The top jade items of the art auctions of 2008
Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 09:43AM
Every year the art publishing house Artouch (www.artouch.com) in Taiwan publishes a 700+ page catalogue (purchase via www.yesasia.com for about 90$US) showing the object of the mayor Chinese Art auctions of the preceding year. Also this year a large section (140+ pages) is dedicated to auctioned jades.
I present you below the top ten jades (as per auction price) of 2008 with their short original description and the achieved approximate price in US$ as listed in this survey.
Nr. 1
A magnificent imperial white jade “dragon” vase and cover – Qianlong period – 28cm height
Christie – Hong Kong – 3,285.000 US$
Nr. 2
A magnificent and extremely rare imperial white jade “zodiac animal” marriage bowl and cover – Qianlong period – 21cm width
Christie – Hong Kong – 2,700.000 US$
Nr.3
A large jadeite figure of Guanyin – Mid Qing Dynasty – 68.5cm height
Council Auction House – China – 2,700.000 US$
Nr. 4
A very rare imperial white jade “guang” archaistic vessel and cover – Qianlong period – 19.8cm height
Christie – UK – 2,274.000 US$ (?)
Nr. 5
A pair of exceptionally fine white jade circular “elephant” boxes and covers – Qianlong period – 16.4cm diameter
Christie – UK – 2,274.000 US$
Nr. 6
A superbly carved imperial spinach-green jade brush pot – Qianlong period – 15.8cm height
Christie – UK – 1,602.000 US$
Nr. 7
An exceptionally fine and rare yellow belt hook – Western Han Dynasty – 9.3x6.5x1.5cm
Christie – UK – 1,420.000 US$
Nr. 8
A rare miniature imperial “Prajnaparamita Sutra” jade book – Mark and period Qianlong period
Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 945.000 US$
Nr. 9
An exquisite imperial white jade teapot and cover – early 18th century – 18.6cm height
Christie – Hong Kong – 937.000 US$
Nr. 10
An exquisite jadeite vase and cover – early 20th century – 26cm height
Christie – Hong Kong – 840.000 US$
Next to these capital jade items also the auction of a set of jade seals made headlines.
The most important of these pieces are shown below.
Nr 1
An exceptional imperial white jade “Qianlong Yubi” seal, the seal of the Kangxi period, the seal face recarved during the Qianlong reign – 12.5x12.5cm
Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 9,600.000 $US
Nr. 2
A very fine imperial white jade “Zi Qiang Bu Xi” seal – Qianlong period – 7.5x7.5cm
Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 5,700.000 $US
Nr.3
A massive imperial Khotan-green jade “Tian En Ba Xun Zhi Bao” seal – Qianlong period – 12.7x12.7cm
Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 2,815.000 $US
Nr. 4
A superb pair of imperial white jade “dragon” seals – Qianlong period – 5x2.8cm
Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 2,300.000 $US
Nr. 5
A small and extremely fine imperial white jade “Sanxi Tang” seal -Qianlong period – 3.1x1.8cm
Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 1.630.000 $US
Nr. 6
A pair of imperial spinach-green jade “dragon” seals – Qianlong period – 4.5x4.5 and 4.5x2.9cm
Sotheby’s – Hong Kong – 1.542.000 $US
Reader Comments (2)
Fred Ward --- Friends of Jade
Years ago, I purchased in an estate sale a small but very attractive teapot in pale green Khotan jade. There is a four characters seal mark of Qianlong in "kai shu script" slightly stylized to fit nicely in a circular band of key fret pattern inside the teapot's foot-ring.Seal mark and key fret are in relief. Teapot and lid are carved with bamboo and lotus designs. Both sides of teapot and lid are carved with 27 characters, and between the spout and the foot-ring there is an oval seal in relief with three characters in seal script. A butterfly is over-flying the shoulder of the teapot.
Teapot is 5 & 5/8th in. long(14.3cm); 3 & 1/4 in.high(8.3cm); and 3 & 1/2 in. in diam. of the body(8.4cm).
I can send you three or four pictures of it if you would like to see it. However, I am going out of town in a couple of hours and I will not have time to take the pictures until I get back home in March 28 or 29.
It was a pleasure admiring the objects on your web site.
Edgard Mansoor