In New York spring sales, there is one particular auction which draws the attention of furniture collectors, "The Marie Theresa L. Virata Collection of Asian Art: A Family Legacy". Among the 86 lots, 7 of them were sold for over US$1m, while the total sales fetched US$25m. Along with a selling rate of 95%, the result is astonishing.

The top lot is a huanghuali circular incense stand, xiangji, sold for US$5.8m against a pre-auction low estimate of US$400,000. Of the extant examples published in hardwood, there appears to be only one other three-legged circular incense stand, now in the collection of the Shanghai Museum. Similar to the "Virata" stand, the one in the Shanghai Museum is carved with the same inter-locking curling tendril to the shaped apron and exhibits similar construction of the legs, which are joined to the apron in a fush-mitre joint that is blind tenoned into the top.

The lot with the highest pre-auciton estimate, a zitan luohan bed, luohangchuang, was sold for US$3.6m, surpassing its high estimate of US$3m. The lots with the 2nd highest and 3rd highest estimates, a huanghuali painting table, jiatousun hua'an, and a pair of zitan "official's hat" armchairs, sichutouguanmaoyi, achieved approx. US$1.7m and US$1.9m respectively.

 

Lots sold for over US$1m

A VERY RARE HUANGHUALI CIRCULAR INCENSE STAND, XIANGJI, 16TH-17TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 613
Height: 95.3cm
Diameter: 45.1cm
Estimate: US$400,000 - 600,000
Sold: US$5,847,500

A MAGNIFICENT AND IMPORTANT ZITAN LUOHAN BED, LUOHANCHUANG, 18TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 643
Size: 73.7 x 218.7 x 128.3cm
Estimate: US$2,000,000 - 3,000,000
Sold: US$3,607,500

A VERY RARE PAIR OF ZITAN 'OFFICIAL'S HAT' ARMCHAIRS, SICHUTOUGUANMAOYI, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 640
Size: 116.2 x 62.2 x 54.6cm
Estimate: US$800,000 - 1,200,000
Sold: US$1,927,500

A VERY RARE AND IMPRESSIVE HUANGHUALI RECESSED-LEG PAINTING TABLE, JIATOUSUN HUA'AN, 17TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 628
Size: 83.2 x 219 x 62.9cm
Estimate: US$1,000,000 - 1,500,000
Sold: US$1,687,500

A RARE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI HORSESHOEBACK ARMCHAIRS, QUANYI, 17TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 607
Size: 98.3 × 66 × 62.9cm
Estimate: US$300,000 - 500,000
Sold: US$1,447,500

A VERY RARE PAIR OF HUANGHUALI ‘SOUTHERN OFFICIALS’ HAT’ ARMCHAIRS, NANGUANMAOYI, 17TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 625
Size: 99.1 × 63 × 54.6cm
Estimate: US$600,000 - 800,000
Sold: US$1,327,500

A VERY RARE HUANGHUALI COMPOUND CABINET AND HAT CHEST, DINGXIANGGUI, 17TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 612
Size: 252.7 × 114.3 × 57.2cm
Estimate: US$400,000 - 600,000
Sold: US$1,027,500

 

Auction Summary

Auction House: Christie's New York
Sale: The Marie Theresa L. Virata Collection of Asian Art: A Family Legacy
Sale No.: 14261
Date: 2017/3/16
Total Sales: US$25,352,749
Lots: 86
Sold: 82
Unsold: 4
Average Price per Sold Lot: US$309,180
Selling Rate: 95%

(prices include buyer's premium, unless otherwise stated)