Some of the rarely seen treasures once owned by Emperor Qianlong
(1711-99) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), including an
awe-inspiring ancient sabre, a piece of refined, embroidered satin,
and a lavishly decorated pearl-work imperial court robe, will go on
auction in early April in Hong Kong.
Ranging from ancient paintings, handicrafts and jade ware to
contemporary paintings and deluxe Swiss watches, the 2006 spring
auction of Sotheby's Hong Kong promises to offer art collectors
much more. It runs from April 7-10 at the Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Center, said Lena Han, an organizer of the previews of
the auction in Beijing and Shanghai over the past week.
What might interest art lovers the most are the special sale of
a total of 43 lots, including the sabre, satin, royal robe and
jadeites, the organizers said.
Emperor Qianlong, an enlightened sovereign, assumed a great
variety of personas during his 60-year reign (1736-95) on the
dragon throne.
"As a warrior, collector, and patron of the arts, the Emperor's
intent was to assert his legitimacy as a ruler and his right to the
Mandate of Heaven, which is exemplified by the on-auction sabre,
lavish armor, and swords he wore for military parades, as well as
the antiques that he cherished," commented Sam Y. M. Shum, with
Sotheby's Chinese ceramics and works art department.
On April 7, a special sale for Hong Kong-based connoisseur
Robert Chang's "Yun Hai Ge" collection will be held in Hong Kong,
said C. K. Cheung, head of Sotheby's Chinese paintings
department.
To celebrate his 80th birthday, Chang, a legendary dealer and
collector, has consigned a group of 58 Chinese modern paintings
from his "Yun Hai Ge" collection to Sotheby's for auction.
The spring sale incorporates 30 works by Qi Baishi (1863-1957),
along with works by 15 other Chinese painters, including Zhang
Daqian (1899-1983), Huang Binhong (1864-1955) and Fu Baoshi
(1904-65).
Another special sale of the "Dong Tian Shan Tang" collection
from Taiwan art connoisseur Zhuang Yan (1899-1980) includes a total
of 236 paintings.
The highest priced lot in this collection is the "Majestic
Peaks," created by master Chinese painter Li Keran (1907-89),
during his final years, estimated HK$ 5-7 million (US$
640,000-900,000).
(China Daily March 9, 2006)
