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Rare Chinese Jade & Asian Art Lead Spring Fine Sale

19th March 2024.

A fine and rare Chinese Celadon Jade Inscribed ‘Luohan’ Boulder from the Qianlong reign with its original hardwood stand sold for £88,000 in Tennants Auctioneers’ Spring Fine Sale on 16^th March (all figures exclude buyer’s premium). The boulder depicted Luohan Ańgaja, a Buddhist sage sitting cross-legged in a rocky grotto and was inscribed with the Imperial seal marks and the Imperial eulogy to Ańgaja written by the Qianlong Emperor. It was sold as part of a Private Collection of Asian Art and European Antiques; the collectors lived in London from the 1950s and acquired the fine collection predominantly from the leading Asian art and antiques dealers in the city. Further highlights from the collection include a Set of Four Chinese Pale Celadon Jade Bowls, Qing Dynasty, probably Qianlong, on carved and pierced hardwood stands (sold for £22,000), a Chinese Pale Celadon Jade Figure of Buddha, Qing Dynasty 18^th/19^th century (sold for £15,000), and a Chinese Pale Celadon and Russet Jade Group, Qing Dynasty 18^th/19^th century (sold for £6,500).

A Chinese Celadon Jade Inscribed “Luohan” Boulder, Qianlong
A Set of Four Chinese Pale Celadon Jade Bowls, Qing Dynasty, probably Qianlong
A Chinese Pale Celadon Jade Figure of Buddha, Qing Dynasty, 18th 19th century
A Chinese Pale Celadon and Russet Jade Group, Qing Dynasty, late 18th 19th century
A Chinese Porcelain Charger, Kangxi
A Vienna Porcelain Campagna Vase, painted by Joseph Nigg
After Pierre Jules Mene, 'L'Accolade'
A Queen Anne Mulberry, Walnut, Crossbanded and Featherbanded Chest on Stand, early 18th century
An Early 18th Century Spanish Walnut Side Table
A Late 16th Century Oak Chest
A late 17th Century Joined Oak and Carved Food Cupboard
A 17th Century Green Painted Iron Armada Chest, probably Dutch
A 17th Century Painted Iron Armada Chest, probably Dutch
A Pair of George III Style Two Seater Sofas
An Early Victorian Mahogany Extending Dining Table
Franco Flemish Mille Fleur Tapestry, 16th century
A Rare Oak Thirty Hour Single Handed Longcase Clock, signed John Knibb, Oxon, circa 1700
A Walnut Marquetry Eight Day Longcase Clock, signed Fab Robin, Londini, Fecit circa 1700

Amongst a good range of Asian Art from other vendors was a Chinese Porcelain Charger of the Kangxi period, decorated with a sporting scene of two combatants in a ring, which sold for £24,000. Elsewhere in the ceramics and works of art section was a Vienna Porcelain Campana Vase from the late 19^th century painted by Joseph Nigg, which sold for £15,000, and ‘L’Accolade’, a bronze of two horses after Pierre-Jules Mêne, which sold for £4,200.

In a strong furniture section, the top lot of the day was a Queen Ann ‘Mulberry Wood’ Walnut, Crossbanded and Featherbanded Chest on Stand from the early 18^th century, which sold for £8,500. From the same era was a Spanish Walnut Side Table with spiral-turned supports, which sold for £2,500. Amongst a good offering of earlier furniture that sold strongly was a late 16^th century Oak Chest, which sold for £2,000, and a late 17^th century Joined Oak and Carved Food Cupboard, which sold for £4,200. Also on offer in the sale were two 17^th century Painted Iron Armada Chests, both probably Dutch in origin, which sold for £1,900 and £2,000 respectively. Selling well, too, were a Pair of George III-Style Two-Seater Sofas (sold for £5,000), an Early Victorian Mahogany Extending Dining Table, which by repute was made by Gillows for Dutton Manor, Lancashire (sold for £5,000), and a late 19^th century Bridgewater-type upholstered armchair attributed to Howard & Sons (sold for £2,600).

Further interesting lots included a Franco-Flemish Mille Fleur Tapestry from the 16^th century (sold for £6,500), a rare Oak Thirty Hour Single-Handed Longcase Clock signed ‘John Knibb, Oxon’, circa 1700 (sold for £3,000), and a Walnut Marquetry Eight Day Longcase Clock, signed ‘Fab Robin, Londini, Fecit’, circa 1700 (sold for £5,000.

The sale achieved a total hammer price of £478,080 with an 81% sold rate for 366 lots.

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