PHILADELPHIA – Material Culture’s next auction, “Ancient and Traditional Arts,” possesses such breadth of outstanding art and artifacts that it has been divided into a two-part event on Oct. 31. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide absentee and Internet live bidding.
The full day of sales begins at 10 a.m. Eastern with the Piero and Paola Ferro collection (lots 1-178) of antique Chinese amber, jade, archeological gold and talismans. Part two (lots 179-775), “Asian, Ethnographic Arts, Antique Oriental Rugs and Textiles,” a wealth of topnotch pieces in these categories, will commence at a time to be determined by the pace of bidding.
Nearly 300 pieces come to the sale from the Ferro collection, with origins in China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, and dating as far back as the second century B.C.
The collection features a trove of ancient and antique gold jewelry from Afghanistan, Persia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, including rings, bracelets, earrings, pendants, necklaces and other artifacts.
A substantial and important part of the collection is the abundance of antique Chinese amber, all of which dates to either the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) or the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).
With nearly 600 lots in the auction’s second half alone, many different categories of art, from a variety of cultures, boast remarkable entries. China’s centuries of exquisite artistic tradition provide some of the sale’s many highlights, led by a pair of dvarapala carved stone sculptures (below) dating to the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907). Muscular and fierce, these gate guardians strike an imposing posture. The stone is a dark gray with remnants of white pigment. Bases of original stone support the feet, with custom-built additional stands included.
A rare embroidered silk dragon robe features a multitude of golden dragons on a black field, with a prismatic play of metal thread. During the Qing Dynasty, to which this 19th century robe dates, “dragon robes” became the official name for these garments, which had been made to be worn exclusively by emperors for centuries. The original wool lining is preserved, and the robe is in excellent condition. William Jay Russel, who served as Standard Oil’s representative agent in Asia between 1896 and 1902, acquired the robe during this time, and it comes to the auction by descent to the present owner.
A notable portion of the sale, nearly 100 lots, is devoted to antique Oriental rugs, with carpets to tempt collectors and decorators alike.
