A collection of rare Chinese artifacts went up for auction in Sydney on Wednesday night, netting combined sales of over 480,000 U.S. dollars.
Bonhams facilitated the sale of around 100 ceramics, carvings and works of art from China, with the highest priced being a work by literati painter Huang Binhong, titled "Recluse by the Stream," which sold for 42,000 U.S. dollars.
"The auction featured several private collections, including works of artists of the Lingnan School, a style of painting from the Guangdong or Lingnan region of China, porcelain of Ming and Qing Dynasty, as well as stationeries left over by some artists who used to live in Australia," Yvett Klein, specialist of Asian Art at Bonhams told Xinhua.
A pair of famille-rose "dragon and phoenix" bottle vases from the turn of the century also caught buyers attention, fetching 21,000 U.S. dollars.
Bonhams Asian Art department normally hosts two auctions per year, primarily catering to Chinese buyers who are living in or visiting Australia, although they attract a reasonable amount of interest from local collectors as well.
"Porcelains from official kilns in Ming and Qing Dynasties, porcelains in Song and Yuan Dynasties and some stationeries are more popular among the Australian local collectors, while the calligraphy and paintings are more welcomed by overseas buyers," Klein said.
Also up for sale were some older pieces including ceramics from the 12th-13th century, several small bowls of which sold for up to 2,500 U.S. dollars each.
By catering especially to Chinese buyers, Bonhams said they have been able to determine what collectors want and provide pieces that fit those needs.
"The auction of calligraphy and paintings are one important area of Bonhams Australia," Klein said.
"Some other auction companies do not have Mandarin-speaking staff, which is not quite convenient for the overseas buyers. We started action of calligraphy and paintings in recent years and witnessed a fast growth."
