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Auctions

Auctions
Reporting on the latest auctions of luxury goods, including watches, handbags, high jewellery and fine art
Beijing Circus by Sanyu is among the highlights of “Beyond the Abstract”, an exhibition at Sotheby’s Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
Style Edit

Style Edit: Sotheby’s Hong Kong presents a history of abstract art

From ancient artefacts to Joan Mitchell and Mark Rothko, “Beyond the Abstract” is the most sweeping survey of abstract art ever shown in Greater China.

My Obsession

‘We didn’t play with toys, we played with jewels’: meet the man born for the rostrum

United States

Triceratops skeleton ‘Trey’ to hit the auction block as dinosaur market soars

Hong Kong society

‘H’ races to riches: car plate fetches HK$20 million at Hong Kong auction

Other high bids at Sunday’s Chinese New Year auction include plates ‘30’ at HK$4.55 million, ‘101’ at HK$1.01 million and ‘2288’ at HK$470,000.

The auctioneer gestures as the “H” plate goes up for sale at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Photo: Handout
United States

Unique Pokemon card smashes world record with US$16.5 million sale

Previously bought by US YouTuber Logan Paul for US$5.28 million in 2021, the card sold for three times that amount at an auction on Monday.

Art

Big 3 auction houses report uptick in 2025 sales, but Asia still lagging

Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips report combined projected total revenue of US$14.1 billion for 2025 as the US leads the way.

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Fame and celebrity

Amy Winehouse’s dad sues star’s friends for selling her clothes for US$970,000

Two women say the British singer had lent or given them dozens of items before she died.

UK singer Amy Winehouse performs at the Brit Awards in London in 2008. Photo: Reuters
Art

The ‘Mona Lisa’ of Faberge eggs sells for a record US$30.2 million

The Winter Egg, made of crystal and diamond, was crafted for Russia’s royal family before it was toppled by revolution.

Wealth: Alternative Investments

Vetting collectibles, such as whiskies and watches, is a serious business

The market is growing briskly, but vigilance is vital to ensure that assets are authenticated and carefully protected ahead of a sale.

Supported by
BNP Paribas Wealth Management
Architecture and design

Animal print interiors: expert tips on how to keep them classy

Long tied to glamour and excess, animal prints are back – here’s how to use them to add energy and character to modern homes.

The living area in Pauline Karpidas’ London home incorporates several flashes of animal print. Photo: Handout
Icons and Influencers

Legacy of Vogue Italia’s Franca Sozzani honoured at inaugural Franca Fund Gala

Co-hosted by Anna Wintour, the event included a fundraising auction and drew guests including Gisele Bündchen and Miuccia Prada.

Francesco Carrozzini and Anna Wintour co-hosted a gala to pay homage to the legacy of Carrozzini’s mother, the late Franca Sozzani. Carrozzini is also Wintour’s son-in-law. Photo: Getty Images
Art

Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait breaks auction record for female artists

The sale at Sotheby’s in New York also topped Kahlo’s own auction record for a work by a Latin American artist.

France

Christie’s suspends Paris sale of world’s ‘first calculator’ invented in 1642

Export ban halts the sale of inventor Blaise Pascal’s historic calculator, as scientists demand artefact receive ‘national treasure’ status.

Art

Solid gold toilet snapped up for US$12.1 million at New York auction

The fully functional 18-karat gold toilet was designed by provocative Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.

Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘America’, a fully functional solid gold toilet. Photo: Reuters
Jewellery

Hong Kong’s autumn high jewellery auctions: rare gems and record-breaking sales

The season climaxes this month at Christie’s, with strong demand at Sotheby’s for jewels by Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari.

Harry Winston Peacock Brooch. Photo: Christie’s
American cinema

Wicked Witch’s hat from The Wizard of Oz to go up for auction

The wool hat will be sold alongside Dorothy’s ruby slippers and a signed Wizard of Oz book at a major memorabilia sale in Dallas next month.

Crime

UK seizes US$15 million in dinosaur bones from Chinese money-laundering suspect

The Chinese businessman was previously wanted for involvement in Singapore’s biggest money-laundering case but has since struck a deal.

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Profile

She once tried med school. Now she sells multimillion-dollar art every day

The auctioneer tells of her journey from med school to the art world, and explains how she stays on top of everything the day artworks go under the hammer.

Art specialist Emmanuelle Chan at Christie’s Asia-Pacific headquarters at The Henderson in Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Art

Editorial | Hong Kong art scene still going strong despite closures

There are reasons to be optimistic about Hong Kong’s art trading hub ambitions despite two galleries announcing closures.

Art

2 ‘mega galleries’ to close Hong Kong premises to find more suitable spaces

Pace Gallery and Perrotin have announced they will be closing their Hong Kong spaces, but say they plan to reopen in the city in the future.

Fashion

Gem-studded bags from Gucci and more promise sparkling nights out

At the Paris Haute Couture Week shows, luxury maisons gilded the lily by adding beautiful stones to statement accessories, bringing back the minaudière.

Mouawad’s 1001 Nights Diamond Purse. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s warehouses find support from demand to store metals and art

The city’s logistics sector receives a boost from LME’s inclusion and art storage demand, despite a cautious market and falling rents.

Workers at Christie’s warehouse in Tsing Yi. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Art

Hong Kong’s latest art auctions see turnover lingering at 8-year low

Overall auction sales by Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips reflected art market downturn since 2016, despite the sale of Asia’s most expensive Picasso.

Tony Hawk’s legendary skateboard just sold for a record-breaking US$1.15 million

Hawk used the board at the 1999 San Francisco X Games, where he landed the first 900 trick ever.

Food and Drinks

Emperor Group’s Albert Yeung will auction his rare wine trove at Sotheby’s

The embattled Hong Kong tycoon is selling 426 prestigious wines, ranging from rare bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to Petrus.

Hong Kong property tycoon Albert Yeung is offering 426 bottles of fine wine at Sotheby’s on September 10. Photo: Sotheby’s
American cinema

What is Guillermo del Toro auctioning from his legendary horror collection?

The director is selling over 100 items from both his own classic films and other iconic works in a bid to protect his lifelong collection.

Guillermo del Toro poses for a photo at his “Bleak House”, which houses his lifelong collection of horror memorabilia, in Santa Monica, California. Photo: AP
Trending in China

China court cancels auctioning of cat to repay owner debts, feline gets loving home

‘Sweet-natured’ feline worth US$100 formed small portion of its owner’s substantial seized assets; had been kept in pet shop.

TV shows and streaming video

Want your own piece of Downton Abbey? Props and costumes go up for sale

Memorabilia from the British drama Downton Abbey are being auctioned in London, with a public exhibition of the items before they are sold.

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