獨家專訪仇國仕：最振奮人心的事就是找到出色的中國藝術品！

蘇富比亞洲區副主席和中國藝術品部國際主管 仇國仕

蘇富比2017年上半年明星拍品當屬「明宣德青花魚藻紋十棱菱口大盌」，成交價斬獲2.29億港元，這一件重要拍品便是仇先生遠赴日本徵集得之。正巧約見仇先生的前一日遇到了蘇富比亞洲區掌門人程壽康先生，和他交談中得知仇先生去了台灣，大部分的時間他都會在日本、法國、英國和美國等地「尋寶」。雖然仇先生行程如此忙碌，但落地香港第一時間便接受了我們的獨家訪問，究竟是怎樣的藏家能令他「花了大約四年時間，僱用了兩名私家偵探，打了大約400通電話，如此鍥而不捨」呢？請跟隨筆者一起傾聽仇先生對於拍賣最真實的心聲。

受訪者仇國仕

記者 吳遙

藝狐在線主編吳遙與仇國仕先生在蘇富比藝術空間專訪

Question：您好，仇先生，請您聊一聊您自己吧，以及在蘇富比的具體角色？

仇國仕：我是蘇富比亞洲區副主席和中國藝術品部國際主管及主席。不論是宋代瓷瓶、清朝御璽、唐代佛首或殷商青銅，凡具歷史之中國器物，均屬我管轄的範疇。在我的工作中，最大的困難並不是尋找新客戶，而是在供不應求的拍賣環境下尋找高質拍品。所以大部分的時間我都會在日本、法國、英國和美國等地「尋寶」。說到亞洲，香港及台灣當然也尚存許多頂級私人收藏。我們的中國藝術品拍賣，在香港每年四場，倫敦、巴黎及紐約各地則一年兩回。對我而言最振奮人心的事莫過於找到出色的中國藝術品，並與我的同事和客戶一同分享這份喜悅。

明宣德青花魚藻紋十棱菱口大盌香港蘇富比2017年春拍成交價2.29億港元

Question：2017年蘇富比香港春拍有很多重器拍出高價，請您為我們點評下本季春拍的表現？

仇國仕：我們的春季拍賣會上呈獻了多個收藏領域的精彩拍品，其中包括明清御器、宋代雅瓷、古玉、傢具、佛教藝術品等。令人鼓舞的是，幾乎每個範疇都有高價拍品誕生，充分地展現了市場及亞洲藏家品味之多樣性。在我每年策展一次的「人間異珍：奇．趣」專場，此趨勢殊為顯著，今年專場呈獻拍品各式各樣，如希臘式阿佛洛狄蒂女神立像、埃及木乃伊面具、海象頭骨化石、亞伯特．杜勒（Albrecht Dürer）的基督被釘十字架素描等都獲得客人踴躍競投。這些異國奇珍，與中國文人雅石、八世紀夾紵菩薩頭像和宋代陶瓷共置一堂，提供了一個在其他藝術文化傳統氛圍下欣賞中國藝術品的機會，尤添趣味。歷練萬年，融貫東西，這肯定是在未來幾年繼續發展的方向之一。

唐 夾紵乾漆觀世音菩薩頭像 香港蘇富比2017年春拍成交價2170萬港元

Question：請您談一談近些年來全球亞洲藝術品的走勢？您認為缺少中間價位拍品的支撐，精品與普品的價格差距過大，您怎樣看待這樣的市場狀態？

仇國仕：在過去五年，不論是宋瓷，高古玉或青銅器，市場對中國早期藝術品的興趣越來越大。其實中國一向以高古藝品為珍，趙宋以降尤甚，然至九十年代末始，清代瓷器及工藝品廣受追捧，現在所見趨勢，可謂傳統稽古之復興，這誠為可欣之事。隨著買家鑒賞及審美能力的提升、收藏信心的增加，我相信藏家對如宋瓷、文玩等鮮受宮廷規範之古物的熱忱，將會持續升溫。

正如你所說，高端和中端市場之間存在一定的差距。在過去三年，我們針對中端市場於每年6月和12月在香港蘇富比藝術空間舉行展售，所呈收藏雖不及恢宏，卻不失雅緻，這每年二回之中國藝術品場次現已成為我們的常設拍賣，並取得出色的成績。這也是為什麼我們安排此場拍賣於春秋二拍以外的時間進行，好使它擁有獨立的平台，同時能讓我們的團隊專註推廣這些雅趣小品。

