China. Ink and watercolors on silk, with a silk brocade frame and mounted as a hanging scroll. Depicting a pair of phoenixes perched on a rock issuing peony, surrounded by a pair of cranes below them raising their heads, two pairs of mandarin ducks swimming in a river, and swallows flying above the water surface, with bamboo and other auspicious flowers.

Inscriptions: Upper left, signed ‘Shen Quan’, and dated ‘In the Winter of the Year of Gengwu, Qianlong era’ (corresponding to 1750); two seals of the artist, ‘Wuxing Shen Quan’ and ‘Nanping shi’. Lower left, three seals, ‘Zhengyi shuwu zhencang tushu’ and ‘Runzhou Da Chongguang Jianding yin’, the third illegible.

Provenance: Belgian trade.
Condition: Commensurate with age and displaying remarkably well. With some old wear, browning, minor foxing and soiling, creasing, tiny tears, and small losses here and there with associated touch-ups.

Dimensions: Image size 139 x 88.5 cm, Size incl. mounting 278 x 105.3 cm

The painting shows two important collector’s seals in the lower left corner. The first seal, ‘Zhengyi shuwu zhencang tushu’, belongs to Yixin (1833-1898), better known as Prince Gong, who was an imperial prince of the Aisin Goro clan and an important statesman of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty. He was a regent of the empire from 1861 to 1865 and wielded great influence at other times as well. The second seal, ‘Runzhou Da Chongguang Jianding yin’, is associated with Da Chongguang (1623-1692), a political figure, calligrapher, and painter in the early Qing dynasty, and most likely came into the hands of Prince Gong via descent.

Shen Quan (ca. 1682-1760) was active during the Qing dynasty and painted in the Ming academic style. Shen was very influential in Japan, inspiring an entire school of painting, the Nanping School, which flourished in Nagasaki during the Edo period and was named after the artist’s courtesy name.

Paintings and embroideries with phoenixes surrounded by various birds, including cranes, mandarin ducks, and pheasants, is a common motif in Chinese culture. Phoenixes are regarded as the king of the birds, as they represent power, virtue, and grace. This large and impressive inlaid panel is an outstanding example and possibly of imperial origin.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 26 May 2021, lot 875
Price: HKD 187,500 or approx. EUR 22,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Shen Quan (1682-1760), Phoenix
Expert remark: Compare the related motif, colors, and fine brushwork. Note the much smaller size (98 x 46.5 cm).



沈銓(1682-1760)款《百鳥朝鳳》，1750年
中國，絹本水墨設色，掛軸。描繪一對鳳凰棲息在岩石上，牡丹綻放，下方一對仙鶴昂首挺立，鴛鴦在水中遊弋，燕子在空中飛翔，並可見各類吉祥之花。

款識：乾隆庚午冬仲南蘋沈銓寫；鈴印：吳興沈銓，南蘋氏：珍藏印：正誼書屋珍藏圖書，潤州笪重光鑒定印

來源：比利時古玩交易。
品相：品相良好，有一些磨損、褐變、輕微的汙漬和摺痕、微小的撕裂，以及隨處可見的小缺損以及相關的小修補。

尺寸：畫面139 x 88.5 釐米, 總 278 x 105.3 釐米

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2021年5月26日，lot 875
價格：HKD 187,500（相當於今日EUR 22,500）
描述：清沈銓《鸞鳳呈祥》，設色絹本立軸，一七四六年作
專家評論：比較相近的主題、顏色和精細的筆觸。請注意尺寸較小(98 x 46.5毫米)。