Asian Art: Discovery Auctions

The Asian Art: Discovery auction presented by Cowan’s offers decorative and fine art, as well as furniture, from throughout Chinese history. A Chinese/Tibetan urn is among the most visually-striking lots in this auction. White jade mountings against the bright turquoise give the piece its visual appeal as a dragon peeks its head out from the center. 

Another notable jade piece is a 20th-Century jade incense burner. The incense burner, decorated with foliate carvings, sits on three paw feet and a hardwood stand. Like the incense burner, many of the lots with the highest estimated value were produced in the 20th Century. This includes a portrait of a man by the Chinese artist Ma Xinle. The piece incorporates traditional Chinese painting techniques as well as Western stylistic choices. “When people see my work, they feel it is fresh,” said Xinle in a recent studio visit. “It’s not [the] totally old style of traditional Chinese painting they saw in the museums. And also, it’s not totally Western-style paintings.” 

Besides decorative and fine art, this auction also has several furniture pieces. Among the most valuable is a Chinese hardwood straight-back loveseat. Cowan’s Auctions notes some repair work was done to the upper right side and there are signs of separation in some wood pieces. View each lot and register to bid online on Bidsquare.