Baishi Qi Auction Prices and Value Guide
Baishi Qi auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 7,625 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Baishi Qi auction prices: quick answer
Baishi Qi auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Baishi Qi
- Source records
- 7,625
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Baishi Qi
Qi Baishi (1864–1957), born Qi Chunzhi in Xiangtan, Hunan Province, was one of the most celebrated Chinese painters of the twentieth century. Largely self-taught, he first studied painting through the traditional Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden before traveling extensively across China after age forty. He settled in Beijing around 1917, where he developed the expressive, playful ink-wash style that would define his legacy. Working primarily in ink and colour on paper, Qi became renowned for paintings of shrimp, crabs, insects, birds, and flowers—subjects drawn from everyday rural life rather than elite literary tradition. His work bridges classical Chinese painting technique with a direct, folk-inspired sensibility. In 1953 the Chinese Ministry of Culture named him a People's Artist, and his paintings are held by major museums worldwide. With over 7,600 works documented in auction databases, Qi Baishi remains one of the most widely collected and traded Chinese artists in the global market.
Traditional Chinese painting (guohua)Beijing school of paintingInk and colour on paperInk wash paintingSeal carvingCalligraphyShrimp and crustaceansInsects and birdsFlowers and plants (peonies, lotus, wisteria)Landscapes
Common works and media
Qi Baishi's most frequently encountered works are ink and colour paintings on paper, including hanging scrolls, handscrolls, album leaves, and fan paintings. Common subjects include shrimp and crabs rendered in fluid brushwork, songbirds and insects depicted with meticulous detail, flowers such as peonies, lotus, and wisteria, and landscape scenes. He also produced calligraphy, seal carvings, and figurative works including Buddhist subjects and self-portraits. Prints and reproductive works circulate widely, so distinguishing original ink paintings from later reproductions is an important step in appraisal.
Market and appraisal context
Qi Baishi's auction market is exceptionally broad and liquid, with 50 tracked lots spanning 2008–2025 across at least ten auction houses including Christie's, Kunsthaus Lempertz KG, Bassenge Auctions, and Beijing Nine International Auction Co., Ltd. The price distribution is heavily right-skewed: the median realized price is approximately USD 1,830 while the 75th percentile reaches USD 410,000 and the maximum recorded price is USD 5,300,000, reflecting the vast gap between minor works on paper and museum-quality masterpieces. The lower quartile sits at USD 500, indicating a steady supply of modestly priced ink paintings, prints, and albums. Recent activity (15 lots in the trailing 12 months) is concentrated at smaller houses like Hotspot Auctions, with prices between USD 500–2,200, while higher-value lots appear at houses such as Japan International Industry Co. Ltd. (JPY 520,000) and New Art Est-Ouest Auctions (Hong Kong). Multiple currencies (USD, EUR, JPY, AUD, HKD) appear across the records, consistent with a genuinely global collector base.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Ink and colour on paper
- Ink wash painting
- Seal carving
- Calligraphy
- Woodblock-printed albums
Value drivers
- Subject matter: paintings of shrimp, eagles, and flowers are among the most sought-after
- Provenance and exhibition history significantly affect value
- Authenticity is a major concern due to prolific output and widespread copying; expert authentication is essential
- Condition of ink-on-paper works, including creasing, foxing, and mounting quality, affects appraisal
- Calligraphy, seal carvings, and handscrolls with colophons may carry distinct market interest
- Subject matter: shrimp, eagles, cranes, lotus, and peach-of-longevity paintings attract the strongest demand; generic flower-and-bird works trade at lower multiples
Appraisal caveats
- Qi Baishi is one of the most widely forged artists in the Chinese painting market. Attribution requires expert connoisseurship and provenance documentation.
- Auction results span a very wide range; minor works on paper may sell for modest sums while masterworks command multi-million dollar prices.
- Death date sources differ: the Library of Congress records 1957-09-16 while RKD records 1957-09-17, likely reflecting a time-zone difference.
- Price records span multiple currencies (USD, EUR, JPY, AUD, HKD) and are not currency-normalized here; cross-currency comparisons require conversion at the relevant sale-date rate.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- Library of Congress library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- VIAF / OCLC library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
Data basis
This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Baishi Qi worth?
Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.
Can Appraisily value my Baishi Qi artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.