Demand Continues to Blow Out Regional Sales of Chinese Works of Art

Boston’s Skinner just held an April sale of Chinese works of art that brought in $3.2m with numerous items selling far beyond estimates:

• a beautiful hanging scroll depicting branches attributed to Qi Baishi exceeding its estimate high of $500, selling for $65,175. Other scrolls and paintings that performed well included a Chinese fan painting of a landscape, which sold for $41,475; a matted painting of a lady bug that went for $41,475; a framed fan with the painted image of a man in a boat on a river that brought $31,995; and a hanging scroll with the image of a Chang Jiang river landscape that sold for $28,440.
• A disc-shaped, copper red and underglaze blue flask from the 18th century was the auction’s top selling lot, exceeding the presale estimate of $25,000 to go for $270,000. This flask depicts a leaping full-face dragon encircled with a “flaming pearl” and a Qianlong mark is found on the base.
• a 17th century libation cup depicting several chilong, sold for $67,375, and a 19th century libation cup in the form of a lotus that sold for $14,220.
• a bottle-form vase from the K’ang-hsi period. The vase exceeded its estimate high of $15,000 selling for $79,625. Made from polychrome enamel on bronze with a turquoise blue ground, it came to Skinner from the collection of Robert M. Hoi and had previously been purchased at the American Art Association sale on February 18, 1911.
• Other notable pieces of cloisonne bringing high prices included an 18th century censer decorated with scrolling lotus flowers and leaves, marked with “Xuan De Nian Zhi Se” at the base, which sold for $24,885.00; a pair of cloisonne vases in the “nui tou zun” shape depicting the story of “He Lu Tong Chun” that brought $33,180; a pair of cloisonne pagodas that sold for $29,625; and a court necklace container decorated with fu, lu, and shou seal script characters that went for $27,255.
• a beautifully crafted Chinese Huanghuali table that brought $41,475, exceeding its pre-sale high estimate of $1,200. Other featured pieces that brought top prices include a Huanghuali settee, which sold for $23,700; a Huanghuali dressing table that went for $18,960; a Hunaghuali folding armchair that sold for $14,220; and a 19th century blackwood display cabinet that brought $11,850.

Demand for Fine Asian Works of Art Remains Strong; Skinner Auction Grosses $3.2M (MarketWatch)