Angela McAteer, Sotheby’s Head of Chinese Works of Art Department in New York, commented: “We are excited to present seven distinct auctions this season, highlighted by exceptional property on offer from American institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. The range and depth of works across our sales presents the best in nearly every category of Chinese art – from Qing porcelains to jade carvings, classical Chinese paintings and Buddhist sculpture. Many of the works on offer are fresh to the market, with a number of the works emerging from prominent private collections where they have been treasured for over 100 years.”

CHINESE ART FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ARTTHE FLORENCE AND HERBERT IRVING GIFTAuction 10 September @ 10:00AM

The September Asia Week sale series opens with a dedicated auction of over 120+ archaic to Qing dynasty Chinese works of art originally gifted by philanthropists and renowned Asian art collectors Florence and Herbert Irving to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Full proceeds from the sale will go into an Irving acquisition fund, to be used by The Met’s Department of Asian Art to continue the Irving legacy by seeking out artworks to further enhance the comprehensive nature of the institution’s holdings of Asian art.

Featuring an array of imperial Qianlong Period jades, Buddhist sculpture, porcelain paintings and objects for the scholars Studio, the auction is led by A Finely Carved Spinach-Green Jade Brushpot, formerly in the collection of Alfred Morrison and kept at Fonthill, his famed English country house (estimate $500/700,000). This magnificent vessel belongs to a highly refined group of ‘figure-in-landscape’ brush pots, created at the height of the jade production in the Qianlong period (1735-1795). Portraying mythological and historical events, these brush pots are exquisitely carved in green or white jade. The green jade models, particularly the striking spinach-toned examples, appear to have been especially favored by the Qing court. (Separate release available)

JUNKUNC: ARTS OF ANCIENT CHINA IIAuction 10 September @ 2:00 PM

Following the success of Junkunc: Arts of Ancient China in March 2019, we are pleased to present another selection of ancient Chinese art from the renowned collection of Stephen Junkunc. Featuring a selection of weapons, jade animals, gilt-bronzes and inlaid fittings, the works span China’s antiquity –dating from the Neolithic to the Song dynasty periods – and offer fascinating insight into the rituals, religions and politics of the times.

The auction is highlighted by A Splendid and Rare Gold and Silver-Inlaid Parcel-Gilt Bronze Figure of a Peacock from the Han Dynasty, extremely rare for its superb casting and exquisite decoration, with a luxurious countenance unrivalled by other bird figures from the Han dynasty (estimate $200/300,000). Peacocks were not merely popular as decorative motifs, but represented auspicious omens (xiangrui), and embodied the concern for the afterlife particularly prevalent during the Han dynasty.

BODIES OF INFINITE LIGHTFEATURING AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF BUDDHIST FIGURESFORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION OF THE CHANG FOUNDATIONAuction 10 September @ 3:00 PM

The afternoon concludes with Bodies of Infinite Light, an auction of Buddhist art spanning the Northern and Southern dynasties to the Qing dynasty. Featuring twenty sculptures formerly in the Chang Foundation Collection and illustrated in the seminal 1993 published catalogue Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, the sale also offers rare bronzes from the Dali kingdom, among other exceptional works.

An Exceptionally Rare Gilt-Lacquer, Polychrome Wood and Gesso Figure of Jinasagara Avalokiteshvara and Consort from the Xuande period highlights the sale (pictured below, estimate $1/1.5 million). Drawn from the Tibetan Vajrayana or Buddhist pantheon, the rare sculpture represents an emanation of the popular bodhisattva as a meditational deity in union with his consort, their bond fulfilling the ultimate Vajrayana Buddhist aspiration to enlightenment through the union of Wisdom and Compassion. Its origin in China during the Ming Xuande period reflects the influence of Tibetan Buddhism on the Ming dynasty court. The sculpture still contains its consecratory materials in its hollow interior.

