Diana Keaton and Harvard Lampoon

Diana Keaton is dead at a young age of 79. Remember she received an award from Harvard Lampoon and paraded, or rather "lampooned" around Harvard Square in a convertible. Very classy and beautiful as remembered. At the time somehow her name was closely associated with Woody Allen who then still had a good reputation. Surprised to learn from the news that she is now dead, never married but adopted a daughter and son.

Set Record Straight 還原歷史

Opinions and commentaries dominated by the English media full of misinformation. The US used to control all the important world organizations. China used to admire and emulate the US, been trying to join WTO for a long time, but the Tiananmen incident set it back for several years. Open or not open? was the question in early 1990s. Deng decided and persuaded others to remain open but China was shut out by US led sanctions. Around 1996, US decided to re-engage with China, but on its terms and control. US controled world money system, oil, and most industries then. Analysts and think tanks at the time believed the US could dominate China's industries as well, and wanted to make China dependent on US for food, air and even water. So since 1996 it's been US policy to subsidize soybeans and corns after it agreed for China to join WTO around 2000. As predicated, in less than 10 years, cheap soybeans and corns killed essentially all domestic farmers in China. But these GM modified crops only good as animal feeds and for US government as well as large corporations which farmers rely on for funding, seeds and weed killers etc. Low tech high polluting industries moved to China, drove up power consumption and pollution. China became increasingly dependent on oil and gas imports, water and air increasingly inhabitable. No high tech moved to China. During the Taiwan strait standoffs in 1990s and early 2000s, experts often made the point that China's missiles and "advanced" weapons all had sophisticated western or Japanese parts in them, so nothing to be feared, truly a paper tiger or a tiger with no teeth. Somehow things start to change since early 2010s, and US needed another rival (as Russia collapsed) for political and military aims. I believe it all started with Hillary Clinton who lost to Obama but still aspired to be the first female president. As Secretary of State, she had a free reign and soon started to badmouth China which led to a new policy of China containment until today. Trump's first term made it clear to China, US is too unreliable, and looks like China has been preparing for the worst since then. Endnote: Gordon Chang was not wrong in his book as it was the prevailing sentiment at the time, even many in China were opposed to joining WTO, but Deng summarized it well: when you open the windows, some flies will definitely come inside! Side note: in the 1990s experts in the US argued and made the world believe service industry is a higher form of economic activities than agriculture or manufacturing. I used to visit Phillipines, shocked to see small motor taxis (really small trucks) all over the place even in prosperous Manila and Cebu but none of them was made domestically. That's why the little dragon actually nothing but just a lizard.

