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Van Pruissen Asian Art
nagai ikka
Nagai Ikka (Japan, 1869–1940) Pair of six-panel folding screens with crows, 1930s Ink on paper H 137 x W 268 cm (each) Signed in the bottom corner Provenance: private collection, Japan Nagai Ikka (also known by the art names Zuiunan and Hanpo) was born in 1869 in Suibara, Niigata Prefecture, during the early Meiji period. He trained under leading masters of the Maruyama and Shijō schools, including Suzuki Shōnen, Nakano Kimei, and Hirafuku Hoan, and later absorbed stylistic influences from Kawanabe Kyōsai. This grounding in careful observation and naturalistic rendering provided the foundation for a personal style that balanced precision with expressive freedom. He began painting crow paintings after helping Ernest Francisco Fenollosa create 'One Hundred Crows', a painting he had commissioned from Kyosai. The late Meiji and Taishō periods were marked by profound change in Japanese art, as artists navigated between traditional aesthetics and the growing influence of Western naturalism. Ikka embraced this dialogue, drawing on classical ink painting techniques whilst expanding his horizons abroad. From 1903 to 1908, he lived in the United States, exhibiting at international events such as the Portland Expo, where he won a silver medal, and later at the Italian Expo. His crow paintings, admired both in Japan and overseas, earned him the affectionate nickname 'Doctor of Crows' from statesman Ōkuma Shigenobu. The crow (karasu) has a long symbolic tradition in Japanese culture, appearing in classical poetry, Buddhist imagery, and Shintō cosmology, most famously as Yatagarasu, the mythical three-legged crow. Ikka revitalised this motif, transforming it from a minor decorative element into the central subject of bold, dynamic compositions. This pair of six-panel folding screens demonstrates his command of movement and atmosphere. Painted in ink with sparing touches of colour, the crows appear in varied postures—perched, in flight, or interacting—creating a rhythm that guides the viewer’s eye across the expansive surface. Bold, calligraphic brushstrokes define wings and feathers, while softer washes evoke wind, mist, and shifting light. The result is a scene that is both naturalistic and poetic, combining the restraint of traditional ink painting with a striking modern vitality. Ikka’s crows are not static symbols but living presences, conveying alertness, intelligence, and social energy. His lifelong study of corvid behavior, informed by travels across Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and the United States, gave his work an observational depth rare among his contemporaries. At the same time, his art reflects a broader ambition: to elevate the ordinary into the emblematic, merging natural accuracy with expressive force. Today, Ikka’s crow paintings are prized by collectors and studied as important examples of Meiji-period nihonga, where fidelity to nature combines with enduring Japanese aesthetic ideals. These folding screens stand as a testament to his originality and his ability to transform a humble subject into a powerful symbol of vitality and freedom.
