Bonhams Offers Fine Asian Works of Art in December Live Auction

This mid-December sale, hosted by Bonhams, reflects on the rich culture of Asia. The collection offers a variety of paintings and decorative art. One of the featured lots is a 17th-century painting of Manjusri and Samantabhadra. The two deities with their animals frequently appear in East Asian painting compositions. In Mahayana Buddhism, Manjusri represents wisdom and knowledge, and Samantabhadra represents virtue. In the available painting, both bodhisattvas are depicted with fine ink lines and bright pigments. They gaze at the red, pink, and white lotuses that emerge from the waves below. 

Another piece offered in the auction is an ink-on-paper work by Zhang Daqian. It shows a running calligraphy script on a hanging scroll. Zhang learned to paint from his mother and elder brothers. He sought to replicate as many old paintings as he could in his early years and was particularly influenced by the style of painter Shitao (1642 – 1707) and Bada Shanren (1626 – 1705). Zhang spent several years examining Buddhist murals and calligraphy in Dunhuang, which proved to be a crucial period in his artistic development. View all of these items and register to bid online on Bonhams.