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Subject:Signatures resources
Posted By: Luis Fri, Jan 06, 2012 IP: 190.16.204.34 Hi!, I'm looking for signatures chinese books, to be able to identify seals and signatures in paintings, any advice for baying? any online source? thanks a lot! |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: rat Sun, Jan 08, 2012 Lus, there are two good sources that are fairly easily available. One is by Victoria Contag and Wang Chi-ch'ien: "Seals of Chinese Painters and Collectors of the Ming and Qing Periods"; the 1968 edition and later reprints include a supplement of seals from works in major US collections as of the mid 1960s. The second source is Shanghai Museum, "Zhongguo shuhuajia yinjian kuanshi", in two volumes. There is a third set of books that covers the seals on paintings in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, but fails to identify which seal is on what painting. Na Zhiliang was the editor of that series I believe but it's quite hard to find for sale. |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: luis Sun, Jan 08, 2012 Hi Rat! |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: rat Tue, Jan 10, 2012 glad to help luis. there are also books that list artists' nicknames and supply their corresponding actual name. You can sometimes find the seal's owner by deciphering the legend on a seal and seeing if the nickname appears in and these books. One useful reference that includes a good index of nicknames is edited by Yu Jianhua and called "Zhongguo meishujia renming cidian". The most widely available books of artist names and nicknames are those compiled by Yang Tingfu and Yang Tongfu, one in 2 volumes on Ming artists, another in 2 volumes on Qing artists. |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: Luis Thu, Jan 12, 2012 hi Rat! |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: rat Thu, Jan 12, 2012 Luis, deciphering the signature and seals on a given picture is unfortunately not going to get you very far, because the number of fakes and copies of Chinese pictures far outnumbers the number of genuine works. Many come with the "signatures" and "seals" of famous painters attached in order to dupe the ignorant into parting with their money (cf a couple of pictures posted recently on this site, together with persuasive looking "supporting documentation"). On the positive side, for the moment relatively few of the many Chinese newcomers to collecting who are snapping up Chinese art have the connoisseurial skill to discriminate effectively between good/bad, fake/genuine, close copy/bad copy. Others simply buy indiscriminately in hopes of reselling at a higher price at home "the greater fool" theory. Knowing that a lot of the material available within China is questionable, they are scouring the globe for work taken out of China decades ago on the assumption that it must have a better chance of being genuine and that sellers are ignorant of its "true value". |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: Cameron Russell Tue, Jan 22, 2019 does anyone know who this artist is? |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: Bill H Wed, Jan 23, 2019 Your artwork is a copy, likely a print, of a celebrated painting called "Evening Revelry" done by Tang Dynasty painter Gu Hongzhong (顧閎中 - 937–975) and recreated in the 12th century after the original was lost. The red stamp shown here reads from the top right down and across in seal script as "Zhang Lan Oil Painting" (Zhang Lan You Hua - 張蘭, 油畫). I suspect this is Zhang Lan, a well known Chinese art collector and businesswoman who runs a chain of restaurants in China. Perhaps you have a souvenir sold or handed out to patrons of one of her establishments. Here are some relevant links: |
Subject:chinese seals
Posted By: tommy Mon, Jan 09, 2012 A book of chinese seals & signatures are worthless, because it does not a regesterd with trade mark! And chinese paintings are not a good investment to make. Alot of the famous chinese artists are worthless. Nothing special about their paintings, and nothing special about their art talents. It's just plain art, nothing special. And most of the famous chinese artist are made up!!! Chinese paintings are so easy copy by average artists, and it only seems that seals or signatures are the reason of it's worth. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: tommy Tue, Jan 10, 2012 Luis, |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: tommy Wed, Jan 11, 2012 tun, |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: Luis Thu, Jan 12, 2012 hi Tom: I insist: may be you are right, I'm not an expert. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: Luis Thu, Jan 12, 2012 Hi Tom, thanks for your answer. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: tommy Thu, Jan 12, 2012 luis, |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: tommy Fri, Jan 13, 2012 luis, |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: Luis Arceo Mon, Jan 23, 2012 Hi Tom! |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: kim Wed, Feb 01, 2012 My goodness! It's so very hard to do any research, even in this age of tecnology! I found a Chang Da-chien scroll. Called Plum Blossom. It looks very "authentic" and has a museum of history (Taipei) tag. Can you point me in the right direction? I will be most grateful! |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: rat Wed, Feb 01, 2012 probably a reproduction, post a picture and we can try to figure it out. there are LOTS of Zhang fakes out there; there are also lots of Zhang originals. