THE PAINTING “ANCIENT VILLAGE AT REMOTE MOUNTAIN SPRING” BY H.H. DORJE CHANG BUDDHA III SOLD FOR MORE THAN US$900,000 PER SQUARE FOOT AT A PUBLIC AUCTION

THIS BROKE THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST MARKET VALUE  OF ANY CHINESE PAINTING IN HISTORY

An art auction was held on January 31st by the Master Wan Ko Yee International Cultural Institute. One of the paintings auctioned was a small-scale painting entitled “Ancient Village at Remote Mountain Spring” created and donated by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. That painting is only 5.6 square inches, which is about one fourth the size of the palm of a hand. Forty-seven people began to bid on that painting. The final selling price was US$35,100, which equals US$902,571.42 per square foot. This is a record-breaking market value for any Chinese painting ever sold in history. Another donated painting, “Lotus Charm,” was created by Compassionate Mother Dr. Yuhua. It is a 2.3-square-foot Chinese painting of lotus flowers. The final selling price was US$50,100, which is US$21,782.6 per square foot.

On January 31st at the five-star San Gabriel Hilton, the Master Wan Ko Yee International Cultural Institute hosted an “Exhibition of National Treasure Level Works of Art by Compassionate Mother Dr. Yuhua and Auction of Small-Scale Art.” The Institute auctioned the paintings “Lotus Charm” and “Ancient Village at Remote Mountain Spring” to enhance the annual Chinese New Year Celebration that the Institute conducts for its members and to raise money for disaster relief in Haiti. Many dignitaries gathered at the crowded auction site. The many government officials who presented certificates  Dr. Yuhua for her artistic achievements also were present to witness the auction. A notary public from a notary public company was present during the auction to perform notarization.

COMPASSIONATE MOTHER DR. YUHUA IS THE PRE-EMINENT PAINTER OF LOTUS FLOWERS IN HISTORY; THE PAINTING “LOTUS CHARM” WAS SOLD AT A HIGH PRICE

Art created by Dr. Yuhua was specially exhibited by Congress at the nation’s Capitol. Furthermore, the Congressional Record stated that, “In the history of Chinese art, her lotus flower paintings are unsurpassed…” The Congressional Record also stated that her hand-sculpted and hand-painted faux coral and faux cobblestones are “treasures of the world.”

The painting “Lotus Charm” by Dr. Yuhua was, of course, a much sought-after work of art. The market value of an artist’s paintings is calculated on a per square foot basis. The minimum opening bid for the 2.3-square-foot “Lotus Charm” was US$10,000. Forty bidders entered the auction site to bid on that painting. The price was driven up by all of those many bidders, but in the end the winning bid was in the amount of US$50,100, or US$21,782.6 per square foot.

↑The lotus flower paintings by Dr. Yuhua are unsurpassed in the history of Chinese art. Her 2.3-square-foot lotus flower painting called “Lotus Charm” was auctioned for US$50,100.

THE PAINTING “ANCIENT VILLAGE AT REMOTE MOUNTAIN SPRING” EXPRESSES A LOFTY AND BROAD ARTISTIC CONCEPTION; THE ENERGY OF THE CLOUDY MOUNTAINS IS PALPABLE; SUCH A TINY PAINTING SEEMS TO CONTAIN THOUSANDS OF MOUNTAINS; BUYERS WERE BIDDING FURIOUSLY FOR IT

“Ancient Village at Remote Mountain Spring” is a small-scale painting created by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, who donated it to be auctioned off. An artist who saw that painting said, “Although ‘Ancient Village at Remote Mountain Spring’ is as small as only one-fourth of the size of the palm of a hand, one can see curling mist, mountains, and cliffs. It truly is a magnificent landscape scene that expresses a lofty and broad artistic conception. The energy of the cloudy mountains is palpable. Such a tiny painting seems to contain thousands of mountains. It is not merely an ink-wash painting. Rather, it is a vivid landscape scene that is brimming with vitality!”

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is a master artist who holds the record for the highest market value of any Chinese painting in the history of the world. In 2000, a painting by His Holiness called “Majesty” sold for more than US$2,120,000 at an international auction. Inscribed on that painting of a group of lions were the Chinese characters “Wan Ko.” It also was stamped with the seal His Holiness uses on His calligraphy and paintings. At another international auction, the painting “Venerable Da Li Won” sold for NT$72,000,000, which equals about US$2,220,000. In 2007, the International Buddhism Sangha Association openly sold a lotus flower painting by His Holiness on which the Chinese characters “Wan Ko” were inscribed. That painting, which is called “Two Flowers; One Lotus Capsule; One Dharma Nature,” sold for US$300,000 per square foot. Another painting by His Holiness entitled “Pasture in Spring” was inscribed with the holy Dharma King name “Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu,” contained the fingerprint of His Holiness, and was stamped with a Dharma King seal. A bidder for that painting offered US$540,000 per square foot.

Prior to January 31st, all of the paintings by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III offered for sale in the international art market were large-scale paintings. January 31st was the first time a small-scale painting by His Holiness was auctioned. As a result, that auction was the focus of much attention. The Chinese characters for “Dorje Chang III” were inscribed on the painting “Ancient Village at Remote Mountain Spring.”  On the back of that painting are the fingerprint and seal of His Holiness. The minimum opening bid for that work of art was US$8,000. After rounds of intense bidding, the final selling price was US$35,100, which is a market value of US$902,571.42 per square foot. This broke the record for the highest market value per square foot of any Chinese painting in history.