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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Number&#8217;s Up</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Jackson-Pollocks-Number-7A-1948-1-1024x277.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91916" width="768" height="208" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Jackson-Pollocks-Number-7A-1948-1-1024x277.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Jackson-Pollocks-Number-7A-1948-1-650x176.jpg 650w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Jackson-Pollocks-Number-7A-1948-1-768x208.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Jackson-Pollocks-Number-7A-1948-1-1536x416.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Jackson-Pollocks-Number-7A-1948-1-2048x554.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Jackson-Pollocks-Number-7A-1948-1-200x54.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Jackson-Pollocks-Number-7A-1948-1-800x216.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Jackson Pollock’s 1948 drip painting, Number 7A, sold for an extraordinary US$181.2 million (HK$1.42 billion) at Christie’s in New York in May, attaining the fourth highest price ever achieved at auction for an artwork. It was painted in the year widely considered to be the American artist’s creative breakthrough, leading to the birth of Abstract Expressionism as a global force.</p>



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<p>This was the moment Pollock fully realised his revolutionary drip technique, placing a huge canvas on the floor and moving around it to apply pigment in a near-choreographed performance. Here, trails of black enamel are dotted with flashes of red, forming a dense yet remarkably balanced composition that pulses with energy. Far from random, the work reveals a masterful sense of rhythm and control while feeling immersive and alive.</p>



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<p>The US$181.2 million result underscores Pollock’s enduring dominance at the top tier of the art market. More than a painting, Number 7A captures the raw innovation that redefined modern art. It stands as a defining icon of the 20th-century spirit – bold, radical and timeless.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bible Class</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-507x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91917" width="380" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-507x1024.jpg 507w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-139x280.jpg 139w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-768x1553.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-760x1536.jpg 760w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-1013x2048.jpg 1013w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-200x404.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-800x1617.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marlene-Dumas-The-Annunciation-scaled.jpg 1266w" sizes="(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px" /></figure></div>


<p>Marlene Dumas’ poignant The Annunciation achieved US$1.95 million (HK$15.3 million) at Sotheby’s recent Now &amp; Contemporary auction in New York, reaffirming the powerful market presence of one of today’s most influential figurative painters. Born in Cape Town and based in Amsterdam, the artist is known for her emotionally charged works, particularly those that reinterpret historical themes through a modern lens.</p>



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<p>Rather than depicting the biblical scene in traditional narrative detail, Dumas distils the Archangel Gabriel’s message to Mary that she will give birth to Jesus into atmosphere and psychological tension. Her figures often appear suspended in washes of translucent pigment, emerging softly from pale, undefined backgrounds. Painted in 1988 in bleeding strokes of teal, ochre and scarlet, this intimate composition appears as a meditation on vulnerability, revelation and human connection.</p>



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<p>Dumas’ fluid brushwork and restrained palette create a sense of fragility, as though the image might dissolve at any moment. The Annunciation represents a thoughtful engagement with timeless themes of faith, identity and introspection rendered with a sensitivity that feels both modern and enduring.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Snow Success</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91918" width="768" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-768x767.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-2048x2046.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-800x799.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Liu-Ye-Snow-White-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Celebrated for reinterpreting childhood imagery through a sophisticated, intellectual lens, Beijing artist Liu Ye captured the spotlight at Art Basel Hong Kong this year. His enchanting 2006 work, Snow White, sold for US$3.8 million (HK$29.8 million), underscoring the strong demand for the Chinese contemporary master’s most iconic literary subjects, particularly those drawn from fairy tales.</p>



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<p>At first glance, Snow White appears disarmingly delicate. The heroine’s porcelain-smooth complexion, precisely rendered features and saturated crimson accents are hallmarks of Liu’s meticulous technique. His surfaces are flawlessly polished, almost enamel-like, revealing an extraordinary level of control. Yet beyond the technical refinement lies emotional complexity.</p>



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<p>Completing his education in Berlin and influenced by Western modernism, Liu blends European cultural references with a distinctly contemporary sensibility. In Snow White, the familiar storybook character becomes a quiet meditation on identity, memory and cultural exchange. The composition’s minimal background intensifies the psychological focus, allowing the viewer to engage directly with the figure’s subtle expression.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Ville of Value</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Zao-Wou-Kis-Ville-Chinoise_01-1024x916.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91919" width="768" height="687" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Zao-Wou-Kis-Ville-Chinoise_01-1024x916.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Zao-Wou-Kis-Ville-Chinoise_01-313x280.jpg 313w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Zao-Wou-Kis-Ville-Chinoise_01-768x687.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Zao-Wou-Kis-Ville-Chinoise_01-1536x1374.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Zao-Wou-Kis-Ville-Chinoise_01-2048x1832.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Zao-Wou-Kis-Ville-Chinoise_01-200x179.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Zao-Wou-Kis-Ville-Chinoise_01-800x716.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Zao Wou Ki’s Ville Chinoise was the headliner at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong this spring, fetching US$2.6 million (HK$20.4 million) and demonstrating the timeless appeal of the late master’s cross-cultural vision. Born in Beijing in 1920 and later based in Paris, Zao forged a distinctive language that bridged continents. His paintings balance spontaneity with compositional harmony, reflecting an equilibrium between movement and stillness, and East and West.</p>



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<p>Created in 1955, this work illustrates Zao’s transition from figurative to abstract style. It is also his only oil painting whose theme bows directly to his motherland. While he generally favoured a dark colour palette during this period, Ville Chinoise is treasured for its lighter tones – yellow, purple and a deeper blue merge dreamily into soft pastel blues.</p>



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<p>The artist’s abstraction is never cold; it feels lived in, almost breathed onto the canvas, with brushstrokes that carry the cadence of Chinese calligraphy and the freedom of postwar European modernism. A Zao Wou Ki work is a cultivated blend of scale, nuance and cultural dialogue that feels effortlessly cosmopolitan.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Four auction sales (July 2026)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cubist Muses</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-4-908x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91620" width="681" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-4-908x1024.jpg 908w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-4-248x280.jpg 248w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-4-768x867.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-4-1361x1536.jpg 1361w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-4-1815x2048.jpg 1815w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-4-200x226.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-4-800x903.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px" /></figure></div>


<p>The 1939 painting <em>Nu Debout et Femmes Assises (Standing Nude and Seated Women) </em>belongs to a pivotal year in Pablo Picasso’s career, marked by emotional turbulence and the looming shadow of war in Europe. This grisaille (monochrome) double-portrait of his mistress and muse Dora Maar is rendered in fractured, expressive forms. Picasso distorts anatomy with angular contours and bold linear emphasis, compressing space while intensifying psychological tension. The figures appear both monumental and unsettled, their gazes and gestures charged with introspection and unease.&nbsp;</p>



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<p>Executed with vigorous brushwork in a restrained yet forceful palette of muted tones, the painting reflects Picasso’s exploration of the female form as both muse and symbol. The physical opposites portrayed nod to the schizophrenic times and his own split-living arrangement with two mistresses – Maar and Marie-Thérèse Walter.</p>



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<p>It sold for £7 million (HK$74 million) at Christie’s in London earlier this year, reaffirming sustained collector demand for Picasso’s late 1930s works and the historical significance of paintings produced on the eve of global conflict.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">High Spies</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-7-876x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91621" width="657" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-7-876x1024.jpg 876w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-7-239x280.jpg 239w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-7-768x898.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-7-1313x1536.jpg 1313w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-7-1751x2048.jpg 1751w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-7-200x234.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-7-800x936.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px" /></figure></div>


<p>Walter Spies’<em> Blick von der Höhe (A View from the Heights) </em>stands among the most evocative works of his late career. It was painted in Bali in 1934 during a period of historical poignancy and personal reflection. The German primitivist artist moved to Indonesia in 1923 when it was under Dutch colonial rule, was interned upon the outbreak of the Second World War, and died in 1942 as a ship transporting prisoners of war was bombed by the Japanese.</p>



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<p>Spies’ composition unfolds in a sweeping panorama, seen from an elevated vantage point that looks across layered hills, winding pathways and luminous tropical foliage. He orchestrates light with extraordinary sensitivity, bathing his landscapes in muted golds, cool greens and atmospheric blues. This scene feels suspended between serenity and foreboding, balancing meticulous detail with a dreamlike stillness.&nbsp;</p>



