Sotheby's seven-day series of auctions in Hong Kong culminated in HK$3.08 billion ($400 million) worth of Asian art, jewelry, wine and watches sold. The total for this biannual sale soundly exceeded the $400 million tally for the auction firm's annual Asian sales of 2009.

Imperial treasures took center stage with 35 pieces from private collections netting $148 million, more than double the pre-sale estimates.

Among the highlights was a yellow-ground famille-rose Qing vase which fetched HK$251 million (US$32.4 million), the highest ever price for a Chinese porcelain piece at auction. News reports say Hong Kong-based collector Alice Cheng purchased the piece for her private collection.

A pair of floral medallion Qing bottle vases made $18 million while an imperial white jade seal from the Qianlong period fetched $16 million, a world record for white jade.