Newsletter no. 25
Friday 29 September 2023
Each week discover the exhibitors of FAB PARIS 2023.
This week, discover a representation of Dakini chosen by Tenzing Asian Art, an oil on canvas of Serge Poliakoff exhibited by Helene Bailly and a miniature from Rajasthan proposed by Art Passages.
Tenzing Asian Art
Tenzing Asian Art specializes in early Himalayan art: rare objects of Buddhist art from Tibet, Kashmir, and Pala India and Nepali art that survived in Tibet, each piece selected for its beauty and historical significance.
Iwona Tenzing established Tenzing Asian Art sixteen years ago and later partnered with her mentor, Chino Roncoroni, a leading dealer in Himalayan art and Central Asian textiles and courtly objects. Known internationally for his expertise and discerning eye, Chino has built compelling private collections in Europe and America and facilitated acquisitions by several world-class museums.
Tenzing Asian Art operates internationally, participating in TEFAF Maastricht and holding private viewings in Hong Kong and Europe.
Dakini Vajravarahi
Tibet
Late 12th-early 13th century
Distemper and gold on cloth
39.5 x 33 cm (15.6 x 13 in)
Tibetan and Sanskrit prayers and historical inscriptions on reverse
C14 test range 1149–1222 (95.4%)
Provenance:
Hong Kong art market, 1990s
Private French collection, acquired from the above
French cultural passport 231097
The Art Loss Register: 15045.4.CCF
Literature:
Iwona Tenzing & Chino Roncoroni
Awakening (Tenzing Asian Art catalog, TEFAF Maastricht 2022)
cat. no. 5 (with commentary by Amy Heller)
Jane Casey, (2023, forthcoming)
Helene Bailly
Passionate about 19th and 20th centuries artistic scene, Hélène Bailly-Marcilhac moved in 2015 to 71 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the heart of the ultimate artistic neighborhood in Paris. Helene Bailly offers an engaged and personal selection specialized in art from 1870 to the present day, which is aimed at both occasional buyers and informed collectors.
Warm and welcoming, the gallery presents a program of thematic exhibitions on three levels. The gallery reserves a special place for dialogues between the different artists and movements of the Avant-Garde in France. In this perspective, Helene Bailly participates in parallel to new collaborative projects with the new contemporary art scene in order to offer a memorable and sensorial experience.
The long-term relationship of trust built with its clients is acquired through the respect of fundamental values such as rigorous expertise and the demand for quality in the acquisition of collector’s items.
The gallery participates in numerous international art fairs in Paris, Brussels, London, Miami and New York and also collaborates with prestigious museums (Orsay, Quai Branly, Jacquemart-André, Montmartre, l’Annonciade, Van Gogh, Thyssen-Bornemisza, MoMa). Hélène Bailly Marcilhac is a member of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, of the Association Nocturne Rive Droite, of the ComitéProfessionnel des Galeries d’Art and is an accredited expert of the Chambre Européenne des Experts-Conseils en Œuvres d’Art.
Serge Poliakoff
(1900-1969)
Composition abstraite
1967
Oil on canvas
162.5 x 130.5 cm / 64 x 51 3/8 in.
Signed lower left
Art Passages
Art Passages is a leading specialist in Indian and Islamic Art with particular emphasis in Indian and Persian paintings from the 15th through 19th century. With over 20 years of experience and expertise, Art Passages sources paintings and objects of historical importance with high esthetic quality and provenance.
Connoisseurship, research, and integrity form the foundation of their business. Artworks from Art Passages have received critical acclaim in the media and have been frequently featured in the New York Times, Apollo magazine, and the Asian Art Newspaper. Art Passages’ clients include significant private collectors as well as major museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the LA County Museum of Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and Musee du Quai Branly among others.
Art Passages is a regular member of Asia Week New York and has exhibited in the Asian Art in London, Parcours des mondes in Paris, as well as other venues in Europe.
Each artwork sold by Art Passages is guaranteed for its authenticity and a certificate is provided upon request.
A Leviathan attacks Hamza and his Men
scene from the Dastan-iAmir Hamza (Hamzanama)
India, Rajasthan, Bikaner
c. 1680
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Folio 9 3/4 x 6 3/8 in (24.9 x 16 cm)
Painting 9 x 5 1/2 in (22.9 x 13.9 cm)
About the Artwork
The Hamzanama or Dastan-i Amir Hamza narrates the fantastic adventures of Amir Hamza, an uncle of prophet Muhammad as he traveled the world spreading Islam and fighting injustice. These stories were quite popular and were recited over the centuries. They began to appear as illustrations in the late 16th century.
In this painting Hamza and his men are sailing to the island of Shatar ruled by Ahras.
However, along the way they are attacked by a sea monster who appears to swallow the ship in whole. Sitting at top of the ship, Amir Hamza shoots an arrow at the eye of the creature while one of his men spears the monster’s snout and another bravely attacks with a sword at his gaping mouth. Hamza’s other men dive into the water to save themselves. The fate of Hamza and his small group of men is quite unclear. All of the men are depicted with emphatic gestures.
As was the case in the famous Hamzanama the monster here is based on the Indian ghariyal, a species of crocodile native to the sub-continent. The brightly colored figures are contrasted with the ominous dark swirling water and a thick fog descends obscuring the horizon adding to the gloomy scene.
For a discussion of the story see: John Seyller, The Adventures of Hamza, Washington, D.C: Smithsonian: Freer Galley of Art Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 2002, no. 27, pp. 98-99.
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