A NOBLE PURSUIT:IMPORTANT CHINESE AND KOREAN ART FROM A JAPANESE PRIVATE COLLECTIONAuction 11 September @ 10:00 AM

Celebrating the Japanese tradition of collecting Chinese and Korean art, A Noble Pursuit offers important Chinese and Korean art from a Japanese private collection including archaic Chinese bronzes, Korean ceramics and Chinese ceramics from the Tang, Song and Ming dynasties – many of which have been published and exhibited in Japan – as well as Korean Punch’ong and Goryeo ceramics.

A Fine Underglaze-Blue and Yellow-Enameled ‘Gardenia’ Dish from the Zhengde Mark and Period highlights the collection (estimate $100/120,000). The distinctive fragrance of the gardenia flower on dishes of this type was popular among ladies who wore branches of gardenia in their hair. It was also used for flavoring tea and for preparing cosmetics, and the small fruits of the plant were coveted for dyeing–producing a fine yellow or orange color–as well as for their medicinal benefits.

IMPORTANT CHINESE ARTAuction 11 September @ 11:00 AM

The week continues with over 340+ Chinese works of art dating from the Neolithic to the Republic periods, highlighted by a selection of works on offer from notable collections including Qing Imperial monochromes from the collection of Arnold and Blema Steinberg, early ceramics from the Art Institute of Chicago, and Chinese porcelain and works of art from the collection of Henry Arnhold.

The seasonal sale of Chinese Works of Art features A Rare Lavender-Blue ‘Jun’ Narcissus Bowl from the Early Ming Dynasty, on offer from the Art Institute of Chicago (estimate $300/500,000). Representative of a distinct and rare group of Jun flower receptacles known as ‘numbered’ Jun wares, bulb bowls were most likely made for the Imperial court and were displayed in elegant gardens through the Qing dynasty. The Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors were particularly fond of these wares. The former instructed the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen to create reproductions, while the latter had many Jun flower pots inscribed with hall names, presumably indicating where they were displayed.

FINE CLASSICAL CHINESE PAINTINGS & CALLIGRAPHYAuction 12 September @ 10:00 AM

Fine Classical Chinese Paintings & Calligraphy features exceptional landscape paintings on offer from outstanding private collections worldwide, prominent calligraphy by master Zhu Yunming, remarkable works on offer from the Collection of Naomi and Gary Graffman, along with works by modern masters such as Qi Bashi, Wu Hufan, Wu Changshuo, and Yang Shanshen, among others.

An exceptional selection of calligraphy is led by Zhu Yunming’s Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River in Cursive Script (estimate $800,000/1.2 million).  One of the most critical calligraphers from the Ming dynasty known for his uninhabited lifestyle and iconoclastic thinking, Zhu Yunming wrote down this classic lyric poem as a gift to his close friend Xie Yong. The present magnificent handscroll exhibits the classical beauty of Zhu’s cursive scripts, and its imposing scale is considered extremely rare for Zhu’s calligraphies.

SATURDAY AT SOTHEBY’S:ASIAN ART FEATURING CHINESE ART FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART - THE FLORENCE AND HERBERT IRVING GIFTAuction 14 September @ 10:00 AM

Asia Week concludes with Saturday at Sotheby’s, offering over 560 lots of fine and decorative Chinese works of art. The auction is highlighted by additional works of Chinese art gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the collection of Florence and Herbert Irving, early pottery from the Art Institute of Chicago, works of art from the collection of Henry Arnhold, and Tang to Qing dynasty ceramics from the collection of Dr and Mrs Gregory F Sullivan. Highlights include A Pair of Famille-Rose ‘Pomegranate and Bat’ Tianqiuping Vases, Late Qing Dynasty (pictured above, estimate $20/30,000); A Painted Pottery Figure of a Prancing Horse, Tang Dynasty, sold by the Art Institute of Chicago (estimate $15/20,000); and paintings from the Irving collection including Riverscape, an ink on paper painting by Pan Tianshou (estimate $2/4,000), and Landscape with Houses, an ink on paper painting by Qi Baishi (estimate $7/9,000).