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From the Ying Hua Lou Collection, Singapore (Lot 244)
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Cicada and Leaves
Details
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Cicada and Leaves
Fan leaf, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
20.2 x 55.7 cm. (8 x 21 7⁄8 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dedicated to Mengquan
NOTE:
Mr. Zhou Yingnan (Mr. Tjioe Ji Nan , 1929-2014), Master of Ying Hua Lou, was born in Xianyou, Fujian Province. He embarked on an entrepreneurial journey in his youth and, through years of dedication, rose to become a preeminent Chinese industrialist in Southeast Asia. He was the founder of Singapore’s Tung Lok Food & Beverage Group and Ocean Textile Co., Ltd., as well as the chairman of Wuhan New Minzhong Leyuan.
Beyond business, Zhou was a prolific Chinese-language writer, literary theorist, and connoisseur. Recognised for his dual achievements in literature and commerce, he was honoured as the Permanent Honorary President of the Singapore Writers’ Association and celebrated as a true “Scholar-Merchant.” His literary excellence earned him the epithet “The Finest Pen of Nanyang.”
As a passionate advocate for Chinese art, Mr Zhou travelled to China and forged friendships with leading cultural figures in the 1970s, including Zhang Boju, Zhao Puchu, Ye Shengtao, Liu Haisu, Xie Zhiliu, Li Keran, Huang Zhou, Cheng Shifa, and Feng Zikai. Despite being overseas, he maintained deep connections with China’s art circles, offering support whenever possible. During this period, Zhou self-funded the publication of several art collections, such as The Paintings and Calligraphy of Feng Zikai, Landscape Sketches by Master Liu Haisu, and Recent Works by Master Liu Haisu, helping to promote Chinese artists’ achievements abroad. In return, many of these artists gifted him their finest works—a testament to Zhou Yingnan’s enduring legacy in the world of Chinese ink art.
Cicada and Leaves
Fan leaf, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
20.2 x 55.7 cm. (8 x 21 7⁄8 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dedicated to Mengquan
NOTE:
Mr. Zhou Yingnan (Mr. Tjioe Ji Nan , 1929-2014), Master of Ying Hua Lou, was born in Xianyou, Fujian Province. He embarked on an entrepreneurial journey in his youth and, through years of dedication, rose to become a preeminent Chinese industrialist in Southeast Asia. He was the founder of Singapore’s Tung Lok Food & Beverage Group and Ocean Textile Co., Ltd., as well as the chairman of Wuhan New Minzhong Leyuan.
Beyond business, Zhou was a prolific Chinese-language writer, literary theorist, and connoisseur. Recognised for his dual achievements in literature and commerce, he was honoured as the Permanent Honorary President of the Singapore Writers’ Association and celebrated as a true “Scholar-Merchant.” His literary excellence earned him the epithet “The Finest Pen of Nanyang.”
As a passionate advocate for Chinese art, Mr Zhou travelled to China and forged friendships with leading cultural figures in the 1970s, including Zhang Boju, Zhao Puchu, Ye Shengtao, Liu Haisu, Xie Zhiliu, Li Keran, Huang Zhou, Cheng Shifa, and Feng Zikai. Despite being overseas, he maintained deep connections with China’s art circles, offering support whenever possible. During this period, Zhou self-funded the publication of several art collections, such as The Paintings and Calligraphy of Feng Zikai, Landscape Sketches by Master Liu Haisu, and Recent Works by Master Liu Haisu, helping to promote Chinese artists’ achievements abroad. In return, many of these artists gifted him their finest works—a testament to Zhou Yingnan’s enduring legacy in the world of Chinese ink art.
Brought to you by

Carmen Shek Cerne (石嘉雯)
Vice President, Head of Department, Chinese Paintings