Page 10 - Bonhams NYC Chinese works of Art March 2019

Gertrude Strong Achilles, known as the ‘Kodak heiress’ to
her friends, was a world traveler - she recorded her travels to
Japan in 1899 with her Kodak camera, and her trip to Egypt
in 1926, among many others. She was known for her energy,
good taste and passion for collecting. After the death of her
husband, Henry Leslie Achilles in 1920, she moved to Morgan
Hill, California, buying the Fountain Oaks ranch estate, where
she lived until her death.

Portrait of Mrs. Achilles
Portrait painted by Elizabeth Shoumatoff, 1933;
Courtesy of the owners

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION
OF GERTRUDE STRONG ACHILLES (1860-1955)

501
A VERY RARE GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID ‘DOUBLE PHOENIX’
VASE, ZUN
Ming dynasty
Cast in the form of two birds, joined side-by-side, their necks twisted
with the undersides touching and their open beaks forming the mouth
of the vase, one wing of each bird and one tail acting as supports, the
four legs of the birds neatly tucked under the body, the crests, brows,
feathers and plumage all crisply articulated and inlaid with gold and
silver to provide a brilliant contrast against the dark-brown bronze.
6 3/4in (17.2cm) high
$40,000 - 60,000

明 銅錯金銀雙連天雞尊

Provenance:
The Gertrude Strong Achilles (1860-1955) Collection, daughter of Birds such as these, called tianji, in Chinese, literally meaning heavenly
Henry Alvah Strong of Rochester NY, President of Eastman Kodak fowl, but often translated as phoenix, have a long history of being cast
company from 1880-1919, and thence by descent. in bronze. During the Zhou dynasty they took the form of vessels, see
for example one illustrated in John Alexander Pope, et. al., The Freer
Two similar examples in the collection of the Musée Cernuschi are Chinese Bronzes, Vol. I, Washington, 1967, pl. 106; and in the Han
illustrated in Michel Maucuer, Bronzes de la Chine impériale des Song dynasty, examples were often made supporting vases on their back or
aux Qing, Paris, 2013, nos. 46 and 47. The style of the inlay on the first with wheels. A Ming dynasty example of this sort of vessel was sold
example, dated 16th/17th century, is very similar to the inlay on the at Christie’s, London, 15 May 2018, lot 77. The tianji continued to be
present lot. a popular bronze motif in the Song dynasty and continued through to
the Ming and Qing dynasties. Two Ming dynasty examples are in the
National Palace Museum, Taipei, and illustrated in Through the Prism
of the Past, Taipei, 2003, cat. nos III-42 and III-43. Double tianji of the
form found in the present lot are relatively rare.

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