April Yin, an Asian art specialist at Heffel Fine Art Auction House, showcased rare pieces of Chinese calligraphy that sold for more than $1 million on October 30. The Canadian Press
A centuries-old Chinese calligraphy album once owned by an emperor has sold for more than $1 million at a Canadian auction. The rare piece, discovered in a Vancouver basement, stunned experts and bidders alike when its price climbed far beyond expectations.
The album, created by Zhao Mengfu, a famous calligrapher and painter from China’s Yuan dynasty around 700 years ago, had a starting bid of just $15,000. Bidders quickly drove the price up to $900,000, and with fees included, it sold for a final price of $1,081,250.
The auction house had expected the piece to sell for only $20,000 to $30,000. Instead, it became one of the most expensive Asian artworks ever sold in Canada.
A Treasured Work of Imperial Art
The album is a delicate ink-on-silk piece made up of 37 pages, each framed with fine silk brocade. What makes it even more remarkable is its royal history. The work bears four imperial seals and was once part of the Qianlong emperor’s palace collection in the Forbidden City.
Experts confirmed that it appears in the Shiqu Baoji, an official record of the Qing dynasty’s most prized artworks. This record lists masterpieces personally chosen by Emperor Qianlong, who ruled from 1736 to 1795.
In a statement, the auction house said, “It was once part of the Qianlong emperor’s palace collection and formally documented in the imperial art inventory of the Qing court.” The listing emphasized how few works of such prestige ever appear on the Canadian market.
From Imperial Treasure to Family Keepsake
The album’s journey from the Chinese imperial court to a Vancouver basement is almost as fascinating as the artwork itself. After leaving the palace, it belonged to Wang Yiling, a banker from the Republic of China era between 1911 and 1949. Wang was an avid collector of paintings and calligraphy.
When Wang’s descendants moved abroad to Brazil, Taiwan, and North America, they brought his collection with them. Earlier this year, his family invited experts to look at their art holdings in Vancouver. That’s when they uncovered the hidden treasure that had been quietly sitting in their basement for decades.
Record-Breaking Sale and Global Attention
April Yin, an Asian art specialist with the auction house, called the discovery and sale “a remarkable moment for the Canadian Asian art market.” She said it became the highest-selling piece ever at the company’s online auction in its 25-year history.
Yin couldn’t name the buyer but confirmed that the auction attracted strong global interest. “Maybe later on, we can see it in a museum or market again,” she said.
She added that Zhao Mengfu’s works always draw great admiration because of their deep cultural and historical importance. “It’s just amazing when a work with this significance appears. Everyone talks about it, and everyone wants it,” Yin said.
The auction house’s previous online sale record was set in 2022 when Hokusai’s The Great Wave sold for under $700,000.
