Asian Art

Promoted as including the contents from a Derbyshire country home, the three-day pre-Christmas sale at Hansons (17.5% buyer’s premium) was more notable for two unusual collections and pieces which came in after a valuation day.

“Every auctioneer dreams of being instructed to handle a wide-ranging collection lovingly put together over decades and then packed away out of sight.“

Asian art sales are always unpredictable, more often than not in a positive sense.

New year brings a new sales calendar at Halls of Shrewsbury, not least launching a dedicated Asian art auction.

Jade remains ever-popular in the Chinese art field, although the market has become selective.

This 17th century Indian painting attributed to one of the best artists of the Mughal court sold for £42,000 at Sworders’ December 5 Country House Sale.

Two Qing soapstone seals sold to a Chinese bidder for Dkr1.1m (£130,640), around 100 times their estimate, at Bruun Rasmussen (24 % buyer’s premium) in Copenhagen on November 29.

December is traditionally a month when Paris focuses attention on sales of Asian art, with auctions in the rooms across the city and at the Drouot centre.

This carved wooden figure of Guanyin dating to the Song dynasty (900-1279 AD) will be the headline entry of the Asian art sale to be held by Leclère at Drouot on December 16.

The Jean-Claude Lepileur (1926-2016) collection of Chinese archaic bronzes offered as a stand-alone collection at Gorringe’s in Lewes on November 28 totalled £582,000.

MADAM – I cannot believe that I am the only one amused, confused and puzzled by your report (ATG No 2317) of the magnificent lacquer panel by the Japanese master Shibata Zeshin being chosen as the “outstanding work offered by an auction house” and gaining for Bonhams the Asian Art in London award at this autumn’s festival.

A Sino-Tibetan gilt-bronze of a serene Amitayus confounded modest expectations to sell for $690,000 (£518,000) at the Neal Auction Gallery in New Orleans.

Well-provenanced Chinese works of art posted strong sums in what was a workmanlike, rather than spectacular, Asian art season for the leading regional auctioneers.

Despite the imperfections of the market for Chinese works of art, for many regional auctioneers this still vibrant area has done much to offset the soft prices for brown furniture which used to underpin the home market.

Celebrating its 20th birthday in the British Museum’s refurbished Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery on November 9, the board of Asian Art in London was clearly proud of its achievements in promoting the city’s Asian art credentials.