NEW YORK, NY.- Over three days from 16th to 18th September in New York Sotheby’s Asian Art auctions brought a total of $ 55,122,750 – exceeding the combined pre-sale expectations of $39.6/54 million with 74% of lots sold. The top price of the week was for Bamboo And Rock, a hanging scroll by Zheng Xie which sold for $2,629,000. The piece came from the family collection of Drs. Immanuel C.Y. and Dolores M. Hsu who acquired it approximately 40 years ago. This pattern was seen throughout the week where property that had remained unseen for decades soared over the high estimate. Other highlights included A Fine And Rare Celadon-Glazed 'Dragon' Vase Kangxi Mark And Period which sold for $2,285,000, many multiples of the $200/300,000 estimate. The piece had been in the same West Coast collection since the early 20th century and was sought by no fewer than 7 bidders before selling to an Asian Private Collector, while a 15th century Nepalese Gilt-Copper Sculpture Of Indra which had been in the historic collections of the Dukes of Northumberland since the 19th century sold for several times the estimate when it fetched $785,000.

Henry Howard-Sneyd, Sotheby’s Vice Chairman, Asian Art and the lead auctioneer, commented: “For the fourth consecutive year Sotheby’s 2014 Asian Art auctions in New York have broken the $100 million barrier for the year. With a series of five sales including a blockbuster Classical Chinese Paintings auction, we once again demonstrated Sotheby’s market leadership in this field. Our long-standing relationships meant we were able to source property from many of the most world’s most distinguished private groupings, and collectors flocked to New York from across Asia to compete with an international clientel for property spanning 3,000 years of Asian Art.”

• Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art (Including Chinese Art through the Eye of Sakamoto Gorō: Song Ceramics) - September 16-17, 2014
Sales total - $16,549,500
68% Sold
Top Lot - A Fine And Rare Celadon-Glazed 'Dragon' Vase Kangxi Mark And Period Sold for $2,285,000 (est. $200/300,000)

• Images of Enlightenment: Devotional Works of Art and Paintings - September 17, 2014
Sale total - $6,057,250 (est. $3.6/5 million)
76% Sold
Top Lot - A Rare And Massive Parcel-Gilt Bronze Figure Of Ananda China, Sold for $845,000 (est. $700/900,000)

• Fine Classical Chinese Paintings & Calligraphy (Including Chinese Paintings & Calligraphy: Formerly in the Collection of General and Mrs. Zhu) - September 18, 2014
Sales total - $32,516,000
81% Sold
Top Lot - Zheng Xie, Bamboo And Rock, ink on paper, hanging scroll Sold for $2,629,000, (est. $850,000/1.2 million)