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Asian Antiques are a Sound Investment

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:58:56 +0000

History has shown that whenever the financial economy has been really bad, whether caused by recession, or inflation, fine quality rare antiques have not only retained value but have remained in very high demand. The Asian antique market, as well as other good quality antiques and works of art, during financial slumps have tended to remain safe and even continued to increase in value.

While the world is experiencing an economic crisis, the Chinese in China having become wealthier and very keen to collect, or invest in, fine examples of their own heritage. The result is a growth of new antique auction houses all over China (many of these sell huge numbers of antiques, thousands at each auction, so much more than is normal in Europe or America). But added to this many of the Chinese outside China have become extremely wealthy too and they have added to this growing demand for the scarcest important Asian antiques whenever offered worldwide. We are now seeing record setting prices at the major auction houses for Chinese contemporary art.

The Internet too has been partly responsible for creating an even greater interest, introducing new collectors, or investors, from countries such as China, Japan, and India. It is still possible to find good deals and reasonably priced Chinese and other Asian antiques online at the Asian Antique Shop at http://www.asianantiquebargains.com. You will find antiques from China, Japan, India, Korea, Mongolia, Tibet and Southeast Asia. One of the many nice things about the Asian Antiques shop is the immense variety of antiques and a price range to fit all budgets. You can find antiques ranging from a few dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

These are some of the reasons for prices continuing to rise and for the large number of new record auction prices that have been achieved even over the last twelve months. The media always concentrates on the financial bad news and there is hardly ever any mention of these record prices that keep surprising us all. No one can guarantee what will happen in the future, but provided the following guidance is taken, then any of the risks involved in buying antiques will be greatly reduced.
(1) Study the subject carefully, obtain advice and be sure you are really interested and enjoy whatever you decide to collect.
(2) Only purchase the very highest quality that you can afford. High quality is far more important than quantity.
(3) Buy from the most reputable of specialists, as they will be prepared to guarantee the authenticity, the age and possibly even the provenance.

Regardless of any financial turmoil the best and most important antiques, or works of art, have always in the past remained a stable form of investment that continued to rise.

