Wan Weisheng (Chinese, B. 1932) "Great Wall of China" Signed lower left. Original Tempera on Watercolor Paper.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

To dig through so much earth, to lay brick and stone, and actually build a wall 1,500 miles long, is certainly one of man's most impressive accomplishments. Seventy-nine million cubic yards of stone and 236 million cubic yards of rammed earth provided the raw materials for the great Wall of China. One million men provided the hand-labor. But, the price was high. And, the Chinese proverb, a life for every stone, proved prophetic, as over half the men died in a building process that took hundreds of years to complete. Initial construction began during the feudal wars of 475 B.C. Following this period, culture, art and learning flourished, and in hopes of uniting the country and protecting it from outside rulers, the Emperor Shi Huan Di ordered the most massive construction project ever undertaken by man. All old sections of the defensive walls were repaired and linked together to create the Great Wall. Almost one thousand years later, the Ming dynasty reinforced the original earth and rock walls with slabs of stone and huge bricks, leaving the Great Wall much as it appears today. Now, the Great Wall covers nearly one tenth of the world's circumference and contains more than thirty thousand towers. It stands twenty-five feet high and tapers from twenty-five feet at the base to fifteen feet at the top. It remains an inpiring reminder of the art, genius and tenacity of the Chinese people.

Image Size: 7.25 x 8.75 in.
Overall Size: 12 x 13 in.
Unframed.
(B05543)

- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.

- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.

- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.

- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com

- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through 6 online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.

- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be out bid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.