From India to Japan, join us for a trip around Christie’s Asian Art Week

I, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art

1, A large gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya

A rare and large gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya, central Tibet, 15th century. 20⅞ in (50 cm) high. Estimate: $400,000-600,000. Offered in Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art on 23 March 2022 at Christie’s in New York

In Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is the bodhisattva known as the Buddha of the Future. According to Buddhist scripture, Maitreya — whose name is derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘friendliness’ — is the successor to the current Buddha, Gautama Buddha, and will descend to earth to preach a new dharma when the teachings of Gautama Buddha have passed.

With attention to its physical and spiritual presence, thisbodhisattva has been masterfully crafted through the lost-wax process, ensuring the uniqueness and splendor of this particular commission. Dated to the early 15th century, the work is thought to have been created in South Central Tibet, sharing several key characteristics with the region, and is decorated with inlaid turquoise.

2, A bronze figure of dancing Krishna

A bronze figure of dancing Krishna, south India, Tamil Nadu, Chola Dynasty, 12th century. 15½ in. (39.4 cm). Estimate: $500,000-700,000. Offered in Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works on 23 March 2022 of Art at Christie’s in New York

One of the most widely revered Hindu deities, Krishna is worshiped as the eighth incarnation of the god, Vishnu, and has been celebrated over the centuries — through art, poetry, and music — as the god of protection and love. Here, Krishna is represented as the joyously dancing Balakrishna or ‘child Krishna’.

Representations of Balakrishna from the Chola period are relatively rare, as few of the period’s temples were dedicated to Vishnu. This figure of Balakrishna has been beautifully and skillfully cast, highlighting the youthful, supple muscles and undulating forms suspended in a moment of rhythm and movement as he dances on the lotus base. His outstretched left hand is poised in a graceful gesture of dance, while his right hand is in the gesture of protection.

II South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Including Works from the Collection of Mahinder and Sharad Tak

1, Bhupen Khakhar, The Banyan Tree, 1994

Bhupen Khakhar (1934-2003), The Banyan Tree, 1994 Oil on canvas. 69 x 69 in (175.3 x 175.3 cm). Estimate: $1,800,000–2,500,000. Offered in South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Including Works from the Collection of Mahinder and Sharad Takon 23 March 2022 at Christie’s in New York

A self-taught artist, Bhupen Khakhar’s paintings champion the underrepresented. Confronting issues of sexuality and class, his artworks speak to his own experiences as a lower-middle class gay man living in India. Composed of a series of vignettes that strive to balance these experiences, The Banyan Tree draws attention to everyday life in rural India as well as the many metaphors associated with trees.

While Khakhar has been widely exhibited in his native India, he is also internationally known, showing in exhibitions at the Hirschhorn Museum, Washington D.C.; the Tokyo Biennale; the Pompidou Centre, Paris; Documenta IX, Kassel; the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Renia Sofia, Spain. He has also featured alongside David Hockney at the Tate Modern in London.

2, Francis Newton Souza, Still Life, 1958

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Still Life, 1958. Oil on board. 35⅝ x 48 in (90.5 x 121.9 cm). Estimate: $400,000-600,000. Offered in South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art on 23 March 2022 at Christie’s in New York

Considered among the artist’s finest paintings in the genre, Francis Newton Souza’s 1958 Still Life illustrates a vibrant array of religious symbols the artist recalled from his Roman Catholic upbringing. An important cornerstone in Souza’s career, Still Life represents a rare celebration of the sacred, unlike his later works which show a growing anger about the hypocrisy of the rituals and representatives of organized religion.

Born in the Portuguese colony of Goa, Souza was influenced not only by the ceremony surrounding the Roman Catholic Church, but also the church’s architecture. Painting from memory, he references biblical narratives and altar motifs implemented in High Mass such as candlesticks and chalices. Likewise, Souza’s use of flattened and segmented objects come together to conjure the iconic architecture and stained-glass windows of the Catholic church.

III, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art

1, Gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin

A magnificent and important gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, Dali Kingdom, late 11th-early 12th century. 22½ in (57.1 cm). Estimate: $2,000,000-3,000,000. Offered in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 24-25 March 2022 at Christie’s in New York

In Buddhist tradition, bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their entry into nirvana for the betterment of others. Among the most beloved is Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, known in Chinese as Guanyin Pusa. This gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin is shown wearing long robes, elaborate jewellery, and a tall foliate crown centered by a figure of Amitabha Buddha. The figure is shown holding an ambrosia bottle (kundika) in the proper left hand.

