Christie's New York Asian Art Week Totals $67,890,084
New York – Christie’s Asian Art Week New York achieved a total of $67,890,084 with 83% sold by lot and 160% hammer above low estimate. There was global participation with bidders from 33 countries across six continents. During the week three records were achieved and eleven lots exceeded $1 million across all sales.
The top lot of Asian Art Week New York was an important and very rare inlaid bronze faceted jar, fanghu, which sold for $2,760,000, more than six times above its low estimate of $400,000. Additional notable results included Gathering of Scholars at the National Library (Dokseodang), 16th Century, circa 1531, which totaled $693,000; a bronze figure of dancing Krishna, which realized $693,000; a magnificent and extremely rare imperial famille rose-enameled glass snuff bottle of the Qianlong period, which achieved $693,000; and Bhupen Khakhar’s The Banyan Tree, from the prestigious collection of Mahinder and Sharad Tak, which realized $2,460,000.
Tina Zonars, Co-Chairman of Asian Art, Christie’s, comments: “We are delighted by this week’s results, which demonstrate the strength and resilience of the Asian art market across all categories. We continue to see how the importance of quality, rarity and provenance play to collectors, as evident in the extraordinary results achieved for important classical Japanese, Chinese and Korean paintings from the David and Nayda Utterberg Collection, Chinese ceramics from the J. M. Hu Zande Lou Collection, and exceptional snuff bottles from the collection of Rachelle R. Holden. The success of this season is not only a testament to the market, but also to Christie’s continuing innovation and international teamwork.”
Deepanjana Klein, International Head of Classical and Contemporary Indian and South Asian Art, remarks: “This season, we achieved the highest sale total for modern and contemporary South Asian Art for any international auction house, including strong results for rare works from the collection of Mahinder and Sharad Tak. The sales saw competitive bidding from a global audience, resulting in seven works from the sale selling for over $1 million and three new auction records. We look forward to continuing the momentum in the fall season of starting September at New York.”
Japanese and Korean Art Including the Collection of David and Nayda Utterberg
22 March 2022
TOTAL: $10,626,210
Christie’s sale of Japanese and Korean Art Including the Collection of David and Nayda Utterberg achieved a total of $10,626,210 with 109% hammer above low estimate. There was global participation with registered bidders from 22 countries. The sale was led by Gathering of Scholars at the National Library (Dokseodang), 16th Century, circa 1531, which totaled $693,000. The sale also achieved notable results for The sale also achieved notable results for Katsushika Hokusaki’s Kanagawa oki nami ura (Under the well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa), which realized $604,800; a rare bronze Repousse plaque (Oshisashibutsu) of a seated Bodhisattva, Hakuho period (7th Century), which achieved $352,800, more than 23 times its low estimate; and Amida Nyorai (Amitabha) in Welcoming Descent with the Boddhisattvas Kannon and Seishi from the collection and David and Nayda Utterberg, which sold for $327,600, against a low estimate of $100,000.
Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art
23 March 2022
TOTAL: $3,732,120
The sale of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art achieved a total of $3,732,120 with 91% sold by value.
The top lot of the sale was a bronze figure of dancing Krishna, which realized $693,000. Additional top lots of the sale include: a rare and large gilt-bronze figure of Maitreya, which achieved $415,800; a rare and important bronze figure of Sambandar, which sold for $315,000; and a painting from the ‘Bharany’ Ramayana: Rama and Lakshmana depart Ayodhya, which sold for $201,600, over five times its low estimate of $40,000.
South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Including Works from the Collection of Mahinder and Sharad Tak
23 March 2022
TOTAL: $20,188,926
South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art Including Works from the Collection of Mahinder and Sharad Tak achieved a total of $20,188,926 with 96% sold by lot and 169% hammer above low estimate. This marks the highest sale total for any auction of South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art for an international auction house, with seven works sold for above $1 million.
The top lot of the sale was Bhupen Khakhar’s The Banyan Tree, from the collection of Mahinder and Sharad Tak, which realized $2,460,000. The sale also achieved notable results for Vasudeo S. Gaitonde’s Untitled, which sold for $2,340,000; Francis Newton Souza’s Still Life, which realized $2,160,000; and Gulammohammed Sheikh’s How Can You Sleep Tonight?, which achieved $2,040,000 and set a new auction record for the artist. The sale set a total of three records, including an artist record for Kanwal Krishna and a record for a work on paper by Manjit Bawa.
Rivers and Mountains Far from the World: Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Rachelle R. Holden Collection
24 March 2022
TOTAL: $2,252,502
The live sale of Rivers and Mountains Far from the World: Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Rachelle R. Holden Collection achieved a total of $2,252,502 with 86% sold by lot and 127% hammer above low estimate. The sale attracted spirited global bidding from online, telephone and in-room bidders.
The top lot of the sale was a magnificent and extremely rare imperial famille rose-enameled glass snuff bottle of the Qianlong era, which totaled $693,000. The sale also achieved strong results for a superb slip-decorated stoneware snuff bottle, which achieved $151,200, more than double its low estimate; a superb carved white and russet jade snuff bottle, Suzhou School, 1750-1830, which realized $119,700, against a low estimate of $40,000; and a very rare green, pink and yellow-overlay white glass snuff bottle, Yangzhou, 1800-1890, which sold for $113,400, over four times its low estimate.
Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
24-25 March
TOTAL: $31,090,326
Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art totaled $31,090,326, with 84% sold by lot and 205% hammer above low estimate.
The top lot of the sale was an important and very rare inlaid bronze faceted jar, fanghu, which realized $2,760,000, over six times its low estimate of $400,000. Four lots sold for more than $1 million, including a huanghuali trestle-leg table, which realized $2,100,000 and a Ge-type mallet vase, which achieved $1,134,000. The sale also saw strong results far exceeding estimates for works from many prestigious collections, including the Zande Lou Collection and a selection of outstanding rank badges from the collection of David Hugus.
