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THE CREATIVITY OF QING CRAFTSMEN

Friday, April 29th, 2016

The large blue and white lotus bouquet dish.

This large blue and white lotus bouquet dish at Sotheby’s sale of Important Chinese Art in London on May 11 embodies the creativity of Qing craftsmen.

They combined contemporary elements with antiquity. The fine porcelain body and smooth glaze is typical of the Qianlong period. The lotus bouquet motif is inspired by the wares of the early Ming Dynasty.

Dishes painted with a lotus bouquet were first revived under the Yongzheng Emperor who was keen to see historical pieces replicated as a reminder of the nations glorious past. By the Qianlong reign the style of painting of this motif was slightly altered and applied on dishes of various shapes and sizes of which this is the largest known type. It is estimated at £60,000-80,000.

The auction will feature jades, early ceramics and Chinese furniture.

Tags: QIANLONG, sotheby's
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A RODIN AT AUCTION FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

Thursday, April 21st, 2016

Auguste Rodin – L’Éternel Printemps UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR $20.4 MILLION, A NEW RECORD

A rare marble of one of Rodin’s most celebrated forms comes up at Sotheby’s evening sale of Impressionist and Modern Art in New York on May 9. L’Éternel Printemps ranks among his most skillful renderings of embracing lovers. Conceived in 1884 and carved in 1901-02 from a single block of marble it is estimated at $8-12 million. This sculpture is believed to be the fifth of ten known uniquely finished carvings of the subject in marble, and this is the first time it has come to auction. It was singled out in Frederick Lawton’s 1906 biography on the artist as the most magnificent of the series. A Rodin marble of this subject has not appeared on the market in over two decades.

This marble was commissioned by the German diplomat Hellmuth Baron Lucius von Stoedten (1869-1934). Baron von Stoedten, who lived between Berlin and Paris, was a close friend of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who played a seminal role between artist and patron in the commission of this marble. Rilke was famously inspired by Rodin’s sculptures and wrote a series of poems in their tribute. The friendship between these three great minds of the late nineteenth century tells an intriguing story behind this carving of L’Éternel Printemps. Other marbles from this series belong in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest (1901); the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (1906); The Museum of Decorative Arts, Buenos Aires (1907); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1906-07) and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen (1907-1910).

Tags: L’Éternel Printemps, Rodin, sotheby's
Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | 1 Comment »

FROM EARTH TO FIRE: EUROPEAN CERAMICS, SILVER AND OBJECTS AT SOTHEBY’S

Wednesday, April 13th, 2016

The first sale at Sotheby’s exclusively dedicated to European Ceramics, Silver and Objects of Vertu at Sotheby’s in almost a decade will take place in London on May 10. Testament to the ever-growing appetite of international collectors for unique pieces encapsulating the finest craftsmanship and materials of their time, the 265 lots in the sale are led by Dutch silver, ceramics and glass from the collection of the renowned Amsterdam antiques dealer Joseph M. Morpurgo. The focus of the “From Earth to Fire” auction is on the creation of pieces born from the earth and transformed through the kiln into exquisite works. The sale also includes sculptural Paul Storr silver, early Chelsea porcelain scent bottles and a private collection of French gold boxes. Estimates range from £2,000-70,000.

A pair of Victorian silver table centre dessert bowls
Paul Storr for Storr & Mortimer, London, 1838 (£50,000-70,000)

An agate cup and cover
Jean-Valentin Morel, Paris, circa 1836-40 (£40,000-60,000)

A selection from the auction.

An English opaque-white glass vase and a cover, circa 1760 (£7,000-10,000)

Tags: Paul Storr, sotheby's
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SIGNAC, DERAIN AND VLAMINCK AT SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK

Saturday, April 9th, 2016

Vibrant paintings by Signac, Derain and Vlaminck will lead Sotheby’s evening sale of Impressionist and Modern art in New York on May 9. Paul Signac’s Maisons du port, Saint-Tropez ($8-12 million) is a pointillist painting from 1882. Inscribed Op.237 it has remained in the family collection of Ambassador John Langeloth Loeb, Jr. since his parents acquired it in 1958. It is at auction for the first time.

