A taste for the extraordinary: Rare valuables that fetched record prices at major fall auctions
Extremely rare and extraordinary valuables, including a Qing dynasty moon flask and an exquisite French wine collection of tycoon Joseph Lau, drew a strong response from collectors and fetched record prices at auctions held in Fall by Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
A rare rose moonflask
A Qing dynasty antique draws top bids.
Among finest art pieces to hit the auction block in recent memory, the rare and exceptional small pink-ground Famille Rose Moonflask fetched a price of HK$4 million at Christie’s Pavilion Sale Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, surpassing by a significant margin its HK$3.5 million pre-sale estimate.
The rare antique has enjoyed a long provenance, underscored by its iron-red four-character seal mark signed by the Qianlong Emperor (1735-1796) during the Qing dynasty, who was reputedly one of China’s foremost art collectors. The six-inch-tall flask is a truly finely-potted item. Its incised rose pink ground is decorated with floral scrolls, known as “flower brocade design”, which is said to be unique to the reign of the sixth Qing emperor. While many earlier designs were simply painted on a white background, the moon flask’s floral designs were set against a soft rose-pink background.
Another impressive item that highlighted that same auction was a pair of green-enamelled and iron red-decorated Peach Blossom Jardinieres a piece dating back to Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1661-1722). The rare item was sold for HK$2.1 million, more than eight times the pre-sale estimate.
A flawless diamond
A rare jewel breaks online auction
In a series of exceptional jewellery sales this fall, international auction house Sotheby’s amassed an impressive HK$426 million in revenue, boosted in no small measure by the disposal of the highly-sought-after 102.39-carat D colour Flawless Oval Diamond, which went under the hammer for an astounding HK$121.6 million at its Hong Kong Jewellery Autumn Sales on October 7.
The first world-class diamond ever to be auctioned without any reserve price, the rare gemstone fuelled a frenetic and exciting flurry of bids that rapidly zoomed up to gargantuan final price. It broke also the HK$85 million record previously for the most expensive jewellery auctioned online. The winning bidder was a Japanese national who quickly nicknamed the jewel as “Maiko Star” after his second daughter. Last summer, another Japanese man bought an 88.22-carat oval diamond for US$13.8 million, naming it “Manami Star” for his two girls.
Two days after the sale of the 102.39-carat diamond, the auction house sold an Imperial Green Jadeite Bead and Diamond Necklace for a price of HK$63 million. That particular transaction also helped bring Sotheby’s total jewellery sales revenue for the season to an impressive tally of HK$426 million.
Vintage Romanee-Conti
French fine wines lure oenophiles
The sale was highlighted by the offer of 12 bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1990 – made by one of the world’s most sought-after winemakers – which fetched a final price of HK$3.8 million.
Wine connoisseurs also displayed keen interest in iconic vinos of impeccable provenance from the Five-Star Cellar, which were highlighted by top-notch Bordeaux and Burgundy wines that were purchased on the original date of their release. They remained in professional storage in Britain until last month, when they made their way to the auction block. The collection, which was comprised of 172 items, generated a collective revenue of HK$97.8 million.
