About

Edward Wilkinson is Executive Director of Bonhams, Asia based in Hong Kong, and remains Global Head of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art department.

In 2011 Wilkinson has served as a consultant to Bonhams Asian Art department and has helped to develop sales of Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art in New York, where new records have been established for Indian artists Bagta for $302,000 and Tara for $192,000 and Thai sculpture, a Mon-Dvaravati 'Eilenberg' Buddha for $673,000. In 2014 a new record was estbalished for a 16th century Tibetan Mandala for $929,000 and Wilkinson is credited with the rediscovered two spectacular works by the modern Indian artist, V.S. Gaitonde, that sold for $1,685,000 and $1,085,000.

Since establishing an independent art adviory and appraisal company in 2003, Wilkinson has conducted numerous appraisals on behalf of private individuals and corporations for charitable donation to museums, including; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pacific Asia Museum of Art, Asian Art Museum-San Francisco, Seattle Art Museum, San Diego Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rubin Museum of Art, Museum Rietburg, Zurich, Royal Ontario Museum, and many more.

Wilkinson has conducted numerous lectures and workshops for museum and private groups including; a lecture at the Norton Simon Museum of Art, April 2007 entitled ‘The Beauty is in the Details: An aesthetic appreciation of the museum’s permanent collection’; 'Building Your Own Collection' at the Pacific Asia Museum October 2011. He was co-author and curator of 'From Miniature to Modern, Tradition In Transition: Indian Works of Paper,' 2010, London and Los Angeles. He was also a contributing author to 'Goddess, Lion, Peasant, Priest: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art from the Collection of Shelley and Donald Rubin', Oglethorpe University Museum, 2010. Wilkinson was accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers 2007-2015 and Co-Chair of the Southern Asian Art Council at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from 2006-2015. Also, Wilkinson represented the American photographer Thomas Laird in his presentation of a ground-breaking body of work documenting the wall-murals of Tibet. With a permanenet installation at the Rubin Museum of Art since 2011 and the center of the exhibition 'Tibet's Secret Temple' at the Wellcome COllection London, 2015-2016.

Prior to 2003, Wilkinson was Worldwide Head of Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art at Sotheby’s, New York. During his tenure (2000 to 2003), he coordinated and conducted numerous auctions. These sales included important ancient religious sculpture, painting and related decorative arts from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Indian, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia. The auctions also included sections of modern and contemporary Indian painting. Notable sales included a single-owner sale of Contemporary Indian Painting from the Davida and Chester Herwitz Collection establishing a world record sale total for the category. Two other world record sale totals were established consecutively for traditional Indian paintings from the Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck Collection in March 2003, and the Paul F. Walter Collection in November 2003. Several record prices were established for various schools of painting in each sale. The discovery and subsequent sale of a Gandharan Buddha for $669,000 from the Charterhouse School, England, established a world record price for Gandharan art in September 2002. Another discovery resulted in the identification and sale of an extremely rare 12th century Dali Kingdom gilt copper alloy figure of Avalokitesvara for a record $368,750. Wilkinson was also responsible for all related appraisals worldwide for; auction; insurance; fair market valuations at Sotheby’s, Inc.

From 1999-2000, Wilkinson worked as a Consultant and Department Specialist of Oceanic Art for the African and Oceanic Art Department at Sotheby’s, New York. During this same period he consulted with and catalogued for the English Furniture Department.

From 1996-1999, Wilkinson was Executive Head of Asian and Tribal Art department of James R. Lawson, Sydney. During his tenure with Lawson's, Wilkinson coordinated and conducted monthly sales of Asian art, quarterly sales of Tribal art, and yearly sales of Oriental rugs. He was Vice President of the Oceanic Art Society, Sydney, and committee member of the Oriental Rug Society of NSW, Sydney.