3900 items under hammer at Guardian's auction

China Guardian Auctions Co, one of the top auction houses in China, will present more than 3,900 items at its spring sale in May in Beijing, including rare Chinese paintings and calligraphy and vintage porcelain and furniture.

The spring sale will have 42 categories for its various market segments.

Highlights of the Chinese painting and calligraphy on offer include works by famous artists Qi Baishi (1864 - 1957) and Zhang Daqian (1899 - 1983).

Two pieces by Zhang were completed at the artist's peak in the 1940s: a painting of a woman in the Tang Dynasty and a landscape painting of a palace at Mount Emei. Both are estimated to sell for above 20 million yuan ($3.23 million).

Within the porcelain and furniture sale, there are about 30 items owned by Chinese imperial emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 - 1840). The most notable are two jade seals of the Emperor Qianlong and his son Emperor Jiaqing.

Within the auction are also rare books, stamps and ancient coins and letters of notable people from the western world.

As a celebration of the auction house's 20th anniversary, there will be special auctions of items from private collectors in and outside China.

The auction viewing will be held from May 7 to 9, and the auction will last for four days, beginning May 10.