Asia Week New York 2012: Fierce Competition in the Chinese Art Market

Chinese Art Market | "Hundred Butterflies" Vases

These two nearly identical "Hundred Butterflies" Chinese vases from the 19th century will be offered in the Skinner Asian Works of Art auction, April 20-21, 2012 in Boston. (Lots 641 and 644)

Chinese buyers ruled Asia Week New York once again in 2012. I try to attend Asia Week in New York each year, and this year I spent five days in the city, visiting museums, attending auctions, and talking to dealers, specialists, and other lovers of Asian Works of Art. We all marveled at the seemingly unstoppable frenzy of the Chinese art market, and wondered what this means for those who buy and sell Asian art in the West. For many, it has become a challenge to compete.

There seems to be no end in sight to the trend of Chinese buying their art back, much of it from old Western collections, and Chinese buyers filled the auction rooms in New York, driving prices up to staggering heights.

Imperial Chinese Art

For the most part, Imperial pieces brought the highest prices this week. Auction houses and top dealers are still discovering and offering a diverse and select group of works. A hand scroll estimated between $700,000 and $1,000,000, “Emperors of the Southern Song 12th-13th Century,” sold for $5.6 million. The same hand scroll sold in an April 2001 sale, along with two other works, for just $119,112, suggesting that there is more competition for Imperial works with each passing year.

Jade and Rhinoceros Horn

Fine jade and rhinoceros horn wine cups, even non-Imperial examples, sold high all week. The Chinese consider jade to be the most precious and auspicious material, and rhinoceros horn is believed by many to be an aphrodisiac.

As the number of wealthy Chinese collectors entering the market continues to rise, competition for all varieties of Chinese art will become fierce.

Skinner’s Asian Works of Art auction on April 20th and 21st offers buyers the opportunity to compete on a range of fine Asian and Chinese works similar to those seen at Asia Week auctions and galleries, including these two “Hundred Butterfly” enamel vases each with an iron-red Guangxu mark. Other works offered in the April auction include jades, bronze censers, textiles and several fine Ming dynasty Buddhist bronze figures.

Browse our Asian Art auction catalogue and let us know in the comments what you think will turn out to be the top lot. One thing is for certain—we expect crowds of Chinese buyers to turn out for the Skinner auction.

AD 20/21 in Boston, Part II: From Graffiti Art to the One Shot Stool

AD 20/21 | Fine Art in Boston | Skinner team

Heather and Kathryn from the Marketing Department with Kathy, Robin, and Elizabeth from the American & European Works of Art Department at Skinner, Inc.

As an art appraiser and appreciator, I’ve always enjoyed AD 20/21: Art & Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries. This year, the show has moved beyond just modern design and prints to feature more contemporary art than I’ve seen in the past. The show is open from March 15– 18, 2012 at the Boston Center for the Arts

Last night, I stopped in with my colleagues, Kathy Wong and Elizabeth Haff, for a visit. We saw too many wonderful and beautiful things to describe in one blog post, but a few of our favorites were found in the booths for Artists for Humanity and Room 68.

At Artists for Humanity, a dress made out of Vitamin Water labels pulled me in for a closer look. The clever design and unusual material reminded me of the reality show Project Runway. In fact, the dress was made for Fashion Week in Boston.

Artists for Humanity is a group that provides underprivileged high school kids with art employment opportunities. These young people work on design projects, logo development, and fine art projects, and many go on to graduate from art school and continue working in the arts.

On the back wall of their booth, I was intrigued by two works that almost looked cubist, with a graffiti-like feel. It turns out that a couple of the kids in the program were indeed graffiti artists, so their mentors encouraged them to take that style, and create a piece that looks like graffiti without words.

Room 68 showed off concepts in contemporary design, including everything from the One Shot Stool by Patrick Jouin to cleverly designed vases, ceramics, and textiles. The moving parts of the stool were all cut from a single piece of material, and like an umbrella, it folds up into an easy shape for carrying.

