Dear Mark,

Once again, thank you for your views on the matter. The brush rest in question seemed to be jade, not jadeite, and so perhaps a little less likely to find itself a candidate for a dyeing treatment, if that logically follows from your previous observation?

You considered the estimate that they had on the brush rest too high. What sort of estimate would you think would have been more appropriate, assuming, that is, that it's natural and untreated?

Regards,

Alan

I am getting a little confused here, so I shall try to clarify what I am referring to.

Lot # 103 is the jade mountain that looks to be lavender in colour. It had a price guide of 8-12k. This had a look of being modern  but still a very nice item. Without seeing the reverse it is quite literally impossible to say old or modern.

If it is modern that to say post 1950 then the price should be about 3-5k.

Lot # 159 is the brush rest. The listing put from memory 18/19 century. Again very difficult to determine from just one picture.

The mountain and the brush rest both look like they were carved by the same person. If the brush rest is post 1950 then the price should 1-2k.

As I wrote earlier the item that bought 15k being the one you handled was the best of the jades on offer. I was not impressed by the other lots and I hazard a guess neither were the buyers who attended the auction etc.

Mark

Dear Mark,

All perfectly clear, thank you for that.

On another topic, it will be a busy week over in London, with Christies, Sotheby's and Bonhams all running their high end auctions. These will be interesting to follow. There are some exceptional jades coming up, as you have no doubt already noticed.

Best wishes,

Alan

Thank you Alan a stunning array of jade and other coming up very soon. 

Alan do you know of and or dealt with Littleton &/Hennessey who are asian art dealers based in London and I also believe in HK.

Mark

Dear Mark,

In London, I have dealt only with Christies, Sotheby's and Bonhams, so I'm afraid I can't offer any perspective on Littleton and Hennessey. Do you intend to be in touch with them? I can make some enquiries if that might help.

Best wishes,

Alan

Thank you Alan that would be much appreciated.

I am interested in price and other information about the white mottled jade boulder/mountain  with a imperial poem dated to the qialong period. 

Thanking you,

Mark

Mark

Dear Mark,

Depending on how some bidding goes that I am doing during Asian Arts in London this week, I will go there next week to collect possible purchases. I'll only be there for one day, but should I bump into the right people, I will make a few direct enquiries. If I don't go to London, meaning that I didn't buy anything, I can still make a couple of enquiries, though it will take a bit longer to get back to you. I presume you don't have an imminent deadline hanging over your head as your interest is in an item they are offering for sale, rather than something they are sending to auction themselves, if that's correct?

Best wishes,

Alan

Hi Alan,

I am in no hurry and would be grateful for your time.

I believe that there former trading name was Asian Art.

There business outlay looks very impressive if you get the chance to visit etc.

Regards

Mark

Dear Mark,

I will give you further feedback on Littleton and Hennessy if I go to London next week and have a chance to talk to some people. However, having looked at their site, but leaving jades out of the equation as that's not my field, what I can tell you now is, that they appear to be fully above board and legitimate, at least when it comes to their ceramics department. For example, I see from their stock list that they are offering for sale a Qianlong blue and white yuhuchun vase. This one really interests me, because I have personally handled it. It first came up for sale in a provincial auction house here in Ireland a few years ago. There's no doubt whatsoever about its authenticity. On the strength at least of that, things would look promising as regards the quality of their other stock. 

As it happens, the collection from which the yuhuchun vase I've mentioned came, assembled in the 1940s in Philadelphia, had TWO such vases, would you believe (and indeed, it had in it a number of other quality items which have been subsequently sold in profile places, including for instance that lovely Yongzheng chrysanthemum dish in the recent Adams auction that we spoke about previously). The same provincial Irish auction house had the consignment of both of these yuhuchun vases, and I know how much was paid for them in both cases: the first sold for €110,000 under the hammer, and the second, a year or two later, for €180,000 similarly under the hammer. The vase offered by Littleton and Hennessy must necessarily be one of these two, though exactly which one, I'm not sure. However, you can bet that they will make a hefty profit when they come to sell it on, as they doubtless also will in the case of the jade boulder with imperial poem that you have been looking at. You might bear that in mind!

So, this side of further information on them if and when I go across next week, what I can see of their stock is promising in point of authenticity, but doubtless will be sold at a premium, since that's the name of the game. And they're operating in an expensive part of London, where overheads don't come cheap!

Best wishes,

Alan

ps Sotheby's lovely spinach jade brush washer and their brush pot both failed to sell today.

Thank you Alan you are a treasure trove of information

They had a hefty price tag attached to them

Spinach/kingfisher Jade has been on a slow decline since it's high @ 2011 where as celedon/mutton fat is full steam ahead.

I would give my kidney to own either one!

Regards

Mark

Alan 

I was going to buy this for a laugh and show it to you here 🙂 but its getting way too much attention. So will pass on it. However you might be interested in looking at it. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chinese-Ming-Cloisonne-Enamel-Large-Bowl-Galloping-Horses-Early-17th-Century/332866754474

ENDS in 1 day 22 hours  Postage £10 30 bids ( popular) 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chinese-Ming-Cloisonne-Enamel-Large-Bowl-Galloping-Horses-Early-17th-Century/332866754474?hash=item4d806797aa:g:60cAAOSwBYFb3uW3

Dear S-D,

Thanks for sharing this. It might be right, but there was in the nineteenth century a revival of Wanli-style cloisonné, and I'm not entirely sure that this bowl wouldn't be a part of that revival. The motif of hai ma plunging above foaming waves would certainly be a favourite of the early seventeenth century, but that alone wouldn't convince me that this was a bowl of that period. I'd need to see it and check it out physically. Unless you are bent upon acquiring it, I think I would be cautious about it. And there's another reason I'd be cautious. The eBay seller is also offering a dish whose nature he doesn't seem to be able to make up his (or her) mind about, yet it's being offered at a fairly hefty price. A fully reliable dealer, I think, wouldn't be as vague as that.

Best wishes,

Alan

Posted by: Alan Fletcher

Dear S-D,

Thanks for sharing this. It might be right, but there was in the nineteenth century a revival of Wanli-style cloisonné, and I'm not entirely sure that this bowl wouldn't be a part of that revival. The motif of hai ma plunging above foaming waves would certainly be a favourite of the early seventeenth century, but that alone wouldn't convince me that this was a bowl of that period. I'd need to see it and check it out physically. Unless you are bent upon acquiring it, I think I would be cautious about it. And there's another reason I'd be cautious. The eBay seller is also offering a dish whose nature he doesn't seem to be able to make up his (or her) mind about, yet it's being offered at a fairly hefty price. A fully reliable dealer, I think, wouldn't be as vague as that.

Best wishes,

Alan

I was surprised the seller even realised it could be from the 17th century, I can see it has attracted a lot of attention from 2 bidders.  I brought it to your attention as if anyone can make a decision on it's authenticity, then that would be you. I personally am not going to bid on it as there is too much interest in it already. I would have gotten it when it was still only £2 for sure, as it would have been fun to get it.

However I have no real interest in it. I am still a novice as to what may have a value or not a value.  

I guess there may be a few London bidders aware of the similar one going up in the Christies Auction and want it just for the prestige which was in fact the only reason I was going to grab it. However at those prices I could get a beautiful Japanese cloisonne. 

I do not think it has any real value other than a trending fad due to the few similar cloisonne items that went up in the big auction houses. 

It does look very old though.