† AN IVORY COLORED JADE AXE, YUE, LIANGZHU CULTURE † AN IVORY COLORED JADE AXE, YUE, LIANGZHU CULTURE China, circa 3300-2200 BC. The broad axe flares towards the curved cutting edge, and the butt end drilled from both sides with a circular aperture. The stone fully calcified and of a warm ivory color with few russet areas. Provenance: U.S. collection. The stand with an inscribed label and two collection numbers ‘20’ and ‘60503 641’. The authentication of this piece was conducted by Senior Fellow Gu Fang of the Institute of Archeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) on 16 July 2006, number 641, described as ‘Jade Ax’, dated to the Neolithic period, signed by Gu Fang, and notarized by Notary Noreen J. Lowery, New York. Gu Fang, born 1962 in Beijing, graduated from the Department of Archeology of the prestigious Beijing University in 1986. He later studied at the CASS where he is now working as a Senior Fellow specializing in Archeological excavations and research on Chinese Jades. Gu Fang authored several books on Chinese jades including 15 volumes on ‘The Complete Collection of Jades Unearthed in China’, one of the largest collections of Chinese jades to date. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, obvious losses, signs of weathering and erosion. The stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time. The stone with a smooth polish. External Expert Authentication: A copy of the authentication report from Senior Fellow Gu Fang of the Institute of Archeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) accompanies this lot and will be transmitted to the winning bidder. Weight: 243.1 g Dimensions: Length 16.2 cm Mounted to a modern metal stand. (2) Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 March 2015, lot 488 Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 43,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An opaque ivory-colored jade axe, China, Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture, 3rd millennium BC Expert remark: Compare the related form and color. Note the smaller size (12.3 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 March 2015, lot 534 Price: USD 22,500 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An ivory-colored opaque jade axe, southeast China, Neolithic period, 3rd millennium BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and color. Note the smaller size (13 cm). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

Estimate 900 - 1 800 EUR

Starting price 900 EUR

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A MOTTLED JADE YUE AXE, DAWENKOU CULTURE, C. 4500-2500 BC A MOTTLED JADE YUE AXE, DAWENKOU CULTURE, C. 4500-2500 BC Published: Filippo Salviati, 4000 Years of Chinese Archaic Jades, 2017, pp. 80-81, no. 87. Of elongated form with tapering side, the axe with a lens-shaped cross section, and a central aperture to the top which has been drilled from both sides. The translucent stone with inclusions of mustard, brown, and dark chocolate, as well as russet veins. Provenance: Private collection of Prof. C. Eberhard Klein, Germany. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and natural imperfections. Minor erosion and shallow surface wear. Weight: 277.2 g Dimensions: Height 17 cm The Dawenkou culture (c.4500-2500 BC) is one of the early societies that made use of jade during the late Neolithic period and transition to the Bronze Age, with sites mostly distributed in the Shandong province. The jades found in these sites are mostly derived from types developed by the two neighboring and major jade-using cultures, Hongshan in the north and Liangzhu in the south. Particularly favored were jade axes, which are more elongated than the Liangzhu ones, and often chisel shaped, like the present lot. Because jade was so costly, it is unlikely this was a utilitarian tool. Its use was probably more symbolic or ritual. The thin, sharp blade shows no sign of wear. The presence of such jade objects indicates a high level of skill in fine crafts. Due to its hardness, jade cannot be carved with metal blades but must be ground with abrasive sand in a slow, labor-intensive process. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related axe discovered at a Neolithic tomb at Dawenkou, published in Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe, 1989, pg. 5 of illustrations.

Lot 1715

Estim. 1 200 - 2 400 EUR

A JADE ARC-SHAPED ‘MASK’ PENDANT, HUANG, LIANGZHU CULTURE A JADE ARC-SHAPED ‘MASK’ PENDANT, HUANG, LIANGZHU CULTURE China, circa 3300-2200 BC. The flattened pendant neatly incised to one side with a mask with bulging eyes at the center and two apertures to the edges for suspension. The translucent stone of a soft ivory-white color with extensive calcification. Provenance: From a Czech private collection. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear and weathering, as expected. The stone with natural inclusions and fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time. Weight: 54.9 g Dimensions: Length 9.2 cm Huang were a part of the elite adornments during the Neolithic period, especially within Hongshan, Liangzhu, and Longshan cultures. These were worn along with headgear, knee decorations, elaborate beaded necklaces, and other body ornaments, all made primarily from jade. Dr. Elizabeth Childs-Johnson dubs these cultures a part of the ‘Jade Age’, a period during which an abundance of jade objects accompanied the elite burials for the first time. The imagery carved on these jade adornments was highly standardized, and the most prominent image, which appears on this lot, is that of the godhead (also called a spirit person, shenren, or an anthropomorphized deity). This image is flat, often covered in cosmic cloud scrolls, and has zoomorphic attributes combining bird and semi-human elements. Literature comparison: Compare a related jade huang from the Liangzhu culture in the Ancient Chinese Jade Gallery of the Shanghai Museum. Compare a related jade huang from the Liangzhu culture included in the jade relics exhibition of the Dawenkou, Longshan, and Liangzhu cultures at the Shandong Museum, Jinan, in 2014. Compare a related jade ornament with a mask design, dated mid-3 rd millennium BC, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 18.63.

