This jade ritual vessel sold for 380,000 at James Adam, Dublin.
A tiny Chinese jade ritual vessel made 380,000 at the James Adam Sunday Interiors auction on May 11. It had been estimated at 4,000-6,000. It was bought by a bidder on the telephone from Beijing. The underbidder was in Hong Kong.
The pale russet and jade vessel dating from the 18th-19th century is carved in shallow relief with stylised Taotie mask and archaistic scrolls. The handle has a double ended chilong dragon with a detachable mouth ring. It measures just 12 centimetres high. The piece came from the executors of a Dublin estate.
The sale underlines the global nature of the market. The internet has become a feature in many sales. It is no longer unusual to find collectors from more than 100 countries registering to buy at a single auction in the big international houses.
Afterwards James O’Halloran, managing director at James Adam, commented that the price is very much in line with other Chinese artefacts which have made exceptional prices throughout the UK and Ireland in latter years.