SOTHEBY'S SELLS QING DYNASTY VASE FOR £20

A CHINESE QING DYNASTY VASE SOLD FOR £20. MILLION IN A SOTHEBY'S SALE IN HONG KONG ON THURSDAY, A WORLD RECORD AT AUCTION FOR ANY CHINESE PORCELAIN. 'THIS IS DEFINITELY A MILESTONE', NICOLAS CHOW, THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF SOTHEBY'S ASIA TOLD REUTERS. 'CHINESE WORKS OF ART TOOK THEIR PLACE ON THE WORLD AUCTION STAGE TODAY.' WHILE SEGMENTS OF THE CHINESE ART MARKET COOLED SUBSTANTIALLY DURING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE MUCH SOUGHT AFTER CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART, OLDER PAINTINGS AND IMPERIAL ANTIQUES CONTINUED TO GENERATE SOLID DEMANDS AND PRICES, THOUGH FEWER QUALITY WORKS SURFACED AS SELLERS STAYED AWAY ON STILL FRAGILE SENTIMENT. IN SOTHEBY'S CURRENT AUTUMN SALES, HOWEVER, A SELECTION OF RARE WORKS FROM FOUR MAJOR PRIVATE COLLECTIONS AND A FLOOD OF FREE-SPENDING CHINESE MILLIONAIRES, CONTRIBUTED TO WHAT MANY CALLED ONE OF THE BEST SALES OF CHINESE CERAMICS IN RECENT YEARS. IN A PACKED AUCTION HALL FILLED WITH APPLAUDING MAINLAND CHINESE BUYERS, A BIDDING WAR SAW THE RARE QING VASE FINALLY GO TO ALICE CHENG, A HONG KONG COLLECTOR AND SISTER OF RENOWNED OCTOGENARIAN CHINESE ART COLLECTOR AND DEALER ROBERT CHANG. 'I'M VERY HAPPY', SAID CHENG. 'AS LONG AS YOU LIKE SOMETHING, EVEN IF IT'S EXPENSIVE IT'S WORTH IT', SHE TOLD REPORTERS. THE PRICE WAS MORE THAN THE ABOUT £17 MILLION PAID FOR A 14th CENTURY BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN JAR SOLD BY CHRISTIE'S IN 2005, THOUGH LESS THAN A CALLIGRAPHY SCROLL BY SONG DYNASTY HUANG TINGJAIN THAT SOLD FOR AROUND £37 MILLION AT A JUNE BEIJING AUCTION BY CHINESE AUCTIONEERS BEIJING POLY. THE GLOBULAR YELLOW-GROUND QING VASE, DECORATED WITH FLOWERS AND GOLDEN EMBLEMS FOR LONGEVITY, IS AN EXEMPLAR OF THE SO-CALLED 'FAMILLE ROSE' FAMILY OF QING VASES THAT HAVE BEEN AMONG THE MOST HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER WORKS AMONG THE WEALTH CHINESE IN RECENT YEARS. FIRED IN THE 18th CENTURY DURING THE QIANLONG PERIOD OF THE QING DYNASTY, THE GOURD-SHAPED VASE HAS AN IMPECCABLE PROVENANCE AND PUT UP FOR SALE BY LONGTIME COLLECTOR JT TAI.

