CHICAGO – Hindman Auctions presents Strong Diversions: Property from a Lifetime of Play on Monday, March 28, which will feature items from The Strong National Museum of Play’s collections and also its founder, Margaret Woodbury Strong. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Strong was a prominent collector and philanthropist whose passions developed early in life through her unconventional upbringing. Her parents, each avid collectors, took her on extended travels across the world, which encouraged her sense of curiosity and instilled within her a lifelong passion for learning.

By the middle of the 20th century, Strong had assembled one of the most heralded private collections in the United States and had to add two wings to her Rochester, New York home to accommodate it all. When she passed away in 1969, she left the entirety of her collection to a foundation that would form what is today known as the Strong National Museum of Play, home to the National Toy Hall of Fame. The auction will feature more than 350 works of Asian art from the museum’s collection.

The Strong’s Vice President for Collections Christopher Bensch explained, “The Strong National Museum of Play grew out of the collection of our founder, Margaret Woodbury Strong, who was herself the daughter of ardent collectors. Margaret’s mother, Alice Woodbury, assembled most of this collection of Asian materials during the family’s globetrotting travels in the early 20th century. Since these items are outside the museum’s mission to focus on the history of play, it’s wonderful to have this opportunity to share them with the world and, through the help of Hindman, connect these objects with new generations of eager collectors.”

Chinese Works of Art

Chinese art will lead the auction, beginning with a selection of jade and precious stone snuff bottles. Extraordinary bronze and wood sculptures will follow, including a pair of 17th-century gilt decorated bronze figures of standing officials, estimated at $5,000-$7,000. Their rounded faces, with finely cast official’s hats and flowing robes, are of typical Ming style. The gilding on these figures is almost complete, adding to the value of this already exceptional lot.

Another Chinese bronze work of note is a Fanghu vase rendered in an archaic style in the 16th or 17th centuries, which corresponds to the Ming dynasty. It is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

A Chinese copper red glazed porcelain bowl from the Yongzheng Period, estimated at $8,000-$12,000, is a particularly distinct object. The lustrous, smooth and even-toned ruddy glaze on this bowl is exceptional due to how difficult it was to form a glaze this radiant. The Imperial reign mark underneath illustrates the strong calligraphy skill of the maker-painter. The Yongzheng Emperor only ruled for approximately 10 years, but had a keen eye for art, especially porcelain. Monochrome glazed porcelain wares such as this bowl, made during the Yongzheng period, represent the strongest Chinese porcelain techniques in the history of Chinese art.

Japanese Objects and Art

Japanese objects include a selection of more than 20 inros, or cases for holding small objects. The group is highlighted by a large gold, red and black lacquer three-case inro, estimated at $10,000-$15,000. Unlike the inro that often come to market today, which tend to be rectangular in form, this larger type is rendered with greater detail, indicating that it was potentially made for a Japanese samurai, making this work even more desirable for collectors.

Additional Japanese items in the offering are carved netsuke, or miniature sculptures, and tsuba, hand guards for Japanese swords, as well as bronze and porcelain wares. Highlight lots include animal-inspired works such as a Japanese silver articulated model of a crab, estimated at $1,000-$2,000, and a small copper alloy okimono of a fish, estimated at $1,000-$2,000.

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