Qianshen Bai
This is a preliminary study of the late Qing art and antique market and the collecting practices of government officials, focusing on Wu Dacheng (1835-1902) and his friends in the second half of the nineteenth century. It will discuss the following issues: art prices, the hierarchal structure of artworks and antiques, locations of major art markets, the social backgrounds of collectors, the bargaining techniques of officials, officials’ incomes, and how artworks and antiques were transmitted and transported.
