A 900-year-old brush washer from the Northern Song dynasty broke the auction record for Chinese ceramics after it was sold in Hong Kong for HK$294.3 million (US$37.7 million) including commission on Tuesday.

The rare piece, fired in the 11th century Ru imperial kiln in present-day Henan province, drew strong demand at auctioneer Sotheby’s sale room in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Bidding began at HK$80 million and some 30 bids were made before the bowl was knocked down for HK$260 million excluding Sotheby’s commission. The winning bid was made by phone by an anonymous Asian buyer.
The final price was nearly triple the pre-sale estimate of HK$100 million.

There wasn’t a great deal of expectation ahead of the autumn auction season after fairly flat sales in spring. Market watchers predicted the Chinese authorities’ continuing crackdown on corruption and restrictions on capital outflows would have a negative effect on the autumn sales in Hong Kong just as they did on the spring auctions.

“The stock market has certainly been a factor. We are also seeing more young Chinese buyers becoming interested in building up their own antique collections, which means that more people are buying,” Wilson said.
The eight-day “golden week” holiday for national day in China drew many more mainland Chinese visitors to the auction previews than normal, he said, but the real buyers were still largely the familiar faces who come to Hong Kong every season.

There was plenty of speculation about who the buyer of the Ru brush washer is. Dealers said privately that very few ceramics collectors would have HK$294.3 million to spend, and the most likely candidate was Liu Yiqian, the Shanghai collector who set the previous record price for a Chinese ceramic piece when he bought a Ming dynasty “chicken cup” for HK$281 million in 2014. However, a query sent via WeChat to Liu’s wife, Wang Wei, elicited in response only a polite Mid-Autumn Festival greeting.
Collector Liu Yiqian with his wife, Wang Wei. An inquiry to Wang about Tuesday’s record auction purchase was met with a polite Mid-Autumn Festival greeting. Photo: Sam Tsang
The dish is one of just 87 known pieces to have survived from an imperial kiln that was only in operation for a short period of time between the late 11th century and early 12th century. Only four known Ru wares currently remain in private hands.

The seller is Robert Tsao, the Taiwan-born founder and former chairman of United Microelectronics Corporation.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Brush washer breaks ceramics auction record

source : http://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2113821/chinese-bowl-auctioned-record-us377m-hong-kong-buyer-rare

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Precious jade, modern masterpieces, museum-quality furniture and rare ceramics and porcelain are among thousands of art objects on offer during Christie’s Asia week sales in September.

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The week of Asian art auctions that ended Thursday afternoon in New York offered early signs that some collectors, largely from China and India, are returning to the market in search of rare or discounted artworks.

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KOLKATA: Christie’s South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art sale in New York has achieved total numbers of $2.412 million. Of the 72 lots

offered, 63% have been sold out, embracing 45 pieces. In value terms, the auction achieved 54% sales. The top highlights include a VS Gaitonde Untitled, picked up at $482,500 by an anonymous buyer against an estimate of $300,000-500,000. At the same time, a Subodh Gupta Untitled oil on canvas from 2004 has been bought out by a private Asian buyer for $176,500 compared to an estimated band of $200,000-300,000. Among the high-end works is also an acrylic on canvas work, Transplantation, by Rameshwar Broota, which is pegged at a sale value of $170,500 hovering close to the high estimate of $180,000. The Broota was acquired by a private US buyer. Hugo Weihe, international director, international specialist, head of Indian and Southeast Asia art, told ET in an email from New York: “The sale of of South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art was led by Vasudeo Gaitonde’s superb Untitled from 1965, which achieved $482,500. We were pleased to see further strong results for Maqbool Fida Husain’s Gandhi- Man of Peace at $152,000 and Rameshwar Broota’s Face at $80,500.

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LONDON.- The continuing international appeal of Asian Art was demonstrated in the September New York sales which realised $51.1 million, the second highest total ever for Asian Art Week at Christie’s New York. This autumn, Christie’s London Asian Art Week will run from 4 -11 November 2008, featuring further treasures of great rarity and beauty, with many highlights offered from superb private collections. Estimated to realise in the region of £7 million, the sales include: A Private English Collection of White Jade Carvings & Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Including Export Art on 4 November at King Street; Japanese Art & Asian Textiles including the Linda Wrigglesworth Collection on 6 November at South Kensington, Chinese Art on 7 November at South Kensington Japanese Art and Design including an Important Group of Swords from a Private European Collection on 11 November at King Street.

