While in Manhattan more than 30 galleries prepare for the ocassion and sales rooms like Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, iGavel, and Doyle receive the last lots for consigment for the sales scheduled that week, more than 4.000 kilometres away, the gallery and auction room I.M Chait, located in Los Angeles, also makes a contribution presenting a series of Chinese objects of great interest in the international market.  

the family bussiness, with more than 45 years history, founded and directed by Isadore I.M Chait is specialized in Asian art and takes pride in the fact that collectors who walked into is shop more than three decades ago continue tobe active amongst his clientele. The owner reveals some of the unknown facets of this market: "What is specially interesting about the Asian art market is the cycle of buying, holding and selling. We have found taht pieces acquiered five or ten years ago in Hong Kong or New York are now resurfacing. It has been an ongoing practice for some Chinese art collectors to buy an object, put it in their collection, then 10 or 20 years later, put it up for sale at the same venue and buy something else".

But what has changed in the Asian art market, besides the noticeable decline in demand with each new sale, is that public and private museums are adding to their Asian art collections and therefore withdrawing from the cycle an important amount of pieces. "They are going into institutional collections and staying there. this is one factor that is driving auction prices upward" Chait said.

The 21st of March sale includes more than 300 lots and Chait predicts it will attract great interest among collectors and museums. Among the higlights is the islamic shaped porcelain sprinkler, Ming dinasty from the fifteenth century, Xuande period. It seems, according to Chait, that at the height of their production, Chinese porcelain relied on the Middle East for inspiration."Anything from teh fifteenth centry is exceedingly rare. This sprinkler comes from a major collection that was started 35 to 40 years ag. the only reason this piece is being sold is because the congsinor is fortunate enough to have another in their collection" Chait said.

Another piece of xtreme interest is the white andblue procelain bowl, Yuang dinasty which has an estimate of 120.000-150.000 dollars. With an impecable provenance, it was once in the collection of the T.T Tsui museum in Hong Kong, it is expected to fetch a six-figure sum. 

Besides these a local collection consigned to auction provided, among many lots, a spinach color jade brushpot that Chait has described as one of the most beautiful examples he has ever seen. It has an estimate of 40.000-50.000 dollars.

The Asian art sale is the most important auction of the year for Chait, and therefore, his staff has been trained to deal with possible Chinese clients in Mandarin. Isidore I.M Chait is an international reknown expert in Asian sculpture and gemology. He is a recommended appraiser to many museum and institutions including the J. Paul Getty museum, the Norton simon Museum and the LACMA (los Angeles County Museum of Arts). Alfonso Carbajo Agrasar  

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