Monumental Fencai Vase Leads Chinese Art Auction at Skinner on September 17

View auction highlights during the New York fall Asia Week

BOSTON, MA – August 18, 2014 – Skinner will hold an Asian Works of Art auction on September 17, 2014 in Boston, focusing on rare and important Chinese art, and featuring a monumental, Fencai, Imperial Qianlong period vase. In addition to the auction preview in Boston from September 14th through 17th, collectors are welcome to a preview on September 12th from noon to 7PM during the New York fall Asia Week.

Monumental Fencai Vase

Monumental Fencai Flower and Landscape Vase, China, Imperial Qianlong period (Lot 96)

Monumental Fencai Flower and Landscape Vase, China, Imperial Qianlong period (Lot 96)

Formerly in the collection of Ton-ying and Company, the Imperial Qianlong period vase (Lot 96) is a tour-de-force of ceramic techniques employed by the Jingdezhen imperial potters.

Judith Dowling, Director of Asian Works of Art, states: “This important vase was likely made for the Emperor so he could appreciate the technical achievements illustrated in the vase. It required multiple firings of the fifteen different glazes and enamels that resulted in the exquisite floral and landscape designs.” A vase of similar size and decoration is currently in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Beijing, China.

Chinese Works of Art

The auction opens with a cloisonné snuff bottle from the Qing dynasty (Lot 1, Estimate $3,000 to $5,000), the first of a group of extremely fine 18th century Chinese snuff bottles. A private New England collector acquired the jade, cloisonné, agate, amber, porcelain, and early glass snuff bottles over a period of thirty years.

A beautiful mirror black vase (Lot 113, Estimate $800 to $1,000) highlights a group of fine ceramics and other objects sold to benefit the acquisition fund of the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.

Hongmu Altar Table, China, Qing dynasty (Lot 165, Estimate $8,000-$10,000)

Hongmu Altar Table, China, Qing dynasty (Lot 165, Estimate $8,000-$10,000)

The auction also features a finely carved altar table inlaid with white jade carvings of the “Eight Buddhist Treasures” (Lot 165, Estimate $8,000 to $10,000), a bronze censer from the late Ming dynasty (Lot 60, Estimate $8,000 to $10,000), and a pair of 19th century ancestral portraits that the current owner purchased from Charlotte Horstmann in 1986 (Lot 163, Estimate $2,000 to $3,000).

Important Collection to be Offered in November

Nearly three decades ago, an art collector tucked away a world-class collection of Japanese prints. This fall, the public will finally have a chance to see these works when they come up for auction at a two-day Asian Works of Art Auction on November 22 and 23, 2014. This auction will feature approximately 130 prints by renowned Japanese painter and printmaker Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) from the Collection of Irwin Pachter. Mr. Pachter summed up his collection in 1986 when he said, “It’s going to leave you singing when you get through this. There are so many colors.”

The two-day November auction will also feature a collection of works on paper by Toko Shinoda along with other Chinese, Japanese, and Korean works of art.

Previews, Catalog and Bidding

Cloisonne Snuff Bottle with Shishi Lions, China, Qing dynasty (Lot 1, Estimate $3,000-$5,000)

Cloisonne Snuff Bottle with Shishi Lions, China, Qing dynasty (Lot 1, Estimate $3,000-$5,000)

A special preview for the September auction will be held at the Culture Center during Asia Week in New York City on Friday, September 12, 2014 from 12 PM to 7 PM. Auction previews will also be held at the Skinner Boston Gallery on Sunday, September 14, from 12 PM to 5 PM, Monday, September 15, from 12 PM to 5 PM, Tuesday, September 16, from 12 PM to 7 PM, and Wednesday, September 17, from 12 PM to 5 PM.

Illustrated catalog #2751B is available from the Subscription Department at 508-970-3240. The catalog is also available at the gallery. Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. The Skinner website also enables users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, order catalogs and bid live, in real-time through SkinnerLive!

About Skinner

Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company’s auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, since the show’s inception. Skinner has galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts, as well as in Coral Gables, Florida, with an international audience of bidders participating in person, by phone, and online through the SkinnerLive! online bidding platform. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions, or follow us on Twitter @Skinnerinc.

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Contact:

Judith Dowling
Director of Asian Works of Art
508-970-3263
asian@skinnerinc.com

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