Artvisory’s Fine Chinese and Asian Arts auction on 29th August was one of the most successful Asian art auctions held in Australia in recent years. The total sold value including buyer’s premium was AUD $1,000,692.4 which was approximately 98% sold by value and which was an exceptional result for a multi-vendor Asian Arts auction held in Australia.
The 237 lots of Asian art works were carefully selected and curated with the intention to cover almost all periods of Asian art from the Neolithic period to contemporary, from pottery and early ceramics, Ming to Qing ceramics, jades and sculpture, through to paintings and calligraphy.
In the Chinese arts section, early ceramics included pieces from various major kilns in China. Lot 20 was a very fine Longquan celadon brush-washer from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Longquan kiln was one of the most famous kilns that produced celadon wares in Southern China during the Song Dynasty and their firing techniques reached their peak in the late Southern Song to early Yuan dynasty in the 13th century. This brush-washer was covered with an even beautiful sea-green glaze and it was a typical example that represented Longquan ware’s at their highest level of craftmanship. It also had great provenance and had been exhibited in Sydney in 2013 and was published in The Classic Age of Chinese Ceramics Song to Yuan Dynasties, 10th-14th Centuries. It sold for $18,600 against an estimate of $9,000-12,000.
The most fiercely sought lot from the Chinese ceramics was lot 23, a very fine and extremely rare longquan guan celadon vessel,called a Zhadou, also from Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The vessel would have been used in the tea-ceremony to contain tea-waste and it had a dark brown body covered inside and out with a beautiful ice-crackled celadon glaze with an olive tone. These characteristics are very similar to the Southern Song guan or official wares, but it is very rare to find in pieces from the longquan kilns which are referred to as Guan-type, which were believed to imitate the much revered Guan-ware from the Longquan kilns. However, recent studies have discovered that the Southern Song court had set up kilns in Longquan dayao and xikou to fire tribute wares to the court, as the alternative official kilns to the Jiaotanxia official kiln and Xiuneisi official kiln in Hangzhou. This Zhadou would have been a typical vessel that was made in the official kiln in Longquan dayao for the Southern Song court. It was estimated at $15,000-$25,000 but after fierce bidding clients from Australia, Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan, it was sold for $74,400. to a Chinese buyer under-bid by a local Melbourne collector.
Ceramics from the Ming and Qing dynasties are always very popular and Lot 51 a very fine doucai dish from the Qianlong period (1735-1796) which was estimated $3,000-$5,000, sold for $8,680. Lot 65. A blue and white ‘lotus’ dish, which bore a Guangxu six character underglaze blue mark and which was of this period (1871-1908), estimated at $1,000-2,000 sold for $5,952.
Chinese Jades especially Jades from Ming and Qing dynasties are currently very popular in the International auction market and a private collection of Chinese jades consigned to Artvisory from a collection formed London, UK and Sydney, Australia performed very well with 14 pieces sold out of 15 pieces.
In the multi-vendor section, lot 145 a very rare and finely carved Chinese pale greenish-white and russet jade pierced oblong plaque “Qiushan”, from the Liao-Jin Dynasty, 10th-13th century, attracted lots of bidders. Estimated conservatively at $6,000-8,000 It was sold for $27,280, almost 5 times above the lower estimate.
Also a beautiful white jade carved paperweight of two phoenix, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century which was estimated $10,000-$20,000 sold for $28,520 (Lot 162).
This type of jade paper-weight, carved with a pair of phoenix is very rare and the colour of the jade being white, coupled with the quality of the carving led to it’s strong market appeal.
Top price in the jades was paid for lot 173 which was a very rare celadon jade carved of a foreigner and a dog dating to the late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century or earlier, the subject matter was popular in Tang Dynasty (618-907) but it is very rare in the Ming and Qing period and with Sydney L. Moss, of London provenance, it was sold to a Chinese buyer for $34,720.
In the works-of-art section, lot 111 which was an exceptional finely carved zitan brush-washer from the Qianlong period (1736-1796), estimated $14,000-16,000, sold for a very strong price of $42,160. Highly competitive bidding was seen for Lot 193 a soapstone carved figure of a luohan, Qing dynasty (1644-1913) Estimated at only $800-$1,200, it sold for $16,120 and was immediately followed by Lot 195 a similar soapstone carved figure of liuhai, Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) Estimated at $600-800 but which sold for $11,160.
In the sculpture section Lot 201, a Mongolian gilt-repousse figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, Qianlong period (1735-1796), sold for $22,320 and Lot 234 A pair of calligraphy scrolls by Chen Peiqiu (1922-2020), estimated $1,000-2,000, sold for $4,960.
