SebastianCharles Auctions
Live Auction

Fine Art, Jewelry, Design & Asian Art

Wed, Dec 2, 2026 02:00PM EST
  2026-12-02 14:00:00 2026-12-02 14:00:00 America/New_York SebastianCharles Auctions SebastianCharles Auctions : Fine Art, Jewelry, Design & Asian Art https://bid.sebastiancharles.com/auctions/sebastiancharles-auctions/fine-art-jewelry-design-asian-art-25136
Bidding is now open for our Fine Art, Jewelry, Design & Asian Art auction, Day 2 of our three-day December sale, featuring paintings, prints, sculpture, fine jewelry, watches, porcelain and Asian works of art. Highlights include a George Gardner Symons 'Winter River' oil on canvas, an 18K gold Tiffany & Co. Mark Coupe resonator watch and a Dale Chihuly "Persian Set," alongside works by Bridget Riley, Joan Miró, Rufino Tamayo and Chen Chi-Kwan, and more. Auction is Wednesday, December 2nd at 1 PM CST. Local pickup is December 7th, 8th and 9th from 1 to 5 PM at 5263 Edina Industrial Blvd, Edina, MN. Shipping is available on all lots.
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Lot 316

Chen Chi-Kwan 'Playful Monkeys' Ink on Paper

Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000
Starting Bid
$1,200

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$250 $25
$1,000 $50
$2,000 $100
$4,000 $250
$10,000 $500
$20,000 $1,000
$50,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
$500,000 $10,000

Signed and inscribed. 

 

Image: 6" Tall x 10" Wide 

Frame: 13 1/4" Tall x 16 1/4" Wide 

 

Condition: The drawing has some creases. The ink is vibrant and bold. Please see images for details. 

 

Artist Bio: Chen Chi-Kwan (1921-2007) is one of the few twentieth century figures whose reputation rests equally on architecture and painting. Born in Beijing and trained as an architect at National Central University in Chongqing, he came to the United States in 1948, worked with Walter Gropius, and went on to design the campus of Tunghai University in Taiwan with I. M. Pei, including the Luce Memorial Chapel.

He painted throughout, first showing his ink work in Boston and New York in the early 1950s, and he brought an architect's eye to a very old medium. His compositions use aerial and shifting viewpoints, wide stretches of empty paper and a few decisive strokes, so that the traditional brush reads as modern design. Animals became one of his signature subjects, monkeys and cats most of all, drawn as quick calligraphic shapes that tumble, swing and cling together across the sheet. 'Playful Monkeys' takes up the subject he is best remembered for, signed and inscribed by the artist.

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All out-of-state buyers: we will assume your items require shipping and will coordinate it for you unless a lot is specifically marked for local pickup only or other arrangements are made with us in advance. For smaller eligible items, including jewelry, coins, sterling silver, and select small objects, we handle shipping in-house. These shipments are fully insured, require a signature, and include a $10 handling fee added to the final shipping cost. For all other items, we coordinate shipping through a local UPS Store or another appropriate third-party shipper. Once your auction invoice has been paid, the next invoice you receive will be a separate shipping invoice directly from the shipping provider. That invoice must be paid before your items are shipped. If you prefer to use your own shipper or arrange a third-party pickup, you must let us know within 2 days of the auction closing. We will coordinate release of the items once arrangements are confirmed. To help prevent fraud, shipments will only be sent to the billing address tied to the payment method unless payment is made by wire transfer and approved in advance. All items are shipped with full declared value and full insurance. Buyers are responsible for all packing, shipping, insurance, duties, taxes, and any import or export fees. International shipping is handled on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by us before bidding. Questions can be sent to bid@sebastiancharles.com