Christie’s France’s Asian art sale realises €19,295,200
Qing Dynasty statue of a Dakini
Christie’s Paris’ Asian Art sale on June 9 achieved €19,295,200 / £14,085,496 / $21,610,624 with strong sell-through rates of 71% by lot, 94% by value and 50% of the lots selling above presale estimates.
Leading the auction was an 18th century 11 meters long handscroll depicting the five hundred Luohan attributed to Gu Quan. From a private French collection, it sold for €5,585,500 (£4,077,415 / $6,255,760).
Tiphaine Nicoul, head of sale, said: “Great teamwork allowed us to achieve such a strong result, making this sale the most important dedicated Asian art sale ever in France. Carefully curating the sale to respond to a demanding market, our efforts focused on pristine quality, private provenance and freshness of the works.”
The private collections were led by that of former Diplomat and Senator Baron Jean-Baptiste-Louis Gros, with a white jade bowl and cover, Lian,from the Qing dynasty (Qianlong period) which sold for €3,009,500 (£2,196,935/$3,370,640),and of the 32 lots offered from the collection of Jean-Pierre Dubosc, 31 lots sold for a combined total of €1,151,500.
“Throughout the sale, collectors have demonstrated continued interest in all categories offered,” says Nicoul. “Another major painting caught collectors’ eyes, as Fu Baoshi’s Reading in the Mountains achieved €1,021,500. Porcelain was highlighted by a Qing blue and white ‘Sanduo’ vase from a European noble family which achieved €721,500 and by a Dehua figure of Guanyin which sold for €385,500, from the Qing dynasty. Sculptures are marked by a white marble head of a Bodhisattva that achieved €385,500. We now look forward to the next Christie’s sale in Europe which will take place in London during Asian Art Week in November”.