HONG KONG.- Commenting on Sotheby’s Hong Kong 40th Anniversary Evening Sale, Sotheby’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Ruprecht said, “Sotheby’s was at the top of its game, performing impeccably and making the most of an incredibly robust Asian art market. We saw the excitement of 11 world records as multiple bidders from around the world competed for exquisite works.”

Kevin Ching, Chief Executive Officer of Sotheby’s Asia, said: “This evening’s sale was a fitting achievement to celebrate our company’s 40 years in Asia. Our extensive global network of specialists sourced and sold rare, remarkable and fresh-to-the-market works from important collections around the world. With nearly 700 people in a standing-room-only saleroom, and many competing by phone as well, both new and established collectors responded enthusiastically to the unique opportunity to acquire works of superb quality across the categories of 20th Century Chinese Art, Contemporary Asian Art and Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art. Bidding came from 25 countries in a sale which achieved the highest total for any comparable sale in Asia, more than doubling the previous record*. Five bidders competed for more than fifteen minutes for Zeng Fanzhi’s The Last Supper, a 2001 oil-on-canvas, and applause broke out several times before the work sold for HK$180,440,000 / US$23,273,151 and set a record for a work of Contemporary Asian Art and for the work of a living Chinese artist. The sale also set records for ten other artists including Zao Wou-ki, Liu Ye, Pan Yuliang, Walter Spies, Ay Tjoe Christine, Chen Wen Hsi, Juan Luna, Cesar Legaspi, Georgette Chen and Rudi Mantofani.”

**Previous record of any comparable sale in Asia: HK$492,660,000 / US$63,306,810.

UPCOMING AUCTIONS ON 6 OCT:
The sales of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings (10:00am) and 20th Century Chinese Art (2:30pm) and Contemporary Asian Art (4pm) will take place tomorrow at Hall 3, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.