Tag Archive for: Chinese Art

Appraising Chinese Glass:  A Guide to Objects & Connoisseurship

This article was originally published in the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies in April 2019 and Susan has since updated it in May 2022

The three traditional areas of collecting in Chinese art are porcelain, jade and painting.  Decorative arts such as glass, lacquer and cloisonné have often been overlooked and underrated by collectors. Specifically, Chinese glass has suffered from this lack of attention, and more scholarly work needs to be done to increase our understanding and appreciation of its beauty and potential value.  There are two main reasons to explain this situation:  One is the dearth of archaeological evidence, i.e. actual extant early Chinese glass objects.  The other factor is the cultural reverence of jade to the detriment of the perception of glass works of art.  The focus of this article is the connoisseurship of Chinese glass and the values which certain types of objects are achieving in the current market.   

Brief History of Chinese Glass:

In ancient China, the earliest examples of glass discovered are from Zhou period tombs (c.1050-221 BC).  Many of these glass artifacts, known as “eye-beads” are in fact Western in origin.  Through maritime trade and the Silk route, glass objects from the Islamic world, India and Rome, found find their way to China.  Some eye beads were made by the Chinese in imitation of Western ones, and they can be distinguished by scientists according to the higher content of barium.  Glass objects were initially cast, and the Chinese did cast some items larger than beads in the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), including ritual bi discs.  During the Tang period (618-906 AD) glass in China was being made with both techniques of casting and blowing.  Of the handful of Tang blown glass objects offered at auction, consisting of plain bowls and cups, the average price for such items was under $5,000 USD.  Excellent examples of Tang period opaque green glass objects can be seen in the collection of the British Museum.  During the Yuan dynasty (1280-1368) and Ming dynasty (1368-1644), there are very few ‘native’ Chinese glass artifacts that exist to be studied, as the Chinese definitely seemed to prefer importing foreign painted glass during this time.  

Since jade has traditionally been revered by the Chinese as a precious material, it is not surprising that glass objects were not held in as high esteem.  Glass was likely regarded as a less expensive substitute for jade and other precious hard stones.  However, rare glass objects such as beads were probably only accessible to the wealthiest individuals.  Below is an image of a bead found at a Chinese burial site, from the Corning Museum of Glass collection:

Photo credit: Collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning N.Y. (68.6.3), Height 2.6 cm; Diam. 2.90 cm.

This bead, known as the “horned eye bead,” dates to the 4th century BC.  It is composed of translucent dark blue, grey, yellow, opaque white, and pale-yellow glass, and was hot-worked by Chinese craftsmen, demonstrating a very complex design and excellent workmanship.  However, as noted in Glass Beads, “the high quality of glass bead-making exemplified in this object disappeared at the end of the Zhou dynasty, and Chinese glass beads reverted to simpler forms in the ensuing centuries.”  Such beads rarely come up for auction.  However, a similar bead was offered by Marchance Auctioneers Ltd. in 2016.  That bead is later in date, from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).  Unfortunately, despite the scarcity of such beads and their rare appearance at auction, the bead was Bought In.  It is a cliché, but the market really is all about supply and demand, and there is not a great demand for ancient Chinese glass beads.  The estimate of $43,750-64,338 US was quite aggressive, which may have been another factor in it being unsold.

http://www.artnet.com/WebServices/picture.aspx?date=20160601&catalog=402027&gallery=425935455&lot=00313&filetype=2&maxwidth=640&maxheight=480&resize=1
Photo credit: Marchance Auctioneers Ltd.

Real efforts at glassmaking by the Chinese began in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).  This is the type of glass known as “Peking Glass,” as it was initially made in the capital of Peking [known as Beijing today].  The fourth Qing Emperor, Kangxi (1654-1722 AD), a contemporary of France’s King Louis XIV, was responsible for encouraging new ties with the West, specifically French Jesuit missionaries.  Kangxi was open-minded about importing scientific knowledge in the areas such as astronomy, cartography and medicine, as well as the technology of glassmaking.   The establishment of the glassworks workshop in 1696 within the walls of the Forbidden City in Beijing, marked an advancement in artistic ambitions in this area.  While the Chinese were masters of bronzes, ceramics and jade artistry, glass had been long neglected.  With the arrival of the German missionary Kilian Stumpf (1655-1720) in Beijing who had a strong knowledge of kiln construction and method of creating a variety of colours, there was a dramatic improvement in the quality and quantity of glass production.  During the Qing dynasty, gold was also introduced in both porcelain glazes and glass making, with great results. 

The pinnacle of Chinese glassmaking took place in the 18th century during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1796).   Below is an example of the cameo-carving technique, featuring ruby glass encasing the inner frosty white glass vase.  A master craftsman would have carved through the ruby overlay to expose the white ground to compose the battle scene- hence the name of this object known as ‘The Warrior Vase.’ 

This vase, which is part of the Corning Museum of Glass collection, is an example of technical virtuosity because of its unusually large size and elaborate decoration.  It is ‘cameo glass’ at its finest.  The neck and body serve as a canvas to depict a famous battle scene in Chinese history.   The inner white body can be described as ‘snowflake glass’ (sometimes also referred to as ‘frosted’ glass).  Notice the very high depth of the relief carving.  Depth of carving is a factor in terms of quality and value, just as it is with other Chinese decorative objects, such as those made from lacquer.  

