Antique Guide - Color Illustration Edition

Author: Zhao Ruzhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: A Guide to Antique Collecting is considered the first systematic theoretical work in the field of antique collecting and has been continuously interpreted over the past six decades. It allows you to appreciate the profound depth of traditional Chinese culture in understanding the origins, appraisal, identification, and imitation of antiques. This is a concise edition of A Guide to Antique Collecting, translated into plain language, featuring 1,500 selected antique images that offer a visual feast while reading. A Guide to Antique Collecting took about three years to write, covering a wide range of knowledge about antique appreciation, involving various types and items. In 1942, the first printing of A Guide to Antique Collecting, with over 200,000 words, was published, and it quickly became a buzz both inside and outside Liulichang. The first 500 copies sold out within less than 20 days, and a second printing was issued in October. In March 1943, Zhao Ruzhen continued to write A Supplement to A Guide to Antique Collecting, also over 200,000 words, which sold out immediately upon release. That same June, he wrote Distinguishing Genuine from Fake Antiques, with about 150,000 words, which was still highly praised by readers. The purpose of writing this book was to cast a stone to attract attention, hoping to draw the attention of experts. As for this edition, it serves as an introduction, and its importance lies not in its beauty or flaws, so no particular effort was made in its compilation. All the content is taken from current reference books and examples from the author's memory, not thoroughly verified, resulting in a somewhat brief and disorganized narrative, with inevitable errors and inaccuracies. There were two difficulties in compiling this book:
1. Most books on Chinese archaeology are written in archaic language, making them difficult for modern readers to understand. The author dared not to arbitrarily alter the text to take credit from the original authors. Therefore, in this edition, all difficult passages are quoted directly from ancient texts, hoping readers will read them patiently and not think the author is deliberately showing off.
2. The most important aspect of this edition lies in exposing the dark of fake antique production, as the art of forging has existed for a long time and has become a special profession in society.