Korean art sells high at Christie’s

A white porcelain jar from the Joseon Period was auctioned off for $1.2 million, the highest price fetched at the auction of Japanese and Korean art auction at Christie’s in New York on Wednesday.

Paintings by renowned Korean artists Park Soo-keun and Kim Whan-ki were also sold for double their estimates.

Park’s “Five seated figures” was auctioned at $711,750, higher than its $400,000-$500,000 estimate. 

Kim Whan-ki’s “Moon and Plum Blossom” painting was sold for $663,750, about double its estimate of $350,000-$400,000.

A rare massive white porcelain jar from 18th-century Joseon was the highlight among the porcelains on the block with its distinctive 60.96-centimeter height and girth.

The three pieces of Korean art ranked as the top three items in the auction result list.

Park Soo-keun’s “Five Seated Figures” is a roughly textured painting, which depicts everyday life in old Korea. Kim “Moon and Plum Blossom” is one of Kim’s representative works, featuring his favorite motifs of plum blossoms.

According to reports, Christie’s started selling Park’s works two decades ago, putting the name on the list of most sought-after modern Korean artists at the international auction house.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)