Asian Works of Art

The chocolate brown coupe is in the form of a Chinese eggplant with long curved steam coiling around the end of the vessel, the incised regular script characters read 'Huxing Cai jun, ji ci ming qing.' Followed by an impressed seal mark 'Yuan'. Together with a reticulated wood stand.
Inventory no.: NL-5
款識：湖兴蔡君，藉此名清（行書銘）。遠（陽刻篆書方印）
編號：NL-5
Note:
Chen Minyuan (Chinese, late 17th to early 18th century) was renowned for his trompe l’oeil scholar’s objects of Yixing Zisha stoneware clays, often incorporating realistically modeled fruits, nuts, and vegetables in creative compositions with exquisite attention to detail. His use of variously colored clays, ranging from deep purple-brown and russet to beige and pale yellow, accentuates the modeling, a delight for connoisseurs. Chen’s works were so avidly collected in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s that contemporary masters created exceedingly fine replicas which rival Chen's work and are themselves now eagerly sought after. Surviving works worldwide attributable to the hand of the master may only number in the low hundreds, with a notable proportion preserved in the collections of the Shanghai Museum and the Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Following the success of the 'Peach and Pomegranate' water coupe and the 'Prunus Blossom' coupe from the Estate of Betty Eisler, sold in these rooms in September 2024, we are delighted to present three more works bearing seals of Chen Mingyuan: A rare “puzzle cup” depicting Shoulao in a peach, a delicately modeled “Eggplant” coupe with inscribed dedication, and an elegant facetted small wine cup. All five of these pieces were known to have been in the superlative collection of Yixing wares assembled by Shanghai connoisseur/collector Pang Yuanji (1864-1947). Pang, together with the artist Lu Hui (1851-1920), compiled a very rare two-volume set of rubbings and descriptions of Yixing teapots and scholar’s objects in Pang’s collection, probably during the period between 1910-1920. For some time, the only known copy of this compendium was to be found in the library of the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., also home to 19 pieces from Pang's collection. Rubbings and detailed descriptions of the present three coupes are included in the second volume. For the puzzle cup in particular, the physical description includes a note that the cup may only be filled to a certain height before the contents begin to dribble out, serving as a reminder that one man should not drink too much. It is also worth noting that the carved hardwood stands that accompany two of the present lots are extremely finely executed, indicating the esteem in which these pieces have been held.

These three Zisha pieces were acquired by the present owner, Mr. Jay Butterman, from the well-known dealers of Chinese works of art Edith and Joel Frankel, who had held them in reserve from their landmark 2005 exhibition of Zisha wares from the Pang and Lee collections for Mr. Butterman, who was their friend and family attorney. Mr. Butterman fondly recalls the Saturday gatherings at their Madison Avenue gallery, where customers and friends would come together to chat and admire Frankel’s latest acquisitions. Among the regulars at these Saturday gatherings were important scholars and artists such as the great artist and collector C.C. Wang and the renowned calligrapher and scholar Wang Fangyu, both of whom exhibited their work at the Frankel gallery. He has particularly fond memories of fascinating discussions with the psychologist and television personality Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who was a dear friend of the Frankel’s and wrote an essay for the catalogue for their Exhibition called “Play It Again, Asian Games and Pastimes” which received much attention including a significant review in the New York Times. A collector of antiquarian books and Asian art since his youth, Mr. Butterman is a distinguished attorney and has, in his long career, represented numerous important artists, galleries, and collectors in a variety of capacities.  We are privileged to present these important pieces in addition to early Chinese ceramics, other scholarly items, and Japanese works of art from Mr. Butterman’s collection.
注：
此杯与本场醉翁桃形公道杯、八角杯係台湾李氏流出之庞元济旧藏砂器。二十年前，专营文房的纽约古董行傅蘭閣出版了《李氏家族藏宜兴紫砂》銷售圖錄。二十九件砂器名头赫赫：陈信卿、盛冠五、惠孟臣、杨彭年、陈和之、陈鸣远、陈曼生...每件配以素漆紅木锦盒與鏤雕底座，一經推出，很快被認出係庞元济旧藏，收录于私家出版的《虚斋名陶图录》之中。

庞元济是张葱玉吴湖帆王几千一干人的收藏祖师，晚年旅居沪上，万贯家财受战乱消磨殆盡。藏画通过姻亲张静江麾下的通运公司、后来从通运独立出来的卢芹斋、姚叔来、戴润斋，以及堂弟庞元浩、外甥张葱玉、与张葱玉关系莫深的谭敬流向海外，二十卷《虚斋名画录》，散落寰宇如星。

