‘TOAD’, BY PAN TIANSHOU (1897-1971) AND ZHANG ZONGXIANG (1882-1965) China. Ink on a paper folding fan. Finely painted to depict a toad with large eyes and distinct feet perched on a rock. The reverse with a poem in cursive script.

Inscriptions: To the front, signed ‘Shouzhe’, dated 1956, two seals of the artist, and dedicated to Wang Lifu (1911-2014). To the reverse, signed ‘Zhang Zongxiang’, with another dedication to Wang Lifu, and two seals of the artist. The fan frame dated to the Dinghai year (corresponding to 1947).

Provenance: Wang Lifu (1911-2014). Thence by descent within the family and subsequently to the last owner. Wang Lifu was a Chinese revolutionary and government official, who joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1937. He later served as a Director of the Foreign Affairs Office, and the Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear and soiling, few small tears, minimal losses and traces of usage.

Dimensions: Length 49.5 cm, Height 18 cm (the painting) and 30 cm (the frame)

Pan Tianshou (1897-1971) was a Chinese painter and art educator. He was born in Guanzhuang, Ninghai County, Zhejiang Province. He studied Chinese traditional painting with Wu Changshuo, and built the foundation of Chinese traditional painting education. He was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution until his death in 1971.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related scroll painting (58 x 44.5 cm) of a toad by Pan Tianshou at Poly International in Important Modern Chinese Painting and Calligraphy on 4 December 2020, lot 670, sold for CNY 5,750,000 (approx. EUR 724,895). Compare also a related fan painting by Pan Tianshou and Zhang Zongxiang at Poly International in Modern Chinese Painting and Calligraphy on 17 October 2020, lot 1902, sold for CNY 575,000 (approx. EUR 73,238).

潘天壽《蛙聲滿田圖》張宗祥書
中國。成扇紙本水墨。一面靈蛙伏於石上，墨韻濃重、焦淡相滲疊，以凝煉和沉健的線條將青蛙的姿態描寫得栩栩如生。構圖精簡而意遠。青蛙身體朝向畫外，似要躍出畫面，畫面的右側有行草書題寫的自作詩，錯落有致。另一面可見張宗祥為王黎夫草書題詩。

款識：江南水滿田，蛙閣閣，聲連天。歌頌禾黍豐收，年年復年年。一九五六年夏日，黎夫同志 屬，壽者。鈴印：壽者、阿壽。張宗祥 (1882-1965) 草書詩一首，黎夫同志正；鈴印：張宗祥印、冷僧。扇骨上可見“丁亥夏日行人唐雲寫於邏思齋”（應爲1947年）。

來源：王黎夫 (1911-2014) 收藏，在同一家族保存直至最後一任藏家。王黎夫曾是中國共產黨幹部，後曾任浙江省人民政府外事辦公室原主任。
品相：狀況良好，磨損和輕微污漬，少量撕裂，損失和使用痕跡極少。

尺寸：長49.5 厘米，高18 厘米 (畫) ，成扇高 30 厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相似的潘天壽《蛙聲滿田圖》(58 x 44.5 厘米) ，見保利《望山堂藏畫》Important Modern Chinese Painting and Calligraphy 2020年12月4日 lot 670, 售價CNY 5,750,000 (approx. EUR 724,895)。比較一件潘天壽與張宗祥的成扇，見保利Modern Chinese Painting and Calligraphy 2020年10月17日 lot 1902, 售價CNY 575,000 (approx. EUR 73,238)。