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<p><em>Blick von der Höhe </em>achieved a remarkable sale price of HK$59 million at Christie’s in Hong Kong this spring – a jump of 86 percent on the artist’s previous auction record. The result underscores the rarity of masterworks from his final productive years.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mirror Image</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-4-1024x855.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91622" width="768" height="641" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-4-1024x855.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-4-335x280.jpg 335w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-4-768x641.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-4-1536x1282.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-4-2048x1710.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-4-200x167.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-4-800x668.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>A large-scale acrylic on canvas, <em>I See The Mirror </em>(2022), exemplifies the emotionally driven work of contemporary British artist Tracey Emin following her bladder-cancer diagnosis in 2020. It draws the viewer once again to Emin’s bedroom – which featured in her seminal installation, My Bed, revealed at the Tate Gallery in 1999 – but replaces the previous disarray with an orderly yet still disturbing mood of self-reflection as she comes to terms with her post-operation body.</p>



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<p>Black paint covers the head of the female figure that lies exhausted and exposed on the bed. A swathe of muddy green and earth tones below signals the release of bodily fluids. This moving outline of loss and vulnerability is reflected in the mirror as the artist summons the strength to overcome her trauma.</p>



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<p><em>I See The Mirror</em> was auctioned for HK$4.3 million at Phillips in Hong Kong in March this year, while another of Emin’s monumental post-cancer works, Take Me to Heaven (2024), sold at Art Basel Hong Kong for US$1.6 million (HK$12.5 million). Both serve to confirm collectors’ resonance with the deeply personal paintings of the polarising artist.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Surge of Interest</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-3-1024x719.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91623" width="768" height="539" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-3-1024x719.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-3-399x280.jpg 399w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-3-768x539.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-3-1536x1078.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-3-200x140.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-3-800x562.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-3.jpg 1909w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Chu Teh-Chun’s commanding oil on canvas, <em>Dynamique Ardente </em>(2006–2007), showcases his mature synthesis of Western lyrical abstraction and the spiritual sensibility of traditional Chinese landscape painting. The work radiates energy through sweeping gestures and layered tonal contrasts. Veils of luminous blues, deep crimsons and flashes of gold surge across the surface, evoking elemental forces such as wind, fire and atmospheric light.</p>



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<p>Chu’s composition balances turbulence and harmony. The brushwork moves rhythmically, guiding the viewer’s eye through currents of colour that suggest motion and transformation. Rather than depicting nature directly, the artist channels its spirit, allowing abstraction to convey emotional resonance and metaphysical presence.&nbsp;</p>



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<p>It stands as a testament to Chu’s enduring legacy – he was the first ethnic Chinese member of France’s Académie des Beaux-Arts. It sold for US$1.3 million (HK$10.2 million) at Art Basel Hong Kong this March, demonstrating the sustained international demand for his later works.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Four auction sales (June 2026)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Pickup on The Wall</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-5-1024x762.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91631" width="768" height="572" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-5-1024x762.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-5-376x280.jpg 376w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-5-768x571.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-5-1536x1143.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-5-2048x1523.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-5-200x149.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/1-5-800x595.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Pink Floyd lead guitarist David Gilmour’s legendary ‘Black Strat’ sold for an extraordinary US$14.6 million (HK$114.4 million) at auction in New York this March, setting a new world record for a guitar. The sale underscored the instrument’s cultural weight – it became inseparable from the iconic British band’s sound, shaping some of the most recognisable passages in modern rock history.</p>



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<p>Gilmour purchased the Fender Stratocaster from famed New York store Manny’s in 1970, following the theft of his previous guitar. He modified it over decades, changing pickups, necks and hardware to refine its tone. The worn black finish, white pickguard and unmistakable patina tell the story of constant touring and recording. It featured on landmark albums of the 1970s including The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.</p>



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<p>Its sale at this unexpected sum – Christie’s had estimated just US$2-4 million – reflects the continued strength of the high-end memorabilia market, where provenance and cultural impact drive record-breaking results. More than an instrument, the Black Strat represents a defining chapter in rock history.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Dorothea in Dreamland</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-8-1024x844.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91632" width="768" height="633" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-8-1024x844.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-8-340x280.jpg 340w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-8-768x633.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-8-1536x1266.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-8-2048x1688.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-8-200x165.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2-8-800x659.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Dorothea Tanning’s Children’s Games achieved £4.7 million (HK$49.4 million) at an ‘Art of the Surreal’ evening auction in London this spring, setting a new benchmark for the late US painter’s work and reaffirming her central role in the 20th-century art and cultural movement. Realised in 1942, the small Surrealist work exemplifies her psychologically charged approach to figuration. At first glance, the composition appears whimsical, yet closer inspection reveals unsettling tension beneath its dreamlike surface.</p>



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<p>The painting depicts three girls entangled in ambiguous play within an interior space that feels both domestic and destabilised. A door opens into unknown realms, fabric twists into organic forms, wallpaper is torn to reveal flesh underneath, and gestures hover between innocence and unease. Tanning’s muted palette heightens the emotional ambiguity, blurring boundaries between childhood imagination, subconscious anxiety and violent action.</p>



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<p>Children’s Games reflects broader Surrealist explorations of desire, fear and transformation. Its strong sales signals sustained collector interest in women Surrealists whose contributions have been historically underrecognised.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Final Frontier</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-5-1024x785.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91633" width="768" height="589" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-5-1024x785.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-5-365x280.jpg 365w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-5-768x589.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-5-1536x1178.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-5-2048x1570.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-5-200x153.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/3-5-800x613.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>A work from the Space series by pioneering artist Alma Woodsey Thomas soared beyond its modest estimate to land US$3.7 million (HK$29.1 million) at auction in New York recently. The successful sale of Snoopy Sees Sunrise on Earth (1970) reinforces Thomas’s enduring importance within postwar American abstraction.</p>



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<p>The Washington D.C. teacher only became a professional artist upon her retirement; she was the first fine arts graduate from Howard University in 1924, and the first African-American woman to stage a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1972, aged 80. Her signature style was short, repeated dabs of paint carefully arranged in mosaic-like brushstrokes to produce a pulsating surface.</p>



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<p>Inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing and the cartoon character’s role as NASA’s safety mascot, Snoopy Sees Sunrise on Earth merges cosmic imagination with lyrical abstraction. Its sunrise motif suggests optimism and renewal. Thomas’s legacy reflects the spirit of scientific achievement and cultural transformation during the space age.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Lion Lines</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-4-1024x686.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-91634" width="768" height="515" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-4-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-4-418x280.jpg 418w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-4-768x514.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-4-1536x1028.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-4-2048x1371.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-4-200x134.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/4-4-800x536.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>The only animal drawing by Rembrandt to remain in private hands was sold earlier this year to benefit wildcat charity Panthera. Young Lion Resting garnered US$17.9 million (HK$140 million), trouncing the previous auction record of US$3.7 million for a drawing by the Dutch Golden Age painter.</p>



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<p>This tiny work in black chalk on paper, washed light brown, dates back to between the late 1630s and mid-1640s, when the artist was flourishing in Amsterdam. It depicts a reclining lion rendered with remarkable immediacy and control. Through economical yet expressive strokes and nuanced shading, Rembrandt masterfully conveyed texture, weight, quiet vitality and an ability to imbue even a resting subject with psychological presence.</p>



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<p>Although celebrated primarily for his portraits and biblical scenes, the maestro is estimated to have produced several hundred drawings, including more animal studies than the 15 or so known to have survived to this day. These works reveal his fascination with anatomy, movement and the interplay of light and shadow.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Four auction sales (May 2026)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Ruby February</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Mozambique-Ruby_02-1024x612.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90974" width="768" height="459" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Mozambique-Ruby_02-1024x612.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Mozambique-Ruby_02-468x280.jpg 468w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Mozambique-Ruby_02-768x459.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Mozambique-Ruby_02-1536x918.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Mozambique-Ruby_02-2048x1224.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Mozambique-Ruby_02-200x120.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-Mozambique-Ruby_02-800x478.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Gemfields mining group generated a substantial HK$415 million from its recent mixed quality ruby auction held in Bangkok, underscoring continued international demand for responsibly sourced gemstones. Some 189,620 carats of rough rubies changed hands at the February sale, primarily from the Montepuez Ruby Mine in the northeast, which is recognised as one of the world’s most significant ruby deposits.</p>



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<p>Mozambican rubies have gained prominence alongside traditional Burmese stones over the past decade. The structured auction platform provided by UK-headquartered Gemfields emphasises transparency, traceability and ethical-sourcing standards, reinforcing buyer confidence.</p>



