SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG GALLERY PRESENTS GARDENS OF PLEASURE: SEX IN ANCIENT CHINA AN EXHIBITION OF THE FERDINAND M. BERTHOLET COLLECTION
- The First Dedicated Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Erotic Art in Hong Kong -
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery presented part of the Ferdinand M. Bertholet Collection, the world’s largest collection of erotic art last 16 April to 3 May.
The exhibition entitled Gardens of Pleasure: Sex in Ancient China, featured more than 100 pieces of astounding works of art from the Ferdinand M. Bertholet Collection, with objects dating from the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911 AD).
These trinkets include works in silk, ivory, bronze, and are whispers and slivers of tantalising tales from days gone by. Within these works, made up of alluring albums and provocative porcelains, an older, more mischievous China unfolds.
As a collection, such pieces offer an unparalleled view into an exceptional story of sex in the ancient Middle Kingdom.
Ferdinand M. Bertholet, the collector, said, “I was very excited about the exhibition at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery, which was my first opportunity to share my collection with the audiences in Asia. I remember when I first began collecting around 35 years ago, I entered an antique shop on the famous Hollywood Road in Hong Kong.
"In a chest of drawers, I came across entirely by chance a pile of seven large sheets from an album and was amazed to discover they were Chinese erotic paintings of unprecedented beauty. Never before had I feasted my eyes on real objects of such quality.
"I was overjoyed with this discovery and, somewhere deep within me, a passion was born. This exhibition brought back home the remnants of an almost lost heritage and paid tribute to the masters of Chinese erotic art.”
Nicolas Chow, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and International Head of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, said, “It was the first time an exhibition on sex in ancient China took place in this part of the world and the collection is already well-known in the West, having been presented in illustrious museums such as the Cernuschi in Paris and the Museum of Asian Art in Berlin.
"The objects in the collection span many centuries and various media including album paintings, porcelain figures, bronze mirrors and phalluses. We trust this exhibition was an exciting eye-opener for the Asian audience.”
About The Ferdinand M. Bertholet Collection
More than 30 years ago Ferdinand Bertholet discovered his first Chinese erotic album on display in an antique shop on Hollywood Road, Hong Kong. He was deeply impressed by the beauty of the illustrations: their decorative power, exquisite deployment of colour, and harmonious balance rapidly had a direct impact on his own paintings.
Over the years Bertholet managed to acquire a large variety of fine paintings, scrolls and objects, among which the absolute highlight of all times in this field; the famous set of eight Kangxi paintings from the former C.T. Loo collection.
C.T. Loo's admiration for Chinese erotic art inspired Bertholet to produce the following publications: Dreams of Spring (1997), Gardens of Pleasure (2003), and Concubines and Courtesans (2010).
In the meantime the collection gained international renown, and the most important parts of it were exhibited at the Rietberg Museum in Zürich (2002), the Cernuschi Museum in Paris (2006), The Barbican Art Gallery in London (2007), The Museum of Asian Arts in Berlin (2011), The British Museum (2014), the Berkeley Art Museum (2014), amongst many other world class institutions.
EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
Love Games in a Flowering Garden From Gardens of Pleasure Series Late 17th Century Set of eight Ink and colour on silk 39.5 x 55.5 cm
And yet, many features residing in the background of the piece begs its audiences to question the legitimacy of the pairing.
Magnolias and peonies deceptively bloom side by side within the painting, which is a fallacy considering how they flower separately throughout the seasons.
A blue tai hu rock elegantly balances the piece, and in a moment of provocative insinuation, one might even discern our hero and heroine’s copulating outlines within the unassuming rock itself.
Meiren at Her Bath Early 19th Century Ink and colour on silk, hanging scroll 155 x 87 cm
Her nudity is underlined by a see-through dress, but in ancient China it is above all her exceedingly small feet which cause utmost excitement.
Behind her, an orchid emergers decoratively from a varnished pot. A large sconce with a reflector illuminates the scene.
Towards the end of the Yuan period, foot binding had become a privilege available only to the aristocrats.
To have one’s feet bound was to possess immeasurable poise and beauty, as well as social status. When girls from upper-class families reached the age of five, they would become eligible for this tradition.
This process of performing the rituals involved a special foot-binder’s stool, a rare item which will also be showcased in the present exhibition.
The chair is displayed with shoes of the then considered highly elegant designs of the lotus bud foot, that were seen as capable of walking with “the elegant sway of a lily” on her delicate stem.
A scroll with 20 lesbian figures (detail) Ink and colour on silk 17 x 136 cm
Behind the women is a closed landscape panel, pointing to the privacy of their coupling.
Considering the fact our protagonists have kept their immaculately small shoes on, one can only assume this work was painted as a means to arouse a male audience or to tantalise the ladies too by these adornments.
A set of seven small porcelain figures 19th – 20th Century
II) ABOUT SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG GALLERY Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery has enabled the Company to significantly expand its business in Asia beyond its traditional twice-annual auction series in April and October, offering a variety of exciting events throughout the year.
Since its inauguration in May 2012, the Gallery has been home to selling exhibitions and non-selling exhibitions including Modern Masters, Age of Elegance – European Paintings, Furniture and Works of Art from the 19th Century, New Ink - An Exhibition Of Ink Art By Post 1970 Artists From The Yiqingzhai Collection, Beyond The Paper Screen – An Exhibition of Japanese Erotic Prints from The Uragami Collection, From Warhol, With Love - A Selling Exhibition Of Andy Warhol Works, The Eternal Spring - A Selling Exhibition of Contemporary Ceramics by Caroline Cheng, The Odyssey of a Master : Chao Chung-hsiang - A Selling Exhibition as well as auctions such as Boundless: Contemporary Art and Magnificent Bordeaux from a European Cellar, The Mei Yun Tang Collection Of Paintings By Chang Dai-Chien“A Master’s Secrets
Unveiled”, Snuff Bottles From The Mary And George Bloch Collection and Fine Timepieces and Jewels. All these initiatives demonstrate Sotheby’s commitment to catering to the diversifying interest of collectors in Asia.
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