A rare 700-year-old Chinese scroll has been sold for $41.8 million in an auction in Hong Kong.

The 6.6-feet scroll, titled 'Five Drunken Princes Returning on Horseback'&nbsp;is by Ren Renfa, a renowned Chinese artist and government official.

Once owned by Chinese emperors and painted by&nbsp;Yuan&nbsp;dynasty&nbsp;master Ren Renfa (1255-1327), the two metre-long scroll went&nbsp;under the hammer along with other rare artworks.

The artwork was initially estimated to sell between about $10 million and $15.5 million. Many of Ren's 21 paintings are held in museums or owned by private collectors.

"This is a painting that entered the court collection in the 18th century, in the collection of the Emperor Qianlong. It will have the seals of Emperor Qianlong, his son Jiaqing and further emperors of the Qing&nbsp;dynasty," Sotheby's Asia chairman Nicholas Chow said at a media preview on Wednesday.

The scroll shows the five princes and four attendants, who are also all on horseback in a dynamic scene. It&nbsp;has been documented in imperial collections and bears a collection of seals, including those of several emperors.

"It was in the hands of Pu Yi, the last emperor, who took it out of the Forbidden City and after that sold it on the market. And it entered various very important collections in the West. And it's with us here today," Chow added.&nbsp;

Among other works showcased by Sotheby's was a complete scroll from Qing&nbsp;dynasty&nbsp;artist Wang Hui's famous work, "The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour".

Its twelve scrolls, which are 200 metres (656 feet) long in total, are scattered around the world. Sotheby's described its presentation of a complete scroll as unique.&nbsp;

A rare 700-year-old Chinese scroll has been sold for $41.8 million in an auction in Hong Kong. The 6.6-feet scroll, titled 'Five Drunken Princes Returning on Horseback' is by Ren Renfa, a renowned Chinese artist and government official.

A rare 700-year-old Chinese scroll has been sold for $41.8 million in an auction in Hong Kong. The 6.6-feet scroll, titled 'Five Drunken Princes Returning on Horseback' is by Ren Renfa, a renowned Chinese artist and government official. Once owned by Chinese emperors and painted by Yuan dynasty master Ren Renfa (1255-1327), the two metre-long scroll went under the hammer along with other rare artworks. The artwork was initially estimated to sell between about $10 million and $15.5 million. Many of Ren's 21 paintings are held in museums or owned by private collectors. "This is a painting that entered the court collection in the 18th century, in the collection of the Emperor Qianlong. It will have the seals of Emperor Qianlong, his son Jiaqing and further emperors of the Qing dynasty," Sotheby's Asia chairman Nicholas Chow said at a media preview on Wednesday. The scroll shows the five princes and four attendants, who are also all on horseback in a dynamic scene. It has been documented in imperial collections and bears a collection of seals, including those of several emperors. "It was in the hands of Pu Yi, the last emperor, who took it out of the Forbidden City and after that sold it on the market. And it entered various very important collections in the West. And it's with us here today," Chow added. Among other works showcased by Sotheby's was a complete scroll from Qing dynasty artist Wang Hui's famous work, "The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour". Its twelve scrolls, which are 200 metres (656 feet) long in total, are scattered around the world. Sotheby's described its presentation of a complete scroll as unique.

Rare 700-year-old scroll fetches $41.8 million in auction

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Rare 700-year-old scroll fetches $41.8 million in auction