Christie's Impressionist & Modern Art department achieved £500.9 million ($786.4 million) while the Post-War & Contemporary Art department achieved £244.3 million ($383.6 million) in sales.
The New York Autumn Evening Sales achieved a combined total of $139.8 million (£91.6 million/ €95.1 million) for Impressionist & Modern and Post-War & Contemporary Art. The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening sale totaled $65.7 million (£46.9 million/€45.3 million). Highlights included Edgar Degas's Danseuses, a richly-textured pastel drawing from 1896, which sold for $10.7 million (£6.5 million). The Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale totaled $74.2 million (£44.7 million/€49.8 million). The top lot was Peter Doig's Reflection (What does your soul look like), which brought $10.1 million (£6.1 million)
London's October Post-War and Contemporary Art Sales exceeded estimates and totaled £14.7 million ($24.0 million/€16.1 million). The Evening sale achieved sell-through rates of 99.6% by value and 96% by lot and the top price was paid for Martin Kippenberger's Paris Bar, 1991, which sold for £2.3 million ($3.7 million/€2.5 million) – the second highest price for a work by the artist sold at auction.
Asian Art sales amounted to £265.1 million/$416.2 million in 2009. The year saw Asian Art become the second largest international department at Christie's after Impressionist & Modern Art. Following strong sales in both New York and London Asia Week in the Autumn, the November sales of Asian Art in Hong Kong totaled US$147 million, an increase of 58% over the Spring season. Record breaking prices included Chu Teh-Chun'sVertige Neigeux,in the category of Chinese 20th Century art, which sold for HK$45.5 million (£3.5 million/$5.9 million). Also notable throughout the year was the growth in the participation of the mainland Chinese buyers worldwide. 42% by value of the Asian Art sales in Hong Kong in the Autumn were purchased by the mainland Chinese buyers, up from 26% in the Autumn of 2008.
Christie's international Old Master Department & 19th Century Art sales realized £181.2 million ($284.5 million) in 2009 and concluded the year with the record-breaking auction of Old Masters and 19th Century Art in London in December which realized £68.4 million ($112.4 million/€75.5 million). The sale achieved the highest ever total for an auction of Old Masters and realised 2 of the top 5 prices ever paid for an old master painting or drawing at auction, setting artist records for Raphael, Rembrandt and Domenichino.
Following a strong second half, worldwide Jewellery sales in 2009 totaled £215.6 million ($338.5 million), and were on a par with auction sales in 2005, a record year at the time. Whilst the number of lots offered was down by 28% on 2008, accurately reflecting the wider economic environment, Christie's realized some of its best Jewellery results ever last year, in a market that proved exceptionally strong at the top. In December, Christie's sold the most expensive jewel ever, "The Vivid Pink" of 5 carats for HK$83.5 million (US$10.8 million) in Hong Kong. The largest fancy vivid pink potentially flawless diamond to ever be offered at auction, it set a record for a pink diamond. Christie's also established new benchmarks for diamond prices, way above previous thresholds: $2.1 million per carat for "The Vivid Pink" (a record for any gemstone) and $240,000 per carat for the 32 carat Annenberg diamond (a record for a colourless diamond) sold in October in New York. Sell through rates by lot and value were considerably higher than in 2008 at an average of 91% by value (2008: 83%) and 84% by lot (2008: 71%) and Christie's confirmed its market leadership in jewellery for the 16th year in a row, against its closest competitor with 62% market share. These figures helped to instill greater confidence in the market and jewellery, like gold, has clearly emerged as an attractive means of diversification in investment portfolios.
The Furniture department had a strong 2009 with sales totaling £125.1 million. The Wrotham Coffers, a pair of Louis XIV ormolu-mounted Boulle marquetry coffers en tombeau by Andre-Charles Boulle sold to the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam for £2.6 million ($4.2 million) and The March Cucci Cabinet, a magnificent Louis XIV gilt-bronze and pietra dura-mounted brown tortoiseshell, ash, ebonised and parcel-gilt cabinet-on-stand attributed to Domenico Cucci and the Gobelins workshop, circa 1665-1675, realised £4.5 million in 500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe sale in London in December.
