Lark Mason Associates and iGavel Auctions fall sale of Asian Works of Art, held from October 2 through 23, delivered strong results with sales totaling $1,483,643.  Numerous international participants competed for early ceramics, paintings, jade and jadeite carvings, and bronze vessels and figures offered from Chinese, Japanese, SE Asian, and other cultures.  

Held in their New York City and New Braunfels, Texas sales rooms, the exhibitions displayed works from collections primarily of solid, middle-market material.  Works that were conservatively reserved soared above the estimates while those with aggressive reserves and estimates sold more selectively. 

A Parcel-Gilt Bronze Figure of Tara was a surprise, realizing the highest price of the auction at $58,750 against an estimate of $700-1,000. In recent months international sales of Chinese and other middle-market bronze figures have pulled back from lofty records set over the past few years, and this figure and other similar examples bucked this trend. A Chinese Bronze Censer with Xuande Mark, estimated at $500-800 realized $18,264 and a Chinese Bronze Four-Part Dragon and Lotus Censer, estimated at $2,500-4,000 sold at $12,500. The company credits the results to the iGavel platform's consistency in delivering bidders who scrutinize the sales for undervalued works. 

Other categories also fared well due to strategic estimates and marketing. Lark Mason, the owner of iGavel Auctions and his eponymous auction house, commented, "Once a mainstay of Chinese auctions, rhinoceros horn libation cups are now rarely offered due to the stringent requirements of the endangered species act, but in this sale six examples with impeccable provenance were offered.”

The sale showed the strength of the middle-market for works that were fairly priced. Mason stated that social media was critical to the success of the sale, “Rising above the noise of media is paramount in today’s market. iGavel has led the way in reaching pockets of bidders within the U.S., and is doing the same internationally. We consistently receive an extra 10-20% in our sales for comparable property offered on much larger auction platforms. Its hard work, but worth the effort for us and our clients.” 

The next sales of Asian art will be held during Asia Week New York in the Spring of 2019. 

About Lark Mason:

With locations in New Braunfels, Texas and New York City, Lark Mason Associates, the eponymous, auction house specializing in Asian, ethnographic, and ancient works of art, was founded by Lark Mason after many years as an expert at Sotheby's New York.

Mason served as a General Appraiser from 1979 until 1985, and as a Senior Vice President and specialist in Chinese art with Sotheby's Chinese Works of Art Department from 1985-2003.  From 2000-2003 he concurrently was a Director of Online Auctions for Sothebys.com. He also served as a consulting curator at the Trammel and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, Texas from 2003-2009. He is an expert in the field of Chinese furniture, having responsibility for this area during his tenure at Sotheby's. As an Asian works of art specialist he has valued and advised many private collectors and institutions.

Lark Mason Associates regularly hosts auctions on the iGavel Auctions platform and has an established history of record sales of Chinese and other works of art. Mason, the owner and CEO of iGavel Auctions, is noted for his regular appearances on PBS series, "The Antiques Roadshow."