Linda Peng

    SOME 20 paintings by Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa will be auctioned together with more than 1,000 selected works by well-known artists from home and abroad in Guangzhou next month.

These paintings by Kurosawa were collected by a Hong Kong collector who bought them from Kurosawa’s family two years ago and it is the first time for the director’s paintings to be auctioned, according to organizer Huayi International Auctions Co. Ltd., previously known as Guangzhou Guardian.

Kurosawa is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. He directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. His masterpieces include “Drunken Angel,” “The Idiot,” “Rashomon,” “Ikiru,” “Seven Samurai,” “Yojimbo,” “Kagemusha” and “Ran.” However, his original ambition was to be a painter.

Among the 20 paintings available for auction, six depict characters from his films. The starting prices for his paintings range from 400,000 yuan (US$63,500) to 800,000 yuan.

Other artists whose selected oil paintings will be auctioned include Chinese realist painters Wang Yidong and Chen Yifei and modern Chinese ink painters such as Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian, Xu Beihong and Wu Guanzhong.

Other objects to be auctioned include jade, chinaware, sand-fired pot, wine and others. An emperor’s gown with dragon design from the Qing Dynasty is also included, with starting prices ranging from 500,000 to 800,000 yuan.

At present, speculation in the investment market for art works is decreasing. “However, art lovers and collectors as well as investment organizers are the major players in the market, and they will not quit because we all know the price for really rare works of art will never decrease,” said Li Yifei, president of Huayi International Auction Co. Ltd.

Auction time: Dec. 8-11

Auction venue: Exhibition Center of Guangzhou Oriental Hotel, Guangzhou

Organizer: Huayi International Auction Co. Ltd.

www.chuayi.com.cn