Christie’s London Asian Week sold a total $16.5 million, a 26% increase from the same auction period last year. However the results were overall disappointing, given the strong performance of recent sales in New York. The May 11 sale of fine Chinese ceramics and works only sold 64% of its lots, though a rare green enamel-decorated holy water bottle, Ming dynasty, early 15th Century sold for £758,050, the top price of the week. The Japanese art and designs sale of May 12 only sold 65% of its lots, while the Chinese ceramics sales of May 15 sold 76%. The auctioneer noticed a significant presence from Mainland Chinese buyers and a notable numbers of new clients, but they were obviously not scooping up everything.
