Christie’s Asian Art Week New York achieved a total of $43,701,125 with 84% sold by lot and 147% hammer above the low estimate. There was global participation with bidders from 38 countries across five continents. During the week seven records were achieved and seven lots exceeded $1M across all sales.
The top lot of Asian Art Week New York was Jehangir Sabavala, “The Embarkation” from South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art which sold for $1,590,000 and achieved a new world auction record for the artist.
Additional notable results included a woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, “The Great Wave,” which achieved $687,500; two massive parcel-gilt bronze figures of deities from the Late Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century, which realized $1,158,000; a large bronze figure of Shri Devi which sold for $387,500; and Rabindranath Tagore, “Untitled (Couple),” which sold for $637,500 against a low estimate of $120,000 and achieved a new world auction record for the artist.
“Christie’s experienced team and truly global network brought in buyers from across the world to our New York sales. The results of this week demonstrate the resilience of the Asian art market, and continued strength particularly in key areas such as Japanese prints, Chinese sculpture, furniture and porcelain, as well as property from institutional collections, all of which contributed to exceptional sell-through rates.”
Tina Zonars, Co-Chairman of Asian Art, Christie’s
Deepanjana Klein, International Head of Classical and Contemporary Indian and South Asian Art, remarks: “The results this Asia Week has been extremely encouraging with great works coming from private collections achieving great prices. Collectors from across the world actively participated in both the Classical and Modern and Contemporary art sales and we are seeing a healthy cross-over between these two categories, which is a logical and welcome development for our field.”
ASIAN ART WEEK | LIVE AUCTION OVERVIEW
Important Japanese Art
21 September 2021
TOTAL: $8,537,000
85% SOLD BY LOT | 195% HAMMER ABOVE LOW ESTIMATE
EDO PERIOD (18TH CENTURY), SIGNED TOTO JU MYOCHIN SHIKIBU (SOSUKE)
PRICE REALIZED: $625,000
Christie’s sale of Important Japanese Art achieved a total of $8,537,000 with 85% sold by lot and 195% hammer above the low estimate. There was global participation with registered bidders from 23 countries.
The top lots of the sale were Katsushika Hokusai’s Kanagawa oki nami ura (Under the well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa) which totaled $687,500, above the estimate of $150,000-200,000; an iron articulated sculpture of a mythical beast (Shachi) from the Edo period (18th century), signed Toto Ju Myochin Shikibu (Sosuke), which sold for $625,000, above the estimate of $120,000-170,000; and Katsushika Hokusai’s Sanka hakuu (Storm below the summit) [Black Fuji] which achieved $550,000.
South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art
22 September 2021
TOTAL: $7,827,500
85% SOLD BY LOT | 136% HAMMER ABOVE LOW ESTIMATE
UNTITLED (TREE IN A WALLED GARDEN)
PRICE REALIZED: $990,000
SEVEN NEW ARTIST AUCTION RECORDS ESTABLISHED
The sale of South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art achieved a total of $7,827,500 and was 85% sold by lot. Seven new world auction records were achieved for Rabindranath Tagore, Jehangir Sabavala, Akkitham Narayanan, Anwar Jalal Shemza, Mansur Rahi, Askari Mian Irani, and Nasreen Mohamedi (for a photograph by the artist).
The top lot of the sale was Jehangir Sabavala’s The Embarkation, which sold for $1,590,000, above the estimate of $300,000-500,000, establishing an auction record. Other notable results included Bhupen Khakhar’s Untitled (Tree In A Walled Garden), which totaled $990,000, and Rabindranath Tagore’s Untitled (Couple) which achieved $637,500, also setting a new auction record.
Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art
22 September 2021
TOTAL: $2,699,000
52% OF LOTS SOLD ABOVE HIGH ESTIMATE
SOUTH INDIA, TAMIL NADU, VIJAYANAGARA PERIOD, 15TH CENTURY
PRICE REALIZED: $387,500
Christie’s sale of Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Works of Art achieved a total of $2,699,000.
The top lot of the sale was a large bronze figure of Shri Devi, South India, Tamil Nadu, Vijayanagara period, 15th century which totaled $387,500. Other highlights include a rare Lamdre Lineage painting of two Sakya Masters which sold for $350,000, and a Large Gray Schist Figure of a Bodhisattva from the ancient region of Gandhara, 3rd-4th Century CE, which achieved $275,000, above an estimate of $60,000-80,000.
Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
23-24 September 2021
TOTAL: $24,637,625
87% SOLD BY LOT | 169% HAMMER ABOVE LOW ESTIMATE
FIGURES OF DEITIES
LATE MING DYNASTY, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
PRICE REALIZED: $1,158,000
The two-day live sale of Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art achieved a total of $24,637,625 and was 87% sold by lot, 93% sold by value, and 169% hammer above the low estimate.
The top lot of the sale was Two Massive Parcel-Gilt Bronze Figures of Deities Late Ming Dynasty, 16th-17th Century, which totaled $1,158,000, above the estimate of $300,000-500,000. Other notable results include a superb and Very Rare Silver ‘Animals’ Bowl, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), which sold for $1,110,000, and a massive Huanghuali Trestle-Leg Table, Late Qing Dynasty, which realized $1,110,000, far exceeding the estimate of $80,000-120,000.
ASIAN ART WEEK| ONLINE SALES
Asia!
14-28 September 2021 | Online
TOTAL: $994,125
121% HAMMER ABOVE LOW ESTIMATE
WITH ATTENDANTS
CHINA, LATE MING-QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
PRICE REALIZED: $75,000
The online-only sale Asia! totaled $994,125, led by silk paintings from the India House Club Collection, New York, including two large silk paintings of immortals with attendants from the late Ming-Qing Dynasty, 17th-18th Century, which sold for $75,000, and two large silk paintings of Buddha from late Ming-Qing Dynasty, 17th-18th Century, which sold for $75,000.
Additional strong results were achieved for a square Huanghuali table, which sold for $68,750, and a large silk Kesi Daoist immortals ‘birthday’ panel, which achieved $40,000.
From Artist to Woodblock: Japanese Prints Online
14-29 September 2021 | Online
TOTAL: $688,750
142% HAMMER ABOVE LOW ESTIMATE
Awa, naruto no fuha (wind and waves at naruto, awa province)
PRICE REALIZED: $23,750
From Artist to Woodblock: Japanese Prints Online totaled $688,750 and achieved 142% hammer above the low estimate. The top lot of the sale was Utagawa Hiroshige’s Awa, Naruto no fuha (Wind and waves at Naruto, Awa Province), which achieved $23,750, surpassing its high estimate of $2,000.
Other notable results from the sale include Ito Shinsui’s Haru (Spring), which sold for $22,500, against a high estimate of $4,000, and Kitagawa Utamaro’s Shinateru from the house of Okamotoya, which realized $17,500, against a high estimate of $10,000.
