized was possible.

Christina Chu, Director of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, recalls how Dr Li's areas of specialization, including Yuan dynasty painting and modern Chinese painting, affected her approach to the subjects she studied. For example, Dr Li's scholarly monograph illuminating the pivotal role of Zhao Mengfu's masterpiece, The Autumn Colors on the Ch'iao and Hua Mountains in the history of Chinese painting and his course in modern Chinese painting at the University of Kansas provided her with a frame of reference that has enabled her to understand the history of Chinese painting as she does today.

Janet Baker explains how becoming a student of Dr Li changed her life, in both professional and personal terms. Under his guidance and personal contacts she obtained a Master's degree, went to Nanjing University as the first art-history student on an exchange programme and returned to Kansas to continue her PhD, focusing on Dunhuang studies and Buddhist art of the Silk Road. Baker comments on how Dr Li encouraged diligence, yet his wide-ranging interests allowed his student to pursue their own preferred areas of studies. He continued to examine new topics, thereby serving as a model to all scholars and students. Baker succeeded Claudia Brown, also a student of Dr Li, as Curator of Asian Art at Phoenix Art Museum. Together, she and Claudia have collaborated over the past five years to create a stronger focus on Chinese art at both Phoenix Art Museum and Arizona State University.

Donald Dinwiddie, an editor of Orientations from 1991 to 1996 and now a writer on Asian art and culture, reminisces about being an undergraduate at the University of Kansas and how Dr Li, like a traditional Chinese master, made his students part of an extended family. How as a result of Dr Li's encouragement and fostering, there would be many occasions to reflect on the anomaly in academia of Dr and Mrs Li's kindness and generosity. Later they became annual visitors to Hong Kong, giving support and guidance over dinner and the evening would finish by leaving them at their hotel, the two of them turning into the lobby, hands interlocked - as ever.

An-yi Pan, an associate professor at Cornell University, cites two incidents that illustrate Dr Li's his fierce independence and dedication to his teaching. Once he got off an airplane from an overseas trip to China and immediately taught for three hours. Another time, Dr Li conducted a lecture without interruption despite his hand-held cardiac monitor registering a dangerous episode of arrhythmia. He asked for a chair, sat down and continued to expound on Chinese painting until the class was over and then went to the hospital.

by Claudia Brown, Associate Professor of Art History in the School of Art, Katherine K. Herberger College of Fine Arts, and Director of the Center for Asian Studies at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University.

An account of the long career of Dr Li from the time of his completion of his degree in English literature in 1943 at the University of Nanjing to him receiving an MA from the University of Iowa in 1949 and then, having been inspired by Michael Sullivan's earlier art history courses in Nanjing, going on to do a PhD in art history at Iowa. Brown acknowledges that one of Li's major contributions was to develop a new methodology for Chinese painting based on geographical as well as historical circumstances. Although known primarily for his work on the Yuan period, Li has published several important studies on artists of the Ming dynasty and his work on the Qing dynasty and the modern/contemporary periods helped to establish these periods as fields for collecting and study. Dr Li stands out as a scholar who has worked closely with private collectors as well as museums and he trained and inspired a generation of art historians who are now doing research in many areas including Buddhist sculpture and paintings, traditional furniture, scholar's objects and modern painting.

Chu-tsing and Yao-wen Li on their 50th wedding anniversary, 1998.

Which Is Earth? By Liu Kuo-sung (b. 1932), 1969 Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper Height 115.7 cm, width 79.3 cm Phoenix Art Museum Collection Gift of Jeannette Shambaugh Elliott, 1984.499 (Photography by Craig Smith)

by Michael Knight, Senior Curator of Chinese Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

The author provides an insight into the remarkable individuals who assembled an impressive collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy and the fate of the collection during the upheaval that followed the fall of the Qing dynasty. In 2002 Max Yeh and Yeh Tong placed the collection in public trust at the Asian Art Museum. Their great-great-grandfather Ye Yanlan is considered the founder of the collection. Having passed the jinshi in 1856, he was eligible for the most prestigious positions in government service and was a discerning connoisseur and a passionate collector of books, paintings and calligraphy. Some of these were passed on to his grandson, Ye Gongchuo who also held several government posts and was an avid collector and philanthropist. His nephew Ye Gongchao shared Gongchuo's interests in modernizing China politically as well as in its art, culture and literature. He was particularly interested in calligraphy. Works by Ye Yanlan, Ye Gongchuo and Ye Gongchao illustrate the article with others by Wang Duo, Fu Shan and also Zhang Daqian.

Ye Gongchao with President John F. Kennedy of the United States (left) and Vice President Chen Cheng of the Nationalist government of China (right), 1961/62

Lotus By Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) Hanging scroll, ink on paper Height 191.5 cm, width 102.9 cm (image) Private Collection

by Huang Hsien Long, a collector of scholar's objects, consultant to the Jiading Museum of Bamboo Carving and master of the studio Jiansong Ge.

The author has conducted an indepth study of a brush holder by Gu Jue, the eminent bamboo carver of the late 17th to early 18th century, the golden age of bamboo carving. His findings have enabled him to identify its carved scene as depicting `Ge Hong Moving is Residence' (Ge Zhichuan yiju tu). He introduces here some of the bibliographic and textual references to Gu Jue and his art, explains the subject-matter on the brush holder and explores the visual sources which inspired its depiction. He compares it also to another example with a scene of the drama Xixiangji, which recently appeared on the market, and which also attests to Gu Jue's ingenuity.

