Page 59 - Bonhams May 8-9 2017 London Fine Asian Art
P. 59
THE JOHN CHRISTOPHERSON COLLECTION
OF CHINESE JADES
LOTS 122 TO 142
John Christopherson (1921 - 1996) is known for his later career as Christopherson was an avid letter writer, corresponding with a wide
an artist, which only began in 1950, when he met Jacob Epstein and group of dealers and fellow-collectors who shared his interest in art
started to visit West End Galleries in London. In 1959 he resigned and indeed in jade carvings. He visited the London auction rooms
from the Civil Service and became a full-time painter, known for as well as visiting Portobello market regularly on Saturdays and was
small townscapes, exhibiting at the Leicester Galleries, the Marjorie known to produce his most recent purchase, often a Chinese early
Parr Gallery, Agnews and England & Co. His last exhibition was a jade carving. By 1994 his illness prevented him from visiting central
retrospective held in 1995 at the Woodlands Art Gallery in Blackheath. London.
122
122 Two closely related examples were included in the exhibition ‘Chinese
A PALE GREEN AND RUSSET JADE CARVING OF A Jade Animals’, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1996, cat. nos
RECUMBENT RAM 91 and 94; another in the Kirknorton collection is illustrated in Brian
Six Dynasties/Song Dynasty Morgan, ‘Naturalism and Archaism: Chinese Jades from the Kirknorton
Carved resting upon its tucked-in legs, the hind quarters slightly raised, Collection’, London, 1991, pl. 38; and a fourth carving in the British
the head with almond-shaped eyes looking forwards, with long ridged Museum, London, is published in Jessica Rawson, ‘Chinese Jades
horns curling over the shoulders, the greyish-green stone with dark from the Neolithic to the Qing’, London, 1995, pl. 26:11. See also one
brown veining. sold at Christie’s, New York, 2nd December 1985, lot 48; and another
5.7cm (2 1/4in) long sold at Christie’s, London, 7th December 1984, lot 306.
£2,000 - 3,000 The ram is symbolic of peace, prosperity and filial piety. When carved
CNY17,000 - 26,000 HK$20,000 - 29,000 in stone for Spirit Roads, rams represented incorruptibility and stood
in lieu of figures of civil officials. It seems likely that jade rams, such as
Figures of rams have a long history, appearing in the Han and Tang the present one, represented the roles of sheep in daily life as well as
periods in bronze as lamps and in ceramic as tomb figures. The embodying their auspicious associations on Spirit Roads.
present piece echoes the still and powerful stone figures that line the
Spirit Roads of Tang and Song tombs, yet is much more fluid in form
and captures a sense of vitality in the fullness of its form. With the top
of its head and back accentuated by the dark natural inclusions, these
lines that gently run across the stone further enhance the delicate
carving of the creature.
For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot ASIAN ART - DAY 1 | 57
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.
