Leading the sale at $55,000 was this Chinese tripod censer and cover from the mid Qing dynasty made from cloisonne enamel and gilt bronze.
Review by Kiersten Busch
DALLAS — Heritage Auctions offered nearly 200 lots of Asian art from across the continent in its Fine & Decorative Asian Art Signature Auction, which took place on September 24. The sale totaled $794,194, with 87 percent sold by lot.
Charlene Wang, business development specialist for fine and decorative arts and luxury categories at Heritage, commented after the sale: “We are very pleased with the results and we believe the sale performed beyond our expectations, especially considering the current economic challenges in Asia. For this sale, we focused on curating a smaller but higher-quality collection. By reducing the number of lots by 42 percent — from 417 to 238 — we were still able to increase the overall value by 17 percent compared to our last auction in March. This approach allowed us to emphasize selectivity and quality, resulting in stronger performance across all of our art categories.”
When asked about the bidders’ pool for this sale, Wang responded, “For Asian art, we have a significant following among clients in Asia, particularly in China and Japan, supported by our offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo. However, the majority of our buyers are still based in the US.”
Leading the sale was a Chinese cloisonné enamel and gilt bronze tripod censer and cover, dated to the mid-Qing dynasty. The censer had a domed lid which was decorated with five bats in ruyi heads against a turquoise blue ground. Its openwork gilt finial contained stylized lotus blooms and scrolling foliage. The censer’s globular body contained images of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, while its shoulders were flanked by a pair of gilt dragon-form handles. Each dragon was crafted with five claws on each foot, which, according to the auction catalog, was a symbol reserved for the emperor. The entire piece rested on three cabriole legs, which were issued from gilt-bronze lion masks. With provenance to Manheim Galleries in New Orleans, La., in 1975, the censer sold for $55,000.
This Chinese tripod censer made with overlaid glass had the second-highest price of the sale. The inclusion of the character “Lu” made it unique, earning the piece a $52,500 finish.
Another tripod censer from China, this example made with overlaid glass, earned the second-highest price of the sale. It contained a seven-character Qianlong mark and was of the period. The censer was from the collection of Sal Monteleone — one of a few prominent collections that were highlighted in the sale — and had additional provenance to E & J Frankel, whom Monteleone acquired the piece from somewhere between the 1970s and 1990s. Despite a $2/3,000 pre-sale estimate, the censer sold for $52,500.
Wang said that the lot was a “wonderful surprise,” explaining, “While the mark underneath features the classic six-character Qianlong mark, what makes this piece unusual is the additional character, ‘Lu.’ This is part of a unique numbering system used by the imperial workshop. Instead of numbers, they selected characters from the Thousand Character Text, a Chinese poem from the Sixth Century used to teach characters to children. The presence of this rare character confirms that this censer originated from the Imperial Glass Workshop in Beijing, which exclusively produced glassware for the imperial family.”
Rounding out the top three highest selling lots of the sale was a pair of Chinese carved and reticulated giltwood panels, both on stands, which earned $35,000, against an initial estimate of $3/5,000. This lot was “perhaps the most magnificent example of a gilt wood panel we have encountered,” said Wang. “It is quite rare to see them used as screens, as they are more commonly found as architectural elements or hanging panels. This pair is particularly special, bearing a mark that dates them specifically to the Guangxu period, between the 18th and 22nd year (1892-1895). The artisan spent five years intricately carving these complex patterns, and what is even more remarkable is that they have been preserved in such good condition to this day.”
This pair of Chinese carved and reticulated giltwood panels on stands were from the Guangxu period and displayed various Buddhist and Taoist immortals. From the collection of Mr James C. Holcomb, the pair unfolded to $35,000.
From Thailand, a gilt bronze walking Buddha Shakyamuni figure maneuvered its way to a $23,750 finish. Property of the collection of Dr John Ross, Sr, it was previously exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago and The Brooklyn Museum. The figure also appeared in Pratapadiya Pal’s book Light of Asia: Buddha Sakyamuni in Asian Art (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1984).
Heritage’s next sale dedicated to Asian art will take place on December 10. The next live signature sale will be in March, during Asia Week.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 214-528-3500 or www.ha.com.
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