Brush holder with a scene depicting `Ge Hong Moving His Residence' By Gu Jue (act. late 17th-early 18th century) Bamboo Height 17.2 cm Eskenazi Oriental Art Photograph courtesy of Christie's

Brush holder with the farewell scene from Xixiangji By Gu Jue (act. late 17th-early 18th century), c. 1729 Bamboo Height 17 cm Formerly in The Mary and George Bloch Collection Photograph courtesy of Sotheby's

by Deborah Klimburg-Salter, professor of Asian Art History at the Institute of Art History, University of Vienna.

Through 25 years of civil war, famine and foreign invasion, the small army of museum specialists and archaeologists at the Kabul Museum risked their lives to protect the physical testimony of Afghanistan's long and brilliant history. No one will ever again experience the serenity and power the Bamiyan Buddhas radiated through the beautiful valley hidden in the Hindu Kush. Neither their demolition nor that of the Kabul Museum collections was supported by the Afghan people; indeed the culture is still very much alive. Whilst conducting an inventory of the Buddhist objects from the Hindu Kush at the museum, the author was able to interview for Orientations the Director General of Museums, Omara Khan Masoudi, a member of the museum throughout the years of turmoil and destruction, about his involvement with the museum over the years and its current state.

Stone inscription outside the Kabul Museum (Photography by Susanne Kogler, 2005 © Western Himalaya Archive, Vienna [WHAV])

Deborah Klimburg-Salter, Mir Gulam Nabi and Susanne Kogler in front of the Kabul Museum (Photography 2005, © WHAV)

by Willard G. Clark

Peter F. Drucker died at his home in Claremont, California on 11 November, a week short of his 96th birthday. In the course of his long life he was awarded many honours and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. However, few people knew of Peter's great interest in Japanese art. Clark gives an account of how his passion was sparked when he accidentally ventured into an exhibition in 1934 when he was living in London, working in the banking industry and how he and his wife Doris became dedicated collectors. By focusing broadly on ink paintings, the Druckers quietly created one of the great private collections of Japanese art in the US.

Peter F. Drucker

Mitate Chosenjin Edo period, 18th century Rauch Collection

Majestic Mountain By Arnold Chang (b. 1954), 2005 Hanging scroll, ink on paper Height 142.4 cm, width 74.5 cm Collection of the artist

Snow in March By Wang Yidong, 2000 Oil on canvas Height 150 cm, width 100 cm

Nina and Mimi Hung with Robert Hatfield Ellsworth at the launch at Kelly and Walsh in Hong Kong of the second volume of his Chinese Furniture, The Hung Collection. Mimi and Raymond Hung started to develop their collection in the mid 1980s and, guided by Ellsworth, it now includes some of the most interesting forms that have become available to collectors from this period until the 1990s. The two volumes feature 203 examples with Ellsworth's observations on each piece.

Both Sotheby's and Christie's Hong Kong reported record totals for their autumn 2005 sales; and the appetite for Chinese art continues to grow.
At Sotheby's Hong Kong a diminutive Guyuexuan vase, established yet another threshold in the spiralling prices of Qing porcelain, selling for a staggering HK$115.48 million and doubling Sotheby's previous record for Qing porcelain set just five months earlier. (As Sotheby's received notification from a third party challenging the consignor's title to the vase, Managing Director Henry Howard-Sneyd has revealed that the house, in accordance with the correct legal procedure, is withholding proceeds until ownership of the piece is resolved.)
It was evident in Sotheby's `A Quest for Perfection, Important Chinese Porcelain from a Distinguished Asian Family' sale that the prices for Qing pieces have escalated in the last ten years - a record HK$34.28 million raised for a Qianlong blue-and-white moonflask and a Yongzheng brushpot went to New York-based dealer John Berwald for HK$20.84 million.
The success of `Scholarly Works of Art from The Mary and George Bloch Collection' at Sotheby's confirmed that this had been the correct time for the consignors to divest. A late 16th century rhinoceros horn libation cup went to Giuseppe Eskenazi for HK$10.76 million. There was also interest in a bamboo brushpot signed by Gu Jue; Littleton & Hennessy made the final bid of HK$5.16 million.
In the `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale, Hong Kong collectors were active particularly during bidding for the best examples of Qing imperial ceramics. The quality of the potting and copper red on a Kangxi mallett-shaped vase was irresistible to a number of bidders; it went for HK$12.44 million. Yongzheng wares did well with a celadon-glazed vase going to Littleton & Hennessy for HK$11.096 million.

Vase Qianlong period (1736-95) Porcelain with enamel decoration Height 16.5 cm Sotheby's `A Magnificent Guyuexuan Vase' sale, Hong Kong, 23 October 2005, lot 188 Price: HK$115,480,000 (unpublished estimate HK$90 million)

A weary but surprisingly still enthusiastic group of dealers and collectors were gathered again for Christie's `Important Chinese Ceramics' and `Important Chinese Works of Art' sales on 28 and 29 November. Michael Wang's successful bid of HK$47.16 million made a Yuan blue-and-white jar the sale's top lot. As one of eight surviving narrative jars and with an innovative design executed by an artist of exceptional ability, it might have fetched more but for its chipped rim and buffed surface.
Keen bidding by Littleton & Hennessy set two records. The first was for a Ming fahua jar which they bought for HK$9.752 million. The second record - HK$10.76 million - was for Qing imperial cloisonne `butter-tea' jar and cover, unique because it still has its original stand. A Qianlong red-glazed bottle vase sold for HK$19.16 million reflecting the growing appreciation for imperial monochromes. Even without the additional benefit of separate single-owner sales - which usually affects market share - Christie's total of HK$244,553,600 is consistent with their spring 2005 and autumn 2004 sales.

