初踏入社会,翟健民只是一位打工仔,与古董这行无关,但在远东大厦做事时与原在【天宝阁】担任经理的黄应豪师傅认识,黄师傅后来开了【福成行Fook Shing Arts Company】找他帮忙,才进了这行,那年是1973年。黄应豪【福成行】店不大,在香港属中上行家,窑、铜、竹、木、石、画各式古董文玩都做,但瓷器最为专门。初入行,虽然知道自己做的是古董,但还是懵懵懂懂,康雍乾瓷器和民国瓷都分不清楚,直到第二年,才慢慢进入状况。尤其1976年跟黄师傅到英国伦敦,参观几个大博物馆及接触到许多英国行家和拍卖公司后,才对古董文物有更深的认识、茅塞顿开。伦敦行是古董怪杰李艾琛领去的,还有香港青花大王钟先生同行,总共四个人。他们走访许多博物馆,对博物馆收藏有初步的认识,这对面向欧美市场的香港古董商很重要。过去,香港一直扮演中国大陆与西方市场的转运的角色,古董生意也是一样,中国大陆文物艺术品的出口多透过香港,以致到中国大陆看货、补货则成了香港古董商重要的工作。那段时间翟健民经常前往北京、上海、天津的进出口公司,补货的过程中,因到过伦敦考察、了解西方市场的需求,买的货也销的快、价钱好 。
90年代生意,主要以欧美日为主,做的大部分是老窑,因此常跑澳门,当然, 欧美也是家常便饭,尤其,近几年中国大陆买家崛起,翟健民一举一动更受瞩目。理个小平头的他,为人四海、讲义气,与新崛起的中国大陆买家建立相当的友谊,成为大陆买家进军国际拍卖场上的代言人。例如1999年6月15日伦敦佳士 得以331,500英镑卖出一件清乾隆 〈大型粉彩山水透雕转心瓶A Very Rare Massive Carved Famille Rose Revolving Vase Qianlong Four-Character Seal Mark and of The Period〉便是他举牌买下的。除此,香港几件重要瓷器也是他与大陆收藏家的杰作,近日最受注目的无非与罗伯张妹妹张永珍女士争夺2002年5月7日香港苏富比一件清雍正〈粉彩蟠桃福寿纹橄榄瓶〉,最后该瓶虽然以3,700万港元落槌价被张永珍女士买去,但翟健民与他客人的胆识与眼光也博得古董圈的肯定。不过,这些都是为人作嫁的事,谈到翟健民的收藏,他说是“卖花姑娘插竹叶”,目前只有龙泉窑的收藏是较有系统。他说,20年前,无意间以1000港元买到一件与青花同样漂亮的元代龙泉,因不太受收藏家青睐,以致“卖花姑娘插竹叶”的事从此发生了,且竹叶愈来愈多,最后龙泉窑好的也有60几件,已成了一个系统。翟健民笑着说,竹叶,如果好好收集、仔细装扮、打理,最后也能成为一种特色,目前国外博物馆正有意展出这批龙泉瓷器。
中国古董圈几乎是男人的世界,很少见到女古董商纵横在这个圈子,但翟健民和刘惠芳夫妇是难得的夫妻档。事实上,【永宝斋】文房类竹、木、牙雕、鎏金佛、玉器、缂丝、刺绣这块生意,几乎都是刘惠芳在做。例如,1999年11月16日伦敦佳士得拍卖一件清乾隆款〈鎏金双连瓶A Very Fine and Rara Archaistic Gilt-Splashed Bronze Double Vase〉以80,700英镑成交;2001年10月29日香港佳士得一件大明永乐〈鎏金观音菩萨半跏像A Highly Important and Exceptionally Large Gilt-Bronze Figure of Avalokitesvara〉以5,545,000港元成交;2001年10月29日一件明末/清初〈镶嵌宝石鎏金瑞兽镇纸A Fine and Rare Hardstone Inlaid Bronze Buddhist Lion〉以411,250港元成交,都是由刘惠芳拍得的。从【永宝斋】拍卖场购得的拍品可看出,刘惠芳和翟健民经营的多是御用文房器,然而,明清两代文人的文房器亦不少,就如翟健民私下展示了所收藏的民窑瓷器文房小件,不过,这些文房瓷器市价不高,只能说是好雅致收藏品,对此,翟健民表示,他对客人的态度是“不藏、不收、不隐.”,好东西不能不给,要先介绍给收藏家,翟健民又好笑自己是“卖花姑娘插竹叶”,意谓好花都是拿来卖的,卖花姑娘头上只能插客人不要的竹叶了。
William Chak of Shandong origin was born in Macau and raised in Hong Kong. Chak has been acquainted with ceramics since his childhood because his father, who was at that time quite famous in the textile business, had made some money and started collecting antiques. Due to the riots in Macau, many inhabitants had moved to Hong Kong or overseas, while the Chak's family picked Hong Kong. Unfortunately, Chak's father's business in Hong Kong had deteriorated dramatically. Until Chak was 12, his father started selling his antiques collection in order to maintain their living due to illness. That was the time when Chak realized that ceramics could be profitable. Being the eldest son in the family, with three elder sisters and one younger brother, Chak took up whatever job that could make money, such as dish washing in restaurants, de-livery and other miscellaneous cleaning jobs. None of those jobs had any bearing on antiques. The turning point of Chak's profession was that he fortuitously met Mr. Wong Ying Ho, who was at that time the manager of Tin Po Kok. Not long thereafter, Mr Wong asked Chak to join him in opening up his own antiques shop ───Fook Shing Arts Company in 1973. That was the beginning of Chak's career in antiques.
