2017 Hong Kong Autumn Sales Preview

Fux Restaurant in Lech, Austria.

Wines from the Cellar of Fux Restaurant | 30 September

More than 500 lots of over 3,000 bottles will go under the hammer in this single-owner sale. An award-winning contemporary restaurant in Lech, Austria, Fux Restaurant, founded in 1998, boasts a wine list of 4,000 different wines with over 55,000 bottles, and which was awarded the best wine list in Austria (2015) by Falstaff magazine. Sale highlights include 192 bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, 756 bottles of Domaine Armand Rousseau and 319 bottles of Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé among others.

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PETRUS 1982 12 bottles. Estimate HK$320,000–600,000.

Finest and Rarest Wines | 29 – 30 September

The Hong Kong autumn sales series begins with Finest and Rarest Wines, featuring more than 900 lots of spectacular top-class wines and whiskies from around the world. Included are multiple vintages of the most sought-after wines from DRC, Rousseau and Leroy, in addition to Bordeaux First Growths and right bank equivalents such as Pétrus and Le Pin, as well as a rare vertical lot of Screaming Eagle. Whisky highlights consist of Ichiro’s complete set of Card Series and a magnificent collection of Macallan, among others.

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Zao Wou-Ki 09.01.63, 1963. Estimate HK$50,000,000–70,000,000.

Modern and Contemporary Art Evening | 30 September

This sale presents Modern and Contemporary masterpieces from the East and West. It will be seen alongside Sanyu’s Léopard and Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild (679-2). The auction also offers a number of curated sections, including Movimento Punto: A Post-War Legacy, a curated series of contemporary Chinese works representative of artists born between the late 1960s and 1970s and Indonesian masterworks from a distinguished private collection, alongside other works of exceptional provenance.

*Please stay tuned for the announcement of an important Modern Asian masterpiece on 11 September.

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Wang Jiyuan, Chrysanthemum in Chinese Vase. Estimate HK$180,000–280,000.

Modern Asian Art | 1 October

Sotheby’s Hong Kong is honoured to present Image of Elegance, the largest curated sale of works by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita to take place in Asia. This valuable collection features rare watercolours, sketches and lithographs, many of which were originally part of a private collection owned by the artist’s wife, Kimiyo Foujita. We are also delighted to offer Chu Teh-Chun’s millennial masterpiece Les secrets du Printemps; a collection of works by Wang Jiyuan that has been in the hands of a private American collector for over half century; Sanyu’s exquisite works on paper from the collection of his close friend Johan Franco; as well as impeccable works from the leading figures of Movemento Punto, including Hsiao Chin and Li Yuan-Chia.

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Sam Francis, Untitled, 1988. Estimate HK$3,600,000–4,600,000.

Contemporary Art | 1 October

For the first time in Hong Kong, the Contemporary Art day sale features an exciting selection of Western art in addition to works from China, Japan and Korea. Highlights include a Sam Francis piece entitled Untitled from 1988–89, Liu Wei’s iconic Swimming No. 2 and an archetypal Chung Sanghwa work from 1984.

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Morita Shiryu, So – Wilderness, 1954. Estimate HK$1,200,000–2,200,000.

MORITA SHIRYU: BOKUJIN | 1 October

Morita Shiryu: Bokujin pays respect to a pioneering post-war Japanese artist who transformed Far Eastern calligraphy into a global avant-garde aesthetic. Leader of the influential Bokujin-Kai (“Ink Human Society”), established two years before the formation of Gutai, Morita collaborated with Isamu Noguchi and Franz Kline. He also exhibited at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and at the São Paolo Biennale as early as the 1950s and 1960s. Sotheby’s is honoured to introduce collectors to his iconic calligraphic aesthetic and to host the world’s first dedicated Morita auction with 20 works by this pivotal artist.

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Le Pho, La cueillette des lotus (Lotus harvest), 1940. Estimate HK$780,000–1,600,000.

Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art | 1 October

The upcoming sale of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art will offer an extraordinary selection of works, curated to reflect the region’s rich and diverse cultures. Much anticipated debut artworks from Myanmar will be seen alongside masterpieces from maestros such as Cheong Soo Pieng, Hendra Gunawan, Le Pho and Ang Kiukok. Additionally, the sale will showcase leading contemporary voices including Jigger Cruz, Christine Ay Tjoe and Ronald Ventura.

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Zhang Yu, Letter to Boqing. Estimate HK$16,000,000–20,000,000.

Fine Classical Chinese Paintings | 1 October

The Classical Chinese Paintings sale presents a number of collections from America, Asia and Europe, with a particular focus on calligraphy from the Yuan to Qing dynasties. Highlights include a Letter to Boqing by Zhang Yu (1277–1348), demonstrating the literati style; Calligraphy in Running Script by Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), which exhibits a superb mastery of brush strokes; and Flowers painted by Tang Yin (1470–1524) and inscribed by Wen Zhengming (1470–1559), a work that depicts 24 different kinds of flowers, each with its own singular beauty.

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Hans Hartung, P1967-A47, 1967. Estimate HK$400,000–600,000.

Contemporary Ink Art: Confluence | 2 October

Confluence is a thematic sale of contemporary art that encompasses the dynamic range of works by artists trained in, or influenced by, the ink painting tradition. Inspired by the fabled Silk Road – which carried not only textiles and spices, but also the creative traditions of Eurasia’s many cultures – this sale brings together works from China and its neighbours in the East, alongside European, South Asian and Middle Eastern pieces, all building on the rich medium of ink.

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PATEK PHILIPPE, A pink gold double dialled wristwatch with twelve complications Ref 5002R Sky Moon Tourbillon circa 2009. Estimate HK$8,000,000–10,000,000.

Important Watches | 2 October

The Important Watches auction showcases outstanding collections from various ateliers and independent watchmakers such as Richard Mille, Phillipe Dufour, MB&F and Kari Voutilainen. Leading the selection of the finest watchmaking craftsmanship is the Richard Mille RM056-02, the first split-second chronograph tourbillon with a full sapphire case, as well as the Patek Philippe Ref 5002 Sky Moon Tourbillon.

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A highly important Ru guanyao brushwasher, Northern Song dynasty.

Song – Important Chinese Ceramics from the Le Cong Tang Collection | 3 October

This selection of exceptional ceramics from the Le Cong Tang collection comprises one of the greatest assemblages of Song ceramics ever to be offered at auction, the majority formerly in the collection of the Chang Foundation, Taipei, including a highly important Ru washer, one of only four heirloom examples in private hands, and a ‘Ding’ russet and black-glazed foliate dish originally from the Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Clark Collection.

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A superbly carved and extremely rare tianhuang 'dragon' seal, signed Lin Ji, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period. Estimate HK$10,000,000–15,000,000.

Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection Treasures | 3 October

The eighth instalment of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection – Treasures is the most tightly curated of the series, consisting of ten exceptional works of art of superlative quality. Highlights include a finely carved tianhuang seal decorated with a pair of ferocious dragons and two extremely rare works of art inscribed by order of the Qianlong Emperor: the first, a boxwood figure of Manjushri, incised with an Imperial poem; and the second, a jade box and cover with an extensive inscription in Tibetan, marking the occasion in 1783 when the newly ascendant 8th Dalai Lama was presented with an Imperial jade edict by the Emperor.

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An exceptional blue and white ‘makara’ jar Mark and period of Xuande. Estimate HK$30,000,000–40,000,000.

Three Masterpieces from the Collection of an English Lady | 3 October

This sale consists of three outstanding masterpieces of Chinese art from the Ming and Qing dynasties, acquired from the 1960s to the 1980s, all with extensive provenance: an exceptional Xuande-marked porcelain jar painted in rich tones of cobalt blue with a pair of “makaras,” which was included in the 1968 Oriental Ceramics Society exhibition; a magnificent Yongzheng-period Imperial cloisonné enamel tianqiuping decorated with a three-clawed dragon; and a superb Qianlong-period zitan box carved with dragons and a phoenix.

