LONDON.- Sotheby’s Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art sale brought a total of £8,912,000 / $14,224,443. The auction took place during ‘Asian Art In London’, the annual ten-day celebration of the finest Asian art.

Robert Bradlow, Head of Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Sotheby’s London, commented: “There was a tremendous buzz in the saleroom today - seats were filled with collectors who had made the trip to London to discover all that ‘Asian Art In London’ has to offer and partake in our sales. A busy viewing period translated into enthusiastic bidding, much of it coming from new faces. The lion’s share of the sale was bought by collectors in the room, who had travelled from as far afield as Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.”

Strong demand for Imperial Porcelain and Song Dynasty ware:

• A pair of rare Green-Ground Famille-Rose Bottle Vases, Qianlong Seal Marks and Period, tripled the pre-sale low estimate to bring £782,500 / $1,248,948 (est. £200,000-300,000)

• These vases exemplify the Qianlong Emperor’s pursuit of innovative designs

• A ‘Longquan’ Celadon Cong Vase, Song Dynasty, achieved £242,500 / $387,054, a price almost 10 times above the pre-sale low estimate (£25,000-30,000)

Continued popularity of gilt-bronze pieces:

• An Imperial Gilt-Bronze Figure of Amitayus, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period, sold for £542,500 / 865,884 against an estimate of £200,000-300,000

• Commisioned by the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722), this figure was possibly created as a gift to his grandmother who was a devout Buddhist

• A Gilt-Bronze Figure of Manjushri, Yongle Mark and Period, sold for £266,500 / $425,361 •Stylistically this figure displays the influence of the art of Tibet, and was probably made as a gift from the Ming emperor who sought to maintain good relations with the Tibetan religious hierarchy

Enduring allure of top quality jade:

• A Fine Pale Celadon Jade ‘Quail and Millet’ Ruyi Sceptre, Qing Dynasty, 18th/19th Century, sold for £278,500 / $444,514, almost six times over the pre-sale low estimate (£40,000-60,000)

• The ruyi sceptre became a talisman that was presented to bestow good fortune and was the perfect imperial gift

Fierce bidding on rare objects:

• A rare and important Canton painted enamel Armorial Tea Chest, Qing Dynasty, circa 1745, sold for £422,500 / $674,352, more than 20 times the pre-sale low estimate (£20,000-30,000) •Likely to have been commissioned specifically for Swedish royalty, it retains all 21 original tea canisters

• Last offered at auction over 30 years ago

Appeal of artefacts created 3,000 years apart which illustrate timelessness of form:

• An Archaic Bronze Ritual gu Wine Vessel dating from the late Shang dynasty, 13th-11th century BC, of a type that only the wealthiest of patrons could afford, brought £242,500 / $387,054 (estimate £100,000-200,000)

• An 18th century monochrome porcelain fine and rare Ru-type Beaker Vase, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period, sold for £362,500 / $578,586 (estimate £100,000-200,000)

• Bronze shapes and design elements entered the general repertoire of Qianlong porcelain and provided a stimulus for vessels otherwise unrelated to the ancient metal versions

• By stripping back all the decorative elements, the vase highlights the elegance of the archaic form while also signifying the emperor's all-encompassing role as preserver of Chinese cultural traditions