Auction 1270 - Asian Art | Post-Auction Review

This season's successful Asian Art auction at Lempertz was characterised by several important collections, which were sold almost in their entirety. Demand for art from India also proved to be particularly strong once again. 

The Asian Art auction at Lempertz in Cologne closed with great interest and several important collections on offer. Art from India was in exceptionally high demand, but as expected, bidders paid the highest prices of the auction for porcelain from China: a finely decorated, large famille verte bowl from the Kangxi era (1662-1722) realised around €116,000. An imperial yellow-ground “nine-peach” plate with Yongzheng mark dating from the period (1723-1735) also exceeded its estimate and realised over €55,000.

The Indian and Southeast Asian sculptures from the Robert and Alice Piccus Collection were sold in their entirety. The highest price realised was €17,600 for a relief panel with trimurti from the Cambodian Khmer Empire. Almost all of the carved lacquer objects from a private collection in the Lower Rhine region were also sold, led in price by a stacking box with a drop lid from the 18th or early 19th century, which was eventually passed on to its new owner at €22,680 after intense bidding competition in the saleroom, on the phones and online.

Indian miniatures also achieved outstanding results. The very first lot of the auction, a manuscript with coloured and gold illuminated paintings, achieved a result of €36,540. The work, which dates to around 1725, is part of the ‘Shah-nama’ (Epic of the Kings, History of Rustam) by Firdausi. All of the Indian works on paper sold well above their respective estimates. The twelve miniatures in this category realised a total of €146,790.

For years now, Lempertz has been noticing a steadily growing number of bidders from India, who are creating an increasingly lively demand in the auctions. The market in this region is clearly benefiting from the stable economic development and the resulting increase in interest in its own art, much of which is currently still housed outside the country.

Works on paper were also among the highest priced pieces in the Japanese art section. Works by Hokusai led the way, some of which realised several times their estimates. His view of Lake Suwa, for example, sold for €27,700. The highest price for a lot from Japan, however, was achieved by a set of twelve inrō with the signs of the zodiac dating from the 19th century, which sold for €32,760.

With a limit ratio of over 136 per cent, the auction was another great success for Asian art at Lempertz with around 97 per cent international bidders.

Jan Bykowski
Press and Public Relations
info@lempertz.com
Tel. 0221 925729 -57