Biography
Nicolas Chow is the Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and the International Head and Chairman of the Chinese Works of Art department. Mr. Nicolas Chow first joined Sotheby’s in 1999 and has played a pivotal role in leading the Chinese art market in Asia since 2003. In 2006, he was appointed International Head and Chairman of the Chinese Works of Art Department and has since orchestrated many successful auctions across Sotheby’s four major salerooms, namely Hong Kong, London, New York and Paris. Under the leadership of Mr. Chow, Sotheby’s has consistently remained at the helm of the Chinese Works of Art market. In 2017, Sotheby’s Hong Kong Chinese Works of Art sales achieved a grand total of HK$1.93 billion, leading all auction houses in Asia for the 8th consecutive year.
Mr. Chow has been the mastermind behind many record-breaking sales. Notable examples include a rare Ru Guanyao brush washer from Northern Song Dynasty, which fetched HK$290 million and set the world record for Chinese Ceramics (October 2017); as well as the Meiyintang “Chicken Cup” which sold for HK$280 million to Shanghai collector Liu Yiqian, establishing a world record for Chinese Porcelain (April 2014).
Over the years, Mr. Chow has introduced numerous prominent collections to the market, including Chinese Art through the Eye of Sakamoto Gorō (2013-2016), The Meiyintang Collection Parts I to V (2011 to 2013), The Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection (2009 –2017), and Song – Important Chinese Ceramics from the Le Cong Tang Collection (2017), among others. He is also the key figure behind many successful theme sales focusing on Imperial works of art, as well as the Curiosity sales developed since 2014 which are broadening the horizon of collectors here in Asia with a kaleidoscopic array of materials encompassing Western antiquities, tribal art, natural history and Old Master drawings.
Videos featuring Nicolas Chow
A Personal Look at Cranach’s Portrait of a Man
40 Days | 40 Stories: Always Amazing
40 Days | 40 Stories: An Extraordinary Discovery
The Meiyintang Collection, an Important Selection of Imperial Chinese Porcelains
The Value of Art | Episode 1: Authenticity
The Value of Art | Episode 2: Condition
The Value of Art | Episode 5: Historical Importance
Behind the Scenes: Hong Kong Spring Sales 2016
Frank’s Files — Must-Have Jewels for Every Occasion
Frank's Files: Dazzling Highlights from Hong Kong
Blog Posts by Nicolas Chow
Enlightenment at Sotheby’s as a Yongle Buddha Returns Home
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