Paris, June 7, 2023 – Organized by Aguttes, a European forerunner in the market for artists from Asia, this new edition of Asian Weeks once again attracted the attention of major international collectors and connoisseurs, from China to the United States, and totaled over €2.4 million*. Asian Arts saw several spectacular auction battles on June 1, 2023, notably around Buddhist bronzes, while during the Asian Painters, Major Works auction on June 2, Lê Phổ, Alix Aymé, Mai Trung Thứ, Vũ Cao Đàm and Henry Vollet once again enthralled collectors.
“While buyers are becoming increasingly selective and demanding in their purchases, we’ve been observing a diversification of their profiles for several months now.”—Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, expert
ASIAN PAINTERS, MAJOR WORKS, JUNE 2, 2023, TOP 6:
- Lot 13, LÊ PHỔ (1907–2001), Sur la terrasse, circa 1940: 641,600 EUR
- Lot 19, ALIX AYMÉ (1894–1989), Le goûter: 101,400 EUR
- Lot 15, LÊ PHỔ (1907–2001), Femme au balcon, circa 1935: 195,000 EUR
- Lot 23, MAI TRUNG THỨ (1906–1980), Maternité au fruit, 1942: 97,500 EUR
- Lot 14, MAI TRUNG THỨ (1906–1980), La leçon, 1940: 67,600 EUR
- Lot 16, VŨ CAO ĐÀM (1908–2000), Divinité, 1981: 65,000 EUR
A majestic vision of 1940s Indochina celebrated at auction
Lê Phổ’s majestic vision of Indochina, which attracted the attention of galerist Romanet (Algiers) among others, continues to seduce connoisseurs. Sur la terrasse, which immortalizes the beauty and grace of the country’s women, the artist’s technique blending the West and the Far East, fetched 641 600 EUR.
Lê Phổ (1907-2001). Sur la terrasse, circa 1940. Ink and colors on silk, signed upper left 57×38.1 cm. Sold for: 641,600 EUR.
Produced during a pivotal period between the 1931 Universal Exhibition and his definitive move to France in 1937, Femme au balcon, part of Lê Phổ’ first pictorial period, also sold for 195 000 EUR. The young, elegant woman already inspires the artist.
Lê Phổ (1907-2001). Femme au balcon, circa 1935. Ink and colors on silk, signed upper left. 29,5×22,8 cm. Provenance: Private collection of a Frenchman holding an important position in Indochina (acquired from the artist in Hanoi in the early 1930s); Then by descent, France. Sold for: 195,000 EUR.
Alix Aymé, professor at the School of Fine Arts in Indochina, in the spotlight
101 400 EUR for a work on silk by Alix Aymé, who lived in Asia for over 25 years and contributed to the training of many artists during this period. Le goûter brings together various objects or attributes recurrent in the artist’s work of the 1930s, such as the little sleeping cat, the curtains in front of the open window, or the bouquet of flowers… They allow us to situate these works, produced in her personal studio in Hanoi. The frame liner, a gold work fixed under glass by the artist at the end of her life, testifies to Alix Aymé’s curiosity and constant renewal, as she always explored new mediums…
Alix Aymé (1894-1989). Le goûter, circa 1940. Ink, watercolor and gouache on silk, signed lower right and titled on the back. The work is presented in the passe-partout with gold highlights painted under glass by the artist. 50×75,5 cm. Provenance: Private collection, South-East France. Sold for: 101,400 EUR.
The two works by Henri Vollet (lots 27 and 28), from the prestigious collection of Governor General Paul Doumer, sold for a total of 67 600 EUR.
Mai Trung Thứ, the artist celebrating women
Among the top bids were Mai Trung Thứ’s small formats. Maternité au fruit fetched 97 500 EUR while La leçon fetched 67 600 EUR.
Mai Trung Thứ (1906-1980). Maternité au fruit, 1942. Ink and colors on silk, signed and dated lower left. 32,2×22,7 cm. In original frame made by the artist. Sold for: 97,500 EUR.
Vũ Cao Đàm, emblematic artist of the 1st graduating class of the School of Fine Arts in Indochina
Alongside Lê Phổ and Mai Trung Thứ, Vũ Cao Đàm is one of the key artists of the 1st graduating class of the School of Fine Arts in Indochina. The artist, who has made oil on canvas his favorite medium since the late 1950s, was rewarded with a 65 000 EUR.
Vũ Cao Đàm (1908-2000). Divinité, 1981. Oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, titled on back. 73,5×60 cm. Provenance: Wally Findlay Galleries, New York; Private collection, France. Sold for: 65,000 EUR.
While the painter depicts this young man in meditation in several works, the palette varies from one painting to the next. Vũ Cao Đàm works carefully on his composition, displaying a highly modern brushwork: here, the deity’s outfit is a subtle cameo of yellow, contrasting with the red tones of the background.
