Earlier today, Christie's Hong Kong staged its fourth sale of archaic jades from the Chang Wei-Hwa Collection. Following the previous three remarkably successful sales, the dedicated standalone live auction proved to be yet another major triumph, with electrifying energy filled the room all throughout.
Offering a total of 73 precious pieces, the auction ended as a 100%-sold white-glove sale, totaling an impressive HK$72.9 million (around US$9.3 million).
Amongst the various fiercely sought-after lots, the spotlight was on a jade carving of a mythical beast, bixie, from circa 1st century BC. After an intense bidding war, it sold for HK$26.9 million (around US$3.4 million) against a low estimate of just HK$8 million to become the top lot of the sale.
Auctioneer Chen Liang-Lin smiled as she received the white glove which symbolized a 100%-sold auction
Chang Wei-Hwa (middle), Chi Fan Tsang, Deputy Chairman of Christie’s Asia Pacific (left) and Ruben Lien, Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art specialist (right) chatted happily after the successful sale
More than just a green ornamental mineral, jade has its special place in Chinese culture. Throughout Chinese history, jade has long been considered as a symbol of a nobleman. Comparable with the importance of gold and diamonds in the West, jade was used for finest objects made for high-ranking members of the imperial family. Among them, archaic jades with historical significance are the most sought-after by collectors and connoisseurs.
Yet, with concern over the authenticity and the proper dating of jades offered in the market, collectors have a strong demand for archaic jades with illustrious provenance. Whenever archaic jades from a renowned collection go up for auction, they spark fierce bidding wars – such was the case for the Chang Wei-Hwa collection.
Chang Wei-hwa
Chang Wei-Hwa is a widely acclaimed art dealer and collector among antique lovers and connoisseurs. He was instrumental in helping the formation of several private jade collections in Taiwan, including the Chang Foundation, Yangdetang, Lantian Shanfang and Jinhuatang.
Since 2019, Christie's has presented the Chang Wei-Hwa Collection in four parts, with remarkable result achieved season after season:
- Neolithic Period | Number of Lots: 58, Sale Rate: 95%, Sale Total: HK$65,752,500 (around US$8.4 million)
- Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties | Number of Lots: 75, Sale Rate: 100%, Sale Total: HK$46,240,000 (around US$5.9 million)
- Spring and Autumn & Warring States Periods | Number of Lots: 77, Sale Rate: 100%, Sale Total: HK$79,887,500 (around US$10.2 million)
- The Qin and Han Periods | Number of Lots: 73, Sale Rate: 100%, Sale Total: HK$72,863,940 (around US$9.3 million)
In an earlier interview with Taiwanese media, Chang announced that this sale would be the final chapter of this series of archaic jade sale.
Lot 2748 | A jade carving of a mythical beast, bixie
Late Western Han dynasty, circa 1st century BC
Length: 7.2 cm
Provenance:
- Jinhuatang Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1998
Estimate: HK$8,000,000 - 12,000,000
Hammer Price: HK$22,000,000
Sold: HK$26,850,000 (around US$3.4 million)
Opening on a bid of HK$6 million, the lot was animatedly pursued by multiple bidders on the phone. The bid swiftly soared to HK$14 million; and from that point onwards, an intense face-off was elicited between the bidders represented by Sherese Tong, Specialist in the Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art Department and Felix Pei, Senior Specialist in the same department.
With both parties placing alternating bids, the jade carving was eventually hammered for HK$22 million, well above its low estimate of just HK$8 million. After fees, it sold for HK$26.9 million (around US$3.4 million) to the Felix Pei's client. A round of applause followed.
Felix Pei won the present lot for his client on the phone
The present lot
The term bixie first appeared in a Chinese character primer written by scholar Shi You in around 40 BCE:
‘Sheji, bixie are both names of mythical beasts… bixie means ‘warding off the wicked’. It is said that jade pendants in the form of these two beasts can help prevent adversity and provide protection.’
Inspired by prototypes from West Asia and Eurasia, bixie is based on the imagery of a lion, a foreign animal, but has the spirit of a fierce tiger. The ancient Chinese believed that the ferocity of lions and tigers could chase misfortunes away, therefore they were frequently used to guard gateways or spirit ways.
Bixie, Western Han dynasty | Xianyang Museum in Shaanxi province
Bixie, Western Han dynasty | Xianyang Museum in Shaanxi province
Bixie, Eastern Han dynasty | National Palace Museum in Taipei
Jade bixie carvings in the round are extremely rare and precious. Two Western Han (206 BC - AD 24) examples were excavated in the Weiling tomb in Xianyang, Shaanxi province: one is striding upright, with two horns curling backwards along the head; the other is crouching with its head down, with two horns growing closely alongside and bifurcating at the tip.
In the Taipei National Palace Museum, there is one comparable jade bixie carving from Eastern Han dynasty (25 - 220), which features a long snout resembling either a dragon or a horse, unlike the more common tiger-like bixie with shorter snouts.
Although none of the bixie carvings from the Two Han Dynasties appear identical to one another, they share these characteristic: double or single-horned, with lion or tiger head and body, goat beard and bird wings. They are also extremely fierce, powerful in musculature, gallant in stature, carved in the round and decorated with incised decoration, shallow relief, high relief and pierced decoration in precise and neat wheel cuts.
