Page 98 - Bonhams September 10 2018 New York Chinese Works of Art

Another distinctive mode of dress - a ruyi lappet collar and dhoti A final variation in dress is the sleeveless jacket worn by the pair
inlaid with various patterns and a fluttering shoulder scarf - appear of foreigners in this lot and also by the foreigners on the pricket
on the pair of foreigners supporting hexagonal candle prickets and candle holders from the Mandel Collection, sold in Christie’s, Hong
kneeling on conforming hexagonal stands sold in Christie’s, London, Kong, 30 May 2012, lot 3906, as Kangxi period (height 14 3/4in
8 November 2011, lot 68 (height 19 3/4in [49.3cm], as 18th century. [37.5cm]): each vest includes cloud collar lappets above a field of
A similar costume is worn by a single cloisonné enamel and gilt scattered flowers with a large peony featured on the back, a belt
bronze kneeling foreigner holding a shallow bowl sold in Sotheby’s, with flowers and waves on the back and facing animals on the front,
New York, 23 March 2004, lot 528 (height 9 1/4in [25.3cm]), as the border bands filled with tiny lingzhi fungus heads. The structure
Kangxi period. of the vest and its lingzhi fungus-filled border, as well as the shape
of the pedestal beneath each figure, can in turn be related to the
A third variation in dress - a sleeveless jacket inlaid with a dragon late Ming pair of bronze and cloisonné foreigners from the Amezaga
rising from a band of waves recalling traditional Qing court robes Collection mentioned above. The Mandel pair of foreigners and the
is worn by the single kneeling foreigner holding up a sphere sold pair in this lot are remarkably similar in most details but differ mainly
in Christie’s, Hong Kong, 26 April 1999, lot 561 (height 11 1/2in in the construction of the fluttering shoulder scarves: the fluttering
[29.2cm)], as Kangxi; and pair of foreigners kneeling on square- scarves on the Mandel pair are attached to the front of each arm by
sectioned bases and holding later square-sectioned candlesticks, tiny metal pins; but the lower front section of each shoulder scarf on
sold in Sotheby’s, Milan, 13 June 2016, lot 55 (height 39.5cm [15 the foreigners in this lot seems to be cast into the body itself. For this
1/2in]), as Kangxi period. The dragon and wave jacket also clothes reason, the pricket candle sticks in this lot may have been cast at a
the cloisonné and gilt bronze kneeling Hehe Twins sold in Sotheby’s, different time than the Mandel Collection pair.
New York, 18 September 2007, lot 156 (height 11in [28cm]).

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