- Page Title
- Power & Culture – Heirlooms from the Poon Family Collection | 2024 | Sotheby's
- Brand
- sothebys.com
- Type
- Other
- First Seen
- 11/29/2024
- Last Seen
- 12/1/2024
- Domain
- sothebys.com
- URL
- https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/power-culture-heirlooms-from-the-poon-family-collection?locale=zh-Hant&cmp=pso7000203043
- Description
- Effective May 20th, 2024, Sotheby's has lowered its Buyer's Premium rates and removed Overhead Premium for all categories excluding Wine Spirits. Sotheby's Overhead Premium will only be charged for Wine Spirits lots. Please refer to the Conditions of Business located on the relevant sale page for the updated rates.VIEW PDF CATALOGUE | 瀏覽電子圖錄FOREWORDAn art collection is a confluence of philosophy, passion, thoughts and sensitivity, coming together to create a narrative that is as unique and complex as the collector. In that regard, the Poon family collection stands out as a superb generational heirloom collection carrying the imprint of not just one, but many personalities of the same family stretching through the centuries, and embodying their history, their values and their philosophy all threaded together. As the power of the Poon family grew throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, from a leading trading house in Canton and gradually wielding its influence at the Imperial court, so did their art collection, which would first flourish under Pan Youwei (1743-1821) and Pan Zhengwei (1791-1850).One of Pan Zhengwei’s lifelong passions was the establishment of the Tingfanlou, a pavilion to house his treasures of calligraphy, paintings and seals. It was of no surprise that Pan chose to build the scholarly retreat in the family compound. Pan Zhengwei showed reverence for the past, as a compass for moral guidance and wisdom, through honouring his ancestors’ values and the study of classical texts as well as through collecting ancient paintings, calligraphies and objects as a means of self-cultivation. This particular framework for achieving personal virtue and social harmony would carry through the later generations, who extended the power of the clan and continued to grow the family collection.The very same idea of possessing the past – so central to classical Chinese thought as a means of establishing one’s moral rectitude, wisdom and political legitimacy – underpins the collection of the emperors of China going back to the Song dynasty. The most profound and surest way to assimilate the past would have come through copying ancient calligraphies and indeed emperors since the Song dynasty and throughout the centuries have copied prized calligraphies from their collections.During the Song dynasty in China, political legitimacy played crucial roles in the reigns of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song and Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song. Emperor Renzong inherited the throne from his father and continued his policies, ensuring a sense of continuity in governance. Meanwhile, Emperor Gaozong’s reign began after the fall of the Northern Song dynasty to the Jin dynasty, forcing the Song court to relocate to the south. Emperor Gaozong faced the challenge of maintaining political legitimacy while ruling from a diminished territory. He sought to preserve the cultural and political legacy of the Northern Song dynasty, emphasising the continuity of the imperial lineage and classical values, so he could present himself as