他的紫砂通过国民党李姓空军上校流入北美，过程离奇。李氏祖籍山东，抵触传统家庭桎梏，光绪末年逃到上海学习机械工程，是民国初年爲數不多的能将日本铁轨改造适用欧陆火车的工程师。北伐后加入党国做军械师，授上校衔。三十年代李派駐美国协助蒋宋买飞机，意外负伤，滞留德州，回国后加入飞虎队，抗战中派驻山东。一次缴获日军仓库，物资中发现大批古玩，將缴來的珍寶上呈政府，作爲獎勵，獲得了這套紫砂。后来国军撤退大陆，珍宝空运南迁，暫存台北故宫库房。

李上校对于台湾初期的空军建设功不可没，当时战斗机短缺，他建议军方从美国购买大型巴士引擎，改装共空军使用，这项技术是他在德州养伤时摸索到的。退役后，他从台北故宫提出寄存的珍宝，晚景自娱。所有藏品中，紫砂是他的最愛。七十年代，紫砂收藏巨擘罗桂祥（维他奶创办人）到台北故宫讲學，李上前攀谈，授以所藏，罗愿全盘接手，李甚自得，但无意割爱。去世前留给美国的孙儿，2005年通過紐約古董商傅蘭閣夫婦流散群芳。

不久，这批紫砂陆续出现于海内外二级市场：第一件上拍的是2007年12月2日保利秋拍“省吾庐”专场，Lot 1623陈曼生石铫壶，估价￥100-150万，￥80.64万成交。

紧接着，2010年6月5日保利五周年春拍，Lot 5008陈鸣远三足圆壶，估价￥300-500万，￥246.4万成交。

2010年12月1日佳士得香港，Lot 3096楊彭年扁壶，估价港币25-30万，158万成交。

2011年6月7日保利春拍“茶熟香温”专场，Lot 8985陈和之锦囊壶，估价￥260-360万，￥322万成交。此壶后来短时间内两度上拍，成交价屡创新低：2012年6月24日北京荣宝春拍，Lot 1519，估价￥150-200万，￥291.2万成交。2013年11月20日嘉德秋拍，Lot 5982，估价80-120万，￥92万成交。

2011年11月12日嘉德秋拍，Lot 2842 杨彭年制桑连理馆扁石壶，估价￥150-180万，195.5万成交。2017年12月8日嘉德再次上拍，估价￥100-120万，￥287.5万成交。

2015年9月15日苏富比纽约，Lot 222陈信卿桶身束腰段泥壶，估价$1.5-2.5万， $7.5万成交，同场Lot 223盛冠五周盘壶，估价$2-3万，$6万成交。

2021年1月16日西泠秋拍，Lot 4081瞿子冶拟南田笔意诗画汲直壶，估价￥330-380万，￥402.5万成交。

我司與這批紫砂的緣分始於2022年，6月23日費城專場徵集到匹兹堡地區某遺產，一組拍品中的一件出自李氏紫砂，$9.45万成交，买家转手送到西泠，2023年3月16日再度上拍，Lot 2612陈鸣远制紫泥苍髯腴叟松杯，估价￥280-350万，￥345万成交。

2024年初我們征集到傅蘭閣的老客人Betty Eisler之遺产，其中两件出自李氏紫砂：9月20日紐約專場Lot 47 朱泥梅花杯，估價$2-3萬，$25.4萬成交；Lot 48段泥桃榴杯，估價$3-5萬，$31.75萬成交。

這場拍完不久，傅蘭閣家族的律師巴特曼先生找到我們，告知手上有三只同批來源的砂器，並一干文房玩器，希望上拍。這位巴特曼先生是著名的婚姻法和家庭法律師，多次入選“紐約超級律師”名列，傅蘭閣生前一直由他代理，關係相當親密。據他説傅蘭閣夫婦鼎盛時期，每周六在家辦餐會招待親朋好友兼畫家學者，王方宇、王几千都是常客，一起围观傅蘭閣新到的文房精品。2005年李氏紫砂一經推出，來函如雲，幾乎立刻售罄，傅蘭閣念及巴特曼在法律方面提供的幫助，特地留下三件，售予好友，也就是本品的由來，敬請藏家關注。