In the 90s, American, European and Japanese markets were dominant, hence frequent travelling to Macau, America and Europe was essential. With the recent growth of the Chinese mainland market, collectors from Chinese mainland became more active than they used to be. Wearing a "Xiaoping" style haircut and possessing a good character, Chak has built up acquaintances with many of the collectors from Chinese mainland and has gradually become their representative at international auction markets.
As for his own collection, Chak says with enthusiasm "It was totally the consequence of unexpected coincidences. It started with a piece of Yuan Longquan Yao ceramic that I bought 20 years age. Longquan Yao ceramics was not the favourite genre of our collectors at that time. As a result, it became my personal collection." He proudly continues "The accumulation now has become a systematic collection of over 60 pieces. At this moment, some foreign museums are proposing to lend pieces from my collection of Longquan Yao ceramics".
Chak and Priscilla got married in 1981 and established their own shop in 1988. In the field of Chinese antiques, female dealers are rarely seen and even more rare are couples working as partners, like Chak and Priscilla. Although their partnership is considered rare in their community, they are presumably the pioneers in the industry. Apart from porcelain and ceramics, Chak's Company Limited also carries lots of studio artifacts, Buddhist sculptures, bamboo as well as Jade.
Chak──as a Sit-in student in Peking University
Chak, who has never had the opportunity to receive proper education in his life, finally had the opportunity in 1999 to enrol in the Peking University to study archaeology under Professor Quan Kuishan. Commuting by plane between Hong Kong and Beijing once a week, Chak who seldom missed any lectures believes that the learning experience could offset his academic inadequacy of appraising Chinese antiques. For example, people have always believed Cizou Yao is from the Henan province. However when Chak actually went to Handan city in the Hebei province, he realised that the illustrative techniques and the clay were better in term of quality than the others found elsewhere.
For these few years, the economics in Hong Kong has been declining. Antiques business is hard to survive. Chak says, "Since 70s, dealers have been complaining the same, but as we can see, the antique business keeps growing. I, myself, am much more optimistic about the business. I always believe that there is still chance of successful if we are of professional standard".
Taste Changing in Antique Market due to the active role of the Chinese mainland Collectors.
The growth of the Chinese antiques market is a consequence of the increase of capitalism in the Chinese. After the establishment of the "open door policy", which was about 20 years ago, people in Chinese mainland began to possess more wealth, they started to invest in real estate, houses, imported cars, and then, ancient artifacts. Look back 5 years ago, it was the world of the Taiwan and Hong Kong collectors, they could generally obtain whatever pieces they desired. But now, with the penetration of the collectors from Chinese mainland into auction houses, the collectors of Taiwan and Hong Kong are facing great difficulty in competing against them. Nevertheless, many antique pieces are put on to auctions in China by Taiwanese and Hong Kong people since the Chinese market is now the largest market with massive potential.
Not taking into account of the Ming Blue and White, Tang Sancai, Sung Five Yao's pieces which represent prolonged civilisation and testimony to history, the collectors from Chinese mainland prefer ceramics of the Qing Dynasty simply because of their attractive appearances and affordable prices. Apparently, objects that were considered insignificant in the past such as pieces from the People's Republic, and late Qing......etc. have somehow become the "bull's-eye" in the antiques market due to the appeal of these collectors.
"The collaboration of the collectors from China has greatly influenced the devotion of antiques pieces and will be the essence of the future movement of the Chinese antiques market. I believe the collectors from China will play a key role in the Chinese antiques market in the distant future." Chak concludes