Christie’s è tra le più famose case d’asta al mondo di proprietà del magnate francese François Pinault.
Fu fondata a Londra, Inghilterra il 5 dicembre 1766 da James Christie. Christie’s si creò ben presto una reputazione tra le case d’asta britanniche, e si avvantaggiò ben presto del ruolo importante che Londra rivestì, negli anni successivi alla Rivoluzione Francese, nel commercio delle opere d’arte.
Di recente Christie’s ha messo all’asta opere e oggetti personali legati a personalità quali Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Napoleone Bonaparte, Lady Diana. All’asta anche numerosi oggetti provenienti da Centuripe.
Sin dal 1823, la sede principale si trova sulla King Street a St. James’s.
Christie’s ha filiali in tutto il mondo: New York, Parigi, Ginevra, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok.
In Italia ha uffici a Roma, Milano, Torino, Firenze, Bologna, Genova, Catania e Venezia.
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME LEKANIS WITH LID
CENTURIPE, CIRCA 275-225 B.C.
Price Realized $47,000
- Price includes buyer’s premium Estimate $50,000 – $70,000
Sale Information Sale 9448 ANCIENT GREEK VASES 12 June 2000 New York, Rockefeller Plaza
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME LEKANIS WITH LID
centuripe, circa 275-225 b.c.
The front of the vessel painted in tempera, the lid with the “Judgement of Paris” on a dark ground, with Paris seated on the right, looking to the left at the three goddesses, Hermes standing behind him, with Aphrodite to the left, clad in a peplos and mantle, leaning on a column, with Eros at her shoulder, Athena behind her wearing a peplos, her aegis in blue with a white head of Medusa, leaning on a shield with her left hand, and holding a spear in her right, and Hera seated to the left, the goddess wrapped in a himation which is pulled up over the back of her head, with ivy leaves in the field between Aphrodite and Athena, the scene framed on either side by two large leaves in white with pink outlines, the base with a band of applied relief including a mask of Medusa with wings in her hair in the center framed by lively tendrils with leaves and flowers in blue or white, the vines populated by four diminutive figures of Eros, a bead-and-reel molding below, the lower portion of the bowl with overlapping petals in blue, white and pink, the tilted strap handles in pink with white, blue and gold bands, on a separately made foot, the lid with a disk-shaped finial above a tapering cylindrical shaft, both made separately, the shaft preserving some gilding, the hanging rim of the finial with a band of pink, blue and white flowers on a dark ground, the upper surface of the disk in white with crossing lines and a border in pink
23½ in. (59.69 cm) high
Literature
Kossatz-Deissmann, “Paridis Iudicium,” in LIMC, Vol. VII,1, p. 181, no. 60, Vol. VII,2, pl. 120.
—————————————————————–
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME PYXIS WITH LID
CENTURIPE, CIRCA 275-225 B.C.
Price Realized $171,000 Price includes buyer’s premium
Estimate $70,000 – $90,000
ANCIENT GREEK VASES12 June 2000 New York, Rockefeller Plaza
Lot Description
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME PYXIS WITH LID
centuripe, circa 275-225 b.c.
The front of the vessel painted in tempera with a nuptial scene on a red ground now faded to pink, the bride seated in the center, her head in three-quarter view to the right, clad in a white peplos with dark outlines, her left hand raised as she adjusts her yellow veil, with a small figure of Eros standing on either side, both leaning on her knees with their elbows, the Eros to the left with his fingers raised to his chin, his head in profile to the right, the Eros to the right with his head in three-quarter view to the right, the group flanked on either side by two standing woman, both clad in an elaborate peplos, both holding a phiale in the upraised left hand, and both with the head in three-quarter view to the right; the front of the conical lid originally painted and ornamented with a molded and gilt bead-and-reel pattern on the rim of the mouth and on the overhanging rim, a frieze of architectural inspiration below with a row of five molded and gilt lion heads above a painted band, a band of alternating molded and gilt bucrania and triglyphs on a dark ground, and a band of gilt bead-and-reel pattern, with molded outward curving acanthus leaves above the foot, the back of the vessel plain
19.11/16 in. (50 cm) high
Literature
Trendall in Leipen, et al., Glimpses of Excellence, A Selection of Greek Vases and Bronzes from the Elie Borowski Collection, no. 19.
Exhibited
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 18 December 1984 to 30 June 1985
———————————————————————————–
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME SKYPHOID PYXIS WITH LID
CENTURIPE, CIRCA 275-225 B.C.
Price Realized $15,275 Price includes buyer’s premium
Estimate $15,000 – $25,000
ANCIENT GREEK VASES 12 June 2000 New York, Rockefeller Plaza
Lot Description
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME SKYPHOID PYXIS WITH LID
centuripe, circa 275-225 b.c.
The front of the vessel painted in tempera on a pink ground with a seated woman, clad in a peplos and a himation in white with dark outlines, her head turned to two attendants who stand before her, both wrapped in himations, one with her head in profile, the other with her head facing front, and to the left another standing draped woman, with a diminutive figure of Eros hovering behind the seated woman, a band of applied leaf-and-tongue molding above, the tongues painted red, blue and pink, with two painted bands above, the central reed of the upturned triple-reeded handles originally gilt, a pair of applied leaves at the join to the body, the base of the vessel originally with applied acanthus leaves, the domed lid with two leaping dolphins and the tail of a hippocamp or ketos, all in white with dark outlines on a pink ground
187/8 in. (47.94 cm) high
———————————————————————–
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME PYXIS WITH LID
CENTURIPE, CIRCA 275-225 B.C.
Price Realized $52,875 Price includes buyer’s premium
Estimate $50,000 – $70,000
ANCIENT GREEK VASES 12 June 2000 New York, Rockefeller Plaza
Lot Description
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME PYXIS WITH LID
centuripe, circa 275-225 b.c.
The front of the vessel painted in tempera on a dark ground with a bridal procession, the bride and two attendants driving in a covered biga to the right, the two attendants both with their heads turned towards the bride in the center, the bride looking to her left, with a standing draped woman with an offering standing at the left, a child in a short pink chiton, a flowery fillet in her hair, leading the two horses, and a standing draped woman to the right, a wreath in her hair, balancing a cista on her head with her raised right hand, a large leaf framing the scene on either side, the front of the lid preserving a dark band, with long petals in white on a pink ground rising from the rim, below the overhanging rim a dark band, a band of red and blue egg-pattern and a molded bead-and-reel pattern, with large white petals on a red ground above the foot
146 in. (36.67 cm) high
————————————————————————
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME SHIELD
CENTURIPE, CIRCA MID 3RD CENTURY B.C.
Price Realized $25,850 Price includes buyer’s premium
Estimate $25,000 – $35,000
ANCIENT GREEK VASES 12 June 2000 New York, Rockefeller Plaza
Lot Description
A SICILIAN POLYCHROME SHIELD
centuripe, circa mid 3rd century b.c.
Circular in form with a large bust of Eros projecting from the tondo, his head turned slightly to his right, with extensive surviving polychromy, including brown for his long center-parted hair, yellow-brown for the central plait or ornament, and light pink for the flesh (only partly preserved), the eyes with dark brown pupils and light brown irises, the lips red, his outstretched wings in yellow, blue, pink and white, the bust emerging from acanthus in pink, blue and red, the tondo pink with scrolling tendrils in white, framed by white and yellow bands, the rim of the shield with crossed lines in pink, a small perforation above for suspension
14¼ in. (36.19 cm) diameter