Page 175 - Himalayan Art Macrh 19 2018 Bonhams

It turns out Bill Clark was an excellent “cattle man” and
soon had a herd of registered Holstein cattle that became
quite well known throughout the US. Soon visitors from all
over the world would come to his prized cattle. Mom fed
every one of them, allowing many to stay the night, and
strong friendships ensued. Soon, Dad hit upon the idea
of exporting his knowledge of cattle by shipping genetics
overseas, which allowed other countries to improve their
milk production. It was a great success, and this gave Bill
Clark the vehicle he needed to travel and collect art.

In 1991, the Japanese government awarded our father
with the Order of the Rising Sun with Rosettes and
Golden Rays, Fourth Level, for his dedication in the
promotion of relations between Japan and the United
States. In 2009, he received the Order of the Rising Sun,
Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, for contributing to the
introduction of Japanese art in the United States and
promotion of cultural and educational exchange between
the two countries. Our parents’ Japanese collection of
almost 1,700 objects, spanning a period of 10 centuries,
now resides in the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

While it burned brightest for Japanese art, Libby and Bill
Clark had a deep reverence for Asian art more broadly.
Almost all of the South and Southeast Asian pieces
offered in the following pages stood in their living room.
Dad always believed in learning from the best, so when he
began collecting Asian art in earnest and wanted advice,
he met with Sherman Lee at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
At that time, Dad usually traveled in blue jeans, a western
belt, a plaid western shirt and a Stetson cowboy hat. After Bill and Libby Clark at a Clark Center event in Hanford, California, 2009.
their meeting, Sherman called his wife, Ruth, and said, Photo courtesy of the Clark family.
“John Wayne was just here and tells me he wants me to
help him collect art!” Dad and Mom and the Lees became
lifelong friends, and when our parents opened their Asian
art museum as an extension of their home in 1996, they
named it in honor of the Lees.

Willard G. Clark (1930-2015) loved traveling, meeting
new people, and seeing new things, especially art. He
collected well beyond his 80th birthday. He and Elizabeth
(1932-2017) warmly welcomed curators, scholars, and
fellow collectors from around the globe into their home.
They were very special and will be missed by many.

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