「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」The Chang Family Han Lu Studio’s Rare Calligraphy and Painting Collections to be Auctioned at Poly Spring Auction

In spring, returning birds keep their appointment with the season, and so do cultural legacies with their homecoming. The 2026 Spring Auction of Poly Hong Kong will see the return of the Chang Family Han Lu Studio’s Collection, which has been away for eight decades, completing a cultural voyage around the world and is about to make its debut in Hong Kong.

These 40 calligraphy and painting works set sail from Shanghai with Mr. Zhang Wenkui in 1949, transited through Hong Kong and were transported to São Paulo, Brazil. For half a century, these papers have remained silent in the tropical monsoon and humidity of South America, yet they have never lost their oriental charm, and the ink remains as fresh as ever. In 1996, the “Chang Family Han Lu Studio’s Collection” special auction at Christie’s in New York caused a sensation worldwide and became a milestone in the history of Chinese ancient calligraphy and painting auctions. Thirty years later, these legendary treasures have returned to the auction stage, continuing the story of the collecting world.

This is not merely the release of a family’s private collection, but also a physical testament to “cultural tenacity”. Wang Yuanqi’s “Landscape After Li Cheng” follows the artistic conception of Li Cheng’s cold forest and misty scenery, with vigorous and concise brushstrokes, and a well-balanced composition. Amidst the undulating mountain ranges, the peaks and valleys in the scroll are elegant and charming, capturing the orthodox style of traditional Chinese landscape painting. Li Fangying’s “Bamboo and Rocks” depicts new bamboo shoots emerging with vitality, blending the vigor of nature with the proud spirit of scholars. The green leaves sway in the wind, and the brushstrokes are firm and powerful, perfectly embodying the vigorous and flourishing mood of a spring return, conveying the dynamic vitality of life breaking through the soil. The “Celebration of the Four Seasons” by Zha Jizuo is rare due to the “Zhuang Tinglong case for History of Ming Dynasty”, which led to the scarcity of his surviving works. This painting features simple and elegant brushwork, with a solemn and serene atmosphere, concealing the refined and secluded charm of the remnants of the late Ming Dynasty. It resonates with the collection’s journey across the ocean, through turmoil and survival, highlighting the unbroken tenacity of the cultural heritage.

Thirty years ago, the New York auction witnessed the peak of “Chang Family Han Lu Studio” that shocked the world. Thirty years later, this batch of rare treasures returned to Hong Kong, just like swallows returning to their nests in spring, continuing the story of the transmission of calligraphy and paintings from the Song and Yuan Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This is not only a change of collections, but also a tribute to the golden age of “devoting to the country through industry and having a refined taste for collecting”.

Poly Auction Hong Kong Spring Auctions 2026 invites you to enjoy this spring reunion beyond the diameter of the earth.

The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.