Commerce, culture, and art collecting – Selection of Chinese Paintings from the Poon Family Collection

In the annals of Chinese history, few families have embodied the confluence of commerce, culture, and philanthropy with as much distinction and influence as the lineage of Poankeequa—the Poon family. Originally from Quanzhou, Fujian, this illustrious family made a pivotal move to Panyu, Guangdong, in 1776, during the 41st year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign. There, they became deeply embedded in the socio-economic fabric of the region, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural, educational, and philanthropic landscapes—not only within Canton but also in the broader context of Sino-Western exchange.

At the heart of this enduring legacy lies a distinguished lineage of literati, scholars, poets, artists, art collectors, policymakers, and Confucian merchants. Among them, Poankeequa, or Pan Zhencheng (1714–1788), emerged as a towering figure in the 18th-century Canton trade system. As one of the most formidable merchants within the Cohong—a guild authorized by the Qing Dynasty to conduct trade with Western nations—he played a crucial role in shaping China's global commercial interactions. Central to this success was the family’s stewardship of Guangzhou Tong Wen Hang, the largest foreign trade firm of its time within the Thirteen Hongs of Canton. Under his leadership from 1760 to 1788, the firm flourished, a legacy that continued under his son, Poankeequa II (Pan Youdu, 1755–1820), during whose tenure the family business reached unprecedented prosperity.

By the 19th century, the family’s influence extended beyond commerce into the realm of cultural preservation. Pan Zhengwei (1791–1850), the third generation of the Poon family and master of Ting Fan Lou, epitomized this commitment. Ting Fan Lou—meaning ‘Listening to the Sails’—evokes the grandeur of the Hong merchants and the wealth their maritime trade brought. A dedicated collector and connoisseur of Chinese art, Pan Zhengwei amassed an extraordinary collection of classical paintings and calligraphy, engaging with a distinguished circle of literati, including Wu Rongguang (1773–1843), a politician and art connoisseur who inscribed colophons on many of Pan’s treasured pieces. Pan Zhengwei’s meticulous compilation of Paintings and Calligraphy of the Ting Fan Lou Collection, spanning five volumes, alongside the Ting Fan Lou Poetry Collection, stands as a testament to his dedication to preserving China’s artistic heritage.

Despite the dissolution of the Cohong system following the First Opium War, the Poon family's intellectual and cultural legacy endured. Later generations pursued distinct yet complementary paths, championing knowledge, cultural preservation, and societal welfare.

By the early 20th century, as members of the Poon family settled in Hong Kong, their reverence for art and culture remained steadfast. Among them, Ronald Poon (1942-2022), a distinguished architect trained at the prestigious Architectural Association in London, inherited part of the Ting Fan Lou collection and further expanded it. A devoted member of the Min Chiu Society, he played a pivotal role in organizing commemorative exhibitions in Hong Kong and abroad. In a gesture of humility and homage to his ancestors, he named his collection Xiao Ting Fan Lou—or The Canton Collection in English—honoring the generations who laid the foundation for his deep appreciation of traditional art and culture.

There is a rare treasure in the Poon family collection which is the Album of Small Standard Script Calligraphy by Ming Dynasty calligraphers. It consists of eight leaves, featuring works by eleven Ming calligraphers, including Zhu Yunming, Wen Zhengming, Wang Chong, Shao Mi, Xue Mingyi, the ‘Four Masters of the Ming’ (Peng Nian, Zhou Tianqiu, Wen Jia, and Wen Peng), Dong Qichang, and Wang Duo. What makes this collection particularly remarkable is that all the fan leaves are written in extremely fine ‘fly-head’ script (yingtou xiaokai). Since each calligrapher drew inspiration from different artistic traditions, the album displays a harmonious balance of elegance and strength.

Pan Zhengwei inscribed a small regular script colophon on each fan leaf to express his admiration for the album. His colophon reveals that the original album contained sixteen fan leaves, but only eight of them survived. Pan Baotang (1853–1892), Pan Zhengwei’s grandson, inscribed on the titleslip of the album: 'An old treasure of Ting Fan Lou, repurchased by grandson Baotang and carefully preserved at Wangqiongxianguan.' This suggests that during Pan Zhengwei’s lifetime, some of the artworks from the Ting Fan Lou collection may have been lost, possibly due to war and turmoil. However, his grandson Pan Baotang later reacquired and safeguarded some of these lost works to ensure their preservation within the Poon family lineage. This remarkable continuity makes the collection an invaluable treasure today.

From the Canton Collection there is also Wang Duo’s Calligraphy in Cursive Script, an exquisite calligraphy on satin with collector’s seals of late Qing and early Ming dynasty collector Zheng Xiaru (1610-1673). Wang Duo’s Calligraphy in Cursive Script is a superb example of his renowned one-stroke technique, lian mian cao, in which the entire piece is written in a single, continuous stroke. According to Shuduan (Judgments on Calligraphy), written by the Tang dynasty calligrapher and critic Zhang Huaiguan, this style was pioneered by Zhang Zhi (?-192), a famed calligrapher of the Han dynasty. The uninterrupted line, much like the human body where bone and flesh are interconnected, creates a sense of vitality and unity. Thanks to this one-stroke approach, Calligraphy in Cursive Script is fluid and dynamic, characterized by rhythmic, powerful, and versatile lines—qualities that make it a rare gem in the art of calligraphy.

Apart from the album of eight fan leaves and the Wang Duo calligraphy, Christie’s is honoured to present other selected treasures from the Poon Family Collection, including exquisite fan leaves by masters such as Wen Zhengming, Wen Jia, Chen Chun, and Zhu Yunming. A testament to the art of collecting across centuries, preserved within a single lineage, the selection witnesses the Poon family’s unwavering commitment to preserving China’s artistic heritage.