China's major auctioneers, such as Guardian and Huachen will launch
their autumn auctions early next month with a total of nearly
10,000 antiques.
Huachen auctioned Emperor Kangxi's seal from the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1911) for 3.9 million yuan (US$469,880) this spring, a record
price at a Chinese auction. This time, the company will promote a
specific exhibition of Qing Dynasty imperial art, which includes
Emperor Qianlong's jade seal and a pillow inscribed with his
poem.
Huachen president Gan Xuejun said most antiques for auction were
the only copy in the world. Oil paintings or Chinese wash paintings
by such top Chinese artists as Xu Beihong, Lu Yanshao, and Qi
Baishi retained their good market prospects.
According to him, most antiques now on the local market had been
returned from overseas or came from personal collections in China.
Chen Zhichao, an expert with the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences, said more and better antiques at auctions not only showed
the richness of the country's 5,000-year-old culture, but also the
sound and healthy development of China's auction business.
China Guardian Auctions Co. Ltd. will auction a piece of the
imperial family's furniture in the Qing Dynasty, which is the
second largest example of its kind after the one kept in Beijing's
Palace Museum.
Experts say personal art collections have become fashionable in
China, with the rapid development of the country's economy.
(Xinhua News
Agency October 19, 2002)