Following the fashions to buy western art and classic wristwatches, historical Chinese artefacts are now the must-have item for the country’s wealthy collectors who are snapping up maps, books and other objects that have been in foreign hands for often hundreds of years.
Interest in Chinese artefacts has intensified since President Xi Jinping began pushing to highlight the role of the country’s heritage in the national narrative, according to dealers.
“Some Chinese buyers feel that their past was looted from them so they want to purchase back a piece of their history,” says Andrea Mazzocchi of Bernard Quaritch, a London-based rare books seller and organiser of the annual China in Print fair, which takes place this weekend in Hong Kong. “Previously interest was limited to Hong Kong residents and expatriates but in recent years more and more customers from China are coming.”