Vase Qianlong period (1736-95) Porcelain with gilt copper-red decoration Height 35.2 cm Christie's `Important Chinese Ceramics' sale, Hong Kong, 28 November 2005, lot 1313 Price: HK$19.16 million (estimate HK$4/5 million)

The profile of contemporary art from Asia, in particular China, has now been considerably raised on the international stage and a recognizable global market is coming to the fore with auction prices used as a yardstick for establishing value. Since sales were introduced in Hong Kong two years ago, record results have been reported each season and the scene is transforming the way in which this particular market has operated. Galleries now consign works to auction as an alternative avenue of publicizing the artists they represent and artists themselves consider it prestigious to have their works offered. With contemporary Asian art targeted as an area of potential investment, the stock of an artist picked by an international auction house is usually on the rise, not unlike that of company shares that have been recommended by top fund managers.
While pioneering collections were once painstakingly built up by discovering unknowns through negotiating a complex network of art schools, creative communities, national exhibitions, underground shows and performances, and critics and commentators who were in the know, the slick presentation of themed catalogues or soundbite-friendly categories like `Political Pop' or `Cynical Realism' offer instant gratification in terms of both appreciation and acquisition. In a word, the auction houses have usurped the functions of curators and gallerists.

Sotheby's likened the selection for their `Chinese Contemporary Art' sale on 24 October to a `miniature' exhibition endeavouring `to paint an all-encompassing picture of the current state of development' and stressed the introduction of up-and-coming artists as their main point of focus. The success of this strategy was clear as the sale took HK$69,961,201, with only four of the 106 lots offered remaining unsold. Formulaic presentations by the best-known artists sold for the highest prices: HK$1.5 million for a work from Zhang Xiaogang's Yellow Baby series and HK$1.44 million for 2003.4.23 by Fang Lijun.
Photography is clearly the medium of the moment. Rong Rong's East Village, a set of forty gelatin silver prints documenting performances in the now-legendary artistic community from 1993 to 1996, sold for HK$300,000. Since Sotheby's introduced the works of Lang Jingshan last year, demand for the pioneer photographer's work has steadily risen. Bidding on Lakeside Scenery, a composite photograph in handscroll format that brings together scenic elements from France, China and Korea, reached HK$780,000.
The only installation in the selection was Storyteller by Taiwan artist Lin Minghong went for HK$456,000. Nevertheless the sale results show the wide gap in the contemporary market for emerging artists and 20th century modernist masters: about seventy per cent of the selection comprised contemporary material, but a mere six paintings by Wu Guanzhong took in HK$26.16 million, accounting for more than a third of the sales total. The artist's Village and Hometown of Lu Xun Series, both went for HK$6.392, million making them the sale's top lots.

Hometown of Lu Xun Series By Wu Guanzhong (b. 1919), 1981 Oil on board Each side 45 cm Sotheby's `Chinese Contemporary Art' sale, Hong Kong, 24 October 2005, lot 790 Price: HK$6.392 million (estimate HK$1/1.2 million)

Results at Christie's underscored the domination of collectors in this market. `20th Century Chinese Art' was a resounding success, achieving HK$173,165,600, selling all but eight of the 137 lots on offer. Chu Teh-chun's paintings all sold well above estimate; and at HK$7.4 million, a world record was set for the artist with Autumn from a French collection. Zhao Wuji's Vielle Ville from a series of abstract works inspired by Chinese bronzes and oracle-bone inscriptions sold for HK$6.84 million. Two oils by Wu Guanzhong, both dated to 1977, from a series depicting different landscapes in China, did particularly well: Old Pine in the Jingshan Park in Beijing, raised HK$9.192 and By the Lake fetched HK$6.84 million.
Two further auction records were set: for the artists Sanyu and Pan Yuliang, both active in the Paris School. Among the dozen works by Sanyu, the strangely unsensual Four Nudes bagged the sale's highest price at HK$16.36 million. A vivid and engaging self-portrait by Pan Yuliang fetched an impressive HK$9.64 million.
The inaugural `Asian Contemporary Art' sale offered 100 lots comprising paintings, mixed media and sculpture from China, Japan and Korea. It attracted international bidding and realized a total of HK$34.95 million. The opener set a world auction record for the artist Yue Minjun: Gweong-gweong sold for HK$4.936 million. Yue's stock has been rising steadily over the last few sales, admirers would have found this work desirable because it was from an early experimental stage. Other auction records went to Yan Pei Ming for his Triptych-Autoportrait in textured oils, featuring a profile flanked by two full-face views, which sold for a surprising HK$2.36 million. Xu Bing also gained a world auction record for Seal Project, a set of 200 seals carved in his `new English calligraphy'. As a reflection of both his conceptual creativity and his skill as a carver, this lot generated interest and selling for HK$900,000.
Growing familiarity brought good results for Japanese and Korean artists. Choi So-young's denim landscapes have become increasing popular; this time Anchang Village Among the Mountains raised HK$540,000.

