Beijing Rongbao Auctions Co.,Ltd. closed its autumn season with satisfactory sale results. This prestigious antique shop is well-known for selling calligraphy and paintings but it has also seen strong performance in sales of Chinese works of art this fall with the collaboration with Chak’s, an antique giant specializing in ceramics. We have invited the leading figures from both sides to share their thoughts on the collaboration.

William Chak, Master of Chak’s

W: Ancient ceramics have been quite popular among collectors but they lack a platform for both buyers and sellers. We thus offer a trading platform for ancient ceramics. These three dedicated sales achieved an average of 80% sold by lot, such outstanding results are unprecedented in ancient ceramics sales.

Q: Why does Chak’s collaborate with Rongbaozhai? 

W: Rongbaozhai is an antique shop in Beijing with long history and reputation. Rongbaozhai’s current General Manager, Fang Zheng, has impressed me with his professional network and charisma, as well as his integrity. Integrity is very important. Through working with the young talent, I hope to gain some new insight or inspiration in this collaboration.

Fang Zheng, General Manager, Beijing Rongbao Auctions Co.,Ltd.

F: Rongbaozhai is a well-known Chinese antique shop with a history of nearly 350 years. There are over 5000 paintings in our collection, in which over 400 of them are paintings by famous Chinese painter Qi Bashi. Rongbaozhai also had close connections with painting masters like Fu Baoshi, Li Keran, Qi Bashi and Zhang Daqian.

Q: How did you start your career in auctions?

F: I have been interested in calligraphy, paintings and collecting for 15 years. When I collected my first painting, I learnt Rongbaozhai is considered as a sacred antique shop. It is also my honour to be of service to Rongbaozhai.

Q: Why does Rongbaozhai collaborate with Chak’s?

F: We have always wanted to work with Chak’s. Mr. Chak is highly revered in the art industry. We think it is a good opportunity for us to work with Chak’s and to exchange our knowledge and expertise.

F (continue): We take pride in our well-established reputation as it has been our priority over the past three centuries. We show honesty and integrity when we recommend art pieces to clients. Regarding ceramics, Mr.Chak is a prominent collector in China and and he enjoys great reputation in the industry. After thorough consideration, we believe he is the best person to work with so we invited him to the partnership.

Rongbaozhai Hong Kong

Q: What’s your management principle?

F: There are several principles. First is to build up and maintain a well-known branding. Rongbaozhai has great reputation in art and cultural field. The second one is to serve as a platform offering diverse artworks. For our relatively weaker fields, such as ceramics and Chinese works of art, we work with experts like Mr.Chak. Thirdly, quality always goes first.

Q: What do you about the market trend in the future?

F: I have strong confidence in the market but we need to take it slow, step by step. For the sake of quality, we are selling fewer lots than our spring sales and decided not to sell items that are not up to standard.

F (continue): The market should also be led by academic research. We have published several books after I joined the company, such as projects on Qi Baoshi and Wu Changshuo we just did. We achieved over 90% sold by lot in the sale of Qi Baoshi’s paintings. Our clients come to us because they trust Rongbaozhai. That’s why quality is always our priority in order to build a long-term relationship with clients.