Press Release  April 6, 2018

Fresh-to-Market Works Surpass Expectations at Bonhams Fine Chinese Paintings Sale in Hong Kong

Courtesy Bonhams

WANG HUI (1632-1717), "Majestic Snowscape After Li Cheng" (919-967)

Hong Kong – Huang Binhong's (1865-1955) "Along the Jialing River" sold for HK$3,940,000, almost four times its lower estimate of HK$1,000,000-2,000,000, at Bonhams Fine Chinese Paintings Sale on 3 April.

The sale achieved a total of HK$46,269,375 with keen interest in works from private collections never before offered at public auction. These included The Zhen Shang Zhai Classical Chinese Paintings Collection from a European private collector; classical and modern paintings from a private British collector, and works from the Kaikodo Gallery in New York.

Strong bidding came from clients from 10 countries – in the saleroom, by phone and online – with many prized works surpassing their high estimates. Iris Miao, Senior International Consultant of Chinese Paintings at Bonhams commented: "The appetite among bidders shows the market is hungry for high quality works with sound provenance, which Bonhams is dedicated to presenting."

The sale opened with the single-owner "Zhen Shang Zhai Classical Chinese Paintings Collection." Horse and Groom by an anonymous artist from 15th-16th Century reached HK$1,250,000 against an estimate of HK$150,000-200,000, and Lan Ying's (1585-1664) Strolling Amongst Autumn Mountains sold for HK$3,820,000 (estimate, HK$2,500,000-3,500,000).

Works from the main Fine Chinese Paintings sale included:

- Two pieces by Lin Fengmian. Vases of Flowers, which was once owned by the famous Suzhou doctor Chen Mingzhai, sold for HK$3,100,000(estimate, HK$2,500,000-3,500,000); and, Coastal Scene for HK$1,750,000 (estimate, HK$600,000-800,000).
- Fu Baoshi's The Xiling Gorge sold for HK$2,620,000 (estimate, HK$1,500,000-2,500,000); and, Wu Changshuo's (1844-1927) Gourd and Chrysanthemums for HK$2,375,000 (estimate, HK$600,000-800,000). Both pieces came from a private British collection of classical and modern paintings
- A rare ancient triptych, Water and Moon Guanyin and a pair of Ducks and Reeds, previously attributed to Zhang Yuehu (late 13th century) and Huichong (965-1017), which was part of the highly-regarded Japanese collection of Tamura Ichiro sold for HK$1,500,000 (estimate, HKD1,200,000-1,800,000)
- Fu Baoshi's Visiting the Red Cliff at Night sold for HK$1,375,000(estimate, HK$1,000,000-2,000,000)
- Qi Baishi's Sunset made HK$ 1,250,000 (estimate, HK$1,000,000-1,800,000)
- Two pieces by Zhang Daqian(Chang Dai-Chien). Album of Flowers (album of 10 leaves) sold for HK$1,000,000 (estimate, HK$800,000-1,200,000); and a folding fan entitled Landscapes After Song and Yuan masters sold for HK$937,500 (estimate, HK$500,000-700,000)

Tags

Subscribe to our free e-letter!

Webform

Latest News

On View - Daniel Arsham: 20 Years
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the partnership between artist Daniel…
How Barkley L. Hendricks Electrifies Portraiture at the Frick
His Pioneering Works Depict Black subjects in the Tradition of European Old…
Artist Must Repay Danish Museum $71k for Delivering Empty Canvases
Danish artist Jens Haaning has been ordered to repay the Kunsten Museum of…
A Golf Course on Ancient Earthworks Is Now Part of a UNESCO Site
A golf course in Ohio is now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, because the…
The Feline Companion in Manet’s Olympia
In Édouard Manet’s Olympia, which is making its debut in the United States at…