A complete set of portrait bronzes depicting the five “Founding Fathers” of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism sold for $2.9 million, the top lot of the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art sale.
NEW YORK CITY — Bonhams reported that it saw incredible results across its five Asia Week New York sales, in addition to online sales that ran to March 24. The total for the entire week was $21 million, Bonhams’ biggest Asia Week to date. The week started with the white-glove — 100 percent sold — sale of J.J. Lally & Co. properties which earned 10 times its estimate at $4.2 million, and the Mary and Cheney Cowles collection with 95 percent of lots sold and achieving five times its estimate at $7.3 million. The top lot of the week, from the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art sale, was a complete set of portrait bronzes depicting the five patriarchs of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism, which sold for $2.9 million — nearly six times its estimate.
From premiere Chinese art gallery J.J. Lally & Co, Bonhams presented 68 lots of ancient Chinese jades, silver, bronzes and ceramics on March 20, spanning 5,000 years from prehistoric China through the Qing dynasty.
Sale highlights included a large Neolithic mottled grey jade cong, selling for $1.5 million, 50 times its estimate ($30/50,000); a Sui dynasty glazed white stoneware jar and cover sold for $668,000, 22 times its estimate ($30/50,000); a Six Dynasties jade figure of a recumbent beast, bixie sold for $378,000, 12 times its estimate ($30/50,000); and a pair of ruyi silver vases, meiping, sold for $277,000, 13 times its estimate ($20/30,000).
This huanghuali “Wannian Taiping” yokeback armchair, guanmaoyi (Ming dynasty) sold for $1.9 million in the dedicated sale of the Mary and Cheney Cowles collection.
The dedicated sale of the Mary and Cheney Cowles collection on March 20 brought to auction 20 of the finest examples of classical Chinese furniture. The sale overall achieved $7.3 million with 95 percent sold by lot and 100 percent sold by value. Sale highlights included a huanghuali “Wannian Taiping” yokeback armchair, guanmaoyi (Ming dynasty, Sixteenth/Seventeenth Century), which sold for $1.9 million, seven times the estimate ($250/400,000); a Ming dynasty huanghuali recessed-leg wine table, jiuzhuo sold for $1.9 million, 23 times its estimate ($80/120,000); a rare huanghuali and nanmu “fu” character yokeback armchair, guanmaoyi (Ming dynasty) sold for $882,000, doubling its estimate ($350/500,000); a Seventeeth/Eighteenth Century rare huanghuali and huamu bamboo-style horseshoe-back armchair, quanyi sold for $756,000, tripling its estimate; and a rare zitan corner-leg table, tiaozhuo sold for $668,000, 11 times its estimate.
Over two days, Bonhams presented Chinese works of art and paintings, including a selection of Chinese snuff bottles from American collections. The sale overall achieved $2.8 million with 100 percent sold by value. Sale highlights included a Kangxi period hardstone-inlaid huanghuali tapered sloping-stile cabinet, which sold for $278,000, seven times its estimate ($40/60,000); an oil on canvas painting, “Hongs of Guangzhou” (Canton) from early 1850s by an anonymous Chinese artist sold for $139,000, against an estimate of $100/150,000; “Cooked Crabs and Wine” from 1946 by Qi Baishi (1864-1957) sold for $139,000, against an estimate of $40/60,000; and a Seventeenth Century mottled grey jade figure of a seated sage sold for $120,000, soaring past its $1,8/2,500 estimate.
Bonhams’ Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art sale on March 21 was highlighted by rare examples of important figures in Tibetan Buddhism. The sale overall achieved $5.5 million with 100 percent by value. Sale highlights were the only known complete set of portrait bronzes depicting the five “Founding Fathers” of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism, which sold for $2.9 million, nearly six times its estimate ($500/700,000); a gilt copper alloy figure of the Buddhist goddess Tara (early Malla period, Fourteenth Century) sold for $1 million, eclipsing its high estimate ($600/800,000); a Fourteenth Century Buddhasamayoga mandala from the Shalu monastery in Central Tibet sold for $404,000 over its estimate ($150/200,000); and a Thirteenth Century gilt copper alloy figure of Prajnaparamita from Nepal sold for $391,000.
In the J.J. Lally & Co sale, a large Neolithic mottled grey jade cong sold for $1.5 million.
Bonhams’ Japanese and Korean works of art sale on March 22 featured a selection of works art from Japan and Korea spanning centuries, including a special collection of contemporary Japanese ceramics. Overall, the sale achieved $991,000. Among the sale highlights were a large model of a skull and snake, Meiji (1868-1912) or Taisho (1912-1926) era, by Izumi Sukeyuki (1838-1920), which sold for $95,000; “Elemental Form IX,” Heisei era (1989-2019), 2019, by Baba Yasutaka (b 1991), sold for $38,000; and a Maebyong porcelain vase (Korea, 2003) by Park Young Sook (b 1947) sold for $25,500.
Bonhams closed out Asia Week New York with Arts of India, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas, which ran online until March 24.
Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. For information, 212-644-9001 or www.bonhams.com.
