Category: Gallery

High Spirits: Japanese whisky shatters world record at auction

Japanese whisky passed yet another milestone recently when a single bottle of Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky Aged 50 Years NV went for a whopping US$ 298,879 at a recent Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction. Sold for twice its pre-sale estimate, the auction house confirmed that it was the highest price ever commanded by a single bottle of Japanese whisky.

Japanese Whisky
Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky Aged 50 Years NV

Commenting on this highly positive outcome, Adam Bilbey, Head of Sotheby’s Wine Asia, said: “With the hammer dropping way above the already high estimate, this was an incredible way to kick off our 2018 sales season in Hong Kong. Once again, we saw active bidding from across Asia, all underpinned by the discerning buyers here in Hong Kong.”

Japanese Whisky
Karuizawa Single Malt Whiskey Aged 50 years 1965

Indeed, Japanese whisky is getting something of a reputation for shattering world auction records. Only last year, the world’s largest-known collection of Karuizawa, a premium out-of-production single malt, set a new world record when it went for almost US$1 million, making it the most expensive Japanese whisky collection of all time.

Japanese Whisky
Macallan Millennium Decanter 50 Year Old 1949

Other impressive performers at the Sotheby’s event included the Macallan Millennium Decanter 50 Year Old 1949, which sold for US$62,922, and the Karuizawa Single Malt Whisky Aged 50 Years 1965, which fetched US$55,057.

Thangkas Very Much! Tibetan thangkas revealing a hidden culture surfaces at auction

The Richard R. & Magdalena Ernst Collection of Himalayan Art – one of the most comprehensive collections of Tibetan thangkas – was recently unveiled at Sotheby’s New York, much to the delight of the art world.

Thangkas, or traditional Tibetan paintings on silk or cotton, are intricate pieces of ancient art, awe-inspiring in their vivid colours and detailed miniature iconography. Painted mostly by monks and their disciples, they have more than just aesthetic value and are an integral meditative tool in Tibetan Buddhist religion.

This particular collection, acquired by Nobel Laureate Richard Ernst and his wife over five decades, features 88 paintings spanning the 12th to the 19th century. Speaking about what drew them to this niche art practiced by spiritual gurus tucked away on mountains with harsh climes, Richard says, “From the moment we laid eyes on the thangka of four Arhats in Kathmandu, we knew that Tibetan art would form the heart of our collection. The region’s rich culture, spontaneous nature of creativity, and philosophical strength drew us in, and has kept us firmly engaged over the last fifty years.”

Of varying sizes and depicting different periods, this widely-published collection includes everything from hypnotic mandalas and rare portraits of early Buddhist masters to prevalent hierarchies in monasteries. According to Sotheby’s experts, quite a few of them are deeply influenced by Lhasa high-court influences, and provide a rare window to a hidden – and almost lost – culture.

Healing Touch: Why the world is waking up to the goodness of Traditional Chinese Medicine

For visitors to Majorca, one of Spain’s most popular tourist resorts, the St. Regis Mardavall has everything you might expect of a world class hotel, including premium yachting, golf and spa facilities. It also boasts an unlikely mastery of the arcane art of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), an expertise that has seen wellness worshippers from across Europe beating a path to its door.

Traditional Chinese Medicine
On this front, the hotel’s poster boy is Dr Lu Zhang, “currently one of the greatest TCM experts in Europe,” if his website is to be believed. Previously a professor of TCM in Beijing, he found his way to Spain as the Chinese government’s TCM ambassador to the West.
Zhang’s work with the mainland government represents one of the most recent attempts to export China’s 2,500-year-old healing and health regime to the wider international community.
It’s been a long and difficult process, but now many of the more enlightened Western practitioners acknowledge that TCM could represent a “viable alternative to Western medicine.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine
Sensing TCM’s moment might have come, last July saw China enact new legislation formalising the status of TCM and requiring local governments to launch institutions promoting its practice in medical centres across the country, while also increasing the funding available for TCM development.
Wang Guoqiang, deputy chief of China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, says: “I’ve visited a number of countries where the head of state has expressed their desire to import TCM expertise, a sure sign that awareness of its efficacy is rising.”
Honed and refined over countless generations, TCM is a fusion of five different techniques – acupuncture, massage, herbs, dietary therapy and qigong exercises. According to its advocates, the key advantage of TCM is that focuses on prevention rather than seeking to simply provide a cure.

