At Christie’s New York Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale, ceramic wares were shadowed by the leading lots, bronze vessels and furniture. Despite carrying low estimates, two ceramic wares still caught the attention from perspicacious collectors and fetched high prices surpassing the estimates. Both produced in Qing dynasty, one is a blue and white vase from the Jiaqing period and the other one is a white-glazed jar and cover from the Yongzheng period.

The blue and white vase from the Jiaqing period was hammered down at US$600,000, far exceeding its estimate range of US$50,000 and 80,000, and sold for US$730,000 with buyer’s premium. The vase has a slightly tapered neck flanked by a pair of angular scroll handles beneath the slightly everted rim. The round foot is impressed with six characters seal mark of Jiaqing period.  This cylindrical shape of the body is less commonly seen on vases with flanked with handles, which are mostly flanked in gourd-shape vases.

The blue and white vase from the Jiaqing period was hammered down at US$600,000, far exceeding its estimate range of US$50,000 and 80,000, and sold for US$730,000 with buyer’s premium. The vase has a slightly tapered neck flanked by a pair of angular scroll handles beneath the slightly everted rim. The round foot is impressed with six characters seal mark of Jiaqing period. This cylindrical shape of the body is less commonly seen on vases with flanked with handles, which is mostly in gourd shape.

Another one is a white-glazed jar and cover from the Yongzheng period, carrying an estimate of US$20,000 – 30,000. It was hammered down at US$290,000 and fetched US$360,000 with buyer’s premium. The vase is in inverted-pear shape with a bulbous shoulder. The potted vessel and cover are covered overall with white glaze, except for foot rim and the rim of cover. The base is impressed with Yongzheng six-character mark within a double circle.

A white-glazed steam bowl of Yongzheng period. Christie’s 2015. HK$350,000

The expertise in making white-glazed porcelain was very well-developed during the Yongzheng period. Emperor Yongzheng was interested in retro works of art so imitation of porcelains from the Ming and Song dynasties was prevalent at the time. It is not common to see a jar like this, in smooth surface with no pattern or colour. Some connoisseurs believe the jar was intended to be a Famille jar but the production was somehow halted, leaving the jar in completely white glaze. It is only speculation about the possibility of the jar. There is no way we can know for sure.

A RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'DEER AND CRANE' VASE. JIAQING SIX-CHARACTER SEAL MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1796-1820).

Lot no.: 1264
Height: 31.7cm
Provenance (consolidated by The Value):

• Collection of Chin Hai Wang, acquired in Taiwan before 1964, and thence by descent within the family.
• Property from a private Chicago collection

Estimate: US$50,000 - 80,000
Hammer price: US$600,000
Price realized: US$732,500

A RARE SMALL WHITE-GLAZED JAR AND COVER. YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1723-1735)

Lot no.: 1232
Height: 8.9cm
Provenance (consolidated by The Value)
Property from Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, New York
Estimate: US$20,000 - 30,000
Hammer price: US$290,000
Price realized: US$360,500

Auction Summary

Auction house: Christie’s New York
Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
Sale no.: 15751
Sale period: 2017/9/14- 15
Sale total: US$17,526,125
No. of lots: 332
Sold: 232
Unsold: 100
Average price per lot: US$75,543
Sell-through rate: 70%

(All prices realized have included buyer’s premium unless otherwise specified)