HONG KONG.- Recently launched Holly’s International will hold their first auction in Hong Kong from 25 to 27 May 2019. The auction will include over 300 art pieces, including Chinese classical paintings and calligraphy, modern and contemporary art, Chinese ceramics, porcelain and jade, as well as jewellery and watches, all presented across 9 sessions.

Dr. Li Yifei, CEO of Holly’s International Auction Co., Ltd., said “The Holly’s Int’l (HK) team is made up of professionals from across the world. Although the company has been operating in Hong Kong for just one year, its mother company has long been the leading auction organization in Southern China, and has accumulated a network of high-quality clients. Holly’s Int’l (HK) has its own well-equipped art complex building, making a centre for scholars from Asian and Western, as well as top collectors and art-lovers. We aim to present renowned masterpieces, to provide outstanding buying experience and at the same time, to offer discerning collectors a diversified platform.”

The details of the Holly’s International (Hong Kong) Spring Auctions 2019 are as follows:

Department of Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy
The magnificent strokes of Chinese classical paintings and Chinese calligraphy have long been a bridge between the ancient literati and contemporary collectors. As its very first milestone in Hong Kong, the auction will present two special collection sessions. Both ‘Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Zhang Daqian’s Birth’ and ‘The Origin of Ink: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy’ will showcase art pieces from notable modern artists as well as artists from the Sung Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Despite the relatively small number of art pieces presented, the department aims to offer an in-depth exploratory journey for exhibition visitors.

The special exhibition session titled ‘The Origin of Ink: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy’ consists of three major themes. Many of the pieces on display are from the collection of Mr. C. C. Wang, a notable pioneer collector who fostered the development of the appreciation of Chinese Classical paintings and calligraphy and their collection history in the 20th century. The session titled ‘Xi An CaoTang – Family Collections of C.C. Wang’ focuses on the collection and the artistic life of Wang in terms of collection conservation, connections, and the sophisticated danqing colour. The second theme, ‘The Heritage of Southeast Asia – Important Singaporean Private Collections’, both reveals the unique characteristics of several collectors from Singapore and presents some notable works by modern masters such as Xu Beihong and Pan Tianshou. The third theme, ‘The Global Treasures – Private Collections’, is a special exhibition session that revisits the traditional era of Chinese Classical painting, and enables audiences to experience the artistic charm of various Lingnan artists, such as Gao Jianfu.

• Zhang Daqian (1899 - 1983), La Beauté Antique, 1953. Ink and colour on paper, framed, 135.2 x 57.5 cm. Price on request

• Zheng Banqiao (1693 - 1765), Fragrance of the Valley. Ink on paper, hanging scroll, 136 × 52.5cm. Estimate: HKD 5,000,000-7,000,000/USD 635,000-889,000

Department of Modern and Contemporary Arts
The Department of Modern and Contemporary Arts is proud to be presenting three special event sessions, includes ‘Delightful Hong Kong: Important Private Collection of Wu Guanzhong from Singapore’, ‘Future +: Special Sale of Shen Qin’s Upcoming Works’ and ‘Exposure of Inspirations: Modern and Contemporary Art’. Two academic forum sessions on ‘Emerging Markets: Collection and Investment in Contemporary Chinese Photography’ and private activity for collectors, ‘Diverse Life: The World's Top Artists Create Private Art Houses And Art Galleries’, will also be organized. The art pieces offered by the department originate from various cultures, and include works in the Japanese Gutai style, European and American Pop Art, Chinese arts, Chinese and Hong Kong local arts, and artworks that are yet to be borne.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Wu Guanzhong, the well-known local oil painter and Chinese classical painter who devoted over 70 years of his life to art. To celebrate Wu’s contribution to localizing oil painting and re-contextualizing Chinese Classical painting within modern settings, the department is offering a special session titled ‘Delightful Hong Kong: Important Private Collection of Wu Guanzhong from Singapore’, which will present numerous water-ink works by Wu from the late 1970s and 1980s.

‘Future +: Special Sale of Shen Qin’s Upcoming Works’ is a session in which bidders will be able to bid for art pieces from the artist that will be delivered in three years’ time. Apart from the specifications that oil paintings will not exceed the physical size of 300 sq ft, there is no number limit regarding the auction items. This special auction event requires bidders to have a sense of trust, curiosity, imagination and patience in relation to the future art pieces.

The special session titled ‘Exposure of Inspirations: Modern and Contemporary Art’ will include American Marvel items by Stan Lee, the famous international comic artist. Other iconic works to be presented will include a masterpiece produced during his “Thermal Imaging” period by the German critical realist painter K.P. Brehmer, and bottle crash paintings by Shozo Shimamoto, the Japanese Gutai artist.

