My father and my father’s parents led lives that straddled both sides of the Johor-Singapore Causeway. Grandpa, the son of a Penang-based chemist who had migrated from Tamil Nadu, studied medicine at King Edward VII College in Singapore in the 1920s. He met my grandmother, a trained nurse, also in Singapore. They married in 1935, but apparently the union was not seen as ideal by their respective families, for he was brought up a Tamil Catholic and she a Chinese Methodist. As a compromise, they became Anglicans.

Meanwhile, Grandpa’s supervisors at the Medical College thought he would have a bri...

My Dad was the eldest son of a first generation Chinese immigrant and his first wife. My grandfather had two wives. In the old days (pre-1961 Women’s Charter in Singapore), taking a second wife or a concubine was not illegal – first wives didn’t like it of course but generally accepted it with reluctance.

He worked all his life for his father who started a ship chandler business during the post-World War II period. He’d start his day at 4am before sending off an ‘army’ of laborers. He often climbed into holds with the laborers to supervise their work. Every afternoon, he would type out invoice...

TOP LOT/MOST BID-ON LOT

Lot #35

A LARGE TIBETAN THANGKA OF BUDDHA

Estimate: S$1000 - $2000

Number of Bids: 41

HAMMER PRICE: $20,000

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MOST COVETED LOT

Lot #111

A CHINESE EMBROIDERED SILK MILITARY RANK BADGE

Wishlist count: 20

Estimate: $250 - $400

Number of Bids: 23

HAMMER PRICE: $1,400

*For all those who ask us, we work this section of our results out according to the number of people who favourited the item - adding it to their 'Wishlist'. It's a great tool! Use yours next time, if you haven't already, and you can access your favourite items quickly and easily when you come to bid.

TOP LOT

A SET OF TEN ENRICO PEILLIZZONI WHITE LEATHER ARMCHAIRS

Estimate: S$400 - $600.

Number of Bids: 31

HAMMER PRICE: $4,200

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MOST BID-ON LOT

A GROUP OF NINE ASSORTED ANTIQUE BOOKS

Estimate: $100-150

Hammer Price: $1,300

NUMBER OF BIDS: 34

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MOST COVETED LOT A BNB ITALIA 'DIESIS' CARRARA MARBLE COFFEE TABLE

Wishlist* count: 23

Estimate: $500 - $800

Number of Bids: 18

HAMMER PRICE: $2,400

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*For all those who ask us, we work this section of our results out according to the number of people who favourited the item - adding it to their 'Wishlist'. It's a great tool! Use yours next time, if yo...

With the crisis in Ukraine, Hotlotz is running a charity auction later this month. We would love any items that could be donated, and all proceeds will go to the Singapore Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Response. Click the title to learn more.

Last Sunday's sale saw some wonderful pieces go up for auction in our Asian Ceramics and Works of Art auction. Find out what was the big ticket item; which lot generated fierce bidding. We shall see you online, this Sunday from 6pm onwards, for the close of our monthly Home & Decor.

TOP LOT

We do so love a blue and white dragon vase here at Hotlotz! Whilst this particular one wasn't a record-breaker, it was sougt after:

A BLUE, WHITE AND COPPER RED DRAGON BOTTLE VASE

Qing Dynasty, 18th/19th Century. Of pear shape, decorated with a trailing dragon amongst blue clouds. 43cm high

Estimate: $1,5...

Read the latest here from our recent 'Peranakan Works of Art' Sale:

TOP LOT

A PERANAKAN CEREMONIAL BEADED COLLAR

From the collection of Dr Ho Wing Meng. Ceremonial collar with elaborate designs of insects, animals and flowers stitched onto velvet panel Number of Bids: 35 Estimate: $5,000 Hammer Price: $20,000

MOST BID ON ITEM

FOUR PORCELAIN PLATES

With Phoenix, butterfly and floral decoration, three on a celadon ground. The largest plate is 19cm diameter Estimate: $300 Number of Bids: 54 Hammer Price: $5,000

MOST COVETED ITEM

A PERANAKAN PINK GROUND CHUPU

Marked Xu Shun Chang Zao to the bas...

We do so love a single-owner collection. Unusually, due to our packed auction schedule (keep checking our website closely as we have a lot of sales coming up) we had a sale that closed on a Tuesday, rather than our usual Sunday evening.

Our really rather smashing sale results from yesterday's sale, appear below:

TOP LOT:

A COPELAND & GARRETT PART TEA AND COFFEE SERVICE

Mid 19th Century, circa 1840

Number of bids: 17

Estimate: $1,500 - $2,000

Hammer Price: $11,000

MOST BID ON ITEM:

A PAIR OF BARR WORCESTER COFFEE CANS AND SAUCERS

Circa 1800. Decorated in the imari palette with a stylised ori...

Imagine drinking from a cup made before the typewriter was invented!

Morning tea, or coffee, just got a lot more interesting. And - considering age - the condition of the collection is incredible.

This handsome teapot was around in 1819 when Raffles landed in Singapore Shaped oval on conforming stand, decorated with flowerheads, stiff leaves and gilt borders. Old BADA sticker to base. Early-mid 19th century.

Current bid: $160

More info here

In 1813 Jane Austin published Pride & Prejudice: Mr Darcy would have drunk from cups much like these This lot comes with two similar tea cups and saucer...

THE TOP SELLING LOT

Ian Fleming's Casino Royale (first edition)

Estimate: $2,000-$4,000

Number of bidders: 26

Hammer Price: $11,000

MOST BID-ON LOT

George Chinnery (British, 1774-1852) 'Figures Bathing by a Ruined Wall, Bengal'

Estimate: $2,000-$3,000

Hammer Price: $11,000

Number of Bidders: 28

MOST COVETED LOT

Ian Fleming's Diamond's are Forever

(NB We have REAL diamonds coming up in our Jewellery & Watches auction, see below!)

Estimate: $1,500-$2,500

Hammer Price: $2,400

OUT SOON | JEWELLERY & WATCHES | 75 LOTS WITH NO RESERVE

Catalogue: 7 September | Auction: 19 September, bids close ...