Question：您進入蘇富比的這些年來，對於您的團隊來講，您怎樣看待拍賣行業的管理呢？什麼才是最重要的？

仇國仕：首先，最重要的是聘請和培養業內最好的專家。他們身在我們工作的前線，須以其專業眼光搜羅及展現藝術品，以保持公司的品牌。我們與競爭對手最大的差別，正在於我們專家團隊的眼光和能力。其次，我們的業務主管和其他管理人員，也須有效經營，以確保專家部門之運作暢順。

Question：能不能分享一兩件您與拍品之間的故事，或者在拍賣的時候發生的趣事？

仇國仕：搜尋拍品時，我可以說是鍥而不捨的。當我意識到御璽市場在2003至2004年間開始迅速升溫時，我立即查閱蘇富比八十至九十年代的舊圖錄，希望找到我們曾經拍賣過的各方印璽。二、三十年前，縱有關注璽印之質與藝者，幾乎無人在意印文，其歷史價值往往被忽視。御璽的價格多數僅止數千美元，我們也沒有多留心這個範疇的收藏家。然而當我追查過往銷售記錄時，幾乎所有印章都被同一個藏家收入囊中。我馬上試著打電話及寫信給他，但電話號碼失效，地址也不復存在。

乾隆帝御寶交龍鈕白玉璽 香港蘇富比2010秋拍成交價1.2162億港元

我花了大約四年時間，僱用了兩名私家偵探，打了大約400通電話，終於追蹤到這位藏家。我們在2010年為這位卓絕非凡的收藏家舉行了一場成功的拍賣，當時多件拍品的成交價皆創下紀錄，現場的熱血沸騰，我是永遠都不能忘記的，一切付出都是值得的。其中一方「信天主人」玉璽於1998年在倫敦以15,000英鎊成交，在2010年10月7日舉槌的「重要私人清宮御制工藝珍藏」專場上，清乾隆御寶信天主人交龍鈕白玉璽以121,620,000港元(人民幣106,174,260元)成交，當時刷新該項拍賣及白玉拍賣的世界紀錄。沒有其他任何的拍賣曾使我如此滿足。我為那位收藏家感到高興，他從未想過投資，但正是他的鑒藏眼光和努力促成這場如此精彩的拍賣會。

乾隆帝御寶交龍鈕白玉璽

Question：在拍賣行業中您認為徵集是最難的部分嗎？還有越來越多的內地拍賣行入駐香港，您是怎麼看的？

仇國仕：是的，徵集拍品是最具挑戰性的一個環節。當我們呈獻具有吸引力的拍品時，尋找買家相對變得容易。目前，我們與業內同行相比表現良好，但毫無疑問，內地拍賣行入駐香港後他們將會漸漸在某些領域，尤其是中端藝術品方面，為我們帶來壓力。然而中國藝術品市場是非常龐大的，隨著價格不斷上漲，業界有足夠的運營空間。

Question：謝謝！

Question：Hello Nicolas. Could we know a little more about what your role is at Sotheby』s?

NC:I am the chairman and the international head of Chinese works of art at Sotheby』s and basically everything that is Chinese, three-dimensional and of some age falls under my category, whether it is a Song dynasty ceramic vase, the seal of a Qing dynasty emperor, a Tang dynasty Buddha head or an archaic Shang dynasty bronze. The most difficult part of my job is not so much finding new clients, but rather sourcing great material for our sales as the supply is limited. Therefore, most of my time is spent 「treasure-hunting」; from Japan to France, England to America, basically anywhere that has had a tradition of collecting Chinese art. Closer to home, Hong Kong and Taiwan both also have of course great hidden collections of Chinese art. There are four yearly sales of Chinese works of art in Hong Kong, as well as biannual sales in London, Paris and New York.The greatest thrill for me is the discovery of a great object and also sharing this appreciation with my colleagues and clients.

南宋官窯青釉八方弦紋盤口瓶：以1.1388億港元成交

Question：Sotheby』s 2017 Spring auction saw many pieces selling at exceptionally high prices, with the most talked about piece being the Xuande bowl you sourced from Japan. What comments do you have on the results of the Spring sale?

