Christie’s announces Asian Art Week New York, September 2019

Christie’s announces Asian Art Week, a series of auctions, viewings, and events, from September 6-13. This season presents nine auctions—six live and three online—featuring over 1,000 lots spanning all epochs and categories of Asian Art from classical Chinese paintings, ceramics, jades, bronzes, and furniture, to impressive Tibetan gilt-bronzes and contemporary Indian painting. Featured this season are two impressive collection sales, Masterpieces of Early Chinese Gold and Silver and Chinese Art from The Art Institute of Chicago, featuring works of art with exceptional provenance.

The week of sales begins with Fine Chinese Paintings (September 10), spanning classical, modern, and contemporary paintings, with highlights including an early work by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Hibiscus, dated 1948 ($300,000-500,000). The Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art sale (September 11) features an array of fine bronzes and sculptures from Gandhara, India, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia, led by a large and magnificent gilt-bronze figure of Vajrasattva, Tibet, 14^th-15^th century ($600,000-800,000).

The South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale (September 11) is led by Sayed Haider Raza’s monumental La Terre (1977), one of the artist’s most important and largest works (Estimate on request). The sale also includes important early works by the Progressive Artists’ Group such as Francis Newton Souza’s Head in Landscape, executed in 1958 ($250,000-350,000), presented alongside contemporary works from the region, and a special section featuring works donated to Columbia University Press by artists, galleries and collectors to raise funds for their project, The Library of Bengali Literature.

Masterpieces of Early Chinese Gold and Silver (September 12) features over 100 exquisite gold and silver objects formerly in the collection of Dr. Johan Carl Kempe (1884-1967). The sale is led by a very rare and important large parcel-gilt silver bowl, Tang dynasty ($2,000,000-3,000,000). Chinese Art from The Art Institute of Chicago (September 12), spans a live and online sale, and offers impressive ceramics from prominent Chicago collectors, sold to benefit the acquisitions fund.

The week of live auctions concludes with the sale of Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (September 13), which includes masterworks in various categories, and is led by an exceptionally rare pale greyish-green jade carving of a dragon head, Tang dynasty ($2,500,000-3,500,000); a famille rose mille fleurslantern vase, Jiaqing iron-red six-character seal and mark of the period ($300,000-500,000); and a magnificent and very rare huanghualifolding horseshoe-back armchair, jiaoyi, 17^th century ($1,000,000-1,500,000).

Christie’s, the world’s leading art business, had auction sales in the first half of 2019 that totalled £2.2 billion / $2.8 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and international expertise. Christie’s offers around 350 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War & Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery.

Alongside regular sales online, Christie’s has a global presence in 46 countries, with 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

*Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price - see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are reported net of applicable fees.