China is now the second largest art and antiques auction market according to a report by economist Clare McAndrew for The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF). According to her calculations auction sales in China rose to nearly 6 billion Euros to account for 23 percent of the global market in 2010.
The USA maintained its lead with 34 per cent, but the UK slipped into third place with 22 percent, down five percent since 2006.
Meanwhile Bonhams is mounting a campaign to uncover hidden, lost, or unrecognised Chinese or Japanese works of art, bronzes, jades, sculpture, ceramics, pictures or screens in private collections in Northern Ireland. Bonhams specialists Ian Glennie and Katherine Wright will visit the North on the week beginning April 4. A number of Chinese artefacts found in Northern Ireland have already made high prices at Bonhams. A jade hat finial made over £12,000 and a pair of cloisonné vases from the same collection made over £6,000. Anyone interested is asked to get in touch with Bonhams.