Artist Self Portrait By Pan Yuliang (1895-1977), 1949 Oil on canvas Height 60 cm, length 72.5 cm Christie's `20th Century Chinese Art' sale, Hong Kong, 27 November 2005, lot 170 Price: HK$9.64 million (estimate HK$3/3.5 million)

Compared with auctions on the mainland, the selection of Chinese paintings in Hong Kong appears small. As traditional ink-and-brush paintings occupy the lion's share of the Chinese art market in terms of quantity, they were the focus of previews held by Beijing ChengXuan Auctions Co. Ltd. and Poly Auction to coincide with Sotheby's sales. The latter, a new venture by the China Poly Group, held its first auctions in Beijing at the beginning of November. Until now, the Poly Group, the commercial arm of the People's Liberation Army, has been best known for its determined campaign to repatriate lost `cultural treasures' to China.
At Sotheby's, interest in Wu Guanzhong continued in the `Fine Chinese Paintings' sale on 24 October, with most of the sixteen opening lots by the artist selling in excess of their estimates. Despite the soaring prices, the estimates in this particular sale have remained on the cautious side; consequently pre-emptive bidding has come to characterize the sales of Chinese painting here. When Zhang Daqian's Snowcapped Mountains in Switzerland was offered at HK$3 million, an Indonesian collector immediately countered with HK$7 million (estimate HK$4/6 million). Although this already raised bidding to another threshold, the hammer only fell at HK$14.2 million making the painting the sale's top lot (premium price HK$15.8 million). Although this is a well-exhibited and published painting, it only came to light in 1988, some five years after Zhang's death. Not surprisingly, Zhang had been particularly fond of the work and had kept it for his own pleasure. There were several works from Southeast Asia which were fresh to the market, including Four Beauties by Lin Fengmian, belonging to Zheng Yingquan, a Singapore collector with a special interest in Lin's works. It set a record for the artist when an Asian collector paid HK$7.736 million for it. Fine examples of works from the Shanghai School were particularly sought after. Another auction record was set when bidding on Blossoming, a set of four hanging scrolls depicting peony, wisteria, cassia and plum blossoms, closed at HK$5.72 million. The set was first published as early as 1918 by the Xiling Engraving Society and was formerly owned by Qian Juntao, a noted epigrapher and Zhao Zhiqian specialist.

Snowcapped Mountain in Switzerland By Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) Ink and colour on paper Height 67 cm, length 92 cm Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Paintings' sale, Hong Kong, 24 October 2005, lot 1016 Price: HK$15.8 million (estimate HK$4/6 million)

Christie's became the first foreign company to conduct an auction on the mainland when it lent its name to local operator Forever International Auction Co. Ltd. The inaugural sale of `Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings' which took place in Beijing on 3 November took a total of RMB97 million. Remarking on future outings with Forever, Edward Dolman, Christie's CEO, commented: `We look forward to a continued relationship with Forever. I believe the image of Christie's in mainland China will be further enhanced by the success of this sale.'
With the exception of one work, all the top lots realized prices that were within high estimates. Banking on the success of a similarly themed work at Sotheby's last week, Four Beauties by Lin Fengmian fetched RMB4.704 million. Wu Guanzhong's works continue to be popular but buyers were evidently more selective.

At Christie's Hong Kong, 658 lots of `Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings' were offered over 27 and 28 November. Bidding conformed to the regular patterns with the highest prices paid for works by Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, Fu Baoshi, Lin Fengmian and Wu Guanzhong. Zhang's Water Bamboo Village, a harmonious and effective combination of the painter's splashed-ink and scholar-literati styles, sold for HK$4.712 million, making it the top lot. As with Sotheby's, Southeast Asia has proved to be a fresh source of works by Xu Beihong. Here the boldly brushed figure of an Awakening Lion accompanied by a patriotic inscription fetched HK$4.376 million. For Xu aficionados, a collector's seal belonging to Huang Manshi, a fellow artist and Xu's patron in Singapore, rendered its provenance impeccable. Historical context also had a role to play in driving the price of Qi Baishi's Eagle up to HK$3.032 million. The striking bird of prey symbolically set against a setting/rising sun was painted in September 1945 shortly after the Japanese surrender.

Awakening Lion By Xu Beihong (1895-1953), 1935 Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper Christie's `Fine Modern and Contemporary Paintings' sale, Hong Kong, 27 and 28 November 2005, lot 552 Price: HK$4.376 million (estimate HK$1.5/2 million)

