「The Art of Collecting」Culture is the root and rationality is the soul; without either, it’s bound to fail

A Tang tri-colored ceramic horse, which appreciated 30 times in 11 years, created a myth of value increase for the British railway fund; while the 2.1 billion yuan worth of paintings and calligraphy by the master of traditional Chinese painting Xu Linlu led to a five-year inheritance lawsuit and a family split. In contrast, this reveals the cruel truth of collecting! Culture is the root of appreciation, and rationality is the soul of inheritance. Without one, it will surely “break”.

The British fund’s 2,400 artworks achieved an annual return of 11.3%, among which Chinese artworks even reached 15.8%. This was due to the craftsmanship of Tang Dynasty artisans and the irreplicability of history, making the collection “hard currency against inflation”. In contrast, in the Xu Linlu case, 72 treasures, lacking a rational framework such as “collection management”, became the fuse for the family’s emotional rift, confirming that cultural sentiments without rational constraints will eventually get out of control.

Collecting is a “two-way anchor” for wealth and culture. It can not only resist inflation like hard currency but also unite family emotions and historical memories. Only by safeguarding cultural sentiments with rational tools can what is left be not only valuable objects but also a spiritual bond cherished by future generations.This “appreciation” beyond money is the most precious core of collecting.

There is much more to collecting. That’s all for today. We’ll continue next time.