ASIAN, ISLAMIC & INDIAN SALE REPORT – Cheltenham June 3rd & 4th

Mallams had a highly successful live online auction in Cheltenham on June 3^rd and 4^th, with over 750 registered online bidders.

Consigned by a relative of the late Katherine Talati came one of the early opening high-flying lots. An exceptional contemporary scroll by Wang Xuetao (1903-1982) sold for £20,000 (estimate £15,000 – 20,000). Born in Beijing Katherine received private painting lessons with Prince Pu Quan (great grandson of the emperor Daoguang), She collected scrolls throughout her life and her bequests and own work can be seen at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. From the same source were a number of textiles and fabrics, including lot 418, an embroidered rank badge in a later frame which made £3400 (estimate £100 – 200) and lot 412, three lengths of Chinese silk which sold for £1800 (estimate £100 – 200)

A private Oxford collector with an interest in early pieces was the vendor of the top selling item of porcelain at £9200 (estimate £6000 – 8000), lot 45 a magnificent blue and white shallow bowl Xuande mark and period (1425-1435), despite it being in pieces and stuck back together.

A fine porcelain polychrome vase with enamelled scenes lot 92 sold for £4600 (estimate £200 – 300) and a porcelain mounted Chinese table lot 508 sold for £6000 (estimate £2000 – 3000).

The section of jade and bronzes both sold exceptionally well throughout. A Han dynasty mutton fat jade pebble fragment lot 315 realised £2800 (estimate £200 – 300), a 19^th century bronze censer a lot 294 sold for £3000 (estimate £300 – 500) from a local Gloucestershire.

The second days sale of Indian, Islamic & Japanese art still attracted multiple bidders online and on the telephone. A small damascene bronze model of a goat lot 744 sold for £1200 (estimate £100 – 200) Two good quality Japanese pieces dating from the Meiji period sold well lot 860 an ivory tusk vase mounted on an elephant decorated with Shibayama work realising £2000 (estimate £500 – 800) and lot 861 from the same estate  which sold for £2500 (estimate £400 – 600) a bronze and ivory figure signed in Sosho

The sale totalled £273,000 (excluding premium) with a selling rate of 80%. We are now preparing and taking in consignments for the forthcoming Asian & Islamic sale at the end of October