50th China Guardian Quarterly Auctions was a success. In two days, almost 3,500 lots in 6 sessions have raised 85.48 million yuan. Many sections witnessed high turnover rates and new trends. The auctions were a good start of the new year, which also brought great opportunities to the auction market.
Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy
Xiao Yang, general manager of Quarterly Auctions- Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Department
The sales have basically tallied with our expectation. Finely selected four sessions and a dozen special sections all achieved great success, which reflects the significance of thorough studies and fine subdivision.
The Modern Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy session maintained consistency. In particular, the sale of special section "New Jinling School" reflects our precise positioning of market trend. In Contemporary Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, a highlight of the auctions, three out of four special sections achieved 100% turnover rate. Among them, the second "Paintings of Artists in Chongqing and Sichuan province" achieved higher turnover rate. All the sales have enhanced our confidence in the market.
Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy had two sessions. Lots provided by the same collectors of session one and session two featuring religious paintings gained increasing popularity. Having a good grasp of market trend, we will present more auctions with popular themes, such as New Classical Calligraphy section this time.
Thanks all our friends for the support of the quarterly auctions. We are look forward to more wonderful auctions in the future.
Higher turnover rates and higher prices realized among lots of special sections
Chinese Painting and Calligraphy had two sessions on Jan 13. Finely prepared sections all received positive feedback, especially masterpieces from artists of some renown drew great attention and been transacted at much higher prices.
Modern Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy is the first session of 2018. The turnover rate of this session was up to 84%, and the transaction volume totaled 10.51 million yuan. Among all the lots, Fan Zeng's Calligraphy and character realized highest price of 632,500 yuan. Qian Songyan's Landscape ranked second for 517,500 yuan and Qi Gong's Calligraphy third for 437,000 yuan.
The special section "New Jinling School" included excellent works of representative artists Qian Songyan, Wei Zixi, Song Wenzhi and Ya Ming, together with superb calligraphy works from Gao Ershi, Lin Sanzhi and Hu Xiaoshi. All the lots of this section are endowed with unique styles and highly worth collecting, so that 95% lots were sold out. In particular, prices realized in lots including works from He Tianjian, Huanghuanwu and Zhang Boju far exceeded estimate prices.
26
Fan Zeng
Calligraphy, Character
D 51 cm (2)
Price realized: RMB 632,500
37
Qian Songyan
Landscape
67×34 cm
Price realized: RMB 517,500
25
Qi Gong
Calligraphy
134×32 cm
Price realized: RMB 437,000
Over 600 lots with different themes were presented at Contemporary Ink and Modern Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy session. The total turnover was 20.584 million yuan. Among all the lots, top three were Landscape by Jia Youfu, Character and Landscape by Du Ziling and Character by Zhao Jiancheng. The first two lots were sold at 1.15 million yuan and the last one at 598,000 yuan.
285
Jia Youfu
Landscape
35×139 cm
Price realized: RMB 1,150,000
361
Du Ziling
Character and Landscape
212×546 cm
Price realized: RMB 1,150,000
360
Zhao Jiancheng
Character
144×176 cm
Price realized: RMB 598,000
Every single lot of three sections in the Contemporary Paintings and Calligraphy session was sold out. Among them, the transaction price of Xu Hualing's Character was dozens of times estimate price. Characters painted by Li Jin was sold at a premium.
Contemporary and modern works created by masters including Zhang Daqian, Huang Binhong, Wu Changshuo and Wang Xuetao were still the most popular. Concerning lots created in the era of the Republic of China, the special section "Beijing and Tianjin School" were favored by collectors with many lots realizing higher prices.
341
Li Jin
Characters
35×138 cm
Price realized: RMB 345,000
499
Guan Liang
Chinese Opera Characters
67×46 cm
Price realized: RMB 345,000
859
Yu Youren
Calligraphy
32×132 cm
Price realized: RMB 230,000
546
Chen Banding, Pu Jin
Character and Landscape, Calligraphy
Price realized: RMB 69,000
Rich themes and high turnover rate for all lots and works by anonymous artists were highlights
The Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy session had two sections and over 800 lots. The auction was from 9 a.m. to about 8 p.m. Total turnover was 26.25 million yuan. During the morning auctions, the sale rate reached 88%.