A Private English Collection of White Jade Carvings & Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Including Export Art: 4 November at 10.30am & 2.30pm, Christie’s King Street
Christie’s Asian Art Week London opens with the sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art Including Export Art on 4 November. The auction comprises over 250 lots including superb jades, ceramics, Buddhist sculptures and paintings. Following the success of the Blot collection in May 2008, the November sale will feature two distinct jade collections. Rare archaic jades from the collection of Baron and Baroness von Oertzen are led by an outstandingly fine shield-shaped yellow jade belt hook, Western Han (206 BC – AD 8), which is believed to have been made for a king or prince (estimate: £100,000-150,000).

18 exquisite white jade carvings dating largely to the Qianlong Period (1736–95), are offered from a private English collection. With estimates ranging from £4,000 to £200,000, the centerpiece is a dramatic, exceptionally fine and rare Imperial white jade ‘phoenix’ wine-pot and cover (estimate: £200,000-300,000). The spout is the shape of a phoenix head, exemplifying the long standing history in China of using birds’ heads to provide the shape of the spout on both bronze vessels and ceramic wares. The wine-pot also features a magnificent dragonhead handle and a domed cover with an exquisite peony finial. Among the other jades from the collection is a very fine and rare imperial white jade archaistic vessel (estimate: £180,000-220,000), comprising a trumpet neck with elegant overlapping plantain leaves decorated with geometric motifs. The technical difficulties and the extravagant use of top-quality material employed in the making of this vase, indicates that it could only have been made for the use of the Emperor himself, probably on the writing desk of his private study.

Elsewhere, two works from the famous Palmer Collection will attract great interest. Executed in very different mediums, the first is a beautiful and extremely rare Yongzheng (1723-35) porcelain bowl decorated in famille rose enamels, with an unusual roundel design of peaches and bats (estimate: £150,000 – 250,000). The second is a superb 17th/18th Century rhinoceros horn water–dropper, carved in the form of a lotus leaf, with its stem forming the spout (estimate: £80,000-100,000). Further highlights range from a fine silk kesi tapestry depicting Xi Wangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, riding on a phoenix above Daoist immortals who await her on a garden terrace (estimate: £15-20,000), to a pair of painted album leaves bearing portraits of two of the Qianlong Emperor‘s favoured Imperial bannermen, accompanied by inscriptions from the Emperor’s own brush (estimate: £100,000-150,000).

Japanese Art & Asian Textiles including the Linda Wrigglesworth Collection on 6 November at 10.30 am and 1pm Christie’s South Kensington
The world of Japan is brought to London once again, as part of the Christie’s events for Asia Week in London. The South Kensington sale on Thursday, 6 November encompasses all periods from the 17th Century through to the middle of the 20th Century, offering rare and desirable treasures for both the modern buyer and the traditional collector of Asian Art. The craftsmanship of Japanese metalwork continues to be very popular. A selection of the highlights from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) include a rare bronze okimono of a bird of prey signed Matsatsune (estimate: £8,000-12,000), a stunning silver vase by Miyamoto (estimate: £8,000-10,000) and a naturalistic silver pheasant signed Morinobu (estimate: £1,500-2,500). Amongst the netsuke on offer are examples carved in wood, ivory and stag antler, with further examples in fossil walrus and amber by the contemporary Western netsuke carver Guy Shaw (estimates range from £500-4,000). The sale also features ceramics, including many examples of 19th Century finely painted Satsuma pottery, 20th Century Shin Hanga woodblock prints, cloisonné enamel, inro, ojime and a European private collection of pipecases.

