Auctions 17


(est $2.8/3.5 million). Te back cover, lot 435, by Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009), a large acrylic on canvas, Untitled (falling


figure), 1991 (est $1.5/2


million) from his famous Falling Figure series, and with a good provenance, realized $1,632,500 – it had been sold by Christie’s Mumbai in


December


categories, with the Buddhist works from private collections most in demand. Te first three lots of Gandharan sculpture, now a focus for Chinese


collectors, 2013 for INR


93,625,000 (est INR 30-50 million). World auction records were set for two artists: Manjit Bawa (1941-2008), lot 475, Untitled (Krishna and Cow), an unusually large oil on canvas painted in 1998, brought $780,500 (est $350/500,000). Te second was $187,500, for Ardeshir Davierwalla’s (1922-1975), Galaxy, a metal sculpture, executed in 1966 (lot 416, est $40/60,000).


Important Chinese Art, $12,975,000 (w/BP), 249 lots, $7,315,000 - 10,756,000, 186 lots sold, (74.7% by lot, 84.9% by value)


SOTHEBY’S


Te sale sought to respond to current market demands by concentrating on mark and period porcelain, with some jades, huanghuali furniture, Buddhist art and early ceramics and works of art from primarily private sources. Te total was above the high estimate, with high prices in each of these categories and 60% of the lots sold above the high estimate. Te room was full throughout the day with bidding from the highest number of new international buyers since 2015. However, the sell-through could have been higher. As the market grows more investment oriented and now that it is harder to sell the second-tier pieces, buyers are not going for them anymore. Still it was one of the most successful sales in these rooms in a number of years. Mark and period porcelain with well-calibrated estimates were the top sellers with the best


sell-through rate. Lot 25, a


Qianlong mark and period yellow and green-enamelled blue and white


‘Lotus’ vase sold to an American private collector for $1,116,500, a huge price. Te estimate was conservative ($60/80,000) as it was thought that the colours were added later to a blue and white vase. As many of the buyers feel that


provenance guarantees authenticity it was a key factor throughout the week – four glazed Tang vessels from a


Yellow and green-enamelled blue and white ‘Lotus’ Vase, Qianlong seal, mark and period, height 25.5 cm, sold for $1,116,500 (est $500/700,000), Sotheby’s


Japanese collection together fetched $1.1 million. Te star of the group, lot 76, a superb sancai-glazed rhyton, sold for £16,500 in Te British Rail Pension Fund sale at Sotheby’s London on 12 December 1989 (lot 62, est £8/12,000), went for $516,500 this time to a US private collector (est $50/70,000). Similarly, a Western Zhou dynasty bronze figure of a buffalo, lot 72, exhibited in December 1925 at Yamanaka & Co in London and from the JT Tai collection brought $732,500 (est $150/250,000), far more than the $134,500 fetched in these rooms on 22 March 2011 (lot 39, est $60/80,000) without the Yamanaka provenance. Jade prices were weaker everywhere


this week, but one exceptionally large Late Neolithic period/Shang dynasty jade notched disc, lot 67, from the collection of Dr Peter M Greiner sold for


$300,000 – the $60/80,000 estimate was particularly low.


Works of Art $6,208,750 (w/BP) 49 lots, $2,600,000-3,800,000, 35 lots sold, (71% by lot, 88% by value)


CHRISTIE’S Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian


Tis small and tightly curated sale, the only one in New York in this field this week, featured solid prices across the


fetched


significantly more than the estimates, particularly lot 603, the back cover, a large gray schist figure of a standing Buddha, 2nd/3rd century. Western and Asian bidders competed for it, and it sold for $792,500, the second highest price. Te imposing sculpture, exhibited in Gods of Asia at Asia Society in 1962, was a classic example, and had been in the Alice Kaplan collection (est $300/500,000). Himalayan art was strongly


represented in the sale, and the gilt bronzes had the best reception. Te cover lot, lot 620, a large 13th/14th- century masterpiece of Nepalese Newari casting, a gilt-bronze seated figure of the Buddha from the Collection of Baroness Carmen Tyssen-Bornemisza, was the top- selling piece this week, purchased for $3,852,500 (est $60/800,000). It had been acquired at Sotheby’s New York, on 1 December 1993 for $68,500 (lot 23, est $60/90,000). However, the other two pieces from this collection, a South Indian bronze figure of Sambandar from the Vijayanagara period (late 15th/early 16th century) with a quite aggressive estimate (lot 622, $600/800,000) and not to the Chinese taste, and a Pala period, circa 9th- century black stone relief of Umamaheshvara (lot 621,


est


$100/150,000) failed to sell. Western and Asian bidders vied for a very attractive 13th/14th-century Densatil gilt-bronze frieze with offering goddesses from Tibet. Not many are available on the market, so the winner paid $396,500 (lot 626, $80/120,000).


est


by his son Stuart in 1985. Now the fourth generation,


his daughter


Natalie and son Samuel, are also part of the firm. Te sale’s offerings were distributed among all the areas that Marchant is best known for: Ming and Qing Imperial porcelain and jades, longquan celadons and later bronzes and drawn from their stock as well as the family’s private collection. Many were from European private collections. Porcelain formed the largest and most sought after group. Mark and period pieces sold for


significantly more than the


estimates, but only when those were conservative. A Kangxi mark and period (1662-1722) peachbloom- glazed seal paste box and cover, yinse he, lot 742, brought $162,500. High estimates were a deterrent: a large, early Ming dynasty, late 14th/early 15th-century longquan celadon bracket-lobed dish did not find a buyer (lot 706, est $300/400,000). However, lot 701, a 14th-century Yuan dynasty longquan celadon jar, one of only two known that are carved with a dragon,


fetched


Important gilt-bronze standing figure of Buddha, United Silla period (668-935), probably 8th century, height 17.8 cm, sold for $732,500 (est $80/120,000), Christie’s


CHRISTIE’S Marchant: Nine Decades


in Chinese Art $2,365,625 (w/BP) 51 lots, $1,800,000-2,700,000, 40 lots sold, (78% by lot, 80% by value)


Te sale marked the nine decades that the well-known London firm, Marchant, has been in business. Samuel Sydney Marchant opened the first shop in 1925. His son Richard joined him in 1953, followed


$137,500 (est $30/50,000). A classic, massive and very rare Qianlong mark and of the period (1736-1796) famille-rose vase, lot 748, was the top lot at $372,500 (est $300/500,000).


SOTHEBY’S Fine Classical Chinese


Paintings and Calligraphy $10,735,375 (w/BP), 233 lots, $6,500,000-9,000,000, 156 lots sold, (67% by lot, 86.8% by value)


Even though this was not a stellar sale, the total surpassed the high estimate, but fewer works sold by lot than at recent Chinese painting sales here. With classical paintings in short supply, two-thirds of those offered were Modern. As expected, the most


Gilt bronze figure of Buddha, Nepal, 13th/14th century, height 50.5 cm, from the Collection of Baroness Carmen Tyssen-Bornemisza, sold for $3,852,500 (est $600/$800,000), Christie’s


Untitled-2 1 13/10/2017 12:19 NOVEMBER 2017 ASIAN ART


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