A close up of a glass vase

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Warrior Vase with Stand. China, 1736-1795. H. 49.2 cm, D. 24 cm. Collection of The Corning Museum of Glass (57.6.10).  Gift of Benjamin D. Bernstein.
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(Detail) Warrior Vase with Stand. China, 1736-1795. H. 49.2 cm, D. 24 cm. Collection of The Corning Museum of Glass (57.6.10). Gift of Benjamin D. Bernstein.

Colour is one of the most important factors in appreciating glass.  While it comes literally in a rainbow of colours, however, egg-yolk yellow is highly valued because of its association with the Imperial family, and ruby red glass is one of the most visually impressive.  Glass makers usually copied shapes of porcelain and bronzes. 

This rich deep yellow shown below is associated with the Imperial family and has a wheel-carved four-character mark within a square of the Emperor Qianlong.  Its provenance is also solid since it was from the Ina and Sandford Gadient Collection. 

http://www.artnet.com/WebServices/picture.aspx?date=20160312&catalog=394495&gallery=171951&lot=00282&filetype=2&maxwidth=640&maxheight=480&resize=1

Carved with warrior scenes like late of the Corning Museum of Glass example, this stunning glass vase sold at Freeman’s auction in March of 2015 for $6,875 USD.
It is interesting to observe how many examples of Qing dynasty Chinese glass echo ancient times with their archaic theme and/or imitation of the colour of jade. The belt buckle, carved with swirling gui dragons, and pair of vases, both dating to the late Qing dynasty, are jade-like green in colour.  Imitation is, as the saying goes, the sincerest form of flattery:

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A picture containing indoor, table, wall, sitting

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Belt hook.  Photo Credit:  Collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY. (51.6.371)
Pair of vases.  Photo Credit:  Collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, (56.6.5), Gift of Mrs. E.C. Chadbourne 

Reverse Glass Painting:

In Chinese art, reverse glass painting uniquely combines the genres of glass making, and the tradition of meirenhua (paintings of beauties).  Unlike Peking glass made in the capital in the northern part of China, this art form was predominantly painted in the southern area of China, particularly where the foreign business lived and worked, in Guangzhou.  The colours and style of export reverse glass portraits appealed very much to the European taste and fascination with Chinoiserie in the 18th and 19th centuries.  This technique is described as: “Painting a design on the backside (often the interior) of a glass vessel.  The design is viewed through the glass.  Because of this, the pigments must be applied in the reverse of normal order, beginning with the highlights and ending with the background.”


The history of reverse glass painting at the Imperial Chinese court is an extremely interesting one, and it involves another Jesuit priest, the Italian painter Guiseppe Castiglione (1688-1766).  He was frequently commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor and whose works are included in the Imperial Palace Collection.  It is believed that Castiglione painted one of Qianlong’s concubines in the technique of reverse glass painting.  In fact, most reverse glass paintings typically feature a portrait, often of a woman, and are regarded as belonging to the genre of export art.  However, in more recent years, export art has begun to be re-evaluated by the academic attention of such scholars as James Cahill.  Unfortunately, reverse glass painting has suffered from past opinions of it being “lesser” in quality and value because it is later in date.  Astutely noted in the article on the Chiswick Auctions website: “Whilst primarily an export art, its Imperial patronage, technical sophistication and Chinese aesthetics demand that it receives closer academic attention within the canon of Chinese painting art.”


Below is a fine example of two reverse glass paintings of meihuaren

http://www.artnet.com/WebServices/picture.aspx?date=20190117&catalog=471599&gallery=110889&lot=00562&filetype=2&maxwidth=640&maxheight=480&resize=1

Photo Credit: Christie’s New York

Each of the paintings depicts a seated lady of obvious wealth and status, with a vase of flowers (one of which is made from transparent glass), and is mounted in a gilt, lacquered frame.  Dating to 1775-1825, the pair was sold at Christie’s New York in January 2019 for $20,000 USD, which includes the buyer’s premium.  

These examples would be considered at the very high end of the scale of reverse glass paintings in terms of condition, quality and age.  The one below is more typical of what appraisers will see in the field: 

http://www.artnet.com/WebServices/picture.aspx?date=20181112&catalog=466587&gallery=425935821&lot=00249&filetype=2&maxwidth=640&maxheight=480&resize=1

Photo credit: Chiswick Auctions

This painting, which is filled with erotic subtext, sold for $8,037 USD (includes buyer’s premium), at Chiswick Auctions in November of 2018. Because of this new interest by scholars in reverse glass paintings, prices overall are gaining in strength along with the appreciation of it as an art form.

