ASIAN AND INTERNATIONAL FINE ARTS AUCTION Dec 14 2008 13:00
Growing from an auction house that specialized in Chinese arts dating to the Bronze Age into an gallery that handles Natural History items dating back eons was not exactly what Isadore M. Chait had in mind 40 years ago when he established I.M.Chait Gallery/Auctioneers.
But responding to changes in the marketplace, requests from loyal clients and a certain amount of family pressure has proven a boon to everyone involved – especially collectors looking for good value. Proof is to be found in the exceptionally well-rounded collections from China, Japan, Europe, America and – yes – the earth’s own crust, that go under the hammer on December 14 in the Asian and International Fine Arts Auction.
Western 20th Century treasures include a Georges Rouault Fauvist painting (#361), an Ansel Adams Collotype (#372), a Bernice Abbott Photograph (#371), a fine collection of Antique European Furniture (#s 379 – 390), and truly magnificent jewels (#s 319-351).
Asian collections offer Ming and Qing Ceramics, Chinese and Japanese Ivories, jade carvings, Tang and Northern Qi pottery, elaborate Chinese silk robes, Japanese and Chinese bronzes, and antique netsuke.
Natural History features a fierce denizen of the ancient fossil lake (459), an Extraordinary Citrine Geode Table (466), a Split and Polished Ammonite (462), a fine Rock Crystal Bowl (456).
There is more to see, of course, at www.chait.com, where all 406 items are detailed and shown in full color photographs. For those who prefer to know the highlights before they search, the sale sets up like this:
20th Century Works of Art
A fine Fauvist/Expressionist painting by Georges Rouault is expected to lead the day’s bidding. The mixed-media work (Lot 361) is entitled “Très Frères.” It comes to the market at a time when seasoned collectors are showing a preference for early 20th Century pieces. A friend of Henri Matisse, Rouault was highly respected. “Tres Frèrés,” was exhibited at the San Francisco Palace of the Legion of Honor and was held in the Stauffer family collection for many years. It is on the block for $80,000 to $120,000.
Lot 372, Ansel Adams’ collotype “Moonrise at Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941″ is from a limited edition of 500, only 50 signed by the artist. Interest is expected to build at $20,000 to $30,000.
Chinese Ritual Pottery
Tang Dynasty pottery horses lead the day. Lot 200, a pair of steeds 31 inches-tall, saddled and striding, rendered with good musculature and with traces of original painted decoration. The pair carries a catalog estimate of $35,000 to $45,000.
Lot 199 is a pair of horses from the Northern Qi Dynasty. Adorned with parade regalia – wide flaring saddles, bells, highly detailed trappings and tassels – the 16-inch tall pair is estimated at a high of $30,000. Coming in at the lower end of mid-range, Lot 187, a pair of Tang polo players, each with a raised fist, atop galloping ponies, is estimated at a high of $8,000. Entry level pottery includes Lot 171, a Sui Dynasty straw glazed horse with red and black-pigmented saddle. It is estimated to fetch a high of $2,500.
Chinese Porcelain
The star among Chinese porcelains is a rare 14th Century blue and white Yuan Dynasty Yuhuchunping (or pear shaped vase.) Its body is decorated with a repeating lotus design and bears a high estimate of $25,000.
Also at the top tier is an 18th Century Doucai (three colors on a translucent white ground) vase from the Yongzheng/Qianlong Period. A scalloped rim, further enhanced with tri-leaf petals, soars atop a body embellished with lotus medallions, bats and peonies. It is expected to command around $20,000.
Meanwhile more moderate values are to be found, such as the important Ming jar (Lot 183) excavated from a Sulu Sea shipwreck that will probably go for about $7,000. There are porcelain bargains in the $1,000 to $2,000 range.
Natural History
Mixed in with a petrified wood sculpture (Lot 454), the huge rose quartz turtle (455) and a Lingbi scholar’s rock, is a pair of massive amethyst geodes (464). From Southern Brazil, they are remnants of a cataclysmic event that occurred over 100 million years ago. Terminating in twin points, like rabbit ears, the crystals within are large, heavy, deep purple points. A line of citrine orange frames the edge. Standing 6” tall, the geodes are estimated at $10,000 to 12,000.
As to questions about the state of the market, Isadore M. Chait, said, “Our gallery has never been about speculative investing or creating wealth through art. Our policy has been to consistently present quality collections of authentic and guaranteed objects at realistic, not inflated, prices.
“My best advice is to know what you’re looking for, study descriptions and estimates. Know what you’re buying and who you are buying from. Quality items always retain and increase in value.”
To order a fully illustrated color catalogue, $35 plus postage ($5 domestic, $15 international) Please call (800) 775-5020 or (310) 285-0182
For more information, visit www.chait.com or phone 1-800-775-5020