2 VINTAGE CHINESE ASIAN CARVED FROG INK STONES SHARON

0 Bid

US $4.95

21m

ANTIQUE ASIAN PERSIAN copper brass water tea pitcher

5 Bids

US $13.49

30m

Chinese Jadeite Carved Reclining Buddha 14K Gold Brooch

US $1,550.00

32m

Chinese Jadeite Jade Diamonds 18K Gold Art Deco Brooch

US $2,000.00

1h 8m

Chinese 24K Gold Hair Clip Set with Jade Opal Stones

1 Bid

US $700.00

1h 23m

Crounching Tiger Thai Amulet Talisman Buddha Top Mantra

0 Bid

US $8.99

1h 23m

Magic Bull Thai Amulet Talisman Buddha Old Mantra Charm

0 Bid

US $8.99

2h 23m

KHMER LONG EARS BUDDHA PEACEFUL HAPPY LIFE THAI AMULET

0 Bid

US $9.99

3h 23m

Asian antique sales rocket in New York

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:23:16 +0000

By WENDY MOONAN
Special to The Japan Times

NEW YORK — Any trends in the American market for Asian antiques were eclipsed by Asia Week in New York last month when, suddenly, the appetite for Chinese art and antiques could not be sated.
For five days, the market went from healthy and vibrant to hotter than the surface of the sun. The dollar may be weak, and America may be in a recession, but there was a lot of what can only be called "irrational exuberance" — and money spent — particularly at the auction houses.
"They were not the best sales in terms of merchandise, but they were the best sales ever in terms of prices," said Richard Littleton of Littleton & Hennessy, dealers in Chinese art and antiquities in New York and London.
Conor Mahony, director of the Chinese Porcelain Company in New York, was even more candid: "There was nothing extraordinary for sale, but things made extraordinary prices."
It was standing-room-only at the Chinese art auctions, which began Sept. 14. Buyers from mainland China new to New York competed so hard for so many lots that the Manhattan, London and Hong Kong dealers tended to drop out of the bidding early on. (Top dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi of London was one of the few who successfully persevered.)
"It's an entirely new game," said Littleton. "Asia Week moved the goal posts. The market for Chinese art is very fluid, and a lot of money is coming into it."
More than twice, in his enthusiasm one mainland dealer inadvertently out-bid himself, causing laughter in a packed sale room, as the auctioneer politely pointed out that the last bid was his.
Bidding was most animated in the room, on the Internet and phone when a piece had an imperial connection or came from a famous old collection.
"The high prices paid by Asian buyers reflect the fact there is a diminishing amount of fresh material anywhere on the market," said Mahony. "Asian buyers especially like old American collections because they know they haven't been messed with — there have been so many fakes made in the last 20 years."
Bidding wars were frequent.
“People love a good provenance and good international competition,” said dealer Bryan Chow of Trio Art in Hong Kong. "The hunger for Chinese art is getting bigger and, as there is no history of prices, we accept new prices. I think they will continue to go higher."
Grace Wu Bruce, a longtime dealer of Ming furniture in Hong Kong, explained the situation by analogy: "Lots of people would like to own Picassos, so the prices keep going up,"
For example, in Christie's various- owners sale, an elaborately carved zitan wood inkstone stand and cover inscribed with a Qianlong poem, seal and the date 1778 was estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. It was the top lot of one of the Christie's sales, going for $1.4 million to an Asian buyer.
"Chinese art has become a vehicle for investment for the Chinese because there are so few options," said Bruce, known as "the Queen of huanghuali'' (referring to the prized Chinese wood found in the Ming furniture she sells).
At Sotheby's Bruce bought a 17th-century huanghuali wood side table with unusually stylized brackets for $55,000 (estimate: $25,000 to $35,000) because she knew it was similar to one in the Palace Museum in Beijing (which, she hopes, might want it).
I t has been a year since the recession-scarred auction houses witnessed such exuberance. It briefly felt like old times in New York.
Christie's dominated with $36.5 million in Asian art sales achieved, outdoing Sotheby's total of $19.2 million.
Both houses boasted Chinese art consigned by relatives of the American psychiatrist Arthur M. Sackler, considered a golden provenance because there are Sackler museums at Harvard University and at Peking University in Beijing as well as Sackler wings at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
Not all of the Sackler consignments were stellar, especially the Ming furniture the Sacklers lived with, but it didn't seem to matter.
Sotheby's sold 40 lots of furniture and 45 works of art from the Sacklers for $4.6 million, triple the presale high estimate of $1.5 million. The top 10 lots all went to Asians.
The top lot, a rare pair of 17th-century huanghuali compound cabinets with stands estimated at $120,000 to $180,000, sold for $1 million.
Christie's did even better with its 115-lot sale, 97 percent sold by lot, of Sackler art consigned by a different branch of the family. An Asian bid $362,500 for a bronze ritual food vessel, Early Western, Zhou dynasty, 12th-11th-century BC (estimate $20,000 to $30,000), the top lot.
An American dealer bought the third highest lot: an incredible jade pendant depicting a black cicada on a white pea pod, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). It made $128,500 (against a high estimate of $30,000).
In the various owners sale, Sotheby's sold an Asian collector a carved jade vase and cover from the Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, for $926,000 (estimate $250,000 to $300,000).
An Asian dealer bought a 12-panel black-lacquer coromandel screen made for the Western market that is now on its way back East. Estimated at $80,000 - $120,000, it sold for $602,500, an auction record for a coromandel screen.
The screen's recent history could serve as an inflation index for Chinese art: A New York gallery had sold the screen to an American about 10 years ago for $95,000.
Can the American market maintain this pitch?
The American market for Japanese art is steady but not nearly as hot, though New York dealers specializing in Japanese saw solid results during Asia Week.
Joan Mirviss sold 85 percent of her show of contemporary art ceramics by Japanese superstar Ogawa Machiko. Koichi Yanagi sold ink paintings, antique lacquer boxes and bronze sculptures.
Sebastian Izzard sold six of the seven paintings he spent 11 years accumulating for a small exhibition on Keisai Eisen, a Ukiyo-e School artist who dominated the market for paintings of beauties in the early 19th century. Erik Thomsen sold several scroll paintings, and Leighton Longhi sold two sets of screens.
"All the Japanese dealers were pleased with Asia Week this time," Longhi said.
Results at the Japanese art auctions were mixed. Christie's sale of Japanese and Korean art achieved $2.9 million, but only 57 percent of the lots sold. The top lot was an "O-Meibutsu," a large brown stoneware tea-leaf storage jar from China (Southern Song/Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century).
The jar, documented by generations of tea masters, was already in Japan by 1587 and named Chigusa (Myriad of Flowers). Dealer Yanagi bought it on behalf of an unnamed American museum for $662,500 (estimate: $100,000-$150,000).
Bonhams had its first-ever Japanese auctions in New York, with uneven success. A weak various-owners sale sold only 51 percent of its 170 lots, for a total of $727,801. However, the widely publicized sale of 277 netsuke miniature sculptures from the collection of Bluette H. Kirchhoff of California fared better, with 91 percent sold, for a total of $1.7 million.
"The Japanese auctions this time were not a good reflection of the market," said Izzard, the under bidder for the tea storage jar. "The best things always sell here."