Although the objects on display at the show many be on the pricier side for some, Kathy Wong looked online after the show and discovered that their prices for design accessories start at a very affordable $15.

We all appreciated the integration between fine art, design, and prints, and with such a range of styles and prices, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Have you been to the show? Let us know in the comments or on the American & European Works of Art Facebook page which booth was your favorite.

Jane Prentiss, Director of 20th Century Design at Skinner, Inc. enjoyed the show as well. Here are her impressions.

AD 20/21 in Boston, Part I: Art & Design Come Alive

Inside the Cyclorama building

If you love art and design, or if you’re looking for decorative accessories for your home, AD 20/21: Art & Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries is the place to be this weekend. The show is open from March 15– 18, 2012 at the Boston Center for the Arts.

Ted Landsmark, president of the Boston Architectural College, and Tony Fusco of the Fusco & Four Marketing Agency always do a fabulous job putting this show together, and I look forward to it each year as a way to kick off the spring season.

Almost all of the dealers, designers, and artists at the show come from New England. It’s heartening to see fabulous art and design coming from the Boston area, and meeting the artists who make it happen. Even more interesting to me than the individual pieces of art is how designers choose to place different pieces together in mock room set-ups or arrangements. I love seeing how 20th Century Design pieces can be mixed with contemporary art and other unique accents.

The show takes place in the Cyclorama, a round building that was originally constructed in 1884 to house a 360-degree painting of the Battle of Gettysburg by French artist Paul Philippoteaux. People visiting the painting would stand on a platform, and turn to see the painting all around them. Real cannons, fences, and stone walls took up the space between the viewer and the painting, creating an almost virtual reality experience.

The design of the building provides a wonderful context in which to view the art and decorative pieces on display.

The Skinner American & European Works of Art Department attended as well, and they share their thoughts on the show here.

Booths at AD 20/21

25th National Arts & Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn

by Bruce Johnson, Director, Arts & Crafts Conference

Contemporary Craftsfirms Show at the Arts & Crafts Conference | Photography by Bill Murphy, Asheville, NC

You might say it was an idea conceived in the parking lot at Skinner.

The year was 1987 and I was in Boston for both the Skinner fall Arts & Crafts auction and for the opening of the long-awaited “The Art That Is Life” Arts & Crafts exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

A few months earlier, I had attended the final Arts & Crafts conference held at the aging Roycroft Inn. When word circulated among the dealers and collectors gathered there that the Roycroft Inn would be closed for what turned out to be a nine-year restoration, my first reaction was: we should host the conference at the Grove Park Inn.

Built overlooking Asheville, NC in 1913, the Grove Park Inn had been hailed as “the finest resort hotel in the world.” Furnished with Roycroft hammered copper lights, Roycroft furniture and Heywood-Wakefield wicker rockers, it was an Arts & Crafts mecca. The original gift shop in the lobby sold Newcomb College vases, Roseville pottery, Roycroft books and metalware, and Cherokee hand-woven baskets and rugs.

As I stood that day in the parking lot at Skinner, urging Arts & Crafts collectors and dealers to come to Asheville the third weekend in February, most must have wondered, “Arts & Crafts in the South? Not Boston, Syracuse or East Aurora?”

But they came, and they discovered what was a hidden Arts & Crafts treasure at the time. They sat in Stickley Morris chairs, warmed themselves in front of a fireplace large enough to park a car, attended seminars, and bought Arts & Crafts antiques from 29 dealers. We decided that weekend to return the following year, and the year after that, and the year after that, until today we are preparing for our 25th Arts & Crafts Conference at the Grove Park Inn on February 17-19.

But now it’s more than just a few seminars and a handful of antiques dealers. This year’s conference will draw more than 2,000 collectors, antiques dealers, contemporary crafts firms, magazine editors, book publishers, and authors. They will choose from ten daily small group discussions, take both walking tours and house tours, watch demonstrations, participate in hands-on workshops, and learn about what they collect through six major seminar presentations and a film documentary.