Following the success of The Imperial Wardrobe sale in New York, March 2008, Christie’s are pleased to offer a further selection from the Collection with the Linda Wrigglesworth Collection of Korean and Japanese Textiles. Including Japanese kimono and resist dyed indigo futon covers and wrapping cloths, the sale also features unusual and rare Korean ritual cloths (pojagi), including a 19th century brightly coloured ‘Windmill’ design (estimate: £4,000-6,000) and court costume. Estimates range from £500 to £5,000. The final selection of Chinese costume and textiles from this collection will be offered in May 2009. In addition, beyond the collection, the sale features a selection of Chinese and Japanese costume and textiles including kimono, Canton export coverlets, court dress and rank badges such as a pair of 19th century Chinese Kesi censor’s rank badges (estimate: £6,000-8,000). Key works also include a mid-19th Century Chinese Imperial turquoise chi’fu or formal robe, which is embroidered with nine gilt, five toed dragons (estimate: £12,000-14,000). The use of turquoise robes was the privilege of the immediate members of the Imperial family and is usually associated with female members; this robe displays the elbow bands and closed front of a lady’s robe.

Chinese Art on 7 November at 10.30am and 2.00pm, Christie’s South Kensington
Christie’s South Kensington Chinese Art sale specifically caters for both traditional and new buyers in this vibrant category, with estimates ranging from £500 to £10,000. Works from private Asian, European and English collections will be offered, including a further selection of wonderful pieces from the Von Oertzen archaic jade collection. Imperial ceramics and white and pale celadon jade carvings from the 18th and 19th Centuries which are currently in strong demand are well represented, highlighted by a small yellow glazed dish dating to the Zhengde Period (1506-21) (estimate:£3,000-5,000) and a pair of white jade table screens, early 19th Century (estimate:£5,000-8,000). Spanning the 15th century through to the 20th century, further ceramics featured include a selection of blue and white vases and brushpots, and celadon dishes and bowls, one highlight in this group being a finely painted blue and white brushpot dating to the Transitional Period, (estimate: £2,000-3,000). Amongst the specialist works of art, there are selections of fine cloisonné enamel models including a pair of standing birds dating to the Qianlong Period (1736-95) (estimate: £3,000-5,000), cinnabar lacquer including an Imperial threecolour box and cover dating to the Qianlong reign, (estimate: £4,000-6,000) and also gilt-bronze Chinese and Tibetan models including a set of Eight Tibetan gilt-copper auspicious emblems dating to the 18th Century (estimate: £3,000-5,000).

Japanese Art and Design including an Important Group of Swords from a Private European Collection on 11 November at 2pm, Christie’s King Street
Drawing Asian Art week London to a close is the auction of Japanese Art and Design including an important group of swords from a private European collection at Christie’s King Street on 11 November. Featuring a diverse range of over 250 works representing 200 years of Japanese history, the auction highlights include an impressive pair of Ando presentation cloisonné vases, Meiji Period (1867-1912) (estimate: £150,000-250,000) illustrated left, which were given by Emperor Taisho, in 1920, to the Korean Crown Prince Yi Eun and Princess Masako of the House of Nashinomoto, on the occasion of their wedding. The exquisitely decorated vases, depicting song birds amidst wisteria and white chrysanthemum blossoms, were formerly in the collection of an ecclesiastical institution. They were recently discovered and identified as the pair that match a koro [incense burner] which is held in the collection of the Nagoya City Art Museum.

Among lacquers in the sale spanning the 16th century to the modern day, is a remarkably fine contemporary lacquer writing box illustrated right and table [Suzuribako and Bundai], by Kitamura Tatsuo, born in 1951, who often signs, as in this case, Unryuan, 20th century (estimate: £30,000-50,000). Each piece decorated in vivid gold, black, red, white, green and blue lacquer, they depict scenes in the battle Osaka natsu no jin (The Osaka Summer Battle) which occurred in May 1615.

A private European collection of prints comes fresh to the market, having not been seen for over 50 years, it includes fine examples by Suzuki Harunobu (c.1725-1770), Kitagawa Utamaro (c.1753-1806), Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815) and Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), for example a fine impression of Hiroshige’s Moon Cape, from the series One Hundred Views of Famous Places in Edo, estimate £4000-6000. In addition to this collection is an unusual work, an Okubi-e portrait of Yaozo, by Toshusai Sharaku (active 1794-1795) (estimate: £25,000-30,000). Sharaku is widely considered to be one of the great masters of woodblock printing in Japan, despite having an extremely short period of activity. He designed portraits of the Kabuki actors and this work depicts the actor Ichikawa Yaozo III as Tanabe Bunzo in the play Hanayame Bunroku Soga performed at the Miyako-za in the fifth month of Kansei 6 (1794). Elsewhere, there is a Yoshitoshi print album (One Hundred Aspects of the Moon) (estimate: £20,000-25,000). Other key examples include a superb hand-painted scroll by Hokusai, depicting an interior scene and a panoramic view of the journey along the Sumida River from the Nihonbashi Bridge to the Yoshiwara (estimate: £40,000-60,000). The inscription on the scroll indicates that it was commissioned by Utei Enba, a writer of comic verse, and painted by Hokusai at the Danjuro establishment.