Traditional Chinese Medicine
Providing some insights into the essential nature of the philosophy behind TCM, Jeremy McCarthy, Global Director of Spa and Wellness at the Mandarin Oriental, says: “The Western world tends to have a dualistic approach to wellness – considering the mind and body to be wholly separate – as opposed to the more holistic and integrated approach embraced by TCM.”
Despite such high-level endorsements, TCM is still frequently criticised by the Western media for its lack of definitive methodologies and abrogation of animal rights. Taking such criticism on the chin, Dr Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) says: “TCM has many critics and their criticisms must be addressed if it is ever to perform a legitimate role within a wider health system. It is entirely wrong, however, to dismiss the entirety of this ancient art as nothing but ‘snake oil’ medicine.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Hong Kong, where the Western and Chinese medical traditions have long existed side by side, TCM has become one of the staples of the city’s wellness providers. Back in 2005, the Chuan Spa – part of Cordis Hong Kong – was one of the first to adopt TCM as one of its underlying principles. Following its success in Hong Kong, the approach was exported to 15 of the clinic’s overseas operations, including its Chicago, London and Auckland branches.
Looking to build the body of evidence in support of the efficacy of TCM, the Oriental Spa – part of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group – often collaborates with the Mayo Group, a non-profit medical practice and. research group, on the development of a range of TCM-related health and wellness initiatives.

Traditional Chinese Medicine
With the growing influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as a number of other Asian therapeutic traditions, such as Indian Ayuverda medicine and Middle Eastern Hammam rituals, it looks as if the direction of the flow of influence is beginning to change. For many, it’s an all but revolutionary break with centuries of Western dominance.

It’s also spurred a new thought – if, in the medical world, the West is finally catching on to something Asia has instinctively known for millennia, what else might it learn if it casts its cynicism and intransigence aside for long enough?

Text: Julienne C Raboca

For the full feature on Traditional Chinese Medicine, please check out the latest issue of Gafencu’s print magazine or the PDF version on the Gafencu app. Download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Ishigaki: Exploring a land of surf breaks, dense foliage and sensual sunrise

Ishigaki – a remote Japanese island with a population of less than 50,000 and little prospect of passing trade – owes much of its annual tourist influx to the whimsical shenanigans of those who try their hand at C-trip roulette.

Ishigaki

The largest of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan’s remotest territories, Ishigaki is largely unknown by even the Japanese themselves, bestowing upon it an almost mythical reputation.

While Ishigaki is remote, Taketomi Island – our ultimate destination – takes off-the-beaten-trackness to another level. A 10-minute ferry ride from Ishigaki, the primary transport hub for this island group, Taketomijima (as the locals refer to it) is a tiny outcropping with a non-tourist population of less than 300. If outsiders know it for anything, it’s its carefully-preserved Ryukyu village, the legacy of the lost maritime-trading kingdom that ruled the region from the 15th to 19th century.

Checking into the HOSHINOYA Taketomi, a village resort heavy with white sand paths and coral stone walls, it’s all but impossible not to fall in love with the place.

Ishigaki

Rather than the expected villa, guest accommodation consists of a pavilion – with only 48 available – constructed in the style of the island’s traditional residences. Under their red-tiled roofs, all the very finest modern comforts await – wood-panelled flooring, sliding doors, a meditative lounge area and a centrepiece bathtub.

Floor-to-ceiling glass walls, meanwhile, open on to a pebbled zen-style garden, the perfect location for a little DIY barbecuing, with the resort’s staff happy to supply freshly-caught lobsters or the spectacularly-marbled Ishigaki beef. Truly, self-service has never been so satisfying.

The next morning, a gentle trek to the stony Aiyaruhama Beach is recommended. Following a forest track, you are rewarded with the stunning vista of this magnificent beach by dawn’s early light. If you’d ever wondered just why Japan is known as the Land of the Rising Sun, you will wonder no more.

A leisurely cycling tour of the island can be a rewarding experience as well, with a visit to the Folk and Craft Museum particularly recommended. Try your hand at working the most antique of wooden looms; the staff is more than happy to proffer a crash course on how to master the gumbo mixed weave.

