Chinese Ceramics Sales Strong
by Zoe Strimpel
Thu, 15 May 2008
In the furor resulting from the triumphant sales of paintings by Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud in New York, other art-world events have been somewhat submerged. Yesterday concluded a series of Chinese ceramics sales in London that did remarkably well indeed. It may not be the sexiest segment of the Asian market, but the results are nevertheless an indicator of continuing strength in all things Chinese. Sotheby's today reported earnings of £16,751,379 ($32,608,515) from the series. The presale estimate was between £5.2 million ($10.1 million) and £7.4 million ($14.4 million); in that light, the result is spectacular. Yesterday's auctions were dominated by the collection of Johan Carl Kempe, which included "Masterpieces of Chinese Precious Metalwork: Early Gold and Silver," which went for £9,310,688 ($18,091,598). The top lot in the "Early Chinese White, Green and Black Wares" component went for a princely £636,500 ($1,236,783). As London gears up for its Contemporary sales, it's likely that China will rule again.
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