Guided Viewing: Christie’s Autumn Auctions With Rosemary Scott and Pola Antebi

Christie’s is delighted to invite the members of the University of Hong Kong Museum Society to a private guided tour of the Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art in the forthcoming Hong Kong Autumn Auctions. This will include a viewing of works from the celebrated Le Cong Tang collection of Ming dynasty ceramics, highlights of which include the magnificent Wucai Fish Jar and Cover, produced during the Jiajing reign, a Xuande Yellow-Enamelled Bowl, and the Tixi Lacquer Hexagonal Ewer.

The guided tour will be given by Rosemary Scott (International Academic Director to Christie’s Asian Art Departments) and Pola Antebi (International Director, Chinese Works of Art).

Resource Persons
Rosemary Scott joined Christie’s in 1997 and in 2006 was appointed International Academic Director to Christie’s Asian Art Departments. In 2017 she changed to a part-time role as Senior International Academic Consultant to Christie’s Asian Art departments.

Ms Scott was formerly the Head of the Museums Department at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and was responsible for the university’s Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art and for the Brunei Gallery.

After completing a degree in Chinese Art and Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Ms. Scott undertook postgraduate research into early Chinese lacquer and its relationship to other materials, particularly textiles and inlaid bronze. In 1979, she joined the Burrell Collection in Glasgow as an Assistant Keeper with curatorial responsibility for Oriental works of art and was appointed Deputy Keeper of the entire collection in 1980. In December 1983, Ms. Scott took up the post of curator of the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and in January 1995 she became the first Head of the SOAS new Museums Department.

Ms. Scott has researched and written numerous books and articles on subjects related to Chinese ceramics and decorative arts, and has also presented papers at many international conferences, in addition to organizing and editing the proceedings of several such conferences in the UK. She has travelled widely in East Asia, America and Europe, lecturing and undertaking research. She served as President of the Oriental Ceramic Society 2006-2009.

With nearly 30 years of experience in field, 24 of which have been at Christie’s, Pola Antebi has made substantial contributions to Christie’s and to the field of Chinese ceramics and works of art, helping to secure Christie’s position as the premier auction house for the sale of the finest imperial Chinese works of art. As one of the first employees of Christie’s Hong Kong, when it opened its doors in 1986, Ms. Antebi has witnessed first-hand the remarkable development of not only Chinese art and auctions in Asia, but played a crucial role in expanding Christie’s footprint in Asia, which today include 11 offices around the region. She was appointed Head of the Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art department in 1999, a position she held for 13 years, and established Christie’s Hong Kong as the auction house of choice for collectors of Chinese works of art, with sales totals in her category growing from US$11 million in 1998 to a record total of US$233 million in 2010. In 2012 she was promoted to International Director for the Chinese Works of Art department and is responsible for sourcing, marketing and promoting works for sales Hong Kong, New York, London and Paris. With expertise in Imperial ceramics, jades and works of art from the Yuan to the Qing Dynasties (14th-19th Centuries), Ms. Antebi travels extensively and conducts appraisals and consults for an extensive network of institutions and private collectors. Ms. Antebi holds degrees in Art History and French Literature from the University of Vermont in the United States.