LONDON.- Asaph Hyman, Director of the Bonhams Chinese Art Department has been appointed a UK Board Director of the company.

He is responsible for the bi-annual Fine Chinese Art sales held in Bonhams flagship New Bond Street salerooms as well institution and private valuations in the UK and the Continent. Asaph is also involved in the company’s exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai and the Hong Kong sales.

He has been key to the Department’s huge growth since 2007 and the record breaking £24m sale achieved during the November Asian Art Week in London in 2011, an all time record for a Chinese art auction in Europe.

Asaph Hyman was educated in Israel, the USA and the UK. He has an LLB from the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and an LL.M in Trade Regulation (Antitrust & Competition Law) from New York University School of Law.

He has an M.A. in Fine and Decorative Art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. His thesis utilized a unique database created for the purpose to record close to two million pieces imported by the English East India Companies during the Kangxi period, 1685 to 1722.

During his legal career he worked with the late Justice Cohn, former Deputy President of the Israeli Supreme Court, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Israel, providing in-depth research on jurisprudence and Jewish law, followed by practicing Corporate, M&A and Antitrust law in Israel and the USA.

In 2006 he joined the Asian Art department of an international auction house and in 2007 he joined Bonhams Chinese Art Department. In 2010 he was appointed as a Director of Asian Art in London.