‘MAGNOLIA, PEONY AND PRUNUS’, BY ZOU YIGUI (1686-1722) China. Ink and watercolors on paper. Finely painted with leafy and flowering branches of magnolia, peony, and prunus, with some buds still closed. Note the appealing contrast of colors between the white magnolias, pale pink cherry blossoms, and almost lavender peony.

Inscriptions: Center left, signed ‘Zou Yigui’. One seal of the artist.

Provenance: British market, by repute from an old English private collection. Inscribed in pencil, ‘30 Tsou I Kuei’, and with an old paper label inscribed with an inventory number, ‘30’.
Condition: Fair condition with wear, soiling, creasing, some losses with associated old repairs and touchups. Mounted on paper.

Dimensions: Image size 83 x 40.5 cm, Size incl. mounting 111.5 x 56 cm

Zou Yigui (1686-1722) was a famed Chinese painter who lived during the earlier Qing Dynasty. He was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. He painted for the Imperial family and was highly skilled in painting flowers, with meticulous attention to detail. He was also talented in painting landscapes and once wrote a book named ‘Art of Painting of Xiaoshan’, discussing the experience of painting.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related painting by Zou Yigui, 175 x 97 cm, also depicting magnolia, peony, and prunus, at Lempertz Brussels, 18 June 2017, lot 1094, bought-in at an estimate of EUR 21,000-22,000. Compare a related painting by Zou Yigui of a white peony, 58 x 40 cm, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy on 26 November 2012, lot 938, sold for HKD 225,000.

鄒一桂款《玉出牡丹》
中國。立軸，紙本設色。繪有枝葉繁茂的玉蘭、牡丹和桃花，花蕾含苞欲放。請注意白色玉蘭、淡粉色桃花和近乎薰衣草色的牡丹之間迷人的色彩對比。

款識：辛未仲冬，小山鄒一桂
鈴印：一桂

來源：英國古玩市場，據説來自英國私人收藏 。有鉛筆手寫的 “30 Tsou I Kuei” 字樣，紙標籤有收藏編號 “30”。
品相：狀況良好，有磨損、汙漬、摺痕，以及相關的舊維修和修補造成的一些損失。 紙本裝裱。

尺寸：畫面83 x 40.5厘米，總111.5 x 56厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件鄒一桂的《玉出牡丹》，175 x 97 釐米，見布魯塞爾Lempertz 藝廊2017年6月18日 lot 1094, 估價EUR 21,000-22,000。比較一幅鄒一桂《白牡丹》，58 x 40 釐米，見香港佳士得Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy 2012年11月26日 lot 938, 售價HKD 225,000。