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<p>Offering a broad spectrum of sizes, saturations and clarity grades, the auction attracted high-jewellery house suppliers as well as manufacturers. Attendees could admire the splendid stones at private viewings before the online bidding. The strong results, with most lots successfully placed, marked a reaffirmation of growing investor and industry appetite for rubies and other coloured gemstones.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Prince of a Ride</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400_02_cropped-1024x415.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90975" width="768" height="311" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400_02_cropped-1024x415.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400_02_cropped-650x264.jpg 650w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400_02_cropped-768x311.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400_02_cropped-200x81.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400_02_cropped-800x324.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400_02_cropped.jpg 1332w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>A sleek white 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 originally owned by a Saudi prince was steered to a handsome price of HK$16.8 million by Broad Arrow Auctions, reaffirming the model’s status as one of the most important early supercars. Introduced in 1966, the Miura transformed automotive design with its revolutionary mid-engine layout, placing a transverse 3.9 litre V12 behind the cabin and producing about 350 horsepower. This engineering breakthrough established the template for generations of high-performance sports cars that followed.</p>



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<p>Signature details such as the delicate ‘eyelash” headlamp surrounds and sensuous low profile contribute to its enduring visual drama. With fewer than 280 early Miura variants produced, surviving examples remain highly sought after by collectors worldwide.</p>



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<p>The model’s consistently lofty auction results reflect sustained global demand for blue-chip Italian classics, particularly landmark cars that reshaped performance and styling standards. Sixty years after its debut, the Miura remains both a sculptural icon and a defining milestone in Lamborghini’s history.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Foot of Note</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3-Michelangelo_Foot-Sketch_02-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90984" width="646" height="720" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3-Michelangelo_Foot-Sketch_02-3.jpg 861w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3-Michelangelo_Foot-Sketch_02-3-251x280.jpg 251w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3-Michelangelo_Foot-Sketch_02-3-768x856.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3-Michelangelo_Foot-Sketch_02-3-200x223.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3-Michelangelo_Foot-Sketch_02-3-800x892.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px" /></figure></div>


<p>A rare, recently rediscovered Michelangelo drawing realised a staggering HK$212.8 million at Christie’s in New York, more than 10 times its high estimate in a new auction record for the Renaissance master. This diminutive sketch of a foot offers intimate insight into the artist’s creative process, revealing how he refined complex compositions through dynamic anatomical exploration and compositional experimentation.</p>



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<p>Thought to date to 1511-12 and executed in red chalk on paper, it is one of countless studies made for Michelangelo’s monumental task of painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Most of those that survived are held in major museum collections, making any newly available example a landmark event.</p>



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<p>The drawing in question, which had been sent to the auction house on spec by an owner unaware of its illustrious provenance, relates to a fresco of the Libyan Sybil stepping down from her throne. More than five centuries after its creation, it stands as a powerful testament to Michelangelo’s enduring influence and the continued global demand for Old Masters of the highest tier.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hippo</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4-Hippopotame-Bar_03_cropped-1024x601.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90977" width="768" height="451" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4-Hippopotame-Bar_03_cropped-1024x601.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4-Hippopotame-Bar_03_cropped-477x280.jpg 477w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4-Hippopotame-Bar_03_cropped-768x451.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4-Hippopotame-Bar_03_cropped-1536x902.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4-Hippopotame-Bar_03_cropped-2048x1202.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4-Hippopotame-Bar_03_cropped-200x117.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4-Hippopotame-Bar_03_cropped-800x470.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>François Xavier Lalanne’s celebrated Hippopotame Bar achieved an extraordinary HK$245.9 million at auction in New York, underscoring the continued global appetite for museum-quality design with sculptural presence. Created in 1976 as part of the famed French sculptor’s iconic animal-furniture series, the baby-size hippo is cast in hand-wrought copper and opens to reveal a fully-fitted bar. Lalanne’s appeal among collectors has long been defined by the duality between monumental solidity and playful utility.</p>



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<p>Subsequently produced in a limited edition in bronze, the unique piece stands as one of the most coveted examples of 20th-century French design. The exterior captures the muscular form and textured hide of a resting hippopotamus, while the interior surprises with polished compartments designed to hold bottles and glassware. At once functional object and fantastical sculpture, it epitomises Lalanne’s ability to merge fine art, design and wit.</p>



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<p>The Sotheby’s result positions this 50-year-old bar as the most valuable design object ever sold at auction. While reflecting sustained demand for rare, statement-making works, it reaffirms Lalanne’s enduring influence in the collectible design market.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Four auction sales (April 2026)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Ageless Bronze</h3>



<p>When the imposing Figure Décorative bronze by Henri Matisse achieved US$16.7 million (HK$130.5) at auction, the result resonated far beyond the Sotheby’s New York sale room. It was not only a record-setting transaction – the second highest ever for a Matisse bronze sculpture – nor just a reaffirmation of the French visual artist’s stature. Instead, the moment marked a profound shift in how collectors are reassessing sculpture’s physicality and permanence in an era dominated by the intangible.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Figure-decorative-Henri-Matisse_03-2-788x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90617" width="591" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Figure-decorative-Henri-Matisse_03-2-788x1024.jpg 788w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Figure-decorative-Henri-Matisse_03-2-216x280.jpg 216w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Figure-decorative-Henri-Matisse_03-2-768x998.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Figure-decorative-Henri-Matisse_03-2-200x260.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Figure-decorative-Henri-Matisse_03-2-800x1039.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Figure-decorative-Henri-Matisse_03-2.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 591px) 100vw, 591px" /></figure></div>


<p>Matisse is best known as a painter of radiant colour and lyrical line, yet his sculptural practice was never secondary. For him, bronze was a medium where form could be stripped of excess and the beauty of the human body celebrated. Figure Décorative, conceived in Paris in 1908 and cast in 1950, embodied this ethos. Its curved contours, balanced volumes and strident but serene gaze personify a fusion of modernist innovation and classical idealism. Matisse’s sculptures are now understood as foundational to his thinking about form and balance. They reveal the discipline behind the freedom, and the structure beneath the colour.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Emerald Geometry</h3>



<p>For a Cartier Art Deco emerald and diamond bracelet to command as much as £1.1 million (HK$11.7 million) at auction in London was not a surprise for connoisseurs but a confirmation. Christie’s spectacular sale of this treasure from the Wimbourne family collection reaffirmed what has long been understood: that the marriage of Cartier craftsmanship, Art Deco design and exceptional emeralds occupies one of the most enduring positions in the luxury market.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/opt-Cartier-Art-Deco_01-2-1024x751.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90616" width="768" height="563" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/opt-Cartier-Art-Deco_01-2-1024x751.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/opt-Cartier-Art-Deco_01-2-382x280.jpg 382w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/opt-Cartier-Art-Deco_01-2-768x563.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/opt-Cartier-Art-Deco_01-2-1536x1127.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/opt-Cartier-Art-Deco_01-2-2048x1502.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/opt-Cartier-Art-Deco_01-2-200x147.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/opt-Cartier-Art-Deco_01-2-800x587.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Created circa 1925, the bracelet exemplifies the aesthetic confidence of the Art Deco era, a period when Cartier redefined jewellery design through geometry, symmetry and a cosmopolitan vision. Set in platinum, it features 17 Colombian emeralds in pear, square, rectangular and hexagonal cuts interspersed with old‑cut and baguette diamonds arranged in crisp architectural harmony. The bracelet nearly tripled its pre-sale valuation. The result reflects a renewed appreciation for jewels as cultural artefacts, not merely ornaments. Once considered a secondary collecting category to fine art, jewellery is now understood as portable heritage – collectibles that carry artistry, rarity and narrative in equal measure.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Lovely Bones</h3>



<p>The auction of a juvenile Triceratops skeleton for a mighty US$5.4 million (HK$42 million) marks a defining moment in the evolving relationship between science, art, cultural spectacle and high-end collecting. In Phillips’ first foray into the prehistoric natural world, the beautifully preserved dinosaur – joined by several other precious fossils – guest-starred at a prestigious New York evening sale of Modern and Contemporary Art. It went for more than double its low-end estimate, underscoring the notion that collectors at the top of the market are no longer constrained by traditional categories.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="447" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jtuvenile-Triceratops-Fossil_02-2-1024x447.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90608" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jtuvenile-Triceratops-Fossil_02-2-1024x447.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jtuvenile-Triceratops-Fossil_02-2-642x280.jpg 642w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jtuvenile-Triceratops-Fossil_02-2-768x335.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jtuvenile-Triceratops-Fossil_02-2-1536x670.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jtuvenile-Triceratops-Fossil_02-2-2048x894.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jtuvenile-Triceratops-Fossil_02-2-200x87.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Jtuvenile-Triceratops-Fossil_02-2-800x349.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>This two- to six-year-old Triceratops possesses a distinct emotional resonance. Smaller in scale at about 4.4 metres (14.4 feet) long, and lighter in structure, it evokes fragility rather than dominance, telling a quieter story of growth interrupted, of a life some 66 million years ago suspended in transition.</p>