黃士陵刻贔屭鈕田黃印章 Celestial Dragon-Turtle Top Royal Yellow Stone Chop by the Great

重約46克，含蘿蔔紋，質地細膩，色居橘皮黃和黃金黃之間、比桂花黃沉穩。贔屭精雕細琢、栩栩如生，是幾十年來所見所有印鈕裡面最好的。牛嘴寬厚有力，兩眼如燈籠出神，胸前厚厚鬍鬚似蝴蝶領帶，長長鬚鬃飄逸兩側，背現徐徐波浪蒼穹龜板，尾呈如意狀打結盤纏而上，四肢粗壯，四爪緊扣翻轉向上如細髮的水波。一圈回紋之下三邊刻滿字，留款講究、傳統。此印有記載，但邊款紀錄有誤，印的形狀和印文刻法不同。邊款：吾族自宋遷黃村，祠前古槐亦宋時物也；檂綠蔭半畂，洞其中可容十人；同治二年毀於兵，明年孫枝復發，分鼎足而峙；先君曾詩記其事；閱茲卌餘年，高已出簷矣；小子卜居，適於其鄰，因以名屋；雲；戊申正月，士陵自記。印文：古槐鄰屋；呈長方日字型，而非有紀錄的正方型。［古］字篆刻的特異罕有，似古槐樹死而復生後的［孫枝復發，分鼎足而峙］狀，［屋］字也篆刻的似呼應［古］字，與有紀錄的不同。長方型使字體拉長，更易貼切體現如此意境。另外要糾正的是時間，網上可查的皆有錯、互相矛盾：戊申正月，是西曆1908年2月2日和以後；有記載其己酉年正月初四去世，即西曆1909年1月26日；所以是刻印後近1年之後去世，而非數日！除非是仿製，而且模仿之人篆字刻功和文化造詣都在黃士陵之上並且不惜工本，可以100%確定1908年2月，黃刻了兩方印章：其一是有紀錄的正方形，應該是普通的印材；其二乃此印，最有可能是後時刻的。田黃，在黃士陵的製印之中，可以說是萬里挑一！清末皇威秩序不穩，貴重田黃得以民間，自用上等田黃實屬意外驚喜，會別愛有加、留為世傳之寶，後人不會心甘情願自動捐出。之後幾十年的戰亂和災難，改寫了多少家族的歷史？關於屋名，說法不一、多為猜測，現也以糾正：［舊德臨屋］是黃士陵四合院故居的名稱，其父名德華，舊德又有祖蔭的雙關意思，直意乃與舊宅祖屋為鄰的新居；此故居是其1904返鄉養居後命其小兒修建，估計1905年左右竣工，在其原祖屋大三間東面、黃家肇公祠堂附近，又鄰近復生古槐樹，其中的書齋名為［古槐鄰屋］，對外皆稱古槐鄰屋，是中國文人高士向來自有的隱諱和低調。已知出世的印譜有：1935年其子黃廷榮的《黔山人黃牧甫先生印存》，1937年張祖蔭的《黔山人黃牧甫印存》，1962年黃文寬的《黃牧甫印存》，1964年的《黃牧甫印存鈎本》，1966年的《錢君匋藏印譜•黃士陵》，1977年的《增選黃牧父印存》和1992年的《增補黃士陵印譜》。1977年的編本復錄［古槐臨屋］，但弄錯了邊款！錢君匋指黃士陵51歲回黃村，兩三年內多次出遊，但1902年以後不再復出，也不再為他人治印，當大地主了。 後記：燈光下蘿蔔紋明顯，稍有筋絡。贔屭右後側近表明有純黃色斑塊，不明顯，要在光下仔細特意才看到，從左側背面照燈唯有此不透光、呈暗色、似膽狀、不大不小，或者也可想像為贔屭剛剛排下的遺寶。完美的瑕疵，難能可貴。不知黃老當時是否有同感？

內鍍金景泰藍蝙蝠蓮花紋碗 Cloisonne Bats & Lotus Bowl with Gold Plated Inside

清代宮廷工藝、民國至解放初期創外匯銷海外回流。砂眼少但顏料有玻璃質感，箍邊等皆老工藝，構圖藝術亦延續清代技法。

明清高士玉器Ming & Tsing Scholar Jade Objects

髮簪通體雕一螭龍：刀工簡潔、優美、有力度，簪首巧雕扭轉向上的螭頭，有出頭之意。髮箍玉質潔白上等：有一處結糖，多了個情趣；三隻夔龍配回紋，雕工一流。以上二器稜角依舊，但撫摸時毫無割膚之感，明代無疑。玉環可為衣扣或者佩玉組合之一：一面刻字拜風草堂或者讀風草拜堂，不知出於何處；一面刻兩句七言詩，出自杜甫漫興九首之一：慢懶無堪不出村，呼兒日在掩柴門；包漿自然，使用痕跡明顯，明末至清也。堂號似有意尊崇杜甫的意涵，風和草又可能有代表父和母之意；風中之草，身不由己，但景仰杜甫，還是憂天下之憂也；多重含意，文人之酸澀，典型明末清除高隱之士的通病。錄杜甫：眼見客愁愁不醒，無賴春色到江亭。 即遣花開深造次，便覺鶯語太丁寧。 手種桃李非無主，野老牆低還似家。 恰似春風相欺得，夜來吹折數枝花。 熟知茅齋絕低小，江上燕子故來頻。 銜泥點污琴書內，更接飛蟲打著人。 二月已破三月來，漸老逢春能幾迴。 莫思身外無窮事，且盡生前有限杯。 腸斷春江欲盡頭，杖藜徐步立芳洲。 顚狂柳絮隨風去，輕薄桃花逐水流。 懶慢無堪不出村，呼兒日在掩柴門。 蒼苔濁酒林中靜，碧水春風野外昏。 糝徑楊花鋪白氈，點溪荷葉疊青錢。 筍根稚子無人見，沙上鳧雛傍母眠。 舍西柔桑葉可拈，江畔細麥復纖纖。 人生幾何春已夏，不放香醪如蜜甜。 隔戶楊柳弱嫋嫋，恰似十五女兒腰。 誰謂朝來不作意，狂風挽斷最長條。

