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Lot 52
Khien Yimsiri(Thai, 1922-1971)Sisters พี่น้อง, c. 1950s
Amended
29 March 2019, 16:00 HKT
Hong Kong, Six Pacific PlaceSold for HK$350,625 inc. premium
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Khien Yimsiri (Thai, 1922-1971)
Sisters พี่น้อง, c. 1950s
signed 'K. YIMSIRI' on the back of the lower register of the figure.
cast bronze
58 x 30 cm. (22 7/8 x 11 6/8 in.)
signed 'K. YIMSIRI' on the back of the lower register of the figure.
cast bronze
58 x 30 cm. (22 7/8 x 11 6/8 in.)
Footnotes
千‧宜希里 姐妹 銅雕 約一九五零年代作
Provenance:
Private Collection, USA
Cast in bronze with the beautiful acquired patina of age, Sisters perfectly embodies Khien Yimsiri's vision and approach, with its idealised forms and flowing harmonious lines. Long slim limbs and necks accentuate gracefulness and weightlessness recalling divine dancers or apsara. However, the essence of the Sisters' beauty lie in their lack of adornment and abundance of love.
Khien Yimsiri greatly influenced the development of contemporary Thai art by melding western techniques, Sukhothai period Buddhist form with secular subjects. His aesthetic is reflected in the tender positioning and body language of the two figures as they mirror one another. Seemingly identical, emblematic of the familial bond, one of the Sisters is slightly taller, perhaps older, and is positioned as a guide and protector. Gazing tenderly at each other with hips and fingertips almost touching, their body language testifies to a deep love and admiration.
Yimsiri is recognised as the most iconic sculptor of modern Thailand, having studied under both Henry Moore and Professor Silpa Bhirasri, the father of modern Thai art. Further examples of Yimsiri's works are exhibited in the National Gallery of Singapore (on loan from the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Collection no. 913) and at the Silpa Bhirasri National Museum, Bangkok. Also see Rodboon, Somporn. The Life and Works of Khien Yimsiri, Bangkok, 1994.
Saleroom notices
An alternative title to the sculpture is Siblings. The artwork is dated to 1957. It has been presumed lost by researchers of Thai art and reproduced by Manop Suwanpinta. The present lot is one of a number of original lifet-ime casts. It was acquired by the previous owner, an American, in the 1960s from Thailand and passed down to the present owner.