From New York to Texas, Lark Mason and Associate SellersPresent a Three-part Blockbuster Sale of Chinese, Japanese and other Asian Works of Art for Asia Week New York

New York NY and New Braunfels TX (September 11)–Lark Mason and Associate and iGavelAuctions are pleased to announce that a three-part 800-lot blockbuster sale of Chinese, Japanese and other Asian Works of Art will open for bidding during Asia Week New York on September 12^th and run through October 3^rd on iGavelAuctions.com.  

Says Lark Mason, “We’re expecting considerable interest in these sales, particularly in the collection of Michael Quigley, which represents the collector’s passion of a lifetime of collecting Japanese swords, fittings and objects of personal adornment.”

Kicking off Asia Week New York is Asian Paintings and Prints, which opens for bidding on September 12^th and runs through September 26^th. Among the highlights is an ink-on-paper hanging scroll painting Scholar and Attendant at the Base of a Tree (Estimate: $10,000/15,000), by Pu Ru (1896-1963), one of the most celebrated 20th century Chinese artists.  He was the cousin to the last Emperor of China, Puyi, and might have succeeded him to the throne if the dynasty had not been overthrown.  When the communists took power in mainland China, Pu Ru fled to Taiwan and was appointed by Chaing Kai-shek as a Manchu representative in the Constitutional Assembly, all the while making a living as a professor and selling his paintings. He painted landscapes to celebrate his love of his homeland, and this work is an example of this genre.  

The second sale: Chinese and Other Asian Works of Art, opens for bidding on September 14^th to September 28^th with over 300 lots represented by iGavel Associate Sellers, including Lark Mason Associates in both New York and Texas. Among the standout lots are a Pair of Large Chinese Enamel Decorated Porcelain Plaques, each with a seal for Wang Qi (1884-1937), Republic Period (Estimate: $100,000-150,000). Wang Qi was a celebrated porcelain artist, a respected literati figure and a central figure in the group of porcelain painters known as the Eight Friends of Zhushan, who were some of the best porcelain painters in China from the late 19^th to mid-20^th century.

Other offerings include a Chinese Archaic Bronze Wine Vessel, Zun, Late Shang Dynasty (Estimate $30,000-50,000). This zun was made during the late Shang Dynasty, the late Chinese Bronze Age, and dates to circa 12th-11th Century BCE. The central section is decorated with a detailed taotie mask on leiwen ground. When viewed on a global scale, these bronzes were very sophisticated for the period.  They were used in ancestral ceremonies, where food and drink were offered to both the living family members and to dead ancestors. The ceremonies were meant to honor ancestors and when the owner of a ritual vessel passed away, he would be buried with his vessels so he could continue to pay his respects in death.   

Additional noteworthy lots include a Pair of Japanese Mixed Metal Figural Acrobat Form Vessels and Covers, Signed Miyao-sei (Estimate: $5,000-8,000)–a fine example of the Meiji period craftsman’s attention to detail and exceptional realism. Also included is a 17^th century Chinese Huanghauli Brushpot (Estimate: $10,000-15,000), a 17^th century Chinese Brass Mounted Huanghauli Box (Estimate: $8,000-12,000), a 17^th century Chinese Blanc de Chine, figure of Guanyin (Estimate: $7,000-10,000), and a Tibetan Jade Mounted Silver Wire Ewer (Estimate: $3,000-5,000).

Rounding out the trio of sales is Japanese Swords and Other Works of Art from the Collection of Michael J. Quigley, which goes live on September 19^th to October 3^rd.  Quigley, a life-long Japanese art enthusiast and sword collector, was instrumental in organizing the San Antonio Sword Show in his hometown. His collection comprises more than a thousand items and includes a wide variety of Japanese blades ranging from Samurai swords to Russo-Japanese WWII officers’ weapons. While known for his sword and fittings collection, the sale also includes over 60 years of Quigley’s interests in works of art from Japan, China, and Korea. 

This extensive sale comprises over 400 lots of his collecting areas including over 50 Komai gold and silver inlaid boxes, silver cigarette cases and other objects. Highlights include a Japanese Echizen Sukehiro Katana in Shirasaya, 1666, Tokubetsu Hozon (Estimate: $25,000-35,000); a Juyo Gold Menuki, Fugen and Monju, by Hagiya Katsuhira, 1860 (Estimate: $10,000-20,000); a Handachi Daisho Japanese Aogai Lacquer Saya with Shakudo Nanako Fittings (Estimate: $20,000-30,000); Chinese Imperial Semi-formal Blue Ground Ceremonial Jifu, Guangxu (Estimate: $4,000-6,000); and a Korean Metal Mounted Red and Black Lacquered Wood Accessory Box, late Joseon Dynasty (Estimate: $3,000-5,000).

The New York exhibition, located at 229 East 120^th Street, will be open from Monday through Saturday, starting Friday September 15th through September 23^rd. The New Braunfels gallery, located at 210 West Mill Street, will be open daily, from September 14^th– 27^th. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and closed on Sunday. For more information visit: www.igavelauctions.com

About Lark Mason Associates

With locations in New Braunfels, Texas and New York City, Lark Mason Associates, the eponymous auction house specializing in Asian, ethnographic, and ancient works of art, was founded by Lark Mason after many years as an expert at Sotheby’s New York.

Mason served as a General Appraiser from 1979 until 1985, and as a Senior Vice President and specialist in Chinese art with Sotheby’s Chinese Works of Art Department from 1985-2003. From 2000-2003 he concurrently was a Director of Online Auctions for Sothebys.com. He also served as a consulting curator at the Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas, Texas from 2003-2009. He is a generalist in American and European works of art and paintings, as well as an expert in the field of Chinese art and has valued and advised many private collectors and institutions.

Lark Mason Associates regularly hosts auctions on the iGavel Auctions platform and has an established history of record sales of Chinese and other works of art and holds the record for the highest price achieved for any work of art in an online sale, for a painting sold in May 2014 that realized close to $4.2m. Mason, the owner and CEO of iGavel Auctions, is noted for his regular appearances on “The Antiques Roadshow.