Explore the Art of the Past

An important and rare ritual censer of rectangular form in hardwood carved in relief, retaining superb traces of polychromy and Cinnabar-style red lacquer.

This cult vessel of exceptional dimensions, intended for incense offerings upon a principal altar or within a temple, is distinguished by the power of its lines and the quality of its carved elements.

The two imposing lateral handles, sinuously shaped as inverted S-scrolls, give the object its full presence. They are carved in low relief with a scrolling frieze of blooming lotus flowers, the Buddhist symbol of purity.

The censer rests on four vigorous feet, carved in the round as the heads of protective mythical creatures, heightened with red lacquer.

The body displays panels moulded with a cyma profile of great structural sobriety, which contrasts elegantly with the exuberance of the handles and feet.

One of the lateral faces of the body bears a rare incised ritual inscription of six sinograms, perfectly integrated within the patina of the wood. Translation: “Respectfully offered by (or in memory of) Yu Lin Shizhang”.

This named dedication attests that this censer is an object of worship and devotion, commissioned by a family or a lettered devotee.

Weight: 7,600 kg

A luminous oil on heavy card (historic Canson & Montgolfier support) depicting an intimate studio scene: a table laid for tea with its samovar, ceramic cups and a matchbox.

The work bears witness to the superb technical mastery of Henri de Saint-Delis, an emblematic figure of the École de Rouen and of Honfleur. The artist deploys a modern touch, generous in impasto, inherited both from Norman Impressionism and from the chromatic freedom of Fauvism. The white tablecloth, sculpted by the light, vibrates with bluish and mauve reflections characteristic of his finest manner. The impastoed, vibrant brushwork and the chromatic range of ochres, blues and powdered pinks are typical of the style of the artist, who trained in Le Havre alongside Othon Friesz, Raoul Dufy and Georges Braque, before settling permanently in Honfleur, where he would paint the essential part of his œuvre.

Signed lower.
Work authenticated by Cabinet Marc Ottavi, Paris (approved expert C.V.V., specialist in nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings).

Support: The original manufacturer’s label of Canson & Montgolfier (No. 347, moiré grain) is present on the reverse — a precious mark of period authenticity.

Framing: Presented in a period-style frame of moulded and gilded wood, embellished with an elegant burgundy velvet Marie-Louise which perfectly underlines the warm tones of the background.

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An important original colour lithograph conceived as a narrative triptych, a major subject in the artist’s œuvre.

The composition is organised around a pared-down central panel featuring a tall, hieratic figure (evoking the world of Don Quixote or the Preacher), flanked by two expressionist scenes in powerful tones of ochre, dark earths and deep blacks.  

The work bears witness to Garouste’s fascination with sacred texts and the Hebrew language, incorporating two handwritten philosophical passages drawn from the biblical book of Ecclesiastes (signed with its Hebrew name, Gohélet / Qohélet):  

On the left (Gohélet I, 17): “And I have seen life for a day evil to me, is the work that has been done under the sun, for all is vanity and a chasing after the wind.”  

On the right: “For who remembers the wise man with the fool for ever, since in the days to come all is already forgotten. And how the wise man dies with the fool.”  

Institutional reference: a similar proof from this same edition is held in the national collections of the Centre Pompidou / Musée National d’Art Moderne (inventory no. AM 2022-64).  

Original colour lithograph on heavy wove paper.  

Numbered 35 / 50 in pencil (a highly confidential edition of only 50 impressions).  

Signed with the official monogram “MG” in pencil by the artist at the lower right.      

Excellent state of conservation, with beautifully fresh pigments.  

Museum framing: exceptional bespoke presentation carried out by a leading Parisian atelier.

Floating box mount: the work is affixed in a reversible manner, revealing the entirety of the paper’s deckle edges.   Cherrywood box-profile moulding, neutral conservation backing and museum-quality glass (anti-reflective with anti-UV protection).

Pair of lamps with rectangular bases in solid crystal, Lynx model, created in 1973 by the sculptor Jean-Pierre Demarchi, then artistic director of the Daum crystal works.

The crystal, hollowed with a biomorphic form of symmetrical scrolls, is enhanced by a column in white opaline crystal for one of the two bases and in brown crystal for the other, a variation in tone that distinguishes each piece without breaking the unity of the pair.

The interplay between the transparency of the crystal and the matt finish of the central applique captures the light with great sculptural presence, faithful to Demarchi’s approach, who regarded crystal as a material in its own right, on a par with bronze or stone.

The strength of this pair lies in its bold chromatic and textural contrast.

Signed Daum France on each base.

New rewiring to current standards carried out by a professional.