<p>Unearthed a decade ago in the Badlands of South Dakota and mounted to museum standard, the skeleton boasts an impressive original-bone count of more than 70%. It’s an amount that makes this prized preservation the most complete juvenile Triceratops around – and one that will probably never be surpassed.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Instrumental Panel</h3>



<p>Francis Bacon’s art has long occupied a singular position in modern canon – raw yet controlled, violent yet precise. In a market increasingly drawn to works that challenge as much as they reward, the most recent auction appearance of his unsettling 1967 diptych, Study for Head of Isabel Rawsthorne and George Dyer – which sold for a hefty US$16 million (HK$125 million) at Phillips New York – affirms the enduring authority of Bacon’s work and the unique emotional force of the diptych.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Study-for-Head-of-Isabel-Rawsthorne-and-George-Dyer_01-1024x656.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90600" width="768" height="492" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Study-for-Head-of-Isabel-Rawsthorne-and-George-Dyer_01-1024x656.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Study-for-Head-of-Isabel-Rawsthorne-and-George-Dyer_01-437x280.jpg 437w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Study-for-Head-of-Isabel-Rawsthorne-and-George-Dyer_01-768x492.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Study-for-Head-of-Isabel-Rawsthorne-and-George-Dyer_01-1536x984.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Study-for-Head-of-Isabel-Rawsthorne-and-George-Dyer_01-2048x1312.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Study-for-Head-of-Isabel-Rawsthorne-and-George-Dyer_01-200x128.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Study-for-Head-of-Isabel-Rawsthorne-and-George-Dyer_01-800x512.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Painted in 1967, it is the first of only 10 diptychs by Bacon, and one of only two that pair the muses who were central to a defining decade in his life – close female friend Rawsthorne, and Dyer, his lover. The Irish-born British figurative painter turned to the diptych not as a narrative device but as a psychological one. Amplifying his lifelong obsession with fragmentation, two panels placed side by side create tension rather than resolution.</p>



<p>Bacon’s themes of power, vulnerability and isolation are timeless, but they also feel acutely contemporary. In a world marked by instability and psychological strain, his visual language feels less historical than prophetic.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Four auction sales (March 2026)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Brazilian Luxe</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1-Tiffany-Co-Paraiba-Tourmaline_2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90390" width="423" height="540" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1-Tiffany-Co-Paraiba-Tourmaline_2.jpg 564w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1-Tiffany-Co-Paraiba-Tourmaline_2-219x280.jpg 219w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1-Tiffany-Co-Paraiba-Tourmaline_2-200x255.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 423px) 100vw, 423px" /></figure></div>


<p>A magnificent Paraiba tourmaline, celebrated for its saturated, luminous blue colour and starring in a Tiffany &amp; Co. necklace of finely matched diamonds, fetched a world-record price at auction in New York in December last year. The 13.54-carat gemstone went under the hammer for US$4.2 million (HK$32.7 million), more than 10 times Christie’s low estimate.&nbsp;</p>



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<p>The remarkable price affirms both the rarity of this triangular-modified, brilliant-cut tourmaline mined in Brazil and the lasting desirability of the storied US jeweller’s most spectacular creations. A pair of matching Paraiba tourmaline and diamond earrings – featuring glorious neon-blue oval stones weighing 3.45 and 3.19 carats – echoed the same design language: elegant proportions, meticulous setting and a harmony between colour and light. They realised US$1.3 million, underscoring the strength of the ensemble as a museum-worthy suite. The necklace and earrings exemplify a pinnacle moment where provenance, exceptional stones and timeless design converge. Capturing the imagination of collectors, they reinforce Tiffany &amp; Co.’s legacy at the highest level of the jewellery world.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-left">Master Pièce</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Audemars-Piguet-Grosse-Piece_02-1024x849.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90391" width="768" height="637" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Audemars-Piguet-Grosse-Piece_02-1024x849.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Audemars-Piguet-Grosse-Piece_02-338x280.jpg 338w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Audemars-Piguet-Grosse-Piece_02-768x637.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Audemars-Piguet-Grosse-Piece_02-1536x1274.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Audemars-Piguet-Grosse-Piece_02-200x166.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Audemars-Piguet-Grosse-Piece_02-800x664.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-Audemars-Piguet-Grosse-Piece_02.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure>



<p>The Audemars Piguet ‘Grosse Pièce’ (Big Piece) pocket watch has clocked in as the brand’s most expensive timepiece not sold for charity. One of the most important achievements in haute-horlogerie history, this marvel of the manufacture was auctioned for US$7.7 million (HK$60 million) last December, and shares the title as the most complicated AP pocket watch ever crafted.</p>



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<p>A testament to the technical mastery and artistic ambition that defined Audemars Piguet’s early grande-complication creations, the No.16869 was commissioned by a London watch company, S. Smith &amp; Son, in 1914 on behalf of an American client. Among a total of 19 mechanisms housed within a richly engraved yellow-gold case, it boasts a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, chronograph functions and astronomical indications. Appearing as the London night sky on one side of the watch’s double face, the celestial function renders it unique,.</p>



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<p>Designed at a time when pocket watches represented the pinnacle of mechanical innovation, the ‘Grosse Pièce’ exemplifies the era’s pursuit of technical perfection. It also confirms Audemars Piguet’s place among the great names in watchmaking.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Frida the Leader</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3-El-Sueno-La-Cama_01-1024x773.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90392" width="768" height="580" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3-El-Sueno-La-Cama_01-1024x773.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3-El-Sueno-La-Cama_01-371x280.jpg 371w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3-El-Sueno-La-Cama_01-768x579.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3-El-Sueno-La-Cama_01-1536x1159.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3-El-Sueno-La-Cama_01-2048x1545.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3-El-Sueno-La-Cama_01-200x151.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3-El-Sueno-La-Cama_01-800x604.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Frida Kahlo’s haunting self-portrait El Sueño (La Cama) achieved a landmark result at Sotheby’s New York late last year, changing hands for a momentous US$54.7 million (HK$426.7 million). It became the most expensive artwork by a woman ever sold at auction, and reaffirmed the Mexican painter’s enduring significance in art history.</p>



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<p>Painted in 1940, the surrealist work – The Dream (The Bed) in English – depicts the artist asleep in an ornate wooden canopy bed, her body entwined with creeping vines that blur the boundary between dream and reality. Hovering above her is a reclining skeleton, a potent symbol of mortality that underscores Kahlo’s lifelong confrontation with pain, illness and the nearness of death. The composition is both intimate and unsettling, transforming a private moment of rest into a deeply psychological landscape.</p>



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<p>Created during a period marked by physical suffering and emotional upheaval, La Cama reflects Kahlo’s unique ability to translate personal experience into universal imagery. The careful balance between stillness and tension, life and decay, reveals her mastery of symbolism and narrative self-portraiture.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Plumbing the Heights</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-779x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90393" width="584" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-779x1024.jpg 779w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-213x280.jpg 213w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-768x1009.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-1169x1536.jpg 1169w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-1558x2048.jpg 1558w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-200x263.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-800x1051.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4-Maurizio-Cattelan-Toilet_01-scaled.jpg 1948w" sizes="(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px" /></figure></div>


<p>The fully functioning solid gold toilet famously created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan in 2016 made a splash last year. First, the thieves who had stolen the audacious artwork from a display at Blenheim Palace in England – they are believed to have melted it down for its weight in gold ¬– were caught and sentenced to prison. A few months later, a privately owned second casting of Cattelan’s toilet was auctioned at Sotheby’s and bought by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for a handsome US$12.1 million (HK$94.4 million).</p>



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<p>One of the most instantly recognisable sculptures of contemporary art, the ironically titled America transforms an ordinary bathroom fixture into a sharp and unsettling meditation on wealth, power and excess. The title itself suggests abundance, aspiration and satire in equal measure. It was originally unveiled as a usable installation at the Guggenheim in New York, inviting the public to engage physically with the work. By elevating an object associated with privacy and necessity into a symbol of extreme luxury, Cattelan exposes the contradictions of today’s consumer culture.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Four auction sales (February 2026)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-left">Into the Blue</h3>



<p>A Kashmir sapphire necklace known as ‘The Royal Blue’ was bagged by a collector at Christie’s in Hong Kong late last year in one of the most celebrated gemstone sales of the decade. Rocketing to HK$125.5 million (US$16.2 million), the price broke the auction record for a necklace featuring these rare stones. Located in the remote Himalayas, the Kashmir mines were active for only a brief period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but produced gems so unique in texture and saturation that they are now considered among the most coveted sapphires in the world.</p>



