At 10:00 on September 9, 2025, Sotheby's "Important Chinese Ceramics from the Collection of Ise Hikonobu" was auctioned as scheduled in Hong Kong.The 182 lots in this auction had a total transaction value of HK$359 million and a total transaction rate of 99%, of which 42% of the lots were sold above the estimated price and 35% of the lots were sold within the estimated price.The Southern Song Dynasty official kiln green-glazed sunflower-shaped plate was sold for HK$55.885 million, becoming the highest-priced piece in the auction.

A total of 6 auction items worth tens of millions of yuan were producedAmong them, the Southern Song Dynasty official kiln green glaze sunflower-shaped plate was sold for HK$55.885 million, and the Ming Chenghua blue and white gardenia palace bowl, made in the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, was sold for HK$35.145 million.

"Southern Song Dynasty Official Kiln Beige Glaze Straight-Neck Vase" was sold for HK$24.775 million, "Northern Song Dynasty Cizhou Kiln White Ground Carved Black Peony Pattern Plum Vase" was sold for HK$19.895 million, "Ming Yongle Carved Red Luanfeng Pattern Box" was sold for HK$17.455 million, and "Ming Chenghua Blue and White Nine Autumns Pattern Jar, Made in the Chenghua Period of the Ming Dynasty" was sold for HK$12.575 million.

The Qing Dynasty Yongzheng period Famille Rose Broken Branch Peach Blossom Long-necked Gallbladder Vase, marked "Made in the Yongzheng Period of the Great Qing Dynasty", was estimated at HK$25 million to HK$50 million but unfortunately failed to sell.

TOP1 transaction in this session:

The Southern Song Dynasty official kiln green-glazed sunflower-shaped plate was sold for HK$45.5 million, plus commission for HK$55.885 million.

TOP2 transactions in this session:

The Ming Chenghua Blue and White Gardenia Palace Bowl, Made in the Chenghua Period of the Ming Dynasty, was sold for HK$28.5 million, plus commission of HK$35.145 million.

This bowl is in excellent condition, with a shallow glaze peeling of about 0.5×0.6 cm on the outer rim. The glaze is as smooth as silk and full of precious luster. It is the top grade among its kind and is very rare.

TOP3 transactions in this session:

The Southern Song Dynasty official kiln beige glaze straight-necked vase was sold for HK$20 million, plus a commission of HK$24.775 million.

Other lots sold:

In addition to the top three most expensive lots in this auction, there are also many excellent works.

Regarding collector Ise Hikonobu, this entrepreneur known as the "Egg King of Japan" has a legendary business empire and art collection.

1. Business Scale: From a Family Workshop to the Number One in the U.S.

Born in 1929 to a modest farming family in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, Ise Hikonobu inherited his father's chicken farming business. At the time, Japan's egg industry was still largely family-run, lacking scale and enterprise-level operations. Ise, acutely aware of this situation, traveled to the United States for study and research. In 1971, he founded Ise Foods Co., Ltd., introducing a modern, large-scale production and management model, rapidly developing the company into a leading player in the Japanese egg industry.

By the late 1970s, Ise had further expanded into the US market, becoming the nation's leading egg supplier and earning the title of "Egg King." Its business empire extended beyond Japan and spanned the Pacific, creating a remarkable business legend.

II. Art Collection: A Diverse Collection Worth Hundreds of Billions of Yen

Ise Hikonobu's art collection began in the 1960s, fueled by a passion for promoting education in postwar Japanese art. He began by clipping favorite postcards and visiting Tokyo galleries, gradually developing a profound appreciation for art and ultimately building a vast art collection valued at ¥100 billion (approximately HK$5.3 billion).

His collection system spans three major areas: Western Impressionism, Modern Art and Chinese Antiques:

1. Western ArtIse had a special fondness for Andy Warhol's work, acquiring it even before the artist achieved fame. In 2022, his Warhol work, "Silver Liz," sold at a Shinwa auction in Japan for 2.3 billion yen (approximately HK$148 million), setting a record for the highest price paid in the Japanese auction market at the time.

2. Impressionism and Modern Art:In 2023, Ise sold Monet's "Poplars on the Epte at Dusk" and Chagall's "Over the City" at Sotheby's New York, which were sold for US$30.78 million (approximately HK$240 million) and US$15.61 million (approximately HK$120 million) respectively, attracting attention in the global art market.

3. Chinese ceramics:Ise began systematically collecting Chinese ceramics in 1980. Sotheby's Hong Kong's "Important Chinese Ceramics from the Collection of Ise Hikonobu" marks the first major public auction of his collection in half a century. The nearly 200 lots, spanning approximately 7,000 years from the Neolithic Age to the Qing Dynasty, include such notable pieces as a Chenghua blue-and-white palace bowl, a Southern Song Dynasty official kiln sunflower-shaped plate, and a Qing Dynasty Yongzheng famille rose long-necked gall-shaped vase with a folded peach blossom branch. The total estimated value exceeds HK$250 million.

3. Reason for release: Difficult decision under debt restructuring

Although Ise Foods has long dominated the Japanese egg market, its financial situation has deteriorated since 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accumulation of long-term debt. In 2022, Ise Foods was forced to initiate a business restructuring and changed its name to Tamago & Company the following year.

According to Japanese media reports, Ise Hikonobu often borrowed money in the name of his company when purchasing art, which made it difficult to determine whether the artworks were privately owned or company assets. To ease the pressure of debt, Ise reached an agreement with the company to gradually release the collection through the auction market to raise funds and repay the debt.

This Sotheby's Chinese Ceramics sale was a significant decision made by Ise to address his financial difficulties. This unprecedented single-owner sale not only provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors worldwide, but also marks the end of this legendary collector's collecting career of more than half a century.

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For more details on the auction items, please click on the special session