Sotheby's - Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art - March 18, 2008 Sotheby’s March 18th sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art in New York will feature archaic bronzes, Qing period jades, ceramics of the Five Dynasties to the Early Ming period and more.
News-Antique.com - Feb 13,2008 - New York, New York – Sotheby’s March 18th sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art in New York will feature archaic bronzes, Qing period jades, ceramics of the Five Dynasties to the Early Ming period, bamboo carvings and Ming and Qing dynasty porcelains and works of art from a number of distinguished private collections. Property from the sale, which is expected to bring $18/23 million, will be on view beginning March 13th. Highlighting the spring sale are two archaic bronzes led by an outstanding and extremely rare archaic bronze wine vessel, Fangyi, Western Zhou dynasty (pictured above, est. $3.8/4.5 million). The four-sided vessel is boldly cast on each side in raised relief with a central taotie animal-mask panel. Another smaller extremely rare archaic bronze wine vessel, Fangzun, Western Zhou dynasty, bears a similar four-sided form and taotie animal-masks but with a round neck and wide trumpet mouth, crisply cast with descending dragons on the neck and foot (pictured on page 2, top, est.
$2.8/3.5 million). The two vessels bear the same inscription and were cast in the same period for one patron and occasion.
Exquisite ceramics from the Five Dynasties, Song, Jin, Yuan and early Ming periods are represented by the more than 30 lots from the Dexingshuwu Collection. Highlighting this collection is a ‘Jun’ purple-splashed narcissus bowl, incised si (‘four’) to the base (est. $400/500,000); a very rare ‘Jun’ mallow-shaped lavender-glazed jardinière, incised san (‘three’) to the base (est. $350/450,000); and a fine and rare 'longquan' celadon carved pear-shaped bottle vase, (yuhuchunping), Hongwu period of the Ming dynasty (pictured here, est. $300,000/500,000).
The offerings of jade will include works from a Mid-Western Collector, including a fine and rare spinach-green jade brushpot, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (pictured here, est. $250/350,000). At 6", the exterior is beautifully carved and undercut with four scholars and their acolytes in a mountainous landscape. A fine and rare white jade Mughal-style jar, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, will also be on offer from the same collection (est. $60/80,000). This delicately carved vessel, just under 6" wide, bears twin acanthus and pendant flower-bud blossoms at the shoulder, and a floriform foot.
The largest private collection of the sale, from the Property of an Important Private American Collection, offers more than 200 lots of Ming and Qing dynasty porcelains, rhinoceros horn carvings, jades, furniture and other works of art of the highest quality. The cornerstone of the sale of this offering is a
magnificent and extremely rare pair of Huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs inlaid with mother-of-pearl, horn, ivory, amber and soapstone embellishments and dragons, 17th/18th century (pictured here, est. $300/500,000). Included is a ‘Doucai’ five-lobed vase (meiping), Qianlong seal mark and period (pictured here, est. $140/180,000). At over 10” high, the vase is a masterpiece for its complex and innovative lobed form and for the brilliant execution of the painting reflecting a traditional Ming period style. Inspired by the classical forms of the Tang and Song dynasties, it was reinterpreted to reflect contemporary sensibilities.
Rounding out the