Registrations for global Furniture sales grew by 15% on 2008, the greatest rise for any department at Christie's in 2009, demonstrating the growing appeal of unique and historical pieces. 20th Century works have also been in demand led by Eileen Gray's 'Dragon Chair', circa 1920-1922 which sold for €21.9 million/£19.5 million/$28.3 million in Paris at the sale of the Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, a world auction record for the artist and a world auction record for 20th Century Decorative Art and Design.
In 2009,Russian Art sales series totaled £28.0 million ($43.9 million). The Galerie Popoff sale realised £5.5 million ($8.7 million) and there was significant interest in porcelain with Imperial Provenance. 22 porcelain pieces with reference to the Order of St George, the Order of St Vladimir, the Order of St Alexander Nevskii and the Order of St Andrew First Called were 100% sold, 60% of them selling above their high estimate.
Christie's Interiors sales in London and New York continue to grow. Christie's South Kensington's Interiors sales in 2009 exceeded last year's totals by a significant margin with exceptionally strong sell-through rates in the high 70's. Online bidding via Christie's LIVETM continued to deliver a large number of winning bids and new registrants in these sales, and over 12% of lots were sold or directly underbid online.
Christie's global sales ofFine and Rare Wines totaled £26.0 million ($40.9 million). With an even wider distribution of sales in Europe, the US and Asia, Christie's has the most comprehensive global coverage of any wine auction house in the world. The top lot of 2009 was a 78-bottle "super lot" of 1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti which sold in Hong Kong in November for HK$1.4 million (US$185,760/£112,752). Christie's also set the highest per-lot value of HK$134,000 among international auction houses operating in Asia.
2009 was an exceptional year for Christie's Important Watches sales in which it secured a 76.3% market share globally and re-affirmed its leadership in the category. The Fall sales season ended on a record-breaking note in December in New York, realising $7.4 million in total, bringing the global sales total for 2009 to £41.7 million ($65.4 million), up 6% in £. Sell-through rates exceeded 90% in every sale during the year and bidders from around the world participated in all 8 sales, with an average of 200 online bidders registering for each sale via Christie's LIVE™. There was also exponential growth in buyer participation from Asian countries led by China and Hong.
Christie's Impressionist & Modern Art department achieved £500.9 million ($786.4 million) while the Post-War & Contemporary Art department achieved £244.3 million ($383.6 million) in sales.
The New York Autumn Evening Sales achieved a combined total of $139.8 million (£91.6 million/ €95.1 million) for Impressionist & Modern and Post-War & Contemporary Art. The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening sale totaled $65.7 million (£46.9 million/€45.3 million). Highlights included Edgar Degas's Danseuses, a richly-textured pastel drawing from 1896, which sold for $10.7 million (£6.5 million). The Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale totaled $74.2 million (£44.7 million/€49.8 million). The top lot was Peter Doig's Reflection (What does your soul look like), which brought $10.1 million (£6.1 million)
London's October Post-War and Contemporary Art Sales exceeded estimates and totaled £14.7 million ($24.0 million/€16.1 million). The Evening sale achieved sell-through rates of 99.6% by value and 96% by lot and the top price was paid for Martin Kippenberger's Paris Bar, 1991, which sold for £2.3 million ($3.7 million/€2.5 million) – the second highest price for a work by the artist sold at auction.
Asian Art sales amounted to £265.1 million/$416.2 million in 2009. The year saw Asian Art become the second largest international department at Christie's after Impressionist & Modern Art. Following strong sales in both New York and London Asia Week in the Autumn, the November sales of Asian Art in Hong Kong totaled US$147 million, an increase of 58% over the Spring season. Record breaking prices included Chu Teh-Chun'sVertige Neigeux,in the category of Chinese 20th Century art, which sold for HK$45.5 million (£3.5 million/$5.9 million). Also notable throughout the year was the growth in the participation of the mainland Chinese buyers worldwide. 42% by value of the Asian Art sales in Hong Kong in the Autumn were purchased by the mainland Chinese buyers, up from 26% in the Autumn of 2008.
Christie's international Old Master Department & 19th Century Art sales realized £181.2 million ($284.5 million) in 2009 and concluded the year with the record-breaking auction of Old Masters and 19th Century Art in London in December which realized £68.4 million ($112.4 million/€75.5 million). The sale achieved the highest ever total for an auction of Old Masters and realised 2 of the top 5 prices ever paid for an old master painting or drawing at auction, setting artist records for Raphael, Rembrandt and Domenichino.