Lot 2702 | A jade carving of an 'eagle and bear' group
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)
Length: 5 cm
Provenance:
- Dexinshuwu Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1996
Estimate: HK$300,000 - 500,000
Hammer Price: HK$2,600,000
Sold: HK$3,276,000 (around US$419,000)
The Han dyansty (206 BC - 220) saw a relative increase in the number of jade animals carved in the round compared to earlier times, and a great emphasis was placed on the depiction of wild animals in all their savagery. Particularly popular then were fighting tigers, ominous bears, ferocious eagles, and mythical animals carved in menacing and aggressive postures.
Delicately executed, the present lot is rendered in the motif of an eagle ying wrestling with a bear xiong, which is a pun for 'hero' and 'bravery' and forms the rebus yingxiong, or champion.
The rendition of the bear, with its rounded head, bulging eyes, erect ears and sharp claws, are characteristic of bears depicted in Han dynasty art, such as a gilt-bronze bear-form paperweight in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, while the eagle is comparable to a jade carving unearthed from a Han dynasty tomb at the Longgang Temple site in Shaanxi province.
A gilt-bronze bear-form paperweight | The Cleveland Museum of Art
Lot 2707 | A large white jade reticulated 'phoenix' plaque
Late Western Han dynasty, circa 1st century BC
Length: 14.8 cm
Provenance:
- Jinhuatang Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1996
Estimate: HK$2,200,000 - 3,500,000
Hammer Price: HK$2,400,000
Sold: HK$3,024,000 (around US$387,000)
This large plaque is carved with an archer’s ring-form pendant in the centre, flanked by abstract phoenixes on the top and bottom, resulting in a horizontal shape resembling a huang, an arc-shaped pendant used in an ornament set worn from the belt.
The history of huang can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the Liangzhu culture in the Yangtze River Delta, one of the most prominent Chinese civilisations which flourished from the late 4th to the end of the 3rd millennium BC, it served as a ritual artifact and was placed in tombs on the neck and chest of the body of the deceased.
The standard of the tomb was frequently proportional to the number of huang and the quality of the jade material, presumably to demonstrate the power and social status of its owners.
Other Highlight Lots:
Lot 2708 | A set of ten jade pendants
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD8)
Length of the longest jade huang: 13.4 cm
Provenance:
- Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Taipei in 1993
Estimate: HK$600,000 - 800,000
Hammer Price: HK$2,200,000
Sold: HK$2,772,000
Lot 2727 | A jdae dragon-form pendant
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD8)
Length: 7.7 cm
Provenance:
- Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Taipei in 1995
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Hammer Price: HK$2,000,000
Sold: HK$2,520,000
Lot 2735 | A set of two pale celadon jade 'dragon' pendants
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)
Length: 6.3 cm
Provenance:
- Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Taipei in 1993
Estimate: HK$1,800,000 - 2,500,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,900,000
Sold: HK$2,394,000
Lot 2719 | A jade reticulated 'dragon' disc, bi
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD8)
Diameter: 8.4 cm
Provenance:
- Dexinshuwu Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1996
Estimate: HK$300,000 - 500,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,600,000
Sold: HK$2,016,000
Lot 2747 | A jade cow and a jade calf
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)
Cow: 6 cm; Calf: 4.3 cm
Provenance:
- Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Taipei in 1991
Estimate: HK$800,000 - 1,200,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,500,000
Sold: HK$1,890,000
Lot 2736 | A larege white jade reticulated 'dragon and phoenix' plaque
Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25 - 220)
Length: 14.7 cm
Provenance:
- Jinhuatang Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1996
Estimate: HK$280,000 - 400,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,400,000
Sold: HK$1,764,000
Lot 2709 | A set of four jade pendants
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)
Length of jade heng: 9.7 cm
Provenance:
- Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Taipei in 1995
Estimate: HK$600,000 - 800,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,300,000
Sold: HK$1,638,000
Lot 2722 | A pale celadon jade reticulated 'dragon and phoenix' disc, bi
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)
Diameter: 8.5 cm
Provenance:
- Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Taipei in 1995
Estimate: HK$600,000 - 800,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,200,000
Sold: HK$1,512,000
Lot 2760 | A jade reticulated 'dragon' sword chape
Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 8)
Length: 6.8 cm
Provenance:
- Jinhuatang Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1998
Estimate: HK$450,000 - 600,000
Hammer Price: HK$1,000,000
Sold: HK$1,260,000
Lot 2771 | A jade pig
Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25 - 220)
Length: 12 cm
Provenance:
- Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Taipei in 1992
Estimate: HK$50,000 - 70,000
Hammer Price: HK$400,000
Sold: HK$504,000
Auction Details:
Auction House: Christie's Hong Kong
Sale: The Chang Wei-Hwa Collection of Archaic Jades Part IV - The Qin and Han Periods
Date: 29 November 2022
Number of Lots: 73
Sold: 73
Sale Rate: 100%
Sale Total: HK$72,863,940 (around US$9.3 million)