Image: Waddington's, Ontario
Waddington’s has opened bidding on its Asian Art auction, a 417-lot online sale that runs from August 6 to August 20, 2026, with bidding scheduled to start closing at 2 pm ET on the final day. The auction is centered on imperial Chinese porcelain, jade, ceramics, paintings, scholar’s objects and related material, and the house says registration is required to bid.
The sale is built around a wide chronological span, beginning with Neolithic material and extending through the Qing dynasty and into Republican and early PRC historical items. Among the highlighted works are a pair of Daoguang mark and period wucai ‘dragon and phoenix’ bowls, a pale celadon and russet jade cong possibly from the Qijia culture, a jade scabbard slide from the Western Han dynasty, and a Qingbai-glazed ‘floral’ bowl from the Song dynasty. The catalogue also includes blue and white wares, pottery figures and vessels from the Neolithic to Tang dynasties, Song ceramics, Chinese paintings, scholars’ objects, Satsuma wares, Japanese woodblock prints, Himalayan and South Asian sculpture, and other works of art.
In its accompanying feature on imperial porcelain, Waddington’s frames these ceramics as objects made specifically for the Chinese imperial court, whether for palace use, religious ceremonies, diplomatic gifts, or other official purposes. The house distinguishes such wares from porcelain made for domestic and international trade, even when the same workshops were involved in production. The article notes that the imperial porcelain tradition is closely tied to Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, which became a major centre of production after receiving an imperial kiln in 1369.
The same feature traces the development of Chinese porcelain from early forms in the Tang dynasty to later refinement in the Yuan, Ming and Qing periods. It describes the Ming court’s control over production and the elevated standards associated with the Yongle and Xuande reigns, then outlines the Qing revival under the Kangxi Emperor and the continued sophistication of porcelain under Yongzheng and Qianlong. The house also presents the Qing period as a time of artistic experimentation and exchange, including the use of European influences in palace workshops and the rise of falangcai, or “foreign colours.”
Several lots in the sale reflect those historical themes directly. The catalogue opens with a Neolithic stone axe and includes jade carvings across a broad span of Chinese history, while the porcelain section features imperial-style bowls and cups from the Qing period alongside earlier Song dynasty ceramics. The auction preview images and lot notes also point to the breadth of the material, from scholar’s furniture and boxes to printed works and sculpture.
Public previews for the highlights are scheduled at Waddington’s Toronto gallery, 100 Broadview Avenue, on August 16 from 12 pm to 4 pm, August 17 from 10 am to 5 pm, and August 18 from 10 am to 5 pm. The house says payment options include e-transfer, EFT or direct deposit, wire transfer, bank draft or money order, cash, Interac debit on site, and VISA or Mastercard, with convenience fees applying to card payments. The auction remains open online through August 20.