BONHANS SELLS GEM-ENCRUSTED GOLD FINIAL £434,400

A SECOND GEM-ENCRUSTED GOLD FINIAL FROM THE OCTAGONAL GOLDEN THRONE OF TIPU SULTAN, THE TIGER OF MYSORE, WAS SOLD AT BONHAMS NEW BOND STREET RECENTLY IN THE INDIAN AND ISLAMIC SALE FOR £434,400. THIS IS THE SECOND SUCH FINIAL TO PASS THROUGH BONHAMS IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS. TE FIRST FINIAL SOLD FOR £389,600 ON 2.APRIL 2009. BOTH WERE AT BONHAMS RECENTLY, REUNITING TWO PARTS OF THE FABLED THRONE AFTER 200 YEARS, AND OFFERING TIPU SCHOLARS AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY TO APPRECIATE THE WORKMANSHIP OF THE HISTORIC OBJECTS. THE FINIALS WARE AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS EVER TO APPEAR AT AUCTION. THE ONE THAT SOLD RECENTLY WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE SAME SCOTTISH FAMILY FOR THE PAST 200 YEARS COMING DOWN TO THE PRESENT OWNER BY DIRECT DESCENT. THE FIRST FINIAL SOLD AT BONHAMS HAD LAIN IN AN ENGLISH CASTLE, FOR AT LEST 100 YEARS AND THEN PUT IN A BANK VAULT, UNKNOWN TO TIPU ENTHUSIASTS AND SCHOLARS. IT WAS DISCOVERED BY BONHAMS ISLAMIC DEPARTMENT ON A ROUTINE VALUATION. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS FROM TIPU SULTAN'S PALACE WERE RESERVED FOR THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY, THE FAMOUS GOLDEN THRONE WAS BROKEN UP SO THAT THE ELEMENTS COULD BE SHARED. MUCH TO THE DISAPPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, LORD WELLESLEY (LATER THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON). THE THRONE WAS BROKEN UP SO QUICKLY FOLLOWING THE FALL OF SERINGAPATAM THAT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE FATE OF THE REMAINING THRONE RELICS; HOWEVER, A LARGE GOLD TIGER HEAD FROM THE FRONT OF THE THRONE PLATFORM NOW RESIDES AT WINDSOR CASTLE ALONG WITH A JEWELED BIRD WHICH WAS PRESENTED TO QUEEN CHARLOTTE THE WIFE OF GEORGE III. ANOTHER SURVIVING FINIAL CAN BE FOUND AT POWIS CASTLE, ACQUIRED BY THE SECOND LADY CLIVE IN INDIA.

STRANGE PHENOMENON AT THE LIVERPOOL'S WALKER ART GALLERY

A 350 YEAR OLD PAINTING OF THE BABY JESUS IS AT THE CENTER OF A BIZARRE OPTICAL ILLUSION AT THE LIVERPOOL'S WALKER ART GALLERY. SURPRISED VISITORS SAY THEY HAVE SEEN THE REFLECTION OF A HAND POINTING DIRECTLY AT THE MESSIAH IN MATTIA PRETI'S 1660 WORK 'THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPARD'S'. THE PAINTING DEPICTS ONLOOKERS SURROUNDING THE HOLY CHILD. THE STRANGE PHENOMENON OCCURRED WHEN THE JOHN MOORES PAINTING PRIZE EXHIBITION OPENED LAST MONTH. ONE OF THE WORKS, 'THERE YOU ARE!' BY CORNELIA BALTES, FEATURES A LARGE HAND PAINTED ONTO THE WALLS OF THE WALKER. 'BY SOME COMPLETE FLUKE THIS PAINTED HAND SEEMS TO HAVE REFLECTED THROUGH GLASS DOORS AND ONTO THE PRETI PAINTING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GALLERY', REYAHN KING, DIRECTOR OF ART GALLERIES, SAID. 'THIS IS AN UNCANNY THING TO HAVE HAPPENED. WE HAVE A PAINTING IN THE JOHN MOORES EXHIBITION WHICH IS NOW REFLECTING ONTO ANOTHER WALL IN A SEPARATE GALLERY. IT'S COMPLETELY ACCIDENTAL AND A BIZARRE COINCIDENCE THAT THE HAND SEEMS TO POINT AT THE BABY JESUS. WE'VE HAD LOTS OF VISITORS TO THE JOHN MOORES SHOW WHO HAVE COMMENTED ON THIS. EVERYONE IS QUITE MYSTIFIED.' IN ANOTHER COINCIDENCE, THE WINNING PAINTING IN THIS YEAR'S JOHN MOORES PAINTING PRIZE IS CALLED 'SPECTRUM JESUS' BY KEITH COVENTRY. DEPICTING THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST, 'SPECTRUM JESUS' IS A BLUE MONOCHROMATIC IMAGE, PART OF A SERIES RENDERED IN THE PALETTE AND STYLE OF THE GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST EMIL NOLDE. THE WINNING WORK WAS QUICKLY LABELED 'BLUE JESUS' BY SECTIONS OF THE MEDIA. 'SPECTRUM JESUS' HAS BEEN ACQUIRED FOR THE WALKER ART GALLERY'S PERMANENT COLLECTIONS. THE PAINTING WILL NOW JOIN THE GALLERY'S IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF BRITISH PAINTING.

