Sales at this year's China Guardian Autumn Auctions have jumped 25 percent to almost 2.3 billion yuan.
The five-day auction saw Chinese paintings and calligraphy, 20th century and contemporary Chinese art, porcelain, jade and art works, rare books, and coins and stamps, go under the hammer.
People prepare to bid for items at the China Guardian
2016 Autumn Auctions at the Beijing International
Hotel’s convention center on Nov 16.
China Guardian CEO Hu Yanyan said she was happy to see the auction inject some warmth into the cold art market.
China Guardian 2016 Autumn Auctions results:
1. The total sales value for modern Chinese painting and calligraphy reached 1.2 billion yuan.
2. Imperial art and Buddisht art fetched more than 100 million yuan each.
3. Six individual items sold for more than 50 million yuan each, with Zhang Daqian’s 'Landscape after Ju Ran' going for the highest price at 103.5 million yuan. Fu Baoshi’s 'Singing Beauty' sold for 66.12 million yuan, Qi Baishi’s 'Lotus Studio' went for 52.9 million yuan, Qi Baishi’s landscape 'San Jue He Bi' made 71.75 million yuan, Tang Yin’s Seven Scrolls of Ancient Poems in Running Script sold for 59.57 million yuan and a rare bronze gilt Buddhist figure of Zanabazar fetched 73.02 million yuan.
4. Four sessions achieved 100 percent transaction rate and 14 session achieved a transaction rate of more than 80 percent.
5. Several artists broke their individual artwork auction record.
Chinese painting and calligraphy
The total sales value for modern Chinese painting and calligraphy reached 1.2 billion yuan, with four items featching more than 50 million yuan each.
Among them, Zhang Daqian’s Landscape after Ju Ran was sold for 103.5 million yuan, Fu Baoshi’s Singing Beauty sold for 66.12 million yuan, and Qi Baishi’s Lotus Studio sold for 52.9 million yuan.
Zhang Daqian’s Landscape after Ju Ran
Fu Baoshi’s Singing Beauty
Qi Baishi’s Lotus Studio
Classical Chinese painting and calligraphy have always been very popular among the collectors. After several rounds of bidding, Tang Yin’s calligraphy work Seven Scrolls of Ancient Poems in Running Script was sold for 59.57 million yuan, the highest in this category .
Tang Yin’s calligraphy work Seven Scrolls of Ancient Poems in Running Script
Zeng Yu’s work The Guofang
After Zeng Gong’s calligraphy work, The Jushi in Regular Script, set a record high of 207 million yuan at the China Guardian 2016 Spring Auctions. His successor Zeng Yu’s work The Guofang also obtained a high transaction price of 40.25 million yuan.
Chinese 20th century art and contemporary art
Since China Guardian's oil painting section was renamed "Chinese 20th century art and contemporary art" for marketing purposes this spring, it has maintained its market momentum.
Liu Xiaodong’s oil painting Through the Ages, Heroes Have Come from the Young, ranked top at the 20th Century & Contemporary Chinese Art Evening Sale at a price of 18.4 million yuan. Wu Dayu’s Rhythm No.60 was also a high quality piece that sold for 10.3 million yuan.
Liu Xiaodong’s oil painting Through the Ages, Heroes Have Come from the Young
Wu Dayu’s Rhythm No.60
Geng Jianyi’s oil on canvas Two People under the Light
In the session “'85 New Wave Art”, Geng Jianyi’s oil on canvas Two People under the Light was sold for 18.4 million yuan, overtaking his individual artwork auction record.
Porcelain, Buddhist images, court art, and more
This section includes Ming and Qing porcelain, fine and rare jades, contemporary jade carvings, Zisha teapots, and bronze Buddhist images.
A bronze gilt Buddhist figure of Zanabazar
Buddhist images and a rare bronze gilt Buddhist figure of Zanabazar made by Mongolian artist in the 17th century were sold at the unbelievable price of 73.02 million yuan.
As for court art, a rare Ming dynasty gold pot in shape of pumpkin was sold for 34.5 million yuan after a bidding war between collectors. An embroided hand scroll with handwriting of Qianglong Emperor of Qing dynasty also hit a high price of 24.72 million yuan. The piece is a combination of calligraphy and embroidery.
A Ming dynasty gold pot in shape of pumpkin
An embroided hand scroll with handwriting of Qianglong Emperor
In the section on porcelain, an extremely rare and fine jar with patterns of deer roaming in forests from the reign of the Qing dynasty’s Emperor Qianlong was a highlight and sold for 12.07 million yuan.
A jar with patterns of deer roaming in forests from the Qing dynasty
Furniture and works of arts
In this section, highlights include classical furniture, scholar’s studio objects and modern and contemporary seal art, as well as stone artworks.
a pair of cupboards made of huanghauli wood
from the early Qing dynasty
With a transaction price of 12.65 million yuan, a pair of cupboards made of huanghauli wood from the early Qing dynasty topped the furniture category.
In addition, the traditional sections of manuscripts and rare books, stamps and coins, as well as wine all performed strongly.
The session of “Fine and Rare Kweichou Mou-tai Chiew” did particularly well, with 100 percent of items sold at a total value of 32.13 million yuan.
Kweichou Mou-tai Chiew