WARSAW – Eighty-five works of handicrafts made of ivory originating from China, Japan, India and Africa will be auctioned DESA Unicum on Oct. 26. All items are a part of one private collection, which has been built for many years. This offer is a rarity not only in Poland, but also in the European antiquities market. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

At the turn of 19th and 20th centuries Oriental wood engravings and artifacts made of ivory were a compulsory element of collections built by “new art” supporters. Japanese aesthetics has revolutionised the postulates, which governed the art then. Items exhibited at the auction are the evidence of extraordinary craftsmanship of Oriental sculptures. The upcoming auction is also a rare opportunity to continue the great tradition of collecting Oriental works of art from the late 19th and early 20th century.

The auction of ivory sculptures collection is something totally new in the Polish antiquities market. The catalogue prepared by DESA Unicum auction house is divided into two parts: Chinese and Japanese. A characteristic feature of visual arts of the Middle Kingdom is impressive precision of workmanship. Chinese masters, using ivory, which is an extremely difficult processing material, commemorated figures of Taoist gods, historic heroes and activities of ordinary people.

An example of supreme craftsmanship of material processing are carved elephant tusks, which, while retaining their natural shape, transform into images of Taoist goddesses, openwork presentation of a Chinese city skyline, or a phoenix holding a lantern in its beak. Japanese sculptures are characterised generally by dynamic poses and lively facial expressions of the figures. The characters of Oriental sculptures were often treated with a large dose of humour. Legendary warrior, Musashi Miyamoto, creator of the school of two-sword fighting, was presented in an amusing scene of a skirmish with wolves. The figure is made of a rare material—whalebone with a smooth and shiny surface.

The auction offer also includes netsuke figures—famous traditional kimono clips having various and often surprising forms. The small works of art, measuring up to 8 centimeters, captivate the eye with naturalness of presentation and artistry.

The prices range from PLN 500 ($164 US) for Japanese netsuke to PLN 80,000 ($26,000 US) for the monumental double figures of Chinese goddesses.

The ivory sculptures collection auction will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, beginning at 2 p.m. Central European Time (10 a.m. Pacific) at the DESA Unicum auction house, 34-50 Marszalkowska St. in Warsaw.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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