BOSTON, MA –A small collection of Chinese ceramics achieved big prices at Skinner’s spring auction of Asian Works of Art on March 19 in Boston. Consigned by descendants of well-known Massachusetts collectors Dudley L. Pickman (1779-1846), a founding member of the East India Marine Society (forerunner of today’s Peabody Essex Museum), and Charles G. Loring (1828-1902), the first Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the twenty-four ceramic lots on offer brought a total of $1.237 million, far exceeding presale estimates.

Pickman/Loring Collection

Highlights from the collection included a Junyao Tea Bowl with a delicate pale blue glaze suffused with purple splashes, (Lot 200), which sold for $315,000 (all prices include buyer’s premium); a 19th century Sang de Boeuf Beehive Water Coupe (Lot 214) which realized $255,000; a Blue and White Bowl decorated with exquisitely depicted dragons and phoenixes, symbols of the imperial family, (Lot 217, $104,550); and the top lot of the sale, a Sky Blue-glazed Bottle Vase with six-character Qianlong mark in underglaze blue on the base which achieved $411,000.

Other Auction Highlights

Other important pieces with strong provenance also performed well. Lot 9D, a 13th/14th century Turquoise and Black Kashan Plate from the collection of Marion E. James (1918-2015), professor emerita of the University of New Hampshire, brought $20,910, well above estimate; a Double-sided Twelve-panel Coromandel Screen dating to the Kang'xi period (1662-1722)depicting the tale of the Peach festival (Lot 523), purchased from the C.T. Loo collection, New York, and , and descended in thefamily of André Carlhian (1883-1968), sold for $58,425; and a Pair of Blue and Green Covered Dragon Jars, possibly Daoguang period (Lot 313), descended through the family of Ames Nowell of Massachusetts, soared to $195,000.

Lot 69, a rare and excellent example of a Qianlong period Cloisonné Ice Chest with polychrome decoration of fruits, insects and flowers, achieved $49,200, while the highlight within a strong selection of textiles was a Chestnut Embroidered Silk Formal Court Dragon Robe (Lot 409), which brought $12,300. At $135,000, a Jade-inset Ruyi Scepter (Lot 159) from a Palm Beach, Florida estate was the top-selling jade in the auction.

Upcoming Auction and Prices Realized

Skinner’s next Asian Works of Art auction in Boston is planned for mid-September, 2016, to coincide with the annual Fall Asia Week celebration of Asian art in New York. Prices realized in the March 19 sale are available online at www.skinnerinc.com; the Skinner website also enables users to view all lots presented for sale at auction, leave bids, order catalogs, and bid live, in real-time through SkinnerLive!

About Skinner

Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company’s auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, Asian art, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, since the show’s inception. Skinner has galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts, as well as in New York City and Miami, Florida, with bidders participating in person, by phone, and online. Join auctions live with SkinnerLive! and Bidsquare. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

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