Asian Art

Bezoars (from the Persian pād-zahr meaning ‘poison antidote’) are the calcified concretion found in the stomachs of some animals. Prized for their supposed medicinal properties, until the Enlightenment science at the beginning of the 18th century they could sell for more than their weight in gold.

Leading a recent Woolley & Wallis' (25/12% buyer’s premium) sale in Salisbury were two scroll paintings by well-known 20th century Chinese artists that came by descent from Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (1883-1950).

Qianlong moon flasks of this type are based on Ming dynasty prototypes that in turn were inspired by early Persian drinking vessels traded along the Silk Road.

Early Japanese porcelain models of animals are very rare, and this elephant form koro, c.1700, offered for sale as part of the Woolley & Wallis (25/12% buyer’s premium) Japanese works of art sale appears to be unrecorded.

This Japanese cloisonné casket bears the mark for the Ando Company of Nagoya.

Multi-estimate bidding is no longer just the preserve of Chinese works of art. During the recent Asian art sales, Vietnamese market objects excelled.

The market for Chinese furniture has come on leaps and bounds in 20 years.

This Kangxi (1662-1722) period blue and white brush pot was offered at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) in Stansted Mountfitchet.

Chinese and Mughal jades believed to have been stolen more than four years ago are still at large and the family and police have made a plea for information as to their whereabouts.

Estimated at £40,000-60,000, a lacquer cabinet from Edo period Japan sold for £105,000 at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury on November 23.

The opening 27 lots at Nagel’s sale of Asian works of art on December 7 in Stuttgart come from the collection of an aristocratic German family and have been in their possession since before 1904, when they were purchased in China.

The descendants of the Belgian collector Jef Vanderstraete have consigned this 20in (51cm) high gilt bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara Ekadashamukha to Lempertz in Cologne, where it is coming up for sale on December 11.

The highlight of Bonhams’ Chinese art series conducted in London last week was the sale of the Parry collection of Chinese art.

Multi-estimate sums are not confined to Chinese works of art.

Fashioned into a recumbent billy goat or deer, this diminutive Qing dynasty rhinoceros horn carving goes under the hammer in the inaugural live auction of Asian art from St James’s dealer Alastair Gibson of Gibson Antiques.

On November 25 Ader will hold a sale of Indian and Islamic Art and Antiquities that is billed as a homage to Marie-Christine David, a specialist in this field who worked with the firm for 10 years.

A fascination with buying depictions of the elephant-headed deity has inspired a new book