Ishigaki

After exploring the immediate environs make sure you allow enough time to take in the Kondoi Beach. Famous the world over for dazzling white sands, clear waters and sensational sunsets, it nestles on a wide, shallow cove on the west of the island. Just further along is the Kaiji Beach, smaller, rockier and like to bring visitors good fortune – at least according to the locals.

Suitably saturated with the island’s stunning sightscapes, head for the West Pier – the perfect locale for experiencing the Ishigaki sunset. En route, you are as like as not to fall in behind a row of water-buffalo carts, all heading for the same destination. In this exotic oasis, even the traffic jams are Instagrammable.

Lulled by the island’s bucolic lifestyle, you could be forgiven for expecting dinner to have a somewhat rustic feel. Once again, however, HOSHINOYA transcends any such pre-judgments, with its evening fare of Okinawan Nouvelle Cuisine a true revelation.

Ishigaki

With a total of eight courses on offer, the selection included Kuruma shrimp, island carrot mousse and foie gras and island banana roast. The undoubted standouts, though, were the Okinawa Akamachi poele fish with herbal fragrance and the grilled wagyu rump steak with Makomo bamboo, steeped in shikuwasa citrus diable sauce.

The next day can be a perfect time to don snorkels and flippers as you set out to encounter the marine life that lives below the surrounding waters.

For the scubaphopic, Kabira Bay’s glass-bottom boats offer a less immersive but equally rewarding alternative, with the local operators priding themselves on their sustainable sensibilities.

In a world where many of its wonders have been over-shared, Ishigaki is a revelation. Still just obscure enough to be spared visitor-overload, it should be on the itinerary of any wanderer yearning to discover something authentically unexplored.

Text: Julienne C. Raboca

Photos: HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island

Natural Beauty: Gafencu’s top 8 picks of brooches inspired by Mother Nature

Despite technology cocooning all aspects of modern life, Mother Nature is an inevitable presence. Time and again, art has borrowed from nature, with artists singing paeans of praise to all aspects of nature through diverse art forms. Jewellery too has come a long way, from actual elements of nature adorning the human body (think seashell jewellery by Neanderthals) to jewellery designers mimicking natural elements in their designs. 

Here, we’ve put the spotlight on eight such high joaillerie brooches that have captured some of the most striking feats of nature. Elaborate, intricate and exquisitely beautiful, these brooches are only second to nature’s originals. 

Sotheby’s hosts ‘Women in Art: Hong Kong’ exhibition to celebrate the city’s female artists

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Sotheby’s Hong Kong is hosting a special exhibition, Women in Art: Hong Kong, in collaboration with New Hall Art Collection, displayed at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University.

At a time when there’s global attention on women empowerment, Sotheby’s hopes to create a dialogue around women’s visibility in art through exploring the rich heritage of female artists in Hong Kong.

The exhibition showcases diverse works by female artists from Hong Kong spanning the last 50 years. The works displayed cover a wide range of mediums, including traditional ink paintings by Fang Zhaoling and Irene Chou, video art by Ellen Pau and Angela Su, film posters by Ho Sin Tung and installation art by contemporary artists Ko Sin Tung and Jaffa Lam.   

The artworks displayed are steeped in Hong Kong’s culture and politics, from Ko Sin Tung’s ‘Closed 24hrs’ neon sign that comments on Hong Kong’s consumerist excesses to Jaffa Lam’s ‘Starry Day’ installation, that is made using white umbrella scraps gathered during the iconic Umbrella Movement of 2014.

According to a research conducted by Eliza Gluckman, curator of New Hall Art Collection, and independent researcher Phoebe Wong, a very high percentage of women (around 70%) graduate from art programmes in Hong Kong, but only a mere fraction of them survive in the male-dominated market. Phoebe pointed out many female artists take up teaching as a more viable option, due to a lack of proper infrastructure and funds to support emerging female artists in Hong Kong.

Through the Women in Art: Hong Kong exhibition, Sotheby’s has started a discussion which we hope will not only bring awareness to the work of leading female artists but will also inspire future generations.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
Photos: Sotheby’s

Oscars 2018: Beautiful dresses & dazzling designs on the red carpet

Right in time for Women’s Day, we’re delving into the dazzling dresses on the Oscars 2018 red carpet, and the powerful women. Without further adieu, let’s dive in to Part Two of our red carpet coverage!

