A little bit of history resurfaced at Sotheby’s Hong Kong outpost recently when a lost Chinese handscroll from the time of the Qing dynasty, thought to have been lost for nearly a century, came up for auction.

Known as Ten Auspicious Landscapes of Taishan, the rediscovered masterpiece is said to be the work of Qian Weicheng, one of the most renowned artists of the court of Emperor Qianlong.

Measuring 458cm x 33.7cm, the scroll is divided into ten sections, each depicting an aspect of Mount Tiantai, one of the sacred peaks of the Zhejiang province. Depicting peaks, valleys, streams, waterfalls, woods and historic sites at the same time, the scroll is said to mark the highpoint of Qian’s artistic career and was probably created during his time as the Education Commissioner of Zhejiang between 1763 and 1765.

Adding to the historic value of the Chinese handscroll, it also includes ten poems said to be inscribed by Emperor Qianlong himself. It was no wonder, then, that the sale attracted more than 100 bids, finally going for a truly impressive HK$146,794,000 (US$18,704,491).

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay