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On March 12, Sotheby’s announced the promotion of Nicolas Chow to chairman of Sotheby’s Asia. Chow, who first joined the auction house in 1999, was appointed to his current position as international head and chairman of the Chinese works of art department in 2006. In this role, he led the expansion of the Chinese art market and introduced several prominent collections to auction, such as the ancient Chinese vessels amassed by dealer Sakamoto Gorō, the Meiyintang Collection of imperial Chinese porcelains, and Chinese ceramics from the Le Cong Tang Collection.
Kevin Ching, CEO of Sotheby’s Asia, said in a statement: “Nicolas, already our worldwide head of Chinese works of art, has been exemplary in his leadership and expertise. Always a team player and never slow to offer his assistance to any colleague seeking his advice, Nicolas is also one of the most forward-looking and creative members of Sotheby’s. His promotion to chairman, Asia, is well deserved.”
Examples of record-breaking sales led by Chow include a rare Ru Guanyao brush washer from the Northern Song Dynasty, which fetched HKD 290 million (USD 38 million) and set the world record for Chinese ceramics in 2017, as well as the Meiyintang “Chicken Cup,” which sold for HKD 280 million (USD 36 million) in 2014 to Shanghai collector Liu Yiqian, establishing a world record for Chinese porcelain.
Sophie von Wunster is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.
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