Press Release | For Immediate Release 25 May 2016

Poly Auction Hong Kong 2016 Mid-season Auctions Important Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Chinese and Western Sale on May 28

Hong Kong - Poly Auction Hong Kong is proud to present two exquisite Sales ―The Beauty of Brushes – A Selection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy (2)‖ and "The Chinese and Western Wine" to be held on Saturday, 28 May 2016 at the Poly Gallery on 7th Floor, One Pacific Place, presenting over 700 rarest treasures. This sale offers an impressive range of classical, modern, and contemporary Chinese paintings and calligraphy and fine Chinese and Western and more. The selection offers global collectors the perfect opportunity for connoisseurs to acquire the most exceptional pieces in a wide range of categories.

Highlight Lots of 2016 Mid-season Auction

The Beauty of Brushes – A Selection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy (2)

―The Beauty of Brushes – A Selection of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy (2)‖ has assembled an impressive selection of over 400 exceptional works of classical, modern, and contemporary Chinese painting and calligraphy. Those include works representing the Beijing-, Jinling, and Lingnan schools of painting, as well as works returning to sale from private collections in Southeast Asia, North America, and .

Poly Auction Hong Kong has endeavoured to find fine, smaller works possessing refined elegance at attractive prices and anticipates generating a lot of interest to collectors. Special sales will feature works carefully selected over many years by the well-known collectors Lieutenant-General Chueh Han-Chien. Mr Liu Jia, and Mr Wu Xize. These works of certain provenance have been directly provided for sale by family members and reasonable prices have been set, which is certain to make them a highlight of this sale. Overall this sale provides a rich selection of moderately positioned works to provide investment and collecting opportunities for new collectors and art lovers around the world.

Mr. Alex Chang, Managing Director of Poly Auction Hong Kong , delivered his speech at the opening

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Introduced the highlight

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ZHAO SHAO'ANG (1905-1998) Zhao Shao'ang's Peacock, which graces the PEACOCK cover of our catalogue, is a strong work from late in this artist's career. A peacock hanging scroll stands on a branch, crest held high and ink and color on paper eyes bright, his gorgeous tail-feathers and 135×66 cm. (53 1/8×26 in.) the spreading foliage are mutually enhanced in a realistic portrait of this Estimate： species' noble and elegant carriage. Deep black inks with rich added colours and bold HK$200,000 - HK$250,000 strokes highlight the strength of the branch, US$25,600 - US$32,100 while transitions between dense and light inks cleverly set out the leaves that wind around the branch and add just the right amount of extra richness to the composition.

Zhao Shao'ang once said, "You should first have a clear idea of style and effect before you set your brush to paper. Knowing what you're doing all begins in the conception before the first brushstroke." In this ambitious work, Zhao realizes his conception in flowing and evocative strokes, and illustrates the true importance of having "the conception before the first brushstroke."

During his early years, Qi Baishi studied QI BAISHI (1864-1957) ritual vessels and his painting was BERGAMOT influenced by Chen Shizeng and Wu mounted; ink and color on paper Changshuo; he also absorbed elements 134×33 cm. (52 3/4×13 in.) from the styles of masters such as Xu Wei, Zhu Da, Shi Tao, and Jin Nong. His great Estimate： experience in a variety of genres helped HK$480,000 - HK$580,000 produce the distinctive freehand style of his US$61,500 - US$74,400 later years.

Qi Baishi's Bergamot dates from the spring of 1919 and derives from a private

collection in North America. Qi was then 55, and the painting's inscription shows it was painted in Beijing. The painting shows intertwining chrysanthemum and bergamot branches; the compositional space is full but with a pleasing sense of balance and rhythm in the work's tension and relaxation and its full and empty spaces. Brushwork in the stems has traces of the streaked-white

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fei bai strokes that give them their slightly tough, gnarled appearance, while dense and light inks mix harmoniously. The fruit of the bergamot is set out in light yellow inks, creating contrasts with the deep black stems and dark blue chrysanthemum leaves in a charming and intriguing composition.

A top highlight to be offered from the ZHANG DAQIAN (1899-1983) selection of the works is a tangible SCHOLAR CROSSING THE landscape by Zhang Daqian came from Mr. BRIDGE Wu Xize.

hanging scroll Mr. Wu Xize was born in 1915 in Zhejiang ink and color on paper and was a graduate of National Central 75.5×45.5 cm. (29 3/4×17 7/8 in.) University and Columbia University in the US. In the 1950s he was an important Estimate： administrative official in the Kuomintang HK$300,000 - HK$500,000 party and held a professorial post at US$38,500 - US$64,100 National Taiwan Normal University for over 30 years. Mr. Wu had loved traditional Chinese painting as a child, and excelled at calligraphy and painting as well as prose writing and poetry, and was also close friends with both Zhang Daqian and artists such as Pu Ru. The inscription on this Scholar Crossing the Bridge indicates that it was painted for Mr. Wu; it depicts a reclusive scholar of high character walking above a stream on his way to visit a friend. This scene of contentment and grace immediately takes shape with just a few simple brushstrokes and washes of pale ink. Poly Auction Hong Kong is grateful to the trust placed in it by the heirs of Mr. Wu Xize, which has allowed us to once again make this fine work available to collectors.

Chinese and Western Wine

Poly Auction Hong Kong also showcases the outstanding selection across fine wines, , and Chinese white for this season. Since 2013, when Poly Auction Hong Kong held its first sale of fine Chinese and Western wines, it has taken special care to promote the Chinese culture of fine liquors along with its selection of red wines and whiskies, presenting for connoisseurs a number of fine commemorative spirits products worthy of collecting from both sides of the Taiwan straits. An outstanding selection of a score or more different spirits of guaranteed quality will be presented at this sale, including Moutai , liquor, Yanghe Daqu liquor, and Kaoliang.

