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Auctions

Auctions
Reporting on the latest auctions of luxury goods, including watches, handbags, high jewellery and fine art
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s 1940 work El sueño (La cama) sells at Sotheby’s new home at the Breuer in New York for US$54.7 million including fees on November 20, 2025. Photo: Julian Cassady
Art

Big 3 auction houses report uptick in 2025 sales, but Asia still lagging

Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips report combined projected total revenue of US$14.1 billion for 2025 as the US leads the way.

Fame and celebrity

Amy Winehouse’s dad sues star’s friends for selling her clothes for US$970,000

Art

The ‘Mona Lisa’ of Faberge eggs sells for a record US$30.2 million

Wealth: Alternative Investments

Vetting collectibles, such as whiskies and watches, is a serious business

The market is growing briskly, but vigilance is vital to ensure that assets are authenticated and carefully protected ahead of a sale.

Supported by
BNP Paribas Wealth Management
Fine art, like this triptych by Mark Bradford on display at Hong Kong’s Hauser & Wirth gallery, is just a more rarefied form of collectible. Photo: Handout
Architecture and design

Animal print interiors: expert tips on how to keep them classy

Long tied to glamour and excess, animal prints are back – here’s how to use them to add energy and character to modern homes.

Icons and Influencers

Legacy of Vogue Italia’s Franca Sozzani honoured at inaugural Franca Fund Gala

Co-hosted by Anna Wintour, the event included a fundraising auction and drew guests including Gisele Bündchen and Miuccia Prada.

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Art

Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait breaks auction record for female artists

The sale at Sotheby’s in New York also topped Kahlo’s own auction record for a work by a Latin American artist.

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s 1940 self-portrait “El sueno (La cama)“ sold on November 20 at Sotheby’s new home at the Breuer in New York for $54.7 million including fees. It became the top-selling work by any female artist at an auction. Photo: Julian Cassady/Alive Coverage
France

Christie’s suspends Paris sale of world’s ‘first calculator’ invented in 1642

Export ban halts the sale of inventor Blaise Pascal’s historic calculator, as scientists demand artefact receive ‘national treasure’ status.

Art

Solid gold toilet snapped up for US$12.1 million at New York auction

The fully functional 18-karat gold toilet was designed by provocative Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.

Jewellery

Hong Kong’s autumn high jewellery auctions: rare gems and record-breaking sales

The season climaxes this month at Christie’s, with strong demand at Sotheby’s for jewels by Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari.

Harry Winston Peacock Brooch. Photo: Christie’s
American cinema

Wicked Witch’s hat from The Wizard of Oz to go up for auction

The wool hat will be sold alongside Dorothy’s ruby slippers and a signed Wizard of Oz book at a major memorabilia sale in Dallas next month.

Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1949 film The Wizard of Oz. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Crime

UK seizes US$15 million in dinosaur bones from Chinese money-laundering suspect

The Chinese businessman was previously wanted for involvement in Singapore’s biggest money-laundering case but has since struck a deal.

Profile

She once tried med school. Now she sells multimillion-dollar art every day

The auctioneer tells of her journey from med school to the art world, and explains how she stays on top of everything the day artworks go under the hammer.

Art

Editorial | Hong Kong art scene still going strong despite closures

There are reasons to be optimistic about Hong Kong’s art trading hub ambitions despite two galleries announcing closures.

Chinese artist Yin Xiuzhen’s exhibition “Everywhere” at Pace Gallery Hong Kong. Photo: courtesy of Pace Gallery
Art

2 ‘mega galleries’ to close Hong Kong premises to find more suitable spaces

Pace Gallery and Perrotin have announced they will be closing their Hong Kong spaces, but say they plan to reopen in the city in the future.

An installation view of Cuban artist Alejandro Piñeiro Bello’s, Solo Quiero Soñar (I Just Want to Dream), the final exhibition at Pace Gallery Hong Kong before it closes. Photo: courtesy of Pace Gallery
Fashion

Gem-studded bags from Gucci and more promise sparkling nights out

At the Paris Haute Couture Week shows, luxury maisons gilded the lily by adding beautiful stones to statement accessories, bringing back the minaudière.

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s warehouses find support from demand to store metals and art

The city’s logistics sector receives a boost from LME’s inclusion and art storage demand, despite a cautious market and falling rents.

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Art

Hong Kong’s latest art auctions see turnover lingering at 8-year low

Overall auction sales by Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips reflected art market downturn since 2016, despite the sale of Asia’s most expensive Picasso.

Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s incoming Asia-Pacific president, stands at the rostrum during the sale of Pablo Picasso’s Buste de femme (1944) on September 26, 2025. The painting, which sold for HK$197 million, set an auction record for a Picasso piece in Asia. Photo: Christie’s

Tony Hawk’s legendary skateboard just sold for a record-breaking US$1.15 million

Hawk used the board at the 1999 San Francisco X Games, where he landed the first 900 trick ever.

Food and Drinks

Emperor Group’s Albert Yeung will auction his rare wine trove at Sotheby’s

The embattled Hong Kong tycoon is selling 426 prestigious wines, ranging from rare bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to Petrus.

American cinema

What is Guillermo del Toro auctioning from his legendary horror collection?

The director is selling over 100 items from both his own classic films and other iconic works in a bid to protect his lifelong collection.

Guillermo del Toro poses for a photo at his “Bleak House”, which houses his lifelong collection of horror memorabilia, in Santa Monica, California. Photo: AP
Trending in China

China court cancels auctioning of cat to repay owner debts, feline gets loving home

‘Sweet-natured’ feline worth US$100 formed small portion of its owner’s substantial seized assets; had been kept in pet shop.

A court in China is set to auction a cat after its owner failed to repay debts, with an opening bid of US$70. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sohu
TV shows and streaming video

Want your own piece of Downton Abbey? Props and costumes go up for sale

Memorabilia from the British drama Downton Abbey are being auctioned in London, with a public exhibition of the items before they are sold.

Ukraine war

US auctioning off seized Russian superyacht with helipad, pool, gym and spa

The sale of the luxury ship Amadea comes as Trump seeks to increase pressure on Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

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Art

Ancient Buddhist gems returned to India after their Hong Kong auction stopped

The Piprahwa gems found near Buddha’s birthplace in 1898 have been repatriated after India pressured Sotheby’s to cancel their sale in May.

The Piprawah gems on display at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in May 2025. The repatriation of the centuries-old gems has been secured following pressure on the auction house from India’s culture ministry. Photo: AFP
Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s dirty sock sells for more than US$8,000 at auction in France

The glittery sock that the late singer wore at a 1997 concert in Nimes was originally valued at US$3,400-US$4,500.

The late pop star Michael Jackson performs during his HIStory World Tour in 1997. Photo: Reuters
Art

The real reason most people don’t know how much their art is truly worth

Art valuation is complex, with fluctuating market trends and private sales complicating assessments – as the experts from Winston Artory Group explain.

Food and Drinks

How a rare whisky’s box can bump its value, and the makers getting creative

Whisky makers like Macallan and Glenrothes are working with artists and architects on innovative packaging that’s proving a hit with buyers.

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