Snuff Bottles:

Glass was a prolific medium used in the creation of snuff bottles.  The timing of the introduction of snuff (powdered tobacco) to China by Portuguese Jesuits in the late 16th century, worked out very well with the establishment of the glass workshop in the 17th century.  Due to the humid weather in China, a container with a stopper/seal rather than the European snuff box was needed in order to keep the powder dry.  Miniature glass bottles with a stopper were the ideal solution.  Snuff was initially only used amongst members of the Imperial family and household, and the bottles were produced in the Imperial workshop for them specifically in mind.  Glass bottles proved to be a lightweight, portable luxury good also convenient for gift-giving.  As the popularity of snuff spread over the next two centuries, so too did the production of snuff bottles outside of the Imperial workshop in a myriad of materials.  

There are several types of glass snuff bottles, including monochrome, painted (outside or inside), cameo or overlay type, mottled, and imitations of other stones.  The technique of carving overlay glass (as exemplified in the ‘Warrior Vase’) was commonly used in snuff bottles of the 18th and 19th centuries.  Glass snuff bottles produced during the Qing dynasty often imitated semi-precious stones such as realgar, aventurine, and jade.

http://www.artnet.com/WebServices/picture.aspx?date=20180615&catalog=455809&gallery=424398405&lot=00041&filetype=2&maxwidth=640&maxheight=480&resize=1
Photo credit:  Galerie Zacke Vienna

The example above depicts a finely carved pink glass lotus snuff bottle, dating to the Qing dynasty (1740-1830), featuring a lotus flower with petals and stem, carved in high relief from pink glass, and having incised details of veins.  The stopper consists of green aventurine glass, 6.5 cm (2.6 in.) in height.  It had a provenance of being from a private American collection and was sold at Galerie Zacke Vienna for $6,389 USD in 2018.  This is a very solid price for a superb quality, likely Qianlong period, snuff bottle.  It reflects the lower prices being achieved in the past few years, since the generation of collectors who admired snuff bottles is passing away.  For the most part, children of the collectors in the 1970s and 80s no longer share their parents’ interest in snuff bottles, and thus there are fewer potential buyers when they come up for auction today.  However, there was a time when the sales of the Ruth and Carl Barron Collection of Fine Chinese Snuff, The J&J Collection, and the Mary and George Bloch Collection garnered incredible attention and high prices.  

Of all the glass objects in the market today, snuff bottles remain the most collectible and valuable.  Records have been set in the past for enamelled glass snuff bottles, such as the most expensive snuff bottle ever sold, a Qianlong-era creation, featuring a rare painted enamel on glass of a European woman, which achieved $HK25,300,000 ($3.2 million USD) at Bonhams Hong Kong in November 2011. 

Standing just three inches high this miniature Chinese snuff box stunned the art world as it sold for £2 million
Photo credit:  Bonhams, Hong Kong.

Nineteenth and twentieth-century interior-painted glass snuff bottles are very common for appraisers to encounter.  Most interior-painted snuff bottles can be dated to the Daoguang period (1821-50), when this technique of painting bottles became very popular, or later.  If the bottle is signed by a well-known artist, then it can often fetch a decent price of a few thousand dollars, even in today’s deflated market for snuff bottles.  For example, the inside-painted snuff bottle below sold by Bonham’s New York last year is signed by an artist for whom there are many comparables in art databases, Ye Zhongsan.

AN INSIDE PAINTED GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE Ye Zhongsan, 1926
Photo credit:  Bonham’s New York.  

Lot #216, Bonhams, New York, sale #24827, March 19, 2018.  Ye Zhongsan, 1926.  This snuff bottle, which is very finely painted, sold for US$ 2,375, including buyer’s premium.

The overall market for Chinese glass fluctuates because glass is easy to copy.  There are many fakes in the market and the Chinese have both a tradition and reputation for making excellent copies.  For this reason, as well as the overall decline in the numbers of buyers currently collecting glass items prices for Chinese glass is rather weak. Although excellent examples of glass snuff bottles can still command high prices.  In addition, there has been a historical-cultural bias in China against glass, as it was always regarded as “lesser” than jade.  Or in the case of export reverse glass paintings, “lesser” than other genres of traditional Chinese painting.  Since glassmaking reached its zenith of quality in the Qing dynasty, and it proliferated both inside and outside the Imperial court in the 19th century, it is often regarded not as worthy to collect as jades, porcelain and paintings.  The situation with Chinese glass is similar to Republican porcelain.  Values for it dramatically increased when collectors were priced out of the Qianlong period porcelain market.  So much so, that even Republican porcelains are now being faked.  A similar attitude is held towards Chinese glass objects.  The market continues to change.  In the early 1980’s they were relatively inexpensive because of low demand. However, by the end of the 1980’s the market was improving and glass objects were being sought out at auction.  Today, prices achieved at auction depends on the rarity, condition and particularly provenance of an item.  There will always be buyers for the very high end of the market. While average pieces may not sell, or sell for modest prices. 

The best strategy to hone one’s connoisseurship skills is to study collections in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the British Museum, National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan, and the Corning Museum of Glass in New York.  These museums have easy access to their collections online.  Take the time to do some research with an open mind.  Chinese glass is worthy of a serious second look by appraisers, collectors, and scholars alike in its varied forms- from ancient ritual items, vases and bowls, and reverse glass paintings to snuff bottles.  