High-quality works that were fresh to the market accounted for the excellent results of the `Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy' sale on 28 November. The HK$122,365,000 total was a phenomenal 95.51 per cent by value. Both the mountings and the presence of established dealers from Japan in the room suggested the provenance of some pieces.
Among the several works once owned by Japanese collector Ko Nagao were two works by Dong Qichang. The almost cult-like reverence for this artist translated into a bid of HK$3.256 million for Calligraphy after the Chunhuage tie, a set of ten albums, which were, according to the inscription, a gift to his good friend Chen Jiru. Physically two massive sets of paintings, each comprising twelve continuous hanging scrolls, were the centrepieces of the sale: the first, Spring in Han Palace, by Lu Huancheng, a 17th century artist; and the second, Lecturing to Peaches and Plums within the Curtains, dated to 1652 by Lan Ying and Chen Yuyin. Both sold in the room to the same mainland bidder for HK$4.6 million and HK$6.84 million, respectively, setting auction records for the artists in the process.
Established collectors from Southeast Asia competed with new buyers at the `Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art' sale on 27 November, giving Christie's their highest total to date . There was active bidding on all eight works by the prolific Indonesian-Chinese painter Lee Man Fong with Rojak Seller being the top lot of the sale; this depiction of Balinese community life went for HK$3.928 million. Dated 1965, the work demonstrates how the artist matured to successfully integrate Chinese techniques with Western perspective. Equally well represented was Belgian artist Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres, also favoured for his Bali period. His Dancers in the Garden, Bali had appeared recently at Christie's Singapore where it sold for S$295,750; representing a good return since April 2001 for the owner was the HK$3.704 million achieved at this sale.
Later this year, Sotheby's will follow Christie's lead by moving their sales to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), the only convenient and adequate space for their burgeoning contemporary art sales. Sotheby's sales from 7 to 10 April follow on from Asia Week in New York and Christie's sales from 28 May to 1 June are just prior to Asia Week in London. Local and Taiwan collectors and dealers, the dominant players at the Hong Kong sales, will not be significantly affected; but their counterparts in the West, who also play a prominent role, are protesting particularly as there are also events in Paris and Beijing to attend. Despite lobbying from Western dealers and collectors, the auctions will remain a month apart. However, Orientations was unable to ascertain whether it is the heavily-booked HKCEC's policy not to host two competing events simultaneously or whether Christie's have an embargo on their time slot.

There was some excitement at Bonhams' `Fine Asian Art' sale on 7 November. Active bidding on a somewhat ordinary group of three guan-type vases - that did not even merit an illustration in the catalogue - saw the price escalate to £60,000. Although they been catalogued as `probably 18th century', Colin Sheaf, head of Bonhams' Asian art department, acknowledged that some people believed one of the pieces to be considerably earlier.

Cong vase China, Jiaqing mark and period (1796-1820) Porcelain with famille-rose enamels on a blue ground Height 27.5 cm Bonhams' `Fine Asian Art' sale, London, 7 November 2005, lot 110 Price: £240,800 (estimate £60/100,000)

Almost half of Christie's selection in their `Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art including Export Art' sale on 8 November had come from a collector who was brought up in the Dutch East Indies and had purchased his first piece of porcelain in 1966 when he first arrived in Europe. Six were in the top ten, and all but twelve sold. The top lot was a large 17th century blanc-de-chine figure of Guanyin, with the potter He Chaozong's mark, which went for £110,000. Among the other properties, intense competition on three 19th century celadon and russet jade seals resulted in them going to a Chinese dealer for £42,000
Compared with previous offerings of such material, Christie's `A Fine Collection of Japanese Sword Fittings' sale on 9 November was described as `disappointing' by specialist-in-charge Mark Hinton. However, two blades - an aikuchi and a wakizashi - both dating to the 17th century with their black lacquer scabbards and gold-and-silver mounts - sold within their estimates for £24,000 and £27,600, respectively, to European collectors. At the `Japanese Art and Design' sale that followed, apart from some competition on the tsuba, a similar pattern was seen in the bidding for armour and swords. Lacquer also failed to inspire competition with the exception of a Muromachi period Negoro circular sake flask with bracketed feet and a rim in the shape of a chrysanthemum. Competitive bidding drove the price to £24,000.

Japanese art did substantially better at Sotheby's, particularly `The Katchen Collection of Netsuke - Part I' on 8 November. The collection was mainly assembled in the 1950s and 1960s, with the help of dealers like Geoffrey Moss and Giuseppe Eskenazi, by concert pianist Julius Katchen and his wife. American collectors drove up prices: a magical dancing foxwoman by Gechu in ivory roused the crowd and quickly sold for £84,000, making it the sale's top lot; and a 19th century splendidly horrific rendition of the wind god Futen in stag antler fetched £20,400. The `Japanese Works of Art, Prints and Paintings' sale followed on 10 November. Right off the bat there was strong bidding on the individual prints which made up a complete set of Ando Hiroshige's The Hundred Famous Views of Edo series (lots 801-920), with most selling at or above the upper estimate. When A Sudden Shower over the Ohashi Bridge, a well-studied and published example, came up for sale, rapid interest pushed its price to £90,000, establishing an auction record for this particular print. A record was also set for Foxfires on New Year's Eve at the Shozoku Hackberry Tree. Two bidders competed briskly until an American collector walked away with this mystical print for £81,600.

Netsuke By Gechu, 18th century Ivory Height 8.3 cm Sotheby's `The Katchen Collection of Netsuke' sale, London 8 November 2005, lot 19 Price: £84,000 (estimate £40/50,000)

Clearly the most anticipated sale of the week was Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' on 9 November. The room was full primarily due to interest in two star lots, which made up most of the £8,427,600 million achieved, the highest total for a various owners' sale of Chinese ceramics at Sotheby's London.
As the winner of outstanding work of art for the 2005 `Asian Art in London', the large qingbai figure of Guanyin dating to the Yuan period attracted great public interest. It had previously sold to a Taiwan collector in November 1987 for HK$3.3 million. Bidding began at £850,000; when Giuseppe Eskenazi entered at the later stages, a volley ensued between him and Littleton & Hennessy. In the end, Eskenazi walked away with the prize for £1.912 million.
The same two dealers competed again on an important blue-and-white jar with a previously unrecorded and, as suggested by Sotheby's, a particularly early Yuan period design of two three-clawed dragons. Littleton & Hennessy only entered the fray at £1.7 million; when they finally purchased the jar for £3.144 million, the room erupted in applause.
Quite a few other lots inspired competition, including an unusual Yongle period blue-and-white moonflask. Determined bidding by New York-based dealer John Berwald drove the price to £579,200. Berwald then focused his attention on the final lot of the sale, an unusual blue-and-white dragon vase of the Qianlong period. Competing against the room and the telephones, Berwald calmly raised his bids until the hammer finally went down at £590,400.

