Skinner's Asian Works of Art Auction 2nd Highest Yielding Sale In House's History; Grosses $6.1M
BOSTON, Mass. – June 13, 2011 – Skinner, Inc., one of the world’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, reported its auction of Asian Works of Art held on Thursday, June 2nd through Saturday, June 4th brought $6,135,763.35, including buyer’s premium. This success of the sale makes it Skinner’s second highest grossing in the company’s 40+ year history, and Skinner’s highest grossing Asian art auction ever.
Of the 1,748 lots auctioned, 1,647 were sold or 94%. The majority of the bidding activity came from Greater China, and the auction saw, for the first time, a unique cross-over of buyers from China purchasing Japanese material. In addition, online bidding was extremely strong with Skinner’s Asian sale seeing more than a five-fold increase in the dollar amount sold via the internet since Q2 2009.
According to James Callahan, Director of Asian Works of Art for Skinner, “Everything sold uniformly well in this auction. When you consider that the top lot came in at $539,500, and only seven other lots exceededed the $100,000 mark, you can appreciate the incredible demand that exists for this material.” Callahan continued, “This sale is testament to the fact that the market is not only hot, but sees no sign of cooling. It’s really the case of a limited supply in an unlimited market.”
Lot 450A, a bamboo brush pot, China, 18th century, is likely a record price, hammered at the aforementioned $539,500. The second highest bid came for a pair of covered jars from 18th century China, lot 584, which sold for $292,000, followed by a rhinoceros horn libation cup, lot 480, that went for $250,000.
The sale of Chinese paintings was very successful as well. A small mounted leaf of a scholar, lot 1209C, from the ex-collection estate of the late Senator Theodore F. Green of Rhode Island, sold for $159,975; lot 1194, a painting of a rocky landscape by Lu Yanshao sold for $100,725; lot 1171, a painting album by Xie Zhiliu, sold for $71,000; and a Wu Changshuo fan painting of abstract prunus blossoms from the P.Y. Wang collection, sold for $34,365. Painting specialist Tianyue Jiang said, “Skinner has attracted some important collections of Chinese painting and calligraphy in the recent years, from Charles Chu to P.Y. Wang estate. We have seen huge interest in old and modern Chinese paintings in general. For those items with impeccable provenance, the prices realized here are comparable with what is seen in Hong Kong.”
About Skinner
Skinner, Inc. is one of the world’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art and the only major auction house headquartered in New England. With expertise in over 20 specialty collecting areas, Skinner draws the interest of buyers from all over the world and its auctions regularly achieve world record prices. Skinner provides a broad range of auction and appraisal services, and it is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the auction business. Skinner’s appraisal experts regularly appear on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, and its specialty departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, American & European Paintings & Prints, European Furniture & Decorative Arts, 20th Century Design, Fine Ceramics, Fine Jewelry, Textiles & Couture, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Works of Art, Fine Wines, Rare Books & Manuscripts, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographic Art, Fine Judaica, Antique Motor Vehicles, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, and Discovery. Skinner galleries are located in Boston and Marlborough, Mass. For more information on upcoming auctions and events, visit Skinner's web site www.skinnerinc.com.
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Contacts
- James F. Callahan, Director of Asian Works of Art, 508-970-3255, jimc@skinnerinc.com
- Kate de Bethune, Director of Marketing, 508-970-3231, kdebethune@skinnerinc.com