HONG KONG.- Christie’s Asian Art Spring live auctions in Hong Kong spanning Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art and Chinese Paintings achieved a sale total of HK$547,464,440 / US$70,460,753. Across the sales, the packed saleroom witnessed intense and enthusiastic bidding as collectors responded to the meticulously curated selection of rare and important objects with exceptional provenance. Christie’s continues to steward the world’s most prestigious single-owner collections, achieving exceptional results for the dedicated sale ‘The Ten Perfection - Qing Imperial Ceramics from the Wang Xing Lou Collection’, which was 100% sold and totalled HK$122,704,000 / US$15,772,875; and numerous esteemed single-owner collections of Chinese Paintings were also 100% sold. The Asian Art categories continue to resonate with a younger generation – millennials accounted for 40% of all new buyers to the sales.
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG | ASIAN ART LIVE AUCTIONS OVERVIEW
Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art | 30 May
Spring Live Sales Total: HK$265,143,700 / US$34,082,658
• Curation achieved 117% hammer against the low estimate, with 44% of lots surpassing high estimates
• An influx of new buyers to the category with a 70% increase in new buyers compared to Spring 2023
• Number of in-room bidders increased by 48% versus Spring 2023, with overwhelming onsite participation
Single-Owner Sale of the Wang Xing Lou Collection Totalled: HK$122,704,000 / US$15,772,875
• Museum-quality Qing imperial masterpieces 100% sold; 127% over low estimate
• New and younger buyers enticed: a quarter of buyers were new to Christie’s, and half of those were millennials
On 30 May, Christie’s Hong Kong’s Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Department presented two live auctions which realised a combined sale total of HK$265,143,700 / US$34,082,658. The saleroom was full for the dedicated auction of The Ten Perfections - Qing Imperial Ceramics from the Wang Xing Lou Collection, with competitive bidding for all of the museum-quality pieces offered. A fine and very rare carved copper-red-decorated ‘dragon’ meiping became the top lot of the sale and the entire Spring Season across all categories when it realised HK$78,125,000 / US$10,042,508. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art was headlined by a pair of important and extremely rare huanghuali yoke-back armchairs, which achieved HK$18,525,000 / US$2,381,279, and a rare white-glazed meiping sold for HK$8,820,000 / US$1,133,759, more than 14 times its low estimate.
Chinese Paintings | 31 May – 1 June
Spring Live Sale Total: HK$282,320,740 / US$36,335,752
• Spirited bidding across two days of sales resulted in 118% hammer over low estimate, and close to half of lots sold over the high estimates
• Influx of new and younger buyers: close to a quarter of buyers were new, 45% of new buyers were millennials
• Online engagement went viral, with a 78% increase in spending online
From 31 May – 1 June, Christie’s Hong Kong Chinese Paintings Department presented two live auctions which realised a combined sale total of HK$282,320,740 / US$36,335,752. Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings was led by Qi Baishi’s Countryside Pleasures, which achieved HK$14,290,000 / US$1,839,177, and Lin Fengmian’s The Four Beauties more than doubled its low estimate, totalling HK$8,820,000 / US$1,135,168. The top lot of Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy was an 8th-9th century anonymous handscroll – Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāna Sūtra No. 26 – HK$20,945,000 / US$2,695,701, which drew a passionate response and sold for over nine times its low estimate. Numerous single-owner collections of outstanding quality were 100% sold, including the collection of Dr Wong Chun Bong, and the family collections of Chong Fung Kuen, K’ung Hsiang-Hsi, Loh Cheng Chuan, and the Kwok Family.