Lot 1716

Estim. 6 000 - 12 000 EUR

A TWO-TIERED IVORY JADE CONG, LIANGZHU CULTURE A TWO-TIERED IVORY JADE CONG, LIANGZHU CULTURE China, late Neolithic period, c. 3300-2200 BC. The thick-walled cong with gently rounded sides and a cylindrical interior, carved to each corner with a stylized human and animal mask design. The eyes and noses as well as the raised bands above the human mask and recesses in between are finely incised with line and scroll designs. The faces are divided with a gently recessed vertical band to the center of each side. The opaque stone of a cream and beige tone with milky inclusions, as well as russet veins, and calcification. Provenance: The Shibata family collection, Japan. Galleri Kokoro, Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish private collection, acquired from the above in 1998. Condition: Very good condition with wear commensurate with age. Natural imperfections, smoothened losses to edges, tiny nicks, few natural fissures, and signs of weathering and erosion. Few hairlines which may have developed into cracks. The stone with alterations. Weight: 512.8 g Dimensions: Diameter 9.7 cm, Height 5.6 cm With a padded silk box and cover. (2) The present cong displays the distinctive characteristic of Liangzhu culture cong vessels, with a square outer section around a circular inner part and decorated with stylised masks neatly arranged on each of the four corners. The exceptional craftsmanship is particularly notable in the very delicate and precise quality of the carving and incised decoration, enhanced by the lustrous patina formed on the surface over time. One interpretation of the function of cong is that it symbolised the earth. Although the precise meaning and use of the cong is not entirely clear, it was found in extensive numbers in Liangzhu tombs and is believed to be of great significance. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 4 November 2021, lot 385 Estimate: GBP 250,000 or approx. EUR 354,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare calcified jade cong, Neolithic period, Liangzhu culture Expert remark: Compare the closely related two-tiered form, manner of carving, mask motifs, and ivory-cream color of the stone. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 May 2018, lot 4 Price: HKD 21,700,000 or approx. EUR 2,863,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very rare archaic jade ritual vessel, cong, Neolithic Period, Liangzhu Culture Expert remark: Compare the closely related two-tiered form, manner of carving, ivory-cream color, and similar stylized human and animal mask design. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2018, lot 3080 Price: HKD 3,700,000 or approx. EUR 486,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A very jade cong, late Liangzhu culture, c. 3000-2500 BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related two-tiered form, manner of carving, mask motifs, and ivory-cream color of the stone with inclusions of russet.

Lot 1721

Estim. 400 - 800 EUR

A LOT WITH A JADE AXE AND AN IMPERIAL PORPHYRY AXE A LOT WITH A JADE AXE AND AN IMPERIAL PORPHYRY AXE The jade Chinese, possibly Liangzhu culture, c. 2600-2300 BC or later. The porphyry axe probably Italian, 11 th-13 th century. The jade axe of irregular rectangular form with a wide cutting edge, well-carved from a beautiful, translucent celadon stone with delicate, brownish, and milky white inclusions, a large, circular hole is pierced in the top center, the well-polished surface is perfectly smooth. The porphyry axe of flattened drop shape, carved from a mottled brown stone and polished. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Minor losses, small nicks, signs of weathering and erosion. The porphyry stone axe with larger losses and encrustations. Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was an engineer and fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. Born as the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, the founder of Hettabretz, one of the most important leather merchants in Italy which crafted womenswear for royals and celebrities including The Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and created exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes archaic and contemporary art, focusing mainly on Asian ancient pieces. Over decades he developed close relations with galleries, museums, curators, and auction houses while shaping his collection. He edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom. Weight: 80 g and 766 g Dimensions: Length 12.5 cm and 25.5 cm

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