: Christie's two-day sale of Captains & Kilns: European
ceramics, Chinese Export and maritime art, including Pallisy ware
and French majolica, the property of Animal Art Antiques on
January 20-21, totaled $2,389,068, with 75 percent of the lots
sold and 82 percent sold by value.
The sale's results brought the overall total for the series of
ceramic sales to $4.4 million.
Becky MacGuire, Christie's specialist in Chinese export art,
said, "Chinese export performed extremely well across the board,
and was highlighted by the very rare crab tureen and cover, which
created such tremendous excitement that it soared to an
astounding $276,300." The exquisite and realistically modeled
crab tureen and cover is one of only two or three known to exist.
The sale was also highlighted by the strong result for a pair of
Eighteenth Century famille rose soldier vases and covers, which
sold for $197,900. The vases display a plethora of richly
enameled birds in a lavishly blooming garden. A tour de force of
the potter's art, the soldier vase was named after Frederick
Augustus (1670-1733), the king of Poland and a founder of the
Meissen factory, who traded a regiment of soldiers for a
collection of them.
"The Bund at Shanghai," Chinese School, circa 1860, achieved
$95,600, while a pair of Dutch Delft blue and white vases and
fixed covers, late Seventeenth Century, brought $65,725. A
massive blue and white five-piece garniture, Kangxi period, sold
for $57,360.
Rounding out the sale's top ten lots were: an Order of the
Cincinnati plate, circa 1785, $41,825; a large pair of white
cranes, Qianlong period, $35,850; a very large famille verte
dish, Kangxi period, $33,460; a pair of cranes, Nineteenth
Century, $31,070; and a pair of Mandarin palette vases and
covers, Qianlong period, $28,680.
The day ended with the large collection of Palissy ware and
French majolica from Animal Art Antiques. "As the largest
collection of its type to hit the international market, the
Palissy ware and French majolica from Animal Art Antiques was
greeted with great enthusiasm," said Melissa Bennie, head of
Nineteenth Century ceramics and glass. "We saw a new group of
international first-time buyers as well as knowledgeable
collectors and members of the trade who all expressed great
interest, particularly for pieces by Massier and those in the
Palissy style."
All sold prices include buyer's premium.