And just to keep it lively, they will sip champagne, listen to music in the Great Hall, and dance until midnight on the Sunset Terrace to live bands.

Who says antiques collectors don’t know how to have fun?

If you would like to learn more, take a look at www.Arts-CraftsConference.com. The Slide Show will give you a great feel for what will be happening next month at what today is being called “the finest Arts & Crafts resort in the world.”

A Tiffany Favrile Vase Finds a New Home

Last week LaGina Austin, our Director of Appraisal & Auction Services, and I represented Skinner at the 46th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning in Orlando, Florida. Heckerling is the “Super Bowl” of estate planning conferences, and Skinner has had a booth there for each of the past fifteen years.

In past years we’ve seen our fellow exhibitors raffle off everything from lobster dinners to bottles of champagne to all sorts of electronic gadgetry. We joined the fray this year but decided to do so with a different twist. Our giveaway was an example of the wares we bring to auction regularly: a beautiful piece of modern design in the form of a Tiffany favrile vase offered in our recent 20th Century Design auction.

Jane Prentiss, our Director of 20th Century Design, wrote the following comments about the piece and the process by which it was made:

Prior to the turn of the 20th century, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s “Quest of Beauty” led him to develop Tiffany favrile Glass. Hand-wrought, this early glass was called fabrile after the French for “made by hand.” It later became known as “favrile,” as the glass developed a radiance and richness.

One of the most striking characteristics of favrile glass is its iridescence. This is achieved by exposing the glass to metallic fumes while still hot, creating a surface that plays with light. Pulling the hot glass creates the form and undulations on the surface, giving the glass vitality. Timeless in its beauty, Tiffany favrile glass is as highly admired now as ever.

The bottom of this gold iridescent vase is finished with a button pontil. The pontil is a remnant from where the glass rod held the vase while it was being manipulated in the furnace by the glass blower. The vase carries the L.C.T mark (for Louis Comfort Tiffany) and is numbered 2243. It was created circa 1900 for collectors and lovers of art.

Apparently, there were a number of art lovers and perhaps even collectors at Heckerling this year, as our fishbowl held almost 150 business cards by the end of the conference. Jane Prentiss drew one of them, and the vase is now on the way to its new home with the lucky winner!

Should you be headed to Heckerling next year, please visit our booth – we’re planning to have an equally interesting and beautiful object available as our prize drawing. And if you’re a fan of Tiffany or art glass in general, watch for the catalogue for our next 20th Century Design sale, coming up on June 23rd.

Blooms for Books

Support the Boston Public Library and get a glimpse of spring in the middle of winter at the upcoming Skinner Prints and Paintings Auction

This lovely arrangement interprets an 18th/19th century portrait of a gentlewoman as Diana, Goddess of the Hunt (Lot 310 in the February 3, 2012 Paintings auction)

Several months ago, Skinner art appraiser Kathy Wong agreed to arrange all of the flowers for a friend’s wedding. I know you’re wondering what this has to do with antiques and auctions, but just stay with me for a minute. The friend happens to be a Skinner colleague, so this past fall we have all enjoyed watching the process as Kathy brought in ideas to show to the bride-to-be: designs for table arrangements, bouquets, boutonnières, and more.

It turns out that, in addition to being a great art historian, Kathy has a fantastic eye for color and design.

Now, Kathy is putting her design talents to work for the sake of art and a terrific cause. In conjunction with the February 3rd Prints and Paintings auction in Boston, Kathy will interpret several of the lots presented as flower arrangements. Have you ever seen the Museum of Fine Art’s Art in Bloom or the Worcester Art Museum’s Flora in Winter? Our presentation will be similar, but we are adding a slight twist. The arrangements will be sold during the Paintings & Prints auction to raise money for the Boston Public Library’s Fine Arts Library in the historic McKim building in Copley Square.

