Star of the week:
An Exceptionally Rare and Important Imperial Beijing Enamel Melon-Shaped Teapot and Cover
Sells for £2,062,750, four times the estimate
Fine Chinese Art Sale
Sale total £4.3 million, far exceeding pre-sale high estimate
88% sold by value
Asian Art Sale
Sale total £1.6 million, eclipsing pre-sale high estimate
87% sold by value
London – An exceedingly Rare Imperial Beijing Enamel Melon-shaped Teapot and Cover, Qianlong four-character mark and of the period (1736-1795), sold for more than £2 million at the sale of the Parry Collection of Chinese Art at Bonhams in London yesterday (Tuesday 2 November). It had been estimated at £500,000 – 800,000.
In total the sale, which was 100% sold, made £7,888,246. Together, the three Chinese art sales at Bonhams London this week achieved a combined total of £13.8 million.
Bonhams Global Head of Chinese Art Asaph Hyman said: "We are truly delighted with the exceptional results for the Chinese art sales this week in London, especially the Parry Collection. The Parry Collection is first and foremost a testament to the remarkable connoisseur eye of Mr and Mrs E.A. Parry. We are grateful to the family for having entrusted us with this important collection, which sold 100% and nearly quadrupled its pre-sale total estimate".
The exquisite teapot was one of only three examples known, with the other two in museum collections: the first in the collection of the Palace Museum, Taipei, and the second in the collection of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri.
This prized lot also won the prestigious Antiques Trade Gazette Award for an Outstanding East Asian Work of Art from an Auction House in 2021.
The Parry Collection of Chinese Art, was an important English private collection of Imperial enamel, lacquer, porcelain and jades, which was formed from as early as 1919 and kept within the family for three generations.
Upcoming Asian Art Sales at Bonhams:
2 December | Hong Kong | COLOUR / IMPACT: Cloisonné Enamel in the Ming and early Qing Dynasty
2 December | Hong Kong | Elegant Gatherings: The Social Art of Chinese Scholars
2 December | Hong Kong | Fine Chinese Works of Art
2 December | Hong Kong | Images of Devotion
9 December | Hong Kong | Fine Chinese Paintings
16 December | Los Angeles | Chinese Works of Art
17 December | Los Angeles | Chinese Fine and Decorative Works of Art
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and antiques, motor cars and jewellery. The main salerooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.
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