China (Transition from the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty) Stucco Museum Work: Important Stucco Fresco — Buddhist Celestial Musician - 110 cm
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 22,000 - € 28,000
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Original Chinese polychrome stucco mural dating to 1350–1425 (Yuan to early Ming), depicting a celestial Buddhist musician Apsara, framed in a bespoke wooden frame, 110 cm high by 77 cm wide.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Description: An open window onto the Buddhist paradises of more than 600 years ago.
We have the honor to present for sale a work of art of rare quality and exceptional spiritual power: an imposing polychrome mural painting on stucco (over one meter high), originating from China and dating from the transition between the Yuan dynasty and the early Ming dynasty (circa 1350-1425).
The Work and its Iconography
This masterful fresco depicts an Apsara, a celestial female Buddhist figure, seated serenely and playing a pair of large cymbals. These musical deities and dancers populated the sumptuous representations of Buddhist paradises (such as the one of Bhaisajyaguru) to bring happiness and offerings.
The face of the divinity is of striking beauty: an introspective and calm expression, finely lowered eyes, and a timeless serenity.
A Remarkable Technical Mastery
The artist has deployed a rich palette of colors: fluid, layered robes in shades of white, red-orange, pale green, and yellow, underscored by elegant ribbons. The work is especially distinguished by its texture:
Reliefs in stucco (gesso):
The hairstyle, spectacular with its broad black-gray swirls, is adorned with three red elements modeled in relief.
Subtle details: The cymbals also have a palpable relief and retain possible traces of old gilding.
State of Conservation & Presentation
For a mural on stucco from this period, the overall conservation is impressive. The composition is highly legible and the polychromy remains vibrant. It features a magnificent network of craquelure, abrasions, and wear that attest to its long history and authenticity.
The work is beautifully enhanced in an antique custom-made hard wood frame, with a compartmented back and traditional metal fittings (functional opening system).
Prestigious Provenance & Expertise
This piece benefits from impeccable traceability and thorough expertise:
- Former French private collection (the tradition and an old inventory number "29.6" suggest acquisition dating back to June 1929).
- Later acquired at a prestigious auction in Europe.
The work will be delivered with its substantial expertise dossier: A complete Certificate of Authenticity of 14 pages written by Olivier Maréchal (MIMOSA SA, expert for 25 years), dated August 2026, including a stylistic, material, and comparative study.
The provenance declaration document is also included. Technical details:
Dimensions (framed): 110 x 77 x 3 cm
Dimensions (mural alone): 103 x 69.5 cm
Weight: Env. 9.8 kg
Shipping: Ultra-secure professional custom packaging (given the fragility of stucco) and insured shipping with tracking.
A rare opportunity to acquire an architectural and spiritual relic of Imperial China, worthy of the finest institutional Asian art collections.
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDescription: An open window onto the Buddhist paradises of more than 600 years ago.
We have the honor to present for sale a work of art of rare quality and exceptional spiritual power: an imposing polychrome mural painting on stucco (over one meter high), originating from China and dating from the transition between the Yuan dynasty and the early Ming dynasty (circa 1350-1425).
The Work and its Iconography
This masterful fresco depicts an Apsara, a celestial female Buddhist figure, seated serenely and playing a pair of large cymbals. These musical deities and dancers populated the sumptuous representations of Buddhist paradises (such as the one of Bhaisajyaguru) to bring happiness and offerings.
The face of the divinity is of striking beauty: an introspective and calm expression, finely lowered eyes, and a timeless serenity.
A Remarkable Technical Mastery
The artist has deployed a rich palette of colors: fluid, layered robes in shades of white, red-orange, pale green, and yellow, underscored by elegant ribbons. The work is especially distinguished by its texture:
Reliefs in stucco (gesso):
The hairstyle, spectacular with its broad black-gray swirls, is adorned with three red elements modeled in relief.
Subtle details: The cymbals also have a palpable relief and retain possible traces of old gilding.
State of Conservation & Presentation
For a mural on stucco from this period, the overall conservation is impressive. The composition is highly legible and the polychromy remains vibrant. It features a magnificent network of craquelure, abrasions, and wear that attest to its long history and authenticity.
The work is beautifully enhanced in an antique custom-made hard wood frame, with a compartmented back and traditional metal fittings (functional opening system).
Prestigious Provenance & Expertise
This piece benefits from impeccable traceability and thorough expertise:
- Former French private collection (the tradition and an old inventory number "29.6" suggest acquisition dating back to June 1929).
- Later acquired at a prestigious auction in Europe.
The work will be delivered with its substantial expertise dossier: A complete Certificate of Authenticity of 14 pages written by Olivier Maréchal (MIMOSA SA, expert for 25 years), dated August 2026, including a stylistic, material, and comparative study.
The provenance declaration document is also included. Technical details:
Dimensions (framed): 110 x 77 x 3 cm
Dimensions (mural alone): 103 x 69.5 cm
Weight: Env. 9.8 kg
Shipping: Ultra-secure professional custom packaging (given the fragility of stucco) and insured shipping with tracking.
A rare opportunity to acquire an architectural and spiritual relic of Imperial China, worthy of the finest institutional Asian art collections.
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Culture
China (Transition from the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty)
Century/timeframe
14e - 15e siècle (vers 1350 - 1425)
Name of object
Museum Work: Important Stucco Fresco — Buddhist Celestial Musician
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
1929
Material
Stucco
Country acquired from
France
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
110 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
2019
Width
77 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Europe
Depth
3 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
