Treasure at Home: A Special Collection of Zhejiang Folk Antiquities Exhibition

Author: Zhejiang Provincial Museum
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book collects over 260 pieces (sets) of rare cultural relics from Zhejiang, including ancient ceramics, bronze wares, stationery, miscellaneous items, calligraphy, and paintings. With numerous illustrations, each plate is accompanied by details such as era, name, dimensions, and comprehensive appraisals written by experts. Zhejiang, located on the southeastern coast, is a land of outstanding talent and profound culture, renowned as the "Land of Cultural Relics" and the "Gathering Place of Human Culture." Collecting, as an elegant activity for preserving and passing on history and culture, has a long and glorious tradition in Zhejiang, producing many renowned collectors. Notable figures include Shen Yue, a prominent book collector during the Southern Dynasties, Ke Jiensi, a Yuan Dynasty artifact appraiser, Fan Qin and Xiang Yuanyan, Ming Dynasty book collectors and calligraphy appraisers, Ding Jing, a Qing Dynasty inscribed-bronze collector, and modern figures such as Luo Zhenyu, Zhao Wanli, and Qian Junqiu. Due to the emergence of these distinguished collectors and the flourishing of folk collecting activities, a vast array of precious artifacts and intangible cultural heritage witnessesing Zhejiang's historical and cultural development and social progress have been preserved, becoming a distinctive feature of Zhejiang's traditional culture.
In the 1980s, after a period of decline, folk collecting in Zhejiang experienced rapid growth. By the 21st century, folk collecting activities became unprecedentedly active and developed. The rise of private collectors and folk museums complemented the advancement of China's museum industry. Collecting, by nature, is divided into public and private collections. Folk collecting falls under the category of private collections and is closely linked to social development. As the ancients said, "In chaos, hide gold; in prosperity, play with antiques." Since the reform and opening-up, with China's rapid economic growth and improving living standards, the trend of folk collecting antiques has quietly emerged and quickly escalated into a wave sweeping across the Chinese continent. The growing number of collectors reflects China's entry into a peaceful era and the people's well-off lives, while objectively contributing to fostering a positive atmosphere for protecting cultural relics. However, in the burgeoning field of folk collecting, as the number of collectors increases, issues such as the quality of collections have become prominent, attracting social attention and posing practical challenges for museums in serving the public.
Nationwide, folk collecting in Zhejiang is relatively advanced, with its scale and level gaining recognition domestically. Therefore, guiding folk collecting in Zhejiang toward legal, scientific, and rational development is of significant practical importance for building Zhejiang as a cultural powerhouse and strengthening cultural relic protection efforts.
To this end, since early 2003, the Zhejiang Provincial Museum has collaborated with Zhejiang Television's Film and Culture Channel and the Daily Shangbao to launch the "Appraisal Studio" activity and the "Treasures at Home—2003 Zhejiang Folk Collecting Tour," dedicated to providing free appraisal and consultation services for collectors. Over 100 experts from provincial-level cultural and museum institutions participated in the nearly six-month-long free "Appraisal Studio" events, including four comprehensive and thematic "Appraisal Studio" sessions, one live television "Appraisal Studio" event, and three appraisal-themed lectures. Additionally, they conducted free "Appraisal Studio" tours to Shaoxing, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Linhai, and other areas. With the assistance of local museums, approximately 20,000 pieces of collectibles from over 5,000 people received free appraisals and consultations. Due to their practicality, relevance to daily life, and accessibility to the public, these activities were widely welcomed and achieved remarkable social impact.
Building on this success, the first "Treasures at Home—Zhejiang Folk Collecting Treasures Exhibition" and the "Friends of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum · Folk Collecting Forum" were successfully held. Experts from institutions such as the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Shanghai Museum were invited to select the "Top 10 Treasures of Zhejiang Folk Collecting" from the exhibition's treasures. Zhejiang Television's Film and Culture Channel broadcasted the live unveiling of the "Top 10 Treasures" for nearly three hours, bringing the free "Appraisal Studio" event to its climax.
Throughout the entire process of "appraising," "displaying," "seeking," "showcasing," and "evaluating" cultural relics, the Zhejiang Provincial Museum leveraged its strengths and brand to provide free appraisal services while effectively mobilizing and integrating folk collecting resources. This successfully achieved the sharing of folk collecting resources with the public, resulting in a "triple win" for museums, collectors, and the public.
On January 11, 2004, the "Treasures at Home—Zhejiang Folk Collecting Treasures Exhibition," featuring over 260 pieces (sets) of folk collecting treasures, was grandly opened at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum. These treasures included both high-quality pieces selected from the free "Appraisal Studio" tours and premium collectibles from wealthy private collectors in Zhejiang. The exhibition was divided into four categories—bronze wares, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, and miscellaneous items—and showcased to the public. The exhibition featured invaluable Zhejiang traditional ceramics, extremely valuable Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, Ming and Qing dynasty colored porcelain, exquisite Shang and Zhou dynasty bronze wares, Yue state weapons, Han and Tang dynasty bronze mirrors, imperial artifacts, and Yuan dynasty paintings, leaving visitors in awe. Such a large-scale, multi-variety, and high-level folk collecting treasures exhibition is rare even nationwide.
To better promote the achievements of Zhejiang's folk collecting, with the friendly cooperation and support of collectors and connoisseurs, the "Treasures at Home—Zhejiang Folk Collecting Treasures Exhibition Special Collection," edited by the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, was published. As a companion catalog to the exhibition, it is divided into sections on ceramics, bronze wares, miscellaneous items, and calligraphy and paintings, featuring over 260 pieces (sets) of exhibits. Although the cataloged folk collectibles represent only a small fraction of Zhejiang's total, the strict selection process and the involvement of some of Zhejiang's leading collectors ensure that the cataloged pieces are of high quality, reflecting the current level and standards of folk collecting in Zhejiang.
Of course, appraisal, as a technique based on knowledge and experience, is not entirely scientific and requires continuous learning, exploration, and refinement in practice. As the saying goes, "Even the wisest person makes mistakes," so it is inevitable that some appraisal disputes may arise in this catalog.
In conclusion, we hope that the publication of this book will benefit the mutual learning and exchange among folk collectors, promote the healthy development of folk collecting activities in our province, and enhance the appraisal and collection skills of collectors.