SOTHEBY’S CONTINUES LEADERSHIP IN ASIA- EXPERTISE AND INNOVATION DRIVE RESULTS -Sotheby’s Asia 2019 First-Half SalesTotal HK$3.88 Billion / US$495 Million
Hong Kong, 24 July 2019: “The strength of these half year figures tells its own story. First, it reflects the quality of the material that has come under Sotheby’s hammer, thanks to our very experienced and insightful specialists who know exactly what the market wants and where to find it. Secondly, it also speaks to the ever-deepening pool of passionate collectors who are drawn into our world by our digital outreach and boundary-pushing sales and events.”
UNRIVALLED LEADERSHIP ACROSS ALL METRICS
Aggregate sales reach HK$3.88 billion (US$495 million) 1 -- 1.6 times over the pre-sale low estimate, and in line with that of 2018, a record-breaking year for Sotheby’s AsiaConsistently strong sell-through rate: 89.3%6 works sold over HK$100 million28+ world auction recordsLeading the market across categories, including:Chinese Works of Art: HK$700 million (US$89 million)Fine Chinese Paintings: HK$488 million (US$62 million)Modern Art: HK$851 million / US$108 millionContemporary Art: HK$801 million (US$102 million)Southeast Asian Art: HK$167 million (US$21 million)Wine: HK$306 million (US$39 million)Watches: HK$135 million (US$17 million)22% of buyers were new to Sotheby’s Asia