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choice for the Yuan Shikai emperorship. Before the exhibition, Westerners did not

appreciate these wares. Most likely, Guo Baochang benefited from such a public

appraisal of Guyuexuan wares. He could thus elevate the value of the wares produced

under his direction and now available for sale in the surging art market. In fact, in the

1920s and 1930s, besides the actual Guyuexuan porcelain produced for Yuan Shikai in

1915, the number of “fake” Guyuexuan wares made in imitation of the Qianlong period

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objects that Tang Ying directed increased exponentially. Thus, not only did Guo have
a hand in these reproductions but he most likely made a profit from them while at the

same time boosting his self-image as a porcelain expert. After all, what else was Guo

supposed to do with objects produced for a fallen and now deceased emperor?

1
This is sometimes referred to in the written sources as the Chinese Exhibition, London
Exhibition, Exhibition of Chinese Art in London, etc. This chapter will refer to the
London part of the exhibition as, “The London Exhibition.”

2 See articles from The Times newspaper on May 23, September 4, and September 14,
1935.

3 Fu Zhenlun௩ࣈࡐ, Qishinian suojian suowen ɖɤϋהԈהၲ [Seventy Years of
Observations] (Shanghai: Huadong shifan daxue, 1997), 175.

4
See Meishu shenghuoߕஔ͛ݺ [Arts and Life], April 19, 1935; Da Gongbaoɽʮజ
[L’Impartial], “Yishu zhou le,” December 14, 1935; Da Gongbao, “Yishu zhou kan,”
January 4, 1936; Da Gongbao, “Lundun Zhongguo yishuzhanlan yuzhan deji” ࡐ౱ʕ਷
ᖵஔ࢝ᚎึཫ࢝त፨ [Special Issue on the Preliminary Exhibition of the London
Exhibition of Chinese Art], Part I, April 6, 1936; Da Gongbao “Lundun Zhongguo
yishuzhanlan yuzhan deji” ࡐ౱ʕ਷ᖵஔ࢝ᚎึཫ࢝त፨ [Special Issue on the
Preliminary Exhibition of the London Exhibition of Chinese Art], Part II, April 13, 1936.

5 Mme. Guo Taiqi, “Introduction,” in Chinese Art: An Introductory Handbook to
Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Textiles, Bronzes & Minor Arts, ed., Roger Fry (London:
Batsford Ltd., 1935). Madame Guo’s introduction was first printed in The Queen
th
newspaper, October 9 , 1935.