This Week’s Top Lots: May 24 – 29

Editorial Staff Art

Cat and Birds by Sanyu, c. 1950s.

*  Christie’s hosted ten major auctions in Hong Kong this week, beginning on May 24 with Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art (totaling $2.6 million with 72 of 92 lots sold); wine (totaling $3.6 million with 203 of 209 lots sold); and an evening sale of contemporary Asian and 20th-century Chinese art (totaling over $23.3 million with 34 of 38 lots sold). The top lot of the latter sale was the 1950s painting Cat and Birds by Sanyu, which sold for $5.4 million (estimate on request)-setting an auction record for the artist. Works by Zao Wou-ki fetched the next highest prices including Nous Deux (We two) that brought $4.5 million (estimate approx. $1.2-1.9 million). One particularly noteworthy sale in Southeast Asian art was Antonio Blanco’s Dancer with Drummer, which was estimated at approx. $15,000-23,000, and was sold for $204,788.

*  On May 25 three more sales at Christie’s Hong Kong surpassed expectations. Modern Chinese paintings totaled $8.8 million with 160 of 207 lots sold; the day sale of Asian contemporary art totaled $5.3 million with 122 of 160 lots sold—Liu Ye’s Rising Sun sold for $419,562 (well above the estimate of $110,000-150,000); and the day sale of 20th-century Chinese art totaled $7.7 million with 57 of 74 lots sold, with works by Zao Wou-ki again fetching top prices—two paintings each sold for $1.2 million (one was estimated at approx. $518,452-$907,290 and the other at approx. $648,065-$1.1 million).

*  At Christie’s Hong Kong on May 26 the sale of jewels totaled over $33 million with 206 of 230 lots sold. The top lot was a diamond pendant necklace (with a 20.70 pear-shaped diamond) that sold for $3.3 million (estimate on request). On the same day, the sale of Chinese classical painting and calligraphy totaled $3.8 million.

Ritual bells, Chinese, c. 1715. Courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd, 2009.


*  And finally, on May 27 at Christie’s Hong Kong were the sale of watches, which totaled $7.4 million with 312 of 330 lots sold, and the imperial sale of Chinese ceramics and works of art, which totaled $41.5 million with 127 of 186 lots sold. The top watch was a Patek Philippe platinum and enamel automatic minute repeating wristwatch that sold for $365,508 (estimate approx. $259,232-$362,925). Highlights of the latter auction included a pair of gilt-bronze ritual bells from the Bianzhong period that was the top lot at $5.8 million (estimate approx. $1.2-1.9 million), a Yongzheng period blue and white “Dragon” bottle vase that sold for just under $4 million (estimate approx. $1.5-2.3 million), and a Qianlong underglaze-blue Amphora-form vase that sold for $3.8 million (estimate on request).

Niña con Rebozo by Diego Rivera, 1935. Courtesy of Sotheby’s.

*  The sale of Latin American art at Sotheby’s New York on May 27 & 28 totaled $9.4 million with 137 of 213 lots sold. The top lot of the evening sale was Diego Rivera’s Niña con Rebozo that brought $794,500 (estimate $350,000-450,000). Also notable were the sales of Candido Portinari’s Cangaceiro for $314,500 (estimate $80,000-100,000) and Édouard-Henri-Théophile Pingret’s Procesión de la Virgen for $278,500 (estimate $150,00-200,000)—an auction record for the artist.

*  The May 28 sale of English and continental furniture and decorative arts at Sotheby’s London totaled £2.3 million. The top lot was a pair of Paul Storr silver wine coolers that sold for £79,250 (estimate £60,000-80,000). Also notable was a set of three circa 1755 armchairs attributed to Wright and Elwick that brought £70,850 (estimate £15,000-25,000). 

Fuego en el batey by Mario Carreñ, 1943. Courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd, 2009.

*  At Christie’s New York on May 28 & 29 the sale of Latin American art totaled 13.8 million. The top lot of the evening sale was Mario Carreño’s Fuego en el batey, which sold for over $2.1 million (estimate $1-2 million). An auction record was also set when Leonora Carrington’s The Giantess sold for just under $1.5 million (estimate $800,000-1.2 million).

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