Chinese Works of Art

Recent sales show the appetite for Chinese art from bidders with deep pockets is not at all diminished

One of the more unusual items on offer at Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) Summer Fine Sale was a lock of hair from the 19th century nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). It was thought to have been cut in 1883 when she was 63 years old.

The colours and designs of Qing dynasty robes were designed to convey rank and entitlement.

The pale blue hue known as clair-de-lune is one of the most treasured Qing monochrome glazes, and was reserved exclusively for imperial porcelains.

This unusual famille rose ‘cong’ form vase is finely painted with scenes of huntsmen, two with camels and two on horses.

A lot that made far more than expected at Drouot’s latest Asian art sales was this large circular blue and white dish which came up at Theirry de Maigret (30% buyer’s premium inc tax).

Over the course of six days from June 7-14, a dozen sales devoted to the arts of Asia were staged by 11 firms at the Drouot auction centre as part of Printemps Asiatique.

A group of Chinese objects in a June 14 sale of furniture and works of art held by Coutau Begarie (30% buyer’s premium inc tax) included this carved celadon jade group dated to the 18th century.

A long bidding battle took this Qianlong mark and period covered vase to a triple-estimate €230,000 (£194,915) to top Peschetau-Badin’s (30% buyer’s premium inc tax) Asian arts sale on June 13.

There was saleroom drama at Aste di Antiquariato Boetto (25% buyer’s premium) in Genoa on June 19 when a 12in (30cm) Chinese blue and white jar estimated at €2000-2300 shot to €820,000 (£692,000).

Two days needed to disperse items collected over generations thanks to biscuit production success

Estimated at $15,000-20,000 but hammering for $135,000 (£107,000), the highlight of the Asian works of art sale at Tenmoku (28/25/20% buyer’s premium) was a Chinese white-glazed incised dragon vase.

A Qing vase later converted to a lamp sailed beyond expectations at an Andrew Jones Collections & Estates sale.

A Chinese export oil showing a Qing emperor at court led a single-owner dispersal at Tremont Auctions (27% buyer’s premium) in Sudbury, Massachusetts, on May 5.