{"id":346128,"date":"2026-02-19T10:58:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T15:58:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sothebysrealty.com\/?p=346128"},"modified":"2026-04-03T16:26:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T20:26:50","slug":"collecting-focus-chinese-art-and-antiques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-chinese-art-and-antiques\/","title":{"rendered":"Collecting Focus: Chinese Art and Antiques"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From headline-making Ming pieces to elegant, accessible ceramics, Chinese art brings exquisite artisanship and a tangible connection to the past to any serious collection, writes Katie Armstrong<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"rare<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A rare famille-rose \u201cpeony, magnolia and peach blossom\u201d vase (Tianqiuping), seal mark and period of Yongzheng. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a tiny Ming dynasty fine-porcelain \u201cchicken cup\u201d<\/a>, measuring just 8cm wide, sold for a whopping HK$281 million (US$36.3 million) at Sotheby\u2019s Hong Kong in 2014, it was the highest ever auction price achieved for Chinese porcelain at the time. Record-breaking, certainly, but its new owner, Shanghai collector Liu Yiqian, seemed fearless about other breakages, given he was soon pictured drinking tea from his recently acquired (and incredibly rare) cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which other auction category gives collectors the opportunity to use objects, even momentarily, as they would have first been used hundreds or thousands of years ago? At Sotheby\u2019s, the Chinese Art<\/a> department consigns Chinese art dating back to the Shang dynasty of around 1600B.C. right through to contemporary pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"rare<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A rare Qianlong \u2018dragon and cloud\u2019 vase sold at Sotheby\u2019s New York in March 2025. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a rare category in that lots of different types of objects are sold, everything from ritual bronzes, furniture, porcelain, ceramics, lacquer, cloisonn\u00e9 and jade,\u201d says Tristan Bruck, vice president and specialist, Chinese works of art, at Sotheby\u2019s New York. While live and online sales are held throughout the year and across the globe, the upcoming Chinese Art sale<\/a> on March 25 at Sotheby\u2019s New York will be a brilliant showcase of the category\u2019s range.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of the focus is on the decorative wares,\u201d says Bruck of auction interest and activity.\u00a0Each imperial Chinese dynasty produced different styles and types of decorative objects. The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) is well known for its blue and white porcelain, while imperial ceramics from the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), especially those with the marks of the Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, are also highly coveted by collectors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though pieces created for an emperor command a particularly high price, many other items including those made for scholars, officials and merchants can be more accessible. The enormous artistic output of China\u2019s artisans also allowed for much of it to be exported, and collections of Chinese art are found across the world. \u201cYou can still see Chinese blue and white porcelain, intended for the Ottoman court, in Istanbul,\u201d says Bruck, \u201cand we see some in the Mughal courts of India and Iran too. In later periods, a lot of these pieces were exported to Europe and, in the early 19th century, even to North America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ming<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cchicken cup\u201d which sold at Sotheby\u2019s Hong Kong in 2014. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These two ends of the market meet at a common point\u2014objects were made to be used, and often still are. Take that record-breaking chicken cup, a bowl named for the rooster, hen and chicks on its side, which represented core values of the period, such as nurturing the young. \u201cThere are collectors who may not buy the most expensive objects, but they are living with them,\u201d says Brucks\u2014just as emperors did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, the market for Chinese art was driven by wealthy collectors based in Europe and the Americas, including prolific collectors such as the Rockefellers. Early 20th-century pioneers for integrating Chinese porcelain into Western interiors, the family\u2019s notable collection of some 300 rare examples of Chinese art is still housed at the Asia Society Museum in New York today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A growing number of today\u2019s buyers are younger, often with Chinese heritage. For any interested collector, Bruck\u2019s advice is simple: \u201cYou should buy things that you love, that you have a connection with. The category really rewards people that have put the time in to appreciate and closely inspect the pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Asian<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sotheby\u2019s regularly holds Asian art exhibitions, both selling and non-selling, in New York, Hong Kong and Paris. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March\u2019s sale<\/a>, the first of Chinese Art in Sotheby\u2019s newly reopened Breuer Building in Manhattan, provides the perfect opportunity to explore. Among the top lots is a Guan dish from the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). \u201cIt\u2019s one of those examples of the very minimalist aesthetic and has this beautiful intentional crackle to the glaze, in a manner that was really appreciated by the Song emperors,\u201d says Bruck. A blue and white porcelain jar from the Xuande reign (1425-1435) of the Ming dynasty will also be available at an estimate of US$1.5-1.8 million. The jar is both an archetypal representation of Ming porcelain par excellence and a possibly unique example bearing the emperor\u2019s reign mark.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of their provenance, the constant place of these objects in everyday lives is a fascinating insight into their history. \u201cYou feel like you\u2019re transported back in time,\u201d says Bruck. \u201cThat you have a connection to these objects\u2014they\u2019re not just ancient things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Collecting Focus series also features expert advice on <\/em>contemporary art,<\/em><\/a> jewelry<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>watches<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>wine<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>rare whisky<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>historic books<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>fashion history<\/em><\/a>, natural history<\/em><\/a> and<\/em> Americana<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From headline-making Ming pieces to elegant, accessible ceramics, Chinese art brings exquisite artisanship and a tangible connection to the past to any serious collection, writes Katie Armstrong A rare famille-rose \u201cpeony, magnolia and peach blossom\u201d vase (Tianqiuping), seal mark and period of Yongzheng. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s When a tiny Ming dynasty fine-porcelain \u201cchicken cup\u201d, measuring just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232770377,"featured_media":346133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1393],"tags":[1441,1447,1472],"class_list":["post-346128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-and-culture","tag-france","tag-hong-kong","tag-new-york"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/031325_Asian_Art_Exhibition_152.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1s2I","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":346456,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-fine-art-photography\/","url_meta":{"origin":346128,"position":0},"title":"Collecting Focus: Fine Art Photography","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"April 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"One couple\u2019s remarkable private collection perfectly captures the transportive power of photography, writes Katie Armstrong A 2024 exhibition of photography at Sotheby\u2019s New York. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s The world\u2019s oldest surviving photograph,\u00a0\u201cView from the Window at Le Gras,\u201d was taken by Joseph Nic\u00e9phore Ni\u00e9pce in the mid-1820s. The subject was simple:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"an exhibition of fine art photography at Sotheby's New York","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":342772,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/what-makes-a-great-home-for-an-art-collection\/","url_meta":{"origin":346128,"position":1},"title":"What Makes a Great Home for an Art Collection?","author":"SIR Admin","date":"November 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Interiors needn\u2019t be a white box for displaying paintings or sculptures, writes Elizabeth Fazzare. Instead, designing your room around an artwork brings a more personal and purposeful look Sea Island, Georgia | Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty With art fairs such as Art Basel Miami Beach taking place this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1-8.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1-8.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":346332,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-luxury-handbags\/","url_meta":{"origin":346128,"position":2},"title":"Collecting Focus: Luxury Handbags","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"March 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"From record-breaking Birkins to playful Chanel collectibles, the handbag market has never been more exciting, writes Mandi Keighran Herm\u00e8s Beton Matte Alligator, Blanc Togo, Bleu Brume Ch\u00e8vre and White, Orange H and Craie Swift, Blanc Sombrero Neige Faubourg Birkin 20 Sellier Palladium Hardware, 2022. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s In July 2025, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hermes Himalaya Birkin luxury handbag","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Handbags_Hermes-Himalaya-Birkin-2014.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Handbags_Hermes-Himalaya-Birkin-2014.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Handbags_Hermes-Himalaya-Birkin-2014.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Handbags_Hermes-Himalaya-Birkin-2014.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Handbags_Hermes-Himalaya-Birkin-2014.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Handbags_Hermes-Himalaya-Birkin-2014.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":344432,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-contemporary-art\/","url_meta":{"origin":346128,"position":3},"title":"Collecting Focus: Contemporary Art","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"August 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Sotheby\u2019s New York is inviting first-time buyers to explore art at auction with its upcoming Open House, writes Katie Armstrong David Hockney\u2019s \u201cTerrace Hollywood Hills House with Banana Tree,\u201d 1982 at the Contemporary Day Auction on 16 May 2025 at Sotheby\u2019s New York. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s Buying contemporary art and collectables\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Header-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Header-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Header-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Header-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Header-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Header-2.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":342482,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/how-well-chosen-art-can-enhance-a-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":346128,"position":4},"title":"How Well-Chosen Art Can Enhance a Home","author":"SIR Admin","date":"August 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"With high art maximizing the value of high-end residences, it might be time to become a collector Michael Carucci commissioned artist Giovanni Decunto to create paintings for this One Dalton Four Seasons Private Residences apartment, sold by Gibson Sotheby\u2019s International Realty The relationship between high art and noteworthy buildings is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":343805,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-latin-american-art\/","url_meta":{"origin":346128,"position":5},"title":"Collecting Focus: Latin American Art","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"April 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From Mexican modernism to Brazilian sculpture, this thrilling collecting category is rapidly growing in prominence\u2014and now is the perfect time to invest, writes Florence Hallett Frida Kahlo\u2019s 1949 painting \u201cDiego y yo\u201d, exhibited at Sotheby\u2019s prior to its record-breaking US$34.9 million sale. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s From the surrealist dreamworlds of Remedios\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/232770377"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346128"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":346135,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346128\/revisions\/346135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}