This Chinese embroidered surcoat, late Nineteenth Century, led the sale of the Yosi Barzilai collection, selling for $7,800. The elegant surcoat was intended for informal occasions and crafted for Han Chinese women.
Review by W.A. Demers; Photos Courtesy Material Culture
PHILADELPHIA — A Chinese embroidered surcoat, late Nineteenth Century, led Material Culture’s October 23 sale of the Yosi Barzilai collection, selling for $7,800. The elegant surcoat was intended for informal occasions and crafted for Han Chinese women. The garment was calf-length, featuring a center front opening, wide sleeves enhanced with sleeve bands and fastened with three loops and toggle buttons for convenience. It was constructed from a delicate light lavender silk satin, with exquisite blue floral embroidery interspersed with shou characters — a symbol of longevity and good fortune. A testament to the artistry of Chinese craftsmanship, with satin stitch, French knots and couched metallic threads expertly employed to create a visually captivating and culturally significant piece of clothing, the surcoat was one of 550 lots comprising the sale. The sale attracted 1,620 bidders from 19 countries, achieved a total of $352,000 with more than 88 percent of lots gaveling down successfully.
Sarajo, Barzilai’s creation, was a staple SoHo gallery destination for 35 years. Born in Israel, Barzilai was exposed to Islamic art at a young age. He had worked in his family’s diamond business for awhile, but the lucrative vocation didn’t scratch his creative itch. After graduating from art school. Yosi, sometimes known as Joe, joined forces with Sarah Penn, who owned Knobkerry, and their new gallery was christened Sarajo from their conjoined first names.
Sarajo, the gallery, evolved from a purveyor of ethnographic artifacts into a distinctive gallery specializing in textiles and costumes. Its clients were fashion designers and interior decorating industries, along with collectors and museums across the United States and around the globe. A-list clients included Miuccia Prada, Peter Marino, Kate Moss and Mick Jagger. The gallery’s new steward, Jess Patino, has relocated to a more modest location, and this auction stemmed from the need to downsize Sarajo’s extensive inventory.
An Eighteenth Century Thai bronze Ayutthaya Buddha more than tripled its high estimate, selling for $7,800. The standing Buddha, 26 inches high, had his right hand in abhaya mudra, the left hand hanging down, and stood on a lotus base.
Fetching the same price as the Chinese surcoat was a Thai bronze Ayutthaya Buddha, which more than tripled its high estimate. From the Eighteenth Century, the standing Buddha, 26 inches high, had his right hand in abhaya mudra, the left hand hanging down, and stood on a lotus base.
A textile of note was a Filipino pina fiber blouse, Nineteenth Century, its mannequin not included. The blouse featured butterfly sleeves. Derived from the leaves of a Spanish red pineapple, Pina fiber, ivory white and naturally glossy, is the finest of all Philippine handwoven fabric. Bidders agreed, pushing the blouse way past its $150/200 estimate to finish at $7,150.
A Bukhara Suzani from Nineteenth Century Uzbekistan featured silk embroidery on a cotton ground in chain stitches, the rug measuring 7 feet 10 inches by 5 feet 9 inches. Seven panels made up the cotton ground with the inner field dominated by large and small roundels within vines, scrollwork, florals and botehs. It was framed with a floral and leafy border and went out at $5,850.
Sold at $5,525, this New Zealand Korowai Maori cloak from the Nineteenth Century was decorated with twisted wool black chord tags of the Korowai class of the New Zealand Maori. Highly decorative, such cloaks also denote the wearer’s identity, worth and prestige.
From New Zealand came a Korowai Maori cloak that was bid to $5,525. The Nineteenth Century flax cloak, 42 by 42 inches, was decorated with twisted wool black chord tags of the Korowai class of the New Zealand Maori. It was collected by Dr John Rabe in 1887. Providing warmth by insulating the body with wool, feathers, flax or sometimes a combination of all three, the cloaks are also highly decorative and denote the wearer’s identity, worth and prestige.
Another Buddha, this one a Burmese Shaan dynasty gilt and lacquered wood seated example from the late Eighteenth Century, earned $5,200. Clad in a robe and wearing an elaborate crown, this Buddha is in a meditative position. His right hand is in a protective position sheltering a baby elephant.
Worn in festival dances, either across the chest or over the shoulders, a Rare Aymara feather mosaic dance ornament, Nineteenth Century, from the Altiplano / Lake Titicaca region took $4,875. Featuring wood rods laced together and covered with domestic bird feathers, they depict dancers and masqueraders in four-legged, animal costumes. This one came on a stand with overall height at 13 inches. It doubled its high estimate to bring $4,875.
In the furniture category, an antique Italian two-part cabinet, Nineteenth Century, left the gallery at $4,425. Its bottom had one large drawer and carved stylized legs. The top had five drawers on each side with a compartment and one additional drawer in the center. All heavily inlaid in floral and grid motifs, it was stamped “Ebonista Milano,” and measured 58 by 28 by 19 inches.
Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. For information, www.materialculture.com or 215-849-8030.
