Hong Kong Auctions - Spring 2002

By Orientations & Catherine Maudsley

Vase China, Yongzheng period (1723-35) Porcelain with "famille-rose" enamels Height 40 cm Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale, Hong Kong, 7 May 2002, lot 532 Price: HK$41.5 million (unpublished estimate HK$15/25 million)

The spring auction season in Hong Kong began on 28 April with the firstever sale by Christie's of `Southeast Asian and 20th Century Indian Pictures'. With the recent legal troubles of the two major auction houses, a surfeit of celebrity auctions, and sales becoming a routine calendar fixture, the auction as an `event' has lost some of its shine in the West. However, it would appear that there is still an emerging market in Asia, and nowhere was it more evident than in this packed room.

Since sales for Southeast Asian paintings are usually held in Singapore, some had questioned whether it had been aesthetically appropriate to put these paintings next to Chinese material and whether there was a market for them in Hong Kong. This bold move proved to be a canny piece of marketing, however, and met with phenomenal success. A total of HK$32,323,955 was achieved, the highest for a Southeast Asian sale, with 100 per cent of the lots selling. It also brought a new element of participation to Asia Week in Hong Kong, as many collectors and dealers from Southeast Asia who had come for the occasion ventured into the Chinese market, acquiring several of the top lots in the `20th Century Chinese Art' sale which followed.

There was active participation from the room, numerous lots opened with absentee bids, and the telephones were busy. The fact that many lots were eventually acquired by bidders who entered late into the fray only added to the excitement. The presence of many collectors who were at the Hong Kong sales for the first time lent a spontaneity to the atmosphere, euphoria was much in evidence; and an Indonesian gentleman would let out whoops of joy when his bid was accepted. All the top ten lots went to collectors.

Alice Cheng and Ambassador Odgen Reid, China Club, Hong Kong, April 2002

The selection of paintings could be deemed a `safe' one, with an emphasis on historical importance and good provenance. There were several works from the collections of Josias Leão, a former Brazilian ambassador to Indonesia, and the widow of Philippine artist Vicente S. Manasala, and many lots had been directly acquired from the artist by the consignors. The sale opened strongly with pre-sale interest in three small jewel-toned canvases by the Dutch artist Arie Smit translating into fevered bidding in the room. The estimates were modest, but as each work came on the block, the prices began to rise. On the Way to the Temple went for HK$53,775 more than three times its estimate of HK$14/16,000 (lot 1). The two subsequent lots Pura (Temple) and a Balinese landscape, achieved HK$131,450 and HK$119,500, four to five times their estimates (lots 2 and 3; estimates HK$18/28,000 and HK$20/30,000).

The million-dollar mark was crossed early in the sale at lot 11, an oil on canvas entitled The Dream by Philippine artist Antonio Blanco; it went for HK$1,064,100, more than ten times its lower estimate (HK$90/120,000). Two vividly coloured oil paintings of Balinese scenes by the Belgian Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès also obtained seven-figure prices. As indicated by the high estimates, La Mayeur, as he was known, is an established favourite with collectors of Indonesian painting. Wayang sold for HK$1,944,100 (lot 18; estimate HK$700/900,000). By the Lotus Pond, which came with a hand-carved frame designed by the artist, was a subject which La Mayeur had painted several times; it went to an Indonesian collector for HK$2,934,100 (lot 19; estimate HK$0.9/1.4 million). There were also several works on paper by La Mayeur, including Ni Pollok Resting, a sketch of his wife and muse, which went for HK$65,725 (lot 15; estimate HK$30/40,000).

There were excited whispers in the room as three auction records were set. The first was for the cover lot (45), Portrait of Fernanda de Jesus, by Philippine artist Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (unpublished estimate). Bidding began at HK$1 million and quickly rose to HK$2,934,100 before the hammer came down. The 1915 painting is one of the earliest recorded works by Amorsolo, an influential painter who sought to present idealized images as nationalist symbols. This was followed a Cubist painting, Crucifixion by Manasala, which the artist presented to his wife for their wedding anniversary in 1973; it sold within estimate for HK$1,119,110 (lot 50; estimate HK$1.1/1.5 million). The last was a market scene by Hendra Gunawan, one of Indonesia's pioneering modernists, which sold for more than three times its estimate at HK$2,494,100 (lot 78; estimate HK$700/ 900,000). A `communist' artist, he painted the common people and was imprisoned for thirteen years because of his political beliefs. The pronounced facial features, strong colours applied in expressive swirls are characteristics of Gunawan's works.

