HONG KONG.- From 28 October to 3 November during Hong Kong Asian Art Week, Christie's held six live auctions which achieved a grand total of HK$954,583,170 / US$123,431,804, up 13% versus last year, and a hammer price of 136% above the low estimate, demonstrating the strength of the Asian Art market. The quality offering, marked by prestigious single-owner collections, drew global bidding from 23 countries across five continents. Mainland China was the top buying region accounting for half of the overall sales, and Southeast Asia continues to thrive, with spending up 88% year on year. The legacy of Asian Art collecting is being upheld by young, digitally-minded buyers – 24% of buyers were Millennials or younger, and online spending was up 47% year on year. Asian Art sales continue online until 11 November with The Chiang Chao-shen Collection: Chinese Paintings and Scholar's Objects from the Lingou Hall and Pavilion Online - Chinese and Asian Art.

Chinese Paintings | 28 – 29 October

Leading the Asia market this season, the auctions of Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy and Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings totalled HK$506,559,270 / US$65,533,877 – up 86% versus the same period last year, and achieved an exceptional average hammer price of 221% above the low estimate – a testament to the demand for the category. The top lot, Ni Zan's River Pavilion, Mountain Colours realised HK$160 million / US$20.7 million and became the first Asian Art masterpiece this season to exceed HK$100 million. Amongst the highlights, Fu Baoshi's Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove sold for HK$59 million / US$7.6 million, tripling its low estimate. Provenance was a key draw – works from a Prominent North American Collection, which included the Ni Zan, hammered at over 600% of the low estimate, one of many 100% sold single-owner collections.

Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art | 30 October

Christie's Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sales – The Ai Lian Tang Collection – Imperial Scholar's Objects; The Au Bak Ling Collection Volume II; and Important Chinese and Asian Works of Art – totalled HK$370,088,900 / US$47,858,490, and achieved an overall hammer price of 112% above the low estimate. 43% of lots sold exceeded their high estimates – a reflection of heated competition in-room and remotely. Collectors responded passionately to the dedicated sales for Ai Lian Tang and Au Bak Ling, which both exceeded HK$100 million, underscoring Christie's expertise in stewarding prestigious private collections. The leading lot overall was an imperial Beijing enamel 'geese and quails' tiered ink stone warmer box and cover from the Ai Lian Tang collection, which realised HK$37 million / US$4.8 million, more than tripling its low estimate.

Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art | 3 November

Christie's first dedicated live sale in Hong Kong of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art achieved a total of HK$77,935,000 / US$10,077,338. The sale was led by a masterpiece of Buddhist sculpture – a remarkable and rare figure of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, which sold for HK$24.9 million / US$3.2 million. There was competitive bidding for a gilt copper alloy figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, which surpassed its high estimate and realised HK$9.5 million / US$1.2 million. The three works attributed to the Tenth Karmapa, Choying Dorje, all found homes with the thangka of Parinirvana selling for HK$9.5 million/ US$1.2 million. The sale marked the launch of Christie's new global strategy to bring the finest objects from the category to collectors around the world through sales in Hong Kong, New York, London, and Paris.