Asia

An imposing brass alloy figure of Canda Vajrapani set an auction record for a Tibetan sculpture when it was knocked down at HK$42.5m (£4.34m) at Bonhams Hong Kong.

Christie’s has opened its third premises in China with a new space in Beijing.

London Asian art specialist Roger Keverne chose to mark his 50th year in the trade with a sale of items from his personal collection.

Fine Art Asia, the international fine art and antiques fair in Hong Kong, will open its doors with an invitation-only preview on October 1.

Wildlife campaigners are calling for a crackdown on ivory exports from the UK after a report revealed trade doubled to Hong Kong last year.

Over 100 exhibitors have signed up for the inaugural Hong Kong Coin Show which opens on Friday, making it one of the largest numismatic shows of the year in Asia.

The largest shareholder in Beijing’s China Guardian Auctions has also become the largest single shareholder in Sotheby’s. Cheng Dongshen, chairman and chief executive of Taikang Life Insurance, purchased $230m or 8m Sotheby’s shares across June and July and now has a 13.5% stake.

Hong Kong has given its ivory traders five years before its rules are tightened.

Economist and author of the annual TEFAF Art Market Report Clare McAndrew has left TEFAF to join with Art Basel, it has been announced.

Contemporary art dealer David Zwirner has announced plans to open a fourth gallery in Hong Kong in 2017.

A Ming stem cup sold at Lyon & Turnbull’s debut auction in Hong Kong today for £3.68m (HK$41,560,000) including buyer’s premium.

The Sotheby’s Hong Kong Spring series of sales closed today chalking up a total of HK$502.8m/USD$64.5m/GB£242.3m.

Bonhams say they are “reorganising operations” after Magnus Renfrew, the company’s deputy chairman in Asia, was laid off along with seven other members of staff based in Hong Kong.

The centrepiece of Sotheby’s April auction series in Hong Kong will be the collection of around 100 lots of Chinese porcelain spanning the Tang to Qing dynasties that was formed by the British collector Roger Pilkington.

Hong Kong is to tighten its rules on ivory.

Sotheby’s will open an office in Mumbai, as they bid to expand their Indian businesses with two ‘strategic’ appointments in the region.

Guillaume Cerutti, chief executive of Sotheby’s France and European deputy chairman, is to leave and join Christie’s as president for London, Continental Europe, the Middle East, Russia and India.

A group of 32 ancient gold ornaments have been returned to China following claims they had been illegally removed.

Berlin online auction house Auctionata set a house record when this Chinese enamel, ivory-mounted and paste-set musical and automaton clock was sold for €2.8m (£2.15m), or €3.37m including premium.

Attracting collectors and experts from around the world, the third edition of ‘Asia Week Hong Kong’ will take place from May 27 to June 11.