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<p>This exceptional creation features a suite of sapphires prized for their characteristic lush, velvety blue – often described as ‘cornflower blue’. It combines them with an elegant arrangement of diamonds, enhancing their vivid colouration and natural luminosity. Each sapphire was meticulously matched for tone and clarity, a process that can take years due to the scarcity of genuine Kashmir stones. The necklace’s outstanding sale price not only reflects the rarity of the materials but also the increasing global demand for top-tier coloured gemstones.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="919" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1-Royal-Blue-2_edit-1024x919.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90135" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1-Royal-Blue-2_edit-1024x919.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1-Royal-Blue-2_edit-312x280.jpg 312w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1-Royal-Blue-2_edit-768x689.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1-Royal-Blue-2_edit-1536x1378.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1-Royal-Blue-2_edit-2048x1837.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1-Royal-Blue-2_edit-200x179.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1-Royal-Blue-2_edit-800x718.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Winter Thrill</h3>



<p>Fabergé’s ‘Winter Egg’ sold for £22.9 million (HK$237.2 million) at Christie’s in London last month, cracking the previous record by a massive £14 million. Created in 1913 for Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the 8.2-centimetre-high (3.2-inch) egg is celebrated as one of the finest masterpieces produced by the Russian jeweller.</p>



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<p>Inspired by the stillness and brilliance of winter, it is crafted from rock crystal, platinum and diamonds. Intricately engraved patterns mimic frozen branches and drifting snow, rendering its iconic icy appearance. As with all imperial Fabergé eggs, it included a surprise within – a miniature basket of white quartz flowers.</p>



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<p>The sale underscored the continuing global fascination with Fabergé objects, particularly those made for the Russian royal family. The Winter Egg’s rarity, immaculate condition and provenance contributed strongly to its record-setting price. Collectors and museums regard it as a pinnacle of early 20th-century jewellery art, an object in which technical precision, artistic imagination and historical significance meet in perfect harmony.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="822" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2-Faberges-Winter-Egg_01-822x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90136" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2-Faberges-Winter-Egg_01-822x1024.jpg 822w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2-Faberges-Winter-Egg_01-225x280.jpg 225w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2-Faberges-Winter-Egg_01-768x957.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2-Faberges-Winter-Egg_01-1233x1536.jpg 1233w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2-Faberges-Winter-Egg_01-1644x2048.jpg 1644w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2-Faberges-Winter-Egg_01-200x249.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2-Faberges-Winter-Egg_01-800x997.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 822px) 100vw, 822px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Auction Figure</h3>



<p>Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer captured global attention when it sold for an extraordinary $236.6 million (HK$1.84 billion) at Sotheby’s New York, elevating it into the top two most valuable artworks ever auctioned. Painted from 1914-16 during his Golden Period, just a few years before his death, the work exemplifies the Austrian artist’s ability to merge human vulnerability with luxurious ornamentation. The daughter of one of his key patrons is depicted full-length, displaying a calm, introspective elegance reflective of both her social standing and the psychological depth of Klimt’s finest portraits.</p>



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<p>Standing as a rare, radiant example of his mature style, the painting showcases intricate patterns, subtle gilding, a harmonious interplay of colour and texture, and a fascination with Byzantine art. It was hidden from public view for decades in the private collection of cosmetics heir Leonard Lauder.</p>



<p>Its excellent condition and distinguished provenance significantly contributed to the exceptional sale price – second only to US$450.3 million paid for Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi in 2017. This result underscores the enduring cultural resonance of Klimt’s portraiture.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="739" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-739x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90137" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-739x1024.jpg 739w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-202x280.jpg 202w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-768x1064.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-1109x1536.jpg 1109w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-1478x2048.jpg 1478w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-200x277.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-800x1108.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Klimts-Portrait-of-Elisabeth-Lederer_01-scaled.jpg 1848w" sizes="(max-width: 739px) 100vw, 739px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Praising the REF</h3>



<p>An extremely rare and aesthetically stunning Patek Philippe wristwatch from the coveted Ref. 5016R family sold for HK$5.3 million (almost US$690,000) as Christie’s Hong Kong auctioned watches owned by prominent collector John Shaw. Claiming top spot in the sale, it was crafted in 18-carat pink gold circa 1995, and armed with a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar with retrograde date and a tourbillon.</p>



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<p>Upon its debut in 1993, this reference was Patek’s most complicated, and the watch in question is one of only six known to exist in this colour of gold – its rosy hue complements a silvered dial with golden pink Breguet numerals. The dial layout showing retrograde date, three calendar windows, and moon phases with subsidiary seconds at six o’clock is also highly sought after. The tourbillon, however, is not revealed on the watch face – Patek habitually conceals this highly complex mechanism in order to safeguard its technical integrity.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="822" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4-Patek-Philippe-ref-5016R_01-822x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90138" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4-Patek-Philippe-ref-5016R_01-822x1024.jpg 822w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4-Patek-Philippe-ref-5016R_01-225x280.jpg 225w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4-Patek-Philippe-ref-5016R_01-768x957.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4-Patek-Philippe-ref-5016R_01-1233x1536.jpg 1233w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4-Patek-Philippe-ref-5016R_01-1644x2048.jpg 1644w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4-Patek-Philippe-ref-5016R_01-200x249.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4-Patek-Philippe-ref-5016R_01-800x996.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 822px) 100vw, 822px" /></figure>



<p>All 59 timepieces offered in the sale late last year were snapped up for a total of HK$52.5 million in a testament to Patek’s timeless appeal.</p>



<p></p>


Under the hammer: Fab Four auction sales (January 2026)


<p>Red rocks dazzle collectors, streamliner secures F1 auction record, Magritte masterpiece flies high at sale &amp; walking tribute to Giacometti’s legacy</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Ruby Rising</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1Sunrise-Ruby_02-1-1024x907.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-89616" width="512" height="454" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1Sunrise-Ruby_02-1-1024x907.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1Sunrise-Ruby_02-1-316x280.jpg 316w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1Sunrise-Ruby_02-1-768x680.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1Sunrise-Ruby_02-1-1536x1361.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1Sunrise-Ruby_02-1-2048x1814.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1Sunrise-Ruby_02-1-200x177.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1Sunrise-Ruby_02-1-800x709.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure></div>


<p>The Sunrise Ruby, a superb 25.59-carat Burmese gemstone set in a Cartier ring flanked by diamonds, made history when it sold for US$30.3 million (HK$235.5 million) at Sotheby’s Geneva back in 2015. A decade ago, this amounted to a world record for the most expensive ruby sold at auction, as well as the highest price ever paid for a coloured gemstone and a Cartier jewel.</p>



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<p>The ruby’s name is inspired by a poem by 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi, adding a layer of poetic allure to its legacy. Its sale served to elevate rubies to new heights of prestige. Their rarity and radiance as the gemstones of royalty strike a chord with collectors, especially in Asia, where the colour symbolises joy and good fortune.</p>



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<p>The Sunrise Ruby is classified as ‘pigeon’s blood’ red, the most coveted hue for rubies, and is untreated, significantly enhancing its value.</p>



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<p>This sumptuous jewel has since been pipped as the most expensive ruby ring sold by Sotheby’s. That honour is now claimed by the Estela de Fura, an immense 55.22-carat ruby which sold for US$34.8 million in 2023.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Fast &amp; Glorious</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1954-Mercedes-Benz-W-196-R-Stromlinienwagen_1-1024x711.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-89617" width="768" height="533" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1954-Mercedes-Benz-W-196-R-Stromlinienwagen_1-1024x711.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1954-Mercedes-Benz-W-196-R-Stromlinienwagen_1-403x280.jpg 403w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1954-Mercedes-Benz-W-196-R-Stromlinienwagen_1-768x533.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1954-Mercedes-Benz-W-196-R-Stromlinienwagen_1-1536x1067.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1954-Mercedes-Benz-W-196-R-Stromlinienwagen_1-2048x1422.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1954-Mercedes-Benz-W-196-R-Stromlinienwagen_1-200x139.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-1954-Mercedes-Benz-W-196-R-Stromlinienwagen_1-800x556.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Streamlinienwagen became the most valuable Grand Prix car ever sold at auction when it rolled off the RM Sotheby’s block for €51.2 million (HK$458.4 million) in Stuttgart earlier this year. One of four known complete examples mounted with the original enclosed-fender coachwork at the conclusion of the 1955 Formula One season, this rare racer is celebrated for its pivotal role in motorsport history. The model’s streamlined body reduced drag and enhanced speed – an innovation that helped Mercedes dominate the racing scene in the mid-1950s.</p>



