Sotheby's Hong Kong Autumn Sales Estimated in Excess of US$100 Million

Written by Cecil Cheng Friday, 14 August 2009 22:18

HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s Hong Kong Autumn Sales 2009 will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 3 to 8 October 2009. This sales series will offer over 2,300 lots of Modern and Contemporary Chinese and Southeast Asian Art, traditional Chinese paintings, fine Chinese ceramics and works of art as well as jewellery, watches and wine with a total estimate in excess of HK$780 million / US$100 million. Selected highlights will be showcased during travelling exhibitions across Asia and in New York in August and September, followed by a public exhibition in Hong Kong from 3 to 7 October 2009.

Mr. Kevin Ching, Chief Executive Officer, Sotheby’s Asia, said, “Sotheby’s Hong Kong shall continue its commitment to offer only the very best to Asia and the rest of the world. The forthcoming and thoughtfully curated October sales are set to satisfy the distinctive and diverse taste of our discerning clients and collectors. We are particularly delighted to bring to market a number of outstanding private collections with impeccable provenance. They include fine wines from two outstanding private collections, a private collection of Imperial works of art from the Qianlong reign, as well as exceptional modern Chinese ink paintings and contemporary Chinese art. Collectively our offerings, many of exceptional quality and rarity, shall enthrall the market and collectors alike.”

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

Fine Chinese Paintings – 5 October
- estimated total: over HK$67 million; total lots: over 250

Li Keran (1907-1989)
Tranquil Landscape
ink and colour on paper, hanging scroll
1984
92 x 55 cm.
Est.: HK$3-4.5 million
Tranquil Landscape was selected by the artist for his participation in the Contemporary Chinese Paintings exhibition organised by The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1986. In this painting, Li’s delicate and natural brushstrokes almost succeed in bringing the velvety flowing waterfall and the misty forest to life.

Qi Baishi (1864-1957)
Scratching Zhong Kui’s Back
ink and colour on paper, framed
1936
94 x 43.7 cm.
Est.: HK$2.5-3.5 million
This work has its origins in a folk tale, featuring a mischievous little devil who scratches the back of its master, Zhong Kui. Shown with characteristic unconstrained brushwork, the devil is portrayed trying in vain to reach the right spot; the experience is so unsatisfying for the anxious Zhong Kui that his beard is sent flying. The humourous inscription is exaggerated, yet it is intended to inspire: it is never easy to scratch another’s itch, just as it is not easy to serve your master.

Wu Guanzhong (b.1919)
Old City of Chongqing
ink and colour on paper, framed
1989
96.5 x 107 cm.
Est.: HK$2.2-3 million
Wu started creating his captivating works that depict the scenes of mountain villages in Chongqing in the mid-1970s. Old City of Chongqing, executed in 1989, is his largest work of square dimension amongst this series, capturing the picturesque scenery of an old city in Chongqing along the Yangtze River.

Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings – 6 October
- estimated total: in excess of HK$22 million; total lots: approximately 120

Lee Man Fong (1913-1988)
Magnificent Horses
oil on masonite board
Spring 1966
117 x 235 cm.
Est.: HK$1.5–2.5 million
Imbued with poetic elegance and vividness, Magnificent Horses is one of the largest and most important works by Lee to appear at auction. It is also the largest horse picture created by the artist, and is amongst the last few major works that Lee completed before his migration from Indonesia to Singapore.

I Nyoman Masriadi (b.1973)
The Man from Bantul "The Monster"
mixed media on canvas
2000
200 x 150 cm.
Est.: HK$600,000-900,000
Boxing is one of the most pervasive and personal themes in Masriadi’s paintings. This work features his signature muscled figures in a boxing ring, narrating a tale of tragedy and comedy between winners and losers. A work of fine wit and supreme quality, this painting also stands out for the artist’s courage to push limitations and to create his own distinctive artistic language.

20th Century Chinese Art – 6 October
- estimated total: over HK$58 million; total lots: approximately 50

Contemporary Asian Art – 6 October
- estimated total: over HK$95 million; total lots: over 180

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