The fall season at Lark Mason Association on  iGavelAuctions.com  got off to a strong start with its sale of Chinese Snuff Bottles, Jades, and Ceramics from a Southern Collector. The auction included 250 lots with a diverse selection of snuff bottles, small jade fittings and objects of personal use and adornment. A small circular domed Chinese Green Jade Seal Paste Box and Cover, of extraordinary quality with a delicately incised gilt Qianlong mark, received determined bidding from numerous locations around the globe with 75 bids and a final result of  $37,900, with bidding extended by an hour.

Yuan and early Ming Dynasty carved jade hat finials designated the rank and importance of the owner for which they were created. Their importance was still evident in this sale when two fine examples formed of intertwined leafy vines and sinuous dragons sold for a combined total of $32,125. Their high estimate of $7,000 and $3,000 were significantly exceeded. Again, bidding was intense with each Chinese Celadon Jade Finial going into extended bidding.

A Chinese celadon jade mythical Dragon Plaque, Yuan to Ming Dynasty, formerly affixed to a luxurious silk garment or leather belt, but now mounted as a table screen, realized over $8,800, more than doubling its low estimate. The strong collection of 135 snuff bottle lots realized a combined total of $61,956.25, proving the resiliency of this market.

With 250 lots, 87% sold for a total of $267,550 on the iGavelAuctions.com platform.

About Lark Mason and iGavel Auctions

With locations in New Braunfels, Texas and New York City, Lark Mason Associates, is the eponymous auction house specializing in Asian, ethnographic, and ancient works of art.

Mason was at Sotheby’s from 1979 until 2003, as a General Appraiser, Senior Vice President and specialist in Chinese Art, and Director of Online Auctions for sothebys.com. He was a Consulting Curator at the Trammel and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, Texas from 2003-2009. He is a Professor at New York University and is Chairman of Asia Week New York. He is Vice-President of the board of the Appraiser’s Association of America. Over his career, he has valued and advised many private collectors and institutions.

Lark Mason Associates regularly hosts auctions on the iGavel Auctions platform and holds the record price for the sale of any work of art in an online sale, achieved in 2014 with the sale of a painting for nearly $4.2m.

As a creative force behind many of the innovations with online auction sales, Mason is leading again with iGavel Interiors, a format that allows an owner to sell art and antiques directly from a residence without incurring moving or storage costs. Professionals assist the homeowner with expertise in the cataloging and presentation of the objects, which remain in place until picked-up by the successful bidder who is responsible for all packing and removal costs. Mason, the owner and CEO of iGavel Auctions is noted for his regular appearances on the PBS series, “The Antiques Roadshow” on which he has appeared since 1996.  For more information, visit www.larkmason.com or www.igavelauctions.com