Fine Asian Works of Art

Asian Art
Auction

Jade, porcelain, glazed pottery, antique textiles, scrolls and paintings sourced from various distinguished estates and private collections will headline the Fine Asian Art Auction to be held on Friday, August 11th. Our inaugural Timed Asian Decorative Arts Auction will feature Chinese jade and hardstone carvings, Chinese ceramics, furniture items, Chinese scrolls, Japanese woodblocks, and works of art. Bids will be accepted 8/5–8/14.

View Fine Asian Art Catalog View Asian Decorative Arts Timed Auction

One of the August 11th sale highlights is a Chinese cloisonné enameled gilt bronze meiping vase from the 17th century, with an estimate of $6,000–$9,000. The exterior is decorated with two registers of flower blossoms amidst leafy scrolls, all against a blue enameled ground and between vertical lappets. The upper section is further decorated with large ribbon roundels.

A Chinese cloisonné enamel meiping vase.
**To be offered: August 11th**

Another highlight in the auction is a large Chinese iron-red decorated ‘dragon’ charger. This charger has two energetic five-clawed dragons, amongst ruyi-clouds, which are chasing a precious flaming pearl heightened in gold. Two additional dragons are on the exterior walls engaged in the same pursuit. The charger has a Guangxu six-character mark in regular script and is of the Guangxu period. This lot is estimated at $2,000–$4,000.

A Chinese iron-red decorated ‘dragon’ charger.
**To be offered: August 11th**

A Chinese famille verte phoenix-tail vase, depicting an auspicious bird perching on wutong and flowering plum trees over a lotus pond with Mandarin ducks, will be featured in the sale as well. This lot is estimated at $5,000–$7,000.

Another interesting item in the sale is a large Chinese grisaille-decorated ‘figural’ vase, with a globular body that was skillfully painted with a fictional scene. The scene depicts a figure bowing to a seated official figure, surrounded by an additional nine figures. One side of the vase has an inscription echoing the painted scene, dated ‘renshen,’ corresponding to 1932. There are three painted seals and the slightly waisted long neck is decorated with geometric bands, ruyi-heads, and stylized lappets. The rim and some of the painted details are highlighted in gilt, and the recessed base bears an apocryphal ‘Kangxi yu zhi’ mark. The vase will be offered at an estimate of $4,000–$6,000.

A large Chinese grisaille-decorated porcelain ‘figural’ vase.
**To be offered: August 11th**

A Chinese famille verte porcelain vase.
**To be offered: August 11th**

Also up for auction is a Chinese embroidered lady’s turquoise-ground silk robe, estimated at $2,000–$4,000. The slender robe has a right side opening and a turquoise-green ground made of brightly colored silk floss. The robe is embroidered with pleasant flowering branches and butterflies. It’s lined with purple floral ribbon and wide black bands that are embroidered with a similar flower and butterfly theme.

A Chinese embroidered lady's embroidered turquoise-ground silk robe. — A Chinese embroidered lady’s embroidered turquoise-ground silk robe.
**To be offered: August 11th**

A Chinese Tang dynasty style pottery horse.
**To be offered: August 11th**

Additional highlights of the sale include a Tang dynasty sancai glazed pottery horse, amphora vase, a group of four Qing dynasty imperial edicts, work by Zhu Qizhan, and various archaic and later period jade carvings.

Zhu Qizhan, Narcissus. — Zhu Qizhan, *Narcissus*.
**To be offered: August 11th**

Han Dynasty Highlights

Asian Art
Stories & News

The Han Dynasty was known for its exquisite craftsmanship and artistic design. Today, surviving examples of Han Dynasty vases, vessels, and figures are highly prized and collected for their historical importance and artistic value.

Typically Ding vessels feature a round body and a lid, creating a covered container. They are often adorned with intricate relief decorations depicting various motifs such as mythical creatures, dragons, birds, animals, or geometric patterns. These decorative elements were meticulously cast into the bronze surface and sometimes embellished with additional details using techniques like engraving or inlay.

Chinese Han Dynasty Cast Bronze Covered Ding Vessel.
**Sold: $1,890**

The above vessel was produced during the Han Dynasty, 206 BCE to 220 CE in China. This type of vessel was made using the technique of bronze casting, which involved pouring molten bronze into molds.

