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Arts & Communication 1980s: A turning point in the Chinese art market

for cultural relics commodities was established, allowing Ministry of Foreign Trade, along with arts and crafts
antique shops to be constructed in every community for companies and other institutions, continued import and
centralized purchase and sale. This initiative has led to the export trade during this period. Various cultural relic
establishment of the “first public, after the individual; the shops were supervised by different parties, including the
first city, after the port” basis of resale supply of national Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Commerce, and the
cultural institutions, as well as the “Tibet-based, restricted Ministry of Foreign Trade. Commodities and cultural
consumption” and uniform pricing purchase. 4 relics were categories of cultural artifacts found at antique
In September 1960, the State Council approved the shops. Administrative-wise, the Ministry of Culture and
Plan on Changing the Nature and Management System the Ministry of Foreign Trade oversaw antique shops
of Cultural Relics Commerce. This plan mandated the separately, leading to variations in the management and
conversion of all antique shops operated by non-cultural sales practices of cultural relics.
departments into state institutions engaged in enterprise During this period, the division of labor in the cultural
management. In addition, cultural departments were relics industry was as follows: antique shops were operated
assigned the responsibility of serving as purchasing stations by the cultural department; those under the foreign trade
and temporary storage facilities for the nation’s collection department were transferred to the cultural department;
of cultural relics. Antique shops were tasked with gathering antique shops consistently sourced cultural relics from
social relics and supplying them to museums, research various locations (the social diaspora); the foreign
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centers, and educational institutions for display and trade department consistently procured jade jewelry
study . They were also responsible for organizing exports not categorized as cultural relics; and antique shops
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and meeting domestic demands. This shift has led to the consistently supplied the foreign trade department with
abolishment of the private economy, establishing only cultural relics for export. The multi-management paradigm
state-owned stores selling cultural relics and eliminating a led to unfavorable competition, unclear responsibilities for
legitimate, open market for art and cultural relics. During cultural relics protection, and chaotic market management
this period, the government strengthened its management of cultural relics. In April 1958, the Shanghai Antique
of cultural relic circulation, streamlined the commercial Business System completed a public-private partnership
management system and mechanism of cultural relics, and restructuring of the whole industry. Units specializing
clarified the role of cultural relics shops. in and concurrently engaging in antique business were
The nationalization and planned economy, along with reduced to nine antique markets, state-run junk stores,
the purchase and consumption of cultural relics, have ancient books bookstores, and other establishments such as
resulted in the establishment of state-owned antique shops Xinlong, Gu Song Ji, Renli, Yi Xincheng, and Rongbaozhai.
nationwide, monopolization of cultural relic collections In June 1959, Guangzhou restructured the cooperative
by arts and crafts companies, planned exports of general shops handling antiques and cultural relics, established
cultural relics to obtain foreign exchange for economic a state-owned purchasing and marketing company, and
construction, and a near-complete abolishment of the built purchase stations in various places for acquisition. In
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domestic folk art market. 5 1961, the Tianjin Cultural Relics Company monopolized
2.2. Contradiction of the cultural relic market the cultural relics business through a successful merger of
state-owned and private businesses, such as Tianjin Quanye
In 1956, following nationalization and public-private Chang, Ruibao Zhai, and Wanchang Antique Shop.
partnership, the management of cultural treasures
was plagued by gaps and inconsistencies. Oversight In addition, antique stores adopted a hierarchical sales
of artworks and cultural relics was divided among the structure and were subject to state-buying, pricing, and
departments responsible for acquisition, foreign trade, and distribution policies between 1956 and 1978. There were
cultural relics. This led to strict procedures and distinct two main sales channels: (i) exporting large quantities of
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management practices, resulting in the export of cultural cultural relics to Singapore, Hong Kong, and other places
relics commodities to Hong Kong and Macao by businesses for local purchases and (ii) selling them domestically in
and stores from various regions. Many priceless collections stores, creating an outer cabinet for visitors from abroad and
were exported abroad as general cultural treasures and an inner cabinet for locals. Thrift stores and consignment
arts and crafts due to a lack of proper identification. The shops also handled individual purchases and sales of
cultural relics, while a gray market persisted for private

6 “The State Council approved the Plan for Changing transactions, bartering, and informal sales of cultural relics.
the Nature and Management System of Cultural Relics However, nearly all stores selling cultural mementos were
Commerce” on September 24, 1960. closed when the Cultural Revolution started.

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 3 doi: 10.36922/ac.2028