$8M Qing Dynasty Vase Heads to Auction

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The New York Sun

A Qing Dynasty vase that fetched $3,574 in 1971 may sell for $8 million in December at Christie’s International’s auction of Chinese antiques.

The imperial vase, painted with flower sprays and enameled butterflies, is part of a collection that once belonged to the wife of the late art dealer J.T. Tai. The 151 artworks are being sold by the Ping Y. Tai Foundation in three auctions in New York and Hong Kong starting September 17, Christie’s said in a statement. The sale may raise a combined $28 million, the company said.

Other auction highlights include an early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) vase with so-called “sweet white” glaze that’s expected to fetch as much as $800,000 at the New York auction, featuring bronzes and ceramics dating from the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 BC).

The second auction, scheduled for December 2 in Hong Kong, will feature paintings. The highlight of the sale is “Lotus Picking” by Qiu Ying (1495-1552), a picture of a scholar reclining in a pavilion, watching ladies gather lotus seeds that once belonged to Emperor Qianlong. Another highlight is the “The Pine Hill Studio” by painter and poet Tang Yin (1479-1523), which is expected to fetch $1.41 million, Christie’s said.

The Qing vase will be offered on December 3 in Hong Kong. The city, which levies no tax on artworks, is the top market for Chinese ceramics traded outside mainland China.


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