Page 7 - MANDARIN & MENAGERIE: THE SOWELL COLLECTION, PART II
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Mandarin & Menagerie:
The JaMes e. sowell
ColleCTion, ParT ii
Over a period of twenty years James Sowell slowly assembled the
best collection of Chinese porcelain birds, animals and figures in
the country. Not only comprehensive, the Sowell Collection features
jewels of top quality in each category it encompasses, from important,
large pairs of majestic birds, courtiers and exotic animals to charming
and colorful figures of laughing boys and courting couples.
Alongside these Chinese export treasures Jim Sowell collected
traditional Chinese works of art. With the same eye for quality of
form and decoration, Sowell added captivating cloisonné enamel birds
and animals, porcelain wares and jade carvings to the collection. All
of these works of art resided happily in the Sowells’ Dallas home
surrounded by classic English furniture of the Georgian period. In
2008 the export collection was published by Sowell’s dealers and
advisors Cohen and Cohen in a lavishly illustrated and researched
book, Mandarin and Menagerie.
A thread running through all of the Sowell Collection is stellar
provenance. With acquisitions from landmark London and Paris
auctions as well as from top European dealers, the Sowell Collection
represents the enduring pleasures of the finest works of art. Christie’s
is extremely pleased to bring the Sowell Collection to market, where
it will join the panoply of historic collection auctions in the field of
Chinese works of art.
詹姆斯˙索維爾珍藏為藏家耗費20載精心搜求之成果，堪稱美
國境內最佳中國飛禽，走獸及人物象生瓷之收藏。其藏品包羅
萬象，從成對之珍禽異獸及朝臣，到活潑討喜，色彩繽紛之笑
面童子及求愛佳偶，囊括不同種類之精品，實為難得。
除了外銷瓷珍品，索維爾亦收藏中國藝術精品，並以其一貫對
造型及裝飾之高超眼光，入藏象生掐絲琺瑯，瓷器以及玉器。
這些藏品藏於索維爾達拉斯居所，與其英國喬治王時代古典傢
具相映成趣。2008年索維爾將庋藏之外銷瓷集結成 《Manda-
rin and Menagerie》一書，由其古董商兼顧問科恩˙科恩
(Cohen and Cohen)出版，印刷華麗精美，為文考證嚴謹。
索維爾庋藏之共同特點為其無懈可擊之來源。其自倫敦及巴黎
等知名拍賣行與頂尖歐洲古董商手中購得之珍品比比皆是，使
其藏品更富有恒久之代表性。佳士得極為榮幸呈現是次深具歷
史性意義之拍賣，為中國藝術拍賣史再添一筆佳話。
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