澳大利亚墨尔本Artvisory (万瑞) 拍卖行于8月29日举行的亚洲艺术拍卖可以说是澳洲近年来最成功的一场亚洲艺术拍卖之一。总拍卖额达到 $1,000,692.4 澳币，98%价值售出率，对于澳洲市场多方卖家中国艺术拍卖来说，是一个卓越非凡成绩。在此我谨代表拍卖团队，再次感谢各位藏家及客人的信任，支持与参与。
此次亚洲艺术大拍，由团队精心挑选策划征集了237件拍品，品类从新石器时期至当代，从早期的陶器，瓷器，到明清瓷器，玉器，雕塑，再到书法，绘画，几乎涵盖了亚洲艺术的各个门类。
在中国艺术方面，早期中国陶瓷部分涵盖了多个著名窑口的作品。拍品号20是一件非常精美的南宋龙泉窑梅子青釉折沿洗。龙泉窑是宋代中国南方地区以生产青瓷而闻名的窑口。其烧造工艺在南宋末期至元代早期达到前所未有的高峰。此龙泉折沿洗便是龙泉窑高峰时期的作品，代表了龙泉窑最高的艺术水准。此龙泉洗传承有序，并在2013年于悉尼展出过，并在《中国陶瓷经典时代：宋至元时期陶瓷，十至十四世纪》（The Classic Age of Chinese Ceramics Song to Yuan Dynasties, 10th-14th Centuries）中出版过。此件南宋龙泉梅子青釉折沿洗，拍前估价为 $9,000-12,000，最终以$18,600售出。
场上竞争最为激烈的中国早期陶瓷作品要属拍品23号，非常精美并且稀有的南宋龙泉官窑米黄釉冰裂纹渣斗。此件渣斗胎色深灰，周身施以米黄色青釉，釉面呈精美的冰裂纹。这些特征都与南宋时期官窑特征极为相似，但在龙泉窑中非常少见。此类的龙泉窑作品在过去均被中国学者视为龙泉窑仿官窑的作品，被称为龙泉类官窑。然而，随着近年的考古发掘，新的证据的不断出现，学者们已经认定，在南宋时期，南宋朝廷在龙泉的大窑和溪口窑也曾搭建专门用于烧造供瓷的窑口，用于填补杭州修内司官窑与郊坛下官窑产量上的不足，因此，此类龙泉窑的产品也应被视为南宋官窑。此南宋龙泉官窑米黄釉冰裂纹渣斗便是南宋龙泉官窑的代表之作。拍前估价为$15,000-$25,000，经过来自中国大陆，澳洲，中国香港，和台湾的买家场上激烈的角逐，此渣斗最终被一位来自中国香港的知名收藏家力压群雄，以$74,400的价格购入囊中。
明清瓷器依然为拍场上的主流品类，拍品51号，一件非常精美的乾隆时期的斗彩盘，估价$3,000-$5,000，以$8,680售出。拍品65号，光绪官窑青花缠枝莲纹小碟，估价$1,000-$2,000，以$5,952售出。
玉器部分特别是明清时期的玉器在当前国际拍卖市场上的热度越来越高，本次拍卖中一个私人收藏单元，由一位藏家早年在英国伦敦和澳大利亚悉尼构建的一组15件精美的明清玉雕件小品组成，拍卖成绩相当喜人，共拍出14件藏品。在多方藏家部分，拍品145号一件非常精美的辽金时期的和田“秋山”玉牌，生动地雕刻着树下的两只兔子，吸引了许多藏家的眼球。拍前估价非常保守，仅为$6,000-$8,000，最后经过激烈的角逐，以$27,280成交，超出最低估价5倍。另一件清代18-19世纪的和田白玉雕双凤凰衔林芝纸镇 （拍品号162），玉质洁白莹润，雕工精美，为典型清中期的工艺，主题稀少，同类中常见雕一对鸳鸯的，一对凤凰的实为罕见，广受市场追捧，估价$10,000-$20,000，终以$28,520成交。
此次拍卖中最高成交价的玉器为拍品173号，一件非常稀少的晚明至清早期或更早的和田青白玉胡人与狗把件，此把件玉质莹润内敛，雕工精美绝伦。类似胡人主题在唐代的玉器中较为流行，却在明清时期极为稀少，再加之为伦敦著名古董商Sydney L. Moss的旧藏，此件最终以$34,720成交。
在文房杂项单元，拍品111号是一件乾隆时期雕工美轮美奂的紫檀笔洗加黄花梨底座，估价为$14,000-$16,000，同样竞投激烈， 终以$42,160成交。异常激烈的竞投同样来自于拍品193号，清代寿山石雕罗汉坐像，拍前估价仅为$800-$1,200，最终以$16,120成交。紧跟着195号一件相似的清代寿山石雕刘海戏金蝉，估价仅为$600-$800，最终以$11,160成交。
在雕塑方面，拍品20号一件乾隆时期，蒙古造铜鎏金佛坐像，以$22,320成交。书画方面拍品234号陈佩秋老师的一对书法对联，估价$1,000-$2,000，以$4,960成交。
再次感谢各位藏家，客人的支持与参与，并敬请期待我们明年的亚洲艺术大拍。
