FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Josh Chait
310.285.0182
josh@chait.com

MING AND TANG DYNASTY TREASURES, FINE IVORY CARVINGS, AND ANTIQUE EUROPEAN FURNITURE HEADLINE THE I.M. CHAIT GALLERY’S INTERNATIONAL FINE ARTS AUCTION ON JULY 11

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Lot 203

BEVERLY HILLS, July 11, 2004 - I.M. Chait Gallery/Auctioneers is known for carrying only the finest antiques for collectors of the most discerning tastes. Next months International Fine Arts auction on Sunday, July 11, 2004, at 1:00 pm, promises to preserve this well-deserved reputation.

Rare and valuable objects such as porcelain wares and carvings from China, a number of them dating back centuries, are available to bidders who desire to own these precious cultural artifacts.

One of them is a magnificent Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), carved stone figure of a fierce-looking Lokapala standing strong and proud in upright stance with child “demon” at his feet, iron stand. The word lokapala is derived from the Sanskrit loka (meaning “world”) and pala (meaning “guardian”). Adapted into Buddhism, guardians not only secured the four entrances to Buddhist stupas, temples and altars, but they were also involved in all important events in the Buddha’s life, from assisting at his birth to being present at his death. They are typically represented in full armor, striking dramatic martial poses, and standing on demons. This ancient artifact is valued between $80,000 and $100,000.

The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was the last native Chinese dynasty to rule the empire. This era yielded beautiful porcelains and cloisonné, distinctive for its deep, rich bluish hues. This month’s auction features such a specimen: a beautifully appointed 15th century blue and white porcelain bowl, the exterior adorned with a figural scene of three friends, the interior with a dragon medallion. It is expected to fetch between $30,000 and $40,000.

This auction will also offer paintings by two well-respected European artists. One of them is Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky (Russian, 1839-1915). Art historians praise his vivid “flair for decoration” and “robust” style. His works reflect the tendency in late 19th century Russian art to romanticize national identity through colorful and dramatic portrayals of historical subjects. Makovsky’s 19th century audience was “seduced by (his) cornucopia of rich visual sensations.” This auction will include one of his works: an oil on canvas portrait of a lady with finely detailed features set against a classical drape in the background, which comes in an elaborately carved gilt wood frame. The painting’s estimated value is between $6,000 and $8,000.

French artist George Braque (1882-1963) is considered to be one of the fathers of the Cubist movement. Initially a Fauvist, he abandoned the style’s subjective and impulsive aspects, and began painting in a more logical manner of geometrical analysis. He met Pablo Picasso in 1907, and together they laid the groundwork of Cubism. One of Braque’s watercolors, Nu allonge, will be on the auction block July 11. This painting of a reclining nude is valued between $4,000 and $6,000.

Other highlights of this month’s auction include:

An antique Japanese double gourd vase decorated with Fo lion medallions and emblems on a green scrolled black ground, with intertwining snake form ormolu mounts, dating back to the 18th/19th century ($6,000-$8,000)

A well-crafted Chinese rhinoceros horn carving with birds and frogs amid openwork pronus branches, on matching wood stand ($3,000-$4,000)

A Chinese carved pure white jade footed vase of flattened hexagonal form, animal head terminal handles with loose rings, loose chain, hanging bat pendant, on wood stands ($8,000-$10,000)

A large antique Japanese Satsuma group of a laughing Hotei with three children around him, all sitting on a large elaborately patterned bag ($3,500-$5,000)

Two tall Chinese carved ivory tusks of Guanyin, each seated on a phoenix: one with flute, one with lute, tiers of attendants arranged in the underside of the reticulated feathers ($7,000-$9,000)

An antique Georgian dining table with rounded drop-leaf ends and three detachable leaves, all on eight cylindrical legs; together with twelve chairs, carved with scroll cresting rails and baluster shaped splats above serpentine aprons and cabriole legs ($6,000-$8,000)

A beautifully carved Chinese openwork jadeite boulder of lavender and apple green suffusions, with young boys in branches of ryui fungus, and an abundance of peaches growing out from a large finger citron plant ($4,000-$6,000)

An 18th-century antique French carved wood and gilt marble top console of serpentine form with elaborate rocialle and acanthus ornament, and two drawer frieze with ormolu mounts, all above two sinuous legs joined by a foliate stretcher ($5,000-$7,000)

This collection previews daily from 11:00am to 5:00 pm, from July 6 through July 10. The International Fine Arts auction will be held on Sunday, July 11, 2004, at 1:00 pm. The auction offers in-room, absentee, phone, and live on-line bidding. The I.M. Chait Gallery is located at 9330 Civic Center Drive, Beverly Hills, CA. For more information, or to order a catalog, kindly call (310) 285 0182, or visit us on the Web at www.chait.com.