In 1772, Emperor Qianlong of China, a prolific poet, major art patron, and insatiable collector, ordered the largest encyclopedic compilation of books in Chinese history. Within 10 years, a team of more than 350 scholars and hundreds of editors had compiled 36,381 volumes (2.3 million pages) of the Siku Quanshu. Also known as the Complete Library in Four Sections only seven copies were made. Four of which survive today in Chinese libraries.
Learn about this “wikipedia” of Chinese literature, history, medicine, arts, science, philosophy, and classic Confucian texts and its importance both then and now, including the process of selecting, editing and censoring information.
Presenter: Susan Lahey, MA, ISA CAPP
Susan Lahey, MA, ISA CAPP, is an award-winning certified appraiser of personal property specializing in Asian art. Her ability to read traditional Chinese characters allows her to identify and translate calligraphy and marks on Fine and Decorative Chinese art. She has been a member of the International Society of Appraisers for 14 years, and is the former President of the Canadian Chapter of the ISA. Ms. Lahey holds an Honors BA in Chinese Studies from the University of Toronto; MA with thesis in Classical Chinese Literature from the University of British Columbia; and Post-Graduate Diploma with Distinction in Asian Art from the School of Oriental & African Studies (University of London, England) and Sotheby’s Educational Studies.
Susan lived in Taipei, Taiwan for two years continuing her Mandarin studies and traveled extensively in Asia studying Chinese art collections. She is the President of Eastern Art Consultants Inc., providing independent appraisal, research, and collection management services. Previously, she worked at the Royal Ontario Museum in various capacities and led the Asian art departments of two Toronto auction houses. Ms. Lahey is a highly sought-after instructor of Asian Ceramics and Chinese Decorative Arts specialty courses.
Guest: Susan Lahey, MA, ISA CAPP
Original Date: Monday, May 6, 2024 – 8:00 PM Eastern, 5:00PM Pacific (U.S. and Canada)
Leave A Comment