Attend our Fine Art Gallery walk on February 2nd to view the art-inspired bouquets.

The BPL’s Fine Arts Library is a tremendous resource open to all, and as art appraisers, we use the library constantly in our research. The librarians are extremely knowledgeable, and work under difficult conditions – anyone who has gone in there to do research on a hot July day knows exactly what I’m talking about! Given the number of books I request in the course of a single visit, I can’t imagine that they are ever thrilled to see me, and yet they are always welcoming and considerate. It is one of our favorite places to work, and yet it is a place desperate for an upgrade. We realize that the amount we raise for them will only be a drop in the bucket, but it is our very small way of saying thank you.

Plus, won’t it be nice to come to the Paintings & Prints auction preview and see all the fresh, colorful flower arrangements? There’s nothing like a little bit of spring in the middle of winter!

The preview will be open to the public on Wednesday, February 1st, 12 to 5 pm; Thursday, February 2nd, 12 to 8 pm; and Friday, February 3, 9 to 10:30 am at Skinner’s Boston auction gallery. The auction begins at noon on Friday, February 3rd. We hope to see you there!

Steel, Stones, and Smoke: Art Appraisers Tour Art Basel Miami Beach

During the day, Brian Tolle's "Tempest," 2010 is a spiraling path, but at night it takes on the aspect of a tumultuous sea filled with phosphorescence.

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Florida for one of the year’s most spectacular art shows: Art Basel Miami Beach. I spent the first part of the trip with fellow art appraiser Kathy Wong, and then my husband and 7-year-old son joined me as traveling companions.

In addition to spotting famous and emerging artists (Julian Schnabel, Orlan, the controversial Mr. Brainwash, and Marina Abramovic, to name a few), we snapped photos of many pieces of art that struck us as beautiful, original, shocking, or thought-provoking. You can view the full gallery on the American & European Works of Art Facebook page.

I’m happy to report that despite “The Great Recession,” sales seemed brisk. By 11:35 am on Wednesday (the VIP opening started at 11:00), Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York, had already sold a huge diptych by Kara Walker entitled Pastoral. A departure from her silhouette images, this piece was a monumental drawing of a mother hiding in an alleyway during a riot.

Interestingly, many galleries opted out of the tradition of placing red dots on labels to mark pieces as sold. The reason? A potential collector seeing a red dot might not make an inquiry, and each inquiry is an opportunity to attract new clients.

This year, the show introduced an initiative to get the general public involved as well. “Art Public” brought in art lovers who might feel that they fall outside of the usual Art Basel audience. This show transformed Collins Park (right next to Bass Art Museum and the Mr. Brainwash show) with 24 pieces of public art. Each morning the show was open, you could see groups of students touring with their teachers.

Some of Our Favorite Pieces from Art Public in Collins Park

Anish Kapoor plays with voids and vessel-like forms in Black Stones, Human Bones from 1993.

Theaster Gates: "Stand-Ins for a Period of Wreckage," 2011 features a series of waist-high columns, each with its own unique feature. Some are crumbling; others have a high, polished top; still others seem to crack to reveal stacks of dinnerware inside.

Chakaia Booker: "Holla," 2008 uses cut up pieces of tires layered over a steel frame to create a serpentine figure that is deeply textural. The construction and craftsmanship are beautiful. Visible behind are works by Damien Hirst, George Rickey, and Robert Indiana.

It’s simply not possible to fit everything I loved at Art Basel Miami Beach into one blog post, so I asked my son for his take on the trip. His favorite? A work by Mexican artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, titled Shadow Box #5: The Years Midnight. A surveillance camera mounted on the right side of the screen picks up viewers standing in front of the work. As you look at the piece, you see yourself, but with a smoky mist rising from your eyes. As you move, the mist goes with you. The interactivity was a blast for all ages (Watch a video of my husband interacting with the piece on Facebook).