Yongzheng period vase converted for use as a lamp, belonging to Ambassador Ogden Reid, Ophir Cottage, Waccabuc, NY

The murmurs in the room increased as the earliest work in the sale came up, Raden Saleh's The Lion Hunt (lot 20; estimate HK$1.2/1.6 million). It was widely tipped to be the top lot, and it performed to expectations. Everyone tried to see who was bidding in the room and there was some confusion as to whether an American dealer acting on behalf of an Indonesian client had placed a bid or not; eventually the painting was his for HK$4,364,100. Saleh, who was greatly influenced by European Romanticism, was one of first Indonesians to paint in the Western style. The painting had once been in the collection of Prince Albert von Saxen Coburg-Gotha and was possibly shown at the 1840 Dresden exhibition which brought Saleh to prominence. The only sculpture, a Mother and Son image by But Mochtar from the Leão collection, was the subject of a bidding war between buyers in the room and on the telephone. The Giacometti-inspired work had been one of the consignor's favourite pieces and was even featured in a painting by another famous Indonesian artist, Affandi. Eventually, it sold for $501,900 (lot 61; estimate HK$120/140,000). Even though Vietnamese and Indonesian paintings sold, they did not achieve the spectacular prices of their Indonesian and Philippine counterparts. Most prices were within estimate or slightly over. The highest prices HK$191,200 and HK$776,550, paid by the same buyer for Jeunes Tonkinoises and Le Hamac, two works by Joseph Inguimberty, were below estimate (lots 34 and 35; estimates HK$200/300,000 and HK$800,000/1 million). Rendered in a formal, academic style, the latter work has the distinction of being one of two existing monumental paintings by the artist.

Several Southeast Asian museums had sent observers to the sale, and many felt that they were unable to compete against collectors, as the prices for paintings from their home regions were too high given their budgetary limitations. However, with works of quality available and still-affordable prices, Indian contemporary paintings offer a viable alternative to building up museum collections, and several pieces in this section of the sale are believed to have gone to museums. Members of Hong Kong's Indian community are also active collectors in this area and many came to the sale. Works by established masters like Husain and Gaitonde achieved strong prices. Bidding for an untitled canvas of a visually arresting female form by the latter began at HK$80,000 and quickly rose to HK$310,700 (lot 90; estimate HK$120/180,000). The highest price, HK$358,500, paid for a work in this section was for a late painting by Gaitonde, an abstract canvas of geometric forms rendered in shades of ochre (lot 96; estimate HK$250/300,000).

Ambassador and Mrs Odgen Reid, China Club, Hong Kong, April 2002

The `20th Century Chinese Art' sale which followed was another record-breaking success for Christie's, raising a total of HK$23,268,965. There were 52 works on offer, with 86.54 per cent sold by lot (97.285 per cent were sold by value). This sale is usually held in Taipei, but as part of a strategy to refocus and centralize the house's sales activities in Asia, it has moved to Hong Kong. It is hoped that the change in venue will give the field more international exposure. The selection indicated an emphasis on historical perspective and a concern for the development of contemporary art. The efforts of Christie's Taipei showed in a handsomely illustrated and well-annotated catalogue whose content and presentation was clearly well thought out.

The works on offer ranged across several generations of artists trained in China, Taiwan, and overseas in Europe or North America, from the avant garde to the conservatively traditional. A buoyant mood was established at the beginning. The top lots went to private buyers, either Asian or Southeast Asian.

The first works up were a group of sketches, in gunpowder and ink on paper, which were plans for Cai Guoqiang's large-scale blast-impression outdoor works (lots 121-29; estimate HK$130/160,000). All sold above estimate, ranging from HK$215,100 each for two works from the Project for Extraterrestrial series, No. 8: Reviving the Ancient Signal Towers and No. 7: Rebuilding the Berlin Wall (lots 121 and 124), to HK$406,300 for The Vague Border at the Edge of the Time/Space Project (lot 129). Previously shown in Paris and Japan, fierce competition was expected among international buyers for these sketches. Bidding by telephone and from those in the room was quick and determined. Although the prices achieved did not place them among the best sellers, they went towards securing a cutting-edge reputation for Christie's.

