This March, Asia Week in New York will be held across major international auction houses.
Bonhams will have seven sales of fine arts – four live auctions and three online auctions. Artworks such as ceramics, paintings and calligraphy, Buddhist sculptures, Japanese and Korean Art are included.
Some key highlights include a Nepalese gilt copper alloy figure of Tara from the 13th century, a celadon glazed saucer dish from early 18th century China, Chinese modern painter, Zhang Daqian's painting and Katsushika Hokusai’s Japanese woodblock print.
Here is an overview of the sales, together with the highlight lots:
Chinese Works of Art Including the Richard Milhender Export Furniture Collection
This season's highlights include a celadon glazed lingzhi saucer dish and a large huali two-section bureau bookcase both from circa the 18th century, as well as a pair of glazed pottery prancing horses originating from the 7th and 10th century.
The Reverend Richard Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Part IV
Reverend Richard Fabian was the founder and rector of San Francisco's St. Gregory Nyssen Episcopal Church. He studied Chinese Art at Yale University in the 1960s and developed an appreciation for Chinese paintings.
In this sale, highlights include Zhang Daqian's Woman Holding a Flower and Xu Gu's Immortal Image (Posthumous Portrait of Gao Yong’s Wife) paintings.
Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art
This is a traditional sale during Asia Week in New York, with Buddhist sculptures as highlight lots. A 13th century Nepalese gilt copper alloy figure of Tara leads this sale.
Japanese and Korean Art
Another traditional sale during Asia Week, this sale’s highlights include works by prominent Japanese woodblock (ukiyo-e) painters, such as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
The Reverend Richard Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Part V (Online Sale)
This online sale's lot details are not announced by the international auction house as yet.
The Noble Silver Collection: Treasures from the Burmese Silver Age
According to the house, this Collection is “considered to be the finest and most comprehensive known collection of Burmese silver in the world.” It consists of fine silverware made by local craftsmen from the mid-19th century to early 20th century – a period known as the Burmese Silver Age.
Most of the lots in this sale are decorated with scenes from the Ramayana (an ancient Indian text) and the Jataka tales (stories of the Buddha's life).
Arts of India, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas Online
This online sale has a low price range – from US$500 to 10,000 dollars, suitable for new art collectors. It has a wide variety of artworks, such as sculptures, paintings and thangkas.
Two Glazed Pottery Prancing Horses
Created during Tang dynasty (618-907 CE)
Height: 58.4 and 56.5 cm
Provenance:
- Property from collection of Dr. Wallace and Alice Smith, San Francisco, in the collection prior to 1971, by descent
- Sale: Chinese Works of Art Including the Richard Milhender Export Furniture Collection
Estimate: US$40,000 – 60,000
Celadon Glazed Lingzhi Saucer Dish
Six-character mark and of the Yongzheng Emperor (1722-1735)
Diameter: 11.7 cm
Provenance:
- Christie's New York, 22 March 2019, lot 1801 (one of the pair)
- Gump's, San Francisco, by repute
- Collection of Andrew N. Jergens (1881-1967), Cincinnati, Ohio
Sale: Chinese Works of Art Including the Richard Milhender Export Furniture Collection
Estimate: US$40,000 – 60,000
Large Chinese Huali Two Section Bureau Bookcase
Created in circa 1750
184.2 x 108.6 x 57 cm
Provenance:
- Thomas McBride, Litchfield, CT, October 1988
- The Richard Milhender Collection, Boston, Massachusetts, 1988-present
Sale: Chinese Works of Art Including the Richard Milhender Export Furniture Collection
Estimate: US$30,000 – 40,000
Zhang Daqian ￨ Woman Holding a Flower ￨ Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper
Created in 1948
130.5 x 68.9 cm
Provenance:
- Far East Fine Arts, San Francisco, California, 28 February 1997
Sale: The Reverend Richard Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Part IV
Estimate: US$800,000 – 1,200,000
Zhang Daqian ￨ Landscape for Lin Qingni ￨ Hanging scroll, ink on paper
Created in 1967
136.8 x 68 cm
Provenance:
- Far East Fine Arts, San Francisco, California, 15 July 1988
- Tsao Jung Ying, purchased directly from the artist, 24 April 1967
Sale: The Reverend Richard Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Part IV
Estimate: US$300,000 – 500,000
Xugu ￨ Immortal Image (Posthumous Portrait of Gao Yong’s Wife) ￨ Horizontal handscroll, ink and light colour on paper
Painting: 26.1 x 61.1 cm ￨ Front piece: 26.1 x 84.1 cm
Provenance:
- Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 30 April 1992, Lot 196
Sale: The Reverend Richard Fabian Collection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Part IV
Estimate: US$200,000 – 300,000
Gilt Copper Alloy Figure of Tara ￨ Nepal
Created during early Malla period, circa 13th century
Height: 23 cm
Provenance:
- David Tremayne Ltd, London, 1985
- The Michael Henss Collection, Zurich
Sale: Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art
Estimate: US$500,000 – 700,000
Katsushika Hokusai ￨ Sanka hakuu (Storm below the summit) ￨ Oban yoko-e print ￨ Japan
Created in circa 1831
25.4 x 36.8 cm
Sale: Japanese and Korean Art
Estimate: US$200,000 – 300,000
Utagawa Kuniyoshi ￨ Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Specter ￨ Oban tate-e print triptych ￨ Japan
Created in circa 1844
Each: 36.5 x 25.7 cm
Sale: Japanese and Korean Art
Estimate: US$150,000 – 250,000
Silver Cheroot Box with Scenes of the Ramayana ￨ Myanmar
Created in 1911
Height: 15 cm ￨ Diameter: 21 cm
Sale: The Noble Silver Collection: Treasures from the Burmese Silver Age
Estimate: US$8,000 – 12,000
Silver Stupa ￨ Myanmar
Created in circa 1910
25.4 x 36.8 cm
Sale: The Noble Silver Collection: Treasures from the Burmese Silver Age
Estimate: US$2,000 – 3,000
Portrait of a Noble and two Princes ￨ India
Created during late Mughal period, circa 1745
28.3 x 23.2 cm
Provenance:
- Ex-Maggs Bros. Ltd., London
- Property from the Asbjorn Lunde Foundation
Sale: Arts of India, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas Online
Estimate: US$6,000 – 8,000
Schist Head of Buddha ￨ Gandhara
Created in 3rd-4th century CE
Height: 17.8 cm
Provenance:
- Property from the Asbjorn Lunde Foundation
Sale: Arts of India, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas Online
Estimate: US$5,000 – 7,000