HONG HONG.- The Imperial Sale and Important Chinese Ceramics Works of Art sale held on the third day (30 May) of Christie's Hong Kong Spring auction series achieved a stunning HK$331,411,800/ US$43,083,534, the highest total ever realized in this category at Christie’s. The star lot - a magnificent early Ming underglaze copper-red vase, Yuhuchunping, Hongwu Period - fetched HK$78,520,000/ US$10,207,600, setting a world auction record price for any Ming porcelain. It was sold to Mr. Steve Wynn, Chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts.

Pola Antebi, Senior Vice President, Specialist Head of the Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art Department said: “2006 marks the 20th anniversary of Christie’s in Hong Kong and we are delighted to have achieved record results in today’s auctions, with the highest total ever realized in this sale category at Christie’s. The star lot, a very rare Hongwu Period copper-red vase was purchased by Mr. Steve Wynn, Chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts who has announced that he will be donating this exceptional piece to a museum in Macau. In view of the importance of this piece, we are particularly thrilled that it will be returning to China where it can be enjoyed and appreciated by the maximum number of students and art lovers. The vase realized HK$78,520,000, a world record price for a Ming porcelain. A number of other world records were also broken during the course of today’s auctions that took place in a saleroom which could barely accommodate the extraordinary number of clients. There was spirited bidding throughout the day in all categories. The market has never been stronger for Chinese ceramics and works of art.”