Asian Art

For the first time London’s three major auction houses will host commercial dealer and gallery exhibitions as part of Asian Art in London (AAL).

Five works by one of the greatest exponents of the intricate art of cloisonné enamel were included in Alderfer Auction’s (23% buyer’s premium) Collectors sale staged on July 24-25.

Revere Auctions’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale in St Paul, Minnesota, titled Eternal Beauty: Splendors in Asian Art was dominated by a group of Chinese jades that came by descent from the family of Jerry O’Brien (1902-51).

Islamic artefact about to appear at auction was once part of V&A collection

For Amersham Auction Rooms, it was just another house clearance.

Recent sales show the appetite for Chinese art from bidders with deep pockets is not at all diminished

One of the more unusual items on offer at Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) Summer Fine Sale was a lock of hair from the 19th century nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). It was thought to have been cut in 1883 when she was 63 years old.

The colours and designs of Qing dynasty robes were designed to convey rank and entitlement.

The pale blue hue known as clair-de-lune is one of the most treasured Qing monochrome glazes, and was reserved exclusively for imperial porcelains.

This unusual famille rose ‘cong’ form vase is finely painted with scenes of huntsmen, two with camels and two on horses.

Himalayan gilt metal statuettes featured prominently among the best-sellers in several Drouot sales including a number of modestly estimated examples that were pursued to way past their guides.

A lot that made far more than expected at Drouot’s latest Asian art sales was this large circular blue and white dish which came up at Theirry de Maigret (30% buyer’s premium inc tax).

These two very different screens were among the notable results recorded in the Asian sales at Drouot.

Over the course of six days from June 7-14, a dozen sales devoted to the arts of Asia were staged by 11 firms at the Drouot auction centre as part of Printemps Asiatique.

A group of Chinese objects in a June 14 sale of furniture and works of art held by Coutau Begarie (30% buyer’s premium inc tax) included this carved celadon jade group dated to the 18th century.

Dealer Speelman’s own figures and vessels shine among Asian art sales held in Paris

A long bidding battle took this Qianlong mark and period covered vase to a triple-estimate €230,000 (£194,915) to top Peschetau-Badin’s (30% buyer’s premium inc tax) Asian arts sale on June 13.