Ding vessels were highly valued for their ceremonial and ritual significance. They were used for a variety of purposes, including storing and presenting offerings, as well as serving as burial objects or prestigious gifts. They are considered to be symbols of status and wealth, reflecting the sophisticated artistic taste of the Han Dynasty.

Chinese Han dynasty terracotta figure of a horse.To be offered: August 14th — Chinese Han Dynasty gray pottery figure of a horse.
**Sold: $5,312.50**

Han Dynasty works provide valuable insights into the ancient Chinese civilization and the advanced metalworking techniques of the time.

PBS KVIE + Clars Asian Art

Asian Art
Event

Harry Huang, Associate Director of Asian Art at Clars, spoke to Rob Stewart, PBS TV Host & Executive Producer, on the beauty and intricacies of a Mughal style jade vase for 2023’s Antique Valuation Day.

Clars Asian Art Director, Harry Huang, and PBS KVIE — Harry and Rob beside a Mughal style jade vase with linked cover.

The very well-hollowed vessel is finely carved in low relief with bamboo, plum blossom, and chrysanthemum, along with a pair of magpies. The shoulders display a pair of openwork peony handles and the cover is decorated with a floral form finial.

This vase is carved out of a single piece of nephrite jade stone — executed in the Mughal style — with a thin body and cover linked by finely carved chains. The plants and the pair of magpies signify the arrival of spring, which grants well wishes for the New Year.

Artist Spotlight: Hua Yan

Artist Spotlight
Asian Art

Clars’ Asian Art department saw auction success from Hua Yan (1682–1756), Landscape, which commended a total of $63,000 in the May Fine Asian Art & Collectibles Auction.

Hua Yan, Landscape. — Hua Yan (1682–1756), *Landscape*, ink and color on silk.
**Sold: $63,000**

Yan’s audacious use of color and brushwork has made him an inspiration for modern Chinese painters and a favorite amongst collectors.

2022 Asian Art In Review

Asian Art
Stories & News

2022 saw wonderful auction results at Clars, with outstanding Asian Art sales throughout the year.

Consign With Clars Learn More

Winter Highlights

Starting off the year strong, Clars’ Asian Art department sold a pair of Chinese doucai enameled globular vases for $87,500 in January. Each vase is painted on the exterior with eight bats amidst stylized lotus petals all between ornate scrolling lotus and vine patterns.

Another highlight from the January sale is represented by the Chinese huanghuali corner leg table, which sold for $93,750. With small supply of wood, the availability of furniture made from it is limited. The highly figured, honey-hued wood has long been appreciated for its mountain peak and ghost face patterns. Huanghuali furniture can be incorporated into any type of decor to create a more traditional Chinese style in your home, or you can choose to mix and match with more contemporary decor.

Spring Highlights

A finely molded Dingyao bowl, featuring lotus and other aquatic plants, headlined Clars’ April Asian Art Auction. The beautiful piece did not disappoint, selling for $100,000. The Song dynasty bowl was acquired from the late Chingwah Lee Collection of San Francisco and sold at Sotheby’s Los Angeles Fine Oriental Art Sale on June 8th, 1981.

Chinese molded Dingyao bowl. Provenance: Sotheby’s Parke Bernet Los Angeles, The Late Chingwah Lee Collection, June 8, 1981, lot 263, from San Francisco collection formed over five decades.
**Sold: $100,000**

The furniture portion of the April sale was highlighted by a pair of 18th century huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs. The armchairs feature decorative carved panels on the backs with auspicious floral groupings and mythical creatures. The armchairs were a sought after piece and ended up being the top lot of the sale, selling at $200,000.

Pair of Chinese huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs.Sold: $200,000 — Pair of Chinese huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs.
**Sold: $200,000**

Summer Highlights

Dozens of telephone bidders vyed for two Chinese imperial bronze ‘dragon’ vases. These vases soared well above estimate to realize a price of $245,000. Each features five-clawed dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls amid scrolling clouds in low relief. The precision and intricacy of the molding indicates the imperial origin, while the patina on the surface demonstrates the age.

