10 x 6 x 7 cm (4 x 2.25 x 2.75 in) (incense holder/brush washer)
11 x 6 x 8 cm (4.5 x 2.25 x 3 in) (ink slab box)
11 x 8 x 6 cm (4.5 x 3 x 2 in) (small lidded box)
Comprising a rectangular ink slab with cover, an incense holder or brush washer, and a smaller lidded box, each finely painted in vibrant underglaze blue with additional touches of iron-red and green enamels. The sides are decorated with panels enclosing auspicious motifs and lively figural scenes set against dark blue lattice grounds. The rectangular ink slab reveals a recessed inkstone surface under the lid, while the brush washer or incense holder is modelled with an oval aperture at the top. The bases bear hall marks including 雅雨堂製 (Ya Yu Tang Zhi, “”Made for the Hall of Elegant Rain””) and 傾玉堂製 (Qing Yu Tang Zhi, “”Made for the Hall of Admiring Jade””).
Lot location: Singapore.
LOT ESSAY
This near-monochromatic work by Arie Smit reveals a remarkable restraint within a practice more often celebrated for its exuberant colour. Executed in a modulated range of reds and earthen tones, the composition unfolds with a quiet intensity. The temple structure stands as the centre figure, while the surrounding trees and figures dissolve into a network of pulsating marks. Smit’s distinctive stippling creates a surface that seems to vibrate, inviting prolonged contemplation and close viewing.
In its rhythmic energy, the work recalls The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. Yet where Van Gogh’s evokes a turbulence through sweeping contrasts of blue and yellow, Smit achieves a more contained, meditative resonance. His repeated circular motifs suggest a concentrated, almost sonorous atmosphere where an inner vibration radiates from the landscape itself.
This lot exemplifies Smit’s ability to distill the Balinese environment into a deeply personal visual language. Both structurally assured and sensorially immersive, it stands as a rare and refined statement within his practice, underscoring the significance of his contribution to Indonesian modern art.
