Page 10 - Chang Wei-Hwa Collection Hong Kong Nov 2019 Christie's

A HEAVENLY FEAST OF JADES AMIDST THE

CLOUDS

Narrated by Chang Wei-Hwa
Compiled by Xiong Yi-Jing

I ventured into the business of Chinese antiques in the late 1970s Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Freer Gal-
with jade carvings being one of my main focus. White jades from lery of Art in Washington D.C., the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,
the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as archaic jades sourced the Nelson- Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas, the Cleveland
from dealers on Canton Road in Hong Kong, were among ex- Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and Fogg Art
amples that came through my hands. At the time, Textual Research Museum of Harvard University. All these museums house great
of Ancient Jade with Illustrations by Wu Dacheng (1835-1902) was collections, and some of which are published in Ancient Chinese
the only published reference available to me in understanding ar- Jades, a true classic that tremendously influenced the way I exam-
chaic jades. In recent times, with more excavated materials being ine and appreciate archaic jades. All these visits took place before
published, it is clear that the book’s relevance might require re- I had the chance to travel to China, and before any publications
evaluation. on excavated discoveries of early jades were available. When I
first encountered archaic jades in Hong Kong, I was only able to
In the early 1980s, I became acquainted with Mr. Chang Tao Ren reference examples housed in major overseas museums, and it was
(1914-?) in Hong Kong. One of the founders of Union Film Co., during this early period that I purchased a number of archaic jades
Mr Chang was born in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, and was highly from Western dealers in London and New York. It was not until
articulate in poetry, prose, and calligraphy. A renowned antique 2002 that I was able to visit Beijing and thus fulfilling my dreams
connoisseur, Mr Chang gifted me with a book titled Chinese Ar- of visiting the Palace Museum, National Museum of China,
chaic Jades, published in 1950 by the prominent antique dealer C.T. Capital Museum of China, and Han Dynasty Mausoleum in the
Loo (1880-1957). This book marked the beginning of my pursuit Fengtai District.
and studies of archaic jades.
Archaic jades became one of my main areas of expertise in the late
In 1987, I went to Japan and visited the exhibition Gold Dragons, 1980s. In 1990, I was instrumental in helping the formation of the
Gold Horses and other Animals, displayed at the Osaka City Muse- Lantien Shanfang Collection of early jades, as well as sourcing ar-
um of Fine Arts. Loaned by Xianyang Museum, the exhibits were chaic jades for the Yangdetang Collection. It was during this time
excavated treasures from Shaanxi Province of China. Two archaic that I became acquainted with Mr. Chin Hsiao-yi, then director
jade pieces had special appeal to me: a carved jade bear and a jade of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, whose unfailing sup-
bixie. Following this exhibition, many opportunities arose, al- port made possible two collectors’ exhibitions showcased in 1995
lowing me a glimpse of other important jade pieces such as those and 1999 at the National Palace Museum. Six private collectors
from the Tomb of Fuhao as well as jades exhibited at museums were invited to participate in the two exhibitions, enhancing
in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. All these viewing opportunities af- positive interactions between individual collectors and prominent
forded me better insights to the understanding of Chinese archaic public museums. In 1996, the master of Jinhuatang also joined the
jades. ranks of archaic jade collecting.

From 1988 to 1992, I took time between auctions in Europe and The National Palace Museum’s ‘jade event’ in 2001 turned a mar-
America to visit the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Mu- ket with prospects into a conservative one. As a result, I decided
seum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Brooklyn to shift my business from Taiwan to Hong Kong. The reputation

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