Page 25 - Fine Asian Works of Art December 19, 2016, SF

PROPERTY ORIGINALLY FROM THE
COLLECTION OF HAN WAI TOON (1892-1970)

Han Wai Toon (Han Huaizhun, 1892-1970) was a prominent 韓槐準舊藏
archeologist and Chinese porcelain specialist. A native of Wenchang
county on Hainan Island, he arrived into Singapore in 1915 and 韓槐準，海南島文昌縣人，著名考古學家和瓷器專家， 1915年南下
in 1936, became the owner of Yu Qu Yuan ('Estate of Dull-witted 新加坡，1936年成為愚趣園主人。坐落於三巴旺舊路的愚趣園，種植
Pleasure' or 'The Garden of Foolish Indulgences'), a rambutan 南洋水果紅毛丹。韓氏常在紅毛丹成熟的時節邀請舊雨新知到愚趣園
plantation on Old Sembawang Road. Han frequently held gatherings
at Yu Qu Yuan and his visitors included luminaries such as Yu Dafu 雅集，結識了如郁達夫（1896-1945）、劉海粟（1896-1994）和徐
(1896-1945), Liu Haisu (1896-1994) and Xu Beihong (1895-1953). 悲鴻（1895-1953）等藝文界人士。其中，韓槐準和徐悲鴻之間的友
His association with Xu Beihong was especially remarkable. After 誼殊為深厚。 1937年中日戰爭爆發，徐悲鴻於隔年攜帶大批作品離
the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937, Xu Beihong brought 開重慶，一路在香港、新加坡、吉隆坡等地舉辦展覽賣畫救國，為抗
an extensive art collection out of Chongqing to places like Hong
Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, selling paintings and organizing 戰籌募義款。1941年，日軍轟炸新加坡，徐悲鴻一度躲進好友韓槐準
exhibitions to raise funds for the war relief effort in China. In 1941 的愚趣園，並將自己攜帶至南洋的部份書畫、瓷器、玉器和印章囑託
when Japanese troops attacked Singapore, Xu Beihong at one point
used Yu Qu Yuan as his secret hiding place and entrusted part of his 韓槐準代藏。在愚趣園居停期間，徐悲鴻興之所至，常半夜作畫，挑
treasure trove of paintings, antique porcelain, jades and seals to Han
Wai Toon for safekeeping. During his brief residence at Yu Qu Yuan, 選得意之作題款簽名，其他丟棄一旁，但總被韓槐準一律收起。1949
high-spirited Xu Beihong often painted during the wee hours, inscribing 年，韓槐準和黃曼士（1890-1963）協助將愚趣園等處保存下來的幾
and signing on his satisfactory works while discarding the rest, of 十箱藝術品，由徐悲鴻學生陳曉南自美國回北京途經新加坡之際，物
which Han kept all in the end nonetheless. Han Wai Toon and Huang
Manshi (1890-1963) helped to keep Xu's art collection in tens of large 歸原主。徐悲鴻回國後，持續與韓槐準書信往來，從1951年徐氏病中
cases safe and intact, subsequently returning to him in Beijing through 賦詩「十年長憶海南韓，愚趣園中嘉會難； 籬落參差存古意，賓朋細
the latter's student, Chen Xiaonan, during his stopover in Singapore
from the United States in 1949. After Xu Beihong returned to China, 品紅毛丹」中，不難看出徐悲鴻和韓槐準交情之深。 本輯四件佳作，
he continued to write letters to Han Wai Toon. The 1951 poem that
illness-stricken Xu composed for Han, 'These past ten years, Han the 尺幅小巧精緻，筆墨細膩生動，原為韓槐準舊藏，之後輾轉進入新加
Hainanese has always been in my thoughts, but it would be difficult for
us to meet again at Yu Qu Yuan; Where among the disorderly fences 坡私人收藏。
a hint of antiquity lingers (a reference to his hidden treasures), with
friends gathering to savor the rambutans', is a testimony of the close
friendship between Xu Beihong and Han Wai Toon. This group of 4
small, exquisitely rendered Xu Beihong paintings which were formerly
in the collection of Han Wai Toon thereafter exchanged hands and
entered a private Singaporean collection.

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