Ancient Spring

Author: Zhong Mingyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This is a series of small booklets specially written for beginners in the field of collection or those interested in playing with cultural artifacts. Carry a couple of them in your pocket, and you can hunt for antiques in the antique market according to the illustrations. Of course, you can also flip through, read, and set them aside after meals, during tea breaks, by the light, or before bed. The small format, light weight, and carefully selected items are designed to add no burden to your reading or use. Naturally, this series of booklets is not perfect like pure white jade. If placed on a bookshelf, it is not a shining masterpiece, and don’t expect it to add more scholarly charm to your study. However, a small desk accessory, easily picked up or discarded, still retains a touch of elegance under clear skies and calm winds. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Commercial Press in Shanghai published a series titled "Myriad Libraries" edited by Mr. Wang Yunwu, a collection of many small booklets. Who among the older generation of readers doesn’t know Wang Yunwu or hasn’t read "Myriad Libraries"? If "Myriad Libraries" is considered a model for popular reading, then in the 21st century, it is still relevant because there are always more people who read thin books than those who read thick ones. Since the 1990s, with the booming art auction industry, people’s interests seem to have shifted suddenly from stocks and futures to antiques. For a time, the antique market was too hot and too chaotic, with new, old, real, and fake items all on display. Not only were young people confused, but even seasoned antique enthusiasts felt dizzy. In this sense, to get ahead on the same starting line, they must seize the opportunity to acquire a large amount of new knowledge and information resources. As a result, catalogues of collections, auction catalogues, appraisals and appreciations, and academic monographs flooded in like falling blossoms. Those with a little money in their pockets, who want to find bargains or buy mid-range antiques for play or investment, may, in the near future, see some of them improve their eye for antiques and enter the professional field. But for now, what they need are intuitive, appropriately tiered, and easy-to-understand popular reading materials—just as mentioned before, for hunting, for leisure, and for flipping through by the light or before bed. The planning, writing, and publication of this "Practical Guide to Collecting Cultural Artifacts" fundamentally meet the reading needs of these readers. Every line of text in the book is a distillation of the author’s years of experience in appraisal work, a slightly "watered-down" but still substantial "condensed" work. May readers not discard it lightly because of its size. When you find that a good book is always worth rereading, the grooves in your brain will begin to form images of objects, features, and prices, and your collection will become richer. Then, it’s time to read thicker books. This book collects coins cast from the pre-Qin period to the Qing Dynasty, with reference prices, identification points, era styles, craftsmanship, patterns, and material descriptions. How to Use This Book:
1. Name of the Object The names of the objects listed in this book are based on generally accepted conventions. If there are two or more alternative names, the more common one is used.
2. Era The dating of the main illustrations is based on the era characteristics of the objects. For those with possible cross-era attributes, there are generally two methods: 1. Directly labeled; 2. Placed in the next era.
3. Main Illustration of the Object The main illustration is the primary object of textual interpretation. The selection criteria for this image are generally high goods in first-tier antique markets, making them representative of common interpretations. Second, the objects have been strictly selected to minimize doubts about their authenticity. The publishers of this book used advanced CTP technology to ensure high image clarity.
4. Auxiliary Illustrations of the Object There are two types: 1. Enlargements of specific parts of the main illustration; 2. Images of similar objects.
5. Identification Points The identification points listed around the main illustration are the author’s direct appraisal experience.
6. Knowledge Explanation This section includes knowledge related to the object, such as era styles, craftsmanship, patterns, and materials, as well as related knowledge about appreciation.
7. Price Reference The prices mentioned in this book are generally based on market circulation prices as a reference and do not represent specific transaction prices. The price reference for fakes is based on the general level of fake production and is not related to high-quality fakes or handicrafts.
The "Practical Guide to Collecting Cultural Artifacts" series compilation includes 8 volumes: "Porcelain," "Jade," "Buddhas," "Furniture," "Bronze Mirrors," "Ancient Coins," "Inkstones," and "Nosegay Bottles."