Meet Shen the T. rex with Georgina Hilton, Christie’s Head of Classic Art, Asia.
The Last Supper is a weekly podcast featuring artists, curators, collectors and gallerists in Asia. Available on Spotify, Apple podcast, Google podcast.
Georgina Hilton, As Head of Classic Art, Asia with Shen the T. rex
Ep.36 | A 66 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex, also nicknamed as Shen the T. rex, is the very first T. rex skeleton offered at a public auction in Asia. I sat down with Georgina Hilton and we talked about Christie’s upcoming auction on the 30th November in Hong Kong. We also talked about Paul Allan’s exceptional art collection at the Rockefeller Center galleries in New York.
Tyrannosaurus rex also known as Shen the T. rex
On 30 November, Christie’s will present Shen the T. rex – a rare, scientifically-important Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) skeleton, researched by leading palaeontologists from global institutions. An historic moment, this will be the first time a T. rex skeleton has ever been offered at auction in Asia. The lot will highlight the 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale during Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn Auction Week, and the estimate is available on request.
Shen the T. rex has been researched by the leading academic palaeontologists Dr. David A. Burnham, Professor of Palaeontology and Theropod specialist, and Dr. John R. Nudds, Professor of Palaeontology, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester.
The skeleton will be physically on view at the Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall in Singapore, before being displayed and auctioned at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, offering an incredible opportunity for collectors, science enthusiasts, and dinosaur fans alike to view and learn about this iconic prehistoric predator.
Shen the Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton, 12.2 metres long, 4.6 metres high and 2.1 metres width (43ft L x 16ft H x 7ft W) and weighs 1,400 kg. (Photo: Marcus Müller-Witte, M.A.)
Georgina Hilton selling Avery Singer at Christie’s
As Head of Classic Art, Asia, Georgina is responsible for developing collectors in this field in Asia. Classic Art at Christie’s spans from antiquity to the nineteenth century, covering an array of highly collectable categories from European Old Master Paintings and Sculptures, Illuminated Manuscripts, Objects of Scientific Interest, and the Decorative Arts.
The market for Classic Art in Asia has grown significantly over the past decade, with masterpieces being collected for private and public art collections in Greater China, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.
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Working in this area combines Georgina’s passion for paintings and objects as well as working closely with Collectors and Institutions. Prior to this role Georgina lead the Marketing and Events team and was responsible for delivering best in class campaigns and client experiences to help drive auction bidding and buying. Before relocating to Hong Kong in 2019, Georgina spent 5 years at Christie’s in London, latterly in the Old Master Paintings Department.
As a Christie’s Auctioneer, Georgina Hilton is responsible for taking the most prominent sales, including flagship Evening Sales in Hong Kong, New York and London. She holds many world record prices for the most expensive pieces sold at auction and has become known for her theatrical style on the rostrum. In 2017, as the youngest in company and one of only a handful of women in the industry, at the time, she was awarded Novice Auctioneer of the Year by the National Association for Valuers and Auctioneers, and has since been named as “Christie’s Rising Star of the Rostrum” by the Art Newspaper.
Georgina joined Christie’s in 2013 having studied Art History at The University of Manchester.
Public viewing : Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre: 26 – 30 November
The Last Supper podcast is produced and hosted by Oscar Venhuis
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