The top lot was Chen Chenbo's Chia-Yi Park, a 1937 oil on canvas which sold for HK$5,794,100 to a Southeast Asian buyer bidding by telephone (lot 147; estimate HK$1.5/2 million). A scene from Chen's hometown is depicted in intense colour with vigorous and swirling brushwork. It established a world record price for the artist, and was the highest achieved at auction for a painting by a Taiwan artist. Yun Gee's Old Broadway in Winter, a rendering of a New York street scene in the 1930s, which went for HK$2,934,100 to an Asian collector, also set a record and was the sale's second highest lot (lot 148; estimate HK$2.2/3.3 million). An earlier work by the artist, Seated Man Wearing a Hat, sold to a private buyer for HK$573,600 (lot 149; estimate HK$350/450,000).

The four abstract images painted in oil on canvas during the 1950s and 1960s by France-based artist Zao Wou-ki were all placed in the top ten. An Asian collector acquired 1-8-67, for HK$954,100 and La chaine de montagnes vertes for HK$776,750 (lots 139 and 138; estimates HK$480/580,000 and HK$550/650,000 respectively). Sweet Home sold for HK$740,900 to an Asian buyer bidding by telephone (lot 136; estimate HK$600/800,000), and Montaignes enchaînées went for HK$597,500 to an Asian buyer in the room (lot 137; estimate HK$480/580,000).

The only sculptures in the sale, a pair of bronze figures from Ju Ming's Taichi Shadow Boxing series, sold for HK$836,500 to the buyer of the two Zao Wou-ki paintings (lot 145; estimate HK$350/450,000). Xu Beihong's Self-Portrait; Cavorting Lions, a double-sided work in oil on board, painted circa 1922, during his formative years in Berlin, sold for HK$2,054,100 to an Asian collector on the telephone (lot 146; estimate HK$2/3 million).

The 163 lots in the `Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings' sale achieved a total HK$21,746,795, with 66.87 per cent sold by lot (75.77 per cent by value). The auction was a rare opportunity to acquire some of Qi Baishi's seals - the set of 35 artist seals in various sizes, including some of Chen Shizeng's, totalling fifty seal faces, sold to an Asian collector bidding by telephone for HK$2,054,100, making it the sale's top lot (lot 293; estimate HK$1.8/2 million). One of two cover lots, Bundles of Lychee, a hanging scroll by Qi with branches and leaves rendered in ink tones and fruit in red, sold for HK$776,750 to a bidder who was active throughout the sale (lot 301; estimate HK$700/900,000).

Zhang Daqian's 1958 Lotus, a set of six scrolls mounted as a folding screen in ink on gold paper, went to a Taiwan collector for HK$1,724,100, the sale's second highest lot (lot 268; estimate HK$1.5/1.8 million). Scholar, an early work by the artist, exceeded expectations and was met with strong interest, before going to a Taiwan dealer for HK$1,284,100, making it the sale's third highest lot (lot 263; estimate HK$500/600,000). A composed yet alert scholar is depicted sitting on a riverbank under two trees, one fully verdant and the other leafless with spiky branches.

Eighteen works by Lin Fengmian, from a private collection, were on offer at the beginning of the sale (lots 201-18). The highlight, Eight Beauties from the Court, a large horizontal work in ink and colour on paper, achieved HK$1,174,100 (lot 210; estimate HK$600/ 800,000). All but five of the group sold, mostly near estimate, except for Lady Playing Qin, which fared even better, going for HK$478,000 (lot 211; estimate HK$200/250,000). A second group of Lin's works, the property of Dino Terese Markowitz, the artist's daughter, was included towards the end of the sale. Three Dunhuang Apsara paintings were acquired by the same Taiwan buyer for HK$215,100; HK$227,050 and HK$203,150 respectively (lots 354, 355 and 356, each with an estimate of HK$150/200,000).

The sale of `Fine Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy' comprised 78 lots and realized a total of HK$14,274,415, with 69.23 per cent sold by lot (77.62 per cent by value). After extended bidding, the top lot, Bada Shanren's Myna Birds and Rocks, went to an Asian collector in the room for HK$4,694,100, to establish a world auction record for the artist (lot 468; estimate HK$1.2/1.5 million). There was much competition for this lot, which had an excellent provenance and a strong publication and exhibition history. The composition of eight birds, each in a distinctive pose, set against a rocky background, was painted in 1690 and affixed with two of the artist's seals.

