Record breaking autumn sale results for Christie’s Hong Kong
The series of autumn auctions of art, ceramics, jewels and watches at Christie’s Hong Kong has achieved a grand total of $496 million – the highest annual result ever in Christie’s Asia.
Top lots included Hospital Triptych by Zeng Fanzhi (Chinese, b.1964) which fetched $14.7 million in the Asian 20th Century and Contemporary Art sale; Jinggang Mountains by Li Keran (1907-1989) which sold for $10.9 million in the Chinese Paintings sale; and a monumental and extremely rare blue and white Wanshou vase from the Kangxi period (1662-1722) which sold for $8.3 million in the Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale.
The auctions included several world auction records, including the sale of Untitled by Chu The-Chun (French/Chinese, b.1920) for $9.1 million and the sale of Spring Silkworms by Luo Zhongli (Chinese, b.1948) for $6.4 million.
“With nearly $1 billion of sales in Asia in 2013, Christie’s continues to lead the market with a 30 percent increase in sales from 2012,” said Francois Curiel, president of Christie’s Asia. “The appetite for Asian 20th Century and contemporary art, Chinese modern and classical paintings, jewellery, watches and Chinese ceramics and works of art has never been so strong.
“New interest is also evident in Western art, particularly in impressionist and modern as well as post war and contemporary. 2013 saw record prices in nearly all categories, and an ever growing participation by collectors from mainland China. Hong Kong is now firmly established as an international saleroom with New York and London. I am confident that Asia’s role as a prominent art centre can only rise in years to come.”