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Shanghai Ampire Building

The importance of Asia in the international world of art and antiques cannot be overstated. Christie’s today announced the opening of a new home and multi-purpose art space at Shanghai’s historic Bund.  With its combination of heritage and style the location is considered to be a perfect match for the global auction house.  Located in the heart of The Bund – the symbol of the city, Christie’s Shanghai is based in the Ampire Building, built in 1907 and part of the urban landscape over the past century.  The Shanghai autumn auctions on October 24 will feature a new category of Chinese Contemporary Design as well as an evening sale of Asian and Western 20th Century and Contemporary Art and a Prestigious Lifestyle sale. A private selling exhibition, The Art of The Horse, is to be the opening exhibition at Christie’s Shanghai on October 21.  It will tour and to Hong Kong in November.  Here are some examples from the Chinese Contemporary Design sale.

Echo – a white eggshell porcelain bowl

One of a pair of Da Tian Di Bo Luo lacquered carbon fibre chairs

DA TIAN DI (SKY AND EARTH) LUOHAN BED

A summer on-line auction of vintage and modern pieces – Statement Jewels – gets underway at Christie’s today and runs to September 3.  The collection will feature everyday wearable pieces, from coloured gems to classic jadeite and pearls, and timepieces.

Vickie Sek, Deputy Chairman of Christie’s Asia and Director and Head of Jewellery and Jadeite Department said: “We have put together a selection that offers something for everyone. The online sale platform means our clients will be able to view and purchase the statement pieces that we have on offer from anywhere in the world and best of all, at accessible prices.”

Two signed sapphire & diamond rings (Van Cleef & Arpels & Boucheron) (US$5,000-7,000).

Two signed sapphire & diamond rings (Van Cleef & Arpels & Boucheron)

A jadeite, diamond, onyx and ruby brooch (US$1,000-1,500).

A pair of diamond and emerald ear pendants (US$2,500-3,800).

A gold bracelet by Van Cleef and Arpels (US$1,000-1,500).

The 8.41-Carat Pear-shape Internally Flawless (IF) Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink Diamond.

AN 8.41-carat pear-shape internally flawless (IF) fancy vivid purple-pink diamond  comes up at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on October 7.  Cut from a 19.54 carat rough it ranks amongst the rarest and most desirable of coloured diamonds ever seen at auction.

Internally Flawless clarity is extremely rare in pink diamonds, and virtually unseen in any significant pink diamond of Fancy Vivid or Fancy Intense colour grading ever sold at auction. It was mined by the world’s leading diamond corporation De Beers. The final cutting was completed in New York.  It is estimated at US$12.8-15.4 million.

The stone will be previewed in Singapore, Taipei, New York, London, Geneva and Hong Kong.

UPDATE: IT MADE A WORLD RECORD PRICE OF US$17.77 MILLION

An Enigma Cipher machine is one of the more unusual offerings at Christie’s second annual Out of the Ordinary sale in South Kensington, London on September 3.   The three rotor machine was the standard German ciphering machine widely used in World War II.  In several variants it was used, among others, by the German Navy, the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe and the Abwehr (Intelligence). It was regarded by the Germans as too complex to be broken. Its decipherment at Bletchley Park is credited in some quarters are shortening World War II by two years.  This version is estimated at £40,000-60,000.

The top lot in the sale is a late medieval broadsword with an earlier Viking blade bearing the arms of the De Bohun family (£80,000-120,000).  Christie’s say it was possibly captured at the Battle of Hastings by Humphrey De Bohun.  Unusual pop memorabilia in the sale include the front door of Sir Paul McCartney’s childhood home, 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton, Liverpool (£6,000-8,000). Out of the Ordinary comprises over 180 lots with estimates from 500 to £120,000. A portion of the sale will be offered exclusively at Christie’s on-line with bidding from  August 27 to September 10.  Highlights of the online version include an elephant bird egg.

A THREE-ROTOR ENIGMA CIPHER MACHINE c1939
Number A-4127 (£40,000-60,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014.

