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Asian Art Sweeps Past Estimates At Christie’s

A 13^th/14^th century Tibetan Thanga almost tripled its high estimate earlier today, when it soared to $1.76m at Christie’s auction of Indian & Southeast Asian art in New York.  At the same sale, the third of five in Christie’s Asia Week series, a 2^nd/3^rd century polychromed gray schist figure of the Teaching Buddha almost pulled off the same act, when it swept past its high estimate of $600,000 to a final price of $1.48m.

16th Century Buddha Highlights Christie’s Asia Week

Christie’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 16^th century. Formerly in the collection of Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, it’s expected to sell for $2m-$3m.

Solid Asia Week For Christie’s

Christie’s was hoping to snare upwards of $50m at its series of Asia sales this week in New York. The auction house did considerably better than that, pulling in almost $76m during its three days of events at which it offered thousands of art objects, including jade, museum quality furniture, rare ceramics and porcelain. Among the highs was the sale of a rare 18^th century blue and white Ming-style moonflask, for which a buyer paid $2.7m, almost four times its high estimate.

Christie’s Record Asia Week

Asian collectors hurled their millions at heritage artworks, with Chinese Ceramics drawing the lion’s share. Chinese works alone contributed $76.75 million. When Christie’s Asian Art Week in New York was over, fully $117 million had changed hands. It was Christie’s highest total ever for a series of Chinese art sales and almost $40 million more than the previous record.

Asia Week At Bonhams

As a phrase, “up to snuff” probably originated in the 19^th century. The practice of using snuff, however, began a good deal earlier, as evidenced by the collection of rare vintage Chinese snuff bottles that kicks off Bonhams’ Asia Week. Top seller is likely to be an unusual enameled white glass bottle made in the Imperial Palace workshops in the Qianlong period (1750-1780), estimated at $60,000-$80,000.

Update: The white snuff bottles sold for a heady $254,000, over three times its high estimate. And a rare yellow jade bottle brought in $134,000, also well above its $40,000-$60,000 estimate.

Chinese Art Prices Soar, Japanese Sag

The famous print collection came under the heading of the “Beres Japanese” when it was auctioned Sept.16-19, in Paris.  Compared even to 20 years ago, the results were lackluster, except for a few prints by acknowledged masters of the 1800’s.  In the same week, Christie’s held two sales of Chinese art where prices smashed all previous records.

Asian Art Soars At Christie’s

Over four days of Asian art sales last week, Christie’s scored an impressive $70.75 million in sales. Chinese art alone accounted for $55.5 million, the highest total for that category ever achieved in New York. It was, said Christie’s, “a milestone for Chinese Art in the West.”

Chinese Sweep Bidding

Wealthy Chinese collectors and dealers displayed a powerful thirst and the money to back up their determination to buy and repatriate rare and ancient Asian art. They took over the bidding at Christie’s mammoth Asian art auction and virtually swept away the competition last week.

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