RMB 425.5 Million

A work by Qi Baishi fetched RMB 425.5 million at the spring auction by China Guardian, the highest sum ever paid for any modern artist in China. The largest of all paintings verified to be by the venerable master, this piece is a combination of a 266 x 100 cm ink painting of an eagle perching on a pine tree and a 264.5 x 65.8 cm (apiece) couplet in seal-style calligraphy saying "longevity to people and peace to the world." It was created in 1946, when the artist was 86.