Session one included superb works from renowned masters and the anonymous artists. In light of the auction performance, we can see that collectors now pay increasingly attention to the cultural connotation and artistic value of lots. With high quality, even works created by the anonymous will encounter who keenly appreciate them. During the morning auctions, eight out of the top ten lots have no clear artists' names. Among them, top three were sold at 943,000 yuan, 701,500 yuan and 598,000 yuan respectively, all several times of the estimate prices.
The Lots from the same Collectors section had clear lot sources and high quality, which were highly appraised by collectors. Character by Anonymous was transacted at 368,000 yuan, dozens of times than expected. Li Zhaodao's Landscape realized 230,000 yuan, over 20 times compared to the lowest estimate price. Lots of the Yulan Xuan section were mainly works from Ming and Qing dynasties, whose turnover rate is 98.8%. lots of the Minxing Ge section have high cultural taste and artistic value with a transaction rate of 97%. The portrait of Emperor Yongzheng painted by an anonymous realized 483,000 yuan, which was sold at dozens of times our expectation.
1069
Anonymous
Character and landscape
50×632 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 943,000
1034
Anonymous
Landscape
25×28 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 701,500
1172
Anonymous
Character and landscape
152×85 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 598,000
1151
Anonymous
Character
39×42 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 483,000
992
Anonymous
Character and landscape
39×325 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 368,000
1012
Li Zhaodao
Landscape
45×210 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 230,000
1145
Anonymous
Landscape
168×83 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 207,000
Finely selected lots and precise positioning drew collectors' attention. They bid for great calligraphy works from Ming and Qing dynasties with passion. Calligraphy by Zha Shibiao topped among the lots and was sold at 655,500 yuan. Another calligraphy work by Liu Yong, a prime minister in Qing Dynasty, also realized higher price at 241,500 yuan.
As Buddhist lots have gained growing interest, the auctions continue to present special section featuring religious paintings and calligraphy. These lots not only have aesthetic value, but also can meet collectors' spiritual needs. Well-preserved Scripture by Master Hongfa was sold at 414,000 yuan, ranking second. The third highest price is 402,500 yuan for lot Shakyamuni Buddha by Anonymous, whose lowest estimate price is 8,000 yuan. During the afternoon auction, works created by famous artists were still preference for collectors. For instance, Xia Gui's Landscape realized 368,000 yuan.
1656
Zha Shibiao
Calligraphy
219×75 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 655,500
1259
Scripture
Price realized: RMB 414,000
1249
Anonymous
Shakyamuni Buddha
123×70 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 402,500
1488
Xia Gui
Landscape
38×508 cm ?
38×166 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 368,000
1662
Liu Yong
Calligraphy
32×162 cm ?
Price realized: RMB 241,500
Quarterly Auctions - Porcelain and Works of Art
General Manager of Quarterly Auctions- Porcelain and Works of Art Department, Liu Yang
This is the first time that the auctions were held before the Spring Festival. The total turnover of more than 800 lots was over 18 million yuan. Such great success has eased our worries about auction time and gave us great confidence about the market. Collectors have become more professional in picking out highly potential lots at relatively low estimate prices, such as two ink cakes made by Wang Shimao during Kangxi period in Qing Dynasty(Lot 4147) and two pieces of waxed writing paper from Qing Dynasty(Lot 4139). It also inspire us to select more high-quality lots for collectors.
Porcelain: turnover rate was almost 90%
Porcelain session had two sections. The average turnover rate of two sessions was 88% and total sales have reached 18.094 million yuan, which indicate great potential in the porcelain market. Lots from Kuan kiln in Qing Dynasty were still popular among collectors. In particular, small scholars' objects were also hot lots.