  1. While there is no exact date of when glass was first made, it is likely to have been around the end of the third millennium BC, in Mesopotamia.  It is also interesting to note that vitreous glazes were already used on ceramics at this time.  
  2.  Tait, ed., 5000 Years of Glass, p. 141.  Scientists have examined later Chinese ‘native’ glass and noted that it has a higher lead composition than the soda-lime composition of Western glass.  In the Tang, the small glass items tended to be figures of Buddha and animals, as well as very practical, plain implements such as bowls.
  3.  P.12, Glass Beads.
  4.  Wednesday, June 1, 2016 [Lot 00313]. Bought In. A Chinese ‘Seven Eye’ Circular Mosaic Glass Bead, from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).  Length 2.3 cm. (1 in.) Width 2.3 cm. 
  5.  P. 10, Looking at Glass, defines ‘cameo glass’ as: “Glass made of two or more layers of glass of different colours.  During manufacture, the primary layer is covered with one or more layers of contrasting colour, usually by encasing.  The outer layers are carved, cut, engraved, sandblasted or acid etched to produce a design in relief, and the primary layer serves are the background colour for the design.”
  6.  From the Corning Museum of Glass website: “The elaborate scene on this vase illustrates an episode from the legend of the Song-dynasty general Yue Fei (1103-1141). Four Song warriors fight with hammers against a single enemy, a soldier of the Jin dynasty who is armed with two spears. The fight ends in a draw, but the brave Jin soldier later learns that he is the son of a Song general who had been killed by the Jin. This moment of revelation is set in a pavilion that is shown in the background of the scene on the vase.”
  7.  March 12, 2016 [Lot 00282].  Height 7.8 in. (19.7 cm). 
  8.  P.73, Looking at Glass.
  9. Christie’s New York: Thursday, January 17, 2019 [Lot 00562], each 17 ½ x 12 ¾ in. (44. X 32.4 in.) from the sale of Chinese Export Art, Featuring the Hodroff Collection, Part IV.
  10.  Circa 1700-1799, 10.2 x 7.9 in. (26 x 20 cm.) November 12, 2018 [Lot 00249].  
  11.  Galerie Zacke Vienna, Friday June 15, 2018 [lot 00041], $5,500 Euro (Hammer)
  12.  Of rounded rectangular form, the sloping shoulders rising to a flared neck and flat lip, an oval foot ring enclosing a convex foot, the inside painted with a continuous scene of a mossy bank, with insects resting on rocks and hovering by a willow tree over a school of fish, dedicated to Lisheng, dated bingyin liuyue (1926, fifth month), and signed Ye Zhongsan with a painted seal reading yin. 2 3/8in (5.9cm) high

Bibliography:

A Chorus of Colors: Chinese Glass from Three American Collections (San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 1995).

Byrne Curtis, Emily.  “A Plan of the Emperor’s Glassworks”, Arts Asiatiques, Vol. 56, 2001.  pp. 81-90.

https://chiswickauctions.co.uk/chinese-reverse-glass-painting, “Through the Looking Glass:  Chinese Reverse Glass Painting,” April 11, 2016.

The Corning Museum of Glass: A Guide to the Collections, The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, 2001.

Gennett, Adrienne V. Glass Beads: Selections from The Corning Museum of Glass, New York, 2013.

Hess, Catherine.  Looking at Glass: A Guide to Terms, Style and Techniques. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2005.Tait, Hugh, ed., Glass:  Five Thousand Years.  New York, 1991.


THE STATE OF THE CHINESE ART MARKET:  STRONG WITH SUBTLE NUANCES

The Year of the Tiger is off to an auspicious start with the wildly successful auction results of Asia Week in New York City.( March 16-25, 2022) Attendees were celebrating being back in-person. They were buying enthusiastically, reflecting the overall current strong market for Chinese works of art, both ancient and contemporary.  

Tina Zonars, Co-Chairman of Asian Art at Christie’s commented: “We are delighted by this week’s results, which demonstrate the strength and resilience of the of the Asian art market across all categories.  We continue to see how the importance of quality, rarity and provenance play to collectors.” 

Of the 6 auction houses (iGavel, Bonhams, Heritage, Doyle, Sotheby’s and Christies) participating, it is interesting to note that at Sotheby’s more than 14 items sold for over $1 million, and at Christies, 11 lots made above $1 million and they set 3 auction results.  

High-quality and rare items typically sell well. While average/mid-lower level items or items without a solid history of ownership or origin, frequently suffer with weaker results. They can even go unsold.  This is a logical result of a buyer’s desire for confidence in the authenticity and age of a work of art. Especially in the traditional collecting areas of Chinese paintings, jade and porcelains. In a market where many pieces are faked, including sometimes even the auction/gallery labels and accompanying documentation.  This is the reason excellent provenance affects the strength, and ultimately the sustainability of the market for Chinese works of art, whether it is from online, telephone and in-room bidders.  This principle can be extended from the major global auction houses, but also to local, small auction houses throughout North America. 

In fact, it is likely true to an even greater degree.  The security of having an estate source is critical to sales results.  Thus, most of the highest-selling works of art is tending to come from estates- not only of famous collectors, but even small-town, relatively ‘anonymous’ individuals and families.  Big-ticket items of Imperial quality do not simply appear out of the blue in the market. 

