Asian Works of Art

Provenance:

Property from the RenLu Collection, Los Angeles, California.

來源:

加州洛杉磯潤廬珍藏。

The RenLu Collection of Chinese Gold and Silver

We met Robert Kuo and his daughters, Karen and Chin-Chin, on a smoky day during the Los Angeles fire. Knowing of him as a designer who blends Chinese craftsmanship with contemporary style, we expected to see Ming-style furniture with a modern twist or perhaps a scholar’s rock cast in stainless steel. Instead, we were greeted by a charming group of black and white lacquered Adélie penguins at the entrance, a pair of white lacquered rabbits resting by the window, and a green marble frog seat near the reception. The whimsical display set the gallery apart from its industrial surroundings. “I love chubby animals,” Robert said with a smile. We soon realized that the frog was inspired by a Shang Dynasty piece, while the rabbit drew its inspiration from a Qing Dynasty bamboo carving in Kuo’s scholar studio.

Later we know, his work—ranging from furniture and decorative accessories to sculptures—is instantly recognizable for its natural shapes, rich textures, and masterful craftsmanship. But beyond his reputation as a designer, Kuo is also a devoted collector, drawn to objects that reflect artistry and cultural heritage in unique and meaningful ways.

This auction, featuring fifty exquisitely crafted Chinese gold and silver objects from the RenLu Collection, offers a rare insight into his passion for collecting. Spanning over two decades, this collection includes pieces that were once exclusive to the aristocratic elite of China. With a stunning selection of hair ornaments, earrings, necklaces, bangles, and garment hooks, this collection showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of ancient Chinese goldsmiths, whose meticulous artistry continues to inspire.

Robert Kuo: Art, Design, and Collecting

Born in Beijing and raised in Taiwan, Robert Kuo grew up in a family steeped in artistic tradition. His father, Ming-Chiao Kuo (1917-2014), was a revered painter and cloisonné artist whose works were collected by institutions such as the Vatican Museum. Kuo began his journey as an apprentice in the family’s cloisonné studio, where he learned the painstaking processes of applying enamel to copper, shaping forms with precision, and mastering intricate color applications. These formative years instilled in Kuo a deep respect and appreciation for traditional Chinese decorative arts and an unyielding curiosity about materiality.

In 1973, Kuo moved to Los Angeles, where he established his first cloisonné studio. He began experimenting with new shapes, textures, and finishes, and soon developed a unique artistic vocabulary that harmonized Eastern and Western influences. His innovations were quickly recognized. His works began appearing in high-profile collections, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.

In 1984, he built an airy, contemporary building in West Hollywood, located directly across from the Pacific Design Center at Melrose Avenue and San Vicente Boulevard in the West Hollywood Avenues of Arts & Design. The gallery quickly became a favorite stop for designers seeking distinctive, decorative objects for their discerning clientele.

By the mid-1980s, Kuo had expanded his repertoire beyond cloisonné, mastering repoussé, a technique of hammering decorative relief onto metal surfaces. He worked with artisans in China, learning and refining ancient metalworking techniques that he would later adapt into his own designs. Over time, his expertise grew to include lacquer, hard stone, and Peking glass. His pieces are found in prestigious spaces such as the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, and the MGM Grand Villas in Las Vegas, as well as in the homes of celebrities such as Beyoncé, Will Smith, and Jennifer Lopez.

The RenLu Collection: A Passion for Chinese Gold and Silver

While Kuo is best known for his contemporary designs, his RenLu Collection of Chinese gold and silver jewelry and ornaments reflects a different side of his artistic passion—one rooted in history, personal sentiment, and a deep appreciation for the craftsmanship of the past. His fascination with Chinese goldsmithing began during his frequent travels to China in the early 1980s, where he encountered ancient gold and silver objects that captivated him with their intricacy and refinement. Many of these objects were originally acquired under the guise of being gifts for his wife, a charming justification that allowed Kuo to indulge in his collecting passion.

This passion soon became an obsession. As both a designer and a maker, Kuo was drawn to the exquisite details of these objects—the fine repoussé work, the delicate filigree, the elegant proportions. He was fascinated by how these objects not only served as adornments but also carried deep cultural and symbolic significance.

The tradition of working with gold and silver in China dates back thousands of years. Unlike jade, which was more commonly associated with Confucian virtues of purity and endurance, gold and silver were often linked to imperial power, wealth, and status. The earliest examples of Chinese goldwork, from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, include ritual vessels and ceremonial objects, often buried in royal tombs.

By the Warring States period and into the Han dynasty, gold and silver had become essential components of aristocratic dress. Gilded belt hooks, often inlaid with turquoise or embellished with intricate designs, became a fashionable accessory among the elite. During the Tang dynasty, with its cosmopolitan influences, gold and silver jewelry flourished, incorporating Persian and Central Asian motifs. The Ming and Qing dynasties saw further refinement in goldwork, with elaborate techniques such as filigree and granulation reaching new levels of sophistication.

Despite their historical importance, early Chinese gold and silver artifacts have remained a relatively neglected category in the art market, primarily because so many of these treasures are housed in museums, rarely available for private acquisition. The RenLu Collection presents a unique opportunity for collectors to own pieces that encapsulate centuries of Chinese artistry and technical mastery.

The Auction: Melding Tradition with Innovation

For Robert Kuo, collecting is not merely an act of acquisition, it is an extension of his artistic philosophy. His design work has always been informed by history, yet his approach is anything but antiquarian. Instead, he seeks to reinterpret traditional forms in a way that speaks to modern sensibilities.

This same philosophy underpins the RenLu Collection. Each object was selected not just for its material value but for its artistry, its historical significance, and its ability to resonate beyond its time.

