Koller View 2/20

22 Previe w of the Asian Art auction on 1 July 2020 En lightenment and wo rldly succour Tara, the compassionate goddess and saviour, sits in a relaxed L alitasana pose on a double lotus throne (ill. 4). Her right hand lies open on her lower leg in the gesture of genero sity. Next to Tara's shoulders, utpala and lo- tus bloom . Lalitasana is called the "royal position". Al- ready in early Buddhist representations it was used for royal por traits and images of religious figures in order to emph asize their regal attributes. Although Tara is meant to lead to enlightenment, her assistance is often sought fo r the fulfilment of worldly desires. The figure is made o f fire-gilt copper alloy and is decorated with luxuriant turquoise inlays. Abronze vessel with a beautiful green and rust-red pat- ina (ill. 5) w as created during the Eastern Zhou dynasty in the1st millenniumBCE, when theproductionof artis- tically des igned bronze wares reached its zenith in Chi- na . The three legs of this spherical vessel, from a private collection in Luxembourg, are headed b y stylisedmasks. Thewalls and lid are covered w ith fine relief decoration showing intertwined s tylised dragons. The pommel is modelled with five heads of mythical creatures, which jointly hold a ring in their mouths. Three more recent Japanese objects in our Asian Art auction (ill. 1, 2 & 3) come from a private Southern German collec- tion: a facetted vase by Tsujimura Shiro in the style of Iga ceramics, an Ikebana basket by Tanabe Chikuunsai II, and a Shigaraki tea bowl made by Tsuji Seimei. As one of the most talented potters working in Japan to- day, Tsujimura Shiro works in an enormous repertoire of shapes and glazes. Influenced by the aesthetics of the Momoyama period, he creates functional vessels that are both sensual and powerful. While many of his contemporariesmeticulously control the firing process of their ceramics, Tsujimura enjoys the unexpected and incorporates chance into his creative process. 1 Tsujimura Shiro (1947). Facetted vase in the style of Iga ceramics. Stoneware with ash glaze. H 42.5 cm. Estimate: CHF 2 500/3 500 2 Tsuji Seimei (1927‒2008). Shigaraki tea bowl. D 13 cm. Estimate: CHF 1 500/2 500 3 Tanabe Chikuunsai II (1910‒2000). Ikebana basket. Lacquered bamboo otoshi. Estimate: CHF 2 000/3 000 4 Green Tara. Tibet, 15 th /16 th C. Fire-gilt copper alloy with turquoise and glass inlay. H 20.5 cm. Estimate: CHF 20 000/30 000 5 "Ding"-type bronze vessel. China, eastern Zhou dynasty, W 33.5 cm. Bronze with green and copper-red patina. Estimate: CHF 10 000/15 000 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ASIAN ART Regi Preiswerk asianart@kollerauctions.com ONLINE CATALOGUES www.kollerauctions.com 5 1, 2 & 3 4