PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE FAMILY OF TAM SHU MING Tam Shu Ming was one of two sons of the eminent and illustrious Tam clan, who owned most of the land in the town of Sun Wei, near Guangdong. He was born on October 20, 1924. Though his family was quite wealthy, with revenue made from many acres of hemp farms, education and scholarship were held in the highest esteem. His uncle achieved great distinction when he attained the degree of xx in the imperial examinations. Following his family legacy, Tam Shu Ming obtained his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Shanghai University (also known as Jiao Tong University). Mr. Tam's work took him to many cities nationwide, where he designed electrical generating plants for the budding young PRC. This gave him the opportunity to meet artists such as Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong, which satisfied his own interest in the arts, as well as fulfilling his family's tradition of acting as patrons of the arts, especially music, painting, and calligraphy. Mr. Tam particularly enjoyed visiting artists' studios, followed their exhibitions over the years and commissioned many works. The two works presented here are two of the many he collected. Mr. Tam was an interesting man in that his tastes were cosmopolitan and eclectic. His interest in art, clothing, sports, music, and culinary endeavors embraced both the traditional, and also Western. His daughter recalls hearing Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, seeing the Bolshoi perform it; and also listening to many Italian operas and arias. Tam Shu Ming insured that his family's heritage of academic achievement and love of the arts continues to thrive with his descendants. These paintings by two of China's most accomplished and influential modern artists are offered here by Mr. Tam's daughter, a physician who graduated from MIT and then Harvard Medical School, from their family collection.

QI BAISHI (1863-1957)

CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND INSECTS

Details

QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Chrysanthemums and Insects
Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
Inscribed and signed by the artist, "painted in the capital....at Jiping Tang", with one seal
25½ x 13 in. (64.7 x 33 cm.)

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist.

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Lot Essay

As a connoisseur of painting and calligraphy, Tam Shu Ming likely met Qi Baishi while he was a student or during his later business travels, as is indicated in the inscription on this painting. Qi Baishi painted many versions of chrysanthemum flowers and amaranths with his characteristic bright colors and bold brushstrokes, juxtaposed with finely painted insects. However, the depiction of a snail, which is shown crawling up the rock in the background, is very unusual, although Qi used his usual care to depict its speckled body and swirling shell. The inclusion in the picture of a cricket was particularly suitable for Mr. Tam, as he collected many bamboo cages full of crickets, to Mrs. Tam's annoyance. Yet, he loved the sound of their chirping against the trickling of the brook by his study. He was fascinated by snails, and not only found them visually beautiful but also apparently studied their reproduction and pervasiveness. His family recollects that he also had a taste for escargot.

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