AN EXTREMELY RARE LATE MEDIEVAL BROADSWORD WITH EARLIER VIKING BLADE AND BEARING THE ARMS OF THE DE BOHUN FAMILY, EARLS OF HEREFORD AND ESSEX (£80,000-120,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014

A wooden front door, late 1950s, removed from 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton, Liverpool, the childhood home of Paul McCartney (£6,000-8,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014.

A VERY RARE RADFORD MINI DE VILLE
BY HAROLD RADFORD COACHBUILDERS LTD., 1964 (£40,000-50,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014

The Black Label Ballerina Butterfly brooch.

The link between jewellery designer Cindy Chao, actress Sarah Jessica Parker and the New York City Ballet is the Ballerina Butterfly brooch to be auctioned in October.  Sotheby’s will sell the brooch, designed by Chao and Parker, to benefit the New York City Ballet in Hong Kong on October 7.  The Black Label Ballerina Butterfly brooch was completed over the course of two years, melding together Chao’s exceptional craftsmanship along with Parker’s discerning eye for style and design. The resulting creation is a diamond and conch pearl brooch featuring a 26.27 carat cushion-cut fancy brown diamond, three rough brown diamond slices, three pieces of conch pearls surrounded by 4,698 diamonds and fancy coloured diamonds. Inspired by the graceful beauty of ballet it can be worn either right-side up or upside-down to create two silhouettes.  It is estimated at US$750,000-950,000.

The Black Label Masterpiece Butterflies are one of Chao’s coveted motifs and revered by collectors worldwide. This is Chao’s first art jewel collaboration.  “Sarah Jessica and I are two very different creative minds sharing the same artistic vision and passion” Chao said. “She truly appreciates the essence and soul of my creations, and I admire her innovative yet classic view of fashion and style”.

UPDATE: IT MADE HK$9.4 million.

A County Antrim collection of  18th and early 19th century glass, which includes decanters from Bushmills, will be offered at Dreweatts and Bloomsbury’s Summer Sale at Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire on August 28.  The single owner collection was begun in the mind-1980’s with a focus on Dutch and Irish glass.  There is a late 19th century set of three cut and engraved spirit decanters from Bushmills, widely regarded as the oldest licensed distillery in the world.  The set, probably made for a tantalus, is inscribed:  The Bushmills Old Distillery Pure Malt, Co. Antrim, Ireland.  A pot still, the company’s original trade mark, is engraved in the centre.  It is estimated at £300-500.  A Dutch diamond engraved marriage goblet by Adam Frederik van Schurman (1730-1783), an amateur engraver related to the  engraver Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-1678), dates from 1757 and is estimated at £6,000-8,000.

An Irish cut glass pedestal bowl c1800 (£200-300).  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £450

A set of three Bushmills cut and engraved spirit decanters (£300-500).  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £550

A Waterloo, Cork, decanter and stopper (£300-500). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £600

An Irish decanter, possibly by Cork Glass Company, c1800 – cracked (£100.150).  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £170

A Dutch marriage goblet signed and dated by A.F. Schurman 1757 (£6,000-8,000).  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

Album of mounted photographs showing the daily progress of the building of a 54 ton trolley wagon for a rail gun at Gateshead Works dated September 13, 1914.  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

One of the images.

One of the more collectible lot at Dolan’s August auction in Clifden is a century old album of mounted photographs relating to the manufacture of armaments for World War 1.   The on trend lot of 47 photographs depicts the manufacture of a 54 ton trolley for a rail gun at Gateshead Works.

Dated September 13, 1914 the photos cover the entire manufacturing process which got underway almost exactly a century ago on September 1, 1914.  The Great War officially started on June 28 1914 with the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria Hungary throne.  This album shows the building of the rail gun wagon at Gateshead just over two months later.  It shows the different crews employed and the finished carriage with canon and is estimated at 1,000-1,500. Silver, furniture, paintings, books and affordable Irish art will all come under the hammer at this two day auction in Connemara on August 4 and 5. Furniture, art and collectibles – including the World War album – will be offered on August Monday, with Irish art, rugs and outdoor effects on the following day. Both sales get underway at 12.30 p.m.  Included in the sale will be paintings and furniture from the collection of artist Kenneth Webb.