Jar China, Yuan period (1279-1368) Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue glaze Height 22.5 cm Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale, London, 9 November 2005, lot 278 Price: £3.144 million (unpublished estimate £1/1.5 million)

Activity this autumn from the auction houses drew enough attention to create the French capital as an international meeting place for Chinese art. Rare, priceless objects with intriguing provenance were offered at Christie's, Tajan and Beaussant Lefèvre.
The selection at Christie's `Art d'Asie' sale on 22 November was strengthened by the presence of `treasures' from China that had arrived in France more than a century ago, following the burning of the old Summer Palace in 1860 and the Boxer rebellion in 1900. Significantly, these objects have remained in French families and been handed down through generations; in some instances, the owners occupy an important place in French society and history. This was the case with the star lot, Victory Banquet in the West Garden (Yuan xi kai yan tu), a court painting of the Qianlong period, which once belonged to Paul Doumer, who was Governor of Indochina from 1897 to 1902, and President of France for a year before his assassination in 1932. Philippe Delalande, head of the Chinese department, and Mathilde Courteault, expert-in-charge, had never before experienced such a vibrant atmosphere. The six-metre scroll by imperial artists Zhang Tingyan and Zhou Kun is the last of a set of four documenting `The First Successful Pacification of Jinchuan', one of Qianlong's so-called `Ten Perfect Campaigns' to subdue the border areas of the Qing empire. Although a few paintings of this type are known to be in private hands, such works rarely appear at auction. The final bid of €6.06 million was from London dealer James Hennessy, who was loudly applauded for setting a record for the most expensive Asian work of art sold in France. There was also great interest in another item from Doumer's collection: an album of antique seal impressions belonging to the Qianlong emperor which included calligraphy, paintings by various court painters and inscriptions. Hong Kong dealer William Chak was the successful bidder at €1.076 million, the second highest price of the sale.

Detail of Victory Banquet in the West Garden By Zhang Tingyan and Zhou Kun, Qianlong period (1736-95) Handscroll, ink and colour on silk Length 561.5 cm, width 53 cm Christie's `Art d'Asie' sale, Paris, 22 November 2005, lot 146 Price: €6.06 million (estimate €0.8/1.2 million)

Unless one had the foresight to reserve a seat in advance, it was not possible to attend Beaussant Lefèvre's `Art d'Asie' sale on 18 November at Hotel Drouot - there was no room for latecomers. The 255 lots of jade, ivory, metalwork, hardstones and snuff bottles were from a Parisian collection which had been assembled mainly between 1910 and 1918. Nearly all pieces came from well-known Parisian dealers; the place and year of purchase were all documented in the catalogue. The sale achieved a total of €1,701,950. The highest price went to an unusual cloisonné-enamel Yongle or Xuande period gu vase decorated with lotus and peony flowers on a turquoise ground and with a yin-yang and double vajra symbol on the base. After contested bidding the vase finally went to a London dealer for €565,000.
Many of the jades in the sale had been included in the 1927 exhibition `Jades et Pierres dures de la Chine' at the Musée Cernuschi, making the pieces even more desirable to some buyers. The most exceptional example was a white jade Qianlong-marked ghanta bell with vajra and lotus-petal motifs, and a vajra-shaped handle adorned with the head of a divine being. The bidding match was eventually won by an American collector at €160,000.

Vase China, Yongle/Xuande period (1403-35) Cloisonné Height 18 cm Beaussant Lefèvre's `Arts d'Asie' sale, Paris, 18 November 2005, lot 27 Price: €565,000 (estimate €60/80,000)

At Tajan's `Art d'Asie' sale on 21 November, the focus was on a magnificent large Yongle tianqiuping painted with blue-and-white lotus blooms and foliage. It came from a Parisian family who had brought it from Beijing at the end of the 19th century. Emerging victorious from a bidding war between the Chinese and London trade, a Hong Kong dealer paid €4,358,831 million.

Vase China, Yongle period (1403-24) Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration Height 43.2 cm Tajan's `Arts d'Asie' sale, Paris, 21 November 2005, lot 36 Price: €4,358,831 (unpublished estimate €400/500,000)

Kathryn Selig Brown

New York

Beatrice Chang of Dai Ichi Arts exhibition `Tsubusa Kato Porcelain' during February is the first solo show for this ceramic sculptor outside Japan. Combining pale-blue celadon glazes with forms evocative of wind and waves, Kato says that his primary motivation is `to capture the viewers with the delicate, flower-petal appeal of celadon glaze, and then add an element of surprise, often creating sculptural forms that are not traditionally associated with this centuries-old medium'.

