Chinese Works of Art

Based on Warring States (475-225BC) archetypes, archaistic bronze ritual wine vessels, zun, formed as tapirs became popular during the Northern Song period, remained so through to the Qing dynasty, and are major draws in Western salerooms today.

Stuttgart auction house Nagel called it ‘beyond doubt one of the most important gilt-bronzes to appear on the market for many years’ – and the monumental Ming dynasty Sino-Tibetan figure of the wrathful deity Vajrabhairava did not disappoint.

Li Keran, who died in 1989, is considered to be one of the most influential Chinese Contemporary painters. He not only taught a generation of young artists; he is credited with the revival of Chinese landscape painting.

The three-day sale at Lindsay Burns in Perth on July 20-22 includes this Qing porcelain blue and white vase decorated with five dragons contesting a flaming pearl amid cloud scrolls.

A tobacco pipe which opened the series and an opium one which ended it – interspersed by a cigar stub – met keen demand at Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium).

A pair of Chinese Qianlong Period coffee cups commissioned by portraitist Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-92) are included in Tennants’ Summer Fine Sale on July 16-17.

Included in the Cheffins Fine Sale in Cambridge on June 30-July 1 are more than 50 lots of furniture, antiques, ceramics and collectors’ items from the famous Hertfordshire estate, Julians Park.

A highlight from the Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art sale at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury on July 27 is this set of four porcelain plaques by the celebrated Republic period artist Wang Qi (1884-1937).

Copenhagen auction house Bruun Rasmussen achieved a house record with the sale of an early Ming porcelain dish.

Asian art specialist Gerald Davison has released his fourth and final book and it is a heavyweight work – literally.

As part of its spring sale series in Hong Kong, Bonhams’ Fine Chinese Art auction will open with a section titled Beauty and Beyond Women in Chinese art.

A double-gourd dragon vase was one of two excellent Chinese pieces to emerge from a deceased Hampshire estate into Selborne auction house Hannam’s (23% buyer’s premium) rooms on May 4.

Porcelain on offer in Swiss saleroom catches the eye of international bidders.

Guantype archaistic vase, seal mark and period of Yongzheng comes up at Paris auction.

The sale at Roseberys London on May 18 includes this gold and silver-inlaid bronze tapir-form zun dated to the Yuan or early Ming period.

This late Ming (17th century) jade water pot in the form of a chimera will be offered by Dreweatts on May 19.

A highlight of the Asian Art sale at Tajan will be this still-life of a pot of primroses, apples and porcelain by Chinese artist Pan Yu Liang (1895-1977).

Chiswick Auctions conducts two sales on June 1-2: the usual Asian Art sale, plus a themed sale called Chinese Art: 100 Stories.

Among the highlights of the Asian Art auction at Koller on June 2 is this ink and colour scroll painting 'Sunrise at Mount Tai' by Li Keran (1907-89).

This large, 3ft (92cm), high imperial gilt bronze figure of Varjrabhairava features in the Asian art sale at Nagel in Stuttgart on June 23-25.