Results from the live sale of the Important Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Rachelle R. Holden Collection at Christies demonstrates this point.  This collection of 114 bottles, due to both its high-quality, rarity of wide variety of media, and excellent provenance, achieved an impressive total of $2,252, 502 USD. 86% sold by lot, and 127% hammer above the low estimate.  The star of the show (lot 805) was a Famille Rose-Enamelled Glass Snuff Bottle from the Qianlong period (1736-1795) with a realized price of $693,000 USD.  Its provenance was: 

Li Daohong Collection, Shanghai (by repute).
Zhang Zhongyin (b. 1889) Collection, Shanghai.
Zhang Tungyu Collection.
Robert Hall, London, 1995.
Rachelle R. Holden Collection, New York. 

So while snuff bottles might be considered by some appraisers to appeal to old-fashioned tastes, and not trendy, one must be cautious and take into consideration the factors of provenance, age and rarity.  A snuff bottle which embodies all of these value factors can have impressive sales results. 

For analysis of the market for Chinese art and antiques, a good source for both generalist and specialist appraisers is the Global Chinese Art Auction Market Report provided by Artnet and the China Association of Auctioneers (CAA).  The most recent information for 2020 published in November 2021 reports that “sales remained solid in Mainland China, but dropped in other regions across the globe.”  (https://new/artnet.com/market/analysis) The article titled, “Demonstrating Resilience During the Pandemic, the Market for Chinese Art and Antiques Reaped $5.7 Billion Last Year [2020],” discusses the how the market for high-end art continues to increase and that the “ongoing problem of payment default in mainland China continues.”  This problem is being addressed by auction houses requiring non-refundable deposits prior to bidding to discourage the cancellation of purchases.  Another respected source for Chinese market information is the economist Dr. Clare McAndrew who is known for her accurate analysis of many subtle factors of market data. But there is no substitute for experiencing auctions in-person to understand the feeling in the room and by extension, the market in general.  

And one last noteworthy point:  Almost half of the 26 galleries participating in Asia Week were showing contemporary art, with dealers teaming-up to host joint exhibitions, highlighting contemporary artists. The area of contemporary art is certainly not one to be ignored when considering the overall market for Chinese art.  It is actively growing and values are increasing.

It will be important to watch as this year unfolds because of ongoing economic challenges in Mainland China. With its government restrictions and crackdowns on the flow of capital out of the country, it has impacted Chinese buyers. They are the engine of the Chinese art market.  Hopefully, the Tiger will keep roaring!

First Educational Talk of 2022: Canadian Society of Decorative Arts

I am excited to also announce my first educational talk of 2022 will be for the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts.  The CSDA/CCAD is a charitable foundation that encourages the exploration and cultivation of the decorative arts in all its forms.  The CSDA defines decorative arts, “As creative works, often of a practical or useful nature, produced by an artist, craftsman or amateur, which have intrinsic aesthetic and/or historical value. These arts include interior design, furniture and furnishings, ceramics, glass, metalwork, graphics, textiles, theatre arts, together with aspects of architecture, industrial and landscape design.”   

 
The topic I will be discussing is as part of the CSDA/CCAD Sundays:  Expert Series on April 3, 2022 at 3PM EDT

Topic:
Chinese Porcelain in Canada in the 18th & 19th Centuries:  Featuring Examples in Nova Scotia & Quebec Collections

Did you know there are more than 69,000 fragments of Chinese blue and white porcelain in the archaeological collection of Nova Scotia’s Fortress of Louisbourg?  Or that Chinese famille rose porcelains were imported to Canada from the famous Imperial kilns of Jingdezhen?  Join Asian art expert Susan Lahey, MA, ISA CAPP, for a visually engaging presentation exploring Chinese porcelain in museum collections from Quebec and Nova Scotia.  Not only will she examine the history of when and how these pieces arrived in Canada, but also provide a brief background on the development of blue and white in China.  The significance of these porcelain wares and the symbolism of decoration depicted on them will be discussed in a way that is entertaining to a broad audience of both Western and Chinese porcelain connoisseurs alike.

You can Register for the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts Event HERE

Read Susan’s Presidential announcement HERE

A NEW YEAR & NEW BEGINNINGS : The New President of the Canadian Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers

I am proud to announce that I was elected as the new President of the Canadian Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers as of January 1, 2022.  A sincere thank you to Past President Kelly Juhasz, whose dedicated leadership for six years is responsible, along with the efforts of the whole executive committee, for the continued success of our award-winning Chapter of professional appraisers.  

I am proud to announce that I was elected as the new President of the Canadian Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers as of January 1, 2022.  A sincere thank you to Past President Kelly Juhasz, whose dedicated leadership for six years is responsible, along with the efforts of the whole executive committee, for the continued success of our award-winning Chapter of professional appraisers.  

