On May 6th, the four-day 2014 Xiling Yinshe Spring Auction featuring 21 sessions soundly concluded, as its total contract value and total close rate touched 702,000,000 RMB and 87.3 percent respectively. Being the prologue to domestic spring auctions, the spring sale retains the typical scale and quality of the lots. As a result, the total sale volume is stable and the close rate is gratifying. Especially the preview and auction during the May day holiday, the phenomenal bidder-ridden saleroom further promotes both the cultural climate and the peripheral cultural industries inside and outside of Hangzhou city.
To sum up the past and foresee the future, 2014 Xiling Yinshe Spring Auction accurately grasped the market quotations in the wake of the analysis into the sale sessions. In the meantime, our 2014 autumn auction as well as the 10th anniversary auction is already on the fire to present an artistic feast of unity, innovation and miscellany before too long.
Western celebrities’ handwritings draw great concerns again
The total close rate and total contract value of the Manuscripts by Chinese and foreign celebrities’ session of the spring sale reach a high 90.76 percent and 38,340,000 RMB of contract value respectively.
In the field of Sino-Japanese relations, apart from the routines---manuscripts by Chinese politicians in the history, we also presented the handwritings of key historical figures in world's anti-fascist war to interpret the history and broaden the collection landscape from an even macro historical perspective.
For instance, NINETEEN MAPS OF DIAOYU ISLAND BY GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND GERMANY, Etc., settled with 368,000 RMB, which was the center for media both from home and abroad prior to the auction, is one of the best quality in its kind. More importantly, it is a powerful documentary evidence to prove Diaoyu Island as inherent territory of China. A letter from Winston Churchill to his brother John, mainly featuring warfare, once collected by Steve Forbes, Chairman and CEO of Forbes Inc, with a starting price at 60,000RMB and closed at 483,000 RMB. As for the subjects of post World-war and world-wide communists: MAXIM GOLKY AUTOGRAPH SIGNED LETTER (ATTACHED IS A FRENCH TRANSLATION), closed at 517,500 RMB, LEON TROTSKY A GROUP OF DOCUMENTS eventually hammered down at 184,000RMB.
2014 Xiling Yinshe Spring Auction: The nineteen maps of Diaoyu island by Great Britain, France, and Germany. Etc.
Transaction price: 368,000 RMB
As for the manuscripts of western writers and scientists, the English and American literature category launched many rare works that classed high in literature. For instance, Ernest Miller Hemingway’s autograph letter signed to Diego；Oscar Wilde’s Quotation Note；James Joyce’s autograph signed postcard are sold at 402,500RMB, 368,000RMB and 287,500 RMB separately. Pearl Sydenstricker Buck’s manuscripts concluded at 126,500RMB.In the category of French literature and Nobel Prize literature, the ALEXANDRE DUMASFILS SIXTEEN AUTOGRAPH SIGNED LETTERS and RABINDRANATH TAGORE MANUSCRIPTS are closed with 287,500 and 161,000 RMB respectively. The 2014 Shanghai Exposition of Claude Monet evoked people’s enthusiasm towards the famous artist. His hand script, CALUDE MONET AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED TO GUSTAVE GEFFROY, written in the period while he was painting at Fondation Claude Monet, reached 253,000RMB. In the field of scientists’ scripts: Freud, the founder of dream explanation and Darwin, the founder of theory of organic of species, of which their precious letters made a debut in China were sold at 747,500 RMB and 575,000 RMB eventually. In the entertainment class, AUDREY HEPBURN AUTOGRAPH SIGNED PHOTO OF BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S AND ROMAN HOLIDAY closed at 86,250 RMB.
2014 XILING AUCTION Spring Auction SIGMUND FREUD AUTOGRAPH SIGNED LETTER
Transaction price: 747,500 RMB
In the session of Kang Youwei, batches of his extraordinary calligraphic documents were sold in sequence. KANG YOUWEI POEM IN RUNNING SCRIPT, closed at 2,185,000RMB, breaking the record of his calligraphy works of price/square feet. Another two works: KANG YOUWEI MANUSCRIPTS AND AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED TO CHEN SANLI and KANG YOUWEI WANG WEI’S POEM IN CURSIVE SCRIPT were concluded with 1,552,500 RMB and 1,265,000 RMB respectively. In the part of Chinese scholars and China Central Research Institute, we released a group of manuscripts by Gu Jiegang, which closed at 782,000 RMB.
2014 XILING AUCTION Spring Auction KANG YOUWEI POEM IN RUNNING SCRIPT
Transaction price: 2,185,000 RMB
Chinese Painting and calligraphy holding key position
Chinese painting and calligraphy still occupied a significant position in the 2014 spring auction, all those lots appearing in the saleroom take on a superb artistic value. The Sale of Classical Chinese paintings and calligraphy concluded with a total contract value of 121,000,000RMB and total close rate at 83%, among which the SHEN ZHOU ALBUM OF LANDSCAPE, created by Shen Zhou in his high spirits reveals his intentional imitation of the artistic styles of Huang Zijiu and Lu Tianyou as artists in Shen Zhou’s period mostly learning from their counterparts in Song and Yuan Dynasties. However, this Shen Zhou’s album is more than imitation, just like Shen Zhou himself said, “I experienced these landscapes in person, I felt great satisfaction in this work, I even invited friends to come to share and enjoy it.” This album eventually concluded with 9,660,000RMB. Wen Jia, whose father Wen Zhengming along with Shenzhou, dubbed as “Four Masters of Wumen” ( a Chinese classical painting school characterized by its geographical location and artistic styles) then, created VISITING FRIEND IN MOUNTAINS when he was 79 years old, closed at 5,520,000RMB. The SCHOLAR IN FOREST, by Xie Shichen, town fellow and student of Shen Zhou, successively collected by various connoisseurs, started bidding at 800,000 RMB and closed with 3,680,000RMB.
2014 Xiling Yinshe Spring Auction SHEN ZHOU ALBUM OF LANDSCAPE
Transaction price: 9,660,000 RMB
In addition, Bada Shanren painted Fish at the age of 68, the style of which is simple but meaningful, closed at the price 12,880,000RMB. SNOWY YANGTZE RIVER by LAN YING, representative of Zhepai School (typified by its territory) in later period, featuring in its majestic scenery, closed at 3,105,000 RMB. Eight eccentrics of Yangzhou, known for their important status with innovative thoughts in the art history, are now widely admired among collection circle. Zheng Banqiao, a symbolic figure of Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, as his calligraphies pursuing his original philosophy, helped to secure the recognition in future generations. ZHENG BANQIAO SEVEN-CHARACTER POEM IN RUNNING SCRIPT, created by the artist at his 63 closed at 4,255,000. The unique style ABLUM OF LANDSCAPE, by HUANG SHEN crafted on his way home in 1735 (13th year of the reign of emperor Qianlong), concluded with 2,070,000 RMB. We can taste the sublimity from the album.
2014 XILING YINSHE Spring Auction LAN YING SNOWY YANGTZE RIVER
Transaction price: 3,105,000 RMB
Epigraphist calligraphies, which has long been stressed by Xiling Auction, after being carefully studied and combed, have won not only been widely accepted by the market but also offered a precious reference for people who collect, study and create bronze and stone tablets in which WANG DUO FIVE-CHARACTER POEM IN RUNNING SCRIPT and CALLIGRAPHY IN CURSIVE SCRIPT concluded with 5,175,000 and 4,082,500RMB respectively. YI BINGSHOU CALLIGRAPHY IN OFFICIAL SCRIPT settled with the hammer price at 3,795,000 RMB.
2014 XILING YINSHE Spring Auction YI BINGSHOU CALLIGRAPHY IN OFFICIAL SCRIPT
Transaction price: 3,795,000 RMB
This year sees the 170th anniversary of Wu Changshuo’s birth. Both of the artist’s historic role and artistic value are being continuously esteemed and studied. WU CHANGSHUO FOUR SCREENS OF FLOWER, a masterpiece drafted in his senior years, has an profound meaning in this memorable year, closed at 8,970,000. CALLIGRAPHY IN SEAL SCRIPT, by Huang Binhong, is a rare lot in Chinese art markets for the last two decades, displays his grand attainments in epigraphy closed at 6,440,000 RMB.
