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'Elegant bribes' of artwork hard to pin down
By Wu Guangqiang |
April 15, 2011, Friday
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THE Chinese phrase fengya, or being culturally refined, has been used to depict a person who has literary pursuits, or good taste in painting and calligraphy works, and most importantly, is free from a vulgar desire for wealth or ambitious aspiration for an official career.
Thus, on the walls of a scholar's family home, we often see scrolls of landscape painting or calligraphy, both by ancient and contemporary masters. But, today such elegant ornaments are more likely seen in an official's home than in those of men of letters. And even more likely, you will find these priceless works tightly locked, along with wads of cash or other valuables, in a safe - not displayed on walls.
The owners simply don't have the taste for cultural possessions. Nor do they venture to display them because they may have gotten them by shameful means. Sadly, Chinese painting and calligraphy masterpieces have been reduced - in quite a few cases - to an acceptable vehicle for bribing corrupt officials. Giving valuable art is meant to whitewash a dirty act.
This ingenious invention, widely referred to as "elegant bribery" (yahui in Chinese) has helped to fuel skyrocketing prices at auction; it is a result of intense bidding competition, at least partly between rich barons who expect to trade these expensive works for returns many times greater than their investment.
In contrast with the stereotypical greedy, tacky, money-chasing officials (a stereotype because it is true), the "elegantly corrupt" officials always appear refined and have cultivated language and behavior. They are so genteel that one hardly associates them with money-grubbers. Though recent cases of art-lusting officials haven't yet hit the headlines, there are numerous documented cases.
Ma Jiguo, deputy mayor of Haining, Zhejiang Province (ousted in 2004), was one of these apparent Mr Cleans. Before he took office he did have a genuine taste for literature and history, painting and calligraphy. But when he ascended in office, he turned his aesthetic interests into a channel for graft. He would simply walk into a gallery, point to whatever work appealed to them, and then get a businessman to foot the bill.
His collections contain masterpieces by renowned landscape and animal painters Zhang Daqian and Qi Baishi and calligraphy masters Zhao Puchu and Qi Gong.
Corrupt officials who accept "elegant bribes" are also quite resourceful in safeguarding their ill-gotten gains. Zou Jianxin, deputy director of the Construction Bureau of Lishui, Zhejiang, (sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in 2009) had a 40-square-meter "treasure room" built beneath his house to house his collection.
This kind of bribe-taking has been difficult to pin down and criminalize. There's a common saying about corruption watchdogs and investigators: In the 1990s, they were "accountants" since they had to tally bank notes and weigh gold or silver bullion. In the early years of this century, they were "paparazzi" for they had track down and photograph the extra-legal homes of corrupt officials. Nowadays they must be "art connoisseurs" to estimate the worth of artwork and antiques.
But "elegant bribery" is far from a modern vice. According to historical records, Yan Song, a notorious treacherous court official in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), loved accepting painting and calligraphy.
Contemporary flatterers and favor seekers have refined the art of bribery, making it much easier to accept graft. And corrupt officials have a new trick: In case they are caught, they put on an astonished expression and say they thought the work was only a worthless imitation.
(The author is a freelancer based in Shenzhen.)
Thus, on the walls of a scholar's family home, we often see scrolls of landscape painting or calligraphy, both by ancient and contemporary masters. But, today such elegant ornaments are more likely seen in an official's home than in those of men of letters. And even more likely, you will find these priceless works tightly locked, along with wads of cash or other valuables, in a safe - not displayed on walls.
The owners simply don't have the taste for cultural possessions. Nor do they venture to display them because they may have gotten them by shameful means. Sadly, Chinese painting and calligraphy masterpieces have been reduced - in quite a few cases - to an acceptable vehicle for bribing corrupt officials. Giving valuable art is meant to whitewash a dirty act.
This ingenious invention, widely referred to as "elegant bribery" (yahui in Chinese) has helped to fuel skyrocketing prices at auction; it is a result of intense bidding competition, at least partly between rich barons who expect to trade these expensive works for returns many times greater than their investment.
In contrast with the stereotypical greedy, tacky, money-chasing officials (a stereotype because it is true), the "elegantly corrupt" officials always appear refined and have cultivated language and behavior. They are so genteel that one hardly associates them with money-grubbers. Though recent cases of art-lusting officials haven't yet hit the headlines, there are numerous documented cases.
Ma Jiguo, deputy mayor of Haining, Zhejiang Province (ousted in 2004), was one of these apparent Mr Cleans. Before he took office he did have a genuine taste for literature and history, painting and calligraphy. But when he ascended in office, he turned his aesthetic interests into a channel for graft. He would simply walk into a gallery, point to whatever work appealed to them, and then get a businessman to foot the bill.
His collections contain masterpieces by renowned landscape and animal painters Zhang Daqian and Qi Baishi and calligraphy masters Zhao Puchu and Qi Gong.
Corrupt officials who accept "elegant bribes" are also quite resourceful in safeguarding their ill-gotten gains. Zou Jianxin, deputy director of the Construction Bureau of Lishui, Zhejiang, (sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in 2009) had a 40-square-meter "treasure room" built beneath his house to house his collection.
This kind of bribe-taking has been difficult to pin down and criminalize. There's a common saying about corruption watchdogs and investigators: In the 1990s, they were "accountants" since they had to tally bank notes and weigh gold or silver bullion. In the early years of this century, they were "paparazzi" for they had track down and photograph the extra-legal homes of corrupt officials. Nowadays they must be "art connoisseurs" to estimate the worth of artwork and antiques.
But "elegant bribery" is far from a modern vice. According to historical records, Yan Song, a notorious treacherous court official in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), loved accepting painting and calligraphy.
Contemporary flatterers and favor seekers have refined the art of bribery, making it much easier to accept graft. And corrupt officials have a new trick: In case they are caught, they put on an astonished expression and say they thought the work was only a worthless imitation.
(The author is a freelancer based in Shenzhen.)
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