The diversity of Asian antiques

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:08:23 +0000

Asian style is as diverse as the continent that inspires it.

From ornate Chinese chests to casual Burmese chairs, Asian-inspired design offers a range of styles that can be incorporated into any interior.

Asia, the world's largest continent, includes countries as culturally different as Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia; but, when most people think of Asian design, they think Oriental decor, specifically Japanese inspired Zen-like interiors.

"There are so many different Asian styles and they are all unique, just as English, French and Italian are different styles," said Mary Arnold, who, along with her husband, Joe Arnold, owns McLean-based East & Beyond LTD, which sells Chinese, Japanese and Korean antiques.

Japanese design uses natural materials, water features, straw mats, bamboo, stone and neutral-color palettes, and most of the furniture is low to the floor.

"You have to remember the Japanese did everything on the floor," Arnold said. "There were no chairs until the end of the 19th century. After that you see some of the Western influence. "

Soft floral patterns, such as cherry blossoms, often are used on pottery and in fabrics.
The clean-lined furniture makes Japanese design popular with minimalists and those who appreciate a more modern look. The Japanese futon, a favorite of space-deprived urban dwellers, can be used in bedrooms, living rooms and dens.

"Simplicity is the key with Asian design," said Joe Minor, owner of Creative Home Décor Services. Minor, who has traveled to Japan twice, created a Japanese-inspired backyard at his Alexandria town house. He used bamboo to cover a standard wooden fence and filled his yard with Asian elements, such as a water fountain, Bonsai tree, a mini statue of Buddha and lots of stones.

Minor is working with a client who collects ancient Chinese scrolls. The scrolls, which range from calligraphy to intricate scenes with animals, are being hung over bold-colored walls.

"Simplicity is the key." Minor said. "You don't want a lot of furniture. You want clutter-free with space to move around."
In Chinese-inspired design, the furniture pieces tend to be carved wooden designs with hand-painted details and lacquered surfaces. Accessories may feature animal motifs and mythological beasts, such as monkeys and dragons. Other elements often used are large folding screens, murals and plaques that depict historical characters. Red, which symbolizes good luck in Chinese culture, figures prominently, as does green, gold and "monk's robe" orange.

"Many of the ancient monasteries and temples were painted in these colors, and they are still prevalent today when traveling through these countries," said Barbara Hawthorn, president of Barbara Hawthorn Interiors in McLean. "In Japanese design, strong blues with whites and coral are also prevalent."

Southeast Asian style is more tropical, almost Polynesian. Countries in this part of Asia include the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Burma.

Monique Bergin, co-owner of the Banana Tree in Alexandria, specializes in Southeast Asian furniture and accessories. Her pieces come from Burma, Thailand and Indonesia.

The woods are more tropical. You see a lot of teak. Bergin said what separated East Asian from Southeast Asian design was what she calls "the human touch."

"With Japanese and Chinese design, they are attempting perfection. The finishes are usually polished. With Southeast Asian design, you see the imperfections," she said.

To make Asian decor work, it is important to not overdo it, Bergin said. "I wouldn't do an entire room in it," she said.
Where to start? Arnold recommends books, museums and the Internet. "There are lots of good books out there. And some of the Asian museums are great places to learn about what good Asian design is," Arnold said. A great internet site to begin your search is Asian Antique Bargains.

A good way to purchase Asian-inspired decor is to purchase quality pieces a little at a time. If you can't afford a Mongolian console, which can cost as much as $3,000, start with smaller accessories, such as antique Chinese baskets and boxes, which range from $40 to $300. A hand-carved Qing Dynasty-style red Su-Chow cabinet from Southern China can cost from $700 to $1,600. If you want an authentic antique Asian dining room, a rustic-looking Korean Maru dining table, made of Asian pine, costs from $2,000 to $4,000. To capture the look for less, invest in dining chairs, such as an antique bride's chair from China, made of elm with lacquer finish, or a horse chair. These look great at the head of a table and can cost $450 each.

International Antiques Fair

admin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:14:45 +0000

International Antiques Fair
September 24th, 2009
From Oct. 2-5, 2009, dealers will showcase antiques ranging from ancient artifacts to mid-century modern furniture.

For both novice and experienced collectors, Chicago's semiannual antiques fair features pieces from over 100 international dealers specializing in myriad genres and styles, including Americana, Asian art and antiquities, decorative arts, folk art and glasswork. And while perusing the goods will be your first priority, there are also special events and lecture series scheduled for those eager to learn more about antiques. Speakers include interior decorator Darryl Carter and design writer Tate Gunnerson, who will discuss ways to incorporate antiques into a modern home.

Tickets for the Oct. 1 sneak preview are $50. General admission Oct. 2-5 is $15. For more information, visit www.merchandisemartantiques.com.

