Phillips

Phillips has hired Christie’s Lilly Chan to become managing director of its Asia business.

Continuing the run of ex-Sotheby’s and Christie’s staff joining Phillips, Miety Heiden has been appointed as deputy chairman and head of private sales.

The latest series of Impressionist & Modern and Contemporary art auctions in London showed a dramatic improvement on the equivalent sales last year and the overall premium-inclusive total represented a record in terms of sterling.

Phillips has made two new hires in the Americas from rival Christie’s as it continues to expand in the region.

The market for Lucie Rie ceramics continues to thrive. A new auction high for the doyenne of the British studio pottery movement was posted by Phillips in New York this month– the fourth occasion a record has been set in just two years.

Phillips set a record price for a wristwatch sold at auction over the weekend when a Patek Philippe Reference 1518 was knocked down for SFr9.6m (£7.7m).

US fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger has picked Phillips’ 20th Century & Contemporary Art auction in New York to sell five paintings from his personal collection.

Phillips have appointed design specialist Alexander Payne as deputy chairman.

Phillips are hosting an exhibition of late works by Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) in collaboration with the Hepworth Wakefield.

Phillips have negotiated the private sale of ‘Baile en Tehuantepec’ by Diego Rivera (1886-1957) for $15.75m (£12m), a price which they claim is a record for any piece of Latin American art.

Auctioneers Phillips have changed their buyer’s premium with immediate effect.

Phillips have announced the appointment of Cheyenne Westphal as chairman, reporting to CEO Edward Dolman. Formerly Sotheby’s worldwide head of Contemporary art, she will start in her new role in 2017.

Just under $1.2bn changed hands at the top-end of the art market in New York this week as Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips all held their Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary auctions over seven days for the first time. Here is ATG’s pick of individual highlights sold across the week.

The Design Museum will be reopening at its new site in London on November 24. It had originally been thought that the relaunch would be in the summer.

The Contemporary art market survived better than many had expected at the London auction series last week.

Phillips set a new high for Martinware with the sale of this 14in (36cm) high bird jar modelled as Benjamin Disraeli for a double-estimate $190,000 (£126,670).

Two single-owner collections of Martinware – each exceptional in their own way – will appear for sale on either side of the Atlantic this autumn.

London’s growing importance as a hub for Modern design – boosted with the imminent return of sales at Sotheby’s – was underlined this month with records at Phillips in Mayfair.

Phillips are to begin-streaming their sales live on eBay’s platform for upmarket auctions of fine art and antiques.

The latest series of Contemporary art auctions in London posted a bumper total despite the failure of some big-ticket lots.