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<p>Powered by a 2.5-litre straight-eight engine with fuel injection, the W 196 R Streamliner delivered exceptional performance and engineering precision. It was driven by legendary racers, including Juan Manuel Fangio, who steered the car to victory in the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix.</p>



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<p>The Streamliner’s lightweight aluminium construction and advanced suspension system made it a technical marvel of its time. Its record-breaking sale underscores the enduring appeal of vintage motorsport engineering and the prestige associated with Mercedes-Benz’s racing legacy.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Statue of Mystery</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-1024x759.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-89618" width="768" height="569" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-1024x759.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-378x280.jpg 378w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-768x569.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-1536x1138.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-2048x1517.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-200x148.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-800x593.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>René Magritte’s La Statue Volante (v) is a hauntingly poetic example of surrealist mastery, reflecting the artist’s enduring fascination with paradox and the uncanny. Painted during a mature phase of his career, it distils signature themes the Belgian began exploring in the 1920s and 1930s: dislocation, mystery and the subversion of reality.</p>



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<p>In this 1958 iteration, Magritte’s iconic Venus de Milo motif is seen grounded in the foreground – a symbol of classical permanence set against the turbulent backdrop of a storm at sea, where a lone ship is battered by the waves. Such unexpected and inexplicable contrasts –characteristic of the artist – arouse provocative musings on the boundaries between the real and the imagined.</p>



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<p>After remaining in the hands of English contemporary art collector Pauline Karpidas for more than 40 years, the work made its auction debut at Sotheby’s London in September this year. The star lot of an evening sale, it secured £10.12 million (HK$103.4 million), affirming its status as a surrealist icon and a collector’s treasure.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Go Figure</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-686x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-89619" width="515" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-686x1024.jpg 686w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-188x280.jpg 188w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-768x1146.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-1029x1536.jpg 1029w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-1372x2048.jpg 1372w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-200x299.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-800x1194.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-LHomme-qui-marche-The-Walking-Man_1-scaled.jpg 1715w" sizes="(max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px" /></figure></div>


<p>Alberto Giacometti’s L’Homme qui marche (The Walking Man) is one of the most iconic sculptures of the 20th century, embodying existential themes through its elongated, textured form. A second edition of the cast sold for a mammoth US$104.3 million (HK$813.1 million) back in 2010, assuming its place as the most expensive sculpture sold at auction. It was toppled from the top spot five years later by another Giacometti masterpiece, L’Homme au doigt (Pointing Man).</p>



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<p>The Swiss sculptor created a series of walking figures in the 1960s, each capturing the tension between motion and stillness. Cast in bronze, The Walking Man strides forward with haunting fragility and determination, reflecting Giacometti’s exploration of isolation and resilience. It stands six feet high, yet its slender proportions evoke vulnerability rather than grandeur.</p>



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<p>With few casts in circulation, collectors regard The Walking Man as a pinnacle of modern sculpture. Its presence in a private collection or museum signifies a deep appreciation for Giacometti’s philosophical and artistic legacy – a legacy that continues to challenge and inspire audiences worldwide.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab four auction sales (December 2025)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Muse Bouche</h3>



<p>Pablo Picasso’s Buste de Femme (1944), an emotionally charged work depicting his muse and fellow Surrealist Dora Maar, set a new auction record for the artist in Asia when it fetched a hefty HK$196.75 million (US$25.4 million) at Christie’s Hong Kong in September. Painted near the end of the four-year Nazi occupation of Paris during the Second World War, the portrait stands as a striking testament to the artist’s emotional intensity and wartime resilience.</p>



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<p>Maar’s likeness is captured in a fragmented style. Her face is divided into bold, angular planes – one eye alert and expressive, the other obscured – and her mouth appears in profile, all suggestive of inner turmoil and psychological depth. Vivid hues of red, green and blue swirl across the canvas, enhancing the drama of her stylised features. Her ornate headwear adds a theatrical touch, reinforcing the surreal tension of the composition.</p>



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<p>Buste de Femme reflects Picasso’s defiance and introspection during a time of global upheaval. Its handsome sale price underscores the enduring power and relevance of his wartime creations, and the continued fascination with Maar’s enigmatic presence in his oeuvre.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="898" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Buste-de-Femme-1944_2-898x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88726" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Buste-de-Femme-1944_2-898x1024.jpg 898w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Buste-de-Femme-1944_2-246x280.jpg 246w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Buste-de-Femme-1944_2-768x876.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Buste-de-Femme-1944_2-1347x1536.jpg 1347w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Buste-de-Femme-1944_2-200x228.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Buste-de-Femme-1944_2-800x912.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Buste-de-Femme-1944_2.jpg 1382w" sizes="(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Indelible Ink</h3>



<p>Depicting an idyllic utopia framed by mountains, Zhang Daqian’s In Search of Paradise (1981) showcases the globetrotting Chinese artist’s signature splashed-ink technique at its expressive peak. Painted after he settled in Taiwan, this late-career masterpiece reflects Zhang’s deep engagement with traditional Chinese landscape painting, reimagined through a modern, abstract lens. The composition is dreamlike – the mountains dissolve into mist, and washes of ink and colour blend seamlessly to evoke a sense of spiritual transcendence.</p>



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<p>Hailed as one of the most influential Chinese artists of the 20th century, Zhang developed this unique style after his eyesight began to deteriorate. He embraced bold experimentation, using splashed ink and colour to convey mood and atmosphere over precise detail.</p>



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<p>The star lot at a Christie’s Hong Kong auction held earlier this year, this scroll sold for HK$14.29 million (US$1.84 million), significantly exceeding its low estimate of HK$10 million. Its success underscores Zhang’s enduring appeal among collectors and scholars alike, affirming his legacy as a visionary who reshaped the trajectory of Chinese ink painting.</p>
</div><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="514" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-514x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88728 size-full" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-514x1024.jpg 514w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-140x280.jpg 140w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-768x1532.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-770x1536.jpg 770w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-1027x2048.jpg 1027w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-200x399.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-800x1595.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/In-Search-of-Paradise-1981-1-scaled.jpg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 514px) 100vw, 514px" /></figure></div>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Venice Flood</h3>



<p>Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day by Canaletto spurred a fiercely competitive bidding war at Christie’s London this summer, soaring to £31.9 million (HK$336.6 million). This astounding result – the second-highest price for an Old Master in the auction house’s history – surprised some experts who consider it a rather conventional work. Others suggest the high price was driven by its status as a perfect trophy piece for art connoisseurs.</p>



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<p>The artist is revered for his views of Venice, and painted in the 1730s, this picture depicts the important Ascension Day festival in which a procession of ships, led by the Doge’s magnificent Bucintoro, marks the symbolic marriage of the city with the sea. Veteran dealer Robert Simon describes it as an ideal Canaletto, citing its grand scale, energetic composition, and broad appeal to collectors beyond the Old Master field.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-1024x637.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88729" width="768" height="478" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-1024x637.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-450x280.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-480x300.jpg 480w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-768x478.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-1536x956.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-2048x1275.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-200x124.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Venice-the-Return-of-the-Bucintoro-on-Ascension-Day-800x498.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Contributing to the work’s allure is an illustrious provenance, including British Prime Minister Robert Walpole, who displayed it at his residence, 10 Downing Street in London. Its extreme scarcity is also a major factor; no comparable work has appeared since it last sold in 1993.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Three auction sales (November 2025)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Queen’s Diamond</h3>



<p>In a landmark event that captivated the global jewellery community, the magnificent Marie-Thérèse Pink Diamond achieved a spectacular result at Christie’s New York, realising US$13.9 million (HK$108.3 million). Set into a contemporary ring by cult Paris-based jeweller JAR, the stone is steeped in European royal history, beginning with Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France.</p>



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<p>Thought to have been smuggled out of Paris in 1791, the diamond’s designation comes from a succession of aristocratic owners. Marie Antoinette’s daughter, Duchess Marie Thérèse de Angoulême, passed it to her niece, Duchess Marie Thérèse de Chambord, who in turn gifted it to her niece, Queen Marie Theresa of Bavaria. Its extraordinary character perfectly complements the elegance of a bygone era that its name evokes.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marie-Therese-diamond_02_p-1024x640.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88331" width="768" height="480" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marie-Therese-diamond_02_p-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marie-Therese-diamond_02_p-448x280.jpg 448w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marie-Therese-diamond_02_p-480x300.jpg 480w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marie-Therese-diamond_02_p-768x480.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marie-Therese-diamond_02_p-200x125.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marie-Therese-diamond_02_p-800x500.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marie-Therese-diamond_02_p.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>The breathtaking purple-pink kite-shaped diamond is a true phenomenon of nature, weighing 10.38 carats and highlighted by a character of brilliance and fire. The New York hammer price not only solidifies its status as a legend, but also underscores the continued supremacy of rare coloured diamonds.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Superstar Supercar</h3>