Another painting of birds, Lin Liang's Eagles in a Winter Forest a large hanging scroll in ink on silk, signed and affixed with a seal of the artist's, sold to an Asian museum for HK$537,750, making it the sale's third top lot (lot 430; estimate HK$500/600,000). This institution proved to be the sale's single most active bidder, and was successful in acquiring eight other lots, including Dong Qichang's Landscapes, an album of eight ink-on-paper leaves painted in 1607, when the artist was 52, and inscribed again in 1620 (lot 433; estimate HK$500/600,000). It fetched the same price as Lin Liang's Eagles. In addition, the museum also acquired works by Ming painters Wu Wei, Wang Qi and Wen Zhengming, Qing painters Wu Li and Qian Du, and some anonymous works. Cheng-Ming Ma, Christie's International Director of Chinese Paintings, noted that the sale attracted an international mix of buyers, including private collectors, dealers and museums.

Twelve calligraphy and painting lots followed the next day at the `Imperial Sale'; all but one sold and many prices surpassed expectations. A world record was established for a classical work and for an item of Chinese calligraphy a Huayan Sutra album written by the Southern Song artist Zhang Jizhi sold to an Asian collector for HK$8,874,100 (lot 552; unpublished estimate). The album of 52 double leaves of carefully written kaishu (regular script) is one of the most important pieces of Chinese calligraphy to have appeared at auction. Comparable pieces by the calligrapher are in the collections of China's Liaoning Provincial Museum and Japan's Tokyo National Museum. The careful yet powerful brushstrokes convey vitality and individuality. The album has an impressive provenance, and had been authenticated by connoisseurs over several centuries before becoming part of the Qing imperial collection. There are also thirteen collection seals of the Qianlong emperor. An anonymous 18th/19th century Portrait of Yunreng, Prince Li went for HK$501,900 (lot 584; estimate HK$80/100,000) but one of the star attractions of the sale, an early unsigned painting of a Studio in the Shade of Pine Trees by the Yuan painter Chu Zongdao did not sell.

Sotheby's sale of `Fine Chinese Paintings' on 6 May realized HK$26,964,240 with 69.7 per cent of 165 lots selling, achieving 62.42 per cent by value. Several of the top lots were acquired by new collectors, with four of the top ten selling to bidders on the telephone. The mood of the sale was one of focused bidding at a steady pace, with some noticeably high reserves.

There was a small group of classical paintings by Ming and Qing artists, the most outstanding of which was lot 110, Dong Qichang's Album of Landscapes and Calligraphy, comprising eight leaves. Painted in 1641, it has been in various private collections and has impeccable provenance. In the last century, it passed through the hands of C.T. Loo, Jean-Pierre Dubosc and Franco Vanotti. Expected to raise around HK$8 million, it met with only lukewarm response from the room, and was left unsold.

In the contemporary section, works by Zhang Daqian, Chen Shaomei, Qi Baishi, Li Keran and Wu Guanzhong made up the top lots. An auction record was established for Chen Shaomei's work when Mountains in Summer sold, after spirited bidding, to an Asian collector by telephone for HK$1,404,000 (lot 28; estimate HK$350/500,000). This large undated work in ink and colour on gold paper had been illustrated in numerous publications since 1980.

28 works from the Huai Xuan Cottage Collection belonging to Kuang Zhongyin, a student of Zhang Daqian, were on offer. The group consisted mostly of works by Zhang, but also included paintings by Pu Ru (lots 42, 58, 59, 60 and 62), Wang Zhen (lot 49), Wu Zheng (lot 50) and Huang Junbi (lot 56). The star piece was also the top lot: Zhang's 1946 Reproduction of Dunhuang Fresco: Mahasattva sold to a Taiwan collector for HK$2.86 million (lot 48; estimate HK$1.8/2.5 million). This depiction of a standing Buddhist deity is rendered in fine outlines and rich reds, blues and greens. At HK$1.852 million, Zhang's 1980 Clouds at Mount Ali, a work of strikingly contrasted dark-toned ink and blank spaces, was the sale's second top lot, selling to London dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi (lot 125; estimate HK$0.9/1.2 million).

