Antiques PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Antiques PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

CHINESE REPUBLIC PERIOD PORCELAIN PLAQUE BY WANG QI SOLD AT BRUNEAU & CO.SALE

Several weeks before Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ online-only Antiques & Fine Art auction on Thursday, July 23rd, a seller strolled into the gallery on a walk-in appraisal Tuesday holding what appeared to be a nice Chinese Qing Dynasty porcelain famille rose plaque with calligraphy. Bruneau slid it into the sale, assigning it a modest estimate of $2,000-$4,000.

All that changed once the bidding began. “When lot 268 opened on my computer screen it was already up to $24,000,” said Travis Landry, a Bruneau & Co. auctioneer and the firm’s Director of Pop Culture. “I knew I had a determined bidder and he ended up taking it home for $96,250, including buyer’s premium. The best part is, it was a walk-in. You never know what’s out there.”

Turns out, the Republic Period porcelain and enamel famille rose plaque was exceptionally well painted by Wang Qi (Chinese, 1884-1937), a member of the renowned Eight Friends of Zhushan, a group of 19th and 20th century Chinese porcelain painters. Zhushan is near Jingdezhen, China’s former porcelain capital and site of the imperial kiln during both the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The plaque, 17 ½ inches by 10 ¼ inches, depicted two figures plus a calligraphic poem with signatures. It was also signed with a chop seal. It came from the estate of a Hope Valley, Rhode Island lady and was by far the top lot of the auction, which featured more than 300 lots, collected from estates across New England. Everything was sold to the highest bidder, with no reserves.

Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ next online cataloged auction will feature limited live, in-gallery seating. It is scheduled for Thursday, August 27th, at 6 pm Eastern. Seating and preview are by appointment only. Please call 401-533-9980, or send an email to [email protected].

Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions, with commissions as low as zero percent. Now would be a perfect time to clean out your attic. To contact Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers about consigning a single piece or an entire collection, you may send an e-mail to [email protected]. Or, you can phone them at (401) 533-9980.

To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the online cataloged auction with limited seating in the gallery on August 27th, visit www.bruneauandco.com