The specialist's choice – Cecilia Nordström shares her favourites from the upcoming sale
Specialist's choice Cecilia Nordström
We have spoken to Cecilia Nordström, Specialist Asian Ceramics & Works of Art, European Ceramics and Glass, about this spring's upcoming auction, Important Spring Sale. She took the opportunity to highlight some of her personal favourites in the sale.
What can we look forward to seeing in this spring's Important Spring Sale?
– Bukowskis is proud to present the Asian Sale, part of Bukowskis Important Spring Sale, the sale features items from several Scandinavian private collections such as Orvar Karlbeck, Gustaf Wallenberg, Knut Gadlius, Axel Sjöberg, G.B. Sabelström, Sten Ankarcrona, Ole Olson, Adolf F Ahlgren, Josef Sachs, Gösta Thames, Stenbeck and many more. Some of these gentlemen such as Gustaf Wallenberg, G.B. Sabelström and Knut Gadelius came to be in China in dramatic part of its history, when a lot of items came on the market and when the golden era of collecting Chinese works of art started in Europe. It never ceases to fascinate me: when you explore a collector's well-selected group of objects and understand how much knowledge and time lies behind each collection.
Browse our web catalogue and welcome to visit the viewing. You can also email if you have any questions.
When is the viewing and auction?
Viewing: June 2th – June 7th, Berzelii Park, Stockholm.
Auction Live June 8th – June 10th, Arsenalsgatan 2, Stockholm
Mai Trung Thứ, "La toilette", Mai Trung Thứ, Vietnam. Ink and gouache on silk. Signed.
It is exciting to be able to present such a fine Mai Trung Thu. Mai Trung Thứ was a Vietnamese-French painter, one of the graduates of the 1st (1925 - 1930) entering class of the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine in Hanoi. He lived and worked mostly in France. His main subjects were women, children and daily life, incorporating some traditional Vietnamese conceptions.
A green-enamelled 'five-clawed dragon' jar, Qing dynasty, seal mark and period of Qianlong.
**There is something special about collections where you can follow the objects through history. This imperial jar with a lid was made during Emperor Qianlong's reign (1736-95), probably for the Forbidden City. In the early 20th century, the jar came into Gustaf Wallenberg's (1863-1939) possession. Gustaf Wallenberg was a Swedish Envoye for Japan from 1905 and credited to China from 1907 until 1919. During these years, he gathered a significant collection of Asian works of art, some of which are sold in this auction (see catalogue number 814-898). The jar, which is decorated with five-clawed dragons chasing a flaming pearl among cloud formations, has since been passed on within the same family.
The magnificent vase is decorated with the auspicious 'hundred deer' motif. It has a compelling landscape painting of deer moving in a lush mountain landscape with lingzhi mushrooms and pines. Like so much in Asian art, this painting is full of symbolism. The word 'deer' translatates as lu, furthermore, the large bulbous vessel with wide waist in combination with the lingzhi fungus suggests generosity, abundance of wealth and longevity.