Jagdish Swaminathan, Homage to Solzhenitsyn (Triptych), 1973, Lot 17, Estimate: US$1,000,000-2,000,000, Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art

This month, explore the rich legacy of Asian art at Sotheby’s, where tradition and innovation join in a stunning showcase. From ancient masterpieces to contemporary expressions, discover seven centuries of artistic excellence at their exhibition in their New York galleries from March 13-21, culminating with a series of live and online auctions that begin on March 17. Also be sure to join their Asian Art Lecture Series on Sunday afternoon, March 16!

Explore the full auction and lecture schedules below:

Gold, Jade, and Stone: Buddhist Art and Material Culture in Early China by Dr. Jin Xu
Lecture: Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 1pm EDT
1334 York Ave

A Room Within a Room, the Canopy Bed in Ming & Qing China by Nicholas Grindley
Lecture: Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 2pm EDT
1334 York Ave

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Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art
Auction: Monday, March 17, 2025 at 11am EDT
Viewing: March 13–14, 10am-5pm; March 15, 10am-6pm; March 16, 1-5pm

This Modern & Contemporary South Asian auction brings a curated selection of paintings, sculptures and works on paper from the region’s most celebrated artists. The sale is led by a masterpiece by Jagdish Swaminathan titled Homage to Solzhenitsyn spanning 13.5 feet. Painted in 1973, this triptych is a spectacular vista of the artist’s cosmos, creating a true sense of joy and wonder.

From the Estate of Bhupen Khakhar comes two double-sided cutouts by Khakhar in collaboration with Vaman Rao Khaire depicting Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha, which are emblematic of Khakhar’s embeddedness in pop culture and his idiosyncratic painting style.

Another star lot of the sale is Journey of the Magi, a 1963 masterpiece by Jehangir Sabavala. Published across preeminent scholarship about the artist since 1966, this painting depicts an important symbol in Christianity and Zoroastrianism and is a key example of Sabavala’s expert handling of color and contour as he became interested in light and how to portray it.

Other highlights include masterworks by Francis Newton Souza, Maqbool Fida Husain, Ganesh Pyne, George Keyt and Zubeida Agha.

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A rare celadon-glazed hu-form vase, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng, Lot 125, Estimate: US$600,000-800,000, Chinese Art

Chinese Art
Auction: Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 9am EDT (both days)
Viewing: March 13–14 & 17, 10am-5pm; March 15, 10am-6pm; March 16, 12-5pm

This March, Sotheby’s Chinese Art auction features a comprehensive presentation of Ming and Qing porcelains, early ceramics, jades, classical furniture and more. Leading this auction are important de-accessions from the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Newark Museum of Art, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The sale also features a selection of important Chinese Art from the Jane and Leopold Swergold Collection, Marchant Chinese jades, and an array of classical Chinese furnishings from an Important American Collection.

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A magnificent large gilt copper alloy figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, Central Tibet, 14th c., overall height 27½ in (70 cm), Lot 563, Estimate: US$600,000-1,500,000, Indian and Himalayan Art

Indian and Himalayan Art
Auction: Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 10am EDT
Viewing: March 13–14 & 17–19, 10am-5pm; March 15, 10am-6pm; March 16, 1-5pm

The Indian and Himalayan Art auction is led by a magnificent large Central Tibetan 14th century gilt-copper alloy figure of Shakyamuni Buddha from a distinguished Dutch private collection, and includes several private collections of Indian and Himalayan paintings, sculpture and ritual objects.

The auction opens with an important New York private collection of classical Indian paintings, many of which were acquired directly from the Ehrenfeld collection. Highlights include two folios from the Tehri Garhwal series of the Gita Govinda and an Imperial Mughal painting of mythical birds. The sale follows with twelve superb works of art from the collection of the financier and scholar Kevin R. Brine, including an important portrait of Thangpa Chenpo, commissioned for Taklung Monastery circa 1180-1210, and and a rare large 17th century silver figure of the Fifth Shamarpa Lama.

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ONLINE AUCTION

Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Auction: March 13–25, 2025 at 11am EDT
Viewing: March 13–14 & 17–21, 10am-5pm; March 15, 10am-6pm; March 16, 1-5pm

Sotheby’s is proud to present Important Japanese Swords from the Paul L. Davidson Collection this month. The collection comprises fine Japanese swords with examples registered as Tokubetsu Juyo [Exceptionally Important Sword], including an impressive katana attributed to the Yoshioka Ichimonji school, a tanto by Rai Kunitoshi and an early tachi blade attributed to Niji Kunitoshi. Armour and accoutrements of the samurai showcase the excellent craftmanship and quality associated with the warrior class from the Kamakura period through to the centuries of peace established by the Tokugawa shogunate until the late nineteenth century.

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To view more details on Asia Art at Sotheby’s, click here.

A RARE AND IMPORTANT BLUE AND WHITE AND COPPER-RED ‘DRAGON’ VASE, TIANQIUPING, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period, Lot 24, Estimate: US$400,000-600,000, Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art including the Francine and Bernard Wald Collection of Fine Snuff Bottles, Part I

Discover Asia Week at Bonhams, featuring a slate of eight auctions celebrating expertly crafted works of art from across Asia, including four live sales – Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art including the Bernard and Francine Wald Collection of Snuff Bottles, Part I; Classical and Modern Chinese Paintings; Indian and Himalayan Art; and Fine Japanese and Korean Art.

