The Imperial Embroidered Silk Thangka of Yongle Period [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Imperial Embroidered Silk Thangka of Yongle Period

The sizable panel, measuring 3.3 plus 2.1 meters, stands as a testimony to the Ming Dynasty’s exquisite embroidery techniques and textile art. The gold threads were woven with colored silk threads.

It portrays the wrathful image of Raktayamari in the center, in brilliant red tones. It bears an imperial Yongle presence mark. It fetched HK$348 million ($45.14 million) at a Christie’s sale in November. Liu said in a public speech later that it is his first thangka. "I’ve been purchasing art for 20 years, and none of them enthralls me (as much as the Yongle thangka). I felt that I was so small standing before it (at the sale’s preview)." Ming Dynasty Buddhist Sutras This collection of Buddhist Sutras is believed to be an authentic work of Ming navigator Zheng He and the only one in existence. It was dated to the 12th year of the Yongle reign, or 1414. The scriptures were written in gold on blue paper, taking 39 leaves to form an album.

It was a lot of Christie’s sale during this year’s Asia Week New York from March 13-21. Although it was signed "Zheng He", the auction house put it under an anonymous label with estimated prices between $ 100,000 - 150,000.

It ignited a bidding war among 31 bidders, then narrowed down to four Asians and Americans.Liu finally won the 31-minute competition by paying $ 14.026 million.