Sotheby's sale of Ritual Chinese Bronzes fetches $16.8 million

KOLKATA: In the wake of Tuesday's (September 17) electric white-glove sale of Chinese Bronzes in New York, Sotheby's has now revealed that the total estimate for its forthcoming autumn sales series in Hong Kong is higher than ever before in the company's history. Incidentally, Sotheby's New York's sale of Magnificent Ritual Chinese Bronzes on 17 September 2013 achieved $16.8 million, triple the high estimate of $5.3 million, with 100% of lots sold.


Enormous growth in demand from Asian clients has brought some spectacular treasures to the market which will be offered in a blockbuster $370 million line up. Thus far this year, global bidding activity of Asian collectors at Sotheby's has already surpassed that of the whole of 2012, according to a Sotheby's spokesperson.

Soon after these sales have happened, the spotlight will move to Beijing in early December when Sotheby's will become the first-ever international auction house to stage a major auction in the city. In parallel, the company will move into high gear as a multi-channel art business by mounting a series of exciting selling exhibitions and events in Hong Kong, Beijing and Taipei.