As a member of the ISA for more than a decade, and having achieved the CAPP designation, I have built relationships with my fellow ISA appraisers in both Canada and the US as an Instructor and Ambassador. In my career as an appraiser, I have worked with a wide variety of clients, including auction houses, museums, insurance companies and private individuals. I am confident that I possess the qualifications, appraisal knowledge, director experience on other boards including the Ontario Arts Council, and leadership skills to serve and guide our award-winning Canadian Chapter and its amazing members to build upon the work of the current and past Executive Committees. In undertaking the responsibilities of President, I also intend to engage, connect and grow awareness of our profession in the community of key stakeholders.  

The International Society of Appraisers (ISA) is the largest of the professional personal property appraisal associations representing the most highly trained and rigorously tested independent appraisers in the United States and Canada. We are a not-for-profit, member-driven association, formed to support our member needs and to enhance public trust by producing qualified and ethical appraisers who are recognized authorities in personal property appraising.

ISA was founded in 1979. Over the past 41 years, the society has grown to be the undisputed personal property association of choice. Our Core Course in Appraisal Studies is widely regarded as the most comprehensive in the industry, distinguishing ISA as the leader in methodology, theory, principles, practices, and ethics.

ISA’s membership is diverse and collegial. Our members include many of the country’s most respected appraisers, consultants, curators, scholars, gallerists, estate liquidators, auctioneers, and dealers. We pride ourselves on a strong national network of appraisers who draw on highly specialized knowledge, skill, and experience, serving as a resource to our fellow members in a spirit which is unparalleled.

2022 marks the 22nd Anniversary of the Canadian Chapter. Beginning in 2000, many of the founding members are still active in the Chapter and have been ISA members for over 20 years. The executive and committee members all volunteer their time and skills to represent and manage the Chapter right across Canada.

I look forward to serving as National representative of our Chapter members in the advancement of excellence for our profession, being responsive to changes within the industry and I am dedicated to appraisal advocacy.

In this New Year of the Tiger, I would like to wish my colleagues, clients and friends, a healthy, happy and prosperous 2022!

Happy Chinese New Year: The Year of the Tiger

Happy Chinese New Year, Wishing you a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Mini Asia Week at Wilkens

Four dedicated Asian Art Auctions over 3 days, August 31, September 1 & 2.  Susan is busy cataloguing Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian works of art.  Link:  https://www.ahwilkens.com  

Note:  Susan will be presenting a special lecture on “Scholar’s Objects: Functional Art.”

Chinese Art Connoisseur Short Course: Listening to the Object

What is a Connoisseur?

Connoisseur [kon-uh-sur, soor]

A person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste.  1. A discerning judge of the best in any field.

How do I sign up for the course?

Registration link:  https://www.isa-appraisers.org/courses/course/397

What will I learn in this course?

In collaboration with Toronto auction house A.H. Wilkens, Susan Lahey, MA, ISA CAPP, specialist in Asian art, will present a three half-day virtual online course providing knowledge essential to the connoisseurship of Chinese art.  It will focus on the traditional collecting areas of ceramics, jades and paintings, and provide familiarity with a wide range of decorative arts such as ivories, cloisonné, bronzes and snuff bottles.  A critical awareness of materials, techniques and themes will be developed, as well as an understanding of the key challenges specific to appraising Chinese works of art.  Susan will demonstrate strategies to hone observation skills through the examination of objects available at Wilkens.  The goal is for online participants to increase their ability to identify, analyze and compare examples of good, better and best works of art, including fakes. The current market for Chinese art and global history of collecting will also be discussed.

This course will take place from 12:00-5:00pm ET on June 24, 25 & 26, 2021. 

Students are expected to be present online for the entirety of the course. 

Susan Lahey Appointed to the Ontario Arts Council Board of Directors

Susan-LaheySusan Lahey of Mount Albert, Ontario, was appointed to the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) board of directors in April 2019.
 
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Susan holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, as well as a post-graduate diploma in Asian art from Sotheby’s School of Oriental and African Studies in London, England.  Her interest in Chinese culture and its arts led her to Taipei, Taiwan, for two years studying at Stanford’s Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at the National Taiwan University.
 
Susan is President of Eastern Art Consultants Inc.  Prior to this, she served as the Department Head for Asian arts at Ritchies Auctioneers & Appraisers, a former Toronto auction house.  Currently she is an Accredited Member of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), an organization that maintains the highest standards in the methodology and ethics of appraising.  Susan regularly works as an instructor of Chinese art (both ancient and contemporary); engages in public speaking at arts events, and contributes articles to digital and print publications on the Asian art market.
 
Previously, Susan held various work positions at the Royal Ontario Museum’s Near Eastern & Asian Civilizations Department.  She also served there as the Program Chair of the Friends of the Far East, Bishop White Committee Executive.
 
Susan is an active volunteer in her community of East Gwillimbury, where she serves on the Town’s Arts & Culture Advisory Committee.  She volunteered as secretary for the Foundation for Appraisal Education and served as the Art Society Convener at the Granite Club, organizing a wide variety of art-themed events and lectures for more than five years. 

Original article can be found here

What’s the Big Deal About Ai Weiwei?

Ai-Weiwei-Zodiac-Head

What’s the Big Deal About Ai Weiwei? 

