Important Chinese Art

Sale Overview

This season, Important Chinese Art features exceptional works from distinguished American private collections, including early bronzes from the Shouyang Studio; Tang pottery and monochrome porcelains from the Max N. Berry Collections; magnificent Ming and Qing ceramics from the Stuart Collection; and three Qianlong treasures preserved by the descendants of Charles Soong.

The sale is led by a very rare and magnificent Yongzheng mark‑and‑period ‘floral bouquet’ doucai meiping, together with a Qianlong mark‑and‑period turquoise‑ground famille rose double gourd‑form triple‑necked vase. The offering also includes a superb selection of classical Chinese furniture, jades and snuff bottles, as well as exemplary Buddhist sculpture, notably a rare painted wood figure of a standing bodhisattva from the Jin dynasty (1115–1234).

Additional highlights include a magnificent Qianlong mark‑and‑period doucai ‘dragon’ moon flask, an exceptionally rare and important large copper‑red reverse‑decorated bowl from the Hongwu period (1368–1398), and a very rare 17th‑century huanghuali trestle‑leg table.

Public Tours (meet in Christie’s New York lobby)
Led by Dr. Robert D. Mowry, Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus, Harvard Art Museums, and Senior Consultant, Christie’s
Friday 20 March, 11am – 12pm
Sunday 22 March, 2pm – 3pm

Auction times

26 Mar 09:00 AM (EDT) Lots 601-732

27 Mar 09:00 AM (EDT) Lots 801-893

Our specialist’s selection

Brought to you by

Rufus Chen (陳嘉安)

Head of Sale, AVP, Specialist | Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art

Rufus Chen is an Associate Vice President and Head of Sale at Christie’s New York. Since joining in January 2016, Mr. Chen has been instrumental in the department’s success, leading the establishment of the E-commerce channel and overseeing Chinese works of art online sales from 2017 to 2021, driving significant growth in digital transactions. He spearheaded the groundbreaking sale Contemporary Clay: Yixing Pottery from the Irving Collection in 2019, the first of its kind by an international auction house. He is also responsible for researching and cataloging the Yixing pottery from the Collection of Eileen and I. M. Pei, which was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2019. During his tenure at Christie’s, Mr. Chen has worked on prestigious private and institutional collections such as the Fujita Museum Collection, the Virata Collection of Asian Art, the Junkunc Collection, the Winston and C. Z. Guest Collection of Chinese art, as well as Chinese Porcelain from the Collection of Professor and Mrs. Yu Chunming. Prior to Christie’s, Mr. Chen held positions at Sotheby’s, artnet, and iGavel auctions. He received a B.A. in Art History from Wheaton College and furthered his education in Asian art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and English, his multicultural background and linguistic abilities enable him to navigate seamlessly in the global art market, fostering connections and facilitating transactions across diverse cultural landscapes.

陳嘉安先生現任紐約佳士得协理副總裁暨拍卖主管，自2016年入職至今為中國瓷器及工藝品部骨幹，創立和推廣其電子商務平台，在2017至2021年間管理多場網上拍賣並屢次刷新佳績。陳氏在2019年主辦「壺裏乾坤: 歐雲伉儷珍藏宜興紫砂器」，開創此藝術範疇的國際拍賣先河，同年為貝聿銘及盧淑華夫婦珍藏宜興紫砂器進行研究及撰寫圖錄。陳氏在佳士得參與的重要項目包括藤田美術館珍藏、維勒泰（Virata）珍藏、瓊肯（Junkunc）珍藏、Winston及C. Z. Guest伉儷珍藏，及余春明教授伉儷珍藏等。

陳氏畢業於美国麻省惠顿學院，主修藝術史，後赴倫敦蘇富比藝術學院進修，曾受聘於蘇富比、artnet及iGavel等藝術機構。陳氏操流利英語、普通話及粵語，多年來致力於中西文化交流及藝術品市場之橋接，並以跨文化視野與拍場實務相結合，拓展收藏視野與藝術對話之結合。