Sotheby's Fine Classical Chinese Paintings auction in New York is to see a "staggering" handscroll from the Zhe School master Lan Ying (c.1585-1664) sell as top lot on September 13.
 A section of Qiu Ying's Summer Reverie by the Lotus Pond |
The 150 lot sale, which will showcase works from the Ming and Qing dynasties, hopes to expand on the success of Sotheby's inaugural Fine Classical Chinese Paintings auction in March, which realised $35.2m against a $13.7m estimate.
The majestic Lan Ying scroll, which measures over 10 metres, will lead Sotheby's latest instalment. The work is a wonderful representation of Lan Ying's paintings, which follow the style of Wu Zhen, the legendary Yuan dynasty painter. Simply entitled Landscape after Wu Zhen, it is expected to sell for between $1.2m and $2.2m.
The piece was once part of the collection of the renowned Zhang Xueliang, the effective ruler of Manchuria and much of northern China from 1928 to 1936. The majority of his world renowned amassment sold at Sotheby's in Taipei in 1994, with outstanding results that are still talked about by collectors of Chinese art today.
Following Lan Ying's landscape will be Qiu Ying's (c.1494-1552) Summer Reverie by the Lotus Pond. Regarded as one of the four great masters of the Ming dynasty, Qiu Ying is known for his fine brushwork and this painting is a superb example. Further samples of Ying's work can be found in the Palace Museum collection in Taipei, warranting an estimate of $750,000-1.5m for Summer Reverie.
Two collections: An Important American Collection Part II, and Calligraphy Works from the Dr Meiling Luh Collection will also sell at the auction, as fresh to the market consignments.
More Chinese scroll paintings will feature at another New York auction this Sunday (September 9), when Jiang Tinxi's Mandarin Ducks in Lotus Pond will sell with a $250,000-400,000 estimate.
