2008 Auction History

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

All Results in BOLD

A Korean jar made 200 years ago was sold 3,7 M$ before fees by Bonhams and Butterfields on December 9 in San Francisco. It had been estimated 200 K$.

Again some objects from the Guimet collection, at Sotheby's, this time in Paris on December 18: a Qianlong seal is estimated € 800 K (Lot 5). (UNSOLD)

An imperial Qing vase from the famille rose with butterflies is worth 40 MHK $ at Christie's in Hong Kong on December 3 (sale 2633). (SOLD 53 MHK$ including fees). It is accompanied by a lacquer bowl of Yongle period (30 MHK $) (SOLD 33 MHK$ including fees).

A gilded bronze of Avalokitesvara from the Xuande period could reach £ 2.5 million at Sotheby's in London on November 5, lot 231. (WITHDRAWN)

The Ruyi scepter of the Qianlong era that Bonhams offers for 200 K £ at lot 217 of the sale of 6 November is made of jadeite. (UNSOLD)

In the sale of Sotheby's Hong Kong on October 8, I add an imperial Qianlong seal from the Guimet collection. Sotheby's estimate the lot in excess of 50 MHK $. (SOLD 63 MHK$ including fees).

Eight sculptures from Nepal, Tibet and Kashmir come at Christie's in New York on September 15, conducted by an Avalokiteshvara bronze ($ 1.2 million). (SOLD 1.5 M$ including fees). In the same sale is included a millennium old Shiva Nataraja bronze (1 M $) (UNSOLD) and three thangkas (600, 400 and 400 K $). (SOLD 660 K$ including fees ; UNSOLD ; UNSOLD).

An Imperial scroll for the glory of Qianlong comes at Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 8. (80 MHK$). (SOLD 68 MHK$ including fees).

A rare sweet white Ming vase will be sold by Christie's in New York on September 17 ($ 600 K). (SOLD 2.7 M$ including fees).

For the benefit of works of charity, half of it for relief in Sichuan, Christie's Hong Kong sells on May 27 a Qianlong glass enamel brushpot (SOLD 73 MHK$ including fees). Its owner had acquired it at the same place on November 27, 2007, for 67.5 MHK$ fees included. The announcement was released on May 20.

The Gazette de l'Hotel Drouot presents this week in one of its pages of publicity a two-body Jiajing vase, 33 cm high, to sell on June 17 in Paris by the very new AuctionArt auction house.

In London on May 14 at Sotheby' s, there is an imperial Boddhisattva Yongle bronze of 24 cm high (300 K£, lot 648) (UNSOLD) and an exceptional group of Tang silver bowls (maximum 350 K£). (SOLD 1,15 M£ including fees ; SOLD another bowl, 1,6 M£ including fees)

On June 25 at Drouot, Ader sells a blue and white Yuan dish of 46 cm. Seen in cover of the Gazette de l'Hotel Drouot and on page of entry of the site of the auction house, this very elegant porcelain should not hesitate to exceed its estimate (400 K€). (SOLD 815 K€ including fees).

In cover of the Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot of this week, we see an imperial Kangxi seal of large size (14x10x10 cm), to sell on June 14 by Hervé Chassaing in Toulouse. 500 K€ are waited for this object made of steatite. (SOLD 4.7 M€ before fees).

A pair of eagles in Arita is estimated 300 K£ by Christie's in London on May 14. (UNSOLD).

The last day of the week of sales of Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 11, is devoted to Chinese ceramics and antiques, including a Song scroll (UNSOLD)

For the pleasure of taking in Tasmania, I would point Lot 25 from the sale of Mossgreen in Hobart to be held the day after tomorrow, March 18: This is a set of four oil on canvas, 45x58 cm, showing Chinese ports from Hong Kong to Canton. These works are a bit for the Orient like the Neapolitan gouaches are for the West. (30 K A $). (SOLD 206 KA?$ including fees ; the estimate had been upgraded to 50 KA$).

At Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 12: a gold Xuande tripod vessel and its cover (HK $ 60 million), (SOLD 116 MHK$ including fees), a small Qianlong gold ewer and its cover (13 cm, 25 MHK$), (SOLD 36 MHK$ including fees), a beautiful blue Song vase (HK $ 55 million ) (SOLD 67 MHK$ including fees) and an "extravagant" (Sotheby's uses this term) Qianlong ewer in gold, cloisonné and enamel announced as the highlight of the sale. (SOLD 56 MHK$ including fees).

LiveAuctioneers announce for 29-30 March at Matheson's AA Auction in Melbourne, Florida, a pear-shaped bottle of early Ming period (14th century). Starting bid is $ 100 K, but it is expected much more. (SOLD 100 K$ before fees).

On May 27, in Hong Kong, Christie's present fifteen clocks from eighteenth century coming from a Tokyo museum being renovated. The most important are musical automated clocks, some of them from Guangzhou workshops (4.5, 2.5, 2 and 1.5 MHK$), (top SOLD 40 MHK$) and an English one to 4.5 MHK$ (SOLD 36 MHK$).

On March 18, Christie's New York sells a seated Buddha making the gesture of knowledge. This wooden statue of Japanese Kamakura period is attributed to Unkei. Coming from the late twelfth century according to the Western calendar, it is obviously an exceptional event.
A work as old as this one attributed to an artist whose biographical elements are known is a must in the world of auctions, and the expert from Christie's, Katsura Yamaguchi, knows it. We are a century before the beginning of the work of Giotto! The Petit Robert French dictionary characterized Unkei as "the most outstanding sculptor of Buddhist statues in a dynasty yet rich in talent."
Interesting detail: an X-ray analysis led to detect three objects of Buddhist symbols locked from the outset in the statue.
This work is estimated $ 1.5 million. Let me be modest: I have no evidence to judge whether this estimate is too low. The price will depend on the condition of the item, which was announced "fine" but not perfect.
Traceability, or at least what is known of it, is described in the press release from Christie's.
(SOLD 12.8 M$ before fees)

Beside it is another important item: a Japanese leaf screen decorated with gold that has survived intact for 400 years. It is representing horses, a social symbol of the rising power of the class of warriors. It is estimated 400 K $. (UNSOLD)

Buddha is decidedly highlightened in Christie's. The next day, March 19, will be dispersed two bronzes, each at $ 1 million: a large sitting boddhisatva of X / XI century very finely carved, (SOLD 2.5 M$) and a statue of the Perfection of Wisdom in perfect condition. (SOLD 1.05 M$)
In the same sale: a dark green jade of a buffalo (400 K $), (SOLD 421 K$), a Song translucent blue-green vase (800 K $), (SOLD 2.3 M$) and other rarities.
These prices include fees.

A dagger which belonged to Shah Jahan will be sold by Bonhams in London on April 10 ( 300 K£). (SOLD 1.7 M£).

1,400 lots will be sold from 8 to 11 April by Sotheby's in Hong Kong, covering the various categories of Far Eastern art, including an Imperial flower pot (40 $ MHK), (SOLD 40 MHK$), a Song vase (55 $ MHK), (SOLD 67 MHK$). Results include fees.

On March 4 in Brussels, Pierre Bergé & Associates sells 11,000 pieces of porcelain of Zhangzhou which had vanished into the sinking of a junk in 1608. Polychrome did not survive these four centuries of immersion, so no price is estimated at more than € 1000. (SOLD 3 K€ before fees, a plate from a set of 18).

The sale of Chinese ceramics and antiques organized by Sotheby's New York on March 18 includes two bronze vases from Zhou dynasty ($ 4 million and 3 million). (UNSOLD)
An exceptional seated Tibetan Buddha of fourteenth or fifteenth century is estimated $ 2 million at Sotheby's New York on March 19. (SOLD 1.2 M$ including fees).

Christie's sells on March 19 in New York the second part of a collection of Chinese snuff bottles. One of them with European subject is estimated $ 250 K. (SOLD 850 K$ including fees). On the same day some Chinese Imperial robes are expected around $ 300 K. (SOLD a surcoat of noble woman 241 K$ including fees, no other result in that price range)