Bronze Statue: Popular abroad and Dull at Home
Jia Wenzhong, Secretary of the Chinese Heritage Society Conservation and the Chairman of china bronze sculpture Research Association
Looking back upon the Chinese market of bronze statue in 2007, you can describe it as “popular outside the country but dull inside”. Although during a whole year’s wait, the domestic market did not bring us a surprise but recession for a time, we still can feel recognition of Chinese bronze statue from the overseas market. In another word, it proves that Chinese bronze statues are kind of world art and the focus of the collectors on the earth.
The year of 2007 was the most significant year in terms of the market transition for the entire Chinese market in the field of collection. The collection market had suffered the triple whammy respectively from the real estate market, stock market and the capital fund finally slowed down the pace of progress. Nearly 80% of the chinese bronze sculpture in this year’ domestic auction failed to be sold because of low bids. The sale of bronze mirrors of China Guardian Auction Fall Session was the last special auction of 2007. Therefore, it drew more attention of the collectors in the bronze statue. Overall 118 pieces of bronze mirrors and 7 pieces of bronze statues had attracted nearly 300 people to come to the scene taking part in biding. Anyhow, that auction did not emerge the excited and ecstatic scene and the transaction price was concentrated on the scope of the valuation. Unexpectedly, the finale seven bronze statues received a cold acceptation and chill welcome, except the first bronze statue of the Warring States made a deal at the price of 9000 yuan, a little more than the valuation. Two pieces clinched a bargain at the rock-bottom valuation by only one bid and four failed to sell.
At the time that the whole bronze statue circle was confused for the bronze sculpture market of 2007, one auction called “the national treasures of overseas returnees” once again ignited the enthusiasm to the bronze industry. It is reported that four national treasures would be auctioned at the end of 2007, and the valuation exceeded more than 70 million yuan. In this connection, the organizers deliberately carried on an expert appraisal, in which these experts were from the Place in Taiwan and mainland. Actually it is more like a “blind date” among these experts rather than an appraisal. Hundreds of media took turns to make a clueless point. Furthermore, the experts categorically and resolutely asserted that these “returnees” as rare artifacts were precious legacies of the old dynasty. Nobody was worthy of these treasures except aristocracies and nobilities. Even the proficient of the Imperial Palace in Beijing took their time to compose articles for these bronze statues and publish them in the art magazines in the relevant of collections. Overnight, they seemed to wake up the whole year’ market of bronze statue and even the whole art markets. Domestic collectors were no doubt that entrust their hopes to the four “national treasures” which could activate the auction market can activate and welcomed the recovery in the market of china bronze sculpture collection of 2008. These four “national treasures” consisted of the hook between the Warring States Period and the Western Han Dynasty which were known as the “the first hook of China”, two pieces of lacquer works restricted by Liu Xiu, the Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty and the four sheep bronze square pot.
But just before the auction, a dramatic scene took place. In the appraising meeting of the experts pre-show, the four so-called “national treasures” had been identified by four connoisseurs in the Palace Museum of Beijing and one in Ezhou. According to the media reports, among the four “national treasures” had been identified by the Bureau of Cultural Relics, three of them turned out to be forgeries. Before the identification of the other bronze statue being announced, Bureau of Cultural Relics issued a punishment of withdrawing the four bronze statues before the auction. This action definitely poured could water to the last hope of the bronze statue market.
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