In 2025, the international auction market saw numerous highlights, with Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams successively launching several major sales, such as Sotheby's "Ise Hikaru" sale and "Okada Museum of Art" sale, Christie's "Sakamoto Gorō" sale, and Bonhams "Wisdom in Harmony: A Life with Song Ceramics" sale.

This article compiles the 20 highest-priced lots from the above three auction houses. The TOP 20 list is concentrated on objects from the Song dynasty and later, while Sui dynasty white porcelain also performed notably. Apart from the parrot cup from the Okada Museum of Art, the leading lot is the one sold at Christie's Hong Kong on October 30, 2025:A Sui dynasty white-glazed meiping, which fetchedHKD 3,048,000; theSui dynasty white porcelain cupfrom the same sale also hammered atHKD 2,413,000, setting a world auction record for a Sui dynasty white porcelain cup.

 

Sui dynasty white-glazed meiping

Christie's Hong Kong 2025 Price realized: HKD 3,048,000

Sui dynasty white-glazed meiping

Christie's Hong Kong 2025 Price realized: HKD 1,134,000

 

 

Sui dynasty white porcelain cup

Christie's Hong Kong, 2025. Sold for: HKD 2,413,000

 

Sui Dynasty White Glazed Cup

Bonhams London, 2025. Sold for: GBP 76,600

 

In addition, the Tang Sancai (three-color) ware segment also performed remarkably well. Apart from the piece in the "Okada Museum of Art" sale,Tang Dynasty, 8th century, Sancai-glazed Ewer in the Form of an Eaglewhich sold for over one million Hong Kong dollars, the following lots also achieved impressive results:

 

Tang Dynasty Sancai-glazed Trumpet-Mouthed Vase 

 

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025Ise Yashinori Collection Sale

Sold forHKD 2,921,000

 

 

Tang Dynasty Splashed Blue-Glazed Covered Jar

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025Ise Yashinori Collection Sale

Sold for 1,905,000 HKD

 

Sancai Glazed Standing Lady Holding a Child in Blue Glaze

2025 Hong Kong Sotheby's Sakamoto GorōSpecial Sale

 Sold for 1,778,000  HKD

 

Tang Dynasty Sancai with Blue Glaze Three-Legged Dish with Rosette Pattern

2025 Hong Kong Sotheby'sIse Hishin Special Sale

Sold for 1,079,500  HKD

 

 

Tang Dynasty, 8th Century, Sancai with Blue Glaze Three-Legged Dish with Rosette Pattern

Sotheby's Hong Kong 2025, Okada Museum of ArtSpecial Sale

Hammer Price 1,079,500 HKD

 

 

Tang Dynasty, 8th Century, Sancai Camel

Sotheby's Hong Kong 2025, Okada Museum of ArtSpecial Sale

Hammer Price 1,079,500 HKD

 

 

 

TOP.01

Hong Kong 2025Sotheby'sIse Yasunobu Special Sale

Southern Song Dynasty Guan Ware Celadon Dish with Mallow-Shaped Rim

Price Realized:55,885,000 HKD

Dimensions:19.2 cm

Provenance:

Collection of Sir Herbert Ingram (1891-1977)

Bluett & Sons Ltd, London

Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo, purchased from the above on 14 June 1978

Private Japanese Collection

Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo

 

 

TOP.02

Hong Kong, 2025Sotheby'sThe Ise Hikohiko Collection, Dedicated Sale

Southern Song Dynasty Guan Ware Straight-Necked Vase in Rice-Glaze

Sold for:24,775,000HKD

 

Dimensions: 22.3 cm

Provenance:

Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo

Collection of Inoue Koichi (1906-1965), Tokyo

Sotheby's London, 13 May 2015, Lot 32

Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo

 

 

TOP.03

2025 Sotheby's Hong Kong, Okada Museum of ArtSpecial Sale

Tang Dynasty, 8th Century Sancai Eagle-Shaped Ewer

Sold for:22,945,000 HKD

Dimensions:31.2 cm

Provenance:

Japanese private collection

Kochukyo, Tokyo

 

TOP.04

Christie's Hong Kong, 2025

Northern Song Dynasty Ding-ware Carved Peony Pattern Ewer

Price realized:22,460,000 HKD

Dimensions: Height25 cm

Provenance:

Collection of Sir Alan and Lady Barlow (1881-1968 and 1885-1989)
Christie's London, 8 December 1986, Lot 227
Property from the Mu Wen Tang Collection
Sotheby's London, 12 November 2003, Lot 8
Eskenazi, London
Property from the Xi Wen Guo Zhai Collection
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 April 2017, Lot 3218

 

 

 

TOP.05

The Ailian Tang Collection, Christie's Hong Kong, 2025Special Sale

Southern Song Dynasty Guan Ware Octagonal Mallow-Lobed Washer

Price realised:20,020,000 HKD

Dimensions: Diameter 121 cm

Provenance:

Sir Harry Garner (1891–1977)
R.F.A. Riesco (1877-1964), Hitherfield, England, acquired in 1952
Collection of the London Borough of Croydon
Sotheby's London, 11 December 1984, lot 206
Sotheby's London, 5 December 1995, lot 246
Sotheby's London, 12 June 2003, lot 104

 

 

TOP.06

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025The Ise Isehara Collection

Northern Song Dynasty Cizhou Ware Sgraffiato Peony Meiping

Price realised:19,895,000 HKD

Dimensions:30.9cm

Provenance:

Collection of Dikran Khan Kélékian (1868-1951)

Sotheby's New York, 17 September 1998, cover and lot 202

Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo

 

 

 