The sculptures and paintings in Michael Cohn's exhibition `Including the Fourth Dimension' are either from temples or were used in home shrines. Among the works from India is a striking Gupta period red sandstone head of a shardula (horse-lion) symbolizing the victory of knowledge over ignorance. Collectors of Gandharan sculpture will find a grey schist image of the Buddha of interest; it stands on a plinth carved with a scene of the Buddha in adoration, thus combining the sculptural traditions of the monumental image and the narrative frieze. Alongside sculptures from Sri Lanka and Cambodia are photographs of meditating monks by Junsik. The exhibition runs from 5 February to 25 March.

San Francisco

Sandra Whitman's exhibition `Heavenly Dragons' from 2 February to 1 March includes a variety of Chinese textiles from the Yuan to Qing periods and Ningxia carpets from the Kangxi reign onwards. The highlights are four 18th century pillar carpets. The exhibition gives an overview of how the representation of the dragon evolved as a result of societal changes from the Yuan to Qing periods. On 7 February, Whitman will present a lecture that traces these changes as well as the symbolic role of the dragon during this period. She will also discuss the use and meaning of dragon iconography in Chinese decorative and ceremonial art from the Zhou to the Qing period.

Detail of pillar carpet China, Ningxia, Kangxi/Yongzheng period, c. 1720 Length 280 cm, width 132 cm `Heavenly Dragons' Sandra Whitman

Midco and Addy Lam took over the family business Lam & Co when their parents retired. In 1998, the gallery moved to its present premises on Hollywood Road. They are well known to discerning local collectors and also international dealers as a reliable source for Chinese ceramic vessels and sculptures dating from the Han to Song period. They also carry some good examples of Neolithic pots, early bronzes and stone sculptures. The most unique works that they have sold include a group of late Sui/early Tang gilt-bronze images of the Buddha and bodhisattvas; equally impressive was an expressive pair of Tang dynasty blue-glazed lokapala astride three demons. Confident that there will be a growing demand for early Chinese art, they have recently modernized their gallery.

The twenty works in an exhibition `Recent Work, Fung Ming Chip' from 10 to 28 February at Alisan Fine Arts will reveal that Fung is one of the most important members of the new generation of modern artists committed to revitalizing the calligraphic vocabulary and making it relevant to the modern world. Fung moved from Hong Kong to the US with his family in 1977. Shortly after moving to the US in 1977, Fung came across a calligraphic handscroll by Mi Fu in the Metropolitan Museum that would profoundly affect the focus of his artistic practice: he began to look at the entire spatial field rather than emphasize the formal coherence of individual ideographic units.

Amsterdam

Feng-chun Ma Chinese & Japanese Art Consultancy's new premises at 182 Weerdestein are within walking distance of Sotheby's and Christie's, and easily accessible from Schiphol airport. Ma is one of a very small group of specialists in the Netherlands with expertise in Chinese and Japanese ceramics and works of art. With the knowledge and contacts she has built up over fourteen years at Sotheby's, she always has some interesting works from old Dutch collections on view. She also provides an advisory service for established and new collectors who buy at auction. Her gallery is open by appointment (tel: 31 20 420 8248; email: fcma@fengchunma.com)

This year the event will be even more ambitious than the last. Like many other fairs, the organizers have opened the event to modern and contemporary art dealers. Held from 20 to 29 January at the Tour and Taxis complex, the show now has 120 exhibitors, including several dealers of Asian art, with forty per cent from abroad. It usually attracts some 30,000 visitors, many of them knowledgeable connoisseurs from Belgium, Holland and France, countries that have a long tradition of collecting Asian art.
Highlights on Georgia Chrischilles' stand include an 8th century terracotta bust of a bodhisattva from the Hund region of Pakistan and a 15th century gilt-bronze image of Maitreya from Tibet.
Christian Deydier of Galerie Oriental Bronzes will be showing an Eastern Han period bronze horse that comes from a New York collection. The horse's muscular body, elongated legs and its separately cast neck and head as well as its tail are all finely modelled. Lively detailing includes pricked ears and a neighing mouth revealing large teeth. The horse is covered with a smooth green patina.
Of note on K. Grusenmeyer's stand are two images of the Buddha - a Yuan period lacquered wood example and a Khmer Bayon-style torso protected by the outspread hood of a naga.
This year Annie Janssens of Ming-K'I Gallery will show a select group of bi from the Neolithic, Warring States and Han periods. Her expertise in early Chinese pottery will be represented by a group of Tang period musicians. The two women and two men still retain some pigment and the rendering of their hairstyles and headdresses are particularly detailed - one has a peacock-form hat.
Tamio Ikeda of Tanakaya will have a collection of Japanese prints, ceramics and lacquerware. The most important paintings are a series of Otsu-e, folk paintings that were produced and sold during the Edo period in Otsu, the official way-station on the Tokaido highway, and are now rarely available.

