Is Competing Shang Qingya: Period Of The Ming Dynasty Kerry Million Painting Consumption

The booming of luxury consumption and cultural consumption is one sign of a flourishing economy. Main features of luxury consumption are conspicuousness and leisureliness, and main features of cultural consumption are leisureliness and scholarship. Painting and calligraphy are commodities that reflect features of luxury consumption and cultural consumption. During the period from the early years of Emperor Chiaching to the late years of Emperor Wanli(1520's-1610's AD), economic development of the Ming Empire was very fast, and the consumption of painting and calligraphy was booming in an unprecedented way.By doing research on transaction stories of Ch'ing-Ming Shang-ho T'u, discovered some important issues of the consumption of painting and calligraphy.The General Mood of Society refers to the overall ethical standards, thought speech and action. During the period from the early years of Emperor Chiaching to the late years of Emperor Wanli, the general mood of society are the mood of extravagance and the pursuit of presentable non-necessities. They are results and reflections the social and economic development of the era, and they also had some impact on various social and economic aspects. During this period, the market of painting and calligraphy was flourishing. The general mood of extravagance had impact on the philosophy of consumption,breeding a large group of consumers as a result. The zeal of collecting presentable non-necessities prompted consumption demand, and was the direct cause of the flourishing transaction of painting and calligraphy.Consumption space had some impact on the level and pattern of luxury consumption. Consumers would rather buy painting and calligraphy in their studies than shop the stalls.A great number of brokers were active in the painting and calligraphy market. They helped to bring about deals between buyers and sellers. Their duties also included making an appraisal and setting a price for goods. Their income was thirty percent of the value of each deal.The price of painting and calligraphy was determined by the productive age and the artistic value of the work. Other factors also affected the price of these art woks, among them are size of the work, time spent in finishing the work, and the number of Chinese characters in the work. In general, an earlier productive age as well as a more recent transaction time would result in higher price of painting and calligraphy, and the price of painting was higher than the price of calligraphy.A great number of literati took part in forging works of famous artists because the demand of works by these artists exceeded the supply. It was very difficult for collectors to protect themselves against art forgeries that literati participated in making.The leisure class displayed their dominant position, and boosted their wealth through the involvement in the consumption of painting and calligraphy. They transformed vulgar action into elegant action by the consumption of painting and calligraphy.