The invaluable legacy of famous calligrapher Hu Tiesheng includes a family squabble that has turned into a legal saga over the rights to his works.

Three of Hu's seven children yesterday took his wife and three of their siblings to court over the rights to 1,000 calligraphy works, paintings and other valuable collectibles left behind by the late calligrapher and seal cutter.

The hearing at the Shanghai Xuhui District People's Court was the latest in an ongoing legal saga following Hu's death.

Hu Xiaoshen and his two sisters alleged that their mother and three other siblings have monopolized their father's legacy against his last wishes.

But sister Hu Xiaorong, a member of the mother's camp, said her brother is a thief and a liar.

A month before his death in 1997, Hu Tiesheng recorded a will specifying who should take care of his works and collections. His wife, Wang Zhongyan, and brother, Hu Ke, allegedly witnessed it.

After the artist's death, Wang allegedly kept the entire collection. But her son Hu Xiaoshen is accused of taking them by force in 2003.

Both sides said it is impossible to calculate the value of the collection since several items have gone missing, leading members on both camps accuse each other of theft.

The original recording of the will has not been heard in court, but transcripts of the tape held by the two sides in the dispute differ.

Hu Xiaoshen said his father clearly stated he should be responsible for recording and cataloguing the calligraphy works and paintings. He also claimed he is supposed to look after every item and eventually pass them on to his own children.

Hu told the court he has tried to negotiate with his mother to take over the collection, but she has always refused.

Finally, in early 2003, after discovering some of the works were missing or damaged, he took them away.

That was the beginning of the legal saga. Wang sued her son and won the lawsuit earlier this year, but Hu appealed to a higher court, which has not issued a verdict yet.

Wang's own transcript of the will, however, alleged that the calligrapher left the care of his works to her and all the children and that Hu Xiaoshen is not reliable.

(China Daily September 27, 2005)