Asian Antiques and the Economy

admin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:54:14 +0000

With such an awesome economic crisis worldwide, many of us naturally wonder how this is affecting the antique and art market. This is a question that understandably concerns all collectors who might be considering buying or selling.
But history has shown that whenever the financial economy has been really bad, whether caused by recession, or inflation, fine quality rare antiques have not only retained value but have remained in very high demand. The Asian antique market, as well as other good quality antiques and works of art, during financial slumps have tended to remain safe and even continued to increase in value.

The antique auction rooms have reported, that so far, they continue to be very busy. There has always been and probably always will be, new collectors interested in owning high quality works of art. But the best Asian antiques have done particularly well, as there are such limited numbers of rare quality items available and such a very large growing demand.
The Chinese in China having become wealthier and are very keen to collect, or invest in, fine examples of their own heritage. The result is a growth of new antique auction houses all over China (many of these sell huge numbers of antiques, thousands at each auction, so much more than is normal in Europe or America). But added to this many of the Chinese outside China have become extremely wealthy too and they have added to this growing demand for the scarcest important Asian antiques whenever offered worldwide.

The Internet too has been partly responsible for creating an even greater interest, introducing new collectors, or investors, from countries such as China, Russia and India. It is now possible to so easily study photographs and price guides, at the Internet auctions held frequently, as well as to check with dealers, who have an online presence, enabling growing numbers to keep an eye on the marketplace and current values.

Regardless of any financial turmoil the best and most important antiques, or works of art, have always in the past remained a stable form of investment that continued to rise.

Asian Antique Vintage Wax Seal Stamp Collection Lot 1

4 Bids

US $17.50

19m

2 VINTAGE CHINESE ASIAN CARVED FROG INK STONES SHARON

0 Bid

US $4.95

21m

Antique TORAH BIBLE SCROLL FRAGMENT JUDAICA NO RESERVE

6 Bids

US $57.00

25m

Large Long Indian Asian Ethnic Boho Earrings W14 SALE

US $3.01

27m

ANTIQUE ASIAN PERSIAN copper brass water tea pitcher

5 Bids

US $13.49

30m

Chinese Jadeite Carved Reclining Buddha 14K Gold Brooch

US $1,550.00

32m

ANTIQUE ASIAN DECORATIVE ART RED W SCENE TIN BOX 3

1 Bid

US $.99

40m

Antique 19c Bohemian Garnet Necklace Pendant Locket

7 Bids

US $72.50

41m

Indian antiques are the art world’s newsmakers

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:51:17 +0000

Anindita Ghose

As the recession bursts the contemporary art bubble, a hidden star comes to the fore. Indian antiques are the art world’s newsmakers
Naman Ahuja, associate professor of Indian art and architecture at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, knows his antiques. Seated in his sunlit home office, with a magnificent 5ft 9-inch Shrinathji Pichvai from Rajasthan on the wall behind him, he speaks passionately of Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts exhibit that opens in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) on 10 October. Ahuja is all praise for the sophisticated curatorial focus involved in putting together the exhibition, but he is livid at the stringent Indian laws that would make an exhibition of this scale difficult to organize in the country.

It is for the same reason that he calls antiques the silent stars of the Indian art market. “They’ve held their own despite (the) dual problems of the economic downturn and the strangulating laws that govern their trade and exchange in India,” says Ahuja.

The Maharaja exhibit is an ambitious undertaking. Not only is V&A exhibiting objects from its own collection, but a number of artefacts are on loan from the royal collections of erstwhile princely states such as Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Baroda, Bahawalpur, Gwalior and Kapurthala. Extremely rare artefacts, such as crystal pieces from the Maharana of Mewar’s collection—the largest private crystal collection in the world—will be part of the three-month show. There will be a book, guided tours, a recreation from a royal procession and a symposium. Curator Anna Jackson, deputy keeper of V&A’s Asian department, says the exhibition has been in the planning for around four years and took two years of extensive paperwork. Though the museum is not concerned explicitly with the dynamics of the art market, Jackson hopes that the broad range of artefacts on display will boost awareness and clear the shroud of mystery that surrounds Indian antiques and their undocumented provenance.

But the international market for Indian antiques has been thriving even without such impetus. It has a small but dedicated collector base dominated by European and American connoisseurs, including museums and non-resident Indians.

Sotheby’s auction house has been selling Indian, Himalayan and South-East Asian antiquities for over five decades at Asian art sales in New York and London. Its upcoming auction on 17 September in New York includes rare miniatures from the collection of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947), a pioneering figure in the field of Indian and South-East Asian art. Coomaraswamy established the first department of Indian art in a US institution at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where he was curator from 1917 to 1937. He was particularly known for his scholarship in Indian miniatures.