Enlightening Pursuits: Scholar’s Objects from the Mengdiexuan Collection

The pursuit of knowledge and wisdom by ancient Chinese scholars manifested itself in various forms beyond the imagination of people in today’s society. At the time when ancient scholars’ “ears are shut to what goes on outside the window and are single-mindedly focus on the classics”, the ideal state of their austere existence was the pursuit of intellectual enlightenment and spiritual fulfillment. One can imagine, any objects in their studios would reflect only their simple but elegant taste. The exhibition “Enlightening Pursuit” features over 150 scholar’s objects that have been assembled by Mengdiexuan over years. It is a collection based on personal preference for simplicity, love for certain art form and designs. The article and all the entries in this catalogue are written by Professor Sun Ji.