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Auctions

Auctions
Reporting on the latest auctions of luxury goods, including watches, handbags, high jewellery and fine art
Princess Diana arriving at a London gala in 1994 wearing the 'revenge dress'. Photo: AP
Royalty

Princess Diana’s ‘revenge dress’ up for auction for first time in decades

Iconic Christina Stambolian gown is estimated to reach US$300,000 at Sotheby’s sale in New York.

Books and literature

Investing in rare books is trending – including among celebrities

Singapore

Singapore to auction luxury goods, properties from money laundering case

Art

Yayoi Kusama, Japanese artist famous for pumpkins and polka dots, dies aged 97

The avant-garde artist, who enjoyed a strong following in Hong Kong, died on August 14 at a hospital in Tokyo due to multiple organ failure.

videocam
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama waves during a press preview of her exhibition titled “My Eternal Soul” at the National Art Centre in Tokyo on February 21, 2017. Photo: AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ football sells for US$3.35 million

Match ball from 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England falls well short of US$10 million estimate.

Singapore

Lee Kuan Yew’s Montblanc pen sells for US$360,000 in Singapore auction

The sterling silver Montblanc Meisterstuck No 146 fountain pen drew 111 bids and sold for nearly 10 times its highest valuation.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball heads to US auction

The football used by the Argentinian legend to score his infamous goal in the 1986 World Cup is expected to fetch US$10 million.

The ball that was used in the 1986 World Cup match between Argentina and England during which Diego Maradona scored the “Hand of God” goal is displayed before auction at Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills, California, on Friday. Photo: AFP
Timepieces

5 top watch moments in July, from Wimbledon wrist game to an F.P. Journe for auction

Former Audemars Piguet CEO unveils a new brand, IWC and Longines lean into blue dials, and a US watch retailer sues over Trump tariffs on Swiss imports.

Singapore

Lee Kuan Yew’s fountain pen valued at US$23,000-US$39,000 up for auction

The engraved ‘SM Lee Kuan Yew’ Montblanc fountain pen was previously estimated to be worth several thousand dollars at a 2003 auction.

United States

‘Gus’ the T. rex fetches record US$50.1 million at US auction

The skeleton – one of the most complete of its kind in the world – was sold after a 10-minute bidding war between seven potential buyers.

A videographer documents “Gus”, a mounted Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, in New York on July 1. Photo: AFP
France

Bag made from ‘T. rex leather’ fails to sell at Paris auction

Bids for the one-of-a-kind piece fall well short of the US$500,000 estimate despite its prehistoric origins.

The ‘one-of-a-kind’ piece. Photo: AFP
Jewellery

Spirited bidding, rare gems: inside Hong Kong’s jewellery auction revival

Fierce bidding drove record jewellery auction results last year, with Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels on the block – and spring 2026 is following suit.

Style Edit

Style Edit: Christie’s Hong Kong Luxury Week features a jadeite masterpiece

The week of sales coincides with the house’s 40th anniversary in the region and puts stand-out wines, handbags and watches in the spotlight.

Art

The Great Wave sale highlights Hong Kong’s art market resilience

Despite overall cooling, Hong Kong’s art market shows resilience – the top end remains intact, and the lower price brackets stay steady.

After the post-pandemic surge, art sales declined globally in 2024. Photo: Sotheby’s
Hong Kong

Hong Kong, East Asia’s thriving art hub – from Art Basel to West Kowloon

The city’s multicultural and hybrid nature, and stunning spaces like M+, help retain its position at the heart of the region’s art world.

A painting by Hong Kong artist Chow Chun-fai depicting the handover in 1997 is exhibited at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025. Photo: Eugene Lee
Art

Stunned Frenchman wins US$1 million Picasso with US$117 raffle ticket

Sales engineer Ari Hodara wondered if it was a hoax when he got a call after the draw at Christie’s auction house in Paris.

Art

Sold-out auctions suggest Hong Kong’s art market is back. But is it?

‘White glove’ sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s March Hong Kong auctions are cause for optimism, but must be put into perspective.

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Art Basel

Hong Kong’s live art auctions are thriving thanks to Picasso and Nara

A shift in 2025 saw collectors driving demand for rare, high-quality pieces while millennials and Gen Z bidders helped broaden participation.

Can’t Wait ’til the Night, by Yoshitomo Nara, was sold by Sotheby’s for HK$79.9 million (US$10.19 million). 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

The newly appointed president of Christie’s Asia Pacific talks about his favourite part of life as a showman.

United States

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

The 66-million-year-old fossil, for sale on musician Pharrell Williams’ auction platform Joopiter, is expected to fetch up to US$5.5 million.

A triceratops skeleton, named Trey, is displayed at Co-Museum at Le Freeport Singapore on February 5. Photo: Courtesy of Joopiter via AP
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.

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.

The Winter Egg by Faberge is displayed at Christie’s auction rooms in London on Thursday. Photo: AP
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.

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