<p>A one-of-a-kind Ferrari Daytona SP3 shattered records at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale, going for an astonishing US$26 million (HK$202.7 million) – the highest price ever achieved for a new Ferrari at public auction. This bespoke model, dubbed the ‘599+1’, was commissioned beyond the original 599-unit production run and sold to benefit the Ferrari Foundation.</p>



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<p>The car’s striking two-tone exterior features exposed carbon fibre and Giallo Modena livery, with the first-ever full-length Ferrari logotype emblazoned across the body – a bold design statement that blends heritage with innovation. The cabin, meanwhile, showcases the marque’s commitment to both luxury and the environment. It is finished in Q-Cycle, a sustainable fabric made from recycled tyres, complemented by yellow seatbelts and embroidered Prancing Horse motifs.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ferrari-Daytona-SP3-599-plus1_1_clip_p-1024x640.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88332" width="768" height="480" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ferrari-Daytona-SP3-599-plus1_1_clip_p-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ferrari-Daytona-SP3-599-plus1_1_clip_p-448x280.jpg 448w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ferrari-Daytona-SP3-599-plus1_1_clip_p-480x300.jpg 480w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ferrari-Daytona-SP3-599-plus1_1_clip_p-768x480.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ferrari-Daytona-SP3-599-plus1_1_clip_p-200x125.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ferrari-Daytona-SP3-599-plus1_1_clip_p-800x500.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ferrari-Daytona-SP3-599-plus1_1_clip_p.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Powered by a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine, the SP3 delivers 829 horsepower, accelerating from 0-100 km/h in just 2.85 seconds. This sale not only marked a milestone in automotive history but also underscored Ferrari’s philanthropic vision, with the tailor-made Daytona racing to a new home as a symbol of speed, style and social impact.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mars Attracts!</h3>



<p>The largest Martian meteorite discovered on Earth has become the most valuable chunk of rock from outer space sold at auction. NWA 16788, named for Northwest Africa where it was recovered, garnered a hefty US$5.3 million (HK$41.3 million) at Sotheby’s in New York. Weighing 54 pounds (24.7 kilograms), it is 70% larger than any other known Martian specimen.</p>



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<p>Scientists believe it was blasted off that planet by an asteroid strike, travelling 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) before landing in the sand of the Sahara Desert in Niger. Found in 2023, its red-brown colouration is indicative of its origin and its pristine condition is suggestive of a relatively recent arrival.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Martian-Rock_04_p-copy-1024x640.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88333" width="768" height="480" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Martian-Rock_04_p-copy-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Martian-Rock_04_p-copy-448x280.jpg 448w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Martian-Rock_04_p-copy-480x300.jpg 480w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Martian-Rock_04_p-copy-768x480.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Martian-Rock_04_p-copy-200x125.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Martian-Rock_04_p-copy-800x500.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Martian-Rock_04_p-copy.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Only about 400 Martian meteorites have ever been documented, most of them tiny fragments. NWA 16788 is a rare exception, offering a once-in-a-generation opportunity for collectors and researchers alike. Its sale sparked controversy, however. Angry questions have been raised about provenance and international trafficking, with the Niger authorities investigating whether it was exported through illicit channels.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Three auction sales (October 2025)


<p class="has-text-align-center">Four remarkable lots that impressed bidders in recent auctions are featured in this month’s Look Section: legendary tiara shines anew; Basquiat’s bold street cred appreciated; architect’s table lamp in spotlight &amp; sculpture of despair yields joy</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Astor Revisited</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Astor-Turquoise-and-Diamond-Tiara_image03_cropped-1024x518.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87964" width="768" height="389" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Astor-Turquoise-and-Diamond-Tiara_image03_cropped-1024x518.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Astor-Turquoise-and-Diamond-Tiara_image03_cropped-554x280.jpg 554w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Astor-Turquoise-and-Diamond-Tiara_image03_cropped-768x388.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Astor-Turquoise-and-Diamond-Tiara_image03_cropped-1536x776.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Astor-Turquoise-and-Diamond-Tiara_image03_cropped-2048x1035.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Astor-Turquoise-and-Diamond-Tiara_image03_cropped-200x101.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Astor-Turquoise-and-Diamond-Tiara_image03_cropped-800x404.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>A Bonhams London auction this summer brought back to light one of Cartier’s most storied creations – the Astor Turquoise and Diamond Tiara. Purchased by Waldorf Astor in 1930 for his wife, Nancy Astor, the first woman to sit in the British Parliament, this masterpiece blends political history with exquisite craftsmanship. The tiara showcases vibrant turquoise carved into elegant plumes and foliage, framed by brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds that shimmer with period charm. Its Eastern-inspired motifs reflect Cartier’s flair for opulent design during the Art Deco era.</p>



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<p>More than just ornamentation, this tiara symbolised the American-born Viscountess Astor’s groundbreaking role in British society. It hadn’t surfaced publicly since then, making its £889,400 (HK$9.3 million) sale a landmark event for collectors and historians alike. A beacon of female empowerment and artistic vision, it remains an enduring testament to Cartier’s legacy – and to a woman who dared to redefine her place in history.</p>



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<p>Whether worn, displayed or admired in auction catalogues, the Astor Tiara reminds us that high jewellery isn’t just about sparkle; it’s about stories carved in stone and precious metal.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Untitled Youth</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jean-Michel-Basquiats-Untitled-1981-1024x820.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87965" width="768" height="615" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jean-Michel-Basquiats-Untitled-1981-1024x820.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jean-Michel-Basquiats-Untitled-1981-350x280.jpg 350w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jean-Michel-Basquiats-Untitled-1981-768x615.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jean-Michel-Basquiats-Untitled-1981-1536x1230.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jean-Michel-Basquiats-Untitled-1981-2048x1640.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jean-Michel-Basquiats-Untitled-1981-200x160.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jean-Michel-Basquiats-Untitled-1981-800x641.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (1981) is a frenetic portrayal of a mythical figure seemingly entering battle, scrawled in oilstick on paper. Created when the American artist was just 20 years old, the piece channels his graffiti roots and neo-expressionist style into a raw meditation on race, mortality and identity, reflecting his experience as a young Black man navigating the elite art world. It marked the beginning of a two-year period when Basquiat moved from street artist to mainstream. Many critics judge this early period to be his best, and these Untitled works have achieved high prices at auction.</p>



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<p>Having been secured in a private collection since 1989, this particular piece re-entered the market with a bang – selling at Sotheby’s in New York for a staggering US$16.4 million (HK$128.7 million). Remaining a cultural flashpoint, its chaotic lines and vibrant palette speak to the urgency of Basquiat’s vision. His early works, including the record-breaking Untitled skull of 1982, aren’t just paintings; they form a collective manifesto daring viewers to confront the beauty and brutality of existence.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Enlightened Wright</h3>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Double-Pedestal-Table-Lamp_image02-1024x745.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87966" width="768" height="559" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Double-Pedestal-Table-Lamp_image02-1024x745.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Double-Pedestal-Table-Lamp_image02-385x280.jpg 385w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Double-Pedestal-Table-Lamp_image02-768x559.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Double-Pedestal-Table-Lamp_image02-1536x1118.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Double-Pedestal-Table-Lamp_image02-2048x1491.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Double-Pedestal-Table-Lamp_image02-200x146.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-Double-Pedestal-Table-Lamp_image02-800x582.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>A new benchmark for design history was set earlier this year when Frank Lloyd Wright’s Double-Pedestal Table Lamp sold for a record-breaking US$7.5 million (HK$58.9 million) at Sotheby’s in New York. Originally created around 1903 for US philanthropist Susan Lawrence Dana’s house in Springfield, Illinois, the lamp is one of only three ever made – and the only one ever offered at public auction.</p>



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<p>Crafted from iridised and opalescent glass, brass-plated zinc and bronze, the lamp’s architectural silhouette echoes Wright’s Prairie style. Its geometric shade, inspired by the sumac plant, shifts in colour from green to amber depending on the light. Hinged side panels evoke Japanese shoji screens, reflecting Wright’s admiration for Eastern design.</p>



