NEWS STORY
$5m for painting by Song Dynasty emperor
BEIJING - A painting of rare birds by Emperor Huizong of
China's Song Dynasty (960-1279) fetched a record 23 million yuan (S$5.2
million) at an auction held yesterday in Beijing.
This was the highest price ever offered for an ancient
Chinese art work, according to the website of China Guardian, the firm
which auctioned the painting.
To keep the buyer's identity secret, the firm had
forbidden the filming of his face during the auction.
However, sources said the buyer was likely to be one of
China's state museums.
Only 13 pieces of the emperor's work still exist and
yesterday's auction was the first to put his work on the block, the
Beijing Youth Daily reported.
When the precious 521.5 cm-by-27.5 cm painting, which
comprises 12 little portraits on rare birds, was exhibited on Sunday, it
was watched closely by two security guards.
The recently recovered painting by Emperor Huizong, said
to be the most artistic emperor in Chinese history, was the only piece out
of the 3,300 items auctioned yesterday which was not given a bottom price.
However, Guardian said the bidding kicked off at 7.8
million yuan and more than 10 prices were tendered before the piece was
sold off.
The painting was returned to China early this year,
probably by a Japanese collector said to be the last of many foreigners
who owned it after its disappearance from the imperial palace more than
two centuries ago.
Singapore
Straits Times
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