Li Ruiqi, a staff member of China Guardian Auctions, works during an auction held by the company last year. She shares her knowledge of collectibles on social media. PHOTO XINHUA Li Ruiqi, a 28 year old staff member at an auction company, has been sharing her daily work experience and knowledge about collectibles on her WeChat channel since the end of last year. Hello, everyone, today I'm going to introduce you to the unique porcelain made in the Qing Dynasty 1644 -- 1911 during the reign of Emperor Daoguang, says Li, who works at China Guardian Auctions.
The auction house recently held a themed exhibition showcasing such porcelain, drawing the attention of many antiques enthusiasts.
We do our utmost to explore the cultural connotation behind these collectibles, where their value will also be increased. When the audiences see a collection, they will not just see an old object that looks beautiful. They will be able to understand the important historical value behind it, says Li.
Nowadays, young Chinese are interested in learning about cultural relics, and professionals like Li are injecting new vitality into the collectibles market, contributing to the inheritance and protection of traditional culture.
Shao Tianhong, also an art market practitioner of the post- 1990 generation, graduated from a British university and studied Chinese art history for her master's degree. Since graduation, Shao has been involved in the auction market.
Young Chinese today have more opportunities to experience both Chinese and Western cultures, and their aesthetic and artistic perceptions are different from their previous generations, Shao says.
Gan Xuejun, president of the Beijing Association of Auctioneers, says that auction promotes and publicizes traditional culture in the market, leads the public to recognize and attach more importance to cultural relics through commercial activities, and improves people's awareness of protecting cultural relics and traditional artworks.
"The young Chinese are a new force connecting the past with the future," says Gan. China's collectibles and artwork market will rely on them to improve standardization, specialization and internationalization. A number of auctioneers and traditional museums have stepped into the field of digital collectibles development to appeal to more youngsters. They digitize their collectibles through original designs and sell them online to consumers, including music, animation, games and handmade figurines.
A traditional art auction company in eastern China Nanjing launched nine digital collectibles based on painted and calligraphic cultural relics last year, with a total distribution of 45,000 items. The total sales volume of 2.7 million yuan ($393,000) was sold in two minutes, with a total sales volume of 280 million yuan in 2021, according to a report by iResearch.