Hollywood's power ladies hit the Oscars 2018 red carpet last Sunday
Hollywood’s power ladies on the Oscars 2018 red carpet

Hollywood’s power ladies showed up dressed to impress last Sunday. Leading the charge was Jane Fonda, who channeled her inner Boss with a strong-shouldered white Balmain gown. Robbie Margo, a Best Actress Nominee was also clad in white, opting for an elegant off-shoulder dress by Chanel. Fellow nominee Saoirse Ronan looked pretty in pink in a sleeveless Ralph Lauren creation.

Bold colours also dominated the Oscars 2018 red carpet. Allison Janney, winner of Best Supporting Actress, was the epitome of class in a flowing red number by Reem Acra. Not to be outdone, Nicole Kidman put her best foot forward in a high-slitted royal blue Armani Prive design.

Shimmering threads were also in abundance, with Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot shining bright in a silver Givenchy dress. Meanwhile, Nupita Nyong’o of Black Panther fame glowed in a golden Atelier Versace number.

Best Actress winner Frances McDormand wore a shimmering gold-on-black gown
Best Actress winner Frances McDormand paid tribute to her fellow nominees in a moving acceptance speech

Frances McDormand, who won Best Actress for her role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, raised some eyebrows in a rather drab gold-on-black outfit. But she won everyone over with a moving acceptance speech, which saw her acknowledge and pay homage to all her fellow nominees. The inspirational move reminded attendees and viewers alike of the need to treasure bonds of sisterhood among all women. Happy Women’s Day!

To see our top picks for best-dressed men, check out Part One of our Oscars 2018 coverage.

Oscars 2018: The best-dressed men on the Academy Awards red carpet

Traditional tuxedos. Velour suits. Monochrome ensembles. In Part One of our Oscars 2018 red carpet coverage, we highlight the fashion trends and best-dressed men at the 90th Academy Awards.

Oscars 2018 - Best Dressed Men

Traditional tuxedos never go out of style, as Gary Oldman proves. The actor, who won Best Actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, looked extremely sharp in a black tuxedo with a matching bowtie. Sam Rockwell, nominee for Best Supporting Actor, looked equally chic in a black Prada tux.

Meanwhile, Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman and Winston Duke’s outfits were a touch more modern. Boseman wore a long coat all-black ensemble by Givenchy Haute Couture, while Duke’s black Etro suit was jazzed up with some silver tassels.

Jordan Peele, winner of Best Original Screenplay, switched things up by opting for a white Calvin Klein dinner jacket. Not to be outdone, young star Timothée Chalamet shined bright in all-white Berluti outfit.

Velour was also a popular choice for the evening, with Armie Hammer turning up in a burgundy velvet two-piece by Giorgio Armani. Get Out actor Daniel Kaluuya, on the other hand, looked suave in an unusual black-and-brown outfit by Brunello Cucinelli.

From traditional black tuxedos and monochrome outfits to unusual velour pieces, the Oscars 2018 red carpet proved to be a visual delight for male fashionistas looking on.

Check out Part Two to get a glimpse of the delightful dresses worn by the ladies of Hollywood.

Tetris treats: Have you sorted your spring accessories yet?

The high fashion houses are already heralding the approach of spring with their latest Spring Summer 2018 collections (check out our coverage here), and one thing’s common in all of them, and that’s an eye-popping explosion of colours. So get your season’s dose of fashion fix with these spring accessories that you can’t afford to be seen without!

Spring accessories

(Clockwise from above) Vocabulary LOVE Pouch by Fendi, Card case with chain by Dolce & Gabbana, Cardholder by Bottega Veneta, Loafer by Hermès, Nana Tote by Strathberry X Mademoiselle Maurice, Mini Sicily bag key-ring by Dolce & Gabbana, Leather card case with Double G by Gucci, Leather key-ring by Bottega Veneta, Patent leather wallet-bag by Prada, Stars cardholder by Dior

Spring accessories

(Clockwise from above) Mailbox bag by Kate Spade Holiday collection, Earring with crystals by Giorgio Armani, Mini Pixie bag by Chloé, Leather charm with flowers by Salvatore Ferragamo, Le Mutin belt-bag by Delvaux, Cheery charm in leather with fur by Fendi, Leather bracelet by Bottega Veneta, Choker with handmade fabric bows by Giorgio Armani, Leather bracelet by Bottega Veneta, Miu Doo keychain in mink and shearling by Miu Miu, Swan coin case by Kate Spade

