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Chinese Art Captures Bidder Interest
in San Francisco on June 29th
http://www.bonhams.com/usasian
Bonhams & Butterfields’ $3.3-million Asian Art Sale
Beats Expectations
Collectors vied for Chinese works of art at auction on Monday, June 29, 2009 in San Francisco, paying strong prices during the $3.3-million sale of Asian Works of Art held in the salesrooms of international fine arts auctioneers Bonhams & Butterfields. Competitive bidding was seen for rare 17th and 18th century tables and cupboards, for delicately painted hanging screens and panels, and for bronzes, carved jades and scholars’ objects.
Two rare and desirable painting tables interested collectors assembled in the standing-room-only salesroom on Monday. A bidder paid $109,800, twice the estimate, for a rare 17th/18th century huanghuali rectangular painting table (pingtou an) while a rare 19th century zitan painting table sold for $134,000, nearly ten times the pre-auction expectation. The zitan table, from the Estate of Elise Mudd Marvin, daughter of a former Dean of the USC School of Medicine and niece of the founder of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA, is constructed from three long boards, the apron and leg fronts all carved in subtle relief with lingzhi forms, each leg attached diagonally to the underside of the table by a curving giant's arm brace.
Top lot of the 355-lot sale is a massive pair of 18th century huanghuali two-section hat cupboards which brought $452,000. Each standing more than six-feet high, the handsome cupboards were estimated at $60/80,000, with matching well-figured paneled doors opening to drawers, shelves and storage compartments.
“They are a spectacular pair of cabinets,” says Dessa Goddard, Director of Asian Art, Bonhams North America, “made of elegantly figured solid huanghuali, a great rarity in the current market. They were a main center of attention during the pre-auction viewing, and the competition to own the cupboards was very fierce. We are delighted with the result.”
Also bringing strong prices were an elegant 18th century huanghuali two-drawer altar coffer, its framed top supporting a pair of drawers set off by scrolling frames and baitong plates (brought $30,500); a pair of elegant 17th century huanghuali square stools (fangdeng) sold within estimate for $21,960; and a pair of huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs sold within estimate for $48,800.
A fine Mughal style nephrite teapot – finely carved in subtle relief to its peach-shaped body and spout – sold for $61,000. Among the jade carvings offered, a nine-inch wide late Qing Dynasty white jade covered censer brought $24,400 and a smaller late Qing Dynasty white jade censer, carved in three sections, sold for $48,800.
Bidders vied for a Qing Dynasty ceremonial suit of armor and helmet, pushing its price to $64,050 (est. $15/20,000) while a fine 18th century Sino-Tibetan gilt bronze figure of Vaishravana, the Guardian of the North, quadrupled its estimate to bring $48,800.
The Chinese section included ceramics such as a fine Northern Song Dynasty Junyao saucer dish from the Breitbart Collection and the collection of George de Batz, and formerly exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which sold for $45,750. From the collection of Elise Mudd Marvin came desirable blue and white porcelains. Ms. Marvin’s 15-inch tall pair of Jiaqing Period blue and white porcelain pricket candle stands sold above estimate for $30,500.
From another collection came a group of three Republic Period famille rose enameled porcelain figural panels by Wang Qi (1884-1937). More than 31-inches high and eight-inches wide, the panels depict a bearded recluse and his servant, a fisherman, and a scholar with an auspicious crane - each seen within wooded settings, each signed, dated and marked. The lot brought $109,800, exceeding its $20/30,000 estimate.
The section closed with Chinese paintings, featuring a set of four hanging scrolls, each decorated with ink and color on silk to masterfully depict Buddhist ascetics in various pursuits. The 17th century scrolls, titled Eighteen Louhan, brought $182,000. From a private estate came a large hanging scroll in ink and color on silk titled The Knick-knack Peddler, a work after the 12th century artist Su Hanchen. A bidding battle included an overseas collector participating via telephone, the lot sold for $30,500.
“We are thrilled with the overall results of the June auction,” states Dessa Goddard. “The strong prices exhibited in all areas of Asian art speak to a market hungry for fine, fresh objects. We are particularly encouraged by the strength of the Chinese furniture market -this should spur interest in the upcoming Geldart Collection of Chinese furniture and scholars objects, which we will offer in September at our Madison Avenue gallery in New York City.”
Prices realized in the June sale will remain online with the illustrated catalog, please visit: www.bonhams.com/us. For more information on Asian Art sales at Bonhams, please visit: www.bonhams.com/usasian.
Press Contact: Levi Morgan, PR.US@bonhams.com, 415-53-3348
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America and in August 2003, Goodmans, a leading Australian fine art and antiques auctioneer with salerooms in Sydney, joined the Bonhams Group of Companies. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further seven throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston in the USA; and Switzerland, France, Monaco, Australia, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com. (01-08) For other press releases, go to www.bonhams.com/press.
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