AntiquebronzewaresoldbytheXilingYinsheAuctionCompanyinHangzhou,Zhejiangprovince.[Photo/ChinaDaily]
AlthoughdealsintheChinesemainlandartmarketshrankalittlein2014comparedtothepreviousyear,thecontinuingstrongdemandforantiquepaintingsandscrolls,alongwithChinesecollectors’riseontheinternationalstageanddiversifiedauctions,areallsustaininghopeinthegrowthoftheartmarket.
SalesinauctionhousesinChinafromJanuarytoSeptembertotaled15.3billionyuan($2.5billion),saysOuyangShuying,deputysecretary-generaloftheChinaAssociationofAuctioneers.Withautumnauctionsending,majorhouseslikeChinaGuardianandPolyAuctionthatrepresentmorethanhalftheartmarkethaveseenanaverage20percentdropinsales.
However,expertswhoattendedtherecentChineseArtMarketSummitsaythatChina’sartmarketis“neverinneedofmoney”butiscurrentlyinneedofconfidenceandmasterpieces.
WhitePagodaHill,asetofhandscrollsbyEmperorQianlongoftheQingDynasty(1644-1911),fetched116millionyuanataPolyAuctioneventonDec2,settingarecordforChinesepaintingsandcalligraphy.
“Ithasbeenreallyhardforustopersuadecollectorstosellthisyear,”saysDongGuoqiang,presidentoftheBeijingCouncilInternationalAuctionCompany.“China’sartmarketisstillinatransitionalyear.Butwearenotshortofmoney.JustlookatChina’sstockmarket.It(valueoftransactions)achieved1.2trillionyuaninasingleday.”
Dongsaysthattherearefewhigh-qualityartworkstoattractgoodprices－meaningpricesofmorethan100millionyuan－offeredbyChinesecollectorsin2014.ButthathasnotpreventedthemfromturningtotheinternationalmarkettoinvestinWesternart.
AfterDalianWandaGroup’srealestatemogulWangJianlinboughtPabloPicasso’sClaudeetPalomaatChristie’sfor$28.2million,movietycoonWangZhongjunpurchasedVincentvanGogh’s1890paintingStillLife,VasewithDaisiesandPoppiesfor$61.76millionataSotheby’sauctioninNewYorkinNovember.
Talkingabouthisexpensivepurchase,WangZhongjunsaysthepricewas$10millionlowerthanwhathehadexpected.
“IloveditatfirstsightwhenitwasonpreviewinHongKong.Ididn’tthinkmuchbeforemypurchase.Ijustloveit,”saysWang.
HealreadyownspaintingsbyClaudeMonet,PaulCezanneandPierre-AugusteRenoir.
“Ienjoysittingonacouchwithacigarandlookingatthesemasterpieceshangingonthewallsinmyhouse,”saysWang,whosecollectionalsoincludesChinesepaintingsandsculptures.
CollectorLiuYiqianofferedHK$348million($45million)forthisembroideredsilkthangkainaNovemberauction.[Photo/ChinaDaily]
However,somecollectorsarespendingbigondomesticart.LiuYiqianmadeseveralbigoverseaspurchasesofChineseantiques.
Earlylastyear,LiuboughtachickencupthatwasusedbyemperorsoftheMingDynasty(1368-1644)ataSotheby’sauctionforarecordpriceof$36.3million.InNovember,heofferedHK$348million($45million)ataChristie’sauctionforanembroideredsilkthangka,atypeofpaintingonfabricusuallydepictingBuddhistimagery.
Afterthepurchase,Liujokedonhismicroblog,saying:“Iexhaustedmyselftosuccessfullywinthethangkafromaforeignbidder.Iwassowillful.”Thepostwonhimanicknamefromnetizens:“Willfulman”.ButLiuexplainedlater,attheChineseArtMarketSummit,thatheboughtthethangkaduetohisdeepfondnessforit.
Bothpurchasesatsuchhighpriceshavestirredsomecriticismfromthepubliconthevalueandpricesofartworks.
“It’schildishtofocusonlyonthepriceofanartwork.Weshouldspendmoretimeunderstandingtheirpricelessvalue,”saysLiu,whoestablishedtheLongMuseum,aprivatemuseuminShanghai.
DongfromtheBeijingCouncilsaystheculturalenvironmentshouldbemoretolerantandthatpeopleshouldnotcriticizeacollectorbecauseofexpensivepurchasesofmasterpieces.
“Weshouldencouragemoreofourcollectorstobuythingsoverseas.Theyhavesetuptheirowncollectionsystemsinsteadofbuyingrandomly.Theyhavestartedtotakeonaninternationalvision,”Dongsays.
TowoobackChinesecollectorswhohavebeenbuyingoverseas,domesticauctionhouseshaveactivelydiversifiedtheirartworks.
Thisyear,thenumberofspecialauctionsdevotedtoaparticularcategoryhasincreasedsharply,suchashardwoodfurniturefromtheMingDynastyandantiqueclothesfromtheMingandQingdynasties.
TherecentauctionofChina’santiquebronzewarebyXilingYinsheAuctionCompanyinHangzhou,capitalofEastChina’sZhejiangprovince－amongthefirstofitskindinChina－wasasuccess,withallofthepiecessellingfast.
ZhaoXu,presidentofChinaGuardian,saysthatJackMa,founderofe-commercegiantAlibabaGroupHoldingLtd,haspromisedtoinvestmoreinthecompany’scooperationwiththeauctionhouse.
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