A SANCAI-GLAZED ‘ELEPHANT’ CANDLEHOLDER, MING DYNASTY
China 15th-17th century. Standing foursquare on a rectangular base, the pachyderms trunk swung to one side, a flowing saddle blanket draping downward, its back supporting a central cylindrical candleholder extending as part of the caparison. The animal detailed with almond-shaped eyes, large ears, curved tusks, a long tail, and subtly carved wrinkles. The elephant’s skin is glazed in a creamy gray with hues of pale green, its inner ears in amber, while its caparison, decorated with flanking lappets, is glazed emerald-green and amber.


Provenance:
From the private estate of Roland de la Moussaye, Paris, France. An old label to the base. Roland de la Moussaye (1932-2022) was a French scholar with broad interests and vast expertise. He studied ornithology and lepidopterology, writing several books on the subjects, and worked as a professor of French literature in Japan. He studied Chinese, Indonesian, and Malay, receiving a degree in Chinese from the École des langues orientales, and was an avid collector of Chinese art.

Condition:
Good condition with old wear, weathering and expected firing irregularities, minor glaze flaking, small chips, tiny nicks, and light scratches.

Weight: 7 kg
Dimensions: Length 39 cm


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2006, lot 249
Price: USD 11,400 or approx.
EUR 15,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of green and amber-glazed figures of elephants, Ming dynasty, 15th-17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related glazes and modeling, with similar pose, caparison, base and near identical size (38.7 cm). Note this lot comprises a pair of elephants.




明代三彩太平有象燭臺


中國，十五至十七世紀。太平有像燭台，造型秀美大方。主體為像形，背馱造型別緻精美的燭台，下置長方形底座。大象體態渾圓，大耳朵、彎曲的獠牙、長尾巴。神色平和寧靜，身配瓔珞、綰具，背上搭一錦袱。大象的皮膚呈乳灰色，帶有淡綠色的光澤，內耳呈琥珀色，而其衣著的側面裝飾著翠綠色和琥珀色的垂飾。


來源：
法國巴黎 Roland de la Moussaye 的私人莊園。底座上有舊標籤。Roland de la Moussaye（1932-2022年）是一位興趣廣泛、專業知識豐富的法國學者。他研究鳥類學和鱗翅目學，寫了幾本相關的書，並在日本擔任法國文學教授。 他學習了中文、印度尼西亞語和馬來語，並獲得了東方語言學院的中文學位，是一位熱心的中國藝術品收藏家。

品相：
狀況良好，有磨損、風化、輕微的釉料剝落、小缺口和輕微的劃痕。

重量：7 公斤
尺寸：長39 厘米


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2006年9月19日，lot 249
價格：USD 11,400（相當於今日
EUR 15,500
）
描述：十五至十七世紀明代綠和琥珀象燭台
專家評論：比較非常相近的釉面、模板、相似的姿勢、底座，以及幾乎相同尺寸(38.7 厘米)。請注意此為一對。