Chinese Works of Art

Ritchies, the Toronto auction house founded in 1967 and declared bankrupt in 2009, are trading again. And in spectacular style.

The toast of November’s clutch of Asian art sales was not to be found in London or Salisbury but in Leyburn.

Edinburgh-based auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull will offer a pair of Chinese filigree fans at their Asian sale on December 5.

This pair of Chinese export enamelled incense holders in the form of elephants are on offer at Dreweatts’ November 21 sale in Donnington Priory, Newbury.

This Chinese porcelain enamel-decorated wig stand was purchased by the vendor’s father from a country house sale in 1953.

Cast in the shape of a standing tapir, this Chinese bronze censer was acquired in China by the vendor’s grandfather Sir Percy Alden (1865-1944), a British social worker, land reformer and politician.

Fishermen are reported to have discovered another ancient shipwreck, complete with cargo, in the South China Sea near Vung Tau off the South East coast of Vietnam.

Decorated by William Burges (1827-1881), this silver mounted Chinese carved celadon jade bowl it to be offered at Dreweatts in Donnington Priory, Newbury on September 12.

The Chinese market may have slowed down a bit in the last six months, but this sector nevertheless remains of great importance to UK provincial auctioneers.

The continuing strength of the Chinese market – both the seemingly endless supply of Chinese ceramics and works of art and the demand for them – has meant provincial auctioneers have had to become increasingly knowledgeable about what is on their doorstep.

A pair of 19th or early 20th century Chinese porcelain fish bowls found in a barn on the grounds of a local country house are on sale at Reeman Dansie’s two-day auction on July 31-August 1 in Colchester.

This Chinese cloisonné enamel crane from the Qing Dynasty (18th-19th century) will be offered in Dreweatts’ Donnington Priory sale on June 27.

For the second time in three years Middlesex saleroom Bainbridge’s turned up the most talked-about consignment of the recent Asian art sales.

This Chinese export sideboard dating from the late 19th century is estimated to fetch £800-1200 at East Bristol Auctions on May 26.

A 76-lot single-owner collection of Imperial Chinese porcelain, jade and ivories from the Ming and Qing dynasties is to be offered at The Canterbury Auctions Galleries’ two-day sale on May 22-23 in Kent.

New London auction outfit Artem will host their inaugural sale on May 18 at the Royal Institute of Great Britain on Albemarle Street, W1.

CHINESE hardstone carvings worth millions have been stolen from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

TWO Chinese works of art valued at £1.8m have been stolen from Durham University’s Oriental Museum in a night-time raid.

JUBILEE Antiques & Art Auction will become the first Chinese auction house to conduct sales in the West when they hold an auction of Asian works of art at the Bloomsbury Hotel on May 12.

SOTHEBY’S concluded their latest Hong Kong series of sales on April 4, raising a premium-inclusive total of over HK$2.46bn (£212.5m) for the eight sales containing over 2780 lots.