A magnificent selection of jewellery, Chinese paintings and Chinese works of art from the family collection of K’ung Hsiang-Hsi is due to come up at Christie’s Spring sales in Hong Kong at the end of May and early June.
From one of Asia’s most prominent families in history and a 75th generation descendant of Confucius, K’ung Hsiang-Hsi was a passionate advocate for education. In the 1910s, the U.S. Oberlin College and Yale University graduate helped to set up schools in his hometown of Taigu to fulfill his vision of strengthening China through education. K’ung also engaged in business, trading internationally in kerosene and other natural resources through his Xiang Ji Company. Serving in critical government posts in his later years, K’ung enacted important economic reforms and was among the key architects of China’s modern financial and industrial systems as the country’s central bank governor.
K’ung Hsiang-Hsi married Soong Ai-ling (1890-1973), the eldest of the three famed Soong sisters and was brother-in-law to Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. The couple came to assemble one of the most important collections of jewellery, jadeite, Chinese paintings and works of art in modern Chinese history.
Important Chinese Ceramics. A rare doucai Sanduo bowl, Youngzheng (US$62,500-87,500).
Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels: A jade group including old mine jadeite and signed pieces.
A jade group.
Chinese Paintings. Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) – Lotus (US$193,000-322,0000).
(1899–1983) Lotus,
A rare doucai Sanduo bowl, Youngzheng