HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s Hong Kong’s Classical Chinese Paintings Sale will take place on 30 May at Island Shangri-La’s Island Ballroom. Principally sourced from leading private collections, including the Mi Yun Hall and Mo Boji family collections, the sale offers 70 lots of exquisite paintings, calligraphy and rubbings with a total estimate of more than HK$50 million / US$6.4 million*. Highlights of the sale include a 14th-century Lotus Sutra, Letters from Zhang Wenjing (Song dynasty), Landscapes from Shitao (Early Qing dynasty) and a Poem in Running Script by Zheng Xie (Qing dynasty).

Steven Zuo, Head of Classical Chinese Paintings Department, Sotheby’s Asia, said, ‘Following the successful relaunch of the Classical Chinese Paintings Sale at Sotheby’s Hong Kong last October, our team has continued to uphold our meticulous sourcing approach and we are delighted to have assembled a selection of fresh-to-the-market pieces from major private collections, including the Mi Yun Hall and Mo Boji family collections, for our upcoming May auction. Among the highlights are 11 works that have been kept in the revered Mi Yun Hall collection for decades, boasting not only impeccable provenance, but also significant artistic and historical value.’

Sale Highlights
IMPORTANT PAINTINGS AND CALLIGRAPHY FROM MI YUN HALL LIBRARY
The Mi Yun Hall, owned by entrepreneur Jiang Ruzao (1876–1954), was a renowned private library in Zhejiang province during the late Qing to early Republican period. The library’s title ‘Mi Yun’ was taken from the rare book Cao Chuang Yun Yu and its author Zhou Mi. At the time, Jiang’s copy of the book was the only copy in existence, making it one of the many rare titles there, in particular Song dynasty publications.

Born to a prestigious and scholarly family, Jiang Ruzao’s son Jiang Zuyi (1902–1973) followed his family’s interest and studied with the great master Wang Guowei – a Chinese scholar, writer and poet. As a result, Jiang Zuyi became a connoisseur of rubbings, paintings and calligraphy. Active in Shanghai during the Republican period, he introduced works of art to important collectors such as Wu Hufan, Pang Laichen, Ye Gongchao, Tan Jing and Zhang Heng. After moving to Taiwan in the 1940s, Jiang remained involved in art circles, serving as an expert assisting with the selection of pieces from Taipei’s National Palace Museum collection for a major American exhibition in 1961. Later in his life, Jiang Zuyi taught at a university in Taiwan and occasionally held scholarly gatherings with peers such as Zhuang Shangyan and Tai Jingnong.

Anonymous (Yuan Dynasty) The Lotus Sutra Gold on blue paper, a set of seven albums (detail) 31.9 x 22.3 each Estimate upon request
The Lotus Sutra is an exceedingly rare full set of seven albums of key Mahayana Buddhism scriptures. This gold-on-paper version is of the highest quality, with perfectly formed calligraphy expertly executed in gold. The work passed through the hands of several influential Chinese collectors before it was acquired by the collection of Mi Yun Hall.

Zhang Wenjing (1084–1145) Letters Ink on paper, handscroll Size varies Est. HK$2,000,000 – 4,000,000 / US$260,000 – 510,000
Zhang Wenjing was a government official during the Song Dynasty and his tenure was documented in the History of Song, one of the official Chinese texts recording the history of Song Dynasty. Zheng once composed Letters to four other officials in a calligraphy style that reflects the Southern Song Dynasty mode of handwriting yet at the same time conveys an expressive personal style adapted from the ‘Two Wangs’ – famous calligraphers Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. Lu Xinyuan, a leading book collector during the late Qing period, studied the letters, collated elaborate notes for each one including details on the context, period, background and biography, and, finally, assembled this handscroll. Today, this artistically as well as historically significant piece serves as a critical reference for studying the development of Chinese calligraphy as well as the history of Song Dynasty.

Shitao (1642–1718) Landscapes Ink and colour on paper (detail) Album of ten leaves 20 x 15 cm each Est. HK$2,000,000 – 2,500,000 / US$260,000 – 320,000
Measuring ten pages in total yet just 20-by-15 centimetres per page, this early work by Shitao - Landscapes - vividly depicts a massive mountainscape. It carries annotations by renowned calligraphers and artists including Yi Bingshou and Weng Fanggang, who inscribed positive remarks on Shitao’s work. Landscapes passed through the hands of Guangdong-based Qing Dynasty collector Ye Menglong and renowned Republican Period artist Zhang Shanzi before joining the Mi Yun Hall collection.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTED WORKS:
Paintings and Calligraphy from The Mo Boji Family Collection Shen Shichong (17th century) Autumn Streams Dated gengwu (1630) Ink and colour on paper, handscroll 22.9 x 221.3 cm Est. HK$500,000 – 700,000 / US$64,000 – 90,000
With dynamic brushstrokes, sophisticated composition and vibrant colours, Shen Shichong drew viewers’ attention to the natural landscape in this picturesque 17th-century handscroll, Autumn Streams. Of ideal provenance, this work has been held by several renowned collectors since the Qing Dynasty.

Property from a Private Japanese Collection Dong Qichang (1555-1636) Calligraphy after Jin and Tang Dynasty Masters Ink on satin, handscroll 64 x 136 cm Est. HK$ 300,000 – 500,000 / US$38,000 – 64,000
Although this calligraphy script by Dong Qichang is typical of Jin and Tang dynasty masters’ style, it also reflects the artist’s own personal approach. This handscroll was kept by collectors in China during Qing Dynasty and the Republican Period, and was then presented as a gift to a Japanese banker in 1994. The script has remained in his collection ever since.

Property from an Important Private Collection Zheng Xie (1693-1765) Poem in Running Script Ink on paper, hanging scroll 188.5 x 108.8 cm Est. HK$1,500,000 – 2,000,000 / US$190,000 – 260,000
Chinese painter Zheng Xie, commonly known as Zheng Banqiao, composed his heartfelt Poem in Running Script after reuniting with a longtime friend from his hometown. This poem exudes a deep nostalgic feeling through the depiction of the scenery and surroundings of Zheng’s homeland. This important hanging scroll has been held in the collections of many influential scholars.