Through this auction, we invite collectors, scholars, and connoisseurs to share in his appreciation for these remarkable artifacts. The RenLu Collection is more than a testament to China’s gold and silver heritage—it is a reflection of one man’s lifelong pursuit of beauty, craftsmanship, and cultural preservation.

With this sale, these objects will embark on a new chapter, finding homes with collectors who, like Kuo, recognize and cherish the artistry and history they embody.

潤盧品金

穿過洛聖都喧囂的風，在山火徘徊的清晨抵達潤盧。這裏是設計師Robert Kuo的展廳、藝廊與工作室。本名郭盧恩的他，將名字中的“盧”與太太閨名裏的“潤”合組，構成所蓄珍品的堂號——潤廬。

潤盧藏珍，以木器、家具、雜項爲主，戰漢以降金銀器點睛，大多購藏于1979-2005年。如果黃金收藏也有黃金年代，那麽這段時光當仁不讓——不論是頂級古董商如戴克誠、藍理捷、吉賽爾的圖錄，還是顯赫藏家如夢蝶軒、沐文堂、承訓堂的展覽，都可盡顯。

三十年間，Robert頻繁往返于美國、香港、大陸與台灣，收藏是工作的餘興，更是工作的靈感——他是西海岸著名的家具設計師，作品收錄于知名博物館（如華盛頓特區的弗利爾、臺北的國立歷史博物館），見於好萊塢影星的香巢（如天后碧昂斯），以及衆多奢華酒店（如東京凱悅、星洲麗思卡爾頓、夏威夷拉奈島四季、拉斯維加斯美高梅）。他也為家居巨頭科勒旗下的若干品牌創作：麦圭尔的燈具、貝克的飾品，Ann Sacks的瓷磚，S. Harris的布料。

Robert并非藝術專業出身，原本在臺北念商科的他，對工藝美術的興趣源於父親的言傳身教。父親郭明橋（1917-2014）生於山東德州，11嵗离乡，就讀於北平藝專，是蔣兆和（1904-1986）的得意門生。蔣的抗日巨作《流民圖》就是在他的幫助下完成的。

當時郭明橋剛從上野美術學院校進修回國，在一家钟纺商店畫廣告，得知老師創作《流民圖》需要五千元買畫材、請模特，便為老師訂好潤筆，然後發動全體同事找模特，今天跑這家，明天畫那家，既給《流民圖》做草稿，也靠畫像賺錢。後來，因爲畫像要遷就模特時間，往往很晚結束，不忍恩師奔波，郭明橋求公司經理介紹贊助人，找到的便是川島芳子的胞妹，“清朝最後一位格格”金默玉。金原在日本留學，盧溝橋事變后回京，瞞着家人找到一份工作：“在一家日本人開的公司當顧問，薪水很高，又不用坐班。”這公司便是郭明橋供職的商店。

金默玉不但自己付蔣兆和潤筆，還拜托經商的兄長及其生意夥伴請他畫像，如此蔣有了穩定收入，在1943年夏天完成高達兩米、長達二十七米的《流民圖》。

1947年郭明橋携家遷居臺北，教書之餘繼續創作，專攻素描。他在1956年创作了《由黑暗到光明》十二米長卷，描摹山東教徒情狀，筆法、功力不遜乃師，兼具獨特的時代意義，因此受勛于教宗若望三十三世。

六十年代郭明橋的創作轉向景泰藍，起因是去德國開會，看到當地人製作掐絲琺琅，憶起北平這項絕技，“禮失而求諸野“，鑽研經年，成爲臺灣首批掌握此技的藝術家，作品遠銷海外，多次作爲國禮。

兒子Robert耳濡目染，十五歲便給父親幫工，1973年移民南加州，在比華利山開設工作室，東風西漸，創作新式琺琅。1984年工作室搬到西好萊塢，臨近太平洋設計中心——西海岸數一數二的設計類美術館，整片區域都是設計師福地。

此後，Robert的創作拓展到玻璃、首飾、漆器，往返中美，將古中國歷久彌新的精湛工藝轉譯成摩登的西式語言：我們工作室看到古法漆成的肥碩兔子，相距不遠便是清代根雕原型；方角櫃，結構如蘇作，櫃門卻以黃銅鏨出木料肌理；三足垂落的荷葉式紅銅茶几，脫胎於案頭明代木器；半透明的料器花囊，顔色則是造辦處不會選用的灰紫、橘紅…凡此種種，無一不是傳統的回音。

在三十餘年的探索中，他得到了許多良師益友的幫助，諸如弗利爾博物館的中國藝術部主任司美茵（Jan Stuart），臺北故宮元老那志良，收藏大家王世襄，以及專擅金銀器的揚之水。所以不難理解他對收藏的呵護與珍重，那是一路的見證。

本場拍賣甄選五十件（套）作爲第一部分呈現，力求涵蓋不同時代、不同風格、不同文明：一衆帶鈎，有的鑲松石、有的嵌琉璃，有秦人鍾愛的渦紋錯銀、也有草原流行的曲頸天鵝；諸多簪環，有高聳入雲的晚唐長釵，有簡約實用的橋首髮针，也有裝飾繁密的鳳首螭虎；跨越千年的耳飾，從戰國松石到契丹摩羯、宋元金玉、明清花絲，游牧民族的粗獷，江南水鄉的柔媚；此外，還有不少值得深究的玩器，喇叭口的鉗鐲，其實是大理國法器，凹凸有致的寬鐲，其實是古滇國臂甲，銀牌上的狐狸，其實是鮮卑族馬具。

金銀自身的穩定性壓縮時間與空間——歷經千年如新，東西方俱能審美，這也是Robert追求的設計語言，希望藏家關注。