蘇州刺繡研究所雙面刺繡屏風 Double Embroidered Screen by Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute

竹外桃花三兩枝，春江水暖鴨先知。 實物優於相片。針法簡潔有序，沒有任何打印痕跡，感觀驚艷，全手工明顯。應是1970至1980年代外銷創匯精品。

聽松書屋藏清代木雕 Antique Wood Carving from a famous Collector

上下兩件明顯一組：上呈官至高位，如太師；下顯好友田園夜談之景。中間紅底漆金松鼠葡萄，寓意多子多福。另外六件巧小，可左右自由移動，雕工精美，是一組：上三塊展示福、祿、壽，下三塊分別代表雅賞、品茗和出遊。不知是否拆自同一家具，還是2-3個不同器物？框有些粗糙、且年代不似久遠，估計是1995年左右招曙東1904-1995命家人自製之或者其後人為之。

胡石予贈鄭逸梅罕有紅梅畫詩雙璧 Rare Red Plum Painting by an Artist Famous for Black Ink Paintings

胡石予1868-1938，教育家、詩人、書畫家，蘇州草橋中學執教13年，弟子之一鄭逸梅。尊為南社詩翁、江南三大儒之一，擅畫梅，師法管快翁，作畫必題詩。鄭逸梅1895-1992，作家、文史學家，號稱補白大王，因愛梅，取名逸梅，1912年有報已經開始投稿，估計是草橋畢業左右時間，曾評價恩師胡石予：生師畫着一手很好的梅花，尤其是墨梅，間寫紅梅。草橋中學沿襲1805年開始的正誼書院，1907年改為公立蘇州第一學堂，因門前有名橋《草橋》，師生乃及普羅大眾皆愛稱之為草橋中學。落款客草橋，估計是作於1921-1937年間。

乾隆年間書法名家李培源罕有行、楷雙璧 Rare Year 1760 Double Calligraphy

1760年庚辰八月十八日，蕙畝先生收集到8頁臨米芾和董其昌二家書法的冊子，看了感覺稍有筆致，給長兒收藏。多年後蕙畆居士又補筆：國朝康熙間米董最為時尚，學二家書者輒熟軟無勁氣。余撿戲鴻堂帖，玩二公跋語因摘錄一過，未知於米董書稍有一得否也？蓋印：道園。《皇清書史卷廿三》：李培源，號道園，一號蕙畝，興化人，乾隆十九年拔貢、官訓導。拔貢12年一次，極其難得。訓導主推儒學。有稱是赴霍山（可能是易山）任訓導。《咸豐重修興化縣志》：李培源，字道園，一字蕙畝，擅書法，鎸印章亦精妙；遊歷四方，廣交好友，博聞廣識，與清代畫竹名家鄭板橋是同邑同時之人，鄭板橋還推舉他為邑中三百年楷書第一；書法水平可與顏真卿相媲美；嘗言作字須讀書數日後方可落筆。有記載其於1731雍正九年參與纂修《江南通志》，1763乾隆廿八年纂修江蘇興化《李氏族譜》；是著名畫家李鱔的族姪，且二人同好，關係甚密。《李鱔致道源信札》指乾隆十年請其代購畫筆。泰州博物館收藏其一組竹根印章。興化博物館有收藏其書法作品。因而估計其在世時間約1700至1770年間。

首發最大精鑄美國鷹金幣 First Issue Proof 50 Dollar American Eagle Gold Coin

1985年金幣法案The Gold Bullion Coin Act授權美國造幣廠發行4款法定金幣：50元含1盎司純金、25元、10元和5元，並規定50元金幣必須：正面有自由標誌設計；背面設計代表一家的雄鷹銜橄欖枝飛越窩巢的母鷹和子女。1986年$50金幣普通發行量1,362,650，精鑄Proof 446,290。因為是50多年後的首發，很受歡迎，大都被美國人收藏，特別是精鑄版，流出海外的極少。