There was determined bidding for paintings by Qi Baishi, three of which achieved excellent results. A 1938 work, Drunken Man, a classic subject for the artist, finally sold after spirited bidding for HK$1.121 million to Hong Kong collectors (lot 136; estimate HK$500/700,000). Wisteria (lot 78; estimate HK$250/350,000) also sold well above estimate at HK$849,600 to a telephone bidder. Painted in 1931, it was dedicated to the commander-in-chief of the Chongqing garrison, Wang Zuanxu. The artist's 1940 painting of chrysanthemums, Autumn Festivity sold to an Asian collector in the room for HK$826,000 (lot 76; estimate HK$400/600,000).

Of the four Li Keran paintings in the auction, the 1985 Mountain Village was the most important (lot 139; estimate HK$600/700,000). A large mountain in lush ink dominates the scene, with a village nestled in the foreground. It sold for HK$1,038,400 to Hong Kong buyers who had acquired Qi Baishi's Drunken Man. All four Wu Guanzhong paintings sold within or above estimate. Two large horizontal works, Mountainscape, colourfully rendered in long winding brushstrokes and short, abrupt splashes and Heavenly Pond with its blue pond set against mountains, went to Hong Kong's Lok Ku Gallery for HK$767,000 and HK$566,400 respectively (lots 133 and 144; estimates HK$600/800,000 and HK$400/600,000). Zhang Daqian's Landscape; Calligraphy Couplet a 1949 painting flanked by calligraphy added in 1951, sold for HK$649,000 on the telephone (lot 24; estimate HK$400/600,000). The buyer, an Asian collector, also successfully bid for other works by Zhang, Qi Baishi and Liu Kuiling.

In defiance of current economic uncertainties, numerous international collectors and dealers who attended the ceramics and works of art sales bid aggressively but selectively, breaking more records. Not even the worldwide increase in buyer's premiums seemed to deter clients who are possibly more comfortable at present investing in art than in the equities market. The increase is probably necessary to counterbalance the reduction in sellers' commissions that the competitive houses are forced to make in order to win consignments. Christie's new structure is 19.5 per cent per lot on the first HK$780,000 and 10 per cent thereafter. Sotheby's charges 18 per cent on the first HK$1 million and 12 per cent thereafter for fine art.

Christie's had their share of records in `The Imperial Sale: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' on 29 April. Four were broken, and a total of HK$122,750,215 was achieved for 137 of 214 lots offered (64.02 per cent by lot; 82.61 per cent by value). Although Anthony Lin, Chairman of Christie's Asia, had anticipated strong participation from the many collectors who had come to take part in the Southeast Asia paintings sale, he had not expected their positive response to contribute so extensively to the overall strength of other categories in the sale.

The high point of this sale was the competition between a telephone bidder and My Humble House of Taipei for a large embroidered silk thangka, resulting in the former paying HK$30,874,100 (lot 542; unpublished estimate HK$10/12 million), a record price for an Asian textile. The exquisite embroidery depicts Raktayamari embracing his consort Vajraveltali, and bears a Yongle mark in its top right-hand corner. Documented as having been given by the ruler of Sikkim, Sir Tashi Namgyal, to Alan Palmer, a commander in the British forces, in 1943/44, it was first offered for sale, catalogued as 19th century, at Christie's London in 1977, and bought by Ravi Kumar for L7,500. It was then consigned by the Jain Foundation for Art and Culture to Christie's New York, who catalogued it as Yongle period; it sold on 2 June 1994 to New York collector Michael Steinhardt for US$1 million, a record price for an Asian textile at that time.

The question of ownership was contested then and again prior to its sale in Hong Kong by dealer/researcher Nik Douglas who claimed to have purchased the textile with Kumar. However, based on the earlier ruling by a New York court, it appears that Steinhardt had clear title to consign it to Christie's Hong Kong. Since he purchased it in 1994, it has been exhibited at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and by Gisèle Croës at the Biennale in Paris. Having convinced Steinhardt to expose the thangka to East Asian collectors through the Hong Kong imperial sale, Theow Tow, Deputy Chairman of Christie's Americas, felt gratified. He noted that all the underbidders had an opportunity to appreciate the visual impact of the work during its preview in Taipei. Douglas, who had attempted but failed to sell to Steinhardt the silk brocade mount and veil which have been in his possession since 1977 and are, he believes, of the same period, might yet have an opportunity to reunite them with the thangka.

