China. Eight watercolors on thin silk. With two hardwood covers. Painted in classic Song dynasty style, each of the leaves shows superior artistic skill and inspiration. Only a few albums of comparable condition and caliber have been on the market during the last decades. This is one of the rare works of art where the quality entirely speaks for itself.

Inscriptions: Made in the 5th month of the summer of the year yichou (corresponding to 1229), which is the second year of the Shaoding era, executed by the ‘painter in attendance’ of the imperial painting academy, Lu Zonggui.

Provenance: The Winzinger Collection of Chinese Prints and Paintings, Germany. The Professor Walter Gebhardt Collection of Chinese Paintings, Bayreuth, Germany, acquired from the above. Private collection, Vienna, acquired from the above. Franz Winzinger (1910-1983) was a German painter, art historian, and important art collector. He published many works on other artists, including Albrecht Dürer, Katsushika Hokusai, and Toshusai
Sharaku, and built one of the most important collections of East Asian graphic art in Germany.
Condition: Good condition, especially given the age and the sensibility of the material, with only minor abrasions and fading, soiling, creasing and pinholes, browning.

Dimensions: Image size 31 x 24 cm (each) wood cover 40 x 28.5 cm

Published: Chinesische Farbdrucke und Malereien der Sammlung Winzinger (Chinese Prints and Paintings from the Winzinger Collection), Ausstellung der Albrecht Duerer Gesellschaft im Germanischen Nationalmuseum Nuernberg (An Exhibition of the Albrecht Durer Society in the German National Museum Nuremberg), 1974, nos. 138-145, and illustrated on the title of the catalog. Chinesische Farbdrucke und Malereien der Sammlung Winzinger (Chinese Prints and Paintings from the Winzinger Collection), Graphische Sammlung Albertina Wien (The Albertina Collection Vienna), 1975, nos. 138-145, and illustrated on the title of the catalog. In these two publications, the album has been described as follows: “The eight sheets together build an album of Song dynasty paintings, predominantly painted in the style of Li Ti.” Originals of both exhibition catalogs accompany this lot. Each of the eight leaves is listed separately on the following catalog pages:
138 - White bird on a blooming branch
139 - Anemones (illustrated on the cover of both catalogs)
140 - Blooming branch with large leaves
141 - Roses and warbler
142 - Bindweed branch with hazy blue blossoms
143 - Wisteria and Mantis
144 - Duck fledgling with orchis
145 - Peonies, this leaf bearing the signature of Lu Zonggui

Lu Zonggui was originally from Chekiang. He is noted for his highly detailed and naturalistic depictions of flowers, bamboo, and animals. He was a member of the academy in Hangzhou from 1228-1233.

The album also contains many Chinese collector’s seals, which indicate the high age and authenticity of this work. Similar paintings have been listed in the register of the ‘Ten Bamboo Hall’ as templates for their woodblock prints.

Literature comparison: Osvald Siren II, page 37-70 and 63. Osvald Siren III, plates 244 and 245.

魯宗貴，1229年：宋代重要花鳥冊頁
中國。絹本設色。冊頁，木製封面。經典的宋朝風格繪畫，八幅冊頁中的每一幅都展現出卓越的藝術技巧和極大的靈感。在過去的幾十年裡，只有極少數畫冊具有可比作品在市場上出現。

落款：紹定二年(1229年)己丑嵗夏五月畫院待詔魯宗貴制

來源：德國溫茨格Winzinger中國版畫與繪畫收藏；格哈德 Gebhardt教授中國繪畫收藏；維也納私人收藏。Franz Winzinger (1910-1983) 是一個德國畫家、藝術史學家以及重要的收藏家。他出版了許多其他藝術家的作品，包括Albrecht Dürer、Katsushika Hokusai和Toshusai Sharakuwas。他建立了德國最重要的東亞平面藝術收藏。
品相：品相良好，相比材料的高年代和敏感性，整體只有輕微的擦傷和褪色，少量污漬，一些摺痕和小洞，一些褐變。

尺寸：圖畫每張 31 x 24 厘米，木製封面 40 x 28.5 厘米。

出版：《溫茨格收藏中的中國版畫與繪畫》 （Chinesische Farbdrucke und Malereien der Sammlung Winzinger ），紐倫堡日耳曼國家博物館阿爾布雷希特·丢勒協會展覽，1974，138-145號， 在展覽目錄中可見插圖；《溫茨格收藏中的中國版畫與繪畫》 （Chinesische Farbdrucke und Malereien der Sammlung Winzinger ），維也納阿爾貝蒂娜博物館版畫部， 1975, 138-145號, 在展覽目錄中可見插圖。在兩次展覽中，此冊頁曾被評論為： “這八幅畫一起重現了宋代繪畫，特別體現了李迪的風格"。隨附兩次展覽的原圖錄。
每一頁如下：
138 – 枝頭白鳥
139 – 海葵 (目錄封面圖)
140 – 花開枝頭
141 – 玫瑰與鶯鳥
142 – 藍色牽牛花
143 – 紫藤螳螂
144 – 蘭花幼鴨
145 – 牡丹

魯宗貴，來自浙江，以其花鳥動物院躰風格出名，曾1228-1233受職于杭州畫院。

冊頁上可見衆多中國古代藏家鈴印，代表此冊頁的年代和真實性。類似畫作可見《十竹齋笺谱》。

文獻比較：Osvald Sirén II, 圖37-70 與 63。Osvald Sirén III，圖 244 與 245。