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A pair of imperial gilded bronze ritual bells fetched a record HK $ 45.5 million ($ 5.9 million) in Hong Kong, the most expensive lot at Christie's International auction of Chinese antiques, where non-Asian lead bidder to buy.
The sale is Christie's first in China because the company Feb. 25 auction of art looted Qing bronzes in Paris, which sparked outrage in the nation. The Chinese government protested the sale by Christie's in control of activities on the Chinese mainland. According to China is "one country, two systems" rule, Hong Kong is not China's policy.
Christie's ceramics sale today, the last of the four-day auction tallied HK $ 322.9 million with two-thirds sold, the company said. The sale continues this afternoon for watches.
“This auction has many good items, but I’m not buying the big lots, just the small ones,” says Lu Feifei, a Shanghai-based art dealer, bought the Jade Emperor Qianlong-hilted Saber and scabbard for HK $ 59 million . and his parade armor for HK $ 14 million at Sotheby's auction of October. Lu would not say why.
Chinese bidders
Mainland China bidders who have purchased most of the priciest paintings, wine and gemstones in this auction, it turned out in force for today's ceramics sale. Top Chinese buyers at previous auctions, as Lu and Wu Qun, were spotted in the audience. Neither bid for the top lots.
Many mainland Chinese buyers by telephone, Christie's said.
“More than a third of the top ten lots were purchased by mainland clients, who were also key underbidders on the day’s top lots,” said Jonathan Stone, Christie's Business Director of Asian Art, in an e-mail statement. Chinese mainland was the second largest group of buyers in the ceramics sale, he said.
Littleton & Hennessy Asian Art Ltd, a London-based company, advises clients on buying art, buy a bell and the second-priciest item, a blue and white dragon vase, for HK $ 30.9 million. James Hennessy, the director of the company, declined to comment in person and over the phone.
Most of the Asian active bidders in the salesroom spoke primarily Cantonese or Putonghua with a Taiwanese accent, and scribbled traditional Chinese characters in their brochures, which they are either from Hong Kong or Taiwan. Mainland Chinese write using simplified Chinese script.
Antiques Hub
Hong Kong is Christie's third largest market after New York and London and its hub for the sale of Chinese antiques, with a turnover of more than HK $ 1 billion last year.
In a telephone interview earlier this month, Cai Mingchao, the Chinese art dealer, with $ 40 million bid for the Saint Laurent Qing bronzes, reiterated he does not pay. Christie's said it clarified its position on the bronzes of payment at a later date.
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