by trader on August 18, 2010
Rhino Horn
Fact & Fable
The Antiques Trade Gazette is currently home to another Rhinoceros Horn debate. It seems that a Folkstone based dealer specialising in 20th century art and design named Karren Rennie actually believes that the Chinese buy Rhino horn libation cups to have them ground down for use in Chinese medicines. Further, she has convinced herself that the Chinese are having recently acquired, poached, Rhino horns carved into libation cups and sold in UK provincial auction rooms – to give them provenance – so they can then be shipped to China and ground down.
I would like to agree with Anthony du Boulay, who reassures her that newly carved Rhino horn objects are a rarity. She may see a lot of Rhino horn libation cups coming onto the market at the moment, but it is simply because of the rising prices, not because they are newly created.
Do Powdered Toenail Clippings Keep Elle MacPherson Young?
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by trader on August 6, 2010
Wedding Gift Chinese Vases Sold For £500,000
Chinese 18th Century Famille Rose Alter Vases - Qinglong Mark And Of The Period
In the world of Asian antiques, the name Qinglong, Chinese Qing Emperor 1736 – 1795, always causes great excitement. At Duke’s Auction in Dorchester last week a pair of Chinese famille rose porcelain vases bearing his reign mark certainly excited one couple, when they were sold for £500,000.
Received as a wedding present forty-five years ago and unrecognised as rare 18th century Chinese vases, they resided in an upstairs bedroom of a modest home. Now they will fund a comfortable retirement thanks to Duke’s, Guy Schwinge, who, on a routine valuation, spotted the vases and persuaded the lucky couple to offer them for sale.
Acording to Duke’s catalogue the vases are from a group of ritual wares commissioned by the Qing Court for placement on Buddhist ceremonial alters in palaces and temples and were inspired by Tibetan bronze originals which were used as containers for sacred water used in Buddhist ceremonies. They were expected to make between £40,000 and £60,000. But, with ten phones and several buyers in the Dorchester saleroom competing, bidding soon surpassed expectations and an overseas buyer won the day.
by trader on August 3, 2010
The Portobello Road Online
The world famous Portobello Road Antiques Market, London is now online and more antique dealers are joining all the time, including Cathay Trader.
We trade in Portobell Road from Stand 45 L, The Admiral Vernon, 141 – 149 Portobello Road on one Saturday each month.
Free Membership For LIfe.
The site owners have decided that the first 150 founder members will retain their membership free for life – the next 50 to join will be free for up to two years. But hurry, there are people joining every day.
So, if you are a current or former Portobello Road antique dealer and want to be included in the site, either click on the Portobello Road sign above or follow this link to The Portobello Road Antique Market Online and sign-up today.
by trader on August 3, 2010
by trader on July 31, 2010
by trader on July 29, 2010
Luis Chan (Chen Fushan) 1905 – 1995
The Hong Kong, Chinese artist Luis Chan (Chen Fushan) has been called a master and a genius and an enigma.
These three oil paintings dated 1954 and 1955 are typical of the work that the artist was famous for prior to his dramatic transition during the 1960′s.
In The Fields - 1955
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by trader on June 22, 2010
by trader on June 7, 2010
Qing Hunting Scene Plaque
Always sought after – Chinese porcelain depicting a hunting scene.
Chinese Qing 19th Century Porcelain Plaque Painted With A Hunting Scene
A Chinese, late Qing, 19th century famille rose enamelled plaque.
Follow link to see more pictures >>>>>>>>
by trader on June 7, 2010
New Asian Antique Record
It took forty long minutes of bidding, but another Asian antique record fell at Poly International Auction, Beijing of Fine Chinese porcelain, Chinese paintings and rare books held on June 3rd.
Song Dynasty Masterpiece Sold In Beijing
This Asian antique masterpiece, a Chinese calligraphic scroll painting, 8.24m (26ft) long, by Huang Tingjian – one of China’s most famous and influential calligraphers – was sold for RMB438 million (£44 million). This more than doubled the previous record for a Chinese antique, set at Poly, Beijing last year, when they sold a 16th century Ming dynasty painting, “Eighteen Arhats”, by Wu Bin for RMB169 million and far exceeding the price of a Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain jar – Gui Gu Xia Shan – which made RMB230 million in Christie’s London five years ago.
The artist, Huang Tingjian is widely recognized as one of the famous “Four Calligrapher Masters of the Song Dynasty”. The scroll, created during the Song dynasty, around 1095, consists of 600 Chinese characters. The total length is almost 15 meters, if the added reviews and comments are also taken into account. It is the longest existing large, running regular script work by Huang Tingjian. Mr Fu Shen, a Taiwanese calligraphy authority, wrote a thesis on the scroll entitled: “From Doubt To Confirmation – A Study of Di Zhu Ming by Huang Tingjian, putting forward the theory that the work represents a transition in Huang Tingjian’s use of running-regular script. Breaking away from tradition, Huang Tingjian famously allowed his calligraphy to flow, adding artistic flourish to a discipline steeped in conformity at that time.
The scroll bears the seals of some famous collectors: Wang Houzhi and Jia Sidao of the Song dynasty and Xiang Yuanbian of the Ming dynasty. The oldest comment on the scroll is dated to less than 50 years after Huang Tingjian’s death and is accepted as evidence of the authenticity of the work.
Mr Jiang Yingchun, deputy general manager of Poly Culture Company Ltd said: “China’s robust economy is the powerhouse for Chinese works of art market and exquisite works like Di Zhu Ming by Huang Tingjian will lead that market. Poly Group hopes such record prices for Chinese Art and Antiques will help to rejuvenate interest in Chinese traditional culture”.
by trader on June 1, 2010
$9 Million Bronze Figure
Described by Christie’s as “magnificent” and standing an impressive 22.5inches(57.1cm) high a gilded bronze Amitayus bearing the mark of the Ming Emporer Xuande was sold for a record HK$70 million ($9,072,573), double the estimate of HK$30 million in the latest Imperial Sale in Hong Kong on 31st May. According to a report on Bloomberg by Le-Min Lim the bronze was purchased by London based Asian art dealers Littleton and Hennessey.
Rhino Horn Collection
The Songzhutang collection of Chinese rhinoceros horn objects offered at Christie’s Hong Kong on the same day also included a few record prices. An extremely rare, 6inch(15.3cm) high, Kangxi mark and period, “Three String Vase” (Laifu Zun) on Zitan stand, selling for a staggering HK$39,860,000 ($5,138,000) against and estimate of HK$1,800,000 to HK$2,500,000.
It wasn’t the only piece to reach that price either. Lot 1824, a superb “Orchid Pavillion” Rhino horn libation cup also sold for HK$39 million against an estimate of HK$1.8 million to HK$2.2 million. This cup, made in the early 17th century, Ming dynasty is carved with a continuous scene from ‘Preface to the Scholarly Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion’.
20th Century Chinese Painting
The stars of Christie’s Chinese 20th Century Art auction on the 30th May were a group of abstract paintings by Zao Wou-Ki. All sold over the presale estimates for a total of HK$332.3 million ($43 million).
