Yoshitomo Nara Leads Sotheby's $1.4m 'Modern & Contemporary Discoveries' Auction in Hong Kong

A work by Yoshitomo Nara was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Modern & Contemporary Discoveries' auction on November 20-27 in Hong Kong.

• The sale totaled $1.4m (HKD10.92m), falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 95 works sold totaling $1.4m.
• Estimates totaled: $1.47m (low) and $2.6m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 75% of the original 127 lots announced.

The star lot was: Yoshitomo Nara, Untitled (1998), which sold for $130,600, 747% above its $15,400 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.

The outperformer sold for 747% above its low estimate. Yoshitomo Nara, Untitled (1998), sold for $130,600 ($15,400 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.

• 22 works, or 23%, sold above their high estimate.
• 35 works, or 37%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 38 works, or 40%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

32 works were bought-in, including: Yoshitomo Nara, My New Friend from Cosmos (1991), estimated at $77,100 (low) to $102,700 (high). It has been traded once in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn

Terms and definitions

All results include the fees and premiums added to the price of a work of art when the auctioneer's hammer falls. Estimates, sale prices and totals are converted into US dollars. Sale prices are compared to the auction house’s low estimate, which do not include premiums.

Guarantees: Sometimes an auction house guarantees to pay a seller for a work, regardless of whether the bidding reaches the reserve price, a figure that is typically confidential.

Bought-in: If there are no bids for a work, or if bidding falls short of the reserve price, the lot is unsold or “bought-in”.

Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.

Premiums: Typically a sliding-scale of charges paid in addition to the hammer price by the buyer, plus any other fees.