It was the auction that reverberated throughout the world. Apex the Stegosaurus, a rare 161-million-yearold dinosaur skeleton, sold at Sotheby\u2019s last July for a record-breaking US$44.6 million after an intense 15-minute bidding war. But it wasn\u2019t just the fossil or its historic sale price (more than 11 times the estimate) that made waves \u2014 Sotheby\u2019s auctioneer Phyllis Kao, as emcee, presided over it all. And her star-turn performance \u2014 streamed live online and on TikTok for millions of viewers \u2014 almost eclipsed the mammoth skeleton.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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<\/div>\nWith her skillful display \u2014 a graceful wave of the hand, a coy smile, an engaged lean-in towards the audience \u2014 Kao courted phone bidders to raise their prices ever higher. Dressed in a tailored silver grey Armani suit jacket and sporting an elegant updo worthy of a 1940s film star, Kao maintained a calm and collected demeanour as she interjected with lighthearted comedic quips like \u201cThey\u2019re just numbers at this point\u201d or \u201cWould you like to try a smaller bite?\u201d The thrilling spectacle seemed effortless in Kao\u2019s hands as she directed the flurry of bids until the final gavel smash and declaration that Apex was \u201cSold!\u201d were met with rounds of applause.<\/p>\n
Kao, a VP of client strategy at Sotheby\u2019s in New York, became a social media sensation overnight, which admittedly surprised her. The video of the stegosaurus auction alone had more than 11 million TikTok views, other auction videos featuring Kao garner millions, and she has received heaps of praise from fans commenting that she is a \u201clegend\u201d and that \u201cPhyllis Kao is an icon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have TikTok, so I had no idea that was happening,\u201d says Kao. \u201cAnd I think it\u2019s a blessing that I\u2019m not keeping track of that. It\u2019s not what I do. But I thought it was really interesting that the TikTok generation is taking such an interest in auctions. I think that\u2019s very positive for our industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Sotheby\u2019s live-streamed its auctions before the pandemic, its evening auctions \u2014 more formal affairs featuring rare, big-budget lots \u2014 have evolved into elaborate productions similar to \u201clive TV,\u201d according to Kao. These event-style presentations now reach millions online and on social media. Kao\u2019s following highlights the essential performance aspect of auctioneering, something she likens to being an improvisational jazz performer. \u201cAn auction is not scripted, of course,\u201d she says. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what will happen. So, you have to improvise.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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Like many in her industry, Kao has a performing arts background. As a teenager she studied classical violin, something she thought she would pursue professionally. But she was also fascinated with art, spurred by her grandfather, who collected Chinese works. In college, Kao studied Chinese art and artifacts, with a focus on Buddhist art, which remains one of her favourites in the art world. \u201cTang dynasty, Buddhist sculpture, you just can\u2019t get better than that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Kao got her start in the auction world with a temporary role at a small auction house in the Bay Area, California, where she grew up. She had planned to further her education by studying classics at Columbia but was offered a full-time job as a cataloguer in decorative arts at the house, which had acquired a trove of Chinese artworks. <\/p>\n
With no training, Kao hosted her first auction (or, in auction parlance, \u201ctook a sale\u201d) at the age of 23 and, from then on, she was hooked. \u201cI thought: Wait a minute. This is a job? You\u2019re just spending other people\u2019s money and looking at beautiful things for them,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I liked the field. I liked the industry. Every day is different. You meet all sorts of people. You\u2019re surprised daily by who you meet and what you find and I just kept working.\u201d<\/p>\n
From there, she went on to bigger and bigger auction houses and ultimately landed a role as a specialist in Chinese art at Sotheby\u2019s in New York. While she\u2019s been an auctioneer for over a decade, Kao had to audition to conduct sales. Kao nailed her audition, with one exception: her long hair kept hitting the microphone as she moved. Hugh Hildesley, head of auctioneers emeritus at Sotheby\u2019s, asked that she wear her hair up so as not to distract from the presentation. Kao styled her hair in an elaborate updo for the second audition, with coils of hair framing her face. \u201cIt went off really well,\u201d she recalls. \u201cSo, I started doing it for every sale. And it very quickly became my signature look.\u201d Kao says she looks so different when wearing her auction hairstyle versus her dayto-day straight long hair that people often don\u2019t recognize her on the street.<\/p>\n
But preparing for an auction goes beyond mere style choices. For an all-important evening sale, for example, Kao has to know the works in question \u201cinside and out,\u201d which requires extensive research. Regardless of the type of sale she\u2019s conducting \u2014 whether evening or day sales, which cross price points and categories, from wines to watches \u2014 Kao is meticulous about studying an item\u2019s provenance and significance. \u201cI want to understand why it\u2019s a coveted work. And I want to be able to get into the psychology of my buyer as much as I can.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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She adds, \u201cThe role of an auctioneer is multifaceted. You are a master of ceremonies. You are a host or hostess, the face of the company. You are a salesman. You are a performer. It\u2019s quite psychological and you have to stay on top of business decisions. There\u2019s numbers and there\u2019s a lot of quick thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Same as in liveTV, evening auction sales have a production crew on hand and a tech run-through ahead of the proceedings. \u201cWith that high production quality, there are a lot of people who watch auctions now who wouldn\u2019t have before,\u201d says Kao. \u201cFor an auctioneer, there\u2019s more to keep track of because you\u2019re [presenting] live to a bigger audience and there\u2019s more pressure.\u201d Kao\u2019s background in performance has helped her stay grounded and connect with an audience by projecting confidence and presence. \u201cWhen I was a violinist, I was on stage roughly every two weeks performing. Nothing can be as difficult as playing solo violin on stage. The performing arts background certainly helped give me strong nerves.\u201d Still, to get in the proper mindset ahead of an all-important evening auction, Kao practices meditation to feel grounded.<\/p>\n
And as for that stegosaurus, it was purchased by billionaire hedge-fund manager and collector Kenneth C. Griffin and is now on view at the American Museum of Natural History in New York for the next few years. The sale, though, will remain a career highlight for Kao. \u201cThat record will probably be tough to beat in terms of hammer price.\u201d <\/p>\n
While Chinese art will always hold a special place in her heart, Kao delights in the variety of artworks and precious items she encounters at Sotheby\u2019s. \u201cI do love it all. I\u2019m thoroughly an auction person.\u201d<\/p>\n
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