USA: FURNITURE BELONGING TO MADAME CHIANG KAI-SHEK WILL BE AUCTIONED AT A GALLERY OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY

Record ID: 241633

  • Title: USA: FURNITURE BELONGING TO MADAME CHIANG KAI-SHEK WILL BE AUCTIONED AT A GALLERY OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY
  • Date: 31st January 1999
  • Summary: NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 29, 1999) (RTN - ACCESS ALL) 1. EXTERIOR TILT UP AUCTION HOUSE WHERE MADAME CHIANG'S HOUSEHOLD ITEMS WILL BE SOLD ON SATURDAY (JANUARY 30, 1999) 0.10 2. PAN INTERIOR AUCTION HOUSE DISPLAY OF CHIANG POSSESSIONS 0.15 3. PULL FROM VASE ON MARBLE TABLE WITH SOFA AND CHAIRS SURROUNDING 0.20 4. CU PHOTO MADAME CHIANG AS YOUNG WOMAN (NOT FOR SALE) 0.29 5. MCU (ENGLISH) Auction house owner Gary Braswell saying, "In setting up the sale, it's been very unique and unpredictable the interest in what items people are interested in. It hasn't been always the items that have the most antique value, but items that maybe have some nostalgia or sentimental aspects to them that a lot of the Asian community has expressed an interest in." 0.49 6. SLV MADAME CHIANG'S BED PUSH TO CLOSE-VIEW EMBROIDERED PILLOW (ESTIMATE 300-500 USD) 0.58 7. MCU (ENGLISH) Auction house owner Gary Braswell saying, "On the bed where she slept our estimate was three to five hundred dollars on it. But we estimated it based on it being just a decorative headboard with the accompanying bedding and so forth. So, we put an estimate more of what we thought would typically be realized if it were just sold in a normal venue with out the association. And after giving that estimate on a couple of occassions a couple of people sort of expressed disbelief that we would only estimate her bed at three to five hundred dollars." 1.30 8. CU PAINTING "THE GOLDEN HORN, CONSTANTINOPLE," BY FELIX FRANCOIS GEORGES PHILBERT ZIEM (ESTIMATE 15,000-18,000 USD) 1.40 9. PAN CHANDELIER, ONE OF A PAIR (ESTIMATE 40,000-60,000 USD) 1.49 10. SLV MAN EXAMINING PAINTING FROM CHIANG ESTATE 1.56 11. MCU (ENGLISH) Woman explains her sentimental interest in items from Chiang estate: "My father's half-Chinese. He was a history professor. So, I know a little bit about the culture, and I think a little bit of history about the whole thing. And I'd like to maybe be part of it." 2.11 12. PAN DISPLAY ITEMS FROM CHIANG HOUSEHOLD 2.19 13. CU SCROLL PAINTED BY MADAME CHIANG (ESTIMATE 150-200 USD) 2.27 14. MCU (ENGLISH) Woman explains she is only interested in Chiang estate for its antiques: "There are some 1920s lamps that I found upstairs that interest me and I will be coming back on Saturday. But otherwise any of the other stuff doesn't really interest me. But I'm sure there will be some interesting Chinese people here who want to have a part of Madame Chiang Kai-shek." 2.45 15. PULL FROM GLASSWARE IN CABINET TO REVEAL TRUNKS 2.53 16. SV COUPLE LOOKING AT GLASSWARE 2.58 17. PULL FROM IMAGE OF CHINESE MAN ON VASE 3.04 18. PAN CHINESE DISHWARE 3.13 19. SV WOMAN LOOKING AT CHINESE DISHWARE 3.18 20. PAN OF MORE CHINESE DISHWARE 3.24 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 15th February 1999 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA8P536YF6ROUQ12BN613K89PI9
  • Story Text: Furniture belonging to Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the
    widow of the Chinese nationalist leader, will be auctioned on
    Saturday (January 30) at a gallery outisde of New York City.

    A preview on Friday (January 29) at the Norwalk,
    Connecticut auction gallery revealed a Chiang household of
    both grand and modest belongings appealing to both antique
    dealers and sentimenalists.

    Braswell's Gallery in Norwalk, Connecticut is where
    many of the furnishings of Madame Chiang Kai-shek's Long
    Island, New York estate have ended up.The most important and
    personal items have been kept by Madame Chiang herself and her
    niece.However, that leaves a seemingly house full of things
    to be sold.

    Madame Chiang herself is 101 years old, and living in an
    apartment in New York City.

    The auction house will put 727 lots from the Chiang estate
    on the block Saturday (January 30), ranging from a pair of
    chandeliers with estimated value of up to 60,000 U.S.dollars,
    to some everyday Chinese dishware estimated at 200 U.S.

    dollars.

    Gary Braswell arranged the sale, and told Reuters TV he
    learned that items from the Chiang estate have antique value
    as well as sentimental value.For instance, Braswell said, he
    valued Madame Chaing's bed at between 200 and 500 U.S.

    dollars.The reaction he got, he said, was "disbelief" that
    such a low price could be placed on the bed in which Madame
    Chiang Kai-shek actually slept.

    People viewing the Chiang estate at Braswell's gallery
    typified the split of interest.One woman, of Chinese
    heritage, explained that she would like to purchase part of
    China's history from the estate.Another woman in the gallery
    stipulated that her interest was only in antiques, but that
    she had found some 1920s lamps from the Chiang estate that she
    liked.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register