The Important Group of Swords from a Private European Collection features 18 swords with estimates ranging from £5,000 to £300,000, led by an important Ko-Bizen Tachi, signed Kuni Tomonari saku, the remarkable sword-smith, Kamakura Period (12th-13th century) (estimate: £280,000-300,000). It is a masterpiece of early work by Tomonari. A further important sword with an elegant Heian shape is by Yoshikane, and dates from the late 12th to early 13th century (estimate: £150-180,000). There is also a collection of sword fittings formed in the late 1940’s-70’s by Burnie McDonald Craig, which includes many examples acquired from notable London sales including those of Vever, Hawkshaw, Naunton and Hawkins.

The post Asian Art Week at Christie’s London in November 2008 first appeared on Indian Art News.

The price curve of Indian art is shooting north in the global market because of “increased consciousness” about it, say experts. This has been brought about by greater visibility of art and artists from the country and easy access to relevant information about Indian art from the internet, they say.
“Indian art is becoming a part of international consciousness, why is why we have seen a spectacular growth in this field,” Yamini Mehta, director of modern and contemporary Indian art at the London-based Christie’s, told IANS on e-mail.
“Boundaries are becoming more fluid. We are seeing more Indian artists being represented in international museum exhibitions and art fairs. The exposure is helping create newer collectors who actively seek out works by the best of Indian artists to add to their collections,” Mehta said.
On June 11, a painting by F.N. Souza, an Indian artist who spent the better part of his life in New York, sold for $2.5 million, while an untitled painting by Tyeb Mehta (Figure in a Rickshaw) fetched 982,050 pounds setting new price records at the Christie’s auction in London.
Five of contemporary artist Subodh Gupta’s works were also sold in the same auction at record prices. Gupta’s “Bucket”, an abstract canvas with the symbolic motif of his trademark bucket, was sold for 121,250 pounds while his “Magic Wands” and “Cotton Wicks” were sold for 169,250 pounds and 15,000 pounds respectively.
Twelve artists set new records in terms of prices at the auction in London.
According to experts, Indian art in general had a higher price profile in almost every international art show this year.
A New Delhi-based dealer, Nature Morte, sold a set of three sculptures by Gupta for nearly $1 million, while a painting by rising star T.V. Santosh went out to a British collector for $170,000 at the prestigious Art Basel, the largest fair of modern and contemporary art in Switzerland. Gupta’s seven-metre wide “Triptych” sold for $1 million in the same fair.
In March 2008, M.F. Husain’s “Battle of Ganga and Jamuna” sold for $1.6 million in New York.
Auction houses and dealers attribute the boom to growing consciousness and appreciation of Indian art internationally.
According to Mehta, the new breed of collectors, who are armed with more money, are incredibly well informed. “They usually look for a combination of three factors in an art work – lineage, the artist and its freshness.
“For instance, the ‘The Birth’ by F.N. Souza which sold for a record-breaking price of $2.5 million, had the combination of all the three: it was a large museum quality masterpiece by one of the giants in Indian art and completely fresh to the market,” Mehta said.
The freshness of the artwork, experts claimed, was instrumental in pushing up its price.
Peter Nagy, director of Nature Morte Gallery in Delhi, which sold almost all its works at the Basel fair, says the increase in price is directly related to the demand for the works and the increased attention that the international art world is paying to contemporary art works coming out of India today.
“This increased attention increases the demand and hence the prices go up,” Nagy told IANS.
Citing Basel as an example, Nagy said the “audience in Switzerland wanted unique Indian works and were not interested in works and prints by Indian artists. However, the prices of the works were dictated by the prices set in India”.
Another factor that determines the price tag is the stiff neck-on-neck bids, especially at auctions, and the wide client base. The competition among bidders triggers an artificial increase in prices.
The phenomenon is also gradually becoming applicable to Indian art, especially in international sales.
Describing the nature of the Christie’s London auction of Asian art, Mehta said the auction hall was packed right from the beginning with clients from across the globe.
“There was also spirited bidding on telephones and through Christie’s LIVE, which is a new platform for our clients to watch the live auction in real time and bid online from the comfort of home or office,” Mehta said.
According to an estimate by the Christie’s, the market for Indian art gathered steam over the last decade, totalling an impressive $42 million in 2006 from just $656,000 in a sale in 2000.
Before that, price milestones were generally one-time. In 2005, Tyeb Mehta’s “Mahisasura” sold for a record $1,584,000.

