Antique enthusiasts enthusiastically take action, with 32 state-owned cultural relics stores gathering in Shencheng, China | Cultural Relics | Shencheng
On the morning of June 16th, the grand banquet hall on the third floor of the Westin Hotel near the Bund in Shanghai was crowded with over 100 "Taobao seekers" from all over the country: many dressed in simple clothes and carrying old shoulder bags, which was a bit out of sync with the luxurious atmosphere of five-star hotels, but most people showed hopeful expressions on their faces... From June 16th to 18th, the three-day "2023 National Cultural Relics Store Art Exchange Conference" and "Piece Jade Hook Xuan" Shanghai Cultural Relics Exchange Center Jade Belt Hook Exhibition will be held here.
The Shanghai Cultural Relics Exchange Center's Jade Belt Hook Exhibition showcases a total of 166 pieces of jade belt hooks, some jade belt plates, jade belt buckles, and other jade artifacts. Except for a small number of jade belt hooks from the Warring States, Han, and Song dynasties, the vast majority are jade belt hooks from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Among them, the Warring States period horse head jade belt hook, Han dragon head jade belt hook, Song praying mantis head cicada pattern jade belt hook, Yuan dragon head chi pattern jade belt hook, Ming double dragon head chi pattern jade belt decoration, Qing dragon head phoenix pattern jade belt hook, etc. are all the exquisite works of this exhibition.
Zhenguan's Baoyuan Dragon Head Chiwen Jade Belt Hook.
The person in charge of the Shanghai Cultural Relics Exchange Center told reporters that the hook, formerly known as the "hook", was a component of the ancient waist belt used for tying or wearing. Usually composed of a hook head, a hook body, and a hook button, viewed in an "S" shape, the hook button is fixed to the strap, and the hook head is used to hook one end of the strap, or to hook objects, accessories, etc. "As a clothing accessory, although the hook is small, it is an important physical object for studying the evolution and development of ancient Chinese clothing."
"Fragmented Jade Hook Mysterious" Shanghai Cultural Relics Exchange Center's Jade Belt Hook Exhibition.
The "2023 National State-owned Cultural Relics Store Art Exchange Conference" and the "Pianyu Gouxuan" Shanghai Cultural Relics Exchange Center Collection Jade Belt Hook Exhibition were held simultaneously. The organizer Shanghai Cultural Relics Exchange Center and Shanghai Cultural Relics Store organized 32 state-owned cultural relics across the country. Shops came to Shanghai to "bask in treasures", calligraphy and painting, porcelain, jade, jadeite, miscellaneous pieces and other cultural relics and artworks varied, with prices ranging from several.
The booths of Shanghai cultural relics stores mainly sell jade ornaments such as jade belt hooks, jade belt plates, and jade buckles. "Since its opening, it has only been an hour, and 5 hooks have been sold, with prices ranging from several thousand yuan to over ten thousand yuan per piece." The person in charge of the booth told reporters that in the current slowing economic growth, the willingness of the people to invest in financial management has become stronger. "In ancient times, most of the people who wore jade belt hooks and jade belt boards were officials and gentry. Compared with other jade jewelry, they used large materials and had better quality, so they have a high cost-effectiveness. Today, our booth consumers are very enthusiastic, indicating that these antique enthusiasts are discerning."
The reporter also saw at the scene that several exhibition booths of cultural relics stores have started to restrict traffic due to excessive foot traffic - similar to the practice of luxury goods stores, hanging isolation ropes, and under the unified command of security, a few customers were released, and then a few were placed inside. "This event has been held consecutively for several sessions, and I come here every year. Influenced by my family, I started on the path of collecting more than 10 years ago when I first started working. Now, I spend about 300000 yuan annually to purchase antique collections. I also use my collection to keep it, and sell one or two items at a good price for cash flow," a young customer who specifically came from Nanjing told reporters.
