18 Auctions


successful were those by the most famous artists, and Chinese buyers predominated. Te cover lot, lot 540, a classical hanging scroll in ink on paper, Landscape After Nizan, by the renowned late Ming artist Wang Hui (1632-1717), dated the first day of the seventh lunar month (August 12, 1692) fetched the highest price, $852,500 (est $300/500,000). Paintings from prominent collections fared well. Lot 519, Lotus Flower and Root by Shitao (Yuanji) 1642-1718), in ink on paper and framed, one of four works from the Collection of Ann and Gordon Getty, sold for $175,000 (est $60/80,000). Tree works by the very prolific and admired 20th-century artist Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) were in the top 10, given the popularity of his abstract splashed landscapes, it was no surprise that lot 706, Blue Cliff and Old Tree, in ink and colour on paper and mounted for framing, purchased directly from the artist, went to an American private collector for $840,500 (est $450/650,000). Te back cover, a very refined 10-leaf album in ink and colour on silk,Flowers and Birds After Song Dynasty Masters by female artist Chen Peiqiu (b 1922) was bought by an Asian private collector for $396,500 (lot 631, est $150/200,000).


CHRISTIE’S Treasures of the Noble Path: Early Buddhist Art from


Japanese Collections $3,922,500 (w/BP) 40 lots, $700,000-1,000,000 37 lots sold, (93% by lot, 100% by value)


Tis was the week’s most successful sale in terms of sell-through rate (93% by lot), and the total more than tripled its high estimate. Practically all came from a Japanese private collection acquired prior to 1930, and the others were from the collection of Japanese dealer Goto Shinshudo, acquired when he had been at Mayuyama & Co in Tokyo.


All


except one from Korea were Chinese and dated from the Sixteen Kingdoms (304-439) to the Tang dynasty (10th century). Aside from eight stone


pieces, the rest were small Buddhist gilt bronzes, and the estimates were all kept very reasonable to enable new collectors to participate. Te Korean piece, a rare United Silla Period (668- 935), probably 8th century, gilt bronze standing figure of Buddha in a Korean collection in 1917, then later exhibited in Nara,


Japan and


mentioned by the well-known expert Matsubara Saburo, was the highlight, selling for $732,500 (lot 835, est $80/120,000). Tere was a lot of Western interest for a Tang-dynasty (618-907), grey stone seated figure of the Buddha, lot 833, dated by the inscription to the 1st year of Chuigong (685), which had been exhibited in Osaka in 1938 and was the largest piece in the sale (lot 833, est $80/120,000). It brought an unprecedented $550,000. A Five Dynasties-Northern Song (907-1126),


dynasty


seated figure of Buddha backed by an openwork aureole,


10th-century bronze published by


Matsubara Saburo in 1961, led the Chinese gilt bronzes, when it sold for $380,000 (lot 838, est $15/18,000). Te old private provenance and the fact that they were priced to sell enabled these pieces to take off.


CHRISTIE’S Fine Chinese Ceramics


and Works of Art $17,526,125 (w/BP), 330 lots, $13,000,000-19,000,000, 232 lots sold, (71% by lot, 81% by value)


Te superb quality and distinguished provenance of the cover lot, lot 907, a late Shang dynasty,


Anyang,


13th/11th century BC bronze rectangular food vessel, the ‘Ya Yi fangding’ justified its price, $2,800,000, one of the week’s highest (est $2,000/3,000,000). Although many areas were represented in the sale, mark and period porcelain dominated with most of the highlights in that category. Lot 1264, a Jiaqing mark and period blue and white ‘deer and crane’ vase, a very rare shape not seen before, in good condition and from an old collection, soared to $732,500 (est $50/80,000). A very rare Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), blue and white


pear-shaped bottle vase,yuhuchunping from Goto Shinshudo, and published in Tokyo in 1955, was also very successful, selling for $612,500 (est $200/300,000). Part I of the second collection of


Peter W Scheinman (1932-2017), 30 lots of primarily early ceramics, were very well received. All but one sold, and prices for the more unusual examples surged way beyond the estimates. Lot 1136, a 10th-12th century Northern Song, or Liao dynasty,


green-glazed ‘boy and


phoenix’ ewer realized $131,250 (est $20/30,000). His first collection had also been sold in these rooms, on 23 March 1995. Tree lots of zitan furniture from the Nancy and Ed Rosenthal Collection sold well, but their other furniture sold close to the low estimate. Te star was a pair of 18th-century, zitan, horseshoe-back chairs, quanyi, which had been exhibited at the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnatti in 2008 and fetched $650,000 (lot 947, est $300/500,000). However, most of the later and more elaborately carved zitan pieces with strong estimates from another American private collection were unsold.


