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A PAIR OF PAINTINGS DEPICTING SCENES FROM THE SCHOOL OF BIAN SHOUMIN
‘ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS’ Flowers, Geese and Fish
19th century Ink and colour on paper, album of ten leaves. Inscribed and variously
Finely painted in colour on paper, both depicting scenes of General signed Bian Shoumin or Shoumin, with twelve seals of the artists, nine
Zhong Hui’s rebellion against the kingdom of Wei, one painting with seals of the collectors.
Zhong Hui banqueting with his co-conspirator Jiang Wei while a Dated Qianlong guihai year (AD1743)
messenger brings news of government suspicion against him, with Each leaf 19cm (7 1/2in) x 27cm (10 1/2in) (10).
clouds dividing the painting in time and space, Zhong Hui’s officers
sign their names declaring their support for him; the other painting £15,000 - 20,000 CNY140,000 - 180,000
depicting Zhong Hui convening a council of war under a tent while HK$160,000 - 220,000
news of his rebellion leaks out and his enemies plot to destroy him,
with gilt inscriptions in Chinese and Manchu characters. 邊壽民（款）花卉蘆雁 水墨／設色紙本 冊頁十開 一七四三年作
Each 44cm (17 1/3in) x 44.5cm (17 1/2in) (2).
Provenance: Mrs Ellen B.Elliott (1901-1990)
£4,000 - 6,000 CNY37,000 - 55,000 Christie’s New York, 25 November 1991, lot 35
HK$44,000 - 66,000 A European private collection

十九世紀 鍾會叛亂 設色紙本 一組兩幅 來源：
Ellen B. Elliott (1901-1990)女士舊藏
The story of Zhong Hui’s 鐘會 (AD225-264) rebellion against the 1991年11月25日於紐約佳士得拍賣，拍品35號
kingdom of Wei in AD264 is featured in chapter 119 of the popular 歐洲私人收藏
historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Bian Shoumin (AD1684-1752) was one of the so-called ‘Eight
Zhong Hui was known for his cunning. After forging fake documents Eccentrics of Yangzhou’ and famous for his paintings of geese. Bian
incriminating his rival generals for cowardice and treason, he became Shoumin, along with his contemporaries in Yangzhou, were known
the most powerful military leader of Wei. Together with Jiang Wei 姜維 for their bold, expressive, individualistic style and personal behavior,
(AD202-264), Zhong Hui rebelled against Sima Zhao 司馬昭 (AD211- influenced by the Ming dynasty artist Xu Wei (AD1521-1593).
265), the regent and de facto ruler of Wei. However, after some of
Zhong Hui’s officers feared they in turn might be purged, Hu Lie 胡烈
and Qiu Jian 丘建, depicted in the painting in front of a painted screen,
leaked news of Zhong’s rebellion, whereupon both Zhong Hui and
Jiang Wei were killed by Hu Yuan 胡淵, depicted in armour surrounded
by his generals.

The inscriptions in both Manchu and Chinese, as well as the high
quality of the painting, suggest that the present lot would have been
made for a member of the Manchu nobility which ruled the Qing
empire (AD1644-1911).