BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – An impressive and striking Chinese late Qing Dynasty-period carved multi-color jadeite figural cabbage vase, 6 ¾ inches tall and perched on a reticulated fitted wooden base, sold for $59,520 at a Fine Decorative Arts & Estate Jewelry Auction held April 11th by Elite Decorative Arts, in the firm’s new gallery at 1010 Gateway Boulevard.

The vase was the top lot in an auction that saw 422 lots come up for bid and grossed $325,000. Chinese jade and Tiffany jewelry pieces were the undisputed stars of the sale, with the top 13 jade lots accounting for over $175,000 of the gross. A standing room-only crowd of about 150 people packed the gallery. Online bids poured in via LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com.

“From 2000-2010 jade prices increased tenfold,” said Scott Cieckiewicz of Elite Decorative Arts. “Although the market is beginning to stabilize, there is still very high demand. There are several factors taken into consideration when placing a value on jade items – color, translucency, clarity, texture, cut, size and weight. These fine jade carvings sold for prices that reflected their quality.”

The cabbage vase was wonderfully carved, to depict cabbage with horse radish, pumpkins, vines with leaves, a grasshopper, worms, a butterfly and a fly. Color-wise it was visually arresting, with lovely natural mottled white, gem quality apple green, spinach and russet tones throughout. The base measured two inches high. The vase last sold at Sotheby’s in New York, in the 1970s.

The top-selling Tiffany jewelry lot was a dazzling 18kt white gold 32-carat aquamarine and diamond ring, set with numerous additional round cut diamonds. It slipped onto a new finger for $8,773. Runner-up was a Schlumberger Tiffany & Co. 18kt yellow gold floral brooch pendant featuring round-cut sapphires, seven round cut emeralds and a round cabochon emerald ($8,470).

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium, which ranged from 21-26 percent, depending on how the winning bid was placed.

The second top lot of the sale was a large Chinese early Qing Dynasty white He Tian jade figural floral vase, with beautiful even white tone throughout, 9 ¼ inches tall and on a wooden base ($31,000). In third place was a Chinese Qing Dynasty white He Tian covered vessel, having a figural lotus blossom and cranes design, white with russet suffusions, 4 ¾ inches tall ($21,700).

Antique Chinese teapots are a big hit with collectors. A stunning early Qing Dynasty teapot with a high relief design showing trees and rock formations, even white tone in color and 4 ¾ inches tall on a fitted wooden base, soared to $15,730. Also, a Qing Dynasty green jadeite figural lotus blossoms and lily pad teapot with figural ducks finial to the cover, 5 ½ inches tall, made $9,300.

Chinese vases also did well. A Qing Dynasty carved white He Tian jade figural vase depicting a phoenix with pine tree and flowering branches, 7 inches tall, even white in tone and on a carved wood base, rose to $8,773; and a Qing Dynasty Gu form vase with ribbed design, etched archaic leaves and Chih Lung dragons with key meander patterns, 9 ¾ inches tall, topped out at $5,203.

An exquisitely carved Chinese early Qing Dynasty fully reticulated oval plaque, depicting foo lions with lotus blossoms, 3 inches by 2 ½ inches, fetched $7,440; and a Chinese early Qing Dynasty hand-carved white He Tian jade figural Ruyi scepter garment hook with raised figural Chih Lung dragons design and a carved Yin-Yang symbol to verso, 5 ½ inches long, hit $7,130.

Returning to jewelry, a stunning and heavy Nicholas Varney 18kt yellow gold bangle bracelet having a tree branch design, marked “N. Varney 18kt” to the underside of the double-catch clasp and measuring 3 ¼ inches wide by 2 ¾ inches long, weighing about 66.9dwt, gaveled for $7,750.

Elite Decorative Arts’ next big auction is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, also in the Boynton Beach gallery, starting promptly at 1 p.m. (EST). Offered will be hundreds of examples of fine artwork and decorative arts. Previews will be held April 14, from 11-5 and on auction day from 11-1. Internet bidding, per usual, will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com.

Elite Decorative Arts is always seeking quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about consigning an item, an estate or collection, you may call them at (561) 200-0893; or, you can send them an e-mail inquiry to info@eliteauction.com. To learn more about Elite Decorative Arts and the April 25th fine artwork and decorative arts auction, log on to www.eliteauction.com.

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