(Clockwise from above) Mini Strap You shoulder strap by Fendi, Clutch in velvet with Swarovski by Miu Miu, Mini Piazza bag by Bottega Veneta, Dioraddict Flap bag with shoulder strap by Dior Cruise 2018, Leather key-holder by Hermès, Panthère de Cartier evening bag with Panthère pixel embroidered by Cartier

Spring accessories

(Clockwise from above) Finley leather cross-body mini bag with heart embellished by Jimmy Choo, Arsina 105 wedge sandal by Salvatore Ferragamo, Leather keychain trick by Prada, Leather smartphone case by Prada, Ice-cream charm in leather with fox fur by Fendi, Leather chain-bag by Dolce & Gabbana, Lace-up by Giorgio Armani

Spring accessories

(Clockwise from above) Palazzo leather pouch by Versace, Printed leather card case by Prada, Duetto pouch by Givenchy, Finley leather cross-body mini bag with star charms by Jimmy Choo, Starts French zipped wallet by Dior, Verrou clutch by Hermès, Pandora card case by Givenchy, C de Cartier card holder in crocodile leather by Cartier

Bentley Continental GT, a grand tourer that thinks it’s a sports car

The Bentley Continental GT has managed to be a true grand tourer, without compromising its sports car-like aptitude for speed.

This may seem like a difficult feat, but, perhaps, a little history lesson might be illuminating. The original Continental GT was a triumph for Bentley. Launched some 15 years ago, the car soon became the conveyance of choice for soccer players and the more ostentatious brand of muso. The first Bentley to use production line techniques in its manufacture, it sold like spittle guards at Trump rally.

As with the car it replaces, this new Continental is large, luxurious and expensive. At 2,244kg, it is heavy enough crush any imperfections on the road surface, although its sophisticated computer-controlled air suspension allows it to simply glide over the majority of highway hickeys.

At 4.8 metres long and 2.2 wide, there’s little chance of stealing a Smart Car’s parking space. There’s also ample boot space for a good fortnight’s worth of luggage.

As well as being spacious enough, the interior is every bit as luxurious as the Bentley name entails. Indeed, its leather seats are so soft it may transpire that only the finest-quilted cattle contributed to their coverings.

The Continental’s interior is also exceptionally functional. The control interfaces are pleasingly chunky, moving with the kind of easy action that suggests that years of faultless operation lie ahead.

While upholding the values of time-served craftsmanship, the Continental’s cabin is far from old fashioned. Mounted on a three-faced tumbler, a large section of dashboard rotates to reveal blank facia, a trio of traditional dials or a 312mm touchscreen, displaying the driver’s choice of satellite navigation, climate conditions or Netflix catch-up.

On the move, the Continental is, indeed, a sumptuously smooth means of conveyance, with its air suspension suppressing any jolt occasioned by an unavoidable spot of tarmac turbulence.

The merest prod of the accelerator can shake up things a bit though. Fitted with a 6-litre twin turbo W12 engine – capable of producing 467Kw – as standard, this Continental can get very loud and very fast very, very quickly.

Any such acceleration is accompanied by a satisfying roar as the 12 cylinders and the two turbo-chargers kick in. Overall, this brief sound surge is about the only giveaway that the engine is, indeed, turbo-charged, with little or no lag between any change in throttle position and the engine’s powerful response,.

From a standing start, this big Bentley can crack 100kph in just 3.7 seconds. With a maximum velocity of 333kph, the acceleration just never seems to diminish, still pulling strongly at the speedo glides past the 200kph mark.

It’s hard to believe that any aspect of this car could be more impressive than its 467Kw engine. Until, that is, you stamp on the brake pedal. The violence of the subsequent deceleration is literally breath-taking, with the lungs squeezed of air as they’re hurled against the seat belt.

While the new Bentley Continental GT is just too truly massive to keep up with a genuinely lightweight sportster through all that really twisty stuff, it’s a more capable sports package than that offered by almost any other GT car – and all without giving up any of the genuine comfort the grand tourer name truly demands.

Bentley Continental GT from around HK$1.7m
Engine: 6.0 litre twin turbo W12
Power: 467 Kw
Torque: 900 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed dual clutch automatic through all-wheel drive
0-100kph: 3.7s
Top speed: 333kph