SOTHEBY'S TO SELL JERRY HALL COLLECTION

MODEL JERRY HALL WILL AUCTION SOME OF HER ART COLLECTION NEXT WEEK, INCLUDING A FAMOUS PORTRAIT BY LUCIAN FREUD THAT SHOWS HER NUDE WHEN SHE WAS EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT. THE AUCTION WILL ALSO INCLUDE WORKS BY ANDY WARHOL, DAMIAN HIRST, DAVID BAILEY AND OTHER PROMINENT ARTISTS COLLECTED BY HALL, EX-WIFE OF ROLLING STONES FRONTMAN MICK JAGGER. THE WORKS WILL BE SOLD 15-16.OCTOBER AS PART OF A LARGER CONTEMPORARY ART SALE, SOTHEBY'S SPOKESMAN SIMON WARREN SAID. SOTHEBY'S SPECIALIST OLIVER BARKER SAID THE LUCIAN FREUD PORTRAIT CALLED 'EIGHT MONTHS GONE' IS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE AUCTION AND IS EXPECTED TO FETCH MORE THAN $460,000. 'IT'S A WONDERFUL PAINTING', HE SAID. 'IT WAS EXHIBITED SHORTLY AFTER IT WAS DONE AT THE TATE GALLERY. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN MATERNITY. IT'S A VERY TENDER, LOVING PAINTING.' HE SAID HALL WAS WILLING TO SELL PART OF HER COLLECTION BECAUSE SHE HAS ENTERED A NEW PHASE IN HER LIFE. 'SHE'S TURNING A NEW LEAF', HE SAID. 'SHE'S NOT AFRAID OF CHANGE, SHE'S HAPPY TO LET THEM LEAVE AND HAVE OTHER ART LOVERS ENJOY THEM.' HALL SAID THE UNUSUALLY INTIMATE PAINTING CAME ABOUT AFTER SHE AND FREUD WERE SEATED AT A DINNER TOGETHER WHEN SHE WAS EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT WITH HER SON GABRIEL. THE ARTIST ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD POSE FOR HIM AND SAID THEY HAD TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE SHE WAS SO CLOSE TO GIVING BIRTH. THE COLLECTION ALSO INCLUDES TWO OTHER WORKS BY FREUD, OFTEN ACCLAIMED AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST LIVING PAINTERS. HALL HAS WORKED IN THE THEATER SINCE HER SEPARATION FROM JAGGER IN 1999.

CHRISTIE'S SELLS CROSBY-GARRETT HELMET FOR £2,281,250

THE CROSBY GARRETT HELMET SOLD RECENTLY AT THE AUCTION OF ANTIQUITIES AT CHRISTIE'S SOUTH KENSINGTON FOR A STAGGERING £2,281,250. THE HISTORIC ARTIFACT WAS ESTIMATED TO SELL FOR £200,000 TO £300,000. AN EXCEPTIONAL SURVIVAL FROM ROMAN BRITAIN, THE HELMET WAS DISCOVERED BY A METAL DETECTORIST IN CUMBRIA IN MAY 2010 AND DATES FROM THE LATE 1st-2nd CENTURY AD. IT WAS BOUGHT BY AN ANONYMOUS TELEPHONE BIDDER. GEOGIANA AITKEM, HEAD OF ANTIQUITIES AT CHRISTIE'S, LONDON, SAID: 'WHEN THE HELMET WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO CHRISTIE'S AND I SAW IT FIRST HAND, I COULD SCARCELY BELIEVE MY EYES. THIS IS AN EXCEPTIONAL OBJECT, AN EXTRAORDINARY AND HAUNTING FACE FROM THE PAST, AND IT HAS CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION AND THE ENTHUSIASM OF EVERYONE WHO HAS COME TO CHRISTIE'S TO ADMIRE IT OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. THE UNIVERSAL APPEAL OF THE HELMET SAW IT DRAW INTEREST FROM A DIVERSE GROUP OF BIDDERS OT TODAY'S AUCTION, COLLECTORS OF ANTIQUITIES COMPETED WITH THOSE WHO HAVE MORE OFTEN BOUGHT IN OTHER FIELDS; 3 BY TELEPHONE, 2 IN THE ROOM AND ONE VIA THE INTERNET FROM CALIFORNIA. IT WAS SOLD FOR £2.3 MILLION TO AN ANONYMOUS CLIENT BIDDING BY PHONE.' WITH ITS ENIGMATIC FEATURES, THE CROSBY-GARRETT HELMET IS AN EXTRAORDINARY EXAMPLE OF ROMAN METALWORK AT ITS ZENITH. IT IS ONE OF ONLY THREE ROMAN CAVALRY PARADE HELMETS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED IN BRITAIN COMPLETE WITH FACE-MASKS, THE OTHERS BEING THE RIBCHESTER HELMET FOUND IN 1796 AND NOW IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM AND THE NEWSTEAD HELMET, IN THE MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES, EDINBURGH, FOUND CIRCA 1905. THE CROSBY-GARRETT HELMET SETS ITSELF APART BY VIRTUE OF ITS BEAUTY, WORKMANSHIP AND COMPLETENESS, PARTICULARLY THE FACE-MASK, WHICH WAS FOUND VIRTUALLY INTACT. IN ADDITION, THE REMARKABLE PHRYGIAN-STYLE PEAK SURMOUNTED BY ITS ELABORATE BRONZE GRIFFIN CREST APPEARS UNPRECEDENTED.

