Treasure at Home: A Special Exhibition of Rare Collectibles from Zhejiang Folk Collections

Author: Zhejiang Provincial Museum
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book collects over 260 ancient ceramic, bronze, stationery, miscellaneous items, calligraphy, and painting treasures from private collections in Zhejiang. With numerous illustrations, each plate includes details such as era, name, dimensions, and comprehensive appraisals written by experts. Zhejiang, located on the southeastern coast, is a land of talent and 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 such as Shen Yue, the largest book collector in 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 like Luo Zhenyu, Zhao Wanli, and Qian Junqiu. Due to the emergence of these distinguished collectors and the flourishing of private collecting activities, a vast array of precious artifacts and intangible cultural heritage witnesses to Zhejiang's historical and cultural development and social progress have been preserved to this day, becoming a distinctive feature of Zhejiang's traditional culture.
Since the 1980s, private collecting in Zhejiang experienced a low point before rapidly resurging. By the 21st century, private collecting activities in Zhejiang reached unprecedented vibrancy, with the rise of private collectors and the emergence of private museums, complementing the development of China's museum industry. Collecting, by nature, is divided into public and private collections. Private collecting is closely tied to social development. The ancient saying goes, "Hide gold in chaos, play antiques in prosperity." Since the reform and opening-up, with China's rapid economic growth and improving living standards, the trend of private antique collecting has quietly emerged and quickly escalated into a nationwide phenomenon. The growing number of collectors reflects China's entry into a peaceful era and the people's well-off life, while objectively fostering a positive atmosphere for cultural relic protection in society. However, in the burgeoning field of private collecting, as the collector base expands, issues such as the quality and authenticity of collections have become prominent, attracting social attention and posing practical challenges for museums in serving the public.
Nationally, private collecting in Zhejiang is relatively advanced, with its scale and level gaining recognition. Therefore, guiding private collecting in Zhejiang toward legal, scientific, and rational development holds 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 Television Culture Channel and the Daily Shangbao to launch the "Appraisal Studio" activity and the "Treasures at Home—2003 Zhejiang Private Collection Tour" with the aim of providing free appraisal and consultation services to collectors under the banner of the "Cultural Relics Protection Law." Over 100 experts from provincial-level cultural and museum institutions participated in the nearly six-month-long free "Appraisal Studio" activities, organizing 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 50,000 people and over 20,000 collected items received free appraisal and consultation services from experts. 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 Private Collection Treasures Exhibition" and the "Friends of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum · Private Collection Forum" were successfully held. Experts from institutions such as the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Shanghai Museum were invited to select the "Top Ten Treasures of Zhejiang Private Collection" from the exhibition's treasures. Zhejiang Television's Film and Television Culture Channel broadcast a nearly three-hour live program announcing the "Top Ten Treasures," bringing the free "Appraisal Studio" activities to a climax.
Throughout the entire process of "appraising," "displaying," "seeking," "showcasing," and "evaluating" treasures, the Zhejiang Provincial Museum leveraged its strengths and brand to provide free appraisal services while effectively mobilizing and integrating private collecting resources. This successfully achieved the sharing of private collecting resources with the public, resulting in a "win-win" outcome for museums, collectors, and the public.
On January 11, 2004, the "Treasures at Home—Zhejiang Private Collection Treasures Exhibition," showcasing over 260 treasures from private collections, was grandly opened at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum. These treasures included both high-quality items selected from the free "Appraisal Studio" tours and premium pieces from private collectors in Zhejiang enterprises. The exhibition was divided into four categories—bronze, ceramics, calligraphy and painting, and miscellaneous items—and displayed 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 bronzes, Yue Kingdom weapons, Han and Tang dynasty bronze mirrors, imperial artifacts, and Yuan dynasty paintings, leaving visitors in awe. Such a large-scale, multi-faceted, and high-level private collection exhibition is rare even in China.
To better promote the achievements of Zhejiang's private collecting, with the friendly cooperation and support of collectors and connoisseurs, after review and selection by national and provincial cultural relic appraisal experts, the Zhejiang Provincial Museum compiled the "Treasures at Home—Zhejiang Private Collection Treasures Exhibition Special Collection." As a companion illustrated catalog, it is divided into sections on ceramics, bronzes, miscellaneous items, and calligraphy and painting, featuring over 260 exhibited items. Although the cataloged private collections represent only a small fraction of Zhejiang's total private collecting, the strict selection process and the involvement of some major collectors ensure that the cataloged items are of high quality, reflecting the current level and standard of private collecting in Zhejiang.
Of course, appraisal, as a technique relying 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 collectors, promote the healthy development of private collecting activities in our province, and enhance the appraisal and collection skills of collectors.