The 58th China Guardian Quarterly Auctions closed successfully on March 31. A total of 12 sessions, including Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Porcelain, Jade, Works of Art, Rare Books, and Manuscripts, fetched a total turnover of 208 million yuan, which is the best result of the Quarterly Auctions in the past seven years. The event also had an average turnover rate of 90 percent, the highest in the history of the Quarterly Auctions.
As a model for midsized auction platforms in the nation, China Guardian Quarterly Auctions embody the role of the market vane, show the vitality and potential of art market, and offer positive signals for the market this year.
Highlights of the auction
◎ The auction fetched a total turnover of 208 million yuan, which is the best result of the Quarterly Auctions in the past seven years. The event also had an average turnover rate of 90 percent, the highest in the history of the Quarterly Auctions.
◎ The Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy portion fetched 151.96 million yuan. “Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy (Ⅰ) ” reached a turnover rate of 84 percent, and raised 14.007 million yuan. “Masterpieces by Modern Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Artists” had a turnover rate of 82.4 percent, and raised 22.625 million yuan, “Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy (Ⅱ)”, offering 660 lots, fetched 25.869 million yuan, reaching a 93 percent turnover rate. “Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy” raised 21.537 million yuan. And “Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy” offered 718 lots, fetching 31.909 million yuan with a turnover rate of 90 percent.
◎ The Porcelain, Jade and Works of Art portion raised 84.3 million yuan. In this part, one session achieved a white glove, and the turnover rate of two sessions was nearly 100 percent. “Collection of Jundetang” reached a white glove with a total turnover of 6.866 million yuan. “Collection of Juzhentang” achieved an 85 percent turnover rate with 4.6575 million yuan. “Charm of Important Porcelain & Pleasure in the Palm” fetched 16.965 million yuan with a turnover rate of 94 percent. “Porcelain Collections of Guardian’s Companions” offered 745 lots, achieving a 96 percent turnover rate with a total turnover of 31.757 million yuan. “Porcelain, Jade and Works of Art”, offering 1,127 lots, raised 24.057 million yuan, and reached a 97 percent turnover rate.
◎ Two sessions in the Rare Books, Rubbings and Manuscripts portion fetched 7.69 million yuan. “Rare Books & Rubbing Books” and “Collections From Japan and Manuscripts” achieved an 89.5 percent turnover rate, and “Rare Books & Rubbing Books” raised 5.527 million yuan.
◎ Online bidding becomes more popular. The online turnover achieved 81.6385 million yuan. The number of lots online accounted for 54 percent of the total.
Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy
In this auction, we carefully prepared five sessions, more than 2,500 artworks, and finally achieved a turnover rate of nearly 90 percent. We actively adjust ourselves to adapt to changes in the art market, which has been widely recognized. The turnover rate of 90 percent and the high average selling price all show the affirmation from the public, especially for classic Chinese paintings and calligraphy. In terms of bidding methods, more and more customers were inclined to do online bidding, which has brought fresh vitality to the market, and also brought us new opportunities and ideas. We hope more friends who love art will join us.
--- Xiao Yang, General Manager of
Quarterly Auctions-Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Department
Lot 571
Yang Wei
Horses
176×241 cm
Price Realized: RMB 2,300,000
Lot 547
Yu Fei’an
Bamboo and Bird
98×55 cm
Price Realized: RMB 1,265,000
Lot 562
Lan Ying
Landscape
174×46 cm
Price Realized: RMB 1,207,500
Lot 2113
Xu Liang
Cattle Ranching
26×254 cm
Price Realized: RMB 1,150,000
Lot 513
Huang Zhou
Donkeys
90×48 cm
Price Realized: RMB 1,035,000
Lot 1097
Fan Zeng
Characters
137×69 cm
Price Realized: RMB 977,500
Porcelain, Jade and Works of Art
The first Quarterly Auctions of the year is recognized as a bellwether of the market. Therefore, we were more attentive in preparing it, and we are very pleased with the result of this auction. In the porcelain session, it had a wonderful result, with a total turnover of 84.3 million yuan and a 97 percent turnover rate, ranking second after the “Collection of Tianminlou” session in the Quarterly Auctions. When I review each category, I found that the porcelain part was still the best seller. And the jade also sold better than before, especially through online bidding. In the future, we will make more efforts to open up a new world for jade in online platforms.
---Liu Yang, General Manager of
Ceramics and Works of Art Department
Lot 3516
Yongzheng Period of the Qing Dynasty
Doucai bowl with characters
D 17.7
Price Realized: RMB 862,500
Lot 3576
Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty
Blue and white goblet with a broad lip, long narrow stem, characters, and flowers
H 45.3
Price Realized: RMB 862,500
Lot 3838
Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty
Blue and white plate with characters and patterns
D 33.2 cm
Price Realized: RMB 632,500
Lot 3522
Yongzheng Period
A couple of yellow glazed plate with characters
D 14.2
Price Realized: RMB 621,000
Lot 3653
Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty
Blue and white pot with dragon and cloud patterns
D 64
Price Realized: RMB 575,000
Lot 5344
Bronze and golden paint Avalokitesvara statue
H 35
Price Realized: RMB 977,500
Rare Books, Rubbings and Manuscripts
Two sessions in this portion finally achieved a total turnover of 7.69 million yuan with a high turnover rate. Many subsections caught the eyes of collectors. This auction achieved a great result, indicating a good trend for the art market this year.
---Song Hao, General Manager of
Rare Books, Rubbing & Manuscripts Department
Lot 3223
Compiled Xu Zhuo
Collection of Poems of the Tang Dynasty
Copy in Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty (1706 )
11.6×16.5 cm
Price Realized: RMB 322,000
Lot 3218
Zhu Yizun
Bao Shu Ting Ba Shi Juan Di Yu Xiao Gao Shi Juan
Copy in the Qing Dynasty
13.5×19.5 cm
Price Realized: RMB 230,000
Lot 3207
Duan Wenjie
Dunhuang murals, Travel of General Hexi
Painted in 1986
220.5×102.5 cm
Price Realized: RMB 149,500
Lot 3226
Xuan Ye
Yu Zhi Shi Di Er Ji Shi Juan
Copy in Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty (1703)
13.5×18.8 cm
Price Realized: RMB 149,500
Lot 2774
Zhang Jian
Calligraphy
1924
41×205.5 cm
Price Realized: RMB 126,500
After a changeable year of 2020, the first auction in 2021 has sent a positive signal, which proves once again that the vitality of the art market remains the same, and makes us more confident about the upcoming spring auction in 2021.