Ming and Qing Furniture Research Society
At the beginning of liberation, Mengjia’s income from royalties was quite considerable, and a lot of it was spent on buying Ming-style furniture.
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and see that the lights in the room are still on. Mengjia is either writing or admiring the furniture. He would sit here quietly, seemingly communicating with the furniture with his heart.
- Mrs. Chen Mengjia and the famous translator Zhao Luorui
When she was in the United States, Chen Mengjia replaced Deng Yizhe and participated in Princeton University's "Oriental Academic" conference together with Liang Sicheng and Feng Youlan. That meeting was devoted to Chinese bronzes, paintings and architecture.
Chen Mengjia felt that "there has been a huge outflow of antiquity in recent years, but domestic universities do not have professional art departments" , so he applied to Principal Mei Yiqi to set up a cultural relics showroom in Tsinghua , "It should be based on the Chinese The study of the history of art creation focuses on the development of various art works over time and regional characteristics." .
Chen Mengjia (1911~1966)
In November 1947, Tsinghua University decided to "prepare a cultural relics exhibition room as the basis of a university cultural relics museum. The first step is to use the school's special funds for book purchases to purchase antiques." Mei Yiqi appointed Chen Mengjia as the director of the organizing committee.
Chen Mengjia took these special funds to look for various antiquities in Beiping.
At that time, the People's Liberation Army was approaching Peiping from the northeast, and many Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China's old and young people were preparing to retreat. Chen Mengjia took the opportunity to often visit the houses of Yuan Shixiang (Yuan Shikai's sister) and other wealthy families to buy private collections of antiques.
Chen Mengjia’s bedroom at No. 12 Shengyin Courtyard of Tsinghua University
In 1948, Chen Mengjia moved alone to No. 12 Shengyin Courtyard assigned to him by Tsinghua University. It was an empty house with two bedrooms and one living room. Neighbors include Jin Yuelin , Chen Yinke , Pu Jiangqing and others.
During this period, he was able to purchase cultural relics for Tsinghua University while gradually adding furniture to his and Luo Rui's home. In the nearly 20 years of correspondence with Zhao Luorui, Chen Mengjia mentioned the details of purchasing ancient furniture hundreds of times:
entered the city with Wu (Han), Zhu (Ziqing), and Pan (Guangdan), and first went to West Lake Camp Buy more than ten pieces of palace clothes. The next time I had dinner with the Supreme Ancient Zhai, I bought 40 million worth of antiques. I bought a rosewood pen holder and four small porcelain bowls.
- February 3, 1948
I entered the city early this morning. Liu Renzheng was waiting for me at the entrance of the Youth Association. Together we visited private houses, Longfu Temple, Dongsi , Tianqiao North Street and other small markets to look for hardwood furniture. I ran until late at night, and in the middle I went to Zhendexing to see the embroidered clothes, which was very impressive.
Today I bought Daming red sandalwood piano table (like a painting table, without drawers, 500, 300,000), two half-moon-shaped mahogany round low table (used as a coffee table, 500, 500,000), rectangular small coffee table ( rosewood , 250,000 yuan), long piano table (need to be equipped with two coffee tables as legs, 605,000 yuan) ...
The piano table and piano table will be repaired in two weeks. Everything was transported by Zhendexing hired vehicles.
In addition, I also ordered a red sandalwood Eight Immortals table and a Xiaoqin table, which cost about three million. I entrusted one person to do it. I went to the city again on Thursday (the day after tomorrow) to run with Liu. It was very strenuous, but also interesting. Everything is very cheap for US dollars.
——November 8, 1948
When the old man Wang Shixiang mentioned Chen Mengjia’s early death, he said “what a pity” several times. He always said that Chen Mengjia was the inspiration for his Ming and Qing furniture collection.
Wang Shixiang commemorated Mr. Chen Mengjia on the title page of "An Appreciation of Ming Style Furniture"
Wang Shixiang said that the furniture he bought was incomparable to that of Chen Meng's family. Everything from the Eight Immortals table painting case to jewelry box and pen holder.
Ming dynasty huanghuali clip flower square table, old collection of Chen Mengjia, now in Shanghai Museum
Wang Shixiang and Chen Mengjia knew each other as early as the 1930s. At that time, the newly married Chen Mengjia couple lived in the garden of Wang Shixiang's family. Wang Shixiang was still very childlike at that time, and would hold hands with his friends in the middle of the night. Several dogs went to Yuquan Mountain to catch badgers and returned at dawn.
