Calligraphy Couplet in Running Script by Zhang Daqian

Auctioned by Bonhams in Hong Kong for HK$7.8 million.

Effortlessly outstripping its top preauction estimate of HK$1.2 million at Bonhams’ Fine Chinese Paintings sale, this rare monumental couplet by Chinese modern master painter Zhang Daqian was presented as a wedding gift to its previous owner’s mother. Making its market debut almost 80 years after its creation, this museum-quality calligraphic work comes in the form of two hanging scrolls of gold-flecked red paper, which both measure an impressive 352.8cm in length. Offered in pristine condition, the work’s rich content and expressive style make it a fine example of the creative pinnacle of Zhang’s career.