Solomon Shahmoon and his brother were renowned property developers and financiers in Shanghai during the peak of the early 20th century building boom and Shanghai’s development as the major commercial center in Asia. Arriving in 1907 and establishing Messrs SE Shamoon (alternatively spelled Shahmoon) they soon made their mark on the business community. Their success was capped by the construction in 1927 of the eight story Shahmoon Building dominating the Bund and sited above their Art Deco masterpiece, The Capitol Theater.

The Shahmoon building, designed by Hungarian immigrant C.H. Gonda, rose majestically over the staid, traditional banking and insurance buildings on the Bund. Striking elegant apartments and sleek business offices occupied the upper floors above the Capitol Theater, ushering in Shanghai as an international cosmopolitan center. The building remains in the heart of Shanghai’s vibrant business and nightlife community, at the corner of Huqui (Museum) and Suzhou (Soochow) roads, and is now the main Shanghai post office. Solomon Shahmoon was a pillar of the business community in Shanghai until emigrating to the United States during the 1940s. He and his wife Hannah not only created and financed the architectural treasures of the Bund, they were collectors of Chinese and western works of art and their collection graced their Shanghai home as well as their new home in the United States.

The Shahmoon Collection sale is a mix of Chinese furniture, paintings, ceramics and works of art, and Western furniture, silver, bronzes, paintings and works of art. Highlights include Pair of Chinese Zitan, Cloisonne and Gilt Bronze Lantern Stands and a Chinese Carved Red Lacquer and Stone Inlaid Eight Panel Screen from the Qing Dynasty.