Asian Art Dragon Vases — **Left:** Chinese imperial bronze ‘dragon’ vase, Mark and Period of Qianlong. **Right:** Chinese imperial bronze ‘dragon’ vase, mark and period of Jiaqing.
**Sold: $245,000**

Fall Highlights

A strong San Francisco Bay Area collection of archer’s rings led the Asian Art portion of Clars’ Fine Collectors Auction on November 20th. The sale included nearly 40 lots of imperial quality white jade, celadon jade, jadeite, agate, glass, enamel, and various organic material archer’s rings. The collector acquired this impressive collection throughout 1970s to 1990s from various important dealers and estates in the Bay Area, including Ching Wah Lee, Herb Newman, and Sandra Sakata, among others.

(lot of 2) Chinese enameled silver openwork archer’s rings.
**Sold: $8,450**

November Asian Art Highlights

Asian Art
Auction

Clars Auction Gallery gladly presents a fine Asian art auction on Sunday, November 20th, offering an exquisite selection of various paintings and calligraphy, archer’s rings, fine porcelains, and other categories of Asian works of art.

Wu Changshuo (Chinese, 1844–1927), *Pine and Lingzhi*, hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, titled, dated, signed and with two artist’s seals, 96.5″ x 48.5″. Provenance: Southern California estate.
**Estimate: $80,000–$120,000**

The paintings and calligraphy section will be led by a massive ink and color on paper hanging scroll by Wu Changshuo (1844–1927), titled Pine and Lingzhi, painted in 1921. As one of the world’s most acclaimed masters in Chinese painting and one of the leading masters of Shanghai School in the Republic period, Wu Changshuo is known for his style of merging calligraphy techniques into paintings, using the ink and brushstroke to demonstrate the conception rather than striving for realism, which greatly influenced the modern and contemporary Chinese art world. This massive piece at Clars presents a great example of Wu Changshuo’s iconic style of mixing traditional Chinese with Western sensibility to depict one of his favorite subject matters in his late years, pine trees.

The painting is from an important Southern California estate and will be offered with an estimate of $80,000–$120,000.

A fine selection of Chinese jade and hardstone archer’s rings hailing from a Piedmont, California private collection amassed over the past fifty years.
**(multiple lots) Estimate: $4,500–$7,000**

A strong San Francisco Bay Area collection of archer’s rings will lead the jade and miscellaneous section, presenting nearly 40 lots of imperial quality white jade, celadon jade, jadeite, agate, glass, enamel, and various organic material archer’s rings. The collector acquired this impressive collection throughout the 1970s to 1990s from various important dealers and estates in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Ching Wah Lee, Herb Newman, and Sandra Sakata, among others.

Dragon Vases Soar Above Estimates

Asian Art
Stories & News

Clars Auction Gallery had an excellent August sale with many highlights and strong prices in our Asian Art Department.

Dozens of telephone bidders were vying for two Chinese imperial bronze ‘dragon’ vases. These vases soared well above estimate to realize a price of $245,000.

Each features five-clawed dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls amid scrolling clouds in low relief. The precision and intricacy of the molding indicates the imperial origin, while the patina on the surface demonstrates the age. One statue has the inscription “Qianlong Nianzao of the Great Qing Dynasty” and the other has the book “Great Qing Jiaqing Nianzao,” both of which were purchased in Tokyo, Japan around 1949.

Huanghuali Highlights

Asian Art
Auction

First rising in popularity during the Ming Dynasty, Huanghuali (Dalbergia odorifera), has been desired and sought after since. Huanghuali means “yellow flower pear,” a slow-growing, small-to-medium-sized tree.

With small supply of wood, the availability of furniture made from it is limited. The highly figured, honey-hued wood has long been appreciated for its mountain peak and ghost face patterns. Huanghuali furniture can be incorporated into any type of decor to create a more traditional Chinese style in your home, or you can choose to mix and match with more contemporary decor.

