Page 18 - Lieber Collection Chinese Art

Whether through form, motif or theme (or a combination of ♎䀃᭜ᓋᒏᙸ喑ృᵵ䖱᭜䵹ᱽ喍ϓᝃ᭜䕆ψٰ㉍⮱
these), East Asian-inspired design manifests itself in a variety of
㉱व喎喑Leiber৮❹㽚㼵ౕ㽞็᫦䲏䘪␟䔼㦄Პϋ
ways. This is clearest when Leiber translates Chinese art objects
directly into minaudières. For example, the knops of the grand 㬊㶀⮱⅐ᖜȡ䕆ᅑڣ倁⤫ౕLeiberⰡᣒិ͚స㬊㶀
Fonthill ‘soldier’ vases are repeated in Leiber’s lotus bud-form Ռ䥿ݝ᝸᣽࠲⮱㽚㼵⪣͚ȡҸຯ喑᱙ൡ᝭ॵ̭ᄺᩫ
minaudière, reflected in the articulation of its curved petals. Her ᆞᅲ㫼ㆶᒖ๔⨣㧸䝂⮱㨛㟞䕍ಸᰫ㷘Leiber㲺ڒݝ
vibrant teal and cobalt firecracker-shaped minaudière is almost
ڣ᝸᣽࠲⮱㽚㼵⪣͚ȡ㔹຦䱿㫺ږ㞟Ⱕ䫀⮱✳〦䕍
identical in form to the Qing dynasty famille-rose ‘firecracker’
box and cover, even mimicking the orientation of the wicks. ಸ᝸᣽࠲Ꭻͻ㜴᱙ൡ͚⮱ㆶᒖ✳〦ᒏ㧸⯿ຯܧ̭
䑺喑⩇㜠䕐✳〦̷ᑂ㟜⮱䊝ाΌ̭ҢЬ᩵ȡ
Animals also feature prominently in her designs. A dazzling tiger-
form evening clutch is a mirror image of the Jin dynasty ‘Cizhou’
ࠂ➖ᒏ׼Ό፥ܧ⤫ౕ Leiber ⮱㽚㼵͚ȡڣ͚̭⦭
pillow from the collection, also in the form of a recumbent tiger.
⧕ທⰛ⮱㜒㭻䕍ಸᮇს࠲喑ₐ᭜㫶䥾γЃԾ᝭ᩣ㫼
Its calligraphic painted stripes and piercing eyes have been ren-
dered into graphic lines of jet black crystals. Similarly, a crystal ⮱̭Уⷮጋ⿝㭻ᒏ᳂ȡग᭜㾟㜒㭻⩕叾ᒖ᣼㎗⮱◜
encrusted gold Buddhist lion-form bag echoes the rare blue and ◜Ⱪ⺋喑㷘叾Ⅱᮣ䵳ㆿ䕐᜽⮱≮ᯏ㌇᷊ः㔹А͸ȡ
white luduan-form censer from the Wanli reign, while a charm-
ह⤳喑̭Ը㋡␬Ⅱᮣ⮱䛾㞟⡲ಸ᝸᣽࠲喑᭍ᄱγڣ
ing recumbent horse-form clutch resembles the delightful horses
depicted in her collection of famille-verte biscuit ‘sea horse ’ves- ᩣ㫼͚̭У䱿㟞⩗〜ᒏ⚼✽⮱䕍ಸ喑㔹̭ᮇს࠲
sels or the horse-form water dropper, all from the Kangxi period. В䷜❪㠞༬⮱伬仙◧䕍ಸ喑㾟䱵ᙌҳ⎽᫩຦ᩣ㫼⮱
Aside from form, themes and motifs often play out in Leiber’s ㉍̶ᒖ⊤仙㈸⨤கᝃ㉍̶ᒖ㜒仙ᒏⅡ␡͚ᄺ仙⮱
creations in cheerful and amusing ways. The delicate yet lively ᣼㎗ȡ
floral motifs present in famille-rose and famille-verte porcelain
find their companion in Leiber’s blossoming chatelaines. Her 䮑γᒏᙸВใ喑䵹ᱽহ㈸ὐݴ◧ Leiber ৮❹෋⌨γ
ribbon-tied clutch brings to mind beribboned Qing dynasty auspi- ₎ᔘᬻϛࣷჹᰶᎪ吅⮱ᆑ⁎ᙌȡㆶᒖহρᒖ⨤க͚
cious emblems, as seen in the Kangxi period ‘flower basket’ dish.
㉝㛖㔹僛≨⮱㟞ࡶృὐΌ㷘⩕ҳ㸊吋 Leiber ৮❹
Although not a direct adaptation of this theme, Judith Leiber’s
⮱Chatelaine㈨݄䛾ᆙݣ仃丫࠲ȡ຦᝭㽚㼵㲡㲣㉽
whimsical asparagus-form minaudière is also embellished with
th
th
a bow, with a nod to European ceramics from the 18 and 19 ᐼ⮱ᮇს࠲䃀ϧ㖜ᘠݝ⌲᱊㎘ᰶ䷱፣⮱श⺒ృᵵ喑
centuries. ຯ᱙ൡ᝭ॵ̭УᏤ⛆䱿㟞㟞ㅰృⰑȡJudith Leiber
It may seem far-fetched that the first female apprentice and mas- ๖仙㵹⾧ᣎ⩕㬳ぺ䕍ಸ㽚㼵⮱᝸᣽࠲ϓߍ̷γ㲡
ter in the Hungarian handbag guild would turn to Chinese art 㲣㉽㽚㼵喑ࢠ঩ᛶγ⌲᱊श⺒㈸ὐ⮱䵹ᱽ喑ह᭯Ό
(amongst other things) for artistic inspiration. Valuing meticu-
ा࡮ژ喑࡮Ί̓㈭⮱⁽≟㬳ぺᒏЬ⩌⨤㜡᪙ȡ
lous technique, craftsmanship and harmony of design as with the
Chinese potters she admires, Judith Leiber clearly understands ѩͻᒵ䰐ᘠ׼喑䕆Ѻҳ㜗࠵➆ݖ⮱仃Ѻຠᕔ᝸࠲㽚
the beauty and elegance of a culture so far removed from her na-
㼵๔ፘᰰᓋ͚స⨤க͚॥ः㽚㼵䱵ᙌȡ຦⁐䈋͚స
tive country. As she says so eloquently, “the beauty of objects is
a language of its own.” ጒࡍԾౕ⨤க㸪҉হጒ㬊᫦䲏⮱௡㠈὆⏃Вࣷᄺ
হ䀔㽚㼵⮱ത㦄䔪Ⅿ喑຦⌞䀠̭Ը䖍ౕᲞ᫦⮱ ऑ㔮
᪴ᬻ͚᝭↶ⓞ⮱ᄖ㒻㜴䯲䋐ȡₐຯ຦ᰭڤԎ᰺߈⮱
㿗䓚喟Ȫ㥙➖͸㒻᱙ࢠ᭜̭⽛♎⩹⮱㿋㼭ȫȡ
OPPOSITE TOP OPPOSITE BOTTOM
Lot 446 with a ‘tiger-pillow’-form Lot 432 with a firecracker-form
minaudière, from The Kelly Ellman minaudière, from The Gerson and
Collection Judith Leiber Foundation
ᄺ䴮̷ ᄺ䴮̸
㌕㮌446㜴㭻ᒏᮇს࠲ (Kelly ㌕㮌432㜴✳〦ᒏᮇს࠲ (Gerson ࣷ
Ellman ᩣ㫼) Judith Leiber ധ䛾ᰰᩣ㫼)

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