NEW YORK, NY.- Leave it to New York’s only Chinese American owned auction house to make its statement quietly by saving the best for last. When Gianguan Auction’s summer sale opens on June 13, it will parade collections of classical Chinese scroll paintings, antique cloisonné, magnificent jade and diamond jewels and Buddhist art in front of buyers before allowing bidders the opportunity to acquire Lot 282, the Northern Song Emperor Huizong’s Heavenly Daoshan Duan ink stone for an anticipated $1.5M.

Why such a steep price for a slab of carved stone slightly more than a foot in length? The making of ink stones, the palette on which artists grind and mix inks before applying them to paper or silk, reached its epitome during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1170 A.D.) with the Emperor Song Huizong at its forefront. Contemporary Chinese artists still use ink stone stones in the making of ink for calligraphy, the art from currently so popular.

Of a deep purple-brown the Emperor’s Heavenly Dooshan Duan stone is rectangular and carved with a pavilion named Heavenly Daoshan. The vertical sides are carved with inscriptions while the underside relief is a tortoise carrying a tablet. On the recessed base are the words “By Imperial Decree: Xuan He. “ The low estimate on the ink stone is $850,000. $1.5 is more likely the final number.

A collection of historic and contemporary ink scroll paintings from the hands of artists who worked ink by hand lead the auction. Included are works by blue-chip Chinese masters like Zhang Daqian’s (1899-1983) double panel “Lotus.” A nearly monochromatic work, it is among the most accomplished of the artist’s ink splash oeuvre, a technique that rivaled western experiments in Expressionism. With three artist seals on each panel, “Lotus” is expected to command $100,000 to $150,000.

Lot 125, Qi Baishi’s (1864-1957) mid-century “Longevity Peach,” is a work comprised of bold brush strokes and subtle shading. As succulent plums hang ripe on branches of greenish hue, tall tree trunks are articulated in simple gradations of ink. Inscribed and signed Qi Huang, the work bears one artist seal and is expected to command $80,000-$100,000.
In contrast, Lot 86, “Plum Blossoms”, a 14th century Yuan Dynasty work by Wang Mian fills the paper with multitudes of blossoms. It is a rare example a court artist breaking from tradition to create an imaginative work that foreshows the boldness and vigor of later movements. Inscribed and signed and having one artist seal and one colophon by Ji Tong, the painting has eight Emperors’ seals and eight Collectors seals. Its estimate is available on request.

For a comprehensive look at all items in the sale, including antique cloisonné, Chinese ceramics and carved jades, please visit www.gianguan auctions. The auction begins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 13. The ink stone is expected to reach the podium between 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Gianguan Auctions is located at 295 Madison Avenue.