Valuable oil painting misunderstanding: Collector finds 'stolen' artwork safe at ancestral home

An 84-year-old art collector, identified as Leung, recently reported the theft of a valuable oil painting by Lin Fengmian from his luxury apartment, only to discover that the situation was due to a misunderstanding. 

Leung, a renowned collector with an impressive portfolio including works by notable artists such as Chang Dai-chien, Xu Beihong, Fu Baoshi, Li Keran, Huang Zhou, and Cheng Shifa, initially believed that the oil painting, valued at several million dollars, had been stolen. 

The masterpiece -- titled "Liu Guan Zhang" -- features Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei from the historical "Three Kingdoms." 

In an interview with Sing Tao Daily -- the sister publication of The Standard -- Leung said that he received the oil painting as a gift from an American friend 20 years ago, valued then at HK$150,000, but now the painting is worth several million. 

He said several auction houses and interested Taiwanese parties have expressed a desire to acquire the artwork; however, Leung remains hesitant to part with it.

He initially believed that the oil painting had been stolen. However, after reviewing a recent interview, he recalled the painting was not at his Kowloon Tong residence. 

This prompted him to make a late-night visit to his ancestral home in Kowloon City around 3 am, where he was ultimately relieved to find the painting safe.