SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – A rare pair of iron-red painted “dragon bowls” from the Kangxi Period are expected to take top lot honors in Fine Estate Inc. Auction on Saturday, Feb. 29. The 5½-inch bowls are directly from the estate of James Nassikas, the entrepreneur credited with building of one of San Francisco’s best-known hotels, The Stanford Court. The pair carries an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.
“These rare bowls are only one highlight in an auction featuring many fine Asian antiques and fine jewelry,” said Martin Codina, owner of Fine Estate Inc., of San Rafael, California. “We were shocked to find a stellar R.J. Horner cabinet in a mobile home in the San Francisco Bay area. You never know where the treasures are hiding.”
In addition to the dragon bowls (above), top highlights in the sale include fine jewelry such as a diamond, sapphire, platinum bracelet (est. $7,000-$9,000); an 18K gold and diamond ring (est. $5,000-$7,000), a stunning diamond and 14K white gold wedding set (est. $5,000-$7,000) and a set of Wallace Grand Baroque sterling flatware (est. $3,500-$4,000)
The auction’s most unusual discovery is an R.J. Horner cabinet, circa 1880, which was found in a modest mobile home park. The cabinet’s cornice is carved with a central shield supported by dragons above a frieze carved with scrolling foliate vines flanked by masks of grotesques above a pair of glazed doors flanked by magnificently carved Tritons with scaled bifurcated tails opening to a shelved interior (est. $3,000-$5,000).
Found in the home of an heir to the Vanderbilt family, The Artist’s Mother by Rembrandt van Rijn (est. $3,000-$5,000) highlights a selection of fine art offerings.
Highlights of a strong selection of Asian art range from art works spanning the Tang, Song, Liao, Ming, and Quing Dynasties, as well items from 18th and 19th century Chinese Export and Republic Period. Spring Festival, a mixed media on canvas by artist Wu Hao, is expected to spark intense bidder interest (est. $3,000-$4,000). Wu has been at the forefront of Taiwan’s art scene since the 1950s. In 1956, Wu was one of the founders of the Tom Fan Group, which along with the Fifth Moon Art Group, was one of the most vocal associations of young artists in the ’60s. One of the most internationally recognized contemporary Taiwanese artists, Wu has participated in numerous exhibitions overseas, including the International Artists’ Show in Italy, and the International Graphic Show in England.
Fine Estate Inc.’s auction begins at 2 p.m. Eastern time, on Saturday, Feb. 29.
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