TOP.07

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025Okada Museum of ArtSale

Sui–Early Tang Dynasty, Rare Transparent-Glazed Parrot Cup

Price Realized:18,187,000 HKD

Dimensions:30.9cm

Provenance:

Collection of Dikran Khan Kélékian (1868–1951)

Sotheby's New York, 17 September 1998, cover and lot 202

Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo

 

 

TOP.08

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025Okada Museum of ArtSpecial Sale

Northern Song Dynasty Ru Ware Celadon-Glazed Bowl

Price Realized:13,795,000  HKD

Dimensions: 21cm

 

 

TOP.09

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025Okada Museum of ArtSpecial Sale

Song/Yuan Dynasty Ge Ware Grey-Green Glazed Mallow-Shaped Three-Legged Washer

Price realized: 11,602,000 HKD

Dimensions: 21 cm diameter

Provenance:

Gentleman's Collection

Christie's Hong Kong, 31 October 1994, Lot 528

Sotheby's London, 13 July 2005, Lot 149

Collection of Elsa Peretti (1940-2021)

 

 

 

TOP.10

2025Bonhams London"Wisdom in Harmony: A Life with Song Ceramics"Sale

Jun-ware small bowl with flared rim in sky-blue glaze, Northern Song / early Jin dynasty

Price realized: 11,602,000 GBP

Dimensions: 11.4 cm

Provenance:

Mr. Alfred Clark (1873-1950) and Mrs. Ivy Clark (1890-1976), collection label no. 624

Spink & Son Ltd., London

Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 22 June 1977

 

 

 

TOP.11

Ise Collection, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025

Early Ming Dynasty Jun Ware Lavender-Glazed Narcissus Bowl with Three Feet and Lobed Rim, Incised "Liu" Character, "Jianfu Gong" and "Zhushi Jiashan Yong" Marks

Price realised: 9,017,000 HKD

Dimensions: 21.5cm

Provenance:

Collection of Lin Xinzhu (b. 1869), Kyoto, purchased in Tokyo from an American restaurateur

Prominent Japanese family collection, purchased from the above source

Kodo Chuju, Tokyo, purchased before 1953

 

 

TOP.12

2025Bonhams London"Wisdom in Harmony: A Life with Song Ceramics"Sale

Northern Song Dynasty, Late Period / Early Jin Dynasty Cizhou Ware White Ground with Black Incised Peony Design Meiping Vase

Price Realized: 825,900 GBP

Dimensions: 34.2cm

Provenance:

London antique dealer Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art

Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 30 April 2003

 

 

TOP.13

2025Bonhams London"Wisdom in Harmony: A Life with Song Ceramics"Sale

Southern Song Dynasty Longquan Ware Celadon Glazed Bowl

Hammer Price:762,400 GBP

Dimensions: 14.5cm

Provenance:

Spink & Son Ltd., London, antique dealers

Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above circa 1970s

 

 

TOP.14

2025Bonhams London"Wisdom in Harmony: A Life with Song Ceramics"Sale

A Five Dynasties Yaozhou Ware Peony-Engraved Jar

Hammer Price: 737,000 GBP

Dimensions: 14cm

Provenance:

London antique dealer Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art

 

Emmanuel Christofides (1928-2020), Athens and London, acquired from the above on 18 October 2005

 

 

TOP.15

2025Christie's Hong Kong

 

 

Gold, Yaozhou ware moon-white glaze long-necked vase

Price realized: HKD 7,686,000

Dimensions: height 29.1 cm

Literature:

Osaka Museum of Oriental Ceramics, "Yaozhou Ware," Osaka, 1997, pl. 103

 

Osaka Museum of Oriental Ceramics, "Song Ceramics: Masterpieces Called Divine," Osaka, 1999, pl. 17

 

 

TOP.16

2025Christie's Hong Kong

Ming dynasty, 14th/15th century, Longquan ware celadon-glazed pear-shaped vase

Price realized:6,300,000 HKD

Dimensions: 33.3 cm

Provenance:

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26 October 2003, Lot 49

 

Eskenazi Collection, London, no. EK188

 

The Shimenghu Collection, North America

 

 

TOP.17

2025Christie's Hong Kong

Northern Song Dynasty Yaozhou Ware Carved Peony Pattern Flower-Mouth Zun

Price realized: 5,080,000 HKD

Dimensions: 11.8 cm

Provenance:

Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo

 

Christie's Hong Kong, "Gems of Antiquity – The Linyushanren Collection (I)," December 2, 2015, Lot 2803

 

 

TOP.18

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025Okada Museum of ArtSpecial Sale

Northern Song to Jin Dynasty Jun-ware Moon-White Glazed Small Bowl with Purple Splashes

Price Realized:5,080,000 HKD

Dimensions: 6.8cm

 

TOP.19

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025Okada Museum of ArtSpecial Sale

Southern Song Dynasty Jian-ware Oil-Spot Tenmoku Tea Bowl

Price realized:5,080,000 HKD

 

Dimensions: Bowl height 13.4 cm

Height 15.5 cm

Provenance:

Collection of Kobori Enshū (1579–1647)

Collection of Baron Fujita Denzaburō (1841–1912)

Collection of Inoue Kaoru (Seigai) (1836–1915)

Collection of Baron Masuda Takashi (Tonsui) (1848–1938)

Umezawa Family Collection

Umezawa Memorial Museum Collection, Tokyo, acquired before 1978

 

 

TOP.20

Ise Yashinori Collection, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2025

Northern Song Dynasty Qingbai Glazed Melon-Shaped Ewer with Cover

Price realized:4,826,000 HKD

Dimensions: 25cm

Provenance:

Collection of Takeyuki Ogura (1870-1964)

Mayuyama & Co., Tokyo

Private Japanese collection

Kochukyo, Tokyo

 

——The  End——