HONG KONG.- A rediscovered masterpiece by the Chinese master Fu Baoshi (1904-1965), Spring Morning at Mount Shao, painted in 1961 and unseen in public since 1968, leads the forthcoming Fine Chinese Paintings auction on Monday 1 October in Hong Kong. This masterpiece is the artist’s largest existing painting on this subject matter and has captured the attention of worldwide collectors.

Marking its debut at auction, this piece comes from the distinguished private collection of a British collector, who bought it in Hong Kong more than half a century ago and displayed it as the prized centrepiece of his living room. The piece returns to Hong Kong alongside a further four pieces from this collection, including a further two paintings from Fu Baoshi – Appreciating the Chrysanthemum Under the Pine Trees (1945) estimated at HK$4,000,000 - 6,000,000 and Mount Shao (1965) estimated at HK$1,500,000 - 2,500,000.

For this sale, Bonhams presents 136 fine pieces spanning from the late-Song dynasty to contemporary periods, sourced from highly regarded private collections that boast exceptional provenance. Featuring masterpieces by Emperor Lizong, Senior Late-Qing Officials, Fu Baoshi, Lin Fengmian and Zhang Daqian, the total estimate of the sale is expected to surpass HK$80 million.

Another rare highlight from the sale is Poem in Regular Script (1259), inscribed on a silk fan, and attributed to the Song Emperor Lizong (1225-1264). Having been in the collections of renowned owners, including Pan Zhengwei (1791-1850), Kong Guangtao (1832-1890), Zhu Xingzhai (1902-1970) and Sa Rongcun (1911-1988) and extensively published, this calligraphic work is said to be part of the Southern Song Emperors and Empress fan-leaf album, which was previously purchased by John M. Crawford (1913-1988) from Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), and now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is believed that the current piece was separated from the rest of the album when Pan Zhengwei’s Tingfanlou collection was scattered.

The iconic painters immortalised by the phrase ‘Zhang in the South and Pu in the North’ are also featured in the sale. Zhang Daqian (Chang Dai-Chen, 1899-1983) with his Album of Landscapes, Flowers, Self-Portrait and Calligraphy (1955) – a folding album of 14 leaves which as you open one leaf after another, three exquisite landscapes gradually present themselves, along with a begonia, a rugged rocks with flower vase and a self-portrait, is estimated at HK$4,500,000 - 5,500,000. While Pu Ru (1896-1963) is presented with Peony (1955), estimated at HK$250,000 - 350,000 from a Hong Kong private collection.

The sale features a further three pieces by Zhang Daqian (Chang Dai-Chen, 1899-1983) including Landscape (1963) and estimated at HK$ 2,800,000 - 3,800,000.

Another piece from a British private collector featured in the auction includes, Jiufang Gao and the Horse (1940) by Xu Beihong (1895-1953) and estimated at HK$2,000,000 - 3,000,000. The artist was fascinated with this ancient figure, and according to the artist’s son, his father painted this historical subject over 19 times since 1928, resonating his belief that ‘a person cannot be arrogant, but must be gracious’. Created at the peak of his artistic career, this piece marries figuration of the western tradition with oriental brushstrokes, vividly conveying the powerful figure in the story.

A notable highlight in the sale includes a body of fifty paintings from Tanyuan Shanfang collection, which was formed between 1970s and 2000s and features a series of calligraphy by late-Qing dynasty influential government officials including Lin Zexu (1785-1850), Zeng Guofan (1811-1872), Zuo Zongtang (1812-1885), Weng Tonghe (1830-1904) and Liang Dingfen (1859-1919), which provides a unique glimpse into the cultural landscape of the time. The collection also includes a number of modern paintings, including an early masterpiece by Zhao Shao’ang (1905-1998) Parrot Perching on Cotton Tree (1930) estimated at HK$300,000 – 500,000.

Several other pieces by Zhao Shao’ang from this sale include those collected by renowned Hong Kong doctor Chen Deguang, owner of Henglu Studio and a beloved student of the artist, are also presented for the very first time to the auction market.

The sale also features three pieces by Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) including Lotus Pond, estimated at HK$3,000,000 – 5,000,000 and from a private Hong Kong Collection who acquired in Hong Kong in the mid-1990s.