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.


Clars Asian Art Director, Harry Huang, and PBS KVIE
Harry lifting the vase cover.

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.


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December Fine Asian Art Highlights

On December 20th, Clars will present a rare Qing Yongzheng Robin’s Egg Glazed hu-form Vase, a masterpiece by Liu Jiutong, and a variety of other exceptional Asian artworks.

  • Asian Art
  • Auction

From Brooklyn to California: The Story Behind the Vase

This December, Clars is excited will offer this exquisite vase — a stunning ancient artifact that carries a touching story that spans more than half a century.

  • Asian Art
  • Stories & News

十二月亚洲大拍精选

12月20日，Clars拍卖公司将在其年度亚洲精品艺术拍卖会上重磅推出一件极为罕见的清雍正炉钧釉弦纹尊，这不仅是一件精美绝伦的古代艺术品，更是承载着跨越半个世纪的动人故事。

  • Asian Art
  • Auction

August Fine Asian Art Highlights

The August 16th auction will include high-quality works of Asian art, including contemporary Chinese ink paintings, and much more.

  • Asian Art
  • Auction

Mid-Century Modern Celebration Day

The Mid-Century Modern Celebration Day featured exhibits of mid century cars, toasters, typewriters, telephones and more.

  • Event
  • Modern

Fine Jewelry & Timepieces Valuation Day | February 13th

Clars will be hosting a Fine Jewelry & Timepieces Valuation Day on February 13th, 10AM–1PM. This event is by appointment only.

  • Event
  • Fine Jewelry & Timepieces

Artist Spotlight: Tom Wesselmann

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

American artist Tom Wesselmann began his career in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, later moving to New York City to teach art, where his creativity blossomed, and he began his Great American Nude series.

For over a decade, Wesselmann added to the series, which consisted of works both small and large depicting the nude female form in a variety of poses, and always surrounded by objects familiar to his American audience, including ice cream sundaes, radiators, and Camel cigarettes, to name a few. These elements in Wesselmann’s work, which were sometimes collaged from photographs or painted by the artist himself, led many to include him in the burgeoning Pop Art movement of the 1960s.


The Great American Nude #13.
Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931–2004), The Great American Nude #13, 1962, oil, fabric, and collage cut-outs on tin, 7″ x 7″.
Sold: $162,500

Wesselmann himself rejected this label, saying he utilized the objects in his compositions not to make a statement on consumerism, but because of his interest in the aesthetics of the everyday. Indeed, the works in Wesselmann’s Great American Nude series show Coca-Cola bottles, presidential portraits, and rotary telephones decorating the background of each room; objects of American mundanity, juxtaposed with the playful and dynamic nude figures for which the artist is known.


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Modern & Contemporary Artists' Spotlight

Two of our modern and contemporary highlights this November come from American artists, Jim Dine and Brian Alfred, who draw inspiration from their surroundings in very different ways.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

Craftsmanship in the Realm of Analog and Digital
Nov. 20th, 1 PM PST

Clars in collaboration with exhibited.at is honored to host the discussion: Craftsmanship in the Realm of Analog and Digital on November 20th, 1 PM PST.

  • Auction
  • Modern + Contemporary

Baroque Period Artists' Spotlight

This November at Clars we are highlighting artwork by two artists active during the Baroque period, Rembrandt Van Rijn and Jacob Ignatius Roore.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Artist Spotlight: William Merritt Chase

This September at Clars we are thrilled to offer a rare and captivating work by William Merritt Chase — whose interiors are widely celebrated as some of the finest achievements of American Impressionism.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Artist Spotlight: Salvador Dalí

Dalí established himself as perhaps the most celebrated of the Surrealist painters, famous for both his instantly recognizable visual style and for his eccentric personality and antics.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern Art

Artist Spotlight: Roy Lichtenstein

Lichtenstein was one of the most prominent figures of the Pop Art movement — most known for his comic strip-inspired paintings, prints, and sculptures.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

Artist Spotlight: Joan Brown

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

“How do I know when I’ve finished a painting? It’s when that element of surprise is there” (Joan Brown).

