Traditionally at the more affordable end of Chinese collecting, bronzes are climbing in price along with everything else, as Chiswick Auctions specialist Lazarus Halstead noted after the dedicated sale in the May 24-25 series (see ATG online).
However, for the budget-conscious collector there are still pieces to be bought – such as this c.1738 Qing mark and period jue, right. Inscribed to the underside of the rim Qianlong san nian jidan zhi, the 6¼in (16cm) high ritual vessel sold on its lower estimate at £600 (plus 25% premium). “Had it been soapstone it could have cost thousands,” observed Halstead.