19th Century Chinese school

'A Pair of Mandarin Ducks Settled on a Pond'

Chinese School, 20th century; After Ren Renfa (Qinglongzhen, 1255-1328). Signed center right in Chinese with artist chop mark for 'Yueshan Daoren' 月山道人, brush name for Ren Renfa. (Qinglongzhen [now Qingpu, Songjiang, Shanghai Municipality], b.1255; d. 1328). Chinese painter. Under the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) he became an official, rising to the level of Vice-President of the River Conservation Bureau. He was famous for his paintings of horses, which were much admired by both his Mongol and Chinese patrons. In horse painting he followed in the tradition of the Song-period (960–1279) artist Li Gonglin, which was characterized by use of the ‘iron-wire’ line and a minimum of shading. Ultimately, however, Ren’s style can be traced to the Tang (ad 618–907) painters Yan Liben and Han Gan. Ren’s earliest surviving painting is dated 1280, indicating that he was a mature artist by his mid-twenties. Although he worked as an official under the alien Mongol emperors, he was capable of paintings that incorporated clear political messages. The most famous is Fat and Lean Horses (Beijing, Pal. Mus.), in which, according to his inscription, the fat horse...

A finely-drawn Kano School watercolor and gouache showing figures in kimonos on a bridge and seated beside a stylized river flowing through a graceful garden. An elegantly formal com...

Signed lower right, 'Keiko Minami' (Japanese, 1911-2004) and inscribed, lower left, with number and limitation, '26/50'. Japanese painter and printmaker, Keiko Minami became well kn...

A finely-drawn, pastel still-life showing red tulips informally arranged in a Chelsea soft paste porcelain Chocolate pot decorated in the Japanese style and set beside a cup and sauc...

Fine painting of a variety of waterfowl in rich mineral pigments on gold leaf with a silk brocade border.

Natural scene of Mandarin ducks gliding gracefully amongst the water. Mineral pigments on silk with silk brocade border and natural wood trim. Seal reads: Kei.

Japanese Two Panel Screen: Mandarin Ducks and Geese Among Bamboo and Flowers, Edo period painting (c. 1850) of mandarin ducks and geese on a grassy sh...

Goshun, Matsumura (Japanese, 1752-1811). SCROLL PAINTING - PAIR OF MALLARD DUCKS. Painted in colored inks on silk. Signed in Japanese, lower right. Not dated but likely late 18th to ...