Antique Chinese print beats estimates at auction
The Beijing Spring Auction has been taking place in various parts of the Chinese city since May 6th and continues until May 18th.So far the Guardian Auction House has reported the highest bid for an item; an antique print entitled the Song Dynasty hand scroll.
The object which depicts the hunting scenes of ethnic horsemen fetched 71 million yuan (£534,000) which was about a 20 million yuan (£150,000) increase on its starting price.
Sun Jie, marketing director of Guardian Auctions, told CCTV News: "This price has attained our estimation. The piece had drawn much attention among collectors before the auction was held. It's a piece from Southern Song dynasty.
"Paintings from that era to put on an auction, has been very rare. In addition, it was a collection of Qing court. So it is quite a sought after piece."
Furthermore the antique piece was one of ten national relics that went under the hammer.
Other artefacts on sale included a Buddhist manuscript from 623 AD which sold for 2.7 million yuan (£20,000) and a series of letters between three celebrity Chinese intellectuals from the 1920s. They reached 2.5 million yuan (£18,000).
Posted by Oliver Greaves
