15th May, 2025 10:00
Asian Art | Two-Day Sale
135
A Chinese flambé-glazed vase
late Qing dynasty, in the shape of a double gourd, covered with a lustrous crackled glaze of purplish-red,
14cm high
Provenance: From the collection of Desmond Kirkpatrick (1932-2024).
清晚期 窑变釉葫芦瓶
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
Desmond Kirkpatrick (1932-2024)
Desmond ‘Des’ Kirkpatrick was an extraordinary man, who, in a well-lived lifetime, travelled to every corner of the planet - from Bombay to Bhutan, Angola to Antarctica. He rode luxury trains and mountain jeeps, camels and Zodiac landing craft. He sailed the seas on the great ocean liners and the smaller expedition ships He explored the world in well over half a century - and as few others have.
He was also a world-class collector and, in the process, became something of an expert of each item, its provenance, even the detailed history of his actual acquisition. His apartment in Lower Manhattan was something of a mini-museum – with choice items displayed, much like soldiers on review, in glass-fronted cabinets. Item after item happily saw the light of day. He knew each and every plate, teacup, bowl, statue, vase, miniature, carving and piece of jewellery, and its heritage.
During his overseas visits, he often interacted with the locals – and in so doing, would unearth collectables, discover family keepsakes and other items that were often actually treasures. Des very often went well behind the usual travel limits and actually escorted, in the 1970s, some of the first tourists into then very restricted China. Consequently, he built up a collection of rare items, and not only from China, but from Tibet and Bhutan.
Des had a life well-lived. Personally, he considered it a great blessing to have had the best of both worlds: a lifetime of travel and of meeting people of varied cultures. And all while his collection steadily grew. He cherished his collection and took great pride in it.
£300 - £500
Buyer's premium: 30.00% (inclusive of VAT, where applicable)
IN PERSON
To bid in person at auction for the first time please register for a bidding paddle in advance by filling out and submitting a registration form at our front desk. When registering in person we require photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence.
ABSENTEE BIDDING
If you cannot attend the auction in person we can bid on your behalf. You can leave an absentee bid on our website.
The amount you bid should be your maximum bid. We will bid up to that limit for you, and remember you may end up paying less than your limit, depending on other bidding on the day.
You can leave an absentee bid up to half an hour before the start of any sale. Please note when we receive two or more absentee bids for the same amount, the first bid received will be the one taken.
LEAVE COMMISSION BIDS ONLINE
If you would like to leave a commission bid on our website you can do so up until 30 minutes before the sale starts. Leaving a commission bid through sworder.co.uk is free for all registered clients. Thereafter you may register bank card details under your account in order to bid live. Click here to register an account.
BID LIVE ON sworder.co.uk
You can bid live at our auctions from the comfort of your home or office using bidding platform Sworders Live. It is easy to register and you can watch the auction live as it happens. A 'Bid Live' button will appear on the auction on our website homepage when a sale is live; simply click the button to sign in or register with your card details. There is no additional charge for this service.
For further instructions on registering to bid live, please click here.
TELEPHONE BIDDING
If you would like to bid by telephone please contact our team prior to the auction with your details of the lots you are interested in and your full name, address, telephone number(s) and email address. Once our team have entered your bid request you will receive an email confirmation. We will contact you during the sale and one of our team will bid live with you over the phone.
Please note that we normally offer this service for lots with an estimate of £500 or higher and all telephone bid requests must be received by close of business the day before the auction.
Auction: Asian Art | Two-Day Sale, 15th May, 2025
Viewing
VIEWING
Main Sale (excluding books)
Viewing for all lots except the books from the single-owner collection will take place at our London Gallery, Sworders Fine Art, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ as follows:
Friday 9 May, 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10 May, 10am - 1pm
Sunday 11 May, 10am - 1pm
Monday 12 May, 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 13 May, 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 14 May, 10am - 4pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
Stansted - Viewing for the Book Collection Only
Viewing for the single-owner collection of books relating to Asian Art will take place by appointment only at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
Friday 9 May, By Appointment
Sunday 11 May, By Appointment
Monday 12 May, By Appointment
To book an appointment, please contact auctions@sworder.co.uk
The auction will take place at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
Full Terms & Conditions relating to our auctions can be found here
Sorry, we cannot calculate a pre-sale automated shipping cost due to the items weight/size.
Should you be successful in buying this item, a specific shipping estimate can be requested after the sale by using the link in your invoice email; this also includes requests for international delivery.
If you would like further information about shipping and collection please see here.
Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
Request A Valuation
Here at Sworders, we are happy to offer a free online valuation service. Please fill out the form and press the 'Submit' button below.
To help us with your valuation please attach clear photographs of the item where possible. You can submit up to 5.
Approximate dimensions are also useful. Expect to hear from the appropriate valuer as soon as possible.
