Hong Kong, 4 May 2026 - During Christie's Hong Kong Spring 2026 Asian Art Week from 28 to 30 April, six live auctions of Chinese Paintings and Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art achieved a combined total of HK$872,202,640 (US$111,308,233), marking a 54% increase year-on-year and recording the highest Asian Art Spring season total since 2018. The previews and auctions were well attended throughout the week, with competitive bidding from clients in the saleroom, on the telephone and online pushing the overall hammer price to 140% above the low estimate. New buyers increased by 33%, driven by Millennials and younger collectors. Strong international engagement was evident, with bidders from 23 countries across six continents. Mainland China was the leading contributing region, recording 173% growth in spending versus last year, followed by Taiwan and Hong Kong.
These results once again underscore the strength and depth of Christie's Asian Art cluster and reaffirm Christie's position as the auction house of reference for prestigious Asian Art collections and masterpieces. As Christie's celebrates its 40th anniversary in Asia, the strong results of the Hong Kong Spring 2026 Asian Art Week stand as a testament to its longstanding commitment to the region and the trusted relationships Christie's specialist teams have built with collectors both locally and internationally. Asian Art sales in Hong Kong continue online until 12 May with Pavilion Online: Chinese Art featuring The Dawentang Collection.
Chinese Paintings, 28 to 29 April
The auctions of Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy and Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings totaled HK$259,609,890 (US$33,123,963), up 15% versus the same period last year, reflecting sustained demand for the category. Across the two sales, 47% of lots sold over their high estimates, driven by rarity, uniqueness and provenance, reinforcing collector confidence in exceptional works of historical depth and scholarly importance. The top lot this season, Poem in Running Script by Wang Shouren (Wang Yangming), realized HK$63,940,000 (US$8,159,198), achieving more than 10 times the pre-sale low estimate.
Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 30 April
Christie's Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sales in Hong Kong, comprising The Ai Lian Tang Collection: 800 Years of Chinese Ceramics, Pearls of The Orient: Treasures from Hong Kong Private Collectors, Chinese Classical Furniture from the Shitou Shuwu Collection and Important Chinese and Asian Works of Art, totaled HK$612,592,750 (US$78,177,494), with an overall hammer price 174% above the low estimate, recording the highest seasonal sale total since 2017. Driven by a diverse range of offerings, this season's sales retained the strong engagement from seasoned collectors while at the same time attracting new buyer participation, up 11% year-on-year in number, with 40% of new buyers being Millennials, highlighting growing engagement from younger generations in culturally significant works.
The dedicated single-owner sale, The Ai Lian Tang Collection: 800 Years of Chinese Ceramics, was 100% sold, realizing a sale total of HK$376,796,500 (US$48,085,789). Highly competitive bidding drove the total hammer price to 298% over the low estimate, with half of the lots sold above HK$10,000,000. The leading lot of the sale was a magnificent Yuan Jinxiang Ting narrative jar, which realized HK$174,900,000 (US$22,320,283), standing as the most valuable object sold at auction in Asia year-to-date across all categories. Chinese Classical Furniture from the Shitou Shuwu Collection totaled HK$87,672,150 (US$11,188,492), with a total hammer price exceeding the low estimate by 153%. This result reflects the enduring appeal of Ming-style furniture and demonstrates Christie's unrivaled leadership in the Chinese classical furniture market.
Two further auctions included Pearls of The Orient: Treasures from Hong Kong Private Collectors, which realized a sale total of HK$68,440,300 (US$8,734,173), and Important Chinese and Asian Works of Art, which totaled HK$79,683,800 (US$10,169,039).
Selected results
| Sale or lot | Result |
|---|---|
| Chinese Paintings (two sales) | HK$259,609,890 (US$33,123,963) |
| Wang Shouren (Wang Yangming), Poem in Running Script | HK$63,940,000 (US$8,159,198) |
| Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art (four sales) | HK$612,592,750 (US$78,177,494) |
| The Ai Lian Tang Collection: 800 Years of Chinese Ceramics (100% sold) | HK$376,796,500 (US$48,085,789) |
| Yuan Jinxiang Ting narrative jar | HK$174,900,000 (US$22,320,283) |
| Chinese Classical Furniture from the Shitou Shuwu Collection | HK$87,672,150 (US$11,188,492) |
| Important Chinese and Asian Works of Art | HK$79,683,800 (US$10,169,039) |
| Pearls of The Orient: Treasures from Hong Kong Private Collectors | HK$68,440,300 (US$8,734,173) |
| Asian Art Week, combined total | HK$872,202,640 (US$111,308,233) |
(Press Release)
