The price of a painting by Chinese master Zhang Daqian soared seven times over its estimate to $7.3m, a matching pair of “singing bird” pistols found a $5.87m target, and six magnums of 1961 Chateau Latour pulled in a sobering $232,000. All that happened at Christie’s series of wine, art, jewelry, and watch auctions over the weekend in Hong Kong. Our roundup covering the highlights follows.
ART
Works by Zhang Daqian accounted for six of the top ten sales at Christie’s auction of Fine Chinese Modern Paintings earlier today, with three paintings selling for over $6m. The Chinese master’s “Lotus” was the top lot at $7.3m. Again and again, prices blew past estimates, as predominantly Chinese buyers snapped up virtually everything on offer. Other big sellers included Cui Ruzhou’s “Finger Paintings of Landscape Album” ($5.6m), Wu Guanzhong’s “Roar” ($3.6m), and Li Keran’s “A Million Strong Across the Yangtze ($2.98m). Christie’s also staged sales of Chinese Calligraphy and Southeast Asian Art.
WATCHES
An ultra-rare matched pair of gold and diamond “dueling bird” pistols made in the early 19th century by Freres Rochat for the Chinese market had received most of the presale attention. They did not disappoint, snaring $5.9m., almost $700,000 above their high estimate. A number of wristwatches also fared exceptionally well. Two Patek Philippe watches—a 1971 pink gold perpetual calendar chronograph with moon phases, and a 2008 Skymoon Tourbillon—each sold for over $1m. Of the top 10 lots, Patek Philippe claimed seven places.
WINE
Every lot sold, most above estimates, at Christie’s Finest & Rarest Wine auction devoted to rarities from the cellar of Chateau Latour. Four 6-magnum lots from 1961 more than doubled their $109,727 high estimate, as did the 12-bottles lots from 1945, which realized $201,314. Four other lots of 12 bottles from 1961 fetched more than $185,000 each, and a single jeroboam of the same vintage sold for $170,343, or more than twice its high estimate. In all, the auction brought in $7.7m.
JEWELRY
Just one offering, a pair of cushion-shaped Golconda diamond ear pendants, accounted for $9.3m of the total $89.5m tally at Christie’s auction yesterday of Magnificent Jewels. The pendants’ winning bid represented a new world record price-per-carat for colorless Golconda stones. 20% of the lots went unsold at the auction, but a number of the lots recorded very substantial numbers. A colored diamond & diamond ring sold for $7.6m almost doubling its high estimate, and a pair of sapphire & diamond ear pendants brought in $4.1m, also above its expected range. All 10 top lots sold for more than $2m.
Read more at Christie’s.
