A highly important jar from China's Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) has seen encouraging results at a Beverly Hills sale dedicated to Asian art, held on March 17.
 The jar features narrative scenes from The Savior Yuchi Gong, a popular zaju drama |
The blue and white jar sold for $1.1m, rising past its $1m low estimate. The sale came just one day before America's premier Asian art event, Asia Week New York, kicks off with its first auctions today (March 18).
The jar is prized as a magnificent early Chinese work, with its remarkable design showing equestrian warriors in a continuous landscape, which takes inspiration from the popular Yuan period zaju drama (a form of Chinese opera) entitled The Saviour Yuchi Gong. The drama tells the story of how the general Yuchi Gong saved the Tang dynasty emperor Taizong (626-649) from assassination.
The jar is accented by a pair of moulded tiger handles, its main design also featuring a lotus band to the shoulder and lappets around the base. It had been consigned from an important European collection.
The jar was the star of the sale at IM Chait, with the second highest price achieved by a Yongle period (1360-1424) bronze statue of the Buddhist bodhisattva Manjushri at $225,000.
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