A large bronze Cambodian ceremonial bell from the south-east Asian Bronze Age was the top-seller at the Peter Petrou: Tales of the Unexpected auction at Christie’s last week.
- Frances Allitt
- 04 Feb 2019
Bronze Cambodian ceremonial bell – £100,000 at Christie’S
Made in the Battambang province sometime between the 2nd century BC and 2nd century AD, the 23in (58cm) high bell features overall decoration with geometric scrolls in low relief.
It was knocked down for £100,000 against a £40,000 high estimate.
A similar example of almost identical height is in the British Museum. Known as the Klang Bell, it is a product of Dong Son culture, named after a site in northern Vietnam.
The 130-lot sale of dealer Petrou’s eclectic collection had a sell-through rate of 84% by lot and 93% by value. It raised a total of £1.36m including buyer’s premium.
The January 30 sale took place as Petrou and his wife Leonora step back from exhibiting at art fairs and concentrate on their existing client base. The dealership has been established in London for more than 40 years.
The auction was conceived as a version of one of their exhibitions, bringing together an array of different objects at a variety of price points. Read more about the sale and see ten stand-out lots here.
