The Master of Shitou Shuwu: a discreet living legacy

Taiwan’s collectors of Chinese art have long been admired for their refined tastes, and among them are several who have gone on to establish their own private museums. Very few, however, have founded publishing houses dedicated to advancing scholarship in the arts. This uncommon achievement distinguishes the Master of Shitou Shuwu. Publications issued by his publishing house have become important references in the field of Chinese art collecting, and the thoughtfully assembled Shitou Shuwu collection has earned prominent recognition among collectors worldwide. This spring, ‘Chinese Classical Furniture from the Shitou Shuwu Collection’ will be presented in a dedicated sale at Christie’s Hong Kong. On this occasion, the esteemed collector, scholar and independent researcher Curtis Evarts reflects on a friendship spanning more than three decades with the Master of Shitou Shuwu, revealing through his collection a man of discretion, generosity, and unwavering lifelong dedication to the pursuit of art.

In the 1990s, John Ang and Jane Fong, co-directors of ArtAsia, were highly active in promoting traditional Chinese art and culture, organizing events that brought collectors together. The Master of Shitou Shuwu and his wife were regular participants at these gatherings, and it was there that Evarts first met him. Their shared passion for classical Chinese furniture quickly forged a close friendship. They often met at the collector’s Taipei office, admiring artworks over fine oolong tea. The Shitou Shuwu collection is rooted in the collector’s long-standing enthusiasm for classical Chinese painting and calligraphy. Beginning with seventeenth-century works, his interests gradually expanded to encompass the literature, opera, and material culture of the same era. Ming-style furniture, with its refined elegance, entered his collecting vision naturally.

In 1990, the collector acquired his first pieces of Ming-style furniture at auction. He later recalls, ‘From the outset, I knew that the restrained simplicity and elegance of huanghuali furniture spoke most deeply to my sensibilities—the movement of its grain, the lines and forms pursued with such devotion by master craftsmen, the subtle ingenuity of its construction, and the quiet traces of time it bears.’ Among the remarkable works acquired in the years that followed was the rare and important huanghuali horseshoe-back ‘grand master’s’ chair and huanghuali footstool purchased at Christie’s New York in 1997. In use since the Song dynasty, the Chinese term taishi yi—literally ‘grand master’s chair’—evolved over time and by the Qing period had come to denote any large, throne-like chair of exceptional quality, an emblem of elevated rank and social identity. This outstanding example, which embodies both authority and refinement, will be offered in the forthcoming Spring auction. Its imposing scale, superb curvature and balance, and dragon-head handgrips all signal the elite status of its original owner. The imposing scale of this armchair suggests that it may once have served as a hierarchical marker for a powerful magistrate or a prosperous merchant. The survival of the chair together with its original footrest is exceptionally rare. Formerly in the renowned T. T. Tsui Collection, it stands as one of the greatest chair forms of its era.

Throughout the 1990s—when many remarkable objects became available—the Master of Shitou Shuwu continued to build a collection with guidance from the most reputable dealers of the time. A number of the acquisitions—writing table, qin table, book shelf, scholar’s chests, and others—were ideally suited as the refined furnishings of a scholar’s studio. Among these was the rare zitan scroll-form low qin table. Carved from solid zitan timber, this rare scroll-form low qin table embodies the pinnacle of literati aesthetics. Its wave-like contours of the end panels evoke the gentle rippling of Flowing Water (Liu Shui), one of the classic pieces in the guqin repertoire, while its unadorned form expresses ultimate refinement and restraint. Long admired by connoisseurs, this table is regarded as a peerless work in the canon of classical Chinese furniture.

Reflecting on its beauty, the Master of Shitou Shuwu recalls: ‘I once believed that such unadorned poise and elegance belonged only to huanghuali furniture—until I was shown a zitan qin table. In deep purplish-black zitan, the table takes the simplest possible form, yet its gently curved legs and restrained, turning contours create a quiet refinement. Entirely plain and unembellished—without a trace of carving—it naturally evokes the still, solemn presence of the guqin itself.’ The bright acoustics of solid zitan, combined with the resonant quality produced by its wave-like structure, reflect a similar attempt to enhance the tonality of the guqin. In any case, this work exemplifies an artistry rarely encountered in furniture design—truly one of those rare masterpieces ‘praised by all as peerless.’

Two years later, in 2001, when the Chang Foundation presented seventeenth-century paintings from the Shitou Shuwu collection in A Feast for the Eyes: An Exhibition of Late Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy from the Shitou Shuwu Collection, selections of furniture from the collection were again brought to light—this time to complement the painting exhibition and evoke the atmosphere elegance associated with a literati’s environs.

Now, some twenty-five years later, the Master of Shitou Shuwu is passing his furniture collection on to others. Yet his passion for the arts remains undiminished. Reflecting upon this sale, he notes: ‘My devotion to the cultural world of seventeenth-century China remains unchanged. Painting and calligraphy, along with kunqu opera, continue to be at the heart of my attention. I hope this group of Ming-style furnishings, which has captivated me so deeply, may one day find an even better setting for display and preservation.’

Through his steadfast commitment to the arts, the Master of Shitou Shuwu continues to embody a living legacy of cultural stewardship. As beautiful things naturally find their destined place, true legacy transcends any single space or moment. The scholarly spirit and historical resonance embodied by the Shitou Shuwu collection will continue to endure across the currents of time. These remarkable works of art will carry forward a story of devotion, discernment, and timeless grace.