Following a strong second half, worldwide Jewellery sales in 2009 totaled £215.6 million ($338.5 million), and were on a par with auction sales in 2005, a record year at the time. Whilst the number of lots offered was down by 28% on 2008, accurately reflecting the wider economic environment, Christie's realized some of its best Jewellery results ever last year, in a market that proved exceptionally strong at the top. In December, Christie's sold the most expensive jewel ever, "The Vivid Pink" of 5 carats for HK$83.5 million (US$10.8 million) in Hong Kong. The largest fancy vivid pink potentially flawless diamond to ever be offered at auction, it set a record for a pink diamond. Christie's also established new benchmarks for diamond prices, way above previous thresholds: $2.1 million per carat for "The Vivid Pink" (a record for any gemstone) and $240,000 per carat for the 32 carat Annenberg diamond (a record for a colourless diamond) sold in October in New York. Sell through rates by lot and value were considerably higher than in 2008 at an average of 91% by value (2008: 83%) and 84% by lot (2008: 71%) and Christie's confirmed its market leadership in jewellery for the 16th year in a row, against its closest competitor with 62% market share. These figures helped to instill greater confidence in the market and jewellery, like gold, has clearly emerged as an attractive means of diversification in investment portfolios.
The Furniture department had a strong 2009 with sales totaling £125.1 million. The Wrotham Coffers, a pair of Louis XIV ormolu-mounted Boulle marquetry coffers en tombeau by Andre-Charles Boulle sold to the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam for £2.6 million ($4.2 million) and The March Cucci Cabinet, a magnificent Louis XIV gilt-bronze and pietra dura-mounted brown tortoiseshell, ash, ebonised and parcel-gilt cabinet-on-stand attributed to Domenico Cucci and the Gobelins workshop, circa 1665-1675, realised £4.5 million in 500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe sale in London in December.
Registrations for global Furniture sales grew by 15% on 2008, the greatest rise for any department at Christie's in 2009, demonstrating the growing appeal of unique and historical pieces. 20th Century works have also been in demand led by Eileen Gray's 'Dragon Chair', circa 1920-1922 which sold for €21.9 million/£19.5 million/$28.3 million in Paris at the sale of the Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, a world auction record for the artist and a world auction record for 20th Century Decorative Art and Design.
In 2009,Russian Art sales series totaled £28.0 million ($43.9 million). The Galerie Popoff sale realised £5.5 million ($8.7 million) and there was significant interest in porcelain with Imperial Provenance. 22 porcelain pieces with reference to the Order of St George, the Order of St Vladimir, the Order of St Alexander Nevskii and the Order of St Andrew First Called were 100% sold, 60% of them selling above their high estimate.
Christie's Interiors sales in London and New York continue to grow. Christie's South Kensington's Interiors sales in 2009 exceeded last year's totals by a significant margin with exceptionally strong sell-through rates in the high 70's. Online bidding via Christie's LIVETM continued to deliver a large number of winning bids and new registrants in these sales, and over 12% of lots were sold or directly underbid online.
Christie's global sales ofFine and Rare Wines totaled £26.0 million ($40.9 million). With an even wider distribution of sales in Europe, the US and Asia, Christie's has the most comprehensive global coverage of any wine auction house in the world. The top lot of 2009 was a 78-bottle "super lot" of 1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti which sold in Hong Kong in November for HK$1.4 million (US$185,760/£112,752). Christie's also set the highest per-lot value of HK$134,000 among international auction houses operating in Asia.
2009 was an exceptional year for Christie's Important Watches sales in which it secured a 76.3% market share globally and re-affirmed its leadership in the category. The Fall sales season ended on a record-breaking note in December in New York, realising $7.4 million in total, bringing the global sales total for 2009 to £41.7 million ($65.4 million), up 6% in £. Sell-through rates exceeded 90% in every sale during the year and bidders from around the world participated in all 8 sales, with an average of 200 online bidders registering for each sale via Christie's LIVE™. There was also exponential growth in buyer participation from Asian countries led by China and Hong.
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