Claes Gallery
Reliquary Figure 'Mbulu-ngulu' Kota Kota-Obamba People Gabon, presumed late 19th-early 20th century Wood, copper and brass H 43 cm Provenance: private collection, Los Angeles, until 1979; private collection, Geneva Literature: L’Art Kota. Les figures de reliquaire, Chaffin, Meudon, 1979, pp. 234-235, fig. 133 (written height: 43.5 cm)
Harold t’Kint de Roodenbeke
pierre alechinsky
Pierre Alechinsky (Brussels, 1927) Le Nid, 1965 Oil on canvas 130 x 91 cm Signed lower right Signed and titled on reverse Certificate of authenticity by Pierre Alechinsky dated 14 March 1995 Provenance: Lefebre Gallery, New York; private collection, Monaco
robertaebasta
Alessandro Mendini (Milan, 1931-2019) 'Libreria scultura' prototype of modular bookcase/display for Swatch, Italy 1994 Lacquered wood, coloured, laminated, chromed and satin steel H 214 x W 250 x D 40 cm Unique piece Certificate of authenticity by Mrs Elisa Mendini and Mrs Fulvia Mendini Provenance: private collection, Italy
Desmet Fine Arts
Pietra dura table top Coloured marble, alabaster and onyx Roman workshop, circa 1565-1600 H 6 x W 104.5 x D 83 cm Accompanied by Art Loss Register certificate: S00253658 Provenance: private collection, Lombardy (Italy) The pietra dura tabletop represents a symbiosis that evokes the rediscovery of the ancient world. The colored marbles used all originate from ancient Roman marble, brought to Rome from across the Roman Empire as early as the 3rd century BCE. In late 16th-century Rome, artists repurposed columns and all manner of these ancient Roman artifacts, reshaping them into sumptuous tabletops to decorate the grand palazzi. This work visualizes how 16th-century Rome sought to reclaim the identity and power of the great Roman Empire, and it must be fully understood within the context of the decoration of St. Peter’s Basilica, when Rome was once again regarded as the center of the world. The patterns are architecturally and geometrically designed to showcase the rarest marbles to their fullest effect. In this specific example, around 1800, the edge underwent restoration, during which the finest artists of the time added a black decorative band. Their aim was to frame what was already spectacular with a dignified restoration. Although created in the late 16th century, this piece radiates two millennia of superiority—politically, socially, artistically, and art historically.
Serge Schoffel - Art Premier
Sitting male figure Timoto-Cuica, 900-1300 AD Trujillo State, Venezuela Terracotta, pigments H 29 x W 23 x D 17.5 cm Datation: TL test n° 481z12 by the Research Laboratory for Archaeology, Oxford University, United Kingdom, on 7 May 1991 Provenance: Galerie Ferrero, Geneva, 1968; collection Barbier-Mueller, Geneva, Inv. n° 530-2; Sotheby's auction, Paris, collection Barbier-Mueller-Art Précolombien, on 22 and 23 March 2013, n° 265 Literature: Paz, Octavio, Butor, Michel, Barbier, Jean-Paul, Stierlin, Henri, Lavallée, Danièle, Conceição G., Corrêa, Barry, Iris, 1992, Art millénaire des Amériques : de la découverte à l'admiration, 1492-1992, Arthaud, fig. 130, p. 178 & 179; Conceição G., Corrêa, Barry, Iris, 2002, Amazonie précolombienne, Museo Barbier-Mueller de Arte Precolombino, Barcelona, 5 Continents, fig. 4, p. 17; Benson, Elizabeth P., 2003, Trésors de la céramique précolombienne du Museo Barbier-Mueller de Arte Precolombino de Barcelona, Musée Barbier-Mueller et Somogy éditions d’art, fig. 44, p. 52
Hartford Fine Art - Lampronti Gallery
