Sotheby’s Celebrates Asia Week New York With Blockbuster Sale Series of 11 Auctions & 2 Selling Exhibitions Over 1,300 Lots With Total Estimate In Excess of $50 Million, Spanning 3,500 Years of: Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art Chinese Works of Art Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art Classical Chinese Paintings & Calligraphy

NEW YORK, 8 February 2018 – Sotheby’s is thrilled to unveil its Asia Week New York schedule of auctions and selling exhibitions. Beginning over three thousand years ago in the Shang Dynasty in China and continuing through to the 20th century in India, the 1,300+ lots of Chinese Works of Art, Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art, and Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, demonstrate the depth and diversity of the Asian Art field. Following a selection of highlight exhibitions around the world, public exhibitions in New York City open on 15 March, with auctions beginning 19 March.

Christina Prescott-Walker, Senior Vice President & Division Director of Asian Art, noted: “Every season the world descends upon New York for Asia Week New York, and this season will be no exception as we host our largest sale series in a decade. We look forward to welcoming the crowds into our York Avenue headquarters where all 10 floors of our building will be filled with Asian Art – for a celebration worthy of the creative vision and history of China, India, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas and beyond.”

MODERN & CONTEMPORARY SOUTH ASIAN ART Auction: 19 March 2018, 11am
Asia Week New York begins at Sotheby’s with Monday’s auction of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art. Following in the footsteps of last year’s auction, which featured significant prices for Raja Ravi Varma and Maqbool Fida Husain, the 2018 edition is led by Syed Haider Raza’s Village Provençal (above, estimate upon request). Painted in 1956, the work was shown later that year at the Venice Biennale, only the second year India participated in the international fair. Evocative of the works of Post-Impressionist artists including Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh, two artists who greatly influenced Raza’s practice, the 41-by-78 inch landscape beautifully represents the crossroads of India and France where Raza flourished. Preview One Of Sayed Haider Raza’s Greatest Works To Appear On The Market

MING: LUMINOUS DAWN OF EMPIRE Auction: 20 March 2018, 10am
The Chinese Works of Art department is delighted to present the second iteration of Ming with a dozen works of art from the height of the Ming Dynasty. Shining a spotlight on the exquisite style and craftsmanship of the Chinese court in the 15th century, this year’s auction is highlighted by an Exceptionally Rare ‘Wintergreen’ Glazed Jar and Cover from the Yongle Period, considered to be the most important period for Chinese porcelain production due to its quantity, quality and innovation (estimate $1.5/2 million). The present work epitomizes the era’s achievements with its unusual shape and luminescent glaze; the jar, complete with its cover, is a rare find while its ‘wintergreen’ glaze is indicative of the technical skill of the early Ming craftsman.

JINGYATANG: TREASURES OF CHINESE BUDDHIST SCULPTURE Auction: 20 March 2018, 10:30am
Immediately following the curated selection of Ming ceramics and works of art, Sotheby’s will present four masterpieces of Chinese Buddhist sculpture from esteemed Asian private collection, Jingyatang. Ranging in date from the Northern Wei to the Sui Dynasty, the stone sculptures are a testament to the skills of Chinese artisans. A Grey Schist Relief Carving of an Apsara, Northern Wei Dynasty, is a major highlight of the sale. Formerly in the collection of renowned dealer J.T. Tai, the 22 1/2 inch sculpture was last offered at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in April 1997. Since then, it has been exhibited at the National History Museum, Taipei and the Kaohsiung Municipal Art Museum, Kaohsiung. An unmistakably museum-quality piece included in the 2016 publication, The Treasures of Chinese Buddhist Sculptures, the sculpture carries an estimate of $1.2/1.5 million.

KANGXI: THE JIE RUI TANG COLLECTION Auction: 20 March 2018, 11am
Dedicated auctions of Chinese Works of Art continue with KANGXI: The Jie Rui Tang Collection. Personally selected by collector Jeff P. Stamen, the approximately 90 pieces emphasize quality and rarity. The sale is led by a Large Famille-Verte Rouleau Vase (estimate $400/600,000). Measuring 29 3/4 inches in height, this Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period work of art is exemplary for its wucai design. Depicting a lively scene from the Feng Shen Bang (Investiture of the Gods), the greens, iron-red, yellows, aubergines and blues are emphasized by striking black outlines, which are notoriously difficult to achieve. Previously held in the collection of the St Louis Art Museum since 1913, the work was last offered at auction in 2005 and is comparable to a work in the collection of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.