南枝春早 (Nan zhi chun zao, The Beginning of Spring ), set of paintings on paper mounted in a paper leporello album, China, Qing dynasty, showing flowering prunus accompanied by inscriptions, comprising thirty pages, twenty-eight illustrated and two with text only, several seals, signed Li Kezhuang (劉克莊, 1187-1269), 22x16 cm (album) (damage and minor restorations) Provenance: Li Ai Vee collection (1932-2021), Yu-Lan cottage 南枝春早 (Nan zhi chun zao, The Beginning of Spring ), a set of paintings on paper mounted in a paper leporello album, China, Qing dynasty, several seals, signed 劉克莊 (Li Kezhuang, 1187-1269), 22x16 cm (album) (damage and minor restorations) Provenance: Li Ai Vee collection (1932-2021), Yu-Lan chalet 設色紙本 南枝春早 冊頁三十開 劉克莊簽名 22x16厘米 已經過修復 來自李愛維收藏 (1932-2021), 玉蘭木屋 General surface wear Surface missing Some loose threads Some insect damage A few holes A few creases Minor restorations Damage A few stains Overall wear to the surfaces Lacks to the surface Some loose threads Some insect galleries Some holes Some creases Minor restorations Damage Some stains COLLECTION LI AI VEE Maison Piguet is honoured to present the third part of the collection of Madame Li Ai Vee (李爱维, born Eva Anita Li, 1932-2021), a Chinese-German painter living in Switzerland and a fervent collector of Asian art, mainly Chinese and Japanese. Born in Shanghai, Li Ai Vee was introduced to painting as a child by her mother, herself an artist, and went on to become a pupil of prestigious painters such as Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) and Lu Yifei (1908-1997) in the 1950s. She then spent several years in Japan, where she was a disciple of the Zen master Rinzai Yamada Mumon Rôshi (1900-1988). There, in 1954, she was selected to paint bamboo on the sliding doors of the Hiroshima Memorial. In 1958, Li Ai Vee left China and settled in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1965, she was awarded the Medal of the City of Paris in recognition of her art. She met Zhang Daqian (Chang Dai-Chien, 1899-1983) the same year, and became a pupil of this internationally renowned painter. In 1973, Li Ai Vee moved to Blonay to the chalet "Yu-Lan" (玉蘭, "Magnolia"), surrounded by a vast bamboo forest and guarded by carved Fô dogs. It is here that she paints, surrounded by her extensive collection of Asian art, which she has added to over the years. Li Ai Vee has assembled a rich and varied collection of objects, combining monochrome vases, paintings and albums, scholarly objects, sculpted jades and divinities from the Asian pantheon, all of which sit harmoniously alongside her own paintings. The entire collection can be found by entering the keyword "Li Ai Vee" in the search bar on our website. The rest of Li Ai Vee's objects will be presented in our forthcoming sale in June 2025. LI AI VEE COLLECTION Piguet auction house is honoured to present the third part of the collection of Li Ai Vee (李爱维, born Eva Anita Li, 1932-2021), a Chinese-German painter living in Switzerland and a fervent collector of Asian art, mainly Chinese and Japanese. Born in Shanghai, Li Ai Vee was introduced to painting as a child by her mother, herself an artist, and went on to become a pupil of prestigious painters such as Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) and Lu Yifei (1908-1997) in the 1950s. She then spent several years in Japan, where she was a disciple of the Zen master Rinzai Yamada Mumon Rôshi (1900-1988). There, in 1954, she was selected to paint several bamboos on the sliding doors of the Hiroshima Memorial. In 1958, Li Ai Vee left China and settled in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1965, she met Zhang Daqian (Chang Dai-Chien, 1899-1983), and became a pupil of this internationally renowned painter. That same year, she was awarded the Medal of the City of Paris in recognition of her art. In 1973, Li Ai Vee moved to Blonay to the chalet 'Yu-Lan' (玉蘭, 'Magnolia'), surrounded by a vast bamboo forest and guarded by carved Foo lions. It was there that she painted, surrounded by her extensive collection of Asian art, which she has enriched over the years. Li Ai Vee has put together a rich and varied collection of objects, combining monochrome vases, paintings and albums, scholarly objects, carved jades and divinities from the Asian pantheon, all of which she has combined with her passion for art. The entire collection can be found by entering the keyword 'Li Ai Vee' in the search bar on our website. The third and fourth parts of Li Ai Vee's collection will be presented in our future sale in June 2025.