SOTHEBY’S Saturday at Sotheby’s Asian Art


$3,212,563 (w/BP), 439 lots, $1,500,000-2,200,000, 336 lots sold, (76.5% by lot, 89.9% by value)


Tis was one of the more successful Saturday sales. Te mood remained buoyant throughout the day with a good crowd. Many clients had participated in the other sales during the week, but a number just attend these, which now have their own following. While Qing ceramics formed the largest category offered, it was


lot 1052, a Qing-dynasty


inscribed solid gold bead with a Qianlong mark that captured the top spot,


selling for $312,500


(est $7/9,000) to a private collector. Te decorative 19th-century furniture sold consistently and well for prices often well above the estimates. Four, 19th-century, Qing dynasty Hongmu marble inset armchairs,


Auction Previews


Chinese imperial yellow embroidered silk throne seat cushion cover, late Qing dynasty (est £1,500/2,500), Dreweatts & Bloomsbury


CHINESE CERAMICS AND ASIAN WORKS OF ART


lot 915,


fetched $162,500 (est $6/8,000). A few of the large group of more than 100 paintings were sought after, and two by Liu Guosong were in the top 10. Lot 1237, an untitled, framed painting in ink and colour on paper was bought by an Asian dealer for $60,000 (est $30/40,000). Among the six lots of Korean and Japanese art, a Korean silk embroidered eight- panel screen, Joseon dynasty, 19th century,


conservative estimate, selling to an Asian dealer $10/15,000).


far outstripped its for $93,750


CHRISTIE’S The Collection of


Paul F Walter $10,376,750 (w/BP) 560 lots


Both the live auctions and the online auction of collector Paul F Walter’s extensive and multi-faceted collection had phenomenal


results – the


Te Ya Yi fangding, important bronze rectangular ritual food vessel, late Shang dynasty, Anyang, 13th-11th century BC, height 28.2 cm, sold for $2,800,00 (est $2/3,000,000), Christie’s


ASIAN ART NOVEMBER 2017


combined total doubled the estimate. Sixty-three Asian lots were offered at the live auction and sold for $895,875, almost three times the $307,900 low estimate (95.23% sold by lot). Of those only 3 of the 51 Indian lots were unsold. In the online sale, 91 Asian lots, all Indian, were offered, selling for $875,250, over five times the $159,600 low estimate and 100% sold by lot. Paintings were the largest group and had the best results. Te closing hours of bidding at this sale may have had the highest volume and value of bidding ever witnessed in an online sale at Christie’s.


Chinese ruby-pink enamelled bowl, Yongcheng six character mark, Qing dynasty, diam. 11 cm, (est £40/60,000), Dreweatts & Bloomsbury


(est


A highlight of this sale is the Peter Arlidge Collection of Song Ceramics of 50 lots. Te owner’s interest in ceramics developed alongside his 50-year career in transport investment that made him resident in countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. During his time in Malaysia, in the 1960s, Arlidge’s interest in Chinese ceramics peaked and when he later moved to Indonesia, he bought the first two pieces for what would become a much-prized personal collection. Highlights include an ovoid jar and cover, possibly Qingbai, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) (est £800/1,200) and a carved Qingbai ‘Boys’ bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) and has an estimate of £1,000/2,000). Elsewhere, top lots include a Chinese ruby-pink


enamelled bowl with the interior painted with peach blossom in famille-rose enamels, 11 cm diameter, with a Yongcheng six-character mark (1723-1735), from a private collection (est £40/60,000) and two items from the Pen Moel Estate, near Chepstow, from the Sir Holbart Waring Collection, a large (height 2 metres) cast bronze incense burner and cover from the Meiji-Tashio period, Japan (est £4/6,000) and a set of nine Indian gouaches, circa 1820, possibly Patna (est £4,000/8,000). A highlight textile is a Chinese imperial yellow embroidered silk throne seat cushion cover, late Qing dynasty (est £1,500/2,500) from a private Italian collection. • On 15 November, at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury, Donnington Priory, Newbury, dreweatts.com


Chinese blue-ground embroidered dragon robe, jifu, Qing dynasty, early to mid-19th century, (est £5/8,000), Dreweatts & Bloomsbury


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