SOTHEBY’S AUTUMN 2007 SALES IN HONG KONG TOTAL HK$1.552 BILLION Today, Sotheby’s four-day Autumn series of sales (October 6-9, 2007) in Hong Kong concluded, totaling HK$1,552,412,500 (US$200,077,459)
in this category.
· Buyer breakdown by lot: 87.2% Asia (33% Hong Kong, 21% Taiwan, 18% China, 3% Singapore, 11% Indonesia; remaining S. Korea, Japan and Thailand); 9.6% Europe; and 3.2% Americas
MAGNIFICENT JEWELS AND JADEITE – October 8, 2007
· TOTAL: HK$316,845,000 (US$40,838,152) (est. HK$358,138,000-457,769,000/US$46,160,407-59,001,846) - HIGHEST-EVER TOTAL FOR A SALE OF MAGNIFICENT JEWELS AND JADEITE IN ASIA.
· Sotheby's Hong Kong smashed the auction record which had stood for over 20 years, the per-carat record for a gemstone at auction, when it sold the 6.04 carat internally-flawless emerald-cut Superb and Extremely Rare Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond Ring for HK$61,927,500 (US$7,981,835) (est. HK$35-48 million*).
· The “Irving Berlin” Emerald sold for HK$20,487,500 (US$2,640,634)
[Note: the HK$10,252,897/US$1,321,590 price per carat achieved tonight substantially exceeds the prior record price per carat of US$926,000 for the Hancock Red and almost doubled the recent per-carat price for a blue diamond achieved elsewhere at auction.]
CHINESE WORKS OF ART, INCLUDING THREE SALES – October 9, 2007
THREE-SALE TOTAL: HK$649,446,754 (US$83,109,701) (est. HK$515.4-576.3 million/US$53.8-73.7 million) - WORLD RECORD FOR ANY SERIES OF CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART SALES.
Qing Porcelain and Works of Art from a Private Collection
· TOTAL: HK$143,944,003 (US$18,420,514) (est. HK$95,000,000-135,000,000 (US$12,157,150- 17,275,950)
· A Magnificent Enameled ‘European-Subject’ Brushpot, seal mark and period of Qianlong realised HK$23,847,500 (US$3,051,765) and was sold to a Hong Kong dealer for almost double the pre-sale high estimate (HK$10-12 million).
· The sale, including 20 lots, also saw a finely enameled and rare Doucai ‘Boys’ Teapot and Cover (est. HK$3-10 million), mark and period of Yongzheng, sell for HK$11,751,500 (US$1,503,839), almost four times its pre-sale low estimate.
Lost Treasures from the Qing Palaces
· TOTAL: HK$325,799,500 (US$41,692,562) (est. HK$200,350,000-271,800,000/US$25,638,790- 34,782,246)
· The top lot was the Imperially inscribed ‘Tai Shang Huang Di’ White Jade Seal sold to a Chinese Collector for HK$46,247,500 (US$5,918,293) - RECORD FOR WHITE JADE AT AUCTION.
· All 34 lots offered were sold - known as a ‘white glove’ sale in the auction world.
· An exceptionally rare Pair of Doucai ‘Flower Petal’ Moulded Moonflasks, seal marks and period of Qianlong, which sold for HK$22,167,500 (US$2,836,775) (est. HK$8-12 million).
Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art
· TOTAL: HK$179,703,251 (US$22,996,625) (est. HK$ 125,090,000- 169,540,000 (US$ 16,007,767- 21,696,034 million)
· The sale included over 150 lots.
· Highlighting the final Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction of the day was the sale of an extremely rare Superb Blue and White ‘Dragon’ Stembowl (est. HK$9-12 million) bearing the mark of the Xuande period - only one other stembowl with similar design is recorded. The vase sold for HK$35,047,500 (US$4,485,029), almost three times the pre-sale high estimate, to the London dealer John Berwald.
· An extremely rare pair of Blue and White ‘Three Ram’ Bowls, marks and period of Jiajing, also performed exceptionally well, achieving HK$22,167,500 (US$2,836,775) (est. HK$4-6 million).
IMPORTANT WATCHES – October 9, 2007
· TOTAL: HK$39,562,751 (US$5,099,243) (est. HK$23,962,000-32,732,000/US$3,088,462-4,218,827) - RECORD FOR A VARIOUS OWNERS SALE OF WATCHES AT SOTHEBY’S IN
