New appointments at international auction houses including Bonhams new managing director in Asia

Bonhams has appointed Julia Hu (pictured top) as managing director in Asia. In Hong Kong, she will join a leadership team in Asia made up of Malcolm Barber, co-chairman and CEO Asia and Bobbie Hu, chairman Greater China.

She previously spent nine years at Christie’s, where she had been general manager China since 2019.

Prior to joining the auction industry, she worked in management consulting at McKinsey.

Bonhams’ Asia operation includes salerooms located in Hong Kong and Sydney, as well as representatives in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore, Melbourne and Tokyo.

Barber joins Doyle

Chris Barber of Doyle.

Doyle has hired Chris Barber as a vice president and director of American furniture and decorative arts.

Barber is based in Boston and will travel regularly to New York and other areas of the country and will work closely with Doyle’s New England regional adviser Kathryn Craig.

Since 2004, Barber has worked in the American furniture and decorative arts department at Skinner in Boston.

Barber’s first auction at Doyle will be the sale of American paintings, furniture, silver and decorative arts on May 4.

Silvia is now at Quinn's

Stephen M Silvia of Quinn's.

Quinn’s Auction Galleries has appointed Stephen M Silvia as director of the jewellery department.

Before joining the Virginia saleroom, Silvia worked as director of jewellery for an auction house in the Mid-Atlantic region and, prior to that, was the estate manager of three households owned by a prominent family in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Over a 25-year period beginning in 1977, Silvia held management positions in the jewellery divisions of retail concerns that included Saks Fifth Avenue (Chevy Chase), Neiman-Marcus (Washington, DC), JB Rudolph (Tampa, Fla), and JE Caldwell & Co (Washington, DC).

Silvia said: “My first contact with Matthew Quinn and his father, Paul Quinn, came as a result of deaccessioning my in-laws’ home in Vienna, Virginia. They handled the whole downsizing process and sold not only the contents, but also the home. I was intrigued that they were able to do it so efficiently. It’s ironic that, so many years later, I would join their operation.”

Bitzer to cover New England

Adam Bitzer of Freeman's.

Freeman’s, based in Philadelphia, has increased its team of fine art specialists who operate throughout the US.

Adam Bitzer has become the auction house’s regional representative in New England.

His role adds to the other regional representation on the West Coast, the south-east, the Midwest, and the Washington, DC Metro area.

Bitzer specialises in important 19th- and 20th-century art with a specific interest in American Regionalism and Pennsylvania Impressionist work. He earned his MA in art business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

Prior to joining Freeman’s, he held positions with galleries in Lambertville, NJ, Palm Beach, FL, and more notably Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

Thomas becomes designer in residence

Phillip Thomas of Skinner.

Phillip Thomas has joined Skinner as its inaugural ‘Designer in Residence’.

Thomas has worked on an ad hoc basis with the auction house based in Boston since 2018.