Past Timed Auction

Fine & Decorative Asian Art

Soft close begins Tue, Dec 08, 2020 at 10am EST

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Rare Chinese Imperial Dragon Dish Realized $35,000, Far Surpassing Its Estimate!

Successful Auction of Fine & Decorative Asian Art on December 8, 2020
Rare Chinese Imperial Dragon Dish Realized $35,000, Far Surpassing Its Estimate!

NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's timed auction of Fine & Decorative Asian Art closing on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 beginning at 10am will present the arts of China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Showcased will be porcelains, jades, snuff bottles, bronzes, pottery, scholar’s objects and paintings from prominent collections and estates.

With competitive bidding, the sale totaled a successful $235,081, near the top end of the $165,050-241,250 pre-sale estimate, with 70% sold by lot and 100% by value.

Highighting the sale was a rare Chinese imperial blue and white and iron red porcelain dragon dish that soared past its estimate of $800-1,200 to achieve a stunning $35,000. The dish is of a popular type closely associated with the Chinese imperial porcelain workshop going back to the reign of the Ming Emperor Xuande (1426-1435). This example from the early Qing Dynasty represents the first long production of imperial dragon dishes to bear the mark of a Qing Emperor: Kangxi (reigned 1661-1722).

Property from the Estate of Meyer and Marilyn Ackerman

Doyle was pleased to feature Property from the Estate of Meyer and Marilyn Ackerman, prominent Westchester County collectors and lovers of art and culture. While Meyer’s celebrated career as a theater exhibitor and foreign film distributor introduced American cinephiles to rare and wonderful films from throughout the world, Marilyn dedicated herself to building and curating the family’s collection of rare decorative arts. A self-taught expert, Marilyn was primarily drawn to Japanese works of art. Her collection reflects a decades-long interest in the many varied forms, materials and techniques associated with traditional Japanese craft of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Ackerman’s Japanese bronzes, ceramics, enameled works, carvings, textiles and more were joined by some rare Chinese and Southeast Asian artifacts. In all, they provide some insight into the eclectic taste of a lifelong collector and are sure to please a great number of new owners.

Featured in the Ackerman Collection was an unusual Chinese cloisonné moon flask that sold for $7,187 against an estimate of $5,000-8,000. It displays the colors and fine technique developed during the long reign of the Qianlong Emperor in the 18th century. A likely product of the Jiaqing Emperor’s subsequent reign in the first quarter of the 1800s, though, it eschews some of the stylistic conventions of the previous century. The ‘butterflies and blossoms’ motif was at the time a pleasant and novel change from the more tradition-steeped, symmetrical designs found on most earlier cloisonné vessels. Four of eight Buddhist emblems on the geometric mouth sadly suggest a long-lost pair.

We Invite You to Auction!

Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection. Please call Richard Cervantes at 215-539-3109 or email [email protected]

Doyle is proud to be an Auction House Partner of Asia Week New York, the annual celebration of Asian art. For information on Asia Week New York, visit AsiaWeekNY.com or the Chinese language site at cn.asiaweekny.com