Review by R. Scudder Smith
Photos courtesy James D. Julia

The catalog cover lot, a finely painted famille rose moon flask, China, Jiaqing period, decoration of a single lotus bloom surrounded by scrolling vines and five bats, 10½ inches high, brought $44,437, well over the $5,000 high estimate.

 
FAIRFIELD, MAINE — Last, but certainly not least, was Session Four, 869 lots of Asian objects that brought $1,231,718 (including the buyer’s premium) at James D. Julia on Friday, August 28. After Jim Julia introduced his busy staff, and the Internet was ready and the phone people lined up on the left side of the gallery, lot 4,000, an egg yolk glazed porcelain bowl, China, Twentieth Century, 7 inches in diameter, was sold for $364, followed shortly by a Longchuan celadon bottle vase, compressed globular body rising to a tall flared neck, applied overall with a satin blue-green glaze suffused with wide brown crackles joined by some colorless crackles. It measures 7 inches high and went over estimate at $4,740.

A Chinese Export oil on canvas depicting an interior scene of a Mandarin and his consort with an attendant on his wedding day was framed and measured 25½ by 19½ inches. It sold just over estimate at $6,682. Several lots later, another Chinese Export painting, Nineteenth Century, oil on canvas of a woman in an embroidered pink robe holding a rose, in a period gold and black lacquer frame, 23 by 17½ inches, sold for $7,897, about ten times the high estimate.

A thangka of Trowo Tsocho Kaying (Bon Deity), dating late Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century, Tibet, tempera on cloth, image size 41½ by 28 inches, went for $7,877, just over the high estimate. A Longchuan foliate washer, with rounded edge that opens to a quarter lobed rim suggesting flower pedals, applied with a stain blue-green glaze suffused with crackles, 5¾ inches in diameter, went over estimate at $7,290. A bid of $7,110, well over the $600 high estimate, bought a pair of cloisonné enamel faceted vases, China, with the four-character Qianlong mark and measuring 11 ³⁄₈ inches tall.

Selling within estimate at $17,010 was a white jade covered vase with elephant mask ears, Nineteenth Century, China, measuring 10¾ inches high. Several lots later, a five-piece cloisonné enameled garniture set, China, consisting of a tripod censer with rising handles, a pair of candlestick holders and a pair of gu-shaped vases, enameled with flowers and vines, went for $19,440, within estimate.

Selling for three times the high estimate, this large famille rose tripod censer with raised handles, Nineteenth Century, Qing dynasty period, 18 inches high, brought $35,550. It is printed in famille rose against pink ground with pink flowers, vines and other auspicious items, the globular body supported by three beast legs with an elaborately carved wooden cover fitted on top.

 
Selling for just over five times the high estimate at $3,886 was a calligraphy scroll by Yu Youren (1879–1964), China, writing in running script on the occasion of celebration of human landing on the moon, signed with one seal and measuring 42 by 12¾ inches. A gilt-bronze seated medicine Buddha, China, in lotus position on double plinth, the left hand with small bowl and the right holding a medicine fruit, 9¼ inches high, went within estimate at $6,675, while a rare Chinese gilt-bronze bowl, carved with landscape design, Qianlong mark, 3½ inches in diameter, went within estimate at $3,645.

Lot 4343, Tsuguharu Foujita (Japanese, 1886–1968), A Book of Cats: Being 20 Drawings, New York: Covici Friede, 1930 (Cover and five illustrations shown) condition about fine, carried an estimate of $10,000–15,000, and brought $33,412.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Also selling within estimate was a rare aloeswood carved libation cup, late Eighteenth to early Nineteenth Century, China, depicting scholars roaming in a landscape, 3½ inches high, at $9,720; selling at the low estimate was a zitan brush pot, Eighteenth to Nineteenth Century, China, finely grained wood, cylindrical form with reeded top and bottom, 9 inches high and 9¾ inches in diameter, $3,037; selling for $7,200, well over the $1,200 high estimate, was a tea dust-glazed vase, China, six-character Qianlong mark, globular body rising to funnel neck and monster handles, 7¾ inches high, and going well over the $400 high estimate, selling for $7,240, was a cream glaze porcelain dish, Twentieth Century, China, shallow form with flared walls and incised in the center with vines and flowers, 8¾ inches in diameter.

Lot 4173, a GE-type hu-form vase, 6¾ inches high, supported on a recessed foot and covered completely with a rich pale gray glaze suffused with a network of dark crackle joined by finer golden brown crackle. It sold for $25,477, five times the high estimate.

 
A bid of $3,159, six times the high estimate, bought a Persian School study of animals, Eighteenth Century, ink on card, 5¼ by ¹⁷⁄₈ inches sight, and leaving the $500 high estimate in the dust was a large blue and white jar, Korea, a high-shouldered vase with pine and the sun, a large deer and flying longevity crane. It brought $6,075 and measures 15¼ inches high.

Selling for just over nine times the high estimate at $10,935 was a parcel-gilt-bronze conjoined double vase, China, with faux archaistic gilt bronze mounts in the form of mythical animals, 5 inches high, and bringing $7,290, just a bit shy of the high estimate, was a porcelain baluster vase from the Twentieth century, China, with body decorated in a continuous pattern of meandering vines and flowers executed in underglaze blue and the neck finished in a celadon glaze framing a central band containing bats flying amid stylized clouds. It measures 16¼ inches high and 9½ inches in diameter.

A bottle-form Peking glass vase, Eighteenth Century, China, with a widely flaring body, three-colored glass of pink, white and sage green, cameo carving of birds in flowering prunus trees, 9½ inches high, very good condition, had a high estimate of $700 and sold for $7,110. The next lot, a bottle-form Peking glass vase, China, with Ch’ien Lung mark (1735–1796), uniform turquoise color, 9½ inches high, had a $500 high estimate and sold for $3,146. Selling for $2,073, against a $400 high estimate, was a Peking glass bowl dating from the Eighteenth Century, China, ruby colored with carvings of three reserves with the “San Yang” three rams design, an ox in a landscape and a longevity design of a crane and deer. It is in fine condition and measures 6 inches in diameter.

A selection of jade pieces was toward the end of the auction, including a white jade gourd and bat pendant, China, carved with large double gourds and leafy vines, 2¾ inches high, that sold for ten times the high estimate at $5,377, and a Peking glass vase, China with the Ch’ien Lung mark and period (1735–1796), deep turquoise color, elongated uniform shape, 5¼ inches high, went for $2,430, well over the $300 high estimate.

It took $24,885 to win this GE-type Narcissus planter, estimated at $3,000–5,000, with everted rim supported by four ruyi-shaped legs, applied overall with a lustrous glaze suffused with a network of dark brown crackles joined by finer golden brown crackles. It measures 6 inches wide and was from the estate collection of US Navy Captain Edward Pearce of Dover, Del.

The next auction planned by James D. Julia will be on October 5–7, firearms, to be followed later in the fall with a sale of lamps and glass.

For additional information, www.jamesdjulia.com or 207-453-7125.