Auction 1281 Asian Art Post-Sale Review

Indian art continues its upward trajectory at Lempertz, with many works on paper seeing significant increases in value. Works from Tibet and Nepal are also in high demand, as are Japanese netsuke, which remain extremely popular. Chinese porcelain from imperial collections achieved the highest prices.

With significant international participation via numerous telephone lines and various online platforms, the Asian art auction at Lempertz completing the autumn season was a great success. Indian and Tibetan art proved equally popular, as did outstanding Chinese artworks, which included exclusive items from palace collections.

The trends seen at the previous Asian art auction continued at Lempertz's last sale of the season: Traditional art from India, especially miniatures, remains in high demand. Not a single one of the lots remained unsold, with estimates exceeded by up to seven times. Particularly noteworthy was the depiction of a black demon abducting a young sleeping woman. The 18th-century piece had an estimated value of €3,000, but was eventually sold for €22,600. A sheet from an album with four miniatures, dating from the 17th or 18th century, also saw a significant increase in value. Instead of the estimated €6,000, the successful bidder had to part with around €24,000. Both pieces went to international bidders.

Eyes play a central role in Tibetan mythology. It is no wonder that an ophthalmologist from Hesse was particularly fascinated by the art of this region and had assembled a significant collection. Two bronzes stood out in particular from this collection, the second part of which was offered at the last auction. A brass bronze of the great Sakya master Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, revered as the first great patriarch of the Sakya school, rose from an estimated price of €20,000 to a final price of around €92,000. From the same collection came a copper bronze of the divine lovers Indra and Indrani, which achieved a hammer price of €26,400.

The diplomat Ernst Arthur Voretzsch (1868-1965) spent many years in China and became an expert on Chinese art. His collection included exquisite pieces, some of which were included in this auction and attracted significant international interest. A leporello album with seven small paintings from the Ming/Qing period was conservatively valued at €2,000. However, the successful bidder had to pay over €30,000 to secure this treasure. Even more exclusive was a very rare and significant Geyao plate in the shape of a hibiscus flower. These pieces were produced in the famous Ge kiln during the Southern Song/Yuan dynasty (1126-1368) and were reserved almost exclusively for imperial palaces. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that some of them began to enter the art market, and they remain highly sought-after today. This Geyao plate fetched €214,000 and will return to a collector in China.

Japanese art was well represented at the auction with the ever-popular netsuke. Frank Lapisch's collection in particular offered exquisite pieces for bidders. An ivory carving in the shape of a Gama Sennin, valued at €6,000, sparked a particularly intense bidding competition. It was finally sold for €45,300.

In total, the Asian Art auction achieved a result of around 1.4 million euros.

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