Highlights from Distinguished Private Collections Lead $1.67 Million Asian Art Auction at Freeman’s | Hindman

Freeman’s | Hindman exceeded expectations at its September 19 Asian Works of Art auction, realizing $1,671,856—nearly double the pre-sale estimate. With 20% of buyers new to the firm and the sale achieving 141% by value, results underscored strong demand across categories. The auction presented a diverse range of Asian art, highlighted by works from distinguished private collections, including property from the Estates of General Han-Chien Chueh, banker Yiling Wang, Henry V. and Carol K. Nickel, the collection of Dr. Brian Salzberg, the collection of Edwin Hardy, and a second offering of Chinese gold jewelry from the RenLu Collection.

LEFT TO RIGHT

Xu Beihong, Rooster on a Rock | Sold for $89,400

Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong, Cat and Mice | Sold for $89,400

Ben Farina, Senior Vice President, International Representative, Asian Art, says “This sale is a culmination of our approach at Freeman’s | Hindman, where we focus on bringing together compelling works of great beauty and sharing their stories, and those of the collectors who have treasured and preserved these pieces for future generations.”

From War Hero to Art Collector: Chinese Masterpieces Find New Homes

The top lots of the sale were Chinese paintings, including Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong’s Cat and Mice (Lot 16) and Xu Beihong’s Rooster on a Rock (Lot 15), each estimated at $60,000 – 80,000 and both selling for $89,400. These works came from the estate of General Han-Chien Chueh (1901–1972) of Taiwan, a distinguished Nationalist commander during the Second Sino-Japanese War and a celebrated calligrapher known for his “Boyun style.” A close friend of Qi Baishi, Chueh amassed an extensive collection of paintings and calligraphy, portions of which were later donated to public institutions in Shanghai and Taipei. The present lots, consigned by his grandchildren, offered collectors a rare connection to both Chueh’s legacy and his friendships with China’s artistic masters.

Wang Zhideng With Signature of Dong Qichang, and Chen Jiru | Sold for $32,000

Ming and Qing Masterworks from Banker Wang Yiling’s Estate

The sale featured 16 lots of Ming and Qing painting albums and rubbings from the estate of banker Wang Yiling. The collection was 100% sold, realizing a total of $193,865 with premium—more than double the pre-sale low estimate. The top lot, Wang Zhideng’s Poems in Running Script, with signatures by Dong Qichang and Chen Jiru (Lot 24), skyrocketed past the pre-sale estimate of $3,000 – 5,000 to sell for $32,000, while Dai Xi’s Landscapes (Lot 28) realized $25,600. Born in 1881 in Neijiang, Sichuan, Wang studied in Japan, befriended painter Zhang Daqian, and later became a prominent banker and passionate collector. Portions of his collection are preserved in the Shanghai Museum and Library, while other works have appeared at auctions worldwide, including Hong Kong, Toronto, and Shanghai, offering collectors rare access to these historic treasures.

A Pair of Japanese Bronze and Mixed-Metal Baluster Vases, Meiji Period, Late 19th Century | Sold for $54,400

Additional Auction Highlights

• Lot 265 | A Pair of Japanese Bronze and Mixed-Metal Baluster Vases, Meiji Period, Late 19th Century Sold for $54,400 
• Lot 49 | A Large Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Brush Pot, Bitong, Transitional Period, 17th Century Property from a Private Collection, Washington, D.C. Sold for $44,800 
• Lot 141 | A Pair of Chinese Silver Wire-Inlaid and Jade-Mounted Hardwood Hat Stands, 20th Century Property from a Distinguished Pennsylvania Collection Sold for $38,400 
• Lot 53 | An Imperial Chinese Blue and White Porcelain 'Dragon' Bowl, Kangxi Six-Character Mark and of the Period Collection of Margaret Chanler, Charleston, South Carolina. Sold for $35,200 
• Lot 258 | Hiroshi Yoshida, Rapid[s], Large format color woodblock print Property from the Collection of Mr. Dan Kastenmeier, Mount Prospect, Illinois. Sold for $35,200 
• Lot 275 | A Japanese Cloisonne "Bird and Peony" Panel, Workshop of Namikawa Sosuke, Meiji Period Property from the Estate of Henry V. and Carol K. Nickel. Sold for $35,200 
• Lot 11 | Zhang Daqian, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Property from a Private Collection, Philadelphia Sold for $32,000 
• Lot 188 | A Chinese Gilt Bronze Figure of Weituo Pusa, Ming Dynasty Sold for $28,800 
• Lot 221 | A Fine Painting of Radha Meeting Krishna at the Hour of Cowdust, Godhuli, Punjab Hills, 19th Century Property from the Collection of Edwin Hardy, San Francisco, California. Sold for $28,800 
• Lot 181 | A Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Incense Burner, Qianlong Period Mark and Period Property from the Estate of Dan Parmalee Eells (1825–1903), thence by descent. Sold for $25,600 
• Lot 178 | A Chinese Canton Style Embroidered Silk Floor Screen, Late 19th-Early 20th Century Property from the collection of Mr. Robert H. Lee, Cincinnati, Ohio Sold for $23,040 
• Lot 198 | A Sino-Tibetan Gilt Silver Figure of Yamantaka Sold for $21,760