LONDON.- Sotheby’s London sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art today brought a total of £12.9 million / $20.5 million / €16.1 million, more than doubling the pre-sale low estimate for the entire auction (est. £6,405,000-9,289,000). Leading the sale was a white and russet jade Qing Dynasty Imperial “Immortal” Brushpot. The newly discovered work, notable for its large size, and exquisitely carved with scenes from the “Land of Immortals”, sold for £1,553,250 / $2,479,453 / €1,941,258, far surpassing its pre-sale estimate of £250,000-350,000.

Robert Bradlow, Sotheby’s London’s Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art said: “We are thrilled with the results of today’s sale, which follow on from the success of the sales staged by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong last month. We saw activity from across Asia, and the results demonstrate the continued demand for well-priced superior-quality works of art in this collecting category.”

Other highlights from today’s sale included:
• A fine white jade “Buffalo” group, Qing Dynasty, 18th Century from the “Jersey Jades” collection owned by the Earl and Countess of Jersey. Carved from an opaque white stone and depicting a recumbent buffalo surmounted by a qilin, the work sold for £668,450 / $1,067,047 / €836,362, above its pre-sale high estimate (est. £150,000-250,000).

• A fine and rare celadon-glazed beaker vase, Gu, Yongzheng seal mark and period sold for £589,250 / $940,620 / €737,267. With a design and form based on archaic bronzes and created by the Imperial Workshops for the Yongzheng emperor, the rare vase more than doubled its pre-auction low estimate (est. £200,000-300,000).

• A celadon jade “landscape” brushpot, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period, also from the “Jersey Jades” collection owned by the Earl and Countess of Jersey, notable for its finely detailed carving and deep undercutting of an idyllic landscape, sold for £553,250 / $883,153 / €692,224, against a pre-sale estimate of £80,000-120,000.

• A fine imperial gilt-bronze figure of Amitayus, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period, part of a small group of sculptures produced during the reign of the Kangxi emperor who was a devout follower of Tibetan Buddhism, also sold very well. Depicting Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, seated on a double lotus petal pedestal, the figure sold for £541,250 / $863,997 / €677,209, surpassing its pre-auction estimate of £200,000 – 300,000.