Two $100,000+ Lots Highlight the First Two Months of 2019 at Cowan’s

An extraordinarily rare Japanese vase and an Andrew Clemens sand bottle sell for over $100,000 leading to a great start of the year at Cowan’s.

The 2019 auction season got off to a great start at Cowan’s with two items selling for over $100,000 in as many months. The first, an exceptionally rare Imperial Japanese cloisonné presentation vase was the surprise of Cowan’s January Asian Art auction selling for $138,000. Several phone bidders from Japan, Europe, and the United States engaged in a bidding war over the exceedingly rare vase for several minutes.

The second $100,000 sale came in Cowan’s first Premier Auction of the year on February 23 and was much less of a surprise. An Andrew Clemens sand bottle with patriotic decoration had the highest estimate in the Fine and Decorative Art, Including Americana: Premier Auction but still managed to soar past its high estimate of $45,000 selling for $102,000. Cowan’s has become the premier auction house for Clemens work achieving the three highest sales prices to date. In October, Cowan’s set the record for a Clemens sand bottle in back-to-back lots, selling bottles for $108,000 and $132,000 respectively.

Highlights from the Fine and Decorative Art, Including Americana: Premier Auction

February 23, 2019

Other Highlights from January & February 2019