Imperial Auctioneers will hold an auction of Fine Chinese and Japanese Paintings from the 17th-20th Century on March 23rd, 2013 starting at 7PM CST in Chicago, IL.
Including property from:
The estate of a Canadian diplomat to Japan. (Lots 1-16).
The family of a distinguished gentleman and scholar of Asian Art. Acquired in the
early to mid-20th Century in China. (Lots 21-29, 32-33, 43-45).
A prominent Canadian Attorney
A private collector from Chicago, Illinois
A private collector from San Francisco, California
A private collector from Toronto, Ontario
A private collector from Seattle, Washington
A private collector from Wilmette, Illinois
A private collector from Vancouver, BC
Highlights of the auction include:
A collection of Japanese paintings from the estate of a Canadian Diplomat to Japan(Lots 1-16). Collected over a period of approximately ten years the collection has many fine paintings including an exquisite example by the important Japanese painter Kano Tanyu (1602-1674) (Lot 8, estimate $7,000-$10,000). The most celebrated artist from the long line of Kano school painters Kano Tanyu was appointed by the Tokugawa shogunate to become one of the shogunate’s official artists and subsequently produced many works for the shogunate including a number of large-scale works for Edo castle, Nijo castle, Osaka castle, Nagoya castle, and Nikko Tosho-gu.
Another fine painting from this collection is an example depicting Mt. Fuji by Kano Tanyu’s nephew Kano Tsunenobu (1636-1713) (Lot 5, estimate: $800-$1,200). Born in Kyoto in 1636, he became head of the Kobikicho line of the Kano school and succeeded to the Kano estate at Kobikicho.
The influence of the Chinese Lanscape painting tradition is evident in a number of paintings from the collection including a lovely scroll painting by Tani Buncho (1763-1841) (Lot 16A, estimate: $3,500-$5,000). Painted on silk and bearing an inscription “Copied at the Jade Cloud Mountain Hut while the clear winds were
bringing the clouds” this painting displays a wonderful combination of refinement in detail along with the grandeur of a Chinese landscape painting.
An equally compelling but quite different subject matter can be found in a painting of a tiger by Yokoyama Kazan (1784-1837) (Lot 18, $1,500-$2,500) and an Edo Period painting attributed to Kozan Toei depicting a hawk perched on the branch of a pine tree. (Lot 16, estimate: $1,000-$1,500).
The second part of the auction is entirely devoted to Chinese paintings and starts with a large scale work attributed to Shangguan Zhou (1665-1749) (Lot 20, estimate: $10,000-$15,000). Measuring 68 x 41.5 inches this painting depicts a festive scene in the foreground with a vast landscape reaching into the background. Purchased at the Zhenguan International Auction Company, Ltd. (Hong Kong) on October 26th, 2003 this skillful and lively painting has been a cherished part of the seller’s collection for all these years.
Another painting of note is Lot 30, estimate: $7,000-$10,000, a painting attributed to Yun Shouping (1633-1690). One of the important artists of the early Qing Dynasty and well known for his paintings of flowers this is a lovely example painted with ink and color on silk. It has been in one family and off the market for over 100 years.
Another collection of paintings fresh to the market come from the family of a distinguished gentleman and scholar of Asian Art. Acquired in the early to mid-20th Century in China these paintings (Lots 21-29, 32-33, 43-45) have not been offered for sale in over 50 years. This is from the same collection of paintings offered in January and like those the current selection (all Chinese Landscape paintings) features a high level of both quality and depth.
Rounding out the auction will be a number of modern and contemporary Chinese paintings of varying subject matters and styles. Of particular note are two lovely paintings by the living artist Lian Xueming (1969-). Both were purchased directly from the artist.
The live auction and auction preview will be held in the Wilson room (3rd floor) of the Palmer Hilton House Hotel, 17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603. The preview will be from 2-6PM on March 22nd, and 2-6PM on March 23rd and the auction will start at 7PM on March 23rd.
For more information and to sign up to bid please visit us at: www.imperialauctioneers.com
Or bid live online:
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/38123_fine-chinese-and-japanese-paintings/page1
and
http://www.artfact.com/catalog/searchLots.cfm?scp=c&catalogRef=2YL3MRJ3YF
