Chinese, Burmese and Indian art collection 1. Chinese Famille Rose “Double Happiness” Wedding Bowl – Tongzhi Mark – Late Qing Dynasty An attractive Chinese porcelain wedding bowl, finely decorated in the famille rose palette with flowering lotus sprays, scrolling green foliage and vivid iron-red accents. The exterior is centred by repeated medallions containing the auspicious character: 囍 – Shuangxi – “Double Happiness This traditional Chinese symbol is closely associated with marriage, harmony and lasting happiness. Porcelain bearing the Double Happiness motif was often produced for weddings and important family celebrations, making such pieces especially appealing to collectors of Chinese symbolic and ceremonial art. The bowl is painted in bright overglaze enamels, including pink, green, blue and iron red. The floral decoration is arranged continuously around the body, creating a rich and balanced composition. A metal-mounted rim provides an additional decorative accent and may also have been fitted historically to protect the vulnerable porcelain edge. Reign mark The underside bears a four-character iron-red seal mark reading: 同治年製 – Tongzhi Nian Zhi Meaning: “Made during the Tongzhi reign.” The mark is enclosed within a square border and is executed in seal script. The Tongzhi Emperor ruled China from 1862 to 1874. Based on the decoration, palette, porcelain body and style of the mark, the bowl can be attributed to the late Qing dynasty, most likely dating from the Tongzhi or early Guangxu period, circa 1862–1890. Diameter: 11 cm 2. Elegant Chinese depiction of Budai, the cheerful monk who is often referred to in the West as the “Laughing Buddha.” The figure has been carefully carved from deep green stne, probably nephrite jade, ca. 1950. Budai is shown in a relaxed seated pose, with his characteristic rounded body, broad smile and expressive facial features. His abundant figure and joyful expression traditionally symbolize happiness, abundance, prosperity and contentment. His robe falls around the body in softly carved folds. The polished surface beautifully enhances the rich dark-green colour of the nephrite as well as the subtle natural variations within the stone. The figure is carved fully in the round and attractively finished on all sides. Particular attention has been given to the smiling face, elongated earlobes, flowing robes and compact seated posture. Thanks to its glossy polish, the nephrite catches and reflects the light beautifully, giving the sculpture a strong decorative presence despite its relatively modest size. Height ca. 7 cm 3. Large Burmese Lacquer Tray with Elephants – Bagan, Myanmar – attributed to U Maung Maung - diameter 30,5 cm Impressive large traditional lacquer tray from Myanmar (Burma), most probably made in Bagan, the country’s celebrated centre of lacquer craftsmanship. The circular tray is richly decorated over its entire surface with an extraordinarily dense pattern of scrolling foliage, tendrils and stylised floral ornament. The warm reddish ground is enlivened by finely worked details in black, green and ochre tones, producing the intricate, almost textile-like appearance characteristic of fine Burmese lacquerwork. Among the elaborate foliage appear four stylised black elephants, each individually rendered and integrated into the surrounding arabesques. Their dark silhouettes form striking accents within the exceptionally detailed decoration. The outer edge is finished with several narrow ornamental borders, giving the composition a particularly refined and balanced appearance. The decoration appears to have been executed in the traditional Burmese engraved lacquer technique, in which the designs are painstakingly incised into successive lacquer layers and filled with contrasting pigments. The extraordinary density of the ornament and the fineness of the line work are particularly attractive on a tray of this large format. The reverse is finished in glossy black lacquer and bears a circular inscription in Burmese script, apparently relating to the maker or workshop. The piece has been attributed to U Maung Maung, a name associated with the lacquerware tradition of Bagan; this attribution is offered cautiously, as the inscription has not been independently translated or authenticated. A highly decorative example of Burmese lacquer art, combining traditional craftsmanship with a particularly sophisticated ornamental design. Its large scale makes it an impressive display piece, while the elephants and luxuriant scrolling decoration give it a distinctly Southeast Asian character. The reverse and rim show some minor rubbing, scratches and small losses consistent with age and use; please examine the photographs carefully as part of the condition description. 4. Impressive figure of a Buddha or religious figure comes from a private collection in Cologne, Germany. It was probably acquired in Thailand, although an origin in one of the neighbouring countries is also possible. Thailand borders Myanmar to the west and north, Laos to the northeast, Cambodia to the southeast and Malaysia to the south. Measuring only about 7.5 cm in height, the figure is surprisingly heavy for its small size, weighing 64 grams. The metal has a predominantly silvery-grey base colour, with pronounced areas of brown and dark-brown patination. Its appearance and weight may indicate an alloy with a relatively high proportion of silver, lead or tin. The varied surface, apparently developed over a considerable period of time, gives the piece a particularly authentic and characterful appearance. The raised, stepped feature on the head may be interpreted, in the context of a Buddha figure, as an ushnisha. Rather than being a headdress in the conventional sense, the ushnisha is a symbolic cranial protuberance or topknot associated with wisdom and enlightenment. A pointed or flame-like extension may additionally be referred to as a ketumala, the flame-shaped finial frequently encountered in Southeast Asian Buddhist imagery. The figure represents a finely stylised religious personage executed in a traditional Southeast Asian artistic idiom. Its posture, head treatment and overall form suggest an origin in the Thai or neighbouring Buddhist cultural sphere. It may have been intended as a small devotional image associated with a temple, domestic shrine or personal altar. The precise identity, date and place of manufacture remain uncertain, making the figure an intriguing object worthy of further study. 