Another collector, who had attended the preview of highlights in New York, broke yet another world record for Yuan period ceramics when he successfully bid, also through Tow, on lot 607, a dish with a unique design in inky blue of a carp swimming among water plants in the centre, surrounded by a cavetto of crisply moulded peonies, perfectly juxtaposing the positive and the negative. The price of HK$9,974,100 (estimate HK$6/8 million) broke the dish's prior record of US$1.1 million set by Hong Kong collector T.T. Tsui at Sotheby's New York on 12 September 1987. Wanli period ceramics also met with success. A record price for wucai was paid by Taiwan dealer Michael Wang for lot 561, a circular box and cover. It sold for HK$6,894,100 (unpublished estimate HK$7 million). Originally in the J.C. Gilmore collection, it had been exhibited at The Art Institute of Chicago from 1974 to 2000. Pola Antebi of Christie's Hong Kong noted that among its attributes are its unique design in brilliant colour of a writhing dragon confronting a phoenix, its pristine condition but for some wear on the lid due to its convex shape, and its perfectly fitted cover. A comparative example in the Umezawa Kinenkan Museum in Tokyo is designated an Important Art Object but, according to Antebi, is not in such fine condition.

Famille-rose wares did well, particularly those examples considered unique, such as a Qianlong period lantern vase and cover with two landscape panels in famille-rose on a sepia and grisaille ground imitating marble (lot 566). It went to a collector for HK$3,154,100 (estimate HK$2.8/3.8 million). Competitive bidding among collectors and dealers on a Yongzheng period bowl decorated with peonies resulted in a collector having to pay HK$3,594,100 (lot 567; estimate HK$1.5/2 million), well in excess of its previous price at auction. It had been sold as one of a pair at Sotheby's London on 2 March 1971 for L1,300. Despite previous demand for `hundred deer' vases, the example offered this time failed to find a buyer (lot 572; estimate HK$3.5/4 million).

There continues to be demand for Ming and Qing period lacquerware. Hong Kong dealer Elegant Wong was active in this area and succeeded in buying two important examples embellished with cinnabar lacquer. His first purchase was a teapot incised with a Qianlong six-character mark, the only known example of a Yixing body decorated with carved cinnabar lacquer - he paid HK$1,394,100 (lot 534; estimate HK$0.8/1 million). The second, also of interest to scholars for its historical reference, was a dated moulded gourd dish of the Kangxi period (lot 523). Its lacquered interior bears a Kangxi mark in high relief against a diaper ground. It sold to Wong for HK$119,500 (estimate HK$60/80,000). Half of the jades on offer sold, with the highest price going to a Qianlong period cylindrical white jade brush pot with an intricately carved landscape. Such examples of even colour, good size and fine carving rarely appear at auction. It sold for HK$1,119,100 (lot 557; estimate HK$500/700,000), well in excess of the HK$105,000 paid at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 2 December 1976. Competition on a late 18th/early 19th century jadeite wrist rest pushed the price to HK$262,900 (lot 711; estimate HK$30/50,000). Of rectangular shape, the highly translucent stone is carved as a section of bamboo with birds perched on flowering prunus branches. Antebi noted that the piece had been consigned by a collector, and its `freshness' prompted widespread interest.

There is still some resistance to Qing period cloisonné and to gilt-bronze wares, particularly the larger examples that are not easy to display. For example, lot 703, a massive Ming period gilt-bronze Daoist figure, failed to find a buyer at HK$2/2.5 million. Although a Yongle period gilt-bronze seated Bhaishajyaguru sold below estimate, Antebi considered the HK$2,274,100 paid by a collector a good price (lot 541; estimate HK$2.5/3.5 million).

