Mark Rasmussen

Mark Rasmussen is a Specialist and the Head of Sales for Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian art in Bonhams New York and Hong Kong salerooms. Since joining the company in 2013, he has been responsible for some of the department's most successful sales, including an 11th-century Kurkihar Crowned Buddha from Northeast India, the sale of which holds the record achieved at auction for a Pala-period bronze at HK$21,900,000 (US$2,799,055). He also brought a bronze figure of Mahakala from the 12th-century Dali Kingdom to auction, which achieved HK$10,620,000 (US$1,357,350), and was instrumental in offering The Maitri Collection of Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art and The Portraits of the Masters Collection of a 108 Buddhist bronzes of Tibetan Buddhist lineage masters, which resulted in more than US$3.8million and US$7million for their owners, respectively.

Mark has a passion for Hindu and Buddhist sculpture and painting. He was raised learning Sanskrit and Vedic philosophy in London before earning a BA (Hons) at Trinity College of Connecticut in the study of Asian religions. After teaching in London, and independent research in Southeast Asia, he received scholarships for postgraduate certificates in Indian and Chinese art from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. While at Bonhams, Rasmussen continues to conduct specialist research in Asia, which has thus far includes China, Sri Lanka, and India.