The sale "Important Chinese Art" has ended on 15 March. The blue and white "dragon" tea caddy, with the highest estimated price before auction printed on the front page of the catalogue, is unexpectedly unsold. Instead, a seemingly-ordinary bronze incense set has suprised many. It is realized at 13 times of its estimation, becoming the second expensive lot of the sale.

The inscene censer comes with a spatula and a pair of bamboo-form chopsticks. Its body carries arabic inscriptions and the base bears a four-character Zhengde mark. During Ming Dynasty, China's trade routes had expanded to many parts of the world. Merchants and traders from the Middle East travelled frequantly to the country's city ports. Apparently the economic connections had also facilitated cultural exchanges, and this inscene set is a representation of both Chinese and Arabic culture.

The top lot of the sale is a tea bowl from the kiln of Jian of South Song Dynasty. Other sale highlights include a celadon-glazed tea caddy of Yongzheng period,two famillerose figures of Ksitigarbha of Qing Dynasty, and a gold and silver-inlaid bronze Tapir-form Vessel. These three lots share the same realized price of US$492,500, together being the third expensive lots of the sale.

Top Lots

AN EXCEPTIONAL ‘JIAN’ ‘NOGIME TEMMOKU’ TEA BOWL
SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY

Lot No.: 602
Height: 12.4 cm
Estimate: US$500,000-700,000
Sold: US$1,092,500

AN ARABIC-INSCRIBED BRONZE INCENSE SET
16TH/17TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 560
Height: 20.5 cm
Estimate: US$40,000-60,000
Sold: US$540,500

A VERY RARE CELADON-GLAZED CYLINDRICAL TEA CADDY AND COVER
YONGZHENG MARK AND PERIOD

Lot No.: 518
Height: 28.5 cm
Estimate: US$800,000-1,200,000
Sold: US$492,500

TWO EXTREMELY RARE FAMILLEROSE FIGURES OF KSITIGARBHA
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG/JIAQING PERIOD

Lot No.: 537
Height: 34 cm
Estimate: US$150,000-250,000
Sold: US$492,500

A GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE TAPIR-FORM VESSEL (ZUN)
MING DYNASTY, 16TH / 17TH CENTURY

Lot No.: 565
Height: 29.2 cm
Estimate: US$20,000-30,000
Sold: US$492,500

Auction Summary

Auction House: Sotheby's New York
Sale: Important Chinese Art
Sale No.: N09662
Date: 2017/3/15
Total Sales: US$10,935,375
Lots: 268
Sold: 183
Unsold: 85
Average Price per Sold Lot: US$59,756
Selling Rate: 68%

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