DAMAGED ARTWORK WILL NOT BE RE-DISPLAYED

A PIECE OF ARTWORK DENOUNCED AS OBSCENE BY CHURCH MEMBERS AND ALLEGEDLY RIPPED UP BY A MONTANA WOMAN USING A CROWBAR WON'T BE RETURNED TO DISPLAY BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS, CITY OFFICIALS SAID THURSDAY. 'THE INCIDENT YESTERDAY WAS VERY TROUBLING AND ALSO VERY IMPACTFUL ON THE CITY STAFF, VOLUNTEER AND THE PUBLIC AT THE VENUE', SAID ROD WENSING, ACTING CITY MANAGER. KATHLEEN FOLDEN OF KALISPELL, MONT, WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY ON A CHARGE OF CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. WITNESSES TOLD POLICE THAT SHE USED A CROWBAR TO SMASH GLASS SHIELDING THE PRINT AT THE LOVELAND MUSEUM GALLERY AND THEN TORE PART OF IT UP. FOLDEN A TRUCK DRIVER, TOLD POLICE THAT SHE DROVE FROM MONTANA AND BOUGHT A CROWBAR IN LOVELAND BEFORE GOING TO THE MUSEUM TO DESTROY THE ARTWORK, ACCORDING TO AN ARREST AFFIDAVIT OBTAINED BY THE COLORADOAN IN FORT COLLINS. POLICE SAID THE DAMAGED PART INCLUDES WHAT CRITICS SAY WAS A DEPICTION OF JESUS CHRIST ENGAGED IN A SEX ACT. MUSEUM VISITOR MARK MICHAELS TOLD THE LOVELAND REPORTER-HERALD THAT FOLDEN SCREAMED 'HOW CAN YOU DESECRATE MY LORD?' DURING THE INCIDENT. THE ARTIST, STANFORD UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR ENRIQUE CHAGOYA, TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ON THURSDAY THAT THE WORK HAS BEEN MISCHARACTERIZED. HE SAID WHILE THE PART IN QUESTION IS SUGGESTIVE, IT'S NOT GRAPHIC. THE PANEL INCLUDES FIGURES CUT OUT FROM A COMIC BOOK, A HEAD RESEMBLING CHRIST AND A SKELETON WITH A POPE'S HAT. 'THIS IS NOT CHRIST. IT'S A COLLAGE', CHAGOYA SAID. 'WHAT I'M TRYING TO EXPRESS IS THE CORRUPTION OF THE SPIRITUAL BY THE CHURCH.' THE PRINT WAS TAKEN BY POLICE AS EVIDENCE. FOLDEN WAS RELEASES ON A $350 CASH BOND DURING A COURT APPEARANCE THURSDAY. ANOTHER HEARING IS SET FOR 15.OCTOBER. THE WORK THAT WAS DAMAGED, 'THE MISADVENTURES OF THE ROMANTIC CANNIBALS', IS A 12 PANEL LITHOGRAPH THAT INCLUDES COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS, MEXICAN PORNOGRAPHY, MAYAN SYMBOLS AND ETHNIC STEREOTYPES. IT IS PART OF AN 82 PRINT EXHIBITION BY 10 ARTISTS THAT HAVE WORKED WITH COLORADO PRINTER BUD SHARK THAT OPENED IN MID-SEPTEMBER. MEMBERS OF A LOCAL CHURCH HAVE BEEN AMONG THOSE PEACEFULLY PROTESTING OUTSIDE THE CITY-OWNED MUSEUM FOR MOST OF THE WEEK. A CITY COUNCILMAN AND SOME RESIDENTS HAD DEMANDED THAT CHAGOYA'S WORK BE REMOVED, BUT THE COUNCIL DECIDED TUESDAY TO LEAVE IT ON DISPLAY. SOME OF THE OUTSPOKEN CRITICS HAVE CONDEMNED THE ATTACK ON THE ARTWORK. THE MUSEUM HAS SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN VISITORS SINCE THE CONTROVERSY STARTED, SAID A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE MUSEUM. VISITORS INCLUDED SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS OF THE PIECE. 'IN MY OPINION, IT'S RATHER SAD TAKING AWAY PEOPLE'S FREEDOM TO SEE ART', THE SPOKESMAN ADDED. CHAGOYA SAID HE WAS SAD AND DISAPPOINTED THAT THE WORK, ONE OF 30 LIMITED PRINTS, WON'T BE ON DISPLAY AGAIN IN LOVELAND. 'IT WILL BE A LOSS FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR EVERYBODY THAT BELIEVES IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT', CHAGOYA SAID. 'SUPPRESSION OF ART AND IDEAS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN TOTALITARIAN REGIMES, NOT THIS COUNTRY', HE ADDED.

