A first glance at the upcoming Asian art auctions in New York, March 2022
Jomon Perido - Shakoki Dogu - Christies 2022Luohan Kanakavasta - Sothebys
A first overview of the most notable works from the upcoming Asian art auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's in New York, March 2022.
Images: earthenware sculpture of a woman (Shakoki Dogu) from the Jomon Period (5th to 3rd centuries BC). Image via christies.com ·· jade sculpture of a luohan, identified in the inscription as Kanakavatsa, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period. Image via sothebys.com
Christie's will begin with the auction of Japanese and Korean Art Including the Collection of David and Nayda Utterberg, which will take place on 22 March. Among the works that will appeal to virtually every collector and enthusiast are several prints by Hokusai, including his celebrated Kanagawa oki nami ura (The Great Wave of Kanagawa), which carries a pre-sale estimate of $300,000 to $400,000. However, perhaps the most attractive work in the auction is an earthenware sculpture of a woman (Shakoki Dogu) from the Jomon Period (5th to 3rd centuries BC). In an excellent state of preservation, the work has a pre-sale estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. This is a conservative estimate for this magnificent work of art. Works from the same period have fetched excellent results in recent years. For example, in 2015 a female bust, which had a pre-sale estimate of between £70,000 and £90,000, was sold at Sotheby's for over £1 million. And in 2017 a small female head, which had a pre-sale estimate of between $3,000 and $4,000, was sold at Christie's for $43,750.
In the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art auction the following day, an Indian sculpture of dancing Krishna (Chola Period, 12th century) has the highest pre-sale estimate (between $500,000 and $700,000). Among the more modest works, a painting by Chaturmukha Mahakala, created in Tibet or India around the 18th century, is a highly expressive work with a pre-sale estimate of between $10,000 and $15,000. On 24 March, Christie's will organise its auction of Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, where the star piece is a sculpture of Guanyin Pusa (or Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara) created around the 11th or 12th century, which has a pre-sale estimate of between $2 million and $3 million.
For its part, Sotheby's will organise on 22 March "A Journey through China’s History. The Dr. Wou Kiuan Collection Part I", an auction that includes an extraordinary work in jade, one of the most prized materials by Chinese artists. The work (Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period) depicts a luohan, identified in the inscription as Kanakavatsa, inside a grotto. The sculpture is over 30 centimetres high, a remarkable size for a jade work, and has an estimated pre-sale price of between $400,000 and $600,000. Also of interest is an album of 10 landscapes that Sotheby's attributes to several artists, including Li Tang (1066-1150).
The following day, Sotheby's Important Chinese Art auction on 23 March will be led by a ritual wine jar, known as Guo Ji Shi Zi Zi Zu Hu, which the auction house describes as "an impressive example of late Western Zhou dynasty bronze art", valued at between $800,000 and $1,200,000.

Read the full article