Ink and colour on paper, framed, inscribed and signed Beihong, with one seal of the artist Beihong. Dated autumn 1950., Provenance: A wedding gift presented to JUDr. František Matal (1921–2012), Czechoslovak commercial attaché in Beijing, and his bride Zdenka Pánková by colleagues and friends, Beijing, 1 May 1951 (a contemporary photograph and the wedding announcement preserved); thence by descent in the Matal family until 2026. Note: JUDr. František Matal (1921–2012) studied law at Charles University before entering the Czechoslovak diplomatic service; he served as commercial attaché at the Czechoslovak Embassy in Beijing from 1949 to 1951, the first years of the People's Republic of China. The painting was presented to the couple as a collective wedding gift on 1 May 1951 by colleagues and friends from the embassy circle, and has remained in the Matal family without interruption to the present sale. The original wedding announcement and a contemporary photograph of the gift survive with the work.