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Bolstered by dinosaur bones and paintings by Sanyu, Joan Mitchell, and Zao Wou-ki, the five auctions have a combined high estimate of HK $1.7 billion (US $215 million).

Christie’s Brings T-Rex Skeleton to Hong Kong Art Auctions

Shen the T. rex. Courtesy Christie's. Photo: Marcus Müller-Witte, M.A., Germany, 2022.

One lot sticks out among the highlights of Christie's 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale revealed on Monday.

It's four times longer than the next biggest item, Joan Mitchell's Untitled (1966–67) (est. US $11–15 million). And it's some 67 million years older than the next oldest work, Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Après le bain (1910) (est. US $2–3 million).

It's also the only lot in the art auction that isn't an artwork at all. To paraphrase William Blake, what immortal hand or eye could frame Shen the T. rex's fearful symmetry?

The decision to include a 1,400 kg Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in modern and contemporary art auctions is peculiar, but Evelyn Lin, Christie's Deputy Chairman in the Asia Pacific, described the skeleton as 'a cultural icon of the 20th and 21st centuries', alluding to the species' prominence in the Jurassic Park films (1993–2022).

Joan Mitchell, Untitled (1966–1967). Oil on canvas. 278 x 199 cm.

Joan Mitchell, Untitled (1966–1967). Oil on canvas. 278 x 199 cm. Courtesy Christie's.

Georgina Hilton, Christie's Head of Classic Art in the region, called the T. rex 'a masterpiece of nature'.

She said showing the T. rex was 'a business decision to diversify the offerings of our Hong Kong Evening Sale with this incredible opportunity, and it is in line with the high-value estimates of the other lots presented in this section.'

'We expect interest from museums, cultural institutions and private individuals in APAC and internationally who collect across multiple categories,' she added.

Louise Bonnet, Lost at Sea (2019). Oil on linen. 101.6 x 76.2 cm.

Louise Bonnet, Lost at Sea (2019). Oil on linen. 101.6 x 76.2 cm. Courtesy Christie's.

Shen, whose name is Chinese for 'god', is the first Tyrannosaurus rex to be offered at auction in Asia. Despite the name, Shen is American — the skeleton was unearthed on private land in Montana in 2020.

Christie's said the new owner will be able to rename the skeleton as they wish.

In 2020, Christie's sold another T. rex skeleton, Stan, named for its discoverer, Stan Sacrison. It fetched US $31.8 million, and will be exhibited at a new natural history museum being constructed in Abu Dhabi.

By comparison, Christie's said Shen was expected to fetch around HK $120 million (US $15 million).

Nicolas Party, Blue Sunset (2018). Pastel on linen. 180 x 150.2 cm.

Nicolas Party, Blue Sunset (2018). Pastel on linen. 180 x 150.2 cm. Courtesy Christie's.

Among the highest priced artworks in the 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale are Sanyu's Potted Prunus (1940s) (est. US $11–13 million), Zao Wou-ki's 10.01.68. (1968) (est. US $8.8–13 million), and Adrian Ghenie's Degenerate Art (Self Portrait as Vincent Van Gogh with Bandaged Ear) (2018) (est. US $6–8.7 million).

The 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale is one of five art auctions taking place in Hong Kong from 30 November to 1 December.

Works by highly sought after young artists including Nicolas Party, Avery Singer, and Javier Calleja will appear in the Post-Millennium Evening Sale on 30 November, while pieces by Yayoi Kusama, Liu Ye, and Louise Bonnet are among those appearing in the 21st Century Art Day Sale on 1 December.

The other two auctions are Marc Chagall, Colour of Life: Works Formerly From the Artist's Estate (Part 2) and 20th Century Art Day Sale, both on 1 December. —[O]

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