A rare guan bottle vase Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) took $2,580,000 to lead the live sale of J.J. Lally & Co.
NEW YORK CITY — Christie’s Asian Art Week totaled $66,951,228 across the series of eight auctions. With the global participation of more than 500 clients across six continents, the firm’s salesroom witnessed six world records and eight works achieving more than $1 million. Christie’s Asian Art Week New York live sales achieved a total of $63,332,004 and 164 percent hammer above low estimate. There was global participation with more than 500 bidders from six continents. During the week, Christie’s achieved six records and eight lots exceeded $1 million across all sales. Live sales concluded on March 23 and 24 with Chinese works of art. J.J. Lally & Co., featuring rare Chinese ceramics and works of art that defined an era of collecting in this category made $18,699,528, three times the low estimate. Important Chinese ceramics and works of art achieved $18,288,012, which realized 164 percent by low estimate. The top lot of Asian Art Week New York was a white porcelain moon jar, which sold for a record $4,560,000. Online sales continued through March 30.
Christie’s sale of Japanese and Korean art on March 21 achieved a total of $11,413,992, an impressive 253 percent hammer above low estimate. There was global participation with registered bidders from 22 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. The sale attracted heavy bidding and spirited applause as records fell for pieces in two categories. A rare impression of one of the most reproduced images in all of art history, “Under the Well of the Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” the Japanese woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai brought a record price of $2,760,000. A white porcelain moon jar sold for $4,560,000, setting the new record for an example of this prototypical category of Korean pottery.
The sale of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian works of art on March 22 achieved a total of $2,951,802, with participation from bidders and buyers in 14 countries across Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. The top lot of the sale was a large grey schist figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, which realized $693,000. Pieces from Tibet made particularly strong prices, including a rare painting of Milarepa, which made $226,800; a large gilt-bronze figure of Akshobhya that brought almost twice its low estimate at $214,000; and a rare copper and silver inlaid bronze figure of Vira Vajradharma, which sold for $100,800, almost seven times its low estimate.
Among Chinese ceramics and works of art, this rare huanghuali folding chair (Seventeenth Century) led the sale at $2,820,000.
South Asian Modern + contemporary art on March 22 achieved a total of $11,978,670. The auction was 100 percent sold by lot, and 263 percent sold by low estimate. Christie’s set multiple auction records during the sale. The top lot of the sale was Manjit Bawa’s untitled (Durga), which realized $1,980,000, a new global auction record for the artist. The sale also achieved notable results for Francis Newton Souza’s “View From Crawford Market, Bombay,” which brought $1,740,000, almost six times its low estimate. Two other works that soared past their low estimates were Sayed Haider Raza’s untitled (Houses) making $756,000, five times its low estimate, and Akabar Padamsee’s “Rouen,” which also made $756,000, three times its low estimate. Christie’s achieved auction records for the artists Jeram Patel, Rummana Hussain, Rashid Choudhury, Ratan Parimoo, Vinod Rai Patel, Shanti Dave (for a work on paper), Jamini Roy (for a textile) and Zarina (for a paper sculpture).
The March 24 live sale of J.J. Lally & Co., featuring a range of rare Chinese works of art made $18,699,528, three times the low estimate. Almost 200 bidders took part, with bids coming from around the world, dominated by the Asia Pacific region, which accounted for almost 80 percent of participants. One in 10 participants was new to the category, and one in five buyers was Generation Z. The sale was led by two outstanding pieces. A rare guan bottle vase brought three times its low estimate, achieving $2,580,000. A rare imperial fahua jar, guan made $1,500,000, more than seven times its low estimate. Other outstanding results from the sale include:
Chinese ceramics and works of art, March 23-24, achieved $18,288,012, which was 164 percent by low estimate. The top lot of the sale was a rare huanghuali folding chair, which made $2,820,000. Other notable lots include, a rare huanghuali daybed, which achieved $1,260,000; a rare painted wood figure of a standing bodhisattva, which brought $894,600, more than eight times its low estimate; and a rare set of four zitan stools, which fetched $781,200, more than five times the low estimate; a rare small doucai moon flask, which sold for $378,000, more than doubling its low estimate; and a rare bronze ritual wine vessel, jue, which realized $453,600.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.christies.com.