Chinese huanghuali tapered cabinet. Provenance: Acquired in Hong Kong, 1989. Sold: $25,000 — Chinese huanghuali tapered cabinet. Provenance: Acquired in Hong Kong, 1989.
**Sold: $25,000**

五月拍卖精品一览
Featured May Highlights

Asian Art
Auction
Fine Jewelry & Timepieces

Clars拍卖行将于5月19日10时举办春季精品珠宝名表拍卖。此次精选跨越百年呈现一系列钻石宝石首饰、品牌设计珠宝以及精致名表，汇集了卡地亚、蒂凡尼、梵克雅宝、Seaman Schepps、法贝热等名家风采。详情敬请点击这里浏览完整图录，欢迎通过以下联系方式垂询。Lauren Della Croce：[email protected] Yao Jiang 江湛瑶：[email protected] 微信：yaoj423

Clars will hold its Spring Fine Jewelry & Timepiece Sale on May 19th, 10AM PST. The collection includes a wide selection of diamond, colored gemstone and signed jewelry spanning over a century. Maker’s such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels, Seaman Schepps, Fabergé, Rolex and more are represented in the dynamic collection. To view the full catalog, please visit here. For inquiries, please reach out to Lauren Della Croce at [email protected] and Yao Jiang at [email protected] or WeChat yaoj423.

Clars拍卖行5月22日（星期日）拍卖会将呈现多件精品亚洲艺术品，拍品将包括瓷器，玉石，家具，书画，绣品，金属制品，以及各类杂项。点击这里浏览完整图录。拍卖垂询Harry Huang 黄曦 [email protected] 及Megan Ma 马艺铭 [email protected] (微信mayiming0723)。

The May 22nd sale at Clars will offer numerous highlights from the Asian Art Department include porcelains, jade and stones, furniture, paintings, embroideries, metalwork, among others. To view the full catalog, please visit here. For inquiries, please reach out to Harry Huang at [email protected] and Megan Ma at [email protected] or WeChat mayiming0723.

2.03克拉混合长方形阶梯切割彩蓝VVS钻石
A 2.03 Carats Fancy Blue VVS2 Modified Rectangular Step Cut Diamond.

景泰蓝双联山水花鸟长颈抱
Chinese cloisonné enamel conjoined moon flask vase.

A 7.67 carats Colombian emerald and diamond. — 7.67克拉哥伦比亚祖母绿及钻石戒指
A 7.67 carats Colombian emerald and diamond ring.

清代白玉梅花珮饰
Chinese white jade pendant plaque.

初代劳力士小表冠潜航者腕表，型号6205
An early Rolex small crown Submariner wristwatch, ref 6205.

仿古玉牌
Chinese archaistic russet jade plaque.

劳力士迪通拿宇宙型计时腕表，型号6263
A Rolex Daytona chronograph wristwatch, ref. 6263.

白玉雕桃型小笔洗
Chinese white jade brush washer.

红宝石及钻石18K白金胸针
A ruby, diamond and eighteen karat white gold brooch.

粉彩鱼缸一对
Pair of Chinese famille rose fish bowls.

蓝宝石18K黄金“猎豹”戒指，卡地亚设计
A sapphire and eighteen karat gold ring, Cartier.

蓝底龙纹绣袍
Chinese embroidered blue-ground ‘dragon’ robe.

一对蓝宝石及钻石铂金耳坠
A pair of sapphire, diamond and platinum earrings.

川濑巴水，木刻版画，《东京二十景 – 芝增上寺》
Kawase Hasui, woodblock print, Zojo-ji Temple in Shiba.

18K黄金项链，Seaman Schepps 设计
An eighteen karat gold necklace, Seaman Schepps.

青玉水盂
Chinese celadon jade footed water coupe.

一对红宝石及钻石耳坠
A pair of ruby and diamond earrings.

白玉浮雕葫芦牌（一组三个）
Set of three Chinese white jade scepter plaques.

装饰艺术时期钻石及黑玉髓胸针
Art Deco diamond and black chalcedony brooch.

亚洲艺术高光精品一览
Featured Asian Art Highlights

Asian Art
Auction

Clars拍卖公司4月24日（星期日）拍卖会将由各类精品亚洲艺术品领衔，拍品将涵盖各代瓷器，家具，书画，玉石，鼻烟壶，以及各类杂项。点击这里浏览完整图录。拍卖垂询Harry Huang 黄曦 [email protected] 及Megan Ma 马艺铭 [email protected] (微信mayiming0723)。

The April 24th sale at Clars will be led by the Asian art department with numerous highlights from porcelains, to furniture, paintings, jade and snuff bottles, among others. To view the full catalog, please visit here. For inquiries, please reach out to Harry Huang at [email protected] and Megan Ma at [email protected] or WeChat mayiming0723.