Toronto has been invaded by the art work of Ai Weiwei.  This past summer and fall, his bronze sculptural installation at Nathan Philips Square of Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (a reinterpretation of the originals looted from the Old Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860), and the exhibition “According to What?” at the Art Gallery of Ontario, have permeated the local art scene.  As well, Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche event was dominated by his work Forever Bicycles.  Consisting of an arrangement of 3,144 bicycles, it took 15 days for workers to assemble it.  Combined with the opportunity to walk through the structure, the lighting, and dry ice, it made for a dramatic and memorable hit with the public. 

 

So what is the fuss all about and why is his work so ubiquitous?

 

Cardboard-Ai-Weiwei

Sean Martindale, “Love the Future/Free Ai Weiwei,” 2012, 8′ cardboard sculpture of Ai Weiwei

 

The main themes embodied in his work usually fall into, or combine, two categories:  1) an emphasis on the value of every individual human life, and 2) the creation of new works of art from destroyed materials, often wood from Qing dynasty temples which he reassembles.

 

Around the time of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Ai emerged as an influential blogger and social activist.  He is known for his social commentary, and as a result, he has had frequent run-ins with Chinese authorities, as depicted in Alison Klayman’s documentary about Ai, titled “Never Sorry.” 

 

Accessibility to his work is significant.  You don’t have to be an expert on Chinese culture or art to appreciate the creative force behind it.  His work speaks cross-culturally.  This is a common denominator to all great art.  Anyone can emotionally access the impact of his work Straight, consisting of 38 tons of rebar (the steel bars which reinforce concrete in buildings).  Ai’s response to the earthquake is embodied in a work which consists of metal bars from the twisted wreckage of collapsed schools where more than 5,000 children lost their lives.  Ai has straightened each bar to represent a lost child.  This work of art, 40 by Ai-Weiwei-AGO-Rebar20 feet, varies in height like a rolling landscape.  From the side it has the appearance of an earthquake seismic graph.  There is even a fissure down the middle.  Visually, and literally, this is a heavy piece.  It protests the corrupt concrete construction business which built the schools, and the government’s refusal to officially acknowledge the number of people who perished in the disaster. 

 

An example of Ai’s assemblage of old materials using traditional techniques to create a new work of art, is China Log, 2005. Using tieli wood (iron wood) salvaged from eight Qing dynasty temple pillars, Ai creates an “opening” in the shape of a map of China.  The nation symbolically appears within the pieces of jigsaw-like assembled pieces.  It is both a political statement (due to the geographical boundaries Ai chooses to use to define China’s borders), and a social comment on how new creations evolve from the destruction of China’s Ai-Weiwei-Map-of-Chinatraditional architecture. 

 

A final, and interesting question to consider, from an appraiser’s or collector’s perspective is: “What is Ai Weiwei’s art ‘worth’?”

 

Given his mainstream popularity, his work is commanding high prices in the auction market.  Three pieces to consider which have similar counterparts in the AGO exhibition give us a glimpse into value in the auction market.  For example, a Group of 9 Coloured Vases, consisting of Neolithic vases painted by Ai Weiwei in 2007, sold at Sotheby’s in London in 2012 for $156,325 USD; a porcelain Ruyi Sceptre, made in 2006, sold at Hosane auction (in Shanghai) in 2011 for $159,940 USD; and a Stool, signed and dated by Ai Weiwei, made from two joined Qing dynasty (1644-1911) stools, sold at Christies in New York in 2012, for $206,500 USD.  (All prices include buyer’s premium.)

 

Why is everyone talking about Ai Weiwei?  Simply put, he is many things to many people.  The ‘worth’ of his art goes beyond the monetary.  He is not only a master of various media, as sculptor, photographer, architect, ceramicist, and Internet blogger but also a galvanizing figure in the struggle for freedom of expression in a country where human rights are not always respected.  He is an artist who deliberately takes risks and suffers consequences for his authenticity.  As such, Ai Weiwei can be counted as among the most influential artists of the 21st century.

 

Want to learn more about contemporary Chinese art in Toronto? Check out the UCCA booth (Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art) visiting from Beijing at Art Toronto this October 24-28, 2013.  They will be featuring limited edition prints of other famous artists such as Zhang Xiaogang, Wang Guangyi, and Yue Minjun, along with emerging artists.  Still want more?  Visit the monumental public stainless steel sculpture The Rising by Zhang Huan installed in front of the Shangri-La hotel on University Avenue.  Explore the work of Xiao Gui Hui, currently living and working in Toronto, who is represented by the Christopher Cutts gallery; and visit the Gendai gallery which features Asian contemporary exhibitions.  To read more in English about Contemporary Chinese art, pick up a copy of the Yishu Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art

 

Susan Lahey, MA ISA

President, Eastern Art Consultants Inc.

www.easternartconsultants.com

 

The Dragon Awakes: Sensational Auction Results for Imperial Chinese Porcelain, Jades and Paintings

The Dragon Awakes: Sensational Auction Results for Imperial Chinese Porcelain, Jades and Paintings

The dragon is in fact more than just awake, it is already breathing fire and has rocketed to the sky. China’s recent staggering economic growth and prowess is well-served by the symbolic dragon, as is the phenomenon of the stellar (described by some observers as “crazy”) prices realized at auction houses around the globe for works of Chinese art.

