Bada Shanren's 1699 paintings sell for Rs 75 crore
The twelve-leaf ink-on-paper album was sold at Christie's Hong Kong on October 27, 2026.
An album of twelve ink-on-paper leaves painted by Bada Shanren in 1699 sold for HK$61.9 million, approximately Rs 75 crore, at Christie's Hong Kong on October 27, 2026, according to the Times of India.
The artwork, titled Flowers and Birds, features compositions of fish, rocks, and various flora and fauna including plum blossoms, orchids, lotus flowers, bamboo, chrysanthemums, lilies, and birds.
Bada Shanren, born Zhu Da in 1626 in Nanchang, China, was a member of the Ming imperial family. He lived as a Buddhist monk for nearly three decades after the Ming dynasty fell in 1644.
The artist adopted the name Bada Shanren after returning to secular life around 1680 to work as a professional painter and calligrapher.
The album has previously been part of several collections, including those of Qing-dynasty collector Pan Zhengwei and modern painter Zhang Daqian. It was also owned by Yale University professor Wang Fangyu and his wife, Sum Wai.
The collection was exhibited at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in 1990 and the Yale University Art Gallery in 1991.