CHINESE paintings achieved 130,911,226 US dollars at Christie’s in Hong Kong this week. This is , the second highest total for the category. The top lot was a 1947 work by Chinese master Zhang Daqian which made more than $10 million. The set of four large hanging scrolls entitled “Lotus” sold for HK$80.51 million ($10,426,045 million). Each is over five feet tall and depicts multiple blooming lotus flowers drawn in ink and colour on paper. The sold rate was 94 per cent by lot and 98 per cent by value.
Ben Kong of Christie’s remarked: “Throughout the previews and auctions we saw a resurgence of interest in Chinese classical paintings, as well as great enthusiasm for Modern paintings”.