Antiques Trade Gazette 55 taste makers?


and approach the buyers. The Chinese buyers are not shy but they don’t like to be the first to open their mouths.” They also like to take more of a street


market approach in their dealings. “Chinese buyers like to bargain a lot


and the dealers have to let them do this. They must play the game.” Presumably, dealers must adjust their initial asking prices accordingly. Whether exhibitors succeed or not will


soon become clear. “If the buyers like you, and they ask


you out for dinner, don’t refuse. You may have to drink a lot. They always like to drink heavily. It’s about getting to know new friends.” What they are beginning to buy


beyond the confines of Chinese art and antiques is also gradually emerging. Just as they look to leading brands of


dealers, so they also appear to be looking for reliable brands of maker and artist, seeking out typical works. The super-rich Chinese tend to have a


number of homes around the world that need filling and are already using Western art advisers and the best trade brands. “At the moment, they are looking for


will go down far better with those much sought-after mainland buyers. “Chinese people like easy-to-


remember names. We want to do some branding and this title is better for promotion. It would be nice to think that we could create a Maastricht or Masterpiece in Asia, using a similar branding approach.” So what about that burning question


of how to entice a wealthy Chinese buyer onto your stand and persuade them that what you have to offer is what they want? “Chinese people like respected and


well-known brands, so they will start by looking for the leading dealer brands. That puts us at an advantage because we only invite well-known brands with a good reputation and covering certain periods of history,” explains Hei. “There are challenges for dealers


coming over, though. The first is breaking the barriers of language. Promotional material needs to be translated into Chinese, although we can help with that. It needs to be clear and simple, with an introduction on the firm, and with details of items and artists. It is also advisable for dealers to have interpreters at hand.” The development of cross-cultural


understanding is also essential. In the West, dealers tend to remain


discreet, allowing visitors onto their stands and stepping forward only when it appears that they want to discuss an item. Hei advises that this will not work in Hong Kong. “Dealers have to be more aggressive


modern paintings of the late 19th and early 20th century by big name western masters,” says Hei. “Decorative arts and 20th century design have not broken through into Hong Kong yet, but they could be winners for the future.” Probably the next clue is to visit the


stands of dealers who have been at the fair for the last three or four years to see what they are bringing now. “The Chinese are hungry for


everything,” says Hei. “Seeing the best Chinese works on stands next to the best European art will give Chinese buyers confidence in the Western pieces.” Those Western dealers who are


already established at Fine Art Asia have an undoubted opportunity to become the taste makers for the next generation of Chinese collectors – potentially a very powerful and lucrative role, bearing in mind, as well, the vast and burgeoning middle classes and their almost unimaginable spending power, but one that means doing a lot of homework now. “Hong Kong is the easiest place to


do business in the world,” says Hei, a claim certainly supported by the relaxed attitudes to tax and an infrastructure built to underscore its status as the leading entrepôt of the East. “The politics can be difficult sometimes, but for Hong Kong people business comes first.”


Fine Art Asia 2011 runs at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 3-7. www.fineartasia.com


Collection of Indian, Chinese and Japanese art from the 18th – 20th Centuries.


Metz in Heidelberg No reserve auction


Incl. items from the estate of the Heidelberg archaeologist Dr. Berndmark Heukemes (1924-2009)


Saturday, 8 October 2011, 10:00 Preview: Tuesday, 4 - Thursday 6 October, 10:00-18:30


Selection from our Asian art collection from the 18th


– 20th


Centuries.


Approx. 1000 objects of selected art, antiquities and ornaments, incl. African and Asian art, lead glazings, books, cameras and accessories, paintings, glass and crystal, gold and silver, graphic art, wood and bronze figures, icons, Jewish art, brass, furniture, musical instruments, porcelain, ceramics and fine stoneware, jewellery, toys, carpets/tapestries, table and wall clocks, folk and sacred art, weapons, tin and much more.


All items without reserve!


Fully illustrated catalogue available online: www.me t z -au k t i o n .d e


Metz in Heidelberg • Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 3-5 • 69117 Heidelberg • Germany Tel. +49 (0) 6221/23571 • Fax 183231 • E-Mail: metz-auktion@t-online.de


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