Getting the New Year off to a good start at Addisons of Barnard Castle, County Durham, a 20th century blue and white porcelain table screen by the renowned Chinese ceramic artist Wang Bu (1898-1968) improved upon an estimate of just £130-150 to sell for £34,300.
Wang Bu, the son of Wang Xiuging, a popular
porcelain painter during the reigns of Tongzhi and Guangxu, began
his apprenticeship in Jingdezhen at the age of nine.
Although his career spanned over 60 years
and took in various styles and techniques (after the closure of the
imperial workshops he made a living painting bird feeders), the
artist is particularly well known for his work in underglaze blue.
Indeed, by his later years, he had earned the title of qinghua
dawang - the king of blue and white.
After competitive online bidding from the UK
and overseas on January 3, the 2ft 1in (63cm) high screen painted
with a mountainous landscape was knocked down to a Canadian
buyer.
Richard Edwards, senior auctioneer and
valuer at Addisons, was delighted with the result: "There is a
strong market for Chinese works of art but, even so, the appeal of
individual objects can sometimes take you by surprise."
The buyer's premium 15%.
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