Chronicles of Interest in Studio Names of Modern and Contemporary Studies

Author: Zhou Jinguan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-05-01
Features: Studio names and studio numbers are generally used for expressing emotions and sentiments, and a portion are inspired by objects. For example, Mr. Feng Gongdu's studio name "Yun Zhen Tang" might be misunderstood by those unfamiliar as "a room containing true sentiments and truths." In reality, it is derived from the first two characters of the imperial plaque "Yun Zhen Qie Yu" by Emperor Guangxu! If someone doesn't know Mr. Feng Gongdu, they can be told that he had a direct connection to Beijing's earliest tap water, but he himself was a scholar. Of course, the studio names and studio numbers of collectors are often related to objects. Some non-collector scholars also have studio names and studio numbers associated with treasures in their homes. Among these, there are two major categories that stand out: one is naming the studio after an inkstone, and the other is naming the studio after a book title. There are naturally others, and sometimes they can be even more interesting.
Let's start with inkstones. Just within the scope of this book, there are two studios named "Yi Yan Zhai." One of them belongs to Gao Junfan, who collected an ancient Duan inkstone used by Lu Shen of Yanshan. The "Er Yan Zhai" belongs to the modern scholar Zhu Yongzhang, who obtained two large bricks from the Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou and the Anhui city wall in the Song Dynasty, carved them into inkstones, and named his studio accordingly. The "San Yan Shi" belongs to Beijing seal carver Xiong Boqi, who named his studio after the three inherited inkstones he received from his father. The "Si Yan Shan Fang" follows this numerical naming method, with Shan Zhinan of Shandong also using this approach. There are also Jin Dongxin's "Bai Er Yan Zhai" and the "Bai San Yan Zhai" of Huangshan scholars Zheng Guoqing and Zhou Xiaolin. But if judged by the exquisite quality of the inkstones, then the "Bai Yi Yan Zhai" of Su Zongren and the "Sheng Chun Hong Shi" of Lin Baihui stand out. Su Zongren is a descendant of Su Dongpo and Su Ziyou. During the Republican era, he purchased an ancient Duan inkstone from Liulichang, only to later discover that it had once been stored in the Song imperial collection and the Qing imperial family. It has one hundred and one eyes, and one can only imagine how many private collectors of such high status exist? "Sheng Chun Hong Shi" is the studio name of the modern journalist Lin Baihui, who collected a "Sheng Chun Hong Inkstone" from his maternal uncle Huang Shentian. This inkstone is not only exquisite in quality and craftsmanship but also, more importantly, Huang Shentian was a renowned inkstone collector over the past few centuries, and the "Sheng Chun Hong Inkstone" was one of his treasures. This inkstone is also accompanied by a story of "spending a thousand taels to get a concubine and a thousand taels to buy an inkstone," which can be said to embody a blend of elegance and charm.
The situation with books is slightly different, especially in terms of studio names and studio numbers, where elegance is more prominent, and charm is rarely seen. Zhou Shuqian was a famous book collector in modern times, and his contributions to both the quality and quantity of his collection were significant. He had several studio names and studio numbers, three of which were related to his precious ancient books: one is "Yi Juan Xiao Jing Zhai," where he collected a Song Dynasty edition of the "Xiao Jing Yan Zhu" from the Qing imperial collection; another is "Dong Jia Cao Tang," where he collected two Yuan Dynasty editions of "Su Dongpo's Lefu" and "Jia Xuan's Changchuan Shu," taking the first characters of each book's title to combine them as "Dong Jia" for his studio name; and "Shuang Nanhua Guan" refers to him collecting two Song Dynasty editions of the "Nanhua Jing" and storing them in his study. Goodness, how wealthy was Mr. Shuqian! The precious inkstones and rare books he possessed were naturally of high value, even priceless. Back then, a single "Sheng Chun Hong" was priced at two hundred taels of gold or two hundred pieces—though the exact number has been forgotten over the years. However, there are also studios whose collections, though not necessarily of great value, hold great meaning, and upon reflection, they become even more interesting. For example, the writer Jia Pingwa often arranges ancient pottery jars in his home, and the Taiwanese female writer Sanmao is also fond of pottery, extensively searching and collecting them as treasures.