Stunning jadeite incense burner to star at Oakridge Sept 18-20 auction
ASHBURN, Va. – Oakridge Auction Gallery is excited to announce a Fine Asian Art & Antiques sale packed with impressive lots of Asian art from throughout history. Scheduled for September 18-20, this auction will feature more than 600 lots separated into three sessions: Session 1 – Ceramics and Works of Art beginning at 9 am Eastern time on September 18; Session 2 – Paintings and Calligraphy, beginning at 10 am Eastern time on September 19; and Session 3 – Snuff Bottles, beginning at 10 am Eastern time on September 20. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Boasting more than 300 lots, Session 1 is packed with Chinese art dating from the Spring & Autumn period through to the modern day. There are beautiful carvings in all shapes, sizes, and types of jade; highly sought-after porcelains; sculpted bronzes; wood carvings, including furniture; and delicate embroideries, including dragon robes and kesi panels.
The highlight of the session is Lot 43, a heavy incense burner carved from a single, solid block of jadeite. Dating to the 19th century, this tripod censer is accompanied by a matching lid, which has a finial design of a guardian lion and its cub, plus a wooden stand with silver inlay details. The jadeite is cloudy with sparse splashes of bright, acid green, as expected of the stone. The censer has a pre-sale estimate of $80,000-$100,000.
Other standout lots include an exceptionally large and well-made blanc de chine statue of Guanyin dating from the 18th century and estimated at $60,000-$80,000; a Chinese peachbloom brush washer dating from the Kangxi period and estimated at $50,000-$65,000; and a Chinese cloisonne incense burner dating from the early Ming dynasty and estimated at $50,000-$70,000.
Session 2 features nearly 200 lots of Chinese calligraphies and paintings, including those by masters of the modern era. Leading the lineup is a magnificent landscape painting by one of the most successful artists of the last hundred years, Zhang Daqian. It is a beautiful example of his work, featuring a lone, wistful scholar standing in a clear, barren landscape. The ink and watercolor painting presents Zhang Daqian’s bold brushstrokes with vivid clarity. This exquisite piece is estimated at $50,000-$80,000.
Other important lots include another landscape painting by Zhang Daqian dating to 1967 and estimated at $40,000-$60,000; a painting of chicks by Qi Baishi, estimated at $20,000-$30,000; and a painting of a horse by Ma Jin, estimated at $16,000-$22,000.
Session 3, the final day, is devoted to our yearly auction of snuff bottles. More than 130 rare snuff bottles of all types, shapes, and sizes are on offer.
The rarest among these is a white jade snuff bottle with a coral stopper. The jade is polished to a glossy finish, such that the bright white of the bottle nearly seems to glow. It has a soft caramel brown skin which is brilliantly complemented by the round, coral stopper on top. The white jade snuff bottle is estimated at $2,500-$3,500.
Other snuff bottles of note include a white jade snuff bottle with silver inlay dating from the 18th century; a famille rose porcelain snuff bottle dating from the Daoguang period; and a 19th-century jade snuff bottle carved with a sacred image of the Buddha. Each of these three snuff bottles is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.
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