SOTHEBY’S CONTINUES LEADERSHIP IN ASIA
- EXPERTISE AND INNOVATION DRIVE RESULTS -

Sotheby’s Asia 2019 First-Half Sales
Total HK$3.88 Billion / US$495 Million

Hong Kong, 24 July 2019: “The strength of these half year figures tells its own story. First, it reflects the quality of the material that has come under Sotheby’s hammer, thanks to our very experienced and insightful specialists who know exactly what the market wants and where to find it. Secondly, it also speaks to the ever-deepening pool of passionate collectors who are drawn into our world by our digital outreach and boundary-pushing sales and events.”

UNRIVALLED LEADERSHIP ACROSS ALL METRICS

Aggregate sales reach HK$3.88 billion (US$495 million) 1 -- 1.6 times over the pre-sale low estimate, and in line with that of 2018, a record-breaking year for Sotheby’s Asia
Consistently strong sell-through rate: 89.3%
6 works sold over HK$100 million
28+ world auction records
Leading the market across categories, including:
Chinese Works of Art: HK$700 million (US$89 million)
Fine Chinese Paintings: HK$488 million (US$62 million)
Modern Art:  HK$851 million / US$108 million
Contemporary Art: HK$801 million (US$102 million)
Southeast Asian Art:  HK$167 million (US$21 million)
Wine:  HK$306 million (US$39 million)
Watches: HK$135 million (US$17 million)
22% of buyers were new to Sotheby’s Asia