CHINESE ART MARKET ON AUCTION

Abstract

One of the main developments in the art market history of the twenty-first century is the emergence of China as a strong market player, and the growing prominence of Chinese art and antiquities, based on the record-high prices attained at auction in 2010. Within a three year period between 2007 and 2010, China has gone from sixth place to being the second-largest art market in the world, behind the US. Based on fine art auctions statistics, the buyer demographic of Chinese art and antiquities in the past three decades has moved from the West to China. PRC Chinese are the largest group of art buyers today, collecting Chinese antiquities, classical and modern paintings, and contemporary Chinese art. Following the time chronology of China in the thesis is analyzed the development of the art market throw the different historic periods and art of collecting Chinese antiquities, from the ancients dynasties to the modern collectors of the twentieth century. The global market for Chinese art today covers an extensive geographical area and a history spanning over two millennia. The thesis will explore the main developments in the Chinese art market within the global context in the twentieth century, and how these developments have shaped the growth of the art market in the twenty-first century. Through historical analysis, key players in the demographic market and price trends will be identified.