Born on February 13, 1938, she was a San Francisco native. Brown studied at the California School of Fine Art and was a prominent member of the second generation Bay Area Figurative movement. In 1960, at the age of 22, Brown had her first museum show occur at the Whitney Biennial in New York, showcasing her abstract expressionist paintings. After divorcing her first husband, Bill Brown, she was married to Bay Area Figurative sculptor, Manuel Neri, from 1962 to 1966.


Cucumber and Lemon
Joan Brown (American, 1938–1990), Cucumber and Lemon, 1965, oil on plywood board, 16.25″ x 15″.
Sold: $31,250

Brown taught introductory painting and drawing classes at the California School of Fine Arts and University of California, Berkeley. Later in her career, Brown became increasingly interested in public sculpture. On October 26, 1990, Brown travelled to India to help with the installation of one of her obelisks. Brown died along with others, when a concrete turret from the floor above collapsed while they were installing the mosaic obelisk.


Read More

Modern & Contemporary Artists' Spotlight

Two of our modern and contemporary highlights this November come from American artists, Jim Dine and Brian Alfred, who draw inspiration from their surroundings in very different ways.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

Craftsmanship in the Realm of Analog and Digital
Nov. 20th, 1 PM PST

Clars in collaboration with exhibited.at is honored to host the discussion: Craftsmanship in the Realm of Analog and Digital on November 20th, 1 PM PST.

  • Auction
  • Modern + Contemporary

Baroque Period Artists' Spotlight

This November at Clars we are highlighting artwork by two artists active during the Baroque period, Rembrandt Van Rijn and Jacob Ignatius Roore.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Artist Spotlight: William Merritt Chase

This September at Clars we are thrilled to offer a rare and captivating work by William Merritt Chase — whose interiors are widely celebrated as some of the finest achievements of American Impressionism.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Fine Art

Artist Spotlight: Salvador Dalí

Dalí established himself as perhaps the most celebrated of the Surrealist painters, famous for both his instantly recognizable visual style and for his eccentric personality and antics.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern Art

Artist Spotlight: Roy Lichtenstein

Lichtenstein was one of the most prominent figures of the Pop Art movement — most known for his comic strip-inspired paintings, prints, and sculptures.

  • Artist Spotlight
  • Modern + Contemporary

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.


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

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.

Read More

December Fine Asian Art Highlights

On December 20th, Clars will present a rare Qing Yongzheng Robin’s Egg Glazed hu-form Vase, a masterpiece by Liu Jiutong, and a variety of other exceptional Asian artworks.

  • Asian Art
  • Auction

From Brooklyn to California: The Story Behind the Vase

This December, Clars is excited will offer this exquisite vase — a stunning ancient artifact that carries a touching story that spans more than half a century.

  • Asian Art
  • Stories & News

十二月亚洲大拍精选

12月20日，Clars拍卖公司将在其年度亚洲精品艺术拍卖会上重磅推出一件极为罕见的清雍正炉钧釉弦纹尊，这不仅是一件精美绝伦的古代艺术品，更是承载着跨越半个世纪的动人故事。

  • Asian Art
  • Auction

Designer Spotlight: Niamh Barry

Niamh Barry is a distinguished Irish artist and designer celebrated for her innovative light fixtures that seamlessly fuse exceptional craftsmanship.

  • Designer Spotlight
  • Stories & News

Property from the Collection of the Mitsui Family

Clars Auctions is delighted to offer a collection of Japanese and Western arts from the Mitsui (Koishikawa) family on October 18th.

  • Estate Spotlight
  • Stories & News

The Legacy of Rolex: Crafting Icons of Time

Rolex’s story is one of continuous innovation and timeless design. From its early beginnings in London to its status as a global icon, Rolex has remained at the forefront of watchmaking.

  • Fine Jewelry & Watches
  • Stories & News