Young collectors drive 32.4% surge in Asian antiquities sales

Traditional Asian works of art saw a 32.4% year-on-year increase to $515m in Hong Kong auction sales in 2025, according to ArtTactic's China Art Market Report, while fine art contracted 32.5%. This marks the first time since 2017 that traditional art surpassed fine art, accounting for 37.2% of Hong Kong's auction total. Christie's Chinese works of art sale during Asia Art Week in New York totalled over $34m, up 50% year-on-year, and its Hong Kong spring sales reached HK$872.2m, the highest since 2018. Sotheby's introduced Asian art to its Modern and contemporary evening sale for the first time, with most lots exceeding estimates. China Guardian achieved a record seasonal high of HK$330m in the category. Millennial and Gen-Z bidders now represent over one-third of global Asian art bidders at Sotheby's, doubling their spending since 2021. Christie's reports 40% of new buyers for Chinese ceramics are from these age groups, with mainland China spending up 173%. Collector Zhaobo Yang, 29, acquired his first Qing dynasty bronze incense burner for £1,000, using it daily. Nicolas Chow of Sotheby's notes the average buyer age is early 40s, with some in their teens, and predicts antiquities appeal will grow in the AI era as tangible objects. However, barriers remain high due to provenance and condition issues.