Investigation Underway After Nanjing Museum Scroll Turns Up at Auction

Cultural authorities in east China's Jiangsu Province have launched a joint investigation after reports emerged that a Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) painting from the collection of the Nanjing Museum had surfaced on the auction market.

The Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism said it is closely monitoring the case and has established a special working group to conduct a coordinated inquiry. Officials told China Newsweek that an official statement would be released as the investigation progresses.

The dispute centers on a Ming Dynasty handscroll attributed to renowned painter Qiu Ying, titled Spring in Jiangnan, which appeared earlier this year at a Beijing auction house with an estimated price of 88 million yuan (about US$12 million).

The work was reported to be among a group of ancient paintings donated in 1959 to the Nanjing Museum by the family of Pang Laichen, a prominent collector of Chinese painting and calligraphy during the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) and the Republic of China period (1911–1949).

Pang Laichen (1864–1949) is widely regarded as one of the most influential collectors in modern Chinese history. In the 1950s, his descendants donated a substantial portion of the family's collection to state-owned cultural institutions. The Nanjing Museum received the largest share – 137 works or sets – many of which later became core pieces in its collection.

The appearance of Spring in Jiangnan on the auction market prompted Pang's great-granddaughter, Pang Shuling, to report the matter to cultural relics authorities. Following her report, the auction house withdrew the painting from sale.

On December 16, Pang submitted an application for compulsory enforcement, requesting that the court require the Nanjing Museum to disclose detailed records documenting the circulation and handling of the disputed works.

In a statement issued on December 17, the Nanjing Museum said it launched an internal review after receiving court documents related to Pang Shuling's "gift contract dispute" lawsuit in November 2024. According to the museum, it formally accepted 137 donated paintings from Pang Zenghe, Pang Shuling's father, in January 1959.

The museum said that five of the donated works – including those now under dispute – were identified as forgeries following two expert appraisals conducted in the early 1960s. The first appraisal, in 1961, involved a panel that included Zhang Heng, Han Shenxian, and Xie Zhiliu, while a second appraisal in 1964 reached the same conclusion. The museum said it disposed of the five works in the 1990s in accordance with regulations governing museum collections at the time.

The museum added that the case is currently under judicial review and that it will further examine whether any illegal or improper conduct occurred during the disposal process.

Pang Shuling said the dispute has fundamentally shaken her trust in museums as custodians of China's cultural heritage.

"To be honest, what has happened has completely overturned my understanding of museums," Pang said in an interview with The Paper.

"I always believed museums were sacred places dedicated to protecting the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, and to preserving the patriotic spirit of those who donated their collections," she said. "But the actions of the Nanjing Museum in this case are simply incomprehensible."

Pang Shuling told The Paper that all the donated paintings were authentic and of high quality. She said the museum's determination that five works were forgeries was made without proper consultation and had damaged her family's reputation. If the museum had doubts about authenticity, she argued, it should have notified the donors promptly and sought joint verification.

Pang has filed a lawsuit against the Nanjing Museum, questioning how a donated artwork could have entered the commercial art market. She is seeking the return of Spring in Jiangnan as well as other donated paintings she says are no longer in the museum's possession.