What Were Antique Shops Like in the Old Days? Specialized Professionals in the Qing Dynasty

In recent years, as the collecting market has heated up, many people are aware that Beijing’s Panjiayuan is a great place for antique enthusiasts to “hunt for treasures.” The exact origins of the antique trade are difficult to determine, but its long history is undeniable.

According to the “Antique Guide” compiled by the Republic of China’s prominent collector Zhao Ruzhen: “Antiques, in common parlance, refer to ancient relics and rare items… In the Ming Dynasty, they were still referred to as ‘antiques’ or ‘antiquities.’ ‘Antiquities’ was a term widely used during the Qing Dynasty, denoting a short form for ancient cultural and artistic artifacts.” The writings of Ming scholars Liu Dong and Yu Yizheng in “Brief Scenic Views of the Imperial Capital” also mention that the Beijing City Temple Market sold items like “Yi tripods from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze mirrors from the Qin and Han dynasties, and calligraphy and painting from the Tang and Song dynasties.” This indicates that antique trading in Beijing was already well-established during the Ming Dynasty. By the late Qing Dynasty, there were specialized antique shops in Beijing, and those engaged in the trade had become a distinct profession. Readers of “Dream of the Red Chamber” may remember Leng Zixing, who was a dealer in antiques.

In the mid-Qing period, antique shops in Beijing, just like bookstores, congregated around the Liulichang area, forming a “cultural street” that thrived for nearly 200 years. Initially, the patrons of antique shops were mostly high-ranking officials, scholars, and literati who were interested in inscriptions on gold and stone tablets, Shang and Zhou bronze tripods, and various other rare antique items. During the late Qing period, after the sacking of the Old Summer Palace by the joint forces of Britain and France, Chinese cultural relics began to flow out of the country. Archaeologists, collectors, adventurers, and antique dealers from Europe and the United States, among others, flocked to China and took advantage of unequal treaties to delve into the country and collect a wide range of antiques. Simultaneously, this spurred some knowledgeable individuals in China to take action to collect national treasures and resist the outflow of cultural artifacts. From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period, social turmoil and upheaval, the abdication of the Qing dynasty, the fall of powerful families, warlord conflicts, and incidents like the “Theft of the Eastern Mausoleum Treasures” led to a substantial influx of antiques into the market. During that time, the antique business in Beijing experienced unprecedented prosperity.

According to Zhao Ruzhen, Beijing’s antique dealers can be roughly categorized into three types: street vendors, consignment shops, and antique shops. Among these, the most formal and reputable are the antique shops, specializing in various antique treasures such as calligraphy, ceramics, bronze items, and stone inscriptions. The large antique shops in Liulichang are well-established, have good reputations, and generally do not sell fake items or accept fake goods. The proprietors are highly knowledgeable, with exceptional discerning abilities. Figures like Zhao Peizhai of Daguanzhai, Sun Baochen of Ruguzhai, and Han Shaozi of Yunguzhai are all experts in the fields of appraising calligraphy, ancient ceramics, and restoration work. Ma Jichuan of Yuchishanfang is a master in mounting and hanging paintings, and he was responsible for mounting the national treasure “Xiaoxiang Painting” brought back from the Forbidden City by Puyi himself.

Antique shops primarily cater to the affluent, while common people interested in antiques typically visit street vendors or consignment shops. Street vendors acquire their goods from the common people and often sell low-quality, rough, and sometimes counterfeit items, but they offer competitive prices and allow for haggling. Occasionally, a lucky find may turn up, making them more appealing to those in the lower and middle classes. Consignment shops, on the other hand, are a bit different. Strictly speaking, they are not antique shops but rather shops dealing in secondhand goods. However, their merchandise frequently overlaps with that of antique shops. Consignment shops mainly offer practical items, including old furniture, carpets, tapestries, theatrical costumes, porcelain, bronze items, lacquerware, and even items like birdcages, cricket boxes, and mahjong tiles. These secondhand items are generally of lower value, but they are usually in good condition and are considered a great value for the average person.

Another industry closely related to the antique trade is known as “drum-beating” or “peddling.” This profession can be further divided into “hard-drumming” and “soft-drumming.” “Hard-drummers” often carry two large baskets as they traverse streets and alleys, collecting old furniture, clothing, and other secondhand goods. “Soft-drummers,” on the other hand, dress neatly, possess some degree of expertise, and typically do not use baskets but instead carry a blue cloth bag. They specialize in identifying and purchasing valuable antique paintings and calligraphy. While there have been overnight success stories in the peddling business, the majority of “drum-beaters” merely resell secondhand goods to consignment shops, earning enough for their livelihoods. Some even endure hardships, as portrayed in the lines from “Capital Miscellany”: “Beating the small drum, the sound is meager but resounding; accustomed to walking deep in the alleyways. In a day of wind and snow, their bellies empty, they willingly make sacrifices to ease poverty.”