"A copy of John James Audubon's Birds of America, a rare blend of exquisite art, natural history and craftmanship, has fetched more than US$10 million at auction, making it the world's most expensive published book."

"Gem sold for record HK$353m" from South China Morning Post

"A rare pink diamond has fetched 45.44 million Swiss francs (HK$353.65 million), virtually doubling the previous record to become the most expensive stone ever sold at auction, Sotheby's said."


"Eric Valdieu, a Frenchman and a former Christie's jewel expert in Geneva, now of Valdieu Fine Arts, said as he left the Sotheby's sale: "The price were stronger than in 2007-2008, that's why everyone has a smile on his face.

"The reason is the bad performance of the stock market in the last year or two. Nobody knows what they are buying with stocks, but here they are buying something solid and tangible. The top quality jewels are even more expensive than they should be." "

"Art sales highlight flourishing Asian market" from South China Morning Post

"Another month, another busy week in Asia's increasingly hectic art calendar."


"Christie's Asia chairman Ken Yeh said he had observed a significant increase in the number of mainland buyers participating in New York and London sales, bidding for Impressionist and Modern paintings priced from US$10 million to US$20 million.

He said most mainland buyers bought Impressionist and Modern art as investors and collectors."

"Beauty at a price." from South China Morning Post

"The Oei Tiong Ham Necklace, with an estimated value of up to HK$17.2 million, is one of the exquisite pieces on view at Sotheby's modern Masters private sales exhibition running until tomorrow at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. The necklace will be auctioned in New York on December 9."

"Bank of Ireland raises €1.5m from auction of art works" from South China Morning Post

"Dublin: Bank of Ireland has raised €1.5 million (HK$15.43 million) in a sale of its prized Irish art works, auctioneers said on Thursday, but the money will not be used to shore up the troubled lender amid the country's economic gloom."

"Matisse's flirty 1942 portrait of an Italian countess decked out in a blue tutu, Danseuse dans le fauteuil, sol en damier, fetched US$20.8 million." from South China Morning Post

"The work had appeared twice at auction at Sotheby's in London in the past decade, fetching US$7.5 million in 2000 and US$21.7 million in 2007.

Another Matisse, the 1934 portrait of model Titine Trovato that failed to sell at Sotheby's in November 2008, against an estimate of US$18 million, was offered again last week with a lower estimate of US$8 million. It didn't get a single bid."

"Chinese vase found in house clearance fetches HK$645m" from South China Morning Post

"A Qianlong-period vase that was discovered during a routine house clearance in London and was put up for sale in a small provincial auction house has sold for an astonishing £51.6 million (HK$645.20 million), the highest sum ever paid at auction for any Asian artwork and 40 times the presale estimate."

"After a news report noted the presence of the vase in the sale, dealers travelled to Bainbridges from across Asia. Others were in town for Asian Art in London's schedule of gallery exhibitions, shows and lectures."

"Last month, another 18th-century imperial vase was bought by collector Alice Cheng for a record HK$252.7 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong."

"It would have resided "no doubt" in the royal palace and was fired in the imperial kilns. The auctioneer said it was a mystery how the 40cm high piece ended up in London, where it was recently discovered in the suburb of Pinner. Its provenance was described simply as belonging to an English family collection, probably acquired during the 1930s."

"Wine frenzy grips Hong Kong" from South China Morning Post

"People like the fact that the wine is here in Hong Kong. You just go and pick it up."


"Liu Xuebiao, a merchant from Shenzhen, said wine he buys in Hong Kong for about US3$ a bottle can be sold on the mainland for 300 yuan, more than 15 times what he paid"


"Elswood, of Christie's, said the burgeoning wealth is "inflating a bubble" in wine. "When you're paying four, five times or even more than the reference price, then you have to seriously question the market knowledge of that buyer.

At Sotheby's April auction in Hong Kong, a 12-bottle lot of Chateau Latour 1982 fetched HK$338,800 or US$43,707. About two weeks later, New York-based Tribeca Wine Merchants ran a newspaper advertisement offering the same wine for US$2,250 a bottle.

He, strolling around the Hong Kong fair with a glass of wine, said: "Westerners drink wine slowly as a way of enjoying life. Just look around you. Mainland Chinese tilt the glass and pour it straight down the throat."

"Diamonds Are A Guy's Best Friend" from Bloomberg Businessweek

"With the art market still very much in recovery mode, collectors are turning to jewelry not only for its artistic value but also for its investment potential. "Since the start of recession we've seen a growing number of new and established collectors come into the market with particular interest in buying jewels as an alternative asset or as a hedge against inflation," says Rahul Kadakia, Christie's head of jewelry."

"One example of a period piece with currency is the Bulgari Blue Diamond ring, a gold band flanked by two enormous triangular diamonds, which will headline Christie's New York's Jewels sale this month. Purchased for $1 million in the 1970s, when it was designed, Christie's expects it to field more than $12 million this time around."

" "Stones are portable wealth, and they are part of a global market," Hubbard continues. "It's something that Wall Street is really looking at now. When the stock market and real estate are unpredictable, what's predictable? Diamonds." "

"Big rocks." from South China Morning Post

"The perfect Pink, a rare 14.23-carat pink diamond, will be the highlight of an auction on November 29. Christie's said only 18 diamonds over 10 carats showing a distinct pure pink colour had appeared for sale in more than 244 years of auction history."

"HK set to top league for wine auctions" from South China Morning Post

"Hong Kong is expected to overtake New York as the biggest wine auction centre by the end of this year, said Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan, secretary for commerce and economic development. Speaking on a radio programme, Laud said more than 500 wine shops had been set up in Hong Kong in the past two years and 45,000 people were now working in the industry. Since the waiving of wine import tax in 2008, Hong Kong had replaced London as he world's second largest wine auction centre, she said. New York is the global leader. A record of 110,000 people visited the four-day wine and Dine Festival last week. Government figures for the first nine months of the year showed that 34 per cent of wine exports from Hong Kong went across the border."

"Qatar is eyeing Christie's, the auction house, as part of its plans to establish itself as a leading cultural destination in the Gulf." from Financial Times

"A Matisse sculpture (pictured) broke the artist's auction record at Christie's sale of Impressionist and modern art in New York." from South China Morning Post

"It's also fun to watch the confused auction house employees as they puzzle over whether a shoddily dressed man is penniless or the owner of a Warhol that he bought a few hundred dollars when the canvas was still wet. (Let us not forget, postmen and owners of a fleet of taxi cabs have been among this country's greatest art collectors.) " from New York Times

Postmen could observe art very well.