$30,000 white jade vase leads Cowan's first ever Asian art auction
Cowan's has announced its first auction dedicated solely to Asian art. The auction will be held over two days on Friday and Saturday, August 26 and 27, in Cowan's salesroom. LiveAuctioneers will provide internet live bidding.

The auction will feature over 790 lots including a wide selection of valuable ivory, jade and porcelain, prints, Chinese furniture, scroll paintings, and reference material.

Some of the highlights in the sale include a Chinese white lade vase, a Chinese Republic Period ivory wrist rest with polychrome insects, and a portrait of a Chinese military officer by illustrator Fred Craft.

Cowan's will offer a Chinese white jade vase estimated to sell for $20,000-$30,000. This vase is in the form of a Buddha's hand, with pierced and carved peach decoration.

Chinese coral figure man
This figure of a contemplative Chinese man is made from coral

A Chinese Republic Period ivory wrist rest with polychrome insects is estimated at $15,000-$20,000. This carved double wrist rest, when closed, takes the form of a bamboo shaft.

Cowan's specialist, Graydon Sikes, notes, "This fine Republic Period ivory wrist rest is one fine example of nearly 150 lots of Chinese and Japanese carved ivory."

A Chinese pair of cricket cages is estimated at $16,000-$18,000. Each cage features dragons and foliage designs.

A Chinese jade boulder is estimated to sell between $10,000 and $12,000. This boulder is carved on the front face with a series of pavilions, trees, foliage, and figures. The reverse is carved with trees and a pavilion on a fitted carved hardwood stand.

Chinese jade cricket cages
An extraordinary pair of ornate Chinese jade cricket cages

A Chinese coral figure of a man is estimated at $10,000-$12,000. The coral figure depicts a standing man holding a peach branch on a 20th-century wooden stand.

A glazed terra-cotta horse attributed to the T'ang Dynasty is expected to sell for $5,000-$7,000. This terra-cotta figure depicts a horse with a pale buff glaze along with nasturtium yellow glaze on the saddle and green glaze on the cloth.

A lot composed of five Chinese snuff bottles is estimated at $5,000-$6,000.

The lot includes a rock crystal snuff bottle carving of a Buddha's hands, a silver snuff bottle with numerous foo lions in relief, a carved ivory snuff bottle with a figural courtyard scene on each side, a jadite snuff bottle with bamboo handles, and a square-form inked ivory snuff bottle with a figural landscape and calligraphic text.

A portrait of a Chinese military officer by Illustrator Fred Craft is expected to sell for $3,000-$5,000. Watch this space for more news of Cowan's exciting sale.

 

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