Auctions and market trends
Record prices
Until very recently, the greatest prices paid at auction for Chinese works or art were for porcelain and other objects. This has been a phenomenon for most of the last half century, though it is an exception over the course of longer historical experience. At most times in the past Chinese have most highly valued painting and calligraphy, followed by bronzes.
In 2009 there was a marked rise in interest in Chinese Classical painting, with sales that placed this category firmly in the top tier of realized prices. Interest has focused on artworks with imperial connections, with the top three paintings in this list all having seals of the emperor Qianlong (reigned 1735-1796). Buyers have also sought older calligraphy of exceptional rarity and quality, as with the two Song (960-1279) works in this list.