NEW YORK, NY.- Christies announced the combined total for Part I & Part II of Lacquer Jade Bronze Ink: The Irving Collection, which combined achieved $31,269,375 (£23,640,294 / 27,429,572 / HK$244,271,955) with 97% sold by lot. The top lot of the two sales was an important and extremely rare Imperially inscribed greenish-white jade Twin Fish washer, which realized $2,895,000, after over eight-minutes of spirited bidding.
Across both sales there were seven lots that realized over $1 million and strong prices were realized for works of art from all areas of Asia: China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia. There was global participation with registered bidders hailing from Asia, Europe, the UK, and the Americas with active bidding from all sales channels: phone, online, and in-room.
Part II: Day Sale totaled $13,374,625 with 97% sold by lot. Part I: Evening Sale totaled $17,894,750 with 96% sold by lot. The collection sales continue with Contemporary Clay: Yixing Pottery from the Irving Collection, March 19 to 26, and jewelry to be offered in Magnificent Jewels on April 16 at Christies New York.
Robert Kasdin, the former Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and executor of the Irvings estates, From the global tours to the symposiums, exhibitions, and sales in New York, Christies has honored the legacy of Florence and Herbert Irving and celebrated their enduring passion for Asian art. During their lifetimes, the Irvings generously donated an extraordinary number of pieces from their treasured collection to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. My hope is that their legacy of collecting, their love and appreciation of these beautiful objects, and their commitment to supporting the mission of museums of art will now be passed on to a new generation of collectors. I am pleased with the amount of participation and strong results witnessed this week. They underscore the significant impact the Irvings made on the field of Asian art.
Tina Zonars, Co-Chairman, Asian Art, Christies, remarks: It has been a tremendous privilege for Christies to present The Private Collection of Florence and Herbert Irving. Carefully assembled throughout their lifetime, Florence and Herbert Irving created one of the most significant private collections of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian art. The exceptional results achieved this week demonstrate the importance of provenance and pay tribute to the impression left by the Irvings on the field. The excitement surrounding this collection, depth of bidding witnessed in the salerooms, and strong results achieved are a true testament to Christies successful teamwork and leadership across all areas of Asian art.