Rongbao auction: Affordable paintings for everyone

Beijing-based Rongbao Auction House has held its first auction of the year. What makes it different is that it is targeted at a wider spectrum of collectors, with the majority of exhibits starting at more modest prices.

The auction assembled hundreds of smaller-sized works from contemporary maestros such as Qi Baishi, Fan Zeng and Huang Zhou.

For ordinary collectors, the starting prices of these works were more budget-friendly, ranging from ten thousand to one hundred thousand yuan.

There has been an increase in interest in collecting among ordinary Chinese in recent years. And Rongbao Auction House hopes that these relatively inexpensive yet equally valuable works can fuel the enthusiasm of fledgling collectors.

Dai Ying, collector, said, "Many of my earlier collections were obtained at high prices. The reason I'm interested in these smaller-sized pieces this time is that they are exquisitely made by maestros, and they are affordable for everyone."

Of course there were also pieces that were pricier. An ink-and-water painting of fish, created by Qi Baishi in his nineties, fetched 520-thousand yuan, or nearly 80-thousand US dollars. And "Naked Woman" by Lin Fengmian, although smaller in size than Qi's painting, was sold for an impressive 640-thousand yuan, or some 94-thousand US dollars.