Active bidding by collectors of Buddhist material who are also interested in top-quality porcelain, helped push up prices on enamelled ceramic Buddhist forms, particularly of the Qianlong period. London dealer Richard Littleton was the eventual winner on a set of eight emblems in the form of lotus flowers, each supported on a stem and base and topped with a detachable bajixiang (lot 535). After competitive bidding, this rarely seen complete set sold for HK$3,594,100 (estimate HK$2/2.5 million). A similar set had been sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 29 October 2001 for HK$3,234,750. Also representing the height of technical achievement in enamelling and an unusual ceramic form was a famille-rose pagoda (lot 536). It went for HK$836,500 (estimate HK$400/600,000). Competitive bidding among Asian collectors was seen again for a Qianlong/Jiaqing period elaborately gilt-decorated and enamelled figure of Avalokiteshvara which sold for HK$812,600 (lot 539; estimate HK$450/550,000). The kneeling figure, with hand raised in a gesture of offering, is probably modelled on a Xuande period gilt-bronze original. Equally successful was a Beijing enamelled snuff bottle painted with a European landscape in puce; its appeal to snuff bottle collectors and those interested in fine enamelling from the palace workshops led to competitive bidding. It went to a collector bidding on the telephone for HK$2,274,100 (lot 526; estimate HK$1.1/1.3 million). It had previously been sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 5 November 1997 for HK$1.01 million.

Antebi noted that, as at previous sales of imperial wares, there was active bidding from Asian and some Western collectors on decorative items with imperial reference. For example, great interest was shown in a late Qing period carpet finely woven with a central full-faced dragon surrounded by Buddhist emblems in silk and gilded metallic thread and bearing a hallmark reading `Palace of Peace and Longevity' (Ningshou Gong). It went for HK$537,750 (lot 583; estimate HK$180/220,000). Also sought after by collectors was a Qianlong period sword and scabbard (lot 585); it sold for HK$573,600 (estimate of HK$250/350,000).

Eclipsing all previous auctions of Chinese ceramics was Sotheby's `Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art' sale on 7 May of a magnificent Yongzheng period vase which sold for HK$41.5 million (lot 532; unpublished estimate HK$15/25 million). The vase had been in the Reid family for some 100 years and had been used as a lamp in their home in New York. However, its destiny was altered dramatically in February when Mee-Seen Loong and Joe-Hynn Yang of Sotheby's Chinese department in New York were shown a snapshot of the vase taken by a specialist who had been doing an appraisal of the Reids' silver collection. The lamp was immediately taken in by Sotheby's for dismantling and careful examination by Loong and Yang (see discussion on p. 73.) It was decided unanimously to offer it in Hong Kong, and a team of specialists including Loong, Yang, Julian Thompson, Henry Howard-Sneyd and Jason Tse proceeded to promote the vase. Private viewings were arranged for leading collectors and it was on view at Sotheby's in New York and Taipei as well as Beijing and Shanghai, which indicates how seriously Sotheby's values the mainland Chinese buyers according to Henry Howard-Sneyd, Managing Director of Sotheby's China and Southeast Asia. As anticipated, the maturity of the market and the number of self-assured buyers was evident in the strength and depth of the bidding. There were at least five bidders in the room, and more on the telephone, but a show of hands could not keep pace with the rapid and determined bidding from Hong Kong collector Alice Cheng against Hong Kong dealer William Chak, probably on behalf of a mainland collector. Cheng was reported to be willing to pay up to HK$50 million. The three-curved shape, consisting of a swelling body rising from the splayed foot and ending in a trumpet mouth, can be seen in three other similarly decorated blue-and-white pieces; however this is the only known example decorated in the famille-rose palette. The composition and subtle shadings of the two peach branches and bats against a very white porcelain represent the remarkable achievements of potters at the imperial workshops during this brief period.

Even famille-rose wares without marks were in demand. For example, a Qianlong period basin, similarly auspiciously decorated with peaches and bats on its interior floor and the emblems of the Eight Immortals on the rim, sold to an Asian collector for HK$4.54 million (lot 533; estimate HK$2/3 million). The spur marks on the base were imaginatively concealed with blue and yellow florettes. Jason Tse of Sotheby's Hong Kong noted that examples with such quality enamels are rarely seen. Of international appeal are the rare group of yuzhi marked porcelains enamelled in the Forbidden City imperial workshops at the end of the Kangxi period. A ruby-ground bowl decorated with peonies in the famille-rose palette is catalogued as being from this group. Conservatively estimated due to minor condition problems, it sold to a telephone bidder for HK$7.004 million (lot 534; estimate HK$3/4 million). A number of Hong Kong dealers who had not been at the sales in recent years were once again bidding. For example, Joseph Chan was the successful bidder on a Yongzheng bowl, its perfect shape elegantly decorated with chrysanthemums. It sold to him for HK$2.524 million (lot 535; estimate HK$1.8/2.5 million). Later famille-rose wares also did well with an 18th century baluster vase going for HK$224,200 (lot 531; estimate HK$60/80,0000). Its attractive shape is painted with a scene of the Three Star Gods playing with four boys in a garden setting.

