「The Art of Collecting」The Value Leap and Cultural Eternity Beyond Private Collection

When you think that the rich are all spending money extravagantly on luxury cars and watches, they are actually building a “bridge of wealth” with their collections.
Artworks are not only solid assets that can resist inflation. Qi Baishi’s paintings have appreciated a hundredfold in 20 years, far exceeding the appreciation potential of real estate and gold, proving the value miracle created by scarcity.

But the true ultimate essence of collection lies in transcending the narrow boundary of “private collection”. The Yasuda family in Japan integrated their tea ceremony collections into their rituals, transforming the objects into a flowing family epic; the Rong family’s generous donations; Zhang Boju made rare treasures like the “Pingfu Postscript” move from private chambers to the public eye. When collections complete the value leap from “individual – to family – to society”, the material scarcity deeply blends with cultural inheritance, and aesthetic value unites with the mission of history.

Therefore, true collecting is to let the civilization carried by the collection be passed on in a broader world, so that wealth can truly break free from the fluctuations of economic cycles and the artistic achievements can have the immortal value that transcends generations.
There is much more to collecting. That’s all for today. We’ll continue next time.