5. and 6. A charming pair of small hand-carved hardwood figures, each representing the so-called “Weeping Buddha”, a contemplative subject found in Southeast Asian decorative and devotional art.Each figure measures approximately 3 cm in diameter and is carved from dense, dark-toned hardwood. Despite their diminutive scale, the carvings possess considerable sculptural presence. The compact bodies are crouched or seated with the head lowered and the hands raised towards the face, creating the characteristic impression of a figure absorbed in grief, meditation or profound introspection. The term “Weeping Buddha” is primarily a modern descriptive name rather than a precise canonical Buddhist designation. Such figures are commonly interpreted as symbols of compassion, humility, emotional release and inward contemplation. Their bowed posture can also be understood more broadly as an expression of withdrawal from the external world and reflection upon human suffering. The warm brown tones of the hardwood, together with the softly worn surfaces and deeper patination within the recesses of the carving, give the figures an appealing sense of age and character. Small variations between the two pieces reveal their individual hand-carved manufacture rather than mechanical production. They probably date from around the middle of the 20th century and were most likely produced somewhere within the Southeast Asian cultural sphere, possibly Thailand, Burma/Myanmar or a neighbouring region. An attractive and intimate pair of miniature carvings, particularly appealing as small collector’s objects, devotional figures or additions to a collection of Southeast Asian art and ethnographic material. 7. An unusual and attractive small egg- or lingam-shaped object, made of opaque white milk glass and decorated with a spiralling red glass thread applied around the body. The compact form is beautifully balanced, tapering gently towards one end and giving the object an almost sculptural quality. Against the soft, milky-white glass, the vivid red trails create a particularly striking contrast. The decoration appears to have been applied while the glass was still hot, producing the slightly raised spiral bands characteristic of traditional trailed-glass techniques. The piece was acquired in Thailand and forms part of a collection of Asian objects. Its distinctive ovoid form is reminiscent of the lingam, the aniconic symbol associated with Shiva in Hindu tradition, although without further provenance its precise original function cannot be established with certainty. It may equally have been conceived as a small symbolic, devotional or decorative object. 8. A rare and exceptionally finely worked Indian pendant depicting Lord Jagannath, one of the most distinctive manifestations of Vishnu and Krishna in Hindu devotional tradition. The pendant dates from the 1950s and, according to its provenance, was presented as a diplomatic gift in India. It is approximately 4 cm in diameter and weighs 14 grams. The metal appears to be gilt or gold-plated, although no gold hallmark has been found and the precise metal composition has not been tested. At the centre is the immediately recognisable image of Jagannath, characterised by his large circular eyes and highly stylised frontal appearance. The representation derives from the celebrated cult image worshipped at the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, one of the most important pilgrimage centres of Vaishnavism. 9. A Chinese red-laquer vase, hand carved, in very good condition. The vase is pp. 7 inches tall. The name Jagannatha derives from the Sanskrit jagat, meaning “world” or “universe”, and nātha, meaning “lord”: hence “Lord of the Universe.” Jagannath is generally regarded as a form of Vishnu and, particularly within the tradition of Odisha, is closely identified with Krishna. A pendant of this type is much more than a purely decorative piece of jewellery. In India, images of Jagannath are traditionally worn as devotional amulets, expressing bhakti – personal devotion to the deity – and are associated with divine protection, blessing and spiritual companionship. For people connected with Odisha and Puri, such an image may additionally carry a strong cultural and emotional significance. Jagannath is traditionally worshipped together with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, forming the celebrated sacred triad of Puri. Their highly unusual wooden cult images, with enormous eyes, simplified bodies and abbreviated limbs, are among the most immediately recognisable religious images of India. The three deities are at the centre of the famous annual Ratha Yatra, or Festival of Chariots, during which their images are taken from the temple and carried through the streets of Puri on monumental ceremonial chariots. The festival symbolically brings the deity out among the people and is one of the great public religious celebrations of India. Interestingly, the English word “juggernaut” ultimately derives from the name Jagannath, through early European accounts of the immense chariots used during the Ratha Yatra.With its unusually fine execution, attractive gilded surface and particularly interesting 1950s diplomatic provenance, this pendant is an appealing collector’s object combining Indian jewellery, religious iconography and cultural history.