Page 110 - Bonhams Asian Art May2016 UK
P. 110
THE PROFESSOR R. BEAVER COLLECTION OF EARLY CHINESE
BRONZES AND JAPANESE SWORD FITTINGS
LOTS 278-297
My interest in Chinese art and culture was of great knowledge and good taste served
first stimulated as a student at Oxford, but me well. During this time I was working at
at that time it was a side interest to my various overseas universities, but I received
biological studies. The idea that one could auction catalogues by post, sometimes in
do more than read books, look at images, time for me to suggest possible purchases,
or visit museums, only crystallised some and sometimes in time for him to bid for me
years later when Peter Plesch (better known at sales. Other purchases were made directly
as a collector of ancient glass) showed me from Bluett’s “stock” when I called in on UK
some items in his collection, and suggested leave. As you will see from the lots in the
that even if the larger ancient bronzes were sale, there is always an animal connection of
beyond my means, it would still be possible some kind. The Chinese menagerie includes
to collect small pieces at reasonable prices. snakes, birds, mules, boar, rams, lions, a
He also noted the abundance of animal tiger, a rhinoceros and a gibbon, as well as
portrayals and motifs on ancient bronzes – a more mythical animals such as dragons and
feature that appealed to me as a zoologist – tao tie. Amongst the Japanese lots you can
and he gave me an introduction to Bluett and find dragonflies, a grasshopper, a praying
Sons in Davies Street in London. There I met mantis, carp and a bat. When Bluett’s closed
Roger Bluett and Brian Morgan, and it was down, and I retired, I decided not to continue
the latter who guided most of my purchases adding to the collection, so what you see is
through almost twenty years. His combination the collection as it was in 1990.
108 | BONHAMS