2014 XILING YINSHE Spring Auction WU CHANGSHUO FOUR SCREENS OF FLOWER
Transaction price: 8,970,000 RMB
Craze for comic strips continues
Different from its previous form, the preview at the 10th CICAF is no longer an auction session of CICAF, while it has already been a special auction of 2014 XILING AUCTION spring auction. The total contract value is 17,810,000 RMB, and the total close rate is 86.9%. According to on-site statistical results, many a lot concluded at several times the price as estimated, which again shows the perfect combination between auction and comics.
Throughout the comics session, the close rate for lots by cartoonists of the older generation remains stable as their works draw keen attention from people both inside and outside the salesroom with their supreme artistic skills and features of the times.
The bidding king: ZHAO YANNIAN (b. 1924) ORIGINAL WORK OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF A STORY OF A-Q (COMPLETE), its starting price at 800,000RMB, strikes a bargain at 1,782,500RMB after 10 rounds of bidding. Zhao Yannian, 90 years old, is a professor of China Academy of Art. Interestingly, he and his colleagues: Zhang Yangxi, Zhang Huaijiang, and Zhao Zongzao are dubbed as “l(fā)iang Zhang Liang Zhao” (two masters surnamed Zhang,and two two masters surnamed Zhao) then. All of them are the flagships in the engraving circle. One of his masterpiece Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers. Head-bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children is recognized as one of those artistic works that best depicts Lu Xun. This engraving work dated between 1978 to 1980, the original item is being permanently housed in China National Art Museum.
2014 XILING YINSHE Spring Auction ZHAO YANNIAN (b. 1924) ORIGINAL WORK OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF A STORY OF A-Q (COMPLETE)
Transaction price: 1,782,500 RMB
Feng Zikai’s works has received great favor from collectors, even at the comics’ saleroom. His work SPRING GARDEN started at the price of 200,000RMB and clinched at 828,000RMB after bid in 30 turns. PENG LIANXI (b. 1947) AND PENG FULAI (b. 1978) ORIGINAL WORK OF THE COMIC STRIP PEONY PAVILION (COMPELTE), concluded at 517,500RMB. SHANGHAI ANIMATION FILM STUDIO PRINCE NE ZHA'S TRIUMPH AGAINST DRAGON KING, started at the price 50,000RMB and closed at 520,000RMB in 61 turns. As for the New year pictures, JIN MEISHENG (1902-1989) BIG PEACH AND CHILDREN, started at 60,000RMB and clinched with 260,000 RMB in 33 rounds.
Highlights frequently seen in auctions
Xilingyinshe (a celebrated seal society with age-old history) is renowned for its study of inscriptions on ancient bronze and stone tablets. Ever since Xiling Auction first launched the special session for inscriptions and seals; it has played an important role in inheriting and promoting the art of seal cutting, and also to make more collectors to perceive the charm of four national stones. In the Series of Three Treasures of Stones, QING DYNASTY A SQUARE TIANHUANG STONE SEAL WITH SQUIRREL AND GRAPE PATTERNS sold at 2,070,000RMB, QING DYNASTYA SQUARE TIANHUANG STONE SEAL closed at 6,095,000 RMB. Both of them have a high collect value.
A very precious lot- SONG LUO FANG BEI RI JI AND OTHERS Manuscript by Huang Yi, appeared in the rare and fine ancient books session that has never been annotated by previous scholars, is the only existing diary manuscript by Huang Yi, closed at 2,070,000 RMB. From this manuscript, people could gain a general idea of the writing course, understand the friendship among “Qianjia” scholars and literati and make corrections to the current edition.
2014 Xiling Yinshe Spring Auction SONG LUO FANG BEI RI JI AND OTHERS Manuscript by Huang Yi
Transaction price: 2,070,000 RMB
In the unparalleled session of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Oil Painting and Sculpture, the lot Observation and Self-Identity: Contemporary Artists Photo Album, consisting of works by 50 contemporary artists, cover the categories as oil painting, sculpture, installation, behavior, images, etc.
In the session of Jade Carvings by Contemporary Chinese masters, a WHITE JADE FIGURE OF ZHONG KUI, one of the three major works for the appraisal of master of Chinese arts craft, by Yu Xuetao, a contemporary master of jade carvings, is marvelously made of Hetian seed jade, weighing about 1,991 gram, was eventually sold at 23,000,000RMB.
2014 Xiling Yinshe Spring Auction A WHITE JADE FIGURE OF ZHONG KUI
Transaction price: 23,000,000 RMB