the rightful heir of the imperial lineage. Copying Wang Xizhi’s Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion and thereby absorbing the essence, culture and moral virtue of great figures past, following the practice of his predecessors, would have imbued him with a strong sense of legitimacy.Pan Zhengwei and later generations of the Pan family – themselves scholars, artists and calligraphers – may well have likewise copied the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion, thereby nourishing themselves with the past within the rarefied surroundings of the Tingfanlou. It is the powerful story of the continuum of classical Chinese thought and tradition that is told in this unique generational collection of art spanning a thousand years of history. It is nothing short of a privilege to mark the first season at our Maison at Landmark Chater with such an exceptional collection.Nicolas ChowChairman, AsiaChairman and Worldwide Head of Asian Art前言藝術收藏，是哲學、思想、熱忱與感性的交匯，當中的故事，恰如其人，千絲萬縷，深刻而獨特。潘氏存珍，作為家傳庋藏，不只是個人的傳記，而是數百年來家族世代的過濾與沉澱，所承載的，是他們的歷史、價值和理念交織而成的樂章。十八至十九世紀，隨著潘氏商行業務的拓展，在廣州業界以至朝廷官員間喚雨呼風，潘有為（1743-1821年）與潘正煒（1791-1850年）始建藝藏，集雅存珍，為世所慕。潘正煒醉心藏藝，在家宅潘園築建聽颿樓，以存書畫古印。潘正煒尊祖尚古，勤書典學，藏物養志，存書畫、研金石，成就明心慧智、高風亮節。以此模範，啟廸後代，透過習文藏物，頌和衷、育美德。隨著家族繁衍，潘氏藏珍日漸豐盛，包羅萬象。宋代御藏，也以尊古為尚。中國經典強調尚古與敬尊，乃慧智仁德不二法門，君權承襲，同遵此理。先哲慧思，蘊存字裏行間，遂趙宋以降數百載，歷代帝君藏法帖、勤臨摹，在橫竪撇捺中尋覓至理箴言。宋朝仁宗與高宗年間，皇族正統尤關重要。北宋仁宗年幼登基，親政後恭儉仁恕，欲延父皇真宗咸平之治，強調趙氏政權一脈相承。後來金人入侵，趙室被迫遷逃，高宗臨安即位，史稱南宋。在流亡偏安、皇兄困俘的情況下，高宗治國困難重重，惟承襲北宋政治文化傳統，尚古尊祖，圖藉此宣揚皇權正統。遙想當日御書臨摹羲之蘭亭，汲取箇中精粹，循著前人步履，向高古先賢拜學藝文底蘊、寬仁厚德，在手揮筆運間，深悟傳承之道。潘氏英才輩出，或學識淵博，或能繪擅書。生於此般書香世家，潘正煒與後人想必或曾在聽颿樓中臨蘭亭以懷古。潘氏家族珍藏，蘊千載青史，是古哲先賢思想淵流的傳記，曠古稀世，悸動人心。能在置地遮打蘇富比旗艦藝廊落成後首個季度獻此名藏，殊感榮幸。仇國仕亞洲區主席亞洲藝術部主席兼環球主管For assistance with bidding and registration, please contact:bids.hongkong@sothebys.com+852 2524 8121For all sale enquiries please contact:CHINESE WORKS OF ARTNicolas Chow |Nicolas.Chow@sothebys.com| +852 2822 8128Senior Director, Chairman, Asia, Chairman and Worldwide Head of Asian ArtCarrie Li |Carrie.Li@sothebys.com| +852 2822 8155Senior Director, Asia, Deputy Chairman of Chinese Works of ArtXibo Wang |Xibo.Wang@sothebys.com| +852 2822 5582Director, Head of Department, Chinese Works of ArtAmethyst Chau |Amethyst.Chau@sothebys.com| +852 2822 8121Director, Specialist, Chinese Works of ArtCristine Li |Cristine.Li@sothebys.com| +852 2822 8122Director, Specialist, Chinese Works of ArtRubie Fong |Rubie.Fong@sothebys.com| +852 2822 9037Specialist, Chinese Works of ArtKeason Tang |Keason.Tang@sothebys.com| +852 2822 9027Deputy Director, Head of Mid-Season Sales, Chinese Works of ArtXiaoye Yang |Xiaoye.Yang@sothebys.com| +852 2822 8135Cataloguer, Chinese Works of ArtBeijingSonya Wu |Sonya.Wu@sothebys.com| +86 10 5082 5873Deputy Director, Specialist, Chinese Works of ArtShanghaiNorbu Peng |Norbu.Peng@sothebys.com| +86 21 6288 1995Deputy Director, Specialist, Chinese Works of ArtTaipeiChing Yi Huang |Chingyi.Huang@sothebys.com| +886 2 2757 6689Deputy Director, Specialist, Chinese Works of ArtCHINESE PAINTINGS - CLASSICALSteven Zuo |STEVEN.ZUO@SOTHEBYS.COM| +852 2822 9016Director, Head of Department, Classical Chinese PaintingsSally Fong |SALLY.FONG@SOTHEBYS.COM| +852 2822 9013Deputy Director, Specialist, Classical Chinese PaintingsAlex Weng |ALEX.WENG@SOTHEBYS.COM| +86 21 62881026Specialist, Classical Chinese PaintingsJacqueline Lee |JACQUELINE.LEE@SOTHEBYS.COM| +852 2822 9043Junior Specialist / Cataloguer, Classical Chinese Paintings
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