BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – I.M. Chait’s annual end-of-March auction is an event held in highest regard by Chinese art connoisseurs returning home to the Far East after Asia Week New York. Those who visit the United States in pursuit of the finest Chinese antiques with prestigious provenance know they will find exactly that at the family-owned Chait gallery in Beverly Hills. The company’s highly anticipated post-Asia-Week auction is slated this year for Sunday, March 20 at the I.M. Chait gallery. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available via LiveAuctioneers.
The undisputed star of the auction is Lot 149, a large (18-inch-wide) Ming Dynasty Xuande Period blue and white porcelain ice chest (shown above). Of slightly tapered, squared form, its panels are adorned with the image of a finely detailed writhing, winged dragon with flame-tipped tail, above a border of crashing waves and clouds. It displays a six-character Xuande Mark (and of the Period), and its provenance includes the Wolch Collection, Los Angeles. A prize worthy of inclusion in even the most advanced of collections, this highly important piece is estimated at $600,000-$800,000.
Another rare, important form, Lot 148 is a Yongle Period blue and white porcelain brush washer with exterior designs of floral sprays that include lotus, chrysanthemum, peony, rose, plum and magnolia blossoms. Also having provenance from the Wolch Collection, the coveted vessel is entered in the auction with a $200,000-$250,000 estimate.
Lot 150 is a fine Chinese Ming Dynasty Jiajing Period wucai enameled-porcelain bowl of squared form. Its appealing hand-painted motif includes a single carp amid sea plants on the interior, with a border of green and red scrollwork beneath the rim. The exterior is decorated with four carp, one to each side panel, swimming sinuously amid green plants against a deep coral ground. Whimsical and colorful, the bowl is estimated at $50,000-$70,000.
A monumental 13-piece carved ruby matrix tea set entered as Lot 345 displays a panda bear with bamboo motif and18K gold vermeil mountings and accents. Designed and created by acclaimed gemstone carver Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio, the set consists of a covered teapot, water pot, a sugar/creamer/waste bowl, and four teacups. Accessories include a wide scoop, long slim scoop, and tweezers. With a total weight of 150,000 carats, the impressive set is expected to reach $225,000-$275,000 at auction.
Two magnificent 17th-century bronze palace lions are entered as Lot 119. Each stands four-square, wears a tall headdress and is elaborately decorated with scrolling motifs and an openwork mane and flanges. Their flame-scrolled tails are upraised in a willowy S shape. The massive cats are a matching pair and have an approximate height of 5 feet. The duo’s auction estimate is $60,000-$80,000.
Tang and Han Dynasty works from a Santa Barbara, Calif., collection (many with TL Tests) include a pair of unusually large (52½ inches tall) painted pottery Lokapala. Each of the masterfully modeled figures stands in a powerful pose atop a pottery ram surmounted on a black pedestal. Estimate for the pair: $60,000-$80,000.
Additional auction highlights include antique Chinese paintings from a Beijing collection, scholarly jades and carved wood pieces; and antique Korean paintings and celadon vessels from two California collections.
The fine jewelry selection offers fancy-colored diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds from a Beverly Hills collection. The ultra-desirable gemstones are set in exquisite necklaces, pendants and rings. Additionally, the auction features antique Russian silver objets de vertu, including designs by Faberge; and a superb Japanese silver tea set, also from a Beverly Hills collection.
The Sunday, March 20, 2016 auction will begin at 11 a.m. Pacific Time (2 p.m. Eastern), with Internet absentee and live bidding available through LiveAuctioneers.com. The gallery preview will be held from Tuesday through Saturday, March 15-19, from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m., or by appointment; and on auction day from 10 a.m. till 11 a.m.
For information on any item in the auction, contact Joey Chait, tel. 310-285-0182, ext. 115, or email joey@chait.com.