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An exceptional and rare inlaid gilt-bronze figure of Manjushri Nepal, 14th century. Estimate HK$15,000,000–25,000,000.

The Heart of Tantra | 3 October

The inaugural sale of Himalayan and Chinese Buddhist works of art commences with a section of 21 early Tibetan bronze sculptures from the renowned Nyingjei Lam collection, formerly on loan to the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and the Rubin Museum of Art, New York. These works are now being sold for the benefit of charities in India. Other highlights include a monumental early standing bronze figure of Maitreya from an American private collection and a 14th-century Nepalese gilt-bronze figure of Manjushri, originally given by the King of Nepal to the Canadian diplomat Chester Ronning.

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An extremely fine and rare blue and white ‘bajixiang’ bowl and cover, Marks and period of Xuande. Estimate HK$35,000,000–55,000,000.

The Edward T. Chow ‘Bajixiang’ Bowl | 3 October

This outstanding Xuande-covered bowl, superbly painted in vivid cobalt blue with the Buddhist emblems “bajixiang” and lotus blooms, was formerly in two of the most remarkable collections of Chinese ceramics, those of Edward T. Chow (1910–1980) and T. Y. Chao (1912–1999). Following the successful sale of an exceptional Xuande-barbed bowl last season, the reappearance of this bajixiang-covered bowl on the market after 30 years is a cause for celebration.

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A rare and important white jade and cloisonné enamel ram-head teapot and cover Qing dynasty, Qianlong period. Estimate HK$20,000,000–30,000,000.

Important Chinese Art | 3 October

The Important Chinese Art auction is a tightly curated assemblage of fine and rare porcelain and works of art, with a particular focus on the Ming and Qing dynasties. Highlights of the sale include two treasures of the Qianlong period from a private collection: a superb white jade “ram-head” teapot adorned with a cloisonné-enamel handle, originally from the collection of Millicent Rogers (1902–1953); and an exquisite doucai and famille-rose moonflask, formerly in the Fonthill Collection, painted with autumn blooms and inscribed with a corresponding poem.

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An Art Deco gem-set and diamond “Tutti Frutti” bracelet, Cartier. Estimate HK$10,500,000–14,000,000.

Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite | 3 October

Iconic masterpieces by legendary jewellers and contemporary design luminaries feature in this autumn’s Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite sale. Highlights include a rare Art Deco “Tutti Frutti” Cartier barcelet, an exquisite 8.49-carat ruby ring by JAR and an impressive emerald and diamond parure by Van Cleef & Arpels. Presented together are a selection of rare coloured diamonds, exceptional gemstones and a tasteful selection of signed jewels of distinctive period designs.

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A huanghuali alcove bed, Late Ming dynasty.

Exhibition: The Best of the Best – The MQJ Collection | 29 September – 2 October

The MQJ Collection is the finest grouping of Ming furniture in the world. It is the private collection of Grace Wu Bruce, the foremost expert and leading dealer of Chinese furniture, whose esteemed career spans more than 30 years distinguished by passion and knowledge. This unrivalled collection, comprised of more than 100 pieces of Ming furniture, represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to admire outstanding 16th- and 17th-century furniture.

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Wucius Wong, Ancient Dream No. 3, 1991.

Selling Exhibition Eternal Water: Paintings by Wucius Wong

Sotheby’s is proud to present Eternal Water, a selling exhibition by the acclaimed Hong Kong-based painter Wucius Wong. Encompassing six decades of work, the exhibition depicts water in its varying forms, with lyrical, philosophical undertones and a style that combines landscape and geometric motifs. Commenting recently, Wong referred to water as “a metaphor for my life and an ideal theme.” Arranged in thematic order of movement, tranquility, confluence, diversion and transformation, the works featured date back to the artist’s earlier career all the way to his evolving, recent style, which focuses on his search for cultural identity.

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