The Asian Works of Art department presents itself as one of the leading ones within the auction house and it's increasingly generating interest among both the vast Chinese clientele - focused on seeking for objects and artefacts of their own tradition - and the Western one, fascinated by the rarity and refinement of the selected works.
Such result has been achieved by experts thanks to an accurate study of the styles and a meticulous selection of works never seen on the market, coming from important private collections. Porcelains, jades, corals, ivories, lacquers, but also sculptures, furniture and paintings with rich ornaments, are thus precious protagonists of the catalogue.
Among the memorable awards which have marked the importance of the department, we can include a magnificent 'ruyi' sceptre in Celadon jade of XVIII century, sold for € 212,500; an important zitan wood table screen of the Qianlong period, sold for € 262,500; a monochrome porcelain Moonflask of the Qianlong period, sold for € 287,500; and an extremely refined vertical scroll titled 'Chicks' by the renowned Chinese master Qi Bashi, sold for € 137,500.
The Asian Works of Art auction in the second half of 2022 is confirmed as an appointment of great attraction for the foreign public, registering a very lively bidding competition and confirming the interest in the precious nucleus of Chinese works of art. The top lot of the charm are the two refined Guanyins, both precious due to their complex execution and considerable size, including the one in "white China" (sold € 27,500) and the one in red coral (sold € 25,000).
Also from the same section are the peculiar bronze group depicting Krishna Yamari (sold € 20,000), the double gourd vase in blue and white porcelain (sold € 18,750) and the rare gray jade in the shape of a crouching horse (sold € 16,250).
Head of Department
Claudia Cangioli
Assistants
Federica Sampietro Assistant +39 02 8631421
Lina Gong Assistant +39 02 8631421
Next auctions
We are selecting items for the next auction
On 21 December it will be the turn of Asian Works of Art at Il Ponte, in via Pontaccio 12 in Milan. Among the interesting sculptures that will be exhibited is a large carving in mottled gray jade depicting a crouched horse with its head rearward. Made in China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912). The very fine carving alternates polished surfaces and soft transitions with descriptive engravings, such as the line of the spine, the tail and the mane which underline the elegance of the shapes. (Estimate €10,000 - 12,000).
L’Informatore News Art and Antiquities | 1 December 2022
A record result for oriental art at Il Ponte Casa d’Aste. The Asian Works of Art department reached its all-time high accomplishment in turnover (€ 660,000) during the sale of May 12, 2022 due to 72% of lots sold and 247% revaluationon on reserve prices. The public – present in the hall, online and on the telephones - shows interest in the lots from China. Among these the vases, top lots of the sale: two large Famille Verte potiches (lot 75, sold for € 87,500), a pair of Doucai glazed vases (lot 32, sold for € 56,250), the large Tianqiuping vase (lot 95, sold for€ 27,500) and the blue and white porcelain vase decorated with mythical beasts (lot 71, sold € 20,000).
Exibart | 14 May 2022
On the 22nd of October in Milan, the auction house Il Ponte will offer a refined journey through Asian works of art, from sculptures to furnishings, from vases to small objets d'art, with specific attention to works from China, Japan and Thailand. In the section dedicated to China, a pair of 18th-century panels in Hongmu wood stands out for its symbolic auspicious meaning, it has a boxwood interlaced motif in the centre and painted backgrounds with polychrome clouds and ivory applications depicting deities.
Il Giornale dell'Arte | 19 October 2021
This is how we imagine the sale of Il Ponte, as a meeting of distant lands and treasures that know no boundaries of time, space, imagination. However, there are no threads of memory, as in Ersilia, nor "figures of things", as in the streets of Tamara: instead we find over 170 lots in the rooms of Palazzo Crivelli, which recall, one by one, all the wonders of Oriental Art.
Exibart | 22 April 2021
An exciting week for Il Ponte, which collects positive results from its journey across antiquities and remote lands [...] with a triumphant 70% of lots sold and 170% of increase on the sales value. The market for oriental works of art, where quality stands out», states Andrea Cesati, Head of the Department of Asian Works of Art, «confirms itself as brilliant notwithstanding such peculiar times. Demand towards this type of works is confirmed as very high