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KINMEN 1998 This sale features a case of 12

bottles of 1998 Kinkmen Heijingang AVB56% 600ml 12bts white liquor. This is an elegant,

lightly-scented spirit with a velvety Estimate： feel, a sweet and satisfying flavor, HK$45,000 - HK$60,000 and a smooth finish—an aged spirit US$5,850 - US$7,800 worthy of adding to your collection.

FIVE-STAR/FEITIAN spirits are rich and robust, MOUTAI 1997 - 1999 with a deep, lingering aroma. One highlight of this sale will be 12- AVB53% 500ml 10bts bottle cases of Kweichow Moutai Liquor of the Five-star or Feitian Estimate： brands produced between 1997 HK$58,000 - HK$80,000 and 1999. US$7,500- US$10,390

For connoisseurs of , Poly Auction Hong Kong delight to presents a selection of numerous whiskies from famous Scottish distilleries as well as the Japanese whiskies that have become so popular of late. All of these, from Macallan and Glenfiddich to Asama, Yamazaki, and Hanyu, have received the highest ratings from authoritative institutions, and because production has been either temporarily or permanently halted at their distilleries, they possess the highest value for collecting.

The Macallan 50 – 1949 Millennium This Macallan 50-year-old single-malt was distilled in 1949 and bottled in 50 Years Old Single Malt 1999. The famous whisky expert Jim Distilled 1949 Bottled 1999 Murray described it as "Magnificent finesse and charm makes this a ABV 43% 700ml 1bt Macallan to die for." The bottle itself, handcrafted by local Scottish Estimate： craftsmen, bears the millennium HK$160,000 - HK$208,000 commemorative edition inscription US$20,510- US$26,670 "The Macallan Fifty Years Old," giving it the highest commemorative value.

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Finest and Rarest red wines from a select group of the world’s greatest designated distributors and global distributors of the finest vineyards along with the private collections from collectors. Many of these finest and rarest wines are directly from the Estates. They are either rarely found on the market or are of relatively high quality and price. Unless otherwise stated, all bottles labels, village and capsules are in exceptional condition.

Domaine De La Romanee Conti - The vineyards of the Domaine De La Romanee Conti 2008 Romanee Conti are among the world's most famous, known 750ml 3 btls especially for the exquisite and elegant wines they produce from the Estimate： Pinot Noir grape variety. Their bright HK$300,000- HK$380,000 textures provide an enchanting flavor US$38,000 - US$46,000 experience. Only 6000 to 8000 cases of fine wines are produced annually in this region of France, of which only

450 come from the vineyards of the Domaine De La Romanee Conti. Their exceptional quality and relative scarcity makes them some of the most hotly sought-after wines by collectors around the world.

A highlight of this sale will be the Romanee Conti 2008, the Montrachet Domaine De La Romanee Conti - 2005, and the 2011 La Tache. Montrachet 2005 750ml 1 btls

Estimate： HK$38,000 - HK$49,000 US$5,000 - US$6,100

Download Link of High-res Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9vrg09chrj5byvl/AACcRjK1B4VGn880g6vQ8Z1pa?dl=0

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Poly Auction Hong Kong’s 2016 Mid-season Auctions Timetable

The Beauty of Brushes – A Selection of Chinese and Western Wine Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy (2) Time of May 25-27 10:00am – 6:00pm May 25-27 10:00am – 6:00pm Preview: Time of May 28 1:30pm May 28 6:00pm Auction: Venue: Poly Gallery (7/F, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong)

For further press information, please contact:

Miss Jessica Chen +852 2303 9892 / [email protected] Miss Fatima Lam +852 2303 9891 / [email protected]

About Poly Auction (Hong Kong) Limited

Poly Auction (Hong Kong) Limited (Poly Auction Hong Kong), established in 2012 by Poly Culture Group Corp. Ltd., is a young but remarkable auction house in Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region. Beijing Poly International Auction, a subsidiary of Poly Culture Group Corp Ltd., is ’s largest state-owned auction house and holds the highest auction transaction volume of Chinese art in the world.

Poly Culture Group Corporation Limited expanded its auction business to Hong Kong in 2012 with the establishment of Poly Auction Hong Kong, and was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 6 March, 2014 (Poly Culture Group Corp. Ltd., 3636 • HK). Poly Auction Hong Kong has repeatedly achieved record auction results over the past two years, the 2015 Spring and Autumn Auctions witnessed a total transaction sum of HK$2 billion (US$252 million), and the 2016 Spring Auction reached a total transaction sum of HK$1.267 Billion.

Poly Auction Hong Kong comprises of seven departments: Chinese and Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, Chinese Contemporary Ink Paintings, Fine Modern Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Jewels and Watches and Chinese and Western Wine. We select only genuine, exquisite and rare artwork. We are entering the international art market with the aim to provide professional consultation, exceptional collections and the highest quality service. Poly Auction Hong Kong is dedicated to providing professional consultation, exceptional collections and the highest-quality services. Poly Auction has a global network of offices in 13 cities, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Macao, Xiamen, , Taipei, Tokyo, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sydney, Melbourne.

To know more about Poly Auction (Hong Kong) Limited: Official Website: http://www.polyauction.com.hk WeChat Account: polyauction-hongkong Sina Weibo Account: http://e.weibo.com/polyauctionhk

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