Poly Auction Hong Kong’s 10th Anniversary Auctions

EVENT DESCRIPTION

To mark its first 10th anniversary, Poly Auction Hong Kong is delighted to present the 10th Anniversary Auctions, to be held between 9 and 14 July. This celebration will be its first auction in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. An array of exquisite and rarely seen masterpieces will be offered at the anniversary auctions – including Modern and Contemporary Art, Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Fine Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Magnificent Jewels and Important Watches, this dedicated anniversary celebration is a world-class art feast that coincides with Poly Auction Hong Kong’s significant milestone.

With the anniversary theme “Heritage, Diversification and Breakthrough”, Poly Auction Hong Kong vows to adhere to heritage’s cultural and traditional values, offering a diverse range of works by the most influential artists, and further interpreting the precious value behind them. In a decade of breakthroughs, Poly Auction Hong Kong will never stop striving for collectors’ aesthetic tastes and market demands, making auctions in resonance with art trends and innovative elements. To kickstart the 10th Anniversary Auctions, two Highlights Previews will be held in Hong Kong this May respectively, while the Taipei Highlights Preview will be held in June. A preview will be presented right before the six-day auctions begin, welcoming all guests to feast their eyes on selected collections.

Poly Auction Hong Kong will present Evening and Day Sales of Modern Contemporary Art, featuring the most sought- after and record-breaking artists of recent years, with an exciting array of works including Impressionism, 20th Century Modern Art, and Eastern and Western Contemporary Art. Over 130 lots will be presented, covering works of the greatest artists around the world, offering collectors an exceptional opportunity to collect. Highlights of the evening sale are: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Wayne Thiebaud, Adrian Ghenie, Yayoi Kusama, Zeng Fanzhi, Zhang Enli, Izumi Kato and Huang Yuxing; the day sale is led by KAWS, Katherine Bernhardt, Liu Xiaodong, and Zhou Chunya, whose unique visual language has been exhibited at major institutions around the world and has attracted the attention of collectors worldwide. With the special occasion of Poly Auction Hong Kong’s 10th Anniversary, we are presenting a diverse range of works by influential artists, with a number of museum-quality masterpieces that make up the strongest line-up in the Asian auction market this season.

Modern and Contemporary Art’s sales will be led by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Masterpiece Untitled, which is one of the earliest works of the legendary artist that marked his signature visual symbols with the Black face and the three- pointed crown. The highlights of Modern and Contemporary Art, including Wayne Thiebaud’s masterpiece of his career, Encased Cakes. This work is a collection of the twists and turns of every creative process of the artist. The original mundane desserts are transformed into pairs of shapes, colours, light and perspective exploration; We Series – Self Portrait painted in 2002 by Zeng Fanzhi. We series is full of illogical, accidental and automatic brushstrokes, elevating the rhythm of his paintings to a new context.

The Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art department is proud to present the 10th Anniversary auction series of five sales, assembling over 200 delicate works of art from as far as 3000 years ago. Leading the auctions are six paramount Qianlong porcelains from the prestigious Qianlong | The Huaihaitang Collection. The collector generously loaned the vases to Hong Kong’s museums for exhibition, intending to share great art with the public. An Extremely Important Pair of Famille-Rose and Gilt-Decorated Green-Ground Vases, Seal Marks and Period of Qianlong will be exclusively offered for sale, and this is a special occasion for the most perspicacious collectors to acquire a piece from this important private collection.

Adding to the collection is an equally exquisite line-up of imperial porcelains to be offered in the Colours Beyond Landscapes: Important Chinese Art including European and American Collections sale, and we proudly present An Extremely Rare Copper-Red Decorated ‘Nine Dragons’ Moonflask, Seal Mark and Period of Qianlong. Selection of Archaic Bronzes from a Distinguished Hong Kong Private Collection highlights a magnificent assemblage of ancient bronze ritual vessels cast in impressive sizes and intricate details. A beautifully cast Archaic Bronze ‘Phoenix’ Ritual Wine Vessel, Zun dated circa Shang to Zhou dynasties is arguably the most well-preserved of its kind to be offered at an auction. This Zun was a favourite of museums and appeared in an exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts in London from 1935 to 1936. The Zun was cited as a reference in a number of scholarly writings during the first half of the 20th century. In addition, The 10th Anniversary sale is also articulated by two themed auctions, Tang Sancai Ceramics From The Ten-views Lingbi Rock Retreat Collection and Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, offering treasures of antiquity.

