The curtain will rise on the China Guardian Auction's 2005 Spring sale over the weekend, with the star sale item an over two millennia old bronze wine vessel returning to China for the first time in decades.

Over 1,100 lots of Chinese traditional paintings and calligraphy and thousands of other items will also be on sale in the capital following a three-day preview at the Kunlun Hotel and Huadu Hotel from May 10-12.

The items to be auctioned include art ware, Chinese embroidery, oil paintings, sculptures, rare books and antique stamps, coins and bronze mirrors.

The category of modern and contemporary Chinese paintings and calligraphy features masterpieces by Qi Baishi, Huang Binhong, Zhang Daqian, Li Keran and others.

Qi Baishi (1863-1957) is noted for his works which combine elegance and folk temperament.

Of special interest are three albums of figures (lot 536), treasures (lot 568) and birds and insects (lot 304) by Qi.

Figure portraits made up a comparatively small proportion of Qi's works.

The figure collection, an eight-leaf lot of ink and color features eight well-known characters in ancient China, including a sketch of Su Dongpo, one of the literary masters of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), fondling an ink-stone, his facial expression touched by satisfaction.

Nearly 400 pieces of porcelain, jadeite and other art works will also be on sale.

But the star of the show is the finely cast bronze wine vessel with a cover, dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC).

For decades, (lot 2169) has been in the Idemitsu Museum of Art in Tokoyo, which has gained a worldwide reputation as a storehouse of some of the finest Chinese antiques.

It continues to be unusual for Chinese works of art and historic relics to be featured in domestic auctions, so the inclusion of the bronze is causing a buzz among collectors.

It is thought to have been an item of tribute given by nobles during the middle age of the Western Zhou Dynasty to express their gratitude for their emperor's largesse.

Over the centuries China has won international acclaim not only for its porcelain, but also its exquisite embroidered products.

Not surprising then that more than 400 embroidered articles, most of which are classics from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, a time when the arts and crafts of Chinese embroidery experienced a period of unprecedent prosperity, are featured.

The lots, of different genres from both the imperial and folk workshops, cover almost all types of embroidered clothing found in old China.

There are pieces for decoration, coverings, religious application and buzi, symbols to differentiate between social ranks.

A masterpiece by Shen Shou (1874-1921), an embroidery expert from Suzhou - one of the homes of silk embroidery in China - will also be on sale.

Born in an antiquary family, Shen's embroidery skills came to the fore when she was just 15. She rather courageously adopted some of the aspects of Western fine art, and created a new genre, the "imitative embroidery," which further advanced the industry's development.

Also on sale will be the largest category of oil paintings (180 lots) and sculptures (12 lots) the auctioneers have sold in their 11 year history.

Enthusiasts of antique rare books, coins, stamps and bronze mirrors will also find much of interest in the salesroom. The auction will be held from Friday to Sunday, May 13-15.

(China Daily May 9, 2005)