All three of us are glad to be back home, and already looking forward to next year.

Support New and Emerging Artists at the Museum School Art Sale December 8-11th in Boston

Guest post by Dan Elias, Co-Chair of the 2011 Museum School Art Sale

June August, Queen Elizabeth II, 2011. Silkscreen painting on paper. 30 x 44 inches. Courtesy of NK Gallery.

I was delighted to accept a recent invitation by Skinner to guest blog on two topics near and dear to my heart: collecting and the Museum School Art Sale at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

In my varied roles in the art world – gallery owner, former host of Antiques Roadshow, museum administrator, and husband of Skinner CEO Karen Keane – people often ask me about the process of collecting: what it means, how it’s done, and even what constitutes a collection.

Now, I know some collectors. A few of them are dedicated, passionate individuals with a well-defined collecting focus, broad knowledge, deep pockets, and an extensive rolodex. Most, however, are more like me: “huh? A collector? I just bought some stuff!” Most people don’t set out to collect; they end up there. And, while knowledge is certainly helpful, it tends to come through experience and develops over time.

I’ve recently begun to collect a little wine at Skinner’s wine auction. I don’t know very much about wine, but it’s amazing how quickly you learn when there’s money on the line. You don’t have to spend a lot, just enough to make you take it seriously. If you do that, you’ll pay attention, and if you pay attention, you’ll improve your taste and knowledge over time.

And that brings us to the Museum School Art Sale, an annual fundraiser to support scholarships at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The SMFA is a vibrant jewel in the cultural fabric of the city. I’m proud to be an alumnus of the school and was equally proud when they asked me to co-chair this year’s sale, along with fellow collectors Lee Essex Doyle and Juan Prieto.

If you’re one of the many who love art, but don’t know much about the contemporary art world, and have a couple of walls that need “a little something,” you’re in the perfect place to take the first steps down the road toward a “collection.” With original artwork starting at $50, you can drop by the Museum School Art Sale and take a look, ask questions of the staff, find out about the artists and their artwork, take a look at what’s on offer, put a few dollars down, and take something home.

Michelle Samour, Wired Eye #3 (detail), 2011. Pigmented abaca, gouache. 24“ diameter.

You never know what could happen. This is one of only a handful of schools in the country turning out artists like Ellsworth Kelly, Nan Goldin, and Mike and Doug Starn (whose Big Bambù graced both the Metropolitan Museum roof and the Venice Biennale this past year). Some of these young, unknown artists are going to be leading the way in decades to come. So visit the show, open your eyes, get a little advice, take a chance, and start building that collection.

The Museum School Art Sale is open to the public and runs from Thursday, December 8 through Sunday, December 11. For more details, visit http://www.smfa.edu/artsale.

Dan Elias owned Elias Fine Art, a contemporary art gallery in Boston, served for three years as host of the PBS series Antiques Roadshow and is now at the Peabody Essex Museum, a museum of world art and culture in Salem, Massachusetts, where he manages grant funding for projects in cross-cultural education and the arts.

Top 5 Fine Art & Antiques Blog Posts this Holiday Season

The holidays are here, complete with great food, parties, and shopping excursions to find the perfect gift. When you feel like a break, read through these top five favorite blog articles written by Skinner expert appraisers during the busy fall auction season. Let us know which post was your favorite in the comments.

#5 Mature Wine vs. Young Wine: How Age Comes to Bear

by Marie Keep, Director of Fine Wines at Skinner, Inc.

There are few moments in the hectic tide of everyday life when a hush falls, you focus fully on one thing, and the world seems to stop. Drinking a mature wine as it is blooming in the glass can be one of those unexpected moments of transcendence. Granted, it is, after all, just a sip of a beverage, but the unexpected nature of the experience makes it that much more delightful.

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#4 Modern Design in Boston is Here to Stay

by Jane Prentiss, Director of 20th Century Design at Skinner, Inc.

