Researching something online can be a long and winding process, but more often than not it ends with at least a tidbit of satisfying information that makes the search worthwhile. Then there are the frustrating attempts at digging that go from one dead end to another, leaving you in the end not a whit the wiser. That’s been the problem in researching a Chinese painter recently. It started with the gift of a signed painting from a friend. At the start there was some hope that the painter’s name and date of birth would lead somewhere, but that resulted in another dead end. Could be that the American art dealer who sold the painting to my friend years back misunderstood the Chinese name, but that’s only an uncertain possibility.
A slip of paper glued to the back of the frame offers this half measure of information:
Marson Ltd. 78-41-191
Li Chien • Peking, China (1945- )
Original Grass Paper Painting
Mere guess that the first portion is a dealer’s name and an inventory number; the second part the artist’s name, place and year of birth. The last refers to the type of paper the artist used. Grass paper is a rough and inexpensive kind of paper, often used for calligraphy.
Meanwhile, a query has been sent to friends in China along with a photograph, and just maybe they will get back to me with some further information. For the time being I continue to enjoy the painting even with the mystery hanging over it.
Although it can be frustrating not finding answers sometimes, life would be boring without some mysteries--be it the motives of others or the origin of a painting. And, in a sense, the hunt for answers can be an adventure. Why not send the info you have along with a photo of the painting to a Chinese embassy in this country? Google tells me there are locations in D.C., NYC, Houston, Frisco, LA. and Chicago. Good luck and very nice painting.
ReplyDeleteI just purchased a similar painting, same artist, different ID. Funny that I saw your post. The frame is dated 12-12-1978...assuming the Marson Ltd tag 78 means the year. I will post back if I find anything.
ReplyDeleteMarson Ltd. 78-51-131
Li Chien • Peking, China (1945- )
Original Grass Paper Painting
Found 1 on Ebay.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Chinese-wood-Framed-Water-Color-Painting-Scroll-Paper-Artist-Signed-/320898725647?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D15%26pmod%3D270692939008%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8206827845882189314
I just bought a Li Chien Marson 97524
ReplyDeleteI also found a painting in a thrift store Marson 97-5-24.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI just bought 2. They are in manilla folders. Cut to look like picture frames. Embossed on all 4 sides of art. They are labeled 79-5-90 and 79-5-94. Original grass paper painting China 1945-
In 1972 or 1973, I purchased a small Japanese color woodcut from a dealer named Marson ltd. who was brought to the University of Delaware campus by one of my professors in order for students to purchase original artworks at reasonable prices. Mine was numbered by Marson as well (K32-124-3) and titled "Sogoroku Play" It was attributed to Kiko Keisei, School of Hokusai, Japan.
ReplyDeleteSo is Li Chien a painter of note,or is it assumed that Marson was nothing more than a seller of accessory art works?
ReplyDelete