All Things Considered for January 4th, 2014 Hear the All Things Considered program for January 4th, 2014

All Things Considered

Zhao Mengfu was the preeminent painter and calligrapher of the early Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). His Sheep And Goat scroll is estimated to be worth $100 million. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution hide caption

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Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution

Fine Art

Conserving Priceless Chinese Paintings Is An Art All Its Own

The U.S. has one of the world's best collections of Chinese paintings, but only four master conservators who know how to take care of them — and they're all approaching retirement. At the Freer and Sackler Galleries in D.C., Xiangmei Gu is passing her skills on to a new generation.

Visitors use the Unemployment Insurance Phone Bank in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 20. Tens of thousands in the state lost federal unemployment benefits in December. Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption

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Rich Pedroncelli/AP

With Benefits Cut, Unemployed Take Stock Of Dwindling Options

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Zhao Mengfu was the preeminent painter and calligrapher of the early Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). His Sheep And Goat scroll is estimated to be worth $100 million. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution

Conserving Priceless Chinese Paintings Is An Art All Its Own

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  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/247343969/259761883" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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All Things Considered