The present figure is part of a small group of Dali Kingdom sculptures that are similar in style and appearance. Other similar recorded examples are in the collections of the Shanghai Museum, the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

2, Huanghuali trestle-leg table

A magnificent and very rare Huanghuali trestle-leg table, 17th century. 37¾ in (95.9 cm) high, 122 in (309.9 cm) wide, 18¾ in (47.6 cm) deep. Estimate: $800,000-1,200,000. Offered in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 24-25 March 2022 at Christie’s in New York

Huanghuali, which can be translated as ‘yellow flowering pear,’ is a highly-prized rosewood known for its golden tones, active figuration of the grain and distinct flecked knots, called ‘ghost faces.’ This impressive table is distinguished by the massive single plank which measures approximately 10 feet in length and two inches thick and is boldly carved on the aprons with stylized elephants and archaistic scroll. Found in temples or important residential complexes, tables of this form would have been placed against a wall to display artworks or hold offerings.

Notable huanghuali trestle-leg tables can be found in public collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Of this form, only two other published examples in the Palace Museum are longer than this magnificent table.

IV, Rivers and Mountains Far from the World: Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Rachelle R. Holden Collection

A black and white jade snuff bottle

A rare and finely carved black and white jade snuff bottle, 1740-1850. 2 in (6.7 cm) high. Estimate: $80,000-120,000. Offered in Rivers and Mountains Far from the World: Important Chinese Snuff Bottles fromthe Rachelle R. Holden Collection on 24 March 2022 at Christie’s in New York

Ranging between one-and-a-half and three inches high, Chinese snuff bottles were first produced in the early part of the 18th century to hold ground tobacco. While they were originally made for the emperor and the court, snuff bottles were eventually produced for the wider public to enjoy, providing a window into the life and culture of late imperial China.

This black and white jade snuff bottle was sourced and carved in Suzhou, one of the main cultural centers in Qing-dynasty China. Suzhou attracted many accomplished artisans, painters, poets, and musicians, as well as those skilled in the lapidary arts. This bottle has been carved to exploit the stone’s contrasting colors, creating projecting rocks and ledges. The bearded sage depicted in the scene is believed to be the scholar Mi Fu (1051-1107). A Northern Song dynasty poet, calligrapher, and painter, Mi Fu, was fondly remembered for his collection of uniquely formed rocks, known as scholars’ rocks or gongshi.

V, Japanese and Korean Art Including the Collection of David and Nayda Utterberg

1, Miroku Bosatsu in welcoming descent

Anonymous (Japan late 13th-early 14th century), Miroku Bosatsu (Bodhisattva Maitreya) in welcoming descent. Hanging scroll; ink, color, gold and gold leaf on silk. 33⅜ x 14⅛ in (84.8 x 35.9 cm). Estimate: $300,000-400,000. Offered in Japanese and Korean Art Including the Collection of David and Nayda Utterberg on 22 March 2022 at Christie’s in New York.

Miroku, or Maitreya, is one of the most popular Buddhist figures in Asia.  In Japan, his popularity flourished from the late Heian period through the Kamakura period as a way to cope with Mappo or the degeneration of Buddha’s law (dharma). In this painting, Miroku — the Benevolent One, who will bring a new teaching of dharma — is depicted in his princely form, descending to earth from his Tosotsu heaven in a welcoming (raigo) scene.

It is believed that the inscription at the top of this work is by Emperor Fushimi, who reigned from 1287-1298. After his reign, Fushimi took the tonsure and became a Buddhist monk, the occasion for which this painting is thought to have been executed.

2, Gathering of Scholars at the National Library

Anonymous (16th century, c. 1531), Gathering of scholars at the National Library (Dokseodang). Hanging scroll; ink and light color on silk. 35⅞ x 24⅜ in (91.1 x 61.9 cm). Estimate: $500,000-700,000. Offered inJapanese and Korean Art Including the Collection of David and Nayda Utterbergon 22 March 2022 at Christie’s in New York

During the Joseon dynasty, painted records of the gatherings of scholars or government officials gained popularity among the Korean elite. Created in 1531, Gathering of scholars at the National Library is considered to be one of the earliest gathering scrolls set against a real-view landscape. Those depicted in this scroll are presumed to be the founding members of the National Library of Korea.

Unlike many gathering images, this scroll includes the complete list of participants and further identifies their individual family backgrounds.

Source: Christie’s