In Wang Shixiang's eyes, Chen Mengjia was very elegant whether he was walking, sitting or lying down, or smoking and drinking tea - he always smoked the tinfoil-wrapped front door and always drank Longjing .
Ming huanghuali wood rose chair, old collection of Chen Mengjia, now in the Shanghai Museum
Every time he walked into an antique shop, the merchants always treated him with respect. Wang Shixiang, who had not yet established his own collection system at that time, was often left out.
Chen Mengjia can also evaluate the ins and outs of each antique, and will also distribute his good cigarettes to antique dealers. Chen Mengjia can also identify some spliced and forged furniture at a glance.
Ming Dynasty huanghuali chuck and tenon painting case, Chen Mengjia’s old collection and now in the Huzhou Museum
Ming dynasty huanghuali chuck and tenon painting case, part of the Ming dynasty huanghuali chuck and tenon painting case
In addition, Chen Mengjia is also good at painting. He can describe what an artifact should look like in three or two strokes, telling antique dealers Why does something belong to the Qing Dynasty rather than and Ming Dynasty .
The furniture, calligraphy and paintings chosen by Chen Mengjia are often praised by colleagues at Tsinghua University. Therefore, Deng Yizhe, Mei Yiqi and others often asked Chen Mengjia to go to the city to purchase furniture. According to his diary and letters, he bought a mahogany square table for Mei Yiqi's family to use for eating, and Mei Yiqi was very satisfied.
Mei Yiqi, President of Tsinghua University
Chen Mengjia gradually established a reputation among antique dealers in Beijing that was difficult for others to match. However, antique dealers continued to sell to him, and he gradually suffered from it. These troubles would also be truthfully conveyed to him in letters. Wife:
I have been surrounded by booksellers and antique dealers for days. Antique dealers often deceive and lie, which is especially hateful. I have gradually become discouraged...I always hope that you will come back soon.
Antique ghosts from Liulichang came to me on bicycles every day. I also bought a small copper bell, a fragment of a Shang stone plate... 5 dancing figurines, a small plate and a set of lenses, Song Dynasty colored porcelain, etc., in total The fee is three to four million (totaling three to four hundred yuan now), which has not yet been paid.
Another worry is that he is financially strapped, because he often spends a lot of money on collections. From time to time, he will borrow money from his mother-in-law and fourth brother-in-law Liu Renzheng. Later, he will pay his salary in many cases, and he must pay off the debt as soon as possible.
Chen Mengjia and his wife in their apartment in Tsinghua University. Behind them are Mi Fu's calligraphy works (photographed in 1949)
His love for furniture stayed with him until the end of his life.
In 1956, Chen Mengjia used the royalties from his "A Summary of the Yin Ruins Oracles" to purchase a courtyard house in Qianliang Hutong , which was originally the property of Wang Shixiang's uncle.
Ming huanghuali five-legged round fragrant table, Chen Mengjia’s old collection and now in the Shanghai Museum
Chen Mengjia often entrusted the diligent and agile Wang Shixiang to send the furniture he purchased for polishing and repair. Coupled with the years of hearing and seeing, Wang Shixiang also gradually got a glimpse of The hallmark of classical furniture.
In the preface of the book "An Appreciation of Ming Style Furniture", he recalled the interesting stories between himself and Chen Mengjia:
Mengjia had already published a great work, and his royalties were more than mine, so he could buy furniture that I couldn't afford.
For example, the pair of Ming dynasty red sandalwood straight lattice frames were placed in a furniture store on the east side of Nankou Road in Lubanguan for a year or two. I went to see them many times, but they were unable to do anything, and they were finally acquired by the Meng family.
But I don’t devote a lot of energy to academic research like him. I often ride a broken bicycle, knock on the door of my old home, and visit ghost market stalls. I spare no effort, so I can buy things that Mengjia has never seen.
Ming Dynasty red sandalwood straight lattice old collection of Chen Mengjia now in Shanghai Museum
Someone once asserted that Chen Mengjia was "stingy". Mr. Wang Shixiang said seriously: "You are also a collector, are you stingy? You are not stingy when you buy things. It's really disappointing. Are you stingy when you treat people to dinner? "
means that collectors put most of their assets in collections, so they naturally hesitate to spend favors.
(Source: Sanlian Life Weekly )
- END -
