Page 82 - Christie's Fine Chinese Paintings Hong Kong Dec. 1 2015

LOTS 1198 — 1210
DONGXI STUDIO — CHINESE PAINTINGS FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE BELGIAN COLLECTION

‘Dong xi’ signifies ‘things’ in Chinese, but it also has a historical meaning referring to the directions of East and West. Tang poet Du Fu uses the
phrase in his poem Ballad of the Army Carts:

Even if there are healthy women to handle the hoeing and ploughing,
The crops grow in fields but some grow to the East (dong) and some to the West (xi).

The naming of the Dongxi Studio comes from this historical interpretation. A Belgian couple first visited Hong Kong more than three decades
ago and fell in love with Chinese art, thus began a journey of collecting from ancient pottery and jade carvings to modern and contemporary ink
paintings. Their collection consists of Chinese art and cultural artefacts spanning two millennia; their interests are diverse and they grow in different
directions like the crops in the fields.

The gentleman of the Dongxi Studio is an art enthusiast from his youth, attending painting courses at the Academy of Belgium, as well as holding
several well-regarded exhibitions of his works in Europe. His wife is interested in studying Chinese works of art, particularly paying keen attention
to the exquisite craftsmanship of Song ceramics and jade carvings. Their enthusiasm for Chinese art has led the couple to amass an extensive
collection of quality paintings, ceramics, and jade carvings.

The collectors of the Dongxi Studio originally purchased primarily delftware, blue and white pottery originating from the Netherlands that was
influenced by Chinese porcelain, but as the couple’s captivation with Chinese motifs and details grew, they began to collect Chinese export
porcelain and eventually, Imperial porcelain. Later, the couple became fascinated with the expressive power of Chinese ink paintings and, thus,
continued to expand their collection.

The Dongxi Studio collection includes many works from several of the top Chinese modern painters, including Zhang Daqian, Wu Guanzhong, Li
Keran, and Huang Yongyu. The group of paintings being offered are a testament to the refined taste and connoisseurship of the collectors, whose
focus on quality led to one of the greatest Belgian collections of Chinese art in the 20th century.

1198

ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983)

Ink Lotus

Hanging scroll, ink on paper
179 x 88.5 cm. (70 ƒ x 34 ‰ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist
Dated fourth month, third day, renyin year (1962)
Titleslip by the artist
Further entitled, inscribed and signed on wooden box, with two seals

PROVENANCE:

Lot 951, 28 October 1993, Fine Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings, Sotheby’s Hong Kong.

EXHIBITED:

Luxemburg, KBL, Chinese Jade and Scroll Paintings from the Dongxi Collection, 1 Februaty – 13 April 1996.
Brussels, KB Exhibition Hall, Chinese Jade and Scroll Paintings from the Dongxi Collection, 25 October –
17 December 1995.
London, Grosvenor Gallery, Chang Dai-chien’s Paintings, 10 August – 4 September 1965.
New York, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Exhibition of Paintings by Chang Dai-chien, 22 October - 2 November 1963.

LITERATURE: Celadon scroll end with inscription,
Da Feng Tang collection, specially
Nicole De Bisscop, Enkele Twintigste-eeuwse Chinese Schilderijen, Chinese Jade En Rolschilderingen Uit De Dongxi- made for Zhang Daqian
Verzameling, Kredietbank, Brussels, 1995, p.118, pl.67.

Hui Lai Ping (ed.), Paintings of Famous Modern Chinese Artists—Zhang Daqian, Lotus Paintings, Han Mo Series A3,
Han Mo Xuan Publishing Co., Ltd, 1994, p.37.

Catalogue of Exhibition of Paintings by Chang Dai-chien, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, 1963, pl.11.

HK$2,500,000-3,500,000 US$330,000-450,000

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