An auction of Chinese snuff bottles surprises the experts
Jun 9th 2010
IN A time when the market for Chinese treasures is constantly breaking records, the success of the sale of George and Mary Bloch’s snuff bottles in Hong Kong still caught many off-guard. The May 28th event marked the first so-called “golden gavel” sale in Hong Kong for Bonhams, a London auctioneer, meaning every lot found a buyer (also known as a “white-glove” auction in Europe and America). This is rare, and often limited to sales with few lots in highly collectible sectors. That this was a niche auction with 141 lots makes the feat all the more remarkable.
IN A time when the market for Chinese treasures is constantly breaking records, the success of the sale of George and Mary Bloch’s snuff bottles in Hong Kong still caught many off-guard. The May 28th event marked the first so-called “golden gavel” sale in Hong Kong for Bonhams, a London auctioneer, meaning every lot found a buyer (also known as a “white-glove” auction in Europe and America). This is rare, and often limited to sales with few lots in highly collectible sectors. That this was a niche auction with 141 lots makes the feat all the more remarkable.
The sale's final tally, at just over HK$66m ($8.5m), was three times higher than Bonhams expected. This has surely encouraged the sellers, who are planning to dispose of their entire 1,700-piece collection in a further nine sales over the next five years.
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