When most people think of Boston, they see visions of the Revolutionary war, Revere silver and Simon Willard clocks. But despite this traditional reputation, Boston has been home to some fabulous modern design. Take a tour of Fenway Studios, the Saturday Evening Girls Club, and glass-making studios.

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#3 Perfection in a Rare Guitar: the Martin D-45

by David Bonsey, Director of Fine Musical Instruments at Skinner, Inc.

The Martin D-45 was the first guitar of the twentieth century to gain widespread popularity as a collector’s item. The fine workmanship and limited production make it a highly desirable rare instrument. Featured in the November 2011 Fine Musical Instruments auction, this guitar sold for $219,225.

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#2 Daguerreotypes Part I: Haunting, Beautiful, and Storied Pictures in the Early Photography Collection of Rod MacKenzie

by Stephen Fletcher, Executive Vice President and Director of American Furniture & Decorative Arts at Skinner, Inc.

The daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes in MacKenzie’s collection drew a crowd at the November 5th American Furniture & Decorative Arts auction. This daguerreotype of two hunters brought $18,960, well over the estimate. Stephen Fletcher writes, “Rod MacKenzie has a sophisticated taste for images that speak to him – and now to us – emotionally, historically, and artistically.”

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#1 My Top 5 Antique Truths: Debunking the Myths of Antiques Reality TV

by Karen Keane, CEO, Skinner, Inc.

Shady characters aren’t the norm and antique appraisals happen every day. These are just two of the truths you should know before tuning in to any antiques reality TV show. I’m a fan of these shows that entertain a lot, educate a little, and leave people wanting to know more about art, antiques, and auctions.

Steve Fletcher | Crystal Bridges Museum | American Art

Stephen Fletcher, Vice President and Director of American Furniture & Decorative Arts at Skinner, stands with the painting "Off to Auction" by Doris Lee, at Crystal Bridges museum

When you hear the names Rockefeller, Edward A. Whitney, and Henry Clay Frick, you immediately think about the great cultural and art institutions they gave to our country: Rockefeller University, the Whitney Museum, and the Frick. Now, a new name has been added to the list of institutions made possible through philanthropy: Crystal Bridges.

This strikes me very much as an American tradition: families or individuals who have amassed great wealth reach a point at which they want to give back to the country that afforded them extraordinary opportunities. Alice Walton and Walmart follow in this tradition by establishing the Crystal Bridges museum. The museum is devoted to American art and artists, and admission is free thanks to Walmart’s sponsorship.

I had the opportunity last week to attend the inaugural week opening ceremonies at the museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. In the galleries, fabulous 19th century romantic western landscapes stand in marked contrast to early 20th century modern masters. The range of art is incredible, and there’s a wonderful diversity of style and subject matter. They’ve taken great care to gather quality art by the best American artists, from the 18th through the 21st century. Just a few of the artists represented are John Singleton Copley, Albert Bierstadt, John Singer Sergeant, Norman Rockwell, Childe Hassam and Jackson Pollock.

I was fortunate enough to meet Alice Walton, who was exceedingly gracious and pleasant. She remembered Skinner and the painting we sold which now hangs in one of the galleries: a 19th century portrait of a girl and her dog in a grape arbor. It’s a wonderful painting, and I enjoyed visiting with it again.

I also met Moshe Safdie, the architect who designed the museum. I love the building. It’s a piece of bold and innovative modern architecture that integrates harmoniously into the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside. The superb gallery spaces are connected by pod-shaped arched rooms constructed of glass and wood – the so-called “crystal bridges” after which the museum is named. I asked Moshe, “What is it like to be sitting inside this beautiful room?” He gave two thumbs up and smiled.

On reflection, the total effect of this new museum is sublime. It was a privilege to be invited to participate in the opening, and I’m sure that Crystal Bridges museum will become a popular and important destination for American art lovers, tourists, and travelers.

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