An early Longquan celadon dragon vase
Southern Song Dynasty, 1127-1279, China
A rare 'kinuta' celadon vase with a dragon wrapped around the neck of the vase.
H 18 cm
ex Morpurgo collection Amsterdam
The Morpurgo family business was founded by Joseph Morpurgo in 1869. His son Louis joined the business in 1897 and grandson Lion joined in 1915. At first the company focussed generally on (European) glass, furniture and ceramics. It was Lion who first actively got involved in Asian art and antiques, for which the company would become famous. Much of the Morpurgo collection was looted during World War II, and Lion fought hard after the war to retrieve parts of the collection. Around 1953 Lion’s daughter Anny Wafelman-Morpurgo joined the family business, by which time the business had also started to take part in high-end antique fairs, besides running the shop from the prestigious Rokin address in Amsterdam. Eventually also Anny’s husband and son would join the business and when Anny died in 2018 the business closed and the collection was dispersed, including a part that was sold in a special Sotheby’s sale in London: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2018/works-of-art-from-the-morpurgo-collection And another part that was sold through Peerdeman auction house in Utrecht in the same year. The Morpurgo collection will be remembered as a unique combination of quality and rare and special items, carefully selected and vetted under the discerning eye of the Morpurgo family members who dedicated their lives to the high reputation of the family business. Their legacy lives on in the objects that were once part of the Morpurgo collection.
Some damage and the top rim ground down (see photos). No restoration.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
Southern Song Dynasty, 1127-1279, China
A rare 'kinuta' celadon vase with a dragon wrapped around the neck of the vase.
H 18 cm
ex Morpurgo collection Amsterdam
The Morpurgo family business was founded by Joseph Morpurgo in 1869. His son Louis joined the business in 1897 and grandson Lion joined in 1915. At first the company focussed generally on (European) glass, furniture and ceramics. It was Lion who first actively got involved in Asian art and antiques, for which the company would become famous. Much of the Morpurgo collection was looted during World War II, and Lion fought hard after the war to retrieve parts of the collection. Around 1953 Lion’s daughter Anny Wafelman-Morpurgo joined the family business, by which time the business had also started to take part in high-end antique fairs, besides running the shop from the prestigious Rokin address in Amsterdam. Eventually also Anny’s husband and son would join the business and when Anny died in 2018 the business closed and the collection was dispersed, including a part that was sold in a special Sotheby’s sale in London: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2018/works-of-art-from-the-morpurgo-collection And another part that was sold through Peerdeman auction house in Utrecht in the same year. The Morpurgo collection will be remembered as a unique combination of quality and rare and special items, carefully selected and vetted under the discerning eye of the Morpurgo family members who dedicated their lives to the high reputation of the family business. Their legacy lives on in the objects that were once part of the Morpurgo collection.
Some damage and the top rim ground down (see photos). No restoration.
