During this season’s Asia Week New York, Sotheby's A Journey Through China’s History: The Dr Wou Kiuan Collection Part I Sale saw remarkable results.

Son of a prominent statesman during early 20th century China, Dr. Wou’s Collection includes a comprehensive range of materials – such as bronzes, jades and sculptures.

Amongst the 147 lots offered, all were auctioned with no-reserve and estimates ranged from several thousands to nearly a million dollars. In the end, the auction house pulled off a white glove sale – amassing a sale total of US$10.5 million dollars. Many lots surpassed expectations, where their hammer prices were multiple times of their estimates – the highest was nearly 53 times when the hammer was dropped.

A 18th century Chinese Imperial jade boulder was the sale’s most expensive lot – it was sold at US$1.07 million dollars, with buyer’s premium.

On the last day of Christie’s spring sales in Hong Kong, the auction house kicked off the day with Glories of Buddhist Art which offered 15 lots of Buddhist Art. The sale realised a total of HK$119.5m (US$15m).

Leading the sale was a pair of wood figures of standing Bodhisattvas that sold for HK$45.2m after premium.

An Imperial Gilt-Lacquered Wood Figure of the Medicine Buddha

Qing Dynasty, 18th century
Height: 172.7cm (the figure). 68.5cm (gilt-lacquered wood pedestal)
Provenance:

• The property of an American Family

Estimate: HK$30,000,000 - 50,000,0000

One of the only six known examples of lotus on screen by the artist, the lot was hammered at HK$216.5 million against an opening bid of HK$150 million. With buyer's premium, the lot fetched HK$251.6 million (around US$32.3 million), becoming the artist's third most expensive painting to sell at auction. 

In the wake of pandemic, Ming (1368-1644) furniture made of huanghuali wood, an endangered fragrant rosewood, has been highly-prized and coveted among collectors, where many sparked enthusiastic bidding to sold far beyond estimates at auctions. 
Among those pieces, particularly eye-catching are the extremely rare folding chairs. In 2021, one dated 17th century fetched HK$66 million (US$8.5 million) at Christie's Hong Kong, setting an auction record for a folding chair. The following year, another dated late Ming dynasty from the collection of Sir Joseph Hotung break that record at HK$124.6 million (US$16 million), also a record price for a Chinese chair.

Riding on the momentum, Christie's is presenting yet another huanghuali folding chair from 17th century as the star lot of this season's New York Asia Week, which is estimated between US$2 and 3 million.

Created during 11th to 12th century
Height: 37.8 cm | Overall: 41.9 cm
Provenance:

• Collection of Peng Kai-dong, alias Nitta Muneichi (1912-2006), the Nitta Group Collection

• Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 1998, Lot 606

• R.H. Ellsworth Ltd, New York, 30th July 1998

Estimate: HK$15,000,000 – 20,000,000

German Auction House Nagel to Make a Strong Comeback with a Chinese Imperial Bronze Figure, Commissioned for an Emperor's Birthday 500 Years Ago

An imperial gilt-bronze figure of Vajrabhairava
China, Ming dynasty, Chenghua period (1464-1487)
Marked and dated “daming chenghua jiu nian shiyi yue chu’er ri anxigong shi”
Corresponding to the second day of the 11th lunar month, the ninth year of Emperor Chenghua’s reign, 1473

Height: 92 cm
Weight: Figure: 94 kg, Base: 43 kg, Mandorla: 32 kg
Provenance:

• Gumpel Collection, Paris, sold Drouot, November 24, 1904, lot 469

• Alan Hartman New York, 1975

• Important European private collection

Estimate: €1,000,000 - 1,500,000