Scope
This page combines auction data from Dimension II (He Chaozong Global Corpus) and Dimension VI (Auction Market Intelligence): the top 10 highest results and the seven-tier pricing model spanning the full price spectrum of Dehua Blanc de Chine. All records are from officially published auction results inclusive of buyer’s premium.
Top 10 Highest Auction Results
Top 10 Highest Auction Results (USD Equivalent)
#1He Chaozong GuanyinUeshima Auction 2022
$2.4M
#2He Chaozong GuanyinChristie’s Hong Kong 2017
$2.5M
#3He Chaozong workShizhuzhai 2023
$2.1M
#4He Chaozong BodhidharmaChristie’s Hong Kong 2014
$1.9M
#5He Chaozong workHolly International 2023
$1.7M
#6He Chaozong GuanyinChristie’s Hong Kong 2015
$1.1M
#7Dehua Blanc de ChineLempertz —
$940K
#8Dehua GuanyinSotheby’s New York 2025
$635K
#9Dehua Blanc de ChineBonhams 2012
$660K
#10Dehua Blanc de ChineHindman 2020
$357K
He Chaozong markOther Dehua Blanc de Chine
Source: public auction records · approximate transaction-date rates · WH-GR-2026-001
Fig. D4-01 Top 10 Highest Auction Results (USD Equivalent)
6 of Top 10 = He Chaozong
He Chaozong-marked works dominate the $100K+ market. The top three sold in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Nanjing — pricing authority for the highest tier of Dehua Blanc de Chine rests in Asia, not London or New York
White porcelain, ivory-white glaze, ca. 1580–1650. Large-scale He Chaozong figure sculpture is the core category for Tier I–II ($100K–$2.5M). This piece was bequeathed by George Salting and, together with the Guanyin (C.546-1910) from the same collection, forms the cornerstone of the V&A’s Dehua holdings. Victoria and Albert Museum, C.544-1910.
Image: Victoria and Albert Museum, C.544-1910 · Open Access
| # | Lot | Auction House | Year | Hammer Price | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | He Chaozong Guanyin | Ueshima Auction (Tokyo) | 2022 | JPY 320M (≈$2.4M) | He Chaozong global record | [1] |
| 2 | He Chaozong Guanyin | Christie’s Hong Kong | 2017 | HK$19.3M (≈$2.47M) | Lot 8120 | [2] |
| 3 | He Chaozong work | Shizhuzhai (Nanjing) | 2023 | RMB 15M | Mainland China record | [3] |
| 4 | He Chaozong Bodhidharma | Christie’s Hong Kong | 2014 | HK$14.44M | Lot 3120 | [4] |
| 5 | He Chaozong work | Holly International (Beijing) | 2023 | RMB 12.075M | [5] | |
| 6 | He Chaozong Guanyin | Christie’s Hong Kong | 2015 | HK$8.92M | Lot 2912 | [6] |
| 7 | Dehua Blanc de Chine | Lempertz (Cologne) | — | €856K | Continental Europe record | [7] |
| 8 | Dehua Guanyin | Sotheby’s New York | 2025 | $635K | Lot 136 | [8] |
| 9 | Dehua Blanc de Chine | Bonhams (London) | 2012 | £529.25K | Lot 297 | [9] |
| 10 | Dehua Blanc de Chine | Hindman (Chicago) | 2020 | $357K | Est. $600, markup 595× | [10] |
$600 → $357,000 ×595
Hindman (Chicago), 2020 — estimate $600, hammer $357,000. A non-specialist market’s systematic undervaluation of Dehua Blanc de Chine, instantly corrected once specialist buyers entered the room
Dehua Blanc de Chine, 18th century, H. 21 cm. Complex group sculpture demonstrates the high craftsmanship achievable without a He Chaozong mark, placing such works in Tier III–IV ($2,000–$50,000). Pricing depends on condition, modelling finesse, and dating. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1973.155.6.
Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1973.155.6 · CC0 Public Domain
Seven-Tier Pricing Model
Seven-Tier Pricing Model: $20 to $2.5 Million
IHe Chaozong masterpieces
IIHe Chaozong mid-tier
IIIOther named masters
IVUnsigned fine works
VSpecial forms
VILate Qing copies
VIIContemporary mass production
Price depth: >125,000× range · Source: public auction records · WH-GR-2026-001
Fig. D4-02 Seven-Tier Pricing Model
| Tier | Category | Entry Criteria | Price Range (USD) | Market Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | He Chaozong masterpieces | Clear mark, reliable provenance, perfect condition | $600K–$2.5M | Top-tier auction house dedicated sales, Asian buyers dominant |
| II | He Chaozong mid-tier | Disputed mark or condition issues | $100K–$500K | International auctions, academic documentation required |
| III | Other named masters | Zhang Shoushan, Lin Chaojing, Chen Wei, and other Ming–Qing masters | $5K–$50K | Mid-to-high market, specialist bidding |
| IV | Unsigned fine works | Ming to early Qing, high quality but unmarked | $2K–$30K | London, New York, Hong Kong mid-range sales |
| V | Special forms | Material + form dual premium (rhinoceros horn cups, etc.) | $500–$15K | Miscellaneous category sales |
| VI | Late Qing copies | High volume, low price | $500–$5K | Entry-level collecting |
| VII | Contemporary mass production | Primarily retail market | $20–$1K | Non-auction channels |
White porcelain, transparent glaze, applied prunus branches, early 18th century, H. 11.4 cm. Utilitarian forms (ewers, cups, censers) fall primarily in Tier V–VII ($20–$15,000), with pricing dependent on form rarity, decorative technique, and condition. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 79.2.486a, b.
Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 79.2.486a, b · CC0 Public Domain
$20 → $2,500,000
The seven-tier price span exceeds 125,000×. The gap between Tier I (He Chaozong masterpieces) and Tier VII (contemporary mass production) is an extreme case among global ceramic categories
Sources
All hammer prices are from officially published auction results (inclusive of buyer’s premium). Lot and sale numbers follow each house’s public records. USD equivalents use approximate transaction-date exchange rates for ranking purposes only.
- Ueshima Auction, Tokyo, 2022. He Chaozong white porcelain seated Guanyin, hammer price JPY 320,000,000. Ueshima is a Tokyo regional auction house; this was their Chinese ceramics sale.
- Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 November 2017, Sale 15008, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Lot 8120. “A Dehua figure of Guanyin, He Chaozong mark, 17th century.” Hammer: HK$19,300,000.
- Shizhuzhai (Nanjing), Spring 2023. He Chaozong-marked Dehua Blanc de Chine, hammer RMB 15,000,000. Shizhuzhai is a long-established Nanjing auction house; this is the mainland China record for Dehua porcelain.
- Christie’s Hong Kong, 26 November 2014, Sale 3401, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Lot 3120. “A Dehua figure of Bodhidharma, He Chaozong mark, 17th century.” Hammer: HK$14,440,000.
- Holly International Auctions (Beijing), Spring 2023. He Chaozong-marked Dehua Blanc de Chine, hammer RMB 12,075,000.
- Christie’s Hong Kong, 2 December 2015, Sale 3542, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Lot 2912. “A Dehua figure of Guanyin, He Chaozong mark.” Hammer: HK$8,920,000.
- Lempertz, Cologne. Dehua Blanc de Chine, hammer €856,000. Lempertz is continental Europe’s oldest auction house (est. 1845); this is the continental European record for Dehua porcelain. Sale year and lot number to be confirmed.
- Sotheby’s New York, 2025, Lot 136. Dehua Blanc de Chine Guanyin, hammer $635,000. The most recent major result as of this dataset’s cutoff (April 2026).
- Bonhams, London, 2012, Lot 297. Dehua Blanc de Chine, hammer £529,250. Bonhams London Chinese art sale.
- Hindman (formerly Leslie Hindman Auctioneers), Chicago, 2020. Dehua Blanc de Chine, estimate $600, hammer $357,000 (595× markup). Hindman is a Chicago regional house without a dedicated Chinese ceramics programme; the initial estimate reflects a non-specialist blind spot.
Methodology Note
The seven-tier pricing model is based on structural analysis of publicly recorded auction results from 2010–2026, first proposed in Dimension VI: Auction Market Intelligence. Tier boundaries are defined by: (1) mark status (marked / unmarked / disputed), (2) dating (Ming / Qing / contemporary), (3) attribution (He Chaozong / other named masters / unmarked), (4) condition and provenance documentation. The model describes the structural distribution of market prices, not individual lot predictions.