For those of us who are passionate about Asian art, these are heady days. Even if the reader has only a passing interest in Chinese art from the headlines of record-breaking prices in mainstream media, people are wondering about the reasons behind remarkable growth in this particular art market. In my experience as President of Eastern Art Consultants Inc., I have witnessed Mainland Chinese buyers flocking to auction houses in London, Hong Kong and New York, replacing Americans and Europeans as buyers of Chinese art. In many cases it is Western collectors selling off their artwork which is being snapped up by Chinese buyers with an insatiable appetite.

A Canadian example of this phenomenon is an 18th century rhinoceros horn cup sold at Waddington’s in Toronto on a snowy evening in December 2010. Excitement filled the auction house as bids on a libation cup, decorated in the ‘Hundred Boys Motif’, rose steadily, with the hammer finally coming down at a breathtaking $893,750 CDN (buyer’s premium included) to a Mainland Chinese buyer. Although the provenance was fairy-tale like (the consignor being an elderly lady who stumbled upon the cup at a church yard sale in the early 1980s, for $1),the high prices for Imperial works of art, especially those of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), and specifically Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796), are becoming the new norm.

Similar stories can be found elsewhere, as in Scotland, where a Bonham’s appraiser visiting a home happened to notice a pair of elegant famille rose melon-shaped porcelain teapots. Unbeknownst to the owner, they were from the Qianlong period, and subsequently achieved the astonishing price of £1,341,600 on May 12, 2011.

Who is driving this market? And why are pieces made during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign considered so desirable? The Chinese traditionally prefer works produced in the Imperial workshops, especially those of Qianlong because they are regarded as the pinnacle of technical and aesthetic achievement. The emperor himself was an avid collector and scholar who accumulated a vast storehouse of treasures with cultural significance. There is also a history of art collecting in China which goes back as far as the Neolithic period, and the nouveau riche in China apparently hope to demonstrate their taste and connoisseurship as modern day collectors following the Imperial example.

And what is behind this incredible surge in prices? The economic reasons for the financial readiness of Chinese buyers is straightforward, including millions of individuals who are making fortunes in various business enterprises, and now have disposable income to spend. But their motivations are more complex.

Observers point to new Mainland Chinese buyers compelled by nationalist sentiments, wanting to repatriate cultural heritage, such as that looted from the Imperial Summer Palace by French and British soldiers in 1860; while others emphasize their practicality as buyers seeking alternate investments in which to store their cash.
The areas which have seen the most impressive results are jades, porcelains and paintings.

Jade is the new “gold” rush. The Chinese have had an affinity for this stone for millennia. Prices are booming because like gold, it is an ideal form of storing portable assets, and is regarded as better than bank accounts. Examples of jades surpassing estimates at recent sales include items from the British Estate of Mary Anne Marten sold last year. Most talked about were a pair of pale green jade elephants believed to be from the Imperial court of Qianlong which sold for £1.2 million, tripling its estimate. The same is true in the case of a remarkable Imperial piece, a spinach jade brush pot which sold in Hong Kong, October 5, 2011, for $6,620,000 HK.

Another fabulous jade, a fine Imperial brush washer carved from a solid block of white jade (Qianlong mark and period), from the Dillingham Estate of Hawaii, doubled its estimate when it sold at Sotheby’s New York this September for $782,500 US. Chinese collectors will pay such prices, and fight bidding wars, for rare white jade, thus making it worth literally more than its weight in gold.

As for paintings at recent sales, the highlight was an 18th century painting by the artist Dong Bangda, Thatched Hut Among Autumnal Mountains, ink on silk, a hanging scroll dated 1743, selling for $386,500 US at Sotheby’s New York September 14th 2011, because there was a written account that Emperor Qianlong admired this painter’s work. Of note, the average price of a classic Chinese painting nearly doubled in the past year.

Yet it is the porcelains which have truly exceeded all possible expectations. At Christie’s September 2011 sale in New York (Property from the Xu Hanqing collection) the top lots were purchased by Chinese buyers. Typical of this, is the rare blue and white Ming-style moonflask with Qianlong seal mark in underglaze blue which sold for $2,658,500 US.

A yellow-ground famille rose vase in the double gourd shape sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2010 for $32.4 million US, to a Hong Kong based collector who is quoted as saying about her purchase: “As long as you like something, even if it’s expensive, it’s worth it.” It featured a six character Qianlong mark on the base in red, and had an impeccable provenance traceable back to the 19th century.

One might wonder…..will the prices stop climbing? At a talk at Toronto’s Gardiner Museum in April of this year, Michael Bass of Christie’s Chinese Works of Art, New York, stated: “Outstanding results demonstrate the continued and remarkable strength of the Chinese art market.” The current state of the market is certainly more than a trend, and its rise seems destined to grow in step with the burgeoning Chinese economy. So, the next time you are at a yard sale, take an extra careful look. That Chinese porcelain vase or brush painting might just be the next record-breaking sale.

Susan Lahey, MA, ISA President, Eastern Art Consultants Inc.
Written for The Upper Canadian Antique Showcase, November 2, 2011