Andreì Derain’s Les Voiles rouges ($15-20 million) and Maurice de Vlaminck’s Sous-bois ($12-18 million) were acquired in 1954 by art patron and philanthropist Sarah Campbell Blaffer of Houston, Texas. She was the daughter of William Thomas Campbell, the founder of the Texas Company, later known as Texaco. They have remained in her family’s collection since. Only four major Fauve paintings have sold at auction since 2010. These are considered the finest works to have come to auction since Derain’s Arbres a Collioure sold for £16.3 million in June 2010.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for April 28, 2010)

Andre Derain – Les Voiles rouges

Paul Signac – Maisons du port, Saint-Tropez

Maurice de Vlaminck – Sous-boix

Tags: Andre Derain, Maurice de Vlaminck, Paul Signac, sotheby's
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THE UNIQUE PINK UNVEILED AT SOTHEBY’S TODAY

Thursday, April 7th, 2016

The Unique Pink.

The “Unique Pink” at 15.38 carats the spectacular stone is the largest fancy vivid pink pear-shaped diamond ever offered at auction, was unveiled at Sotheby’s in London today. It comes up at Geneva on May 17. The stone’s exquisite pear shape and brilliant cut accentuate its exceptional saturation, placing it in a rarefied category even among the world’s most beautiful diamonds. In addition to receiving the highest possible colour grading for a pink diamond from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the “Unique Pink” has been found to be Type IIa, displaying “exceedingly pure structure”. The estimate is US$28-38 million.
David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, commented: “It is difficult to imagine a diamond that better illustrates the term Vivid Pink than this outstanding stone. The colour is simply astonishing and, for its size, it is in my experience truly unique.”

UPDATE: This sold for US$31.5 million

Tags: sotheby's, Unique Pink
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PILKINGTON YONGLE MOONFLASK MAKES US$14.2 MILLION

Wednesday, April 6th, 2016

Nicholas Chow, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Asia with the Yongle Moonflask.

Whatever you do don’t drop it. Sotheby’s Nicholas Chow holds the Pilkington Yongle Moonflask which has just sold for US$14.2 million at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong. The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art made a total of US$64.5 million on the fifth day of Sotheby’s Hong Kong spring sales, far exceeding the pre-sale high estimate of US$28.5 million. The early 15th century blue and white moon flask, inspired in shape and decoration by Middle Eastern models, was the top lot in a sale which achieved spectacular results. The complex geometric design had no precedent in Chinese art. It had had a pre-sale high estimate of $4.5 million. A blue and white Yongle holy water vessel sold for US$12.7 million.

Roger Pilkington

Spanning 1,000 years of Chinese porcelain production the Pilkington Collection includes rare pieces from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. Around 100 lots came under the hammer. The collection was assembled in the 1950’s and ’60’s by the late Roger Pilkington of the Lancashire glassmaking family.

Tags: Nicholas Chow, Roger Pilkington, sotheby's, Yongle Moonflask
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DEMAND FOR PICASSO CERAMICS GROWS

Wednesday, April 6th, 2016

Pablo Picasso – Tripode and Gros Oiseau.

Demand for Picasso ceramics continues apace. At Sotheby’s in London buyers drove the total for ‘Important Picasso Ceramics’ to almost double pre-sale expectations. The auction raised £2,201,250 with 98% of the lots sold and around a third of buyers new to Sotheby’s. The total had been estimated at £1.14-1.65 million. The top lot was Tripode, a large terre de faïence vase (1951, numbered 47/75), which sold to a private collector for £191,000. Gros oiseau Picasso, a large terre de faïence vase (1953, numbered 35/75), made £106,250.

Lucy Rosenburgh, Sotheby’s Picasso ceramics specialist, commented afterwards: “These results demonstrate the enormous appeal of Picasso’s ceramics. Collectors can envisage easily fitting these pieces in their homes and living with them – something Picasso would have delighted in when he decided to produce his editions. Over the past five years, London has proved to be the focal point of this market. This growth has coincided with a renewed academic interest in this extraordinarily innovative body of work, created by Picasso with the same passion as his paintings, sculptures and prints.”

