NEW YORK – The mystique and beauty of Asian decorative arts are readily apparent in a Jasper52 online auction that will take place Saturday, June 17. The 65-lot catalog includes highly collectible Indian statues, expertly executed scroll paintings, ceramics, cloisonné and carvings. Absentee and Internet bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
A rare Tibetan thangka depicting Gyayin – the King of the Mind – riding an elephant, while holding a snare in one hand to throw at his enemies and a razor in the other to cut “the life-roots of the obstacle-creating demons.” Dharmapala Pehar, the head of the Five Kings, is depicted in the lower right corner riding a white lion. Monbu Putra – the King of the Body – is shown in the lower left corner riding a lioness. Shing Jachen – the King of Virtue – is shown in the upper right corner riding a black horse. Dralha Kyechikbu – the King of Speech – is shown in the upper left corner riding a mule. This rare icon (above), beautifully painted with natural mineral pigments and gold on cotton, exhibits superb detailing.
A beautiful original scroll painting on silk by Watanabe Seitei (1851–1918) titled Sparrow and Peony in Snow is a featured item in the auction. Trained by Japanese masters, Seitei received a silver medal for a painting he submitted to the Paris Exposition in 1878. He remained in Paris for three years and became the first Nihonga artist to reside in Europe to study Western painting.
Among the oldest objects in the auction is a Shang Dynasty (1766 B.C.–1046 B.C.) pottery vessel, which stands 10 1/2 inches high.
From the early 20th century is a bronze Tibetan Bodhisattva Du Mu figure, which is skillfully handmade.
Carved from burlwood, a 2-inch toggle of a seated man served a purpose in its day. This larger example of the form would have been strung with a cord through the holes under each arm, hung from a sash and used as a counterweight to a tobacco pouch or other utilitarian object. It is a fine example of 18th- or 19th-century Chinese folk art.
Finally, an unusual item for smokers is a Chinese water pipe dating to the first half of the 20th century. It is decorated in enameled copper, which has its original finish. The pipe is complete with tobacco holder, brush and tobacco tweezers.
The auction will begin Saturday, June 17, at noon Eastern.
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