New York, Aug 23 (IANS) Asian art ranging from classical Chinese paintings, ceramics, jades, bronzes and furniture, Tibetan gilt-bronzes and contemporary Indian paintings are slated to be up for auction as part of the upcoming Asian Art Week by international auction house Christie’s.
The much-anticipated Week, from September 6-13, which will present nine auctions – six live in New York and three online – will feature at least 1,000 art works from different time periods.
On September 10, Chinese classical, modern and contemporary paintings with highlights including a 1948 work by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), “Hibiscus” (selling estimate: $300,000-$500,000 or Rs 2.1-Rs 3.5 crore) will be up for sale.
The next day will see the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art works up for sale featuring an array of fine bronzes and sculptures from Gandhara, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia. The auction will be led by a large and magnificent gilt-bronze figure of Vajrasattva, Tibet, 14th-15th century (Estimate: $600,000-$800,000 or Rs 4.3-Rs 5.7 crore).
On the same day, South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art led by Indian modernist master S. H. Raza’s monumental “La Terre” (1977), one of the artist’s most important and largest works, will also be up for auction.
The sale also includes important early works by the Progressive Artists’ Group such as Francis Newton Souza’s “Head in Landscape”, 1958 (Estimate: $250,000-$350,000 or Rs 1.7-Rs 2.5 crore). A special section featuring art donated to Columbia University Press will raise funds for a literary project, ‘The Library of Bengali Literature’.
Asian jewellery and ornamented artifacts, with over 100 gold and silver objects including a rare, parcel-gift silver bowl from Tang dynasty, will also be up for sale on September 12 in the Asia Art Week. It is estimated to go under the hammer for $2,000,000-$3,000,000 or Rs 14.3-Rs 21.5 crore.
A Yuan dynasty gold ‘dragon’-handled cup is also listed and is estimated to fetch a high price.
Another sale of Chinese art, with the focus on Ming and Qing dynasty porcelains, will benefit The Art Institute of Chicago’s Asian Art Acquisition Fund.
Among the online auctions, perhaps the most significant one is “Gods and Guardians” that will feature Indian paintings, Himalayan bronzes and paintings, Gandharan stone sculpture and Southeast Asian works of art.
The Asian Art Week is touted as one of the major auction events for Asian art in the arts ecosystem.
–IANS
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