PAUL STOLPER GALLERY PRESENTS 'TEH SOULS' BY DAMIEN HIRST

PAUL STOLPER AND OTHER CRITERIA PRESENT THE LAUNCH OF 'THE SOULS' BY DAMIEN HIRST. FOR THIS LANDMARK PROJECT, HIRST HAS INTENSIFIED HIS CAREER-LONG FASCINATION WITH BEAUTY, FRAGILITY AND SYMBOLISM OF BUTTERFLIES TO CREATE A SPECTACULAR AND MULTI-ALLUSIVE EVOCATION OF MORALITY. MORE THAN THAT OF ANY CONTEMPORARY ARTIST, AND IN A MODERN LINEAGE THAT INCLUDES THE WORKS OF ANDY WARHOL AND FRANCIS BACON, THE ART OF DAMIEN HIRST CONFRONTS THE BALANCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, VANITY AND TRANSIENCE, VALUE AND WORTH, FAITH AND EXISTENTIAL ALIENATION WITHIN A VISCERAL AND TERRIFYING IMMEDIACY. HIRST'S CHOICES OF MEDIA, HIS INNOVATIONS WITHIN THEM AND THE SHEER SCALE ON WHICH HE WORKS, ARE INTEGRAL TO THE PHILOSOPHICAL DEPTH AND EMPATHETIC CHARGES OF HIS ART; AND TO THIS END, HIRST HAS ALWAYS PIONEERED IN HIS WORK THE USES, AESTHETICS AND ALLEGORICAL MEANINGS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AS WELL AS REFINING A HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED ENGAGEMENT WITH CRAFT AND TECHNIQUE. TO REALIZE 'THE SOULS', HIRST HAS FILLED THE PAUL STOLPER GALLERY WITH 120 FRAMED, FOIL BLOCK BUTTERFLY PRINTS. IN TOTAL 'THE SOULS' IS MADE UP OF 4 BUTTERFLIES, IN 80 DIFFERENT COLOURWAYS, EACH ONE IN AN EDITION OF 15. VIBRANT WITH HUE, THE FINISHED EFFECT OF EACH PRINT IS THAT OF A RESONANT TENSION BETWEEN THE STILLNESS OF DEATH AND THE TREMBLING, IRIDESCENT LIFE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL BUTTERFLIES CONVEY. 'THE SOULS' IS THEREFORE QUINTESSENTIALLY HIRSTIAN, COMBING THE IMPACT OF VISUAL SPECTACLE WITH POWERFULLY ELOQUENT CONFLUENCE OF MEDIUM AND VISUAL LANGUAGE. HIRST'S FASCINATION WITH BUTTERFLIES DERIVES IN LARGE PART FROM THE WAY IN WHICH THESE BEAUTIFUL INSECTS EMBODY BOTH THE BEAUTY AND THE IMPERMANENCE OF LIFE, BECOMING SYMBOLS OF FAITH AND MORALITY. OF 'THE SOULS' HE HAS SAID: 'I LOVE BUTTERFLIES BECAUSE WHEN THEY ARE DEAD THEY LOOK ALIVE. THE FOIL BLOCK MAKES THE BUTTERFLIES HAVE A FEEL SIMILAR TO THE ACTUAL BUTTERFLIES IN THE WAY THAT THEY REFLECT THE LIGHT. AFTER 'THE DEAD' I HAD TO DO THE BUTTERFLIES BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.'