Cowan’s to stage inaugural Asian art auction Aug. 26-27
Chinese coral figure of a man. Estimate: $10,000-$12,000. Estimate: $10,000-$12,000. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions.
The auction will feature over 790 lots including a wide selection of ivory, jade and porcelain, prints, Chinese furniture, scroll paintings, and reference material. Some of the highlights in the sale include a Chinese white lade vase, a Chinese Republic Period ivory wrist rest with polychrome insects, and a portrait of a Chinese military officer by illustrator Fred Craft.
Cowan’s will offer a Chinese white jade vase estimated to sell for $20,000-$30,000. This vase is in the form of a Buddha’s hand, with pierced and carved peach decoration.
A Chinese Republic Period ivory wrist rest with polychrome insects is estimated at $15,000-$20,000. This carved double wrist rest, when closed, takes the form of a bamboo shaft. Cowan’s specialist, Graydon Sikes, notes, “This fine Republic Period ivory wrist rest is one fine example of nearly 150 lots of Chinese and Japanese carved ivory.”
A Chinese pair of cricket cages is estimated at $16,000-$18,000. Each cage features dragons and foliage designs.
A Chinese jade boulder is estimated to sell between $10,000 and $12,000. This boulder is carved on the front face with a series of pavilions, trees, foliage, and figures. The reverse is carved with trees and a pavilion on a fitted carved hardwood stand.
A Chinese coral figure of a man is estimated at $10,000-$12,000. The coral figure depicts a standing man holding a peach branch on a 20th-century wooden stand.
A glazed terra-cotta horse attributed to the T’ang Dynasty is expected to sell for $5,000-$7,000. This terra-cotta figure depicts a horse with a pale buff glaze along with nasturtium yellow glaze on the saddle and green glaze on the cloth.
A lot composed of five Chinese snuff bottles is estimated at $5,000-$6,000. The lot includes a rock crystal snuff bottle carving of a Buddha’s hands, a silver snuff bottle with numerous foo lions in relief, a carved ivory snuff bottle with a figural courtyard scene on each side, a jadite snuff bottle with bamboo handles, and a square-form inked ivory snuff bottle with a figural landscape and calligraphic text.
A portrait of a Chinese military officer by Illustrator Fred Craft is expected to sell for $3,000-$5,000.
A finely carved and polychromed Chinese ivory rickshaw is expected to sell for $2,000-$2,500. This is a figural group including the rickshaw, female sitter, and a pair of horses on a 20th-century stand with some elements of bone and elaborately painted.
A pair of Indian miniatures of Mumtaz Mahal, watercolor on Ivory is estimated at $2,000-$3,000. This pair of Indian miniatures depicts Mumtaz Mahal, the empress of India during the Mughal dynasty. Mumtaz Mahal was the name given to the Persian princess Arjumand Banu Begum, the third wife of Shah Janan. A Shia Muslim, Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth in 1631. In memory of her, Shan Jana built the Taj Mahal from 1632-1653 as a mausoleum for his beloved wife.
A Chinese white jade Scholar’s screen is estimated to sell for $1,500-$2,000. This scholar’s screen has four rectangular white jade plaques carved on one side with figures and pagodas in a mountainous landscape, the reverse is incised with two seals and a tree, and the plaque is fitted within a carved zitan wood stand.
A book titled Customs and Costumes of the Chinese by Grohmann is expected to sell for $1,000-$2,000. This book contains 55 text pages to go with 55 wonderful hand-colored full-page plates. In a custom clamshell box, the title translates roughly to “Customs and Clothing of the Chinese Presented in Colorful Paintings: by the Painter Puqua in Canton as Supplement to Macartney’s and Van Braams Travels.” George Macartney was a British envoy who was sent to China from 1792-1794 to negotiate better trade policies between Britain and China, and with hopes of establishing a permanent embassy in Beijing.
A Chinese fan painting attributed to Zhu Wenxing is estimated at $800-$1,200. The painting depicts flowers with a grasshopper.
A Chinese porcelain and enameled immortal figure is expected to sell anywhere from $4,000-$6,000.
A Chinese carved rosewood cabinet is estimated at $800-$1,200. Carved in rosewood in the 20th century, this cabinet has a carved jade landscape and pierced sides.
To learn more about Cowan’s visit the website at www.cowans.com.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Chinese coral figure of a man. Estimate: $10,000-$12,000. Estimate: $10,000-$12,000. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions.
Chinese white jade vase. Estimate: $20,000-$25,000. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions.
Chinese pair of jade cricket cages. Estimate: $16,000-$18,000. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions.
Chinese jade boulder. Estimate: $10,000-$12,000. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions
Chinese snuff bottles. Estimate: $5,000-$6,000. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions.
Attributed T’ang Dynasty glazed terra-cotta horse. Estimate: $5,000-$7,000. Image courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions.
Image courtesy of Cowan’s.
Image courtesy of Cowan’s.
Image courtesy of Cowan’s.
