Christie’s Autumn Sales came to its last day in Hong Kong. Undeterred by the setback from its first evening sale of Chinese works of art, Christie’s made a victorious comeback with the strong performance recorded in Chinese Archaic Jades from The Yangdetang Collection. The phenomenal sale had all 82 lots sold and totalled HK$150m (US$19.3m), achieving seven times low estimate.
The sale started at 10.30 a.m. local time in Hong Kong and saw enthusiastic reception from buyers. Bidders made generous bids almost without hesitation and lots were hammered down at prices far exceeding pre-sale estimates. The sale was expected to raise a total (the sum of low estimates of lots offered) of HK$17.5m (US$2.2m) but ended up with a surprisingly remarkable result HK$150m (US$19.3m).
The Value spoke to an expert for the reason behind the frenzy over Chinese archaic jades. According to the expert, the jade market has seen a trend moving towards collecting archaic jades. There are no well-documented records about these prehistoric objects, and thus increase the difficulty in the authentication. Therefore, archaic jades with clear provenance become highly sought after in the market.
Yang Chün-hsiung at the right
Archaic jades that went on this sale were all from the Yangdetang collection, owned by a renowned collector Yang Chün-hsiung. His collection is mainly focused on archaic jades made between the Neolithic and the Han periods, spanning almost 6000 years from the late Xinglongwa Culture to the Eastern Han Dynasty (circa 5500 BC to AD 220). There were three exhibitions in Taipei that featured Dr.Yang’s archaic jade collection.
The top lot of the sale was lot no. 2704, a green jade toothed animal mask ornament from the late Hongshan Culture (circa 3500-3000BC). It was hammered down at HK$9m (US$1.15m), 30 times its pre-sale estimate of HK$300,000 – 500,000, and sold for HK$10.9m (US$1.44m) with buyer’s premium.
The Hongshan culture was a Neolithic culture in Northeastern China. Hongshan burial artefacts include some of the earliest known examples of jade working. The present lot is another example of significant religious objects from that period.
Another highlight of the sale was a jade ‘dragon’ pendant, Jue, from early Western Zhou dynasty (circa 12th-12th century BC). Estimated at HK$350,000 -600,000, it was also hammered down at HK$9m (US$1.15m) and sold for HK$10.9m (US$1.44m) with buyer’s premium.
It is rare to find a jade jue of this thickness and with such crisp and lively carving. A closely related example was excavated in a tomb belonging to a nobleman in Guo State, one of the smaller states founded at the beginning of the Western Zhou dynasty, currently exhibited at the Guo State Museum in Sanmenxia, Henan province.
The third top lot of the sale fell to a celadon jade ancestor mask from Post Shijiahe Culture (circa 2100-1600 BC). Carrying an estimate of HK$800,000 – 1.2m, the lot was hammered down at HK$8.5m and sold for HK$10.3m with buyer’s premium. The jade ancestor mask is a typical example of Post Shijiahe Culture. It was probably once fitted at the top with a ‘pointed headdress’ of jade or some other material, which is now lost.
Top Five Lots
A Very Rare Green Jade Toothed Animal Mask Ornament. Late Hongshan Culture, Circa 3500-3000 BC.
Lot no.: 2704
Width: 19.6cm
Provenance:
The Yangdetang Collection, Taipei, acquired prior to 1995
Estimate: HK$300,000 - 500,000
Hammer price: HK$9,000,000
Price realized: HK$10,900,000
A Jade ‘dragon’ Pendant, Jue. Early Western Zhou Dynasty, Circa 12th-11th Century BC.
Lot no.: 2728
Width: 4.3cm
Provenance:
Acquired from Chang Wei-Hwa & Company, Taipei, prior to 1999
Estimate: HK$350,000 - 600,000
Hammer price: HK$9,000,000
Price realized: HK$10,900,000
A Very Rare Celadon Jade Ancestor Mask. Post Shijiahe Culture, Circa 2100-1600 BC.
Lot no.: 2722
Width: 9.5cm
Provenance:
The Yangdetang Collection, Taipei, acquired prior to 1995
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Hammer price: HK$8,500,000
Price realized: HK$10,300,000
A Very Rare and Superb Celadon Jade Tiger. Late Shang Dynasty, Circa 14th-mid-11th Century BC.
Lot no.: 2725
Length：5.8cm
Provenance:
The Yangdetang Collection, Taipei, acquired prior to 1999
Estimate: HK$300,000 - 500,000
Hammer price: HK$7,500,000
Price realized: HK$9,100,000
An Exceedingly Rare Nine-tiered Jade Cong. Late Liangzhu Culture, Circa 2600-2300 BC.
Lot no.: 2710
Height：23.5cm
Provenance:
The Yangdetang Collection, Taipei, acquired prior to 1999
Estimate: HK$3,000,000 - 5,000,000
Hammer price: HK$7,000,000
Price realized: HK$8,500,000
Auction Summary
Auction house: Christie’s Hong Kong
Sale: Chinese Archaic Jades from The Yangdetang Collection
Auction date: 2017/11/29
No. of lots: 82
Sold: 82
Sell-through rate: 100%
Sale total: HK$150,180,000