Christie's eyes new record at autumn art auctions

By James Pomfret

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A cache of Asian art, Chinese jade and porcelain goes under the hammer in Hong Kong next week at what global auction house Christie's expects will be another record-breaking sale in an apparently insatiable market.

The autumn auction sales, expected to net $231 million, run from November 25-29 and will feature a myriad of top-notch contemporary and modern art, imperial porcelain, a famed collection of Chinese jades as well as jewelry and watches.

"I think we can look forward to one of the highest (Asian) sales we've had," said Jonathan Stone, international business director of Asian Art for Christie's who expects to sell up to HK$1.8 billion ($231 million) of artwork.

Christie's record for a Hong Kong auction sales is US$210 million, set last autumn.

Stone shrugged off the effect of recent volatility in global stock markets, including Hong Kong, on auction.

"The sales we've been having in New York of Impressionist and contemporary and post-war art suggests that the market for art worldwide is very strong," he added.

Among the highlights is a collection of 15 Chinese objects of art inspired by the West including a rare Beijing enamel glass brushpot decorated with a quartet of European "mother and child" pictures from the Qianlong period which could fetch $3.8 million.

"It has Western figures probably taken from prints and these have been very finely enameled ... they're brilliantly done," said Pola Antebi, head of Chinese ceramics at Christie's.