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: kim Fri, Feb 03, 2012 Well thank you for the response. i can not believe the rabbit hole I have fallen into! I've fallen in love with art all over again. I don't think a picture will do it justice. It's a pretty big piece (5ft 7 inches long). It has 3 large red seals and 3 smaller red ones along the colophon. The thing that makes me go hmmm?? is the Museum of Natural History label (Taipei). It's written in chinese and english. At first I thought maybe the scroll came from a restaurant or institution, because of it's size. I don't think it was sold, say, from the museum gift shop either...again, the size. I've become obcessed with the history. Simply amazing! Yes, Chang Dai-Chien, AKA Tai-chien or Zhang Daqian was a known forger. Still, he has masterpieces worth millions/priceless. And a known forgery can be worth thousands. He was said to have sold/traded many of his works. Only 5,000 out of his 30,000 pieces are accounted for. later in life, He was commissioned to do a huge piece for a hotel, Said to have been the death of him. Whatever I have, it feels to be quality. The paper is grainy, and the custom matting is impeccable. Luckily, I have one large enough wall to display it properly. Although I am fasinated and somewhat lost in the research, I think my first job is to track down this label. But I'm not having any luck with the Museums websites. Any ideas, comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated!! |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: rat Sat, Feb 04, 2012 yes, the detective work can be a lot of fun. the Chinese/English seal though suggests that it most likely is in fact a reproduction sold by the Museum. I don't know when you got your scroll but the Taiwan Museum of Natural History had a Zhang Daqian exhibit as recently as 2009, here's the museum's blurb from the time: |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: Kim Mon, Feb 06, 2012 Yeah...that's what I kinda thought too. I think the size of it made me think that maybe it was used 'promotionally"...as advertisement for that exhibit perhaps. I've been to many, MANY sites, I've checked out on-line museum gift shops...with no luck. I can't find this exact piece anywhere. I'm gonna give the old library a try tomorrow. The hunt is on! LOL.. Thank you for you're input and time, much appreciated! |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: rat Tue, Feb 07, 2012 post photos here; perhaps someone will recognize something about it. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: kim Wed, Feb 08, 2012 OK...I'll post a picture...but give me a day. Gotta find and then charge up the old camera. My phone takes crappy pictures. What's intriguing, I can't find any pictures of it anywhere. And it doesn't feel or look like a standard print..it has texture. Hopefully, someone will recognize it. I'll post soon. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: Kim Wed, Feb 08, 2012 Here are the pictures, tell me what you think ! |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: rat Thu, Feb 09, 2012 looks nice, definitely a reproduction of the original painting by Zhang and sold by/at the Museum. looks in great shape. this is its full size, it's not a banner advertising the exhibit or anything |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: Kim Tue, Feb 07, 2012 Hi again, I wanted to share some new info! I've been googling for weeks, and finally, I think I got something. Apparently, It came from Oregon and was up for auction on the Goodwill on-line auction website in 2011! The picture was removed because it was over a year ago, but it was listed as a Daichien, "Plum blossom" and "published by the Museum Of History, Taipei". (Gotta be it, right?) Since there were no bidders, it floated from store to store until I found it at my local Goodwill in Maine. I LOVE Goodwill! (You should see the electric guitar and furl-lined case I recently bought for 35 bucks!! ) I will continue the research....er...obcession. Thanks again....Kim |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: tommy Wed, Feb 08, 2012 i would do more research if i were u. the zhang daqian painted in that size are of most quality, compared to the much smaller & much less quality ones. then again not everyone will tell u that. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: Kim Thu, Feb 09, 2012 Thanks! I most certainly will continue the research...(like I have a choice???)..lol. I appreciate the kudos and I enjoy your website. I'll let ya know if I find anything substantial. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: Melissa Thu, Dec 26, 2013 I was wondering if you could tell me anything about this artists signature seals and if there are paintings by Chang Da-Chien that aren't or haven't circulated in the art collection world? I have been trying to research his work TY |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: kim Fri, Dec 27, 2013 Sorry Melissa, All the info I have I also found on the internet. Good luck in your quest. |
Subject:Re: chinese seals
Posted By: rat Wed, Feb 08, 2012 good work! |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: Anita Sun, Jun 12, 2016 Hello |
Subject:Re: Signatures resources
Posted By: Gary Sun, Apr 08, 2018 You have the same request as I do. I have a painting with an Asian seal in it. Seems to be a mystery. |
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