Page 13 - 2020 Nov 30 Christie's Hong Kong Scholars Art Of China

fig. 5
圖五

Metropolitan Museum, Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute by Prof. Cheng Te-K’un in 1951 when he was invited to
of Chicago, the Freer Gallery in Washington, the Sackler teach in the Cambridge University. Archaeology in China,
Gallery, Cleveland Museum, Boston Museum, and the Fogg (three volumes including ‘Prehistorical China’, ‘Shang
Art Museum in Harvard with its legendary archaic jade Dynasty’ amd ‘Chou Dynasty’) were published by the
collection, the catalogue of which, Ancient Chinese Jades, was library between 1959 – 1963 and became the standard in
very influential in my understanding of archaic jades. the research of Chinese antiquity. Prof. Cheng retired in
1974 form Cambridge and was invited to be the Head of
th
On the 7 of June in 1995 I was invited to the opening Literature as well as Vice Principal by the Chinese University
of the Hotung Collection of Chinese jades in the British of Hong Kong in 1976. In 1978, he established The Centre
Museum in London, and was really impressed with the for Chinese Archaeology and Art at the University, and
archaic jades on display. When I returned to Taipei, I threw became its first Director. He retired again in 1995.
myself wholeheartedly into the preparation work for the
first ever exhibition of archaic jades from private collections
My learning experience in the West meant that I was able
in the National Palace Museum.
to acquire some accurate and valuable knowledge. Soon
after, China began opening up and an increasing amount
During this period of learning in the West, I also became
acquainted with several experienced collectors and of excavated materials and data came to light, highlighting
scholars, such as the Chicago collector Francis Li, whose the importance of these ancient materials in enriching
introduction enabled me to acquire several fine Shang our understanding of Chinese culture and history. In
Dynasty examples. In 1990 I had the opportunity to review particular, the discovery of the tomb of Fuhao in Henan
the Mufei Collection of renowned archaeologist Prof. in 1976, the Sanxingdui excavation and related Shang
Cheng Te-K’un (1907 – 2001), held in Bluett & Sons by the period sacrificial pit in Sichuan in 1986, and the Shang
then director Anthony Carter, and acquired a few archaic Dynasty tombs in Xin’gan in Jiangxi in 1989, were pivotal
jades, including a‘dragon’pendant (5 cm. long). in our understanding of the pioneering Shang and Zhou
civilizations, spurring my determination in collecting Shang
The name‘Mufei’comes from the Mufei Library established and Zhou jades.

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