Francesco Fracanzano (Monopoli 1612-1656 Naples) The incredulity of Saint Thomas Oil on canvas 143 x 205 cm Literature: R. Causa, La pittura del Seicento a Napoli. Dal naturalismo al barocco, Naples, 1972, S. 976, n° 74; G. De Vito, Fracanziano’s periphrasis in XVII century Neapolitan studies, 2003/2004, pp. 104-105, fig. 2; N. Spinosa, XVII c. paintings in Naples, from Caravaggio to Massimo Stanzione, Naples 2010, p. 281 cat. n° 212; A. Della Ragione, Francesco Fracanzano, 2011, p. 10, fig. 23; N. Spinosa, Da Artemisia a Hackert. La collezione di un antiquario, exh. cat., Reggia di Caserta, Foligno 2019, cat. 9, pp. 18-19; N. Spinosa, Il Maestro degli Annunci ai pastori e i pittori del 'tremendo impasto' (Napoli 1625-1650), Rome 2021, cat. C5, p. 193 (quoting further literature: Cairo, 2011, pp. 203-210. Forgione, p. 233, fig. 12) Exhibition: Da Artemisia a Hackert. La collezione di un antiquario, Reggia di Caserta, 2019-2020
Gilden's Art Gallery
Andy Warhol (Pittsburgh 1928-1987 New York) Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup Box, 1986 Acrylic and ink on canvas 50.8 x 50.8 cm Signed in felt tip pen 'Andy Warhol' and dated '86' [1986] on the upper canvas overlap, verso Stamped by the Andy Warhol Authentication Board and numbered in ballpoint pen A104.056, on the lower canvas overlap, verso Provenance: Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles; private collection, Arizona; Van de Weghe Fine Art, New York; Demisch Danant, New York; private collection, Atlanta; Sotheby’s New York, May 13th, 2010, lot 191; private collection, Hong Kong; Christie’s Shanghai, September 21st, 2019, lot 310; private collection, Asia Literature: exh. cat. (1986), Warhol. Campbell’s Soup Boxes 1986, Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles, reference n° 153, pp. 19, 30, ill. in colour
Edouard Simoens Gallery
raoul de keyser
Raoul De Keyser (Deinze, 1930-2012) Untitled, 1967 Oil on canvas 120 x 150 cm Provenance: acquired from the artist; private collection Literature: 'Raoul De Keyser: early works. Catalogue of paintings 1964-1980', Publ. Walther König, Keulen 2024, n° RDK-67 ill. Exhibition: Beervelde 20 km: Roger Raveel, Lucassen, Raoul De Keyser, Elias Kaleidoskoop, Gent 1967; 'Raoul De Keyser', Gal. M.A.S., Deinze 1967
TASCHEN
salvador dalí
Salvador Dalí (Spain, Figueras 1904-1989) Dalí. BABY SUMO This collector’s edition of 10,000 numbered copies presents Salvador Dalí’s work in unprecedented size and detail and is accompanied by a chronology following his path from Catalonia through Paris to Hollywood and back, with photos, sketches, and magazine pages.
Samuel Vanhoegaerden Gallery
Hans Hartung (Leipzig 1904-1989 Antibes) P1971-20, 1971 Crayon and acrylic on baryta board 50 x 73 cm Signed and dated lower right This work is registered in The Hans Hartung and Anna-Eva Bergman Foundation archive with number P1971-20 and will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Hans Hartung Provenance: Galerie Ludorff, Germany; Sotheby's London, July 2020; private Collection, Brussels; acquired from the above by the present owner
Willow Gallery
Eugène Boudin (Honfleur 1824-1898 Deauville) Bordeaux, le port, 1874 Oil on canvas 41 x 64 cm 56 x 79 cm (framed) Signed, dated and inscribed 'E. Boudin 74 Bordeaux' Provenance: Louis Bernard collection; its sale, Me Chevallier, Paris, 11 May 1901, lot 19; Jules Chédeville, Paris and Honfleur; Michel Durnerin, Paris (by descent); then by descent Literature: R. Schmit, Eugène Boudin, Paris, 1973, vol. I, p. 347, n° 978; G. de Knyff, Eugène Boudin raconté par lui-même, Sa vie, son atelier, son œuvre, Paris, 1976, p. 130 (ill.); R. and M. Schmit, Eugène Boudin, Premier supplément, Paris, 1984, p. 150, n° 978 (ill.)
De Zutter Art Gallery
corneille
Corneille (Liège 1922-2010 Auvers-sur-Oise) Le rouge itinéraire de l'été, 1964 Oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm Provenance: Galerie Delta, Rotterdam; kunsthandel Lambert Tegenbosch, Heusden; collection Dr. Johan B.W. Polak (1928-1992), Amsterdam; Christie's, Amsterdam, 10 December 1992, lot n° 325; private collection, Switzerland Literature: Catalogue Galerie Cimaise Bonaparte (Patrick d'Elme and Daniel Templon), 1967, Paris Exhibition: Galerie Cimaise Bonaparte (Patrick d'Elme and Daniel Templon), 1967, Paris