This slender curving handle of half-round form with flattened back, tapering to a simplified duck’s head terminal at one end and flattened out to a lotus-petal-shaped very shallow curving scoop at the other end.
Top: A Silver long-handled tea scoop (Ze)
Early Tang Dynasty, A.D. 7th century – Length 9 3/4 inches.
Bottom: A gilt-silver wine cup and stand, from
the Northern Song Dynasty (A.D. 960-1127) Diameter of cup stand 5 1/8 inches, Diameter of cup 2 3/4 inches,
Height overall 2 1/8 inches.
The flower-shaped wine cup with gently rounded and slightly flaring sides divided into ten petal-lobes, chased on the exterior with ten demi-florettes in a band below the lipped rim, the saucer-shaped stand also divided into ten lobes enclosed by a flat foliate rim of conforming outline with squared edge and raised on a high hollow ten-lobed foot, chased in the center of the stand with an undulating band of composite floral scroll, and the splayed edge of the foot chased with a border of pendant petal lappets enclosing demi-florettes, the gilded surface showing a soft luster and scattered dark tarnish, the patination and tarnish more concentrated on the underside of the cup stand where surface has not been as thoroughly cleaned.
A parcel-gilt silver ‘Musical troupe’ Ewer and Cover
Liao – Northern Song Dynasty, A.D. 10th -11th Century
Height 10 inches
The hexagonal vessel of tall slender form decorated with six gilded figures in high relief including a dancer, a drummer and four different musicians playing Chinese instruments centering each of the six flat tapering sides, further decorated with a ring-matte punched ground embellished with incised foliate and cloud motifs above and below each figure, and with incised borders of overlapping petal motifs framing each panel, the sloping shoulders and tapering narrow neck also decorated with floral motifs on ring-punched grounds within petal-borders and the upright cylindrical spout and high arch-form handle similarly decorated, standing on a plain splayed hexagonal ring foot and with a small stepped cover with incised foliate decoration surmounted by a large gilded flame-shaped finial.
A clam shell box and chased silver cover
Tang Dynasty, A.D. 8th-9th Century
Width 4 inches
This shell-shaped silver cover with domed surface finely decorated with a fenghuang bird with fan-shaped crest and long luxurious tail feathers shown walking with wings displayed, surrounded by exotic blooms and lush foliage borne on long curling stems, the decoration all freely incised in outline and with fine stippling and linear details, reserved on a dense ring-punched ground, and enclosed within a narrow plain border around the rim and downturned narrow sides which are angled over the edge of the natural clam shell base, with a small silver ring at one side of the cover linked by a silver chain to a similar ring on a peg drilled through and attached to the shell.
A set of early gold headdress ornaments
Northern Dynasties – Early Tang Dynasty, circa A.D. 5th-7th Century
(Approximately 50 pieces)
Length of the repoussé bands 11 7/8 inches; 8 5/8 inches; 3 inches
Length of florette tassels 2 3/4 inches
Length of sequins 3/8 inch
Length of beads 3/8 inch
This breathtaking set comprised of nine repoussé decorated bands, five florette tassels, six hollow beads, and twenty-nine sequins, the largest band decorated in shallow relief with a frieze of round-faced boys wearing lotus-petal skirts and bead necklaces shown grasping the strands of an undulating foliate scroll sprouting palmette motifs between beaded borders punched with tiny holes for attachment. The shorter two narrow bands each decorated with similar undulating foliate scroll sprouting palmette motifs in a continuous pattern between beaded borders, the six small bands decorated with overlapping undulating ropetwist pattern between beaded borders. The five tassels each in the form of an eight-petal florette pierced through the center to receive a thin pendant gold strip of tapered form, and the twenty-nine sequins all of teardrop shape, slightly convex on one side and concave on the other, pierced at the top for suspension. Finally, he six beads thinly cast with a mould line across the waist; all the elements showing a higher polish on the front and slightly matte on the reverse, one of the medium-size narrow bands with an ancient repair visible only on the back.
A parcel-gilt silver chrysanthemum-form cup from the
Song Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279)
3 3/8 inches
The deep flower-form bowl with two tiers of twenty-four slender petals each recessed on the interior and convex on the exterior, rising to a scalloped rim with inset gilt-edged lip, the domed center of the interior imitating the center of the flower, with rows of rounded bosses above a collar of gilded leaf tips, raised on a hollow tapered foot also petal-lobed and flaring to a scalloped edge.
Exhibition and Sale March 16 – April 14, 2012
‘Asia Week’ is a great opportunity for everyone interested in Asian art to gather and exchange ideas while feasting their eyes on the best Asian art exhibitions in museums and specialist art galleries. At J.J. Lally & Co. we have spent several years hunting for and gathering together the rare ancient Chinese silver and gold works of art which we will be exhibiting March 16-April 14, and many of the other 33 Asian art galleries participating in ‘Asia Week’ have made an equal or greater effort. Asia Week’ is a scholarly event, a social event and a great art market event which draws aficionados from all around the world. – Mr. Jim Lally
The minute I walked through the doors of J.J. Lally, I was immediately struck by the warm and enthusiastic welcome of their gallery’s director, Ms. I-Hsuan Chen. She knew it was my first time there, and wasted no time to introduce me to their upcoming exhibit, Silver and Gold in Ancient China – a splendid show which many of you will get to see during Asia Week New York. As a young girl, I’ve always been fascinated by Asian art, not just because of its sheer, intense beauty, but I had a penchant for Asian gold because of its allure, and mystical quality. And when it comes to decoration, Asian art holds its own, and compliments modern and traditional interiors extremely well. During my tour, it became evident that this gallery embodied some of the finest Chinese works of art of every kind, particularly the arts of ancient China. I’ve also learned that J.J. Lally boasts an amazing collection of some of the most extremely rare body of works throughout the year. Some of which have been purchased by The Metropolitan Museum here in New York, The British Museum, the Shanghai Museum, and the Harvard University Art Museums.
Chinese silver of the Song dynasty (960-1279) is very well represented in this exhibition. Look for a rare piece of Song silver – an elaborate Openwork and Repoussé-Decorated Buddhist Stupa-Form Reliquary, formerly in the collection of J.T. Tai, which bears a dedicatory inscription including a Chinese reign date corresponding to A.D. 986. And what does the girl who have everything (I am not referring to myself) wish for when she visits J.J. Lally? A clam shell box and chased silver cover from the Tang Dynasty, of course! This piece is truly exquisite, and the fine details of the silver metal is so intricate that you’ll be mesmerized just by looking at it. J.J. Lally is located at 41 East 57th Street, 14th Floor New York, NY 10022. Opening Preview Saturday and Sunday, March 17–18 from 10am–6pm
www.jjlally.com.