ASIAN ART ON JUNE 1, 2023, TOP 5:
- Lot 101, Tibet – Mahavairocana seated in vajrasana: 232,149 EUR
- Lot 81, China Ming Dynasty, Mark and Wanli Period (1573-1619), Porcelain aquarium with wucai decoration featuring: 78,000 EUR
- Lot 88, China – Pair of bell-shaped bowls, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong mark and period (1735-1796): 78,000 EUR
- Lot 136, China Ming Dynasty, 16th-17th century – Shakymuni Buddha: 70,200 EUR
- Lot 96, Mongolia, Zanabazar school, 18th century – Vajradhara: 49,400 EUR
“Broadcast live on various platforms, this sale attracted over 550 registrations on Invaluable. Once again, we observed that classic quality lots, such as porcelain, attracted Chinese buyers. Buddhist bronzes, on the other hand, attracted a number of foreign bidders, including many Americans. What’s more, we’re finding that the market is increasingly focused on the very finest pieces.”—Clémentine Guyot, Head of Asian Art
TIBET XVIe – XVIIe SIÈCLE. Gilded bronze statue with hard stone inlays representing Mahavairocana seated in vajrasana on a double lotiform base, hands in dhyana mudra holding two stems, dressed in a fine dhoti fanning out on the base, adorned with numerous jewels. The Buddha represented with four faces surmounted by two other heads, the last one wearing a high bun adorned with jewels. The base not sealed. H. 28.5 cm. PROVENANCE: Purchased in June 1997 from the Kubera gallery, Nice. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. R.. Sold for: 232,149 EUR.
Buddhist bronzes dominated the sale, with prices reaching 227 500 EUR for a seated Mahavairocana in vajrasana (lot 101) and 70 200 for a Shakymuni Buddha (lot 136). A coveted Vajradhara sculpture (lot 96) tripled its high estimate, fetching 49 400 EUR.
Chine Ming dynasty, Wanli mark and period (1573 – 1619). Large porcelain aquarium with wucai decoration of ducks among lotuses, the circular basin with slightly rounded body decorated with four pairs of Mandarin ducks frolicking among blooming lotuses and other aquatic plants, the whole surmounted by a spiral frieze. The flat lip is decorated with an undulating scroll. The six-character Da Ming Wan Li Nian Zhi mark in blue underglaze in a frame below the lip. With a high display base in natural wood. H. 25,5 cm – D. 49 cm. Provenance: Collection of a French diplomat, then by descent. A similar piece sold by Christies, “Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Part I & II” sale, September 15, 2011, New York, lot 1483. Sold for: 78,000 EUR.
A porcelain Aquarium with wucai decoration (lot 81) also caught the eye of connoisseurs, who competed for up to 78 000 EUR. The depiction of ducks in a lotus pond as a decorative motif on ceramics originated in Tang dynasty production and continued throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. Only three other Wanli-period aquariums featuring the same decoration appear to have survived, and three of these are in museum collections. The most widely published example is a slightly smaller model (44.2 cm diam.) from the Idemitsu collection, illustrated in the exhibition catalog, “In Pursuit of the Dragon”, Seattle Art Museum, 1988, p. 133, no. 66.
Chine – Qing dynasty, Qianlong mark and period (1735-1796). Rare and important pair of bell-shaped bowls in blue-white porcelain, the body decorated with two imperial dragons chasing the pearl among clouds and flames under a frieze of ruyi. The interior with a frieze of interlaced ruyi and a central medallion adorned with a five-clawed dragon. The base with a six-character Qianlong mark in zhuanshu blue underglaze. Label “J.J. Klejman Gallery New York NY” under one and labels “J.J. Klejman Gallery New York NY” and “Frank Caro successor to C.T. Loo” under the other. H. 9.4 cm – D. 13.3 cm. Provenance: Collection of an important French aristocratic family. Sold for: 78,000 EUR.
A pair of bell-shaped bowls (lot 88) fetched 78 000 EUR. Purchased in the 1960s-1970s in New York, these porcelains remained in the same French family. To date, there is only one identical reference for this pair: a bowl in the collection of Ernest Grandidier at the National Museum of Asian Arts Guimet (inventory no. G 3528). A testament both to the finest porcelain of the 18th century and to the history of the collections, it bears the label designating Frank Caro as Ching Tsai’s successor. Loo. Based in New York, London and Paris, the art dealer Ching Tsai Loo left his mark on the history of the art market. La Pagode (Paris, 8th arrondissement) housed the personal collections of this expert in Far Eastern art, from 1922 onwards, and thus contributed to the renown of this key figure in the international art market.
* Results including aftersales
Next Asian weeks from September 18 to 26, 2023
- ASIAN PAINTERS, MAJOR WORKS [39]
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
For further information, please contact
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier
+33 1 41 92 06 49
reynier@aguttes.com
- ASIAN ART
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
For further information, please contact
Clémentine Guyot
+33 1 47 45 00 90
guyot@aguttes.com
