Following on quickly from their previous sale which was led by a $500,000 Zhang Daqian painting, 888 Auctions is eagerly preparing to present some fine Chinese ceramics in its February 23 Chinese Antiques and Estates sale.
The auction takes place in Canada, but full internet bidding will be provided.
There are items listed at a wide range of prices from lowly trinkets to up to the headline lot of C$60,000, so there are things to excite a wide range of Asian art collectors.
 888's reticulated vase with carp medallion and Qianlong mark |
Amid the mix of jade and shoushan stone, horn and ivory carvings, antique furniture and representations of Chinese & Tibetan deities, the likely top lot is one of the ceramics.
This is lot 421, a Qing Period porcelain vase with a 'medallion' carp design.
It's difficult for regular readers to ignore how similar the vase is to the now world-famous Bainbridge auction house find: the Pinner vase, which seemed to break the record at the time for a Chinese art work, selling for £53.1m ($83m) in the UK though the sale was never completed in the end as a dispute arose which could not be resolved.
 The Qianlong period Pinner vase from Bainbridges |
The vase in 888's auction is valued at C$30,000-60,000, but perhaps this will prove to be an underestimate… watch this space to find out more.
Aside from the carp medallion, the vase's reticulated body features foreign lotus scrolls and a band of stylised dragons beneath the flared rim.
Out of the blue and white porcelains, perhaps the star lot is 386, an 18th/19th century blue and white porcelain yuhu vase. This too is Qing dynasty - indeed it carries a six-character Qianlong Mark on the base. The body features a landscape scene and is listed at C$6,000-8,000.
