OGP | Collectors' Recommendations
Dec 9, 2024
Christie's Hong Kong Autumn Auction saw full sales in two major special sessions: "Essence of Taiyi: The Lantian Shanfang Jade Collection" and "Elegance of Jia Wood: Selected Ming-style Furniture from 'Muquju'," both achieving the prestigious "white glove" status. Notably, the "Lantian Shanfang Jade Collection" session on November 29, 2024, delivered an exceptional performance, achieving a total sales value of HKD 214 million, accounting for nearly half of the total sales in the artifacts category.
The "Lantian Shanfang" collection originates from renowned Taiwanese jade collector Xu Zuoli. Many of the pieces were once handled by Mr. Zhang Weihua of "Yunzhongju" and boast significant exhibition records. In 1999, the National Palace Museum in Taipei hosted the exhibition "Gems of Collections II", where Lantian Shanfang, alongside Jinhua Hall, Yangde Hall, and the Aurora Foundation, presented 232 exceptional ancient jade artifacts, which were also documented in a published catalog. The inclusion of private collections in a Palace Museum exhibition is a rare honor that is nearly impossible to replicate today.
This time, 75 pieces from the Lantian Shanfang collection were released for auction, drawing significant attention since the pre-auction exhibition, which attracted over 7,000 visitors. During the auction, three pieces achieved prices exceeding HKD 20 million, marking what can only be described as a "remarkable resurgence of ancient jade". This event has set a new milestone in the ancient jade market over the past five years.
Top Three Highlights:
Eastern Han Jade “Yan Nian” Bi
◦ Size: 17.3 cm
◦ Estimate: HKD 1M - 2M
◦ Final Price: HKD 25.18M
Late Western Han to Eastern Han White Jade Dragon-Head Ladle
◦ Size: 16.8 cm
◦ Estimate: HKD 500K - 800K
◦ Final Price: HKD 22.155M
Western Han Turquoise Pixiu
◦ Size: 10.2 cm
◦ Estimate: HKD 5M - 7M
◦ Final Price: HKD 20.945M
Top 10 Auction Results
1. Eastern Han Dynasty, "Jade 'Yan Nian' Bi", 17.3 cm in height, estimated at HKD 1,000,000–2,000,000, sold for HKD 25,180,000, exceeding the low estimate by over 25 times.
2. Late Western Han to Eastern Han Dynasty, "White Jade Ladle with Dragon Head", 16.8 cm in length, estimated at HKD 500,000–800,000, sold for HKD 22,155,000, exceeding the low estimate by 44 times.
3. Western Han Dynasty, "Turquoise Bixie", 10.2 cm, estimated at HKD 5,000,000–7,000,000, sold for HKD 20,945,000.
4. Shijiahe Culture to Xia Dynasty, "White Jade Figure of a Deity", 8.6 cm, estimated at HKD 800,000–1,500,000, sold for HKD 16,105,000.
5. Late Western Han to Early Eastern Han Dynasty, "Jade Feathery Figure Bixie", 5.5 cm, estimated at HKD 800,000–1,500,000, sold for HKD 11,870,000.
6. Late Warring States to Early Western Han Dynasty, "Jade Belt Hook with Dragon Head and Iron Core", 19 cm, estimated at HKD 300,000–500,000, sold for HKD 9,571,000.
7. Early Western Zhou Dynasty, "Yellow Jade Feng Chick", 2.2 cm in height, estimated at HKD 200,000–300,000, sold for HKD 8,820,000.
8. Hongshan Culture, "Beast-shaped Jade Ornament", 8.6 cm, estimated at HKD 300,000–500,000, sold for HKD 7,938,000.
9. Late Warring States to Early Western Han Dynasty, "White Jade Cup with Feathery Motif", 8.2 cm in length, estimated at HKD 800,000–1,200,000, sold for HKD 7,568,000.
10. Late Shang Dynasty to Early Western Zhou Dynasty, "Jade Figure with Feathered Crown", 10.3 cm, estimated at HKD 300,000–500,000, sold for HKD 6,300,000.
For further details and prices of the lots, click the provided link to view the full auction results.