Established in February 2016, the Department of Oriental Art has become a point of reference for collectors of works from Asia and the Near East. Since September 2023, the department has been led by Paolo Brenzini, with Chiara Bellini as coordinator. Together, they organise four annual auctions, offering a carefully curated selection of exceptional artworks with significant historical and artistic value, drawn from a wide and rich cultural landscape.
These auctions present a unique variety of objects, including porcelain, precious metals, votive statues, paintings, textiles, and sculptures from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayan region. Each lot is selected with precision to ensure authenticity and quality, meeting the expectations of even the most demanding collectors. In addition, the department includes works of Islamic and Indian art, such as Arabic and Persian manuscripts, miniatures, paintings, ceramics, jewellery, and calligraphy—demonstrating the elegance and complexity of the artistic traditions of the Near and Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
Among the department’s most notable sales are extraordinary rarities, including a 15th-century gilt-bronze statue of White Tara from Nepal, a large bronze sculpture of Manjushri Namasangiti (Nepal, 16th–17th century), an imperial teapot marked Jiaqing Yuzhi from the Jiaqing period, and a pierced bronze censer in the shape of a feline with traces of silver inlay from eastern Iran, dated to the 11th–12th century.
Each auction curated by the Department of Oriental Art stands out for its scholarly rigour and detailed preparation, offering collectors the opportunity to acquire treasures of immense value, selected and presented with the care and professionalism that have long characterised our auction house.