Explore the full auction schedule below:

Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art including the Francine and Bernard Wald Collection of Fine Snuff Bottles, Part I
Auction: March 17, 2025 at 9am EDT
Viewing: March 12–16, 10am-5pm

A rare and important blue and white copper-red ‘dragon’ tianqiuping vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period (1736-1795), is the highlight of the Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale on March 17. Estimated at US$400,000–600,000, this celestial sphere vase with a slightly compressed body and long straight neck represents the antiquarian movement in the early Qing dynasty, paying homage to the high style and technological achievement of the 15th century Ming dynasty imperial porcelains. The painterly ‘dragon and cloud’ motif was derived from the Song dynasty (960-1279) ink paintings in the Qing Court Collection. A true masterpiece of its type, the only known comparable work is in the collection of the Beijing Palace Museum.

The sale will also feature a curated selection of huanghuali furniture from private collections, as well as an outstanding selection of ceramics from the Tang to the Qing dynasties. The standout from the private Connecticut collection is an 18th century huanghuali square table, estimated at US$60,000–80,000. The highlights from an important private collection include a rare Kangxi imperial Falangcai bowl, decorated with stylized flowers and leafy foliage over a yellow ground, estimated at US$120,000–180,000 and a magnificent set of eight famille rose Buddhist emblems, estimated at US$350,000–500,000.

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AI QIMENG (IGNAZ SICHELBART) (1708-1780) AND JIN TINGBIAO (Active 1757-1767), Portrait of a First-Rank Imperial Guard in the East Turkestan Campaign, 1763-1764, Lot 852, Estimate: US$400,000-600,000, Classical and Modern Chinese Paintings  

Classical and Modern Chinese Paintings
Auction: March 18, 2025 at 9am EDT
Viewing: March 12–17, 10am-5pm

This sale will explore the dynamic history of this great tradition with paintings and calligraphy that span centuries. One highlight of the sale is Portrait of an Imperial Guard painted circa 1760 attributed to Ai Qimeng (Ignaz Sichelbart, 1708-1780) and Jin Tingbiao (Active 1757-1767), a European and Chinese court artist working collaboratively in the Qianlong Imperial atelier, estimated at US$400,000-600,000. Depicted on silk, the subject of the painting was one of a hundred brave warriors and exemplary officials whose portraits once lined the walls of Ziguang Ge (Hall of Purple Brightness), the Qianlong Emperor’s military hall of valor in the Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing.

Accompanying the Imperial Guard, several other lots dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) further explore the evolution of portraiture in Chinese painting. From a rare pair of Ming dynasty ancestor portraits of a Military officer and his wife, estimated at US$25,000-40,000, to a Portrait of Seated Manchu Confucian Scholar Leisurely Reading from the 17th/18th century, estimated at US$25,000-40,000, the paintings not only carefully capture the sitters’ visage, but the rich tapestry of material culture and fineries of the day that surround them. Additionally, Portrait of a Distinguished Feline attributed to the Ming Dynasty master Qiu Ying (1494-1552), estimated at US$10,000-15,000, illustrates humanity’s perpetual fondness for animal friends.

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A Gilt Copper Alloy Figure of Mahachakravajrapani, central Tibet, 15th c., Lot 308, Estimate: US$500,000-$700,000, Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art

Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art
Auction: March 19, 2025 at 10am EDT
Viewing: March 14–18, 10am-5pm

A 15th century gilt copper alloy figure of Mahachakra Vajrapani will lead an impressive group of statues and thangkas depicting deities and teachers of Tibetan Buddhism which will be offered in the Indian and Himalayan Art sale on March 19. This three-faced, six-armed depiction of Mahachakra Vajrapani embracing his consort gained prominence in 15th-century Central Tibet, a period marked by a heightened interest in more erotic and fierce representations of tantric deities. As the largest known sculptural example of its kind, it serves as a significant testament to the evolution of tantric Buddhism in Tibet. The figure is estimated at US$500,000-700,000.

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AFTER OGATA KENZAN (1663-1743), A Deep-Rimmed Rectangular Dish with Design of Narcissus, Edo period (1615-1868), 18th c., Lot 730, Estimate: US$1,000-1,500, Fine Japanese and Korean Art, including the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection of Japanese Art

Fine Japanese and Korean Art, including the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection of Japanese Art
Auction: March 20, 2025 at 9am EDT
Viewing: March 12–18, 10am-5pm; March 19, 10am-3pm

Closing out the week, the Fine Japanese and Korean Art sale will offer a range of works from rare pottery to a fine selection woodblock prints as well as a group of outstanding inrō (medicine case) from the collection of Alan and Simone Hartman. The sale also features works from the modern era with a fine assortment of contemporary ceramics by forerunners in the field such as Kakurezaki Ryuichi (b. 1950) and Kato Yasukage (1964-2012). The top lot in the sale is a large Joseon-dynasty white porcelain jar painted with landscape roundels in cobalt blue, estimated at US$200,000-300,000.

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Beginning March 10, be sure to check out the following Online Sales of impressive works of art:

The Arts of the Samurai
Online Auction: March 10–21, 2025 starting at 12pm EDT

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Arts of India, Southeast Asia and The Himalayas Online
Online Auction: March 14–21, 2025 starting at 12pm EDT

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Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Online
Online Auction: March 16–26, 2025 starting at 12pm EDT

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Chinese Paintings and Hardstone Seals Online
Online Auction: March 17–27, 2025 starting at 12pm EDT

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For full details, click here.