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Rising Value of Unrestored Cars
By Malcolm Welford, Vintage Car Specialist
Chinese Works of Art
Imperial Price For Qianlong Jade Seal
March 21, 2013Stories of unlikely discovery have highlighted Sotheby’s Asia Week in New York, the latest being the one concerning an imperial seal of the Qianlong emperor. Until a Washington family submitted it for evaluation, they had no idea of its value. It developed that the seal was among the most significant of those created to mark the Emperor’s 70th birthday. With that rarity in mind, Sotheby’s assigned an estimate of $1m-$1.5m. This, as it happened, was modest. This week the seal fetched $3.4m, more than double expectations.
Read more...$3 Tag Sale Bowl Realizes $2.2m
March 20, 2013What collector hasn’t had this fantasy? Yesterday in New York, a Chinese bowl purchased for $3 at a 2007 tag sale sold at Sotheby’s for $2.2m. Curiosity about the 1000-year old ‘Ding’ bowl’s origins led to its eventual consignment with Sotheby’s, which set an estimate of $200,000-$300,000. After a bidding war with three other contenders, London-based dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi claimed the Northern Soon Dynasty bowl for $2.225m, including commission.
Read more...Controversial Chinese Vase Sells For $40m
January 17, 2013The story begins two years ago, when an 18th century Qianlong porcelain vase sold to a Chinese bidder for more than 50 times its estimate, or $83m at a London auction. It was the highest price ever paid for an Asian work of art. The problem was, that “casino price,” as one dealer called it, was never paid. The bid, according to some, was merely a protest against the original theft of the vase from the Emperor’s Palace in the 1860’s. Now, in a deal reportedly brokered by Bonhams, the vase has finally changed hands in a private sale for an undisclosed sum, reported to be $40m.
Read more...Buddhist Sculpture Price Stuns Christie’s
December 20, 2012It was a great night for selling the large wood Buddhist sculpture, but maybe a little embarrassing for Christie’s, as well. They estimated the 13th Century Guanyin, the “bodhisattva of Compassion,” might go for $400,000. It sold for $12m at the auction house’s last 2012 art sale in Paris
Read more...Qing Dynasty Vase Soars Past Estimate
November 27, 2012An exceptionally graceful dragon and lotus vase from the Qing dynasty sold in Toronto this week for $3m, more than ten times the pre-sale estimate. It’s believed a Chinese phone bidder won the 1778 blue and white porcelain piece at Ritchies auction house.
Read more...Relics Of Chairman Mao May Sell For $1.6m
September 28, 2012The American collector spent 15-years collecting all things Mao, trinkets, paintings, Warhol and Richter prints, books and an extremely rare 100 yuan note signed twice by the Chairman. A total of 208 lots at a Bloomsbury Auction in London that may fetch $1.6m.
Read more...Inscrutable Price For Chinese Scroll
September 14, 2012The result was as spectacular as it was inscrutable when the hammer came down on a Chinese scroll at Sotheby’s yesterday that went for $3,218,500—3 times more than expected because only half the ink on paper was done by famed artist, Hongren. The second half was obviously executed by someone else.
Read more...Chinese Seal Imprints $5.38m
May 21, 2012A small spinach green jade San Xi Tang seal dating from the Qianlong period (1736-1795) has sold at Bonhams for $5.38m. The seal, carved in a double-gourd form associated with longevity, had a pre-sale estimate of “just” $1.5m-$2.37m. At the packed London sale, however, a bidding war ensued, causing the final price to more than double the high estimate. A telephone buyer from mainland China carried the day.
Read more...Sotheby’s Scores Big In Hong Kong
April 04, 2012Sotheby’s had anticipated a total of $233m for its spring series of auctions in Hong Kong. As it turned out, the auction house did quite a bit better, achieving a result of $316m. Contributing to that tally was the $60m generated by its sale of Fine Chinese paintings. That was more than double the $25.6m estimate. Top seller was a pair of gold screens by Qi Baishi, “Willows At The Riverside; Begonias” (1922), which realized $9m, more than three times its $2.6m high estimate.
Read more...Failed Busan Bank’s Art Collection To Sell
April 02, 2012When Korea’s Busan Bank failed last year, after a drama involving a large scale influence peddling scheme, its substantial collection of western and Chinese Contemporary art was seized. The 2,000 items being offered tomorrow in Hong Kong are an eclectic mix, with rare books of Buddhist sutras, and works by Robert Indiana, Dan Flavin and Julian Schnabel, as well as canvases by Chinese masters Zhang Xiaogang, Seng Fanzhi, Feng Zhengjie. The top lot at Seoul Auction is expected to be Kim Whanki’s “Garden,” expected to sell for $1.15m-$1.4m.
Read more...Snuff Bottles Featured In Bonhams Asia Week
March 15, 2012As Chinese collectors have flooded into the market for collectibles, a small but consistent focus of their attention has been Chinese snuff bottles. Bonhams will offer over 150 examples drawn from three collections as part of its Asia week series. Leading the March 20th event in New York will be an 18th century carved rock crystal double gourd form bottle produced in the Imperial Palace workshops. It’s expected to sell for $25,000-$35,000.
Read more...16th Century Buddha Highlights Christie’s Asia Week
March 14, 2012Christie’s Asia Week brings to market a number of illustrious collections, including the late dealer Doris Weiner’s trove of Indian and Asian Art. One of the week’s big highlights, however, comes from the last event in the March 22-24 series, a two-part sale devoted to Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. The star item is a massive Ming Dynasty gilt-bronze Vairocana, or Celestial Buddha, from the 16th century. Formerly in the collection of Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, it’s expected to sell for $2m-$3m.
Read more...Sotheby’s Hosts First N.Y.Classical Chinese Painting Sale
March 13, 2012Asia Week has become a staple of Sotheby’s spring lineup in N.Y., but this is the first time that the auction house will host an event devoted to classical Chinese paintings, including calligraphic works from the Southern Song Dynasty emperors. A 17th century scroll by Hongren (1610-1663) is expected to be the most valuable lot in the March 22nd sale. Executed in ink on paper, “Landscape After Lu Guang” carries an estimate of $1m-$1.2m.
Read more...Chinese Ru Bowl May Bring $10m
March 08, 2012This Ru bowl is only about five inches in diameter but Sotheby’s thinks it could sell for $10m at its auction next month in Hong Kong. Called a “washer” bowl, it was created a thousand years ago for the Northern Song Dynasty. They think it was used it to rinse writing brushes. There are only 79 Ru ware pieces in existence. This is one of 7 still in private hands, and that may change after the April 4th auction.
Read more...Chinese Modern Art In Hong Kong
November 28, 2011Chinese master Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) didn’t produce the top estimated lot at Christie’s sale of modern Chinese paintings in Hong Kong on November 29. That honor belongs to “Lotus,” a series of eight scrolls by Cui Ruzhuo, estimated at $5.2m-$7.7m. Zhang did, however, create three of the five highest estimated lots at the sale, where his works have a combined estimated value of $6.1m-$10.3m.
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