The series of Spring sales at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong this week totalled US$406.1 million. This is equivalent to the strong sales results recorded last year. Sotheby’s cel Tad Smith said: “Outstanding results in our traditional categories of Chinese ceramics and painting were joined by records across a range of collecting fields including western contemporary art and jewellery”.
With increased participation from mainland China and buoyant demand from collectors in Asia and the west the series established records for the Pink Star diamond, the Xuande fish bowl, a piece of western Contemporary art sold in Asia, a record per carat price for a fancy intense blue diamond and a record for any whiskey lot ever sold at auction with The Macallan in Lalique which sold for US$989,423. There was increased online purchase with an 80% increase in lots over HK$41 million sold online.
(See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for April 4, April 3 and March 29)