Above and Beyond : The New Yorker
AUCTIONS AND ANTIQUES
In the lead-up to Asia Week, Sotheby’s will hold two auctions. First, a selection of twentieth-century design objects (on March 17), a sale dominated by stylish mid-century furniture; then, over the weekend, the cellar (rich in Burgundy and Bordeaux) of Lloyd Flatt (March 20), a collector known for his eye patch and his willingness to uncork priceless vintages with little fuss. Then it’s on to a sale of Chinese ceramics and objets d’art that includes a curious Ming-dynasty cup carved from a rhinoceros horn and a delicate fan, made from ivory and tortoiseshell, from the Qing dynasty (March 23). (York Ave. at 72nd St. 212-606-7000.) | Christie’s kicks off its auctions of Asian art with a doubleheader on March 23: South Asian modern and contemporary art in the morning, followed by Indian and Southeast Asian art in the afternoon. The morning sale will be comprised of works by artists from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, including such modern masters as Francis Newton Souza but also more cutting-edge names, such as the Bombay-based TV Santhosh (a canny Photo-Realist) and Atul Dodiya, who creates haunting, surrealist images, pregnant with symbols. More traditional works, such as a thirteenth/fourteenth-century bronze figure of the goddess Uma from Southern India and Indian miniatures, will go under the gavel in the latter sale. (20 Rockefeller Plaza, at 49th St. 212-636-2000.) | Those seeking a respite from Chinese jades and Himalayan mandalas can find it at the AIPAD Photography Show New York (March 18-21), which this year celebrates its thirtieth anniversary. More than seventy dealers will converge at the Park Avenue Armory, offering everything from nineteenth-century daguerreotypes to video installations and mixed-media works. (Park Ave. at 67th St. 202-367-1158.)