Most of the famille-verte and doucai wares sold. Notable among the former was a Kangxi period baluster vase decorated with two ladies seated in a garden. Rare for its large size (36.5 cm) and, according to Tse, possibly the only known example with a mark, it sold for HK$1.003 million (lot 556; estimate HK$500/700,000).

Qing period blue and copper-red wares were in demand, particularly those decorated with dragons. For example, a Qianlong period moonflask with a full-faced leaping dragon in vibrant ruby colour amid clouds and above waves in underglaze blue went for HK$767,000 (lot 576; estimate HK$400/500,000). Sotheby's had based their estimate of HK$6/8 million for a Yongzheng period tianqiuping (lot 580) on two similar examples which had recently been sold in China. Tse's telephone bidder was determined to win this example, and the vase exceeded expectations to sell for HK$8.796 million. Boldly decorated with a single dragon in copper red chasing a flaming pearl against a background of cobalt blue clouds, it had been sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 2 May 1995 for HK$3.98 million. Another recent noticeable trend is the demand for meiping, particularly those decorated with dragons or unusual designs. A Yongzheng period example decorated with nine dragons in vivid copper red against a dense ground of rolling blue waves sold for HK$4.316 million (lot 579; estimate HK$0.8/1 million). Other than a slightly worn base mark, the vase was in perfect condition. It had been sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong on 22 May 1979 for HK$44,000.

There was selective buying for the Qing monochromes, with one exception: again a meiping attracted numerous bidders. Richard Littleton successfully outbid them all, paying HK$4.092 million for this Yongzheng period vase with a luxurious celadon glaze (lot 510; estimate HK$1.5/2 million). Tse commented that he had never seen such a large example, as most are around 20 centimetres. It was from a Japanese collection and typically, therefore, in perfect condition.

There were buyers for the Wanli period wucai wares, except for the two tops lots - high estimates and minor condition problems were possibly the reason for resistance on the two beaker vases (lots 548 and 552). However Tse considered that a bowl decorated with dragons was a steal at HK$472,000 (lot 550; estimate HK$200/300,000).

A select group of Song and Yuan ceramics was offered, but only two found buyers. One of these, a rarely seen set of a Song/Yuan period mallow-shaped Jun ware flowerpot with its matching narcissus bowl had received a lot attention during the preview. According to Tse, it is of the classic type that appeals to `experienced and senior dealers'. It sold to Joseph Chan for HK$3.98 million (lot 520; estimate HK$3.5/4 million).

Yet another highlight of the auction was the competition between Joseph Chan, Giuseppe Eskenazi and telephone bidders for a Yongle period blue-and-white ewer. Good examples of Ming blue-and-white are rarely seen at auction now and justifiably prices are catching up with those paid for Qing period wares. The ewer, decorated with plants and reminiscent of a Sassanian metalwork form, finally went to Mee-Seen Loong's bidder on the telephone, possibly a Hong Kong collector, for HK$9.58 million (lot 564; estimate HK$3.5/4.5 million).

Although there was pre-sale interest from museums and collectors in a Qianlong period zitan shrine, there was no bidding on this lot (622) and it failed to sell at its HK$5/7 million estimate. Its large size might have been a deterrent for a collector; however, its uniqueness and historic value makes it an ideal museum acquisition.

In their efforts to introduce new categories, Sotheby's offered a selection of early 20th century ceramics; however, most failed to sell. Their attempt to offer the Chang Hsueh Chuang Yixing wares as a whole also failed to elicit much interest, although two bidders competed on a teapot in the form of a lotus pod; it finally sold for HK$224,200 (lot 679; estimate HK$30/40,000).

Sotheby's achieved HK$109,058,200 for 81 of the 183 lots offered (44.26 per cent by lot; 83.95 per cent by value). Howard-Sneyd commented: `It is always gratifying to break a world record, but the rest of the sale proved how strong the market is and how active the Hong Kong collectors are.' Based on these results, both houses anticipate that it will be comparatively easier to get consignments for their autumn sales.