Christie’s New York · Inside Asian Art Week

Christie’s New York Asian Art Week presented a panorama of multicultural treasures: from rare works by Japanese ukiyo-e master Hokusai, to manuscripts of Indian literary giant Tagore, to an elegant pair of Ming dynasty chairs, encompassing the artistic essence of Japan, China, and India.

Among the highlights of the “Important Chinese Furniture and Works of Art” sale were: a rare bronze ritual pouring vessel, yi, Late Western–Early Eastern Zhou dynasty, 8th century BC; a magnificent and extremely rare Dehua standing figure of Damo, Ming dynasty, 17th century, impressed He Chaozong mark within a double gourd (Price realised USD 1,143,000); a very rare Yongzheng imperial blue and white floral scroll'moonflask; three imperial famille rose porcelains from the collection of Thomas R. Vaughan; a magnificent large carved wood figure of seated Guanyin, Song–Jin dynasty, 11th–12th century (Price realised USD 355,600); a Yongle “sweet white” grape-decorated lobed dish; and huanghuali furniture such as a flat-headed table.

Of particular note was a very rare imperial Yongzheng coral-ground falangcai “floral” bowl, estimated at only USD 70,000–90,000 but sold for USD 444,500, far above its estimate yet still significantly lower than the HKD 87.2 million achieved by a similar bowl in Hong Kong in 2019. This reflects a more cautious market overall: while top-tier works remain competitive, there is a noticeable gap between valuations and demand. The total for this sale reached USD 31,838,830. Collectors may consult the results and catalogue for further study of the market trends.