Maitreya Tibet, 15th century Gilt bronze Height 19 cm Georgia Chrischilles

Organized by Caskey & Lees, the show will run until 5 February and features 75 dealers specializing in ancient and contemporary art from throughout Asia. Xanadu Gallery's display is a juxtaposition of Japanese netsuke, Chinese snuff bottles and ceramics with Southeast Asian and Himalayan sculpture and bronzes. A Khmer stone sculpture of Avalokiteshvara, dating to the late 10th century and published by Spink's in 1997, and a 12th century bronze image of the Buddha of Healing seated on the coils of the serpent Mucilinda are among the highlights.
Alan Pate of Akanezumiya will be showing some dolls that were recently on view at the Mingei International Museum in San Diego and published in his book Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll.
Robin Cahill's collection comprises some thirty kimono and more than a dozen obi, all dating from the late Edo to Meiji period and in pristine condition.
Marc Richards has been selective in his display of early Chinese ceramics. A painted Neolithic tripod dated to circa 3,000 BCE will be one of the most unusual pieces in the show. In excellent condition, it is one of the finest examples of painting for this type of ware that Richards has seen in his long career.
Leonardo Vigorelli's exhibition will focus on a group of sculptures from Chandraketugarh site in West Bengal.
Highlights of Wei Asian Arts' show include two wood figures of servants that were made to accompany a Chu aristocrat in the afterlife. Carved from a solid piece of wood, but with detachable feet, these figures have lightly incised facial features; one still bearing traces of a red-and-black chequered motif.
Thomas Murray will show a Dongson drum from East Java that he acquired from an established collection. In perfect condition, the drum features human figures, elephants, horses and bird-forms.
Elizabeth Wilson and Fifi White of Asiatica will participate in the fair with a collection of 19th/early 20th century blue-and-white textiles. Their obvious preference for bold graphic patterns is evident in a tsutsugaki (rice-paste resist-dyed) futon cover decorated with a radish and an impressive group of tie-dyed yukata (summer robes).
Paul Anavian will exhibit his collection of Safavid pottery tiles and textiles, 12th century ink pots and metalwork, including a Sasanian silver plate, will help create a better understanding of the brilliance of the art produced in the region from the 2nd century BCE to the Islamic dynasties.
Angelo Attilio Attili's diverse collection includes Majapahit terracotta sculptures and Indonesian gold jewellery as well as some Himalayan and Chinese works of art.
With a select collection of lacquer tea containers, stoneware teabowls and paintings relating to the tea ceremony, Bachmann Eckenstein plan to demonstrate how easy it is to appreciate the aesthetic ideals of this Japanese ritual.
Dan Cook/Rudi South will exhibit an important sandstone figure of Durga dating to the early Khmer period and Davide Manfredi has a collection of Southeast Asian bronzes and a group of masks from Java and Bali.
Lacy Primitive and Fine Art will display a Khmer sculpture with a Chinese Neolithic pot and a painting by G.Gummersall.
The star of Thomas Mond's display is a 17th/18th century Mongolian resist-dyed felt which was discovered in Tibet.
Lyons Ltd Antique Prints is unrivalled at the fair with their extensive collection of Japanese and Chinese woodblock prints, views from the first Batavian expedition in China and Thomas Allom engravings.
Scriptum's selection will include works by the artists they represent including Kaoru Saito, Sadao Watanabe, Tanaka Ryohei, Ando Shinji and Iwao Akiyama.
Laurence Paul will be exhibiting for the first time in America following the success of her recent show of rarely seen Chinese wood stands in London. Paragon Books have many important new releases and also some rare editions from recently acquired libraries belonging to Charles R. Greenfield, Clarence Shangraw, John Findley and Dr Galeno.

One of a pair of servants Chu kingdom, 4th/3rd century BCE Wood Height 41 cm Wei Asian Arts

A number of Asian art dealers are among the 200 exhibitors at this show from 17 to 21 February.
At TK Antiques's booth a white marble Buddhist torso of the Northern Qi period and a selection of Han period panels carved with narrative scenes are of note. A Tang period bust, probably of a royal figure, is the most unusual pottery sculpture in the display. There are apparently no other known figures of this kind.
China Gallery's objects range from a Spring and Autumn period large bronze basin to a Song period wood Guanyin, with some pigments still intact, and a gilt-and-lacquer Damo dating to the Ming period.
Highlights of Jem Hom's show include a kneeling male attendant with a disc-shaped hat from the 6th/5th century BCE.
Marc Richards will show works by those artists currently realizing very strong prices at auction in China and Hong Kong. However, for his more traditional clients, he has a selection of recently acquired ceramic vessels and sculptures of the Han and Tang period.
Taking centrestage on Cohen & Cohen's stand are two pairs of Chinese soldier vases from the 17th century: one is a blue-and-white and, the other, painted in the bold colours of Imari, is beautifully decorated with tiger-hunting scenes.

Detail of a bust China, Tang period (618-906) Pottery Height 152.4 cm TK Antiques

Face of the Believer By Wang Guangyi (b. 1957), 2002 Oil on canvas Height 180 cm, width 120 cm Marc Richards

by Michael Henss, has conducted research and lectured on Tibetan art and architecture since 1980.
The original monuments of Pagan are now, after an eight-year campaign, nearly rebuilt. This visual renaissance has been motivated by large-scale merit-making Buddhist activities which has not met the World Heritage Convention guidelines of UNESCO, resulting in the suspension of financial support and no more works were in progress at sites where foreign conservation experts had previously been involved. The renovation and rebuilding at Pagan is based on a national package policy of secular rule and sacred sponsorship and has given way to controversial projects. The author questions whether we can be sure that this reconstruction of ancient history mirrors what was there originally? Is that to be the future of the glorious past? Is the aesthetic value of a monument more important than its historical rank (or value)? And from another perspective, does a puristic Western standpoint represent the ultimate truth?

New pagoda temple, Pagan, 2005