My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.
15th century Imperial Ming dynasty bowl
A Chinese bowl, used by the family cat for sleeping, was sold at auction in the UK on August 6, 2014 for £108,000 ($177,763). Reeman Dansie Auctioneers of Colchester, UK, estimated the bowl to sell for £200-300, considering it was in poor condition.
The underside of the 12″ diameter bowl
The good news was that the bowl was probably authentic and from the 15th century Imperial Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644). Chinese fakes are a big problem, so the provenance and condition convinced the bidders that this was the real deal. The bowl had been passed down for generations in the family of Major General John Tulloch, who brought it back to England from China in 1900. At some point in its history, it was broken in two and repaired with staples. This was one of the rare times that poor condition added to an object’s value.
A staple used for the repair can be clearly seen
The bowl was one of nine Chinese lots consigned by the family to the auction. All of the items did very well, mainly because of the rock-solid family provenance. For example, an 11″ vase from the 19th century sold for almost £40,000 ($65,847) even with a damaged lid. Most of the bidders were Chinese, looking to repatriate their heritage. Chinese antiques have been on a decade-long tear since the rise of a wealthy upper-class in China. The winning bidder for the bowl bid by telephone from mainland China.
The show will be held in the white building on the left, September 27-28, 2014
We decided to add a new show to our schedule, the NYC Big Flea Market. The new promoters, D’Amore Promotions, will be using the same Pier 94 that is used by USA Antique Shows for their November and March shows. This one will be substantially different, with an entirely new cast of dealers. Click
here for more information. It should be good, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.
