With an Eye for Asia – Elisabet Fellbom on the Unexpected Cultural Treasures in Our Homes

The news took the country by storm just before Christmas.
SVT’s Rapport, TV4, and national morning and evening newspapers all wanted to share the remarkable story of a gilded bronze Buddha statue from the 15th century, which had just sold for over SEK 2.4 million at The Fine Asian Art Sale at Stockholm Auction House.

– Yes, and almost overnight, many more people in Sweden knew what a Shakyamuni Buddha is, says Elisabet Fellbom. It’s absolutely fantastic – and very rare – for a work of this quality to appear in private ownership in Sweden, and it’s wonderful to see it take its rightful place in cultural history once again.

The sale astonished Sweden, but perhaps the most surprised of all was the seller. The statuette, which sparked intense international bidding at the auction, had been bought for just over SEK 20 at a flea market in Uppsala in the 1980s – completely unaware that it was a high-quality example of early Ming aesthetics and of the same type found in top international collections.

But she is far from alone.
On the contrary, results show that many of the most valuable Asian items sold at Stockholm Auction House over the past two years have reached record prices thanks to sellers consulting the house’s specialists for professional appraisals. A rare gilded bronze sculpture from the Dali Kingdom depicting Avalokiteshvara (SEK 2.3 million), an 19th-century imperial thangka depicting Amitayus (SEK 1.6 million), and a more than 200-year-old doucai bowl with floral scrolls and a Yongzheng mark (SEK 950,000) are just a few examples.

– The common factor is that they all had owners who had no idea of the true value of the item in their possession. That’s why my recommendation is always to consult a specialist when dealing with an Asian object, says Elisabet Fellbom, who has worked as an Asian art specialist at Stockholm Auction House for nearly 20 years.

Today’s market, where valuable porcelain originally made for the domestic Chinese market is especially sought after, makes valuations particularly difficult for the uninitiated.

– For anyone who isn’t an expert, it’s practically impossible to judge what is genuinely valuable and interesting with Western eyes. With the rapid digital developments, I see many private individuals trying to Google images or use AI in their research, but this is something I strongly advise against. It can go very wrong. Here, a living specialist remains by far the best tool, says Elisabet Fellbom.