ink and color on silk, each painted with a scene from the 'Ten Courts of Hell', with an official accompanied by two attendants, below two immortals set amidst swirling clouds, framed (2)

Vallin Galleries, Wilton, Connecticut, 6th March 1985.

Each painting is constructed of fine silk mounted over paper with a ground layer in between, a technique that was traditionally used for Chinese workshop paintings of Buddhist and Daoist subjects. Both paintings were originally mounted as hanging scrolls and have since been cuyt down and installed in frames. Each painting has similar expected damage from age, including the horizontal creases and breaks to the silk (and in some cases, the backing) as expected for hanging scrolls, darkening of the silk, some losses to the pigments, and the silk lifting from the ground in some areas. Over the centuries, the paintings have been reinforced and restored, including touching up pigments in some areas, the addition of further paper and silk to fill in gaps, and the application of adhesives in some areas (perhaps the source of the silvery section to the upper left side of one painting). Please note that these paintings were not removed from the frames for examination.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.