The Fine Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy department is delighted to present over 100 pieces of delicate artwork. Modern Chinese Paintings Sale will be led by Zhang Daqian’s Sheer Peaks and Deep Valley. Signed as Wang Shen, it is an exquisite grand landscape painting created at the peak of his creating career; artworks narrating Anecdotes in Beijing in the Republic of China will be grandly presented in a splendid handscroll featuring over 100 species of Chrysanthemums by Jin Cheng, including Sketch of Figures in Wen Zhengming’s Style, and several letters between renowned scholars are all included in this special subject. The classical Chinese Paintings sale will be led by Mountain Range in Southern China by the famous Chinese artist Xiao Yuncong, which is an exquisite work in his peak time; two calligraphy handscrolls by litterateur Wen Jia and Wen Peng in Ming Dynasty will be offered at the sale, and each handscroll contains three letters to their acquaintances. Contemporary Chinese Ink will be led by the precious collection of Mr Wang Liangfu, including the works of Wu Guanzhong and Lin Fengmian. In the spotlight is Wu Guanzhong’s masterpiece Dawn of Spring, which is an illustration that demonstrates the turning period of his ink painting. It has profound artistic and academic value. In addition to this, figure paintings by T’ing Yinyung and Guan Liang will also be presented at the sale.

The Magnificent Jewels and Important Watches department is dedicated to promoting the culture of collecting western jewellery and oriental jadeite whilst actively exploring artistic designs and facilitating cross-sector creativity, achieving the successful auction of many important and rare lots. In this 10th Anniversary Auction, Poly Auction Hong Kong will present about 200 pieces of exquisite jewels, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, BVLGARI and Harry Winston, with various types and designs. Top lots include Cartier Burmese Ruby and Diamond Ring, this ring is a piece unique from the Cartier high jewellery collection, and is brought to us by an important private collector. It has a one-of-a-kind design featuring 8.388 carats of Burmese ruby; Jadeite Bead and Diamond Necklace, composing 128 jadeite beads measuring from 11.55 mm to 7.48 mm, gently combines gorgeous and calm colours, and perfectly presents the extraordinary characteristics of the high-quality jadeite itself. Complemented with a diamond clasp from the prestigious Van Cleef & Arpels, this jadeite bead necklace is a top-level collection that blends East and West; designed by Harry Winston, the Colombian No Oil Emerald and Diamond Necklace to be offered this time perfectly reflects the ultimate aesthetics of the jewellery brand, featuring a total of 20 Colombian no-oil emeralds with a total of 65.75 carats, and 100 marquise-shaped diamonds were used.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Established in 2012, Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited (Poly Auction Hong Kong) is a member of Poly Culture Group Corporation Limited, which offers professional services of auctions, private sales, and complimentary valuation. The company is one of the youngest yet most remarkable auction houses in Asia. Beijing Poly International Auction, a subsidiary of The Poly Culture Group, is China’s largest state-owned auction house and holds the world’s highest Chinese art auction sales volume.

Poly Auction Hong Kong comprises six departments: Modern and Contemporary Art, Fine Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Magnificent Jewels and Prestige Watches, Noble Handbags and Hype Collectibles and Rare Wine, Whisky and Chinese Tea Department. With teams of professional specialists, Poly Auction Hong Kong is committed to providing quality services to vast collectors. In addition to auction events, Poly Auction Hong Kong is also dedicated to promoting art, culture and technology through exhibitions and events with leading artists, curated auctions with celebrated collectors and artists, online auctions and NFT digital art auctions. Over the past few years, the auction house has repeatedly broken auction records, exhibiting a steady growth momentum.