Asian treasures on view at Adam’s

Highly collectable jade artefacts, including ornaments, pendants and seals, feature strongly in the auction house’s Asian sale, while Irish silver is to the fore at a US sale

Polychrome-decorated Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove brusher from the late Ming-early Qing dynasty (17th century), €10,000-€15,000, at Adam's Asian Art auction

Sat Nov 01 2025 - 05:00 • 4 MIN READ

Those interested in treasures from the east will get a chance to get close to masterworks from China, the Himalayas, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, as part of Adam’s upcoming Asian art sale.

The sale is reflective of the constant interest in Asian artwork.

The recent Silk Roads exhibition at the British Museum, which focused on AD 500-1000 as the defining period in the Silk Road’s long history, was a case in point, as was the opening of the new Shanghai Museum East in China at the end of 2024. Its 13 permanent exhibition halls showcase the history of Chinese art, encompassing bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, sculptures, jade, seals, currency and archaeological artefacts. And, in Dublin, the Chester Beatty Library holds a rich variety of eastern sacred manuscripts, prints and decorative objects collected by the mining engineer, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty in the 20th century.

The Asian Art auction at Adam’s on Wednesday, November 12th, at 11am, gives the public an opportunity to come close to these rich Asian treasures.

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“This season’s Asian art auction presents a sweeping journey across millennia of artistic creation, uniting masterworks from China, the Himalayas, Japan, Korea and Vietnam,” says Dr Wei Wang, the head of Asian art department at Adam’s.

Blue and white cosmetic boxes with covers (€500-€800) are part of the Ca Mau shipwreck collection at Adam's Asian Art auction

One of a series of 20th-century Japanese masks (€300-€400) at Adam's Asian Art auction

That China is the birthplace of porcelain is undisputed, and the word “china” became a synonym for porcelain as imports of Chinese porcelain to Europe grew from the 14th century onwards. The Adam’s auction includes porcelain cargo discovered in the Ca Mau shipwreck off the coat of Vietnam in 1998. This collection of mainly Jingdezhen blue-and-white wares (dishes, teabowls and saucers, cosmetic boxes) dates back to the early 18th century, offering archaeological evidence of the Qing dynasty maritime trade when global trade of Chinese crafts to Europe was at a peak.

The auction also includes some highly collectable jade artefacts (ornaments, pendants, figurines, seals), many of which were used in rituals in ancient China.

Veterans of Adam’s Asian art auctions will also notice a new focus on Korean ceramics and paintings in this auction. Viewing takes place in Adam’s 26 St Stephen’s Green, November 7th-11th.

As part of the sale, on Saturday, November 8th at 3pm, Li-Chun Hu, an expert in Chinese ceramics, will give a talk, Across the Blue Waves from Jingdezhen to Dublin: the Voyage of Blue and White Porcelain.

Hu advises collectors, museums and auction houses across Asia, Europe and North America, moving between her bases in Taipei, Taiwan, London and the porcelain capital of China, Jingdezhen (booking advised on info@adams.ie).

Also on the Asian theme, Hegarty Antiques has a Qing Dynasty (early 20th century) carved jade plaque disc (€300-€600) in its jewellery, fine art, Irish silver and furniture live online auction on November 5th.

Dublin Gallery Weekend

Contemporary art lovers will be flocking to Dublin for the annual Dublin Gallery Weekend, Thursday-Sunday, November 6th-9th. Organised by the Contemporary Art Gallery Association, the weekend will see exhibition openings at over 40 galleries and a special launch of newly commissioned work by Hazel O’Sullivan and Niall de Buitléar in the Guinness Storehouse. A deep dive into the programme will reveal curated art trails, public talks, workshops and behind the-scenes studio tours with rising stars and established artists. The Irish Museum of Modern Arts will present Reverse Migration, a Poetic Journey, the first solo Irish show by Chilean artist, Cecilia Vicuña.

Irish-based Japanese artist Atsushi Kaga will transform the Douglas Hyde Gallery into a temple invoking the four seasons, and the National Gallery continues its Picasso: From the Studio exhibition.

Irish silver sale in US

The Irish Georgian Society has drawn our attention to the Jerold D Krouse collection of American and Irish Georgian antique furniture and silver in Asheville, North Carolina, on November 11th. The Mississippi-based collector amassed many pieces of high-quality Irish antique furniture and silver over many years.

Silver beer jugs made by Dublin silversmith John Moore in the mid 18th century ($15,000-$25,000) at Brink Auction of Jerold D Krouse Collection: Masterpieces from American and Ireland

Dublin-based silver expert Jimmy Weldon, says there is a number of noteworthy pieces of silver in the auction, which will be of interest to collectors. The first is a pair of silver beer jugs made by Dublin silversmith John Moore in the mid-18th century ($15,000-$25,000/€12,900-€21,480). “There are very few pairs of these Rococo-style jugs left. The chasing and the crest on them is original,” says Weldon. He also describes a silver salver by Dublin-based silversmith, William Nowlan ($5,000-$7,000) as a monumental piece. “Weighing 35oz, the estimate on this piece is equivalent to the value of the silver in it,” he says. His last selected piece is a large shell poised on dolphin’s feet by London based silversmith, William Cripps ($12,000-$18,000), which he describes as a high-quality piece of antique silverware.

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