The auctions started with a dozen special sections themed by private collection. The total turnover rate was 93%. of special note was a blue vase with bamboo pattern during Qianlong period in Qing Dynasty that was sold at 299,000 yuan, and a much anticipated blue-and-white wind pot with flower and fruit pattern from Qianlong period in Qing Dynasty was sold at 230,000 yuan.
3150
Qianlong period in Qing Dynasty
A blue vase with bamboo pattern
H 35 cm
Price realized: RMB 299,000
3102
Qianlong period in Qing Dynasty
A blue-and-white wind pot with flower and fruit pattern
H 26 cm
Price realized: RMB 230,000
The afternoon auction included popular sections such as porcelain during transitional times, Kuan kiln porcelain from Qing Dynasty and scholars' objects with single glaze.
Most popular lots were Kuan kiln porcelain from Qing Dynasty. A pair of famille rose bowls with flower patterns during Daoguang period in Qing Dynasty, a masterpiece of that period, was transacted at 759,000 yuan, much higher than the estimate price. High-level blue-and-white royal porcelain from Yong kiln was another highlight. A pair of blue-and-white cups engraved with Sanskrit from Yongzheng period in Qing Dynasty was sold at 736,000 yuan. A famille rose vase from Qing Dynasty, a "dark horse" lot, was originally estimated from 1,000 to 2,000 yuan, and finally sold at 483,000 yuan.
Finely picked scholars' objects were also highly appreciated by collectors. The price realized of a quadrangle brush pot from Qianlong period in Qing Dynasty was 345,000 yuan, almost 7 times of the estimate price. A pair of yellow glazed plates Jiajing period in Qing Dynasty were sold at 230,000 yuan.
3511
Daoguang period in Qing Dynasty
A pair of famille rose bowls with flower patterns
D 15 cm
Price realized: RMB 759,000
3510
Yongzheng period in Qing Dynasty
A pair of blue-and-white cups engraved with Sanskrit
D 9.3 cm
Price realized: RMB 736,000
3509
Qianlong period in Qing Dynasty
A quadrangle brush pot
H 9.8 cm
Price realized: RMB 345,000
3441
Qing Dynasty
A famille rose vase
H 18.8 cm
Price realized: RMB 483,000
3594
Jiajing period in Qing Dynasty
A pair of yellow glazed plates
D 11.8 cm
Price realized: RMB 230,000
Collectors show preference for jade and scholars' objects
More than 900 lots were presented at Jade and Works of Art session. The average turnover rate 84% with a total transaction volume of 10.04 million yuan. The auctions included jade, scholars' objects, Buddha statues and writing paper. Quarterly auctions aim at providing artist and spiritual joy to our collectors under the principle of being "interesting and culture-related".
Among all the lots, exquisite scholars' objects were new preference for collectors. Two ink cakes made by Wang Shimao during Kangxi period in Qing Dynasty topped the session and were sold at 345,000 yuan. Various writing paper was popular 49th quarterly auctions. Writing paper cherished by a Japanese professor was a highlight. Two pieces of waxed writing paper with dragon pattern sold at 322,000 yuan. A bronze sacrificial cauldron with dragon-shaped ears from Qianlong period from Qing Dynasty was sold at 138,000 yuan and a jade plate in Qing Dynasty sold for 112,700 yuan.
4147
Kangxi period in Qing Dynasty
Two ink cakes made by Wang Shimao
L 8.3 cm/ 4.7 cm
Price realized: RMB 345,000
4139
Qing Dynasty
Two pieces of waxed writing paper
W 92.5 cm/ 91.5 cm
Price realized: RMB 322,000
4301
Qianlong period in Qing Dynasty
A bronze sacrificial cauldron with dragon-shaped ears
H 22.5 cm
Price realized: RMB 138,000
3949
Qing Dynasty
A jade plate
L 7 cm
Price realized: RMB 112,700
The first auctions are a good start to the new year.
We hope to cooperate with all our collectors
to make more achievements!
We are looking forward to next quarterly auctions!