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<p>More than a lighting fixture, the lamp embodies Wright’s philosophy of total design, in which architecture, furniture and décor form a unified whole. Commissioned by Dana with a “blank cheque”, the lamp was part of a radical reimagining of domestic space. This sale not only crowned Wright’s most valuable object at auction, but also reaffirmed his enduring influence on American design and modernist aesthetics.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Rodin Reaction</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Auguste-Rodin_Le-Desespoir_image02-889x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87967" width="667" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Auguste-Rodin_Le-Desespoir_image02-889x1024.jpg 889w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Auguste-Rodin_Le-Desespoir_image02-243x280.jpg 243w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Auguste-Rodin_Le-Desespoir_image02-768x884.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Auguste-Rodin_Le-Desespoir_image02-200x230.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Auguste-Rodin_Le-Desespoir_image02-800x921.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Auguste-Rodin_Le-Desespoir_image02.jpg 1315w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /></figure></div>


<p>A white marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin, long dismissed as a copy, sold for €860,000 (HK$7.8 million) in west-central France this summer, stunning the art world. Le Désespoir (Despair), sculpted in 1892-93, channels the intensity of emotional suffering into a quietly powerful form. It portrays a nude woman seated with her torso collapsed inward, holding her foot out in one arm. The posture radiates tension and isolation, as if her entire body were weighed down by grief. Though modest in size, at 28.6cm high, the anatomical precision and emotional depth give it tremendous presence.</p>



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<p>The piece was originally intended to be part of Rodin’s epic work, The Gates of Hell, inspired by Dante’s Inferno, yet it stands alone as a haunting meditation on despair and human vulnerability. For decades, it sat unrecognised atop a piano in France. But in June, after authentication by the Comité Rodin, it was thrust into the spotlight and sold at auction at Château de Villandry. The winning bidder was a young US banker, captivated by the sculpture’s quiet power and remarkable story of rediscovery.</p>


Under the hammer: Fab Four auction sales (September 2025)


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Razor Edge</h3>



<p>Sotheby’s Maison in Hong Kong is shining a spotlight on A Vanitas, an audacious jewellery capsule collection that fuses the 17th-century Dutch vanitas art tradition with modern rebellion. Created by renowned goldsmith Hannah Martin and Coldplay’s bassist-cum-fashion designer Guy Berryman, the pieces feature striking blue sapphires and bold motifs, including reimagined razor blades – symbols of life’s fleeting beauty. Inspired by Martin’s boundary-pushing aesthetic and Berryman’s design vision, they serve as wearable meditations on seizing the moment.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Vanitas-Safety-Pin-Earring-Gold-Pearl-02_edit-1024x615.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87722" width="768" height="461" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Vanitas-Safety-Pin-Earring-Gold-Pearl-02_edit-1024x615.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Vanitas-Safety-Pin-Earring-Gold-Pearl-02_edit-466x280.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Vanitas-Safety-Pin-Earring-Gold-Pearl-02_edit-768x461.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Vanitas-Safety-Pin-Earring-Gold-Pearl-02_edit-1536x922.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Vanitas-Safety-Pin-Earring-Gold-Pearl-02_edit-200x120.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Vanitas-Safety-Pin-Earring-Gold-Pearl-02_edit-800x480.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Vanitas-Safety-Pin-Earring-Gold-Pearl-02_edit.jpg 2047w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Highlights include a yellow-gold razor necklace, a sleek signet ring and a daring bangle reminiscent of a hospital ID tag, all imbued with contemporary spirit. Presented alongside a selection of the London jeweller’s past creations, the collection challenges conventions and invites conversation about mortality and vitality. Sotheby’s Maison, smartly ensconced within Landmark Chater in Central, elevates the experience with immersive displays and curated retail spaces, offering connoisseurs the chance to own a piece of this rebellious yet refined narrative. It’s a collection that truly says, “Now or never.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bag of Gold</h3>



<p>In a fashion frenzy, Hermès’ inaugural Birkin fetched a staggering €8.6 million (HK$78.5 million) at the Sotheby’s Paris Fashion Icons auction last month, smashing previous handbag records and sealing its place in luxury legend. Carried daily for a decade by its namesake owner before it was donated to a charity auction, the worn yet iconic prototype ignited a bidding war, starting at €1 million and soaring past €7 million before it was clinched at this elevated price. The winner? A private collector from Japan, whose victory underscores the bag’s global allure.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-jane-birkin-s-original-birkin-on-sale-at-sotheby-s-paris-open-full-picture_edit-1024x806.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87723" width="768" height="605" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-jane-birkin-s-original-birkin-on-sale-at-sotheby-s-paris-open-full-picture_edit-1024x806.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-jane-birkin-s-original-birkin-on-sale-at-sotheby-s-paris-open-full-picture_edit-356x280.jpg 356w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-jane-birkin-s-original-birkin-on-sale-at-sotheby-s-paris-open-full-picture_edit-768x604.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-jane-birkin-s-original-birkin-on-sale-at-sotheby-s-paris-open-full-picture_edit-1536x1209.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-jane-birkin-s-original-birkin-on-sale-at-sotheby-s-paris-open-full-picture_edit-200x157.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-jane-birkin-s-original-birkin-on-sale-at-sotheby-s-paris-open-full-picture_edit-800x630.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-jane-birkin-s-original-birkin-on-sale-at-sotheby-s-paris-open-full-picture_edit.jpg 1564w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>This historic sale eclipses the previous record held by a diamond-studded Kelly 28, which sold for HK$4 million in 2021. The first Birkin, completed in 1984 after a chance airline encounter between the British-born, French-cinema star Jane Birkin and Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, was intended as a functional yet stylish tote for a young mother. Now, it’s a priceless piece of fashion history – and a testament to how luxury can truly reach new heights. Who knew a handbag with a late actress’s nail clipper attached to its strap could be worth its weight in gold?</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Body of Work</h3>



<p>British figurative artist Jenny Saville is once again making waves, this time with her striking charcoal drawing, Mirror (2011-12), which shattered auction records at Sotheby’s London. Measuring more than 1.5 by 2 metres, the monumental work reimagines the reclining nude, fusing multiple intertwined figures into a dense composition that draws inspiration from titans like Titian, Manet and Picasso. Its unparalleled £2.11 million (HK$22.2 million) sale underscores Saville’s evolving mastery of the female form.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Mirror-Painting_02-1024x798.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87724" width="768" height="599" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Mirror-Painting_02-1024x798.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Mirror-Painting_02-359x280.jpg 359w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Mirror-Painting_02-768x599.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Mirror-Painting_02-200x156.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Mirror-Painting_02-800x624.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Mirror-Painting_02.jpg 1385w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Known for her visceral oil paintings that challenge conventional beauty standards, Saville has recently embraced charcoal’s immediacy – a shift influenced by motherhood and a desire for spontaneity. Her current London retrospective,</p>



<p>The Anatomy of Painting, which runs at the National Portrait Gallery until 7 September, is the largest major museum exhibition in the UK dedicated to a leading contemporary painter. Offering a rare glimpse into her ongoing quest to redefine the human body in art, it showcases 45 works spanning the 55-year-old’s career so far. Saville continues to reshape the canvas of figurative art.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Surreal Soar</h3>



<p>Animal, vegetable, sculptural – in a world where furniture and art collide, Les Lalanne’s whimsical creations continue to enchant collectors and investors alike. Bronze sheep you can sit on, a cabbage perched atop the legs of a bird, or geese supporting a glass dining table – fantasy blurred into function in the French duo’s surreal universe. Over the decades from first meeting in 1952 to marrying in 1967 to their passing in 2008 and 2019 respectively, François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne transformed everyday objects into botanical and animal-inspired masterpieces that challenged perception.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Francois-Xavier-Lalanne-Grand-Rhinocretaire-II-1024x765.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87725" width="768" height="574" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Francois-Xavier-Lalanne-Grand-Rhinocretaire-II-1024x765.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Francois-Xavier-Lalanne-Grand-Rhinocretaire-II-375x280.jpg 375w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Francois-Xavier-Lalanne-Grand-Rhinocretaire-II-768x574.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Francois-Xavier-Lalanne-Grand-Rhinocretaire-II-1536x1147.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Francois-Xavier-Lalanne-Grand-Rhinocretaire-II-2048x1530.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Francois-Xavier-Lalanne-Grand-Rhinocretaire-II-200x149.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/opt-Francois-Xavier-Lalanne-Grand-Rhinocretaire-II-800x598.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>The market buzz of the sculpting couple has skyrocketed recently. At Sotheby’s New York in June, the towering Grand Rhinocrétaire II, a bronze rhinoceros that unfolds into a desk, sold for a whopping US$16.4 million (HK$128.7 million) – more than triple its high estimate and the second-highest Lalanne auction price ever. Just the month before, their Bar aux Autruches (Ostrich Bar) fetched €11.1 million (HK$101.6 million) in Paris. As Les Lalanne’s works continue to command record-breaking figures, their whimsical worlds prove that in art and design, fantasy truly pays off.</p>


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