• Shozo Shimamoto (1982 - 2013), Bottle Crash, 2003. Acrylic on plasticized canvas, 120 x 80cm. Estimate: HKD 180,000-480,000/USD 22,900-61,000

• Stan Lee, The Comic Series of Marvels Cover, A series of 12 paintings, printed spray on canvas, 2015. 1 copy out of 9 as limited edition. Each copy has different colours. With autograph from the artist, year and certificate for authenticity. Estimate: HKD 2,400,000-3,200,000/USD 304,800-406,400

The Department of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Arts
The Department of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Arts will present three special exhibition sessions, namely ‘An Exquisite Selection of Himalayan Works of Art From Rossi & Rossi ’, ‘Spiritual Wealth – Important Chinese Cloisonne Enamel and Lacquerware’, and ‘Everlasting Aroma – Imperial Porcelain and Important Chinese Works of Art’. The exhibitions include a large variety of art pieces such as Buddhist statues, lacquerware, cloisonné enamel, and works of art in jade, bronze and porcelain. The items included in this exhibition not only showcase the unique characteristics of private collectors, but also the thoughtfulness and detail-mindedness of the artisans who created the artworks.

The exhibition session ‘An Exquisite Selection of Himalayan Works of Art From Rossi & Rossi’ showcases 23 stunning Buddhist artworks, in styles of Kashmir, Indian Palha, Mongolian Zana Bazar and Chinese palaces. The collection includes works of art from across 1,000 years, from a large number of art categories such as statues, religious instruments and thangkas. A Chagan Sambhar-a from the Zana Bazar school and a Standing Buddha of the late Gupta period are especially striking.

The time-consuming production processes for lacquerware and cloisonné meant that in ancient times both these art forms were recognized as being highly sophisticated. These two kinds of artworks were symbols of royal authority and wealth, as they were normally enjoyed only by royal families and the nobility. The auction for this special session, titled ‘Spiritual Wealth – Important Chinese Cloisonne Enamel and Lacquerware’, offers 28 exquisite items. Highlights include a ‘Rare Carved Cinnabar Lacquer “Garden” Square Tray from Yuan Dynasty’ and a ‘Cloisonné Enamel “Lotus and Elephants” Tripod Censer’ created in the Jingtai years of the Ming Dynasty.

The session ‘Everlasting Aroma – Imperial Porcelain and Important Chinese Works of Art’ includes various very fine art pieces and includes leading auction items from Dr. Tsui Tsin-tong, such as ‘A Magnificent And Extremely Rare Gilt Bronze Horse’ and ‘A Mother-Of-Pearl-Inlaid Zitan "Shou Shan Fu Hai" Plaque’. Both these pieces are iconic artworks in rich dynastic styles. Apart from Tsui’s collection, the session also showcases several Old Tibetan bronze art pieces from the Wang family collection. An internationally known collector and art appreciator, Wang began collecting ancient Chinese works of art in the 1970s. The bronze items exhibited in this auction are all typical of the preciousness and rarity of items collected by Wang. In addition, this special exhibition session gathers items from many more private collections (e.g. Royal porcelain items and jades) from Taiwan, Japan, and some European countries. One of the Gaogu jade collections from a private Taiwanese collector is specially noted for its rich historical value.

• A Gilt Copper Figure of Chagan Sambhar-a. With painted details. H 24cm. Estimate: HKD 5,000,000-8,000,000/USD 637,300-1,019,700

The Department of Jewellery and Watches
The Department of Jewellery and Watches has selected a series of luxurious jewellery items for exhibition, including five jewellery pieces designed by local jewellery designer Wallace Chan, also referred to as the ‘First of Oriental Jewellery Artists’. These are from Chan’s earlier design period, and are known for their versatility for wearing and matching, as well as their skillful and delicate construction. The jewellery pieces have a special oriental charm, and represent a breakthrough in the fusing the art and the craft of jewellery. There are also a number of motley jade items crafted from a rare Myanmar jade discovered in 2014 weighing over 233 kg. Auction items also include precious stones from across the globe, such as a sapphire from Kashmir, known as the origin for the highest class of sapphires, a Myanmar ‘Mogok’, a ‘pigeon's blood colour’ ruby, a Columbian emerald, and a pair of stud earrings (5 carats, E Colour). All these reflect both the beauty of nature and the brilliance of their designers.

• Ruby and Coloured Diamond Pendant Necklace, Wallace Chan. Estimate: HKD 2,600,000-3,800,000/USD 330,200-482,600