NC:In our Spring sale, we had a very broad and exciting selection of materials encompassing Ming and Qing imperial porcelain, Song ceramics, archaic jades, furniture and Buddhist art, and it is encouraging to see that there were high prices in almost each and every single area. This goes to show the broad diversity of our market and the more and more adventurous taste of our clients in the region. This was particularly exemplified in our 「Curiosity III」 sale, which I enjoy curating once a year and where this year we saw very competitive bidding for objects ranging from a Hellenistic marble Aphrodite to an Egyptian mummy mask, a fossil walrus skull and a crucifixion by Albrecht Durer. These objects were all woven in together with Chinese rocks, Buddhist statuary and Song ceramics in a single exhibition and sale and it is exciting when people are given the chance to appreciate Chinese art not just on its own but as one of many artistic traditions. This is definitely one of a few trends that I will continue to push forward in the next few years.

明成化鬥彩雞缸杯：以2.8124億港元成交

Question：Could you tell us more about what has been happening in terms of trends in the global market for Chinese works of art?There seems to be a lack of mid-price properties appearing at auction, resulting in a big gap between highlight pieces and less sought-after/rare items. How do you view this market condition?

NC:In the last 5 years there is greater and greater interest in early material, whether Song ceramics, ancient jades or archaic bronzes. This is a reverse trend in so far as these are areas that were considered important throughout the history of China, and in fact since the Song dynasty particularly, but were to some extent outshone by the rise in popularity of Qing porcelain and Qing decorative arts since the late 1990s. I am quite pleased to see a regain of interest in these traditional fields of collecting. As buyers continue to gain confidence in their own connoisseurship and aesthetic sensibility, I believe that fields where artistic production was never so controlled – Song ceramics, scholar』s objects, basically all fields that did not necessarily enjoy Imperial patronage – will continue to rise.

As you say, there is a gap between the top-end and the mid-market. In the last three years, our focus on the mid-market has taken place mostly in the context of our gallery sales in June and December where we offer smaller collections and these have become important fixtures in our annual calendar. Lower and mid-range property tends to be outshone in our sales of important Chinese art and that is why we are now giving them their own platform at a time when our entire team can focus on promoting them.

清乾隆年制黃地洋彩』福壽連綿』圖綬帶葫蘆扁瓶：以1.07億港元成交

Question：What factors allow for successful management in the auction business?

NC:Firstly, the most important thing is to hire and nurture the best possible specialists as they are at the frontline of our business, sourcing and selling material and protecting with their expertise our brand value. The people that we have and their ability and their eye is what differentiates us from our competitors first and foremost. Secondly, our back office – business directors and administrators – has to run our specialist departments efficiently, ensuring that margins remain healthy.

Question：Could you share a story or two about yourself and properties handled? Or any interesting things that have happened to you during auctions?

NC:I can be quite relentless when I am chasing property for sale. When the market for Imperial seals started taking off in 2003-2004, I started looking up all our old auction catalogues from the 1980s and 1990s, hoping to chase down each and every seal that we had ever sold. 20-30 years ago, seals were valued not so much for their historical importance – hardly anyone cared about the seal face, but rather for their quality and craftsmanship. In most cases, Imperials seals fetched in the low thousands of dollars and therefore collectors in those areas were not so much on our radar. It turned out that pretty much all of the seals that I tracked down in our sales had been bought by one single collector. I immediately tried calling him and writing to him but the phone line was dead and the address no longer valid. It took me around 4 years, two private detectives and around 400 phone calls, all made myself, to finally track down the owner. It was all worth it as we offered this extraordinary collection for sale in 2010. I will never forget the amazing energy in the room, as many lots that day fetched record prices. The Xintian Zhuren seal that the collector purchased in London in 1998 for GBP15,000 went on to make HKD120 million!No other sale has ever given me the same level of satisfaction.And I was pleased for the collector as he had not once thought about investment when he put together this wonderful collection so discreetly.

明永樂 青花如意垂肩折枝花果紋梅瓶：以1.6866億港元成交

Question：Is property-consignment the hardest part of auctions? How do you feel about the increase in mainland Chinese auction houses coming to Hong Kong?

NC:Yes, consignment-getting is the most challenging. Finding buyers is extremely easy when we have attractive property for sale.So far, we have been holding our ground well against the Chinese auction houses, but there is no doubt that they will slowly erode certain areas of our business, mostly the mid-range.But the Chinese art market is extremely big and there should be room for everyone to do business, particularly as price levels continue to rise.

Question：Thank you！

點擊展開全文

喜歡這篇文章嗎？立刻分享出去讓更多人知道吧！