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for March 25, 2016)

Tags: Picasso ceramics, sotheby's
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A NEW WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR ZHANG DAQIAN

Tuesday, April 5th, 2016

Zhang Daqian – Peach Blossom Spring (1982

There was a world record for Zhang Daqian at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong today when an important splashed ink and colour masterpiece sold for US$34.7 million. Peach Blossom Spring had a high estimate of $8.3 million. It was bought by the Long Museum in Shanghai. The painting attracted more than 100 bids. Well-documented in scholarly works and exhibited in leading museums in the United States this monumental scroll is considered to be a pivotal work from Zhang’s late years, alongside Mt. Lu, another landscape by Zhang which is currently held by the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. The painting set an auction record of US$240,000 in 1987. It now returns to Asia from the Mactaggart Art Collection.

After living abroad for more than two decades, Zhang Daqian relocated from the United States to Taiwan in 1976, hoping to settle down for a quiet life at his new riverside idyll on the outskirts of Taipei. Yet, as the suburb gradually grew into a bustling community, Zhang’s quietude was disrupted, inspiring him to paint a tribute to the peaceful town as he once dreamed of it. On this work, Zhang inscribed a poem to express his lifelong search for such a blissful scene. Monumental in scale, vibrant in hue, this feat of artistic creation reaches over two metres in height and employs mineral pigments to create layers and layers of splashed ink evoking a landscape filled with trees. The heavenly scene stretches from a blank space at the foot of the scroll, where branches of a blossom tree reach upward in pink shades and a small fisherman boat floats by: the picture of natural tranquillity Zhang sought in person, and brought to life in his art.

Tags: sotheby's, Zhang Daqian
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VACHERON CONSTANTIN LES MASQUES COLLECTION AT SOTHEBY’S

Monday, March 28th, 2016

Set of Twelve Automatic Wristwatches with Day, Date and Engraved Miniature Mask Dial, Métiers d’Art – Les Masques made in 2007 – 2009 (US$1-1.55 million).

A complete set of 12 Vacheron Constantin wristwatches from the ‘Métiers d’Art – Les Masques’ Collection comes up at Sotheby’s sale of important watches in Hong Kong on April 6. Making its debut on auction floor each features an engraved tribal mask from the Barbier Muller Museum in Geneva. The sale will offer more than 340 lots with a total estimate of US$8.2-12 million.

Sharon Chan, Head of Watches, Sotheby’s Asia, said: “To stay on top of the competitive global watch market Sotheby’s international team of watch specialists have put together a meticulous selection of timepieces for the Important Watches Hong Kong Sale in April, including vintage Patek Philippe and Rolex watches, spectacular enamelled pieces as well as innovative creations by independent watchmakers. Spanning vintage, modern and contemporary timepieces, the selection offered this season is attractively estimated, including extremely rare pieces appearing in auction for the very first time.”

Tags: sotheby's, Vacheron Constantin, Watches
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PICASSO CERAMICS AT SOTHEBY’S IN LONDON

Friday, March 25th, 2016

An auction of important ceramics by Pablo Picasso takes place at Sotheby’s in London on April 5. There are over 200 ceramics, with estimates ranging from £1,000 – 1,500 to £80,000 – 120,000. The focus of the sale is Picasso’s editioned ceramics and the Nina Miller Collection is highlighted by two unique ceramics Caractère

Picasso – Caractère UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

(£20,000 – 30,000) and Deux Poissons (£25,000 – 35,000). Beginning with his first trip to Vallauris in the summer of 1946, Picasso remained enchanted by the freedom and expressive nature of the ceramic medium through the last 25 years of his life. Taken by the idea that anyone could buy, use and decorate their homes with them he was persuaded to make numbered editions of some. There are 633 multiples, usually in editions of from 25 to 500.

UPDATE: THE SALE REALISED £2.2 MILLION, THE PRE-SALE TOP ESTIMATE WAS £1.6 MILLION

Picasso – Tripode, Gros oiseau UPDATE: TRIPODE SOLD FOR £191,000, GROS OISEAU FOR 3106,250

Picasso – Deux Poissons UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £28,750

Tags: Ceramics, Picasso, sotheby's
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