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A total of 2.571 billion yuan was realized in the first of this year’s Spring Auctions at China Guardian on May 14. About 40 items broke the 10 million yuan barrier, three of which were sold above 50 million yuan.
“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of China Guardian, we have received generous support from the collectors. The spring auctions realized 2.571 billion yuan, and the figure is much stronger than we previously expected,” said Wang Yannan, president and director of China Guardian, “The sales were greeted with a fervent response from the buyers and the market reacted positively. The market is becoming more rational, which we think may bring more confidence to the Chinese art market. ”
Chinese Calligraphy and Paintings
Traditional Chinese calligraphy and paintings remained dominant. “The department brought in up to 1.73 billion yuan and we are satisfied with the stronger-than-expected result. It may provide impetus to the entire art market and bolster the collectors’ confidence. Also, we have seen many new buyers entering the market which is more rational now. The collectors have perfect judgment of the items and prices, and top quality items remain well received,” said Guo Tong, general manager of the Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Department.
Zhang Daqian‘s Lady Red Whisk
The top lots in the highly anticipated evening auction were Zhang Daqian’s Lady Red Whisk, which sold for 71.3 million yuan, and Mountainscape, a painting by the Qing Dynasty painter Gong Xian (1618-1689), which sold for 37.37 million yuan, the highest price ever for his work.
Works from private collections also performed well. A total of 16 paintings collected by modern Chinese literati Laoshe (1899–1966) and his wife Hu Xieqing (1905-2001) were sold 100 percent by lots, achieving 167.6 million yuan. Perhaps the evening‘s biggest success was Flowers and Insects by Qi Baishi (1864-1957), which sold for 18.4 million yuan.
Qi Baishi's Flowers and Insects
In addition, sales of other private collections saw heavy interest among the collectors, achieving more than 100 million yuan. Items from the Genghuatang Collection, specially offered in celebration of the 20th anniversary of China Guardian, were sold 100 percent by lots, bringing in another 108 million yuan.
The North American Private Collection sale featuring classical pieces gained 148 million yuan, and the modern Chinese calligraphy and paintings sale acquired more than 100 million yuan. Notable results included Shen Shichong’s Landscape (36.225 million yuan) and Road (12.07 million yuan) by Jiang Baolin.
Jiang Baolin's Road [!--empirenews.page--]
Porcelain, Furniture and Works of Art
The porcelain, furniture and artworks department brought in 530 million yuan. Imperial art remains the most sought-after antique among the collectors, while religious art is on the rise.
A fine imperial white jade “自強不息”(zi qiang bu xi) seal from the Qing Dynasty
A blue and white and famille-rose vase from the Qing Dynasty
Sales of porcelain and works of art made for Qing Dyansty emperors realized 162 million yuan. The top lots included a fine imperial white jade “自強不息”(zi qiang bu xi) seal (66.7 million yuan), a khotan jade dragon seal (34.5 million yuan), and a blue and white and famille-rose vase, which quintupled its pre-sale estimate to sell for 27.02 million yuan.
Among the gilt-bronze Buddhist images, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva with the inscription of “da ming yongle nian shi” (“made in the Ming Dynasty”) sold for 15.65 million yuan.
In addition, the Jia Shu Tang collection of ancient Chinese embroidered articles earned 17 million yuan. Other notable results included a bowl-shaped bronze censer (2.53 million yuan), a huanghuali display cabinet with crane and dragon design (8.28 million yuan), and a waisted luohan bed with seven screens and western motifs (2.99 million yuan).
Among the modern artworks, a shoushan tianhuang stone seal sold for 13.22 million yuan, Happiness Pot by Gu Jingzhou and Han Meilin for 8.28 million yuan, and a high-temperature color-glazed porcelain plaque for 1.84 million yuan.
Chinese Oil Paintings and Sculptures
Fan Tchunpi's The Beginner's Mind
Wu Zuoren's The Yellow Blooms on the Battlefield Smell Sweeter
Sales of Chinese oil paintings and sculptures gathered a total of 199 million yuan.
Oil paintings from the early 20th century have turned into a major driver of market, while contemporary pieces by internationally established painters gain even more attention.
The top lots included The Yellow Blooms on the Battlefield Smell Sweeter by Wu Zuoren (1908-1997), which sold for 80.5 million yuan, a record high price for a single work by the modern artist. The Beginner's Mind, a portrait by Fan Tchunpi (1898-1986), sold for a record 6.785 million yuan; Xu Bin‘s installation art Background Story-7 fetched 7.47 million yuan, and Liu Wei’s Revolutionary Family acquired 7.82 million yuan.[!--empirenews.page--]
Rare Books and Manuscripts
Family admonitions written by Zeng Guofan
The rare books and manuscripts sales gained 87 million yuan. Books and letters by literati performed well, as evidenced by the rising prices and expanding market size.
The big successes included a manuscript by Gu Yanwu (1613-1682), a prestigious thinker of the later Ming Dynasty. It sold for 31.62 million yuan. Family admonitions written by Zeng Guofan, an eminent Chinese official and military general from the late Qing Dynasty, sold for 2.3 million yuan, about 20 times higher than its pres-sale estimate. Also, his 130-page letters to his brother Zeng Guoquan sold for 3.56 million yuan, and a manuscript by Lu Xun (1881-1936), one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century, sold for 6.9 million yuan.
Watches, Jade and Jewelry
A platinum emerald-set perpetual calendar chronograph manually-wound wristwatch with moon-phases and leap year display
The top items included a platinum emerald-set perpetual calendar chronograph manually-wound wristwatch with moon-phases and leap year display, which sold for 3.22 million yuan; and a green jadeite bracelet sold for 1.72 million yuan.
Notes:
Stamps, coins and banknotes sales will be held on May 17-18, and the preview starts from May 14 to 16.
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