Qing Calligraphies

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Calligraphy has certainly started at the same time as writing, of which the oldest known examples exceed five millennia. This is less an archaeological than a logical argument. To be understood, which is the purpose of writing, it is best to write neatly and nicely.

Thus, the calligraphy is an ancient major art. In countries that use an alphabet with few letters, this art has fallen into disuse after the invention of printing. As against, for our greatest pleasure, Islamic and Chinese calligraphies continued to prosper.

In China, writing is linking all ethnic groups. Each sign represents a word, which is expressed verbally in different ways depending on the region. For this reason, the emperors themselves expressed with calligraphies. On May 28 at Beijing, Poly Auction sell fifteen of these works, created by eight emperors of the Qing dynasty.

The most beautiful, estimated 800 KRMB, is a tablet of silk 49 x 122 cm in three parts, each part being centered by an elegant thick sign in black ink, about 40 cm high. Emperor K'ang Hsi, we know him now in the articles of this group, released this message: "Be honest, be cautious, be diligent." This is good advice, still valid after three centuries!

I wrote voluntarily K'ang Hsi and not Kangxi because this classical spelling is still used by the auction house.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

I do not well know the inside Chinese market, so I had been careful in my comment above. The estimate of 800 KRMB for a beautiful calligraphy from the hand of the Emperor seemed however very low.

Here is the result: 6.5 MRMB (about 650 K €) including fees.

The next lot of the same sale, a calligraphy of Yong Zheng, sold 4.7 MRMB inclusive.