HONG KONG.- Friday抯 sale of An Important Private Collection of Reunification Art at Sotheby抯 at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong commanded a total of US$6,415,914, almost doubling its high estimate (est. US$2.7/3.5 million) (HK$50,139,997, est. HK$21.4/27 million). The sale was held in conjunction with the tenth anniversary of Hong Kong抯 reunification with China. The historic collection of art commemorating the reunification, one of the most important moments in modern Chinese history, was comprised of 30 pieces of rare and outstanding Chinese paintings and works of art, most of which were first exhibited in 1997 at the 揅hina Grand Art Show � An Exhibition of Historical Paintings and Thematical Art Works�, which had been organized by the Ministry of Culture of the People抯 Republic of China. The works covered a wide spectrum of artistic creation � from realist to contemporary � capturing the different moods of Hong Kong during this momentous period. The property came from An Important Private Collection, and the majority of the proceeds, donated by both the owner of the collection and by Sotheby抯, benefited The Chinese Red Cross Foundation.

Dr. Stanley Ho purchased the top five lots (attached), including Ma Bao Zhong抯 December 19th, 1984 (US$2,190,675); Lu Zhang/ Zhi Qiang/ Zhang Zhiqiang/ Lu Hao抯 Celebration of the Century; (US$1,760,730); Pang Maokun抯 Treaty of Nanking (US$700,197); Wang Jisong抯 Mao Zedong Meets with Heath (US$429,946); and Cheng Yunxian, Deng Xiaoping, bronze (US$307,104). Dr. Stanley Ho will donate all of the works of art he bought to the People抯 Republic of China.