As China’s Art Market Explodes, An Old Mandarin Tradition Is Revived

“The literati tradition holds the appreciation of art, calligraphy, music, chess and other ‘gentlemanly’ pursuits in high esteem. … Cultural power-brokers have been keen to promote old-style art collecting values, based on connoisseurship, history and tradition. In this vein, museums have been focusing on important collectors and their collections.”