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Asia is home to some of the world’s oldest civilizations and also to the most exhilarating artistic finds. Asian art has been appreciated all over the world, as it offers intriguing insight into the traditions and vibrant history of Asia’s many cultures.

Asian Art is known to depict light and darkness as two sides of the same coin and as belonging to each other, and thus illuminate new ways of looking at this beautiful world. The arts of Asia are as diverse as the continent itself and encompass a whole universe of astounding variety and art lovers find themselves not knowing what is going to appear on the market next. Asian art consists of so many regional styles and periods that it literally collapses under its own weight.

Paintings have long been one of the most admired forms of art. From the magnificent cave paintings from thousands of years ago to the misty landscapes painted by the later artists, Asian art has long sought to express both harmony with nature and inner peace.

The interest in Asian art is said to be at its peak now. Some art lovers are of the opinion that the increased art poaching on the international scene seems to have inspired an urgency that says “buy while you can.” In the West, where the mention of Picasso could fetch millions of dollars, great pieces of Asian art were literally a steal; however, now they are lining up as competition too.

The international Asian Art Fair in Manhattan is a big hit with the Americans and Europeans. Founded in the year 1996, this fair brings together the world’s leading dealers in Indian, Himalayan, Tibetan, Near Eastern, South East Asian and Far Eastern spectacular works of art, and the pieces range from the earliest to the contemporary.

Christie’s, which is a leading fine arts auction house and art business, has seen an increase in sales of Asian art. With its main salesroom being in London, it has offices throughout the world.

Christie’s is reported to have created a record by selling Asian art worth $310.7 million at the spring sales in Hong Kong this week, confirming the reputation of the region as being one of the most promising in a thriving international market.

This was said to be Christie’s highest ever for an Asian sales series. It is also a 58 percent increase from last year. These auctions featured several record results in different categories of artwork, especially with a strong showing of Chinese and Asian contemporary art. “The results of our Hong Kong spring sales highlight the importance of Asia for Christie’s and the potential that this region offers,” said Edward Dolman, CEO of Christie’s International.

A diptych painting by the top Chinese artist Zeng Fanzhi Mask Series 1996 No. 6 was sold for $9.7 million, setting a new high for Asian contemporary artwork.

Prices for Chinese contemporary art are at its peak now and this is attributed to the massive rise in demand in Europe and the United States. Almost no price is too high for art pieces that are of impeccable provenance and exceptional quality.

India, like China also has a rich artistic heritage and has been an inspiration for Asian artists for hundreds of years. From the ethereal Buddhist monastery paintings of the 4th Century A.D. to the world-famous miniatures painted for the Mogul Court, over a period of time, Indian artists have developed their own inimitable style of depicting, nature, society and man. The bejeweled maharajahs and the veiled women of Indian art depict a highly-developed culture which combined a joyous celebration of the sensual.

In April, a London auction house has offered a collection containing the “personal dagger” of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, which is estimated at 500000 pounds sterling. This dagger has delicate inscriptions in gold, including “the dagger of the king of kings.” The dagger images Shah Jahan’s love for rare precious stones and fine workmanship but it also reflects his potential for being the greatest warrior.

The huge demand for Asian art is because the West is more aware now, of its intricacy and beauty, and looks at collecting Asian art because of stories concealed in its silence. It is the education one can get from each piece, to learn about the society and the era it represented. Asia’s art is the key to unlocking the secrets of different cultures that are totally different from those of the West and in this era of non-stop activity, opens the doors to a gentler and more contemplative side of life.

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